Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (August 6, 2021), Under Your Spell , by Tito Jackson and it blends modern funk, blues, pop and rock for his own style. Opening with Wheels Keep Turning, Jackson on lead vocal and guitar sets a pop pace joined by Michael Harris on drums, Michael K Jackson and Brandon Adams on keys, Darnell Neal on bass, Jason Parfait and Ian Smith on horns. I really like the horn work and slide guitar efforts by Jackson on this track. Heavy footed, Under Your Spell, has a great foot drum thump and with strong addition by Joe Bonamassa on guitar, Robert King on bass and sassy horn work by Parfait and Smith, this track has a great groove. R&B track, Big Leg Woman has a strong sax intro by Parfait, and gives Jackson a great chance to shine on lead vocal, features Kenny Neal on guitar with Jackson and keeps with the theme of ballsey horn throughout. My favorite track on the release is You're Gonna Push Me To Far with some really nicel...

I just received the latest release, The Motown 7s Box , from Island Records Group and it's a fast paced mouthful of savory soul and R&B style. Opening with Marvin Gaye 's This Love Starved Heart , the release is hopping from the start. The Spinners ', What More Could A Boy Ask For , is slick and smooth with horn and vocal backing. Frank Wilson 's Do I Love You is a strong driver with full orchestration. Wilson is on top of his game on this track. The Originals ' Suspicion has such a strong Motown trademark sound with the drums in front with the vocals and underlying strings and backing vocals. Very nice. The Supremes do a straight up version of Stormy . This is a really cool track with classic styling. Stevie Wonder , one of the best song smiths of our time, is up next with Just Enough To Ease The Pain . This track is closely related to Light My Fire melodically with a definite Wonder twist. The Four Tops ' Clip My Wings moves along at a fast moving cl...

Stevland Hardaway Morris (born May 13, 1950 as Stevland Hardaway Judkins), known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, mufti-instrumentalist, record producer and activist. Blind since shortly after birth, Wonder signed with Motown's Tamla label at the age of eleven, and continues to perform and record for Motown to this day. Among Wonder's best known works are singles such as "Superstition", "Sir Duke", "I Wish" and "I Just Called to Say I Love You". Well known albums also include Talking Book, Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life. He has recorded more than thirty U.S. top ten hits and received twenty-two Grammy Awards, the most ever awarded to a male solo artist. Wonder is also noted for his work as an activist for political causes, including his 1980 campaign to make Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday a holiday in the United States. In 2009, Wonder was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace. In 2...