Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, It's A Blues World . from Sugar Brown and it's real cool. Opening with up tempo shuffle track, Hummingbird , featuring Sugar brown on vocal and guitar, Rockin' Johnny Burgin on guitar, Michelle Josef on drums, and Russ Boswell on bass. Cool opener. Love Me Twice has a great rhythm and signature Johnny Burgin guitar soloing. Really nice. With the addition of banjo by Nicol Robertson, Minnie Heart on fiddle and Julian Fauth on piano, Lousy Dime has an interesting rural feel and classic lines . One of my favorites on the release. Another of my favorites is title track, It's A Blues World , with a classic House of the Rising Sun progression. Subtle guitar riffs by Burgin, coupled with SB's vocal and harp, along with clean piano work by Fauth give this tack just the right balance. Out Of The Frying Pan has a strong rural blues feel with raw amplification on guitar and vocal giving the track a real aut...

Bman: Hi Johnny, Haven’t seen you in a while. I'm really sorry that I missed your show in Phoenix. I was in Europe and just got back. One show I really wanted to see. How did it go? RJB: I had a great show in Phoenix. " Bob Corritore and " Dave Riley sat in.  I had a great bassist from Alburquerque, J.D. Sipe , and Brian Fahey from The Paladains on drums.  I hadn't played with him since a tour in Europe three or so years ago with Mud Morganfield and Taildragger . Bman: Wow. That must have been a great show! Damn. I really wanted to see you. Are you coming back again this year? RJB: I hope to be back in October. Bman: Great! I should be  good then. I don't think I have anything planned for October. Last I heard you were in Europe with Aki Kumar . I love Europe. How did the tour go? Where were you? RJB: I left for Europe on Halloween, and got back at Christmas.  The first two weeks of the tour were with Aki Kumar and o...

I just received the newest release, Poor Lazarus from Sugar Brown and I quite like it! Opening with rocker Walkin' With Frankie , a Frankie Lee Sims track, it has a certain crude construction quality that I find particularly cool. Sugar Brown leads on guitar and vocal, joined by Joolyah Narveson on rhythm guitar and sax, and Art Maky on drums. Meet Me In The Country is a great delta style blues track with an authentic guitar riff throughout. Growing to a loud jangle this track keeps it's backwoods sound and primitive sound. Very nice! Boogie track, What A Comrade Left Behind has a Hound Dog Taylor feel with just a minor pinch of C&W styling. Love the loose guitar soloing by Brown. Tom Waits track, Get Behind The Mule has a RL Burnside rockin blues sound with real intensity, joined on this track by Pat Phillips on drums and Tyler Stoddart on maracas. Brown has a cool voice and gets a cool guitar groove going. On RL Burnside's Goin' Down South Narveson switches...

I just received the newest release (March 4, 2014), Sugar Brown's Sad Day , from Sugar Brown and I really like it. Opening with Elmore James' Fishman's Blues , SB and Bharath Rajakumar on guitar capture a bit of the rawness of Hound Dog Taylor accompanied only by Ben Caissie on drums. Great opener! Next up is Bo Diddley based track, Before The Law . Featuring SB on vocal and guitar and Rajakumar on harp as well as Caissie on drums and maracas. Another original, Sad Day , sounds like it is out of the Morganfield soung book and solid down and dirty blues. With cool vocals and slide riffs from SB and tight harp work from Rajakumar this is a great track. With a solid Sonny Boy Williamson sound, Grim Reaper smells like Chicago. SB leads his troops like he was born in the back of a Southside bar and Rajakumar doesn't hold back on harp. Zak Izbinsky also adds guitar work on this track. Very cool! Jimmy Rogers track Act Like You Love Me has a great simple boogie beat and cl...