Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, I Hear Thunder , from Tab Benoit and it's super fused swampy funky blues. Opening with title track, I Hear Thunder , Tab Benoit opens it with a bottom heavy feel, strong vocals and fiery guitar work, anchored by Terence Higgins on drums, Corey Duplechin on bass, and Anders Osborne on guitar. Heavy opener. Soulful, Still Gray has a sad, country feel that showcases Benoit's vocals nicely. Jangly guitar work by Benoit and cool lead guitar riffs by Osborne, held tight by Higgins and Duplechin make this a primary radio candidate. Swamp rocker, Watching The Gators Roll In , is aa super, Tony Joe White like track that just has that groove. Track has great electricity and fun. Bluesy, Overdue , has great soulful vocals by Benoit, caressed by warm guitar riffs. Benoit's guitar lead on this track has real nice focus making it one of my favorites on the release. Little Queenie has a strong back beat worked by Benoit and...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The New World Blues , from Alastair Greene and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with Living Today , a straight up blues rocker, Alastair Green is upfront on mic and lead guitar with Tab Benoit on drums and harmony vocal and Corey Duplechin on bass and backing vocal. Adding a cool funk (think Sly and the Family Stone) on Lies And Fear brings out a whole different flavor. With funky rhythm and really warm blended harmony vocals, this track is super. Benoit shows great drumming dexterity driving Greene's guitar soloing to a new place and Duplechin's bass work is spot on and tight. Excellent! With a dash of JJ Cale styling, When You Don't Know What To Do , is a solid rocker giving Green a wide open field to really punch it. His bluesy riffs balance nicely with Benoit's snappy drumming. One of my favorite tracks on the release is No Longer Amused with it's tight bluesy bottom and soulful guitar sol...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, One of Those Days , from Lousiana's LeRoux and it's a modern blues rocker with a lot of flavor. Opening with title track, One of Those Days , lead singer Jeff McCarty is as solid as they come on this radio rocker with Jim Odem on lead guitar and background vocals, Rod Roddy on piano, Nelson Blanchard on Hammond, Joey Decker on bass and background vocal, Randy Carpenter on drums and Mark Duthu on percussion. With a cool melody and late Allman Brothers guitar runs, this track fits like an old glove. No One's Gonna Love Me (Like The Way You Do) , is another strong radio track with tightly woven instrumental backing for McCarty's lead vocal. The R&B style track with a country rock flavor shows a strong influence by the Doobies and and super backing vocals give it a great feel. New Orleans flavored, Lucy Anna has a great botton thanks to Roddy and Carpenter with really strong backing vocals supporting McC...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Let Go Of The Reins , from J.P. Soars and he takes you on a wild guitar saturated ride. Opening with Been Down So Long , a cool funky blues country "Elvin Bishop" kind of thing, Soars really sets a strong groove. Soars sets a funky rhythm guitar and vocal lead base over drums by Tab Benoit, B3 by Tillis Verdin, bass by Chris Peet. His lead guitar soloing ins smart and funky with a cool blues edge. Excellent opener. Osark Mountain Daredevils hit, If You Wanna Get To Heaven is a fairly straight forward remake of the original but with rip roaring guitar picking replacing the trademark harmonica riff. Very cool. One of my favorite tracks on the release is funky instrumental, Crow's Nest with it's a great rhythmic beat, Soars' ultra funky guitar solos and a super B3 solo by Verdin. Nice! Lonely Fire is a radio style track with a solid melody but it's the acoustic Spanish guitar playing by Soars ...

The Bender is Sept 7.8.9.10, 2017 Big Blues Bender Announces Fabulous Lineup for Sept! LAS VEGAS, NV. – The Big Blues Bender, one of the most talked about Blues events in the country, has announced an impressive 2017 lineup. The Big Blues Bender offers what could be their best artist lineup to date, offering a wide variety of first-class music and entertainment including, Mavis Staples, Dr. John, Tab Benoit, Walter Trout, and many more. This four-night all-inclusive music experience delivers eighteen hours of live music, daily, on three indoor stages and a fabulous pool stage all under one roof, featuring the most talented and sought after Blues artists to...