Bman's Blues Report

  I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Detroit Blues , from Danny Kroha and it's pretty exciting. Kroha, who takes a pure, primitive approach to the blues hits it square on the screws. Opening with Poor Howard , Kroha uses his basic tools, voice, guitar and foot stomp to make this early, country natural blues. This is pure music as if it came from the earth. Great opener. Simple rag, Detroit Blues , is simple and strong with Kroha singing and playing with no tricks. On diddley bow, Kroha sings Oh Death with the same conviction seen of Son House. This music is very straight forward and solid. Come out The Wilderness is another cool track with diddley bow slide work and strong blues roots. Kroha really works his craft giving the listener the sense that they are listening to an artist who is making music because he loves it rather than because it's popular. Very nice. Another rag track, Adam And Eve really plays up the period with kazoo and guitar. Working ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent 2 cd release, Ann Arbor Blues Festival 1969 from Third Man Records and it's terrific! Opening with Dirty Mother For You , a classic by Roosevelt Sykes, this classic track really gets the ball rolling with his suggestive language and his classic piano style. JB Hutto and his Hawk do a terrific Too Much Alcohol with Hutto's dynamic slide work. An excellent contribution by Jimmy Dawkins, I Wonder Why shows exactly why his nickname was Fast Fingers. Luther Allison and the Blue Nebulae play a super log take on Everybody Must Suffer/Stone Crazy and really gives his guitar a workout... makes you sweat just listening to it. Excellent! Another really fat guitar laden track is Otis Rush and So Many Roads . This is an excellent closer for disc one. Disc 2 opens with Muddy Waters and Long Distance Call . Muddy's vocals are super and he has that crying slide work, backed by Paul Oscher on harp. Very nice. Charlie Musselwhite re...

JACK WHITE PREMIERES INTERACTIVE 3-IN-1 VIDEO FOR "THAT BLACK BAT LICORICE" VISIT  JACKWHITEIII.COM   FOR THE FULL INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE "THAT BLACK BAT LICORICE" 7-INCH SINGLE AVAILABLE ON  THIRD MAN RECORDS Jack White has revealed his inventive and revolutionary new 3-in-1 music video for his latest single "That Black Bat Licorice". The video offers three original films of differing themes that can be interchanged based on viewers' interaction with their computer keyboard or tablet screen. The video trio also draws from the vision of three different directors – James Blagden, Brad Holland and White himself. See below for a listing of directors and the vignettes for which they presided over. View the video at  jackwhiteIII.com  from a computer or tablet for the full interactive experience. Animated video: Directed by James B...

JACK WHITE'S SECOND SOLO ALBUM  LAZARETTO  IS IN STORES JUNE 9th/10th.  Watch  Jack’s official music video for title track “Lazaretto" directed by Jonas & François:   In celebration of the new music video, the 7” vinyl single of “Lazaretto,” featuring the exclusive non-album b-side cover of Elvis Presley’s “Power of My Love,” is now available for pre-order and will be officially on-sale and shipping on June 9th. This 45 RPM record comes in a gorgeous sleeve which nicely complements and continues the visual artwork theme started with the Blunderbuss series of singles. Additionally, Lazaretto is currently streaming on  iTunes  in its entirety. Listen to the album and pre-order  your copy to receive "High Ball Stepper", "Lazaretto" and "Just One Drink” instantly. Lazaretto is also available for pre-order on  ULTRA LP vinyl  and  C...

J A C K  W H I T E L A Z A R E T T O FOLLOW-UP TO GOLD-CERTIFIED INTERNATIONAL #1 BLUNDERBUSS OUT JUNE 10 ON THIRD MAN RECORDS/COLUMBIA Jack White presents his new album Lazaretto , to be released June 10th on Third Man Records/Columbia. Lazaretto inhabits an exciting place in White's expansive discography as the follow-up to 2012's gold-certified international #1 Blunderbuss, and will be preceded by first single and title track "Lazaretto," to be released later this month. While we await the debut of that first official single, listeners can experience a first taste of new music from the album and watch the video for new instrumental track "High Ball Stepper" here . The aforementioned Blunderbuss was the first U.S. #1 album of Jack's storied career, also debuting at #1 in the UK, Canada, and, naturally, Switzerland. Blunderbuss was supported by an ambitious world tour fe...

M I C H A E L  K I W A N U K A Third Man Records is delighted to present Michael Kiwanuka's contribution to the TMR Blue Series catalog. Kiwanuka, a 25 year-old UK native of Ugandan heritage, was raised in north London where he split his time between session work and local gigs. Along the way, having found footing as a solo artist, he was signed to Communion Records, then Polydor, and has since performed throughout Europe and North America, while touring in direct support of Adele. He made his way through Nashville this past summer with just enough pause and aplomb to commit these morsels to tape. The A-side, "You've Got Nothing to Lose," is an original composition, featuring The Buzzards' Dominic Davis on upright bass, Cory Younts on piano, and joined also by fellow balladeer Lillie Mae Rische on fiddle. Their contributions transform his work into a stone-cold groove with almos...