Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Right Amount of Funky , from Tim Gartland , and it's a cool blend of blues, rock, soul and  funk. Opening with Waste A Worry , Tim Gartland on vocal and harmonica takes the lead with backing vocals by Nalani Rothrock and tasty, SRV like guitar riffs by Robert Frahm. Jody Nardone on keys, Mike Joyce on bass and Jack Bruno on drums round out the band for a cool opener. Dennis Drummond opens A Better Life with a clean acoustic guitar riff transitioned quickly to a Latin flavored rhythm with Andy Peake on percussion and Bruno on electric guitar. Bruno's drums, firm bass backing by Joyce and terrific vocal and harmonica by Gartland make this a standout track. I particularly like Walk Away with it's rural strut. With underlying harmonica work by Gartland and perfect styling on vocal by Gartland and Rothrock, this track has just the right feel. A stiff snare swat by Bruno, warm key accompaniment and a sweet guitar sol...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Big World of Trouble , by Walk That Walk , and it's a cool, modern mix of delta, boogie, and funky blues. Opening with Roof Got A Hole In It, Popa C. De Snyder on slide guitar and vocal harmonizes with Tim Gartland on harmonica and vocal. Backing vocal by Maria Tollefson and Jonathan Rossoff add richness to the mix.  A cool contemporary acoustic blues, a solid opener. On John Lee Hooker's classic, Boogie Chillen , Stickman Waldron on harmonica, Randi Laak on drums and Mike Barrows on bass really do a nice job with DeSnyder on lead vocal. His riffs on guitar have a modern sound but deeply rooted in Hooker's own riffs. Very cool. Poppa C has a deep vamp supported by Dirk van Gulden on bass and Laak on drums. Gartland on harmonica and DeSnyder on vocal and guitar really dig in on this one and Ted Hastings Armstrong adds keys that flesh the track out nicely. Muddy Waters' Still A Fool maintains all of the ener...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (March 18, 2022), Truth , from Tim Gartland and it's got distinct soul and blues roots. Opening with Don't Mess With My Heart , Gartland and his distinctive vocal and harmonica styling lead the way. Backed by Kevin McKendree on piano, Kenneth Blevins on drums, Steve Mackey on bass, Robert Frahm on guitar and Wendy Moten on backing vocal this is a solid opener. With it's easy percussion, The Thing About The Truth has a nice radio presence. Shuffle track, Outta Sight Outta Mind glides with super vocals by Gartland and perfect backing vocal Motan and slick guitar work by Frahm, all anchored by the hands of McKendree. Very nice. Wish I Could Go Back has a cool, easy blues feel with Ray Desilvis on slide guitar and backing vocals. With it's Louisiana rhythm and cool harmonica soloing, this may be my favorite track on the release. Wrapping the release is bouncy, blues rocker, Save Sammy Some ,  giving Gartland ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Satisfied , from Tim Gartland , and its well balanced and cool. Opening with blues rocker, Drinking For Two , Tim Gartland's vocals are casual but authentic and the spanking drum work of Jack Bruno really hits the spot. Wendy Moten's backing vocals give the track a nice additional dimension and solid piano work by Kevin Mc Kendree, slide work by Tom Britt, Steve Mackey on bass and Gartland's own harp work make this a real nice opener. There is something about the vocal delivery on Don't Make More Trouble that almost makes you think it's asking for trouble with it's cool arrogance. I mean I really like it and lead guitar soloing by Robert Frahm it strong. One of my favorite tracks on the release is honky tonker, Can't Paint A Prettier Picture , with a great rolling rhythm, firm piano by Tom West. Excellent! The vocal interplay between Gartland and Ray Disilvis, the guitar discord by Frahm, the...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, If You Want A Good Woman , from Tim Gartland and it's quite good! Opening with shuffle track, What The Blues Look Like , Tim Gartland establishes a solid foundation as lead singer and harp man with strong slide work from Tom Brett and nice backing vocals by Wendy Moten. Kevin McKendree adds cool keys and Steve Mackey on bass and Lynn William on drums fill out the band. Latin salted R&B track, I Had It All , has a smooth feel and a nice showcase for Gartland on vocal and harp as well as Brett on slide. Bluesy ballad, I Come When You Call , has a real nice pace with nice solos by Tom West, McKendree, and Gartland on harp. I really like the shimmery guitar work of Brett on this track giving it an iridescence. Funky instrumental, Eight Ball , is a really cool jam with lead harp on the melody, nice bass work under the track and cool solo lines by West, Brett and McKendree. Another track with a funky rhythm, If That...

TIM GARTLAND MILLION STARS New Release From Triple-Threat Bluesman Tim Gartland Tim Gartland doesn't like to play loud. He likes to hear himself and the musicians around him, and wants his audience to be able to take in the subtleties of the music, the lyrics, the tones.  I suspect he may even want them to be able to share a word of appreciation between his well-penned verses.  For a blues musician, particularly a harmonica player, this is rare.  Trust me on this, I know. Singer/songwriter/harp player Tim Gartland is a rare breed, indeed. After being bitten by the blues bug at a Muddy Waters show as a young teenager in Ohio, he soon found himself in Chicago, playing harmonica with the likes of Bo Diddley, Carey Bell, Big Jack Johnson and Pinetop Perkins. Tim became increasingly interested in songwriting, and began writing melodic songs with relevant lyrics and elegant, funn...

I just received the newest release (September 9, 2014), Million Stars , from Tim Gartland . Having more of an R&B attack on the blues, Gartland, joined by Tom West (Keys), Chris Rival (guitars), Paul Justice (bass) and Forrest Padgett (drums) present a very smooth soulful set. Opening with Let Me Keep The Dog is a well balanced track showcasing Gartland on harp and vocals, his voice being somewhat stark and interesting. Off Of My Mind is an upbeat track sounding a bit like a Billy Preston track (rhythmically). Again, Gartland has a real nice voice for the style of music and organ work by West supports the body quite well. Gartland's vocals have been compared to Jimi and on Mess Me Up , the phrasing and timbre do sound similar. A cool track with airy guitar riffs this track has a nice texture and a nice bridge featuring West and Rival on solos. When The Next Wind Blows has a funky rhythm and a cool bass line by Justice. Talking about universal appeal, this would be the trac...