Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Farmhouse Blues , by Randy Lee Riviere and it's packed with rowdy, growlin, blues rock. Opening with Downtown , Randy Lee Riviere on lead vocal and guitar creates plenty of swagger with Doug Lancio on guitar, Michael Saint Leon on guitar, Mike Rojas on keys, Robert Kearns on bass and Tom Hambridge on drums. Super opener. Title track, Farmhand Blues has just a touch of country mixed in to this strong blues rocker. Riviere does great with the Lou Reed delivery and I really like the simplistic yet stinging guitar attack. Moonlight is another power rocker with a thumping drum anchor, cool slide work and overdriven guitar lead.  It may not be ground breaking, but it's great solid music. Another cool track is December 1980 with it's droning bass line by Kearns and slap snare by Hambridge. With it's base blues structure and tight slide work, another notable track. On My Way Down is gritty and grimy with ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Down the Hatch , by Tom Hambridge , and it's a solid mix of blues, rock and soul . Opening with driving, Willie Dixon's Gone with it's train like rhythm. Tom Hambridge on lead vocal and drums leads the way with aggressive guitar rhythm by Rob McNelley , and pumping bass by Tommy MacDonald . Solid Opener. MacNelley sets the pace for shuffle, I Want You Bad with solid rhythm and stinging lead guitar. Hambridge adds a driving pace on drums and solid lead vocal. Hard Times is a cool track with a solid vocal melody by Hambridge and haunting guitar wails by MacNelley and heavy tom tom work by Hambridge. Very cool. My favorite track on the release is Believe These Blues with it's funky rhythm and soulful vocals by Hambridge and relentless guitar work by MacNelley. Additional texture by Jimmy Wallace adds depth to an already very cool track. Piano boogie, You Gotta Go Through St. Louis is another favorite with...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Ain't Done With The Blues , by Buddy Guy coinciding with his 89th birthday and it's jammed with over an hour of blues and rock. Opening with Hooker Thing , Buddy lays down a classic John Lee Hooker acoustic guitar riff and sings Buddy style. This really captures the playful guitar finesse of Guy. Blues rocker, Been There Done That is a great opener with a kick ass beat and shows Buddy singing like he's a kid and with aggressive guitar riffs, joined by Chuck Leavell on B3. Rob McNelley on rhythm guitar, Kevin McKendree on piano and Tom Hambridge really hangs tight on the drums. I just saw Kingfish last week and he really knows how to put things right. He's featured on funky, Where U At with his funky blues guitar styling under Buddy's silky smooth vocals. The addition of horns on this track add nicely to the richness and Hambridge's drumming works great with McKendree on piano. Excellent! Buddy ta...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Concrete Blues , from Randy Lee Riviere , and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with Mania , with a pop style theme, Randy Lee Riviere on lead vocal and guitar sets the pace. Joined by Kenny Greenberg and Bob Britt on guitars they create an interwoven melody, anchored by Stephen Mackey on bass and Tom Hambridge on drums. On Just Trying To Get Back Home , Hambridge used heavy tom tom to set the pace and Riviere's monochromatic vocals give the track a cool feel. His guitar styling on this track makes it my favorite with it's low slung bluesy feel. Stranger In My Head had an interesting British rock feel with jangly country style guitar riffs. Very cool. Dark tempered, Moccasin Lake is another cool track with a drum heavy bottom and crisp guitar riffs. Title track, Concrete Blues has a rocky rhythm with bluesy slide soloing and Mike Rojas adding some real nice piano work. Wrapping the release is rocker, Drive w...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Brown Eyed Blues , from Jeff Pitchell and it's a lot of fun. Opening with thumping rocker, Now You Know , Jeff Pitchell on lead guitar and vocal sets a finite reference. With grinding guitar tone and solid bass line from John O'Boyle and Ephraim Lowell on drums, this is a powerful opener. Boogie, Wait , is driven by an aggressive bass line by Mike Nunno and Mike Levesque on drums. Pitchell really gets the track rocking with strong vocal lead and great guitar riffs, backed by Colin Tilton on sax, Dan Fontanella on piano, and John Robinson, Theresa Wright and Linda Ransom on backing vocals. Pop rocker, When We Kiss , has a light finky beat and features Duane Betts on guitar, adding the twin lead guitar closely associated with the famous Allman Brothers band. Jay Vernali on piano and organ, Tommy MacDonald on bass and Tom Hambridge on drums make this the radio choice for the release. Latin flavored, Stay While The Nig...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, True Blues Brother- The Legacy of Matt "Guitar Murphy" by Matt Guitar Murphy and it's a great assemblage of music that Matt was working on at the time of his death in 2018 featuring music by artists he either played with or influenced along with some special guests. Opening with Matt's Boogie , Murphy leads the way on this instrumental with  a super guitar rhythm /solo lead and joined by Bruce Bears on organ, Ricky "King" Russell on guitar, Bob Worthington on bass and Fran Christina on drums. Solid opener. Deadric Malone's I Feel Alright Again is a super shuffle featuring Brian Templeton on vocal, Nick Adams on guitar, Collin Tilton on tenor sax, Johnny Juxo on keys, Dean Cassell on bass and Christina on drums. Christine Ohlman really belts out the lead on Something's Got a Hold On Me , and Etta James favorite, with Cliff Goodwin and Russell on guitar, Worthington on bass and Christina ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, BadNews Travels Fast , from Chris BadNews Barnes and it's solid set of rock and blues rock. Opening with radio style rocker, and title track, BadNews Travels Fast , BadNews Barns on lead vocal leads the way with a tight guitar lead by Kenny Greenberg, driving bass lines by Tommy MacDonald, and Tom Hambridge snapping tight on drums. Ace harmonica player, Jimmy Hall who led his own band, Wet Willie and worked quite a bit with the honorable Jeff Beck really makes a nice contribution here. Excellent opener. True Blues is a cool, upbeat blues track along the lines of Thrill Is Gone. Not sure most would pick up on it, but it really does have some searing guitar riffs by Walter Trout. Driving rocker, BluesBaller Baby calls on Mike Rojas on keys to do the heavy lifting with Barnes on this one and he really does a fine job. Kenny Greenberg rips hot guitar solo on this one and Max Abrams sails on sax making it a definite hot s...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blu Ja Vu , from Tom Hambridge , and it's potent set of blues rock tracks with plenty of gusto. Opening with Ain't It Just Like Love , Tom Hambridge joins up with Buddy Guy on vocal, (Hambridge on drums and Guy on guitar) with bass by Tommy MacDonald, Kevin McKendree on on keys and featuring an explosive guitar solo by Guy. Strong opener. Rob McNelley on lead guitar really gets things cranking on Wear You Out with a driving beat and solid vocals by Hambridge. Shuffle, Blues Don't Care , features Kingfish on guitar and vocal and this track has great style. Hi power Brother John Boogie features harmonica superman, James Cotton with Glenn Worf on bass, Chuck Leavell on keys, and of course Hambridge on drums. Excellent! Another great boogie, Get Out Of Town features McKendree on vicious keys and Hambridge on vocal. Very cool. Stripped down blues, Johnny Winter , features excellent slide work by McNelley, Hambridg...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Nightwalk , from Dave Weld & the Imperial Flames and the man knows how to boogie. Opening with Mary Who , Weld on lead vocal and guitar gets into a cool JL Hooker groove, backed by Harry Yaseen on piano, Kenny Pickens on bass, and Jeff Taylor on drums. One of favorite tracks on the release is slide guitar loaded, Red Hot Tabasco featuring Weld on lead vocal and slide over a Latin beat. With Tom Hambridge on drums and Tony Carpenter on percussion this track is caliente. I really like Now She's Gone with Graham Guest on B3, and featuring Bill Branch on harp and Weld with some of the wildest slide work on the release. Very cool! Donde Vas is another Latin flavored track featuring Monica Myhre on lead vocal and with Weld adding some key lead guitar work and a fat sax solo by Rogers Randle, Jr. backed by spicy brass work by Kenny Anderson on trumpet and Bill McFarland on trombone. Uptempo, Loving You is another soli...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent self titled release by The Dinallos and it's interesting and diverse. Opening with a cool instrumental, All The Ponies Go 'Round (Danny's Lullaby) , Michael Dinallo on guitar, Jim Gambino on keys, Dave Jacques on bass, Justin Armaral on drums, and Mike McAdam on guitars create a very inviting opener. The track has a beautiful lushness to it, with a simple yet creamy guitar harmony. Very nice. Folk rocker, Lemonade, features Annabel Dinello on lead vocal in harmony with Juliet Simmons Dinello creating a Breeders like vocal sound with some cool Nashville style guitar picking. Very cool. Country flavored, Purgatory Road features a solid duet between Juliet and Will Kimbrough. With a contemporary turn around and inclusive of Aaron Till on fiddle and Gambino on accordion, this is a promising radio track. Nothing to Lose But the Blues has a retro early 60's surf feel with a cool rhythm. You Got Nothing on Me is a soli...

  I just had the opportunity to review the newest release Plug In & Play, from Tommy Z and I really like it. Opening with Pumpin' (Let's Have Some Fun) , a full bodied texas blues shuffle, Tommy lets the riffs roll off of his fingers like molasses.  His riffs are sweet, fat and juicy and his phrasing is solid. With Tom Scime on keys pumping up the fullness, Tommy really lets it fly and  David Hulett on drums and Dave Herr on bass, this is a really solid opener. Slow blues, Please Come Back To Me , is one of my favorites on the release with strong vocals by Tommy and controlled lead work that is really effective at raising the tension, balanced with Scime's organ work. Very nice. Title track, P lug in And Play has Rolling Stones or LS style attack on a driving rocker. Tommy MacDonald's bass playing and Tom Hambridge on drums have this track anchored and Z's vocals work great with his guitar swagger. Scowler has a strong radio melody and solid vocal blending by ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The NOLA Sessions from Tom Hambridge and it's got real feel. Opening with Easy flowing, Blues Been Mighty Good To Me , Hambridge has lead vocal and of course drums backed by superstar Allen Toussaint on piano, max Moran on bass and Wendy Molten on backing vocal. Smooth opener. On Bluz Crazy , Hambridge has a distinctive slap on the snare that I really like and the lope of the track is further enhanced by John Fohl on guitar with Tommy MacDonald on bass and Kevin McKendree on piano. Very nice. Sonny Landreth's Slydeco guitar on This End Of The Road gives the track a real nice edge on a John Hiatt style track. Great two stepper. With real New Orleans style, I Love Everything has a great melody and sense of rhythm. With Shance Theriot on guitar, Calvin Turner Jr. on bass, David Torkanowsky on piano, McKendree on B3, SaRachael on backing vocals and The Naughty Horns this track rocks! Landreth is back again on Lit...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Blues Is Alive and Well, from Buddy Guy and it's strong. Opening with A Few Good Years , Buddy Guy pleads in song for continued good years to remain but his vocals are smooth and his guitar as vibrant as ever. Joined by Tom Hambridge on drums, Rob McNelley on guitar, Kevin McKendree on B3 and Willie Weeks on bass, this hits home. Shuffle track, Guilty As Charged shows a strong romp attitude and you can see that gold tooth glistening as Buddy shouts out guilty and fans his guitar wildly in one of his frantic guitar explosions. Very nice. Cognac , is a real nice 12 bar number featuring not one but two legendary guest guitar players, Keith Richards and Jeff Beck who along with Guy give this track real teeth. Richards' riffs are always standout and Beck's style is remarkable and an absolute signature. Excellent! Title track, The Blues Is Alive And Well is a great R&B fused track with Weeks' instin...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Strip It Down , by Casey James and it's quite good. Opening with blues rocker, All I Need , Tommy MacDonald sets a Ray Manzarek style bass groove and Casey James on lead vocal and guitar takes the bait. His vocals are gritty and his guitar tone is warm and rich. Backed by Kevin McKendree on Wurlitzer, Tom Hambridge on drums and Ron McNelley on rhythm guitars, this is a band made in heaven. Two stepper, Bulletproof, has a great feel and Delbert McClinton joins on vocal giving it great style and screaming harp work gives it great edge. Hurt Me More has a real nice Texas lope where McKendree's dancing key work nicely compliments James' vocals and guitar riffs. Very nice. Pat Buchanan's harp work sets the tone for Latin flavored blues number, I Got To Go with a great sound. Hambridge's tight rhythm patterns drive this track, McKendree's B3 solo adds color and James guitar soloing and vocals are to...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Charmed & Dangerous , from Altered Five Blues Band and it's quite good. Opening with title track, Charmed & Dangerous , a funky blues track, powerhouse lead singer, Jeff Taylor is off to  great start. Lead guitarist, Jeff Schroedl is on top with a modern day Albert King style flair joined by Mark Solveson on bass, Tom Hambridge on drums and Raymond Tevich on keys these guys pack a powerful punch.   and Hambridge as always sets great pace. An excellent opener. On shuffle track, Mint Condition , Trevich sets a great sound on organ and Schroedl's Texas style blues riffs are spot on. With a nod from Howlin' Wolf, On My List To Quit absolutely struts. Taylor is on top of his game with solid vocals and Schroedl's riffs are crisp. Out of the gate like "Mad Dogs", Gonna Lose My Lady is a strong blues rocker. One of my favorite tracks on the release Cookin' In Your Kitchen, gives Schroedl a...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Ain't Ready For The Grave , from Hurricane Ruth , and it's powerful. Opening with Barrelhouse Joe's , a solid boogie, Hurricane Ruth on lead vocal is joined by Reese Wynans on piano, Tom Hambridge on drums, Michael Rhodes on bass, Pat Buchanan and Rob Mc Nelley or guitars. Taking it down, Far From The Cradle , has great blues bones with expressive vocals, excellent piano work by Wynans and super guitar work under the lead. Southern style blues rocker, Estilene , has a great beat and smoking guitar riffs.  A really hot drum riff by Hambridge and Rhodes bass lines really set the pace on Beekeeper . It's cool rhythmic flow makes this one of my favorites on the release. A funky bass/drum line set a super beat for Cheating Blues , a cool track with expressive vocal phrasing and a real nice guitar solo. Very cool. Shuffle track, Let Me Be The One has a cool pace, cool vocals and flashy guitar riffs giving it ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Make Blues Not Wa r, from Mike Zito and it's crazy good! Opening with blues rocker, Highway Mama , this track gives you that take no prisoners attitude with a driving beat courtesy of Tom Hambridge who absolutely blows it up on drums and Tommy MacDonald on bass, Mike Zito on lead vocal and guitar, Rob McNelley on guitar and Water Trout on guitar. Trout plays some really hot riffs and Zito absolutely scorches the strings. Excellent opener. Wasted Time is up next with a great lumbering Texas lope, Zito lays down stuff that would make SRV proud, with intensity and feel. Very nice! Redbird is a heavy footed, rocker with strong vocals. Solid bass lines from MacDonald positively drive this bus and it's rolling hard. Talk about intensity, Crazy Legs has it x 10. This track is on fire and running hard with excellent drum work by Hambridge and super guitar tone. Zito really turns on the heat on this one literally setti...