Cali Bee Music artist: Brad "Guitar" Wilson - The Californian - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Californian, by Brad "Guitar" Wilson and it's a solid blues based rocker. Opening with Elmore James' classic, It Hurts Me Too, Brad Wilson is back with his guitar blazing. Given a more rock approach Wilson on lead vocal and guitar plays ripping lead to accompany his nicely delivered vocal lead, accompanied by Chris Rhyne on keys, Toto Poznantek on drums, and Hal Cragin on bass, this is a solid opener. Driving rocker, Say You Wanna Dance is my selection for radio track for this release with a super melody and even guitar lead and solid drumming by Tony Braunagel. Heartbreaker is a strong rocker with a solid guitar vamp. I really like his overdriven tone on rhythm and the cleaner lead tone in contrast stands out nicely. Wilson's remake of Eddie Cochran's Summertime Blues is cool with a lot of the spunk of the original. Adding in a bit of modern flare without going full "Blue Cheer" is a cool thought. Arthur Adams' Love and Peace is a really great sone, laid back and smooth like the Jazz Crusaders and Wilson shows a totally different side with sensitive guitar instrumentals. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Willie Dixon's Groaning The Blues and it's a strong closer. Wilson's vocals are really showcased nicely and he lays down some of his best guitar work for this release. 

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Little Village artist: Billy Price - Person of Interest - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Person of Interest, by Billy Price and it's got style. Opening with funky, Inside The Box, Billy Price is back with his next chapter. Notable for a leading vocal style for more than 25 years, Price is joined by Larry Fulfher on bass, Josh Sklair on guitar, Jim Pugh on keys, Tony Braunagel on drums and backing vocals by Masayn Lewis, Fred White and Will Wheaton. Of course there's a great horn section behind him including Ron Dziubla on sax, Eric Spaulding, and Mark Pender on trumpet. Great opener.  Bluesy ballad, Mercy, gives Price a chance to belt one out and warm keys by Pugh under the solid lead guitar work of Fulcher, and a sultry sax solo by Spaulding make this a solid radio contender. Title track, Person Of Interest, really has a funky pop sound in the vein of Steely Dan. Reggie McBride on bass lays in a great vibe and Pugh is killer on keys. Price's vocals are loose and free and Dziubla and Pender do a great job on horns. Having spent 3 years with Roy Buchanan, Price dedicates a track, Change My Mind, to Roy. A serious soul track and featuring Joe Bonamassa on guitar who gives Roy a few nods this is a very cool track.  Latin rhythms on A Certain Something has radio warmth and a strong melody. Pugh leads the track nicely on keys and Lenny Castro on percussion and Braunagel really spice up the bottom with Fulcher on bass and lead vocal by Price, backed by Lewis, White and Wheaton really shines. Wrapping the release is high stepping, Damage Control, with Price playing call and response with Dziubla and Pender on horns. McBride on bass holds the line with Braunagel on drums and Pugh of course on keys is stellar. Spaulding shines on tenor sax whipping out a real nice solo and Lewis, White and Wheaton blend nicely. This is a consistently cool release ... think a bluesy Steely Dan. Very nice! 

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VizzTone label group artist: Deb Ryder - Live And Havin' Fun - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live And Havin' Fun, from Deb Ryder and it's a boat load of high steppin fun. Opening with Fun Never Hurt No One, with it's pumping rhythm, Deb Ryder is upfront leading the way on gritty vocals and Lon Price and Joe Sublett on sax. Tony Braunagel lays down a steady drum rhythm with Ric Ryder on bass and Johnny Lee Schell on guitar. Paul Litteral on trumpet and Jim Pugh on trombone really open the track up with brass. Solid Opener. Temporary Insanity has plenty of sway with Schell leading the way on guitar and Pugh, Price and Litteral on horns. Ric's bass work adds a real nice bottom giving Deb a solid footing for her powerful vocals. Albert Lee lays down some real nice guitar riffs on Ma Misere for a strong addition to the set. Braunagel sets up a hot, New Orleans rhythm and Albert Lee picks some real nice riffs under the soulful vocals on Deb. Funky, I'm Coming Home, leads off with Price wailing on sax and the thumping bass work of Ric. Deb gets in the groove with great response by Price and funky guitar rhythm by Schell and snappy drum work by Braunagel. Hold On has a driving blues rock feel with Deb leading the way and Tex Nakamura on harmonica adding just the right amount of spice. Wrapping the release is country blues rocker, Blues Is All I Got, with it's strong rhythm, Ric on bass and Deb trading lead with Nakamura. Schell lays down a real nice guitar solo on this one further electrifying this live closer. 

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Forty Below Records artist: Danielle Nicole - The Love You Bleed - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Love You Bleed, from Danielle Nicole and it's a solid, radio oriented release. Opening with Love On My Brain, a cool rocker with a strong melody. With Danielle Nicole Schnebelen on lead vocal and bass, Go Go Ray on drums, Damon Parker on keys and Tony Braunagel on percussion, the track has super vocal and a stiff guitar lead by Brandon Miller. Strong opener. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Right By Your Side with it's bluesy feel. Solid soul format with nice backing vocals and crisp melodic guitar lead work by Miller, and rich organ work by Parker really make this track a strong seller. Another one of my favorites is a more acapella A Lover Is Forever featuring Danielle on vocal with Miller on guitar. With it's memorable melody and lush vocal styling, another top track. Fools Gold with it's heavy bottom is another standout with a great bass line lead and vocal response by Danielle. I really love the slide work by Miller that really caps this track. Wrapping the release is Young Love On The Hill, with it's light, acoustic feel. Danielle pairs her own backing vocals and with a simple rock rhythm with Miller on acoustic guitars. Solid closer. 

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Blue Heart Records artist: Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps - Rose-Colored Glasses Vol. 2 - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Rose-Colored Glasses Vol. 2, by Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps, and it's got a great feel. Opening with blue rocker, I'd Do It For You, James on piano and lead vocal, enlists Brannen Temple on drums, Terry Wilson on bass, backing vocals, B3, Rhythm guitar, and Billy Watts on lead guitar. Solid opener. Easy, laid back, pop ballad, That's What I'm Talking About has terrific radio appeal with it's smooth melody and James really nice vocals. Slinky, Ain't Nothing For Certain, is another track with strong radio appeal with James really doing a nice job deliveing the melody and  Matt Lomeo featuring counterpoint on harmonica. Wrapping the release is Second Chance with a tight rock delivery. James on lead vocal always hits it square on and with backing by Braunagel on drums, bass, guitar, Wilson on backing vocal, Kevin McKendree  on piano and Bennett Salvay on B3, this is an upbeat closer. 

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Big Song Music artist: Lisa Biales - At Christmas - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, At Christmas, from Lisa Biales, and it's a solid mix of blues, pop and holiday sounds. Opening with title track, At Christmas, Lisa Biales leads the way on vocal with Tony Braunagel on drums, Jeff Paris on keys, Johnny Lee Schell on guitar, David J. Carpenter on bass, Jerry Vivino on sax, Maxayn Lewis on backing vocal, Mark Pender on trumpet and hot trombone work by Garrett Smith creating a cool second line feel. Shuffle, That's What I Like About Christmas, opens with a slick guitar intro by Schell. A snappy bottom by Braunagel, great vocals by Biales, swinging keys by Paris and a solid sax solo by Joe Sublett makes this a likely radio track. Mary's Little Baby Boy is my favorite track on the release with a distinct rock feel. Biales holds the reins tight and Braunagel's drum snap paired with Carpenter's bass line gives the track a Stones sound with high tension Hammond work by Paris and really cool slide guitar work by Schell. Excellent! Wrapping the release is bouncy, Christmas Cheer, with it's pop rocky feel. A definite radio track with Paris punching up the mix on keys and Schell accenting the mix with choice guitar work. Warm backing vocals by Lewis and a snappy drum rhythm by Braunagel makes this a solid closer. 

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Little Village Foundation: The Phantom Blues Band - Blues For Breakfast - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues For Breakfast, by The Phantom Blues Band and it's a solid party. Originally formed as Taj Mahal's backing band, PBB began performing on their own and released their first release back in 2006. With a few changes in the lineup most significantly Les Lovitt replacing Darrell Leonard on trumpet and Jim Pugh replacing the nearly irreplaceable Mike Finnigan after his fight with cancer ending in 2021. This newest rendition of the band opens with a roaring  cover of I Take What I Want with Larry Fulcher on bass and lead vocals paired with Johnny Lee Schell on lead vocal and guitar. Backed by Tony Braunagel on drums, Joe Sublett on sax, Les Lovitt on trumpet and Jim Pugh on piano and organ this track has real juice. New Orleans flavored, She's Into Something has strong percussion by  Braunagel and the horn work of Joe Sublett and Les Lovitt really spices things up. Schell drops into a nice Texas style guitar solo really setting hit one off. Very nice. A reggae style rework of Curtis Mayfield's, Move On Up, is really cool with vocal by Ruthie Foster  and tight rhythm guitar by Tony Chin and the horn work of Subett and Lovett add nice authenticity. Very cool. Mike Finnigan leads the way on organ and vocal on OK, I Admit It with real swing. Punchy horns by Sublett and Lovitt and Finnigan's own organ work make this one of my favorites. Bonnie Raitt joins on laid back shuffle, Country Boy with her distinct vocal work. Very nice. Curtis Salgado adds lead vocal and distinctive solo harmonica on Laughin' and Clowin', a slow blues and one of my favorites on the release. On up tempo, I Know You Don't Love Me, Salgado has the lead vocal again and does a great job. Sublett, on sax lays in a solid solo making it hard to stop your foot stomping. Wrapping the release is boogie track, Stuff You Gotta Watch with a great driving bass line by Fulcher and stellar work by Pugh on piano. Power horn work by Sublett and Lovitt work great with Schell's lead vocal and Sublett finishes the release with a hot sax solo. Very nice. 

This recording is dedicated to the memory of Mike Finnigan. All proceeds from sales are being donated to the scholarship program at The Mike Finnigan School of Music in Salina, Kansas. 

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-Sandy Haley - Feels Like Freedom - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Feels Like Freedom, from Sandy Haley, and it's a cool blend of blues, pop and rock. Opening with title track, Feels Like Freedom, vocalist, Sandy Haley gets into a contemporary pop rock groove, with the wailing sax work of Joe Sublett and Teddy Andreadis on keys, backed by pat McClure on guitar, Reggie mcBride on bass and Tony Brunagel on drums.  Bluesy ballad, Love Me Right gives Haley the opportunity to dig in vocally, with tasty guitar riffs by McClure cool trumpet work by Les Lovitt with Nick Lane on trombone and piano by Jeff Paris. Funky, Run For Shelter adds another dimension with Cortes laying in a solid bottom, Andreadis on keys and Braunagel on drums.  Wrapping the release is up tempo shuffle/boogie, Dirty Dog with the band really hitting the groove. With a snappy drum line by Braunagel, rock guitar riffs from McClure and Andreadis on harmonica, and backing vocals by Maxayn Lewis  and Kudisan Kai Regalto this is a solid closer. 

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Fullerton Gold Records artist: Bubba and The Big Bad Blues - Drifting - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Drifting, by Bubba and The Big Bad Blues and it's a great blues rocker. Opening with shuffle, I Want To Make Love To You Baby, Christopher Clerc on lead vocal and guitar has really nicely blended the styles of BB King and SRV to create his own soulful groove. Joined by Mike Barry on bass, Mike Finnigan on organ, Rick Solem on piano, Tony Braunagel on drums, Richard Rosenberg on trombone,  Joe Sublett on sax and Les Lovitt on trumpet, this is a full orchestral rocking sound. Title track, Drifting, is a strong, soulful ballad with excellent vocals and beautiful, shimmering guitar riffs, interwoven into a field of rich horn and key saturated music. Brilliant. Rocking boogie track, She's Your Problem Now, gets a super groove moving with excellent vocal and guitar by Clerc super organ work by Finnigan and tight work by Jason Lozano on drums and Johnny Bazz on bass. I Own The Road has a driving rock and roll beat highlighted by Rick Solem on piano and Clerc really cuts loose with some terrific rocking guitar riffs. Really nice. Wrapping the release is a quiet ballad, My Love, featuring Clerc on vocal and acoustic guitar, backed by Jacob Dupre on organ and piano, Doug Swanson on bass, and Nick D'Virgilio on drums. Keeping the track instrumentally low key really allows Clerc's electric guitar soloing to really sing making his a real solid closer for a strong new release. 

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VizzTone Label Group artist: Deb Ryder - Memphis Moonlight - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (June 11, 2021), Memphis Moonlight, by Deb Ryder and it's a cool, R&B based blues release packed with talent. Opening with I'm Coming Home, a sassy R&B track features Ryder on lead vocal with Tony Braunagel on drums, Johnny Lee Schell on guitar, Mike Finnigan on B3, Travis carlton on bass, Mark Pender on trumpet and some super sax riffs from Joe Sublet. Cool opener. With a bluesier feel and a touch of gospel on These Hands, Ryder really hits the groove vocally and Alastair Green's addition on slide is a super perk. Schell's backing vocals and the addition of Pieter Van Der Pluijm on harmonica adds real texture. Driving rocker, Blues Is All I Got had a solid bass line by Schell andwith Braunagel on drums and van Der Pluijm on harmonica. Classic slow blues, Love Is Gone is a real standout giving Ryder a chance to show the richness of her vocals and featuring the king of blues guitar phrasing, Ronnie Earl, with a nice extended solo. Just Be Careful is another uptempo blues number with Schell on lead slide guitar and Ryder working the blues nicely. Second Chances is a cool track with country influences with the addition of Joey Delgado on guitar, Steve Delgado on backing vocal, David Hidalgo on accordion and Steve berlin on sax. Very cool. Wrapping the release is Most of All a smooth ballad, again playing into the strength of Ryder's vocal strength and with Ronnie Earl playing melodic lead guitar to a very simple bottom with Braunagel, Schell and carlton on bass. Very nice closer. 

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Crawling Spider: A Tribute to Mike Montgomery Vol.1: The LA Sessions - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Crawling Spider: A Tribute To Mike Montgomery Vol.1: The LA Sessions. The release was compiled by Marlon Montgomery, son of Back Street Crawler keyboardist and composer, Mike Montgomery who passed in 1991 of lung cancer. Opening with Survivor,  featuring Robbie Wyckoff on lead vocal, Billy Watts and Johnny Lee Schell on guitar, Tony Braunagel on drums, Terry Wilson on bass and Adam MacDougall on keys, this is a solid rocker. It's A Long Way Down is a cool British style blues rocker with a strong Bad Company feel. Lead vocals by Wyckoff and great backing vocal by Teresa James and Terry Wilson along with Braunagel make this track a standout. 99 Days is a straight up rocker along the lines of the Stones and Mark Campbell has the mic with cool slide work by Schell and Adam MacDougall on keys. All The Girls Are Crazy (Flood The Engine) has a real swagger with a great guitar vamp by Bill Leverty and lead vocal by Jimmy Kunes. King Of The Mountain has more of a Bowie feel with Mike Montgomery on lead vocal and keys. Backed by Brian Robertson on guitars, Paul Thompson on drums and Jimmy Bain on bass, cool Brit rocker. Another track with a great Bowie feel is Sidekick To The Stars with Montgomery on vocal, and the same line up on instrumentation. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Can't Be So Bad with Montgomery accompanying himself on piano. This is a solid tribute to Mike Montgomery and a lot of fun. 

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American Showplace Music artist: Hurricane Ruth -Good Life - New Release Review

 

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Good Life, from Hurricane Ruth and it's a charging blues rocker. Opening with driving, Like Wildfire, Ruth La Master is upfront and on fire with her dominant vocal style, backed by Scot Holt on guitar, Calvin Johnson on bass, Bruce Katz on B3 and Tony Braunagel on drums. Good Life is a slower ballad with deep soulful roots. Katz's B3 work on this track adds real depth and I love Holt's guitar phrasing punctuating the track nicely. Kicking in the rock bottom, Ruth shows her rocking edge with some of her grittiest vocals on the release. My favorite track on the release, Late Night Red Wine has a super traditional rock beat with a solid melody. Holt steps up with a stinging guitar solo with a blues edge and Katz's organ work pulls it all together. Very cool. Wrapping the release is ballad, I've Got Your Back, with Ruth bringing on her sensitive soul vocals. Nicely balanced with Katz on piano and organ this is a real nice closer for a solid release. 

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VizzTone Label Group artist: Phanton Blues Band - Still Cookin' - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Still Cookin', from Phantom Blues Band, and it's terrific! Opening with a classic R&B track by Wilson Pickett, Don't Fight It (Feel It), this band knows it's strengths and plays into it. With Mike Finnigan (keys), Larry Fulcher (bass) and Johnny Lee Schell (guitars) on lead vocals, this band lays out one of my R&F favorites with strong horn work by Joe Sublett (sax) and Les Lovitt (trumpet) and great rhythm  and Tony Braunagel on drums. What a lineup! Slipping into a New Orleans funk on Wingin' My Way Johnny takes the lead on a strongly Little Feat influenced track (dedicated to Paul Barrere) with solid slide work and a tight horn line. Slow blues, Blues How They Linger, features Finnigan on lead vocal and piano, with light backing. A strong, somber track keeps it low till about half way through when Sublett cuts loose with a real nice sax solo, punctuated by Lovitts trumpet work. Very nice! Reggae track, Shine On, has a great island beat with Lenny Castro joining on percussion and Fulcher and Finnigan on lead vocal. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Latin flavored, Tequila Con Yerba, an excellent, primarily instrumental that makes you squirm in your seat...think Buena Vista. Finnigan, Sublett and Lovitt each get a spot to solo and use them well. Very nice! Shuffle track, I'm Just Your Fool, has a great sway and nicely blended vocals by Johnny with Mike give the track a warm feel. Another strong sax solo by Sublett cements the track and Schell lays in a nice run of his own. Very nice. Wrapping the release is I Was Blind, a quiet ballad featuring Schell on lead vocal, backed by Finnigan. Schell lays in some warm slide work and Finnegan some nice organ work, under the basic melody giving the track a full bottom. This is a solid closer for a really cool release. 

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The Jimmys - Gotta Have It - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Gotta Have It, from The Jimmys and it's a cool blues and boogie collection. Opening with Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet, Jimmy Voegeli leads the way on piano and lead vocal with a great feel with Melodye Perry in harmony and with Perry Weber on guitar, Peterson Ross on sax, John Wartenweiler on bass, Kevan Feyzi on trombone, Mike Boman on trumpet, Kyle Samuelson on trombone, Al Falaschi on bari sax, Kurt Shipe on trumpet and Tony Braunagel on drums. Solid opener. Title track, She Gotta Have It, has super swing with lead vocals by Voegeli and backing by Perry and Marcia Ball. With a firm walking bass line and Weber's no frills guitar lead, Voegeli's piano work shines through. Cool boogie woogie track, Hotel Stebbins, is thick with a big horn section. Real nice. Drinkin' has a real nice slow feel with Voegeli singing over terrific piano lead. The horn section is full and tight and Webber's guitar punctuation is sweet. With it's Latin beat, Always A Woman, is punched up nice with Braunagel and Ingram on percussion. With the added vocals of Weber and Voegeli pulling out the B3 and nice sax work by Ross, this may be my favorite track on the release. Slow blues, Someday Baby, gives Weber a nice chance to stretch out a bit on guitar with solid lead vocals by Voegeli and with punchy brass adding punctuation and an excellent sax solo by Ross. Very cool. Wrapping the release is B3 soaked, Jose, with it's R&B sound. A soulful sax solo by Ross, cool percussion by Ingram and brassy melody is really a cool closer for this solid release. 

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Jesi-Lu Records artist: Teresa James & the Rhythm Tramps - Live - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live, from Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps and it's jam packed full of blues, R&B and soul. Opening with In The Pink, a funky, R&B number with hot vocal work and keys by Terresa James, Terry Wilson on bass, Billy Watts on guitar, Herman Matthews on drums, Lee Thornburg on trumpet, and Ron Dziubla on sax. Solid opener. Put The Squeeze On Me has great blues feel and James really works it hard, old school style and Watts lays down a real nice guitar lead giving the track James Brown like fever. Soulful, Don't Make A Habit Of It, is a smooth, radio ready, track with a great melody and nicely showing off James' vocal work. With the addition of Paulie Cerra on sax this track has the strength of a Van Morrison track with the super soul of James. Very nice. One of my favorite tracks on the release is ballad, The Day The Blues Came To Call with a strong melody, expressive vocal phrasing and a nice guitar solo by Watts. Very nice. With a calypso feel, I Want It All, has real pizzazz. James vocals are primo and her piano playing is hot. Joe Sublett on sax and Darrell Leonard on trumpet really spice things but it's the drumming of Tony Braunagel that pushes it over the edge. Wrapping the release is Long Way From Texas with it's Chuck Berry style drive. James' piano work is great and Cerra's sax solo pushes it. Add in a dirty guitar solo by Watts and you've got a great closer. 

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Woodward Avenue Records artist: Jacqui Brown - Love Love Love - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Love Love Love, from Jacqui Brown and it's packed with country style pop tracks and bluesy ballads. Opening with Bend, a two stepper, Jacqui on lead vocal is backed by Paul Brown on lead guitar, Tony Braunagel on drums, Bob Glaub on bass, Lew Laing on drums and Brother Paul Brown on keys. Title track, Love, Love, Love is a smooth radio ballad featuring nicely blended vocals between Jacqui and Paul. Paul sets in a Bluesy country flavored solo on guitar giving the track just a little more spice. Shuffle track, Flow Like A River has some of the most soulful vocals on the release with nice key work by brother Paul and Paul digs in nicely with a solid guitar solo. Wrapping the release is Somebody's Child, a real nice ballad featuring Jacqui on lead vocal with only the minimum of backing, primarily piano under the lead. This is a solid closer for this release. 

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VizzTone label Group artist: Nick Schnebelen - Crazy All By Myself - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Crazy All By Myself, from Nick Schnebelen, and it's quite good. Opening with blues rocker, Lil' Death, Schnebelen creates a strong bar on lead vocal and guitar, backed by Melodye Perry on vocal, Tony Braunagel on drums, Mike Finningan on keys, Hutch Hutchinson on bass, and Lionel Young and Ada Pasternak on violin. Piano boogie rocker, Ain't Got Time For The Blues is a full on mid west rocker with vocal harmonies and super piano work by Finnigan. Slow shuffle track and title track, Crazy All By Myself has a perfect blues pace highlighting Schnebelen's vocal and guitar work making it one of my favorites on the release. Up tempo. Altar Of Love, has a super driving drum lead by Braunagel and nice slide work by Schnebelen and hot harp work by Jason Ricci give this track real traction. With it's heavy kick and snare work on 2, Bad Disposition With The Blues is a really cool track bundling great vocals, harp (Ricci), bass (Hutch) and slide. Bad Dream is a funky, bass driven track with excellent blues vocal and guitar phrasing by Nick. Excellent!  Blues ballad, I Leaned My Heart On You features a real nice melody and on top of Nicks soulful vocals, a solid melodic (think Gary Moore) guitar duet with Davy Knowles. Wrapping the release is Holding On, a smooth blues shuffle somewhat in the style of B.B. King with smooth phrasing and almost George Benson like chords. Finnigan's warm keyboard fill really adds to the overall texture and Schnebelen's vocals are strong. With nice balance between vocal, jazz and blues guitar styling and organ warmth, this is a really solid closer for a great release. 

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