Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the debut release, Can You See Me? , from Maya Rae who demonstrates strong vocal skills and a fine hand for melody to match her lyrical skills. Opening with title track, Can You See Me? , Maya Rae who has a clear, pop style voice, with traces of Joni, Fiona and other successful folk style vocalists backed by guitar whiz Steve Dawson, Jamie Dick on drums, Jon Estes on bass, Kai Welch on keys and uke, and backing vocals by Allison Russell and JT Nero. Very nice opener. With just a dash of country styling, The Sun Will Come Out Again is another strong composition with a solid melody, and includes vibes by Charlie McCoy, Kristin Weber on violin, and Larissa Maestro on cello. I really like the delicate vocal treatment and musical contrast by Rae on Picture Frame and the vocal harmony work on Storm Leaf really makes for a nice pair of tracks. Bluesy, Freedom Fighter , is one of my favorites on the release with Welch on Wurlitzer, Dawson on slide a...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, For Love & Money , from Harpdog Brown and it's a 40's & 50's New Orleans flavored trip. Opening with swinging, No Eyes For Me with a hard driving bass line by Jeremy Holmes and stiff drum sticking by Robert Vail  Grant under the rowdy vocals of Brown and a full horn section featuring William Joseph Abbott on alto sax, Skye Lambourne on trombone and Jerry Cook on Bari and tenor sax. The Comeback has a cool, low slung feel with rich Hammond work by Dave Webb and a nice sax solo by Cook. Boogie track, Reefer Lovin' Woman opens with a great muted trombone intro by Lambourne over a boogie piano riff by Webb. Brown really digs in on vocals getting the band ramped up and with a lot of finesse, Abbott hits nice clarinet solo followed by another great trombone solo by Lambourne. Harpdog whips out his harp and lets it wail topping off this great boogie. One of my favorite tracks on the release is soulfu...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, simple as this, from Steve Sainas and it's calming. Opening with title track, Simple as This , Sainas accompanies his own vocals on acoustic guitar. Simple and clean. With a more deliberate rock feel, Sainas is joined by Kelly Stodola on drums and Chad Matthews on bass for solid track, Why Do We Fall . I really like this track with it's warm melody and reassuring bottom. Another of my favorites on the release is Your Light Will Shine On , with solid vocals, a nice melody and strong rhythm. My Darkest Days Are Gone presents my favorite vocals on the release supported by a warm melody and clean acoustic backing. Wrapping the release is springy, Everything's Gonna Be Alright , with it's comforting lyrics and cool melody. This is a sure departure from Sainas' blues band, Mud Dog but a solid solo effort.   If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Driftin' Heart , from Jason Buie , and I really like it. Opening with loping blues driver, Fool From The Very Start , Buie shows great feel and tone, backed by John Hunter on drums, George Fenn on bass and Dave Webb on keys. Excellent! On House Party , a cool boogie with a walking bass line, Buie definitely hits a nice groove. His guitar soloing is slick, complimented nicely by a cool piano solo by Webb. Jump track, Westcoast Daddy , is fluid and rocking! R&B track has a fat thumb of New Orleans giving Buie a great opportunity to show his vocal prowess and stinging blues riffs. Very nice. another R&B flavored blues track, Suits Me To A Tee , has a great bottom and clean, articulate guitar runs. Albert King's guitar is channeled big time on 12 O'Clock Check Out . Heavy bends and beautiful phrasing makes this one of my favorites on the release. Wrapping the release is Jesse Mae Robinson's Cold, Cold...

Formed almost ten years ago, Vancouver’s The Mojo Stars wasted no time establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the local blues scene. With deep roots in blues and soul, combined with a rock driven edge, this multi-talented band has been collecting a large following starting from their debut performance at Vancouver International Jazz Festival to their upcoming tour of 2017. Comprised of front man Randy Clarke, guitarist Mark Rankin, and later including local heavyweights, drummer Loren Etkin (Long John Baldry) and bassist Lee Oliphant, the band’s first year saw them playing at local clubs, pubs, casinos and private events. In 2009, they recorded their first CD, Devil’s Advocate , a collection of ten original songs penned by Clarke and Rankin. The album received extensive airplay and was featured on blues radio programs in Canada, the US and Europe. The end of 2010 saw the group on hiatus, but two years later they...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Under the Influence , by The Mojo Stars and it's interesting. Opening with title track, Under The Influence , vocalist Randy Clarke with Mark Rankin on guitar, Rob Marr on bass, Shawn Soucy on drums, Steve Soucy on keys and Kenny Boychuck on B3 crafts an updated rock sound pulling from the sounds of and Argent, Humble Pie and the Doors among others. Nice opener. Swinging over to a country approach, Why Can't I Be True has a real honky tonk feel with perfect syncopation, meaty guitar riffs and super keys. Bluesy ballad, No Use In Crying (Live) has the smooth characteristics of Elvin Bishop's Fooled Around And Fell In Love with a solid melody, nice sax work by Tom Gould and strong radio appeal. A cool Latin influenced track, 26 Banks , is one of my favorites on the release. Sassy sax work by Gould, nice vocals by Clarke and a crisp solo by Rankin make this track move. Soulful ballad, Why Didn't You Know ...

Vancouver's Steve Kozak Band Release 'It's Time' March 17th The latest offering from this seasoned Canadian bluesman offers a tasty mix of blues as seen through a decidedly West Coast lens Preview/Stream Tracks from It's Time on SoundCloud You only need three things to play the blues: a good guitar, an innate understanding of the music and thirty years in which to do it. Maple Blues Award winner Steve Kozak qualifies on all three counts. The latest offering from this seasoned Canadian bluesman offers a tasty mix of blues as seen through a decidedly West Coast lens. The aptly named new release It's Time prophetically and succinctly states that putting in time is indeed a prerequisite of being a great musician, with some veteran bluesmen even attaining the status of venerable, beating time itself at its own game. Time is also about understanding th...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Old Habits Die Hard , from No Sinner and it's a solid rocker. Opening with All Woman, Colleen Rennison, lead vocalist takes the reins and never looks back. With a lot of attitude, modern day female Jim Morrison, Rennison, backed by guitarists, Eric Campbell, Adam Sabla and Scott Smith, Matt Camirand on bass and exceptional drumming by Ian Browne sets the pace. On Leadfoot , a driving track with roots in English metal and blues, this track is heavy footed with Browne stomping it and interesting guitar riffs floating. Very cool. Tryin' has a lighter, more pop kind of feel. Rennison's vocals are clear and this track has all of the characteristics of a radio hit. Saturday Night is a hard rocker with plenty of kick drum and rock and roll guitar riffs. Shifting gears a few times, this track melds the Ramones with Joan Jett. Bluesy ballad, Hollow , really gives Rennison a wide open road to show off her vocal stren...

Canada's National Blues Awards Land in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa and Hamilton Maple Blues Award Nominations Led by MonkeyJunk, Downchild and Steve Hill (October 30, 2014) Toronto, ON - The Toronto Blues Society will be celebrating the 18th annual Maple Blues Awards by honouring nationally and internationally recognized Canadian blues artists from across the country on January 19th, 2015.  Toronto artists lead with twenty seven nominations, followed by Montreal (15), Vancouver (9), Ottawa (8) and Hamilton (7). Ottawa’s MonkeyJunk and Toronto’s Downchild each received five nominations followed by Montreal’s Steve Hill with four. There are plenty of other acts each with multiple nominations including Fathead, Raoul & the Big Time , The 24 th Street Wailers , Brandon Isaak, Steve Strongman and Harrison Kennedy. Quebec blues artists are well represented with nominations for Jordan Officer, Angel...

Here Comes The Hurricane: Vancouver's Dave "Hurricane" Hoerl Releases Un-Twisted June 24, 2014 Multiple award-winning musician Dave “Hurricane” Hoerl is a force to be reckoned with on the North American blues scene. One of  Canada’s foremost harmonica players, his mastery of the harmonica -both standard and chromatic - as well as his soulful vocals, and  charismatic, memorable performances make him stand out on any stage. Born and raised in San Francisco, Hoerl has made Vancouver his home since 1982 and for over three decades has been performing at clubs and festivals around the world, most notably as the founding member of Vancouver’s legendary jump blues band The Twisters . Un-Twisted is Hoerl’s first recording under his own name and features members of his band, Hurricane and the Hooligans , comprised of some of Vancouver’s best blues musicians. Un-Twisted features 11 standout tracks including “Soul M...

Vancouver blues and soul singer Dalannah Gail Bowen was just three months shy of her 67 birthday in 2012 when she released her critically acclaimed recording Them Menz . Songs from Them Menz have been in constant rotation on the Galaxie Blues channel, Sirius XM, Canadian campus and specialty stations and has been on the Roots Music Report charts consistently for over a year. Now she is offering two songs from Them Menz , Mean Man and The Spirit Within , for free download. Dalannah's recent performance at the Vancouver Folk Festival received rave reviews from reviewers and audience members. Here is what some folks had to say: "A surprise hit at the Vancouver Folk Festival, she has a message that deserves to be heard "- Marty Gunther " A force of nature with pipes that seem to be made for raw soul-stirring blues, the local favorite is equally adept at singing the delicate nuances of jazz classics and spirituals " - Sabrina Fur...

I just received a copy of the newest release, Them Menz , by Dalannah Gail Bowen . The release opens with a swinging blues track, the title track, Them Menz . A force in the Canadian Canadian music scene this track moves and hot guitar riffs by Harris Van Berkel are hot. Loved By That Woman has a bit of a Latin rhythm fed by Chris Nordquist on drums and Jim Salmon on percussion.Vocal harmonies on this track are particularly interesting. Timin' comes off with a light funk and Bowen uses a natural sense of syncopation to add that special something. Michael Creber plays tight piano lead on this track and Steve Dawson lays down some cool guitar riffs. You're Not There brings it down and smokey with (listen hard) Pink Floyd/Hiwatt like guitar intro. Bowen belts out a ballad and ethereal guitar riffs by Dawson swirl around cool drum rhythms and the best track on the release. Who's Foolin' Who is an uptempo track and a lot more of an airplay hoo. Backing vocals are promin...

I've had the opportunity to listen to the newest effort, The Hoodoo Shake by The SOME X 6 Band . This Vancouver based band is made up of Brad Curtis on vocal and bass, Bart Dwyer on guitar and Gordon Cole on guitar. The 14 track release opens with the title track, The Hoodoo Shake , which has a straight up blues rock feel and ethereal slide work behind the vocals. Hey Stranger , another blues rock track has a pretty good hook for potential airplay and some tasty guitar riffing for the guitar guys. Forty Years gets a bit more grimy with some heavy drums and chorded sliding under lead guitar work. Jazzy Hippie takes a little bit of a different turn. It has organ under the band and an unusual melody which is attractive. It reminds me of something that I've heard but I can't put my finger on it exactly. In any case, this is a cool track. Breathless takes the next step away from the blues and into a modern era music with heavier overtones. Heavy bass lines and and monoton...

I just received a copy of the new release, My Guitar's My Only Friend , by James "Buddy" Rogers and it's really good. Rogers, who formed a band at 11 and having formal bookings by 15 has been at this game for a while and his chops show it. The release opens with the title track, My Guitar's My Only Friend , which could be right out of Albert King's Stax catalog. Vocals are cool and riffs are hot! Let's Get Loose has a smooth jazz style but staying in the blues zone along the lines of Robben Ford if anyone. This track definitely swings and the blues riffs played with heave Texas influence just roll off of the strings. I'm On The Road Again has a bit more of a rock feel with a dash of ZZ Top and a dot of Robert Palmer and a little SRV mixed in to the mix. Rogers really takes the opportunity to lay down some nice riffs creating a track which could see a bit of air play. Disappearing Baby Blues traces back to earlier blues roots with a lot of swing. A...