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I started a quest to find terrific blues music and incredible musicianship when I was just a little kid. I also have a tremendous appreciation of fine musical instruments and equipment. One of my greatest joys all of my life was sharing my finds with my friends. I'm now publishing my journey. I hope that you come along!


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Showing posts with label VizzTone Label Group. Show all posts
Showing posts with label VizzTone Label Group. Show all posts

Thursday, April 4, 2019

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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Tuesday, March 12, 2019

VizzTone label Group artist: Rockin' Johnny & Quique Gomez - Dos Hombres Wanted - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Dos Hombres Wanted, from Rockin' Johnny and Quique Gomez and it's classic Chicago blues with a spin. Opening with Burgin original, Your Charm Won't Help You, old style with Johnny on lead vocal and his understated but wild guitar playing, Quique Gomez on classic harp, Eric Przygocki on bass, Stephen Dougherty on drums and Christian Dozler on piano. Excellent opener. A strong, slower blues Robert Jr Lockwood track, Funny But True, is up next and Gomez has the lead spot on vocal. Burgin plays out richer jazz style riffs and hands the floor to Gomez who really milks his harp for juice. Very nice. Burgin's Ain't No High Roller has a cool rock beat and Gomez rides high on the harp and with Dozzler on accordion and Burgin's steady hand on guitar this track hits a nice slot. Another classic Chicago style track, Everybody Loves My Baby is a great work out track for both Burgin and Gomez. Burgin has the lead on vocal and Gomez puts up first with a real nice harp solo but after another chorus Burgin has the floor and with some crisp fan runs, closes it out. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Coffee Can Blues with some of Burgin's best vocals on the release. Gomez really has rich tone and Burgin's phrasing is unusual and very cool. Otro Hombre is the best showcase for Gomez on the release with his featured on vocal and smoking harp. Solid Chicago all day. With Louis Jordan style, Step It Up Bro, has a real cool saunter. Gomez gets to let out his style playing on this one and with highlights by Farris Jarrah on trombone, accordion by Dozzler and some clean soloing by Burgin and Josh Fulero, this track is a real treat. One of my favorites on the release, The Right To Hurt Me features Burgin and some great lead vocals on his part. Full bodied guitar playing give this track a real warmth and I love Gomez's harp attack. Perfect. Blues rocker, Are You Ever has great tempo and spirit. Both guys juice this one up with hot riffs and with the addition of Greg Izor on harp. Excellent! Wrapping the release is Don't Blame Shorty, an easy shuffle with shared lead vocal and nice harp lead by Gomez. 

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Wednesday, February 20, 2019

VizzTone Record Label artist: Eric Schenkman- Who Shot John? - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Who Shot John? from Eric Schenkman and it's quite different. Opening with shuffle track I'm Alright, Eric Schenkman sets his bar solidly high with solid vocals and cool and loose blues guitar riffs. Backed by Shawn Kellerman on bass, Van Romaline on drums and Cody Dickinson on drums, washboard and piano these guys have an unusually appealing style. Lincolns Feat is a stripped down blues rocker with an almost hill country feel with just the right guitar tone and simple rhythms. Very cool. Title track, Who Shot John? is really quite cool with wild and wreckless guitar lead over a springy, party like beat. Excellent. With a lot of sway, slower blues, Sign of the Times has more traditional guitar lead and Brent Barkman on B3 gives the track depth making it one of the more universally appealing tracks on the release. High energy (think Houndog Taylor) blues rocker, Far Away is just simple cool blues rockin' with a great beat, guitar and vocal. Another slick track is Latin fused,  Fortune Teller with driving guitar and tight drum rhythms. Wrapping the release is Agent Orange Blues which I really like. With it's droning rhythm and driving guitar rattle, under Schenkman's vocals makes for a solid closer for a solid release. 

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Thursday, February 14, 2019

VizzTone label Group artist: Erin Harpe & The Delta Swingers - The Christmas Swing - New Release Review

A few weeks late but here is the review of Erin Harpe & The Delta Swingers newest release, The Christmas Swing and it's quite good. Opening with Jingle Bell Blues, a really bluesy twist on Jingle Bells allows Harpe great latitude in super slide work and solid vocals. Backed by Jim Countryman on bass, Matt Prozaleck on harp and Chris Arizalone on drums, this really is a super attempt at making non traditional Christmas music listenable (as opposed to the wildly played but horrible Springsteen's Santa Claus is Coming to Town). Country swinger, The Night Before Christmas, has Harpe telling the famous story in synch with country blues picking, light percussion and solid harp. Traditional 30's style, At The Christmas Ball has Harpe belting out the blues accompanied by kazoo and John Juxo on piano. Very cool. Title track, The Christmas Swing has a solid bass groove and nice vocal harmonies with harp work by Richard Rosenblatt. Chuck Berry's sixties rocker, Run Run Rudolph maintains classic style with non Berry but stylized Berry riffs and harp accents. Very cool. Wrapping the release is Auld Lang Syne featuring Harpe acapella in harmony. A really nice release with more than seasonal appeal. 

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Monday, December 3, 2018

VizzTone Label Group artist: Bob Margolin - Self Titled - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent self titled release by Bob Margolin and it's all Margolin playing, singing, producing and recording every note himself. Opening with One More Day, a stripped down blues rocker, Margolin drives the train and blows the whistle with solid vocals and stylistic guitar soloing. Instrumental track, Detroit showcases not only Margolin's solid song writing but also his command of the slide guitar. Very nice. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Muddy Waters like, Mercy with it's gritty delta sound and signature slide guitar sound. Leroy Carr's Blues Before Sunrise is up next with Margolin's own soulful wailing over nicely executed blues rudiments. Snooky Pryor's boogie,  Peace of Mind, is up next with some classic slide playing by Margolin backed by simple rhythm and drums. Jimmy Rogers' classic, Going Away Baby is another of my favorites with a perfect boogie pace and nicely articulated guitar lines by Margolin. Wrapping the release is James Cotton's One More Mile and some of Margolin's best vocals working nicely with some minor key changes giving the track a haunting feel. Very nice closer to a solid release. 

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Friday, November 2, 2018

Vizz Tone Label Group artist: Amanda Fish - Free - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Free, from Amanda Fish and it's cool. Fish takes a raw pop edge with soul to create her own voice. Opening with 2020, a funky blues track Fish kicks off her shoes and captures that southern rock Muscle Shoals" feel with Dave Hays on guitar. Cool opener. Boogie track, Not Anymore has a great driving bass line and with Richard Rosenblatt spicing up the track on harp. Boogie! One of my favorite tracks on the release is Anymore with really nice soulful vocals and Chris Hazelton joining on organ. Blessed is full blown gospel style soul with Sarah Morgan on backing vocals and Ken Valdez on guitar. Alastair Greene kicks it into high gear on rocker, Going Down with super slide guitar. Very cool. Powerful soul ballad, You Could Be shows just how gripping Fish's vocals can be when she digs down and she does dig. Coyote Bill adds some hot flashes on guitar joined by Hazelton on organ. Hot and heavy. Another boogie track with hot slide is Here We Are and plenty of soul country sweat. Best blues vocals on the release show on Don't Mean A Thing with a lot of the emotion of Janis on Ball and Chain featuring very nicely articulated guitar soloing by Hays. With a change up, Fish switches to a raw, Courtney Love style for another super track. Wrapping the release is title track, Free, a solemn soul track with Fish accompanying herself on piano, joined by Hazelton on organ, and then springing into a full blown spiritual track with Hays and Carl Butler on guitar, Morgan on vocals, Glen James on tambourine and drums, and Fish of course on bass. This is a sneakily super release. Give it a couple of listens and see for yourself. 

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Thursday, November 1, 2018

Vizz Tone Label Group artist: Josh Smith - Burn To Grow - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Burn To Grow, from Josh Smith and it's really cool. Opening with soul flavored track, Half Blues, the title hits it. This track has strong soulful vocals and a solid blues bottom with stinging guitar work by Smith. Backed by Travis Carlton on bass, Lemar Carter on drums Jamelle Adisa on trumpet, Chris Johnson on trombone, J.P. Floyd on trombone, Matthew DeMerritt on tenor sax, and Dan Boisey of tenor and bari sax, this is a terrific start. A bit smoother, a bit like Al Green, Through the Night shows real attention to conventional soul music but still with the guitar accents of a blues master. A strong radio contender with a great melody and warm melodic backing vocals by Monet Owens, Watching You Go has powerful guitar riffs that would make SRV's neck hair stand on end. With it's heavy bass line lead by Carlton and the raw guitar edge by Smith, balanced by confident vocals, a tight rhythm section and cool horn topping Let Me Take Care of You has a real nice groove. Another of my favorite tracks on the release, What We Need is a loose, slow blues with cocky blues guitar riffs. Smiths vocals are really soulful as throughout but this track just hits the spot. Very nice. A little more funk and horn input on You Never Know yields a jazzier side of Smith and his guitar melds to yet another bluesy style. Wrapping the release is title track, Burn to Grow, a blues fused rocker. With a heavy, lumbering bottom and fat, overdriven guitar this is a solid contemporary closer.


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Wednesday, June 27, 2018

VizzTone Label Group artist: Deb Ryder - Enjoy The Ride - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Enjoy The Ride, from Deb Ryder and is has a great feel. Opening with high stepper, A Storm's Coming, Deb Ryder is back sounding as powerful as ever. Johnny Lee Schell and Coco Montoya on lead guitar plays nicely off of the steady beat of Ric Ryder on bass, Mike Finnigan on keys and Tony Braunagel on drums. Exceptional ballad, For The Last Time, is a terrific showcase for Ryder's voice and also features Finnigan on vocal as well with the sweet guitar lead of Montoya. What You Want From Me blends New Orleans feel with pure gospel vocals from Maxanne lewis, Ricky Nelson, Leslie Smith and Kudisan Kai Regalot. Very nice. Got To Let It Go has a real nice BB King style groove featuring Cain and Ryder on a cool vocal duet and slick guitar lead. Sweet Sweet Love has a tight Latin beat with nice piano work by Finnigan and featuring fat guitar riffs by Debbie Davies. Wrapping the release is Red Line featuring the strong harp work of Pieter van Der Pluijm. With Schell on bass and lead guitar, this is a solid closer for a solid release. 

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Monday, June 25, 2018

VizzTone Label Group artist: Billy Price - Reckoning - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Reckoning, from Billy Price and it's quite good. Opening with soul fused blues number, 39 Steps, Billy Price has surrounded himself with a who's who of musicians including Kid Andersen on guitar, Alex Pettersen on drums, Jerry Jemmott on bass, and Jim Pugh on keys for a solid radio style start. Dreamer is a strong track with a really nice bass line by Jemmott, nice pinched soloing by Andersen, and excellent backing vocals by Lisa Leuschner Andersen and Rusty Zinn. Very cool. Title track, Reckoning, has a real nice feel and an almost Al Green vibe. Price's vocals are smooth and warm keyboard work by Pugh, clean trumpet lines by Konstantins Jemeljanovs, lead bass lines by Jemmott and slick riffs by Andersen make this one of my favorite tracks on the release.  Another of my picks for the release is One and One, with its super melody, some of Price's best vocals on the release and cool sax work by Johnny Bones. Funky soul number, Never Be Fooled Again, has a tight bass line from Jemmott and warm backing vocals by Andersen and Courtney Knott. With a laid back attack, Kid Andersen lays in some mighty tasty licks on guitar. Expert Witness stays in the funky stream with power horn work by Nancy Wright. Very nice! R&B track, Love Ballad could easily have been a strong radio player in the early seventies with it's rich vocals, melody and that tale tell sitar work by Andersen. Lisa's backing vocals on this track are particularly nice. Wrapping the release is Your Love Stays With Me with a country blues feel. Warm horn work, coupled with Prices own smooth vocals over Jemmott's bass line set this track apart and Bones sax solo is really sweet. Cool closer to a cool release.


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Thursday, May 24, 2018

VizzTone Label Group artist: Little Boys Blue w/ Kid Memphis - Hard Blue Space - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Hard Blue Space, from Little Boys Blue w/ Kid Memphis and it's a super dose of solid blues. Opening with Six Feet Down, a real nice blues groove with interwoven tones of Kid Memphis on guitar, JD Taylor on vocal, Dave Thomas on B3, David Mallard on bass and Mark Brooks on drums. Excellent opener. On 12 bar number, Loving Kind, Alex Taylor, Andrew White run the rhythm as Kid solos and JD handles vocals and harp. With it's primary backbone based on Chicago blues, this track has great feel. Blues Bug really sits down low giving JD the opportunity to really shine on vocal and harp. Sure footing and nicely phrased guitar work by Kid makes this my favorite on the release. R&B track, Cold Inside shows a different dimension of the band with Steve Cropper like rhythm and strong vocal delivery by JD. Fluid guitar runs by Kid Memphis and stinging harp attack compliment JD's lead vocals. Might As Well is a cool boogie track with swinging piano lead by Thomas and tightly focused vocals and clean guitar lead by Kid. Another of my favorites is funky, Got A Mind of Your Own soulful harp soloing by JD complimenting his own solid vocals. Very nice. Lumbering, If The Blues Start Calling, has a great feel and a great thumping bass line under excellent slide guitar work by Andrew White (think ZZ top slow blues). Wrapping the release is shuffle track Going Back To Memphis with tight blues styling. JD's effortless harp playing, paired with a solid bottom and vocals make this a super closer for a really nice release.



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Monday, May 21, 2018

Underworld/VizzTone Label Group artist: Too Slim and the Taildraggers - High Desert Heat - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, High Desert Heat, from Too Slim and the Tail Draggers, and it's quite good. Opening with Chambers Brothers' classic, Time Has Come Today, with it's driving beat and memorable guitar riff, led by Tim "Too Slim" Langford on guitar and vocal. . Cool opener. Breaking into Trouble, Langford sets up a cool boogie, joined by Sheldon "Bent Reed" Ziro on harmonica, Jeff "Shakey" Fowlkes on drums and Zach Kasik on bass. Stories To Tell has a classic "Jimi" rock styling with a strong guitar solo with great bends and squealing pinched harmonics. Very cool. With it's low slung Texas swagger distorted "fuzz" guitar and tandem vocals, One Step At A Time, sounds like early ZZ Top. Very nice. Wrapping the release is instrumental title track, High Desert Heat, with it's western undertones, low range guitar riffs and shimmery guitar lead. Langford's solid slide phrasing makes for an excellent closer for a really solid release.  

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Friday, April 6, 2018

VizzTone Label Group artist: Long Tall Deb and Colin John - Dragonfly - New release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Dragonfly, from Long Tall Deb and Colin John and I really like it. Opening with On The Way Down, an eerie blues track, Deb and Colin John sing in duet over cool, thick, slide guitar breaking into a driving "brick" like anthem. John really winds up on electric guitar under Deb's vocals making for an exceptional opener. Title track, Dragonfly, is a cool Duane Eddy, western surf  style track with fanned chords, vibrato and tom toms. Excellent! Slinky ballad, I'll Be The One, features some of Deb's best vocals on the release with a soulful style and a nice rhythm. This is the radio track for the release with a strong melodic line, nice guitar work by John and complimented by Jimmy Castoe on drums, Nate Hofman on organ, and Melvin Powe on bass. Another track with a western twist is Remember Why, with great baritone guitar work by John and snappy drum work by Jo El. Horizontal Lightning is a particularly seductive track with a Spanish flair. The track has a dark, smoky feel and Deb's vocals, coupled with nicely stylized guitar work by John certainly make this really pop. Very nice. Wrapping the release is a return on Dragonfly, with the guitar really popping and the Spanish overtones really dressed. This is a really special release and one you should definitely check out.


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Wednesday, February 21, 2018

VizzTone Label Group artist: Tyler Morris Band - Next In Line - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Next In Line, from the Tyler Morris Band, and it's solid. Opening with arena rocker, Ready To Shove, Morris shows his strong technical guitar skills, with Morten Fredheim on lead vocal, joined by Scott Spray on bass, Tyger Macneal on drums and Mike Dimeo on keys. On blues rock classic, Willie the Wimp, Joe Louis Walker has the lead on vocals, nicely complimenting some real tasty blues riffs by Morris. Very cool. Down On My Luck is a heavy footed blues rocker with a good swagger. I like Morris' lead guitar approach on this one giving the track real traction. Changing gears, Choppin' is a cool shuffle instrumental with guitar melody and punched up by the Uptown Horns. Very cool. Thunder has a more Hendrix edge with isolated vocals and wah wah. Without doing a straight Jimi thing, Morris captures his feel in his own sound. This Ain't No Fun has the staggered rhythm of Whippin' Post combined with vocal harmonies and a different approach to the melody. Developing into a super boogie with nice grinding guitar soloing, this track gives Morris a chance to really stretch. Another track with great swagger is Truth Is The Question with it's straight ahead rock approach and firm guitar trigger. Wrapping the release is Keep On Driving with it's light jazz feel. Latin rhythm, bright piano work by Dimeo and warm jazz guitar chords set the pace and Morris' tight guitar soloing blends nicely, rounding the set for a solid closer. 

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Tuesday, February 20, 2018

VizzTone Label Group: Billy Walton Band - Soul Of A Man - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Soul of a Man, by the Billy Walton Band and it's polished. Opening with radio track, Save The Last Dance, Billy Walton on lead vocal and guitar puts this new release into motion. Backed by William Paris on bass and vocal and Johnny D'Angelo on drums. On high energy, I Don't Know, D'Angelo really snaps the drums and horn backing by Matt Fischer, Ian Gray and Frank Rein on trombone; Jon Shaw, Sean Marks, Tom Petraccaro and Joey Stann on sax and Rick Rein on trumpet really punch the track up. It's Paris' bass line that stands out on Hell n Highwater giving Walton a solid floor to lead the way. It Ain't True is a throw back rocker combining classic early 60's rock with the Ramones' simplicity. Possibly my favorite track on the release with pop lyrics and easy guitar lead. Walton steps up with flashy lead guitar on Poison Pill, a ballad based blues number. keyboard work by Eric Safka and Sam Sherman sets a super backing and trombone fill sets the guitar solo off nicely. Minglewood has a real nice "Neil Young" feel to it and the addition of slashing guitar riffs by Walton makes it another of my favorites on the release. Wrapping the release is Days Like These in a quiet blues like setting featuring Jack Gist on harmonica, balanced with Walton's acoustic guitar and vocals. 

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Friday, February 16, 2018

VizzTone Label Group artist:Muddy Gurdy - Self titled - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Muddy Gurdy, by a French trio of musicians, Tia Gouttebel (guitar and vocal), Gilles Chabenat (Hurdy Gurdy) and Marc Glomeau (percussion). Joining up with Cedric Burnside (acoustic guitar and vocal), Sharde Thomas (fife and vocal), Cameron Kimbrough (guitar and vocal) and Pat Thomas (guitar and vocal), they made terrific North Mississippi Hill Country Blues. Opening with RL Burnside's, Goin' Down South the group conjurs the feeling of Mali and Ali Farke Tour. Very nice. Another Burnside track, See My Jumper Hanging On The Line maintains a really rural feel with gritty guitar work and earthy vocals. Muddy Water's Rollin' and Tumblin' is tom tom heavy with acoustic slide and authentic vocals. Otha Turner's Station Blues really keeps in line with Turner's roots with ancient slide sounds and snare drum accompaniment behind Tia's vocals and Sharde's fife. Very nice. With a more modern hip hop/jazz feel, Tia shows excellent vocal phrasing over a much more contemporary light sound. Cameron Kimbrough's Gonna Love You has that classic North Mississippi sound with it's loose guitar soloing and Hooker like vocals. Excellent! Mississippi Fred McDowell's Shake 'Em On Down has a great rudimentary feel with rhythm guitar drive and slide guitar flash. Very cool. Wrapping the release is Highway 61, played in the most raw form imaginable and with falsetto vocals over the sounds of cars and trucks on the road in backing. This is really a terrific release and one to catch!




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Tuesday, January 23, 2018

VizzTone Label Group artist: Little G Weevil - Something Poppin' - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Something Poppin', from Little G Weevil and it's really different. Opening with high energy rocker, Here I Come Knocking, Little G leads the way on vocal and guitar, joined by Daniel Harper on drums, Marton Pfeff on bass, Laci Borsodi on rhythm guitar, Matyas Premecz on keys, and Danny Del Toro on harp. Very cool. With a distinctive R&B feel, title track, Something Poppin' shows a slinky side with thick vocals by Little G and cool backing vocals by Rebeka Easley Ellis and Sharika Allen Brown on backing vocals. With cool guitar riffs and a solid bass line, this is a cool track. Really cool R&B track, When You Want Me To Deal With This, is one of my favorites on the release featuring super vocals by Little G and a strong bass line by Pfeff. Premecz's key work sparkles and Little G lays in some real nice guitar riffs. You Can't Say Nothing has a real nice instrumental interlude featuring a cool exchange between Little G on guitar and Premecz on keys. Curtis Mayfield's Pusherman gets a nice redo with some trademark riffs and even wah wah. Little G's voice is quite different from Mayfield's so this track has a different feel. Crawling is another pseudo rocker with a heavy dose of R&B drawing thoughts of The Ides of March.  Wrapping the release is raw rocker, Top Model with a simple driven beat and garage style guitar riffs.   Little G lays out his best guitar riffs on this one for a dynamic closer. 

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Thursday, January 11, 2018

VizzTone Label Group artist: Heather Newman - Burn Me Alive - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Burn Me Alive, from Heather Newman, and it's a cool blend of cool tracks. Opening with country flavored, Willie James, vocalist/bassist Heather Newman shows rich contemporary vocal styling, backed by Keith Ladd on guitar, Ryan Ladd on keys and Cole Dillingham on drums and guitars. shuffle track, Howling For Love again shows the richness of Newman's voice complimented by some cool guitar riffs by Ladd.  Latin influenced, Burn Me Alive is one of my favorites on the release with snappy drums, tight guitar riffs and sassy vocals. With it's slinky belly, How Many Times? really has a solid bottom and a super melody. Blended vocals and stinging guitar soloing make this another of my favorites on the release. Newman's own bass line sets the pace on Dirty Blues and Michael Lefever's sax work throws fuel on an already smoky fire. Stepping up with a R&B bottom, Share Your Love has a real cool feel. Newman's vocals are even more amped up and Ladd pushes the fever up with some real nice organ work. Wrapping the release is I'm Through With You and it's snappy beat. Newman really commands the floor and Dillingham's drumming is tight and precise. Ladd adds in some really flavorful guitar lines making this a real nice closer for a solid release.


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