Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, No Black No White Just Blues , from Lightnin' Willie and it all fun. Opening with Can't Get That Stuff No More , Lightnin' Willie rips a good one sounding like a contemporary track by Iron Head or Lead Belly. A cool boogie, lead by Willie on guitar and vocal really nicely showcases the hot piano work of Dona Oxford and a fat guitar solo by Willie.  On Chicago flavored Eye's In The Back Of My Head , Willie continue his clever wordsmithing and Pete Anderson on harp and thumping bass gives the track even more personality. Willie's guitar tone is way cool. One of my favorites is Locked In A Prison , a slower, T-Bone Walker style composition. Ron Dzubla really heats the track up with his sax work and Willie's guitar work is mighty tasty.  Michael Murphy on piano, Jerry Olson on drums and Skip Edwards' Hammond work is spot on. On Latin flavored, Heartache , Willie really takes a cool departure and ...

KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD BAND’S “DIAMONDS & GOLD” PREMIERES VIA GUITAR PLAYER NEW ALBUM LAY IT ON DOWN OUT AUGUST 4 ON CONCORD RECORDS NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES THIS SUMMER      “[Shepherd] is a guitarist who can easily mesmerize an audience with his playing ability and through his passionate and energetic solos.”—The Huffington Post “ Diamonds & Gold ,” the new single from Lay It On Down , five-time Grammy nominee and critically acclaimed guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd ’s forthcoming ninth album, is now premiering via Guitar Player ; listen/share the track at http://bit.ly/2tKyzwY . Guitar Player notes, “ Lay It On Down showcases a more roots-based, Americana sound from Shepherd, and the guitarist was inspired by several genres and musical eras during its inception. The album was recorded super-old-school—live in the studio to analog tape .” Lay It On Down is due August 4 on Concord Records . Recorded at Echophone Studios in Shepherd’s homet...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blue Again , from Janiva Magness and she taps a number of blues classics. Opening with I Can Tell , Magness has the place rockin' and Kid Ramos shows some trademark riffs backed by Matt Tecu on drums, Gary "Scruff" Davenport on bass, Zach Zunis and Garrett Deloian on guitar and Arlan Schierbaum om keys. On Al Kooper's, I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know , Magness digs deep for some of her most soulful vocals on record. Kooper being an organ player, this track leaves plenty of space for Schierbaum and he uses it nicely complimented by tasty guitar soloing. Magness teams up with Sugaray Rayford for an vibrant R&B duet on If I Can't Have You . Joe Hinton's I'm Tired Of Walking with crisp, Freddie King/Eric Clapton like guitar work. Very nice. Nina Simone's slinky,    Buck is a cool track with snappy, SRV like guitar riffs and TJ Norton on harp. Wrapping the release is funky blu...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Born In Oakland , from Delta Wires and they are wielding some mighty horns. Opening with Sunny Day with it's jazzy rock sound, Ernie Pinata is up front on lead vocal. Tom Gerrits funks up the bass against Tony Huszar who really knows how to use the kick pedal. Gerry Jonutz on alto, tenor and bari sax, David Bowman on trombone and John Christensen on trumpet are over the top with Richard Healy with his funky guitar riffs. Driving blues rocker, Vacation , has a super bass line and cool horns but when Pinata breaks loose on the harp, this track flies. My favorite track on the release is instrumental, In The Middle , with a super trombone solo from Bowman followed by hot solos by Christensen, Jonutz and Pinata. Hot! Wrapping the release is All I Have To Give , another jazzy pop rocker with punchy horns, a blistering solo by Pinata and a wicked guitar solo by Healy and a ripping sax solo by Jonutz. This release is a lot...

Slide Guitar Master Dennis Johnson Set to Release New Rhythmland CD September 15 on Root Tone Records SACRAMENTO, CA – San Francisco Bay Area-based slide guitar master Dennis Johnson announces a September 15 release date for Rhythmland , his latest CD on the Root Tone Records label. Johnson plans to release his first single off the new disc, “Timbale” to iTunes on August 1, and will celebrate the new album with a special CD release party show on September 15 at the Guild Theater in Sacramento. Listen to “Timbale”  : Here  Rhythmland was produced by Dennis Johnson and Craig Long and recorded at Paradise Studios in Sacramento. On the CD, Dennis Johnson (guitar, vocals) is backed by his band, dubbed The Mississippi Ramblers: Tim Metz – drums; Jonathan Stoyanoff – bass; and Craig Long - keyboards, background vocals. Johnson also wrote nine of the album’s ten songs and spins a unique take on the classic, “Walkin’ Blues.” Rhythmland explores Americana, ro...

Lost Bayou Ramblers' evolution as a perversely progressive band rooted in Cajun traditions continues to excite, challenge, and redefine both genre expectations as well as cultural preconceptions. Produced by Korey Richey (LCD Soundsystem, Arcade Fire) their latest studio album, Kalenda , is set for release on September 26 on Rice Pump Records. Their Jack White-produced performance in the 2017 documentary series and record release American Epic helped solidify Lost Bayou Ramblers' reputation as one of the world's finest traditional Cajun outfits, if one of the least orthodox. With eight albums, a Grammy nomination, contributions to the score of the Oscar-nominated Beasts Of The Southern Wild , and touring with both Arcade Fire and the Violent Femmes, Lost Bayou continues to swing wide from their Louisiana home base. Lost Bayou Ramblers' new album celebrates the complex history and cultural diversity of "Kalenda"...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Memphis , from Amy Black and it's old school. Opening with It's Hard To Love An Angry Man , Black shows her serious nature backed by Al Gamble on Hammond, Leroy Flick Hodges on bass, George Sluppick on drums, and really nice guitar work by Joe Restivo. Mark Franklin on trumpet, Kirk Smothers on tenor sax, Art Edmaiston on bari sax really adds to the warmth and Reba Russell, Daunielle Hill and Black contribute super backing vocals. Out for a rumble on The Blackest Cloud Edmaiston's sax work really sets the track off and the horn section really adds punch. Ballad, Without You is a full taste of the reason this release is called Memphis (from my perspective) with upfront female vocals and solid horns. One of top radio tracks on the release, If I Could Reach Out (and Help Somebody) is a super smooth with R&B bones and strings (Jessie Munson on violin, Yennifer Correia on violin, Jennifer Puckett on viola ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (July 21, 2017), The Richmond Sessions , by The Sherman Holmes Project and it's quite good. This is Sherman's first recordings since the death of his partners in music, Wendell Holmes and Popsy Dixon in 2015 and it has new breath. Opening with the traditional, Rock Of Ages , Holmes is joined by Rob Ickes on dobro, Jared Pool on mandolin, Sammy Shelor on banjo Jacob Eller on bass, and David Van Deventer on fiddle for a cool bluegrass track. Continuing in the rural vein, Vince Gill's Lisa Jane is up next showing a blend of soul and country. Balancing his own vocals with a jazzy electric guitar riff, dobro riffs and fiddle riffs this track keeps it cool. On Holland/ Dozier team's Don't Do It , Holmes uses somewhat of The Band's arrangement with it's cool rural funk. Stuart Hamlin's addition on piano on this track is super and the Snappy drumming of Clarence Walters really highlights the sup...

Sherman Holmes of The Holmes Brothers 1st Solo Record The Richmond Sessions Streets July 21 ​ Special Guests Include Joan Osborne,  Rob Ickes & Sammy Shelor World Cafe, Mountain Stage, Music City Roots & Song Of The Mountain Booked Northport N.Y. - On July 21, Sherman Holmes will release his first solo recording in his 50+ year career. The Richmond Sessions by The Sherman Holmes Project carries on the spirit of the Holmes Brothers by re-imagining songs and making them their own. The record will be released by M.C. Records and maintains a bluesgrass/gospel vibe throughout that surprises and delights. A couple of weeks ago Sherman taped a World Cafe session and this Sunday he'll be performing on Mountain Stage! You can watch him live at 7PM ET,   http://www.mountainstage.org/ . Next month he heads to Nashville to record a Music City Roots session and in September a visit to the television program Songs of...