Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Something New , from Michael Kaeshammer, and recorded at historic Esplanade Studios in the heart of New Orleans' Treme district, it has a definite NO flair. Opening with Scenic Route , Kaeshammer blends a rockin pop melody with great New Orleans style and hot piano riffs for a super opener with twists and turns. Backed by George Porter Jr. on bass, and the hard work of Johnny Vidacovich on drums, this track is a super opener. Pushing the horn section (William Sperandei on trumpet, Chris Gale on sax, William Carn on trombone) forward on Do You Believe , featuring Curtis Salgado on vocal and Matt Perrine really belting out the sousaphone lines with authority over a really snappy drum rhythm. Very cool. I particularly like the vocal and piano exchange on She's Gone over Vidacovish's spot on drum work and guest Whurlitzer work by Chuck Leavell. A soulful track with great drums... very nice. Who Are You is anot...

  16TH ANNUAL BLUES FROM THE TOP FESTIVAL FEATURES STAR-STUDDED LINEUP, 2 DAYS OF BLUES BLISS IN WINTER PARK, COLORADO   Saturday, June 23 & Sunday, June 24 - Music Starts 11am Both Days 2018 Blues Music Awards Winners Southern Avenue (and) Rick Estrin & the Nightcats, Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, North Mississippi All-Stars, Nick Moss Band w/ Dennis Gruenling, Vintage Trouble, Plus More     (WINTER PARK, CO) - If it’s Summertime in Colorado, that can only mean one thing for blues lovers...

I just had the opportunity to review the newest self-titled release from David Vest and it's a rock and roller. Opening with Some Old Lonesome Day , David Vest, who handles piano and lead vocals is backed by Billy Hicks on drums, Ryan Tandy on bass and Tom Bowler and Peter Dammann on guitar. Genevieve kicks into a R&B style with a cool bass and drum rhythm and New Orleans style piano rolls by Vest and tasty guitar work by Bowler and Dammann. Boogie track, Party In The Room Next Door , kicks it up a few more notches giving Vest the open road to really rock out on piano. Following suit is a strong rockabilly style guitar solo making this one of the best tracks on the release. Elvis Presley's Leak In This Old Building really captures that R&B rockin style with gospel style piano. Traditional track, Gotta Travel On gets a Latin jazz remix with lead piano by Vest improvising the melody with tight drum riffs by Hicks giving it a New Orleans flavor. Very cool. Renovicti...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Move On, from Farmers Road Blues Band & Janice Harrington and it's got great spirit. Opening with James Cotton's I Ain't Doin Too Bad featuring Dirk Theege on slide and Janice Harrington on lead vocal and with Randolf Muhl on drums, Ralf Gehrt on keys, and Jens Bornhoft-Juhl. Dinah Washington's shuffle track, Salty Papa Blues has a great feel and a swinging sax solos from Helke Dorn and Olaf Barkow as well as a tight trumpet solo from Melf Uwe Holmer. Work Your Magic has real swagger with some of Harrington's best vocals and juicy sax work from Dorn and Barkow. Gehrt lays in some real nice piano strides, Holmer's trumpet phrasing is real nice  and Theege's guitar soloing is solid. Very nice. With a bouncy bass line and a jazzy guitar lead, Blues Rockin' has a cool groove. Moritz Kruit on guitar has a BB King approach to his soloing with fits nicely with the track, Gehrt's org...

BLUES LEGEND EDDY CLEARWATER: JANUARY 10, 1935 - JUNE 1, 2018 Grammy-nominated Chicago blues legend Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater died of heart failure on Friday, June 1, in his hometown of Skokie, Illinois. He was 83. Born Edward Harrington on January 10, 1935 in Macon, Mississippi, Clearwater (as he came to be known) was internationally lauded for his blues-rocking guitar playing, his original songs and his flamboyant showmanship. He was inducted into the Blues Hall Of Fame in 2016, and also won two Blues Music Awards including Contemporary Male Blues Artist Of The Year in 2001. Clearwater was equally comfortable playing the deepest, most intense blues or his own brand of rocking, good-time party music – a style he called “rock-a-blues,” mixing blues, rock, rockabilly, country and gospel. Between his slashing guitar work and his room-filling vocals, Clearwater was among the very finest practitioners of the West Side style of Chicago blues. DownBeat...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, First Class Life , by Mike Zito and I really like it. This is an excellent follow-up to Zito's 2017 release, Make Blues Not War that I reviewed last year and I think that he's on a great run! Opening with Mississippi Nights , a country blues flavored rocker, Zito leads on guitar and vocals, backed by Lewis Stephens on keys, Matthew Johnson on drums and Terry Dry on bass. Winding his slide out he really gets it cranking. What an opener! Title track, First Class Life not only has great style and feel, it has a real story and excellent slide work making it one of the top tracks on the release (and a super radio track to boot). Slower blues ballad, The World We Live In , has a strong melody and Zito's vocals are spot on. His guitar work, in response to his lead vocal is nicely punctuated. With the country funk of a Dickey Betts composition, Mama Don't Like No Wah Wah , has a real moving groove with Zito, j...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Nightlife , from John Clifton and it's solid gold blues. Opening with Charlie Musselwhite's Strange Land , John Clifton on lead vocal, harp and guitar, joined by Scott Abeyta on guitar, Matt Moulton on bass, John Shafer on drums and Brian Szopinski on piano set a solid old style groove. Lee Moses' excellent soul number, Sad About It is up next and Clifton's really plays it to the hilt. The band really sits on this one making it one of my favorites on the release. Little Walter's Long As I Have You is another top track with excellent vocals, super harp and excellent guitar soloing by Abeyta. Very nice. Cool original track, Swamp Dump has a smooth Latin blues feel with a nice tandem harp/guitar melody and easy rhythm. Jump track, How About That is an excellent instrumental with a driving bass line fluid lead guitar work along the lines of Gatemouth Brown and hot harp work leading the way. Very cool...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Chosen by the Blues, from Willie Jackson and it's solid. Opening with Just An Old Dog , Willie Jackson sings the blues, old style joined by Dillon Young on lead guitar, Jon Willis on bass, (Paxton Eugene on drums and Ace Andersson on harp. On slow blues, Big Boned Woman , Jackson really delivers on vocals and also gives Young a chance to show his stuff as well. His articulate lead work, coupled with the harp work of Andersson makes this track one of my favorites on the release. Sleeping On The Job is a real cool, real time blues track with contemporary a theme but with old style roots, rich vocals and slid harp. Wrapping the release is up-tempo shuffle, Diggin' My Shovel with some strong innuendo. A lively guitar solo, and a firm bass line, this is a super closer with catchy lyrics that will certainly leave a memorable smile on many listeners faces.   If you support live Blues acts, up and coming ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Powerful Stuff! , from Webb Wilder & The Beatnecks and it's a high energy rocker. Opening with Make That Move , Wilder on lead vocal and guitar sets a quick pace and euphoric guitar mood. Backed by Jimmy Lester on drums, Donny Roberts on guitars and Kelley Looney on bass, this is a cool opener. Lost In the Shuffle is a cool "shuffling rocker" with a solid melody and with greasy guitar riffs has just the right edge to make a great radio track. My favorite on the release, I'm Wild About You Baby , is a tense rocker with a rockabilly beat and real nice slide work by Wilder. Super. Another high energy rocker, Nutbush City Limits features a great driving beat and stinging guitar riffs, pushed by Blakely on bass and Lester on drums. Revenooer Man is a great rock and roller with a country twist. No missing the chance to get a few country style riffs and keeping the Blaster style vocals, this track is q...