Bman's Blues Report

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, So Far , from Bob Margolin and Bob Corritore with special guest Jimmy Vivino and it's solid blues. Opening with Steady Rollin' On , Bob Margolin leads this acoustic duo on lead vocal and guitar with Bob Corritore on harmonica. Written by Margolin, this acoustic delta style blues is a cool opener. Robbie Robertson's It Makes No Difference is on of the Band's super tracks and one of my favorites on this release, blending vocals by Margolin and Jimmy Vivino who also contributes guitar and showing a totally different side of Corritore on harmonica in a totally non Chicago blues stance. Boogie, Now and Then is a cool mover featuring Corritore on harmonica over the steady drive by Margolin on guitar. Very cool. Bob Corritore's Salt River Stomp is another of my favorites as an instrumental with a lot of hot licks. Wrapping the release is John Lee Williamson's, My Little Machine with Margolin on lead ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Strongman Blues Remedy, Volume 1 , from The Strongman Blues Remedy and it's chocked full of foot tapping blues. Opening with blues rocker, Hard Luck , leader Steve Strongman adds great slide riffs, bass and harmonica to his solid lead vocal efforts for a super radio track. Joined by Dave King on drums and Jesse O'Brien on keys this is a great opener. Dawn Tyler Watson has the mic on Fine Young Man , a solid radio track with country and blues roots. Slick slide work by Strongman and with O'Brien on keys and King on drums, another fine track. Slow blues, White Lightnin' is my favorite track on the release with Strongman's best vocals on the release and strong, soulful, fluid guitar lead, backed by Alec Fraser on bass. Excellent! Crystal Shawanda has the mic on Tell Me I'm Wrong and her vocals are sassy and powerful against the bluesy riffs of Strongman. Wrapping the release is Love Comin' I...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Been Here and Gone , from Steve Howell and the Mighty Men and it's a cool, laid back release. Opening with Billy Page's The In Crowd , Howell on lead guitar really takes a nice stylistic approach over the fundamental pop song from the 60's. With cool tremolo and exploration, and working with Chris Michaels on guitar, Dave Hoffpauir on drums, and Jason Weinheimer on bass, this is a sweet retro opener. Reworking Gary Davis' Candyman , Howell on vocal and guitar the track gets a more rocky approach but keeping it stripped and bluesy with electric riffs, a cool track. Ray Charles' I Believe To My Soul gets a easy rocking version of this classic. With soulful guitar riffs and Howell's vocals, a solid interpretation. William Carradine's, Jimmy Bell, is nice and swampy and Howell's vocals are spot on. With light guitar riffs and a tight drum rhythm, this track is super. Big Bill Broonzy's Will...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, This Girl , from James Holvay and it's a cool, retro soul release. Opening with Hot N' Heavy Love , a very danceable track with hints of Curtis Mayfield and strings underneath, Holvay on vocal and guitar, is joined by Les Falconer on drums, James Manning on bass, Stu Pearlman on keys and Ron Douglas, Cliff Curtis and Les Falconer on backing vocals.  Another slinky track, More of You , has the definite Chicago soul richness with strong vocals by Holvay. A real radio track, Whatever She Wants is right out of that 70's songbook and should play well to the radio. With cool horn backing by Larry McCabe and the Minneapolis Horns, this track is smooth. Wrapping the release is slow soul track, She's Gone Away , with easy, string backing and warm vocal backing. This is a real nice release with a definite retro feel.      If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Brad "Guitar" Wilson , by Brad Wilson and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with The Ballad of John Lee , Brad Wilson on guitar and vocal sets a terrific "John Lee Hooker" like boogie backed by Brian Beal on bass and Adam Gust on drums. With the addition of harmonica, this is a smoking opener. Cesta Ayers' track, Someday After Awhile gives Wilson the opportunity to shine on vocal and his guitar playing shows great feel. Backed by Beal, Peter Wolf on drums and Frankie Vriens, this track really simmers. Otis Rush's I Can't Quit You Baby retains much of Rush's original arrangement and at over 8 minutes gives Wilson a chance to really shine on guitar. His phrasing is strong and his vibrato tight and stinging. Backed by Oscar Huguet on bass and Adam Gust on drums, this is a strong addition to the set. Wrapping the release is blues rocker, Drivin' , with a contemporary radio feel. A...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, If I Were Your Woman , from Sidney Jacobs , and it's a cool mix or jazz, soul and R&B. Opening with breezy, We All... / On A Clear Day , Sidney Jacobs on keys and lead vocals shows vocal flexibility with warm backing by Munyungo Jackson on percussion, Josh Jackson on sax and flute, Chris Lawrence on trumpet, Josh Nelson on piano, Greg Poree on acoustic guitar, Nolan Shaheed on trumpet and flugel horn, Ricky Woodard on trumpet and some really nice trombone by Joakim Toftgaard. Weave This Tale really moves with scat vocals by Jacobs which work nicely with his strong piano playing and warm horn support. Very nice. A nice mix of jazz and R&B transforms Bernstein's I Feel Pretty into a contemporary radio track. I really like Jacobs' vocal interpretation of this track and this track swings. Title track and soul classic, If I Were Your Woman , gets a really nice work over with excellent vocals over a piano / ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Bitches Blues , from Sass Jordan and it's really quite good! Opening with Johnny Winter's, Still Alive and Well , Sass Jordan maintains Winter's gritty approach, joined by Steve Marriner on bass, Cassius Pereira on drums, Jesse O'Brien on keys and stinging guitar riffs by Chris Caddell and Jimmy Reid. Strong opener. O'Brien really digs on on piano on Even , a slow piano blues giving the spotlight to Jordan's vocals and she really shines on this one. Excellent! Mississippi Fred McDowell's You Gotta Move has a great delta feel with Caddell on slide and only the simplest percussion on the bottom, supporting Jordan's vocals. Very cool. Lowell George's Sailin Shoes is really a great selection for this band with strong slide work by Caddell and great vocal harmonies by Jordan, Caddell, Reid, Marriner and O'Brien. The band really pulls together tightly on this one but of particular note is the...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Sugar Is My Name , by Sugar Harp and it's a solid release of classic blues sound. Opening with title track, Sugar Is My Name , Alabama harmonica player/singer Charles "Sugar Harp" Burroughs works over a cool, Little Walter vamp. Backed by Microwave Dave Gallagher on guitar, T-Bone Dupree on bass, Ardie Dean on drums, this is a solid opener.  On slow blues, How Come My Dog Don't Bark , Dan Hoctor provides a nice organ base with Dean on drums and Dupree on bass allowing wide open passage for Sugar to solo on harmonica. Very cool. One of my favorite tracks on the release is I Don't Want A Soul Hangin' Round with it's simple bottom by Microwave Dave on guitar and just the simplest of bass and drums by T-Bone and Ardie. Sugar has a great story telling vocal pace and his harmonica playing is super. Getting a blues rock feel going with Microwave Dave setting the pace on Lemon Squeezin' Fool , S...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Learning Tree , from Mike Ian , and it's an interesting progressive rock adventure. Opening with A Pirate's Dream , songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Mike Ian uses his own layered vocals over bongos, synthesizer, and acoustic guitar creating a radio friendly progressive tale. On Cast In Stone , Ian's melodic strength is really nicely displayed again with vocal over acoustic and electric guitar, synthesizer and drums. Well crafted and executed, very commercially strong. Building on an acoustic guitar riff,  and enveloped in electric guitar additions, Saved slowly rises with additional layers of vocals, percussion, reverb saturated guitars, and synthesizer. With a solid melody, this may be my favorite track on the release. Something More Nothing Less opens quietly with only Ian and piano backed with some subtle synthesizer but grows with the addition of guitar and drums. Building to full bloom, Ian steps ...