Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Just Got Started , from Jimmy Carpenter and it's a cool mix of blues, R&B and rock. Opening with title track, (Feels Like) I Just Got Started , Jimmy Carpenter sings soulful vocals and plays warm sax, joined by Dwayne, Walter and James Morgan on vocals, Jerry Jemmott on bass, Kid Andersen on guitar, Jim Pugh on keys and D'mar Martin on drums. Solid radio style opener. On Willie Dixon's My Babe , Carpenter plays a dynamic sax opener, backed by Mike Galisatus on trumpet, Jack Sanford on bari sax, and Endre Tarczy on piano and a flashy guitar solo by Kid. Hot sax work and a swinging drum/bass line is the trick on this one. Nice! Hot, honking sax track, Jimmy Shimmy is boosted by wild organ work by Pugh and flashy guitar styling by Bobby Vega. Smokin! Allen Toussaint's funky, Night People , has a great groove, anchored by Vega on bass and D'Mar on drums. Carpenter really gets it working with sassy sax ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Lead Me Not Into Temptation (I Can Find It Myself) . by Wildcat O'Halloran Band and it's a strong blues party. Opening with Temptation , a solid, bass driven blues rocker, has a great beat and features Wildcat on lead guitar and vocal, Ottomatic Slim on harmonica, Jerry Jeff Siiru on bass, and Joe Fitzpatrick on drums. On Bo Diddley flavored, Good Thing I Never Got Famous has a strong drum rhythm by Fitzpartick and Wildcat on guitar and Slim both get loose with excellent solos. JL Hooker's My Own Fault gives Wildcat and Slim a real nice opportunity to lay down traditional blues. Wildcat wails the blues and his guitar riffs are raw and stinging and Slim's harmonica work is super. My favorite track on the release. Otis Rush's Homework has a bit of J Geils' spank with Slim ripping the lead vocal and Wildcat's real nice lead guitar and Slim working the Magic Dick lines. I always loved this track....

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Balancing Act , from Zachary Bartholomew , and it's adventurous and soothing. Opening with Crazy Socks , a cool bop track featuring Benny Benack III on trumpet and Zachary Bartholomew, this track really rolls with Marty Quinn on bass, and Rudolfo Zuniga  on drums. Crisp opener. David Fernandez on sax joins Bartholomew on Bring The Noise , with an aggressive piano lead and tight rhythm section by Quinn and Zuniga. Jagged time signatures add really nice texture to the track and a well composed solo by Benack on trumpet over a Latin concept really works nicely. The Long and Winding Road has a complex rhythm pairing Bartholomew with Fernandez on soprano sax. A strong sense of space and time and a nicely executed piano lead by Bartholomew make this a top track on the release. Wrapping the release is Midnight Nefarity with Fernandez on sax paired with Bartholomew on piano. Bartholomew's melodic piano improv is quietin...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Kingdom , from Amanda Fish and I really like it! Opening with Mockingbird , a cool blues rocker, Amanda Fish on vocal and guitar gets this thing moving with solid vocals and a hot rhythm by Terry Midkiff on guitar and slide and Paul Niehaus IV on bass and guitar lays in a real nice guitar solo of his own joined by Billie Baumann on percussion, Glen James on drums and Mama Moo on backing vocals. Excellent opener. With a twist of R&B, The Hard Way is a cool radio track with a great melody and tight vocal harmonies between Fish and MM. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Country flavored, Broke Ass Blues with Dylan Farrell on guitar and Niehaus on bass. Really potent slide work by Midkiff and soulful vocals by Fish give this track just the right edge. Another favorite track is Work , featuring Richard Rosenblatt on harmonica. His riffs and tone play perfectly on this track really complimenting Fish's powerful...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Time Takes Odd Turns , by Tom Johnson Jazz Orchestra , and it's energetic and fully equipped. Opening with Naught Won , with it's light Latin rhythm, the deck is fully loaded with Brianna Martinez on flute, Noam Niv on flute, Ana Nelson on clarinet, Garrett Fasig on sax, Kyle Brooks on sax, Chance Davis on tenor, Andrew Keitner on tenor, Joseph Trahan on bari, Clark Hunter on lead trumpet, Jack Kurtz on trumpet, Nick Recktenwald on trumpet, Sam Butler on trumpet, Andrew Danforth on lead trombone, Marcel Penzes on trombone, Leah Warman on trombone, Matt Acosta on bass trombone, Joel Tucker on guitars, Alex Wignall on piano, Brendan Keller-Tuberg on bass and Francis Bassett-Dilley on drums. Recktenwald lays out a really nice trumpet solo, followed by Davis on tenor sax, and great work bay Danforth wailing on trombone. Hot opener. Lucky 13 is a cool song with a dark melodic approach. With rich sax tones and tight trum...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Colorcrimes , by Eliza Neals , and it's high energy blues. Opening with Heal This Land , featuring Neals on vocal and Michael Puwal on guitar really generate a lot of energy based on original blues. Solid opener. Title track, Colorcrimes , is a strong, soulful track with nicely blended vocals by Neals and featuring Puwal on guitar, Doug Woern on bass, Mark Leach on B3, and Justin Headley on drums. Very nice. Shuffle, Candy Store , has a super feel and nicely showcases Neals vocals. With Puwal on guitar, Skeeto Valdez on drums, Paul Randolph on bass, John Galvin on B3, and Kymberli Wright on backing vocal, this track really hits the groove. Wrapping the release is Friday Night (All Day Long) , a blues rocker with a funky backbeat. With it's memorable melody and solid harmonies, this is the radio track for the release and a solid closer.    If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and...

  I was informed this morning by Curley's son that Curley has passed. I am very sorry to hear this. Here is another notice of Curley's passing from Patrice Villastrigo: Patrice Villastrigo o p s n o S t e d r g g t s a t f A d Y m 6 1 5 9 5 1 i 9   0 a h e   0 : 8 c i 1 a   M r y 9 a e 1 f 1 t 7 u t c 0 c u    ·  Sadness ensues at the passing of dear friend, Curley Mays A kind and integrous man, he always had a smile on his face I've known Curley over 30 years. Often, he'd join us, me, Spot Barnett and Tony Lara, as we performed around San Antonio. One never forgets a Curley Mays performance! What he could do with a guitar, simply amazing Curley made the world a better place When asked, he regaled us with stories of his fascinating musical history. A sense of pride shone on his face as he did so. An icon, he will be very much missed, by so many Many blessings and much love to Curley 's family Visitation: December 28 10 - 11 am Calgary Baptist Church Funera...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Sun Prints , from Matt Booth and it's a stimulating sonic adventure. Opening with In Tongues , Peter Varnado on drums and Matt Booth on bass lay down a strong rhythmic theme, joined by Steve Lands on trumpet and Sam Taylor on tenor sax creating an ever building intensity, anchored by Oscar Rossignoli on piano. Strong opener. Ice Bear has a crisp, glistening feel with tight drum work by Varnado and a great bass line by Booth. Lands creates a really nice melodic theme on trumpet and Taylor sails on tenor sax. Very nice. You Came Along has a progressive drum, bass, piano anchor with a stimulating feel and Lands and Taylor exchange soloing on trumpet and sax making for on of my favorite tracks on the release. Wrapping the release is Happenstance , an intricate track with whirling piano, sax and trumpet and articulate drums and guitar. A fruitful closer.    If you support live Blues acts, up and coming ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, A Town We Painted Blue , by Christopher Lockett and it's a solid gumbo of folk, blues country and Americana. Opening with title track, A Town We Painted Blue , Christopher Lockett on vocal and rhythm guitar sings a folk tune with strong violin work by Scarlet Rivera and Kitten Kuroi on backing vocal. I really like the pedal steel work on Bob "Boo" Bernstein on Santa Ana Winds Are Good For Cryin' , a cool folk rocker with Fernando Persomo on drums behind Lockett and Kuroi on vocal. Death Ain't Nothin'/No Mercy is a cool blues structured track with a powerful guitar riff by Perdomo and terrific vocals by Lockett and Kuroi. I like Lamp Posts with it's Americana structure, spartan rhythm, pure vocals by Lockett and Kuroi and sweet violin work by Rivera. Lockett pulls out his blues harmonica on Down By The Riverslide , a cool harmonica jam backed by Perdomo on drums. Wrapping the release is anot...