Bman's Blues Report

I just received the newest release, Bullets In The Bonfire Vol. 1 from Iko - Iko and its flavorful! A fifteen track retrospective of the band it has a lot of variety. Opening with Party Car , a New Orleans flavored track, the band is really hopping featuring strong vocals from Graham Wood Drout, super sax from Ron Dziubla and traditional drumming from Stewart Jean. Cajun tasting (I Never Had An) American Dream is a party track deluxe with cool lyrics. Celebration rolls more into the R&B styling and it's pop nature. A definite hook and familiar melody makes this a radio stopper. Dziubla really blows the walls out on this one giving it just the right spice. Live track Don't Mess With The Voodoo is a swampy rocker. Mike Bauer and Larry Williams lay out some smokin guitar riffs on this track and I particularly like the drum work of Jean. Miller's Woods has a solid pop rock style and some cool guitar slide riffs by Williams. Mike Mennel adds a cool under line on the b...

HIGH ENERGY PERFORMER BRINGING HIS SHOW TO PHOENIX, AZ!   JW-Jones , a red hot young Canadian guitar slinger/singer known as a high-energy crowd-pleaser, will bring his dynamic show to Phoenix as follows:  SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST RHYTHM ROOM 1019 E INDIAN SCHOOL RD.  9:15 PM $10   Jones, a popular and highly acclaimed artist in Canada, widely regarded as one of that country’s premier touring blues acts, is set to break out in the U.S. and worldwide markets with his first release on acclaimed American roots music label Blind Pig Records, entitled Belmont Boulevard . The album was produced in Nashville by Grammy-winning producer Tom Hambridge, who’s helmed projects for Buddy Guy, George Thorogood, and Susan Tedeschi.   Jones said, "Signing with Blind Pig is truly an honour and major milestone in my career.  I am ecstatic to be on a label that is a fixture in roots music." Jone...

Stony Plain Records Signs Blues Hall of Famer Billy Boy Arnold & Will Release His New CD on October 21 Legendary Chicago Blues Harmonica Player’s New Album, The Blues Soul of Billy Boy Arnold , Was Produced by Duke Robillard & Features an All-Star Backing Band EDMONTON, AB – Stony Plain Records announces the signing of legendary Chicago blues harmonica master Billy Boy Arnold, and will release his new CD, The Blues Soul of Billy Boy Arnold , on October 21. Produced by Duke Robillard, Arnold’s new CD showcases his talents as a songwriter, singer and harmonica player, backed by an all-star cast of musicians, including the Roomful of Blues horns. This is Arnold’s second album for Stony Plain, joining his highly-acclaimed 2001 release for the label, Boogie 'n' Shuffle, also produced by Robillard. Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2013, Arnold ably demonstrates his credentials on this scintillating set that showcases a number of ori...

Roots Blues Traveler Markus James Releases New Album, Head for the Hills, Recorded in North Mississippi, on October 28 th “first one’s free and the last one kills time to head for the hills” GRATON, CA – Firenze Records announces an October 28 th release date for Markus James’ new album, Head for the Hills . Recorded in Holly Springs, Como, Senatobia and Luxahoma, Mississippi, as well as in Northern California, Head for the Hills showcases Markus James on vocals, electric slide, 3 string cigar box, gourd banjo, slide dulcimer, acoustic guitar, harmonica, beatbox, and a snakeskin-covered 1- string diddley bow. He’s backed by a “who’s who” of North Mississippi Hill Country drummers including Kinney Kimbrough (son of Junior Kimbrough), Calvin Jackson (R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough,  Deep Blues film), Aubrey “Bill” Turner (Otha Turner), and R.L. Boyce (Jessie Mae Hemphill).  Also appearing is drummer Marlon Green, who was the last drummer to...

I just received the newest release, Come Back Baby , from Linsey Alexander and it is full of grooving R&B Blues flavor! Opening with Little Bit Of Soap , a BB King style track with Bill McFarland (trombone), Chris Neal (tenor sax) and Ryan Nyther (trumpet), Alexander takes the lead on vocal as well as guitar shared with Breezy Rodio. High stepper Booze and Blues is driven by a nice bass line from Greg McDaniel and Roosevelt Purifoy weighs in with a sweet organ solo. Slow blues number, I Got A Woman , finds Alexander at his best with powerful vocals and searing guitar solos. Pooky Styx plays a nice simple contrast on drums as Alexander wails on. Very Nice! Come Back Baby is solid soul and Alexander is surrounded by horns. A very cool radio track with a nice melody and light airy guitar work. Harmonica wiz, Billy Branch, joins on Call My Wife , a classic Chicago style track. Branch's featured work on this track as well as simple, soulful guitar riffs from Alexander makes it ...

I just received the newest release, Born On The River , from Hurricane Ruth . A powerful vocalist, Ruth is backed but David Lumsden on guitar, Gary Davis on bass and Jim Engel on drums. Opening with title track, Born On The River , Lumsden creates a wah wah effect with guitar and Ruth sings with a lot of sting. Make Love To Me opens with a modified Elmore James by Lumsden and with Davis create a heavy bottom for Ruth's vocals. Lumsden throws out some fine guitar riffs and Engel holds tight on the bottom. A simple 12 bar this track hits it hard. Blues Rocker Slow Burn has a trace of Voodoo Chile making it instantly cool with a nice bass riff but with an almost metal grind. Lumsden does take a nice guitar ride on this track bringing it to the blues via rock styling. One of my favorite tracks on the release. Blues ballad The Walls is an interesting track with light traces of Robin Trower with sonic guitar work. Ruth's vocals have a different sensitivity making this the overal...

I just received the newest release, The Soul Of Designer Record s from Big Legal Mess and to say that it is terrific doesn't really do it justice! Packaged like an old 33rpm record (only nicer) this 4 cd set containing over 100 tracks is really off of the hook. Featuring bands such as The Gospel Songbirds, The Dynamic Hughes Singers, The Melody Kings, Twilight Singers, Sensational Family Singers, The Shaw Singers, Soul Singers of Detroit, MI; Echoes of Glory, Alberta Powell, Laura Bradley & the Famous South Land Singers, Jubilee Hummingbirds, The Fantastic Alphonzo Thomas, E.L. Burtis, O'Neal & The Dean Brothers, The Mighty Blytheville Aires, Harps of David, Golden Five, Golden Travelers, Rev. Leon Hamner and Holy City Travelers, Evelyn McGlown & George Shields, The Southland Singers, Sensational Spirit Consolators, The Memphis Spiritual Four, The Silver Leaf Harmonizers, Joe Townsend, Canton Spirituals Silver trumpets, Barnes Singers, of Earl, AR; Rev. Houston P...

Joe Sample, who became a jazz star in the 1960s as the pianist with the Jazz Crusaders and an even bigger star a decade later when he began playing electric keyboards and the group simplified its name to the Crusaders, died on Friday in Houston. He was 75. The cause was mesothelioma, said his manager, Patrick Rains. The Jazz Crusaders, who played the muscular, bluesy variation on bebop known as hard bop, had their roots in Houston, where Mr. Sample, the tenor saxophonist Wilton Felder and the drummer Nesbert Hooper (better known by the self-explanatory first name Stix) began performing together as the Swingsters while in high school. Mr. Sample met the trombonist Wayne Henderson at Texas Southern University and added him, the bassist Henry Wilson and the flutist Hubert Laws — who would soon achieve considerable fame on his own — to the group, which changed its name to the Modern Jazz Sextet. The band worked in the Houston area for several years but did not have...

Pictured: Michael Hornbuckle    HORNBUCKLE COMPETING AT "DENVER BLUES CHALLENGE"      CHANCE TO GO TO IBC'S IN MEMPHIS - SUNDAY, SEPT. 21   (DENVER, CO) - Hornbuckle , "Denver's First Family of the Blues" fronted by guitarist-vocalist Michael Hornbuckle, competes at the Denver Blues Challenge, presented by the Mile High Blues Society , Sunday, September 21, at Ziggie's Live Music , 4923 W. 38th Ave. 2 p.m. Info: http://milehighbluessociety.com/ .  Winner advances to the 2015 International Blues Challenge competition in Memphis, January 20-24.    WHAT THE MEDIA IS SAYING ABOUT HORNBUCKLE'S  "VIRTUE & VICE"   Virtue & Vice is the title of Hornbuckle's recently-released album, which is quickly gaining critic's acclaim. They recently celebrated twenty years together as a band. "Hornbuckle's sound is fresh and interesting...these guys have m...

I just received the newest release (September 23, 2014), Calling All Blues , from the Duke Robillard Band and it has a fresh feel. Opening with Down In Mexico , Robillard takes the lead on vocal on this track with a dose of Memphis rhythm. Bruce Bears has the keys covered and Rich Lataille, Mark Earley and Doug Woolverton add some nice horn work. On boogie track I'm Gonna Quit My Baby , Bears leads the way on piano and the track which actually reminds me of a Neil Young song. Svengali is a very rudimentary track with very cool stumble drums by Mark Teixeira and and slide work by Robillard. With a lot of the traits of early blues this is one of my favorites on the release. Blues Beyond The Call Of Duty features Sunny Crownover on lead vocals and has that polished blues/jazz feel that Robillard has really made as his trademark. Well conceived and executed guitar work by Robillard as well as cool bass riffs by Brad Hallen. Very nice! Emphasis On Memphis has a definite R&B fe...

I just received the newest release, The Other Side , from Drew Nelson and it's quite interesting. Opening with Seven Days, a country influenced blues number, Nelson shows his Dylanesque vocals backed by some of the sweetest slide melodic to be heard in a while. Nelson who plays guitar is backed by Matt Sobb on drums, Steve Marriner on bass, baritone guitar, harmonica, keys and guitar. Make It Right has a little bit of a Jimmy Reed feel with Marriner on harp and keys. There is really a lot going on here instrumentally here and I really like it! On Reggae flavored Stick Around you get a pseudo island feel ... a cool pop track. On Bird On A Wire , is given a real country flavor with nice steel guitar adornment by John Steele. One More Chance is an excellent Chicago style blues with super harp and key demonstrations by Marriner. Nelson does some of his best vocals on this smokin' track. Step back and hear Muddy Waters come alive on slide! Nice! Valentine has a bit of that spag...

TIM GARTLAND MILLION STARS New Release From Triple-Threat Bluesman Tim Gartland Tim Gartland doesn't like to play loud. He likes to hear himself and the musicians around him, and wants his audience to be able to take in the subtleties of the music, the lyrics, the tones.  I suspect he may even want them to be able to share a word of appreciation between his well-penned verses.  For a blues musician, particularly a harmonica player, this is rare.  Trust me on this, I know. Singer/songwriter/harp player Tim Gartland is a rare breed, indeed. After being bitten by the blues bug at a Muddy Waters show as a young teenager in Ohio, he soon found himself in Chicago, playing harmonica with the likes of Bo Diddley, Carey Bell, Big Jack Johnson and Pinetop Perkins. Tim became increasingly interested in songwriting, and began writing melodic songs with relevant lyrics and elegant, funn...