Bman's Blues Report

Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Nominates Gospel Great & The Godmother of Rock and Roll Sister Rosetta Tharpe! Northport N.Y. - We at M.C. Records are just thrilled that legendary Gospel and guitar great Sister Rosetta Tharpe has been nominated for the Class of 2018 by The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! It happened almost 15 years after we released our recording  Shout Sister Shout, A Tribute To Sister Rosetta Tharpe. You can listen and radio can download the Tribute by clicking the cover! Sister Rosetta Tharpe was one of the most important musicians of the 20th century. * Sister was the 1st gospel performer to record for a major record label (Decca) 1938   * Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Johnny Cash, Issac Hayes and Aretha Franklin; All considered her a great influence * Her recordings sold millions of copies throughout her career including  Strang...

Guitar Master Ronnie Earl Set to Release New CD, The Luckiest Man, on November 17 from Stony Plain Records  Stony Plain Records proudly announces the November 17 release of the latest CD from multi Blues Music Award-winning guitarist Ronnie Earl and his band, the Broadcasters, The Luckiest Man . Ronnie Earl calls the album, “A traditional blues album of remembrance, love, and unwavering resolve to live with faith and gratitude.” The new disc was recorded at Woolly Mammoth Studios, Waltham, Mass.; Keep the Edge Studio, Quincy, Mass.; and in Groton, Mass. Listen to a sample of The Luckiest Man here: http://bit.ly/WatchLuckiestMan On The Luckiest Man , Ronnie and the Broadcasters, both current as well as some of the earliest members, contribute to the new album, which follows the sudden loss of Jim Mouradian, the band’s beloved bass player following a show in January. Mouradian was also a respected guitar luthier, family man and a gentleman. This musical journey throu...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Hot Pulldown , from Wildcat O'Halloran and it's tasty. Opening with shuffle tune, Hot Pulldown , Wildcat opens strong with 3 plus minutes of guitar slaying guitar akin to Bishop's Tulsa Shuffle joined by Joe Fitzpatrick on drums.  Excellent! On Latin fueled, Shaped Like A Woman , O'Halloran leads the way on vocal and guitar, backed by Matt McManamon on bass, Fitzpatrick on drums and Wally Greaney on harp. Bluesy guitar riffs and cool harp lead really compliment the drum rhythms nicely. Emily Duff adds warm sax work to soulful R&B number, Sherlock Holmes with clever lyrics and well phrased blues riffs from Wildcat. On boogie track, 51 Right, 49 Wrong, Wildcat hits a super groove backed by Devin Griffiths on guitar and Ottomatic Slim on harp. Super! Jimmy Reed's Honest I Do is up next and it's really cool Retaining Reed's arrangement, Wildcat's own guitar work, vocals and harp work so...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Big Beat , from Chickenbone Slim and the Biscuits , and it's quite good. Opening with title track, The Big Beat , Chickenbone Slim is up front on vocal and guitar joined by Big Jon Atkinson on guitar and harp, Scot Smart on bass and Marty Dodson on drums. With that Tony Joe White feel, Long Way Down has a top notch groove. Loose guitar soloing really sets this track off making it one of my favorites on the release.  Long Legged Sweet Thing with it's unusual time signature on a solid blues base, bluesy harp and excellent drumming by Dodson, is like a strange combination of Steppenwolf and the Doors. Excellent! Chicago style blues number, Do You Like It has a really great groove and Slim's vocals are right in the pocket. Atkinson's harp work giving this track timeless appeal. Slow blues number, Me And Johnny Lee has solid vocals, with super harp riffs a nicely stylized guitar solo. With a funky bass...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, This Is Rock And Roll from Lloyd Price and it's a funky R&B party. Opening with high stepper, I'm Getting Over You , Price, Mr Personality, lays out a softer version of ZZ Tops classic boogie. Nobody Loves Anybody Anymore has a solid funk sound with plucky bass and tight horns.  R&B track, The Smoke has glistening keyboards and sounds like it could be straight off of a Johnny Guitar Watson release (sans JGW). Our World has a "Mayfield" feel with wah wah guitar rhythm and vocal blending.  Blues rocker, This Is Rock And Rol l, is classic Jimmy Reed with scorching guitar work and clear piano roll under Price's solid vocals. The Four Tops' I Can't Help Myself gets a modern make over with solid bari sax soloing and female backing vocals. Fat's Domino's I'm Walkin' gets a power makeover ...big band swing style with a walking bass line, excellent sax work and rich bac...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Night Turned Into Day , by Sweet Bourbon and it's diversely cool. Opening with swamp rocker, 2nd Wallstreet , this 8 piece band shows true boogie lines. Led by Rene' von Onna on vocal, this band is moving featuring Martijn Cuypers on drums, Chris Janssen on guitar, Willem van der Schoof on keys and Sonja Walters, Susan Watteimena and Laura van der Vange on backing vocals. On shuffle track, Texas Woman , Janssen and van der Schoof really wind it out and vocal harmonies are tight. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Cool Down with it's funky rhythm and saturated guitar solo. Very cool! Got To Say Goodbye is another favorite track on the release with a David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust era quality that is hard to explain. I just like it. Bluesy ballad, Swan , has a strong melody and nicely blended vocals capped by a dynamic organ solo by van der Schoof. Wrapping the release is Enfants Terribles , a cool, f...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Everywhere From Here , by Joel DaSilva and it's strong. Opening with straight up rocker, Shake , Joel DaSilva shows influences of blues and rock roots in Sonny Boy Williamson and Led Zeppelin as well as country. Lead singer and guitarist shows his skill in both arenas firing stinging riffs to compliment his solid vocals. Great opener. Down In The Delta has a great lumbering pace with over driven vocals and soulful blues guitar riffs, over the bass of Robert Cleary, drums of Chris Peet and keys by Tom Regis. Super. A cool swing number, Cadillac Mama has a great lope and super double stop blues accents. Natasha Watkins' backing vocal contributions add a real nice touch and DaSilva feels like Anson. Very cool. With a bit more rock authority, This Day I Bleed has hard guitar bends and fiery riffs. Shuffle track, Spell On Me , hits a super groove and DaSilva is right on it. Tight, bluesy guitar riffs and snappy dr...

Tom Petty, the American rocker who fronted one of the country’s longest-running, most successful bands, is dead at 66, according to his longtime manager. Petty had suffered cardiac arrest at his Malibu home early Monday morning “and was taken to UCLA Medical center but could not be revived,” Tony Dimitriades, longtime manager of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, said in a statement on behalf of the musician’s family. “He died peacefully at 8:40pm PT surrounded by family, his bandmates and friends.” The news came hours after TMZ first reported that Petty was found unconscious in full cardiac arrest at his Malibu home. CBS News later reported his death, but the outlet walked back that report as the Los Angeles Police Department issued a statement that it had no information on Petty’s passing. “Initial information was inadvertantly [sic] provided to some media sources,” the police department posted on Twitter. “However, the LAPD has no investigative role in this matter. We apologiz...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Jazzin' On The Blues , from Kim Simmonds , and it's quite good. Simmonds, well known front man for Savoy Brown, takes an occasional break from his band and does individual projects and this is a fine instrumental one. Opening with Dancing On A Memory , a smooth instrumental ballad, Simmonds accompanies himself on rhythm guitar as he plays fluid lead melody. Lightly salted blues riffs make this a grand opener. Theme For Deborah has a Latin percussion line thanks to Ron Keck and Simmonds dances across the strings. Very nice. Surrender is one of my favorites on the release with a soulful guitar melody, accompanied by acoustic rhythm guitar. Excellent! Title track, Jazzin' On The Blues , finds Simmonds rapid firing jazz riffs over a solid melody, capped by his own blues harp work. Another of my favorites is The Maze with it's Bo Diddley beat, tight guitar riffs and glistening chords. Another track with a L...

Tom Petty, the American rocker who fronted one of the country’s longest-running, most successful bands, is fighting for his life, according to reports. TMZ first reported the news Monday that he was found unconscious in full cardiac arrest at his Malibu home Sunday. CBS News later reported his death, which could not be independently confirmed. A representative for Petty did not immediately return The Washington Post’s inquiry. A CBS Twitter account attributed the report of Petty’s death to the Los Angeles Police Department; the tweet has since been deleted. “The LAPD has no information about the passing of singer Tom Petty. Initial information was inadvertantly [sic] provided to some media sources,” the police department posted on Twitter. “However, the LAPD has no investigative role in this matter. We apologize for any inconvenience in this reporting.” TMZ followed up with a post that Petty was “still clinging to life. A report that the LAPD confirmed the singer’...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Quiet Money , from Al Basile and it has great body!  Basile, hot cornet player and legendary first trumpet with Roomful of Blues is back with Duke Robillard on guitar, Mark Teixeira on drums, Brad Hallen on bass, Bruce Bears on piano, Doc Chanonhouse on trumpet, Rich Lataille on tenor sax and Doug James on tenor and bari saxes. Opening with Blues Got Blues , Basile and Robillard lead the way with balanced lead lines making for a solid opener. On Simple Ain't Easy , Robillard lays out some really tasty lead work under Basile's vocals giving it great feel. Basile steps up with muted cornet and plays off the tempo for super accent. On title track, Quiet Money, James has the bari out and the heft really sets the track. With an easy swing, Basile's vocals ride the groove on this laid back number. Put Some Salt On It, a prime 12 bar number, Basile lays in a real nice cornet lead, complimenting his vocals and Rob...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Calling Nashville , from Trevor Sewell and it builds on his last release, Calling Your Name. Opening with Some Day , singer /songwriter and guitarist, Sewell crafts a track with traces of pop, Charlie Daniels and Jeff Beck for his new release backed by Kellen Michael Weinrich on fiddle and Trevor Brewis on drums. Janis Ian has the floor on Fade To Grey in a vocal duet with Sewell and piano on this cool jazz number. Blues rocker, Matter Of Time has a taste of Dire Straits with grinding guitar tones and ultra  cool vocals. With a quick shuffle, You Ain't What I'm Looking For has a super feel and snappy guitar riffs. Stand Next To Him pulls in flavors of western styling and the sounds of the range. Sewell's guitar finesse and the fiddle work of Weinrich pull this off nicely with bass by Justin Kimball and Brewis on bass. Very cool. Wrapping the release is ballad, Shadows , featuring Janis Ian on piano and Sew...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Summer Rain , from Dudley Taft and it's a powerhouse. Opening with Flying On Love , a power blues rocker, Taft is back with a vengeance. Heavy overtones, distortion soaked guitar riffs, pounding drums and beefy bass is the ticket. Taft on lead vocal and guitar, is backed by Kasey Williams on bass, Jason Patterson on drums and Reese Wynans on organ. Title track, Summer Rain , is a strong rocker with a memorable melody, strong guitar riffs, nicely harmonized vocals and super drumming by Mike Taponga. I particularly like Edge Of Insane with it's simple vocal and guitar pairing and cool hook as well as some of the best vocals on the release. One of my favorites on the release is Live or Die with it's tone saturated guitar riffs and classic Robin Trower like, rock overtones. This is a track that players will dig into. Very cool. Another standout track is Don't Let It Fade with it's lumbering bop groove...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Walk In The Dark , from Rob Lutes and it's quite good. Opening with folk/blues track, A Little Room , Lutes weaves his tale, singing and playing acoustic guitar, joined by Rob MacDonald on guitar, Mark Nelson on drums, Andrew Horton on bass and Bob Stagg on piano. One of my favorite tracks, There's No Way To Tell You That Tonight , is a blues infused rocker with solid guitar soloing and includes Guy Belanger on harmonica. A strong melody and Lutes solid vocals give this track substantial girth. Another particularly cool track is Rocky Mountain Time , a simple ballad with a waltz time. Lutes has a way of telling a story and composing a tune that just sits right. Think JJ Cale and Mark Knopler. Country western / bluegrass styling makes Rabbit another standout track featuring the violin work of Josh Zubot and Joe Grass on mandolin. Very nice. A happy feeling track, Believe In Something , will have you bopping in yo...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Rhythmland , from Dennis Johnson and it is a slide player's dream. Opening with Walkin Blues , Johnson shows that super smooth sliding technique that he's know for on this updated and fast tempo'd remake. Featuring Tim Metz on drums, Jonathan Stoyanoff on bass and Craig Long on keys, this is a smooth opener. Timbale has a cool, Latin beat and a nice pop melody. Fillmore Street is a clever blues rocker with a snappy shuffle beat. Johnson's vocals and super slide work, coupled with Long's piano work makes for a really cool track. My favorite track on the release is High Heel Shoes with it's driving beat and smoking slide work. Very nice! Wrapping the release is Revolution , a stripped down rocker with some of my favorite vocals and basic rock rhythms. A super closer for a solid release.    If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, My Brother's Blues , from Benny Turner and it's great! Benny pay homage to his big brother and best friend, Freddie King and does it with style. Opening with Big Legged Woman , Benny is on lead vocal and bass, showing excellent vocal style and tone. A punchy horn section featuring Barney Floyd on trumpet and Jason Mingledorff on sax really sets the track off and the solid foot pedal of Jeffrey "Jellybean" Alexander and the riding organ work of Keiko Komaki plays nicely with rhythm guitar fills by Derwin "Big D" Perkins and lead guitar runs by June Yamagagishi. Excellent! Have You Ever Loved A Woman is a definite highlight on this release with soulful vocals by Turner, backed by Earl Smith and suppressed but critical horn work and organ by Davell Crawford, and Jack Miele plays some real tasty guitar lead to ice the cake.  Swinging I'm Tore Down features Otis Clay, Turner and Marva Wright ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (September 15, 2017), The Eastwest Sessions , by Mindi Abair and the Boneshakers and it's a lot of fun. Opening with Vinyl , a high stepper with a rock solid bottom, Mindi Abair has it going on lead vocal and hot sax. Backed by Randy Jacobs on guitar, Rodney Lee on keys, Derek Frank on bass and Third Richardson on drums all joining Sweet Pea Atkinson on backing vocals. Droning bass line and pumped up sax shows the way on instrumental Not That Kind Of Girl . Pop track, Play To Win has a solid melody line and shows Abair's vocal strength.   Pretty Good For A Girl has got to be Abair's trademark track with it's practical lyrics, blistering sax work and hot contributions from Joe Bonamassa. My favorite track on the release, Let Me Hear It From You , features Sweet Pea Atkinson on lead vocal. Excellent soul tune with nice backing vocals and real soul town sax soloing. With the feel of Jr Walker, Live My Lif...

EILEN JEWELL STEPS BACK IN TIME FOR DOWN HEARTED BLUES, RELEASING SEPT. 22 ON SIGNATURE SOUNDS Sax great Curtis Stigers contributes to renditions of unearthed blues treasures by Otis Rush, Memphis Minnie, Howlin’ Wolf and other favorites PopMatters premiered a track. ...