Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Perseverance , from Melvin Smith and it's a cool, laid back jazz exploration. Opening with Sound For Sore Ears , a Jimmy Heath composition, Melvin Smith on soprano sax sets the melody with Jeb Patton on piano, Corcoran Holt on bass and Jeremy Warren on drums. Smith's lead work is smooth and Patton's piano work is refined and invigorating. Solid opener. On traditional composition, Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child , Smith takes the lead on tenor sax and paints just enough melody to carry the theme with plenty of rhythm and just the right feel. Again Patton lays in a real nice piano solo giving the track just the right amount of contrast. I like the funky approach on Gettin' It with a hot bottom by Greg Lewis on organ and Warren on drums. Smith just lays in the groove and riffs away on tenor sax and Lewis takes a nice ride on organ giving the track a Jimmy Smith feel. Very nice. Title track, Persevera...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Voices , from The Cold Stares , and it's a cool straight up rocker. Opening with Nothing But The Blues , Chris Tapp on lead vocal and guitar, Brian Mullins on drums and Bryce Klueh on bass blow the doors open with an explosive sound. With a driving bottom and flaring guitars, this is a potent opener.  Lights Out has a funky, rocky beat along the lines of James Gang's Funk 49. With a cool balance of guitar/bass/drum rhythm and vocal work, this track is cool with strong lead guitar riffs in the ether. Sinnerman has an interesting rhythm that grows on you. With a solid drum/bass rhythm and Tapp's vocals, leading up to a strong guitar explosion, this is a cool track. Wrapping the release is acoustic ballad, The Ghost , featuring Tapp on vocal and acoustic guitar and only a hint of bass. A solid composition, this is a cool closer for a cool release.    If you support live Blues acts, up and coming B...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Friends Along The Way , from Mitch Woods and it features a who's who in the blues business. Opening with Ma Rainey's C.C. Rider , Van Morrison on vocal and Taj Mahal on vocal and guitar, join Mitch Woods on piano for a early blues style rendition of this classic. Very nice. Oliver Perry's Keep A Dollar In Your Pocket is a great boogie with Elvin Bishop on lead guitar and vocal, joined by Woods on piano and Larry Vann on drums. Woods really lays in his notorious piano boogie style and Bishop's guitar signature is prime. John Hammond steps up on Don Roby's Mother In Law Blues , adding not only super National steel riffs but solid lead vocals. Rolling piano riffs by Woods makes this one of my favorites on the release. Springing to life is Nasty Boogie with Joe Louis Walker on lead vocal and guitar and excellent piano by Woods. Very nice. Jimmy Liggins' Saturday Night Boogie Woogie Man is a ripping ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Opening , from Chris Keefe and it's solid. Opening with original track, Got A Chick? , Chris Keefe, on piano sets a cool bop rhythm/ melody, with a tight melodic bass line by Harvie S and light and tight drum work by Adam Nussbaum. Strong opener. Benny Golson's Along Came Betty is a great selection by Keefe who takes the lead on piano, first in classic fashion with a real nice bass solo by Harvie but transitioning with the lead of Nussbaum to a cool Latin beat. Very nice. Another self penned track, Chobim has a smoother Latin rhythm and a soulful bass lead by Harvie. Keefe's own melodic lead is nicely paced and poised. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Mercer's classic, Dream with it's bouncy melody. Nussbaum takes the front holding down the melody with strong interpretation by Keefe. His translation to bop form really gives this track new life. An inciteful bass lead by Harvie gives this track real...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Tejas Motel , from Ole Lonesome and it's a cool, modern, interpretation of traditional blues with a grungy rock feel. Opening with Yvette , Zachary Feemster on vocal and guitar sets a solid foot in the mud with thick blues but with a modern, blues rock edge. With J. Wesley Hardin on bass, Gregory Mosley on keys, Jimmy Devers on drums and Greg Achord on guitar, I really like their stripped down guitar driven, but not overplayed approach. Gold Chevy has a cool, 60's vibe with it's heavy footed bottom by Devers and Hardin and power guitar riffs by Feemster and Achord pushing Feemster's vocal call, giving it pseudo Zep feel but in a fresh, grungy way. Another LZ influenced track, Momma's Worry will have you rocking out with a great bottom and excellent melody. Otis Rush influenced, Ain't No Good , is the most traditional blues track on the release and clearly shows Feemster's vocal work and fluid g...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Unfinished Business , by Rhythm Krewe , and it's a cool, laid back blues release. Opening with She Moves Me , Steve Zelman on vocal and guitar sets up a cool shuffle with Jim Blazer on piano, Dave Grover on bass, Danny Pucillo, Jr. on drums, Roy Wiegand on trumpet, Chris Mostert on tenor sax, Chris Jennings on bari sax and Chris Hughes on trombone. Mostert sets off the first of the solo chain with some real rich vibe, followed by Blazer on piano and Zelman on guitar. Strong opener. Little Bit of Heaven has a real nice primitive blues feel starting first with only Zelman on vocal and guitar. With the addition of Blazer on piano, Grover on Bass and Pucillo jr. on drums this track gets thick and meaty. Slow blues, Time of Day , is my favorite track on the release, with warm vocal lead by Gary Coppola and lush guitar work by Selman and tasty piano work by Blazer and full horn backing. Very nice. Shuffle, Prescription For D...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Immigrant, from Fuat Tuac, and it brings both heavy influences from American and Brazilian jazz as well as eastern overtones. Opening with No Strings Attached, Fuat Tuac, Turkey born, Canadian singer conjures a poppy feel with a real nice trumpet overlays by Kevin Turcotte. Chex Moi features a vocal duet with Kim Richardson (in French) with Turcotte featured on trumpet, Eric West on drums, and Jordan O"Conner adding a real nice bass line. Very nice. I really like Aeroplane with it's distinctly Samba sound. Tuac's vocals float lightly on Eric St-Laurent's guitar rhythm and Turcotte's trumpet really sings. Another favorite on the release is La Rua Madureira showcasing Tuac's best vocals, again in French, a real nice bass solo by O'Connor, glistening guitar solo by St-Laurent and very nice overall balance on a nice melody.    If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Babel , by Jhett Black and it's got plenty of grit and raw rockin blues. Opening with Roll Out , Jhett Black creates a primitive sound on vocal and guitar, joined by Dusty Skins on thumping kick drum. Title track, Babel is another deep blues based track with solid slide work and heavy kick drum. 12 Bar Blues Again is a driving blues rocker with plenty of guitar show. Black's vocals are really quite strong and pair nicely with his slide work. Sonic Tonic is a mix between new wave and surf. Letting the guitar go, this track has a lot of freedom. Wrapping the release is Don Nix's Going Down . With the thumping kick drum and strong single line guitar lead, it's a cool blend of RL Burnside and Jeff Beck. Solid closer for a solid release.    If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Face...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Peplowski Project , from David Larsen and I really like it. Opening with Jerome Kern's All The Things You Are , David Larsen on Bari, Alto, Tenor and clarinet leads the way with rich tome and fluid lead lines. Joined by Ken Peplowski on clarinet this is getting steamy. Jake Svendsen on piano adds a lot of color and a terrific solo of his own, backed by Josh Skinner on bass and Brendan McMurphy on drums. Excellent opener. Bill Byers' Doodle Oodle is really smoking with super pace. Larsen and Peplowski start in duet but quickly break off into strong rich solos of their own. This is another really hot track. Walter Donaldson's Love Me Or Leave Me opens with Svendsen on piano leading quickly to featured work by Larsen on tenor and Peplowski on clarinet. With a solid shuffle rhythm Svendsen lays out a really tasty solo on piano. Larsen rips back with a healthy solo of his own on tenor before rejoining Peplows...

                                                                                                   KIMBERLY HORTON NAMED PRESIDENT & CEO OF THE BLUES FOUNDATION     ...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Time Zones , from Esthesis Quartet and it's quite interesting. Opening with Blue Light , Emma Dayhuff on bass leads the way with a simple bass line joined by Tina Raymond on drums. Dawn Clement on piano adds in a subtle melody, joined by Elsa Nilsson on flute. This is a cool composition showing real style. Solid opener. Hollywood has a curious melody led by Nilsson on flute over a walking bass line by Dayhuff and a tight rhythm by Raymond. Rhythmic accents by Clement on piano adds body to the melody until the handoff, when she takes the lead on piano. A resultant time change give the track an entirely different feel and Clement's work is transformative. Raymond takes an innovative drum solo, maintaining the basic structure of the piece through the refrain where Nilsson rejoins. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Getting Through with an extremely aggressive bass line by Dayhuff. With a tight snare/cymbal ride by ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Stuff I've Been Through , by Alabama Mike and I really like it's funky blues sound. Opening with title track, Stuff I've Been Through , Alabama Mike's lush vocals lead the way, joined by Kid Andersen and Rusty Zinn on guitars, Jim Pugh on keys, Jerry Jemmott on bass, D'Mar on drums and with great horn work by Bernard Anderson on sax, Mike Rinta on trombone, Doug Rowan on sax and Jeff Lewis on trumpet. Great opener. Another track with a great groove is King Cock , with a great back beat by D'Mar, and Jemmott on bass and featuring Anson Funderburgh on guitar with some real tasty riffs. Mike not only has lead vocals but adds harmonica and the horn section is back with a lot of heat. Excellent. A cool, R&B style track, Damage Control, features a different rhythm section of Bobby Young on guitar, Lorenzo Hawkins on Keys, AJ Joyce on bass and Ronnie Smith on drums. This is a cool track and it really d...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Isolate//Integrate , from Dean Mucetti and it's a cool funk soaked fusion release. Opening with Steps West , inspired by Coltrane's Giant Steps, has a firm, James Brown rhythm driven by Dean Mucetti and Miguel Ortiz on bass. Brian Hargrove on keys lays down the melody, joined by Dore Wallace and Jon Aparicio on guitars and Alex Williams on piano. Improvising over a central theme, a very cool jam. The Covid lockdown inspired, Licking Myself , referring to bandmembers licking their wounds from isolation. This track employs rhythmic and harmonic structure looping, expanded with an aggressive bass line and creative piano and keys interplay. Very cool. Wrapping the release is Got Lush based on Billy Strayhorn's Lush Life, with a straight up drum rhythm, overlaid with a funky bass line by Ortiz, funky guitar rhythms by Wallace and Aparicio and complex rhythmic interjections by Williams on piano and Hargrove on keys. ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Fresh Tracks, from Big Shoes and it's cool, laid back, fun. Opening with I Got You Covered , Rick Huckaby on lead vocal really shows the band at it's radio friendly best. With a solid melody, cool vocals and paired with Will McFarlane and Kenne Cramer on guitar, Tom Szell on on bass, Mark T. Jordan on piano, Lynn Williams on drums and Bryan Brock on percussion this is a solid opener. Blending their blues rock feel with just a dash of country rhythm, If The Blues Was Green has a cool, two step feel. Huckaby's voice flexes nicely into this alternate style and country style guitar riffs flow nicely. Bluesy ballad, Roses are Blue has a strong melody and really has terrific radio potential. With it's warm vocal blending by Shaun Murphy and horn work by Dana Robbins on sax and Quentin Ware on trumpet, this track really does sing. Kicking things into high gear on I've Seen The Light , Jordan on piano and W...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Among The Insanity, from Skylar Rogers and it's a soulful symphony. Opening with Love In The Left Lane , Skylar Rogers lays down a smokey, swamp funky track. Showing the way on lead vocal, backed by Teresa James and Terry Wilson on backing vocals, WG Snuffy Walden on guitar, Terry Wilson on bass, Bennett Salvay on keys, Brannen Temple on drums and Darrell Leonard on horns, this is a powerful opener. R&B ballad, One Last Kiss has a solid melody and really showcases the melodic strength of Rogers' vocals. This is easily the best radio track on this release. Soulful, Between Friends is another favorite with excellent lead vocal by Rogers, it's dark undertones and keyboard/horn harmony. Wrapping the release is another strong powerful vocal track, Apology Not Accepted , allowing Rogers great air to sing. With primary accompaniment by Salvay on keys and tasty guitar riffs by Walden, this is an excellent close...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Cut My Spirit Loose , by Big Harp George , and it's cooking! Opening with boogie track, It's Tuesday , George is firing on all cylinders. With Kid Andersen laying down signature guitar riffs and backed by Doug Rowan on bari sax, Michael Peloquin on sax and Mike Rinta on trombone the house is rocking. George on harmonica and lead vocals and joined by Chris Burns on keys, June Core on drums, Joe Kyle Jr. on bass and with Lisa Leuschner Andersen, James Dwayne and Walter Morgan on backing vocals, this is a great opener. With a real nice New Orleans beat, Bustin' Out is a strong instrumental led by George on harmonica, Jeff Lewis on trumpet Peloquin on sax, Rowan on bari and Rinta on tuba. This is punchy. Tight drum work by Core and bass by Kyle, and a sassy sax solo by Peloquin and a great trombone solo by Rinta makes this my favorite on the release. Jump Abu Lula! is another great track with George really harping...