Eller Soul Records artist: Li'l Ronnie & the BlueBeats - unfinished business - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, unfinished business, from Li'l Ronnie & the BlueBeats. Opening with Bring Your Fine Self Home, an easy swing blues track featuring Claudia Carawan on lead vocals, and the sure hand of Ericson Holt on keys. Li'l Ronnie has a strong harp overtone and also adds vocal harmonies. On Too Fast For Conditions, Stu Grimes sets a steady beat on drums and Li'l Ronnie rides high on harp. Jim Wark steps up with some cool guitar riffs and Carawan adds some nice sax work as well. R&B styled track Get Tough seems to best suit Carawan's vocal style backed by Almeta Ingram-Miller and Cheryl M. Beaver and Mike Moore hits some cool bass lines on this track. I Feel A Heartache Coming On, a solid ballad, blues style, is an easy hit for the group with Carawan carrying the bulk of the load with terrific backing from Almeta and Cheryl. Wark takes a tasty guitar solo backed by Holt on piano. Jump Jive, Then You Wail sticks very close to the original and shows a level of energy kicked up by Wark and Owens who really shine on this track. Li'l Ronnie takes the lead on title track, Unfinished Business. Carawan takes the second lead and harmonizes with Owens. A nice easy track, Holt and Owens play a piano/harp solo duet that is particularly nice on this track. Ray Charles' Hard Times has a really cool sax intro from Carawan. Bringing out her soul attributes, Carawan not only does nice vocal parts on this tune but also sultry sax soloing. Cold Hard Cash has a bit of swamp funk with Li'l Ronnie on harp and lead vocal. Li'l Ronnie steps forward again for a featured harp solo on this track and Grimes' addition of percussion gives the track another dimension. Thick & Thin has a funky R&B sound like Muscle Shoals or Tower of Power. Funky guitar riffs and a really nice piano solo from Holt over cool bass riffs from Mike Moore make this track smoke. Stop Cheatin' Me Blind has a standard 12 bar format with cool piano lead throughout. Li'l Ronnie has the lead on vocal and also punctuates with harp. You Don't Have To Go Home is a swinging shuffle track with rich harmonies from Almeta and Cheryl and nice harp work under the vocals. Wark steps up again on this track with a tasty guitar solo and some ultra cool trem bends. That's What A Girl Wants To Hear is a slow R&B style ballad mostly showcasing Carawan's vocals. Swing track, I Just Met A Man is playful and features light vocals and horn work. Wark shows a nice light hand on guitar riffs and additional horn work from Carawan. Wrapping the release is traditional blues style track, I Had A Warden for a Woman. Li'l Ronnie digs in oh harp and also takes the lead on vocals. Likely my favorite track on the release, this track is a solid blues track.

  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--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

This isn't a track from the latest release but is a good example of Li'l Ronnie's Work:

Raoul and The Big Time - Hollywood Blvd. - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Hollywood Blvd, from Raoul and The Big Time and it's quite good. Opening with Nothin' Gonna Take Me Down, Raoul has enlisted some of the top blues talent on the continent including Rick Holmstrom on guitar, Jeff Turmes on bass, Stephen Hodges on drums and of course Raoul on harp and vocals. A loose blues infused stumble, this track is laced with hot guitar and harp riffs. Title track Hollywood Blvd, has a Latin R&B feel featuring Fred Kaplan on piano. Larry Taylor on bass and Richard Innes on drums give Raoul and Junior Watson a nice rhythm to lay out some great Chicago style solos. Bobby Blue Bland's Someday it given a really nice traditional feel and Raoul does a nice job on lead vocal. Frank Goldwasser really hits the target with hot guitar work on this track, backed by Darren Gallen on guitar, Terry Wilkins on bass, Tom Bona on drums, Pat Caret and Alison Young on sax and Jake Wilkinson on trumpet. Excellent! Shuffle track High Roller, strokes a nice chord with Kaplan on piano and Watson on drums. Raoul steps up on the track and a simple harp solo keeping this a cool compact blues track. Amphetamine is a high strung instrumental blues romp featuring great work from both Raoul on harp and Holmstrom on guitar. Another excellent track! Allan Toussaint track Get Out Of My Life Woman maintains that New Orleans lumber and features Rusty Zinn on guitar. It's always a treat to hear Zinn lay it down and Tyler Yarema adds some nice piano riffs on this track. Of special note on this track is the nice horn work of Carey, Young and Wilkinson. Left Coast Fred is a really cool boogie featuring really tasty guitar work from Watson and harp work by Raoul. Fred Kaplan taked a particularly cool piano solo on this track and Larry Taylor steps up with a nice upright bass solo as well. Staples Singers track Why Am I Treated So Bad is an easy soul track with a simple pop rhythm. Tired is a down and dirty blues track again with hot guitar work from Watson and crisp piano work from Kaplan. Raoul really lays out some nice harp work on this track making this one of the best tracks on the release. Jump track Spoken For again gives a clean dance floor for Watson to torch the fretboard. I mean he's not out there alone, but he really does a nice job. Strong bass work from Taylor and of course vocal and harp work from Raoul are icing on this smoker. Curtis Salgado steps up to the mike on harp on Curtis Charm with great backing from Raoul, Darren Gallen on guitar, Wilkins on bass, Bona on drums and Yarema on piano. A really nice laid back blues track with two fine harp players laying it all out there. Traditional track, In The Shadow Of The Pine brings to mind some of the depression era tracks cut by Ry Cooder. Surprisingly enough, this is one of my favorite tracks on the release featuring Johnny Sansone on accordian, Raoul on acoustic guitar and vocal, Wilkins on bass and John Showman on violin. This is a really quiet conclusion to a pretty hot 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--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

 

Duncan Street - Baptized By The Blues - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Baptized By The Blues, from Duncan Street. Guitarist Dave Duncan and Harp player Stan Street open the release with a happy go lucky Watermelon, BBQ and Beer. A light country blues track a cool opener to this new release. Come To Mississippi is up next with emphasis on vocals and resonator guitar. Street who also provides percussive backing plays a nice harp track to go along with fluid slide resonator riffs. Lively blues boogie, Color Me Blue, has a great tempo and feel. With a solid 12 bar format this is one of the coolest tracks on the release. Sharpest Marble In The Drawer takes a slower blues pace and classic guitar blues riffs with a tongue in cheek lyrics. Muddy Waters I Be's Troubled keeps it's original pace and strong blues feel. Harp and slide work together nicely on this track in a clean manner. Love Me Tonight is a cool country blues number with straight acoustic guitar accompaniment. Title track, Baptized In The Blues, has a real rockin feel but not leaving blues alley. With a strong foot stomp as the direction to be followed by Duncan on guitar this is a lively blues number. Shakin' The Bacon Down takes on a New Orleans feel with marching snare drum and vocal duets and more sparing guitar work. Tater Salad Woman has a more raw feel and the sound of primitive blues. Chirping harp is a really nice additive to this particular track where all of the instrumentation seems to have a more human voice. Go Right Back To Bed has an Elmore James feel. A strong Texas style blues, Duncan drives the train on this track with a strong EJ rhythm and hot slide work and Street lays down some of the best harp work on the track. Very nice. The Blues Comes In All Colors wraps the release with a Howlin Wolf kind of track but on the down low all acoustic. This is an interesting release with varied exploration of the blues.  

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--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

 

Healing & Music

Lisa Biales and Doug Hamilton give a special performance   Wednesday, April 30th at 7pm   Oxford Community Arts Center 10 S. College Avenue, Oxford, OH. Donations will be taken at the door, and proceeds will go to the Talawanda High School Grand Piano Fund in Memory of Kathryn Hamilton Kathryn Anne Hamilton age 15, passed away March 11, 2013. She was a freshman at Talawanda High School where she was an avid soccer player, swimmer and band member. Kathryn was born December 24, 1998 in Nashville, TN to Douglas Hamilton and Barbara Smyth Hamilton. Kathryn had a love of the world and compassion for people. She loved math and technology and dreamed of becoming a race car engineer.  We live in a wonderful community, and we take care of each other in many different ways. Sometimes we are care givers, other times we receive care.  Let's come together now with the intention of healing our hearts and our minds, and soothing our souls with music.   Lisa's new CD  "Belle of the Blues" makes the Living Blues charts at #11,  the Blues charts at #17, and the Acoustic Blues charts at #1. Available NOW at CD BABY &  iTunes  &  uptown Oxford at  The Wild Berry    "BY FAR, ONE OF THE BEST FEMALE FRONTED BLUES RECORDINGS YOU ARE LIKELY TO HEAR IN 2014."    - John Vermelyia, Blues Underground   " Lisa Biales astonished us again with this new album. With her crystal clear vocals and an excellent backing band, this album is a flawlessly produced jewel." Philip Verhaege - Keys and Chords     GET ACTIVE   Vote for the Coolest Blues Song in the World 2014 Vote for your favorite song HERE from   Big City Rhythm & Blues Magazine Sampler #15 Round 1 Voting counts through April 30, 2014  Votes for Belle of the Blues are greatly appreciated. Thank You!   Marc and I donated to the Blues Foundation's Raise the Roof! for  the Blues Hall of Fame. The donation includes our names to be added  to a brick in the wall. I'd love to see your name there too!    THE BLUES FOUNDATION

Janiva Magness pushes roots, rock, soul envelope with new album 'Original,' out June 24.

DYNAMIC SINGER-SONGWRITER JANIVA MAGNESS PUSHES THE ROOTS, ROCK AND SOUL ENVELOPE WITH DARING NEW ALBUM ORIGINAL Award-winning performer’s eleventh release, out June 24, brings her songwriting skills and stunning range to the fore, with help fromGrammy nominated producer Dave Darling.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Janiva Magness’ new album Original stretches the artistic boundaries of roots, rock and soul music. Its 11 songs seamlessly weave all three genres into a highly original approach defined by nakedly honest storytelling and the live-wire emotionalism of Magness’ two-and-a-half octave range, buoyed by arrangements that effortlessly blend traditional sounds with edgy experimentation.  “Let Me Breathe” opens Original with the amplified chunk of an electric guitar and the chime of a glockenspiel followed by the confessional lines, “Nobody’s perfect/Nobody knows that more than me,” setting a tone of frank self-assessment that resonates throughout the entire set, from the Stax-influenced celebration of dignity “Mountain” to the wanton “I Need A Man” to the concluding “Standing,” which confronts insecurity with true survivor’s resolve. Magness had much to overcome in making this adventurous album. Since 2010 she’s endured the dissolution of a 17-year marriage, the deaths of eight friends and relatives including her foster mother, and an operation for a serious neck injury that could have ended her accolade-filled career. But Original finds the Los Angeles-based artist undefeated — turning in her finest recorded vocal performances, co-writing a majority of tracks for the first time and testing herself by taking risks along with her production foil Dave Darling, whose credits include Glen Campbell, Brian Setzer, Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx and Stray Cats, and whose instincts compelled Magness to tap her deepest creative powers and led the songs to sonically unpredictable places. “I always want to push myself,” she explains, “but this album demanded a high level of vulnerability to tell the absolute truth in every song, holding nothing back. It was frightening, at times, to be so raw in public. Dave drove me and even tricked me when he needed to. This is also an album that couldn’t be made with another record company, because we needed to be able to go wherever we wanted musically to tell its stories.” So Magness parted ways with Alligator Records after a six-year period that included 2012’s Stronger For It, 2010’s The Devil Is An Angel Too and 2008’s What Love Will Do, all produced by Darling. During her tenure on the internationally respected blues and roots imprint Magness also won her fourth Blues Music Award for “Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year” plus the “B.B. King Entertainer of the Year” and “Song of the Year” (for “I Won’t Cry,” co-written with Darling) awards, even as she became a fixture of the Americana music scene alongside such similar tough ’n’ edgy roots-based artists as Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings and St. Paul and the Broken Bones. It’s hard, indeed, to pigeonhole Magness, who kick starts Original’s transcendent creative centerpiece “When You Were My King” with her voice alone — albeit bathed in a psychedelic pool of reverb, then accompanied by a jingling moth larva shaker and a snare drum that sounds snatched from a contemporary R&B hit, which in turn relents to the soulful call of Darling’s reverb soaked blues guitar. The song goes on to build an organic electric and acoustic framework around Magness’ warm-blooded, hook-heavy vocal melody, ultimately conjuring the regret and lost magic of a disintegrated relationship with breathless passion. Magness says that tune might not have happened if Darling hadn’t lured her to his studio to “work on a vocal part.” When she arrived the hit Australian songwriting team of Lauren Bliss and Andrew Lowden were lying in wait. “If Dave had said, ‘I have these people here that I want you to write with,’ I would have made an excuse and begged off,” she relates. Instead, they co-wrote “When You Were My King” and “Standing,” two of the album’s most intensely emotional and superbly crafted tunes. Magness’ friend Dan Navarro of the singer-songwriter team Lowen & Navarro also pitched in, singing on the duet “With Love” and contributing background vocals to “Standing” and “Let Me Breathe.”

Janiva with producer Dave Darling at Studio City Sound Magness co-wrote seven of Original’s numbers, overcoming a longstanding phobia. “I’ve been afraid of writing songs for most of my career,” she confides. “I was worried I wouldn’t be good at it, or that I would be really good at it. I was married to a great songwriter, and I didn’t want songwriting to be an issue in any way between us.” But after she and Jeff Turmes split in 2010, Magness began writing under Darling’s encouragement. They co-penned three tunes for Stronger For It. And this time it’s her lyrics and performances that breathe life into Original’s gripping emotional arc —a musical journey through loss and triumphant recovery that reflects her own experiences. “I’ve always wanted life to be simpler than it is,” she offers. “When I was a young girl, and then a young woman, I really yearned for that. Now I’m a full-grown woman and I understand that life is never black and white. Losing loved ones, losing attachments and relationships, and grieving over it all are things we have to live with. If we can get through that with our souls intact, we learn how to become stronger and to move on with hope and dignity toward whatever comes next.” For Magness, who is writing a memoir, such challenges arrived early. Her teenage years were turbulent after both of her parents took their own lives. She was placed in a series of 12 foster homes and at age 17 gave birth to a daughter who she gave up for adoption. Magness’ despair was so deep that she tried to end her life. But ultimately, inspired by the encouragement of her final foster mother and a galvanizing performance by the legendary bluesman Otis Rush, she eventually found stability and salvation in music. Since the release of her debut album More Than Live in 1992, Magness has relentlessly pursued her craft to become one of the most beloved figures in the blues and roots world, reaching a larger and more diverse audience with each succeeding album and developing a reputation as a live entertainer that’s made her a staple of summer festivals. Her collaborations with Darling, in particular, have greatly expanded her fan base as well as her stylistic command. And she has lent her singular voice to the cause of foster care activism, becoming a spokesperson for Casey Family Programs’ National Foster Care Month and an Ambassador for Foster Care Alumni of America. The fact that Magness’ voice was jeopardized in December 2012 by surgery that left her unable to speak for several weeks makes her performances on Original all the more impressive. In tunes like the powerful “Twice As Strong” and “Badass,” the epic “When You Were My King” and the intimate “Standing” she displays the entire scope of her vocal range — from confidential whisper to soaring declamation — on one of her own albums for the first time. Magness thanks L.A. vocal coach and cantor Nate Lamm for teaching her how to sing in a way that provides a more sweeping command of her instrument. “I’ve pushed myself hard on vocal sessions for other people” — including Glen Campbell and R.L. Burnside — “but this is the first time I’ve been able to tap every part of my own voice for my own songs,” she attests. “They required everything I had to tell their stories and to express everything that I was feeling about theses experiences.” “Now, I’m really looking forward to getting out and performing these songs live,” the artist continues. “When you’re on stage in front of an audience that’s singing along to your own songs, there’s no better feeling — and no place I’d rather be — in the world.”

Roots Guitar Guru on "Mountain Stage" radio show

Photo: Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage DAMON FOWLER ON NPR'S "MOUNTAIN STAGE" Roots Guitar Guru's Performance To Be Broadcast Friday A performance by Damon Fowler and his band will be broadcast on National Public Radio's "Mountain Stage" program this Friday, April 25th.  Their live performance was recorded in February in Charleston, West Virginia, where the band played four songs from their new album, Sounds of Home, to a standing ovation. The radio show will be heard on over 130 stations around the country.   For a complete list of stations and broadcast times, please click HERE. The following week their set will be available for streaming at Mountain Stage's website and via mobile devices through the free NPR Music app. To watch the Damon Fowler Band performing the title track of the new CD in their home state of Florida, please click HERE.

Watch and Learn About Dudley Taft

DUDLEY TAFT SCREAMS ABOUT NEW CD Screaming In The Wind will be out on 5/20  Starting on this Tuesday, April 22nd, there will be a teaser of the new songs from Dudley's CD, "Screaming In The Wind", posted twice a week on his social media sites. He will be starting with the last song first all in Taft fashion of course leading up to the release date on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is where you see how he gets his mojo going to give his music that extra umph. So follow along with the links below!  DT FANS DT Twitter DT SITE DT YT Dudley will have a 5 day exclusive video run on the mag's site starting MAY 12 for his song, "Screaming In The Wind".  Guitar Master Dudley Taft Is Screaming in the Wind on Latest CD, Coming May 20 from American Blues Artist Group New Album of Blues-Rock Produced by Grammy-Winner Tom Hambridge Features Special Guest Reese Wynans on Keyboards   CINCINNATI, OH – Blues-rock guitarist Dudley Taft announces a May 20 release date for his new CD, Screaming in the Wind, on his American Blues Artist Group label. The new album was produced by Grammy-winner Tom Hambridge, best-known for his work with Buddy Guy, Susan Tedeschi, George Thorogood and Johnny Winter, and recorded at The Switchyard and Rendering Plant in Nashville, as well as Taft’s new Muchmore Studio in Cincinnati. The new recording facility is part of the house and property Dudley recently purchased from legendary guitarist Peter Frampton.   The new CD features a dozen songs, most of which are originals penned by Dudley Taft, including several co-written with Tom Hambridge (who also plays drums on a couple tracks) and Richard Fleming, plus scintillating covers of songs by Skip James (“Hard Time Killing Floor Blues”) and Freddie King (“Pack It Up”). “Screaming in the Wind is my third solo effort and the first album I’ve done produced by someone outside the band. Several songwriting sessions in Nashville with producer Tom Hambridge and songwriter Richard Fleming helped the songs take shape before recording them,” says Taft. “It was refreshing to work with other great songwriters for the first time, and it gives Screaming in the Wind a different flavor.” Taft’s regular band of John Kessler on bass and Jason Patterson drums is augmented by the addition of former Stevie Ray Vaughan keyboard player Reese Wynans on the sessions. “Reese plays some wicked B3 organ on the CD,” exclaims Taft. “He really shines on a bunch of the songs, elevating them to levels I never imagined. Check out his ripping solo on ‘The Reason Why’.” Other special guests on Screaming in the Wind include the acclaimed McCrary sisters, who bring their smooth gospel harmonies to the song “Barrio,” while the Muscle Shoals Horn Section shines on “Pack It Up.” “So far, I have done a Freddie King song on every CD, and this was no exception,” states Taft. “I love the funky vibe and tight arrangement of ‘Pack It Up.’ We poured gasoline on it and lit a match.” The title track of the album started as a custom instrumental riff Taft did for the “American Blues Scene” website. “They told me it should be a song,” he recalls, “and I think it may have turned out to be one of the strongest on the album. Tom Hambridge and I worked hard to find the key imagery in the lyrics to tell the story.” Speaking of instrumentals, Dudley Taft really cuts loose on the appropriately named track, “Red Line,” demonstrating why he’s been dubbed one of the hottest guitarists on the planet. Fans of classic ZZ Top riffs will be smiling from ear-to-ear when they hear Taft “spanking the plank” on that one. “The riff from Skip James’ ‘Hard Time Killing Floor Blues’ got stuck in my head last year,” Taft remembers. “I thought giving it a Led Zeppelin ‘Black Dog kind of interpretation would make it fresh.” The final song on the CD, “Say You Will,” has what Taft calls “an epilogue, where the gears shift and a David Gilmour influence surfaces, taking the listener off into oblivion. That was such a fun track to record!” Dudley Taft’s last CD, Deep Deep Blue, released in May, 2013, received universal acclaim from fans and critics alike, including being named on several “best of” lists at the end of that year. He will support the new CD release with touring both in the U.S. and overseas, where he already has a European tour planned in May and June that will take him to the Netherlands and Germany.  "... so Delta you can almost smell the swamp" - Premiere Gutiar "The time shifting boogie ‘Red Line,’ reminds us it’s all about the guitar as Taft demonstrates what he has learned as a disciple of Billy Gibbons and the Texas sound." Rick Bowen/Examiner (Seattle)

Dudley's perfectly crafted rock/blues gets a cool nod by producer Tom Hambridge MAY 20 2014 This appeared last year for his CD Deep Deep Blue in the magazine. Read more about it by clicking on the logo!  Deep Deep Blue Released 2013 American Blues Artist Group CD art is linked to iTunes

Stony Plain Records artist: Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne - Rollin' With The Blues Boss - New Release review

I just received the newest release (April 22, 2014), Rollin' With The Blues Boss, from Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne and its quite good. Opening with Leavin' In The Morning, opens the release with a R&B infused blues track and a fine guitar intro by Tom Lavin on guitar. Wayne on vocal, organ and piano gets the band hopping and Loren Etkin on drums and Russell Jackson on bass hold down the bottom. You Bring The Jungle Out Of Me has a bit more funk and Jerry Cook (sax) and Vince Mai (trumpet) add nice horn work on the track. Wayne takes a nice organ solo on this track topping it off. Hootenanny Boogie-Woogie has a bit of that New Orleans feel with the piano and funk along the lines of WW Washington with nice backing vocals from Christine Best. Roadrunner has that gospel like key work that has made Leon Russell so popular (with me anyway). A straight beat on drums by Etkin offsets that "Mad Dogs" sound keeping it straight in the R&B style. Baby, It Ain't You is one of my favorite tracks on the release ... right down the soul blues highway, it also features the best vocal work on the release. Sibel Thrasher, Cecile Larochelle and Christine Best add really nice backing vocals on this track. I Can't Believe It is a rumbling R&B style track with polished jazz like phrasing. Two Sides is another super track with with great piano work and a rockin' gospel boogie blues feel. Again harmonizing vocals add a key component to this track. Slow Down has a bit of a country ballad feel... say like Gregg Allman. Sherman Doucette adds some nice harp work to this track. Ogopogo Boogie has a real solid New Orleans piano boogie sound. Wayne and Mai (trumpet) lead the way on this hot instrumental. Excellent! Keep On Rockin' stays in that New Orleans feel and Wayne's hand for the New Orleans sound is super. With a blues/boogie feel, a rock beat and sax contributions from Drew Davies, this track is easily one of the hottest tracks on the release. Out Like A Bullet is a real classic style piano boogie and Wayne really hits a homer here. An excellent track to wrap up a really cool 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--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

 This track isn't from the new release but does demonstrate his sound: