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I started a quest to find terrific blues music and incredible musicianship when I was just a little kid. I also have a tremendous appreciation of fine musical instruments and equipment. One of my greatest joys all of my life was sharing my finds with my friends. I'm now publishing my journey. I hope that you come along!
I just received the newest release (October 27, 2015), That's What They Say, from Brad Vickers & His Vestapolitans and it's a lot of fun! Opening with Tampa Red's Seminole Blues with it's rockin boogie style. Vickers on lead vocal and bottleneck slide, Margey Peters on bass and Bill Rankin on drums this is a cool opener. Ledbelly's Don't You Love Your Daddy No More? has a super Bourbon Street feel. Vickers again on lead vocal and slide and Dave Gross on bass and mandolin, this track features real nice clarinet work by Jim Davis and bari sax work from Matt Cowan. If You Leave Me Now is a crisp rag track with Vickers on lead vocal and guitar with Charles Burnham on fiddle and Margey Peters on 2nd fiddle. Very cool! Shuffle track, Everything About You Is Blue features Vickers on lead vocal and Burnham with fiddle lead and soloing, backed by Peters on vocal and bass and Rankin on drums. Country rocker, Another Lonesome Road, blends Vickers lead with Peters on harmony. Her walking bass line drives the train and Cowan and Davis produce the heat on horns, anchored by Dave Gross on percussion. Cool! Really stripped down, almost Lou Reed like, That's What They Say is really a cool track. Vickers has this track in the palm of his hand with compact vocals and distinctive rock guitar riffs played acoustically. Very nice! Mountain Sparrow has a very rural country feel with Vickers on guitar and vocal, Dave Gross on bass, banjo and mandolin and Peters on fiddle. Spiritual track, Fightin', gets Vickers, Peters and Mikey Jr all involved for a real round sound. With handclaps and basic percussion, this is one of the strongest tracks on the release. Don't You Change A Thing is a simple country rocker with a slight cajun feel with Vickers on lead vocal, Gross n bass, Peters on fiddle and Rankin on drums. Wishing Well is as much as you can say in 44 seconds featuring Peters and Vickers on vocal, and Peters on fiddle. Mama's Cookin', a boogie track features Peters on lead vocal. Gross on bass, Matt Cowan and Jim Davis on sax hold down the bottom and Rankin keeps the drums on the light side allowing the track to swing. Twenty-first Century Rag features a duet with Vickers and Peters. Charles Burnham plays lead fiddle and Peters on second is backed by Gross on bass and Rankin on drums. Nice and easy with country fiddle, this is straight up. Rockin' The Secret takes a full departure with a hard driving bass line by Peters and hot hor backing by Cowan and Davis. Gross is on piano and Vickers lays down cool guitar riffs as well as lead vocals. Swing track, Having A Ball, has a great bass line by Peters and some smoking electric guitar riffs by Dave Gross. Almost venturing into Commander Cody territory, this is my favorite track on the release. Wrapping the release is In For A Penny, a really solemn track with Vickers on bottleneck slide. Gross is in on guitar, mandolin and drums but it's the vocals by Peters, Christine Santelli and Gina Sicilia on vocal that gives it it's special feel.
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”
I just received the newest release, B's Expression, from Al Basile and it has a nice groove. Opening with Whole Lot of Good Good Lovin', a smooth blues with a laid back cornet and vocal lead from Basile and Duke Robillard setting on a real nice guitar lead. Mark Teixeira on drums, Bruce bears on keys and Brad Hallen on bass hold down the bottom. On swinging, It Wasn't That Good, Bears on keys, Doug James on sax and Carl Querfurth form a warm bed for Basile's vocals. Bears takes a melodic key solo and Robillard lays down a sporty jazz/rock solo of his own. R&B based, Not Like I Do, has a cool bass line from Hallen. With a bit of a funky hitch, Basile steps up with a really nice cornet solo. Very cool. Hi steppin, Don't You Ever Get Tired Of Being Right really rides on the solid trombone work of Querfurth. Soulful vocals from Basile are tops and Bears lays out a nice piano solo. Basile sets in a short cornet solo of his own but this track is really about the vocals. Funky, I'm Runnin' Late, has a great bass line from Hallen and James and Querfurth pump up the middle. I really like Basile's cornet attack/soloing on this track. Very nice! Have I Given My Best has an earth spiritual feel (Will The Circle Be Unbroken) with a soulful twist. Some of Basile's nicest vocals on the release, this track is an easy airplay. Another hi stepper, Never Good Enough, has a distinct Al Green feel. Querfurth and James really do a nice job of punctuating this track throughout and Robillard adds some cleverly placed blues riffs of his own. I particularly like his guitar solo on this track nicely blending the funky R&B feel with definite blues riffs. Excellent! Somethin's Missing has an easy funky jazz feel again nicely punctuated by the horn section. Setting itself up nicely for Basile on cornet, he takes front and center laying down a nicely articulated solo. An easy sway led by Querfurth and James opens Answer Me, with it's Fagen like vocals. Robillard again nicely fuses hot blues riffs into this fusion track and Basile has great tone delivering solo lines of his own. Very nice! Funky, I Didn't Come Here To Lie, has a hot bass line by Hallen and solid horn lines keeping the track grounded. Basile's cornet work is so casual and sweet it fits perfectly. Ballad, Even Jesus Fell, has a soulful feel with a swing. Based mostly on horn base and nicely executed key work from Bears, it's a nice showcase for Basile on vocal and nice melodic guitar soloing by Robillard. Super R&B track, That Ain't Bad, has a nice weave of funky bass, horns and stinging guitar. Basile knows how deliver the goods vocally on this best of show and his cornet work is tight. Sweet! Wrapping the release is You Know - You Don't Know is opened by jazzy riffs by Hallen on upright bass. A quiet soothing track with carefully dabbed brushstrokes of cornet, piano, trombone, sax and guitar make this a masterful conclusion.
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”
Excited to announce the October 16 release of “Buy
My Soul Back” on the VizzTone Label. The recording consists
of 13 tunes, 12 of them originals, and features Jimi Bott, Allen
Markel, Sugaray Rayford, Mitch Kashmar, Willie J Campbell, Gene
Taylor, James Pace, Lisa Mann, Steve Kerin, Joe McCarthy, Brad
Ulrich, Chris Mercer, Don Shultz, and Peter Moss.
Get more info and tour dates at www.kevinselfe.com.
Kevin
Selfe has cemented his reputation as a masterful, dyed-through,
true bluesman with his new release, Buy My Soul Back on
the VizzTone Label. This latest collection of songs
reveals an unwavering dedication to the traditional blues
school, and yields yet another deft homage to empty wallets,
ne-er-do-wells, and the enduring theme of love's rapid melt.
Selfe's transformation into a leading voice on the American
blues scene was realized after landing on the Billboard and
Living Blues Charts with his 2013 release, Long Walk
Home.
Oft
lauded for a traditional melodic sensibility broadcast through
razor sharp guitar, Selfe's songwriting awakens, revealing an
enriched sense of story telling, autobiography, and revelation.
Audiences from Virginia to Oregon,
Selfe's former and current homes, thrill at his commitment
to the role of high octane blues entertainer on the live stage
-- where this new companion of songs was inspired, refined, and
perfected. Selfe's shows are part blues revival, part
force of nature.
The
list of blues stalwarts joining Selfe on Buy My Soul
Back reads like a contemporary blues primer:
Sugaray Rayford, Jimi Bott, Mitch Kashmar, Lisa
Mann, Gene Taylor, James Pace, Willie J. Campbell and host of
others. All combine to join forces with Selfe in a rich
tapestry of traditional grooves seemingly forged in the
speak-easies of mid-century Chicago, the Mississippi
Delta, and rural Texas. The tributes are
authentic. The energy is palpable. The musicianship
is extraordinary. True blues fans will rejoice.
REVIEW QUOTES
"Kevin
Selfe has followed up his highly successful album Long Walk Home
with a recording just as strong if not more so. He showcases his
knack for writing clever and catchy songs, sensational and tasty
guitar work and his strong vocals to help him deliver the best
package of music possible."
Cascade Blues Association - Greg Johnson
"thrilling set of blues originals from
one of the genre’s rising stars"
LESLIE WEST
PRESENTS DEAN MISSISSIPPI QUEEN GUITAR
TO LONG-TIME FAN
AND MICROSOFT CO-FOUNDER PAUL ALLEN
WEST TO RELEASE
SOUNDCHECK ON NOVEMBER 20
Album Features West Joined By
Jack Bruce, Brian May, Peter Frampton,
Bonnie Bramlett, Max Middleton
And Others
EPK:
New
York, NY -- On Thursday evening at BB Kings in New York City, Leslie West
welcomed long-time fan and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. Pictured
below are West and Allen, shortly after the guitarist presented one of his
signature model guitars to the historical figure. On November 20, Leslie
West will release Soundcheck via Provogue / Mascot Label Group, his latest
studio recording which features appearances from Jack Bruce, Brian May, Peter
Frampton, Bonnie Bramlett, Max Middleton and others. West will celebrate his
70th birthday on October 22.
I just received the newest release (November 20, 2015), Soundcheck, from Leslie West, and it has a new flavor and hot riffs from the guitar ace. West's 16th release opens with Left By The Roadside To Die, a classic rocker augmented by David Biglin on synthesizer. West is really looking at multiple textures adding acoustic slide guitar, and powerful electric guitar riffs to his own rugged vocals making this a great opener. Tracy Chapman's Give Me One Reason gets a power rock rewrite with the vocals kept on the lower side and the guitar doing a nice response to his vocal call. Here For The Party is a straight ahead rocker with West leading the charge vocally. His classic distorted guitar tone and driving bottom makes this a great rocker. A real interesting minor key version of traditional ballad, You Are My Sunshine, with only basic keyboard setup and featuring Peter Frampton trading solos with West on slide. Very nice! AC/DC tribute, Empty Promises/Nothin' Sacred features some of West's best vocals and distorted guitar chords over snappy a guitar bottom. A Stern Warning, an instrumental acoustic guitar piece by West on 12 string shows an entirely different side of the man and possibly even with a little eastern influence. Very interesting. Curtis Mayfield's, People Get Ready, features West on guitar playing nice, melodic soloing to his own vocals, somewhat like the Beck/Stewart cover a number of years back but with a different intensity. Rev Jones lays in a real nice bass line giving the track another dimension as well. Don Nix's Goin' Down, another track done by Beck back in the 70's I think, gets a new boot in the butt joined by Brian May on guitar (after the first solo), Max Middleton on piano, Bobbie Whitlock on organ and Bonnie Bramlett on backing vocal. Excellent! Ariela Pizza joins West on lead vocals on Ben E King's classic, Stand By Me. Done as a tribute to King who died in April, West keeps it totally acoustic with a soft but tight arrangement. The Beatles' Eleanor Rigby is cool remake of the classic but on bass alone. A real nice track and well done by Rev Jones. Wrapping the release is Willie Dixon's Spoonful done Cream style. Featuring the incomparable Jack Bruce on vocal and bass, and Joe Franco on drums. West really does an excellent job laying his own riffs on this track that all classic rockers will know like the back of their hands. Excellent closer!
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”
Bob Corritore, one of the top Chicago blues harp players on the planet today and owner of the Rhythm Room in Phoenix, AZ brought a terrific concert to town last night and I was fortunate enough to be in attendance. Corritore, a native of Chicago moved to Arizona over 30 years ago and is such a part of the blues music fabric here that he is sometimes taken for granted by locals. Making routine appearances here around his own recording and touring schedule he often becomes a complimentary musician to guests in his own house. His instrumental release,Taboo is certainly one of the best contemporary blues harp releases that I have heard. Last night, hosting a great group of Chicago musicians, Corritore took the stage with Eddie Taylor Jr. (guitar and lead vocal),Illinois Slim (guitar) and Brian Fahey (drums).
This was a terrific set of straight up Chicago blues showing just how
good Taylor is both as a lead singer and blues guitarist and giving
Corritore the opportunity to really shine.This initial set was maybe 6 -10 songs and was extremely well received.
Exceptional bassist and vocalist Bob Stroger joined the group on bass and lead vocals. Stroger is an exceptional performer who stands out as a musician when in a back up role but as a leader really takes control. Having performed with
Eddie King, Odie Payne, Otis Rush, Sunnyland Slim, Willie Big Eyes Smith and Carey Bell, he knows how to do his business and he took control. This was a short but powerful set with Strogers queezing solid gutsy
blues from this set of excellent musicians.
This probably isn't a secret to any of my daily readers but I was especially here to see Rockin'
Johnny Burgin. Johnny took the stage like wild fire playing two dynamic
tracks from his most recent release, Greetings from Greaseland which is exceptional. I had only seen Johnny on video, backing others such as Tail Dragger on his DVD Live At Rooster's Lounge and on Youtube so I was extremely anxious to see him in person. This guy has his own style of guitar playing and is a really super singer. Now don't go off half cocked thinking I'm saying he's Stevie Ray Vaughn or Joe Bonamassa. He's Johnny Burgin and he takes his craft seriously, playing the rocking edge of the Chicago blues and doing it with dynamic style. Burgin only played two tracks as a band leader/lead vocalist, but I've been to concerts where there weren't two songs that I enjoyed as much as these two tracks so don't take that lightly.
Next up was ninety year old Henry Gray has played with a literal who's who of blues including Sonny Boy Williamson II, Homesick James, Robert Lockwood, Jr., Billy Boy Arnold, Muddy Waters, Johnny Shines, Hubert Sumlin, Lazy Lester, Little Walter Jacobs, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, James Cotton, Little Milton Campbell, Jimmy Rogers, Jimmy Reed, and Koko Taylor. I reviewed his most recent release
with Corritore, Blues Won't Let Me Take My Rest and his appearance in person was dynamic and memorable. His
vocals are solid and his piano playing inspiring. His style to my ear
is somewhat similar to one of my favorites, Booker T Laury and his set
as a leader was really great as well.
Finally Tail Dragger took the stage, or the entire room as the case was, singing to and hugging most everyone in the room. Kneeling, crawling and growling the entire way, Tail Dragger lived up to every show of his that I have ever seen. Check out my review of his most recent release, Stop Lyin'from 2013. Burgin, who is a now regular with Dragger had some super opportunities to fan the flames and although careful to never take over the show, was super hot gasoline on the smoking fire.
Needless to say this was an exceptional show. If you have the opportunity to see this line up, do it. It won't happen too many times and clocking in at over 3 hours, you get way more than your monies worth! Oh, and Rockin Johnny has some terrific hot blue t shirts. If you know the Bman, you know he's all about the blue (s) so don't be afraid to ask Mr Burgin. They are very affordable and really cool. Mine's in the mail so don't be surprised to see me sporting one at the next blues show!
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”
