New Release from Hal Leonard: Burning Blues Guitar

Kirk Fletcher Burns the Blues in New Book/Video Pack Burning Blues Guitar Watch and Learn Authentic Blues Rhythm and Lead Guitar  by Kirk Fletcher $16.99 (US) Inventory #HL 00144038 ISBN: 9781495016721  UPC: 888680060640  9" x 12", 48 pages  Now available! See More Online! Sample Pages Sample Videos Kirk Fletcher has been hailed by Joe Bonamassa as "hands-down one of the best blues guitarists in the world." Now you can delve deep into the blues with the celebrated guitarist in a new instructional video and book pack from Hal Leonard. The video lessons cover a variety of rhythm and lead blues guitar styles and concepts, with loads of licks, riffs, solos, and more. The accompanying book features note-for-note transcriptions of every video example in easy-to-read rhythm tab notation. Topics covered include Texas blues, Chicago blues, slow blues, rock and roll, soloing concepts, scale applications, and much more to take your blues guitar skills to the next level. Kirk Fletcher has commanded the respect and acclaim of critics, peers, and fans across the globe. He is a four-time Blues Music Award nominee and has played with a variety of popular artists, including a four-year role as lead guitarist of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. He is also the frontman of his own band, having released three studio albums and a live album. Burning Blues Guitar is available from music and bookstores or by visiting www.halleonard.com.  About Hal Leonard Founded in 1947, Hal Leonard Corporation is the world's largest music print publisher and digital content provider, producing educational publications, songbooks, sheet music, reference books, DVDs, magazines, eBooks, digital sheet music, apps and more. The company is also a major distributor of music technology products, selling and marketing the most popular software, hard goods and accessories available today, to musicians and recording enthusiasts around the world. In its more than 200,000 available publications and products, Hal Leonard represents many of the world's best known and most respected publishers, artists, songwriters, arrangers and manufacturers. The company is headquartered in Milwaukee, WI and also has domestic offices in Winona, MN; New Jersey and Boston, and offices abroad in Australia, Belgium, China, Germany, Holland, Italy, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Blue Sun Rising artist: Angela Lewis Brown - Set Me Free - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Set Me Free, from Angela Lewis Brown and it's quite cool! Opening with Blues Blues Lovin', a funky pop rocker, ALB shows her clear vocal style accompanied by Chris Carter on drums, Ashley Hurst and Dunbar Delmar on harp and with some tight guitar riffs from Alisdair Pickering on guitar. Set Me Free has a distinctive American soul feel with Carter and Pickering developing the rock component on guitars and Zenny Lee on backing vocal. Easy paced ballad, Summer Nights is nearly accapella with ALB and Lee harmonizng nicely with only the basic of guitar and drum as support. Very nice! I'm Feeling Good About Me is a prominent radio style track with all of the finesse and polish required of it. A strong melody, clear vocals and a good hook mike this a prime pick. Hopeless is one of my favorite tracks on the release with a soulful melody and really strong vocals. It has a nice groove and a solid bass with an easy stated guitar line. Very nice! Better Man has a gritty blues style bottom with choice harp riffs and punctual guitar riffs. I has a strong R&B feel with ALB almost jamming vocally in a soulful interpretation of overlapping lines. Ice Cold Tears is a somber ballad that really cuts with a bluesy knife. Layered vocals, simple stylized guitar riffs, well placed backing vocals and basic accompaniment makes this my favorite track on the release. Excellent! Stepping up the pace a bit with That's You, a blues based rocker, ALB adds in a little funk and a cool strut. Carter's rhythmic percussion and Lee's backing vocals along with teasing guitar riffs by Pickering are particularly key on this track nicely supporting ALB's vocals. Wrapping the release is I'll Be There, a soulful tune bring the work of Luther Ingram. Possibly the strongest vocal work on the release, and with melodic complimentary guitar lead, a strong 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--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

 

Dechamp Records artist: Eddie Cotton - One At A Time - New Release review

I just received the newest release, One At A Time, from Eddie Cotton and it's a great followup to his first release, Here I Come which was on my favorites list from last year!

This release is off and running from the start with title track, One At A Time, a soulful blues track with Cotton on vocal and hot guitar riffs.

James "Hotdog" Lewis , who passed away only a week ago today adds some real nice keyboard work on this release.With Myron Scott laying down a nice bass line and Samuel Scott Jr. on drums this track is moving, nicely complimented by Kimble Funchess on trumpet, Jessie Primer III on sax and Mike Weidick on trombone. Very nice! With it's super walking bass line by Bennett, Be Careful has a classic blues sound but with a definite R&B overtone. Cotton has a great voice and Carlos Russell adds harp giving it a cool contemporary feel. People keep commenting that we have to keep the blues alive. This is positive proof that all you got to do is play good blues and it will spring to life. Super! Slow blues number, Better Deal gives Cotton a real nice opportunity to lay it all out and that's exactly what he does. With a hot and crispy extended guitar intro, Cotton sets the fire and with his vocals he fans the flames. Hotdog's contributions on this track add a lot of texture and Bennett's bass sets the stage. Cotton has a real nice ability to play under the lead vocal with hot guitar riffs keeping you on edge awaiting his solo and he doesn't disappoint. Cotton is fluid and emotional with a great feel for phrasing. Excellent! Catch I Wanted is funky with cool horns and Al Green like vocals. Hi steppin and happy, this is a great track! R&B track, Dead End Street, has really nice harmonies with JJ Thames who's release Tell You What I Know was also on my favorites list last year! A smooth and mellow track with strong radio potential. Texas style, Fair Weather Lover, shows Cotton's influence by Albert King with strong stinging guitar riffs and phrasing. This is one of my favorite tracks on the release with a perfect balance between Cotton's vocal and solid guitar riffs. This guy is sorely underrated as a guitar player with clear, fresh phrases and stinging punctuation. Funky, Filling Me With Pleasure, finds Cotton on slide and Mayfield like falsetto. Bennett again gives the track spring and Hotdog and the Jackson Horns punch. Lumbering blues track, Hard Race To Win, again rides tight on the back of Bennett on bass. Cotton knows how to lay back and sing the blues with a solid platform under his feet and injecting clever riffs of texture. I really like his style and the little pieces of history I hear in his delivery. His vocal phrasing even hints at James Brown. Je Ne Sais Quoi has a real nice strut that defies you to sit still in your seat. Hotdog rides hard on the organ giving it a spiritual quality but Bennett digs in on bass making you bob you head. Cotton's smooth vocals and easy rhythm guitar is just right. Shuffle track, Mississippi, is uptempo BB King style without the fist clap. Cotton is showing that he has what it takes to be today's top blues performer with Russell and John Genous on backing vocal. Hotdog rides the wave on keys and Cotton stylistically grooves along on guitar over the melody. Very nice! On more casual blues number, My Money, Grady Champion who's last release Bootleg Whiskey was reviewed here as well, joins on harp. This track has a real nice blend of Hotdog's excellent piano riffs, Cotton's clever guitar riffs and Champions harp texture making it a real easy going blues number. Getting back into the R&B styling, Ego At Your Door, is a super track with very strong backing vocals from Thames. Hotdog again on organ gives the track excellent warmth and the Jackson Horns do a real nice job of giving the track it's wind. I really like this track and it's gospel R&B style roots. Excellent! Race To The Dollar has a real nice fusion of R&B and blues with Al Green style vocals and SRV style guitar riffs. Cotton has his own voice and his own style but keynotes to the past are his stepping stones. Very nice job! Wrapping the release is a solemn blues number, War Is Over. Cotton musters the most soulful vocals on the release on this track and his guitar riffs are light and tasty. With a solid bass line from Bennett, simple keyboard tension from Hotdog and straight drum line from Scott this track is wide open for Cotton to place his shots just where he wants them. Confidently placed and soulfully expressed, this track is an excellent closer to an excellent 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”
 

Provogue Records artist: Walter Trout - Battle Scars - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Battle Scars, from Walter Trout, and if has a definite mellowing and maturation but keeps the fire. Opening with Almost Gone, a blues based rocker with a feel of Led Zep blended with Aerosmith. Rock solid drumming from Michael Leasure and rich vocal harmonies along with harp overtones balance out Trouts flaming hot guitar riffs. Great opener! Omaha opens with romping tom tom work and Trout singing almost in a field of smoke. An onslaught of guitar enters with high dynamic quality and then disappears as quickly as it came. Nice rocker. Throw out some funk and Trout is doing the boogaloo on Tomorrow Seems So Far Away. I really can't describe how it's different but I like Trout's vocals more than earlier seeming more smooth and hearty. A real nice harp solo grounded by Sammy Avila on keys and Johnny Griparic on bass creates a solid mix. Ballad, Please Take Me Home, is so creamy it could be the Eagles. Nicely blended vocals and solid guitar accompaniment enriched by the key work of Avila gives this track extremely solid radio potential. You want to know if Trout lays it out..of course he does but in a more controlled melodic bluesy fashion. Perfect radio track. Butt kicker Playin' Hideaway has all of the flare that you would expect from Billy G track. Trout's vocals are unmistakable and Leasure's drumming is solid. I really like Trout's alternate approach to guitar soloing on this track, fresh, but unmistakably Trout. Haunted By The Night has an interesting guitar interlude on it with cool volume swells. Trout has always used his share of swells but these feel particularly haunting like I've only experienced listening to the great Roy Buchanan. Interesting track. Rocker, Fly Away, features really developed vocal lines with nicely blended harmonies and a definite hook. Trout takes his strat on a spin but as in any great band, it's the drums that make it fly and Leasure is rock solid. Move On is another solid rocker and another track with much more developed melody and vocal lines. I particularly like Trout's guitar soloing on this track taking it on a nice ride without going over the edge. Slipping on the slide and getting a little funky again, Trout leads My Ship Came In. Avila's organ work against Trout's rhythm guitar work sets the stage. Again harp work takes a lead and Trout spills out some haunting guitar swells before kicking it open and letting it all out. Great rocker! One of my favorite tracks on the release, Cold, Cold Ground, is a hot lumbering blues. You want to hear Trout grip it and rip it...here you go! What initially attracted me to Trout wasn't his fast fingering or explosive riffs but his ability to lay down highly emotional guitar phrases and squeeze great tone. This is the track! Excellent! Wrapping the release is cowboy style ballad, Gonna Live Again. Without sounding cliche, it has the renewed sound of a man on a new train. His vocals are distinctively Trout, with his voice sounding more familiar against a style that is almost foreign to my expectancy. I like it! This is a different kind of release from Walter and one that definitely deserves exploration!

   

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”

 

Gateway Music artists: The Blues Overdrive - Clinch! - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Clinch! by The Blues Overdrive and I really like it! Opening with suspenseful track, Pistol Blues, this Danish band really understands it's craft. With a feel of North Mississippi and easy instrumentation by Martin Olsen on guitar and vocal, Andreas Andersen on guitar, Thomas Birck on bass and Lars Heiberg on drums these guys create an invite to their cool blues interpretation. Rolling Thunder steps up the rock feel but maintains the stripped down feel with cool double stopped guitar riffs. Cool! Shuffle track, Three Time Lover, starts to show more of the richness of Olsen's vocals and Olsen and Andersen compliment each other nicely as they trade lead/rhythm guitar riffs. Duke Robillard steps up with a signature solo of his own blending right in. Very cool! A little twist of Latin in the rhythm give Woman Of Love a more pop blues feel. Simple guitar riffs and overtones of JJ Cale make the track smooth and breezy. John Nemeth's Daughter of the Devil is one of my favorite tracks on the release having a bit of a Kimbrough feel. With it's swampy feel and tight guitar riffs (featuring Robillard) this is certainly one of my favorite tracks on the release! Jealous has a cool shadowy sound and maybe a track of early Black Keys. This track is infectious and with it's slightly out double stops is extremely effective in creating tension. It even has an underlying almost western guitar themed solo... excellent! Joel Patterson joins on Cherry providing a cool lap steel aura. With it's Latin rhythm this track is airy and fun. Another of my favorite tracks is blues rocker, Lay Your Burdon Down, again with a real stripped down feel and almost a John Kay feel. Vibrant guitar riffs on this track and tight drumming from Heiberg gives it an almost Jimi Hendrix blues taste. Very smart! Living Here With You is an excellent track with a JJ Cale style. With it's light funky rhythm and Mark Knopfler style lead guitar penned against it's David Gilmore like vamps, this track is sure a winner. Excellent! Wrapping the release is Aurora, a thick and greasy track with really rich guitar tones. Olsen's vocals are really soulful on this track and with it's strong blues flavor and even John Lee Hooker like blues riffs, is my favorite on the release. This is an absolute sleeper of a release that needs to be heard! Check it out!!

   

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”

 

NEWS: James "Hot Dog" Lewis, Bobby Rush's keyboardist: 1955-2015

James "Hot Dog" Lewis: Bobby Rush's longtime keyboardist LONGTIME BOBBY RUSH KEYBOARDIST  JAMES “HOT DOG” LEWIS DIES Burial fund established for 27-year veteran of Rush’s band; celebration of life scheduled for October 29-31 in Jackson, Mississippi JACKSON, Miss. — Keyboardist James “Hot Dog” Lewis died in his sleep after a battle with lung disease on Friday, October 23, at his home in Jackson. Lewis, who was 60 years old, was a beloved, respected figure in the Mississippi and international blues community. Lewis was best known as the keyboard player in Bobby Rush’s band, where he earned his nickname with his zesty, freewheeling style on and off the stage for 27 years. He played on many albums with Rush and performed internationally as part of the Bobby Rush Band.  Lewis’ life will be celebrated with a concert on Thursday, October 29 at Jackson’s Metro City Complex at 7 p.m. Visitation at Jackson Memorial Funeral Services will be from 1 to 7 p.m. on Friday, October 30, and the funeral service will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 31. Contributions to help pay for funeral arrangements can be sent directly to Jackson Memorial Funeral Services, 922 Woodrow Wilson Avenue, Jackson, MS 39213. Call (601) 969-9457 for more information. “‘Hot Dog’ played with me for about 30 years,” says Rush. “He was the most wonderful-hearted guy you would ever want to meet. He was a great musician who played in a lot of good bands. He will be missed by many friends and fellow band members. He was a dear friend, musician and player. He played on 25-30 of my records and we traveled on a lot of road together.”  “Hot Dog” was born on May 4, 1955 in Grand Rapids, Michigan and moved to Jackson, Mississippi when he was a child, after being adopted by his grandparents. He grew up and attended high school in Jackson, where he played locally with a band called Two-Three. Lewis traveled to Japan for about a year, and when he returned to Jackson, drummer Bruce Howard introduced him to Rush. He played exclusively with Rush for several years following. Lewis’ work with Rush took him across the United States, Europe and Asia, including a performance for 40,000 people at the Great Wall of China. He will be remembered by his bandmates as an exceptional musician, solid friend and uplifting personality who always made them laugh and looked out for those close to him.  Journalist David Whiteis recalls: “He was an excellent blues and R&B pianist, obviously, but I’ll never forget hearing him in the green room before various shows, sitting at a piano playing Broadway show tunes, standards from the Great American Songbook and classical selections for his own satisfaction and for that of the people gathered around him.”   Pictured: Bobby Rush, Bruce Howard, Mizz Lowe, Jazzii A, various folks in China, and Hot Dog

Blackgold Productions artist: Ebony Jo-Ann - Please Save Your Love For Me - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Please Save Your Love For Me, from Ebony Jo-Ann and it's super. Opening with Ashford and Simpson's, Just Rain, a driving R&B track, Jo-Ann on lead vocal, enlists a super lineup of backing artists including Danny Kean on Keys, Phil Bloom on drums, Tinkr on bass, Gerald Rampersad on sax Forrest "Frosty" Lawson on trumpet and trombone and Azza Miller on backing vocals. Mark Bowers really lays some nice guitar riffs out there perfectly accenting Jo-Ann's lead vocals. Great opener! On Sly Johnson's, Is It Because I'm Black, Jo-Ann takes you on a beautiful soul tour with woven sax, trumpet, Rhodes, and plucky bass. Mario Staiano adds congas and Bowers again steps up with a really hot solo. Excellent...I mean Really Excellent! Easy slung blues track, Yo Love, has a smooth Steeley Dan feel with Kean's Rhodes work Jo-Ann's solid vocals. Guy Davis steps up with an interesting harmonica solo giving it an earthier feel and Bowers work is clean as a whistle. Very nice! Tinkr's rhythmic bass work sets the pace for Nosybody. Thuli Dumakude, Danny Kean and Aiza Miller set up some really warm backing vocals complimented by Bill Easley on sax with a real nice solo. Kean lays in rhythm guitar, piano, B3 and tambourine adding quite a bit of texture. Cool! Percy Mayfield's Send Me Someone To Love gets the straight nightclub ballad treatment and Jo-Ann shows her beautiful vocal range. Kean on acoustic piano is perfect on this track, backed by Phil Bloom on drums and Larry Ross on upright. Bowers gets special credit for his beautiful guitar soloing on this track. Excellent! Glad I Waited For Love, penned by Aziza Miller, has a contemporary neo-soul feel. Tinkr's bass appointments on this track are quite cool, and Jo-Ann's vocals, supported by Kean on keys, Staiano on congas, Easley on on sax and Bloom on drums plus Kean and Miller on backing vocal make this the natural radio track on the release. Burnin' World has a funky, rock feel with Kean leading the instrumentation on keys. Melodic guitar work from Bowers stands out nicely with Ross on bass and Bloom on drums. Excellent Buddy Johnson track, Please Save Your Love For Me, has been one of my favorites for a long time. Jo-Ann does a real nice job on lead vocal backed by Kean, Bloom, Tinkr, Rampersad and Lawson. Very smooth! Bumble Bee Slim's hot swing track, Muddy Water really works nicely with Jo-Ann's vocal style. Bowers takes a real nice strolling guitar solo on this one with solid reinforcement from Bloom, Kean and Ross. Easley hits the solo road as well on tenor sax, and Kean rolls the keys as well, all backed by Dumakude, Kean, Deborah Johnson, Aziza Miller, Renee Miller and Ross on backing vocal. Excellent! Wrapping the release is Walter Vinson's traditional blues track, Sittin' On Top Of The World. Backed by Guy Davis on acoustic guitar, Slide, Banjo, Harp and Foot stomps, this is a cool blusey ending to a really great 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”

 

Delta Groove Music artist: Anthony Geraci and the Boston Blues All-Stars - Fifty Shades of Blue - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Fifty Shades of Blue, from Anthony Geraci and the Boston Blues All-Stars and it's great! Opening with deep R&B track, Everything I Do Is Wrong, Darrell Nullisch takes the lead on vocals and it''s terrific. Geraci is strong support on piano and Monster Mike Welch knocks it out of the park on guitar. Excellent! On title track, Fifty Shades of Blue, Sugar Ray Nocia shares the mic with Michelle Evil Gal Willson. This is a cool swing track and Geraci blasts off with a rolling piano solo. Monster Mike is on top of his game and really lays into it on this track giving it a hard kick backed by Michael Mudcat Ward on bass and Nevil Gouvin on drums. Sad But True has a cool Ray Charles feel led by Sugar Ray on vocal and harp. Monster Mike slips on the slide on this one revving it up and Sugar Ray breaks loose on harp. On slow blues number, Heard That Tutwiler Whistle Blow, Sugar Ray does a real nice job vocally digging in the Chicago grit with super punctuation by Geraci on piano. His masterful harp work really lays nicely on this track and Monster Mike lays in a few cool riffs of his own. Very nice! If You Want To Get To Heaven finds Willson back on lead vocal with a little Latin beat. Monster Mike adds some really nice guitar phrases over Geraci's solid piano work. Solid ballad, Don't Keep Me Waiting conjures up feelings of a smoky nightclub. Geraci really shines on piano on this track highlighted only by Norcia's vocals. Chicago style track, The Blues Never Sleeps, has a strong bottom with Nullisch on lead vocal. Monster Mike and Geraci plays hot riffs lightly over the track and Nullisch adds a cool harp solo. Geraci lays out a real nice piano solo complimented by Monster Mike to cap the track. Sounding a bit like The Band, Too Late For Coffee in 3/4 time features Norcia on vocal and a brief piano solo from Geraci. Washington takes the lead on Diamond and Pearls, a hip swinger with hot piano work throughout by Geraci. Monster Mike hits the groove running, laying down a solid blues solo of his own. Very nice! Sensitive ballad, Cry A Million Tears, features excellent vocals Nullisch with call and response with Welch, backed nicely by Geraci. This is an excellent track, likely my favorite on the release. Instrumental, In The Quicksand, Again, has a 60's rock beat with twin lead of Geraci and Welch. Hip drumming by Marty Richards keeps it tight and Monster Mike and Geraci both nail it on this one. Super! Norcia brings you to your knees with a sweet Ray Charles like track, Your Turn To Cry, dressed nicely by Geraci on piano. Sugar Rays vocals are the trick on this track but his smoky harp work and really clean piano work by Geraci is tops. Excellent! Wrapping the release is amazing instrumental, Blues For David Maxwell. This is a slow blues track which features really excellent soloing from both Geraci and Monster Mike and a little bass solo from Ward and even Native American Flute by Norcia. 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”

 

Delmark artist: Dave Weld & the Imperial Flames - Slip Into A Dream - New Release review

I just received the newest release, Slip Into A Dream, from Dave Weld & The Imperial Flames and it's nothing short of outrageous! Opening with title track, Slip Into A Dream, Weld leads with solid vocals and confident guitar work. Backed by Monica Myhre on vocal, Dave Kaye on bass, Jeff Taylor on drums, Graham Guest on organ and Harry Yaseen on piano, this track is slinky and pendulous. Dave doesn't wait too long to unleash the dogs and his guitar work is off the hook. Simply terrific! Sweet Rockin' Soul is a rock n' roller with Yaseen driving the train. Weld and Myhre harmonize on this track but yes... he's hammering on the guitar again. Yaseen plays a cool piano solo illiciting a hot drum response from Taylor. Cool! Lookin' For A Man features Myhre on lead vocals and Weld slips on the slide. Joined by Bobby Rush on extended harp this shuffle track lets Dave get into full slide mode...right off the fret board. Very nice! Add a little funk and some horns and you get Take Me Back. Parris Fleming (trumpet), Rajiv Hamlin (tenor sax) and Bryant Smith (trombone) really give this track that JB punch. Weld really gets it would up on this one feeding the guitar all it can take. Excellent! Boogie track, May Be Right, May Be Wrong has a real nice groove with Greg McDaniel on bass. With it's Texas guitar swagger and Graham Guest on piano, this track rips! R&B based Sweet Love (Dulce Amor), has more mellow feel with Myhre on lead and tight trumpet accents by Kenny Anderson. Nicely stylized guitar work by Weld and a super sweet solo from Hank Ford gives this pop track some real traction. Rock n' roller, Louise, has a real grinding feel with Myhre on lead vocal and Weld slides in giving it real fire. Sax Gordon steps up with hot bari and tenor sax work making this a track to be reckoned with. Shifting back to a real Texas style driver, Weld takes the lead vocal back on Tremble and the track swings a bit bat. Sax Gordon's horn work is thick and meaty and Weld never shy's away from total destruction. His guitar work is wild and feverous making this a smoking hot track. Bringing things way down, slow blues, Walk On Down, lead by Myhre on lead vocal, gives Weld to build slowly. This shows a totally different side of his playing style but still riveting. Yaseen plays a really nice piano solo on this track and Kaye's bass work is tight. Drummer Jeff Taylor penned, Dorothy Mae, features Taylor on lead vocal and some of the snappiest drumming I've heard in a while. With full horn compliment by The Heard Horns this track gets funky. Hamlin sings on sax and Weld belts out another nice guitar solo. Weld breaks down the door on the intro to Too Bad, So Sad, a driving rocker. When he cuts loose he's an absolute beast held in check by Taylor and Kaye. Swinging rocker, 20% Alcohol finds Weld back on lead vocal. He's really winding up the slide and lets it rip. Rush in back with a sweet harp solo and with Kay's walking bass line, nicely balanced. Wrapping the release is a reprise of Slip Into A Dream. This track is a crusher and Weld really applies the pressure. A monster of a guitar player, it's good to see him let the dog off of the leash again. Excellent!

   

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”

 

Blue Jay Sound artist: Reggie Wayne Morris - Don't Bring Me Daylight - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Don't Bring Me Daylight, from Reggie Wayne Morris and it's flavorful. Opening with Blues rocker, Son Of A Blues Fan, featuring Reggie Wayne Morris on lead vocal, and guitar, Ezell Jones on drums, Chris Sellman on bass and Mark Stevens on organ. Laid back shuffle track, Used To Have A Woman, shows a different lineup with Chuck Fuerte on drums, Pete Kanaras on bass and Stevens on piano. Morris opens Used To Sign My Check with a slick little guitar intro with a BB King style. Nice vocal phrasing and respondent guitar riffs makes this one of my favorite tracks on the release. Another Can Of Worms has a cool uptempo feel and Morris lays out a nice guitar solo backed by Stevens on piano. Very nice! Title track, Don't Bring Me Daylight, has a cool walking bass line from Kanaras and Stevens lays down a real nice piano lead highlighted by Morris' lead vocals and stinging guitar riffs. Excelent blues track, Ball and Chain, has really biting guitar riffs and warm organ backing making this one of the absolute standout tracks on the release. Easy chugging Too Many Cooks has a cool R&B feel with Kanaras driving the train on bass with on organ and piano. Morris' vocals are spot on and his guitar work on this track is quite good. Soulful, She's Gone, is almost like an Isley's track with subdued but nicely executed guitar lead. Morris does some of his best vocal work on this track making it one of my favorites. Ballad, Meet Me, has a strong blues basis with call and response by Morris on vocal and guitar. Smooth and silky, with touching guitar work, this track is a keeper. OOOOO Weeee has a little bit of pop funk pushed by Chuck Fuerte on drums and Stevens on piano. Morris leads on vocal with Vinny Hunter on bass. Wrapping the release is God Loves You with an island feel. A simple pop melody with nicely woven instrumental components by Stevens, Hunter, Fuerte and Morris makes this a nice 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”