Bman's Blues Report

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Davina and The Vagabonds - Nicollet and Tenth (out 3/25) / Upcoming Appearances Announced

DAVINA AND THE VAGABONDS TO RELEASE

NICOLLET AND TENTH ON MARCH 25th

Minneapolis, MN – Over the past several years, Davina And The Vagabonds, have been building an audience around the globe. Their shows are filled with New Orleans charm, Memphis soul swagger, dark theatrical moments that evoke Kurt Weill, and tender gospel passages. Singer/pianist Davina Sowers' presence is indelible, while her voice defies simple categorization. Evoking comparisons as diverse as Etta James, Amy Winehouse, Billie Holiday and Betty Boop, she is simply a true original, presenting a personal vision that celebrates a century of American music.

With a full tour schedule already underway, Davina And The Vagabonds will release a brand new live album: Nicollet And Tenth on March 25^th.

Normally when an artist announces they are releasing a ‘live album’ it’s considered a stopgap or throwaway release, not vital to the artist’s collection. In the case of Nicollet And Tenth, it couldn’t be any farther from the truth. Davina And The Vagabonds have built their success on the road, and the two studio albums released by the group so far have tried to be a reflection of their rollicking focused performances, clean sound and raging fun.

With the release of Nicollet And Tenth, the band is giving the listener a front row seat to what has made them popular in the first place, their live show.

“On the corner of Nicollet and Tenth, in downtown MPLS, lies a moody jazz club called the Dakota,” Davina remarked. “The Vagabonds and I have been playing there for over 10 years. It is our second home and we are welcoming you to come in, grab a drink, and listen to us play our hearts out to you!”

In 2011, Davina And The Vagabonds released her first full length, all original album Black Cloud. It was named one of the ten best releases of the year by their hometown daily the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and awarded 4 ½ stars from Downbeat Magazine. Their next release in 2014, Sunshine, hit number 13 in the Billboard Blues Chart, which led to an performance on the famed hit BBC show, Later with Jools Holland.

Watch Davina And The Vagabonds Perform “Red Shoes” live on Later With Jools Holland here: https://vid.me/5Jxz

NICOLLET AND TENTH - TRACK LISTING

Knock Me A Kiss

Black Cloud

Sunshine

Ain’t That A Shame

Louisiana Fairytale

Shake That Thing

Muddy Waters

You Must Be Losing Your Mind

Lipstick And Chrome

Start Runnin

I Would Rather Go Blind

Red Shoes

Pocket

Travelin All Alone

5 ft 2

Bee Sting

St. James

His Eye is On The Sparrow

2016 Davina And The Vagabonds Tour Dates

3/19 Mankato, MN Hooligan's

3/29 Seattle, WA Jazz Alley

3/30 Seattle, WA Jazz Alley

3/31 Portland, OR Jimmy Mak’s

4/02 Eureka, CA Redwood Coast Music Festival

4/03 Eugene, OR John G. Shedd Institute For The Arts

4/08 Minneapolis, MN Eagles Club

4/20 Duluth, MN Red Herring Lounge

4/21 Minneapolis, MN Dakota

4/22 Minneapolis, MN Dakota

4/23 Zumbrota, MN Crossings

4/24 Minneapolis, MN Dakota

4/29 Lincoln, NE Zoo Bar

5/03 Hopkins, MN Hopkins Center For The Arts

5/07 Minneapolis, MN Famous Dave’s

5/13 Minneapolis, MN Wilebski Blues Saloon

5/20 Minneapolis, MN Dakota

5/21 Minneapolis, MN Dakota

5/29 Minneapolis, MN Memory Lanes Block Party

6/03 Evanston, IL SPACE

6/08 San Francisco, CA San Francisco Jazz Festival

6/09 San Francisco, CA San Francisco Jazz Festival

6/10 Santa Cruz, CA Kuumbwa Jazz Center

6/18 Arlington, VA Columbia Pike

6/24 Rochester, NY Rochester International Jazz Festival

6/25 Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh JazzLive International Festival

7/09 Brooklyn, NY On Stage At Kingsborough

8/04 Omaha, NE Midtown Crossing

8/13 St. Cloud, MN Paramount Theatre and Visual Arts Center

8/19 Norwich, NY 24^th Chenango Blues Fest

8/20 N. Thornton, NH White Mountain Blues & Boogie

9/09 Urbana, IL Krannert Center For The Performing Arts

Delmark artist: Guy King - Truth - New release review

I just received the newest release, Truth, from Guy King and it's exciting! Opening with Ray Charles' The Same Thing That Can Make You Laugh (Can Make You Cry) and it's a roller coaster ride of light funky jazz with excellent vocal from Guy King who is a terrific guitar player throwing down Albert King like riffs and continuously punched by a dynamic horn section of Marques Carroll on trumpet, Christopher Neal on tenor sax, Brent Griffin Jr. on bari sax and carried on the shoulders of Amr Marcin Fahmy on keys, Jake Vinsel on bass and George Fludas on drums. King really digs in on guitar, making this track sing and Sarah Marie Young, Kiara Shakleford and Jihan Murray-Smith add nice backing vocals for a really powerful sound. Title track, Truth, takes a more mellow track with cool Latin rhythms. Raspy, neck gripping guitar soloing contrasting against light Brazilian jazz like backing vocals makes for a very enjoyable ride. Stepping more into a 50's club style on My Happiness, King shares the lead vocal with Young and with light drums and horn punctuation, this track should easily get a lot of airplay. Fluid jazzy guitar runs will make you sit back in your seat and smile as King just fingers along. Very nice! Johnny Guitar Watson's, It's About The Dollar Bill, retains 99% of JGW's original funky groove and with punchy horns and the sassy cross talk, hits the road running. King definitely has his own guitar style but the influence of JGW is definitely there and this track is a great addition to the mix. Slow blues number, A Day In The Life With The Blues, demonstrates very clearly that King is a super vocalist, delivering excellent phrases that rival his guitar riffs... and that really is saying something. Percy Mayfield's Cookin' In Style, with it's walking bass line has a definite strut. Fahmy takes a real nice Rhodes solo and Fludas' hi hat work is tight. Carroll steps up with a clean trumpet solo inviting King to take a long walk and he's doesn't balk at the invite. Blending rock and jazz styles with a blues factor makes for a real nice match with horn punctuation. Very cool! Steve Cropper's See Saw has a definite R&B feel with high stepping drive and BB King influenced guitar riffs and horns and backing vocals riding high. Ray Charles', Hey Now, has a great strut with the horns setting stage. King really does show his strength again on vocal with this "big band" style backing and giving his the chance to really rip his guitar solos out of a more mellow backing. Deep throaty guitar riffs really set them apart and the high runs at times make your necks hairs stand on end. Excellent! On classic jazz number, I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues, the band really plays swing time and King sets right back in the groove with a blues approach to a still jazz attack. This is really appealing taking it to the next level. Doc Pomus and Dr John penned, There Must Be A Better World Somewhere, has the real feel of Dr John and the vocal style is all King, but definitely BB King influenced. This is a really styling track with warm sax embrace. King delivers the goods again on this track and the release continues to build a solid continuity that is rarely found on any release. Shuffle track, King Thing, is built around a simple low fret riff with key dressing and simple drums. The horns start to pop in with punctual essence and King really just makes the guitar sing. This track is smoking! Really!! BB King's Bad Case Of Love has an almost Freddie King feel with it's twist rock beat. Griffin Jr. steps up with a really solid bari sax solo blowing the doors off and King returns to trade riffs, joined by Young, Shackleford and Murray-Smith giving this track a hot sixties blues sound. Percy Mayfield's, Something's Wrong, gets the straight soul treatment with almost SRV style guitar riffs providing excellent contrast to an otherwise somber track. Albert King's, If The Washing Don't Get You (The Rinsing Will), actually has fresh riffs with a lot more roundness than sting. There is still definitely Albert's influence, but it is certainly not a Albert redo. This is a solid blues track with great riffs. Wrapping the release is a pop soul track, One Hundred Ways with a light jazzy base. George Benson comes to mind when I try to describe the guitar style. This is a really solid release with only a few very minor weaknesses (which I can rarely say). Check this out of you can take a stroll on the jazzy side of blues. It's absolutely worth it!

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”

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Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Mr. Rick - Mr. Rick Sings About God + Booze - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Mr. Rick Sings About God + Booze, from Mr. Rick and it's quite entertaining. Opening with One Kind Of Favor, an adaptation of Blind Lemon Jefferson's See That My Grave Is Kept Clean, has a hillbilly jazz feel with a hot beat. Lead acoustic guitar and vocal by Rick, Alec Fraser on bass, Drew Jurecka on fiddle and Ted Hawkins on drums show this track with a real spark. On It's The Bottle Talking, Ricks solid vocals lead the way with cool fiddle riffs by Jurecka and light percussion by Hawkins. Blind Willie Johnson's You'll Need Someone on Your Bond gets a real cool boogie take with slick guitar riffs from Steve Briggs, Tyler "Uncle Junior" Thompson on bass and cool backing vocals by the Ted Hawkins singers. Traditional hymn, I'll Fly Away, gets a Piedmont style and Mr. Rick keeps it simple and clean, joined by "Blues Doctor" Julie Hill. Very nice! Sister Rosetta Thorpe's Two Little Fishes retains the blues solidity but with a definite Louisiana taste with real nice clarinet work by Jono Lightstone and warn deep backing vocals by the Ted Hawkins singers. Excellent! Sleep John Estes' Liquor Store Blues is up next with a rural country feel but warm vlcals and a cool rock a billy guitar riffs by Briggs and fiddle solo by Jurecka. Very nice! Another spiritual track, Hush, gets a really cool, traditional uptempo country rework with a shuffle drum rhythm, and fun country guitar riffs. This is almost Porter Wagoner or Bob Wills territory...yes. Very cool! Mississippi Fred McDowell's Death Come In My Room has a real eerie country/blues feel with mando-guitar by Rick and the simplest of drums with fiddle by Jurecka. Classic track doe with a nice twist. Very cool! Champagne Don't Drive Me Crazy, a rework of Taj Mahal's Ain't Nobody's Business is real nice with clean Piedmont picking and fiddle work. Rick really knows how to work these tracks and with his arrangements, vocals and rhythm, really presents this material as fresh. I Know I've Been Changed is a hot track. I think it was penned by LaShun Pace but this track really sounds like the work of Gary Davis. This is probably my favorite track on the release with a terrific arrangement, super backing vocals, cool guitar riffs and wailing clarinet by Jono Lightstone. Excellent! Ernest Tubbs' Drivin' Nails In My Coffin is up next and retains a bunch of it's classic country swing honesty. Rick and the Hawkins Singers do an excellent job on this track and Rick's guitar work is clean and tight. Don't Put My Bourbon Down is a super country swing track with a great hook and clever lyrics with a real nice bass solo by Uncle Junior. Very cool! Wrapping the release is Sister Rosetta Thorpe's, Beams of Heaven, with an almost Elvis arrangement. Warm, 50's style rock ballad with an almost Hawaiian twist seems a perfect closer to this really surprising delight of a release. You really owe it to yourself to check this out!

Monday, March 14, 2016

Treated and Released Records artist: Reverend Freakchild - Hillbilly Zen-Punk Blues - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Hillbilly Zen-Punk Blues from Reverend Freakchild and it's really quite good. Opening with All I Got Is Now, a groovy blues track, RF lays down a funky beat with great vocals and guitars, joined by Chris Parker on drums, Hugh Pool on lap steel, Tugboat Eustis on bass and the Mulebone Singers on backing vocals. Excellent opener! Angels of Mercy is more retrospective with an understated acoustic guitar melody, nicely paired with Pool on harp. Very nice! Rev. Gary Davis', It's Gonna Be Alright has a country "family" feel with real nice acoustic slide as well as cool lap steel ethereal sounds in the rear. Cool! Keep On Trucking is a country rocker with a cool beat and a real nice acoustic guitar riff. With a catchy melodic hook and and warm slide work, this track has certain commercial potential. Lullaby is a sweet little tune played exclusively on guitar harmonics. Very cool! Moonlight Messages is a light pop track with nice flute work by John Ragusa and snappy drumming by Parker. Boogie track, She Wants My Name, is a solid blues rocker with nice acoustic slide and Pool on harp. Soul Transforming Realization, another acoustic rural romp with a great rock beat and some heavy attack gives the release a hard kick. Very cool! Tears of Fire is probably the heaviest track on the release with a heavy kick drum and cool slide work over an electric rhythm part. Gritty vocals, slippery slide and heavy kick drums... what else could you want! Nice! Wrapping the release is the traditional I Wish I Was In Heaven Sitting Down. Keeping it basic with tambourine, kick drum and acoustic slide, this is an excellent closer for a refreshing new release.

Friday, March 11, 2016

Funky Joint / 335 Records artist: Brothers Brown - Dusty Road - New Release Review

I just received the newest release (March 28, 2016), Dusty Road, from Brothers Brown and it's quite good. Opening with Cup Of Tea, Paul Brown (LA) on guitar and Paul Brown (Nashville) on keys and both on vocals show a polished jazzy pop opener with a country rock twist. Joined by David Santos on bass and Pete Young, this is is a great start including a solid melody and JJ Cale/Clapton like guitar riffs. On bluesy ballad, Love Sake has more of a laid back Steeley Dan feel featuring nice key work from Nashville Brown and cool guitar riffs from LA Brown with nice vocal blending. Sweet Cadillac has a bit of funk stirred in with hip bongo work from Brown. This track has a real nice groove reinforced by a funky guitar rhythm and lead and warm organ ride. Very cool! When All Is Said And Done has a bit of country sewed in again but with a jazzy bottom. Lead guitar riffs by LA Brown are real fine and Nashville brown's key strokes are nicely woven under the lead vocals. Can't Outrun The Blues has a real nice funky groove with a great bass riff by Santos. With slick guitar riffs reminiscent of Larry'S work with SD, and rich electric key work from Nashville Brown, I really like this track. Excellent! The River, a straight up radio track, has a wholesome country feel with an almost Willie Nelson sensitivity. Hurricane has a driving rock feel, joined by Little Feat guitarist, Paul Barrere, on slide. Nothin' But Love has a really nice funky groove and a cool back beat. Solid bass lines by Santos, snappy drums by Young and nice stylized guitar work over delicate keyboard work makes this another solid contributor to this great release. This Old Heart has the basics of blues but country flair. California has a slinky feel with cool jazzy blues infused guitar riffs. Delicately phrased over a solid bottom, this track has a great presence. Drink You Off My Mind is a straight up country ballad with little fanfare. Close and title track, Dusty Road, is a fusion of country, jazz and Latin music with quite an interesting feel. With nicely stylized guitar riffs, warm keys and solid vocals, it is a good closer for a strong release.

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Blue Star Connection Presents Guitar Great Ana Popovic In Concert

BLUE STAR CONNECTION PRESENTS A VERY SPECIAL EVENING

IN CONCERT WITH BLUES GUITAR GODDESS, ANA POPOVIC

Saturday, April 9, 2016 - BUFFALO ROSE

(Golden, CO) - Blue Star Connection presents a very special evening in concert with Ana Popovic, Saturday, April 9, at Buffalo Rose, 1119 Washington Ave., in Golden. Showtime is 8 pm. Tickets $15. (General Admission), $25. (Reserved). Purchase tickets here. Info: (303) 278-6800 or http://www.buffalorose.net/. Denver's hot up-and-coming Austin Young Band featuring guitarist, Michaelea Rae, are the Special Guest opening act.

Ana Popovic

Ana Popovic is an award-winning, hard-touring, guitar slinger blending smoking electric funk and slide guitar, jazzy instrumentals and a tight blues groove with soulful, feminine vocals. Add to the mix her incredible stage presence, all of which makes her an irresistible force in the world of contemporary blues music.

Popovic was the only female guitar player added to the 2014-'16 All- Star Experience Hendrix lineup, a nationwide tour celebrating the music and legacy of Jimi Hendrix with Buddy Guy, Bootsy Collins, Brad Whitford (Aerosmith), Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Zakk Wylde and many more world-renown artists. She’s been nominated for five Blues Music Awards and has previously appeared on the cover of both Vintage Guitar and Guitar Player. Her albums 'Can You Stand The Heat' and ‘Unconditional' were Pick Of The Week by USA Today and featured on NPR Music. Nearly all of Ana's albums have made it the Top 5 of the Billboard Blues Charts and are played regularly on US radio.

Ana Popovic was born in Belgrade, Serbia (formerly Yugoslavia) and grew up in a warm family where music was very important. All throughout her youth, her father would invite friends over for nightly jam sessions. In this atmosphere, she quickly learned her father’s impressive blues and soul record collection, grabbed his guitar and started playing at the age of fifteen. Since then, Ana has developed into an phenomenal guitarist/vocalist with a growing legion of fans throughout the world.

Popovic and her powerful band are tirelessly touring, playing major blues, jazz and rock festivals. She is endorsed by Fender, Mesa Boogie, Ovation and DR strings. Ana has shared headlining stages with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Joe Bonamassa, Gary Clark Jr., Jonny Lang and many others. When not on tour, she resides in Memphis, TN.

Austin Young Band featuring Michaela Rae

Austin Lee Young is a Colorado native who picked up his first guitar at age 12 and hasn't put it down since. Self-taught, Austin churns out the blues and displays his music with an electrifying passion that defies his young age. Young engages his audience and can match any seasoned performer that currently draws large crowds. His inspirations run the gauntlet of the Blues from historical giants such as Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters to contemporary masters like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Currently, Austin and his band perform locally and nationally in established music clubs, as well as appearing at numerous music festivals, private functions, and special events. He incorporates the sheer honesty of the blues and performs it with a modern, high energy sound that remains faithful to its traditional roots. The Austin Young Band recently performed on the Keeping The Blues Alive "Blues Cruise", performing on the same stage with such greats as Joe Bonamassa, Blues Traveler, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, and Shemekia Copeland, to name a few. Guitarist Michaela Rae, also Colorado-based, has been likened to Ana Popovic due to her superb guitar playing.

About...Blue Star Connection

Blue Star Connection, in association with Grand County Blues Society, provides musical instruments to children and young adults facing cancer and other serious challenges. "For a child who is seriously ill, having a (musical) instrument can not only be fun, but can also help them relax, cope with their experience, talk with therapists and improve their sense of self-worth", explains Lauren Servos, Musical Therapist at Riley Hospital for Children, past recipients of musical instruments from Blue Star Connection.

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Forty Below Records Sets May 6 Release Date for "John Mayall's Bluesbreakers Live in 1967 - Volume Two" CD

Forty Below Records Sets May 6 Release Date for

John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers Live in 1967 – Volume Two CD

Second Edition of Previously Unreleased Live Recordings Feature John Mayall, Peter Green, John McVie and

Mick Fleetwood

LOS ANGELES, CA – Prompted by the critical and commercial success of the 2015 release of previously unavailable live recordings from newly-elected Blues Hall of Fame inductee John Mayall and his classic 1967 Bluesbreakers band, Forty Below Records has announced a second batch of recordings to be released on May 6. Titled John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers– Live in 1967- Volume Two, the new CD continues the archival blues path blazed in Volume One that captures heralded performances of one of the best of the Bluesbreakers band lineups, featuring iconic musicians John Mayall (vocals, keyboards, harmonica), Peter Green (lead guitar), John McVie (bass) and Mick Fleetwood (drums). Distributed by Sony/RED, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers – Live in 1967 – Volume Two showcases a legendary group of players who while only together a short three months, created a lasting legacy, made an immense impact on music and led to the formation of one of the most acclaimed groups of all-time when Green, McVie and Fleetwood left to form Fleetwood Mac.

Produced by John Mayall (who also did the cover package photography, artwork and design) and Forty Below’s Eric Corne from one channel reel-to-reel original tapes recorded by Tom Huissen, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers– Live in 1967- Volume Two contains performances recorded in the Spring of 1967 at such well-known London venues as Bromley, The Marquee Club, The Ram Jam Club and Klook’s Kleek.

“I am so happy that the remaining usable tracks from these London club dates have been released as a follow-up to the well-received Volume One,” says John Mayall about the new album. “Peter Green as before is on fire throughout and this set includes a great instrumental based on his composition, ‘Greeny.’ There are a couple of Otis Rush tracks that were included on the first volume, but they are from different venues and totally different. I couldn’t possibly let these slide. Also, there is another version of T-Bone Walker’s 'Stormy Monday’ that is sung by Ronnie Jones, who would frequently sit in at our gigs. John McVie gets in a great bass solo on ‘Chicago Line’ and Mick Fleetwood drives the whole set with his unique and powerful drumming. With these new tracks added to the collection, it pretty much features all the material we had in our repertoire at that time and I’m very glad that you can now enjoy this great piece of rock/blues history.”

Volume Two showcases three John Mayall originals including the opening track, all-time blues classic “Tears in My Eyes;” “Chicago Line;” and “Please Don’t Tell,” a great example of the power blues sound The Bluesbreakers were revered for around the world. These historical performances were captured for all time and largely unheard for almost fifty years until John Mayall recently obtained the tapes and began restoring them with the technical assistance of Eric Corne. Speaking about the tapes, Corne says, “While the source recording was very rough and the final result is certainly not hi-fidelity, it does succeed in allowing us to hear how spectacular these performances are.”

The Bluesbreakers live sets at the time of these performances included songs that had originally appeared on the first two band studio recordings with Eric Clapton and Peter Green, respectively, holding down the guitar chair in the group, as well as some that would soon be recorded for the third LP, Crusade, by which time Green, McVie and Fleetwood had left to start Fleetwood Mac and the new guitar player was a young, then-unknown Mick Taylor, who would later go on to further fame and glory as a member of The Rolling Stones.

Of the new album’s 13 tracks, three are songs that first appeared on Volume One, although these new tracks included here were recorded on different nights and ably demonstrate how improvisational the band could be infusing a different feel and tone from night-to-night. Of particular interest is the inclusion of the version of “Stormy Monday,” which features special guest vocalist Ronnie Jones, a former American serviceman and original member of the first incarnation of Blues Incorporated, a contemporary band to the Bluesbreakers, which included Alexis Korner, Cyril Davies, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker during its lifetime. Another highlight is the Peter Green instrumental, “Greeny,” which perfectly states the case for why he is still revered as one of the best-ever guitarists.

John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers– Live in 1967- Volume Two – Track Listing

1 TEARS IN MY EYES 7:31

Mayall/Warner/Chappell Music Ltd (PRS)

2 YOUR FUNERAL AND MY TRIAL 5:32

Williamson/Arc Music (BMI)

3 SO MANY ROADS 8:18

Marshall/Arc Music (BMI)

4 BYE BYE BIRD 5:02

Dixon-Williamson/Arc Music-Hoochie Coochie Music (BMI)

5 PLEASE DON’T TELL 4:08

Mayall/Carlin Music (PRS)

6 SWEET LITTLE ANGEL 6:10

King-Taub/Universal Music (BMI)

7 TALK TO YOUR DAUGHTER 3:00

Lenoir-Atkins/BMG Platinum Songs obo Arc Music (BMI)

8 BAD BOY 5:08

Taylor/Conrad Music (BMI)

9 STORMY MONDAY 8:21

Walker/Gregmark Music-Lord & Walker (BMI)

10 GREENY 6:36

Green/Unichappell Music (BMI)

11 RIDIN’ ON THE L&N 2:22

Hampton-Burley/Trio Music (BMI)

12 CHICAGO LINE 4:34

Mayall/ Carlin Music (PRS)

13 DOUBLE TROUBLE 6:35

Rush/Conrad Music (BMI)

For more information, visit www.johnmayall.com and www.fortybelowrecords.com