Third Street Cigar Records artist: Chris Shutters with special guest Jimmy Burns - Good Gone Bad - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Good Gone Bad, by Chris Shutters with special guest Jimmy Burns and it's a fun packed blues rocker. Opening with driving rocker and title track, Good Gone Bad, featuring Chris Shutters and Jimmy Burns on vocal and guitar, joined by Byron Harris Jr. on bass and drums, Rick Warner on piano, and Tony Shutters on harmonica. Super opener. Adding Art Bishop on sax, this band gets funky on Can't Play The Blues Like B.B. Chris takes the lead on vocal and guitar and this track has just that perfect edge with the horn reinforcement sounding quite like Sly or Clinton. On boogie, Unwind, Frank May's bass line defines the rhythm and a more melodic approach makes this a cool radio track with a clean, meaty sax solo by Bishop. Straight up rocker, Living In A Dream, has a super pace and with it's quiet bridge and a hard working bass line by Harris Jr. the track gets a real edgy rock style guitar solo by Shutters and Burns. Shuffle track, Keep You Satisfied is straight up blues but with an accelerated pace. Organ work by Mike Huffman and a bluesy solos by Burns and Shutters give this track real traction. Wrapping the release is springy shuffle, The Book Of Life, with clever rhythm patterns by Harris Jr. on drums and melodic vocals by Shutters. A cool closer for an interesting release. 

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VizzTone Label Group artist: Phanton Blues Band - Still Cookin' - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Still Cookin', from Phantom Blues Band, and it's terrific! Opening with a classic R&B track by Wilson Pickett, Don't Fight It (Feel It), this band knows it's strengths and plays into it. With Mike Finnigan (keys), Larry Fulcher (bass) and Johnny Lee Schell (guitars) on lead vocals, this band lays out one of my R&F favorites with strong horn work by Joe Sublett (sax) and Les Lovitt (trumpet) and great rhythm  and Tony Braunagel on drums. What a lineup! Slipping into a New Orleans funk on Wingin' My Way Johnny takes the lead on a strongly Little Feat influenced track (dedicated to Paul Barrere) with solid slide work and a tight horn line. Slow blues, Blues How They Linger, features Finnigan on lead vocal and piano, with light backing. A strong, somber track keeps it low till about half way through when Sublett cuts loose with a real nice sax solo, punctuated by Lovitts trumpet work. Very nice! Reggae track, Shine On, has a great island beat with Lenny Castro joining on percussion and Fulcher and Finnigan on lead vocal. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Latin flavored, Tequila Con Yerba, an excellent, primarily instrumental that makes you squirm in your seat...think Buena Vista. Finnigan, Sublett and Lovitt each get a spot to solo and use them well. Very nice! Shuffle track, I'm Just Your Fool, has a great sway and nicely blended vocals by Johnny with Mike give the track a warm feel. Another strong sax solo by Sublett cements the track and Schell lays in a nice run of his own. Very nice. Wrapping the release is I Was Blind, a quiet ballad featuring Schell on lead vocal, backed by Finnigan. Schell lays in some warm slide work and Finnegan some nice organ work, under the basic melody giving the track a full bottom. This is a solid closer for a really cool release. 

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Retro Records artist: Tom "The Suit" Forst - World of Broken Hearts - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, World of Broken Hearts, from Tom "The Suit" Forst and it's got a warm bluesy feel. Opening with Late Night Train, Tom Forst blends super blues concepts with a Pink Floyd, march like cadence and wailing guitar. Leading the way on vocal, bass  and guitar Tom is joined by Ryan Hommel on guitar, James Montgomery on harp, and Travis McNabb on drums. On ballad and title track, World of Broken Hearts, Tom accompanies himself on banjo. This is a solid track with a strong melody and also featuring Vincent Brike on keys and Cynthia Tolson on violin. Wrapping the release is my favorite track on the release, Willie Dixon's Hoochie Coochie Man with a great funky rock drum beat by McNabb, Forst on keys, bass and guitar behind his best vocals on the release. Hints to Dr. John's, I Walk on Guilded Splinters are really nice.  Also of note is some real nice slide work by Paul Nelson and backing vocals by Christine Ohlman, Suzy Bessett and T'Zell. Solid closer. 

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Ruf Records artist: Ryan Perry - High Risk, Low Reward - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, High Risk, Low Reward from Ryan Perry and he has put together a solid blues rock release. Opening with Ain't Afraid to Eat Alone, a straight up rocker with R&B overtones, Perry's strong vocals and fluid guitar lead is perfect for this band. Backed by Roger Inniss on bass, Lucy Piper on drums and Jeffrey Staten & Stephanie Bechtold on backing vocals, this is a super opener. Maintaining the strong melody and rhythm consistent throughout the release, Pride continues to showcase Perry's vocal strength, addition of backing vocals by Staten, this track has strong radio appeal and soulful guitar lead reinforcing the melody. Title track, High Risk, Low Return has a real cool droning guitar sound that I associate with Mississippi blues and with it's simple structure and rich vocals makes this one of my release favorites. Oh No has a slower pondering pace with a suspenseful feel. The surprise track on the release is Willie Dixon's Evil is Going On. A real power rock take on this track has a great groove. With synchronized drums, bass and guitar the house is rocking. Perry unleashes the dog on this one and his playing is wild and distorted in pure blues rock fashion. Excellent! Wrapping the release is Hard Times, another hill country flavored blues number with a droning note guitar style. Really putting it on is layered distorted guitar, heavy tom tom and a solid bass line. This is a really cool closer for a strong release. 

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Andy Watts - Blues On Fire - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues On Fire, from Andy Watts and it's a cool, contemporary blues rocker. Opening with a blues strut, Full Throttle, Andy Watts on lead guitar is joined by Eyal Klein on keys, Elad Gellart on sax, Gregory Rivkin on trumpet, Tom Mochaich on bass and Avi Barak on drums. With a fat bari solo by Gellart and a stinging guitar solo by Watts, a cool instrumental opener. Joe Louis Walker joins on title track, Blues On Fire providing soulful vocal lead and Watts sails along nicely on guitar with well articulated guitar phrasing. Very nice. A real nice cover/interpretation of Steve Ray Vaughn's Riviera Paradise floats along with great fire and spirit provided by Watts guitar riffs. With the addition of Rivkin on trumpet giving it just a bit of a jazzy feel, and a bright, clear piano interlude, this is a strong track. Roy Young is featured on lead vocal on JJ Cale's I Got The Same Old Blues with a distinct R&B feel and stinging guitar riffs by Watts and the addition of nice guitar work by Ronnie Peterson and great B3 funkiness by Klein. My favorite track on the release is Junkies, Monkeys & Donkeys featuring Danny Shoshan on lead vocal. A funky track with a great bass line by Amos Springer, this track has great presence and with horn backing by Gellert and Klein's key work, Watts walks through with the poise of a superstar playing just the right number of notes to give the track a great punch. Excellent! Wrapping the release is Who Knows, a heavy footed instrumental with Illan Hillel on bass, Moshe Yankovsky on drums, Niv Hovav on keys giving Rivkin and Watts a great platform to jam. Solid closer. 

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Mick Kolassa - Blind Lemon Sessions - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blind Lemon Sessions, from Mick Kolassa and its a cool retrospective of classic, traditional and new tracks, all done in an acoustic environment. Opening with Lonnie Johnson's Jelly Roll Baker, Mick Kolassa on guitar and lead vocal, Seth Hill on bass and Eric Hughes on harmonica. Clean and easy, a solid opener. On Bob Carlton's tune Keep On Truckin' (The Ja-Da Song, later made popular by Blind Boy Fuller and Hot Tuna as Keep On Truckin') Kolassa takes the Hot Tuna route adding Alice Hansen on violin giving it a nice, rural feel. Up next is a cover of Jace Everett's Bad Things, the theme song for HBO Series, True Blood. I gotta admit, Everett hit a homer with this track and although Kolassa's voice isn't as cool as Everett's, this is a cool cover and with the addition of guitar by David Dunavent, a real nice job. With some real nice violin work by Hansen, Kolassa covers classic, St. James Infirmary. Not pulling in any drama and playing it straight as an acoustic blues featuring violin, Maybe my favorite on the release. Lennon and McCartney's Help is the surprise on the release, with an acoustic, non pop, approach. Although it's introspective slant is totally different and somewhat more digestible than the original pop track, it remains fresh and interesting with only Kolassa and Hansen on violin. Wrapping the release is The Space Between Us, a Kolassa original ballad. Pure vocal with only acoustic guitar backing, a simple closer. 

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Rott'n Dan & Lightnin' Willy - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, from Rott'n Dan & Lightnin' Willy and it's a set of cool modern interpretations of Pre-war, Piedmont, Country blues and compatible self written tracks. Opening with Mississippi John Hurt's, I'm Satisfied, Lightnin' Willy Ryan on lead vocal and guitar lays down a great finger picking style with Rott'n Dan Shinnan on harmonica. Cool opener. Original track, Coliseum Station Blues has really strong bones with potent vocals by Willy giving plenty of room for the excellent harp work of Dan. Lead Water Blues is a spry rag with plenty of movement. Ryan on lead vocal and guitar really gives Dan a nice track to showcase. One of my favorite tracks on the release. John Lee Williamson's Good Gravy is another great rag with terrific vocals by Dan (working in some great harp riffs and hollers) and tight finger work by Willie. Wrapping the release is Mercedes Benz, an excellent acoustic guitar and harp jam. This is a nicely crafted release showing a lot of skill and enthusiasm. Very nice.

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Subcat Records artist: Drive On - Tas Cru - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Drive On, from Tas Cru and he just keeps getting better. Opening with cool boogie, That Lovin' Feeling, with a real nice bass line form Colin Beatty, a stiff drum beat by Andy Hearn, power B3 work from Anthony Geraci, solid sax work from Anthony Terry and of course Cru on vocal and lead guitar. On rocker, Money Talks, Youngblood Gabe Stillman throws fuel on the fire with his fat slide work and Cru's own driving guitar rhythms and vocals give this track real zip. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Save Me, has a real nice driving bass rhythm by Beatty and features a real nice guitar interlude by Cru that has a certain clarity and with ringing harmonics gives the track a great feel. Very nice. Another relentless boogie, Kinda Mess, again features the hot slide work of Stillman, along with a driving bottom courtesy of Sonny Rock on drums, punctual sax work by Terry and Cru's vocals makes for a strong entry for best track on the release. Laid back, Memphis Blue has that radio styling with Stillman on slide, Cru on harp and joining Mary Ann Casale lead vocal, the track has a solid melody and beat. Wrapping the release is Devil In Your Heart, a subdued acoustic blues number featuring Cru on resonator guitar accompanying himself and Casale on lead vocal.  

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Whitney Shay - Stand Up! - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Stand Up!, from Whitney Shay and its got a cool R&B vibe. Opening with funky title track, Stand Up! ... Whitney on lead vocal and strong drumming by Brannon Temple. This track has got it going. With solo guitar work by favorite Laura Chavez and a full horn compliment of Kaz Kazanoff on tenor sax, John Mills on bari and Al Gomez on trumpet and with Chris Maresh on bass and Red Young on keys, this is a strong opener. Equal Ground is a slower, lumbering blues style track with a lot of swagger. Slide work by Derek O'Brien and the rich vocals of Shay gives this track just the right sound. Radio ballad, I Thought We Were Through has a strong melody and soulful vocals by Shay and a cool sax solo by Kaz makes this an ideal radio track. A duet vocal with Guy Forsyth on funky, Far Apart (Still Close) a solid fluid guitar solo by Chavez and a strong bass line by Maresh makes this track one of my favorites on the release. Boy, Sit Down has a snappy, beat with a sizzling drum rhythm. Shay's sassy vocals, cool resonator work by Forsyth, real nice trumpet work by Gomez and keys by Marcia Ball is another of my favorites on the release. Falling back into a nice soul track, I Never Meant to Love Him, is a great showcase for Shay's voice and one of the stellar tracks on the release. Really nice! Wrapping the release is Change with the Times, a rolling R&B track with a full horn compliment. Mills has a throaty sax solo giving the track a nice jolt and backing vocals by Alice Sadler, Whitney Shay and Kaz give the track smooth out the edges before a pumped up finale. Very cool release. 

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Bill Blue - The King Of Crazy Town - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The King of Crazy Town, from Bill Blue and it's a full bodies slice of the blues. Opening with blues rocker, Do What I Say Don't Do What I Do, Billy Blue of guitar and lead vocal really kicks the jam. Geoffrey Lowe lays down a solid walking bass line, and Joey Marchiano keeps the bottom tight on drums. Super opener. On power packed, horn soaked, I Want It All, Blue not only says it, he screams it. Excellent drumming by Randy Morrow gives it a cool New Orleans flavor and an excellent horn section consisting of Rob Cutts on sax, Jason Chapman on trumpet, Adam Seely on bari and Karl Lyden on trombone seals the deal. Backing way down to a delta style blues on Hunker Down, Blue sings over a droning resonator guitar and harmonica by Bob Moughler. Very cool. Another favorite on the release is You Ain't Fun Anymore with a really cool, funky back beat, reinforced by snappy drumming by Morrow, cool key work by Ericson Holt, some real nice harmonica by Matt Backer, Blue's excited vocals and solid backing vocals by Lily Gonzales. Enough Blues To Give You The Blues has a great Latin rhythm driven by Claire Finley and the super slide work of Blue. Moughler sails on harmonica and warm backing vocals by Jill Cassell and Gonzales give this track a nice glow. Wrapping the release is instrumental,  Mojolation, with it's relentless slide work and pumped up horn section.

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Ruf Records artist: Jeremiah Johnson - Heavens To Betsy - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Heavens To Betsy, from Jeremiah Johnson, and it's a full mix of rock, country, pop, and blues with plenty of guitar. Opening with southern rock flavored, White Lightning, Jeremiah Johnson explores a firm American tradition but, bypassing the dual guitar lead and inserting tight, expressive riffs with plenty of sting. Backed by Tony Anthonis on bass, and Benet Schaeffer on drums, a solid opener. Power blues rocker, Soul Crush has definite Led Zep swagger with guitar, bass and Frank Bauer on sax all reinforcing the lead. Johnson steps up with his pinched harmonic lead and hits it square on the nuts. His vocals are right on and this track rocks. Another solid rocker is American Steel with a driving beat and just a little back beat. Always with that country vein and stinging guitar riffs, this is another strong entry. Albert King's Born Under A Bad Sign has the tempo kicked up a little and with the addition of Bauer on sax it is a little mellowed out. Johnson's vocal treatment has a rock feel and his riffs have a definite contemporary feel with plenty of sting. Wrapping the release is high energy country rocker, Preacher's Daughter, with it's walking bass line and full vocal compliment from Bauer, Tony Antonelli and Pete Matthews. Cool closer. 

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Sid Whelan - Waitin' For Payday - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Waitin' For Payday, by Sid Whelan and it's a mix of different tastes and flavors. Opening with Nina Simone, a cool, laid back jazzy ballad, with exceptional presence on acoustic guitar and mic, Whelan creates a stark similarity to Simone's own fragile vocal presentation. Very cool. On Midnight In The Country, Whelan does an interesting blues/country mix with a slower pace and interesting electric guitar bends and riffs. Backed by  Trevor Bridgewater on bass and Robert Weiss on drums this track has some nice teeth. Legba  Ain't No Devil is a really cool track with a primary bass and percussion  by Valerie Naranjo, Jimmy Greenfield, Dave D'Ambrosio and Richard Huntley under Whelan's falsetto vocals and soaring electric guitar. A definite African influence this track is one of my favorites on the release. Another cool track, The Promise, is a jazz oriented track with structured vocals and interesting horn overtones by Michael Lee Breaux, Ron Horton and Art Baron. With it's anchored bass and drum platform, Whelan's guitar soloing is meaningful and fluid but not overdone. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Break It Down, a fairly straight forward radio style track with a solid melody and vocals but with an intricate interwoven vocal pattern, cool percussion, a funky bass line and well integrated keys by Matthew Whittaker. Very solid closer.  

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Marie Martens & The Messarounds - Travelled - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Travelled, by Marie Martens & The Messarounds and it's old school blues rock. Opening with Change My Ways, Marie opens with a great slide riff and this band really has the grit of the early Yardbirds (if you don't know them check out the beginnings of Jeff Beck, Clapton and Page). With Ronnie Cacioppo on percussion, Jimmy B Natural on bass and Tom Selear on drums. I like Martens' slide style and with solid bass and driving drums...what's not to love. Very cool! On Keep On Loving Me, Martens steps out on guitar and her riffs are loose and fluid, consistent with the time and is a breath of fresh in todays climate. Just listen to the throaty rumble that she's getting on Mama Won't Allow Me. It's her basic style and those old Teisco (?) pickups that gives it that Hound Dog Taylor feel. Excellent! Listen to this fat slide work on Movin' On! Using just the basic slap drumming technique, Selear really emphasizes Martens' raw sound... really strong! The band continues to rock on through Kokomo Blues. Talk about rattling the rafters. This release is a blast! Hound Dog's own Give Me Back My Wig is next up and that fat fat slide work and grinding tone is just terrific. Closing the release is the Stones' Ventilator Blues. The overdriven, almost "blown up" driver sound that Martens is getting out of her amp makes me jealous as hell. Gotta go home and work on that. Managing this fat sound and on this, one of the Stones great songs is a terrific closer for a really super release.

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American Showplace Music artist: Biscuit Miller and the Mix - Chicken Grease - New release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Chicken Grease, from Biscuit Miller and the Mix and it's a cool mix of blues, funk and soul. Opening with Here Kitty Kitty, a cool R&B track with a potent bass line by Miller who also has the lead on vocal, backed by Doctor Love on drums, Bobby B Wilson on guitar and Alex "Southside" Smith on guitar and John Ginty riding high on B3 and electric piano. Super opener. Lap steel master, Marcus Randolph sits in on 609, adding his special sauce. A driving rocker with an firm bass line, this track keeps the heat on with great vocals, and tight work from Ginty, Wilson and Smith. Title track, Chicken Grease, is so funky you can smell it. Miller really works the bass and his vocal phrasing is perfect. With a cool interplay between Wilson, Smith and Randolph, this track is hot! R&B track, Watching You is smooth as silk with warm vocals by Miller and just the right bottom and nice backing vocals by Love, Wilson and Smith. Dripping blues number, Creeping, nicely features Miller's lead vocal skills and with clear, round guitar tones, and clever phrasing, this track sets a very nice blues frame. Wrapping the release is Get Ready with a fluid funk feel. Ginty and Miller set up an excellent bottom and with cool vocal teaming, this is a funky cool closer. 

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Ben Rice & R B Stone - Out Of The Box - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Out Of The Box, from Ben Rice and RB Stone and it's a lot of fun. Opening with rock n roller, Hot Rod Mama this band is cranking right out of the chute. With solid vocals, revving guitars and slick slide from Rice and Stone and with Dave Melyan on drums, Joseph Barton on bass and Jimi Bott on trombone, this track smokes! Driving blues rocker, Hey Politician, has a great steady beat, CCR style vocals and super slide. It's the grinding guitar tone and the driving rhythm that gives The Swamp East Boogie it's electrifying feel. This is definitely one of my favorite tracks on the release with it's relentless push. Very cool! With it's taste of country, Crushin' On The Bartender has a strong radio appeal and the tasty slide work gives it just the right edge. Rich, warm hollow body tones fill the background of Train of Time, an easy set slow blues number featuring only lead vocal and slide. Wrapping the release is Lobo Jam with it's thumping drum work by Melyan and relentless slide work by Stone and Rice. This is a really strong closer for a solid release. 

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Ruf Records artist: Thorbjorn Risager & The Black Tornado - Come On In - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Come On In, from Thorbjorn Risager & The Black Tornado and I really like it. Opening with title track, Come On In, Thorbjorn blends many musical styles and comes up with a tasty blend with a great interweave of guitar (Risager and Joachim Svensmark), keys (Emil Balsgaard), sax (Casper Wagner and Hans Nybo), trumpet and trombone (Peter W Kehl), bass (Soren Bojgaard) and drums (Martin Seidelin). Very cool. Breezy, Nobody But The Moon, has an easy, radio touch and a solid melody. I really like Risager's voice, with a strong, deep timbre reminiscent of Richie Havens. Sin City, with it's stomp rhythm has a real nice slide guitar accent over the basic guitar rhythm and excellent vocals by Risager. Always with well crafted instrumentation, Risager's music is terrific. Breaking into a wide open shuffle, Over The Hill is a great blues track. Risager really steps up vocally with horns blazing behind him and responding guitar riffs as punctuation. A honking sax solo by Wagner sets up nicely and the band plays full tilt closing it out. The richness of Risager's vocals are really showcased on On And On, a well played ballad with suspenseful guitar and keys carrying the accompaniment. Excellent! Wrapping the release is acoustic blues, I'll Be Gone with Risager singing over a light acoustic finger picked blues vamp. Adding in some real nice acoustic slide, this is a solid closer. 

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Guy Belanger - Eldorado - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Eldorado, from Guy Belanger and it's pretty cool. Opening with instrumental, Carving The Wind, featuring Guy Belanger interweaving his harmonica work with Robert MacDonald on guitar over the bass work of Marc-Andre Drouin and Michael Dufour on drums. A pure Latin beat sets the tone for instrumental title track, Eldorado, with it's crisp rhythm and swaying feel. Belanger crafts a really nice melody and MacDonald shapes flowing guitar tones that almost sound like the wind. Very nice. A track with an overall blues feel and real tension, When Will I Know features Belanger on lead vocal and harmonica and Bob Stagg on b3, piano and Wurlitzer. This is a really sensitive track with a great radio sense. One of my favorite tracks on the release is light funky jazz rocker, Wicked with it's super bass line from Drouin, and Belanger on harmonica melody and including a real nice guitar solo by MacDonald. Another track with roots in the blues is Hummin' with some really nice blending between Eric Longsworth on cello and MacDonald on acoustic guitar and understated harmonica work by Belanger. With an almost Tower of Power (with no horns) feel, Ganga has you bobbing in no time and with harmonica lead, excellent guitar work by MacDonald, the addition of Paul Picard and the hard work of Drouin on bass. Excellent! Wrapping the release is Stillwater, an interesting, almost anthem track, with strong harmonica effects and a firm guitar, bass, drums underpinning. This is a smooth closer for a real interesting release. 

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