Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Busman's Holiday , from Virginia and The Slims and it's a collection of contemporary blues and jazz pop tracks. Opening with easy shuffle, Let It Go , Joanna Best leads the way on lead vocals with James Kamp on sax, John Davis on bass, John Barrett on drums and with some slick guitar riffs from Howie Neal. Traditional blues shuffle, Sugar Baby , again lead by Best, has a really really cool lead guitar / rim shot exchange between Neal and Barrett giving this track a solid excursion. My favorite track on the release is Latin flavored, The Way I Walk with a terrific rhythm by Barrett and shimmery guitar chords and clean lead by Neal and some of Best's showcased vocals on the release and a solid sax solo by Kamp. Wrapping the release is Shine , another Latin flavored tracks with Hank Bones joining Best on vocal. This is a full release of pop intense tunes with a commercial flavor.    If you support live ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, B-Side Of My Life , by Jon Spear Band and it's a solid rocker with pop tunes and Blues roots. Opening with funky, Big Talk with it's juicy bass line by Andy Burdetsky, the opener features Jon Spear on guitar, Dara James with beefy lead vocal and rhythm guitar and John Stubblefield on drums. Excellent! Title track, B-Side Of My Life is a cool rock n roller with Spear on lead vocal and guitar, James on harmonica and some really flashy piano work by Skip Haga. Neville Brothers' Yellow Moon is framed by a strong bass line by Burdetsky and tom toms by Stubblefield with really nice vocal and guitar lead by James. Very nice. Blues ballad, Darker Side features soulful vocal lead and guitar soloing by James, with a firm bass foundation making it one of my favorites on the release. Wrapping the release is swing track, Time For The Blues , with shared lead vocal by Spear and James and a cool walking bass line by Burdet...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent self titled release by Davis Hall & The Green Lanterns and I really like it! Opening with Temperanceville with it's cool New Orleans march rhythm anchored by N. Jay Burr on tuba and Jim Casson on drums, Mike Branton on slide guitar and Wayne Deadder on guitars exchange leads on this making this a terrific opener. Funky, Marshville Station , again has an incredible groove set by Casson and Russ Boswell on bass and with the addition of Brent Barkman on organ and Bernie LeBarge adding solid lead guitar lines over the top, this is a great track. Deadder Branton and Burr are back on The Right Road to Boyle has terrific, easy flowing slide over a solid New Orleans beat. White Pigeon gives Deadder a solid opening to lay down some real nice jazz style riffs and Branton's slide work, doubled with Burrs tuba sets a funk rocky Southern feel. Wrapping the release is The Dream of Chantler with eerie slide work by Branton balanced...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Lowell Fulson Live!, from Jeff Dale & The Blue Wave Band and it's really strong. This release comes about for Fulson's 100th birthday and is well worth waiting for. Opening with instrumental, Do You Feel It, the band is really kicking up the funk with Fulson, Lightnin' Dan Sonenfeld and Jeff Dale on guitars, Phil Munsey on drums, Pete Zilchak on alto sax, Steve Primo on tenor sax, Marshall Crayton on tenor sax and Ron Maldonado on bass. On Shuffle, You're Gonna Miss Me , Fulson is upfront on lead vocal and guitar. The recording quality really isn't bad for a live recording from 1983. On, Too Many Drivers , Fulson again has the lead vocal and guitar and Marshall Crayton, PeeWee Crayton's grandson lays in some vicious sax work. Slow blues, Blue Shadows has a really nice feel with solid vocals by Fulson. Funky, Stoop Down Baby has a great sound with solid bass work by Maldonado and sax soloing by...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Breakfast Served Cold , by Sunny Bleau, and it's a solid set of pop and bluesy tracks. Opening with Let It Slide , deep voice singer, Sunny Bleau creates her own niche with a bright rhythm and a loose, 60's San Francisco kind of sound. Backed by Nicholas A Cocco on guitar and keys, Paul Kastick on drums and Alex Karasinski on bass...cool opener. Johnny Mercer's Autumn Leaves gets a real slinky rework for one of my favorite tracks on the release. Bleau grinds out the melody with a lot of soul and Cocco lays in a nicely phrased guitar solo over the Latin flavored rhythm by Karasinski and Kastick. Another cool rhythm permeates the space on Bedroom Rendezvous with Latin influenced percussion rhythm guitar. A top radio style track with it's hypnotic feel.  Wrapping the release is ballad, I Should Be Sleeping , with a straightforward melody and understated sax punctuation. Cool release.    If you supp...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Once In A Blue Moon , by Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson , recorded live in John Kelly's Hideaway Cafe' in St Petersburg, Florida. Opening with C.C. Rider , Johnson is upfront on lead vocal and guitar, joined by Curtis "Kid" Royal, Pat Herlehy on sax, Paul Nadeau on keys, Otis Doncaster on harmonica, Mikey Maguire on bass and Magic Drumski on drums. This is a full intro with a more than 12 minute jam featuring nice solos from Herlehy, Nadeau and Doncaster and of course an excellent solo by Junior. On Muddy Water's Hoochie Coochie Man/I'm A Man, Johnson really works the classics with plenty of vocal soul and emotion. On shuffle, Thank You Sugar, Junior really works the track on vocals with soulful wailing sax by Herlehy, and a cool walking bass line by Maguire. Slow blues, Stealing Chickens , is one of my favorites on the release with plenty of space for soloing by Herlehy, Nadeau and exc...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Body and Soul , from Alexander McCabe and it's lively and spontaneous. Opening with Elena, Alexander McCabe forms the innovative melody on soprano sax in 3/4 time. Backed by the rhythmic piano work of Paul Odeh, a firm yet bouncy bass line by Ugonna Okegwo and snappy, light rhythm work by Craig Wuepper on drums this is a cool opener. Odeh takes the first off melody solo stretch and Okegwo a strong interlude of his own. Very nice. If I See Her is a solid ballad again led by the excellent sax lead of McCabe. His phrasing is creative and with firm piano punctuation by Odeh, this track opens itself nicely. Odeh is up next with nicely crafted lines of his own with light, drum accents by Wuepper, followed by a nicely formed solo by Okegwo on acoustic bass. Very nice. Title track, Johnny Green's Body and Soul really gives McCabe a grand opportunity to rip some really great lines on sax with Odeh, Okegwo and Wuepper ho...