Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live , from Zac Harmon & The Drive and it's super! Opening with soulful, NTRO , Nate Robinson on bass and Gino Iglehart on drums set a solid foundation, with Corey Lacy building on keys and lush guitar work by Zac Harmon and Kingston Livingston really setting the bar. Terrific opener. Blue Pill Thrill has super movement and soulful vocals by Harmon. Lacy on keys works the rhythm with Robinson and Iglehart and Livingston and and Harmon play stinging riffs on guitar really giving this track some kick. Deep blues track, Feet Back On The Ground features Albert King like stinging riffs and super soulful vocals by Harmon. Keeping the music floor low allows Harmon plenty of space to go dynamically from soft to wow quickly adding real emotion to the track. Excellent! Boogie Down is a strong jam with a firm piano base by Lacy giving Harmon plenty of headroom for vocal corralling. Lacy lays in some real tasty keyboar...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, A Crossroads Communion , from Denise La Grassa , and it's a hard driving blues rocker. Opening with Big Bad Dream , Timothy Walker sets a high pace rhythm with Alvin Santner on guitar and Steven C. Manns on bass setting the stage for Denice La Grassa on vocal. Pounding opener. Bluesy, Who Will Mourn You? , has a lumbering feel with a prominant bass line by Manns and super overdriven guitar by John Kregor a blues soaked vocals by La Grassa. I'll Play The Blues For You is my favorite track on the release with LaGrassa sharing the mic with Manns and the addition of Pierre Lacocque on harmonica and dome really nice guitar work from Santner. Wrapping the release is rocker, Go Bad Mouth Yourself with it's cool drum rhythm and La Grassa adding contrasting organ to her own vocals and funky guitar work by Santner.   If you support live Blues acts , up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more abo...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, I Wish You Would, by Dida Pelled and I really like it. Opening with John Lee Hooker's Dimples , Dida Pelled leads the way on vocal and guitar. Taking this classic blues track and adding a kick, Dida not only sings the vocals but gives the guitar a total jazz twist with fluid lead and soloing. With Sullivan Fortner on piano, Tony Scherr on bass and Kenny Wollesen on drums, this is a strong opener. Clarence Williams' Sister Kate has a prohibition era feel with a twist of New Orleans thanks too Wollesen and Fortner and Pelled's own guitar style is bluesy and inviting. Excellent. Mary Lou Williams' Rosa Mae , and a real nice bass line giving the track a solid sub rhythm reinforced by Wollensen on drums. Pelled has the lead on guitar and she's not messing around with excellent guitar chords and bluesy phrasing nicely woven with Fortner on Rhodes piano. Lonnie Chatmon's classic, Sitting On Top Of The Wo...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Qualified , by Joe Krown Trio +1 featuring Papa Mali and it's strong. Opening with Dr. John's , Qualified , Joe Krown on piano with Papa Mali on guitar and lead vocals really create a ruckus. Casandra Faulconer on bass nicely augments the excellent rhythm work of Eric Bolivar on drums. Excellent opener. Driving piano blues, Mess Around , anchored by Krown on piano also features some super work by Jason Mingledorff on bari sax and Mali wails on guitar giving the track a nice edge. Allen Toussant's funky, Going Down , has a great back beat emphasized by Bolivar on drums and Krown rides high on organ. Another funky treat is Papa Mali's Neckbone with a super funky guitar rhythm with a killer warm organ saturation and a snappy bottom by Faulconer and Bolivar. Mali original, Honey Bee , has a cool, bluesy feel with great trombone work by Mark Mullins and a strong piano solo by Krown. Wrapping the releas...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Come To Me , from Carmen Ratti Band featuring Jill Dineen and it has a cool groove. Opening with No Delusion , a slinky track with a well woven rhythm backing, Jill Dineen on vocal really holds tight on the reins. Carmen Ratti on rhythm and lead guitar adds tome distinctive riffs feeding Tony Lufrano on keys, Steve Hazelwood on bass and Randy Hayes on drums. Super opener. Bluesy ballad and title track, Come To Me , is a nice showcase for Dineen on lead vocal and Ratti's soulful guitar phrasing drips blues. Organ saturation by Lufrano and solid backing vocals by Lisa Leuschner Andersen adds just the right juice. Riley is real nice instrumental (think Thrill Is Gone ) with Ratti laying out the melody with crisp, clear, electric guitar work and Lufrano's organ solo is warm and inviting with a great bass lead by Hazlewood. Really cool track. Blues rocker, Coming Down , has a super funky rocking sound with great...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, While I Can , by Mike Guldin and it really hit's the spot. Opening with Driving Rain , Mike Guldin is upfront on vocal and guitar and this track really has a great groove. Guldin's vocals are soulful and with Steve Mackey on bass and Lynn Williams on drums the strut is heavy. Kevin McKendree really works the organ providing a great back beat and Guldin and James Pennebaker play some stinging riffs making this first track worth the price of admission. Excellent! Rocker, Always A Woman has a cool Latin beat, reinforced by a driving rhythm guitar layer. Guldin was made to sing this music with his natural delivery and Pennebaker really rips it lose on guitar with snappy drum work by Williams. A cool stroll, When The Bills Come Due , has a stiff cowbell strike over Mackey on bass. Gulden on guitar and vocal, and McKendree on keys give legs to this swampy rocker. Don Williams ' New Orleans flavored, Oh Lonesom...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Mirage , from Andrew Moorhead and it's intense. Opening with Faster Etude , Andrew Moorhead on piano creates a thematic melody, altering and varying the speed of it, accompanied by Francois Moutin on bass and Ari Hoenig on drums. With an alteration of the piano accent in the phrase the track has a circular feel and seems to whirl. Intervals is structured along a similar method but with four primary chords, altered with a solid hi hat rhythm and percussive piano under the initial melody. As the track grown the phrasing alternates giving it a refined feel with tight snare work driving the contrast. Very cool. Title track, Mirage , has a smooth, soothing melody with a bouncy drum rhythm and bass accents. A higher keyboard flirtation sets the track off nicely against it's lower keyboard primary melody. Wrapping the release is Boogie , with it's strong boogie piano format. An off timed melody provides a stark contr...