Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Men Are Like Potato Chips , by Anni Piper and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with Devil Bride , Brian Foxworth really set a solid drum rhythm giving Anni Piper on vocal and bass a great platform for her chugging rocker. Ted Swanson   lays in some nicely stylized guitar work and Jimi Bott rounds out the band on percussion. Sassy, title track, Men Are Like Potato Chips , has a vintage blues style lead by Chris Shuttleworth on tuba and Steve Kerin on keys giving the full range to Piper on lead vocal. I do like  Shuttleworth's tuba solo on this one. Cheetah , is my favorite track on the release is tasty guitar work by Swanson, and strong drum beat by Foxworth, John Dover contributing a tight trumpet lead and of course smooth lead vocal by Piper. Thunderous drums by Foxworth open Match With A Sasquatch rocking with Piper's vocals and Tim Langford and the track picks up a hot James Brown funky drum rhyth...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Never Alone , from The NTH Power and it's a solid release of pop based, R&B, funk, rock and reggae styles. On opener, Dream Alive , Nick Cassarino leads the way on vocal and rhythm guitar, backed by Nikki Glaspie on drums and synth and Nate Edgar on bass. I like the soulful vocal and syncopated rhythms on Crave You with rock solid bottom and terrific vocal blending by Glaspie and Cassarino with traces of D'Angelo . Very nice.  Could It Be '74 Remix has a real smooth, old school soulful mix featuring Courtney Smith on keys and vocals and Jon Deas on keys. Very nice vocal harmonies and a punchy bottom make this a certain favorite. Wrapping the release is cool jazz rocker, Simple Life featuring Soul Rebels with Derrick Moss on bass drum and cowbell, Lumar Leblanc on snare, Passport P on trombone, Paul Robertson on trombone, Julian Gossin on trumpet and Corey Peyton on trombone. With a funky lead guitar ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Giants , from Barry Greene and it's killer. Opening with Lonnie Smith 's, Backtrack , Barry Greene really picked a smart track with a solid blues base. Excellent guitar work by Greene illustrates the body of the composition with a smart B3 solo by Pat Bianchi and hot and heavy drum work by Ulysses Owens Jr. Excellent opener. Grant Green 's Green Street is up next with Bianchi setting the background on B3 and Owens Jr on drums. Greene on guitar really has a nice hand trading lead phrases with Bianchi on this Latin infused number. Wes Montgomery 's fleet footed, SOS really hums along with Greene taking the lead on guitar and David Kikoski really chasing on piano. Owens Jr. drum work is light and tight with Marco Panascia on bass and Steve Nelson on vibes is spot on with Kikoski really working the 88's over. Wow! Greene original, In Her Room , is a solid blues, opening with duet with Nelson on vibes....

 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...