Bman's Blues Report

I just received the newest release (1/27/15), Wish For What You Want , from the Billy Walton Band and it's a rocker. Opening with the title track, Wish For What You Want , lead vocalist and guitar player, Billy Walton sets a nice pace driven by William Paris with a great bass line. Walton and Paris sing nicely in tandum and Walton gets the guitar screaming over the top. A bit more rock than blues but strong bones. True Lovin Man has a bit more of a R&B flavored rock feel again with Walton leading the way on vocal. Mike Finnegan adds some solid key work and Paris blends nicely on backing vocal. With Eric Clapton like accuracy and backed by John D'Angelo on drums, Ian Gray on trombone, Steve Hyde on trumpet and Sean on Sax this is a solid radio player. Mountain is a solid rocker with a stiff bass drum line. Blistering guitar riffs and a driving bottom carry this track. Felix Cavaliere's Come On Up has a real Mitch Ryder feel but with a bluey guitar riff. Cool! Blues...

I just received the newest release, If You Think It's Hot Here.. ., from The Mike Henderson Band and it's quite good! Opening with I Wanna Know Why , a creeping blues number with some great Fender guitar tones. Michael Rhodes lays down a real serious bass lead and Henderson has a voice that is just right for this type of blues rock music. Kevin McKendree really hammers the piano and Henderson gets down serious with some tasty blues riffs making this a great opener. Send You Back To Georgia is a great rock and roller with a serious rocking beat (Pat O'Connor - drums) and McKendree really takes the opportunity to bring this baby to it's knees. Henderson whips out the slide and rides the lower fretboard with some deep grinding grooves. Excellent! On shuffle track, Houndog Taylor's It's Alright is a great 12 bar number with a serious lope. McKendree takes the first leg and Henderson the second on slide for a super romp in blues land. Title R&B style track, ...

I just received the newest release (February 3, 2015), Fat Man's Shine Parlor by Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King . This reunion release with Blind Pig is long overdue and really grooves. Opening with boogie track, Got My Heart Broken , King and Kubek keep it simple (like Hooker intended) with only Shiela Klinefelter on bass, Eric Smith on drums and Kim La Fleur on guitar taking it above a basic two man boogie. Very cool. On Cornbread , a quick paced boogie, King leads the way on vocal and Kubek rips some really tasty riffs trading with King and LaFleur. Diamond Eyes slows things down a bit to a basic blues rock ballad with a nice guitar bridge. Crash and Burn has a cool early rock beat and structure. Clean simple guitar solos and drum riffs carry this track. River Of Whiskey is built over a "Crossroads" like riff and each man steps up with his own guitar riff. Don't Want To Be Alone has an R&B sway and King always shows his best vocal work on tracks...

Don’t Be A Wallflower! Hit The DANCE! Floor With Sol Driven Train New CD Is Out On March 17 "With the album DANCE! we have put on our boogie shoes.  These songs are intended to lift spirits and spread smiles.  Push back the furniture, crank up the volume, and move your body to the beat!" - SDT Atlanta, GA – On March 17, Sol Driven Train will release their 12th album, DANCE! on their own label, Sol Driven Train Records. This tasty collection of songs was produced by the band and Jeff Hodges at Charleston Sound studios. Hailing from the Southern port town of Charleston, SC, the band prides itself as being charmingly eclectic. As the New Year opens up, the Train keeps rolling with the release of DANCE!, a hectic touring schedule across the US and Caribbean, and a spot on the Atomic Music Group Showcase at The SXSW Festival on March 20th in Austin, TX. The band celebrates a milestone this year for it’s been 15 years since SDT was birt...

I just received the newest release, Journey , from Benny Turner and it has a fine groove. Opening with Breakin' News, a shuffle track with a nice Taj Mahal kind of feel and gospel like backing vocals, it's a great track. Marc Stone on steel guitar, Keiko Komaki on piano and horn work by Jason Mingledorff (sax) and Barney Floyd (trumpet) set this track off. Funky blues Don't You Ride My Mule has a really cool feel with not only nice vocals from Turner but a solid key work from Josh Paxton, super horn work from Mingledorff and Mark Leuron on trumpet and Harp work from Bruce "Sunpie" Barnes. Very nice! R&B ballad How I Wish has a soft sway and cool rhythm from Marc Stone on guitar. Deanna Bernard and Ellen Smith add warm backing vocals and Mingledorff and Floyd cool horn backing. Another R&B style blues track, I Wanna Make It Right, has just a super groove. Bernard and Smith again adding just the right vocal backing and Komaki adding some really tight k...

Photo: John Abbey, Trudy Lynn Connor Ray Music Label Announces New CEO Music industry veteran John Abbey takes the helm January 2015 Houston, Texas based Connor Ray Music announced today that John Abbey will assume control of the day to day operations as General Manager and CEO. Connor Ray Music was originally founded in 1995. Steve Krase, Founder and President of Connor Ray Music, had this to say about the announcement,   “John Abbey is one of the most well-known personalities in this business and brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to the company. We are excited about the future of Connor Ray Music with John at the helm!” John Abbey commented, "I found everyone within Connor Ray and those around Connor Ray to be on the same page. Everyone wants to accomplish the same goals and the unity is amazing.  We will be keeping our eyes open for artists that are of t...

Bluesman Bernard Allison Is In the Mix on First New Studio Album in Six Years, Coming March 17 on Jazzhaus Records FREIBURG, GERMANY – Blues guitarist and singer Bernard Allison will release his first new studio album in six years, In the Mix , on March 17 from the Germany-based label, Jazzhaus Records. Produced and arranged by Bernard Allison, In the Mix features 10 tracks, including five originals, as well as covers of two songs from his legendary father, Luther Allison (“Move from the Hood” and “Moving On Up”), plus tunes from Colin James (“Five Long Years”), Freddie King (“I’d Rather Be Blind”) and Tyrone Davis (“I Had It All the Time”). Although firmly rooted in the blues, the music on In the Mix shows Bernard’s myriad of influences, including soul, rock and R&B. Allison says about the recording sessions: “ I was very excited to record with my reformed group. We went into this recording with the mindset to not make a recording flooded with screamin...

Igor Prado Band - Way Down South Release Date: February 17, 2015

I just received the newest release (1/27/15), Live and Extended presented by Festival D'ete' De Quebec , by Brandon Santini. Opening with a funky version of Muddy Waters' One More Mile , Santini is cooking right out of the box on lead vocal and hot smokin' harp work. Great opener! Nick Hern on bass and Timo Arthur on guitar set a solid boogie rhythm nailed down by Chad Wirl on drums on This Time Another Year and Santini uses his solid blues voice and great harp phrasing to captivate the crowd. On Sonny Boy Williamson track, Elevate Me Mama , Santini really gets in the slow groove. This track is in excess of 6 minutes and Santini doesn't waste a note. Hot! On groove blues, Evil Woman , it's Hern and Arthur that set the pace and Arthur takes it for a nice ride with some flashy riffs of his own. The band drops back to nothing but drum and Santini takes a rid of his own. Very cool! Have A Good Time has a sassy 60's surf kind of sound rolled into a blues tr...