Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Power Without Power , by Randy McAllister and I like it. Opening with Surprise!!! , a smooth shuffle with solid vocals and harmonica work by Randy McAllister and with some real nice slide work by Brandon Hudspeth making this a strong opener. (Somebody) Ease My Troublin' Mind is a terrific track in the vein of Sam Cooke and a terrific showcase for McAllister's soulful vocals. Fanned by the tight rhythm work of Hudspeth, this is my favorite track on the release. Envy's Embrace has the format of a country blues with a "train" rhythm by Hudspeth on acoustic guitar and with McAllister on harmonica working in close unison with Hudspeth on slide. Very nice. Not Everybody Leaves (Her Words) is a soulful ballad and another great showcase for McAllister's fine vocals. With the simplest of acoustic guitar rhythm and tasteful slide work by Hudspeth, this is another super track. Wrapping the release is Like ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Dried Up Dreams , by Jay & The Cooks , and it's a cool release with blues, country, rock punk ... you name it. Opening with Alton McCarver , Jay Ryan on lead vocal and vocal sets a rugged, stripped down blues feel, with traces of Zappa and country and rock. With Stephane Missri on guitar, Paul Susen on fiddle, Christian Poidevin on harmonica, Marten Ingle on bass and Marty Vickers on drums, this is a great storyteller track and super opener. With reverb saturated guitar Chew The Cud is a driving country rocker with spoken lyrics and a great driving feel with a solid bass line. Dried Up Hearts has a cool country/cajun mix. Ryan's vocals a solid and clever and Susen's fiddle and Poidevin's harmonica, really spice up the action. Wrapping the release is driving rocker, Confederate Son which really has the bones of a country punk rocker. Ryan's vocal and guitar work great and Poidevin's harmonica g...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Better Days , from Cliff Stevens and it's it's a cool blues rocker. Opening with Better Days , a solid rocker with a good SRV style swagger, features Cliff Stevens on lead guitar and vocal, Serge Dionne on bass, Eric Sauve on keys, and Sam Harrisson on drums. With a "southern rock" flavor, No Room Left has a nice ABB like feel ... I can almost hear Chuck Leavell on piano. With a strong radio melody and select guitar riffs, this is a strong radio contender. Another serious radio contender is Light Of An Angel with a pure pop ballad melody. Stevens does a nice job as vocal front man and paired with Kim Feeney on harmony and a melodic slide solo, pure radio gold. Bluesy ballad, I Love You Still , is my favorite track on the release with cool blues progressions and a strong melody. Stevens lets the music flow with some more aggressive soloing and fluid runs. Very nice. Blues shuffle, True Love has a great f...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Breathe In The World , Breathe Out Music , from Mike Stevens and it's a cool slice of contemporary blues/country influenced music. Opening with Like A Little Bird , harmonica master, Mike Stevens teams up with Polly Harris on lead vocal with a light reggae rhythm. Supporting are Jeff Getty on acoustic guitar, Kevin Breit on electric guitar, Art Kratchian on drums, and Jeff Bird on bass. Grumbling Old Man Grumbling Old Woman is a cool, jig featuring Stevens and Breit playing tandem melody/harmony lines over the tight rhythms of Getty and Kratchian. Very nice. Gordon Lightfoot's classic, The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald maintains it's easy approach but substitutes Breit and Stevens on melody giving the track a cool, folky feel. Bound by the solid acoustic playing of Getty and Kratchian, this is a strong entry. Jesse's Request is an interesting track with a really strong melody. With a lot of the characte...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Next Stop , by Gary Cain and it's a barn burner. Opening with Billionaires In Space , Canadian born, one man show, Gary Cain is a contemporary blues rocker with a lot of oomph. With a driving beat, and distortion saturated guitar riffs, Cain shifts it into overdrive and lets it fly. With a funky guitar rhythm, Gatekeeper has a foot stompin dance rhythm. Using ZZ Top like lead guitar offsets to emphasize the turnarounds,  and a wide open guitar solo, this track is very cool. In the Frank Marino/Jimi Hendrix vein, Keep On Comin has a strong, overdriven guitar riff to play around and his vocals are rock spot on. Precision drum rhythms give Cain firm footing to lay out his guitar wares and paired with himself on guitar 2, this track works well. Laying way back, Gone begins with intimate vocals and focused  quick stinging guitar accents but growing in intensity as the track progresses. With heavy distortion and...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Under The Stars , by San Gabriel 7 featuring Sinne Eeg and it's bright and airy.  Opening with Rocket Blues , Eeg on lead vocal sings in tandem with Jim Lewis on trombone, a quite agile melody lead, breaking to Chris Gordon on piano. With a firm, New Orleans flavor, rhythm by Johathan Pintoff on bass, Dave Holben on tuba, Randy Drake on drums and Scott Breadman on percussion, this track is nicely underway. Alex Budman on clarinet lays in a really nice solo, followed by Kye Palmer on trumpet. Very nice. Getting Along With Love is a cool radio track with a polished, Steely Dan feel. Eeg's vocal approach is strong and her presentation pure.  A smooth sway and dominant sax work by Glen Berger, backed by Palmer on trumpet gives this track a solid A. With it's Latin beat, I'm Feeling Good is a solid ballad with terrific vocals. Chad Edwards on keys works nicely with Budman's sax solo and warm horn backing, ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live In Memphis , from Ann Peebles & the Hi Rhythm Section and it's a cool, live, soul packed R&B release. Opening with If I Can't See You , Peebles on lead vocal sets the pace with her smooth delivery and backed by  David J Hudson and Tina Crawford on vocal, John Sangster on sax, Anthony Royal on trumpet, Dennis Bates on trombone, Leroy Hodges on bass, Charles Hodges on keys, Howard Grimes on drums and Thomas Bingham on guitar. Rolling into high stepper, Part Time Love , Peebles really has the groove moving. With a super bass line by Hodges and punchy trumpet by Royal, this is one of my favorite tracks on the release. An excellent cover of I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody's Home plays right into Peeble's wheelhouse. The horn work by Sangster, Royal and Bates really add balance to Peebles' lead. Wrapping the release is Peebles' bets know track, I Can't Stand The Rain , covered by many...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Unchange , from Gina Sicilia and it's a nice blend of soul, R&B, gospel and blues. Opening with Healing Time with all of the richness of sweet soul music, Gina Sicilia on lead vocal sets a great table. Backed by Ann and Regina McCrary wou have the best vocal backing money can buy and Kevin McKendree on organ is a terrific addition as well to the basic band of Colin Linden on guitar, Johnny Dymond on bass and Bryan Owings on drums. Great opener. How Far Am I From Canaan is a light take on a full blown gospel track with Sicilia singing acapella over the electric guitar accompaniment and excellent vocal backing of Linden. This is an impressive showcase for Sicilia's vocal prowess and brilliant contemporary interpretation of a traditional style gospel tune. On Rev Gary Davis' classic track, Death Don't Have No Mercy , Linden really opens nicely with reverb saturated blues guitar riffs. Sicilia takes a mor...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Nu Jive: Nations United , by Troy Roberts and it's a full on energized groove. Opening with Funkafarian , Eric England on bass stets a prominent funk line, with a stiff snare chaser by David Chiverton on drums. Troy Roberts plays melody on sax with cool melodic highlights on keys by Silvano Monasterios. Tim Jago on guitar,  takes the first improvisational solo showing great style later followed by Monasterios on keys and a real nice solo by Roberts. Strong opener. Big Night In is a cool, funk based jam over a driving bass line by England. With the reverse of the bass line things turn from funky to contemplative giving Monasterios a broad sheet to paint with his keys. Punching the funk back up, Roberts cuts loose with an aggressive solo of his taking the jam even higher with additive compliments by all members. Very cool. Sobrino is a really interesting piece featuring England's creative bass work through his ped...