Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Interim , from Jeff Aug , and it's an extraordinary exploration in fingerstyle playing .  Opening with New Day's Dawn , Jeff Aug and his son, Oskar Tauber , sketches out a solid acoustic rocker with traces of Jimmy Page and Patrick Simmons creating a quiet melody under the percussion of the strings. Interesting opener. Katzenjammer has a playful acoustic melody created in memory of the family cat who was lost during the pandemic. Title track, Interim is one of my favorites on the release with a repetitive acoustic guitar riff played together with some environmental electronic guitar sound. Puts me in mind of a Fripp composition . Very cool. Another track with the family pet in mind is Ernesto with a rich melody and Kottke like structure. This is a cool track with supple guitar phrasing. Open Fields has a strong melody, the essence somewhat putting me in mind of David Crosby , not so much in execution but melod...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Ode To The Possible , by Tom Lippincott , and it's quite enjoyable. Opening with Preface/Overture , David Fernandez on tenor sax brings a flowing yet jagged melody to life, caressed in the lush guitar work of Tom Lippencott, Marty Quinn on bass and Lucas Apostoleris on drums. Very cool. On An Inhabitant of Carcosa, a complex rhythm spurred by Apostoleris, and a driving bass line and soaring guitar and electronics by Lippincott on his fanned fret 8 string guitar, this track really gets moving. A super bass line by Quinn and melodic soloing by Fernandez, this track is complex without being tedious. Very nice. Stella By Searchlight is an interesting track with a cool interplay between Fernandez and Lippincott, anchored by Quinn, and Apostoleris. Lippincott lays out a flowing yet obtuse melody on sailing guitar with a counter solo by Fernandez and snappy drumming by Apostoleris before coasting into a peaceful tempo, making...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Random Madness , from Billy Price and it's a solid blues /R&B release. Opening with up tempo, I Was A Fool , Billy Price leads the way on vocals, backed by Tom Valentine on bass, Steve Delach on guitar, Jim Britton on keys, Dave Dodd on drums, Delana Flowers, Willa Katy Cotten, and Carmen Miller on backing vocals and with some super sax work by Eric Spaulding . Hungry Ghost has a Donald Fagen feel with nice trumpet by Joe Herndon, and a cool Latin based beat by Dodd. A clean guitar solo by Delach adds a a really nice touch to a cool radio ready track. Bluesy, Rent Free , has a great feel, with subtle keys by Britton, Tony Braunagel on drums, showcasing Price's strong vocals, and a a really nice trumpet and trombone solos by Herndon and Reggie Watkins on trombone. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Dirty Knee Revelation , with warm sax backing by Spaulding. Price really digs deep on vocals and wit...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Love, Peace & Chicken Grease, from Pontchartrain Shakers and it's refreshing. Opening with blues rocker, Sunshine , Amedee A5 Frederick sets the pace on guitar and lead vocal, and Earl Smith Jr. holds it tight with a tidy drum rhythm. Jojjo Wight on guitar and Red DeVecca on bass make this a compact yet effective opener. A strong cover of St. James Infirmary features A5 on lead guitar and some really tasty riffs. Michael Loupe on sax, wails soulfully over the patient bass and drum bottom of DeVecca and Smith Jr. Very nice. Ammdee Frederick IV is featured on guitar and vocal on acoustic, Lucy Mae , backed by DeVessa and Smith Jr. A cool understated boogie, this track rocks. You Amaze Me  is one of my favorites on the release with excellent, soulful vocals by A5 and melodic guitar soloing giving the track just a hint of fullness. Strong. Elizabeth Cotten's , Freight Train features Wight on vocal and guitar w...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Two Nights - Live , from Steven Husted , and it's moving. Opening with Hank Mobley 's This I Dig of You , and Grant Teeple is really rocking it on sax. With Milo Hehmsoth on keys, Steven Husted on bass, Matt Berger on guitar and Israel Yanez ripping on drums. Existential Changes is a mid tempo bop featuring Teeple leading the way on sax, going from moderate to intense phrasing before handing off to Hehmsoth on keys. Husted pulls out a real nice bass solo followed by a snappy solo by Yanez on drums. Matt Berger leads off Against the Grain with some real nice guitar lead with clean, articulate phrasing, punctuated by Husted on bass. A real nice relay from Husted to Berger and Yanez adds just the right tension, making this one of my favorites on the track. Mooncake really moves with a driving bass line by Husted and fleet fingered lead by Berger. Another super bass solo from Husted makes this track stand out, w...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live at the Chicago Blues Festival , from Stefan Hillesheim Band and I really like it. Opening with, Always Get to Hear from You , Stefan Hillesheim on lead vocal and slide guitar leads the way with super drumming from Dionte McMusick on drums, Darryl on bass and Sumito Ariyo Ariyoshi on keys. With it's cha cha rhythm , its a super opener. Slower, do wop style blues, The Love I Had For You , driven by Ariyo on piano, gives Hillesheim a great stage to showcase his vocals and his slide solo is lush and sensitive. Melvin London 's classic, It Hurts Me Too , has s super cover here with strong vocals and slide work by Hillesheim and potent backing piano by Ariyo. Very cool! The radio on this release is clearly, You're My Family with a strong melody, snappy rhythm and restrained rhythm guitar work by Hillesheim. Slinky, When I'm Gone has a funky back beat and outstanding slide work by Hillesheim. The deepest...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Aqua Con Gas , from Dave Schumacher & Cubeye and it really moves. Opening with title track, Aqua Con Gas , Dave Schumacher on bari sax lays the foundation of the track, with Chegui Metralla on Clave , Joel Mateo on drums,  and Yusnier Sanchez on congas . Schumacher sails taking the track for a solid bop ride, with Alex Norris really working the trumpet, Peter Brainin on tenor sax , Manuel Valera adding a strong solo of his own on piano and Alex Apolo Ayala on bass. Terrific opener. Al Rose' is a great track and really showcasing what a hot bari player sounds like. Cooking his lead lines he really sets a groove followed by Norris on trumpet with a crisp contrast, punctuated by Valera on piano. Valero's own lead work is exhilarating with super phrasing and concise execution. Very cool. Punchy, Amosaya 's Latin rhythm really highlights the work of Mateo and Sanchez, with solid solos by Brainin and Norris...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Black Crow , from Brother John ( Johnny Never & John Colgan-Davis ) and it's thick acoustic blues. Opening with Bread and Salt , Johnny Never leads the way on vocal and slide with Holly Hoffman, Shannon Roberts and Monica Moran on backing vocals and John Colgan-Davis on harmonica. Deep rooted blues and a solid opener. Svelte Man Blues is a great rag style blues . Never on guitar and Colgan-Davis get a great cadence going with Never on vocal. Very nice. Charlie Patton 's Dirt Road is particularly cool featuring Colgan-Davis really working the harmonica over Never's vocals. Wandering Eye Blues is one of my favorites on the release with slick slide work by Never and with choppy harmonica work by Colgan-Davis. Very cool. Old Man Mose has a real nice guitar stroll feel to it, reinforced by Jimmy Pritchard on bass and and Hoffman and Moran on backing vocals. Colgan-Davis' harmonica work is particularly ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Hometown , by Jared Hall , and it's quite good. Opening with title track, Hometown , Jared Hall on trumpet and Troy Roberts on tenor sax create the melody, joined by Ben Markley on piano, Michael Glynn on bass and Kyle Swan on drums. Hall takes the first opportunity to explore and creates solid, intuitive melodic statements, punctuated by Markley. Roberts' solo is much more sensual and soulful giving the track a nice balance. Bobby Hutcherson's Little B's Poem has a flowing melody in 3/4 time. Hall and Roberts together create the melody before handing off to Glynn who lays down a real nice solo. I really like Roberts' work on this track stretching the melody and a pickup in rhythm by Swan. Monk's Ask Me Now is my favorite track on the release with clean phrasing by Hall, and warm harmonies by Roberts. Markley's solo on this track double times really brightening up the feel and giving it a real ...