Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues Vol 1, from Jay Lang and it's a lot of fun. Opening with country blues, Sweet Honey , Jay Land plays a real nice Piedmont style finger picking with authentic vocal style. Simple, clever and well done. Strong opener. A natural story teller, his Hopalong Tracy puts me in mind of one of my favorite tracks from Elvin Bishop tracks, Have A Good Time. It's laid back, funny and down right great! My Sweet Mama has a bit of rag mixed in with Brad Porter on drums and sweet trombone work by Bob Dowell. Charley Patton's Shake It,  Break It is an excellent addition with solid vocal and guitar by Lang, Eric Carlton on piano and Brad Porter on drums. Pine Box is a cool, laid back blues track with great vocals by Lang, backed by Carlton who stretches a bit on piano and Porter on drums. Wrapping the release is I've Been Saved , a Rev. Gary Davis style track with Lang laying down the blues on acoustic and vocal onl...

I just received and had the pleasure to review the newest release by Jay Lang and The The Devil's Due. This is not a straight down the middle "blues" recording (whatever that is) but you know what... it's still real good! I listen to a lot of music as you may guess and some of it not so great. This release is good southern swamp rockin blues and it really is a pleasure to hear. The release is made up of 9 original tunes all with hints towards the musical roots but all sounding original. Preachin' Blues put me in mind of Social Distortion for example... but it really isn't like Social D at all. It's just rockin! My Mama Crazy is a great rockin sliding party. Leave My House is a great rockin' blues with again sliding all the way. 2 Ton Tessie is one of the real gems on the release. It's hard to review a cd when it is this different and this strong. You can't really say it sounds like this or that cause it sounds like what it is! It's good...

LESLIE WEST - STILL CLIMBING Featuring guest appearances from Johnny Winter, Mark Tremonti (Creed & Alter Bridge), Jonny Lang and Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) THE NEW ALBUM RELEASED 28th OCTOBER 2013 PROVOGUE RECORDS / MASCOT LABEL GROUP Leslie West is set to release his new album "Still Climbing" on 28th October 2013 via Provogue Records / Mascot Label Group.  Originality, excitement, honesty and survival are all part of what makes a legend, and those qualities ripple through every song on West’s upcoming release.  The new album is a testimonial to the strength and durability of West’s artistry. Born October 22, 1945, as he approaches his 68th birthday, West has packed some of the most soulful and searing vocal performances of his half-century career into these 11 tracks. His guitar has never sounded more massive or riff-orientated. West, who ascended rock’s Mt. Olympus with Mountain in a historic performance at 196...

LESLIE WEST TO RELEASE STILL CLIMBING ON OCTOBER 29 VIA PROVOGUE RECORDS / MASCOT LABEL GROUP Legendary Guitarist Looks Forward Joined By Jonny Lang, Johnny Winter, Mark Tremonti, and Dee Snider New York, NY -- Leslie West will release Still Climbing on October 29 via Provogue Records / Mascot Label Group.  Originality, excitement, honesty and survival are all part of what makes a legend, and those qualities ripple through every song on West’s upcoming release.  The disc is also a testimonial to the strength and durability of West’s artistry.  Born October 22, 1945, as he approaches the age of 68, West has packed some of the most soulful and searing vocal performances of his half-century career into these eleven tracks, and his guitar has never sounded more massive or riff-propelled.                 West, who ascended rock’s Mt. Olympus with his band Mountain in ...

LESLIE WEST AND PROVOGUE RECORDS TO STAGE RARE IN-STORE APPEARANCES TO COINCIDE WITH STILL CLIMBING RELEASE West Confirms 11/01 at NJ's Vintage Vinyl (7PM), 11/02 at Long Island, NY's Looney Tunes (2PM), and Performance At New York City's Iridium on 11/13  OCTOBER 29TH RELEASE SEES WEST LOOKING FORWARD JOINED BY JONNY LANG, JOHNNY WINTER, MARK TREMONTI AND DEE SNIDER New York, NY -- Leslie West will stage two rare in-store appearances that coincide with the release of his upcoming studio album Still Climbing on October 29 via Provogue Records / Mascot Label Group.  The guitarist will appear at Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ on November 1 at 7PM (51 Lafayette Rd - 732-225-7717) and at Looney Tunes in West Babylon, NY on November 2 at 2PM (31 Brookvale Avenue - 631-587-7722).  West will host a question and answer with those assembled, and conduct a signing of Still Climbing . On November 13, West will appear at New York City's Irid...

John Mayall, OBE (born 29 November 1933) is an English blues singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, whose musical career spans over fifty years. In the 1960s, he was the founder of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, a band which has included Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Peter Green, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Mick Taylor, Don "Sugarcane" Harris, Harvey Mandel, Larry Taylor, Aynsley Dunbar, Hughie Flint, Jon Hiseman, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Andy Fraser, Dave Navarro, Johnny Almond, Walter Trout, Coco Montoya and Buddy Whittington. Mayall's father was Murray Mayall, a guitarist and jazz music enthusiast. From an early age, John was drawn to the sounds of American blues players such as Leadbelly, Albert Ammons, Pinetop Smith, and Eddie Lang, and taught himself to play the piano, guitars, and harmonica. Mayall spent three years in Korea for national service and, during a period of leave, he bought his first electric guitar. Back in Manchester, he enrolled at Manches...

Forty Below Records Signs the Legendary Godfather of British Blues, John Mayall, and Will Release His First New Studio Album in Five Years, A Special Life , on May 13 Latest CD, Which Features Special Guest C. J. Chenier, Is One of John Mayall’s Finest and Most Personal Albums to Date LOS ANGELES, CA – Forty Below Records announces the signing of the legendary “Godfather of British Blues,” John Mayall, and a May 13 release date for his first studio album in five years, A Special Life , distributed by Sony/RED. The new album was recorded in November, 2013, at Entourage Studios in North Hollywood and was produced by Mayall, with co-production, engineering and mixing by Eric Corne. A Special Life also boasts original cover art and design created by John Mayall. The aptly-titled A Special Life serves as further testament to John Mayall’s boundless talent, vitality and ever-dynamic personality. Along with his accomplished band, he goes back to his roots ...

    ANNOUNCING THE 15TH ANNUAL BLUES FROM THE TOP FESTIVAL:     TWO BIG DAYS OF BLUES ROYALTY IN BEAUTIFUL WINTER PARK, CO Enjoy Fabulous Thunderbirds, Anders Osborne, C.J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band, Carolyn Wonderland, Alvin Youngblood Hart, And More, All In A Beautiful Mountain Setting! ~ Presented With Pride By The Grand County Blues Society, In Memory of Blues From The Top Founder, John Catt ~ Saturday, June 24 (11am to 6pm); Sunday, June 25 (10:30am to 6pm)   ...