Janiva Magness pushes roots, rock, soul envelope with new album 'Original,' out June 24.

DYNAMIC SINGER-SONGWRITER JANIVA MAGNESS PUSHES THE ROOTS, ROCK AND SOUL ENVELOPE WITH DARING NEW ALBUM ORIGINAL Award-winning performer’s eleventh release, out June 24, brings her songwriting skills and stunning range to the fore, with help fromGrammy nominated producer Dave Darling.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Janiva Magness’ new album Original stretches the artistic boundaries of roots, rock and soul music. Its 11 songs seamlessly weave all three genres into a highly original approach defined by nakedly honest storytelling and the live-wire emotionalism of Magness’ two-and-a-half octave range, buoyed by arrangements that effortlessly blend traditional sounds with edgy experimentation.  “Let Me Breathe” opens Original with the amplified chunk of an electric guitar and the chime of a glockenspiel followed by the confessional lines, “Nobody’s perfect/Nobody knows that more than me,” setting a tone of frank self-assessment that resonates throughout the entire set, from the Stax-influenced celebration of dignity “Mountain” to the wanton “I Need A Man” to the concluding “Standing,” which confronts insecurity with true survivor’s resolve. Magness had much to overcome in making this adventurous album. Since 2010 she’s endured the dissolution of a 17-year marriage, the deaths of eight friends and relatives including her foster mother, and an operation for a serious neck injury that could have ended her accolade-filled career. But Original finds the Los Angeles-based artist undefeated — turning in her finest recorded vocal performances, co-writing a majority of tracks for the first time and testing herself by taking risks along with her production foil Dave Darling, whose credits include Glen Campbell, Brian Setzer, Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx and Stray Cats, and whose instincts compelled Magness to tap her deepest creative powers and led the songs to sonically unpredictable places. “I always want to push myself,” she explains, “but this album demanded a high level of vulnerability to tell the absolute truth in every song, holding nothing back. It was frightening, at times, to be so raw in public. Dave drove me and even tricked me when he needed to. This is also an album that couldn’t be made with another record company, because we needed to be able to go wherever we wanted musically to tell its stories.” So Magness parted ways with Alligator Records after a six-year period that included 2012’s Stronger For It, 2010’s The Devil Is An Angel Too and 2008’s What Love Will Do, all produced by Darling. During her tenure on the internationally respected blues and roots imprint Magness also won her fourth Blues Music Award for “Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year” plus the “B.B. King Entertainer of the Year” and “Song of the Year” (for “I Won’t Cry,” co-written with Darling) awards, even as she became a fixture of the Americana music scene alongside such similar tough ’n’ edgy roots-based artists as Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings and St. Paul and the Broken Bones. It’s hard, indeed, to pigeonhole Magness, who kick starts Original’s transcendent creative centerpiece “When You Were My King” with her voice alone — albeit bathed in a psychedelic pool of reverb, then accompanied by a jingling moth larva shaker and a snare drum that sounds snatched from a contemporary R&B hit, which in turn relents to the soulful call of Darling’s reverb soaked blues guitar. The song goes on to build an organic electric and acoustic framework around Magness’ warm-blooded, hook-heavy vocal melody, ultimately conjuring the regret and lost magic of a disintegrated relationship with breathless passion. Magness says that tune might not have happened if Darling hadn’t lured her to his studio to “work on a vocal part.” When she arrived the hit Australian songwriting team of Lauren Bliss and Andrew Lowden were lying in wait. “If Dave had said, ‘I have these people here that I want you to write with,’ I would have made an excuse and begged off,” she relates. Instead, they co-wrote “When You Were My King” and “Standing,” two of the album’s most intensely emotional and superbly crafted tunes. Magness’ friend Dan Navarro of the singer-songwriter team Lowen & Navarro also pitched in, singing on the duet “With Love” and contributing background vocals to “Standing” and “Let Me Breathe.”

Janiva with producer Dave Darling at Studio City Sound Magness co-wrote seven of Original’s numbers, overcoming a longstanding phobia. “I’ve been afraid of writing songs for most of my career,” she confides. “I was worried I wouldn’t be good at it, or that I would be really good at it. I was married to a great songwriter, and I didn’t want songwriting to be an issue in any way between us.” But after she and Jeff Turmes split in 2010, Magness began writing under Darling’s encouragement. They co-penned three tunes for Stronger For It. And this time it’s her lyrics and performances that breathe life into Original’s gripping emotional arc —a musical journey through loss and triumphant recovery that reflects her own experiences. “I’ve always wanted life to be simpler than it is,” she offers. “When I was a young girl, and then a young woman, I really yearned for that. Now I’m a full-grown woman and I understand that life is never black and white. Losing loved ones, losing attachments and relationships, and grieving over it all are things we have to live with. If we can get through that with our souls intact, we learn how to become stronger and to move on with hope and dignity toward whatever comes next.” For Magness, who is writing a memoir, such challenges arrived early. Her teenage years were turbulent after both of her parents took their own lives. She was placed in a series of 12 foster homes and at age 17 gave birth to a daughter who she gave up for adoption. Magness’ despair was so deep that she tried to end her life. But ultimately, inspired by the encouragement of her final foster mother and a galvanizing performance by the legendary bluesman Otis Rush, she eventually found stability and salvation in music. Since the release of her debut album More Than Live in 1992, Magness has relentlessly pursued her craft to become one of the most beloved figures in the blues and roots world, reaching a larger and more diverse audience with each succeeding album and developing a reputation as a live entertainer that’s made her a staple of summer festivals. Her collaborations with Darling, in particular, have greatly expanded her fan base as well as her stylistic command. And she has lent her singular voice to the cause of foster care activism, becoming a spokesperson for Casey Family Programs’ National Foster Care Month and an Ambassador for Foster Care Alumni of America. The fact that Magness’ voice was jeopardized in December 2012 by surgery that left her unable to speak for several weeks makes her performances on Original all the more impressive. In tunes like the powerful “Twice As Strong” and “Badass,” the epic “When You Were My King” and the intimate “Standing” she displays the entire scope of her vocal range — from confidential whisper to soaring declamation — on one of her own albums for the first time. Magness thanks L.A. vocal coach and cantor Nate Lamm for teaching her how to sing in a way that provides a more sweeping command of her instrument. “I’ve pushed myself hard on vocal sessions for other people” — including Glen Campbell and R.L. Burnside — “but this is the first time I’ve been able to tap every part of my own voice for my own songs,” she attests. “They required everything I had to tell their stories and to express everything that I was feeling about theses experiences.” “Now, I’m really looking forward to getting out and performing these songs live,” the artist continues. “When you’re on stage in front of an audience that’s singing along to your own songs, there’s no better feeling — and no place I’d rather be — in the world.”

Roots Guitar Guru on "Mountain Stage" radio show

Photo: Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage DAMON FOWLER ON NPR'S "MOUNTAIN STAGE" Roots Guitar Guru's Performance To Be Broadcast Friday A performance by Damon Fowler and his band will be broadcast on National Public Radio's "Mountain Stage" program this Friday, April 25th.  Their live performance was recorded in February in Charleston, West Virginia, where the band played four songs from their new album, Sounds of Home, to a standing ovation. The radio show will be heard on over 130 stations around the country.   For a complete list of stations and broadcast times, please click HERE. The following week their set will be available for streaming at Mountain Stage's website and via mobile devices through the free NPR Music app. To watch the Damon Fowler Band performing the title track of the new CD in their home state of Florida, please click HERE.

Watch and Learn About Dudley Taft

DUDLEY TAFT SCREAMS ABOUT NEW CD Screaming In The Wind will be out on 5/20  Starting on this Tuesday, April 22nd, there will be a teaser of the new songs from Dudley's CD, "Screaming In The Wind", posted twice a week on his social media sites. He will be starting with the last song first all in Taft fashion of course leading up to the release date on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is where you see how he gets his mojo going to give his music that extra umph. So follow along with the links below!  DT FANS DT Twitter DT SITE DT YT Dudley will have a 5 day exclusive video run on the mag's site starting MAY 12 for his song, "Screaming In The Wind".  Guitar Master Dudley Taft Is Screaming in the Wind on Latest CD, Coming May 20 from American Blues Artist Group New Album of Blues-Rock Produced by Grammy-Winner Tom Hambridge Features Special Guest Reese Wynans on Keyboards   CINCINNATI, OH – Blues-rock guitarist Dudley Taft announces a May 20 release date for his new CD, Screaming in the Wind, on his American Blues Artist Group label. The new album was produced by Grammy-winner Tom Hambridge, best-known for his work with Buddy Guy, Susan Tedeschi, George Thorogood and Johnny Winter, and recorded at The Switchyard and Rendering Plant in Nashville, as well as Taft’s new Muchmore Studio in Cincinnati. The new recording facility is part of the house and property Dudley recently purchased from legendary guitarist Peter Frampton.   The new CD features a dozen songs, most of which are originals penned by Dudley Taft, including several co-written with Tom Hambridge (who also plays drums on a couple tracks) and Richard Fleming, plus scintillating covers of songs by Skip James (“Hard Time Killing Floor Blues”) and Freddie King (“Pack It Up”). “Screaming in the Wind is my third solo effort and the first album I’ve done produced by someone outside the band. Several songwriting sessions in Nashville with producer Tom Hambridge and songwriter Richard Fleming helped the songs take shape before recording them,” says Taft. “It was refreshing to work with other great songwriters for the first time, and it gives Screaming in the Wind a different flavor.” Taft’s regular band of John Kessler on bass and Jason Patterson drums is augmented by the addition of former Stevie Ray Vaughan keyboard player Reese Wynans on the sessions. “Reese plays some wicked B3 organ on the CD,” exclaims Taft. “He really shines on a bunch of the songs, elevating them to levels I never imagined. Check out his ripping solo on ‘The Reason Why’.” Other special guests on Screaming in the Wind include the acclaimed McCrary sisters, who bring their smooth gospel harmonies to the song “Barrio,” while the Muscle Shoals Horn Section shines on “Pack It Up.” “So far, I have done a Freddie King song on every CD, and this was no exception,” states Taft. “I love the funky vibe and tight arrangement of ‘Pack It Up.’ We poured gasoline on it and lit a match.” The title track of the album started as a custom instrumental riff Taft did for the “American Blues Scene” website. “They told me it should be a song,” he recalls, “and I think it may have turned out to be one of the strongest on the album. Tom Hambridge and I worked hard to find the key imagery in the lyrics to tell the story.” Speaking of instrumentals, Dudley Taft really cuts loose on the appropriately named track, “Red Line,” demonstrating why he’s been dubbed one of the hottest guitarists on the planet. Fans of classic ZZ Top riffs will be smiling from ear-to-ear when they hear Taft “spanking the plank” on that one. “The riff from Skip James’ ‘Hard Time Killing Floor Blues’ got stuck in my head last year,” Taft remembers. “I thought giving it a Led Zeppelin ‘Black Dog kind of interpretation would make it fresh.” The final song on the CD, “Say You Will,” has what Taft calls “an epilogue, where the gears shift and a David Gilmour influence surfaces, taking the listener off into oblivion. That was such a fun track to record!” Dudley Taft’s last CD, Deep Deep Blue, released in May, 2013, received universal acclaim from fans and critics alike, including being named on several “best of” lists at the end of that year. He will support the new CD release with touring both in the U.S. and overseas, where he already has a European tour planned in May and June that will take him to the Netherlands and Germany.  "... so Delta you can almost smell the swamp" - Premiere Gutiar "The time shifting boogie ‘Red Line,’ reminds us it’s all about the guitar as Taft demonstrates what he has learned as a disciple of Billy Gibbons and the Texas sound." Rick Bowen/Examiner (Seattle)

Dudley's perfectly crafted rock/blues gets a cool nod by producer Tom Hambridge MAY 20 2014 This appeared last year for his CD Deep Deep Blue in the magazine. Read more about it by clicking on the logo!  Deep Deep Blue Released 2013 American Blues Artist Group CD art is linked to iTunes

Stony Plain Records artist: Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne - Rollin' With The Blues Boss - New Release review

I just received the newest release (April 22, 2014), Rollin' With The Blues Boss, from Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne and its quite good. Opening with Leavin' In The Morning, opens the release with a R&B infused blues track and a fine guitar intro by Tom Lavin on guitar. Wayne on vocal, organ and piano gets the band hopping and Loren Etkin on drums and Russell Jackson on bass hold down the bottom. You Bring The Jungle Out Of Me has a bit more funk and Jerry Cook (sax) and Vince Mai (trumpet) add nice horn work on the track. Wayne takes a nice organ solo on this track topping it off. Hootenanny Boogie-Woogie has a bit of that New Orleans feel with the piano and funk along the lines of WW Washington with nice backing vocals from Christine Best. Roadrunner has that gospel like key work that has made Leon Russell so popular (with me anyway). A straight beat on drums by Etkin offsets that "Mad Dogs" sound keeping it straight in the R&B style. Baby, It Ain't You is one of my favorite tracks on the release ... right down the soul blues highway, it also features the best vocal work on the release. Sibel Thrasher, Cecile Larochelle and Christine Best add really nice backing vocals on this track. I Can't Believe It is a rumbling R&B style track with polished jazz like phrasing. Two Sides is another super track with with great piano work and a rockin' gospel boogie blues feel. Again harmonizing vocals add a key component to this track. Slow Down has a bit of a country ballad feel... say like Gregg Allman. Sherman Doucette adds some nice harp work to this track. Ogopogo Boogie has a real solid New Orleans piano boogie sound. Wayne and Mai (trumpet) lead the way on this hot instrumental. Excellent! Keep On Rockin' stays in that New Orleans feel and Wayne's hand for the New Orleans sound is super. With a blues/boogie feel, a rock beat and sax contributions from Drew Davies, this track is easily one of the hottest tracks on the release. Out Like A Bullet is a real classic style piano boogie and Wayne really hits a homer here. An excellent track to wrap up a really cool release.  

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 This track isn't from the new release but does demonstrate his sound:

Tom Letizia Records artist: Gaetano Letizia and the Underworld Blues Band - Voodoo Doll & Other Blues Sessions - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Voodoo Doll & Other Blues Sessions, from Gaetano Letizia and the Underground Blues Band and it is really quite interesting and different. Opening with Big Foot, a fine jazzy instrumental romp featuring Letizia on guitar, Larry Keller on bass, Jake Tijerina on keys and Steve Renko on drums Letizia establishes a pretty high watermark for the rest of the release. Keller lays down a really nice bass solo on this track and overdriven guitar work from Letizia is way cool.Title track, Voodoo Doll, maintains the funky jazz rhythm with cool slap and pop bass work from Keller. More of a pop (Steely Dan) style track, Letizia adds some warm vocal work but it's his tasty guitar overlays that makes this a super track. Kill My Conscience continues along the pop jazz track with more of a BST kind of attack but without horns. The Devil Is A Nice Guy is funky pop track with a bit of sarcasm. Blending vocals with Ro Brown and popping with his jazzy guitar riffs through a closed wah, this track moves along pretty well. Tijerina lays out a cool organ solo on this track but the bass work of Keller and smokin drumming of Renko are right on. Sold My Soul maintains the jazzy funky beat but with some more adventurous guitar work...a bit looser jam. Hurt Myself is a slick shuffle tune with lead vocals by Bobby Huszar and a nice walking bass line by Keller and a cool hook. Slowing down the track takes on a bluesy turn for a nice conclusion. Bleed is a funky rocker with a strong guitar / drum interaction. This is definitely one of my favorite tracks on the release just base on it's overall flow. All I Need is an acoustic jazz number with some swift riffs. Blow The Blues Away has a real pop edge but is sharpened by some really slick guitar moves and strong bottom work from Renko and Keller. Torture Me is a bluesy ballad with Letizia doing vocal exchanges between his vocals and guitar. Very nice mix in triplets. Orange Sunglasses opens with a very cool bass riff. Building on this bottom the band creates a cool funky jam. Opening up later in the track as a wide open relentless ride, Tijerina lays down a smooth organ field. Wrapping the release is a quiet blues track called Big Secret. With a jazz edge, Letizia puts up some of the hottest guitar riffs on the release. This track morphs back and forth between a slow club blues and a faster paced shuffle track, but really a nice finish to a different take on the blues.

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

 

New roots guitar guru video!

NEW DAMON FOWLER VIDEO "SOUNDS OF HOME" LIVE PERFORMANCE photo: Bob Hakins Blind Pig Records has released a video of the Damon Fowler Band performing "Sounds of Home," the title track from their newly-released album.   The CD, which debuted at or near the top of roots sales and airplay charts, has been gathering widespread acclaim: "Where the swamp meets the cotton field; there lies the music of Damon Fowler. Sounds of Home signifies Damon Fowler's progression into the ranks of the Americana elite." - Living Blues "The covers are well-chosen, but Fowler's originals and nimble guitar work are the reasons to visit."- USA Today "A blend of sacred steel, backwater blues and howling, greasy swamp rock, Fowler's music is a primal, atavistic sound that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up."  - No Depression To watch the video, please click HERE. For more info, or to purchase "Sounds of Home" CD, please click HERE. For digital downloads, please visit iTunes by clicking HERE.

Ruf Records artist: Albert Castiglia - Solid Ground - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Solid Ground, from Albert Castiglia and it not only reinforces Castiglia as a premier guitar slinger but shows his continued growth as a singer/songwriter and interpreter. Opening with Triflin', Castiglia lays down rhythm guitar riffs giving his free reign to sing and solo at will. Keep You Around Too Long is a flat out Texas blues romp. Dave Gross also adds guitar on this track but it's the basic feel that makes this track tick. Castiglia lays down some guitar riffs that will make you sweat chased by Jeremy Baum on keys and Bob Amsel on drums. Searching The Desert for The Blues has a straight up blues rock format. Castiglia uses the bottom of the fretboard nicely for some fat beefy tones on this track. Have You No Shame is a soul oriented ballad with a nice melody and a twist of country, with harmony vocal work by Matt Schuler and Lou Bevere. Laying out nicely for bluesy guitar solos, Castiglia takes good advantage and lays it down. Very nice. Put Some Stank On It features guest vocalist and guitar wiz Debbie Davies. A fast shuffle,this is a definite cool track set up perfectly for some nicely articulated guitar exchanges. Love One Another is a pop R&B style track which could easily break onto daily airplay with a smooth melody and catchy hook. Sleepless Nights is a scorcher ... a heavy blues loaded track. This track has some of the most intense guitar work on the release.... sit back and enjoy it! Jimmy Oden's Going Down Slow, a real favorite of Duane Allman fans, with find this track totally reworked with a funky edge. Baum glistens on keys on this track and Castiglia does but loose for a real nice guitar solo as well. Celebration has a sturdy John Melencamp feel and could easily capture widespread airplay and popularity with a strong melody and hook. Hard Time is a very light ballad with acoustic accompaniment. With only acoustic guitar and light percussion, Castigila carries this song on the basis of his vocal and writing skills (Think Gregg Allman). Very nice. Bad Avenue hits the blues straight on the head with a lumbering 12 bar. Castiglia really pulls out the stops on this track with some wicked guitar riffs. Jerremy Baum rides the B3 adding a solid ground anchoring Castiglia as he literally tears a hole in it. Excellent! The Rolling Stones Sway is a great track and Castiglia does a real nice interpretation of it. Bevere adds complimentary vocal work on the track and Amsel's drumming on this track is particularly important anchoring the rhythm. Little Havana Blues has traces of All Your Love melody with a luxurious guitar interlude. This is probably my favorite track on the release, with it's Latin flair and crisp instrumental work. Castiglia stylistically really lays it out here. Think Black Magic Woman... with more richness. Wrapping the release is Just Like Jesus, an acoustic ballad with Dave Gross sharing guitar duties presenting some choice acoustical guitar riffs. This is a diverse release with a little bit of everything. I like this release and am looking forward to it's ride in my car.

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Delta Groove & Eclecto Groove New Releases

WEBSITE    STORE    CONTACT

Delta Groove Music & Eclecto Groove Records New Releases We are happy to announce that Delta Groove Music & Eclecto Groove Records just released 3 new albums on April 15th 2014 which are available to purchase at multiple outlets worldwide or directly through our online store. If you are a fan of Delta Groove or Eclecto Groove then you might be familiar with a couple of these releases already. But if you aren't be sure to follow the links and you will be taken to our online store where you can stream the songs and purchase the album. Bob Corritore - Taboo Click Here To Listen And Order Terry Hanck - Gotta Bring It On Home To You Click Here To Listen And Order Shane Dwight - This House Click Here To Listen And Order Delta Groove Music, all rights reserved 2014 ©

Alligator Records News Briefs - April 16, 2014

JAMES COTTON RECEIVES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FROM MISSISSIPPI ARTS COMMISSION Conjure up a list of all-time great blues harmonica players, and high up on it you'll see the name James Cotton. --NPR The Mississippi Arts Commission presented blues music icon (and Tunica, Mississippi native) James Cotton with the coveted Governor's Award For Excellence In The Arts in a ceremony held February 20, 2014 at Belhaven University in Clarion, Mississippi. The Governor's Arts Awards are presented annually to outstanding writers, artists, performers, craftsmen and educators who have made significant and lasting contributions through their work as well as to corporations or organizations on the basis of their dedication to arts advancement. Previous winners include B.B. King, Little Milton Campbell, and Bo Diddley. Video of the presentation and live performance is here: http://www.alligator.com/artists/James-Cotton/. Cotton is currently celebrating his 70th year as a professional entertainer. His Grammy-nominated 2013 CD, Cotton Mouth Man, is an upbeat, warm blues album boasting fine musicianship and Cotton's undeniable spirit. Living Blues says, "James Cotton is one of the great harmonica innovators of his generation. Cotton Mouth Man is a star-studded affair that makes James Cotton's best recording for Alligator. It is an autobiographical narrative of Cotton's eventful life and soul-deep relationship with the blues. He plays with an authority and energy that belies his age." JOE LOUIS WALKER TO PARTICIPATE IN MONK INSTITUTE'S INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY IN OSAKA Blues Hall of Famer Joe Louis Walker will take part in the Thelonious Monk Institute Of Jazz's International Jazz Day in Osaka, Japan on April 30, 2014. Many other artists will also perform, including Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock and John Scofield. According to the Monk Institute, "The designation of International Jazz Day is intended to bring together communities, schools and other groups the world over to celebrate and learn more about the art of jazz, its roots and its impact. Ultimately, it seeks to foster intercultural dialogue and raise public awareness about the role of jazz music. As a language of freedom across the board, jazz promotes social inclusion, enhancing understanding, tolerance and nurturing creativity." From its base in Washington, DC, the Thelonious Monk Institute Of Jazz identifies jazz music's new voices, honoring its present and past masters, making the jazz aesthetic available and comprehensible in concert halls and classrooms around the world. The Institute is the lead nonprofit organization charged with planning, promoting and producing International Jazz Day. Walker's latest album, Hornet's Nest, has been hailed as a true blues tour-de-force. USA Today says it is "tough and resilient." Living Blues added, "Few contemporary blues artists blend aggression, deep feeling and eclecticism with the panache and ferocity of Joe Louis Walker." SONGS FROM ALLIGATOR ARTISTS APPEAR ON NATIONAL TELEVISION Alligator Records recordings from Professor Longhair, Corey Harris and Anders Osborne have and continue to appear on network television programs. Professor Longhair's Whole Lotta Lovin' (from his Crawfish Fiesta album) is the opening theme song for My Big Redneck Family, airing weekly on the CMT network. Corey Harris' Moosemilk Blues (from his Fish Ain't Bitin' CD) and Anders Osborne's On The Road To Charlie Parker (from his American Patchwork CD) both appeared in the April 1 episode of CBS Television's NCIS.

MMM Records artist: Michael Louis Band - Morning Gasoline - New release review

I just received the newest releae, Morning Gasoline, from the Michael Louis Band and it's pretty sweet. Opening with the title track, Morning Gasoline, Louis rocks out with light latin rhythms and super guitar strokes. Featuring Louis on vocal and lead guitar, Andrei Sebastian on bass and keys, Keith Crupi on drums and featuring Chauncey Yearwood on congas this track moves. R&B influenced City Boy has just a taste of contemporary neo soul with a slick lag rhythm that made Snoopy famous. I really like this track as it just lays in the groove. Makin' Time starts off sounding like Dickey Betts and Les Dudek on twin guitar leads. With a bit of a calypso beat this track has a happy feel and should hit the sweet spot for those southern rock fans. Late September is a simple but nice ballad with a Becker/Fagan feel. A clever little tune that could easily win significant airplay. Next up is Stevie Wonder/Jeff Beck track Superstition. This is an interesting interpretation of the song that falls right square between Beck's R&B rocker and Wonder's funky R&B performance. Cool! Flower That Blooms has a little bit of a Blue Oyster Cult feel with the bass work from early Sabbath. A solid rocker with driving drums, hard not to like. One Time has a taste of Led Zep with a bit of a back beat. Slide guitar work under the melody is a nice touch. Louis steps up on this track with a cool guitar solo and Crupi and Sebastian hold down the bottom. Vanilla Plain is a country rock influenced ballad. This song is about the vocal and guitar harmonies. Well done. Tazer is an instrumental James Brown funky light but without the horns. Sebastian carries his weight nicely on organ and bass and Louis rips a pretty nice guitar solo on this track as well. Willie Dixon's Yes, It's Good For You, has some deep funk but vocal work that sounds quite a bit like Donald Fagan. Louis digs in on guitar with the help of a wah wah making this track a lot of fun. The release is completed by When You Used to Be Mine, a basic rocker with a basic blues guitar riff with a Keith Richards twist. (Think Seeger's "That Old Time Rock and Roll"). Nice track to wrap up a cool release.

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All Your Love LIVE - JD & The Blu-Tones

JD & The Blu-Tones was a band in Madrid, Spain from November 2010 to May 2012. Now re-formed in the USA and based in Ridgefield, CT. Blues Rock band founded by JD Seem in Madrid, Spain in 2010. Released debut CD, Tequila Reposado, Dec 2011. Re-formed in the US 2013. JD Seem Al Hemberger Andrei Bourtsev















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Josh Hoyer And The Shadowboxers- New release review

I just received the newest release, Josh Hoyer And The Shadowboxers and it's a funky house party. Opening with Shadowboxer Brian Marrow and Justin G. Jones lay down a funky groove and Joshua Hoyer introduces a great R&B style vocal. Accompanying himself on organ and with nice backing vocals from Hanna Bendler, Megan Spain and Kim Moser this track will have you squirming in your seat. Russell Zimmer (trumpet), Tommy Van Den Berg (trombone) and Michael (Dee sax) add some real nice horn backing. Close Your Eyes has a real Al Green feel with the smooth pace and clean horn work over an R&B beat. Hoyer delivers on vocal and piano and Guitarist Benny Kushner slices and dices a few nice riffs. Cool track. Illusion brings to mind the Atlanta Rhythm Section and their R&B sound with a few more lbs. This track has a bit more funk and a bit more teeth. The horn and guitar work on this track is really cool. Van Den Berg really blows a nice solo on this track. Everyday and Everynight has that signature James Brown rhythm and it's hard not to step along in time. Hoyer has a really nice voice and his backing vocalists as mentioned earlier are really smooth. With an ever developing texture this track goes beyond it's comparison to  JB with a lot of soul feel. Van Den Berg again steps up with a really tasty trombone solo. Til She's Lovin' Someone Else has that Louisiana funk with a mix of rock. The horns have a key role on this track with some Mempis feel. Hoyer really has a nice piano break on this track as does Benny Kushner on guitar. Make Time For Love is a real high stepper again along the Al Green lines. I really like this style and Hoyer takes it deep. Crisp guitar riffs from Kushner and steady drumming from Jones makes this track soar. Turning the funk up, Dirty World could be "Hot Pant"'s little sister. An funky jam with lots of horn, especially nice trombone work from Van Den Berg, slick guitar riffs from Kushner and strong feel make this a really enjoyable release. This release is definitely going into my car for further review in a few weeks. I really like this release, and although not "blues" is is a really super enjoyable recording. Nice job!

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”