Bman's Blues Report

I just received the newest release, Open Mic At The Knick , by the Knickerbocker All-Stars and it's excellent! Opening with the swinging You Upset Me Baby , Ricky King Russell lays down some really hot guitar riffs and Sugar Ray Norcia leads the way on vocals. Al Copley smokes the keys backed strongly by horn section, Doc Chanonhouse (trumpet), Bobby "Breeze" Holfelden (trombone), Rich Lataille (sax) and Dennis Cook (bari sax). Smokin! Up next is Turn On Your Love Light and Malford Milligan commands the stage on vocal. Vocalist Willy Laws has you in the palm of his hands from the first note of Mother-In Law Blues . Russell steps up with some really tasty guitar riffs on this track and the horn section keeps a real traditional early modern blues feel. Very nice. Milligan is back on the mic for Love Disease and an excellent sax solo from Lataille and Muscle Shoals like guitar work from Nick Adams make this song a standout. Johnny Nicholas takes the lead on the classic...

Big Muddy Blues Festival Announces 2014 Artist Line-up   Local acts compliment regional and national touring artists   St. Louis, MO – The Big Muddy Blues Festival is St. Louis’ largest Blues festival, with 24 renowned acts + more to be announced from across the nation and around St. Louis, filling three stages on historic Laclede’s Landing, August 30 and 31, 2014. This year, Big Muddy not only has more national, regional and local artists, the festival also offers a wider variety of artists than recent years. Festival goers will experience a full range of Blues styles, from Louisiana, Chicago, St. Louis and more throughout the newly rebuilt cobblestone streets of the Landing. National, regional and local acts in 2014 will include: Saturday, August 30th Main Stage 4:30 p.m.         Steve Scorfina’s Soul Steel 6:30 p.m.         Nashville, TN artist Goodbye Ju...

During a recent sand sculpture competition on Revere Beach north of Boston, one contestant tied together his love of Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters with his sand sculpture building skills. Check out this work by Prince Edward Island artist Abe Waterman. Sure beats my work with a little bucket! Thanks Mark Pucci

"Chicago's Hardest-Working Blues Band " for over two decades is Howard and the White Boys. They perform at he Prairie Dog Blues Festival in Prairie du Chien, WI this Friday, July 25. PRAIRIE DOG BLUES FESTIVAL PRESENTS "CHICAGO'S HARDEST-WORKING BLUES BAND," HOWARD AND THE WHITE BOYS, IN CONCERT                                    Friday, July 25 - 7 p.m.     (Prairie du Chien, WI) - The Prairie Dog Blues Festival presents Howard and the White Boys , "a/k/a "Chicago's Hardest-Working Blues Band," in concert, Friday, July 25. 7 p.m. performance. Tickets $25. in advance, per day - purchase online at http://www.prairiedogblues.com/buy-tickets/ . The Festival is held on scenic, historic St. Feriole Island, on t...

I just received the newest release, Just A Wish Away from Deanna Bogart and it's quite good. I'll start off by saying this is not a traditional blues release by any means. What it is more is a pure artist finding her own voice and expressing it in many different ways. Opening with If It's Going To Be Like This , Bogart is on piano and vocals joined by Derwin "Big D" Perkins and Cris Jacobs on finger pickin guitar, Charlie Wooton on bass, Terrance Houston on drums and especially featuring Marty Rifkin on pedal steel on this country flavored track. On funky R&B style track, Fine By Me Good Bayou , Bogart shows her vocal style and of course her sax work joined by Mark Mullins, Craig Klein and Greg Hicks. If You Have Crying Eyes , a vocal duet with Cris Jacobs has a gospel ballad arrangement with country hints for a real nice sound. Back and Forth Kid , a vocal and piano track has the maturity of Carol King and presents Bogart in a very straight forward light...

Audio Fidelity To Release 5.1 Multichannel Hybrid SACD of Mike Bloomfield - Al Kooper - Steve Stills 'Super Session' Album Mixed By Legendary Al Kooper! "...one of those albums that seems to get better with age...a super session indeed!" Camarillo, CA – Marshall Blonstein's Audio Fidelity will be releasing a limited numbered edition 5.1 Multichannel Hybrid SACD of the legendary Mike Bloomfield - Al Kooper - Steve Stills 'Super Session' album! Al Kooper was an A&R executive with Columbia Records in the early 1960's after leaving the group Blood, Sweat & Tears. The Super Session album was conceived as a jam session with Kooper on keyboards and former Paul Butterfield Blues Band member Mike Bloomfield on lead guitar along with veteran studio musician and Wrecking Crew member "Fast" Eddie Hoh on drums and Barry Goldberg, also on keyboards. Bloomfield was available during the first day of recording for Side 1 of the ...

Jeremy Baum The EEL     Jeremy Baum is a musician's musician.  A world-class keyboard maestro with a star-studded playing history...with great ears and a soulful delivery, keeping him busy in recording studios, concert halls, and nightspots of every stripe…. "The behaviour of eels in fresh water extends the air of mystery surrounding them. They move freely into muddy, silty bottoms of lakes, lying buried in the daylight hours in summer... "     He is the first-call player of choice for artists who perform blues, jazz, funk, and all the styles that fill the cracks in between. Jeremy applies his tasty style to many types of music... " "Eels are voracious carnivores, feeding mainly at night and consuming a wide variety of fishes and invertebrate creatures.. .. "     Baum is a monstrous talent, coaxing tones and textures fro...