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I started a quest to find terrific blues music and incredible musicianship when I was just a little kid. I also have a tremendous appreciation of fine musical instruments and equipment. One of my greatest joys all of my life was sharing my finds with my friends. I'm now publishing my journey. I hope that you come along!
I just received the newest release, Rich In Love, from Colin Linden and it's very entertaining. Opening with Knob & Tube, an easy paced blues pop track featuring Linden on mandolin and vocal and backed by Amy Helm on vocal, the release is off to a good start. R&B slanted, I Need Water has a slick, Boz Scaggs style. Linden delivers nicely on this track with quiet but really interesting slide riffs, backed by John Dymond on bass, Gary Craig on drums and Tim Laur on organ. Very nice! Delia Come For Me is a strong ballad with Linden on vocal accompanying himself on acoustic guitar and overdubbing a really sweet slide guitar track. Solid writing and performance. Harp master, Charlie Musselwhite adds his signature harp styling on The Hurt, a bluesy ballad. Linden opens the electric slide up a bit on this track giving it a nice contrast and Reese Wynans dances on piano giving the track a certain sparkle. Everybody Ought To Be Loved is a soulful ballad and one that should have solid radio appeal. Harmony vocals from Amy Helm and Wynans on keys gives the track added warmth but this track with it's strong melody and tight execution should see a lot of airplay. Title track, Rich In Love, has a really nice ambiance with Linden playing a lone guitar in what sounds like a cavernous void. His voice, teamed on melody is joined by Musselwhite on harp with clever accents and Helm on warm harmonies making this one of my favorite tracks on the release. Date With The Stars has a romantic 50's almost Hawaiian sound with a sweet melody and beautiful guitar tone backed by Lauer on organ. Lush! And Then You Begin has a definite country blues guitar picking style under Linden on vocal. No More Cheap Wine has a definite rock feel with Craig leading the way with a snappy drum beat. Linden sets a nice vocal groove and chases himself with spanky slide work. Wynans on organ gives the track depth and Dymond keeps a solid bass line going as Linden makes flashes of David Lindley tone. Very nice! Luck Of A Fool has a cool easy rock feel and Linden sings with solid emotion. A cool guitar rhythm and pointed organ accents by Wynans gives the track a toe tapping feel. I Made A Promise is a somber ballad with warm electric guitar accompaniment and well placed electric slide accents. Very nice! Wrapping the release is Paybacks Are Hell, a simple acoustic ballad with Linden on vocal and acoustic guitar. A sweet little tune and a nice closer for a solid release.
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”
I just received the newest release, Howlin', from Lara & The Bluz Dawgz and it's a mover. Opening with boogie woogie track, Uh Huh, Lara Germony leads on vocals on this piano fueled track. Gan Nadasdi knows his was around the keyboard, and a rich sax solo from Reggie Murray adds sass. Al Rowe rips a few blistering riffs on guitar and Gregg Germony on bass and Ray Gonzales are tight on bottom. Flat Line has a light funky beat with healthy guitar lead and a soulful sax solo. Lara is a well suited lead singer for this type of band with it's fluid leads and I particularly like Rowe and Murray's exchange fueled by G. Germony and Gonzales. I Wonder is a soulful ballad with a nice guitar intro by Rowe. This band really has a nice balance between sax and guitar soloing and Nadasdi adds just the right amount of keyboard. Another Boogie track, Wearin Me Out has a nice driving bass line giving Lara plenty of space to sing. Murray again shows his sax prowess and Rowe flexes his guitar muscle. Very nice! R&B style blues, T-Dawg, has a real nice feel (think Thrill Is Gone). Again Murray and Rowe are nicely balanced on soloing with Nadasdi providing a solid bed of piano. A nice bass line by Gregg and straight up drums by Gonzales gives the track more oomph. Don't Mess With My Baby has an easy R&B feel with a lot of radio qualities. Smooth execution, a good hook and clean guitar riffs are the trick here. Another easy jazz like composition, Love Me Tonight, has an almost Steeley Dan feel. Rowe's guitar work on this track is particularly clean and Murray's sax work supple. Lara has a nicely controlled voice that floats pleasantly atop the track. Rocker, I'm Over It, almost enters 2 step territory with Gregg and Nadasdi setting the pace. Rowe's guitar work even gets a country flare to it by the end of the track. Returning to the ballading, Lara belts out Say Goodbye, with authority, and the rich sax work of Murray cushions her ride. Ongoing musical dialog by Nadasdi adds significant structure and Rowe buttons it up with a solid outro. A swinging blues, Love Of Mine, has a real cool bass line by Gregg and Nadasdi plays a really nice electric key solo. Murray shows his chops on this track as well giving the track a bit more of a jazzy feel. Gregg lays down a cool bass line on Shadow Groovin and Lara sings right in the groove. Rowe again steps out of the shadows with some very nicely articulated finger work and Murray give the track an almost Marvin Gaye feel within his jazz lines. Very nice. Wrapping the release is blues rocker and title track, Howlin'. With it's New Orleans flavor, reinforced by Nadasdi's keyboard work and Gonzales' drumming, this is a hot number to wrap up the release.
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”
Blues, Rock & Metal Guitar Slingers
Salute Legend Jeff Beck On A Newly Reissued Collection!
Includes performances by Def Leppard’s
Phil Collen, Mötley Crüe’s Mick Mars, Toto’s Steve Lukather, and blues icon
Walter Trout plus George Lynch, Jake E. Lee and more!
Los Angeles, CA -
Some of the world’s finest guitarists offer a master class in the arduous art
and subtle science of playing Jeff Beck songs on Jeffology: A Guitar
Chronicle, a collection of extraordinary cover versions of Beck’s
best-known songs, played with all the fevered intensity and dynamic skill these
virtuosos could muster. The album will be reissued with all new artwork by
Deadline Music this October 2.
Founding member of platinum selling UK
hard rockers Def Leppard, Phil Collen, offers a stunning and emotional
interpretation of the gorgeous ballad “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers,” while
blues man Walter Trout burns the house down with his rendition of “Blues
Deluxe.” Former Ozzy axeman Jake E. Lee takes listeners on a face-melting ride
through the blazing stunner “Rice Pudding” and main Crüe man Mick Mars provides
the brilliant album closer. Each performer brings their own unique guitar
playing personalities to these compositions pulled from a wide range of Beck’s
career, showcasing both Beck’s under-heralded accessibility as well as his
inimitable stylistic panache. Guitar players of all stripes and skill levels
will find plenty here to hone their chops on, while Beck fans the world over
will not want to miss this thoroughly satisfying listening experience!
Larry "Fuzzy" Knight's Blowin' Smoke Rhythm
& Blues Revue, Is SoCal's Longest-Running Monthly R&B/Dance Party
At The Same Location: Harvelle's Blues Club By The Beach In Santa Monica
Calif
Saturday, October 10 -Beginning At 9:30 p.m. - Till 1:30
a.m.
Blowin' Smoke Rhythm & Blues Revue/Words Of Praise
From The Media
"By the time we got to Harvelle's, the room was already
packed with people...The Boss (band leader Larry "Fuzzy"
Knight") began their evening's musical journey through their own
world of electronic rhythm and blues, funk, rock, and Southern soul. The
dance floor was soon flooded; at one point the club had reached it's
legal maximum capacity. No one could move - but, listening to Knight and
his red-hot ensemble, no one could help but move". Highlights
of the evening included the band performing "C.O.D." from their
album, a cover of Buddy Guy's "Midnight Train", and their
wonderful singers (the Smokettes) covering such R&B chestnuts as
"Rock Steady", "I'll Take You There", Bonnie Raitt's
"Something To Talk About" and Labelle's "Lady
Marmalade".All in all, a performance that lives up to the
hype".
"The Blowin' Smoke Rhythm & Blues Band with the
Fabulous Smokettes packed Harvelle's with a crowd that was there to enjoy
great music played the way it should be. Larry "Fuzzy" Knight
has the kind of voice that is perfect for the blues, a little gritty but
with excellent range. Guitarist Dave 'Raven' Rutchinski demonstrated his
skill on a Stevie Ray Vaughan song, "Crossfire", wringing a ton
of emotion out of his guitar. "C.O.D." with John 'JT' Thomas on
organ, showcased the instruments along with Fuzzy's powerful vocals. This
is music played and sung the way it was meant to be and "Fuzzy"
Knight knows how to get the best out of his musicians and singers".
John
Mayall’s Bluesbreakers – Live in 1967 Special Double LP Vinyl Coming
October 2 from Forty Below Records
Previously
Unreleased Live Recordings Feature John Mayall, Peter Green, John McVie and
Mick Fleetwood
CD Version of
Album Wins Two Blues Blast Awards in Chicago!
LOS ANGELES – CA – On October 2, Forty Below Records will
release a special double-LP vinyl version of the John Mayall’s
Bluesbreakers – Live in 1967 (Never Before Heard Live Performances)
album that was originally released earlier this year on CD. The LP version was
pressed on 140-gram vinyl and will be released in gatefold form containing
large pictures of John and the band members at the time – Peter Green, John
McVie and Mick Fleetwood - on the inside.
The vinyl LP release comes with breaking news that the
original CD version of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers – Live in 1967 just
won two awards at the 2015 Blues Blast Awards in Chicago on
Friday night, September 25, winning for both “Live Blues Album” and
“Historical/Vintage Album” categories. The annual awards show is presented by Blues
Blast Magazine.
John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers – Live in 1967 showcases
a band that was together for only a scant three months, yet created a lasting
legacy, made an immense impact on music and led to the formation of one of the
most acclaimed groups of all-time when Green, McVie and Fleetwood left to form
Fleetwood Mac.
“Sunken treasure doesn’t get much better.” – Classic
Rock Magazine
“An immersion into musical history.” – Reuters
“A superb document of one of the most important blues-rock
combos of all time.” – Area Wide News
“To attend one of these shows long ago would have been a
momentous experience. To hear these excerpts is no less special.” – Blues
Music Magazine
“If you miss out on getting this cracker of an album you
have only yourself to blame.” – MusicNews.com
John
Mayall’s Bluesbreakers – Live in 1967 VinylLP Track Listing
