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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, Watch Your Step, from Andy Santana & the West Coast Playboys and it's a mover! Opening with Fran and West 50's R&B track, Knock Knock,Santana delivers with a full New Orleans swing. Bob Welsh handles piano in fine form, joined by Anthony Paule on guitar, Kid Andersen bass, Robi Bean takes on the drums and Frankie Ramos hits a hot sax solo. Very nice! Bobby Parker's Watch Your Step has a cool Latin rhythm and Santana carries lead vocal and some really tasty lead guitar. Kid Andersen kits the sax on this track adding some key lines and Nate Ginsberg handles the keys. Dave Bartholomew's swing boogie, Playgirl is a really nice track to feature the fine harp work of Santana. He also takes a great lead guitar solo on this track backed by Kid Andersen as well as Mike McCurdy on bass and Robi Bean on drums. Hot track! ZZ Hills R&B track, One Way Love Affair had some real nice dynamics compliments of Eric Spaulding on sax, Jack Sanford on bari and Manny Angel on trumpet. Santana again takes center stage on guitar laying down some really gritty lead riffs backed by Rusty Zinn. Ginsberg is back on B3 and Mike Phillips lays down some real nice bass lines. Hi steppin R&B track, Love Sickness, penned by Bonny Rice features Bob Welsh on lead guitar Lorenzo Farrell on B3, Phillips on bass, and D'Mar on drums but it's the groove that pumps this track. Gill and Jones', up tempo jump boogie track, You May Not Know, features solid vocals by Santana and again he gets a fine opportunity to hit the harp. Welsh on piano and warm vocal backing by Lisa Leu Andersen add a solid middle as Paule hits it hard on lead guitar solo. Rick Estrin track, No Double Talk, has a 60's rock feel with wild guitar effects from Kid Andersen and keys by Welsh. Chuck Willis' super nice slow blues number, Can't You See, features Santana on some of his strongest vocals and Paule steps up on lead guitar. Farrell's B3 work compliments Paule's extremely tasty guitar riffs with B3 warmth, Welsh pulls out some strong piano lines, Phillips riding on bass and June Core keeps the drums low and tight. Phillips really drives rocker, Take Me Back,on bass and Santana shows his guitar flash once again with cool retro guitar riffs. Very cool! Funky Greaseland, is a cool instrumental with Santana, Paule, Mighty Mike Schermer and Welsh each taking turns at lead guitar. Santana even takes an interesting Moog interlude on this one. Phillips plays a pretty plucky bass line and Core holds down the bottom on drums. Very nice! One of my favorite tracks on the release, You Smell Like Cookies, a straight up Chicago style shuffle. Jammin the harp balanced against Welsh on piano and featuring Paule on lead guitar, this track is really sweet! What's Wrong? has some really interesting components over a basic blues rocker including some cool keyboard tones from Farrell and and surf machine gun guitar from Andersen. Wrapping the release is another Dave Bartholomew R&B track, Go On Fool. A country style guitar riff by Andersen and a hot sax solo by Ramos gives it flair and Spaulding, Sanford and Angel on horns and LL Andersen on percussion and shouts give it a bit of a New Orleans finish. Cool closer to a very enjoyable 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”
Eric Bibb &
JJ Milteau Hit Paydirt on New Lead Belly’s Gold CD, Coming November 6 on
Stony Plain Records
New Album
Includes Live Tracks Recorded at Famed Parisian Jazz Club, The Sunset, Plus New
Studio Recordings
EDMONTON, AB – Stony Plain Records announces a November 6
release date for Lead Belly’s Gold, the new album tribute to the
legendary blues and folk musician from award-winning roots musician Eric Bibb
and acclaimed French harmonica player JJ Milteau. Lead Belly’s Gold features
11 live tracks recorded at famed Paris jazz club, The Sunset, as well as five
new studio recordings.
“It’s hard to remember when I first heard Lead Belly’s music
because, somehow, he’s always been around,” writes Eric Bibb’s in the album’s
liner notes. “Most likely, I heard recordings of others (The Weavers and Woody
Guthrie) singing songs from his huge repertoire before hearing his actual
voice. In any case, I have an early memory from the mid-1950s of listening to a
recording of Lead Belly singing a children’s song, ‘Ha Ha This-a-Way’. At that
time, my dad, Leon, was beginning to make his name known in New York City folk
music circles. He recently told me he remembered hearing Lead Belly perform at
The Village Vanguard in the late 1940s.
So, the soundtrack of my childhood included more than a few
of the great bard’s songs. The sound of his 12-string guitar is part of my DNA.
“What I hear now, when I listen to Lead Belly’s recordings
and YouTube clips, and what I must have sensed when I was a boy, is the man’s
personal power and independence. His sound made it clear that he was his own
man. The fatalism and resignation that I heard later in the voices of many of
my prewar blues heroes was missing in Lead Belly. He was way ahead of his time.
The path he cut through a world that conspired to rob him of his humanity,
dignity and manhood was a personal triumph that will inspire for generations to
come,” adds Bibb.
Indeed, the music of Huddie Ledbetter (aka “Lead Belly”)
that he either wrote or popularized from traditional songs, resonated with
everyone from folk and blues musicians of the 1940s/1950s, to rock and roll
artists starting in the 1960s/1970s and continuing to the present day. Songs
like “Midnight Special” became a part of the set lists of such rock acts as
Creedence Clearwater Revival and Johnny Rivers, to name a few; while classic
tunes “Good Night Irene” and “Rock Island Line” were staples in the repertoire
of folkies such as The Weavers and Woodie Guthrie, and blues performers still
regularly record and perform songs associated with Lead Belly.
“Endowed with an uncommon talent, he generated around his
person a sense of fraternity that awarded him the protective help of the
Lomaxes, favored artistic collaborations with Pete Seeger and other liberals in
the 1940s, and aroused the empathy of the young audiences he loved to
entertain,” states JJ Milteau.
“Yet his main claim to fame is linked to his personal power
and conviction as an interpreter. No one is left unscathed by Lead Belly’s
voice, by the sound of his guitar, both distant and familiar. Only great
artists showcase such timelessness while chronicling their times.
“Working with Eric on this project has been a real treat.
Each and every song came to us in a natural and spontaneous way. The majority
of titles present on this album were recorded live, with or without an
audience, in order to preserve this freshness. I’m looking forward to more
stage performances around this project,” Milteau says.
Lead Belly’s Gold features both material from
the Lead Belly canon, as well as original songs written by Eric Bibb and JJ
Milteau as a salute to their mentor. Additional musicians on the album include
Larry Crockett - drums and percussion; Big Daddy Wilson and Michael Robinson -
backing vocals; Gilles Michel – bass; Glen Scott - drums, bass and Wurlitzer;
and Michael Jerome Browne - 12-string guitar and mandolin.
“Lead Belly was a human jukebox,” summarizes Eric Bibb. “He
knew hundreds of songs that he’d either heard somewhere and adapted, or written
himself. Authorship of many of the songs he sang has long been a controversial
topic of heated debate in folk music circles. What is clear is this: if not for
Lead Belly and the collectors who first recorded him, we might never have heard
many of these timeless songs.
“Jean-Jacques and I chose songs from Lead Belly’s vast
repertoire that we could make our own. We wanted to pay homage to not only a
great musician, but to the rich tradition he embodied. Staying pretty close to
his renditions, we had a lot of fun collaborating on these new arrangements.
I just received the newest release, Mississippi Moderne, from Webb Wilder and it's super! Opening with a short intro, Stones In My Pathway, is a super heavy, swampy, bluesy track. If this was recorded in the early times of Son House or Lightnin' it would still sound gritty and super honest. Excellent! Rough and Tumble Guy is up next, a boogie woogie rocker with a great rhythm track. Wilder takes the lead on some rowdy guitar backed by Jimmy Lester on drums, Tom Comet rompin the bass and Bob Williams on guitar. Excellent! If It Ain't Broke, (Don't Fix It) has a much more rural and laid back feel but with just a touch of funk...boogie if you will. Backing vocals by the McCrary Sisters, Williams and Comet give it a homey feel but Wilder's vocals keep it edgy. Very nice! Only A Fool has a euro pop sound with an easy hook. Not the voice but the style, think the kinks, Todd or E. Costello. The Kinks, I Gotta Move, maintains a real 60's rock sound but with a separate signature from the original. This is a quick paced rocker with wicked guitar rock and a straight ahead drumming. Too Much Sugar For A Nickel is a great pop rocker. If I just heard the track out of context and was asked who wrote it I'd Guess Frank Black...or is that Black Francis (Or Ray and Dave). In any case, I really like it. Very nice with clever guitar riffs surrounding a slick hook and a tight execution. Conway Twitty's Lonely Blue Boy is a super low slung blues rocker. Pushed with it's country honesty, and low keys but really nicely styled guitar riffs, this track is over the top. Mississippi garage band, The One Way Street penned, Yard Dog see's plenty of daylight here with solid delivery, raggedy vocals and tight drumming. Very smart! I'm Not Just Anybody's Fool is really a nice ballad. A strong melody, Micah Hulscher lays out warm organ backing and a melodic guitar work makes this one of the strongest statements on the release. Very nice! Otis Rush's It Takes Time, has a super walking bass line but uptempo from Rush's original. With an almost jazz feel, it has new life in it's sail. You've been waiting for me to say, and he cut's the guitar loose and here it is. Wilder doesn't go nuts but he does play some really crisp, Otis Rush/Peter Green inspired and nicely executed riffs. Super! Frankie Lee Sims' Lucy Mae Blues has a primitive feel but with some more modern sounds creating a eerie tension. Wilder's vocals in echo with basic jangly blues guitar riffs, hi hat and tamborine and snare make this stripped down blues rocker special! Charlie Rich's Who Will The Next Fool Be has an easy country swing feel. Wilder's vocals morph from track to track and continuously surprise me. In this case, rich not thin but an almost Willie Nelson feel. A super nice groove with Hulscher on piano and organ and cal and response guitar work compliments the vocal lead making it one of my favorites on the release. Jimmy Reed's I'm Gonna Get My Baby has a solid boogie feel with Bob Williams adding some slick slide work over a nice rhythm guitar and bass line from George Bradfute. Super groove. Wrapping the release is the return to the beginning and a full blown Stones In My Pathway. This is a powerful recording eliciting the gritty nature of original early blues musicians. It is an excellent conclusion to a strong release of blues based music.
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 (October 16, 2015), The Reverend Shawn Amos Loves You, from The Reverend Shawn Amos and it's funky blues time! Opening with gospel style track, Days of Depression, Amos, on lead vocal is joined by the Blind Boys of Alabama on an old school blues track with only primitive guitar and the sounds of their voices. Very nice! Brand New Man has a much more aggressive rock feel and Chris "Doctor" Roberts grunts out some pretty impressive guitar riffs. Driven by Brady Blade on drums, Lewis Smith on trumpet and Mindi Abair on sax, this track rocks! Slowing down with a little shuffle, Boogie, features Amos on harp and vocals joined by Missy Andersen. Brothers Keeper has a solid R&B feel and Amos lays in a nice blues line on harp. Roberts leads off You're Gonna Miss Me (When I Get Home), a funky track with a solid bottom provided by Chris Thomas. Roberts plays a nicely distorted guitar solo and Amos follows with a cool harp riff which seems to really get him wound up vocally. Cool! Rompin blues track, Joliet Bound has a rudimentary feel with only percussion, guitar and vocal. One of my favorite tracks on the release, this track is solid! Will You Be Mine has a swampy feel with a Mississippi feel enhanced by acoustic slide guitar vamping. Breaking out the harp again, Amos gives the track a heavier blues feel and Anthony Martinelli on keys adds texture. I particularly like Amos' vocals on this track. The Outlaw is a lumbering Chicago style blues with traditional horn and guitar clues. Amos handles lead vocals like a pro and Roberts adds a gritty guitar solo. Horn punctuation by Smith and Abair ride nicely over the bass line of Blade. On Jimmy Reed's Bright, Lights Big City, Abair joins Amos on lead vocal with light snare work and groovy guitar riffs. Amos' harp riffs are balanced by Abair on sax and Martinelli carries the middle on keys. Hollywood Blues opens with solid guitar/bass rhythm and B3 by Hassell Teekell. A shuffle track, Amos leads the way on vocal backed by warm horn work of Smith and Abair. Put Together is a funky track with Roberts reinforcing the rhythm. Amos is very comfortable in this slot and horn work by Abair and Martinelli really boosts the funk. I really like the guitar freedom exercised by Roberts and Amos joins in on harp adding to the improvisational nature but with solid horn lines keeping home base. Very cool! Wrapping the release is The Last Day I'm Loving You, a bluesy ballad with soft and comforting backing vocals by Forever James and Abair, and given a particularly somber feel by added B3 of Teekell. Very nice finish to a well done 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”
NOTED GUITARIST "SMOKIN'" JOE KUBEK PASSES AT AGE 58
Acclaimed
guitarist Smokin' Joe Kubek passed away yesterday while on tour in
North Carolina. He was 58. There's no question why he was given the
nickname "Smokin’." He was one of the hottest electric guitar players
on the blues scene, with the technique and the chops to burn up any
stage.
Kubek was born in Grove City, Pennsylvania in 1956 but grew up in
Irving, Texas. He was leading his own bands and gigging in clubs all
around Dallas when he was a teenager. By the time he was 19, he was
backing many famous blues players in the area, including playing rhythm
guitar behind legend Freddie King for a while, until King's death in
December 1976.
Kubek next worked with R&B singer Al "TNT"
Braggs and made a host of new friends, including Albert King, Stevie Ray
Vaughan (with whom Kubek became close), B.B. King and many other blues
icons.
Kubek didn't hit his stride, however, until he teamed up
with jazz guitarist and singer Bnois King (no relation to Freddie) of
Monroe, Louisiana, in 1989. They developed into a dynamic musical tour
de force, one of the most talented guitar tandems in any genre, who
thrilled music fans all around the world with their red-hot Texas
rockin' blues for twenty-six years. Beginning in 1991 they released a
number of highly-acclaimed recordings, their most recent being Fat Man's Shine Parlor, released earlier this year on Blind Pig Records.
Bnois
said, "He loved the blues. He was always very serious about the music
and the presentation of the music. He had a modern style but he really
studied those old cats. And, he would literally give you the shirt off
his back. He was a great friend."
Label President Edward
Chmelewski said, "Joe was truly one of the good guys, a humble, kind
person and an immensely gifted musician. It's a great loss for all of
us. We feel privileged to have known him and documented his music."
Label
co-founder Jerry Del Giudice added, "He was one of the best guitarists I
ever worked with. His playing was flawless and soulful. I not only
considered him an excellent guitarist, but also a friend. He will be
sorely missed."
Blind Pig publicist Debra Regur, who's worked with Kubek since 2003,
said, "It is with such great sorrow that I write these words for my dear
friend. Joe was an amazing guitar player, producer, and more
importantly - a great friend. Joe was an inspiration to all that met
him. He always had a positive outlook on life. He played every note with
passion - there will never be another like Joe."
To watch Debra's iPhone video of Joe playing guitar at Biscuits and Blues in San Francisco several months ago, please click HERE.
I just received the newest release, Bottle Full Of Blues, from Jeff Fetterman Band and it's quite good! Opening with Paradise, influences of Jimi Hendrix and Texas blues guitarists are readily apparent. Strong driving guitar riffs by Fetterman on the intro develop into a cool funky groove with John McGuire on drums, Ralph Reitinger III on bass and Anthony Brown on keys. This track has a lot of fluidity and Fetterman is definitely comfortable leading this groove. Very nice! On Out Of Time a Bo Diddley beat is twisted with a Texas blues funk. I particularly like the bass growl of Reitinger. Brown steps up with a blanketing keyboard solo and a nice opening for Fetterman to lay out his guitar chops and Judy Kessler, Amy Shallenberger and Bea Antonelli sing precise backing vocals. Southbound has a driving blues rock beat with riding harp work from Otis James. Strongly blended lead and backing vocals as well as a strong melody make this on the the prime radio style tracks on the release. Title track, Bottle Full Of Blues, has a smooth, sultry blues feel highlighting Fetterman's vocals. Nicely constructed and executed, Fetterman plays Gary Moore style, melodic guitar solo lines highlighting the tension of the track. Very nice! Funky Candy puts me in mind of old Isley Brothers with it's guitar intro. A nice blend of vocals with Fetterman, Shallenberger, Kessler and Antonelli, a Prestonesque organ solo from Brown and solid bass lines from Reitinger gives this track an extra spark. Devil's Shuffle is a slick and quick 12 bar number with just a pinch of country. Loosely based on Freddie King's Hideaway and with crisp harp work from James, a tight guitar solo from Fetterman, a rolling piano solo from Brown and a rumbling bass solo from Reitinger, this is a cool instrumental. Talk To Me is an easy rocker with a clever hook. With traces of the Doobie Brothers with it's devilish drumming and clean guitar solos paired with warm backing vocals this track has certain radio potential. The intro on Down & Out has a really cool sound with guitar drone notes and James on harp giving it a pure blues feel. Adding on a Skynyrd swagger, funky shoes and blues harp and the track has a whole different dimension. Fetterman plays one of his longer and more stinging guitar solo's on the release making it one of my favorites on the release. Wash My Blues Away is a warm friendly track with traces of Doobies with it's catchy hook. Brown and Fetterman blend nicely instrumentally and Fetterman's lead vocals, coupled with the smooth backing by Kessler, Shallenberger and Antonelli make for one of the strongest vocal tracks. Wrapping the release is T-Bone & The Ghost. This is a smokin' jam between Reitinger on bass and McGuire on drums...I love it!
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”
Johnny Main of the 44's has posted that Smokin Joe Kubek has suffered a heart attack in his room before his show. He is reportedly passed. I will provide more information as I have it. It is a sad day indeed.
Born in Grove City, Pennsylvania, Kubek grew up in the Dallas, Texas area. In the 1970s during his teen years, he played with the likes of Freddie King and in the 1980s began performing with Louisiana-born singer, Bnois King.
In 1985, Kubek released his first record on Bird Records, a 45 RPM single with the tracks "Driving Sideways" (written by Freddie King and Sonny Thompson) and "Other Side Of Love" (written by Doyle Bramhall, Sr.). The single was executively produced by Clint Birdwell and co-produced by Charley Wirz and Kubek. The two tracks reappeared on Kubek's 2012 album, Let That Right Hand Go, produced by Clint Birdwell and issued on Birdwell's label, Bird Records Texas. The album is a collection of mostly unreleased material recorded since the 1980s (with the 1985 single's track, "Other Side Of Love", entitled "The Other Side Of Love").
In 1991, Kubek released his first full-length album entitled Steppin' Out Texas Style (Bullseye Blues Records) and has since released over a dozen albums on various labels.
Don't miss the FREE Bukka White Blues Festival next
weekend, October 16th & 17th!
Held in Aberdeen, Mississippi at the beautiful Blue
Bluff Recreation Area on Lock & Dam Road along the banks of the
Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway
Enjoy
live Mississippi Blues including Kenny Brown, Big George Brock,
Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Lightnin Malcolm, Duwayne
Burnside, Bill "Howlin' Mad" Perry & many more!
Enter the Ribs on the River Barbecue Rib Contest with over $2,500 in
prizes!
Plenty
of kids activities including a petting zoo, bounce houses and an
animal show featuring animals of the rain forest! Rent a kayak
or dock your boat! Enter your pet in the Rover on the River Pet
Costume Parade! Arts & Crafts / Informational Booth applications
still accepted! Beautiful Mississippi October blue skies on green
grass!
I just received the newest release, Must Be Crazy, from Andy Poxon and it's terrific. I had reviewed Poxon's earlier releases, most recently Red Roots. and I can tell you without question the kid is getting better by leaps and bounds! Opening with the title track, You Must Be Crazy, Poxon is smoking right out of the gate. With a hell of a swagger and killing the Elmore James riff, this track is super. Poxon, who plays lead guitar and takes lead on vocal, is joined by keyboard ace, Kevin McKendree and the connection is golden. Poxon sounds really relaxed but plays with fiery intensity. I've heard comparisons drawn to Johnny Lang but I'd say shoot higher...say Sean Costello! Kenneth Blevins on drums, Steve Mackey on bass and Jim Hoke on sax makes this one powerful opener. Living Alone is a mid paced boogie woogie track featuring a more vocal feel and McKendree showing his fine piano flair. Kicker jump track, Next To You, really moves and Poxon pulls out some really hot riffs. Sit still listening to this one...can't do it! Excellent! Radio oriented track, Give Me The Chance, adds the McCrary Sisters on key backing vocals. Poxon only shows a few flashes of guitar spark but with solid lead vocals and certain piano body delivers a nice air track. Slow cooker, Cold Weather, opens with really excellent blues guitar articulation. Playing heart felt guitar lead against his solid vocals, this track stands out as one of the top tracks on the release. Ouch! With a definite R&B/New Orleans kind of sound, Don't Tell Your Mama, gets a super sax push from Hoke over McKendree's fancy finger work. Soulful ballad, Harder Everyday, has such a warm sound between sax and the backing vocals of the McCrary Sisters it almost sounds fully orchestrated at times. Nicely written with a solid melody, this could be a cross radio track as well. Very nice! With a light jazz touch, I Want To Know, shows Poxon's understanding of vocal phrasing and certain maturity. Solid sax work from Hoke gives the track a definite boost and Poxon steps back up with some really nicely executed guitar soloing. Very cool! On Already Gone, Poxon shows a nice blend of Cornelius Brothers style soul and country rock for a unique ballad. His vocals, blended nicely with McKendree on keys makes for a very solid track. Making A Fool is another track with a bit of New Orleans feel and McKendree is just the guy to roll the piano. Poxon injects tight guitar riffs into the roll this time and Blevins nicely jazzes up the bottom on drums with a solid bass line from Mackey. Very nice! Don't Tell Me What To Do is a cleverly disguised blues track with an almost soul feel vocally but with only faint cues to it's exact intention. McKendree injects organ giving it a gospel feel and Poxon's own guitar work having more of a rhythmic country feel. A subtle guitar solo gives definite blues intention leaving you with an overall feel of solid work. Light jazzy number, Too Late, has a real nice feel and showcasing Poxon's vocals, McKendree on piano and strummed chords on guitar gives this track an absolute platform for lush jazz/blues style guitar soloing. Sweet! Wrapping the release is Rebound, an easy paced instrumental with it's blend of country style guitar picking and jazz inflections. Addition of Yates McKendree on organ and a bright melody makes this a solid conclusion to a top flight new 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, The Ragpicker String Band by Mary Flower, Rich DelGrosso and Martin Grosswendt and it's refreshing. Opening with Walter Vinson's Honey Babe, Martin takes the lead on vocals and guitar with Mary on harmony and slide and Rich on harmony and mandolin. Nicely blended vocals, warm slide and clean mando work makes for a super opener. Lil Johnson's Minor Blues features Mary on lead vocals and she does a really nice job grabbing the tension of the original. A tight mando solo by Rich and Mary's guitar accompaniment enriched by Martin on fiddle rounds out the track. Contemporary Google Blues by Rich Lyons, features DelGrosso on lead vocal and mando. Martin's bottleneck slide work on this track is really sweet and Mary rounds out the track with clean guitar riffs. Very nice! A change in perspective altogether with Thelonious Monk's, Blue Monk... rag style. Mary on guitar, Martin on slide and Rich on mando...very nice! Sleepy John Estes' Clean Up At Home is a cool track featuring lead mando and vocal by Martin. Mary compliments on guitar with a nicely executed solo and vocal and Rich on vocal and mandola. JW Routh's Motel Towel has really rich vocal harmonies behind Rich on lead vocal and mandola. Mary's lap slide playing is really stylistically nice and Martin also adds guitar. Mary's own composition, Baby Where You Been, of course features Mary on vocal and guitar. With a 40's flavor and backed by Martin on mando, Rich takes a really nice resonator solo. Another Sleepy John track, Black Mattie, is one of my favorites on the track. Rich's mandola work on this track is particularly cool backed by Mary on guitar and Rich on slide. Another Walter Vinson track, Lonely One In This Town, is a cool period piece reminding me quite a bit of the Red Clay Ramblers. Rich vocals highlighted by Martin on fiddle makes this a standout track. One of DelGrosso's originals, By Your Side, has a little bit of an island feel but still remaining in the folk blues realm. Rich on lead vocal and mandola is really nicely complimented by Mary's slide work on this track. Another Sleepy John track, Milk Cow Blues is one that I was introduced to long before I knew of Estes by Ry Cooder. Love Estes but have a particularly soft spot for those early Cooder releases and this track has a similar mandolin riff by Martin as played by Cooder. Mary takes the primary guitar solo on this one and Rich compliments on Mandola. Very nice! An excellent take on Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning is offered up here and Mary does her best lead vocal on this track. Accompanying herself on guitar with Martin and Rich adding warm backing vocals, this is one of my release favorites. Another DelGrosso original, Street Doctor Blues, has a real Estes sound and Rich's lead vocals and especially his mando work really make this track breathe. Mary's slide work on this track is really slick and Martin supports on guitar. Mary penned the closer, Bruno's Dream, a real nice instrumental featuring her on slide, Martin on guitar and Rich on mando. This is a really clean track and a super closer to a honest release. Excellent!
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”
