Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the debut release, No Glass Shoes , from Ally Venable Band and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with Trainwreck , a cool track with a solid walking bass line by Zach Terry, Ally Venable takes the lead on vocal and guitarist Bobby Wallace simmers nicely. Title track, No Glass Shoes , has a bluesy basis with a strong guitar and bass vamp. Elijah Owings keeps the bottom tight on drums and Venable's vocals are sassy. Boogie track, Woke Up This Mornin' , has a great driving bass line with call and response guitar riffs. Wise Man has a cocky, Junior Wells feel and Venable grinds her vocals, displaying her guitar licks backed by Randy Wall on keys. On Junior Wells, Messin With The Kid , her vocals have edge and her guitar playing shows adventure. Too Much Too Soon has a really solid, bass line and features Steve Krase on harp. A super track, may be my favorite on the release. Wrapping the release is the Chris Smither track, Love Me Like...

I just received the newest release, It's All Nothing from Wendy Rich and it's a fine blend of rock, funk and country. Opening with Back To Zero , a cool funky rocker, Wendy Rich sets a strong pace with funky bass lines from Mark Andes, stinging guitar riffs from Kenny Cordray, Tyson Sheth on drums, Paul English on keys and sassy sax work by Eric Demmer. On ballad, Love and Happiness , Rich digs deep in a country/gospel style with warm key work by English. A really tasty guitar solo by Cordray sets the track off nicely. With even more country in the mix, Welcome Home is set for strong radio presence. Nicely mixed vocals really cement the deal on this one. Ballad, Losin' You has a country ballad feel with a bluesy taste. Amping up her vocals with contrasting guitar work by Rob McNelley and Kevin McKendree on organ gives this track nice oomph. Song About Nothing has a real cool swampy feel featuring Cordray on slide and with a cool bass line by Andes and tight drums by S...

DAVID BROMBERG BAND "The Blues, The Whole Blues, and Nothing But the Blues"   Out Today Stream "Walkin' Blues"    "The album solidifies Bromberg's legacy as an American music icon in his own right." -  Music Aficianado "Bromberg has never sung better.. his guitar still gets its licks in, too, whether it’s an electric slide on the Chicago-style original “You Don’t Have to Go," or an acoustic on Ray Charles' "A Fool for You." -   Associated Press Dubbed “an American music icon” (Dr. John),  David Bromberg,  whose incredible career includes collaborations with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Emmylou Harris, Jerry Garcia, Bonnie Raitt, Carly Simon, The Eagles, and so many more, will release  The Blues, The Whole Blues and Nothing But The Blues  on  October 14, his first release with  Red House Records (available on CD,...

I just had the opportunity to review the new release, Last of the Mississippi Juke Joints, a film by Robert Mugge and it's really interesting. This film chronicled the days of Jimmy King's legendary Subway Lounge in Jackson Mississippi and the early days of Morgan Freeman's and Bill Luckett's Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale Mississippi, a heartfelt attempt at recapturing the spirit of fading juke joint traditions. This film documents interviews with Morgan Freeman and Bill Luckett and Dick Waterman, famed music photographer. The first live set is with Alvin Youngblood Hart with Sam Carr and Anthony Sherrod. Hart's performance is super as always with a great voice and pure slide techniques. Showing the real flavor of a juke joint, Luckett and Freeman point out beer signs, pool tables, antiques signs, flea market tables, mis matched table cloths and catfish sandwiches, all the things that make a juke joint feel authentic. This is no city blues club. This is t...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues Heart Attack,  from The Jeremiah Johnson Band and it has swagger! Opening with Mind Reader , a blues rocker with great guitar tone and great vocal harmonies, this track is a great opener. With it's country flare Johnson leads on vocal and guitar with Jeff Girardier on bass and backing vocal, Benet Schaeffer on drums and Nathen Hershey on keys. Super opener. Lumbering along, Room Of Fools brings to mind the best of Humble Pie with it's super rocking blues feel and a solid underlying guitar riff. I really like this track with it's ringing chords and Johnson's almost pleading vocals. Very cool. Flat Line has a jazzy edge with a cool walking bass line by Girardier, piano by Hershey and sax by Frank Bauer. Even Johnson's country rock guitar style feels light and airy. Very nice. With more of a country twist, Get It In The Middle is a great boogie with a solid bottom and Johnson's fingers danc...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Old Habits Die Hard , from No Sinner and it's a solid rocker. Opening with All Woman, Colleen Rennison, lead vocalist takes the reins and never looks back. With a lot of attitude, modern day female Jim Morrison, Rennison, backed by guitarists, Eric Campbell, Adam Sabla and Scott Smith, Matt Camirand on bass and exceptional drumming by Ian Browne sets the pace. On Leadfoot , a driving track with roots in English metal and blues, this track is heavy footed with Browne stomping it and interesting guitar riffs floating. Very cool. Tryin' has a lighter, more pop kind of feel. Rennison's vocals are clear and this track has all of the characteristics of a radio hit. Saturday Night is a hard rocker with plenty of kick drum and rock and roll guitar riffs. Shifting gears a few times, this track melds the Ramones with Joan Jett. Bluesy ballad, Hollow , really gives Rennison a wide open road to show off her vocal stren...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live In Europe , from Doug Macleod and it's a quiet, up close and personal concert with a super performer. Opening with acoustic boogie, I Want You , Macleod hammers on his resonator and belts out the blues. If you don't know Macloud, this is it man. On Black Magic , we hear more of a modern delta style with acoustic slide. More dramatic, Ain't The Blues Evil , has a modern feel but dark delta roots. With understated vocals and Muddy Waters like guitar riffs, this is one of my favorites on the release. The New Panama Ltd. is a cool folk blues track with great train guitar action and over 14 minutes of spoken story lines. Very cool. Home Cookin' is a really cool blues rumble along the lines of Sweet Home Chicago. With Macleod's witty delivery and gritty guitar work, this is a crowd favorite. Cold Rain is a real nice blues number with traditional resonator blues riffs. Macleod's slide playing and...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Take It Off , from Kurt Crandall and it touches a lot of the broad spectrum called blues. Opening with revival like track, 8th Event , vocalist / harpist, Crandall leads the way with a deep silky voice supported by Karl Angerer on guitar, Billy Heid on keys, Aaron Binder on drums and Rusty Farmer. On Take It Off , Crandall shows his sense of humor discussing male pattern baldness with a New Orleans flair. Tight little drum riffs by Binder set the stage and Crandall's vocals and harp work are tight. On jump blues, Can't Dance , the band is really swinging. With cool harp tone and classic vocal style these guys sound like a modern day Louis Jordan. Cool backing vocals by Jaisson Taylor and Lester "Duck" Warner really soup up the track and sweet guitar riffs by Karl Angerer are super. A walking bass line by Binder and tasty organ work by Heid set the mood on Loser , a real nice jazzy blues. Both Heid and ...

I just received the newest release, Cold Outside , from Bill Johnson and it's got real style! Opening with Baggage Blues , Johnson jumps on it with a cool loping blues. His own vocals are as smooth as silk and David Vest's piano work is excellent, backed by Rick Erickson on bass and Ross Hall on drums. On boogie track, Nine Dollar Bill , I really like Johnson's vocals and his guitar riffs are fluid and sprite. Darcy Phillips' piano work dresses the track nicely making this a really cool one. Night Train has a definite cowboy sound with train rhythm drums and low octave guitar. Johnson's guitar soloing has a trace of Mark Knopler and his accent guitar work is cleverly woven into the track. Title track, Cold Outside , again has a bit of a cowboy feel with western style slide guitar over ringing cowboy chords. Delivered work vocals, not unlike Johnny Cash, gives this track a humble feel. True Love has an almost 40's sound but definite blues framework. Blues sli...

I just received the newest release, On Down The Road from JL Fulks and I really like it. Opening with The River , Fulks sets the stage with a meaty double stop sound on his guitar and his own vocals backed by solid backing vocals by Rachel Brown. Driving rock drums work by Ian Jones and tasty bass work by Ken Burgner complimented nicely by Muggie Doo on B3 leads into a well executed guitar solo. Very cool. Snappy drum riffs by Jones opens title track, On Down The Road , a Matt Schofleid compiosition. Fulks has really learned to keep his guitar in check and uses his lead vocals to direct the track, adding really well executed guitar soloing by Schofield and his own to complete his expressions. Excellent! Slow blues number, I Believe In Love , gives Fulks the opportunity to show his metal with his guitar. His phrases are well composed and fluid showing maturity and patience. Very nice! On Honey, Ain't That Love , Fulks backs off to an easy shuffle and more primitive styling. Wit...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Get Up & Shake It from The King Brothers and it's quite good. Opening with Muddy Waters', Rock Me Baby , lead vocalist and guitarist, Lee King leads the way. With a mildly funky blues feel, Al Threats plucks his bass giving the track a tight strut, with Ellis Hall on keys and Sam King on drums. Kings guitar riffs are sure footed and clear and Threats bass work is super. On original track, Just Driving Around , the band sets a really nice groove that is infectious. With Threats walking tall on bass and Lee taking the lead line on guitar this track has real guts. One of my favorites on the release, a very cool instrumental. On Leiber and Stoller's Hound Dog , the Kings give it a different feel with an interesting bottom thanks to Threats and Sam. Lee's vocals are spot on and his guitar work nicely supportive. Willie Dixon's Hootchie Cootchie Man has a low slung blues feel with real nice bass lines...

I just received the newest release, Out From The Center , from Bruce Katz Band and it's smokin'! Opening with hot piano boogie, Don't Feel So Good Today , Katz leads the way on piano and Chris Vitarello has the lead on vocal and guitar. Peter Bennett plays a driving bass line and Ralph Rosen has drums. Excellent! Schnapps Man is a really cool jazz influenced instrumental with a killer beat. Katz has great chops surrounded by a super weave of guitar, drums and bass. WOW! Slow blues, The Struggle Inside is a really nice showcase for Vitarello on guitar and vocal. This is a beautiful 7 plus minute composition with plenty of room for Katz to solo and Rosen''s work on drums is nothing short of crisp. Very nice! Blues From High Point Mountain is a jazz /blues blend with powerful bones. Katz shows not only his skillful manner on the keys but also his soulful riffs. Vitarello lays the track open with some excellent riffs of his own making this one of my favorite trac...

I just received the newest release (October 7, 2016), Blues Karma and the Kitchen Sink , from Charlie Wheeler Band and it's an interesting mix of contemporary music. Opening with pop rocker, People Keep On Talkin' , Charlie Wheeler who leads on vocal and guitar sets the pace and Dave Fink and Rad Akers hold down the bottom on bass and drums respectively. Tight. On Shiver , I really like the plucky bass lines of Fink on this spacey rocker. One Of These Days has a little bit of country flare with traces of the Doobies. Certain radio track with a good hook and snappy drums. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Flicker Away , has a heavy footed rock beat with it's feet in the blues. With solid vocals, a good hook and slick guitar work, this track is tops. P romise of Daylight is another track that catches my attention with hot guitar riffs and a real nice bass line. Wheeler's vocals are spot on giving this track multi station appeal. Another blues rocker, Love Y...

Last Of The Mississippi Jukes Special Edition DVD coming  on 10/21 Robert Mugge's stunning exploration of fading juke joint traditions at the heart of  Mississippi blues culture, with Morgan Freeman "American roots music at its most soulful and authentic. Excellent." -  Boston Phoenix "This wonderful documentary [is] a definite good buy for blues fans." -  Jazz & Blues Report "One of the most important Mississippi music films ever made." -  Planet Weekly (Jackson, MS)  LAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI JUKES is Robert Mugge's exploration of Mississippi juke joints, the rustic, often dilapidated music venues where, early in the last century, itinerant blues musicians played for plantation workers and others, creating a powerful new music which soon migrated to Memphis, St. Louis, Chicago, Kansas City, Detroit, and elsewhere. Of course, even as thi...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Grit Grease & Tears from Deb Ryder and it's quite good. Opening with Ain't Gonna Be Easy , a smooth driving jazz track, Ryder steps up big time on lead vocals backed by Tony Braunagel on drums, Ric Ryder on bass and the great Mike Finnegan on Hammond. Johnny Lee Schell is wicked on guitar with some really hot riffs and the horn section, Joe Sublett on sax and Darrell Leonard on trumpet really top it off. Get A Little Steam Up is a cool high stepper with Ryder sharing lead vocals with Sugarray Rayford. This track has a great groove and Kirk Fletcher and Johnny Lee Schell sharing guitar lead. Very nice. Boogie rocker, Blink Of An Eye , features some real nice slide work by Schell and heavy drum riffs by Braunagel. Title track, Grit Grease & Tears is a lumbering soul rocker with especially warm harp work by Bob Corritore and a simple, solid drum work from Braunagel. R&B track, Sweet Mary Anne , is a ...

I just received the most recent release, Can't Shake This Feeling , from Lurrie Bell and it's a big helping of Chicago blues. Opening with Blues Is Trying To Keep Up With Me , Lurrie Bell opens with a flash. Handling lead vocal and guitar, he is joined by Roosevelt Purifoy on keys, Matthew Skoller on harp, Melvin Smith on bass and Willie Hayes on drums. A cool shuffle track, Bell airs our his guitar and Purifoy dazzles as well on piano leading up to Skoller who takes it home. On upbeat, Drifting , Bell really gets a great groove going. His vocals are powerful and Purifoy's harp work is tight. Slowing it down a bit, I Get So Weary , shows Bell on some of his most expressive guitar riffs on the release. This track is smoking! On stripped down, One Eyed Woman , Bell and Skoller pretty much handle the instrumentation making it a real simple and effective track. Very nice. Excellent blues track, The Worrisome Feeling In My Heart , is propelled by really soulful vocals by Bel...

I just received the newest release (September 30, 2016), What's The Rush? , from Tracy K and it has a strong radio slant. Opening with Latin influenced, Everybody Wants , with it's cool beat, features Tracy K on harp and lead vocals, Leonard Shaw on keys and horns with exceptional rhythm by Vaughan Poyser on bass and George Demeduk on drums. Jason Nowicki really tears it up on guitar giving the track an extra zing. Nice opener. Stripped down blues track, I Got The Honey , features Jamie Steinhoff on dobro and Tracy on vocal and harp. With it's true to the form nature, it should appeal to true blues lovers for sure. What Tomorrow Brings follows the blues formula with solid chord changes but integrates country harmonies and modern blues guitar runs. Very nice. Heartstrung has thick flavor of New Orleans with Shaw providing a super piano drive and Ty Rogers on drums and Nenad Zdjelar on bass pushing the beat. Tracy tells the story vocally with clever innuendo and Terry Ben...

PEACH AND THE ALMOST BLUES BAND RELEASE NEW ALBUM "A NIGHT IN COPENHAGEN"        Peach and the Almost Blues Band announce the release of their new album "A Night In Copenhagen" (Magic Music).      During February of 2016 American blues singer and guitarist Peach Reasoner returned to Copenhagen to play with her band at her favorite club, the cozy Café Bartof. Club owners Joacim “Jokke” Friss Holm and Charlotte Bertelsen had graciously agreed that recording equipment could be brought for a live recording session.   Peach and The Almost Blues Band invited keyboard player and composer Ken Stange (Joe Cocker, Roger Miller, Jose Feliciano) to come over for the recording. Ken Stange had played with PEACH for many years in her Los Angeles band. Ken plays piano, organ and harp. The result of the live recording is called "A Night in Copenhagen". Du...