BE! Records and Bear Family present three deluxe box sets of regional Americana music, photos, and artist information

BE! Records, a German independent record label exclusively distributed through Bear Family Records, presents... The Texas Box, The Michigan Box, and The Florida Box deluxe CD box sets coming February 10th BE! Records, a German independent record label exclusively distributed through Bear Family Records, will release three regionally-focused Americana box sets on February 10th via MVD Entertainment Group: The Texas Box, The Michigan Box, and The Florida Box. THE TEXAS BOX ($275) 330 tracks on 10 CDs, 1950s & early 60s Rockabilly / Garage Rock The Texas Box is a fabulous collection of essential Texas singles - Rare Rockabilly, wild instrumentals and garage rockers, featuring hundreds of Texas acts from a well researched circle of local independent labels. The massive hardcover book presents the original 7" labels, rare pictures, informations about the artists, producers and record companies, and collector's guides for every song. The box includes ten CDs in jewel-cases, jam-packed with a mass of 330 tracks, remastered from the best available sources. The Texas Box can be ordered at the MVD Shop or on Amazon. Track listing, hi res cover art, and additional images, can be found HERE. THE MICHIGAN BOX ($275) 10 CD 12'' x 12'' box set with 208-page hardcover book Following The Texas Box is the The Michigan Box, another fabulous collection of rare rockabilly, wild instrumentals and rockers, featuring hundreds of Michigan acts from independent labels like FORTUNE, CLIX, BON MUSIQUE, STRATE-8, HI-Q, HAPPY HEARTS, D-TOWN and many more. The stunning hardcover book presents the original 7" labels, information about the artists, producers and record companies, and collector's guides for every song. Also included: essays on Michigan studios and famed legends like Joe Von Battle, Johnny Powers and Dr. Ross. The Michigan Box can be ordered at the MVD Shop or on Amazon. Track listing, hi res cover art, and additional images, can be found HERE. THE FLORIDA BOX ($250) Greasy, primitive, stompin', rockin' goodies from the Sunshine State Following The Texas Box and The Michigan Box comes The Florida Box, an amazing assemblage  of rare rockabilly, wild instrumentals and rockers, featuring hundreds of Sunshine State acts from independent labels like Blue Sky, Mida, Chart, Tridec, Gulfstream, Dade and many more. The stunning hardcover book presents the original 7'' labels, information about the artists, producers and record companies, and collector's guides for every song. If you're looking for prime greasy, primitive, stompin', rockin' goodies from the Sunshine State then you've got ten hours of the finest ahead of you! The box includes 8 CDs in jewel-cases, jam-packed with nearly 250 tracks, remastered from the best available sources. The Florida Box can be ordered at the MVD Shop or on Amazon.

Sarah Shook & the Disarmers sign with Bloodshot Records + Sidelong out on 4/28

Sarah Shook & the Disarmers sign with Bloodshot Records + Sidelong to be released on 4/28 Chapel Hill, NC natives Sarah Shook & the Disarmers have signed with Bloodshot Records and will release their album Sidelong on April 28. The band is also working on a brand new album for release in 2018. Sarah Shook & the Disarmers have been heralded by No Depression, Alternate Root, and Rolling Stone Country, with the last saying, “Honest to a fault and as foul-mouthed as a drunken sailor, she's a nonconforming spitfire who's proud of not fitting in with mainstream country music.” PRE-ORDER LINK: https://www.bloodshotrecords.com/album/sidelong PopMatters announced the signing and release, saying, "Yeah, they’re a country band, but not of the sort currently dominating the mainstream Nashville country scene. Sarah Shook and the Disarmers are outsiders and proud of it." SoundCloud link to “Keep the Home Fires Burnin’”: https://soundcloud.com/bshq/keep-the-home-fires-burnin-by-sarah-shook-the-disarmers-1/s-OSV6C SS&tD will be touring in 2017, including their first trip down to SXSW, where they will perform at Bloodshot’s annual showcase and Yard Dog day party. All additional dates are included below or on SS&tD’s tour dates page. 2/24 Wake Forest, NC - Rockin the Forest 2/25 Raleigh, NC - Kings - WKNC benefit 5/19 Beaufort, NC - Beaufort Music Festival 5/20 Beaufort, NC - Beaufort Music Festival Current dates: https://www.bloodshotrecords.com/tours-events/15493         Sidelong track listing: Keep the Home Fires Burnin' The Nail Heal Me Sidelong No Name Dwight Yoakam Misery Without Company Solitary Confinement Nothin' Feels Right But Doin' Wrong Fuck Up Make It Up to Mama Road That Leads to You

Alvon Johnson - The Blues Chose Me - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Blues Chose Me, from Alvon Johnson and I really like it! Opening with I Love The Blues, an easy laid Piedmont style blues, Alvon shows a voice so rich it calls comparison to Nat Cole. With Alvon on guitar and backed by Mike Rinta on trombone, Billy Moe and DMar on drums, Ron Perry on bass and Felton Pilate and Karen Richards on backing vocals it's a real nice opener. Title track, The Blues Chose Me, has a solid bass line with nicely phrased guitar riffs under satin smooth vocals with just the right amount of sting. Very nice. Heaven has a jazzier feel somewhat in the Walter Wolfman Washington style with backing keys by Felton C. Pilate II and James McKinney and nice bass groove by Perry. Alvon's guitar work is really excellent. Bluesy and articulate this track is very strong! Breakfast In Bed is the sure fire R&B style radio track. Think Marvin Gaye meets George Benson on style but with Alvon's rich vocals and trumpet backing by Tom Poole. Son House's Death Letter is redone with a more modern and smooth styling but maintaining a foot stomping rhythm and slide guitar. With only tambourine accompaniment, this track has a different life altogether due to Alvon's vocals, warm electric guitar chords and the addition of Adds Tolling's intense violin work under the track. Very nice. Frustrations is a cool modern blues rocker with a particularly nice melody. Heavy undertones on bass and guitar, give the track an almost Skillings/Vernon Reid metal - hip hop feel. Very cool work. Wrapping the release is Look At The World with it's funky bottom. Alvon's vocal blending with pilate and the ripping guitar work on this track make it an absolutely smoking closer. This is not a traditional blues release but it is really hot!

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Hardcore Sex - You Greasy Devil - New Release Review

1. I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, You Greasy Devil, by Hardcore Sex and it's raw and real and I like it. Opening with Clarksdale, a modern stripped down blues, Bear Ryan wails the lyrics and plays drums and Brian Johnson has super saturated and distorted guitar, not dissimilar but not the same as early The Black Keys with heavy blues and punk edge. This is great! Sister has a soulful vocal line by Ryan and Johnson's slide work is fatter than fat with a catchy guitar vamp and showing a band that is just loose enough to give it a rag tag feel but tight enough to keep you glued. Down My Throat takes raw to the next level with overt sexual lyrics that give the raw bluesy feel even more edge. This duo takes the blues as close to punk as I've heard it and has super aural presence. Great guitar tone man! Excellent! Wrapping the release is Tiger Meat ,a led footed blues rocker with a really wide girth and erotic lyrics. This band knows how to hold it down and hammer it home. Excellent debut! Check it out!!

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VizzTone Records artist: Tim Gartland - If You Want A Good Woman - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, If You Want A Good Woman, from Tim Gartland and it's quite good! Opening with shuffle track, What The Blues Look Like, Tim Gartland establishes a solid foundation as lead singer and harp man with strong slide work from Tom Brett and nice backing vocals by Wendy Moten. Kevin McKendree adds cool keys and Steve Mackey on bass and Lynn William on drums fill out the band. Latin salted R&B track, I Had It All, has a smooth feel and a nice showcase for Gartland on vocal and harp as well as Brett on slide. Bluesy ballad, I Come When You Call, has a real nice pace with nice solos by Tom West, McKendree, and Gartland on harp. I really like the shimmery guitar work of Brett on this track giving it an iridescence. Funky instrumental, Eight Ball, is a really cool jam with lead harp on the melody, nice bass work under the track and cool solo lines by West, Brett and McKendree. Another track with a funky rhythm, If That's What You Call Love, is one of my favorites with cool vocals by Gartland and Moten and super slide work by Brett over the keys of West and McKendree and tight harp work by Gartland. Very nice! Too Many Groceries is a bouncy little track with warm backing vocals by Molten and really tasty slide guitar work by Brett over a tight bass line by Mackey. With a Willie Dixon approach, Willie That's Who is a real cool track. Mackey sets the pace with a solid bass line and McKendree and West set down nice keys. William's drum work on this one is the coolest on the release and again I really like the slide work of Brett. Wrapping the release is Go West, a two step NO flavored track with lead harp and a rock guitar rhythm. Lighting up the slide again, Brett really hits it fueling a nice close by Gartland. Really nice closer for a really nice release.


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Tom Letizia Records artist: Gaetano Letizia & The Underworld Blues Band - Ressurection - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Resurrection, from Gaetano Letizia & The Underworld Blues Band and it's quite interesting. Opening with title track, Resurrection, Gaetano Letizia shows you right up front that you are in for something special. Gaetano, who plays guitar and sings, is joined by Larry Keller on bass, Steve Renko on drums, Bill Ransom on percussion, Bob Esterle on sax, Mike Fisher on trumpet, Tim Keehn on trombone and Robin Stratton on vocal. A dynamic guitar intro unfolds into a jazzy, laid back shuffle with Letizia twisting the blues on his guitar as only he can do. Very nice. Old Guitar Player has a really nice drum line compliments Renko and Keller's bass work sets the tempo. Letizia's vocals are straightforward and his guitar playing fleet and stylistic. Very nice! Latin infused, Hot and Cold Woman, really moves and with Mike Fisher popping up the top on trumpet. Letizia's vocals are crisp and his rhythm guitar tight. His soloing on this track is slick and meaty. Keller and Renko set a solid bottom on Standing By The Door and Letizia injects a jazzy funk. Sit back and watch the sparks fly as this guy runs his solo lines and breathe easy listening to how nicely paired Keller and Renko are as they get wound up. On Nothin To Me, has a smoky feel with a heavy bottom and cool riffs. Mr. Bad Luck is a hot slow blues number with really nice guitar runs and blues phrasing, backed by Esterle, Keehn and Fisher. Very nice! Another track with a dash of Latin, Sylvester Loved The Ladies, features Ransom and Keller under Letizia's vocals. Esterle and Fisher cruise along nicely adding nice warmth and Letizia's Spanish style guitar riffs are well articulated. Heaven Or Hell had a funky feel with nice lines from Keller and Letizia's lead vocals nicely backed by Stratton. His guitar work is quick and interesting. Wrapping the release is Ascension, a rockin shuffle with ripping guitar lead, broken by nice jazz chords. This release shows several diverse influences fused into one power packed release. Check it out. It's way cool.




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Jongleur artist: Jim Koeppel - RSVP To Paradise - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, RSVP to Paradise by Jim Koeppel. Opening with Johnny's In The Dog House, an easy going shuffle track, Jim Koeppel leads on guitar and vocal. Backed by Tennyson Stephens on piano, Welton Gile on bass, James Gadson on drums, Ron Haynes on trumpet, Rajiv Halim on tenor sax, Norman Palus on trombone, and featuring some real nice harp by Billy Branch, this track is a cool opener. On easy blues number, Hurry Sundown, Koeppel lays down some of his best vocal and guitar riffs along with Stephens on piano over a nice horn set. On title track, RSVP To Paradise, Gile sets a nice table with a romping bass line. Koeppel gets aggressive on guitar with some stinging guitar riffs over Gile's solid bass line and Daddy G Bargetenn slips in a real nice sax solo of his own. Another easy shuffle track, Every Night Without Warning features a real nice piano solo by Stephens as well as some nice trumpet adds by Haynes. Wrapping the release is Let Me Tell You, a fast shuffle with a driving bass line by Gile. Light fingered guitar riffs by Koeppel, a nice harp solo by Branch and a solid blues bottom make this my favorite track on the release.




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QUEBEC BLUES ARTISTS SWEEP MAPLE BLUES AWARDS

QUEBEC BLUES ARTISTS SWEEP MAPLE BLUES AWARDS The Paul DesLauriers Band and Angel Forrest win multiple awards The fast-paced performance rich gala featured a moving memorial tribute to the late John Mays (Fathead), Brian Cober and past Blues With A Feeling Award Winner Bob Walsh (January 23, 2017) Toronto, ON – Canadian blues artists from coast-to-coast were honoured by their peers at the 20th Annual Maple Blues Awards gala in Toronto last night as a crowd of blues lovers gathered to celebrate Canadian blues at Koerner Hall.   Quebec blues artists swept the awards with honours going to trio The Paul DesLauriers Band who won Entertainer of the Year, Electric Act of the Year, Drummer of the Year for Sam Harrisson, and Bassist of the Year for Greg Morency. Blues belter Angel Forrest took home three awards including Female Vocalist of the Year, Recording/Producer of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. The Blues With A Feeling Award for lifetime achievement was awarded to Stephen Barry, who has been a fixture on the Quebec blues scene for over 40 years. Montreal-based Frankie Thiffault of Ben Racine Band took home the hardware for Horn Player of the Year.   British Columbia blues artists were well recognized with awards going to David Gogo for Guitarist of the Year, Harpdog Brown for Harmonica Player of the Year and Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne for Piano or Keyboard Player of the Year. Other winners at the sold-out gala event were Manitoba’s Big Dave McLean for Acoustic Act of the Year, Ontario’s 17-year old newcomer Spencer MacKenzie for New Artist or Group of the Year, New Brunswick’s Matt Andersen for Male Vocalist of the Year, and Joe Bonamassa for International Artist of the Year. Edmonton’s Cam Hayden, a long-time broadcaster on CKUA and co-founder of the Edmonton Blues Festival was presented with the Blues Booster of the Year award, a very special Maple Blues Award honouring outstanding contribution to the Canadian blues music industry.   In addition to the Maple Blues Awards, the third annual Cobalt Prize Contemporary Blues Composition Award was handed out last night to Ann Vriend for her song “All That I Can”, with runners up Michael Kaeshammer for his song “Sweet Grace" and The Harpoonist And The Axe Murderer for their song "Father's Son”. A cash prize of $1000 was presented to Vriend with second and third place winners each receiving $250, courtesy of the benefactor The Unicorn Project.   Hosted by Steve Marriner of MonkeyJunk, the 20th annual Maple Blues Awards included outstanding performances from nominees past and present, including Calgary’s Tim Williams, Toronto’s Sugar Brown and Shakura S’Aida, British Columbia’s Michael Kaeshammer and the evening’s big winners, The Paul DesLauriers Band along with the awards gala house band, The Maple Blues Band.   Winners of the 20th Annual Maple Blues Awards     ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR The Paul DesLauriers Band   ELECTRIC ACT OF THE YEAR The Paul DesLauriers Band   ACOUSTIC ACT OF THE YEAR Big Dave McLean   MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR Matt Andersen FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR Angel Forrest   NEW ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR Spencer MacKenzie RECORDING/PRODUCER OF THE YEAR Angel's 11 (Morningstar) Artist: Angel Forrest. Producers: Angel Forrest and Denis Coulombe BLUES WITH A FEELING (Lifetime Achievement) Stephen Barry   B.B. KING INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR Joe Bonamassa   GUITARIST OF THE YEAR   David Gogo   HARMONICA PLAYER OF THE YEAR Harpdog Brown   PIANO/KEYBOARD PLAYER OF THE YEAR Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne   HORN PLAYER OF THE YEAR Frankie Thiffault   DRUMMER OF THE YEAR Sam Harrisson    BASSIST OF THE YEARGreg Morency   SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR Angel Forrest & Denis Coulombe   BLUES BOOSTER OF THE YEAR Cam Hayden

Old Chimney artist: Jon Gindick - When We Die, We All Come Back As Music - New Release Review

I just received the most recent release, When We Die, We All Come Back As Music by Jon Gindick. Opening with swinging blues title track, When We Die, We All Come Back As Music with full horn section, warm backing vocals slick guitar riffs and tight harp work. Wishing Well has a cool bass line and crisp piano riffs floating Gindick's vocal and harp work nicely. Bird On A Wire is an easy flowing pop track with mellow lead and backing vocals. Ghost Dance has a hot rockin' rhythm reinforced by Gindick's harp and well phrased vocals. School has a real cool groove in concrete on bass. Gindick uses this rhythm nicely to highlight his harp work making this one of my favorite tracks on the release. I Love You More is a nice, easy blues track with a great feel. With strong vocals and harp by Gindick and nice sax work, this track is another of my favorites on the release. With it's modified Bossa Nova rhythm, Jealous Kind of Guy has a smooth, jazzy feel with nice keyboard backing. Wrapping the release is Easy Come, Easy Go, a somber track with a pretty melody nicely suited to close the release. Gindick has put together a fine release aimed at a specific audience looking for a broader adult vocal style. Nicely done.




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Blues Foundation kicks off 33rd Int'l. Blues Challenge with free concert in Clayborn Temple 1/31

THE BLUES FOUNDATION KICKS OFF ITS  33RD INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE  WITH A FREE CONCERT ON JANUARY 31 The IBC’S International Showcase will feature  top blues acts from around the world performing at Memphis’ historic Clayborn Temple

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The blues will be coming home to Memphis on January 31st when The Blues Foundation hosts its 33rd annual International Blues Challenge. At this blues summit, musicians from around the globe will battle it out for cash, prizes, and bookings in the Challenge’s half-dozen categories.   Before the much-anticipated competition begins, however, musicians, blues professionals and fans will first come together for the traditional kick-off concert, the International Showcase. Taking place at the historic Clayborn Temple on January 31, 2017, beginning at 5 p.m., this opening night event features performers — representing Europe, Asia, Australia, North and South America — celebrating the blues. You don’t even have to be an IBC pass holder to attend because this show is free and open to the public.   The International Showcase serves as a terrific introduction to the five-day-long IBC as it presents a vibrant picture of the many exciting things happening in blues music today. The concert also gives this diverse lineup of musicians, hailing from 13 different countries, an opportunity to play together in one location. Additionally, it provides local Memphians the chance to be part of this celebration of the music for which the city is known throughout the world.   This type of community building reflects what the Blues Foundation is all about. For more than 35 years, the local Memphis organization has not only worked to increase awareness of blues’ past, present and future throughout the world but it also has been an advocate for the vital and varied societal roles that this music plays. The Foundation runs two highly regarded education programs, Blues in the Schools and the Generation Blues Scholarship, along with operating the HART Fund, which provides medical assistance for musicians in need. The IBC festival, furthermore, features several youth showcases and benefit concerts, while its February 3rd keynote panel explores the role of “Blues as Healer.”   This emphasis on community also makes the International Showcase’s venue, the historic Clayborn Temple, a wonderfully appropriate location. A Memphis landmark for more than 120 years, the Clayborn, which is currently undergoing renovations, played a particularly important role during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. As a frequent community meeting place, it acted as a distribution site for the now famous “I Am a Man” signs and also was the staging ground for many marches, including the last one Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would ever lead, the March 28, 1968 rally supporting the Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike. Dr. King’s final speech, the legendary “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” address, was originally scheduled for the Clayborn too, but at the last minute was moved to the nearby Mason Temple. The spirit of Dr. King’s message on breaking down the boundaries of color, nationality and gender is proudly carried on by the Blues Foundation.     Memphians and IBC attendees from across the globe attending the International Showcase concert will have the exclusive pleasure of being able to witness the progress that has been made with the extensive restoration of the Clayborn, which has been vacant for the past few decades. The current owners, in fact, just received a $400,000 grant from the National Parks Service on January 12 that will further help reestablish its original grandeur and bring this historical significant building back to life.   Honoring and preserving the past also is a main function of the Blues Foundation’s mission. In 2015, it opened the Blues Hall of Fame in Memphis to much popular and critical acclaim. Each year at the IBC, the Foundation also bestows its Keeping the Blues Alive Awards to salute those who have worked to keep the blues flame glowing strong. This year’s 16 honorees, who will be recognized at an IBC luncheon on February 3rd, include record labels, music festivals, recording studios, clubs, radio stations, publications and individuals located all around the world. The International Showcase opening night concert, (the show’s performance schedule will be released that day) beginning at 5 p.m. on January 31 is just the start of the IBC’s five exciting days. In fact, music from additional international acts will be starting up in clubs on Beale Street that night beginning at 8 p.m. International Showcase attendees will be able to purchase passes ($100 per person) for the rest of the International Blues Challenge events. Passes can also be purchased at www.blues.org, where there is more information about the Blues Foundation and the IBC, the schedule of IBC activities and performances, and how to join the Blues Foundation. Daily wristbands for the competition events (beginning at 4:30 p.m. each evening) can be purchased each day on Beale Street. Passes are required for daytime activities. About the Blues Foundation: This world-renowned, Memphis-based organization holds a mission to preserve blues heritage, celebrate blues recording and performance, expand worldwide awareness of the blues, and ensure the future of this uniquely American art form. Founded in 1980, the Blues Foundation has approximately 4,000 individual members and 200 affiliated societies representing another 50,000 fans and professionals around the world. Its signature honors and events — the Blues Music Awards, Blues Hall of Fame, International Blues Challenge, and Keeping the Blues Alive Awards — make it the international hub of blues music. Its HART Fund provides the blues community with medical assistance for musicians in need, while Blues in the Schools programs and Generation Blues Scholarships expose new generations to blues music. The recent opening of the Blues Hall of Fame Museum, in Memphis, now adds the opportunity for music lovers of all ages to interact with the music and its history. Throughout the year, the Foundation staff serves the global blues community with answers, information, and news. https://blues.org

Guitar Prodigy Ray Goren Plays IBC Roots & Blues Showcase

ACCLAIMED GUITAR PRODIGY RAY GOREN PERFORMS AT ROOTS & BLUES SHOWCASE IN MEMPHIS DURING IBC WEEK Thurs, Feb. 2 - PURPLE HAZE NIGHT CLUB  - Set Time Approx. 4:00 PM

"Teen Phenom"  - Pasadena Weekly "Ray Goren is fast becoming the young hot guitar picker to watch in the blues world and beyond" - San Francisco Chronicle   (Memphis, TN) - Acclaimed SoCal-based guitar prodigy Ray Gorenperforms at the Roots & Blues Showcase taking  place at Purple Haze Night Club during 2017 International Blues Challenge Week, on Thursday, February 2. Set time: Approximately 4:00 pm. 140 Lt George W. Lee Ave. Info: (901) 577-1139 or http://www.purplehazenightclub.com/.    "No one rattles the place like Ray Goren, from the Los Angeles area. He plays electric guitar — and sings — with a fluency, ease and depth of expression that defy easy explanation”.”                             Howard Reich, CHICAGO TRIBUNE   Just a few years ago, after seeing Ray Goren play at the Golden State Theater in Monterey, California, reviewer Jason Debord wrote on Rocksubculture.com: “Ray is a real phenomenon, and you sit there not believing what you are seeing and hearing…It was really one of the most unbelievable moments I’ve experienced at any concert. Amazing.” Dazzled by his raw, intense live performances, Chicago Tribune critic Howard Reich once wrote, “No one rattles the place like Ray Goren.”   The NYC born, SoCal-raised singer, songwriter and trailblazing electric guitarist has been getting that kind of jaw-dropping attention since he first picked up the guitar at age eight. A purely indie self-release, Save My Soul EP title single, reached the Top 40 on the BDS (Billboard/Nielsen) Triple AAA radio chart.   Goren traces his musical trajectory back to when he and his parents lived in a small apartment on New York’s Upper West Side. He was noodling around on a toy keyboard at the age of three and by five the budding musician was listening to Oscar Peterson and Thelonious Monk, and playing jazz on his piano. Ray has said that "the soul of my music is tied to the blues. However, instead of growing and evolving from blues to rock, I listened to Stevie Wonder, D’Angelo, Amy Winehouse, Donny Hathaway, Prince and others. Later I listened to rock artists like, Jimi Hendrix, Maroon 5, Arctic Monkeys, Radiohead and Imagine Dragon. I have also always been inspired by lyrically-driven artists like Leon Russell, Bob Dylan and more recently by J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Drake. I want to be a unique artist and create my own sound."   As he continues to musically mature and grow his guitar prowess, Ray's sound has morphed into a vibrant amalgamation of the Blues, Rock, Alternative, Soul, and even some Hip-Hop (not unusual, considering he's all of sixteen years of age). Watch for 2017 to be the year that Ray Goren makes his presence felt on not only the national, but international, stage.         Ray Goren - Solo Show from The Mint, Los Angeles, Calif. Feb. 2 (Thur.)          ROOTS & BLUES SHOWCASE     Memphis, TN  Feb. 18 (Sat.)           GENGHIS COHEN                       Los Angeles, CA

Hear And Now Music artist: Derrick Procell - Why I Choose to Sing the Blues - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Why I Choose To Sing The Blues, from Derrick Procell and it's interesting. Opening with The Wolf Will Howl Again, Derrick Procell has the lead on vocal with Eddie Shaw and also plays keys and harp. Joining on this track are Woody Johnson on guitar, Jack Skalon on drums, and Bobby Levine on guitar. Trouble Me No More has a high energy R&B feel with Bob Baglione laying down some real nice guitar riffs. Bob Margolin sits in on The Eyes Of Mississippi with some slick slide work and some of Procell's best vocals on the release backed by his own fine harp work and keys. Cool. On title track, Why I Choose To Sing The Blues, Procell has a nice soul feel in his vocals and a little funk in the groove handling bass, drums and keys. Very nice. With a cool swing feel, They All Find Out features Zoey Witz with guitar "witzardry" and Procell adds bass and key with horn work over a solid bottom. David Steffen handles the guitar work on Broke The Mold and again I like Procell's vocals with a thick soulful feel. Woody Johnson is back on slide guitar on Sorry with nice backing vocals by Meredith Colby, Evvy Procell and Sofie Way. Nice blues track, Who Will Tell Lucille has a soulful sound with particularly nice guitar work by Alex Smith. Another track with rich vocals, this is likely my favorite track with just the right phrasing, arrangement guitar soloing and piano. Revival style track, Back In The Game has a nice warm feel with nice slide guitar by Baglione and super vocal by Procell and nice harp by Billy Branch. I also notice Skalon's drumming on this track adds a cool snap. R&B style Don't Waste A Wish On Me, has great soulful feel with super Ray Charles like vocals and nice guitar riffs by Witz. Very nice. Wrapping the release is blues rocker, Too Much featuring Chris Hanson with some stinging workon guitar and John Torroll on drums. Procell lays out his best harp work on this track making for a solid closer.




  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”

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FEB. 24 rel-JOSH HYDE (w/Sonny Landreth) "The Call of the Night"

"A gifted native son, Josh Hyde is one of my favorite artists from Louisiana. Funky, atmospheric and soulful, his new album, "The Call of the Night", was a pleasure to work on."  (Sonny Landreth)




https://soundcloud.com/user-45065947/sets/josh-hyde-the-call-of-the/s-CTNFD

Recorded at the iconic Dockside Studio in Maurice, LA, on the banks of the Vermillion Bayou in the heart of Cajun Country, "The Call of the Night" was produced by Joe V. McMahan (who has helmed projects by Webb Wilder, Mike Farris, Kevin Gordon and Sarah Potenza, among many others). Hyde (guitars & vocals) was joined in the studio by Joe V. McMahan (guitar), Ron Eoff (bass), Jamey Bell (drums), Bryan Owings (percussion) and John Gros (keyboards). Special guests on "The Call of the Night" include Sonny Landreth, Buddy Flett, Tony Daigle, James Westfall and Laura Mayo.

From the slippery title track with its indelible image of "a slow heart attack, your smile shining thru me," and the pleading "It's Not Too Late," to the French Quarter funk of "Need a Little More" or the enigmatic tale of infidelity, "Offshore," each of the nine original tracks peels back another layer of the singer-songwriter's lyrical depth, while at the same time providing a showcase for his engrossing vocals and skillful playing. The finely etched songs throughout the album resonate with depth and darkness (his mother's death, a 2014 divorce), yet they remain melodic, celebratory and accessible.

Hyde's childhood was spent mainly in – yet not limited to – Louisiana's two biggest cities. Born in Baton Rouge, he was barely seven years old when his family moved to New Orleans for a time. "I only lived there for three or four years but even though I was that young, it left an imprint on me," he acknowledges. By that time, he had also already written his first song. In the late '70s, Hyde penned "Mississippi Bridge," which is included on the album. The musings of a child of divorce, from the wide-eyed perspective of a youngster who traveled unaccompanied on a Greyhound bus from Alexandria, where he was living with his mother, to Baton Rouge every other weekend, where he would visit his father. The tune is at once simple and poignant but also astonishingly honest and devastatingly mature. He was 11 years old when he wrote it.  "It's just a picture of the world inside that bus," he explains. "People don't ride buses anymore, so it's kind of like a throwback piece now. For a 10- or 11-year-old it was a little bit scary but it was also an adventure. I got to know the bus driver, he was a nice guy. We would stop at every little town between Alexandria and Baton Rouge.

Hyde's precocious nature at around that same age extended to live performance as well. During a family trip to Mexico, he witnessed a band playing and approached the drummer, asking him if he could get up and perform with them. He had started playing guitar at just 10 years old and began writing songs not long after, immersing himself in the blues at one of Baton Rouge's most renowned nightspots. "They had a place called Tabby's Blues Box, where a lot of real-deal blues guys played. Tabby Thomas owned the place. As soon as I could drive, when I turned 15, I would head down to Tabby's Blues Box. I started to play there on jam night."

In his early 20s, Hyde quickly became a popular fixture on the festival circuit throughout Louisiana, while at the same time began honing his songwriting, developing the distinctive New Orleans influence he retains to this day. In his late 20s, he fell in love with slide guitar after hearing Sonny Landreth, the supremely skilled guitarist who lifts the deliciously enigmatic "Offshore" to chill-inducing levels with his unmistakable playing.

"I met him at a few different shows and we got to know each other," Hyde says. "Offshore," which is kind of a song about 'high infidelity,' was the perfect South Louisiana song for Sonny to play on. He has a very unique style to his slide guitar. It's an open tuning and he has a very violin-like way of playing. I had been talking to him about this song for a long time."

The song's reference to the mysterious, mythical figure of "Jody" may be lost on some, but men who work the offshore oil rigs off the Louisiana coast may find it eerily familiar. "In Louisiana, a great deal of the men work offshore, working 14 days on 14 days off," Hyde notes. "There's kind of a mythological character in the offshore world and his name is Jody. Jody is the guy that's having an affair with your girlfriend or your wife while you're out on the oil rig. 'Jody is creeping around your house.' When I play that song live, especially if there's somebody in the audience that works offshore, they always come and talk to me about it."

Josh Hyde works on stage and in the studio the way another gifted native son of Louisiana, Chef Paul Prudhomme, worked in the kitchen. His recipe for musical success found in seasoning gorgeously seductive tunes with a flavorful blend of American roots, blues and soul. Hyde's slinky, sensual tunes can bubble over with the exuberance of a New Orleans street parade, or stew in a hypnotic, laid-back vibe. Yet, while the framework of "The Call of the Night" is quintessential Louisiana, Hyde's distinctive approach to songwriting, performing and recording propels it beyond its deep Southern origins and into the wider realm of Americana.

In the same way its varied, distinctive cuisine has defined and enriched its people, music remains one of the Bayou State's most important natural resources. "Music is just everywhere in Louisiana. It's part of our culture, from the crawfish festivals to the funky clubs to the jazz trios. There is a raw energy to it. It's just the air you breathe," Hyde says.

If music is the food of love, heartbreak, celebration and redemption, Josh Hyde's "The Call of the Night" is one of the most flavorful recipes Louisiana has ever produced.

www.joshhyde.com

Ruf Records artist: Mike Zito - Make Blues Not War - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Make Blues Not War, from Mike Zito and it's crazy good! Opening with blues rocker, Highway Mama, this track gives you that take no prisoners attitude with a driving beat courtesy of Tom Hambridge who absolutely blows it up on drums and Tommy MacDonald on bass, Mike Zito on lead vocal and guitar, Rob McNelley on guitar and Water Trout on guitar. Trout plays some really hot riffs and Zito absolutely scorches the strings. Excellent opener. Wasted Time is up next with a great lumbering Texas lope, Zito lays down stuff that would make SRV proud, with intensity and feel. Very nice! Redbird is a heavy footed, rocker with strong vocals. Solid bass lines from MacDonald positively drive this bus and it's rolling hard. Talk about intensity, Crazy Legs has it x 10. This track is on fire and running hard with excellent drum work by Hambridge and super guitar tone. Zito really turns on the heat on this one literally setting the thing on fire. Wow! Slowing it way down, title track, Make Blues Not War has the characteristics of delta blues and early electric Muddy Waters. Jason Ricci is down on this track and he and Zito really dig in on this one with harp and slide fanning the flames. Very nice. On The Road has some funk with really sweet organ work from Kevin McKendree and stirring some of the funkiest guitar riffs that I've heard since David Spinozza hit "Right Place Wrong Time". Sure to be an instant favorite on the release is Bad News Is Coming, a slow, low down blues with excellent guitar phrasing and hard luck soulful vocals. Excellent!! Detroit style rocker, One More Train, has a really nice feel with excellent vocals, super slide work from Ricci and great piano work from McKendree making it my pick for radio track that should hit hard. Girl Back Home is a quiet ballad with rich slide work making it a standout on feel alone. Chip Off The Old Block features Mike's son, Zach on guitar over a basic 12 bar setup. Zach shows his stuff which is quite cool and with McKendree on piano and Mike on vocal and guitar, a real solid track. Ballad, Road Dog is another sure radio track with a super melody and strong construction. McKendree's organ, Hambridge's tight drum work and Zito's vocals and somber guitar work, ala BB King give this track excellent grip. Love it! Wrapping the release is Route 90, a Chuck Berry style track featuring an excellent piano solo by McKendree over a great bass line by MacDonald. Zito digs in at the bottom of the fretboard and with his own super vocals and southern style make this track a great closer. I don't think I'm going out on a limb very far saying that this will be one of the top 10 releases I'll hear this year and moving Zito to the top of the list of bands I hope to see this year. Excellent!!




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Reaction Records artist: Randy McAllister - Fistful of Gumption - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Fistful of Gumption, from Randy McAllister and the Scrappiest Band in the Motherland and it's flavorful. Opening with C'Mon Brothers and Sisters, a southern flavored soul track with a cool rock edge, features McAllister on vocal and drums backed by Rob Dewan on guitar, Maya Van Nuys on fiddle, Matt Higgins on bass and Andrea Wallace on backing vocals. Cool opener. On Time For The Sun To Rise, McAllister's vocals are warm and Dewan's guitar riffs have a magical Mali like sound. A nice violin solo by Van Nuys is really nice and Dewan's guitar soloing is fluid and inviting. Ride To Get Right has a real Cajun flavor with Van Nuys and McAllister (on drums) really putting on the steam. Roll With The Flow has a real nice revival like sound with warm backing vocals by Benita Arterberry-Burns and nice piano work by Carson Wagner. Aggressive rocker, My Stride showcases some real nice Rory Gallagher like slide work by Dewan and a tight melody making it one of my favorites on the release. Soulful, The Oppressor, it a really strong showcase for McAllister's vocals with breaks from traditional soul formatting to almost classical styling. Dewan really grips it on this one with intensity and Van Nuys' violin work is very nice. Masterful. Leave A few Wrong Notes has a great gospel rock feel bringing me back to early Leon Russell. This track just has great rhythm with solid vocals and standout piano work by Wagner and a great bottom by McAllister. On shuffle track, Band With The Beautiful Bus, McAllister and Wallace blend vocals particularly nicely and Dewan's country influenced riffs make this track another of my release favorites. Wrapping the release is blues rocker, East Texas Scrapper, with a lot of swagger, grinding guitar riffs light, flowing fiddle lines and flavorful harp work by McAllister. This is a really cool closer to a nicely constructed set.




  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”

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