Scott Ramminger - Do What Your Heart Says To - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Do What Your Heart Says To, from Scott Ramminger and it's a gumbo of great tracks. Opening with mambo, Living Too Fast, George Porter Jr. on bass and Doug Belote on drusm set a great table for Scott Ramminger's vocal and sax work. David Torkanowsky dresses the track nicely with super piano work, joined by Eric Lucero on trumpet, Rick Trolsen and Greg Hicks on trombone and Shane Theriot on guitar. Great opener. Really slamming the New Orleans feel, title track, Do What Your Heart Says To finds local grown(Phoenix) talent Francine Reed joining Ramminger on a great duet. Scott is up front on sax and Torkanowsky's piano work is strong. Funky, Give A Pencil To A Fish, really has a serious groove with excellent key work by Torkanowsky and super punctuation by Theriot and Ramminger on sax. Ramminger's vocals are really nicely complimented by the McCrary Sisters making this one of my favorites on the release. Strong blues ballad, Winter Is Always Worse, nicely showcases Ramminger's vocal work and Theriot, guitar work is crisp leading to warm sax solos as well. Another funky track, Get Back Up, has a great drum line and cool trumpet with Ramminger again joined by the McCrary Sisters. Rich sax soloing by Scott, nicely riffed guitar work by Theriot, and cool organ work by Torkanowsky sets the main stage but it's the wildly woven trumpet, guitar, and vocal additions that really make this track sing. Janiva Magness sits in with Ramminger on It's Hard to Be Me and the track has that rolling drive that I associate with Elvin Bishop. Excellent New Orleans street style, Mystery To Me, is a terrific track featuring Tommy Malone. This track gets me just based on the excellent drumming by Belote and the trumpet work by  Eric Lucero. Wrapping the release is Stubborn Man featuring Roddie Romero on accordion. This track has just a little more Cajun flavoring due to Romero's work but this track is totally consistent and a great wrapper for an excellent new release.

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Blues Hall of Fame Inductees announced: Mavis Staples, Johnny Copeland, Henry Gray, Latimore and more

MAVIS STAPLES, MAGIC SLIM, JOHNNY COPELAND, HENRY GRAY AND LATIMORE ARE AMONG THE NEWEST MEMBERS OF THE BLUES HALL OF FAME  Six performers, one album, five singles, one book and one magazine founder will be inducted at the Blues Foundation’s 38th Annual Induction Ceremony on May 10

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Blues Foundation welcomes the 38th class of Blues Hall of Fame inductees in a ceremony taking place on May 10, 2017. This year’s 14 richly deserving honorees represent all five of the Hall of Fame’s categories: Performers, Non-Performing Individuals, Classic of Blues Literature, Classic of Blues Recording (Song) and Classic of Blues Recording (Album). The six performers chosen for induction include two distinctive vocalists, Mavis Staples and Latimore; a pair of legendary guitarists, Magic Slim and Johnny Copeland; and longtime Howlin’ Wolf sidemen guitarist Willie Johnson and piano-man Henry Gray. They will join the more than 125 performers who already are Hall of Fame members. The year’s non-performer selection is Living Blues Magazine co-founder and radio show host Amy van Singel, who passed away in Sept. 2016.  The Classic of Blues Literature pick is the rightfully recognized Father of the Blues, W.C. Handy’s 1941 memorable autobiography. John Lee Hooker was among the Hall’s first inductees in 1980 and now his 1966 Chess album Real Folk Blues will enter the Hall of Fame too in the Classic of Blues Recording Album category. The quintet of Classic of Blues Recording songs includes Bo Diddley’s signature tune “Bo Diddley,” Tommy Tucker’s much covered classic “Hi Heel Sneakers,” the Albert King hit “I’ll Play the Blues For You,” Son House’s “Preachin’ the Blues” and “I Ain’t Superstitious,” which features 2017 inductee Henry Gray playing on Howlin’ Wolf’s well-known 1961 recording.  The Blues Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony takes place Wednesday, May 10 at Memphis’ Halloran Centre for the Performing Arts and Education. Hosted by the Blues Foundation, the evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with a Cocktail Reception, followed by the Induction Ceremony at 6:30 pm. Tickets for this open-to-the-public ceremony are $100 per seat and can be purchased online at: http://bit.ly/2kVoDRG More festivities occur the following day, May 11, with the Blues Foundation’s Blues Music Awards. Celebrating the past year’s best in blues recordings and performances, this event will be held at the Memphis Cook Convention Center. A pre-ceremony party commences at 5:30 p.m., while the Awards Show, including a seated dinner and featuring performances by many of the nominees, starts at 7 pm. Individual tickets and tables may be purchased for $150 per seat at the same link as above. For more information, contact Barbara Newman, President & CEO; barbara@blues.org; (901) 527-2583, Ext. 12  ABOUT THE INDUCTEES: Performers Henry Gray, who played piano in the Howlin’ Wolf band and other Chicago blues groups before returning to his native Louisiana in 1968, has rarely been in the spotlight, but has steadily built an impressive resume entertaining audiences around the world with his blues-drenched piano pounding. Gray, born in 1925, is still performing regularly six decades after his first recording sessions in Chicago. Willie Johnson (1923-1995) recorded only a few songs on his own, but as a sideman his storming barrage of distortion and incendiary guitar licks in the 1950s, especially on the early records of Howlin’ Wolf, earned him a lasting reputation as a groundbreaking commando in the annals of electric guitar playing. Mentored by Wolf in their Mississippi days, Johnson played in Wolf’s band in the South and in Chicago, and recorded for Sun Records in 1955. Mavis Staples, one of America’s premier singers of gospel and soul music, has expanded her musical mastery with her performances in more blues-based settings in recent years. The blues is nothing new to the Staples family, as Mavis’ father and founder of the Staple Singers, Roebuck “Pop” Staples, was a devotee of Delta blues master Charley Patton back in Mississippi. Mavis, born in Chicago in 1939, remains on her lifelong mission to inspire and uplift her listeners no matter what musical genre she employs. Johnny Copeland (1937-1997) was one of a bevy of blazing guitar slingers to emerge from the vibrant Third Ward of Houston, Texas, and one of the city’s most powerful singers as well.  Establishing himself with a series of blues and soul singles beginning in 1958, he attained national prominence in the 1980s recording blues albums for Rounder Records. His daughter Shemekia has followed in his footsteps by winning multiple Blues Music Awards. Magic Slim led one of the most relentless, hard-driving bands in Chicago blues history for several decades until his death in 2013. Born Morris Holt in Mississippi in 1937, he earned his nickname from his friend and fellow blues guitar ace Magic Sam. Slim was also known for possessing perhaps the largest repertoire of any blues artist, always able to pick up another song from the radio or the jukebox, enabling him to record more than 30 albums and garner dozens of Blues Music Awards nominations. His son Shawn “Lil Slim” Holt is ably carrying on the family blues tradition. Latimore, the abbreviated stage name of singer, keyboardist and a songwriter Benny Lattimore, has cut a dashing figure on the Southern soul circuit ever since he began touring in the 1970s on the strength of hits such as “Stormy Monday” and his best-known original, “Let’s Straighten It Out.”  Latimore, who was born in Tennessee in 1939 but has called Florida home since the 1960s, is now a distinguished and still spirited love philosopher and elder statesman of the scene. Individuals: Business, Production, Media or Academic Amy van Singel, known to blues radio audiences as “Atomic Mama,” was a cofounder of Living Blues magazine in Chicago in 1970. She and her former husband Jim O'Neal published the magazine from their home in Chicago until they transferred the publication to the University of Mississippi in 1983. Her radio career began at Northwestern University and included stints at stations in Chicago, Mississippi, Memphis, Alaska and Maine. Amy died in her sleep at her home in Maine on Sept. 19, 2016, at the age at 66. Classics of Blues Literature Father of the Blues by W.C. Handy is a monumental opus that is indispensable to the study of American musical history. Published in 1941, the book traces Handy’s background as a trained orchestra leader, his discovery of the blues and the struggles he endured to become a successful music publisher. It is often cited as a primary resource on the earliest years of blues history. No book is more deserving of designation as a Classic of Blues Literature. Classics of Blues Recording: Albums The 1966 John Lee Hooker album Real Folk Blues is the latest of several Chess Records’ Real Folk Blues albums to be elected to the Blues Hall of Fame. Whereas the rest of the LPs in the series by Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and others were compilations of older recordings, the Hooker album was newly recorded in May of 1966 in Chicago. Hooker was his inimitable and spontaneous self, reworking some of his older songs and improvising new ones, accompanied by his Detroit guitarist Eddie Burns and Chicago sidemen Lafayette Leake and S.P. Leary. Classics of Blues Recording: Singles “Bo Diddley” was not only the 1955 hit record that made Ellas McDaniel famous — it also gave him his professional name. The famed “Bo Diddley beat,” an energized update of the old “Hambone” rhythm, rocked the world, and Bo continued to create classics for Checker Records in Chicago with his innovative blend of blues and rock ’n’ roll. “Hi-Heel Sneakers” by Tommy Tucker was the last blues record from the mighty Chess Records catalogue to hit No. 1 on the charts. Recorded in New York in 1963, the single on Chess’ Checker subsidiary label topped the Cash Box magazine R&B charts in 1964. Tucker’s enticement to “put on your red dress” and hi-heel sneakers has resounded on countless bandstands ever since. “I Ain’t Superstitious,” an ominous Willie Dixon composition recorded by Howlin’ Wolf in 1961, is best known to rock audiences through the Jeff Beck Group’s 1968 cover version featuring Rod Stewart on vocals. On the original session for Chess Records in Chicago, Wolf’s band included Hubert Sumlin, Jimmy Rogers, Sam Lay and 2017 Blues Hall of Fame inductee Henry Gray. “I’ll Play the Blues for You,” recorded by Albert King in Memphis for the Stax label in 1971, was written by Jerry Beach, a longtime fixture on the Shreveport, Louisiana, music scene who died in 2016. In Beach’s lyrics, sung with warmth and tenderness by King, the blues becomes a source of soothing and comfort. King’s 45 spent eight weeks on Billboard magazine’s Best Selling Soul Singles chart in 1972  “Preachin’ the Blues,” a two-part single by Son House on the Paramount label from 1930, is a prime example not only of House’s intensity as a Delta blues singer and guitarist but also of his lifelong inner conflict between the lure of the blues life and devotion to the church. House, who did preach in church at times, also sang of the hypocrisy he saw in religion with lyrics such as “I’m gonna be a Baptist preacher and I sure won’t have to work.” About the Blues Hall of Fame Museum: Since opening in May of 2015, the Blues Hall of Fame Museum has become a must-see destination for blues aficionados and casual fans alike. Through its ten permanent galleries and the Upstairs Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise Gallery’s temporary exhibit space, the museum exposes, educates, and entertains visitors, providing them a unique way to explore blues culture and history, while also highlighting its 400 inductees. Visitors can use interactive touchscreens to access databases that allow them to hear music, watch videos and read stories about every museum’s inductees. Guests can also view one-of-a-kind memorabilia, from musical instruments and tour attire to awards and artwork. The 2017 Hall of Fame class will be represented in the special exhibit galleries beginning in early May. Located at 421 S. Main Street, Memphis, the museum is open seven days a week (10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun.). Admission is $10 per person, with children and Blues Foundation members free. The museum is also available for private parties and events after hours. For more information, call 901-527-2583. 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 blues societies representing another 50,000 fans and professionals around the world. Its signature honors and events — the Blues Music Awards, 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. Throughout the year, the Foundation staff serves the global blues community with answers, information, and news.

Award-Winning Singer/Songwriter Eric Bibb Shines a Light on "Migration Blues" with New CD Coming March 31 from Stony Plain Records

Award-Winning Singer/Songwriter Eric Bibb Shines a Light on Migration Blues with New CD Coming March 31 from Stony Plain Records

EDMONTON, AB – Stony Plain Records announces a March 31 release date for Migration Blues, the new album from Blues Music Award-winning singer/songwriter Eric Bibb. The new album showcases Eric Bibb’s talents on vocals, guitars, six-string banjo and contrabass guitar, backed by a group that features Michael Jerome Browne (guitars, vocals, banjos, mandolin and triangle) and JJ Milteau (harmonica). Migration Blues was produced by Bibb, Browne and Milteau. Watch a video of the making of Migration Blues here:

Mainly composed of new tunes, the 15 tracks on Migration Blues also include covers of Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War” and Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.” An arrangement of the traditional “Mornin’ Train,” closes the opus.

“Whether you’re looking at a former sharecropper, hitchhiking from Clarksdale to Chicago in 1923, or an orphan from Aleppo, in a boat full of refugees in 2016 – it’s migration blues,” Eric says about his timely and insightful new release. “With this album, I want to encourage us all to keep our minds and hearts wide open to the ongoing plight of refugees everywhere. As history shows, we all come from people who, at some time or another, had to move.”

In a career spanning five decades, 37 albums, countless radio and TV shows and international touring, Eric Bibb has become one of the leading bluesmen of his generation. He’s also one of the most respected blues singer and songwriters, whose music is always reverent, keeping one foot in the blues and folk storytelling traditions.

“The joy of making music and sharing it with you is a big part of my life,” Bibb says in the album’s liner notes. “Another big part is travelling and getting to know folks from many places. This exposure to different cultures has led me to think of myself as a citizen of the world, blessed with countless opportunities to recognize my connectedness to people everywhere. Feeling this connection makes it easier to let go of my pre-conceived notions and prejudices toward people and cultures that are outside of my experience.

“The way I see it, prejudice towards our brothers and sisters who are currently called ‘refugees’ is the problem. Fear and ignorance are the problems. Refugees are not ‘problems’ – they are courageous fellow human beings escaping dire circumstances. Fleeing from war and unbearable hardship is something people have been doing all over the world for millennia. It’s nothing new. Every culture has its own migration stories and songs.

“While pondering the current refugee crisis I found myself thinking about the Great Migration, which saw millions of African Americans leaving the brutal segregation and economic misery of the rural South for the industrial cities of the North. Making this connection is what inspired the new songs included here. Peace and love, Eric.”

Migration Blues Track Listing

01 REFUGEE MOAN 3:06

02 DELTA GETAWAY 2:37

03 DIEGO’S BLUES 3:42

04 PRAYIN’ FOR SHORE 4:03

05 MIGRATION BLUES 3:07

06 FOUR YEARS, NO RAIN 2:36

07 WE HAD TO MOVE 3:09

08 MASTERS OF WAR 3:19

09 BROTHERLY LOVE 4:11

10 LA VIE C’EST COMME UN OIGNON 2:38

11 WITH A DOLLA’ IN MY POCKET 3:51

12 THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND 3:16

13 POSTCARD FROM BOOKER 0:51

14 BLACKTOP 3:56

15 MORNIN’ TRAIN 3:36

Eric Bibb is currently on tour in Canada with a series of U.S shows to follow.

Eric Bibb U.S. Tour Dates

3/1-3/2                 African-American Arts Center                    Albuquerque, NM

4/21-4/24            Fur Peace Ranch                                                               Pomeroy, OH

Maple Street Music artist: Cary Morin - Cradle to the Grave - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Cradle To The Grave, by Cary Morin and it's quite good. Opening with blues number and title track, Cradle To The Grave, Cary Morin accompanies himself on acoustic guitar with blues fused passion. Moving more to a country blues styling with tight and distinct finger picking which is used through most of the rest of the release, Morin's vocals are warm and inviting.  Willie Brown's Mississippi Blues nuzzles in a little closer with a nice blues vamp, Phish's Back On The Train has a little bit of rag feel and Prince's Nothing Compare 2 U is a particularly nice arrangement... hard to say, but I like it better than others I have heard. Wrapping the release is Watch Over Me, a track with more of a Richie Havens feel. This is a happy kind of blues release and one that is interesting to listen to over and over. I really like where Cary is going and wish him the best.

  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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Dave Fields - Unleashed - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Unleashed, from Dave Fields and it's over the top! I've had the opportunity to review a few of Dave Fields' releases and each one gets progressively more aggressive and wild... and that's good. Opening with Anticipating You, Fields is surrounded with a great crew of musicians including Kenny Soule on drums, Erik Boyd on bass, Vladimir Barsky on keys and Doug Hinrichs on percussion. This is a super rolling jazz number and one that really showcases Boyds' bass style and Fields fluidity on outrageous riffs. Excellent opener. On Don Nix's Going Down Fields, Sam Bryant on drums and Andy Huenerberg on bass crack open Jeff Beck's mix on this track and wind it up. Throwing every guitar riff know to man at it, this track kicks ass in contemporary style. My Mama's Got The Blues has a cool swagger and cutting guitar riffs under the lead vocal and melody. Backed by Boyd on bass and JT Lauritsen on harp, Fields pulls out his slide and scorches it. The Boy Wants To Play is a cool Jeff Beck like track with encouraging lyrics and smoking hot riffs. This track is constructed specifically to allow the showcase of Fields on guitar and it definitely does that. Very nice. Jagged Line is a cool rocker with a heavy bottom. Barsky's key work feels like Jon Lord or Rick Wakeman giving the track a rocky/progressive feel. With soaring guitar work and firm bass work by Chris Tristram, this track is heavy. With fully saturated guitar tones and a SRV swagger, Fields turns up the heat on Better Be Good. Blending and bending riffs with whammy bends and hammer ons, this track is a smokin rocker.  Pocket Full Of Dust heads head on down the slow blues highway with guns blazing. Fields does most everything that anyone can do on guitar and does it in his own way. Want to hear a modern day guitar slinger do his thing...this is it! Rolling into Hendrix territory, Fields airs out Hey Joe. Retaining enough Jimi phrasing to put it in your mind but showing enough originality to make it his own, this track has new life as opposed to a rehash of the same old thing. Fields has great chops and terrific technique. Very cool. New York City Nights is a light jazz fused radio track featuring Fields on lead vocal and bright jazzy guitar riffs. this is an ideal radio track that also retains instrumental integrity. Very nice. Wrapping the release is L.E. S. Hoedown. This is a hyperwarp guitar instrumental demonstrating Fields ultimate finger picking work. Chased by Boyd and Moore the entire way and featuring Barsky on keys, this track is an excellent 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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Yardbirds, Mitch Ryder, Lazy Lester, Joe-El Sonnier, Robby Krieger headline Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival, May 27-28

THE YARDBIRDS, MITCH RYDER, ROBBY KREIGER, JO-EL SONNIER, BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY, LAZY LESTER, DWAYNE DOPSIE, BIG CHIEF MONK BOUDREAUX & THE GOLDEN EAGLES DOUG KERSHAW AND MICHAEL DOUCET, HEADLINE 28th ANNUAL SIMI VALLEY CAJUN & BLUES MUSIC FESTIVAL, SATURDAY-SUNDAY, MAY 27-28 Los Angeles area’s largest Cajun, Zydeco, Blues and Roots music festival, featuring two stages, a Mardi Gras parade, crafts and dozens of food booths, takes place Memorial Day weekend.

The Yardbirds Lazy Lester Miitch Ryder

Dwayne Dopsie Jo-El Sonnier Doug Kershaw

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. — The 28th annual Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival will once again enliven Memorial Day weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 27 and 28, at Rancho Santa Susanna Community Park, 5005 Los Angeles Ave., in Simi Valley. The event features a full stage for each of its musical genres. The spirited music will go non-stop each day from 12 noon until 7:30 p.m. (or 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.). Single Day tickets are $25 for adults (13 and over); $45 for a 2-day pass; children 12 and younger are free. New this year will be a limited number of SuperTicket passes. For $124 for a single day or $199 for both days, SuperTickets holders get a reserved seat, in the shade, directly in the front of the blues stage as well as private bar access (and two complimentary drinks) and other exclusive “backstage experiences.” Tickets are available on the festival’s website: http://www.simicajun.org/. (Note: the only tickets available at the gate are single-day, $30) Headlining the blues stage this year will be the pioneering blues-rock band the Yardbirds, the Robby Krieger Band (celebrating 50 years of the Doors' music), Mitch Ryder, Lazy Lester and the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy; as well as L.A.-based roots-rockers the 44’s, soulful SoCal songstress Alex Nester and festival returnees Kelly’s Lot. Another festival favorite, Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers, returns for the fourth straight year and will be performing at both stages.  On the Cajun and Zydeco stage will be the “original ragin’ Cajun” fiddler Doug Kershaw; Grammy-winning accordionist Jo-El Sonnier and the Cajun Trio featuring Michael Doucet, David Doucet and Mitch Reed. Performing on this stage too are Crawdaddio and the Bayou Brothers, who also will back Lazy Lester on the blues stage, while Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles will play on both the Cajun/Zydeco and Blues stages. The annual Mardi Gras Parade will take place both days, and everyone is invited to join in with the marching bands, stilt walkers and other costumed characters. Also, during the breaks at the Cajun/Zydeco stage, dance instructor AJ Gibbs will lead the crowd in free dance lessons. About the headliners: The Yardbirds: In the mid-’60s, the Yardbirds revolutionized music as they pushed British blues rock into psychedelia and heavy metal. Godhead guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page all spent time in the band, playing alongside core members Jim McCarty (drums), Chris Dreja (rhythm guitar/bass) and the late Keith Relf (vocals/harmonica). McCarty recently assembled a new touring line-up that includes guitarist Johnny A (Peter Wolf), bassist Kenny Aaronson (Joan Jett, Hall & Oates), veteran harpist Myke Scavone and vocalist/guitarist John Idan, who has been a Yardbird since the Nineties. The group performs at the festival on Saturday, May 27. The Robby Krieger Band: Regularly cited as one of rock’s all-time top guitarists, Krieger shot to fame in the Doors. The Los Angeles native wrote or co-wrote some of the band’s signature tunes, like “Light My Fire,” “Love Me Two Times,” “Touch Me” and “Love Her Madly.” The Robby Krieger Band will celebrate 50 years of the Doors’ music when then make their Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival debut on May 27. Mitch Ryder: If you have ever heard Bruce Springsteen perform his “Detroit Medley,” you know Mitch Ryder’s impact on rock history. The medley’s main songs — “Devil With a Blue Dress,” “Jenny Take a Ride,” “Good Golly Miss Molly” and “C.C. Rider” — are all tunes Ryder popularized while fronting the Detroit Wheels in the mid-’60s. The powerhouse vocalist has remained a popular performer, especially in Europe. This year finds Ryder readying a new album and working on a stage musical based on his novel Hide Your Love Away. Experience Ryder’s dynamic rock & soul sound on the blues stage Sunday. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy: For nearly a quarter century, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy has been combining the old with the new. Folks can’t help but to dance to the band’s exhilarating blend of jazz, swing and Dixieland with rock ’n’ roll energy. Formed in Ventura, California, the band has recorded 10 albums and played over 2700 live shows, including playing for three U.S. presidents. Rather remarkably, the group remains composed of its core members: Scotty Morris (lead vocals and guitar), Kurt Sodergren (drums), Dirk Shumaker (bass), Andy Rowley (baritone saxophone), Glen "The Kid" Marhevka (trumpet), Karl Hunter (saxophones and clarinet) and Joshua Levy (piano). They’ll make their second Cajun & Blues Festival appearance when they hit the blues stage on Sunday. Doug Kershaw: Known as the “original ragin’ Cajun,” Kershaw found crossover success during the late ’60s when his fierce fiddle playing and hippie-style appearance won favor with young rock audiences. His career started in the mid-’50s when he teamed with his brother Rusty to become a popular country duo, scoring hits with “Diggy Diggy Lo” and the autobiographical “Louisiana Man.” Kershaw, who was inducted in the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2009, will perform on the Cajun/Zydeco stage on May 27. Lazy Lester: The story goes that, in the mid-’50s, Lazy Lester met Lightin’ Slim by chance on a bus. Slim needed a harmonica player for a recording and Lester could play the harp. He wound up playing on many of Slim’s Excello albums before making his own Excello debut in 1957. The Blues Hall of Famer’s best known tunes include “I’m a Lover Not a Fighter,” “I Hear You Knockin’,” and “I’m Gonna Leave You Baby.” After taking a hiatus, Lester returned to music in the late ’80s and he has made several albums since. Now in his 80s, Lester still blows a mean, swamp-bluesy harp. He’ll take the blues stage on May 27, backed by the Bayou Brothers. Jo-El Sonnier: Hailed as the “King of Cajun Music” for the past 25 years, Sonnier is a wizard of the accordion. The much-in-demand musician has recorded with such stars as Johnny Cash, Alan Jackson, Robert Cray, Neil Diamond, Mark Knopfler, Elvis Costello, Merle Haggard and Dolly Parton. A multi-Grammy nominee himself, Sonnier won a Grammy for Best Regional Roots Music Album in 2015. He returns to Simi Valley for the second time, performing on the Cajun stage Saturday and Sunday. The Cajun Trio: Michael Doucet, David Doucet & Mitch Reed: These three musicians were all founding members of BeauSoliel, the internationally renowned, multi-Grammy winning group that Garrison Keillor hailed as the "best Cajun band in the world." This trio, with Michael Doucet on fiddle, his brother David on guitar and Mitch Reed on various string instruments, showcases its virtuosity by slipping effortlessly among musical genres. They will play, along with a special surprise guest, both days of the festival. Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles: A true ambassador of New Orleans, Joseph Pierre “Big Chief Monk” Boudreaux is the leader of the Golden Eagles, a New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian tribe. They are known for their elaborate attire, which includes handmade suits adorned with brightly colored feathers, intricate beadwork, rhinestones and ruffles, as well as their music, which combines folk traditions with funk and R&B. Boudreaux, a 2016 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Award, brings his Golden Eagles to the Cajun/Zydeco stage on Saturday and the blues stage on Sunday. Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers: A Cajun & Blues Festival favorite, Dwayne “Dopsie” Rubin returns to Simi Valley for the fourth straight year. He also will be hard to miss since he will be performing on both the blues and Cajun/Zydeco stages on Saturday and back on the Cajun/Zydeco stage on Sunday. The son of Zydeco legend Rockin’ Dopsie Sr., Dwayne has carved out his own successful career. His highly energetic Zydeco style has earned him a Grammy nomination and the title of “America’s Hottest Accordion” player. The blues stage once again was booked by Martin Fleischmann and his company, Rum & Humble. For more than 20 years Rum & Humble has played a key role in presenting some of the world’s great musical talent (Radiohead, King Sunny Ade, and the Rolling Stones, to name a few) to Los Angeles audiences, in venues like the Hollywood Bowl, the Orpheum Theatre and the Santa Monica Pier. They also have been a pioneer promoters in the field of Latin alternative music; Fleischmann is one of the co-founders of L.A.’s Congo Room. Additionally, Rum & Humble has collaborated closely with artists such as Jackson Browne and Paul Oakenfold as well as with a varied roster of corporate and non-profit clients, such as KJAZZ Radio and the National Geographic Society. The Cajun & Blues Festival has received national press accolades: “Everywhere you turned, there was something exciting happening,” wrote Blue Revue editor Art Tipaldi, who travelled to L.A. from New England. After attending last year’s concert, Jazz Weekly’s George W. Harris proclaimed: “Forget the Playboy Jazz Festival, the Simi Valley Cajun & Blues fest beats the older and richer sister. This is coming from a jazzer, yet still, pound for pound and dollar for dollar, I have more fun here than in Hollywood … it “delivered music made to last … can’t wait until next year.” Besides the great music, festival-goers can enjoy great food too. Southern BBQ and authentic Cajun-Creole cuisine, such as jambalaya and crawfish, are available at dozens of food booths, which will also feature a variety of other dining options. There will be rows of craft booths and retailers to check out as well. To get to the Rancho Santa Susanna Community Park, take California Hwy. 118 (Ronald Reagan Freeway) north from L.A. Exit at Stearns Street and go a couple blocks south. Ample free parking is available, with the main lot at the Simi Valley High School; a free shuttle takes to you to the park. This year, the festival has added thousands of square feet of additional tenting for shade at no additional charge. Low back chairs are recommended; however, pop-ups will no longer be allowed in the festival grounds. 100% of the festival’s profits are donated to charitable, educational and humanitarian causes on a local, national and international level. A list of these organizations may be found at < http://www.simicajun.org/who-benefits/>.   The Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival is a presentation of the Rotary Club of Simi Sunrise. Schedule — subject to change: SATURDAY MAY 27th BLUES STAGE Kelly’s Lot Lazy Lester The Yardbirds The Robby Krieger Band Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers CAJUN/ZYDECO STAGE Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers Cajun Trio featuring Michael Doucet, David Doucet and Mitch Reed Mardi Gras Parade Jo-El Sonnier Doug Kershaw   SUNDAY MAY 28th BLUES STAGE Alex Nester The 44’s Mitch Ryder Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles CAUN/ZYDECO STAGE Bayou Brothers Crawdaddio Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers Mardi Gras Parade Cajun Trio featuring Michael Doucet, David Doucet and Mitch Reed Jo-El Sonnier

American Showplace Music artist: John Ginty featuring Aster Pheonyx - Rockers - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Rockers, by John Ginty featuring vocalist Aster Pheonyx and it has a whole different dimension. Opening with powerhouse, The Shark, Ginty melds his notorious Hammond sound with Justine Gardner on outrageous funky bass and Maurice "mOe" Watson on drums for my favorite track on the release right out of the chute. Excellent! Rocker, Lucky 13 is up next and with Paul Kuzik's driving bass and Watson's drum work, lead vocalist, Aster Pheonyx takes command with Grace Slick like style. Ginty's key work, is aggressively complimented by the guitar work of Mike Buckman and Jimmy Bennett. With an easy pace and solid melody, Target On The Ground, is a tidy radio track with bluesy vocals and a light funk in the bottom. Ginty cranks up the heat on Hammond giving the track a bit more heft. Mr. Blues is a lumbering blues rocker with a cool lead riff by Ginty that drives the track, reinforced by Gardner's bass work. A well balanced track with a bit of wailing guitar ... slick.  Electric has a real nice back beat and features big drum work as well as cool slide work. With Jagger like prowess on vocal, Phoenyx's vocals on this track are my favorite. Wrapping the release is title track, Rockers. a solid driver with Ginty, Gardner and Watson laying down a road of rhythm before Ginty takes flight on keys. This is a solid rocker and a solid closer for a new direction for Ginty.

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Forty Below Records artist: John Mayall - Talk About That - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Talk About That, from John Mayall and it's diverse with a wealth of blues. Opening with title track, Talk About That, John Mayall steps up with a funky blues track, bucked by Rocky Athas on guitar, Greg Rzab on bass and Jay Davenport on drums. Mayall's vocals are solid with super funky organ and cool bass riffs. Blues rocker, It's Hard Going Up has a nice guitar vamp and cool horn work from Ron Dziubla on sax, Mark Pender on trumpet and Nick Lane on trombone. Funky blues number, The Devil Must Be Laughing has a sweet guitar intro and soloing by Joe Walsh and with it's dark overtones, is one of my favorite tracks on the release. New Orleans flavored, Gimme Some Of That Gumbo, highlights the drum work of Davenport and Mayall's piano playing is super of course with terrific horn work. Athas breaks loose with hot riffs of his own on this one adding flame to an already smoking track. Chicago style blues track, Goin' Away Baby, features light drum work and Mayall on harp and vocal. Very cool! Cards On The Table features Joe Walsh again on slide this time with a cool rolling rhythm. Walsh has a really distinctive style and he lays it out here nicely. Shuffle track, Don't Deny Me has a great swing with crisp riffs from Athas and super rolling piano by Mayall, backed nicely by Pender on trumpet and over a super walking bass line by Rzab. another track with a cool rocking beat is Across The County Line. With Rzab and Davenport setting the stage Mayall really delivers on vocals and piano and Athas nails the guitar lead with super horn punctuation. Very nice. Wrapping the release is You Never Know, an easy piano shuffle with only the basics of bass and drums supporting Mayalls vocals. This is different from the most recent two Mayall releases that I have reviewed but very enjoyable.

  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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