Bman's Blues Report

  LONG BEACH BLUES SOCIETY PRESENTS: "BLUES IN THE SCHOOLS" AT RENAISSANCE HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS, THURS., MAY 25            (Long Beach, CA) - The newly-formed Long Beach Blues Society presents Blues in the Schools, an exciting new program bringing together musically-inclined high school students and professional blues artists, coming to Renaissance High School for the Arts, 235 E. 8th St.,  Thursday, May, 25, from 1pm-2:40pm.   Students will experience a hands-on opportunity to work with established blues musicians who'll encourage and push them to achieve confidence in their musical development.  Through direction and collaborations, students will gain understanding about the importance of performing an engaging live show.    Life-long blues evangelist, legendary guitarist, radio host, and educator, Bernie Pearl, will sh...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Grit , from Vintage #18 and it's cool. Opening with Latin influenced number, Diamonds Are Optional , lead vocalist Robbin Kapsalis shows super composure and style leading a super band of Bill Holter on guitar, Alex Kuldell on drums and Mark Chandler on bass. Chandler's relentless bass work on this track, sealed up by snappy work by Kuldell and searing lead riffs by Holter makes this a great opener. On Dylan's Million Miles , along the lines of the great Sonny Boy Williamson's Help Me, the band nicely isolates Kapsalis' vocals and with a notorious bass line driving the beat, Holter screams on guitar. Very nice. On a remake of the great ZZ Top track, Just Got Back From Baby's , Kapsalis' vocals are soulful and Holter lets it off the leash for a nice run. Very cool. One of my favorite tracks on the release is old style R&B track, Poor Me . Kapsalis just hits a spot that rarely gets hit with ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live At The Iridium , from Leo Bud Welch and it's a solid, real deal blues rocker. Opening with original track, Praise His Name , Welch lays out a real nice hill country style blues track accompanied by his own guitar, drums and vocals. Excellent opener. On Muddy Water's Still A Fool , Welch conjures up the feel of the primitive blues with minimal effort. This is a great track and Welch compliments it nicely.  Another of my favorites on the release is Rosco Gordon's shuffle,  No More Doggin' . Welch sets a cool pace and delivers from the gut. Very nice. Always a favorite, Willie Dixon's My Babe is loose and bouncy. On Sweet Little Angel, Welch's vocal phrasing is all his own giving it an interesting texture and his cool guitar playing makes it a definite top track. I've always liked Don't Let The Devil Ride and Welch's cool rock style handling of this classic is classic in itself. O...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Brody Buster's One Man Band from Brody Buster  and it's quite entertaining. Opening with Get Out Of My Life , Brody Buster shows his dexterity at acoustic guitar as well as his finesse as a vocalist and harp player. On the Dead's New Speedway Boogie , Buster lays down a super guitar groove. With the bold attack of George Thorogood, Buster shows super agility as a one man band and super tone on his harp. Into The Wind is a solid ballad with a strong melody, solid guitar and drum reinforcement. Beatles tune, Get Back , maintains much of the original arrangement but with a more rural feel. Jonathan Edwards like harmonica riffs and throaty guitar work makes this track a strong contender for the best track on the release. Acoustic rocker, Working For The Devil is my personal favorite with it's drive, overdriven tube sound and overall simplicity. Wrapping the release is Prince's Nothing Compares To You , ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Bad Movie, from Bobby Messano and it's a rocker. Opening with title track, Bad Movie , Messano on lead vocal and guitar lays down a driving groove with a serious lope. Backed by Ed Canova on bass and Nioshi Jackson on drums, this is a super opener. Creeping up blues alley with Come to Your Senses , Messano sends out BB King vibes with strong vocal phrasing and grinding blues guitar riffs. Jimi like Why Water A Dead Rose is a real nice ballad with beautiful bones. One of my favorite tracks on the release, this track has nice dynamics, soulful vocals and articulate guitar lead. With roots in delta blues, Road To Oblivion couples acoustic slide guitar  with a more modern feel to create a fresh sound. Funky rocker, Too Good To Be True has great character and a cocky attitude. I like it! Jazz rocker, The Girl That Got Away , has great pace, and feel. Messano balances a solid rhythm with cool chords and ti...

BOBBY RUSH’S CHICKEN HEADS BOX SET ON OMNIVORE TAKES HOME “BEST HISTORICAL ALBUM” HONOR IN BLUES MUSIC AWARDS  Grammy Award-winning blues legend’s career compilation spans 50 years and more than 20 labels MEMPHIS, Tenn. —  Chicken Heads: A 50-Year History of Bobby Rush  box set, on Omnivore Recordings, won Best Historical Album at the Blues Foundation’s Blues Music Awards (BMAs), held at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis on May 11. The BMAs are recognized as the highest honor given to blues musicians, and are awarded by the vote of Blues Foundation memb...

JONNY LANG ANNOUNCES FIRST NEW ALBUM IN FOUR YEARS SIGNS TO BE RELEASED ON SEPTEMBER 8 th 2017 World Tour In Support Of Signs Goes On Sale This Week First Track “Make It Move” Available As A Free download at: www.jonnylang.com Los Angeles, CA --- Jonny Lang is pleased to announce a brand new studio album, Signs , which will be released in North America on September 8th via Concord Records.  The album (his sixth major label release) is his first in four years.  A pre-order for physical goes live today, with digital to follow on June 9.  The European release for Signs will be on August 25 via Provogue Records / Mascot Label Group. Starting off the record with a juke joint stomp, “Make It Move” is Lang’s story about going to the mountain rather than waiting for it to come to you. “There have been times in my life where I thought something would take care of itself, when I should have put some effort forth to help it happe...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Man On Fire from Boogie Patrol and it's super. Opening with Players Blues , Boogie Patrol hits the floor with horns blazing (Kim Beachum on trumpet, Gareth Hughes on tenor sax and Carsten Rubeling on trombone) . With a smooth, dance feel, Rott "n" Dan Shinnan really takes the lead on vocal with Yuji Ihara on guitar, Nigel Gale on bass, Emmet VanEtten on drums, Marc Arnault on keys and Chad Holtzman on guitar. On shuffle track, Whole Lotta Gravy , the band hits a nice blues groove and Dan compliments his gritty vocals with cool harp. R&B flavored, Foolish Mind , is a solid radio player with powerful horns and a cool guitar solo from Ihara. Hard To Tell You is a great song with an Al Green feel. Dan's voice doesn't have the polish of Green's (who's does) but I really like it. His style is soulful and his flare is flowing and cool. High energy, Easy To See has a relentless drum beat by ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Knock A Hole In It , by Mr. Sipp and it's a hot funky blues rocker. Mr. Sipp is the the alter ego of gospel guitarist, Castro Coleman and he's a force to be reckoned with. Opening with title track, Knock A Hole In It , Castro Coleman, vocalist and lead guitar player really shows fire with this band. Jeffrey Flanagan on bass, Carrol McLaughlin on organ and Stanley Dixon create an extremely heavy bottom for Coleman to romp and romp he does. Excellent! With up tempo R&B track, Bad Feeling , Coleman is charging vocally and with driving guitar riffs. The supporting organ work of McLaughlin is super over the solid bottom of bass and drums. Dropping back into the slot, Stalking Me is a grooving R&B track. Sounds along the Sam and Dave line, Coleman shows his roots in R&B but shows definite rock influences in rock, especially Hendrix. With a great, SRV style guitar lope, Gotta Let Her Go , is a super blues ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Charging Toward The Sun , by Cameron Austin . Opening with Empress , an easy going acoustic pop tune, Cameron Austin on guitar and vocal, joined by Paul Brennan on drums and Kene Wyatt on bass pave the way of a sure radio release. With a faster tempo and nicely blended vocals, Here , is a real nice track with melodic slide compliments. Lightly funky rocker, Prairie Girl , has a snappier beat and showing again that Austin is a clever pop writer. Bobby Whitlock's Thorn Tree In The Garden has always been one of my favorite ballads. No, Duane Allman isn't here to add his beautiful slide riffs, but this is still a super track. Raise Hell Boogie is a knee slapping country tune with a happy edge. With steel guitar twists and tight drumming, this is my favorite track on the release.   Sweet Corn is a real cool acoustic guitar round that is particularly nice. Jackson Browne's These Days , is up next and Austin'...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Play Music & Dance from Godboogie and it's a funky party. Opening with a New Orleans/BoDiddley beat, Play Music & Dance , Jerome Godboo takes the lead on vocal, harp and accordion with Eric Schenkman on guitars, Shawn Kellerman on guitar and Gary Craig on drums. On shuffle track, Honey Badger , the band hits a nice groove with Schenkman taking a real nice ripper of a solo. Slowing it down with a nice lope, Wounded shows a broad range of vocal capabilities by Godboo and of course showcasing his harp work. Ripping loose with another flier of a solo is Schenkman giving the track a nice edge. Breaking down to a smoking funk, It's A Party is really a dancing groove with slashing guitar riffs. Stumble blues track, Kitty has a real cool beat and the edgy vocals of Godboo contrast nicely against the grinding guitar work of Schenkman. Very cool. Hitting right up the middle with slow blues ballad, Sign Of The...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, These Things Shall Pass , from Davis Coen and it's quite good. Mississippi based Coen, decided to put together a spiritual based release and this one is exceptional. Opening with Willie Banks and the Messengers' Working For Jesus , Coen shows an exceptional feel for R&B style backed by Patrick McClary and Ryan Rogers on drums. With a country flavor, Stand By You is a cool track with smart vocals and lush steel guitar riffs. Pop rocker, Diamonds In Your Back Yard , has a simple melody, a catchy hook and warm vocal blending. A cool radio track. Saint Christopher has a real nice New Orleans kind of feel with great piano lines and vocal pairing. On the traditional, What A Friend We Have In Jesus , Coen plays it pretty much by the book but with a nice rhythm acoustic guitar and sweet slide echoes. Very nice. One of my favorites on the release, Shifting The Tide , has a strong soul feel and Coen's vocals are...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Under the Influence , by The Mojo Stars and it's interesting. Opening with title track, Under The Influence , vocalist Randy Clarke with Mark Rankin on guitar, Rob Marr on bass, Shawn Soucy on drums, Steve Soucy on keys and Kenny Boychuck on B3 crafts an updated rock sound pulling from the sounds of and Argent, Humble Pie and the Doors among others. Nice opener. Swinging over to a country approach, Why Can't I Be True has a real honky tonk feel with perfect syncopation, meaty guitar riffs and super keys. Bluesy ballad, No Use In Crying (Live) has the smooth characteristics of Elvin Bishop's Fooled Around And Fell In Love with a solid melody, nice sax work by Tom Gould and strong radio appeal. A cool Latin influenced track, 26 Banks , is one of my favorites on the release. Sassy sax work by Gould, nice vocals by Clarke and a crisp solo by Rankin make this track move. Soulful ballad, Why Didn't You Know ...