Bman's Blues Report

Monday, May 22, 2017

15th Annual Blues From the Top Festival: 2 Days of Blues Royalty

ANNOUNCING THE 15TH ANNUAL BLUES FROM THE TOP FESTIVAL:

TWO BIG DAYS OF BLUES ROYALTY IN BEAUTIFUL WINTER PARK, CO

Enjoy Fabulous Thunderbirds, Anders Osborne, C.J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band, Carolyn Wonderland, Alvin Youngblood Hart, And More, All In A Beautiful Mountain Setting!

~ Presented With Pride By The Grand County Blues Society,

In Memory of Blues From The Top Founder, John Catt ~

Saturday, June 24 (11am to 6pm); Sunday, June 25 (10:30am to 6pm)

(Winter Park, CO) - Announcing the 15th Annual Blues From The Top Festival, two big days of blues royalty in a beautiful mountain setting, located at Hideaway Park, 78820 US Highway 40, taking place Saturday, June 24 and Sunday, June 25. Gates open 10am, with music from 11am to 6pm (Saturday) and 10:30am to 6pm (Sunday). Currently, General Admission tickets are $30. (one day), $50. (2 days); prices will increase. V.I.P. Experience: $100.00 per day per person, $185. for two days. V.I.P. Seating features Stage Right starting at the Front Row; Daily Buffet; Private Bar with two Complimentary Drinks each day; free water and soft drinks; Shade Tents with tables and chairs; and Private Restrooms. Kids 12 and under, free (when accompanied by an adult). Tickets on sale now at www.bluesfromthetop.org. For additional BFFT Festival information visit www.bluesfromthetop.org. Blues From The Top is presented with pride by the Grand County Blues Society, in memory of Blues from The Top Founder, John Catt.

The two-day lineup is packed! Appearing on Saturday, June 24: The Fabulous Thunderbirds featuring Kim Wilson; Little Hurricane; C.J. Chenier & the Red-Hot Louisiana Band; Jimmy Vivino and The Kate Moss 3; Austin Young Band. Sunday, June 25 features performances by Anders Osborne, Carolyn Wonderland, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Analog Son, Danny Franchi, and Mountain Gospel featuring Ali Grayson.

~About Some of the Headliners at 15th Annual Blues From The Top ~

For over thirty years, The Fabulous Thunderbirds have been the quintessential American band. The group’s distinctive and powerful sound, influenced by a diversity of musical styles, manifested itself into a unique musical hybrid via such barn-burners as “Tuff Enuff” and “Wrap It Up”. Co-founder Kim Wilson, the sole original member, still spearheads the group as it evolves into its newest incarnation. “We started as a straight blues band”, vocalist and harmonica player Wilson says. “We now incorporate a mixture of a lot of different styles. We’re an American music band and we’re much higher energy than we were before.” In addition to Wilson, the current Thunderbirds line-up features Jay Moeller on drums, Johnny Moeller and Mike Keller on guitar, and Randy Bermudes on bass.

A musical force equipped with the soulful vocals of Janis and the guitar slinging skills of Stevie Ray, Carolyn Wonderland reaches into the depths of the Texas blues tradition with the wit of a poet. She hits the stage with unmatched presence, a true legend in her time. "Carolyn Wonderland's live shows are just outright phenomenal. Top notch, five-stars, off the meter - whatever the clinch., Carolyn and her band meet it...Her voice can be as beautiful as an angel and as powerful as a Class 5 hurricane all within the drop of a hat...One thing's for certain, some forces - even those barely five feet tall - cannot be contained" (ROCKZILLAWORLD).

Between the potency of his richly-detailed songwriting, his intensely emotional, soulful vocals and his piercing, expert guitar work, New Orleans' Anders Osborne is a true musical treasure. He is among the most original and visionary musicians writing and performing today. Guitar Player calls him "the poet laureate of Louisiana's fertile roots music scene." New Orlean's Gambit Weekly has honored Osborne as Entertainer of the Year. Osborne's songs have been covered by artists as diverse as Brad Paisley, Tab Benoit, Jonny Lang, Trombone Shorty and Aaron Neville, to name a few. His songs have appeared in multiple feature films. A powerful live performer, Osborne has won over fans through non-stop touring as well as a heralded collaboration with the North Mississippi All-Stars and Southern Soul Assembly.

Clayton Joseph Chenier, who fronts C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band, was born September 28, 1957 - the son of the great King of Zydeco, Clifton Chenier. C.J.'s father was the first Creole musician to win a Grammy Award. C.J. spent his childhood in the tough tenement housing projects of Port Arthur, Texas. His earliest musical influences were an eclectic mix of funk, soul, jazz and Motown, and his first musical instruments were piano, tenor saxophone and flute. It wasn't until his 21st birthday, after winning a scholarship and studying music at Texas Southern University, that C.J. first performed with his famous father and the legendary Red Hot Louisiana band.

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"Blues in the Schools" Presented by Long Beach Blues Society

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 share his history and development of the Blues as one of the original American musical art forms. Pearl has been central to bringing the blues to Long Beach as the creator and host of “Nothin’ But the Blues” on KPPC, and then KLON, radio stations. Bernie is also a co-founder of the Big Time Blues Festival, one of the first successful blues events in the Southland.

Shy But Flyy is a young poet and singer helping the arts flourish in Long Beach who also hosts open-mic events throughout the city. Her band, Shy But Flyy and the Allstarz, have been performing throughout Southern California for several years. Shy’s youthful enthusiasm combined with Pearl’s experience will create a dynamic and engaging experience for the students to enjoy.

Students and their parents attending Blues in the School will be given complimentary tickets to the New Blues Festival 4, taking place on Labor Day Weekend, Saturday, September 2 and Sunday, September 3, at El Dorado Regional Park in Long Beach.

“This is more than a school event,” explains Bill Grisolia, founder of the Long Beach Blues Society and creator of the New Blues Festival. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for the music and education communities of Long Beach to come together.”

For more information on Blues in the Schools and the Long Beach Blues Society, call (562) 762-8317 or visit www.longbeachbluessociety.org.

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Vintage #18 - Grit - New Release Review

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 contemporary music and Holter is right there with his slick guitar phrasing sealing the deal. Very nice! Digging back into early rock beats, Good Eve almost sees a surf beat with snappy drumming and cool guitar riffs. Wrapping the release is Circles Down Home an easy paced blues number with rich vocals. Holter pulls out the slide giving the track a warm feel for a cool closer to a cool new release.

If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! - ”LIKE”

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Thursday, May 18, 2017

Cleopatra Records artist: Leo Bud Welch - Live At the iridium - New Release Review CD/DVD

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. On Sonny Boy Williamson's good Morning Little School Girl, Welch grabs the wave and rides. A cool interpretation of another of my favorites. Wrapping the release is Me And My Lord a traditional tune given the Mississippi country blues rockin' twist. This is a cool closer for a cool release. Looking forward to getting the DVD home and checking it out.

Brody Buster's One Man Band - New Release Review

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, made popular by Sinead O"Connor. She added such stark emotion that every remake from that point forward would draw comparison. This is a cool open acoustic somewhat blues rocker which is a nice closer for a solid release.

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

The Prince Frog Record Company: Bobby Messano - Bad Movie - New Release Review

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 tight guitar riffs to create a really nice radio track. Some of the most aggressive guitar work appears on I Thought We Had This with synthesized rhythm guitar and nicely blended vocals. With really nice vocal blending, We Need A Blessing is another strong radio track with stinging blues guitar riffs and a solid bottom. Wrapping the release is country flavored rocker, American Spring, with rowdy guitar riffs and a stiff drum beat. Super closer for a strong release.

Monday, May 15, 2017

Bobby Rush's 'Chicken Heads' box set wins Blues Music Award in Memphis

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 members.

Nominated in multiple BMA categories for his new music throughout the night, Bobby Rush earlier this year also took home the Best Traditional Blues Grammy® for his latest release, Porcupine Meat. His lengthy career was the subject of the BMA-winning Chicken Heads, Omnivore’s four-CD, decades-spanning overview project.

The set contains over five hours of music culled from more than 20 labels including Rush’s Checker, Galaxy, and Jewel sides, through Philadelphia International, Malaco/Waldoxy, LaJam, and Urgent cuts, as well as material from his own Deep Rush label. Chicken Heads tells the story of Bobby Rush: unfiltered, unedited and unbelievable.

Bobby Rush, 1951

The 32-page, full-color booklet is filled with photos, ephemera, liner notes from Bill Dahl and testimonials from friends and fans including Mavis Staples, Keb’ Mo’, Elvin Bishop, Denise LaSalle, Leon Huff, Al Bell, and many more.

Produced by Rush himself along with Omnivore’s co-founder and Grammy®-winning producer Cheryl Pawelski; Jeff DeLia, Rush’s manager; and long-time publicist Cary Baker, Chicken Heads traces the bluesman’s career, from 1964’s “Someday” to the title track, from 1979 collaborations with Gamble & Huff to tracks from 2004’s FolkFunk. With mastering and restoration handled by Grammy® winner Michael Graves, Bobby’s vintage recordings have never sounded better.

According to Omnivore’s Pawelski, “When you’ve played with Elmore James, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, and Jimmy Reed, you must be on to something. When you’ve had a multi-generational career in music, spanning blues, soul and funk, that’s something else.”

# # #

Chicken Heads co-produders Jeff DeLia, Cheryl Pawelski, Bobby Rush

and Cary Baker

Jonny Lang Announces First New Album In Four Years. Signs To Be Released September 8th.

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 happen,” says Lang. “Being proactive has been a weak spot for me, and the song is about doing your part to get things moving.”

All fans can immediately download “Make It Move” for free via Jonny’s website at: www.jonnnylang.com.

Anyone who originally discovered Jonny Lang through his searing instrumental work will revel in the huge guitar tones and go for broke solos on Signs, while those who have appreciated his growth as an honest and passionate songwriter will find that honesty and passion unabated. Though he long ago left blues purism behind, Lang has never abandoned its spirit of universal catharsis through the relating of personal trials. Signs reaffirms his commitment to the blues and the guitar without sacrificing the modern approach that has made him such a singular artist.

It is hard to believe that at only 36 years old Jonny Lang has already had a successful career for two decades. Easier to believe when you learn he released his first platinum record at 15—an age when many young people are just beginning to play music. Lie to Me revealed a talent that transcended the crop of blues prodigies floating around in the late Nineties. No flashy re-hasher of classic blues licks, even at that early age Lang was a full-blown artist with a style of his own. Also, setting Lang apart from the wunderkind crowd was a 15-year-old voice that sounded like a weathered soul shouter. Actual life experience was yet to come, and has been subsequently chronicled in a series of five uniformly excellent recordings.

What began as a bluesy sound, influenced by electric pioneers like Albert Collins, B. B. King, and Buddy Guy, evolved over those recordings into a modern R&B style closer to Stevie Wonder and contemporary gospel music. Lang’s distinctive, blues-inflected licks appeared on every album, but became one element in a sea of passionately sung and tightly arranged songs.

Signs is not merely a return the artist’s guitar-based beginnings, but an embodiment of an even more elemental sound. Beyond focusing attention on his soloing prowess, it is about recapturing the spirit of the early blues, where the guitar was front and center, fairly leaping out of the speakers. “A lot of my earlier influences have been coming to the surface, like Robert Johnson, and Howlin’ Wolf,” he reports. “I have been appreciating how raw and unrefined that stuff is. I had an itch to emulate some of that and I think it shows in the songs. Still, I let the writing be what it was and that was sometimes not necessarily the blues.”

The record, which features funk, rock, and blues elements, is held together by Lang’s distinctive playing and singing, and the lyrics, which center on themes of embattlement and self-empowerment. “Some of the songs are autobiographical, but not usually in a literal way,” Lang explains. “The main goal is for folks to be able to relate to what I went through. If I can’t make it work using just my personal experience, I use my imagination to fill in blanks.”

Signs was produced by Lang, Drew Ramsey, and Shannon Sanders. Josh Kelly helmed “Bring Me Back Home.” Lang offers, “Josh and I cut six or seven songs together and had a blast doing it. I am saving the other ones for who knows what, but I definitely wanted that one to be on this record.”

Since the release of his debut album, Grammy Award winning Jonny Lang has built a reputation as one of the best live performers and guitarists of his generation. The path Lang has been on has brought him the opportunity to support or perform with some of the most respected legends in music. He has shared the stage with everyone from The Rolling Stones and B.B. King to Aerosmith and Buddy Guy, who he continues to tour with today.

NORTH AMERICAN APPEARANCES ANNOUNCED TODAY

ALL DATES OTHER THAN 9/30 – GENERAL ON-SALE FRIDAY, MAY 19

8/11 Los Angeles, CA Teragram

8/13 Arlington, WA Stillaguamish Festival

8/19 North Thornton, NH White Mountain Boogie

8/22 New York, NY Highline Ballroom

8/23 Philadelphia, PA World Café Live

8/25 Toronto, ON Danforth Music Hall

8/26 Trois-Rivieres, QUE Trois-Rivieres en Blues

9/08 Aspen, CO Belly Up

9/09 Boulder, CO Boulder Theater

9/10 Arvada, CO Arvada Center

9/14 Dallas, TX House of Blues

9/15 Houston, TX House of Blues

9/16 Austin, TX ACL Live

9/18 Kansas City, MO Knuckleheads

9/19 St. Louis, MO Pageant

9/21 Milwaukee, WI Potawatomi Casino

9/22 Milwaukee, WI Polawatomi Casino

9/23 Chicago, IL House of Blues

9/24 Louisville, KY Bourbon & Beyond Festival

9/26 Indianapolis, IN The Vogue

9/29 Huntington, NY Paramount

9/30 Hartford, CT Infinity Hall (On-Sale 5/18)

10/01 Fairfield, CT Warehouse (On-Sale 5/31)

10/03 Boston, MA The Wilbur Theater

10/04 Portland, ME Aura

10/06 Cranston, RI Park Theatre

10/07 Hampton Beach, NH Hampton Beach Casino

EUROPEAN APPEARANCES ANNOUNCED TODAY INCLUDE:

10/22 Zwolle, NL Hedon

10/23 Cologne, Germany Gloria

10/25 Berlin, Germany Columbia Club

10/27 Hamburg, Germany Mojo

10/29 Copenhagen, Denmark Amager Bio

10.30 Oslo, Norway Rockafeller

10/31 Stockholm, Sweden Nalen

11/04 London, UK SBE (London Folk and Roots Fest)

11/05 Leuven, Belgium Hep Depot (Leuven Blues Festival)

11/07 Cleon, France La Travene (Blues de Travene)

11/09 Marseille, France Espace Julien

11/10 Six-Fours-les-Plages, France Espace Malraux

11/11 Paris, France La Cigale

11/13 Prague, Czech Republic Lucerna

11/14 Vienna, Austria Porgy and Bess

11/16 Sumperk, Czech Republic House of Culture (Blues Alive Fest)

ALREADY ANNOUNCED AND ON-SALE:

5/18 Rochester, NY Rochester Lilac Festival

5/20 St. Joseph, MI BBQ, Blues & Bluegrass

5/21 Annapolis, MD Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival

6/10 Birmingham, AL Alys Stephens Performing Arts

6/11 Nashville, TN Schermerhorn Symphony Center

6/16 Riverside, IA Riverside Casino & Golf Resort

6/17 Aurora, IL Blues on the Fox Fest

6/18 Moorehead, MN Bluestem for the Arts Amphitheatre

6/22 Columbia, MO The Blue Note

6/23 Wichita, KS Orpheum Theatre

6/24 Okmulgee, OK Musogee (Creek) Nation Festival

7/06 Lexington, MI Lexington Village Theater

7/07 Kent, OH Kent Stage

7/08 Rochester, MI Meadowbrook

7/13 Peoria, IL Riverfront

7/14 Minneapolis, MN Music In The Zoo

7/15 Sioux Falls, SD Sioux Falls Jazz Fest

7/20 Tucson, AZ Rialto theatre

7/21 Chandler, AZ Chandler Center

7/22 Las Vegas, NV Boulder Station

7/28 Saratoga, CA Mountain Winery

7/29 Lincoln, CA Thunder Valley Casino

ADDITIONAL DATES WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY

WWW.JONNYLANG.COM