Walter Trout Announces Release Of We're All In This Together On August 25 - Tour Starts This Week

WALTER TROUT RETURNS WITH BRAND NEW STUDIO ALBUM

TITLED WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER FEATURING 14 FRIENDS

North American Release Date Set For August 25 With Europe To Follow On September 1

Album Trailer: 

Special Guests include John Mayall, Joe Bonamassa, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Sonny

Landreth, Joe Louis Walker, Warren Haynes, Randy Bachman, Charlie Musselwhite, Edgar

Winter, Eric Gales, Mike Zito, Robben Ford, John Nemeth, And His Son Jon Trout

Los Angeles, CA --- Walter Trout is the beating heart of the modern blues rock scene, respected by the old guard, revered by the young guns, and adored by the fans who shake his hand after the show each night. After five decades in the game, Trout is a talismanic figure and part of the glue that bonds the blues community together, at a time when the wider world has never been so divided. He’s also the only artist with the vision, talent and star-studded address book to pull off a project on the scale of We’re All In This Together. “It was quite a piece of work to get this record together,” he admits. “But I guess I have a lot of friends, y’know…?”

Before you even hear a note, We’re All In This Together has your attention. Drafting fourteen A-list stars – including Joe Bonamassa, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, John Mayall and Randy Bachman – and writing an original song for each, Trout has made the most tantalizing album of the year, and found solace after a run of solo albums that chronicled his near-fatal liver disease of 2014. “Now was the right time for this record,” he says. “Battle Scars [2015] was such an intense piece of work, written with tears coming down my face. I needed a break from that, to do something fun and light-hearted. This album was joyous for me.”

Scan the credits of We’re All In This Together and you’ll find nods to every twist and turn of Trout’s electrifying backstory. There’s keys man and long-time friend Skip Edwards, who came up on the same early-’70s New Jersey circuit where Trout cut his teeth as the precocious lead guitarist for Wilmont Mews. There’s organ wizard Deacon Jones, the West Coast bandleader who brought a twenty-something Trout into the orbit of blues titans like John Lee Hooker and Big Mama Thornton. “Deacon sorta discovered me when I moved to LA in the ’70s,” reflects Trout. “So I owe him.”

Trout also welcomes a fistful of compadres from recent all-star project Supersonic Blues Machine, in the form of Warren Haynes, Robben Ford and Eric Gales. Then there’s John Mayall: the ageless British blues-boom godfather who hired a troubled Trout for the Bluesbreakers in 1985 and now blows harp on “Blues For Jimmy T.”  “Am I proud to call myself a former Bluesbreaker?” Trout reflects. “Yeah, of course. What a credential. That is a very exclusive club, and I know that when I’m gone, that’s gonna be one of the big things that they’ll remember me for: that I was a Bluesbreaker for five years.”

Since he struck out alone in 1989, Trout’s solo career has been every bit as celebrated. Touring tirelessly and spitting out classic albums that include 1990’s flag-planting Life In The Jungle, 1998’s breakthrough Walter Trout and 2012’s politically barbed Blues For The Modern Daze, he’s won international acclaim and enjoyed ever-growing sales in a notoriously fickle industry. Years on the road have also brought him tight friendships, as evidenced by 2006’s cameo-fuelled Full Circle album and this year’s unofficial sequel, We’re All In This Together. “The new album was originally gonna be called Full Circle Volume 2,” notes Trout, “but I wanted to make the title a positive statement in this time of madness.” 

In another departure, whereas Full Circle saw each guest visit the studio to track their part, the advance of recording technology in the intervening decade meant Trout’s collaborators on We’re All In This Together were able to supply their contributions from afar. “In the studio, it was the core band of me, Sammy Avila [keys], Mike Leasure [drums] and Johnny Griparic [bass] on every cut, with Eric Corne producing,” he explains, “and then, for most of the tracks, people sent us their parts. But it’s very hard to tell we’re not in the studio together. If you listen to the Warren Haynes track, when we get into that guitar conversation on the end – it sounds like we’re looking each other right in the face, y’know?”

They say you can judge a man by the company he keeps. If that’s the case, then We’re All In This Together is further proof of Walter Trout’s position at the hub of the blues scene. This is the sound of an artist not just getting by with a little help from his friends, but positively thriving, on an album that is sure to light another rocket under his blooming late career. “I’m 66 years old,” considers Trout, “but I feel like I’m in the best years of my life right now. I feel better than I have in years physically. I have more energy. I have a whole different appreciation of being alive, of the world, of my family, of my career. I want life to be exciting and celebratory. I want to dig in. I want to grab life by the balls and not let go, y’know…?”

Track Listing:

“Gonna Hurt Like Hell” featuring Kenny Wayne Shepherd

“Ain’t Gpin’ Back” featuring Sonny Landreth

“The Other Side of The Pillow” featuring Charlie Musselwhite

“She Listens To The Blackbird Song” featuring Mike Zito

“Mr. Davis” featuring Robben Ford

“The Sky Is Crying” featuring Warren Haynes

“Somebody Goin’ Down” featuring Eric Gales

“She Steals My Heart Away” featuring Edgar Winter

“Crash And Burn” featuring Joe Louis Walker

“Too Much To Carry” featuring John Nemeth

“Do You Still See Me At All” featuring Jon Trout

“Got Nothin’ Left” featuring Randy Bachman

“Blues For Jimmy T.” Featuring John Mayall

“We’re All In This Together” featuring Joe Bonamassa

Planned appearances include:

6/30     Wichita, KS                                                    The Cotillion

7/01     Kansas City, MO                                            Knucklehead’s

7/02     St. Louis, MO                                                 Old Rock House

7/05     Syracuse, NY                                                  Hotel Syracuse

7/06     Sellersville, PA                                               Sellersville Theatre

7/07     Old Saybrook, CT                                           The Kate

7/08     Fall River, MA                                               Narrows Center for the Arts

7/09     Pawling, NY                                                   Daryl’s House

7/10     Hoboken, NJ                                                   Maxwell’s

7/12     New York, NY                                                B.B. King’s

7/13     Shirley, MA                                                    Bull Run

7/14     Norwalk, CT                                                   Infinity Music Hall

7/15     Derry, NH                                                       Tupelo Music Hall

7/16     Rockland, ME                                                 North Atlantic Blues Festival

7/19     Grand Rapids, MI                                           Blues On The Mall

7/20     Toledo, OH                                                     Club Soda

7/21     Chicago, IL                                                     Legends

7/22     Chicago, IL                                                     Legends

7/23     Milwaukee, WI                                               Shank Hall

7/26     Omaha, NE                                                     Chrome Lounge

7/27     Minneapolis, MN                                            Famous Dave’s

7/28     Fargo, ND                                                       Fargo Blues Fesival

7/29     Arnolds Park, IA                                             Arnolds Park Amusement Park

7/30     Des Moines, IA                                               Lefty’s Live Music

8/05     Mammoth Lakes, CA                                     Bluespalooza

8/06     Deming, WA                                                  Mt Baker R&B Festival

8/16     Annapolis, MD                                               Ram’s Head

8/17     Washington D.C.                                            The Hamilton

8/18     Somers Point, NJ                                            Somers Point Concert Series

8/19     Morristown, NJ                                               Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival

8/20     Lancaster, PA                                                 Long’s Park Concert Series

8/22     Gravenhurst, ON                                             Peter’s Players

8/23     Gravenhurst, ON                                             Peter’s Players

8/25     Trois Rivieres, QC                                          Trois Rivieres En Blues

8/26     Marshfield, MA                                              North River Blues Festival

8/27     Simsbury, CT                                                  2 Left Feet Blues Festival

8/30     Auburn Hills, MI                                            Callahan’s

8/31     Cleveland, OH                                                Beachland Ballroom

9/02     Peoria, IL                                                        Peoria Blues & Heritage Festival

9/07     Las Vegas, NV                                                Big Blues Bender

9/08     Las Vegas, NV                                                Big Blues Bender

October through November – European Dates – Detail posted on www.waltertrout.com

www.waltertrout.com

www.facebook.com/waltertroutband

www.twitter.com/walter trout

www.mascotlabelgroup.com

Eller Soul Records artist: Jason Ricci & The Bad Kind - Approved By Snakes - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Approved By Snakes, by Jason Ricci & The Bad Kind and it's quite good. Opening with My True Love Is A Dope Whore, a salty, stinky, slinky, funky track with tight instrumentals and intelligent, sassy vocals (think Jim Morrison meets Frank Zappa or Klaus Doldinger's Passport meets Peter Wolf). Andy Kurz lays down a sweaty bass line and Ricci blows great harp over frantic guitars by John Lisi and Sam Hotchkiss and solid drums by Adam Baumol....what an opener! With a more "contemporary", maybe Chili Peppers influenced, Something Just Arrived, the band is a bit more contained but by no means tame. This band is rocking but and taking names. Bluesy and theatrical, Broken Toy, follows a more conventional road but Ricci's vocals warp the senses and his harp playing is sensational, paired squarely with wild guitar. Very cool. Kurz sets up a really nice bass line to open Eddie Harris' Listen Here. This track  exceeds 10 minutes and is an exceptional jam featuring a really nice solos by the band members. Excellent!  Terrors Of Nightlife features almost country like vocals and cool electric slide work over a quiet bottom and finely crafted harp soloing. With a loosely funky attack, I'm Too Strong For You, bounces in and the music rolls out...big time. A great funky guitar solo backing Ricci's crafty vocals and solid harp work makes this track one of my favorites on the release. A funky jazz number, Disconnect, showcases harp and guitar runs further "jacking you up" in a good way. Wrapping the release is 515, which hovers like a cloud, just waiting for the lightning to strike. With it's funky bass line and rhythm guitar, Hotchkiss lays out frantic guitar solos and Ricci pulls him back with his harp, only to reel him out again with Jim Morrison like vocals. This band is in your face good. It may not be what you are expecting...but you need to open your ears. This shit is hot!

  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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Delmark Records artist: Linsey Alexander - Two Cats - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Two Cats, from Linsey Alexander and it's smooth with that sassy R&B overtone. With Alexander's strong vocals and soulful guitar work, strongly supported by Kenny Anderson on trumpet, Hank Ford on sax and Norman Palm on trombone, I'm Not Your Problem is a  nice opener. A blues with saunter, Where Did You Take Your Clothes Off Last Night? has a cool bass line by E.G. McDaniel and stinging guitar work by Alexander with nice harp work by Paul Hanover. Funky, That Ain't Right highlights the horn section and a high stepping rhythm by Bryant Parker is spot on. Ford lays in a real nice sax solo, followed by Anderson on trumpet and Palm on trombone giving the track punch. Another hi stepping blues number, title track, Two Cats, have a real nice balance with horn accent and guitar soloing. Very nice. Gospel flavored blues, Facebook Woman features some of Alexander's finest vocals with Roosevelt Purifoy doing an excellent job on keys coaxing some of my favorite guitar work on the release. Another particularly cool track, How Could You Do Me Like You Done Me, has gripping guitar riffs pushing Alexander's vocal work, topped by the tight harp work of Hanover. Slow burner, Starting Monday shows really nice balance between Alexander's vocal and screaming guitar. Very nice. Wrapping the release is a funky, Kiss Revisited. This song features some base rap vocals by J. Parker and subdued vocals by Alexander. With a cool bopping vibe, the release is gone.

  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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MarEmil Records artist: Alex Lopez - Slowdown - New release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Slowdown, from Alex Lopez and it's tasty. Opening with funky rocker, Dangerous, Alex Lopez wields a powerful ax joined by Gary Dowell on keys, Steve Pagano on bass and Michael Maxim on drums. I Don't Know is a cool rocker with an unusual Rock n' Roll rhythm. With slashing guitar riffs, and jagged bottom, this track rocks. Exodus is a really nice guitar interlude with Lopez accompanying his electric guitar solo with acoustic guitar, leading directly into ballad Long Long Time with Pink Floyd like sensibility. Guitar driven blues ballad, Stolen, is my favorite on the release with fluid runs, nice vocals and cool keys. Redeem Me starts a string of quiet vocal ballads, this one with a nice piano solo. Wrapping the release is War Without a Face, with military style drumming and a nice melody.

  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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Special Men Industries artists: King James & The Special Men - Act Like You Know - New release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (July 21, 2017), Act Like You Know, from King James & The Special Men and it's quite good. Opening with Special Man Boogie, band leader, lead vocalist and guitar player Jimmy Horn shows what he has up his sleeve and it won't be a secret for long. He has a great band. On this New Orleans/Latin flavored track Horn, joined by Ben Polcer on piano, Rob Snow on bass, John Rodli on guitar, Chris Davis on drums, Scott Frock on trumpet, Jason Mingledorff on tenor sax, Travis Blotzky on tenor sax and Dominick Grillo on bari sax these guys are tight. With Guitar Slim style, New Orleans R&B track, Baby Girl really sits in the groove with fat horns and super lead vocals, highlighted by classic guitar riffs.  Eat That Chicken has a cool strut and really nice guitar soloing, capped by a super tenor sax solo. Very nice. In the style of Ray Charles, Tell Me (What You Want Me To Do) has great soulful vocals. The strong piano lead, paired with Frock's trumpet work set the stage for excellent sax lead making this one of my favorites on the release. Another classic NO style track, The End Is Near, has powerful sax, gritty guitar work and strong piano reinforcement, but it's a terrific vocal on this track that gives it real teeth.  Excellent! Wrapping the release is 9th Ward Blues with it's Bo Diddley beat and and NO party atmosphere. This track is a full out instrumental blast and clocking in at nearly 14 minutes, is a super 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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Blues Music Award-Winning Band, The Nighthawks, Display Their Versatility on New CD, "All You Gotta Do," Coming July 21 on EllerSoul Records

Blues Music Award-Winning Band, The Nighthawks, Display Their Versatility on New CD, All You Gotta Do, Coming July 21 on EllerSoul Records

WASHINGTON, DC – Legendary blues and roots band (and Blues Music Award winners) The Nighthawks, announce a July 21 release date for their new CD,

All You Gotta Do.

The band is also enjoying critical acclaim for Michael Streissguth’s award-winning documentary film about their history, The Nighthawks – On the Blue Highway, which is now available on DVD from the group’s website, as well as Amazon.com. The film will also be screened prior to the ‘Hawks’ June 30 performance at the Creative Alliance at the Patterson in Baltimore.      

Eclectic? All over the map? The material on All You Gotta Do, The Nighthawks’ latest release, can certainly be described in these terms. Yet, throughout the nearly five decades of its career, the band has sourced songs from everywhere and anywhere. The prototype recording, Rock and Roll, although it had no originals, established this template in 1974. Three years later, Sidepocket Shot, showed the band capable of nearly all original material and spanning an even wider range of genres, this time in an array of production styles a la the Beatles' Revolver. All You Gotta Do does not have any outside players, only the band itself, with a minimum of overdubs. Yet the band still sounds like a hard Chicago Blues band from the mid-1950s, adding the vocal harmonies that Miss Honey Piazza once dubbed “the Doo Wop Blues.”

     

The new disc opens with Mark Wenner's rocking version of Brenda Lee's title track, the kind of pop rockabilly that was in full swing at the end of the ‘50s. Mark Stutso proceeds to give a moving interpretation of Levon Helm's personal farewell, “When I Go Away.” Wenner follows with the always mandatory Muddy Waters song, with no attempt to be anything other than the Chicago Blues.

     

Randy Newman's “Burn Down the Cornfield” was learned by the band for a D.C. multi-band performance of his songs for band house gigs. Johnny Castle steps into the fray with “Another Day” that can only be described as a modern day protest piece from his own pen, and Stutso follows with his own tale of the tortures of love with “Voo Doo Doll.” Wenner gives a thumping take on the Sonny Boy Williamson rocker, “Ninety Nine,” using the big C 12 hole Marine Band harmonica honking in the lower register. The heart-wrenching ballad, “Three Times Your Fool,” gleaned from his solo CD and written with his Pittsburgh collaborator, Norman Nardini, is sung as only Mark Stutso can.

     

Mark Wenner got a chance to sit in on Jesse Winchester's "Isn't That So" at a casual jam. Remembering almost all the lyrics, he tried singing it.  At the next Hawks' sound check, the harmonies fell right into place and it became a part of the repertoire. The band takes a fun romp of R.L. Burnside's “Snake Drive,” changing the groove from Hill Country Mississippi to D.C. Go Go, followed by a funny take on “Frere Jacques,” titled “Blues for Brother John.” This melody is one that Wenner uses to teach precise note bending in cross harp position. The final track shows off Johnny Castle, for all the styles he has played, to be the true King of Garage Rock in his salute to Washington D.C. on “Dirty Water.”

     

Although he sings no lead, Paul Bell is a major voice in the harmonies and shows off his ability to function freely in any of style of picking, from the snazzy jazzy licks on “Brother John” to the screaming slide on “Cornfield.”

But before we take any of this too seriously, in the famous words of Hound Dog Taylor, “Let's have some fun!”

Nighthawks Tour Itinerary

6/23     Tally Ho Theater                                                         Leesburg, VA

6/24     Rommel Harley-Davidson                                          Annapolis, MD

6/30     Creative Alliance at the Patterson                              Baltimore, MD

7/1       Abingdon July Festival (w/Bob Margolin)                 Abingdon, VA

7/7       New York State Blues Festival (w/Bob Margolin)     Syracuse, NY

7/8       Black Rock Performing Arts Center                           Germantown, MD

7/21     Bright Box Theater                                                     Winchester, VA

7/26     Lee District Nights                                                     Alexandria, VA

7/28     Jilly’s Music Room                                                     Akron, OH

7/29     Rip Rap Roadhouse Festival (w/James Solberg)        Dayton, OH

8/4       Hiawatha River Cruise                                                Williamsport, PA

8/5       Gotta Swing Dance/Spanish Ballroom                       Glen Echo, MD

8/11     Jammin’ Java                                                               Vienna, VA

8/12     Apple Mountain Motorcycle Rally (w/Foghat)          Little Orleans, MD

8/19     Rollin’ on the River                                                    Keokuk, IA

8/25     TGIF Concerts                                                            Wheaton, MD

8/26     Old Glory Harley-Davidson                                       Laurel, MD

8/27     Verdun Adventure Bound                                          Rixeyville, VA

9/2       Blue Note Grille (w/Rev. Billy C. Wirtz)                   Durham, NC

9/16     Niagara Falls Blues Festival                                        Niagara Falls, NY

Additional dates forthcoming ….

Cop Records artist: Mark Cameron Band - Live at Blues On The Chippewa - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Live at Blues On The Chippewa, by the Mark Cameron Band and it's rough and tumble. Opening with boogie track, Doctor In The House, Mark Cameron has the lead on vocal and guitar with Bill Keyes on harp, Scott Lundberg on bass, Dan Schroeder on drums and Sheri Cameron on flute and percussion. Willie Mabon styling on Dicey makes it a really cool track with mostly spoken lyrics and double stopped guitar and harp work. Borrowed Time is a slower ballad with nice blues bones. Nicely highlighting Mark's vocals and with nice flute work by Sheri, the solemn guitar soloing by Mark is particularly cool... like James Gurley on Summertime. With a slice of two step, Mojo Shuffle cruises nicely with it's tight bass line and harp riff. Willie Dixon's Killin' Floor is up next in the slot between the original and Led Zep's take. With raw vocals and a rock beat, Keyes lays on the harp giving the track a cool blues edge. Rusty Old Model T has a super boogie beat driven by Cameron's slide guitar. Filling out into a country flavored shuffle this track is cool. Wrapping the release is Back Seat Boogie, my favorite track on the release. With clever lyrics and just the right amount of tremelo on his strat, Cameron closes with style.

  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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Blue Elan artist: Gina Sicilia - Tug of War - New release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Tug of War, from Gina Sicilia, and it's soulful. Opening with I Don't Want To Be In Love, with solid pop foundation, is backed by Dave Darling and Zack Zunis on guitars, Dave Darling on bass and backing vocals, Matt Tecu on drums, Arlan Oscar on organ and piano. Showing that Memphis soul sound on He Called Me Baby, Sicilia belts out my personal favorite on the release with Ron Jennings on guitars, Ken Pendergast on bass, Scott Key on drums and Joel Bryant on B3. On contemporary radio track, Never Gonna End, Jennings, Pendergast and key are back but with Walter Runge on piano. Bluesy ballad, They Never Pay Me, features some of Sicilia's vocal work carried by the soothing B3 work of Runge and nice bass lines of Pendergast and with a curiously nice guitar solo by Jennings. 60's pop track, Tell Him, made popular by The Exciters, is a cover, fairly close to the original but with a fresh spin. Lennon /McCartney track, All My Lovin' is caressed by warm tremelo by Darling on guitar, fairly isolated with Sicilia's vocals. Nice cut. Wrapping the release is Heaven, an easy floating pop track with country style guitar riffs by Jennings and the tight drum work of Key. A cohesive set of tracks with good spirit.

  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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Hi Hat Records artist: Hot Roux - Home Town Blues - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Home Town Blues, from Hot Roux, and its cool in a different kind of way. Opening with Louisiana flavored, Don't Wanna Talk About Love, Jerry McWorter on lead vocal and drums leads the way joined by Brent Harding on bass, Franck Goldwasser on guitarRJ Mischo on harp and some hot sax playing from Bill Flores (bari) and Jimmy Calire (tenor). Old style country track, Woman You Haunt Me, is a really cool track with nicely blended vocals, a tasty guitar solo fromKyle Jester and nice piano work from Carl Sonny Leyland. Swamp rocker, Misery Misery has a classic Louisiana flavor and with paired vocals and a tight guitar solo from Kyle Jester, this track should be an instant hit. Rent Party Boogie has a super bass line compliments Steve Nelson and crisp rock n roll guitar riffs compliments Johnny Main. Processed vocals by McWortner work nicely on this track and Calire's sax work is tops. With it's Latin New Orleans flavor and harp work by Mischo, this track is a funky rocker with super crowd appeal. Wrapping the release is Wake Up Slim, a funky country flavored track with a catchy melody. Ed Berghoff's nicely finger picked guitar work really adds a nice bite to this enjoyable 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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Alpha Sun Records artist: The Bridget Kelly Band - Bone Rattler - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Bone Rattler, from the Bridget Kelly Band and it is a rocking blues party. Opening disc one with Ain't Missin' You, Kelly on lead vocal and Tim Fik on guitar gets this release rocking with Mark Armbrecht on bass and Alex Klausner on drums. What You Need is a blues rocker with attitude and influences of Johnny Winter are obvious in Fik's playing. Nice slow cooker, No Good For Me has the skeleton of T-Bone Walker with rich vocals by Kelly and real nice guitar soloing by Fik. Very nice.  Leavin' On Sunday has a cool, funky rhythm and guitar with phazer giving it a Trower flavor. Bluesy ballad, Deeper Than Blue gives Fik lots of space to wail and he makes good use of it with a creative blues intro. Introspective vocals by Kelly make this one of the standout tracks.

Disc two opens with The Dark Night and features Fik on vocal. With a dark overtone and abundant use of vibrato, Fik's guitar really carries this track. Standard blues formatting is the key to Mr. Gaines, with RB Stone on harp and Fik on slide guitar and vocal. Borrowing a few from Jimi, In My Sorrow has a cool 70's vibe. Hambone hits a real nice groove with a bouncy bottom and clean guitar soloing under Fik's vocals throughout. Very cool. Driving rocker, Bad Tornado delivers and Fik is again showing Winter influences. Very nice. Swinging jazzy tune, Cat's Out Of The Bag is a lot of fun with Fik stepping out on his riffs and bright vocal from Kelly. Cool track. Wrapping the release is Your Limo-zeen, a heavy bottomed boogie. Definite nods to ZZ Top and snarling guitar leads makes this a cool closer for an enjoyable 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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Orleans Records artist: Guitar Slim Jr. - The Story of My Life - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Story Of My Life, by Guitar Slim Jr. and it's really cool. GS Jr. (Rodney Armstrong) is the natural son of Guitar Slim (Eddie Jones). Opening with a classic Guitar Slim track, Trouble Don't Last, Jr. is front and center on guitar and vocals with Shannon Powell on drums, Rene Coma on bass, Milton Batiste on trumpet and Ernest Watson on sax. Title track, The Story of My Life, has a slower tempo and Jr. shows vocal skill along with pointed guitar riffs. Very nice. On Bad Luck Blues, Jr. maintains a lot of Sr.'s sty;e but he has his own flair with stinging riffs. On classic R&B track, Can I Change My Mind, Jr. shows a much smoother vocal style and his guitar playing is jazzy and fluid with Kerry Brown on drums, Charles Moore on bass and Keith Fazarde on keys. Hot! Reap What You Sow is my favorite track on the release with strong Sr. attributes and powerful vocal and guitar work by Jr. A lot more relaxed in delivery, I Done Got Over It includes backing horn work and hand claps with nice piano work by Jon Cleary. Wrapping the release is Sufferin' Mind with an early R&B flavor. With AJ Loria piano balancing Jr.s fluid guitar runs, and warm vocals and the backing vocals of Sylvia and Oneida Joseph, this is a solid closer for a fine 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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Mysterium Blues Records artist: Micki Free - Tattoo Burn Redux - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Tattoo Burn Redux, from Micki Free and it's pretty smooth. Opening with God Is On The Phone, vocalalist and guitar player Micki Free sets a cool tempo with a nice R&B baseline but with hot Santana like fiery guitar riffs. Joining Free on lead vocal is Howard Hewett, Cindy Blackman-Santana on drums, Bill Wyman on bass, and Mark Leach on B3. Title track, Tattoo Burn has a solid thumping single note bass line with Billy Gibbons style vocals and crisp blues guitar riffs. On blues ballad, Six Feet Down In The Blues, Free's soulful vocals and crisp riffs are nicely balanced by the Hammond flow of Leach. Mojo Black Coffee has great appeal with a pounding George Thorogood rhythm and featuring Randy Singer on harp. On Jimi's Hey Baby, Free does a real nice redo of the classic with a fuller guitar arrangement, pinched harmonics and fluid runs making it certainly one of my favorite tracks on the release. Wrapping the release is ballad, Sometimes in Winter, a straight bluesy radio track with solid backing vocals, nice B3 and Rhodes work by Leach. A real nice closer for a solid release.

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American Showplace Music artist: Andy T. Band - Double Strike - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (June 16, 2017), Double Strike, from Andy T. Band and it has a cool swing. Opening with I Want You Bad, Alabama Mike leads the way on vocal with Andy T on guitar, a featured solo by Anson Funderburgh and rocked nicely by Kaz Kazanov on tenor sax, John Mills on bari sax and Al Gomez on trumpet with Larry van Loon on keys, Johnny Bradley on bass and Jim Klinger on drums. On R&B track, Somebody Like You, Mike really sets down some of his best vocals on the release with cool key work by van Loon.  Deep Inside has a real nice blues lope featuring Nick Nixon on lead vocal coaxed along by Greg Izor harp.  On Chuck Willis' I Feel So Bad, Nixon and Andy set a cool blues rocker pace. With stinging guitar riffs and a solid bass line, this track has a great feel. Another Chuck Willis track, Juanita, is sopping with classic R&B style making it one of my favorites on the release. Funderburgh's Mudslide is up next with thick lower octave melody and bright lead guitar work by Andy and a super solo by van Loon.  Another smoking hot track is Doin' Hard Time with Andy and Funderburgh trading soulful riffs. Very nice! Funderburgh blisters the guitar on his solo on I Was Gonna Leave You, a somewhat funky blues track featuring Nixon on lead vocal. On Latin flavored Drunk Or Sober, Kaz and Andy each lay out noteworthy solos making this another of the best of the release. Wrapping the release is Where Did Out Love Go Wrong, another solid R&B track featuring Mike on lead vocal. Andy kicks it up a few notches with a crisp guitar solo and a smooth sax solo adds a deep earthy balance to this rich closer.

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Tucci Band Sets July 14 Release Date for New Album of Blues/Rock, "Olivia," on Hideaway Music, with Special Guest Larry McCray

Tucci Band Sets July 14 Release Date for New Album of Blues/Rock, Olivia, on Hideaway Music, with Special Guest Larry McCray

CD Also Includes Final Recording Appearance from Guitar Great Dan Toler

SARASOTA, FL – Blues/rock group Tucci announces a July 14 national release date for their new CD, Olivia, on Hideaway Records. Tucci band members are Steve “Doc” Tucci – guitars and vocals; Michael Tucci – drums; Shawn Murphy – sax and vocals; and Harry DeBusk – bass and vocals. Blues great Larry McCray lends his guitar and vocal talents throughout the album, and Olivia also includes perhaps the last recorded appearance from former Allman Brothers Band, Gregg Allman Band and Great Southern guitarist Dan Toler, who died shortly after his track was recorded.

The Tucci band will celebrate the release of the new Olivia CD with a special performance at Bert's Black Widow Harley Davidson, 2224 El Jobean Road, in Port Charlotte, Florida, at Noon on Sunday, July 16.

The Tucci band continues on the path set by its previous incarnation, The Toler-Tucci Band, which featured Dan Toler and recorded the acclaimed CD, Doc’s Hideaway, in 2012. Dan Toler was a longtime friend and mentor to the band, and his spirit informs the music on the new disc. Toler passed away in early 2013 after a long battle with ALS.

Steve Tucci reflected on the impact that Dan Toler had on the band and its music. “Several years ago over a sushi lunch, Dan Toler asked if I had any interest in forming a band with him that would be strongly based on friendship. He believed that good friends would be positive influences on each other and hence, quality and creative music would result. We subsequently formed The Toler Tucci Band and recorded what was to be Dan’s last CD. All the music was original and greatly influenced by Dan. He was a true master of his craft. His witting criticism of our lesser performances were taken as constructive not, destructive. It certainly allowed us all to grow as musicians, but, more importantly we grew into a tight-knit family. Dan was able to play every instrument in our band and would at times play the part he thought best on each instrument. He was like a symphony composer and knew in his mind what notes were important to produce the desired sound. We would call some of his abstract, but highly musical ideas, ‘Toler Notes.’ He created a unique, very identifiable emotion in each and every composition. Dan was a close friend, mentor and brother to each of us in Tucci. His spirit and influence lives on in our current playing and every once in a while we can hear the ‘Toler Magic.’ One of the hardest tasks I had to do was deliver Dan’s eulogy and maintain my composure. He is dearly missed but, has left us memories and a foundation we can build on for the rest of our lives.”

The all-original 11 songs on Olivia showcase the band’s high energy blues/Southern rock sound, with flourishes of funk, R&B and jazz. Special guest Larry McCray stamps his strong guitar work and vocals on eight songs; and Dan Toler’s distinctive guitar stands out on the track, “Play by the Rules.” Additional friends appearing on the new CD include Donnie Richards (Hammond B-3 organ), Ira Stanley (slide guitar) Dan Ryan (keyboards), Al Owen (vocals) and Bob Dielman (guitar).

Steve Tucci talked about how Larry McCray became involved in the recording of the new CD. “After Dan’s passing, the band was in a vast void. Our friend and great bluesman Larry McCray offered to come down to Florida and collaborate with us on the Olivia CD. Larry’s influence, vocals and guitar playing was the prescription the band needed to heal and get on with our mission to create and perform good music.  He truly was able to help fill the void and create the CD. Larry fit perfectly into the goal of Tucci being a band of friends and brothers seeking a good time through good music. I am most grateful to Larry for his assistance on this project. Larry has an open invitation to play with Tucci in any show.”

Produced by Steve Tucci and Bud Snyder, Olivia was recorded and at mixed at the Spirit Ranch Recording Studio in Sarasota. Steve “Doc” Tucci is the band’s main composer. His work on guitar and vocals is widely respected and merges rock and soul, vintage and modern, yin and yang; Shawn Murphy is the sax player and also possesses a soulful voice; Harry DeBusk and Mike Tucci, bass and percussion respectively, hold everything together with their funky, sometimes syncopated, but always musical groove.

The Sarasota-based Tucci band has been a mainstay of the Florida festival and club circuit over the years, developing a solid fan base. The Tucci and Toler-Tucci CDs can be downloaded or purchased at various stores or on-line through Amazon.com and iTunes.

Steve Tucci summed up the band’s direction thusly, “I believe a quote from Dan Toler is appropriate: ‘It is the duty of the dedicated musician to educate the listeners as to what high quality music is. This task should not be the role of the music business industry, which is more financially oriented as opposed to creatively oriented’.”

Sherman Holmes 1st Solo Record

Sherman Holmes of The Holmes Brothers 1st Solo Record The Richmond Sessions Mailing This Week Street Date Is July 21 ​ Special Guests Include Joan Osborne, Rob Ickes & Sammy Shelor World Cafe, Mountain Stage, Music City Roots & Songs Of The Mountain Booked Northport N.Y. - On July 21, Sherman Holmes will release his first solo recording in his 50+ year career. The Richmond Sessions by The Sherman Holmes Project carries on the spirit of the Holmes Brothers by re-imagining songs and making them their own. The record will be released by M.C. Records and maintains a bluesgrass/gospel vibe throughout that surprises and delights. We'll be mailing CDs this week to media. Scroll down for Sherman's tour dates.  Sherman Holmes’ solo debut The Richmond Sessions can’t help being a milestone: It’s the esteemed singer and bassist’s first recording since the passing of his brother and musical partners, Wendell Holmes and Popsy Dixon, both in 2015. But his solo debut, dedicated to the memories of Wendell and Popsy, is no somber affair. The blend of bluegrass, gritty rock & roll and joyful gospel will be familiar from Holmes Brothers days. And with some of his strongest vocals on record, the album shows Sherman is still an artist in his prime. Long time friend, Joan Osborne, duets with Holmes on the Dan Penn classic, “Dark End of the Street.” Other songs include The Band's "Don't Do It," Credence's "Green River" and Ben Harper's "Homeless Child." Click The Photo to Watch A 5 Minute Video Bio Of The Richmond Sessions Photo: Pat Jarrett/Virginia Humanities Sherman Holmes' voice contains a lifetime of soul.  We are so lucky we still have him with us! - Joan Osborne “Sounds pretty good for a 77-year-old, doesn’t it?” Holmes laughs. “I was overjoyed to do this, because I didn’t know how I was going to restart my career. We chose a good collection of songs that we wanted to do—We got some gospel in there, and some bluegrass. It’s a good mix of the Americana music, as I like to call it.” Click The Cover to Listen To The Richmond Sessions Photo: Pat Jarrett/Virginia Humanities Produced by Jon Lohman, Virginia State Folklorist and Director of the Virginia Folklife Program at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, The Richmond Sessions draws from Holmes’ longstanding Virginia roots. Lohman made the new album a Virginia-style family affair, bringing in guests like the Ingramettes—Richmond’s “first family of gospel” of 50 years standing—and instrumentalists like dobro master Rob Ickes, twice nominated for Grammy Awards; and Sammy Shelor, multi-time IBMA banjoist of the year. Another notable guest is long time friend of the Holmes Brothers, Joan Osborne, who duets with Holmes on the Dan Penn classic, “Dark End of the Street.” Look for Sherman to hit the road for his first tour as a solo artist. “I’m really looking forward to getting out there,” he says. “That’s my life, man.” Sherman Holmes Project Tour Dates June 21 - Tapping World Cafe Session ​ June 23 - River and Roots Festival, Berryville Virginia ​ July 13 - Summer Arts Festival, Huntington NY ​ July 16 - Mountain Stage Taping, Charleston WV ​ August 2 - Music City Roots Taping, Nashville TN ​ Sept. 1 - Joe Wilson Memorial Festival, Galax, Virginia ​ Sept. 2 - Song of The Mountains Taping, Marion VA ​ October 14 - Richmond Folk Festival, Richmond VA         ***

June 23 - River and Roots Festival, Berryville Virginia

July 13 - Summer Arts Festival, Huntington NY

July 16 - Mountain Stage Taping, Charleston WV

August 2  -  Music City Roots Taping, Nashville TN

Sept. 1 - Joe Wilson Memorial Festival, Galax, Virginia

Sept. 2 - Song of The Mountains Taping, Marion VA

October 14 - Richmond Folk Festival, Richmond VA

June 23 - River and Roots Festival, Berryville Virginia

July 13 - Summer Arts Festival, Huntington NY

July 16 - Mountain Stage Taping, Charleston WV

August 2  -  Music City Roots Taping, Nashville TN

Sept. 1 - Joe Wilson Memorial Festival, Galax, Virginia

Sept. 2 - Song of The Mountains Taping, Marion VA

October 14 - Richmond Folk Festival, Richmond VA

June 23 - River and Roots Festival, Berryville Virginia

July 13 - Summer Arts Festival, Huntington NY

July 16 - Mountain Stage Taping, Charleston WV

August 2  -  Music City Roots Taping, Nashville TN

Sept. 1 - Joe Wilson Memorial Festival, Galax, Virginia

Sept. 2 - Song of The Mountains Taping, Marion VA

October 14 - Richmond Folk Festival, Richmond VA