Sherman Holmes of
The Holmes Brothers 1st Solo Record
The Richmond Sessions Streets July 21 Special Guests Include Joan Osborne, Rob Ickes & Sammy Shelor World Cafe, Mountain Stage, Music City Roots & Song 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. A couple of weeks ago Sherman taped a World Cafe session and this Sunday he'll be performing on Mountain Stage! You can watch him live at 7PM ET, http://www.mountainstage.org/. Next month he heads to Nashville to record a Music City Roots session and in September a visit to the television program Songs of the Mountain. More here, https://songofthemountains.org/ If you would like to listen to The Richmond Sessions you can via Airplay Direct, click the image. The project is flawlessly rendered, The spirit of the Holmes Brothers lives on! - Elmore Magazine A one of a kind record that’s just going to blow your mind, killer stuff throughout! - Midwest Record Sherman Holmes' voice contains a lifetime of soul. We are so lucky we still have him with us! - Joan Osborne 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 “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.” 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
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
***
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I started a quest to find terrific blues music and incredible musicianship when I was just a little kid. I also have a tremendous appreciation of fine musical instruments and equipment. One of my greatest joys all of my life was sharing my finds with my friends. I'm now publishing my journey. I hope that you come along!
Please email me at Info@Bmansbluesreport.com
I started a quest to find terrific blues music and incredible musicianship when I was just a little kid. I also have a tremendous appreciation of fine musical instruments and equipment. One of my greatest joys all of my life was sharing my finds with my friends. I'm now publishing my journey. I hope that you come along!
Please email me at Info@Bmansbluesreport.com
Friday, July 14, 2017
Holmes Bros., Sherman Holmes, Streets July 21!
Plowboy Records artist: Blackfoot Gypsies - To The Top - New Release Review
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, To The Top, from Blackfoot Gypsies and it's outrageously cool! I can draw a number of parallels to this music and similarities to other things that i have heard but ultimately, it's different and super. Opening with I'm So Blue, you are taken to a time when music was cool and simple with a good melody and a great beat. This sound is British and it's American and it's pop and it's punk...and it's rock. Think early Kinks. Matthew Paige on vocal and guitar and Zach Murphy on drums are the core with Dylan Whitlow on bass, piano and vocal and Ollie Dogg on harp. On Promise To Keep the band is driving hard on a blues rock bottom. With a twangy guitar and beach Boys like backing vocals, this band it letting it all hang out. On Potatoes and Whiskey that band really starts to encroach on Gram Parsons and Jerry Garcia territory moving into rural music and full country without abandoning rock...very cool. Stripped down rocker, I Had A Vision shows traces of the San Francisco sound but then also John Doe. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Back To New Orleans with addition of sax and trombone. This track has a super street rhythm and cool vocals...excellent! On simple waltz, Velvet Low Down Blues, incredibly rural vocals, fiddle, piano pedal steel and a cool melody make this another contender for top track. I Wanna Be Famous is another hard rocker with an infectious beat and wailing guitar. This is the kind of music that drives your parents crazy...I love it! Settling down to more of a The Band feel, Woman Woman is probably the best radio track with nice vocal blending and a super melody. I've Got The Blues is a real cool track with authentic style vocals and features Paige on mandolin and Dogg on harp. Another of my favorite tracks, this track sounds real. Another solid rocker is Can I Get A Warning? with terrific drum work from Murphy. (Some bands have an entire career and never cut a track this good). With it's Bo Diddley beat, Gypsy Queen keeps this party rolling with a solid bottom, voracious drums, unearthly vocals and powerful guitars. Wrapping the release is Why Should I Try, a full bodied rocker with everything turned to 11. These guys aren't leaving a drop of sweat. Check it out!
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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Labels:
Blackfoot Gypsies,
Plowboy Records,
Review,
To The Top
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Lukas Nelson (Son of Willie Nelson and Neil Young collaborator) & Promise Of The Real / Decca
LUKAS
NELSON & PROMISE OF THE REAL ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM AND SHARE THREE NEW
TRACKS
HEAR THE NEW TRACKS
VIA ROLLING STONE HERE:
“Set Me Down On A Cloud” “Find Yourself” “Forget About Georgia” (SHARE VIA SOUNDCLOUD HERE) SON OF WILLIE NELSON AND NEIL YOUNG COLLABORATOR WATCH THE ALBUM TEASER TRAILER New album "Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real" due out 25th August 2017 via Fantasy Records Live performance at the Borderline, London on 18th October 2017 - Tickets
Since their formation as teenagers 10
years ago, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real have quietly developed into
one of America’s most dazzling new live acts, playing hundreds of shows and
major festivals all over the world, attracting a deeply devoted underground
following.
Still, with a bounty of invaluable experience under their belts, nothing foretold the artistic leap of Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real their new, self-titled album, a mesmerizing, emotionally genuine, endlessly rewarding work of cosmic country soul set for release on August 25th, 2017 via Fantasy Records. This morning the band has shared three new tracks from the album exclusively via Rolling Stone. Listen to “Find Yourself,” “Forget About Georgia,” and “Set Me Down On A Cloud” here. Recorded at The Village Studios in West Los Angeles Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real was produced by John Alagia (Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer) and features the band’s new six-piece line-up: Lukas Nelson (guitar, vocals), Tato Melgar (percussion), Anthony LoGerfo (drums), Corey McCormick (bass, vocals) along with new members Jesse Siebenberg (steel guitars, Farfisa organ, vocals) and Alberto Bof (piano, Wurlitzer, B3). Jess Wolfe and Holly Lessig of the indie-pop group Lucius contribute background vocals on five tracks evoking Exile on Main St.’s ecstatic, gospel-rooted harmonies, and Lady Gaga added stirring background vocals to “Carolina” and “Find Yourself.” Elsewhere, the lilting, Glen Campbell inspired gem, “Just Outside of Austin” features a guitar solo from Lukas’ dad, country music icon Willie Nelson, and piano from his 86-year-old Aunt Bobbi. The new album includes 12 Lukas Nelson originals that draw on his country and rock lineage including literate Texas songsmiths like his father and ‘uncles’ Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings, along with the enduring influence of J.J. Cale, The Band, Clapton-era Delaney & Bonnie and of course, his mentor Neil Young. Young, an essential member of the POTR family, met the band after he caught them at Farm Aid several years back. “Neil got in touch after that, and we started talking by email,” Lukas recounts. “Eventually, he asked us to record with him. We fell in love with each other musically, one thing led to another and we became Neil’s band.” “I knew I had a lot of good songs that transcended the cultural boundaries between rock & roll and country,” Lukas says of his vision for the album. “We owe a lot to Neil; we made this record after coming off the road with him for two years. Neil’s been mentoring us, and we’ve been absorbing that energy, and I think it shows. We got acclimated to a different level of artistic expression. I wanted to get the songs as pure as they could be. We’ve grown.” “Set Me Down on a Cloud,” the soulful, country-rock epic that opens the album features Lucious’ angelic background vocals and Lukas’ lovely, lyrical guitar solo as the band stretches out behind him. “Forget About Georgia” unfolds to a “Layla”-like outpouring of yearning, as it vividly retraces the turbulent, bittersweet final stages of a doomed love affair. Lukas delivers a full-throttle vocal on the closing track, “If I Started Over,” a Roy Orbison-inspired rumination of tender devotion. The R&B grind of “Find Yourself” is a particular triumph as Lukas and Lady Gaga weave an impassioned, romantic ultimatum. Currently on tour with Sheryl Crow, Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real will be burning up stages throughout 2017 including multiple Outlaw Music Festival dates (with Willie Nelson & Family, Bob Dylan, The Avett Brothers, Sheryl Crow, Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit, My Morning Jacket, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats and Margo Price), Austin City Limits Festival, Farm Aid and Milwaukee’s SummerFest. The band is also set for shows alongside Gary Clark Jr. and Nicki Bluhm. Additionally, Lukas Nelson & Promise will headline the Bowery Ballroom in New York City on September 5th.
Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real is:
Lukas Nelson – guitar, vocals Tato Melgar - percussion Anthony LoGerfo - drums Corey McCormick - bass, vocals Jesse Siebenberg - steel guitars, Farfisa organ, vocals Alberto Bof - piano, Wurlitzer Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real – Track List: 1. Set Me Down On A Cloud 2. Die Alone 3. Fool Me Once 4. Just Outside Of Austin 5. Carolina 6. Runnin’ Shine 7. Find Yourself 8. Four Letter Word 9. High Times 10. Breath Of My Baby 11. Forget About Georgia 12. If I Started Over Fans can purchase items like a Skype songwriting session with Lukas, signed test pressings with turntable mats, handwritten lyrics, drumheads, and much more. All vinyl and CDs sold in Lukas’ pre-order store are signed. The vinyl is being released as a 2xLP, featuring bonus tracks not included with the other formats. TOUR DATES: 10/18 — London, UK @ The Borderline 10/19 — Paris, FR @ Café de la Danse 10/20 — Berlin, DE @ Musik & Frieden Pre-Order LUKAS NELSON & PROMISE OF THE REAL: iTunes Amazon Apple Music Spotify Follow Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real: Official Website |
new studio album coming from seminal British blues band SAVOY BROWN
Being released August 25, 2017 on Ruf Records, veteran British
Blues band Savoy Brown's Witchy
Feelin' proves the Devil still has all the best
tunes. From the thrillingly
brittle guitar riff that opens Why Did You Hoodoo Me, we are in the
hands of a master, with founding member Kim Simmonds reigniting the seismic
vocals and searing fretwork that established Savoy Brown as linchpins of the
'60s British blues boom. "On this album, I tried my best to get my voice
in its power zone," he explains. "I'm a baritone singer. I like
listening to singers I can relate to, such as J.J. Cale, Mark Knopfler, Tony
Joe White and Tom Rush. For my guitar playing, I still get inspiration from
Otis Rush, Buddy Guy and all the Chicago players I grew up listening to back
in '63... but I always listen to new music too."
Recording alongside Pat Desalvo (bass), Garnet Grimm (drums) and
engineer Ben Elliott, Simmonds leads us into a world of dark nights, wild
weather, women and whiskey: all perennial themes given a modern twist by this
ageless bluesman. "The songs on this album have been two years in the
making," he reflects. "I tried to write songs that had a personal
point of view yet can be relatable to everyone. On Vintage Man, I wrote
about being the type of guy who doesn't change as he gets older. I wrote
about the power of love on Why Did You Hoodoo Me. And
with Guitar Slinger, I wrote a song about seeing a great guitar player
in an old country bar - as I did when I first saw Roy Buchanan in '69."
Blues is not for the faint-hearted. Since the genre first drew
breath, its greatest practitioners have embraced the darkness, spinning tales
of hardship and death, hellhounds and devilry. If the sleeve of Witchy Feelin' suggests
that Kim Simmonds, too, has a tendency towards the macabre, then Savoy
Brown's iconic leader is happy to confirm it. "Blues has always dealt
with themes of the Devil, witchcraft and so forth, and I've
always written along those lines. At least three of the songs on Witchy Feelin' have
that hoodoo vibe..."
Anyone who witnessed Savoy Brown leave the blocks in 1965 would
speak of a similar epiphany. Back then, the band were the spark that ignited
the blues-boom, signing to Decca, opening for Cream's first London show and
boasting a lead guitarist who was being namedropped in the same reverential
breath as peers like Clapton and Hendrix (with whom Simmonds jammed).
Already, the guitarist was emerging as the band's driving force. "I had
a vision," he reflects. "When I started the band back in 1965, the
concept was to be a British version of a Chicago blues band. And the exciting
thing now is, that vision is still alive."
Soon, Savoy Brown had achieved what most British bands never did
- success in America - and became a major US draw thanks to their high-energy
material and tireless work ethic. "There's far too much said about sex,
drugs and rock 'n' roll," Simmonds told Classic Rock. "It's a
cliché. We were all extremely hard-working guys. When we came over to America,
we were like a little army. I look at that time as being filled with
incredible talent."
Times changed, of course, and by 1979, Simmonds had moved from a
London he no longer recognised - "The punks were everywhere!" - to
settle permanently in New York. The Savoy Brown bandmembers came and went,
and the music scene shifted around him, but the guitarist stuck thrillingly
to his guns and reaped the rewards, performing in iconic venues like Carnegie
Hall and the Fillmore East and West, releasing thirty-odd albums, and later
enjoying a well-deserved induction into Hollywood's Rock Walk Of Fame.
Even in the post-millennium, while his peers grow soft and drift
into semi-retirement, Simmonds retains a vision and an edge, spitting out
acclaimed albums that include 2011's Voodoo Moon, 2014's Goin' To The Delta,
2015's The
Devil To Pay - and the emphatic new addition to Savoy
Brown's catalogue, Witchy
Feelin'. "I'm amazed that I still have the
energy inside me to play guitar, create music and write songs," he
considers. "I've been blessed in my life and I thank God for that. I've
never been a believer in holding on to the past - I don't look over my
shoulder and congratulate myself. I always want to climb the next mountain -
and I'm very pleased with this new album..."
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Eli Cook Delivers A Musical Whiplash With High-Dollar Gospel Out On 8/18
Eli Cook Delivers A
Musical Whiplash With New Album
High-Dollar Gospel
Out August 18 On
C.R.8 Records Label Debut
“Mystifying” – John Mayall
“Everybody
knows the story of the crossroads, where blues guitarists go at midnight to
trade their souls to the devil for musical prowess. It’s just a myth, of
course, but if it were true, firebrand Eli Cook could have bragging rights, as
his scarifying solo-country blues chill like a hellhound on your trail.” - Guitar Player
(2007)
Eli
Cook is a mystifying soul. He’s a keen observer, a provoking thinker and has
swagger.
All
under that messy blonde hair is a passionate heart with fingers of silver and
gold that recalls John Lee Hooker, Chris Smither, and Chet Atkins, mixed in
with a dirty, grungy sound. It’s clean playing mind you; it’s just his fingers
are covered in the dirt left over from the crossroads.
High-Dollar
Gospel
preaches a high voltage bolt to your ears and shakes you loose.
Coming
from Albemarle County in Virginia at the
Foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Eli Cook grew up listening to the blues,
country, classic rock and alternative rock. He grew up with no TV and radio
shows like Prairie Home Companion were his Saturday night entertainment.
Life moves slowly in this rural area of the world giving him time to hone his
skills with his voice and guitar chops. At 18 he was opening up for B.B. King –
a few years later he’s playing in Canada – and then the next week he’s blending
in with his hometown locals. Talent like this shouldn’t go unnoticed, and Eli
has been smoldering in the underbelly for far too long.
“It’s what was around me, and I just tried to
pick up on everything and everybody, including Doc Watson and Chet Atkins. In
fact, hearing Chet fingerpick made me realize I didn’t need a band.” (Source: Guitar Player 2007)
Produced
by Eli Cook at Full Moon Recording Studios in VA, High-Dollar Gospel
opens up with a slow bang with “Trouble Maker” – taunting and questioning his
muse to join him. Acoustic picking and slide drive the classic hoedown
backs the cautionary tale “The Devil Finds Work.” The haunting “Mixing My
Medicine” contains the cavernous sound of a detuned custom 12-string guitar; an
instrument played famously by Leadbelly and Blind Willie McTell. Cook
slows down Muddy Waters’ melancholy “Can’t Lose What You Ain’t Never Had” into
a terrifying, heart of darkness lament, his voice reaching a bottomless depth
of sorrow. The orchestral 12-string guitar underscores the metaphoric boast of
“King Of The Mountain” that shows off Eli’s huge growl of a voice with its
anthem-like chorus is a showstopper.
“Got my spirit vision mama, she's
callin’ me
head-on collision when a heart
runs free
when I'm high, lordy people,
don't nobody mess me round
I seen every kind of evil; got to
get on out this town” – King Of The Mountain
High-Dollar Gospel isn’t all balls to
the wall, for his take on “44 Blues” is a brilliantly inventive version of
Howlin’ Wolf’s classic propelled by his tapping foot. Dylan’s “I’ll Be Your
Baby Tonight” is made less declamatory than the original as Cook slows and
lightens his approach without losing the romantic heat. He again flashes his
slide accompaniment skills on the jaunty “Month Of Sundays” in a poetic
entreaty to a paramour. (Click on Eli’s face for an acoustic performance of
“Month Of Sundays”)
Eli
Cook explains his album title as “I was brainstorming
ideas that would evoke the imagery of the American South. The phrase
‘high-dollar’ is an old one, and ‘gospel’ is the Southern church music that
brought us Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and
countless other iconic musicians. The two phrases
together can have several connotations, but the one I think of is the feeling
of disillusionment that seems to be more and more pervasive. I think a lot of
young people feel a sense of apathy and a loss in direction, generally
speaking. People need inspiration, and it seems like that is becoming harder to
come by.”
“He’s in the vanguard of young, 21st-century
blues rockers!” – Tinsley Ellis
The
growl in his voice shows off an emotional connection to the music as a tool
rather than decoration, and with your eyes closed, you could be listening to
Howlin’ Wolf or Chris Cornell. On Aug. 18with High-Dollar Gospel,
Eli shows you what you can’t imagine, something so strong and melodic, so don’t
be afraid to look and listen.
“Artists often talk about the blues as a living
and growing thing and not just a style of music fit for museums. Cook puts that
theory into practice and moves things forward.” - Slant Magazine
Labels:
Eli Cook,
High-Dollar Gospel
Guitarist Dudley Taft Unleashes Torrents of Blues-Rock Sounds on New CD, "Summer Rain," Coming September 15 from American Blues Artists Group Label
Guitarist
Dudley Taft Unleashes Torrents of Blues-Rock Sounds on New CD, Summer Rain,
Coming September 15 from American Blues Artists Group Label
CD Dedicated to
America’s Men & Women in the Military
CINCINNATI, OH – Blues-rock guitar master Dudley Taft
announces a September 15 release date for Summer Rain, the newest
disc from the Cincinnati-based artist on the American Blues Artist Group label.
Summer Rain is his fifth studio album,
consisting of 11 all-original songs, and dedicated to the men and women of the
armed forces who accept tours of duty in far-away places, leaving their
families behind. A running theme of anguished separation and endless toil run
through the album.
“I have the greatest respect for those men and women who
serve in the military, especially those who are deployed halfway around the
world in the hot spots of sectarian conflicts,” Taft says. “This album pays
tribute to these soldiers who sacrifice much of their lives to defend freedom
and to support their families. The separation from their loved ones and
significant others must weigh heavy on their hearts.”
All of the basic tracks on Summer Rain were
recorded in Taft's own studio, which he purchased from the legendary Peter
Frampton in 2013. Appearing for the third time with Taft is Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall
of Famer Reese Wynans, who played keyboards for Stevie Ray Vaughan. “Reese
always has the best instincts and manages to take each song up a notch,” Taft
comments. “Check out the vibe he creates on the track ‘Live or Die!’ Jason
Patterson plays drums on all but two tracks, with Mike Tapogna on the skins for
the other two. Newcomer Kasey Williams handles the bass duties, except for
three songs played by long-time collaborator John Kessler. My daughter Charmae
adds some backing vocals to the title track song.”
A self-confessed guitar gear fanatic, Taft used several of
his newly acquired mid-sixties Fender amps on most of the songs, along with the
Tonehunter TNT to fill out the sonic palette.
The opening track, “Flying on Love,” is a bit of a departure
sonically. “I reached for my fuzz pedal and layered guitars over a couple of
killer drum loops and had Jason play on top of those,” he says about the
recording session. “The title track, ‘Summer Rain,’ clocks in a little under
six minutes, telling the tale of laboring miserably far from home under the hot
sun hoping for the rain to wash away the pain and cool things down.”
“Edge of Insane” is a lighter take on a jilted lover, while
“Pistols at Ten Paces” has a hint of political commentary, uncharacteristic for
Taft.
The final track, “Find My Way Back Home,” winds up the
stories on the album, with the protagonist finally returning home after a long
separation from his family.
Dudley Taft’s music career began in high school when he
founded the band Space Antelope with friend Trey Anastasio (of Phish). He then
expanded his creative juices as a guitarist and songwriter with two prominent
Seattle bands of the early 1990s, Sweet Water and Second Coming. Both had major
label deals and Taft enjoyed success with songs on the radio, in movies and
television.
In 2007, Taft started his solo career by playing songs from
Freddie King, ZZ Top and Albert Collins, to name a few. His first solo effort, Left
for Dead, was released in 2011. Deep Deep Blue followed
in 2013, and along with Left for Dead, was released in Europe on
the M.i.G. label. Screaming in the Wind debuted in 2014. His
last album, Skin and Bones, was released in 2015 and resonated
both with blues and rock critics and radio station deejays. It also yielded
several widely seen videos, including “Lonesome Memphis Blues,” and a killer
take on Johnny Winter’s “Leland Mississippi Blues,” both filmed on location.
Dudley's music can be heard on most every streaming site,
Sirius XM Radio and your favorite local blues show. His music has been featured
in movies and on television, most notably “The Sixth Sense” and on “That Metal
Show,” “Gene Simmons’ Family Jewels” and many more.
Dudley Taft recently returned from an extensive European
tour, which included him playing before a crowd of over 10,000 people at a
Polish music festival.
Building Records artist: Willa Vincitore - Better Days - New Release Review
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Better Days, by Willa Vincitore and it's solid. Opening with shuffle track, Love Looks Good On Me, singer Willa Vincitore lead a super band of Lee Falco on drums, Brandon Morrison on bass, Chris Vitarello, Jay Collins on sax, Reggie Pittman on trumpet, Pete Hop on acoustic guitar and Scott Milici on keys. A bluesy shuffle, this track has cool bones but explodes into a full gospel style track with super horns and a nice guitar solo by Vitarello. On funky, Stop, Drop and Roll, Vincitore lays out some of her best vocals on the release with cool key work and excellent sax punctuation by Collins. Excellent! On country flavored rocker, Hey Little Sister, Chris O'Leary joins on vocal and harp. Title track, Better Days has a very contemporary "neo soul" sound with an easy feel and nicely blended vocals highlighted by under the lead soloing. On country flavored two stepper, Mama Needs Some Company, Vincitore really pulls out a bluesy throat and slide work by Vitarello adds super swagger. Crazy Man has a cool funky bottom, sassy guitar, solid vocals and a tight horn chaser. Say What is a real hot funky number with a nice bass line. Milici pumps up the rhythm and Collins and Pittman punctuate. Very nice. Rich vocals by Vincitore really hit the mark on Opposite of Lonely, a funky bottomed jazz number. I particularly like Pittman's "Miles like" approach to the trumpet solo and Vitarello tasty guitar solo is framed nicely by tight drumming by Falco. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Demons, an acoustic, delta blues style track. Nice resonator work by Vitarello nice frames the isolated vocals on Vincitore. A pure, old school blues, this is a nice closer for a cool 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”
For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE"
“Like” Bman’s Facebook page and get support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE
Labels:
Better Days,
Building Records,
Review,
Willa Vincitore
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Vector Recordings artist: Lee Roy Parnell - Midnight Believer - New Release review
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (August 11, 2017), Midnight Believer, by Lee Roy Parnell and it's smooth. Opening with Hours In Between, a rich, pop driven track, Lee Roy Parnell shows why he's known for his soulful voice and solid songwriting. With bluesy guitar riffs, a thumping bass line courtesy of Steve Mackey, Kevin McKendree on keys and Lynn Williams on drums, this is a great opener. Title track, Midnight Believer, really has that Muscle Shoals, Pete Carr/Boz Scaggs sound. Parnell clearly has a super feel and for this Blue Eyed Soul. A definite radio track, Ponchatrain, is as solid a ballad as you're likely to find with a warm melody, nicely blended vocals and subdued instrumentation. Too Far Gone is another terrific soul track with warm vocals and cool keyboard work by McKendree. Sunny Days, a quiet acoustic based ballad features Parnell way out front singing lead vocal with only minimal backing, and nice slide guitar and backed by the Fairfield Four, an American Institution known for Gospel vocals. Very nice. Want Watcha' Have kicks it up a few notches with a high stepping rocker and giving Parnell a chance to present not only a funkier side but to lay in some real rocking guitar riffs. His guitar voice is warm and clean. Funky, New Orleans flavored Going Uptown has a super marching drum rhythm and cool female backing vocals but my favorite part of this track is the fluid slide work of Parnell. Very nice! A little dab of country on Tied Up And Tangled gives it a bit of a Bonnie Raitt/Little Feat feel. Soaring guitar in the style of David Lindley and a cool vocal duet with Etta Britt give this track real air. Wrapping the release is soft country rock ballad, Some Time Ago, a track that among 10 other solid tracks could easily be a big seller. I love Parnell's guitar tone on the slide solo of this track adding real heat to his soulful composition. This is a super closer to a special 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”
For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE"
“Like” Bman’s Facebook page and get support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE
This track isn't on the release but thought it deserved a listen:
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Americana Music Society - Red Hot: A Memphis Celebration Of Sun Records - New release review
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Red Hot: A Memphis Celebration Of Sun Records by the Americana Music Society and it's really cool. This recording, co-produced by singer-guitarist Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars and Tamara Saviano, the Nashville based writer-Producer and author of Without Getting Killed or Caught, with all proceeds to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Opening with swinging R&B track, John Paul Keith sings Red Cadillac and a Black Mustache featuring Jim Spate on soulful sax. Valerie June digs deep on Carl Perkin's Sure To Fall (In Love With You) joined by Jimbo Mathus and Amy laVere on backing vocals showing real American home grown country. Very nice. On Charlie Rich's Lonely Weekends, Shawn Camp takes the lead backed by spate on sax and Lauren Mascitti and John Paul Keith on backing vocals. Bryan Hayes is front and center on Charlie Rich's Ways of a Woman In Love backed by Emily Barker and Amy LaVere on backing vocals. This is a simple country tune and has great style. On Billy "The Kid" Emerson's R&B classic, Red Hot, Chuck Mead, Kevin Fonteyne, Drake Milligan and Jonah Lees rock it. Bobby Rush takes the blues right down main street with Tough Titty, one of my favorites on the release. Amy LaVere nails swing track, Ten Cats Down with real nice guitar soloing by Will Sexton and Emily Barker on backing vocals. Jimbo Mathus rocks Jerry Lee Lewis' High School Confidential. Mathus is in his own universe when he pours it on and he is channeling here. Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues gets a cool cover by Alvin Youngblood Hart with solid vocals and twangy guitar. Luther Dickinson brings on the Mississippi Hill sound on Howlin' Wolf''s Moanin' at Midnight. Joined by Lightnin' Malcolm on guitar, not only breathes a cool 6 min plus but extends to an addition jam for another 7. This is an excellent closer for a really nice release.
Another feature of this package is a super 15 page color insert with quips and humor. Very cool.
Another feature of this package is a super 15 page color insert with quips and humor. Very cool.
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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Monday, July 10, 2017
Big O Records artist: Joseph Veloz - Offerings - New Release Review
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (July 15, 2017), Offerings, from Joseph Veloz and it's terrific! Opening with Just Jammin', Veloz shows his heavy fusion influences with terrific bass lines and excellent beat. Shawn Kellerman really manages the electric guitar and Jim Alfredson on keys and Andrew "Blaze" Thomas rounds out this terrific band for this smokin' hot opener! Biscuit Miller joins on vocal on Eddie Kirkland's Good Good Day. Super backing by Alfredson, Thomas, Kellerman and Veloz give this track a nice warmth. On funky, Mules For Biles (Blues For Miles) is a really nice track with thick bass work and clean guitar lead by Erich Goebel and rich organ work by Alfredson making this one of my favorites on the release. Excellent! Lucky Peterson joins on lead vocal on Jukin' and Shakin', and hot funky (Tower of Power like) track driven by the excellent bass work of Veloz with Ray Podhornik on trumpet, David Rodenburg on sax and blazing hot guitar soloing by Kellerman. He Loves Me (God's Promise) is a really nice jazz pop track with a super melody. Featuring nice key work from Jim David, and cool bass lead from Veloz, this is a cool track. Greg Nagy takes the mic on I Like Me Better When I'm With You, a smooth R&B number. Also adding his guitar signature to the track and with Scott Veenstra, a solid radio track. Dolly Parton's Jolene maintains much of the original character featuring Jennifer Westwood on lead vocal and particularly nice slide work from Kellerman. Dylan Dunbar steps up with a nicely articulated lead guiitar solo and John Lee's piano work adds nicely. Wrapping the release is a cover of Prince's Kiss. Veloz really works the bass over giving this track a hot bottom and lead vocal is handled by Joey Spina's soulful self. Alfredson's organ work really adds nicely to the overall track and Kellerman lays out another nice guitar solo but it's Veloz who cuts loose in this track and takes it for a nice ride. 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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Friday, July 7, 2017
Rockin' Johnny Burgin July and August Shows
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Labels:
Neoprene Fedora,
Rockin' Johnny Burgin,
Tour
Reverbrocket Records artist: The Gordon Meier Blues Experience - Magic Kingdom - New Release Review
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Magic Kingdom, from The Gordon Meier Blues Experience and it's vintage Chicago blues at it's best. Opening with Howlin' Wolf's Howlin' For My Darlin', Gordon Meier is front and center on lead vocal and guitar with Lester Veith on drums and Mark Friedman on bass. Meier's vocals are deep and resonant and Dean Shot's guitar tone screams old style. John Primer's Stop Draggin' That Chain Around has great swing with backing vocals by Friedman, super slide by John Taino and harp by Dennis Gruenling. Excellent! Taino is back on slide again on original track, Just Keep Ridin'. Really cool. Red Headed Woman is a real nice boogie with a solid a solid boogie guitar line and clean riffs. Jimmy Rogers' Gold Tail Bird is nice and slow featuring Gruenling on harp. Meier's best vocals on the release and chilling guitar work make this one of my favorites on the release. A track that screams out from the release, Johnny Otis' Signifyin' Monkey, is really funny and gritty. (Stilladog...you need this!) Predominately vocal and keys (Tom Hammer), this track is a hoot! Muddy Waters' Gypsy Woman is thick with Chicago blues. With traditional guitar riffs and super harp by Gruenling under Meier's vocals and tasty guitar soloing, really nice track. Wrapping the release is Freddie King's. The Stumble. An excellent closer for any show and in this case a super closer for a super release with top notch guitar work from Meier and organ from Hammer.
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, July 6, 2017
Karen Lovely - Fish Outta Water - New Release Review
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Fish Outta Water by Karen Lovely and it's quite good. Opening with title track, Fish Outta Water, Karen Lovely is joined by Rick Holmstrom on guitar, Taras Prodaniuk on bass and Matt Tecu on drums. On Willie Dixon style, Twist My Fate, Lovely shows substantial vocal girth with Sasha Smith on piano and Eric Corne. Very nice. With a Country Western flair, Waking Up The Dead has a cool retro sound that I really like, with Doug Pettibone on guitar, Alan Mark Lightner on percussion, and David Rahlicke on cornet. Big Black Cadillac is a strong radio contender with a Country rock twist. Lovely's vocals are strong and i particularly like Holmstrom's guitar work. Hades' Bride is another strong track with a great melody and a Western ballad style. Lovely's voice works nicely in this flavor and clean guitar work by Al Bonhomme, warm cello tones from Richard Dodd and really nice violin lines by Eric Gorfain that dress the track beautifully. Wilson Pickett like, Molotov Cocktails has a cool R&B feel with Buddy Guy like guitar riffs from Pettibone. Very cool. Wrapping the release is The River's Wide, a cool ballad with a strong melody. The song has very nice stepping melodic sequences, coaxing the best from Lovely with warm Hammond work Phil Parlapiano and stylistically cool guitar work by Pettibone making this a strong closer for a very cool 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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Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Artist Spotlight: Vancouver's The Mojo Stars
Formed almost ten
years ago, Vancouver’s The
Mojo Stars wasted no time establishing themselves as a force
to be reckoned with in the local blues scene. With deep roots in blues and
soul, combined with a rock driven edge, this multi-talented band has been
collecting a large following starting from their debut performance at
Vancouver International Jazz Festival to their upcoming tour of 2017.
Comprised of front man
Randy Clarke, guitarist Mark Rankin, and later including local heavyweights,
drummer Loren Etkin (Long John Baldry) and bassist Lee Oliphant, the band’s
first year saw them playing at local clubs, pubs, casinos and private events.
In 2009, they recorded their first CD, Devil’s Advocate, a collection
of ten original songs penned by Clarke and Rankin. The album received
extensive airplay and was featured on blues radio programs in Canada, the US
and Europe.
The end of 2010 saw
the group on hiatus, but two years later they returned reinvigorated, adding
new members, B3 player Kenny Boychuck (long time Jerry Doucette collaborator)
and sax man Tom Gould to the lineup. Playing their return gig at the newly-
opened Columbia in New Westminster, The Mojo Stars sold out the 500-seat-room
and treated both old and new fans to the freshly written material.
Now, The Mojo Stars
have released their new album Under The Influence (February 17, 2017).
The 11-track recording features six live cuts and is laden with catchy, heavy
riffs, Stax-like grooves and soulful vocals. The Mojo Stars will be
performing locally to celebrate the release and heading out on tour later in
2017.
“Under The
Influence is feel good blues, a
lively mixture of 5 studio and 6 live cuts, and the energy of the
performances is infectious… The band is tight, the performances are solid and
occasionally inspirational. Under The Influence is
capable of heavy lifting if you’re feeling down and your soul needs a boost…
what could be better than that?” – Gonzo Online/The Rock Doctor
“Their music is
adorned with a powerful and effective combination of dynamic rock,
funk, soul and blues, and such fusion guarantees above all a great
and inspired musical story.” – Blues Corner / Soundguardian
Learn more:
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Jim Allchin - Decisions - New Release Review
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Decisions, from Jim Allchin and his records just keep getting better. Allchin's first two releases garnered strong review but I believe that this one is his best yet. Opening with Artificial Life, a boogie rocker, Allchin has his amp dialed in just perfect and it getting super tone. With strong support from Michael Rhodes on thumping bass, Reese Wynans on B3 and Tom Hambridge on drums this is a strong opener showcasing Allchin's chops and cool phrasing. Latin rocker, The Mexican End has a solid melody and horn punctuation by Bill Bergman on sax, Lee Thornburg on trumpet. Allchins vocals are solid and his guitar playing tight. Driving rocker, Bad Decisions, has the solid rhythm of Don Nix's Goin' Down with searing guitar riffs making this one of my favorites on the release. High intensity, Just Plain Sick is a super hot number in the style of Clarence Gatemouth Brown. Allchin really rips it up on this one and the piano and organ of Wynans is spot on. Excellent! Slower blues number, Friends, has particularly soulful guitar runs and smokin' soulful bends. Excellent! After Hours stands out really nicely with volume swells and lead solo guitar melody that seems to float. Kenny Greenberg joins on guitar with Steve Mackey on bass and James Wallace on keys. With contemporary blues vibrato akin to Joe Bonamassa, Allchin really gets it rolling on Don't Care with "showy" guitar riffs, a rock solid bass line by Rhodes and cool B3 by Wynans. Understated blues ballad, Stop Hurting Me, has great bones and a sweet piano solo by Wynans. Horn warmth by Bergman and Thornburg really set the stage for Allchin to lay it out there with some of his best riffs on the release. Wrapping the release is Destiny, a more progressive track with Allchin out there with his guitar and only minimal backing. His guitar with effects really floats nicely on a bed of piano and organ making it an excellent closer for a strong 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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Labels:
Decisions,
Jim Allchin,
Keb Mo,
Review
Monday, July 3, 2017
Real Gone Music artist: Larry Coryell - At The Village Gate - New Release review
I just had the opportunity to review the Larry Coryell's At The Village Gate, a essential fusion release from a live concert performed in 1971. Opening with The Opening, an original composition Larry Coryell on guitars and vocal is joined by Mervin Bronson on bass and Harry Wilkinson on drums. Starting with a simple guitar line, The Opening is reinforced by the same line on bass and anchored by the drum part allowing Coryell wide open space to improvise. This is classic Coryell and a great tune. After Later has a lighter feel and fleeter tempo and an almost pop melody wanting to emerge fro this jagged tempo. Coryell really opens up on this track blistering the strings and giving you a mental workout. Very cool! Chick Corea's Entardecendo En Saudade is up next with a driving drum rhythm and Coryell experimenting with phase shifting and working chords against wammy bar and feedback as he literally torches the audience with riffs. Excellent! Jack Bruce's Can You Follow? is up next with it haunting melody and daunting rhythm. Coryell's work is always on top but I am really obsessed with Wilkinsons drumming on this track. Terrific. Wrapping the release is Beyond The Chilling Winds featuring Julie Coryell in duet with Larry on vocal. Akin to a Jimi Hendrix track, BTCW has complex inter-workings with a simple melody working itself into a monster jam where Coryell really unleashes. This is a great opportunity to hear Coryell at his prime.
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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Friday, June 30, 2017
Real Gone Records artist: Jesse Ed Davis - Red Dirt Boogie - New Release Review
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Red Dirt Boogie by Jesse Ed Davis newly released by Real Gone Music and it's a real nice slice of early 70's rock. Davis was on the who's who list of musicians with Clapton, Leon, George Harrison, Taj Mahal, the Dominoes, you name it. This release opens with Every Night Is Saturday Night from his self titled solo release. With it's communal party feel, it could easily be a part of the Mad Dogs with it's driving drum beat, New Orleans style trumpet and clarinet. Red Dirt Boogie has the swampy sound of Dr John and the vocal styling of Leon Russell. Further On Down The Road was co written by Taj Mahal and it definitely has his flavor (Think Ain't Gwine To Whistle Dixie). Davis sets up some of his best vocals on the release and has solid warm backing vocals Merry Clayton, Gloria Jones and Bobby Jones as wekk as sweet sax by Jerry Jumonvlle. Reno Street Incident has influences of both Mahal and Leon and is a strong track also from his first solo release. George Harrison's Sue Me Sue You Blues has great feel and a taste of Davis' slide work. Taj Mahal's take on Statesboro Blues featuring Davis on slide was influential on Duane Allman and his own take on the track. Another track with strong Leon features is You Belladonna You of course featuring Leon on piano. Excellent! Leon Russell's Alcatraz is great sounding so much like Leon's band...with a twist. Great! Another terrific track is My Captain with spiritual overtones featuring Jesse on vocal, slide guitar and Leon on piano. Wrapping the release is unreleased Kiowa Teepee which certainly features a vibrant Clapton on guitar. This is a cool release that warrants a solid listen.
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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