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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!


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Friday, January 19, 2018

Nina Simone's first recordings, 'Mood Indigo: The Complete Bethlehem Sessions,' coming Feb. 9 from BMG.








REDISCOVER THE REMARKABLE FIRST RECORDINGS OF
ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE NINA SIMONE ON
MOOD INDIGO: THE COMPLETE BETHLEHEM SESSIONS
2018 marks the 60th anniversary of these recordings made
 for Simone’s landmark debut album Little Girl Blue.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Nina Simone was only 25 years old in 1958 when she entered Beltone Studios in midtown Manhattan for a one-day recording session for her debut album, Little Girl Blue, on Bethlehem Records. The 14 songs she recorded that day reveal just how well developed Simone’s sound — her powerhouse vocals, her classically-trained piano-playing, her inventive, genre-blind arrangements, and her dynamic personality — already was. Bethlehem, a small and financially faltering jazz label, picked 11 tracks for Little Girl Blue. This unheralded debut yielded Simone’s biggest hit, a cover of the Gershwins’ “Porgy (I Loves You, Porgy),” as well as her last one, “My Baby Just Cares for Me,” which charted in 1987 after being used in a TV commercial. 
By the time “Porgy (I Loves You, Porgy)” was moving up the charts, Simone had moved on to larger and financially stronger Colpix Records. Wanting to capitalize on Simone’s hit, Bethlehem made the most of their Simone material. On Nina Simone and Her Friends, they placed “Porgy’ and the three songs left off of Little Girl Lost (“He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands,” “African Mailman,” and “For All We Know”) with songs by her label-mates Chris Connor and Carmen McRae. Between 1959-62, Bethlehem also put out six singles utilizing all of their Simone tracks. To commemorate the 60th anniversary of these recordings, BMG/Bethlehem now has compiled these singles together as Mood Indigo: The Complete Bethlehem Sessions, due out on February 9, 2019
The 14-track CD version of Mood Indigo follows the chronology of Bethlehem’s single releases, starting with the first A-side “Porgy (I Loves You, Porgy)” and ending with the last A-side, “My Baby Just Cares Me.” The collection contains an alternative take of “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands,” as well as seven single-only tracks that previously have only been available on the original 45s. The LP version, pressed in standard black and limited edition blue vinyl, holds 12 tracks plus a bonus 7" replica of Simone’s first single, “Porgy (I Loves You, Porgy)” backed with “Love Me or Leave Me.” 
The Bethlehem Sessions displays a young Nina Simone confidently putting her distinctive stamp on the set of jazz numbers and Broadway tunes. She prefaces Rodgers & Hart’s “Little Girl Blue” with a bit of “Good King Wenceslas" and drops a Bach-like interlude into the hot jazz “Love Me or Leave Me.” Although this was her first album, Simone had written in her contract that she could chose the album’s musical direction, and she chose songs she was familiar with from playing in clubs. The session featured Simone performing either solo on piano or backed by bassist Jimmy Bond and drummer Al “Tootie” Heath, two then-young jazz players who went on to lengthy careers. 
Mood Indigo’s liner notes include a new interview with Heath, who recalls the one-day session with Simone. “She sat at the piano and sang, and that was that … Nina was already Nina by then. She had her sound together — It was quite different. Her piano playing was something I had never heard before because it wasn’t typical jazz or it wasn’t typical classical. It was Nina Simone, it was her stuff.” Heath’s insightful interview is just part of the enlightening liner notes. Penned by Ashley Kahn, the author of the books Kind of Blue and A Love Supreme, the liner notes provide an excellent history on the making of Little Girl Lost, which was filled with its complications, much like the Simone itself.
This year not only marks the 60th anniversary of the Bethlehem Sessions, but it will also see Nina Simone being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, on April 14. Simone, who would have turned 85 on February 21st, has never disappeared from the public’s eye since she passed away in 2003. Recent years saw the release of two documentaries about her: The Amazing Nina Simone and What Happened, Miss Simone, the latter a 2016 Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary Feature. What Happened, Miss Simone also is the name of Alan Light’s well-received 2016 biography. Simone’s music continues to appear on TV and movie soundtracks (her tune "Take Care of Business” was used in the closing credits of 2015’s The Man From U.N.C.L.E. film). Musicians, moreover, have long cited Simone as an influence. The song “Plain Gold Ring,” which is on Mood Indigo, has been covered by White Magic, Nick Cave, and Kimbra, while Simone’s version of “Little Girl Lost” inspired renditions by the likes of Janis Joplin, Diana Ross, and Diana Krall. 
Simone’s career was as eclectic as her music. After leaving Bethlehem, she recorded for the Colpix, Phillips, and RCA labels, releasing more than 25 albums from 1959-1974. She continued to cover standards and pop songs, from Screaming Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You” to the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody”; from the traditional “Children, Go Where I Send Thee” to the original version of “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.” Starting in the mid-’60s, her music turned more political, highlighted by such memorable tunes as “Sinnerman,” “To Be Young, Gifted, and Black,” “Strange Fruit,” "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free," and “Mississippi Goddam.” The last 30 years of her life, Simone led a more peripatetic expatriate existence. She continued to perform live (especially overseas) but recorded only sporadically. 
Just as Simone travelled the world, she also traveled down many musical roads. Mood Indigo, however, captures Simone at an incandescent moment — when her sound held both a complexity of style and a purity of youth.
LP TRACKLIST
SIDE ONE: 
1 Little Girl Blue 
2 He Needs Me 
3 Don’t Smoke In Bed 
4 African Mailman 
5 Mood Indigo 
6 Central Park Blues

SIDE TWO 
7 For All We Know 
8 Good Bait 
9 You’ll Never Walk Alone 
10 Plain Gold Ring 
11 He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands (Alternate Take) 
12 My Baby Just Cares For Me

Also includes 7" single featuring “Porgy (I Loves You, Porgy)”b/w “Love Me Or Leave Me” 

Pre-Order Links:
Barnes & Noble Exclusive Blue Vinyl 

CD & Standard Black Vinyl

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Announcing the 1st Annual Temecula Blues Festival










     
 Multiple BMA Nominee, vocalist Tad Robinson, headlines 1st Annual Temecula Blues Festival.


   (TEMECULA, CA) - The burgeoning SoCal Inland Empire finally has it's very own Blues Festival with the advent of the 1st Annual Temecula Blues Festival, Civic Center Plaza, 41000 Main St., taking place Saturday, April 21, from 12 Noon until 10 pm (rain or shine). Tickets: $38., now available online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/temecula-blues-festival-tickets-37343345953. Info: (951) 676-2722. Presented by The Old Town Blues Club (formerly The Lucky Stone). All ticket sales final.


                          
                  Highly-regarded South Bay-based vocalist Shari Puorto & Band are on the bill.


  Multiple BMA nominee, vocalist Tad Robinson, headlines a strong eight-band bill that also includes San Diego-based guitar ace Stoney B. Blues Band; highly-regarded South Bay vocalist, Shari Puorto Band; blues harmonica at its best from The Honey Lickers; Chris Fast Band; Bill Magee Blues Band; Cash N Freedman; and JD Priest Band. There's also a Vendor Blues Village featuring Blue Beat Music; Ugly Hands; Blues Festival Music; and many more.  A top-end assortment of food vendors include Rene's Cowgirl Cantina (Gourmet Mexican); Rosati's Authentic Chicago Pizza; Laurent's Cafe' (French Pastry Sandwiches); Devilicious Cafe; Rock N' Jenny's Italian Subs; Bad To The Bone BBQ; The Bridge at 3rd Fish N Chips; The Bank (Mexican Food). No less than eight quality Inns and Hotels give the concert-goer the option of staying the night, with great live bands on Sundays at the Old Town Blues Club nearby.

 "This festival will be the first of annual blues festivals to follow, so go ahead and make the decision to be a part of this inaugural event and make a weekend out of your trip to lovely Temecula," says TB Promoter, Andy Doty. "You'll enjoy yourself immensely." The Temecula Blues Festival will be held on the plaza, a beautifully-landscaped area with trees, grassy areas, park benches and a serene water fountain to create the perfect Spring day concert environment.

 Temecula, which is situated within a population of twenty-million Southern California residents, is alive and kicking as a regional hot-spot, entertainment destination. Nowhere else in the country can a person wine taste at 40-plus wineries, beer taste at approximately a dozen micro-breweries, gamble and/or stay the night at California's largest casino (Pechanga) and experience a large volume of nightly, live music entertainment right in the heart of Old Town, which has a little bit of everything to offer including unique restaurants, boutique retail shops, hotels, museums, theater, art, antiques, a weekend farmer's market, and a wide variety of live entertainment every weekend. Old Town has over forty annual special events, including the famous Rod Run Car Show each Spring that attracts more than 30,000 visitors to Old Town Temecula.

            
                         









      
       


Billy Thompson - BT - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, BT, from Billy Thompson and it's terrific! Opening with Burn It Down, Bernadette, Billy is smoking right out of the can with an extremely funky rocker. leading the way on vocal and slide guitar, backed by Michael Leroy Peed on keys, Daryl Johnson on bass, Eric Selby on drums, DK Kelly on percussion and Xzantiny Grant on vocals, these guys are hot. On blues shuffle, Phoine, Billy is backed by a stacked deck with Mike Finnigan, James Hutchinson on bass and Anthony Braunagel on drums. Finnigan really winds out the keys giving Billy plenty of air to pound with screaming riffs. Very nice. Cool R&B number, Silent Warrior has a great feel with excellent guitar riffs pushing the intensity during the beef of the track. Thompson's vocals are soulful and spot on. Very nice. With it's slick R&B tempo, Mud Island Woman is infectious and with Thompson's stinging harp riffs, crisp guitar lead  and vocal lead, this may be the best track on the release. Bluesy, Stranger really showcases Thompson's soulful vocals and solid vocal phrasing. Finnigan's organ work nicely surrounds Thompson's shimmering guitar riffs, nicely accenting the suspense of the track. This track is really hot giving Thompson a great opportunity to not only showcase his vocals but to stretch on guitar. Excellent! In The Back Of Garage is a definite radio style track with an excellent melody with a soulful sound, and precise guitar work. Children Of The Sun is a smooth ballad with biting guitars riffs and rich piano faire developing into a progressive jazz tune based on a Whipping Post like rhythm. Very nice. Wrapping the release is cool, stylistic blues number, Reason For Goin' Fishin', with it's rural feel. Peed's bouncy piano work and Selby's stumble drums give the track a nice Lusiana country feel. This is a real nice closer for a real strong release.


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Thursday, January 18, 2018

Jim Shaneberger Band - Above and Below - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Above and Below, from the Jim Shaneberger Band and it's quite good. Opening with Jimi Hendrix flavored rocker, My Way has a classic Stone Free feel but with a more modern polished delivery and melodic rock feel.  Super opener. Shanebereger is upfront on lead vocal and guitar but this is a definite group collaboration with a solid bass line from Jeff Baldus, and tight rock lines from Steve Harris on drums. Pat Travers comes to mind as I listen to Indifference with powerful swags of guitar lead and flavorful drum riffs over a swaggering bass line. Solid ballad, Bright Side shows real strong radio appeal with a super melody, nice harmonies and acoustic guitar lead. Shuffle track, Ain't Your Daddy's Blues, gives Shaneberger a chance to use a totally different vocal style not unlike Jonny Lang. His low slung guitar riffs have plenty of sting and Carl Schantz on drums does a great job. Another real cool rocker is Way Down South with it's blues style drone note and lumbering feel. Very nice. Just Sayin', Bro is a loose guitar jam with a great bass line making it tuff to sit still. Wrapping the release is Whole Lotta Soul, a contemporary R&B style track with a feel that I would associate with Wolfman Washington for example. This track has a lot of personality with a snappy beat, nice harmonies and a warm jazz like guitar interlude. This is a real cool release.



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Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Orleans Records artist: Rockie Charles - Born For You

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Born For You, by Rockie Charles and I really like it. Opening with title track, Born For You, Rockie Charles quickly establishes that he is going his own route with influences from many reaches. I am first taken by his smooth vocals and JL Hooker like phrasing, complimented by Jerry Embry on sax. Old Black Joel feels a lot like 60's soul and Clarence Carter. A solid backing band made up of Jerry Pekinto on bass, Rick Allen and Wayne Lohr on organ, Tony D'Alessandro on drums, not to forget Charles' own Spartan guitar playing and with really sweet backing vocals by Karlene Arena and Rhea Kahler, this sound is really earthy. Excellent. On easy paced, Oh My Darling, Look What You're Doing To Me, Charles sings with the ease of Al Green in a style more like Willie Nelson. Smoky Greenwell adds a soothing harp overtone giving the track just the right hint of spice. Please Tell Me It Ain't So is one of my favorite tracks on the release with Hooker like phrasing and Green like vocal tones...an unbeatable pair. R&B track, I Need Your Love So Bad has a terrific groove with a super lead line and tight horn work by Wilber Tank on trumpet and solid vocal backing by Arena and Kahler. Don't Let Me Go calls to mind the great Wilson Picket and his vocal work over arpeggiated guitar work. One of the most soulful tracks on the release is I Just Called To Wish You A Merry Christmas. Charles falsetto vocal and Sean Kenny's bari sax are a really nice pair supported by Lohr's organ sea. Very nice. Wrapping the release is There Is A Rainbow Hangin' Over My Shoulder, a super soul track with Charles adding some really nice guitar riffs. Horn phrasing on this track really gives it that 70's Wilson Pickett feel but it's all Charles and a super track to close a really strong release.



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https://www.amazon.com/Born-You-ROCKIE-CHARLES/dp/B000003TXK

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Janiva Magness' 'Love is An Army'





GRAMMY-NOMINATED SINGER-SONGWRITER JANIVA MAGNESS
REACHES A NEW CREATIVE APEX 
WITH THE POWERFUL, GENRE-SPANNING 
LOVE IS AN ARMY
She’s reunited with producer Dave Darling for her 14th album, which
fuses the classic sounds of Memphis and Nashville with a modern focus
on songs that balance love, hope and protest. Street date: February 23rd.
Guests on this Americana-Soul album are Americana pillars Delbert McClinton,
 Poco’s Rusty Young and Della Mae’s Courtney Hartman, as well as
prolific blues artists Charlie Musselwhite and Cedric Burnside



LOS ANGELES, Calif. — After Janiva Magness added a 2016 Grammy nomination to her 26 Blues Music Award nominations — with seven wins, including Entertainer of the Year — she might have taken at least a short rest on her laurels. Instead, one of the preeminent voices in contemporary American roots music has raised the bar for herself. Magness’ 14th album, Love Is an Army, is a brilliantly crafted bridge between the past and present, blending the echoes of classic soul and Americana music with timeless themes of love and the very contemporary sound of protest.

Love Is an Army
’s dozen songs reverberate with the character of the enduring Memphis Rhythm & Blues patented by the Stax and Hi Records studios, especially in tracks like “Back to Blue,” which opens the album and sets its tone, and “Hammer,” which features Charlie Musselwhiteon harmonica. Another Tennessee music city, Nashville, is the geographic touchstone for the title number, a duet with Texas singer-songwriter Bryan Stephens, and for “On and On,” with Poco frontman Rusty Young on pedal steel guitar. Like Magness, both Stephens and Young are on Blue Élan Records. Other guest artists include the legendary Grammy-winning R&B singer Delbert McClinton, Grammy-nominated Mississippi hill-country blues torchbearer Cedric Burnside, and Americana Music Award-nominated bluegrass guitar and banjo virtuosoCourtney Hartman from the band Della Mae.

Magness’ inspired vocal performances unify all the elements of Love Is an Army and serve as a beacon for her coterie of guests. She displays new heights in her clarion tone and elegant phrasing, which are laid bare to the soul in the stone gospel voice-and-piano arrangement of “Some Kind of Love.” But the core of the album is, of course, the songs that Magness and her cast serve superbly in their performances. And many of those songs are essentially protest numbers, so it’s fitting they take musical inspiration from the ’60s and ’70s recordings by the likes of The Staple Singers and Al Green, whose lyrics about strength and love cut through the hubris and deceit that surrounded the Civil Rights struggle and the Vietnam War like a laser.

Dave Darling and I had a real sense of urgency when we were writing and recording this album,” Magness explains. “What led the album was the lyrics, and the things that are happening right now — the division, the racism, the violence, and our leaders’ lack of concern about basic human issues like health care and poverty. The first song Dave and I wrote was ‘Love Is an Army,’ and then David brought in ‘Home,’ and the direction of the album was clear.” Dave Darling has produced six albums that garnered Grammy nominations. His collaborations include albums with Brian Setzer, Glen Campbell, Dan Hicks, and the Stray Cats
Magness considers the title song a rallying call and an expression of her sense of purpose. “When I sing ‘you know that I will fight for you/There’s no divine inspiration/Something else calls us here/And our hearts know what to do,’ I really mean it. Now, in particular, it’s once again important for us all to do the right thing, and I’m willing to do that, regardless of the cost.”
“Home,” a duet with Cedric Burnside, is equally galvanizing. “Mom and pop protect the borders,” Magness testifies over a deep groove punctuated by handclaps and tambourine. “Draw the line deep in the sand/Load the guns for sons and daughters/To steal freedom of another woman and man.” Burnside reinforces the lyrics with a heart-searing performance that balances his earnest singing with burly psychedelic guitar tones that sting like an angry bee. 
“I realize that this album might be a challenge for some of my fans,” Magness says — although her singing and the album’s rich arrangements are a panacea throughout. “But I need to be honest, and I’ve always been a fighter.”
As if spotlighting that, Magness carried a pair of boxing gloves on the cover of 2016’s Love Wins Again, which earned her a Grammy nomination and cemented her crossover success in the Americana music scene. That year she also performed at the Americana Music Association’s annual festival in Nashville. And, indeed, Magness fought some tough battles before she launched her career. She lost both parents to suicide as a child and was placed in a dozen foster homes. But, inspired by the encouragement of her final foster mother and a galvanizing performance by the legendary bluesman Otis Rush, she found stability and salvation in music.
Since the early ’90s, Magness has built an impressive career in American roots music, brick by hard-earned brick. She has traveled millions of miles, sung on thousands of club and festival stages, and made a string of recordings — including five albums and the 2017 EP of standards, Blue Again, with Darling — that have earned accolades and awards.
Beginning with 2014’s Original, she has also emerged as a talented songwriter. That album entered the Billboard blues chart — where her titles routinely appear — at number five and topped the blues radio charts, as did Love Wins Again, which remained in the top 10 for seven months and crossed over to the Americana charts. Those two albums spent several weeks each on the Americana radio chart including the Top 25.  She is only the second woman, following blues giant Koko Taylor, to receive the honor of B.B. King Entertainer of the Year, presented to her by B.B. King himself and Bonnie Raitt, and she has been keeping up with year-around touring throughout the U.S., in Europe, and even as far as Australia and India recently. 
“Getting a Grammy nomination was a dream,” Magness offers. “I never thought I’d be a Grammy-nominated artist. But I guess I also feel a certain amount of pressure to follow that with an album that really makes a statement — a statement about who I am and what I believe and the music I love. Love Is an Army does all of that, and I hope it helps somebody else to be as inspired and empowered as I was when we were making it.”
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The Jimmy Zee Band - What you see is what you get. - New release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, What you see is what you get, from The Jimmy Zee Band and it's a solid rocker with diverse flavors. Opening with title track, What you see is what you get, Jimmy Zee shows a cool, laid back story telling style as lead vocalist not unlike Jackie Lynton, backed by Rob MacDonald and Tim Porter on guitars, Miles Hill on bass, Joel Fountain on drums and Darryl Havers on keys. I Ride Alone is a power rocker featuring Harpdog Brown on harp. I really like this tracks heavy footed bottom, snarling guitar and swaggering feel. Money has cool, almost Stones like rhythm and a great rock beat. Zee's vocals are tight and sax by Steve Hilliam, a cool track. My Old Lady Is A Freakshow that is a blend between ZZ Top and hiphop. I really like this track and backing vocals by Annabelle Chvostek. With it's laid back funk, She's A Mystery to Me, is one of my favorites on the release with Zee's raspy vocals contrasting against Chvostek's, a cool rocker with a slippery back beat and choice harp work by Brown. very cool. Wrapping the release is ballad, I'm No Good Without You with a much more somber feel overall. Understated resonator slide work sets the mood and Havers' key work provides a nice cushion for Zee's vocals with Chvostek. A nice melody and a solid feel, this is a cool closer for an interesting release.



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Monday, January 15, 2018

Swirl Disc artist: Freeworld - What It Is - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, What It Is, from Freeworld and it's a horn infused party. Opening with Deeper By The Minute, Richard Cushing, lead vocalist and bass player sets the pace with Dr. Herman Green on tenor sax, Peter Climie on tenor, bari and alto sax, Andy Tate on guitar, Chris Stephenson on keys, Jared Dover on trumpet, Freedman Steorts on trombone and Greg Lundy on drums. A funky rocker with tight horns and a funky beat, cool opener. Shrimp N' Grits is a solid horn saturated instrumental. One of my favorite tracks on the release it features a real nice flow of trumpet and sax solos by Dover and Green as well as a vicious guitar solo by Tate. Another of my favorite tracks blends funk and neo soul on It's Alright. A great bass riff and shimmery piano work shine and punchy horn work keeps it tight. I fat guitar solo by Tate really hangs out against the somewhat conservative horn backing making it all the more impactful. Taking a jazzier route on For The Moment, Cushing's bass line is terrific, Dover's muted trumpet work is very cool, and flanged guitar soloing by Tate really pushes it over the top with anxious horn punch. Very nice! A great sax lead on Sideswiped really digs in over a subdued funky key rhythm and punchy horns. An expanded electric key solo adds to the overall tension of this cool instrumental and then it's back to Tate who is not bashful throwing down a bold guitar solo. Very nice. Wrapping the release is eastern influenced, Eve Waits. A creative, classical jazz track with lead bass and instrumental weaving over a solid western drum rhythm. Interesting conclusion to a really cool release. 

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Friday, January 12, 2018

Johnny Max Band - Roadhouse Soul - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Roadhouse Soul, from the Johnny Max Band and it's a cool boogie rocker. Opening with shuffle track, Couldn't Happen To A Nicer Guy, Johnny Max shows his solid vocals skills upfront as lead vocalist with nice slide work by Kevin Vienneau and backed by Jim Casson on drums, Rob Gusevs on keys and Russ Boswell on bass. With it's funky, jazzy rhythm, (I'm Your) 911 has a super groove, getting you hopping around in your seat. Boswell's bass line is tight and backing vocals by Quisha Wint really warm up the mix.  Two stepper, I Wish I Could Write You A Love Song had a driving rhythm and Keith Richards like guitar riffs, and cool piano work adds nicely to Max's lead vocals. Title track, Roadhouse Soul is a super rocker with a grinding guitar rhythm. Gusevs' piano work really sparkles on this track and the track presses hard on the drive button with a cool overdriven guitar solo by Vienneau. With a bit of swagger and barrelhouse piano, Time Well Wasted has a real nice feel. A boogie guitar line and a tight handle on the drums gives Max full rope to swing and he does. Vienneau lay out some real nice bluesy guitar slinging here giving the track a nice kick. Wrapping the release is We've Been Together For Such A Long Time with it's mysteriously bluesy rhythm. Complex rhythm and a cool piano part make this a real nice closer for a cool release.



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Thursday, January 11, 2018

VizzTone Label Group artist: Heather Newman - Burn Me Alive - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Burn Me Alive, from Heather Newman, and it's a cool blend of cool tracks. Opening with country flavored, Willie James, vocalist/bassist Heather Newman shows rich contemporary vocal styling, backed by Keith Ladd on guitar, Ryan Ladd on keys and Cole Dillingham on drums and guitars. shuffle track, Howling For Love again shows the richness of Newman's voice complimented by some cool guitar riffs by Ladd.  Latin influenced, Burn Me Alive is one of my favorites on the release with snappy drums, tight guitar riffs and sassy vocals. With it's slinky belly, How Many Times? really has a solid bottom and a super melody. Blended vocals and stinging guitar soloing make this another of my favorites on the release. Newman's own bass line sets the pace on Dirty Blues and Michael Lefever's sax work throws fuel on an already smoky fire. Stepping up with a R&B bottom, Share Your Love has a real cool feel. Newman's vocals are even more amped up and Ladd pushes the fever up with some real nice organ work. Wrapping the release is I'm Through With You and it's snappy beat. Newman really commands the floor and Dillingham's drumming is tight and precise. Ladd adds in some really flavorful guitar lines making this a real nice closer for a solid release.


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