Multiple-Award Winning Canadian Blues Vocalist Angel Forrest Releases Ambitious Double Live CD

Multiple-Award Winning Canadian Blues Vocalist Angel Forrest Releases Ambitious Double Live CD

With a career spanning 30 years and 10 albums, the recipient of the Maple Blues Awards for Female Vocalist of the Year for the past five years, Angel Forrest released her ambitious double live album Electric Love on February 2, 2018.  Recorded live on October 26, 2017 at Centre des Arts Juliette-Lassonde in Quebec, this limited edition, numbered and signed Electric Love features various sounds ranging from blues to rock through, with original compositions and covers of great classics that you will certainly recognize.  Well known in the Canadian blues scene, Angel Forrest has been performed at major festivals in Canada and Europe (International Jazz Festival of Montreal, Tremblant Blues Festival, Blues sur Seine, Blues Festival of Edmunston, Victoriaville, of Trois-Rivières and Kuujjuaq). She also had the chance to share the stage with many artists including Jarvis Church Burton Cummings, Shawn Phillips, Thornetta Davis, Larry McCray, Eric Burdon and more. In addition, Forrest was a finalist in the 2018 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN.    angelforrest.ca

Pedal Steel Guitar Ace Joe Goldmark Shines Like "Blue Steel" on New CD Coming April 20 from Lo-Ball Records

Joe Goldmark Shines Like Blue Steel on New CD Coming April 20 from Lo-Ball Records

S.F. Bay Area Favorite Creates Exciting Mix of Americana and Blues/Roots Music with Special Guests Glenn Walters, Dallis Craft & Jim Campilongo

San Francisco, CA – Pedal steel guitar ace Joe Goldmark announces an April 20 release date for, Blue Steel, his most exciting album to date, with a mix of Americana, blues and roots music worthy of the album’s title. Joining Goldmark and a cadre of Bay Area musical notables for the recording sessions at Red Rooster Studio in Berkeley were ex-Hoodoo Rhythm Devils lead singer Glenn Walters, plus chanteuse Dallis Craft, who share the album’s seven vocal performances, plus long-time Goldmark compadre, Jim Campilongo, who guests on electric guitar.

“Hot Instrumentals, Cool Guest Vocals” - Stream “The Wobble” here:  http://joegoldmark.com/

Blue Steel showcases a number of original songs, plus a diverse mix of cover tunes ranging from Jimmy McCracklin, Graham Parker, B.B. King and Jeff Lynne, to Lefty Frizzell, Rufus Thomas and Dallas Frazier. Best known for his honky-tonk country and Americana sounds, Goldmark has combined an extra component this go-round with the addition of blues/roots songs like “All Night Worker,” “The Wobble” and “Beautician Blues,” that are destined for strong play on blues radio stations.

“My album cover is loosely based on an old Starday Records album by Arthur ‘Guitar Boogie’ Smith, called Blue Guitar,” Goldmark says. “The artwork is blue, but the title Blue Steel actually reflects the R&B feel of the music on the album. Although the pedal steel guitar is considered a ‘country’ instrument by many, I’ve always placed it in other musical genres with excellent results. Blue Steel is colored by a soulful approach to all the tunes, especially on the handful of blues numbers.”

Goldmark was very deliberate in both his choice of musicians and songs he picked to record on the new disc. “I was fortunate to convince local hero Glenn Walters, formerly of the Hoodoo Rhythm Devils, to sing some R&B tunes that I thought would work well with steel. I then recruited Dallis Craft to provide a female balance with her soulful singing. Finally, I mixed in some of my instrumentals, plus one that my good friend and former bandmate, guitarist Jim Campilongo, wrote for this album and played on in his own inimitable way.

“I’m very pleased with how ‘Howlin’ Wind’ turned out.  It was the title tune from Graham Parker’s debut album, and Dallis really nailed it. Her other tunes were originally performed by Roy Orbison, Lefty Frizzell and Percy Sledge, and she interprets them beautifully. 

“It was hard to figure out in which order to put Glenn’s songs, because they’re all so cool. I decided to start with ‘All Night Worker, written by Rufus Thomas, which I first heard in a Tex-Mex version by the Stardusters. His other two songs are by Jimmy McCracklin and B.B. King, so we are covering some classic R&B.”

Joe Goldmark has seven pedal steel guitar CDs under his belt, including the popular Seducing the 60s and critically-acclaimed Steelin’ the Beatles, which demonstrate his unique vision for the steel guitar. He’s recorded three seminal albums as a member of the storied “Jim Campilongo and the 10 Gallon Cats.” He toured and recorded with “The Twangbangers,” and all-star band that featured Redd Volkaert, Bill Kirchen and Dallas Wayne. He has also toured with Jim Lauderdale and Peter Rowan, and played in the legendary “Texas Chainsaw Band.”

Growing up in Tucson, Arizona, he played cello from the age of nine, but also took up guitar and played in garage bands. He moved to San Francisco in high school and started playing bass in soul bands during the late ‘60s. Joe became enamored with the San Francisco Sound and saw many of the greats, including Hendrix, Cream, Doors, Big Brother, etc. It was while watching Jerry Garcia play with the New Riders of the Purple Sage, who were opening for The Grateful Dead, that Joe got bitten by the pedal steel bug. He soon dropped out of college to play the steel guitar full time, which he pretty much did for the next fifteen years. After getting married and having a son in the mid-1980s, Joe was fortunate to get a day job, going into the pizza business. Ten years later, he came full circle by becoming a partner at Amoeba Music, and getting totally immersed in the music business; however, he never stopped performing on the pedal steel. 

Joe brings the pedal steel guitar into new musical territory playing high-energy reinterpretations of rock and soul music, as well as writing and performing his own instrumentals. He also has recorded with other artists, including the True Stories album with David Byrne, Restless Rambling Heart with Laurie Lewis, Amazing California Health & Happiness Road Show with the Mermen, and nine albums with “The Usual Suspects,” a project that included legends Mike Bloomfield, Taj Mahal, Peter Rowan, Norton Buffalo and Maria Muldaur.

Joe Goldmark also has an amazing vinyl website called VinylBeat.com which is literally “Record Collecting 101.”

Marie Knight Live Recording Coming March 23

Gospel Legend Marie Knight's The Gospel Truth Live The Posthumous Release Streets March 23 Northport N.Y. - M.C. Records is proud to be releasing a live record by Marie Knight on March 23. The posthumous  The Gospel Truth Live (MC-0084) was recorded October 19, 2007 at Margaret A. Hart '35 Gospel Fest at the Church Street Center in North Adams MA. Now, over a decade later, that revelatory performance finally sees the light of day on this brilliant compilation to be released on March 23. Next month, Sister Rosetta Tharpe will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Marie was Sister's musical partner for over a decade during the hight of Sister's fame. A full bio of Marie Knight can be found on her website, www.marieknight.com. Scroll down to listen to the recording via Airplay Direct.  “This is one the world must hear. It is so needed in times like these.” Mavis Staples Click the Cover to Listen & Download "Here is 'Madame' Marie Knight, a star of Golden Age gospel, in all the fierceness and fragility of her late-career voice, singing old and new material. With The Gospel Truth Live, M.C.  Records has given us another treasure. Gayle Wald "The timing for the release of The Gospel Truth Live couldn’t be more perfect as the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced in December 2017 that it would be posthumously inducting Sister Rosetta Tharpe into the hallowed hall in April 2018 as an early influence on artists ranging from Elvis Presley to Bob Dylan. In a way, it’s also an acknowledgement for Knight’s musical contributions since she collaborated professionally and served as a confidante with Tharpe at the height of her popularity in the early 1950s. In addition two plays are currently in production about the music and relationship of Marie Knight and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. "Marie and Rosetta" is a musical that was produced by The Atlantic Theater Company in New York City. "Shout Sister Shout The Musical" debut at The Pasadena Playhouse in January of 2017. On October 19, 2007, they all braved the rainy weather to witness one of the last living artists from the Golden Age of Gospel (1940 – 1960).  In this rootsy, organic concert, she breezed through the songbooks of Tharpe – arguably, the most influential female gospel act of the 1940s - and also the Rev. Gary Davis – who made a huge impact on the 1960s folk movement - and along the way, Knight shared brief anecdotes on the highs and lows of her earthly walk, including the fire that killed her two children and her mother. Within the span of 60 minutes, she showcased not only her thunderous contralto but also her commanding personality, sardonic humor and her unabashed evangelism. Singer/pianist Dave Keys, who has played with artists as varied as Chuck Berry and Tanya Tucker, was Knight’s sole musician for the get-together. His skillful, buoyant playing kept the spirit high even on ballads.                       Marie Knight with Humphrey Lyttleton's Band, 1958, London U.K. Terry Cryer Archive UK Madame Marie Knight was born Marie Roach on June 1, 1920 in Sanford, FL but she was raised in Newark, NJ. She first recorded with The Sunset Four (Sunset Jubilee Singers). In 1946 Tharpe saw Marie Knight perform at a Mahalia Jackson concert in New York. Tharpe recognized a special talent in Knight. They toured the gospel circuit for a number of years, during which they recorded hits such as "Up Above My Head" and “Precious Memories.”  In January 2002, on a cold, bright Saturday morning, Marie entered a recording studio to pay tribute to her old singing partner, Rosetta Tharpe, doing a solo version of their old hit “Didn’t It Rain.” [Listen the fruits of that session on Shout, Sister, Shout! (MC-0050).] That session—and Marie’s continuing vitality as a singer and performer—led to her present collaboration with producer Mark Carpentieri. Marie’s last studio recording was the Gospel songs of Rev. Gary Davis titled “Let Us Get Together” (MC-0058). Larry Campbell (Dixie Hummingbirds, Bob Dylan, Levon Helm, Elvis Costello) is playing all the stringed instruments. That release came out on  June 26, 2007. It marked Marie’s first full-length recording in over 20 years. The recording was named a top 10 blues release by NPR and Marie was featured in "Living Blues," "No- Depression," & "Dirty Linen."  Finally, Knight died on a bright, warm Sunday, August 30, 2009. Her rainy days were finally done. However, her music continues to shower us with her faith and talent.  The Gospel Truth Live is in a style and manner that would make both Mahalia Jackson and Sister Rosetta Tharpe very proud. “One of the reasons I wanted to release the album is because you really get to see who Marie is, all sides of her,” says Mark Carpentieri. “The funny side, the very serious side, the very spiritual side. It’s like in her own words in a way.”   ***

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

Teen Blues-Rock Guitar Sensation Ally Venable Brings Her "Puppet Show" Spectacular on New Connor Ray Music CD Due April 13

Teen Blues-Rock Guitar Sensation Ally Venable Brings Her Puppet Show Spectacular on New Connor Ray Music CD Due April 13

Special Guests on New Ally Venable Band CD Include Gary Hoey, Lance Lopez, Eric Steckel and Steve Krase

Houston, Texas – Award winning blues-rock guitarist Ally Venable will release her new CD, Puppet Show, on April 13 from Connor Ray Music. The Ally Venable Band consists of Ally - guitar and vocals; Elijah Owings – drums; and Bobby Wallace – bass. Special Guests on Puppet Show, which was produced by Rock Romano, Steve Krase (who also plays harmonica on the sessions) and Ally Venable, include guitarists Gary Hoey and Lance Lopez, as well as  keyboardist Eric Steckel.

Puppet Show, Ally’s second album for Connor Ray Music, was recorded at Red Shack Studio in Houston, and features eight original tunes written and composed by Venable, along with two blues classics that compliment her rockin’ blues sound.

“I had an amazing time writing and creating Puppet Show for the people with my closest musician friends,” says Ally Venable. “I look forward to putting this album out for all the blues-rock lovers and I hope they enjoy it as much as I loved making it for them.”

Puppet Show is all about songs that connect. It radiates a sense of soul through the songwriting and guitar playing, as well as the vocals that are laid out throughout the album. The disc opens up with a haunting riff for the song “Devil’s Son,” which features Gary Hoey on lead guitar along with Ally Venable on guitar and vocals. Together, they stir a powerful tune that will stay on repeat. The next track, “Bridges to Burn” strikes an unforgettable melody within the song, with guest artist Lance Lopez and Ally playing in harmony together to resonate a powerful statement with their guitar playing. “Sleeping Through the Storm” is another number that portrays the message of conquering one’s struggles and persevering through the storm that approaches us in our lives. With compelling lyrics and strong blues rock guitar playing, Puppet Show represents the future of the blues.

“I had a blast guesting on the song, ‘Devil’s Son,’” says acclaimed rock guitarist Gary Hoey. “Ally has a maturity as a song writer beyond her years and her guitar playing and singing are the real deal. ‘Devils Son’ is a bad-ass song with a haunting riff; I had a blast playing my Highway 61 Dobro guitar on it. Bravo Ally!”

Adds Lance Lopez, who’s been a mentor to the 19-year-old Venable, “Ally has been working very hard to become the young Guitar Slingin’ Senorita she is. It’s been such a pleasure to share my knowledge with her and watch her grow!”

A powerhouse singer and guitar player, Ally Venable has ignited excitement on the Texas blues scene. She began singing at an early age in church and then in recent years picked up the guitar and found her true passion. A protégé of Lance Lopez, with her songwriting and onstage performances, this teen musician packs a punch. Ally was the 2014 and 2015 East Texas Female Guitarist of the Year. The Ally Venable Band also won 2015, 2016, and 2017 honors as East Texas Blues Band of the year.

Ally Venable Band TOUR Dates

*Pre-Release Shows:

March 9 - poor David’s Pub- Dallas, TX

March 16 - The Oasis – Midlothian, TX

March 17 - The Texas Musician’s Musuem. irving, TX

March 30 - Big beats, Dallas, Tx

March 31 - Green oaks Tavern, humble, TX

April 7 - BackPorch – kilgore, TX

*CD Release Shows:

April 13 - DArwin’s Burgers & Blues- Atlanta, GA

April 14 - thirsty Turtle – Millbrook, AL

April 20 - Keys Lounge – Fort Worth, TX

April 21 - Six springs Tavern – RichardSon, TX

April 27 - Germanfest – Muenster, TX

May 6 - Dallas international Guitar Show- Dallas, TX

May 12 - Porchfest – Kilgore, TX

May 26 - Mudbug madness - Shreveport, la

June 16 - Apline Country blues Festival, Apline, AZ

June 23 - Backporch – Kilgore, TX

July 7 - Tall city blues Fest –Midland, Tx.

JULY 21 – TOP OF THE ROCKIES RALLY – PAONIA, CO

Contact Ally at: www.allyvenableband.com / facebook.com/allyvenableband

Instagram.com/allyvenableband / twitter.com/allyvenableband

allyvenableband@yahoo.com

Root Nine Records artist: Revelator Hill with Ron Holloway - Live By The Creek - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live By The Creek, by Revelator Hill with Ron Holloway and it's a smoking blues rocker. Revelator Hill is back with another super release and this time with Ron Holloway and live! Opening with Bad Luck Goodbye, front man Bobby Thompson sets the pace with fat guitar tones, rocking rhythm and solid vocals. backed by Seth Morrissey on bass and vocal, Wes Lanich on keys and Gary Crockett on drums these guys rock the joint and guest artist Ron Holloway adds some real hot sax. Great opener. Gets Me Over is certainly a crowd pleaser with it's warm melody, Cream like vocal harmonies, ultra solid drums work reminiscent of Ginger Baker and fat sax work by Holloway. Very cool. With it's driving bass line by Morrissey, excellent slide work by Thompson, articulate drums work, a super understated bass line, Look At You Now is another solid entry which of course also includes rich sax work by Holloway. Lightly funky ballad, Consider Me changes the pace up a bit featuring mostly vocals by Thompson and the cool organ work of Lanich. Holloway, always ready on the trigger of course contributes nicely here as well. A cover of Howlin' Wolf's How Many More Years is one of my favorites on the release. I know I have said this before on an earlier review but Thompson's vocals are very similar to Jack Bruce and that's a heavy endorsement from me. His own excellent guitar riffs, chasing his vocals, boiling in the pot with strong organ work by Lanich make this track stand out large. Until We Shine is a formidable track with a wealth of slide guitar work and a driving rhythm. Lanich takes a nice organ interlude and this band presses right at the edge of being a formal jam band (like Govt Mule). Very nice. Wrapping the release is Eric Clapton's Bottle Of Red Wine using mostly his original arrangement. Thompson and Morrissey blend vocals nicely and Lanich's piano work is tops. Holloway adds really nice sax work to top to close out this really enjoyable release. 

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Forty Below Records artist: John Mayall - Three For The Road - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Three For The Road, a new live album from John Mayall and it's quite cool. Opening with shuffle track, Big Town Playboy, Mayall is back full and strong on vocal, keys and harmonica with Greg Rzab on bass and Jay Davenport on drums. Classic, I Feel So Bad, is up-tempo and Mayall's piano playing gives it a jazzy feel. On piano boogie, The Sum Of Something, Rzab really nails the bass line and Mayall's piano rolls are super. A terrific display of what Mayall is all about. On Latin flavored, Streamline, Davenpot sets the stage on drums, accented by Rzab and Mayall's organ work balances nicely with his vocals. Extended organ soloing by Mayall really makes this track shine. Very nice. Bringing the tempo way down, Tears Came Rolling Down, on a great Sonny Boy Williamson bar is my favorite track on the release. Mayall's definitive vocals and poised piano phrasing coupled with Rzab and Davenport give this 9+ minute track solid traction. With a broad swing, Don't Deny Me has a great groove. Mayall rides high on organ and Rzab's bass work drives the snap on Davenport's snare. Very cool. Wrapping the release is Congo Square, with Mayall's classic harp riffs and snappy New Orleans like snare drumming. Mayall has been out there playing as long as I can remember and his sound is every bit as strong now, possibly stronger than much of his past 25 years. Keep going John.

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Finally Together - The Ru-Jac Records Story, Volume Three 1966-1967 - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the third in a series, The RU-JAC Records Story, Volume Three  1966-1967, and it's deep soul. Opening with five tracks by Rita Doryse, a super vocalist, I am particularly attracted by When I'm Alone, a soulful blues number with horns and arpegiated guitr chords. Another of these tracks, Born To Be Loved is all R&B with a snappy rhythm and period backing vocals. Nice set. Kitty Lane sets up with a funky, It's Love I Need, her voice thick and rich with tight horn punctuation and solid bottom. Soulful, Sweetheart, is one of my favorites on the release with Lane reapply pouring on the soul. Excellent! The Feeling Is Gone is a real nice blues number with excellent vocals and really nice guitar work. This track is worth the price of admission alone! High energy, Searching is a hot potato with a driving bass line, solid vocals and punctuating horns. Sad that the artist is unknown. Gene & Eddie contribute 2 tracks and my favorite is I Would Cry with an excellent soul feel. Vocals are tops and guitar accents set the track off against the heavy horns. Very nice. There is another dose of Winfield Parker on this release and his vocals are sweet as ever including a demo. The Shyndells' Lightning (Part 1), one of two instrumental contributions to the release is a powerful 60's instrumental rocker with flamboyant sax and drums. Very cool! Another uncredited track, Never Never Leave Me is a real cool track that stands solidly on it's own with smooth soulful vocals backed by easy guitar and organ. Two dance tracks by Leon Gibson  have great rhythm and dance stimulating vocals.  Wrapping the release are two tracks by The Caressors, with full blended vocals horns and compact rhythms. This is another great release from Omnivore presenting some solid gems back to light. 

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Put Together artist: The Reverend Shawn Amos - The Reverend Shawn Amos Breaks It Down - New Releawse Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most release, The Reverend Shawn Amos Breaks It Down, by The Reverend Shawn Amos and it's cool. Opening with Moved, an ethereal blues track, Amos on vocal and harp, accompanied by Chris "Doctor" Roberts on guitar, and Sharlotte Gibson and Kenya Hathaway on vocal makes for an interesting opener. R&B track, Hold Hands, had a solid melody and a good beat with Hannah Dexter on bass, Peter Adams on keys, Mike Smirnoff on drums, James Saez and Doctor Roberts on guitars. David Bowie's The Jean Genie is much bluesier with harp and horns and vocals through the mic amp. Very cool. Freedom Suite is made up of three distinct sections, Uncle Tom's Prayer, Does My Life Matter and (We've Got To) Come Together; a group of short concepts based on civil rights issues with notes from Dr Martin Luther King and Bukka White. Wrapping the release is Elvis Costello's (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding. Handled with spiritual vocals by Amos, Gibson, Hathaway, Harold Thomas and Tex Wrightsil, and Hodges and Adams on keys, this is a rich vocal 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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Polka Dot Records artist: Carolyn Gaines - Beware Of My Dog - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Beware Of My Dog, by Carolyn Gaines with it's contemporary blues roots. Opening with title track, Beware of My Dog, vocalist Gaines works Big Mama's Hound Dog rhythm and theme to craft her own effort and featuring a cool sax solo by he cousin, Big Jay McNeely. I got to say, sometimes it's an album cover and sometimes it's the name of a song that gets me. Stone Out Your Raggly Mind is about as cool a track title I've heard. A simple shuffle, carried by Gaines on melody, backed by guitarist Fred Clark, Glen Doll on harp, Rudy Copeland on organ, Del Atkins on bass and Chad Wright on drums, and of course McNelly on sax. Very cool. Adapted from Muddy Waters' Hoochie Coochie Man, Hoochie Coochie Woman and Gaines really digs in. Along with her vibrant vocals, a smart guitar solo by Clark and reinforcement by Doll bakes this track. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Junior Kimbrough's Done Got Old, is earthy and tight. Super blues number, Jerry Rice "Busy Man" , shows the primitive styling of early blues masters with only guitar and harp accompaniment. Wrapping the release is Big Jay's Something On Your Mind, stripped down with organ accompaniment and little more. McNeely takes a real nice solo balanced by Copeland's organ making this a particularly effective and a super wrapper for this release. 

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Highjohn Records artist: Johnny Tucker - Seven Day Blues - New release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Seven Day Blues, from Johnny Tucker and I really like it. Opening with Talkin' About You Baby, Johnny Tucker has the rugged voice of a pure blues man. Backed by Big Jon Atkinson on guitar, Troy Sandow on bass, Scott Smart on guitar, and Malachi Johnson on drums, this is a solid opener. With the addition of Sandow on harp, Tired of Doing Nothing has super presence, really, imaging that I haven't experienced in my office location on many occasions thanks I believe to the expert engineering of Atkinson (in Mono). If you listen to this, you won't need to have someone tell you it's special. It's way apparent! On Why Do You Let Me Down So Hard, Tucker's vocals are super and Atkin's guitar work is downright outstanding. Excellent! Title track, Seven Day Blues, is funnkkyy! Again, Sandow's harp work over Atkinson's bass, working in concert with Tuckers vocals really make the groove. With a super strong feel, Come On Home With Me just struts. Hard picked guitar riffs by Atkinson and understated harp work by Bob Corritore highlight Tucker's vocals nicely. Kid Ramos adds a new guitar texture on Tell You All with Bob Welch on organ. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Gonna Give You One More Chance, has a great slower blues feel with grand vocals from Tucker. I continuously keep thinking to myself during this recording how perfectly centered Tucker's vocals are on my cheesy desktop player in the office. The imaging really is strong. Beautiful guitar phrasing by Atkinson and soulful yelps cheering him on by Tucker really sets this track apart. Cool shuffle, Do-Right Man features real nice slide work by Atkinson and harp backing by Sandow giving Tucker strong instrumental support for his rugged vocals. Another slower blues number, One Of These Days, shows incredibly expressive vocals by Tucker and Atkinson really knows how to milk his guitar to get the best from this track. This is really a super track and Atkinson's feel makes it so. Excellent! Wrapping the release is a gripping, You Can Leave My House, with incredible feel by Sandow on harp and Atkinson on guitar. Kick back and enjoy!  I see a number of old school blues records on my desk quarterly, but this is one that really stands out. Excellent job! ...watch the video...feel the heat!



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Swing Suit Records artist: Mick Kolassa - Double Standards - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Double Standards, from Mick Kolassa and it's packed full of stars and blues standards. Opening with Willie Dixon's 600 Pounds of Heavenly Joy, Kolassa is joined by Sugaray Rayford on vocal with solid Latin rhythm by James Cunningham on drums. With Kolassa on guitar and vocal, Bill Ruffino on bass, Chis Stephenson on organ, and Colin John on guitar, very solid opener. Heather Crosse joins on lead vocal for another Dixon hit, I Just Want To Make Love To You. With her sultry vocals and Eric Hughes on harp, this is a real cool track. With it's jazzy club feel, Annika Chambers really shows on Fever. Her vocals are rich and deep caressed in a warm bed of Jensen's guitar tone. Alice Hasan's violin contributions to Tas Cru and Kolassa's rework of Jimmie Cox's Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out is really nice. Another particularly warm spot is Erica Brown's vocal lead on Dixon's Spoonful. Jensen lays down a real nice guitar section on this track as well. Another Latin influenced track, Early In The Morning, features David Dunavent on guitar. Stylistic and cool. The most guitar intensive track, Outside Woman Blues really gives Jeff Jensen the opportunity to show off on guitar and he does a real nice job. Wrapping the release is Ain't Nobody's Business featuring excellent vocals by Chambers, Gracie Curran, Erica Brown and Jeff Jensen. This is a super closer for a real solid release benefitting the Blues Foundation's HART Fund and Generation Blues programs.

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Changes - The Ru-Jac Records Story, Volume Four: 1967 - 1980 - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Changes, The Ru-Jac Records Story, Volume Four: 1967-1980 and it's quite good. Opening with stirring R&B track, She's So Pretty by Winfield Parker, this release is off to a hot start... think Ike and Tina meets Wilson Pickett! You Don't Fool Me by Gene and Eddie has a chugging bass line and punchy horns backing a cool vocal duel. Delving into rich soul, Fred Martin Review sings I'm The One (That Loves You), with it's spoken lines and rich melodies, enriched coral harmonies. Very nice. Another nice soul track, Take Me Back Again, by Martin really explores that defines the 60's soul sound. Changes Part I by Saturday is a classic with a lumbering blues pace. One of my favorites on the release. Martin explores a more funky sound on Sugar with a dominant bass line, sassy sax work and James Brown like drums. Hot! Another of my Martin favorites is When I'm Alone, a gripping soul track with excellent vocals and horn punctuation. The Dynamic Corvettes lay down funky, Keep Off The Grass, with horns and a slick guitar solo. Francine Long sings soulful ballad, Days May Come, Days May Go, a solid radio track with a super melody. Willie Mason with the Freddie Martin Review really kick up the tempo on I Loved You Once, and with it's early Temptations like track but different presentation, really hits a groove. Jimmy Dotson & Rhythm By Inner Light Band wrap the release with excellent vocals and polish on  Think Of Me As Your Soldier, a super soul track with warm sax soloing and rich backing vocals and To Be Your Lover, a lighter pop track.

This is a super walk through 60's R&B and soul.

  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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TONY BANKS RELEASES BRAND NEW ORCHESTRAL ALBUM 'FIVE' TODAY

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE ON CD/LP/DIGITAL 

"Five is a gorgeous collection" - Best Classic Bands

"A wonderful piece of work." - SongFacts

"5 is a shining gem of sonic beauty that is truly deserving of your attention and a round of emphatic applause. Bravo, Mr. Banks!" - Cryptic Rock 

"Fifty years ago Tony Banks started bringing pastoral English eccentricity to nascent progressive rock with Genesis. Now he’s taking this most dignified (but difficult) next giant step for any classically-grounded prog pioneer by bringing up to date and thus keeping alive the music that first inspired him." - Prog

 Tony Banks today releases his brand new orchestral album entitled Five via BMG. Five is available on CD, double 12” gatefold vinyl, digital download and stream.

To celebrate its release, Billboard.com is premiering a behind the scenes look into the making of the album. Click here to watch

A Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee as a member of Genesis (2010), Five is Banks’ tenth album outside of the band and his third orchestral album following the releases of Seven: A Suite for Orchestra (2004) and Six Pieces for Orchestra (2012).

Five is a collection of five compositions written by Tony Banks and was produced by long-time collaborator Nick Davis. Nick Ingman, renowned orchestrator and conductor, agreed to be involved in the project immediately after hearing the demos played to him personally by Banks. Ingman has worked with a plethora of artists and musicians from David Bowie and Oasis to the London Symphony Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

The recording was built up over various sessions, the first in London’s Angel Studios where solos and percussion were recorded before a transfer to Prague for a week where concentrated sets of three sessions a day with the orchestra and choir. Recording section by section is a more rock/pop method and seen as unorthodox for an orchestral album, but this method allowed Banks, who also played all of the piano parts*, to use his vast musical experience and give himself greater creative control.

The impetus for Five was a commission for the 70th Cheltenham Music Festival in 2014, for which Banks composed the original version of what now appears as the opening track, ‘Prelude to a Million Years’. Then it was entitled ‘Arpegg’ and received its world première on Saturday 5 July 2014 with Maxime Tortelier conducting the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

Following some consideration, Banks and Davis worked on four further pieces to join ‘Arpegg’ and form this new album. Feeling incomplete as an album of four compositions, Banks pulled inspiration from an earlier piece composed during his Genesis days and named it ‘Renaissance’ which completed the album.

CLICK HERE TO STREAM "PRELUDE TO A MILLION YEARS"

CLICK HERE FOR A LIVE PERFORMANCE VIDEO OF "PRELUDE TO A MILLION YEARS"

                                                       

Tracklist:
01. Prelude To A Million Years
02. Reveille
03. Ebb And Flow
04. Autumn Sonata
05. Renaissance 

Producer Nick Davis
Orchestrations/Conductor Nick Ingman      

Click here to purchase and/or stream Five    

Photo credit: Emily Banks

For more information on Tony Banks:
Facebook | Twitter | Official Website

Louis Gearsgifter Youngblood - Self Titled - New release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the first full band release from Louis "Gearshifter" Youngblood and I really like it. Opening with driving blues rocker, Juke Joint, Gearshifter has a cool, loose, "Mississippi" delivery, backed by Matt Patton and Larry Morrisey on drums. His own guitar style is loose and cool. On traditional track, Rabbit In A Log, Gearshifter delivers like a pro. His vocals are cool, relaxed and rich, his guitar work has sting and organ backing by Jimbo Mathus is understated and solid. No Working Blues sounds like it's right out of a juke joint with it's crude but SRV like guitar riffs and rhythmic vocals. I really like this track which has a golden groove. A Big Change has a regal feel in almost a Screaming Jay vein. Gearshifters' loose guitar style is super and his vocals are rare. Very cool. Jimmy Olden's Goin' Down Slow has a slick, R&B feel but Gearshifter's vocals are all blues. Although not technically SRV, his riffs are every bit as soulful. Very nice. One of the top tracks on the release is Bobby Blue Bland's You've Got To Hurt Before Your Heal with a super melody, strong vocals and it's genuine R&B feel. Another crisp "club style" blues number featuring Youngblood accompanying himself on guitar is Bad Avenue with a cool story and tight blues riffs. Shuffle track, Meet Me With Your Black Drawers On is one of this tracks that just puts a smile on your face. A snappy pace that you can hardly resist bouncing to is the basis of the track and Youngblood's authentic vocals are spot on with his country spanking guitar riffs. Excellent! Wrapping the release is Youngblood original, Get Rich And Marry You with an easy, country two step feel. laid back and real, it's a real cool closer for a real 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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Straw Family - Family Matters - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Family Matters, from Straw Family and it's sweet and melodic. Opening with rocker, Alive, Straw Family, is really a vocal group of Denise Fabricius, Henriette Fabricius, and Sally Fabricius with Carsten Fabricius,  Frederik Nordvang and Jens Runge on guitar, Helge Solberg on bass  and Michael Axen on drums producing a warm, bouncy sound with tight harmonies. Definite radio material. 1965 has a bit more of a pop country sound, again with rich harmonies and a cool melody. Bang Bang has a driving bass line and still with solid radio qualities, but with a grittier edge. One of my favorite tracks on the release is quiet ballad, Spider Making new Web, featuring Sally on solo vocal and piano, accompanied lightly by drums and guitar. Another solid ballad, I Hope,  features Soren on piano and solo vocal.  A third ballad, Family and Friends, finds the family blending nicely on vocal with just a little more movement. Their vocal blending is actually quite perfect. Wrapping the release, Dreaming, is a light jazzy track with rich vocal blending and a snappy beat. This is a solid closer for a full vocal 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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