Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, They Call Me Mud , from Mud Morganfield and it's got deep soul roots. Opening with title track, They Call Me Mud , Mud Morganfield, son of the great Muddy Waters shows his own take on the blues with a funky R&B twist. A high stepper with punchy horns by Phil Perkins on trumpet and Michael Jackson on sax this is a cool opener. On 48 Days , a soulful blues number Muds vocals are compelling and stylistic guitar riffs by Billy Flynn add real pepper. Mud's vocals on Cheatin' is Cheatin' coupled with E.G. McDaniel's bass work puts one in mind of the great Curtis Mayfield and his quiet soul wailing. Very nice. Muddy's Howling Wolf is definitely straight out of dad's catalog with traditional vocal styling, strong harp from Studebaker John and super Muddy slide emulation by Billy Flynn. Excellent! Another smooth R&B track and one of my favorites on the release is Who Loves You with Lashunda...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, James Rivah , from The Bush League and it's a powerhouse. Opening with River's Edge , JohnJayson Cecil really digs deep for a rawthentic blues experience driven by Royce Folks on bass, Wynton Davis on drums and Brad Moss on guitar. Excellent! Mississippi Fred McDowell's Kokomo Me Baby is a romping boogie with rocking vocals, drums and guitar with a solid bass line. Neo soul track,  Say Yes has a soulful pace and vocals with solid bass and Jeremy Powell on keys. Very nice. Muddy Water's Catfish Blues gets a real nice work over maintaining the original blues feel but with modern vocals and a rockier rhythm line. Stinging guitar work by Moss gives it a crisp edge. Hearse has a powerful blues/neo soul feel with sounds reminiscent of Living Color, D'Angelo and more primitive blues which is really becoming a trademark for The Bush League. Very nice. Stretched boogie, Moonshine , has an unusual gait wit...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Ice Queen , from Sue Foley and I think it may be her best yet. Opening with Come To Me with Charlie Sexton joining on vocal and slide guitar, Foley adds a little funk to her already bluesy deal with Chris Maresh on bass, Chris Layton on drums and Kyle Thompson on maracas. Run has a country 2 step feel and Foley really drives this one with her ambitious guitar rhythm. Slow blues and title track, The Ice Queen , shows Foley at her purest with George rains on drums and Billy Horton on bass. Her riffs are right off a Hooker release and her vocals are simple and direct. Very nice. Shuffle track, The Lucky Ones features Jimmie Vaughan trading lead vocal and guitar riffs. With the addition of Mike Flanigin or organ, the track has an additional dimension and Foley's guitar riffs play nicely against Vaughan's. Billy Gibbons joins on Fool's Golds and his vocals really work great with Foley's. his solo work...

(Photo by Austin Britt) Victor Wainwright & The Train On U.S./Canadian Tour In Support of New Self-Titled Album (Ruf Records) Perform Locally with The Train Horn Section: THE BANK & BLUES  Thursday/Friday, March 29/30 (Record Release Party Both Nights)   (Daytona, FL) - Multiple award-winning boogie-woogie blues pianist-vocalist Victor Wainwright kicks off his 2018 U.S./Canada Spring/Summer Tour in support of just-released album Victor Wainwright & the Train (Ruf Records), with a Record Release Party at The Bank & Blues , 701 Main St., two big nights, Thursday, March 29 and Friday, March 30. Showtime: 9:00pm each night. Tickets: $48., Reserved Tickets (...

Beth Hart Announces First Live Release In 13 Years, 'Live From New York - Front and Center' CD/DVD set will be released on April 13th, 2018 via Provogue Records/Mascot Label Group  Watch Hart Perform "Tell Her You Belong To Me": On March 7th, 2017, the GRAMMY nominated "powerhouse vocalist" (Rolling Stone)  Beth Hart  performed a very special, intimate concert at NYC's Iridium Jazz Club, which featured songs from her latest album 'Fire on the Floor' and from throughout her career. Now, 13 years after the release of her incredibly successful live release, 'Live at Paradiso,' Hart is treating fans to a DVD/CD release of this standout performance with  'Live From New York - Front & Center' , out  April 13th  via  Provogue Records/Mascot Label Group . The performance is also featured on the Season 8 premiere episode of Public Television's critically acclaimed concert seri...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Midnight Jubilee , from Laurie Jane and The 45's and it's a lot of fun. Opening with springy, country blues flavored, Wait So Long , featuring Laurie Jane Duggins on lead vocal and a greasy loose slide guitar work by Cort Duggins, solid bass by Jason Embry and rockabilly style drums by Scott Dugdale. Cool opener. Title track, Midnight Jubilee is a smooth, radio style ballad with sinewy lap steel work by Cort under some of Laurie Jane's best vocals on the release.  Howlin' Wolf's Howlin' For My Darlin' gets a rockabilly makeover and it has a great feel with swinging guitar riffs and a solid bass line. Down This Road has a cool, early 60's rock feel and Laurie Jane's lead work is tight, reinforced by snappy drum work by Dugdale. One of my favorites on the release, Couldn't Cry Alone , has a distinct old country ballad style and again gives Laurie Jane a real chance to shine. Very ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (4/20/18), Happy Songs for the Apocalypse , by Eric Corne and I really like it. Opening with Mad World , a British feeling folk tune with contemporary sensibility, it is acoustic and ethereal featuring Corne on vocal, acoustic and electric guitar, Eamon Ryland  on pedal steel and Sasha Smith onWurlizter, Ian Walker on bass, David Ralicke on horns and Andrew Crosby on drums. Ridin' With Lady Luck is a simple Neil Young like rocker featuring Walter Trout on lead guitar, Corne on lead vocal and harp. One of the strongest radio tracks on the release is Locomotion with it's seductive rhythm, full horn work of Ralicke, tight drums by Blair Sinta and cool slide work by Eamon Ryland . Solid ballad, History Repeats , has a real nice symmetry. It puts me in mind of some of the strong tracks written by the band in the 70's with Skip Edwards on particularly nice pedal steel and keys, Ted Russell Kamp on bass and Matt ...

Driving home from work the other day I heard a song called “I Want My Dog To Live Longer” on the Bluesville channel on Sirius XM. It was done by Curtis Salgado & Alan Hager . I know Curtis and have seen him play a number of times but I did not know Alan who is a guitarist from Portland, OR where Curtis lives also. These two have played together off and on for quite a number of years. So now that Alan is the guitarist for Curtis’ road band I guess they figured the time was right. So it’s here and it’s called Rough Cut . Based on that one track I had to check it out. Once I heard it I had to tell Bman how much I liked it and he asked me to review it. The album starts off with a very John Lee Hooker sounding track entitled “ I Will Not Surrender .” This is a very personal blues written by Salgado. You can almost feel him fighting death as he sings. He’s survived liver cancer, lung cancer (twice), addiction, and quadruple bypass surgery. So he knows about not surrend...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Mood Indigo: The Complete Bethlehem Singles , by Nina Simone and it's terrific. Opening with Porgy (I Loves You, Porgy) , Simone on lead vocal and piano sets a standard that to today is still regarded as gold for jazz style. Backed by Jimmy Bond on bass and Albert "Tootie" Heath on drums, this is an excellent opener. Love Me Or Leave Me leaves no question of where contemporary vocalists such as Diana Krall's inspiration originates. This is the blueprint for bop jazz vocals. Very nice. Somber ballad, He Needs Me , not only shows the purity of Simone's vocals but the crystal clear classical style piano work that is her trademark. Showing her classical piano chops on the intro to Latin based instrumental, African Mailman , Simone really gets the rhythm moving on this one. Letting out the lead on title track, Mood Indigo , Simone really swings. Her vocal phrasing, over Bond's bass line is so excel...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Gravity , from Laurie Morvan and she's got flair. Opening blues rocker, My Moderation is built around a classic blues rhythm set up by Bob Glaub on bass and Tony Braunagel on drums. Morvan has a really nice hand at the strat managing riffs solid riffs like child's play. Mike Finnigan is hot on the trail with his signature organ riffs and backing vocals are provided by Lisa Morvan, Maxayan Lewis and Kudisan Kai. Nice opener. Stay With Me features Morvan's stinging guitar riffs over a heavy lumbering bass line and thick B3 by Finnigan. With a dash of funk into a rockin mix, The Extra Mile , is one of my favorite tracks on the release. Blended vocal lead and really hot lead guitar is the ticket on this one with an obviously heavy bottom. Very nice. With a smooth melody, title track, Gravity ,carried by Morvan on lead vocal and Jim Pugh on B3 is the definite radio on the release. Another track that shine brig...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, My Life , from Reverend Raven & the Chain Smokin' Alter Boys and I really like it. Opening with Handyman , an easy boogie, Rev Raven takes the wheel leading on vocal and guitar, backed by Cadillac Pete Rahn on harp, Brad Bill on bass, Vic Spann on drums and Ron Kovach on organ. With a zippy pace, Creature of Habit , has a real nice bass line by Bill and smooth vocals by Raven. Rahn gives the harp a nice run and the Rev follows up with a rip roaring guitar solo of his own. Very nice. Shuffle track, Bad Little Girls has a real nice feel with lead guitar swing and harp by Madison Slim. Raven really gets it going on guitar and with solid vocals, one of my favorites on the release. With a Latin rhythm, Once The Women Start Talking features Benny Rickin on harp and he does a real nice job and the Rev really shines on higher octave guitar riffs of his own giving this track a nice spin. Title track, My Life has the r...