Bman's Blues Report

Mike Zito First Class   Blues-rock is a tightrope – and Mike Zito has never lost his footing. At times in his storied two-decade career, the Texas bandleader has rolled up the amps and rocked as hard as anyone. Yet his lifelong fascination with the blues has always reeled him back in. And now, having shaken the rafters with 2016’s acclaimed Make Blues Not War, First Class Life finds Mike diving deep into the only genre that can do justice to his hard-won true stories of hardship and redemption. “Make Blues was pretty extreme and rocking,” he reflects. “This time, I was definitely thinking more blues.” Released in 2018 o...

Big Daddy Wilson Songs From The Road   No matter where Big Daddy Wilson travels on this big, beautiful, mixed-up planet of ours, he takes the South with him. Listening to the soulful storytelling of the man born Wilson Blount in a small town in the Inner Banks region of North Carolina, it's impossible not to conjure images of dusty back roads, cypress groves, a Saturday night juke joint or Sunday morning revival meeting. It's a nostalgic and – some might say – glorified image of rural America. Yet in an age of ruthless demagogues and divisive politics, Big Daddy Wilson chooses to celebrate the simple things that bond us as human beings – a smile, a shared meal, a helping hand – along with cherished values like faith...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Dragonfly , from Long Tall Deb and Colin John and I really like it. Opening with On The Way Down , an eerie blues track, Deb and Colin John sing in duet over cool, thick, slide guitar breaking into a driving "brick" like anthem. John really winds up on electric guitar under Deb's vocals making for an exceptional opener. Title track, Dragonfly , is a cool Duane Eddy, western surf  style track with fanned chords, vibrato and tom toms. Excellent! Slinky ballad, I'll Be The One , features some of Deb's best vocals on the release with a soulful style and a nice rhythm. This is the radio track for the release with a strong melodic line, nice guitar work by John and complimented by Jimmy Castoe on drums, Nate Hofman on organ, and Melvin Powe on bass. Another track with a western twist is Remember Why , with great baritone guitar work by John and snappy drum work by Jo El. Horizontal Lightning is a partic...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Myles Goodwyn and Friends of the Blues , from Myles Goodwyn and it's a lot of fun. Opening with I Hate To See You Go ( But I Love To Watch You Walk Away) Goodwyn shows super feel on lead vocal and keys with Shaun Verreault on slide guitar, Eric Khayt on sax. Blues ballad, It'll Take Time To Get Used To , has a super melody and Amos Garret's lush guitar work really hits the nail on the head, backed by Emily Lamarche on vocal. Very nice. Western styling on Tell Me Where I've Been (So I Don't Go There Anymore) is really nice with excellent piano work by Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne and twangy blues guitar riffs from Steve Segal. I'll Hate You (Till Death Do Us Part) shows continued story telling and tongue in cheek soulful tracks. Wayne really works the keys on this one as well (I mean he really works them) and Frank Marino cooks the strings on guitar with precise blues riffs giving the trac...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Blues And I Should Have A  Party , from Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion and it a cool blues rocker. Opening with Please Don't Cheat On Me , lead singer and band leader Schwarz continues where she left off on This Is The Life I Choose, with strong guitar riffs by Rob Koral, Pete Whittaker on Hammond and Paul Robinson on drums. Title track, The Blues And I Should Have A Party , has a super slow pace with excellent guitar riffs by Koral under the melody. Rich Hammond organ work by Whittaker really sets a soothing stage for an excellent solo line by Koral and the soulful vocals of Schwarz. Excellent! Don't Worry Blues is another 12 bar entry with a cool groove. A firm bass line and Hammond work establishes the mood and Schwarz and Koral trading the lead is the standard. Whittaker lays down a nice organ solo and Koral is back with firm soloing of his own. Very nice. An up tempo jazz fused track, My Handsome Man , chan...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Big Daddy Gumbo , from Tommy DarDar and it's a healthy helping of swampy gumbo music. Very nice to get this release after DarDar's death in July of 2017. Opening with Johnny Lee Schell's It's Good To Be King , with DarDar on vocal and featuring Johnny Lee Schell on some exciting slide, backed by Hutch Hutchinson on bass, Jon Cleary on piano, Mike Finnigan on keys and DarDar on harp. Great opener. Baby I Can Tell has a great Chicago blues feel with solid bass lines and DarDar's vocals and harp up front. This has a great SB Williamson feel. C'mon Second Line really shows off Braunagel's excellent New Orleans drum styling with solid bass lines by Hutch. Very nice. With pure New Orleans R&B style, Jon Cleary's Let's Both Go Back To New Orleans is a nice showcase for DarDar on vocal, anchored by Cleary's piano rhythm and Hutch's bass. Very nice. The absolute radio track on t...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Tree Of Life , from Patrick Coman and I really like it! Opening with Heartbeat , a rangy, bluesy, somber song Patrick Coman, singer/songwriter/guitarist sets a certain mood. Joined by Peter Parcek on lead guitar, Marco Giovino on drums, Tom West on keys and Joe Klompus on bass, a great opener. Good advice on stripped down rocker, Don't Reach , Coman blends early British, punk, rock, folk and a lot of other sounds to get this really cool sound. A loose but fluid guitar solo by Parcek kicks the track nicely. With a twist of cha cha and a real nice bari guitar solo and cool female vocal harmonies by Abbie Barrett and Kylie Harris. The Judge has a real Johnny Cash spank. Coman's vocals are loose and cool and Parcek's guitar work is perfect. Super! Another track with a cool country rock twang is 9-5ers with a real country style guitar solo and drums ... and get this...tuba (nice job Neal Pawley). One of my favo...

Powerful Soul Ensemble Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar Set to Release Sophomore Recording Run To Me out April 27 followed by hometown CD launch party April 28 at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto Watch/Share new live video for "All Night Long" here For Immediate Release: March 29, 2018 (Toronto,ON) - Toronto-based Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar’s latest recording, entitled Run to Me , is scheduled for release on April 27, 2018. Produced by Darcy Yates (bassist for Bahamas), the new album explores the full range of the vicissitudes of love: desire, betrayal and, at times, emotional and sexual satisfaction. The lyrics are incisive, the melodies are constantly arresting and the harmonies and arrangements call up the best of the soul sounds of Stax Records and such contemporary artists as Leon Bridges, Sharon Jones, and Lee Fields. Samantha Martin and Delta Sugar’s ...

INSTRUMENTAL SOUL/JAZZ ACT DELVON LAMARR ORGAN TRIO KICK-OFF THEIR 2018 U.S. TOUR DATES IN APRIL IN SUPPORT OF THEIR RECENTLY RELEASED ALBUM " CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR ” DLO3'S "CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR”  JUST DEBUTED AT #1 LAST WEEK ON BILLBOARD’S CONTEMPORARY JAZZ CHART , AS WELL AS LANDING AT #3 ON THEIR JAZZ CHART AND #20 ON THEIR HEATSEEKERS CHART! CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO DELVON LAMARR ORGAN TRIO'S "CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR" VIA SPOTIFY COLEMINE RECORDS TO RELEASE A VERY LIMITED RED VINYL PRESSING OF "DELVON LAMARR ORGAN TRIO LIVE AT KEXP!"  ON RECORD STORE DAY! DELVON LAMARR ORGAN TRIO 2018 TOUR DATES Apr 02 Earshot Jazz Festival - Seattle, WA Apr 12 Sonic Boom Records - Seattle, WA Apr 14 Dakota Jazz Club - Minneapolis, MN Apr 15 Vaudeville Mews - Des Moines, IA Apr 16 Reggie’s, Chicago, IL Apr 18 Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 - New York, NY Apr 19 Funk N Waffles - Syracuse, NY Apr 20 Beachland Tavern -...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Feeling Fine , by Marshall Lawrence and it's a solid rocker. Opening with title track, Feeling Fine , Lawrence on lead vocal and guitar is joined by Zach Daniel Robertson on bass, Alan Beveridge on drums and Andrew Glover on keys, the band has nice vocal harmonies somewhat similar to Good Rats. Country/blues flavored rocker, Ida Mae , has a cool shuffle spine and aggressive guitar lead and tight drums reminding me a bit of Molly Hatchet. Blues number, Blues Still Got Me has a great 12 bar feel. Grinding guitar lead gives this track a definite edge making it one of my favorites on the release. Bluesy ballad, Help Me Find My Way Home , has strong radio appeal with a nice melody, modest but interesting guitar lead and well balanced backing. Latin flavored, Keep On Walking , features Lawrence on slide guitar and he sets a nice groove. With tight drum riffs and a solid bass line, this is a great lead into the release cl...

THE NICK MOSS BAND FEATURING DENNIS GRUENLING TO APPEAR ON NPR'S MOUNTAIN STAGE New CD, The High Cost Of Low Living , Debuted At #3 On The Billboard Blues Chart Nick Moss's muscular, electric energy combines jaw-dropping guitar, gruff, soulful vocals and impassioned songwriting. Gruenling is a contemporary harmonica master...impressive, genuine and fresh-sounding. --Living Blues The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling , whose newly-released Alligator Records debut CD The High Cost Of Low Living entered the Billboard Blues Chart at #3, recently recorded a live performance for NPR's celebrated music show, Mountain Stage . Over 240 NPR member stations around the country will begin airing the program this Friday, March 30. Air times and stations can be found here . The High Cost Of Low Living is already earning rave reviews, as are the band's must-see live shows. The album is a tour de force of the classic Chicago blues ensem...

Webb Wilder & the Beatnecks Set to Unleash Some Powerful Stuff! April 27 on Album of Previously-Unreleased Tracks Recorded from 1985-1993 Via Landslide Records NASHVILLE, TN - Landslide Records is excited to announce an April 27 street date for its next release, Powerful Stuff! , by veteran rock and rollers, Webb Wilder and the Beatnecks.  Since 1985, Wilder and his cohorts have been cranking out their own brand of rootsy Rock and ROLL throughout the USA and the world. The band’s energy and intensity is well exemplified by the heretofore unreleased, vintage tracks contained on Powerful Stuff! A potent mixture of roots rock, Americana, blues, and British influences, the album primarily features the “original” Beatnecks: Wilder on lead vocals and guitar; Donny “The Twangler” Roberts, guitar and vocals; Denny “Cletus” Blakely, bass and vocals; and Jimmy Lester, drums. Special guests featured on these rare, unissued tracks include the legendary Al Kooper on...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Toby Arrives , from Koch Marshall Trio and I really like it! Opening with loose shuffle and title track, Toby Arrives , Greg Koch on guitar, Dylan Koch on drums and Toby Lee Marshall on Hammond set the corner stone for this latest release. This is a tight trio with feature strength all round. Funk Meat has a rich bottom provided by Marshall's organ and Greg's funky guitar lead is nicely enhanced by Dylan's tight drumming. Heed The Boogaloo has a driving bass line similar to a Manzarek riff setting a strong foundation for Greg to dig in with adventurous and nicely flowing guitar lead. His float from rock to jazz influenced lead is very nice.  One of my favorite tracks on the release is jazz rock fusion endeavor, Mysterioso , with understated bass and organ lines and a beautiful exploration in chorded melody by Greg and East Indian influenced bending/slide. Very nice. Marshall takes the helm for a solid ride...