JP Soars' Southbound I-95 Tour Heads North, Perform at Blue 5

JP SOARS' "SOUTHBOUND I-95 TOUR" HEADS NORTH  Performs Locally:  BLUE 5 in Roanoke - Friday, August 10 - 9:30pm   (Roanoke, VA) - JP Soars & The Red Hots' "Southbound I-95 Tour" heads North in August for an East Coast run, with a local performance at Blue 5, 312 2nd St. SW, Friday, August 10./ Showtime: 9:30pm. Free show. Info: (540) 904-5338 or visit http://www.blue5restaurant.com/. Soars is touring in support of his new album, Southbound I-95 (Soars High Music; Released July 2018), already receiving stellar national reviews and extensive radio airplay.                                                What The Media Is Saying About Southbound I-95 and JP Soars "JP Soars does blues differently, mixing in a healthy dose of soul, R&B, surf, reggae, roots and country music into his blues, creating a creative brand of the blues that is pure Southern hospitality. There is so much great material on this CD...sure to become a classic. Get it while it’s hot!"                                      THE LA MUSIC CRITIC Title track, Southbound I-95 has a great Dick Dale/surf feel with dancing guitar work and a great rocking bass line by Jason Newsted. Excellent! Soars' guitar work in duet with Lee Oskar further cements this release as one of the year's best.  Check it out!                                     BMANS BLUES REPORT JP Soars has a well-deserved reputation as one of the hottest guitar slingers on the planet right now. On Southbound I-95 he shows great presence not only with the blues, but with a few other enjoyable genres. Whatever you consider your cup of tea, you’ll find something on this album."                                                  PROFESSOR JOHNNY P'S JUKE JOINT                                                                    JP Soars: Some Background   Southbound I-95 is Soar's fourth studio full-length release. "Over the years I have been fortunate to have met and played with some incredible musicians  - musicians I look up to, musicians that I admire and inspire me," confesses the ever-so-humble blues guitarist-vocalist. "Some of these musicians appear here on (Southbound I-95). A few of the aforementioned include highly-regarded vocalist Teresa James; blues harp great, Lee Oskar (War, Lowrider Band); guitar greats, Jimmy Thackery and Albert Castiglia; and Jason Newsted, onetime bassist for multi-platinum-selling hard rock act, Metallica.    Born in California and raised in Arkansas, JP Soars has called South Florida home since 1985. It's safe to say most blues guitarists haven't played in extreme metal bands and aren't influenced by jazz icons like Wes Montgomery and Django Reinhardt, which explains why Soars has developed a unique style that stands apart from the rest of the pack. The proof is in the pudding as Soar's touring schedule continues to grow with performances throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and South America, as well as repeat appearances on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, and, most recently, the celebrated Big Blues Bender in Las Vegas.   For the past several years, Soars has additionally been part of the regional all-star blues act, Southern Hospitality, that also features guitarist-vocalist Damon Fowler and 'The Piana From Savannah,' keyboardist-vocalist, Victor Wainwright; plus Red Hots drummer, Chris Peet and Fowler's bassist, Matt Walker. The Blind Pig recording artists earned a Blues Blast Award ("Best New Artist Debut Release") for their 2013 CD Easy Livin,' and have toured worldwide in between the three bandleaders' own schedules. Southern Hospitality appears with a host of international blues icons on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, sailing out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida this coming February.    Soars got bitten by the blues bug via a legendary source in 1988, when he won a guitar and two tickets in a raffle to see B.B. King in concert. Meeting the iconic guitarist and singer further enhanced the young musician's quest to learn more about the timeless power of the music. Soars started his blues recording career a decade ago with the 2008 release Back of My Mind, followed by More Bees With Honey (2011) and Full Moon Night in Memphis (2014). Collectively, his catalog has received extensive airplay on the XM Radio programs of Little Steven ("Underground Garage") and B.B. King ("Bluesville"); Top 50 status on the Living Blues charts, Blues Music Award nominations for "Best Contemporary Male Blues Artist of the Year," and "Best Blues CD" and "Album of the Year" accolades from the Palm Beach Post. Soars is a past winner of both the IBC (International Blues Challenge) and the prestigious Albert King Award.         JP Soars & The Red Hots Southbound I-95 August Itinerary August 10 (Fri.)       BLUE 5 RESTAURANT                       Roanoke, VA August 15 (Wed.)     TUNES ON THE DUNES                      Westerly, RI August 16 (Thur.)    NARRAGANSETT CAFE                       Jamestown, RI August 17 (Fri.)       LIZZIE ROSE MUSIC ROOM                 Tuckerton, NJ August 18 (Sat.)      CAFE @ST. GEORGES COUNTRY STORE   St. Georges, DE                                                        www.jpsoars.com                             www.facebook.com/jpsoars                                                                 Blues-E-News (Interview) BMans Blues Report (Southbound I-95 Review) Join us on Facebook       Follow us on Twitter       Send us an Email

Mescal Canyon Records artist: Wily Bo Walker - Almost Transparent Blues - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Almost Transparent Blues, from Wily Bo Walker and it's quite interesting. Opening with Chattahoochee Coochee Man, a horn pressed rocker, featuring Wily Bo Walker on vocal and guitar, backed by Tony Gorruso on trumpet. Fenton Robinson's Loan Me A Dime is up next with a more melancholy feel than Robinson's original or the more popular of the remakes by Boz Scaggs (with Duane Allman). I really like Walker's vocals on this track and Myron Brayshaw has a soulful but more modern metallic guitar take on the track giving it fresh wings with warm backing vocals. Very nice. Storm Warning is a driving rocker with an almost anthemic feel and modern riffs. Raw and rugged lead vocals backed by particularly solid backing vocals give this radio style track solid footing. Motel Blues has a really cool resonator intro and maintaining an acoustic feel with acoustic guitar and mandolin backing, breaking out with a stark electric guitar solo makes this one of my favorites on the release.  Another track that really caught my attention is Walking With The Devil with a gravely vocal, wailing guitar and bayou voodoo style drum rhythms. Excellent! Moon Over Indigo is another track with a special something with wailing vocals by Walker and Kenny Rampton playing some ultra nasty trumpet work caressed by The Brown Sisters on backing vocals. This is really cool. Wrapping the release is Light At The End Of The Tunnel, a moody ballad with a nice balance between Walker's lead, The Brown Sister's backing vocals and a melodic guitar solo. This is a cool closer for what is actually a pretty cool release.

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Stony Plain Records artist: Rory Block - A Woman's Soul - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, A Woman's Soul, A tribute to Bessie Smith, from Rory Block and it's solid. Opening with sassy, Do Your Duty, Rory Block shows she's up to the challenge with strong vocals, percussion and cool slide work. Cool opener. Kitchen Man has stylistic vocals and sparse but tight guitar riffs keeping the track sounding authentic. Give Me A Pigfoot and A Bottle Of Beer is one of my favorite tracks on the release with Block really digging in vocally and fuller slide work giving the track a more complex sound overall. I'm Down In The Dumps has a great story telling quality with a moderate guitar accompaniment and nicely articulated slide work. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Empty Bed Blues, a typically suggestive song with steady pace and dynamics. Block really enjoys this performance and it shows as it fades off. Nicely done.

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Sons Of Rhythm - - Sons Of Rhythm - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent self titled release, Sons of Rhythm and it's quite good. Opening with My Time Is Going To Come, a pop rocker, the band gets revved up with Mick Maratta on lead vocal and bass, Fererico Luiu on guitar and backing vocal, Mike Carbone on drums and backing vocals and Anthony Brancati on piano. Nice opener. Brancati blow out the doors with a wailing sax solo on shuffle track, Talkin' Bout My Baby under a nicely balanced track. Among a full boat of radio tracks, Will I Ever See You Again? stands tall with a strong melody, nicely blended vocals and a memorable guitar lead by Luiu. Allen Toussaint's Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky is a terrific entry to this other wise self penned set, with a funky bottom and great vocals. Luiu gets a chance to stretch a bit on guitar and he doesn't waste a note. Very nice. Wrapping the release is hot boogie, Swing Thing, with a great beat, snappy drums, a hot sax solo and great rock n' roll guitar. Great closer. 

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The Little Red Rooster Blues Band - Lock Up The Liquor - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Lock Up The Liquor, from the Little Red Rooster Blues Band and it's a lot of fun. Opening with instrumental shuffle track, Pitchin' Woo,  Dave Holtzman leads the melody on harp, backed by Kevin McCann on guitar, Jeff Michael on bass, Bob Holden on drums and special guest Anthony Geraci on piano. Kickin' it Chicago style, Rather Be Lonesome gives Holtzman a real opportunity to be out front on harp and lead vocal but it's his tribute to James Cotton on Cotton Mouth that the band really shines with Holtzman really winding it up! Jump track, Thrift Shop Rubbers, uses a clever play on words for a fun track with smooth vocals and hot harp work. On Nothing Left Between Us, the band slows it way down for a deep blues with solid solos by McCann, Holtzman and Geraci. Boogie track, There Oughta be A Law, has a cool groove. good vocals, a snappy guitar solo and cool harp work. Very nice. Alternating back and forth between a Latin rhythm and flat out shuffle, Livin' At Jerry's House has some of Holtzman's best harp work and a cool rhythm. On 4 O'clock In The Morning, McCann lays in some real nice blues riffs on guitar with a delicate hand giving the track that extra something. Wrapping the release is my favorite track on the release, Lock Up The Liquor with it's super drive, excellent vocals and solo work by Geraci, Holtzman and McCann. This jam boogie is a terrific closer for a really nice release. 

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Stone Tone Records artists: Big Apple Blues - Manhattan Alley - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Manhattan Alley, from Big Apple Blues and it's quite good. Opening with the funky driving ball runs of Admir "Dr. Blues" Hadzic, on You Gotta Start Somewhere, this track is rolling. With Barry "The Baron of the Blues" Harrison on drums, Zach Zunis rips a great solo on guitarand Chris Eminizer really pours on the heat on sax, backed by Jim Alfredson on B3 and keys and Anthony Kane on harp. Take Two is another great track with a great funky bottom. Zunis is back again with a really nice solo and Alfredson really gives that keyboard a workout with just the right amount of horn to give it the kiss. Excellent! With an easy sway, Deep Talkin' features Alfredson and some deep, deep horn work. Putting me in mind of Passport or Oblivion Express, this is solid ground. Very nice. Steamroller is a prime fusion groove with a great bottom compliments of Harrison and Hadzic, and lead work by Zunis, Alfredson and Eminizer. Very nice. Subway Rumble has a cool groove with strong guitar lead by Zunis and adventurous B3 work by Alfredson. Love As I Know It is a strong soulful instrumental ballad with guitar and keys melodic lead. There is strong support of course from bass and drums but the fire is upfront. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Rock On, an easy driving blues rocker with guitar and B3 soloing throughout. This is a a really nice closer for a strong release.

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Sugar Brown - It's A Blues World - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, It's A Blues World. from Sugar Brown and it's real cool. Opening with up tempo shuffle track, Hummingbird, featuring Sugar brown on vocal and guitar, Rockin' Johnny Burgin on guitar, Michelle Josef on drums, and Russ Boswell on bass. Cool opener. Love Me Twice has a great rhythm and signature Johnny Burgin guitar soloing. Really nice. With the addition of banjo by Nicol Robertson, Minnie Heart on fiddle and Julian Fauth on piano, Lousy Dime has an interesting rural feel and classic lines . One of my favorites on the release. Another of my favorites is title track, It's A Blues World, with a classic House of the Rising Sun progression. Subtle guitar riffs by Burgin, coupled with SB's vocal and harp, along with clean piano work by Fauth give this tack just the right balance. Out Of The Frying Pan has a strong rural blues feel with raw amplification on guitar and vocal giving the track a real authentic feel. Very nice. Rockin' track, Those Things You Said, sits in the groove with only guitar and drums under the vocal making it another strong top contender. Rockin' boogie, Looking For Two O'clock has a solid vocals and snappy beat with lofi guitar riffs giving the track an early 60's sound.  Dew On The Grass has a real nice swing with piano rolls by Fauth, bari sax by Heart cool guitar riffs by Burgin and a high impact drum feel from Josef. Wrapping the release is Brothers, a rural country style blues with just over basic backing over acoustic finger picking by Brown and Burgin complimented by Heart and Robertson. Cool Closer.

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Dan McKinnon - The Cleaner - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Cleaner, from Dan McKinnon and it's quite good. Opening with blues rocker, Storm, McKinnon on guitar sets a great pace with scorching riffs and lead vocal, backed by Peter Eratostene on bass and Michael Carbone on drums. Walk That Aisle is another solid rocker with a driving bass line and distorted guitar. Slinky, 17 Years has a melodic radio feel with Albert King flavored guitar riffs. Rowdy romper, King Baby, has a swaggering ZZ Top kind of feel but with McKinnon's own signature riffs and vocal styling. Very cool. One of my favorite tracks is Junior Kimbrough flavored All Mine with it's distinct bass line, driving drum line and Kimbrough like guitar riffs. McKinnin takes a nice excursion on guitar on this 6 plus minute track giving it real bite. Very nice. Shuffle track, More Than Enough has a polished Robben Ford feel and McKinnon's guitar riffs are clean and definitive. Very nice. Ballad, Til You Come Around not only has a solid melody and vocals but sure tension and vital guitar riffs. Wrapping the release is Wowowow which also has that dirty, gritty Mississippi Hill Country sound. I really like this track, an excellent closer for a solid 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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BERT JANSCH - JUST A SIMPLE SOUL - The first comprehensive Best Of collection - Oct 26th via BMG

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Bert Jansch Just A Simple Soul The first comprehensive Best Of collection spanning Jansch’s 5-decade-long career, compiled by Bernard Butler and the Bert Jansch estate Released 26th October via BMG Released on 2CD, 2LP and advance pre-order 2LP+Tote bag “Bert lived and breathed the sound of the guitar and its endless possibilities for communication, storytelling, conversation, emotional dialogue. We have a life’s work here, and what a life Bert Jansch has given us.” – Bernard Butler “One of the most influential and intriguing musicians to have come out of the British music scene". – Johnny Marr From his 1965 iconic debut album, Bert’s peerless musicality, songwriting and interpretation of traditional song has held generation after generation spellbound and inspired musicians in all genres. Just A Simple Soul – named after the closing track on his 1998 album Toy Balloon ­- is the first collection of Jansch’s entire solo career, with insightful liner notes by Bernard Butler (Suede) who compiled this selection with the Bert Jansch Estate. As a writer and player, Jansch has inspired countless other music icons including Jimmy Page, Paul Simon, Johnny Marr, Laura Marling, Graham Coxon, Fleet Foxes and Neil Young. Pre-order the collection HERE Presented chronologically the collection begins by drawing from his prolific 1960s period, during which he released six albums between 1965 and 1969. His self-titled debut, sometimes referred to as The Blue Album, is listed at #3 in NME’s Best Folk Albums Of All Time, and this collection plucks three tracks including the harrowing ‘Needle Of Death’; about the tragic passing of Bert’s friend, folk singer Buck Polly. The influence of young singer Anne Briggs began to show in this period, and the traditional folk songs she taught him, plus his bluesy, improvised guitar accompaniment which dominated his third solo album, Jack Orion (1966), featuring John Renbourn on guitar. That same year, the collaborative album Bert & John laid the foundations of the trad folk supergroup Pentangle. Jack Orion included ‘Blackwaterside’ (featured in this collection), a traditional song Jansch learned from Briggs. Elsewhere, eco-warning ‘Poison’ and ‘The Bright New Year’ are included from Bert’s fifth solo album Birthday Blues (1969), with Pentangle colleagues Danny Thompson and Terry Cox. Jansch recorded three solo albums while part of Pentangle, notably Rosemary Lane (1971), an album described by The Guardian as “a stark, reflective work”, which again included a traditional song learned from Briggs (‘Reynardine’, included here) alongside his own compositions. Also featured here is ‘The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face’ (originally written by Ewan MacColl for Peggy Seeger) as a duet with Mary Hopkin. ‘Fresh As A Sweet Sunday Morning’ and ‘Chambertin’, lifted from 1974’s L.A. Turnaround, highlight a significant passage, being recorded after Pentangle’s demise, featuring erstwhile Monkee Mike Nesmith on production. Jansch’s 70s’ output is drawn to a close with the inclusion of Kittiwake from his 1979 album Avocet, on which he teamed up with the multi-instrumentalist Martin Jenkins and Danny Thompson for a concept album inspired by birds. Pentangle reunions and illness limited Jansch’s 80s’ solo output. It’s represented by ‘Sweet Rose’ from From The Outside (1985) which was described by Irish author and composer Colin Harper as “Bert's rawest and most cathartic work since Bert Jansch twenty years earlier.” When The Circus Comes To Town (1995) was the start of a renaissance for Bert with the title track featured here, as well as ‘Morning Brings Peace of Mind’. This collection takes its name from ‘Just A Simple Soul’, on 1998’s follow-up Toy Balloon, which also included Bert’s take on Jackson C. Frank’s ‘Carnival’ which was a perennial in his live sets. Jansch’s 21st century output is represented by ‘Crimson Moon’ (Crimson Moon, 2000) and ‘On The Edge Of A Dream’ (Edge Of A Dream, 2002), two records that bookend his 2001 Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Edge Of A Dream featured Bernard Butler on electric guitar, Bert’s son, Adam, on bass and vocals of Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star. This collection is concluded with ‘High Days’, taken from Bert’s 23rd and, tragically, final studio album The Black Swan. Released through Sanctuary and Drag City, it featured prominent admirers including Beth Orton, Devendra Banhart and Helena Epsvall. It was dubbed an instant classic, described by Pitchfork as “immaculate but natural”, and named one of the best albums of 2006 by MOJO, who described it as “a beautiful, evocative piece of music… his strongest album in years.” Just A Simple Soul reminds us of Bert Jansch’s enduring legacy and his influence across the musical spectrum. As Bernard Butler eloquently puts it; “Bert lived and breathed the sound of the guitar and its endless possibilities for communication, storytelling, conversation, emotional dialogue. We have a life’s work here, and what a life Bert Jansch has given us.” Pre-order the collection HERE Tracklist - LP Side 1 1. Strolling Down The Highway 2. Angie 3. Needle Of Death 4. It Don't Bother Me 5. Black Water Side 6. Soho 7. The Time Has Come Side 2 1. Go Your Way My Love 2. Come Back Baby 3. Poison 4. The Bright New Year 5. Rosemary Lane 6. Reynardine 7. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face Side 3 1. Fresh As A Sweet Sunday Morning 2. Chambertin 3. Baby Blue 4. Daybreak 5. Kittiwake 6. Sweet Rose 7. Let Me Sing Side 4 1. Morning Brings Peace of Mind 2. Carnival 3. Just A Simple Soul 4. Crimson Moon 5. On The Edge Of A Dream 6. High Days Tracklist - CD CD1 1. Strolling Down The Highway 2. Angie 3. Needle Of Death 4. It Don't Bother Me 5. A Man I’d Rather Be 6. The Waggoner’s Lad 7. Black Water Side 8. Soho 9. The Time Has Come 10. Go Your Way My Love 11. Come Back Baby 12. Poison 13. Promised Land 14. The Bright New Year 15. Rosemary Lane 16. Reynardine 17. M’Lady Nancy 18. Moonshine 19. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face CD2 1. Fresh As A Sweet Sunday Morning 2. Chambertin 3. The Blacksmith 4. Baby Blue 5. Daybreak 6. Kittiwake 7. Up To The Stars 8. Sweet Rose 9. The Road Tae Dundee 10. Let Me Sing 11. When The Circus Comes To Town 12. Morning Brings Peace of Mind 13. Toy Balloon 14. Carnival 15. Just A Simple Soul 16. Crimson Moon 17. Omie Wise 18. On The Edge Of A Dream 19. The Black Swan 20. High Days ****

The Bob Lanza Blues Band Talks About "Kids, Dogs & Krazy Women" on New CD Coming August 31 from Connor Ray Music

The Bob Lanza Blues Band Talks About Kids, Dogs & Krazy Women on New CD Coming August 31 from Connor Ray Music

HOUSTON, TX – Connor Ray Music announces an August 31 release date for Kids, Dogs & Krazy Women, the new CD from New Jersey-based blues guitarist Bob Lanza and his band.  Kids, Dogs & Krazy Women is Bob’s fifth album release. Digital pre-release sales start July 31.

Bob and the band will celebrate the new album’s release with a special CD party and show on Saturday, September 29, at the legendary Stanhope House, 45 Main Street, Stanhope, New Jersey.

Kids, Dogs & Krazy Women has been a long time coming. Working with acclaimed producer and performer, Anthony Krizan (Spin Doctors, Noel Redding, Lenny Kravitz), at his Sonic Boom Recording Studio in Raritan, New Jersey, Lanza delivers a mix of covers and originals, done only the way he can do it. The album also includes a tribute to the late, great harmonica master, James Cotton, penned by Lanza and Krizan.

Lanza has known Krizan for many years, but had never gotten the opportunity to work with him until now. “It’s a no brainer,” he says, about working with Krizan. “I’ve known Anthony since 1990. Thru the years we crossed paths many times, as I watched his career as a performer and producer soar, and I always thought about what doing a record with him would sound like.”  

As fate would have it, the two would hook up on a landscaping job. They were doing labor for a mutual friend, who said he would love to hear Anthony and Bob playing together. With that thought in mind, they both continued with their respective bands, doing gigs around the area, crossing paths here and there. Two years later, this past March, the two guitarists would end up on the same bill, a fundraiser for the Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Foundation. A resulting jam at the end of the show presented the opportunity for them to play together, and it sounded as if they were playing together for years. “That day I asked Anthony if he’d be interested in recording us,” Lanza recalls. Krizan didn’t hesitate and two weeks later, Lanza would bring his rhythm section, Vin Mott and Dave Lockhart, to Sonic Boom Recording Studio.

"Right from the start, we knew we had some great stuff going on,” says Lanza.  Joining the two guitarists are John Ginty on Hammond B3 organ and piano, Vin Mott on harmonica and drums and Dave Lockhart on bass.  The session resulted in some real raw blues, with Krizan adding haunting slide guitar, pushing Lanza's guitar playing and singing to another level. 

“John Ginty is a good friend of Anthony’s and I opened up for him a few times over the years, so we called him in,” Lanza remembers. “He is one of the world’s foremost Hammond B3 players, and his piano playing just cooks on this disc. To have him on this session was an honor, and it bought the session to another level.”  

Ginty had this to say about the sessions: “The best part of the New Jersey music scene is how small and connected it is. I've been on the same bill as Bob Lanza for many years, and it was always a thrill to hear him play live. I've also been making records at Anthony Krizan's Sonic Boom Studio for years. Now, playing on Bob’s new album has been a thrill, and it sounds incredible and authentic. Great blues records are made here in New Jersey, and this is certainly one of them.”

Kids, Dogs & Krazy Women is raw and real, and delivers the blues from the heart, soul and the gut. “Bobby Lanza is the real deal and a true bluesman,” says producer Krizan. “He plays guitar with fire and emotion; on top of that, his voice and songwriting abilities are stellar, as well. We tracked this record live with no studio tricks to masque the rawness of the session. You can feel the energy on the tracks and you can feel the band laying it down together in the room! We used all old-school recording equipment, like ‘60s Neve pre-amps and Olympic modules and we used all vintage guitars and amplifiers!”

Lanza chimes in: "Yeah, I didn’t have to bring too much to Anthony’s studio because between his guitars and amplifiers and my guitars and amplifiers, we have some of the nicest vintage gear, and we put all of it to use.”

Amplifiers were everywhere: Krizan’s coveted 1964 Super Reverb, as well as two old Gibson amps, are on full display on this disc. In the guitar department, Lanza’s 1966 Gibson 345 and his 1968 thin line Telecaster, along with Krizan's  TV yellow 1960 Les Paul Special (responsible for the killer slide work  on the title cut) and some choice vintage Telecasters all make their presence known. “Man, Anthony really hit the note on that one” says Lanza, referring to the slide solo on the title cut.

Kids, Dogs & Krazy Women will stoke your mojo for old school rhythm and blues. Lanza and Krizan make a formidable team on this recording, blending swampy blues and roots music effortlessly, as if they were meant to be together. “I think this record will stand up to what’s happening right now, as well as standing with some blues classics,” says Krizan. “Doing this record was a lot of fun and I hope listeners can tell how much, from the sound coming out through the speakers.”

The songs on this disc stay in your head for days after listening, a true testament to the musicians involved and the vibe that went on inside Sonic Boom Studio during the sessions. “I’m very excited about this release,” Lanza summarizes. “It just seems so right to finally record with Anthony and hear the results that came from sessions that we all had so much fun doing.”

Canadian Guitarist Extraordinaire Colin James Says He Has "Miles to Go" on New CD, Out September 21

Canadian Guitarist Extraordinaire Colin James Says He Has Miles to Go on New CD, Out September 21

Toronto, ON-- With his 19th album, Miles to Go, releasing September 21 (Stony Plain Records in USA;  True North Records for the rest of the world), acclaimed guitarist Colin James is getting back to the blues.

Miles to Go is Colin James’ ambitious sequel to his critically-acclaimed 2016 CD, Blue Highways, and it continues James’ story with a collection of carefully curated songs handpicked from some of the greatest blues artists.  

In the months leading up to the recording, as James was reflecting on songs for the album he decided to reacquaint himself with a beautiful red Gibson ES-335.  It was just like the guitar he played as a teenager, but regretfully had to sell for rent money.

While James reconnected with this guitar, Miles to Go seemed to just flow onto the studio floor.

This album blends songs old and new, some of them completely reimagined and some almost perfect homages. But all are unified by a theme of undying love for the blues and the highest respect for the creators that led the way.

Known as one of Canada’s best blues musicians, it wasn’t until Blue Highways that James found himself on a blues chart: the album spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Roots Music Report’s Blues Chart. It also landed him one of his biggest hits: “Riding in the Moonlight,” a Willie Dixon song that James once covered when busking in the streets and subways of Toronto and Montreal that landed on a Spotify playlist garnering millions of streams.

When James set out to make Blue Highways, an album of blues covers recorded with his touring band, he always intended it to be the first of two installments. Now we have Miles to Go, in which James records nine new covers of his favorite artists (Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Blind Willie Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Little Willie John, Robert Johnson, etc.) and adds two originals, “I Will Remain” and “40 Light Years.”

“Blues has always been a pass-it-forward kind of thing,” says James. “It’s also surprisingly hard to write. You have to be careful how modern you get in your phrasing. Certain writers can write a song that sounds like it was done 40 years ago, but it’s deceptively hard.”

To be a blues musician is to always have a dialogue with the past.  As with much blues music, it’s the performances on the original versions rather than the actual song that drew James to them. That said, what could he possibly bring to them in 2018? “You bring what you can,” he says. “If I feel like I’ve brought enough, then I put it out. I knocked a bunch of songs off this record when I realized that I couldn’t bring anything to them that weren’t there already. All my life I’ve tried to bring vitality to older songs. Hopefully, my dedication to it is what floats it over the mark. That’s a subjective thing; some people will always prefer the original. However, there’s always a group of people coming up to see me after a show who might say, ‘Oh, I never would have heard ‘One More Mile’ by James Cotton—nothing in my life would have pointed me there.’ ”

So much of Colin James’s career has pointed him to this moment: joyfully tangled up in the blues, which, as he notes, “is the only genre where you can maintain a young profile at the age of 53.”

Colin James Upcoming Canadian Tour Dates

07/13/18    Windsor, ON        Bluesfest Windsor   

07/14/18    Ottawa, ON        Ottawa Bluesfest   

08/17/18    Grande Prairie, AB    Bear Creek Folk Music Festival   

08/19/18    Salmon Arm, BC    Salmon Arm Roots & Blues   

08/25/18    London, ON        London Bluesfest   

09/08/18    Blue Mountains, ON    Blue Mountain Village   

Justin Saladino Band - A Fool's Heart - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, A Fool's Heart, from Justin Saladino Band and it's groovingly smooth. Opening with A Fool I'll Stay, a melody rich track with a catchy hook, Justin Saladino on lead guitar and vocal crafts a top radio track, joined by Gabriel Forget on bass, A.J. Aboud on drums and Felix Blackburn on guitars. Add a little bounce and you have Honey, a polished R&B track with just the perfect balance of guitar and vocal.  Take What You Need is polished with a solid weave of vocals, keys and guitar. This is as close to Steely Dan as it gets. My favorite track on the release is Bad Habit with it's skipping funky rock fusion feel. Saladino's vocals are cool and lain back and the guitar, bass and drums workout is terrific! Bluesy ballad, Peace Be With You, has a strong melody and familiar feel with smooth vocals and nicely accented guitar work over warm organ backing. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Mama Said, an easy set acoustic style ballad featuring Saladino backing his own vocals with fingerpicked electric guitar. This is a really "nice" release with a lot of feel. 

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