Bman's Blues Report

Boston Blues Guitarist Seth Rosenbloom to Release New CD ‘Keep on Turning’ out January 18th “For me, playing the blues is all about expressing emotions,” guitarist and vocalist Seth Rosenbloom insists. “What’s always drawn me to the genre is the fact that it allows for an extraordinarily wide range of emotion. That, I think, is the key to making great music overall, and great blues in particular.” Rosenbloom knows of what he speaks. Hailed by The Boston Globe as “a searing blues-rock guitarist,” and The Noise Boston as a musician who “makes his guitar growl and has a voice to match,” he’s been compared to “a slightly younger and rawer version of Matt Schofield ,” by the Blues PowR blog, which also praised him for “his gravelly, forceful vocals and stinging guitar work.” Those assessments were affirmed this past year, when Rosenbloom made his bow with his debut self-titled EP. Now, with the release of his first full length effort, Keep On Turning (January 2019), that...

Ronnie Spector and The Ronettes Ring in the Holidays With Their Best Christmas Party Ever! Spector’s definitive versions of “Frosty” and “Sleigh Ride” dominate the airwaves at Christmas time Exclusive People Magazine Interview on Newsstands Soon Now a beloved holiday tradition, Ronnie Spector and The Ronettes’ Best Christmas Party Ever! kicks off in late November, and this year’s tour will coincide with an exclusive profile in People Magazine . The iconic singer and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee absolutely loves Christmas, and she’ll ring in the holiday season once again when her spirited multi-media show tours the U.S.  – Confirmed dates are here: 11/24              Madison Theatre                    Rockville Centre, NY 11/30            ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Into The Blue , from Ron Spencer Band and it's got a great feel. Opening with rocker, Closer To The Bone , Mark Gibson has the lead vocal spot and Ron Spencer revs up his guitar with great tone on guitar. Bob Purdy on bass set a solid foundation with Ross Moe on drums and Dan "Cato" Eaton does a real nice job on piano. Addicted To You is a cool, laid back swamp rocker with low slung vocal lines. This track has a great feel. One of my favorite tracks on the release is So Wrong with its tight Latin rhythms and warm guitar tones. Very nice. It's Time , has a cool T-Bone Walker feel and Gibson's vocals are really nice. Spencer shows his had at blues guitar -" T-Bone style" and he does a really nice job. Eaton gets a real chance to show off on rock 'n roller, Fine Fine Woman with it boogie beat and Gibson of course leads the charge with excellent vocals. Wrapping the release is another L...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Before The Devil Steals Your Soul , from Blue Largo and it's a blues rocker with a dose of swing. Opening with Wash Away with it's spiritual roots. With warm vocal chorus by Alicia Aragon, Eric Lieberman, Nena Anderson, Missy Anderson, Diane McCalester, Jacquelene Haynes, Nathaniel Greene Jr., Andre Buck and Nathan Jones, this is really nice. Opening into a an early sixties style rocker with Eddie Croft on sax, Lieberman on guitar, Marcus P. Boshore on bass, Tanya "T-Bird" Donath on piano and Rafeal Solomon on Hammond, it's a cool opener. Latin rhythm carries Monrovia with cool percussion by Mike Tempo, stylistic trumpet by Steve Ebner and cool solo's by Lieberman and Donath. Instrumental, Bodas De Oro , is a terrific track featuring Lieberman on baritone guitar and really nice percussion and piano. Excellent! Vocal ballad, The Long Ballad has a great melody and is a solid showcase for Arago...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Wish The World Away , from Ben Rice and it's light and airy with great guitar riffs and cool melodies. Opening with Dirt Road Home , a driving understated boogie, Rice shows just how much music can be played with just vocal, guitar and drums by Jimi Bott. Cool opener. Peace Will Overcome has a really nice rhythm set up by Bott, Julio Appling on bass and Dave Fleschner on piano, topped by excellent slide work by Rice. Very nice. Mojo Hand feels like hill country with a lot of rag tag and a lot of rockin blues. Rice's vocals are perfect for this track and his resonator guitar work is tight and clean with highlights drawn by Mitch Kashmar on harp and Dave Melyan on percussion. Very nice. Soulful track, Hardtimes is one of my favorites on the release with the best vocals on the release and rich organ tones of Dave Fleschner. Very nice. Stevie Wonder's HigherGround get an acoustic rework and retains a lot of ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Miles To Go , from Colin James and it's really good! Opening with Muddy Water's, One More Mile , Colin James puts a funky spin on it and it is a contemporary as they come. With Geoff Hicks on drums, Steve Pelletier on bass, Simon Kendall on Hammond, Chris Caddell on rhythm guitar and Steve mariner on harp, this track is a super opener. Another Waters track, Still A Fool maintains the basic Waters outline but with a solid bass line and fiery guitar riffs, another super addition. Very nice. Big Boy Crudup's Dig Myself a Hole has a super Little Feat, swampy funky feel with real nice slide by James and perfect backing vocals by The Sojourners. James original. I Will Remain , is really solid with a real nice drum track, glistening rhythm guitar, a soulful melody and excellent blues guitar lines bringing to mind BB King or Robert Cray. Excellent! Jessie Mae Robinson's Black Night is my favorite on the releas...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, All This , from RC and the Moonpie Band and it's a lot of fun.  Opening with boogie rocker and title track, All This , RC (Robert Christian) has lead vocals backed by Robert Marlowe on funky guitar, T Bone Betourney on drums,  Mike Logiovino on bass and Russell Pleasants on backing vocals. With Latin styling and tongue in cheek lyrics, Cheated on Me is a cool, clever track with interesting guitar work and a tight rhythm. Wild primitive delta styling and acoustic slide guitar make Big Ass Jug  O' Wine a favorite entry on the release. Older Women has a Screamin Jay Hawking kind of feel with dramatic wailing, solid soul vocals and powerful keyboard soloing. With fundamental blues structure, Take Off Your Shoes follows a T Bone Walker lead but with less flamboyant soloing and more curious vocals. The Buddy Guy Up is a super shuffle with a super groove. Potent vocals, dancing piano, hot guitar and a radical...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blink , from Rachelle Coba and it's an soulful understated rocker. Opening with High and Dry , a rocker with a driving beat, Coba on guitar and vocal is teamed with Paul Kuzik on bass, Andrei Koricanics on drums and featuring John Ginty on piano. Dance These Blues Away has a cool funky back beat that really gives Coba a chance to showcase her bluesy vocals and soulful guitar riffs. Very nice. Good Ole Heartbreak is a soul ballad with a great melody. Another strong track, this could easily be the top radio track on the release. A solid rocker with a light country flavor (think Stones or Mellencamp) title track, Blink , had a strong (rock) dance groove and just the right guitar tone to push it over the edge. Solid! Another track that deserves a particular note is Shuffle Ya with an almost spoken vocal line but with a heavy footed bottom and guitar punctuation over the warm organ ride of Ginty. Very nice. Wrapping ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live , from JW- Jones and it's terrific. Opening with A Memo , a cool, well written rocker with a solid melody. Jones' band is Laura Greenberg on bass and vocal, Will Laurin on drums and vocals and Don Cummings on Hammond and vocals. Jones gets the opportunity to stretch a bit and with nicely phrased blues riffs, punctuates this fine opener. On BB King's Need You So Bad , Jones' vocals are firm and his guitar playing sure footed. I have heard each of his previous releases and this one really shines. Howlin' Wolf's Moanin' At Midnight has a steady rolling tempo with aggressive blues stance, breaking into a Hendrix "Voodoo Chile" posture and letting the pyrotechnics fly. Very nice. Dylan's Tonight I'll be Staying Here With You has an approach that blends Dylan, Beck and Garcia styles. Another BB King track, Early Every Morning , has a hard driving bass line putting Jones int...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Sovereign Town , from Geoff Achison and it's quite good. Opening with folk rocker, Skeleton Kiss, Achison, on guitar and vocal crafts a definitely radio worthy track with solid backing by Andrew Fry on bass, Dave Clark on drums, Liam Kealy on Hammond and John McNamara on backing vocals. Title track, Sovereign Town has a real nice feel with rich warm backing vocals and a blend of finger picked and slide guitar by Achison supporting his distinctive vocals. Very nice. With a light jazzy touch, Misha Bella has a cool George Benson touch but maintaining Achison style country runs. Kealy's Hammond solo balances the track nicely making it one of my favorites on the release. Another particularly interesting track is World of Blue with fluid delivery, a strong melody, warm backing vocals, nice slide and just the right amount of Hammond. Excellent! Instrumental track, Hand of Faith , has a very soothing melody and wit...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Harps & Horns , from Lee Palmer and it's quiet and relaxing. Opening with  Waitin' On A Train , an easy going shuffle featuring Palmer on vocal and guitar, Sean O'Grady on drums, Iain McNally on guitars, Alec Fraser on bass, Steve O'Connor on piano, Roly Platt on harp and Chris Ayries on backing vocal. Saucy blues number, My Baby Again, features fat sax by Turner King, silky vocals by Palmer and really clean piano soloing by O'Connor.  Bringing down the tempo on Shake Em Blues , a drone bass line by Fraser Jr. sets the stage and nicely blended vocals and warm organ work by O'Connor, topped by Platt makes this one of my release favorites. Electric riffs by McNally start boogie track, Rockin' Strawberry Jam , off right and with a romping rhythm, hot sax riffs and cool vocals this is another favorite. Wrapping the release is quiet, jazzy, Isn't That So, with a nice blend of sax, bass and...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Free , from Amanda Fish and it's cool. Fish takes a raw pop edge with soul to create her own voice. Opening with 2020 , a funky blues track Fish kicks off her shoes and captures that southern rock Muscle Shoals" feel with Dave Hays on guitar. Cool opener. Boogie track, Not Anymore has a great driving bass line and with Richard Rosenblatt spicing up the track on harp. Boogie! One of my favorite tracks on the release is Anymore with really nice soulful vocals and Chris Hazelton joining on organ. Blessed is full blown gospel style soul with Sarah Morgan on backing vocals and Ken Valdez on guitar. Alastair Greene kicks it into high gear on rocker, Going Down with super slide guitar. Very cool. Powerful soul ballad, You Could Be shows just how gripping Fish's vocals can be when she digs down and she does dig. Coyote Bill adds some hot flashes on guitar joined by Hazelton on organ. Hot and heavy. Another boog...

Mike Zito Debut 'Blue Room' Celebrates Two Decades 20th Anniversary Edition Re Released Nov 16 th on Ruf Records It’s back. The debut album that blew up the ’90s blues scene. The songs that announced the touchdown of a major new talent. In modern times, as an established solo star and former member of the globally acclaimed Royal Southern Brotherhood, Mike Zito’s reputation precedes him. But turn back the clocks. Rewind the film reels. Slip through the wormhole to 1998, when a 27-year-old punk kid took his first shot in the studio. “ Blue Room ,” he reflects, “is the beginning of me becoming an artist.” By 1998, Zito had been around the block. Raised at the sharp end in St. Louis, Missouri, he’d witnessed the lean years of the ’70s, as his father – a union employee at the local Anheuser-Busch brewery – grafted to support five kids in a cramped apartment. Music was a way out, with Zito learning his craft at a downtown guitar store, then seizi...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Burn To Grow , from Josh Smith and it's really cool. Opening with soul flavored track, Half Blues , the title hits it. This track has strong soulful vocals and a solid blues bottom with stinging guitar work by Smith. Backed by Travis Carlton on bass, Lemar Carter on drums Jamelle Adisa on trumpet, Chris Johnson on trombone, J.P. Floyd on trombone, Matthew DeMerritt on tenor sax, and Dan Boisey of tenor and bari sax, this is a terrific start. A bit smoother, a bit like Al Green, Through the Night shows real attention to conventional soul music but still with the guitar accents of a blues master. A strong radio contender with a great melody and warm melodic backing vocals by Monet Owens, Watching You Go has powerful guitar riffs that would make SRV's neck hair stand on end. With it's heavy bass line lead by Carlton and the raw guitar edge by Smith, balanced by confident vocals, a tight rhythm section and cool ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Complicated Mess , from Doug Deming and the Jewel Tones and it's really strong. Opening with title track, Complicated Mes s, guitar man and vocalist, Doug Deming sets the table for a blues feast. His vocals are solid as always and using machine gun and trem bend, his riffs are hot! Joining are Andrew Gohman on bass and Marty Dodson on drums. Super opener. Kim Wilson's harp work adds great depth and Demings riffs are rich and jazzy on Sweet Poison , a cool bluesy ballad. Sam Theard's classic, You Rascal You , has great wings with Little Charlie Baty on guitar, joining Deming with clever lyrics and an extremely active rhythm section. Excellent! Shuffle, Need My Baby has a great lope and Madison Slim's harp work is strong giving the track a nice edge. My favorite track on the release is slow blues, Deep Blue Sea , with soulful vocal by Deming and smoldering guitar riffs, playing against Bon Welsh's pi...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, 149 Delta Ave , from Mick Kolassa and the Taylor Made Blues Band and the talent is thick. Opening with I Can't Slow Down , a 2 steppin rocker, Mick Kolassa on lead vocal is backed by David Dunavent on guitars, Leo Goff on bass, Lee Andrew Williams on drums, Chris Stephenson on keys and Susan Marshall and Daunielle Hill on backing vocal this is a cool opener. Eric Hughes joins on US 12 to Highway 49 , a smart shuffle with solid harp work. Cotton Road is one of my favorites on the release with roots in chain gang work songs. Toronzo Cannon adds some really smart guitar lead and wailing backing vocals make this track rich with feel. Pullin Me Down has a creeping R&B blues style with solid bass work from Goff, crisp guitar soloing by Jeff Jensen and includes tight trumpet and sax work by  Marc Franklin and Kirk Smothers. Very nice. A funky version of Ashford and Simpson's I Don't Need No Doctor has a real...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Kids, Dogs & Krazy Women from The Bob Lanza Blues Band and it's a super dose of old style blues with a fresh feel. Opening with title track, Kids, Dogs and Krazy Women , Bob Lanza (vocal and guitar), Anthony Krizan (guitar, vocal, drums and percussion), John Ginty (keys), Dave Lockhart (bass) and Vin Mott (drums, harmonica) are a force to be reckoned with. With a slinky rhythm, solid vocals, slide guitar and harp, this track is a cool opener. Texas boogie Not The Man I Use To Be is one of my favorite tracks on the release with it's droning bass line, B3 soloing by Ginty and gripping blues solo by Lanza. very nice. Another of my favorites is Full Time Lover with it's slow, blues guitar riffs and soulful vocals. Excellent! Hey Cotton is a strong track with a driving blues pace and rock n roll guitar riffs and hot harp work by Mott in tribute to James Cotton. Shuffle track, Every Side of Lonesome has a f...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Fish in dirty H2O , from Barbara Blue and it's solid. Opening with My Heart Belongs To The Blues , Barbara Blue is joined by Will McFarlane on guitar, Dave Smith on bass, Lester Snell on keys and Bernard Purdie on drums. With it's smooth smoky feel, Blue displays the richness of her deep voice. Boogie blues, Accidental Theft features some really nice slide work compliments of Scott Sharrard giving the track a thick gutsy texture to compliment Blues own gutsy vocals. Dr Jesus has a gospel style with warm backing vocals by Maureen Smith, Candace Mache, Lorina McMinn and Lynette "Sue" McCracklin and some spicy guitar accents by Michael Tols.  Shuffle,  Gravy Train has a sparky pace with plenty of horn by Lonnie McMillan on tenor sax, Marc Franklin on trumpet, Jim Spake on bari sax, and Steve Graham on trombone. Another bluesy shuffle, That's Working On Me works really nicely with Blues vocals and te...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Why Did You Have To Go , from Anthony Geraci , and it's rich. Opening with R&B title track, Why Did You Have To Go , Sugar Ray Norcia is upfront on lead vocal backed by Michael Mudcat Ward on bass, Marty Richards on drums, Sax Gordon on sax, Doug Woolverton on trumpet and with stellar guitar styling by Monster Mike Welch and piano wizardry by Anthony Geraci. Excellent opener. Bluesy ballad, Angelina, Angelina is really strong with really nice piano work by Geraci and lead vocals by Sugaray Rayford. Welch is back again with signature tone, backed by Willie J Campbell on bass and Jimi Bott on drums. Very nice. Soul track, Two Steps Away From The Blues , features Michelle "Evil Gal" Willson on lead vocal with warm piano and B3 work by Geraci. Norcia is back on vocal and harp on Time's Running Out , an easy shuffle, joined by nice pace piano work by Geraci and the strong guitar accents by Ronnie Earl. ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, You Stole My Heart , from Dennis Herrera and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with rock n' roller and title track, You Stole My Heart , Dennis Herrera and piano man Sid Morris really get the track hopping. Featuring sax work by Jack Sanford, Frank DeRose on bass and Robi Bean on drums this is a great start. Takes Money is a cool fusion of boogaloo and rocking blues. I love rolling rhythm, and Herrera's rough vocals with Denis Depoitre's harp, and Rich Wenzels B3 over that tight rhythm section of Bill Stuve on bass and Lee Campbell on drums is tops. Boogie woogie is the word on With No Refrain starting with that bass line by Stuve. Herrera has a smoothness inherent in his rugged vocal that works great with the light piano work of Wenzel and his own understated guitar approach. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Look Out with it's R&B groove and laid back vocal lead by Herrera and the...