Bman's Blues Report

  JODY WILLIAMS: FEBRUARY 3, 1935 - DECEMBER 1, 2018 photo by Dan Machnik Famed Chicago blues guitarist/vocalist and Blues Hall Of Fame member Jody Williams, who recorded with legends including Howlin’ Wolf, Otis Spann and his childhood friend Bo Diddley, as well as under his own name, died of cancer at the Munster Med Inn in Munster, Indiana on December 1, 2018. He lived in nearby St. John, Indiana. He was 83. One of the last and most accomplished practitioners of the golden 1950s era of Chicago blues, Williams was well-known for his instantly recognizable stinging guitar tone, a keen vibrato and a sensibility that straddled the turf between gutbucket blues, sophisticated jazzy West Coast stylings and even vintage rockabilly, along with solid vocals and thoughtful songwriting. His often-replicated guitar parts were crucial to some of the most iconic songs of the genre, including on Bo Diddley’s Who Do You Love and I’m Bad , Howlin’ Wolf’s E...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent self titled release by Bob Margolin and it's all Margolin playing, singing, producing and recording every note himself. Opening with One More Day , a stripped down blues rocker, Margolin drives the train and blows the whistle with solid vocals and stylistic guitar soloing. Instrumental track, Detroit showcases not only Margolin's solid song writing but also his command of the slide guitar. Very nice. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Muddy Waters like, Mercy with it's gritty delta sound and signature slide guitar sound. Leroy Carr's Blues Before Sunrise is up next with Margolin's own soulful wailing over nicely executed blues rudiments. Snooky Pryor's boogie,  Peace of Mind , is up next with some classic slide playing by Margolin backed by simple rhythm and drums. Jimmy Rogers' classic, Going Away Baby is another of my favorites with a perfect boogie pace and nicely articulated guitar li...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Nothin' Left To Lose , from Khalif Wailin' Walter and it's aggressive. I love it when an artist takes the threads of music and weaves a fabric all their own and Walter is doing this in a big way. Opening with Reign Down Fire , Walter works a basic blues groove with finger picked blues lines, a deep bass line by Danie Hopf and drums by Daniel Grzelak complimenting his own rich vocals a wailing electric guitar soloing. This is really quite simple yet remarkable. Sliding into a simple R&B track, I've Made A Change with Matt Shevitz and Juergen Wiechin on sax, Walter shows he is just as comfortable laying down a simple pop tune. You like reggae, we got, Why Did I Do It, with hot blues guitar riffs tugging all the way. Very nice. Straight down BB King highway with a blues shuffle, One Last Nerve , Walter hits the blues straight on with his personal blues riff attacks. One of my favorite tracks on the re...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Goin' Gone , from Kat Danser and I really like it. Opening with title track, Goin' Gone , Danser who leads on vocals and guitar has a thick bluesy/country style and has surrounded herself with a tight group of musicians including Steve Dawson guitar and pedal steel, Jeremy Holmes on bass and mandolin, Gary Craig on drums, Jim Hoke on harmonica and sax and Matt Combs on fiddle and mandolin. Voodoo Groove delves even into a country style with healthy guitar riffs and rich vocals. Dawson gets the pedal steel wound up on Memphis Tennessee with light harmonica soloing by Hoke. Danser's vocals are consistently solid track to track and the release is nicely balanced. Sam McGhee's Chevrolet Car has a cool blend of country and blues with country style fiddling by Combs and powerful vocals by Danser over tight drum rhythms by Craig. Haunting slide work by Dawson on Mississippi Fred MacDowell's Train I Ride ...

Photo credit: Daley Hake ( download ) Full-Length Debut To Be Announced Soon Bloodshot Records is excited to announce the signing of Houston, TX-raised/Los Angeles-based artist Jason Hawk Harris . The singer/guitarist – formerly of LA-based indie outfit The Show Ponies – self-describes his sound as "meta-apocalyptic country/Americana grief-grass," a tongue-in-cheek amalgam combining his background in music composition education, impassioned song content, and the influence of growing up listening to traditional country, folk and rock singers. In 2017, Harris released his first solo effort, a five-song EP Formaldehyde, Tobacco and Tulips , and has be...

Blues Hall of Fame Member John Mayall Announces New Album,  Nobody Told Me Featuring Todd Rundgren, Little Steven Van Zandt, Alex Lifeson and Joe Bonamassa. On February 22nd Forty Below Records will release  Nobody Told Me , the new studio album from The Godfather of British Blues, John Mayall. As with his last handful of albums, Mayall again shares production duties with Forty Below Founder Eric Corne who also handles engineering and mixing duties. The album boasts an impressive and diverse list of guest guitarist...

Sugaray Rayford Brings Vintage Soul Vibe to New Album Somebody Save Me  out on Forty Below Records, March 1 st On March 1 st , Forty Below Records will release  Somebody Save Me,  the new studio album from soul blues singer, Sugaray Rayford. On the album’s opening track, “The Revelator”, Rayford forcefully sings, “I’m a freak of nature / I ain’t no honey bee / I’m an unknown creature / The like you’ve never seen” At 6’5” and 300 pounds, this cigar chompin’ ex-Marine with a voice like a force of nature holds court in any room he enters. Possessing a magnetic personality, and an old school vocal style that echoes Muddy Waters, ...

Sue Foley, Crystal Shawanda, Jenie Thai, Harry Manx & Steve Marriner, Earle & Coffin to perform at Maple Blues Awards Raoul Bhaneja hosts Koerner Hall National Blues Gala February 4 Montreal’s Guy Bélanger to host lobby afterparty "Winner’s Circle Jam” (Toronto) – The Toronto Blues Society has announced the performers who will grace the stage at Koerner Hall in Toronto for the 22nd annual Maple Blues Awards gala and concert, to be held on Monday, February 4th, 2019. Heating up the cold February night will be performances from some the of the hottest Canadian blues artists including, Steve Marriner of MonkeyJunk with Harry Manx , guitarist/singer-songwriter Sue Foley , who is nominated in six categories, Jenie Thai , who is nominated for Piano/Keyboard P...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, When I Rise from Cary Morin and it's quite good. Morin has coupled his solid vocals, crisp guitar work and fine knowledge of musical phrasing to craft his best release yet. Opening with title track, When I Rise , Morin on lead vocal works with large group of talented musicians including Steve Amedee on drums, Paul Benjaman on electric guitar, Celeste De lorio on vocals, Jay Forrest on drums, Jason Larson on vocal, piano and bass, Dexter Payne on harp and clarinet, Kim Stone on bass, Andy Weyl on piano and Lionel Young on violin. Let Me Hear The Music has a terrific melody and Morin's vocals paired with Payne's clarinet work is pure gold. The Grateful Dead's Dire Wolf gets a really strong rework and I got to say I really like it. With a bit of stiffening and drama and really nice backing vocals by Di lorio, this is a cool track. Benjamin's electric guitar soloing, coupled with Morin's steel wor...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Peace, Love & Loud Guitars , from Anthony Gomes and it has the signature Gomes edgy rock blues feel. Opening with solid rocker, Come Down , Gomes is handling lead vocal and guitar. Backed by Mike Brignardello on bass, Greg Morrow on drums, David Smith on keys, Chris Leuzinger on acoustic guitar and Angie Primm, Gale Stuart, Devonne Foulkes and Gomes on backing vocals this is a nice opener. Turning up the blues, Blues In The First Degree has a great pace and Gomes' vocals are gritty and raw. His guitar soloing has real bite and Brignardello's bass lines are perfect. Shuffle track, The Whiskey Made Me Do It , is one of those tracks that you know will be a huge concert favorite. Gomes' slide work gives the track a steamy edge making this one of my favorite tracks on the release. The radio choice for the release is ballad, You Are Amazing with it's supple melody, fluid guitar solos and solid vocals. Ve...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Babylon Is Falling , from Delta Moon and it's really good. Opening with dark, swampy, Long Way To Go , Tom Gray on slide guitar works his magic with complimentary vocals by himself and Mark Johnson (also on guitar), Franher Joseph on bass and Marlon Patton on drums. Excellent opener. Patterson sets an excited pace on title track, Babylon Is Falling , a smoky blues track with Gray on lead vocal, guitar and keys. His slide work is smooth and gritty lending the track a beefy, New Orleans feel. Two stepping, Might Take A Lifetime has a solid rock beat and loose, guitar riffs giving the track a JJ Cale feel. RL Burnside's Skinny Woman retains RL's energy but with a slightly different arrangement, has a somewhat more contemporary feel. Very cool. Traditional blues, Nobody's Fault But Mine gets a funky, swampy remake. Nice electric piano work, woven with cool guitar riffs, a solid bass line and tight drums g...

Big Joe and the Dynaflows Are Throwing a Rockhouse Party and Everyone Is Invited! New Blues/Roots Album Set for February 15 Release on Severn Records ANNAPOLIS, MD - Severn Records announces a February 15, 2019, release date for Big Joe and the Dynaflows’s new album, Rockhouse Party , featuring acclaimed blues singer/drummer Big Joe Maher. With distribution by MRI/The Orchard/Sony , Rockhouse Party will be released on both CD and vinyl formats. The colorful album cover graphics were designed by Big Joe’s good friend, Marty Baumann, who works for Disney-Pixar Films. The new album was produced by Big Joe and Kevin McKendree, who also contributed piano and organ on the sessions, which were recorded at McKendree’s Rockhouse Studio in Franklin, Tennessee (hence the album’s title). The rest of the players on Rockhouse Party included three-time Blues Music Award bassist “Mookie” Brill (who also sings lead vocals for the first time on record), plus the talente...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Hold On , from Kirk Fletcher and it's quite good. Opening with R&B style track, Two Steps Forward , Fletcher shows his power as both a soulful lead singer and excellent lead guitar player. His guitar style is warm like cray, fluid like Clapton and funky like Hendrix but all original. Super opener. Sad Sad Way has a Jimmy Reed style with plenty of enthusiasm, hot guitar riffs, and super backing by Matt Brown on drums and Jonny Henderson on keys. One of my favorite tracks on the release is soulful ballad, The Answer with warm, rich guitar accompaniment over a soft bed of organ and Fletcher's solid vocals. Fletcher really knows how to milk the blues from his guitar and this track is an excellent example of his chops. Really nice. Time's Ticking is a great slower blues/rock number with clever drumming which, with organ tension sets a terrific stage for Fletcher to unleash the fury...and unleash he does. T...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Inspired By The Blues , by Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne and it swings. Opening with solid blues opener, I Know I'd Be Playing The Blues , Wayne on piano, organ and lead vocal leads the way backed by Russell Jackson on bass, Joey DiMarco on drums, and Yuji Ihara on guitars. Billy Branch adds some real nice licks on harmonica to spice up this fine opener. Opening it up on Start Rockin'  Dave Babcock on sax and Bob Tildesley on trumpet pump up the action and Wayne's piano playing really rolls, balanced nicely against Yuji's guitar. Laying way back on I Like That Woman, Wayne sets a great pace on piano and his vocals are excellent. Jump track, Jimmy and Johnny has great feel with a trumpet solo by Tildesley and really nice piano work by Wayne. Very cool. Lake Country Boogie , led by the warm sax work of Babcock gives Wayne a wide open road to ply his trade. Wayne isn't shy and shows he really is t...