That's Where It's At! by Canadian Blues & Roots Artist Michael Jerome Browne

Out Now: That's Where It's At! by Canadian Blues & Roots Artist Michael Jerome Browne

That's Where It's At! released on Borealis Records  borealisrecords.com

Get That's Where It's At! on iTunes https://tinyurl.com/y6b85c8f “He is a string wizard, deftly moving between and blurring the edges of his chosen genre with some conventional folk and Americana/singer-songwriter touches. Browne’s bold-sounding guitar playing is what has set him apart from ‘the also rans’ within the crowded Canadian blues scene. He’s an impressive, capable vocalist, and one of my favourites, but his guitar playing—all fingers, no picks—is completely enchanting.” – Fervor Coulee "…Browne strips down soul music from various eras and delivers the roots of it all in a most elegant fashion...he's totally a cat that you can't miss out on if you call yourself a roots fan." – Midwest Record Michael Jerome Browne is a three-time Canadian Folk Music Award winner (Traditional Singer, 2015; Solo Artist, 2012 & 2008), Maple Blues Award winner (with 32 nominations since 1999), Kerrville (Texas) New Folk Finalist, Four-time Juno Award Nominee in both the Roots/Traditional and Blues categories. He is a multi-instrumentalist, a songwriter, and a living encyclopedia of American Roots music. That’s Where It’s At! is Michael Jerome Browne’s latest collection, focusing on soul music through the lens of a traditional blues player. Recorded largely live off the floor in Sherbrooke and Montréal (Québec) and Hamilton (Ontario), Michael’s fingerstyle guitar and warm, unaffected vocals are front and centre, accompanied only by John McColgan’s funky drumming on five songs. That’s Where It’s At! is the new album on Borealis Records, available February 8, 2019. This album focuses on the connection between blues and soul, the stripped-down accompaniment consisting only of Michael’s guitar, with drummer John McColgan on five tracks. Vocal guests include Harrison Kennedy, Roxanne Potvin and Eric Bibb. Five originals are mixed in with songs from Sam Cooke, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Al Green, and Stevie Wonder, as well as two spirituals from way back- the roots of gospel and soul. To celebrate and share this outstanding new recording, Michael Jerome Browne will be on tour throughout Canada in the coming months, starting with industry showcases at both Blues Summit Nine in Toronto and Folk Alliance International in Montreal. Upcoming Tour Dates Feb. 21 - Mississippi Queen Foods, Hamilton ON (w/special guest Harrison Kennedy) Feb. 22 - Hugh’s Room Live, Toronto, ON (w/special guest Harrison Kennedy, Michelle Josef on drums) Feb. 23 - Greenbank Folk Society, Greenbank, ON March 9 - La Vitrola, Montréal QC (w/John McColgan, drums) March 13 - Irene’s Pub, Ottawa, ON (w/special guest Harrison Kennedy, John McColgan on drums) May 3 - Rogue Folk Club, Vancouver, BC (w/Tim Williams, Cecile Doo-Kingue, Paul Pigat) May 4 - House Concert, White Rock, BC May 5 - 11- Hornby Island Blues Workshop May 12 - Duncan Garage Showroom, Duncan, BC May 13 - Ground Zero Acoustic Lounge, Parksville, BC

New Live Lee Boys Coming April 19!

The Lee Boys Live On The East Coast Coming April 19! One of America's Top Sacred Steel Bands

Northport NY - M.C. Records is proud to announce the signing of Sacred Steel sensation, The Lee Boys. The band's first recording for the label, Live On The East Coast will be released on April 19 worldwide. This marks the bands first release since 2012's Testify. This album presents live performances recorded at three 2018 concerts:  Rives Theater, Martinsville, Virginia, Suwannee Roots Festival in Live Oak Florida and Allan Laws "Thanksgathering" in Winston Salem North Carolina. Throughout Live On The East Coast you'll hear the band's unique gumbo of soul, funk, blues and R&B.  Several songs have never appeared on any previous Lee Boys' release. Click the cover to check out two tracks from the upcoming album via a private Soundcloud link.                                                 The Lee Boys have been bringing their joyful noise around world for over 10 years. The band has performed in Canada, Switzerland, France, and Thailand. In the U.S., The Lee Boys have played some of the most important Festivals in the U.S.  including The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival twice, most recently in 2018. They have also performed at Memphis in May, Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, Telluride Blues and Brews, The Philadelphia Folk Festival and Merle Fest. The Lee Boys have performed on the syndicated radio programs, E-Town and Mountain Stage and the always fun, Jam in the Van.                                                     The Lee Boys at Suwanne Roots Festival October 2018 - Photos by Stuart K.Cowan "Audience members danced in the aisles, jumped up and down and waved their arms to the mounting melody.”                                  USA-Today review of the band at The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival “The band’s dexterity with multiple genres is its strongest point; it combines folk, soul, funk, blues, country and gospel into upbeat, steel guitar-led performances that can’t help but inspire secular and sacred revelry.”  Billboard Today, the Lee Boys band is Alvin Lee; guitar, backup vocal and band leader; Keith Lee, lead vocal; Derrick Lee, lead vocal; their nephew Alvin “Little Al” Cordy, Jr., six-string bass, lead and backup vocal; nephew Earl “Big Easy” Walker, drums; and Chris Johnson, pedal-steel guitar.  Born into a family of Pentecostal church musicians and thoroughly familiar with House of God music, Alvin is dedicated to continuing the Lee Boys reputation of playing eclectic, soulful music that incorporates elements of rock, country, R&B, jazz, hip-hop, funk and more—always with that unmistakable Lee Boys sound. http://www.leeboys.com/biography/ The Lee Boys on Tour  - Contact: Blue Mountain Artists - hugh@bmatours.com , micah@bmatours.com http://www.leeboys.com/tour-dates/ 03/09/19 - Miami, FL - The Wynwood Yard - Address: 56 NW 29th St, Miami, FL 33127. 03/23/19 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - America’s Backyard -  Address: 100 SW 3rd Ave. Venue phone 04/05/19 - Jupiter, FL, FL - PALM BEACH Seafood & Music Festival - 1200 Town Center Dr.  04/06/19 - St. Augustine, FL - Prohibition Kitchen -  Address: 119  St. George St  04/07/19 - Jacksonville Beach, Florida - Springing the Blues - Oceanfront SeaWalk Plaza First St..  05/11/19 - Tallahassee, FL - Bradford Blues Club - Address: 7152 Moses Ln.  05/24/19 - 05/26/19 - White Springs, Florida - Florida Folk Festival - Address: 11016 Lillian Saunders Dr.  08/17/19 - 08/18/19 - Shwenksville, PA - Philadelphia Folk Festival   ***

Blues Guitar Superstar Walter Trout Headlines Blue Star Denver 8 Benefit Concert, Silent Auction, & Gear Drive

BLUES GUITAR SUPERSTAR WALTER TROUT HEADLINES BLUE STAR DENVER 8 BENEFIT CONCERT, SILENT AUCTION AND  GEAR DRIVE  Saturday, March 23 - TURNHALLE BALLROOM AT THE TIVOLI - 6:00PM Hosted By Blue Star Connection in Conjunction w/ Grand County Blues Society

(DENVER, CO) - Blues guitar superstar Walter Trout headlines Blue Star Denver 8, a Benefit Concert, Silent Auction, and Gear Drive, Saturday, March 23, at Turnhalle Ballroom at The Tivoli, located at Metropolitan State University of Denver, 900 Auraria Parkway. Doors open 5:30pm, showtime is 6:00PM. Tickets: $25.00 (General Admission), $35.00 (Reserved), $69. (VIP); $750.00 (VIP Premier Table). Info: (303) 726-6111 or visit www.bluestarconnection.org.  Also performing: Honey Island Swamp Band, B To The Sixth, and Special Guest, Kate Moss.   Net proceeds benefit Blue Star Connection, to help carry out their mission of providing access and ownership of musical instruments for children and young adults with cancer and other serious life challenges. To date, BSC has reached over  eight-hundred kids and has donated musical gear to sixty-five Children's Hospitals and Music Therapy Programs as well as several other community programs. This is the largest yearly Blue Star Connection fundraiser with the largest "music related" Silent Auction in the state of Colorado.                       About The Performers at Blue Star Denver 8   Walter Trout and Provogue Records/Mascot Label Group have just released Trout's newest album, Survivor’s Blues. The track-listing of Survivor Blues is a window into the 67-year-old’s fast-moving back-story, chronicling a five-decade career whose one constant is his deep love of the Blues. Trout is no ordinary artist and this is no ordinary covers album. "I didn’t want to do ‘Stormy Monday’ or ‘Messin’ With The Kid.’ I didn’t want to do the Blues greatest hits. I wanted to do old, obscure songs that have hardly been covered. And that’s how Survivor Blues started,” explains Trout. Over the course of the last several decades, Walter Trout has been a prolific artist.  He’s regularly released offerings from the studio, so this moment of offering a covers album is somewhat of a curve-ball.  Trout was voted #6 in a  memorable BBC Radio Poll of the 20 Best Guitarists Of All Time, alongside such greats as Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and Gary Moore. His 2017 all-star release, We’re All In This Together, shows no sign of burning out and continues to receive accolades and sales on a global basis, alongside four awards for Blues Rock Album Of The Year.  In 2018, Trout's release "We're All In It Together" won the Blues Foundation's Blues Music Award for Rock Blues Album.    When it comes to Honey Island Swamp Band, think The Band’s Big Pink album and add a splash of hot sauce with Willin’ by Little Feat – this group of New Orleans vagabonds nails it. From the pristine waters of the Honey Island Swamp, to the vibrant streets of New Orleans, to the hazy corner of Haight-Asbury in San Francisco, this band has endured devastation, relocation, and revitalization. “Their all-encompassing sound of blues, roots, country, and soul has been described as “Bayou Americana," writes respected publication, NO DEPRESSION. Ruf Records artist Honey Island Swamp Band takes the hammer to the nail with the help of producer Luther Dickinson on their latest release, Demolition Day. On Demolition Day, the Honey Island Swamp Band breaks these boundaries to deliver a sound so relevant and honest that even in the darkest of days – like the violent storm that brought this group of musicians together – Demolition Day still shines brightly.      Kate Moss has enjoyed playing guitar since her teens, but it wasn’t until she met Buddy Guy at the age of 21 that she realized what genre of music commanded her focus: The Blues. Exploring Buddy's music and that of his contemporaries, she fell in love with the sound and the heartfelt, improvisational nature of the Blues. Over the years, Kate has been honored to share the stage with not only Buddy on several occasions, but other top performers in the biz, like her husband Nick Moss, Jimmy Vivino, Tommy Castro, Jimmy Johnson, Walter Trout, Eddie Shaw, Curtis Salgado, Ana Popovic, Smokin’ Joe Kubek, Lurrie Bell, and Mud Morganfield, among many others.    B to the 6th represented the Grand County Blues Society in the International Blues Challenge Youth Showcase in Memphis, TN this past January. This six-piece band from Colorado Springs is bringing their fun funky blues in their debut with Blue Star Connection!                                About Grand County Blues Society       We have not lost our way but rather tried to lead the way. With innovation, tremendous volunteer effort and creativity, we have managed to stay ambitious and dedicated to the love and excitement of live blues. We have produced fifteen festivals in Grand County and we have presented well over two-hundred shows along the way.   We have taken Blues in the Schools to every school in Grand County and given Blues History to kids that started with us in the first grade to become seniors in college. We have been involved in all our libraries, creating a musical choice, from CD's to DVDs to actual instruments that can be taken home just like a book. We named it “Check out the Music.” We have looked after the kids wherever and whenever we have found them.   We are an all-volunteer board and we have remained strong with the help of our friends and the businesses that continue to support our mission of bringing national touring acts to our valley. We hope you will get to know us and join us as we move forward supporting the Blues.      Blue Star Denver 8 Artist Interview & Media Show Passes Available.                                              grandblues.org/bluestarconnection facebook.com/BlueStarConnection

Forty Below Records artist: John Mayall - Nobody Told Me - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (February 22, 2019), Nobody Told Me, from John Mayall and it's quite good. Opening with Magic Sam's, What Have I Done Wrong, a solid blues rocker, Mayall on lead vocal, keys and harp is joined by Greg Rzab on bass and Jay Davenport on drums and features Joe Bonamassa on guitars. Great opener. Larry McCray joins on The Moon Is Full with blistering guitar riffs over a really hard driving bass line by Rzab. Excellent! Rush veteran, Alex Lifeson joins on Evil And Here To Stay, a lumbering blues track with a healthy dose of Mayall on vocal, harp and piano. Lifeson shows an excellent adaptability from his hard driving rock sound to soulful blues riffs. Very nice. Little Milton's That's What Love Will Make You Do has a funky bass line by Rzab and tune master Todd Rundgren fires off some blistering blues guitar riffs of his own. Gary Moore's, The Hurt Inside, is one of my favorites on the release again with McCray on lead funky hot guitar and some of Mayall's best vocals on the release. Original Boogie track, Like It Like You Do has super vocals and piano by Mayall, a solid bottom and great boogie riffs by Carolyn Wonderland. Very cool. Wrapping the release is another original and title track, Nobody Told Me, a slow blues featuring Mayall way out front on vocal and piano with only the basic of backing and really soulful guitar soloing by Wonderland. This is a super wrapper for a very strong release by a certain father of the modern American blues revival in the 60's. 

  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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Shane Dwight Returns With NO ONE LOVES ME BETTER - Out April 5

Shane Dwight Returns With

NO ONE LOVES ME BETTER

OUT APRIL 5 ON RED PARLOR RECORDS

USA Today called him an “ace songwriter”

Shane nails life to the wall like a WANTED sign out in the wild west.

Critically acclaimed blues maverick, Shane Dwight, will pull you into his house by the ear after the first chord of No One Loves Me Better out on Red Parlor Records out on April 5, 2019. This esteemed independent label has long been a champion of music’s best songwriters, and Dwight is no exception. This new collection of songs is some of his most personal yet – gut-wrenching, and heartbreaking to date. The story of a man finding love, committing a crime, and wanting redemption runs deep in Shane’s songs.

From the heartwarming “No One Loves Me Better” to the dark “Bullets & Gasoline” to the sassy “Sucker,” Shane nails life to the wall like a WANTED sign out in the wild west. Shane’s songwriting has evolved so far that he may be untouchable for a while, and fans won’t be able to get it out of their heads, critics won’t know what to do with him. But one thing’s for sure; he’s here to stay.

Recorded at Grammy Award-winning Kevin McKendree’s studio in Franklin, TN with a mega all-star cast of players the sounds of this album, are slick, powerful and groove driven. The heartbeat of the drums and the entanglement of guitars mix well with Shane’s raspy voice. The eccentric guitar tunings bring the haunted voices to life; you can almost see the movie. “You will hear some of my friends, Bekka Bramlett (Elton John), Kenneth Blevins (John Hiatt), and Rob McNelley (Bob Seger) who all came to the table that day to be a part of this story. The story is of a misunderstood man, his trials and tribulations over the perils of whiskey, women, and the music business.” – Shane Dwight

No One Loves Me Better, ends with “The Trial Of A Poet” – a haunting resonator and background vocals from the renowned Bekka Bramlett; it’s filled with fog, crunchy leaves, and a flashlight. There are blues, rock, soul, country and a little bit of hip-hop that shows his California roots. It’s heavy, it’s deep, and it’s a swamp full of characters that show up at the fight.

“Exceptional talent…. it’s clear this cat can sing anything he wants.” – Blues Revue Magazine

Shane grew up on a ranch in Morgan Hill, CA a few hours from San Jose and Monterey, where the air was fresh, and the sun was hot. At the age of nine, he was diagnosed with Perthes bone disease in his hips that prohibited from him walking for about a year as a young boy. Since then, the debilitating illness does go into temporary remission but when it returns it forces Shane to live with severe chronic pain. Shane began to learn how to play guitar back in high school, playing with friends and bands along the way, he started The Shane Dwight Blues Band at 28. His musical roots were FM radio, Album Oriented Rock artists like Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He dug deep into their influences and found a stack of others, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, and Albert King; those gave him the nod to take it even further.

Sometimes standing on the rock where Moses stood is vital to get the energy of the ground into your soul and when Shane stood on the same burn spot where Jim Hendrix once stood at the famed Monterey Blues Festival, he felt the mysterious aura seep into his bones. Bones that once were strong get weakened at times when you need to fill your cup.

Where do you go to get it filled up? At the well of course, and for Shane that well is his fans. He has crisscrossed this country and the world many a time, to bring the people what they want, his music – a blend of rock and blues with a little dash of country. His band went on to win the Monterey Blues Festival Battle of the Bands in 2001, and that’s when it began.

He caught fire that day in Monterey, and never stopped except to get gas. His grassroots approach to his career has also been crucial for he has built it fan by fan, show by show and album by album. From What You Need to Gimme Back My Money to A Hundred White Lies, Shane has conquered it all; festivals, CD sales, radio and press accolades galore from rock to country to blues and back again. Dwight’s most successful to date has been A Hundred White Lies, which received praise from publications like, USA Today, Guitar World, and Living Blues Magazine. It charted on several popular radio lists, XM/Sirius Satellite’s Channel, “Bluesville,” Living Blues Magazine, Route 66 – an Americana radio show chart for a total of about six months together. Then, in Spring 2018 he went into Greaseland Studios with Kid Anderson and did a fresh set of his favorite blues covers with another all-star cast of players, called High Time I Got Mine which is only sold at his live shows.

Shane’s hectic touring schedule reads like an airplane flight plan. He keeps it real with a bi-coastal routing to festivals, winery series and of course, he will show up at his favorite dive bar to croon. He has performed over 3500 shows over the past 20 years, headlining at some of music’s most significant events; Beale Street Festival, Portland Waterfront, Reno Blues Festival, Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise, Ottawa Blues Fest; sharing the stage with household names such as Blake Shelton, The Doobie Brothers and B.B. King. He’s backed off the 200 dates a year he once did, but he still brings the rock to the table and the blues to the dance floor.

Country and blues music is about the same. You see, they are rooted from the same soil with a Bible and bottle in each hand. And that’s why Guitar World said that Shane Dwight, “rocks hard.”

Katie Henry - High Road - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, High Road, from Katie Henry and it's an interesting release with cool ballads and hot rockers. Opening with country style rocker, Nowhere Fast, Katie Henry opens her debut release on lead vocal and keys. With a bluesy slide to her vocal style, John Ginty on organ, Antar Goodwin on bass, Moe Watson on drums and with a hot picking by Jonathan Fritz on guitar. this is a solid opener.  Chapels has a southern gospel flavor on a pop track with rich vocals and trademark Marcus Randolph on pedal steel guitar. Bluesy ballad, Carry You, has a terrific melody and feel. Henry's vocals are soothing with particularly precise drum work by Watson and supple guitar soloing by Fritz. Very nice. Funky R&B track, Someday, has a solid back beat from Watson and featuring Anthony Krizan with some real nice slide work under the solid vocal structure of Henry. Wrapping the release is Takes A Lot with springy Billy Preston funk and a Blondie kind of attitude. Ginty's organ plays a large part in the feel of this track as does the rhythm guitar work of Fritz, and Watson's tight drumming. Henry shines on this closer with solid guitar soloing by Fritz. Strong closer.  

  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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Forty Below Records artist: Sugaray Rayford - Somebody Save Me - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Somebody Save Me, from Sugaray Rayford and it's cool, dark and funky. Opening with The Revelator, Rayford is trudging into dark country. With an ominous bass line by Taras Prodaniuk, punctual guitar work by Rick Holmstrom, and cool trumpet by Mark Pender, with additional work by Sasha Smith on keys, Ron Dziubla on sax and Richard Rosenberg on trombone as well as a voodoo sounding choir made up of Eric Corne, Brittany Gael Vaughn, Brittney S. Wheeler, Gabriel M. Newman, J-Blake White, &Terika Jefferson. R&B track, You and I has an excellent melody with full horn section compliments of Pender, Dziubla and Rosenberg making is a solid radio track. One of my favorites on the release is I'd Kill For You, Honey, with a super moving blues bottom featuring a super bass line by Prodaniuk, Eamon Ryland on slide and Eric Corne on harp complimenting Rayford's excellent vocals. Soul ballad, Somebody Save Me, is another excellent showcase for Rayford's vocal sensitivity with backing vocals by Carol Hatchett and Roberta Freeman. Smith lays in an interesting keyboard solo and smooth backing by Eric Gorfain on violin and Richard Dodd on cello add warmth. Wrapping the release is Dark Night Of The Soul with not only power vocals but with a heavy bottom and dynamic harp work by Corne. Hot closer for a strong 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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Randy Casey - I Got Lucky - New release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, I Got Lucky, from Randy Casey and it's a cool blues rocker. Opening with Bed Bug Blues, a really cool track, Randy Casey on lead guitar and vocal shows just what kind of tone you can get out of the right guitar. With fat, swampy slide work and greasy lead, Casey get right to it. Backed by David J. Russ on drums and Al Bergstrom on bass, this is a great sound. Knee slapper, Soo Line is a snappy country flavored blues with plenty of energy and bluesy fingerpicked slide. Russ' drum work lends that "train" feel with harp work by Pinetree Paynich. Clever shuffle track, Little Weed is an easy blues ditty discounting the concern with a little MJ. Short and sweet, a crowd pleaser. With the heat and funk of ZZ Top, Strange is one of my favorite tracks on the release with just the right about of rock and blues. Steve Thorpe's key work under Casey's solid vocals and strong guitar lines, accented by the tight drumming of Noah Levy makes this a perfect rocker. With a mix of Mick, Keith and Bowie. One Step Ahead has a great mix of country and rock. Richards' style guitar riffs really make this track click. Excellent! The Chaperone is built over a Sonny Boy Williamson track with that infectious bass line. This is another track that will leave you wanting more with key organ shapes by Thorp and great blues riffs by Casey. Very nice. The New Old Landlord Blues has tastes of the Dead and Pink Floyd with a rambling lead line, distorted guitar but in the end it's really all Casey and very tight. Another venture into country flavor is Broken Arm Blues and I really like it. Casey's vocals are well suited, his guitar phrasing is bluesy and warm and the band really pulls it together. Wrapping the release is Racing Stripes with a Neil Young, country rock basis, great drive and rowdy guitar lead. Very nice closer. 

  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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Seth Rosenbloom - Keep On Turning - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Keep On Turning, from Seth Rosenbloom and it's really quite good. Opening with blues ballad, Keep On Turning, lead guitarist and vocalist, Seth Rosenbloom shows really strong vocal skills as well as a great sense of blues guitar playing with strong phrasing and feel. Excellent opener backed by Travis Carlton on bass, Gary Novak on drums and Scott Kinsey on keys. Shuffle track, I Can't Take It has a Texas blues feel with traces of Albert King and SRV. Very nice. BB King's Heartbreaker has a cool, up beat pace with great guitar style, punched up by the trumpet playing of Jamelle Adisa and sax work by Dan Boissy. One of my favorite tracks on the release is slow blues ballad, Right About Now, with strong vocals, excellent drum accents by Novak and clocking in at over 5 minutes has just the right amount of guitar to satisfy. Elmore James' Look Over Yonder Wall has a really nice funky beat giving Rosenbloom the opportunity to wind it out and his guitar lead never fails to please. Shifting keys a few times his playing is precise and lush with great feel. Original composition, Broke and Lonely is another of my favorites with a super melody and great blues bones. Taking his stratocaster for a nice walk on this track, Rosenbloom shows real chops, having studied the masters and creates his own phrases without mimicking other successful blues artists. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Leon Russell's Palace of the King with a driving rock beat and excellent guitar and drum accents, backed vocally by Vanessa Bryan. Solid closer for a really strong 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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L+R Records artist: Chicago Blues Heaven - Eddie Kold Band featuring Larry Doc Watkins - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Chicago Blues Heaven, from Eddie Kold Band. Opening with Blues Heaven, a shuffle track with a European flavor, features Eddie Kold on guitar and lead vocal, Lukas Diehl on organ, Sven Ostrowski on bass and Christian Wubben on drums. Jimmie Reed's Big Boss Man gets a Booker T style R&B rework with a distinctive romping bass line by Ostrowski and slashing guitar work by Kold. Very cool. I really like the deeper blues structure of Think About You All The Time with a lumbering bottom and excellent guitar phrasing. Jungle Cat has a classic rock structure with a solid dose of R&B and some of the best vocals on the release. I've got To Use My Imagination has a great high stepping feel featuring soulful vocals by Delores Scott. Kold's guitar lead on Gasman 2018 is certainly the most bluesy on the release with excellent phrasing and turns. Hungry Call has a cool, Sissy Strut feel with a darker sense and a nicely woven music fabric. Very nice. Wrapping the release is a real mover, Rufus Thomas' Do The Breakdown featuring hot sax work by Rodney Brown and backing vocals by Vance Kelly, Delores Scott, Ethel Reed, and organ by Mille Meckbach. Great closer. 

  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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Little Village Foundation artist: Kevin Burt - Heartland & Soul - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Heartland & Soul from Kevin Burt and it's quite entertaining. Opening with Day Day, a funky R&B track with really nice vocals by Kevin Burt . backed by Jerry Jemmott on bass, Derrick DMar Martin on drums, Kid Andersen on guitar, Jon Otis on percussion, Jim Pugh on keys and with Lisa Leuschner on backing vocals, this is a great opener. Thank You is a solid soul track with a great set up. Rhythmic rim shots and a warm bass line set the pace on this one that does a sideward salute to Sly's Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin). Working this track over and over, Burt really milks the soul out of it. Very nice. I really like the soulful movement of Real Love and it's traditional R&B vocal phrasing with solid harp work by Burt. A slower, almost folksy take on Lennon & McCartney's Eleanor Rigby reminds me of Richey Havens and that's good. Unsung vocal hero. Never is a super bluesy soul track with some of Burt's best vocals on the release. With a great bass lead by Jemmott and nice guitar lead by Kid Andersen, this is one of my favorites on the release. Wrapping the release is blues shuffle, Wake Up, Baby with Burt on acoustic guitar, vocal and harp. Burt is an entertaining musician, solid singer songwriter and makes a cool album. Check it out.

  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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Eller Soul Records artist: Big Al and the Heavyweights - World Full Of Trouble - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, World Full of Trouble, by Big Al and the Heavyweights and it's a lot of fun. Opening with title track, World Full of Trouble, Lance Younger on lead vocal hits it hard with Destin Thibodeaux on hot harp and crisp guitar riffs from Bob Margolin. Tight drumming by Big Al and bass by Dean Galatas keep a tight groove under the rumbling keys of Wayne Lohr making for a solid opener. With a funky bass line by Galatas and a real R&B sax line by Lance Ellis, Fool For You has a nice groove. Wath, BB King like guitar phrasing by Younger on Testify, over gospel like backing vocals by Donna Slater and Cathy Pace give younger great traction for top radio track on the release. Very nice. Country funk on Big Old Rusty Car really works nicely with Billy Preston like  organ by Lohr, and hot sassy sax work by Ellis. Very cool. Conjuring the bluesy soul of Blood Sweat and Tears, Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right, has a swaying rhythm and Thomas like vocals with a great bass line, nice harp work by Thibodeaux, chasing drums by Big Al and really tasty guitar riffs by Younger. Wrapping the release is bluesy, Something Got To Change. Ellis lays back and wails on sax and Younger's always super vocals make this an excellent closer for a really nice release. 

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Bobby BlackHat - Put On Your Red Shoes - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Put On Your Red Shoes, from Bobby BlackHat and it's smooth and bluesy. Opening with I Smell Another Man On You, Bobby BlackHat Walters, takes the lead on vocal, backed by Brian Eubanks on bass, Tom Euler on guitar, Michael Behlmar on drums and Lucy Lawrence Kirkpatrick on keys. Larry Burwald's pedal steel slide work, complimented by Kirkpatrick's keys and Bobby's own harp work make for a nice opener. With a heap of R&B, ballad, This Grey Beard is strong with a good story line and memorable melody. Burwald's easy paced slide work and Tom Euler's articulate lead really gives this track a special feel. With a Latin rhythm, title track, Put On Your Red Shoes, has a great feel with lively drums and excellent guitar soloing. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Grim Reaper has a spacy, San Francisco blues sound with arpeggiated chords, solid vocals and smoking hot guitar and organ solos. Wrapping the release is another slow blues number, I Hear Mama's Voice, with really super vocals and really nice harp work by Bobby. Euler really steps up again on this track with gripping guitar lead and Kirkpatrick's piano work is soothing and balanced making this an excellent closer.

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Burning Disk Records artist: Sauce Boss - Blind Boy Billy - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blind Boy Billy, from Sauce Boss and it's a different recipe from earlier releases with David Davidson featured on strings. A companion to just released memoir entitled The Life and Times of Blind Boy Billy not only tells Wharton's story but includes a songbook and a cookbook. Opening with the title track, Blind Boy Willie, Sauce Boss (Bill Wharton) leads the way on vocal, guitar and one man band, accompanied by Davidson, Joe Murphy on sousaphone, Dennis Holt on snare and Jamie Paul and Jason Eskridge on backing vocals. A bluegrass flavored track, Davidson winds it up Charlie Daniels style. On Jimmy Buffett's I Will Play For Gumbo, Sauce Boss on lead guitar, one man band and guitar parties over cool sousaphone work by Murphy. Foot stompin' blues rocker, Little Driver, is raw and gutsy with cool slide and primitive rhythm. Otis Redding's, Dock Of the Bay, is polished and soulful with acoustic/slide and just the right amount of spice (sousaphone). Very nice. Another of my favorites is What She Gonna Do with Boss on a roaring electric slide and nothing but simple vocal and heavy foot pedal. Solid. Wrapping the release is Pleasures Of The Deep featuring a string quartet of David Davidson and David Angell on violins, Monisa Angell on viola and Carol Rabinowitz on cello. A somber ballad with Boss upfront on vocal and a soothing backing melody, this is a solid closer.

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