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I started a quest to find terrific blues music and incredible musicianship when I was just a little kid. I also have a tremendous appreciation of fine musical instruments and equipment. One of my greatest joys all of my life was sharing my finds with my friends. I'm now publishing my journey. I hope that you come along!


Please email me at Info@Bmansbluesreport.com

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

West Texas Band The Iveys Prepares To Release Colors of Honey



West Texas Band The Iveys Prepares To Release Colors of Honey, Tour Dates Announced
Family comes first for El Paso based roots/Americana quintet

EL Paso, TX - The Iveys are gearing up for the release of their fifth studio album titled Colors Of Honey.  The band was formed initially by Arlen Ivey and sister Jessica Ivey Carr, and while that gave them a taste of performing and creating together, it wasn’t until bringing in three more members of their family — sister Jenna Ivey, brother Galen Ivey and brother-in-law Sammy Carr — that The Iveys felt truly complete. According to Arlen, “The music has a different kind of depth; the songwriting and the collaboration of Jenna and I together was something that was missing before. I’ll bring her a song that I think is good and, after adding her input, it improves the story and elevates the song. We have one track that is about following your dreams, knowing there will be tough times, but regardless of that, living life to the fullest and enjoying the adventure. Then there is another song that is about our great-grandparents and their love/journey through life. It’s interesting how the family aspect of the band has unintentionally come through in the songwriting and taken the music to another level.”

The Ivey siblings grew up on the family farm in the Rio Grande valley, the children of three generations of farmers. Their father raised cotton, alfalfa, and pecans, and owned a vast record collection which they often explored. Their influences are far ranging but the siblings can all agree on favorites Bob Dylan and The Beatles as well as modern acts like The Lumineers and First Aid Kit.  “We also get inspired by our personal experiences and the things we have each gone through,” says Jessica. Their influences are apparent in the new songs which are relatable, taking the listener through the joys and heartache of life, and weaving a story that spans the album. While the band identifies most with the Americana genre, it is easy to hear the blues, indie, and rock elements that wind their way into the melodies. The sibling harmonies and pure instrumentalism that make the music of The Iveys their own runs through the album from start to finish.

The release of Colors of Honey is on the horizon, just in time for the start of the summer touring season. The Iveys have the next six months cut out for them. 500 shows into their career, the band has a heavy tour schedule beginning in June, plus upcoming studio time in preparation for their next release in 2020. The band also releases a new live music video of a cover song each week as part of their “Tuesday Tunes” series. Everyone chalks it up to being one of the positive aspects of being in a band with your siblings; family comes first - not only on weekends and holidays but each time they pick up their instruments or load up the van for concerts across the country.



The Iveys 2019 Tour:
5/12- Mueller Farmers Market- Austin TX
6/1- Star City Studios (record release concert)- El Paso TX
6/6- The Ritchey Wine Saloon & Beer Garden- Alpine TX
6/9- The PourHaus- New Braunfels, TX
6/12- Mueller Farmers Market- Austin TX
6/13- Sanchos- San Antonio TX
6/15- Texas Farmers’ Market at Lakeline- Cedar Park TX
6/15- Salt Lick BBQ- Driftwood TX
6/16- Infamous Brewing- Austin TX
6/22- Two Docs Brewing Co.- Lubbock TX
6/27- County Line BBQ- Albuquerque, NM
7/3- State Line Barbecue- El Paso TX

Luca Kiella - Figure It Out - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Figure It Out, from Luca Kiella and it's very entertaining. Opening with piano boogie, Ten O'clock Blues Luca Kiella on piano, Dave Forte on bass, Rick King on drums and Aaron Weistrop on guitar lay down a super jam. Kiella also handles lead vocals and Unnecessary Mercenary has a great radio feel with a pop beat and solid melody. Country classic, I Can't Stop Loving You, gets a total R&B style remake and with a funky guitar riff and drum reinforcement, this may be my favorite track on the release. Kiella shows great vocal styling and Weistrop's riffs are blues fused jazz all the way and Kiella's Hammond work is tops. Very nice. Wrapping the release is nicely crafted ballad, So Many Questions. It has a strong early 70's Elton John feel and with only Kiella on piano and vocal, a super closer. 

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Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Mister Goodfaith - Big Mistake - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Big Mistake, from Mister Goodfaith and it's a solid pop rocker rooted in the blues. Opening with Castaway, with it's cool melody and Nashville styling, Mister Goodfaith (aka physician Dr. Fabien Bonnefoy) shows a knowledge of songwriting and tight rhythms. With an emphasis on lead vocal and guitar solo turnarounds, Goodfaith keeps it light and tight. Break Up has a particularly cool hook with it's short guitar riff and harmonized refrain, simple by bluesy guitar soloing and tight drum work. I really like the loose, cavernous guitar tone on Wild Horses, compiled with it's sweet melody and single stroke drum rhythm. Never Again proves to be the strongest rocker with a driving guitar intro and radio ready melody. Goodfaith demonstrates over and over his ability to create interesting, well constructed tracks. Wrapping the release is title track, Big Mistake, another really nice track with a strong melody, tight guitar rhythms and clean drum work. A solid closer for a solid release. 

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Monday, May 13, 2019

Ruf Records artist: The BB King Blues Band - The Soul Of The King - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Soul of the King, from The BB King Blues Band and the title hits the nail on the head. Opening with Irene Irene, Russell Jackson has the mic and Kenny Wayne Shepherd plays scorching hot guitar riffs making this an excellent opener. The hear of the band is James Boogaloo Bolden on trumpet, Eric Demmer on lead sax, Jackson on bass, Walter King on sax, Herman Jackson on drums, Darrell Lavigne on keys, Lamar Boulet on trumpet, Wilburt Crosby on guitar, Brandon Jackson on drums, and Raymond Harris on trombone. Kenny Neal is up next on Sweet Little Angel covering both lead guitar and vocal. His playing is more mellow but no less soulful as he gets a good grip on the track in BB King style. Diunna Greenleaf's supreme vocal styling is There Must Be A Better World Somewhere and Demmer literally blows the doors off with his sensational sax soloing. Excellent! Solid soul on She's The One with Demmer on lead vocal and sax. The man is hot and his sax screams... check it out! Funky, Taking Care of Business has Jackson back on lead vocal backed by Bolden and Richardson. Crosby and Demmer trade rich solos giving this track real tension over the punchy horn work. Very nice. Regal Blues (A Tribute To The King) features Joe Louis Walker on lead vocal and guitar. With a solid shuffle rhythm Walker gets the band rockin' … you can almost see BB King's softly clenched fist clapping into his extended open palm. Bolden has the lead on Pocket Full Of Money, with a nice groove. Jackson's bass line sets the tone and Lamar Boulet blows a great trumpet solo. Very cool. Wrapping the release is Michael Lee on lead guitar and vocal on BB King's classic, The Thrill Is Gone. A soulful but bouncier track than typical of King, an excellent closer for a solid release. 

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Friday, May 10, 2019

Smithsonian Folkways releases epic box set celebrating 50 years of New Orleans Jazz Fest



Smithsonian Folkways Releases 5-Disc Epic Box Set of Louisiana Music Legends

Celebrates 50 Years of New Orleans Jazz Fest

Key Musical Legends in the Box Set Include Trombone Shorty, Irma Thomas, Big Freedia, Professor Longhair, The Neville Brothers, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Kermit Ruffins, Terence Blanchard, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Champion Jack Dupree, Buckwheat Zydeco, and more

Coverage from Rolling Stone, The FADER, Billboard, Bandcamp, Newsweek, Relix, LA Times, Jazziz, All About Jazz, and more


For 50 years, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage
        Festival
,
        known to Fest-goers as simply
Jazz Fest, has brought the sights, sounds, and
        tastes of the Big Easy to millions of festival goers. In celebration of
        Jazz Fest’s golden anniversary, venerable record label
Smithsonian
        Folkways
is proud to
        present a comprehensive box set of live recordings from the festival’s
        past. The five discs in
Jazz Fest: The New Orleans
        Jazz & Heritage Festival
present the sounds of the festival as you’d hear them while
        wandering across the 145 acres of the New Orleans Fair Grounds Race
        Track in the Gentilly neighborhood.

Though the festival attracts some of
        the biggest rock stars on the planet, the focus of this ambitious new
        box set is on the roots of Louisiana music, which comprise the vast
        majority of the festival’s bookings, from Jazz to Bounce, Zydeco to
        Gospel, Brass Bands to R&B. Carefully selected from countless hours
        of live recordings, the box set includes unreleased material spanning
        the years 1974 to 2016 and features key moments with celebrated artists
        like
Trombone Shorty, Irma Thomas, Big Freedia, Professor Longhair, The Neville Brothers, Allen Toussaint (solo and in a duet with Bonnie
        Raitt
), Dr.
        John
, Kermit
        Ruffins
, Terence
        Blanchard
, Preservation
        Hall Jazz Band
, Champion
        Jack Dupree
, and Buckwheat
        Zydeco
, among many
        others. The music is accompanied by a 135-page book, filled with
        exclusive photographs drawn from the archives of the New Orleans Jazz
        & Heritage Foundation, The Historic New Orleans Collection and
        independent photographers, as well as historical essays by journalist

        Keith Spera
and
        author
Karen Celestan, a retrospective of the music heard at
        Jazz Fest by
Robert H. Cataliotti, and in-depth notes by Jeff
        Place
and Huib
        Schippers
of
        Smithsonian Folkways, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation
        archivist
Rachel Lyons, WWOZ’s Dave Ankers, and Jon Pareles of the New York Times.





“We are simply
        delighted with this collaboration,” says Smithsonian Folkways director
        and curator
Huib
        Schippers
.
        “It immediately made sense to us as soon as we started discussing it.
        There is a compelling and beautiful synergy between the first fifty
        years of an iconic music festival and a 70-year old record label
        committed to documenting and celebrating this country’s sound legacy
        and keeping it available in perpetuity, in whatever format, for a
        listenership of 230 million and growing. We are so pleased that we can
        bring some of the amazing sounds and sights and impressions from New
        Orleans to new and familiar audiences.”
 
The box set starts
        with the song “Indian Red,” sung here by The Golden Eagles, a song
        traditionally sung at the opening of iconic Mardi Gras Indian parades
        and gatherings. And it ends, as the festival did for many years, with a
        rousing version of “Amazing Grace.” Between these bookends, five albums
        of music, taken from WWOZ radio recordings and live stage recordings,
        bring us some of the best Louisiana artists to ever grace the stage.
        Each track was selected by a committee of individuals who know the 50 year
        history of the festival intimately. The set recreates the joy and
        spirited energy of Jazz Fest, placing each listener on the grounds of
        the festival, walking between stages, discovering new music and great
        moments. Most of these recordings have never been released commercially
        and sparkle with life.
Jazz Fest: The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is an immersive
        experience, both for listeners discovering the festival for the first
        time and for some of the millions who’ve been there in person.


Champion Jack Dupree & Allen Toussaint

Musical genres roll and flow across the
        Fair Grounds at Jazz Fest, and the varied arrangements of the discs
        showcase this musical diversity.
Disc One strolls
        through the powerful jazz offerings at the festival, with a festive jam
        from New Orleans saxophonist
Donald Harrison Jr and a racing traditional jazz tribute to
        Louis Armstrong from
Kermit Ruffins, plus boogie-woogie piano from Champion
        Jack Dupree
. Discs
        Two and Three
guide
        the listener through Jazz Fest’s many ties to New Orleans blues, soul,
        and R&B, from the legendary
Allen Toussaint to definitive soul singer Irma
        Thomas
, with detours
        to virtuoso guitarist
Snooks Eaglin, and New Orleans soul natives Dixie
        Cups
. Highlights
        include the great
Dr. John on “Litanie des Saints,” and a remarkably
        spirited cover of “My Bucket’s Got A Hole In It” from
Preservation
        Hall Jazz Band
.
        Gospel deep dives come in
Disc Three with a powerful performance of “Old Rugged
        Cross” from
Irma Thomas, and inspired sets by the Zion
        Harmonizers
and Johnson
        Extension
. Disc
        Four
brings the
        listener to the Cajun and Zydeco Fais-Do-Do stage, with sets from
Buckwheat
        Zydeco
, Boozoo
        Chavis
, The
        Savoy Family Cajun Band
,
        and
Beausoleil, before moving to the mainstage and major live sets from The
        Neville Brothers
and
       
Allen Toussaint & Bonnie Raitt. Disc Five is the most genre-smashing selection,
        with mainstage sets including a surprising cover of “Take the ‘A’
        Train” from blues guitarist
Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, and a burning “Fire on the Bayou” from The
        funky Meters
. As a
        city that’s always birthed new American music forms, New Orleans’
        hip-hop is paid homage to here with a blazing set from Bounce
        ambassador
Big Freedia.


To thrive for
        fifty years, any festival needs to learn how to fight and survive, and
        some of the story of this box set speaks to these battles for cultural
        survival. The indelible impact of Hurricane Katrina, which shook the
        festival itself and almost led to its cancellation, echoes through
        these selections. New Orleans singer
John Boutté’s impassioned reworking of the song
        “Louisiana 1927” is one of the most powerful moments in the set, and,
        to this day, in the festival’s history.
Sonny
        Landreth
’s “Blue
        Tarp Blues” speaks to the devastation of Katrina as well. Beyond
        Katrina, it’s been a fight to keep the festival going so long with so
        many cultural changes and the economic pressures on festivals today.
        The foundational vision of Jazz Fest that has helped it endure so long
        is a boundless love for the music and people of New Orleans and
        Louisiana. It seems like a simple idea for a festival’s core mission,
        but Jazz Fest’s embrace of little known but locally celebrated musical
        geniuses like
Professor Longhair or Dr. John is still radically out of step with the
        profit-driven world of big music festivals. Though later years have
        seen huge headliners on the main stage, there’s a humility to everyone
        who performs at Jazz Fest, no matter how famous, a recognition that New
        Orleans is the birthplace of American music.


Jazz Fest: The New
        Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
was created by The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage
        Foundation
,
        utilizing its Archive and with the assistance of the Jazz &
        Heritage radio station
WWOZ; the production was made possible through
        the generous support of
The Helis Foundation, a Louisiana family foundation dedicated
        to increasing access to the arts. The Helis Foundation has pledged to
        donate copies of the box set to every branch of New Orleans Public
        Library, ensuring all citizens of New Orleans can access this
        unparalleled collection.
 
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell is a co-production of Festival
        Productions Louisiana, LLC. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Festival
        Productions, Inc.-New Orleans) and AEG Louisiana Production, LLC. (a
        subsidiary of AEG Presents).


*****

  

 

VizzTone Label Group artist: Tony Holiday - Porch Sessions - New release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Tony Holiday's Porch Sessions and I really like it. Vocalist and harmonica player, Tony Holiday has put together a great release here with a who's who of the blues business. Opening with Pick-Pocket Fingers a cool shuffle track Holiday on lead vocal is joined by James Harman on harmonica, Kid Ramos on guitar, Landon Stone on guitar and Kid Andersen on bass, this is a cool opener. John Primer steps in on lead vocal and guitar on They Call Me John Primer with featured harp work by Bob Corritore and Holiday and Joel Meza Jr. on drums. I always love Primer's slide style and Corritore has beautiful tone. Very nice. An easy, funky track, A Woman Named Trouble, showcases John Nemeth and Jake Friel with Holiday on vocal and harmonica. This is a funky funky track with a great bass line by Anderson. Excellent! Mitch Kashmar and Ronnie Shellist join Holiday for Three Way Party and slower but soulful guitar and harmonica soloing gives this track a rich feel.  Guitar boogie, Goin' To Court features Harman and Ramos and it's hot. With a great rhythm guitar line by Stone, Harmon plays for style and Ramos smokes the frets. Very nice. On Coin Operated Woman, Holiday has the mic again and Chicago guitar man, Rockin' Johnny Burgin fans the frets. Holiday is front and center on harp and does a really nice job balancing his smooth vocals and lead harp and Burgin is restrained but his riffs are tight and aggressive. Wrapping the release is This Time I'm Gone For Good featuring the excellent vocals of William Kidd. Holiday's harmonica nicely surrounds the deep richness of Kidd with only a touch of Stone's precision guitar punctuation. Very nice closer for a strong release. 

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Thursday, May 9, 2019

VizzTone Label Group artist: Mighty Mike Schermer - Bad Tattoo - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Bad Tattoo, from Mighty Mike Schermer, and I really like it. Opening with She Won't Be Coming Back, a cool Latin rhythm rocker features Mighty Mike on vocal and guitar and in particular Eric Bernhardt on bari sax. Nancy Wright slaps down a really nice tenor sax solo of her own and with Paul Revelli on drums, Steve Ehrmann on bass and Austin Delone, this is an excellent opener. Slipping into a really nice R&B groove on Lover's Hall Of Fame, Schermer shows his outright style on vocal and guitar backed by D'mar on drums, Kid Andersen on bass and organ and Dennis Love on congas and vocal. Shifting gears again on How Much Longer, Schermer gets on a country track with a really nice Cajun spice. With Revelli on drums, Ehrmann on bass, Delone on piano/Farfissa and Lisa Lueschner Andersen on backing vocals this track has great radio flavor and sets up explosive guitar riffs by Schermer. Title track, Bad Tattoo has a great loping swing and a solid, funny, story. With horn warmth and slick riffs by Schermer, this is definitely one of my favorites on the release. Tex Mex track, Hey Francine, is another of my favorites with tight drum rhythms, a cool guitar riff and nice lead and backing vocals by Schermer and Andersen. Excellent! Baby Down The Well is another track of specific note with Aki Kumar on harp, a slapping drum beat and a solid vocal delivery by Schermer, not to mention his hot slide work. Very cool. Make sure you check out Suffocating Love, in Johnny Guitar Watson style. Yeah, I'm talking that funky R&B blues, with a real back beat. Schermer doesn't mimic Watson's guitar style but plays twin leads and alternating solos with Chris Cain. Very very cool! Wrapping the release is Up All Night with a bright, Clapton/Cale style. Delone takes a nice piano solo, Schermer flashes his cards a few times and harmonizes with Andersen but holds back on an explosive ending. This is a nice track keeping you wanting more. This may not be the flashiest releases you will hear all year, but it may be one of the most solid end to end. Very nice work!

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Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Luca Burgalassi - On The Other Side Of The Water - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, On The Other Side Of The Water, from Luca Burgalassi and it's a cool, laid back fusion of blues, country, folk and jazz. Opening with title track On The Other Side Of The Water, Luca Burgalassi presents a soft, rich melodies and harmonies accompanying himself on guitar and harmonica, with Dave Hufstedler on bass, Gianni Apicella on drums and Valentina Sorberra on backing vocals. Soothing. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Blues In My Mind with a James Taylor like style. Trading electric guitar riffs with Franco Ceccanti gives the track an extra kick. Very nice. On Broken Heart Blues, a solid shuffle track, Burgalassi shares the mic with Resa Gibbs who adds real spice. Backing by Jackie Merritt on harmonica and Dave Hufstedler on bass gives the track texture. Easy flowing electric jazz number, Minor and Major Change has a real nice sway and understated but charged electric guitar soloing by Burgalassi and Ceccanti.Very nice. Wrapping the release is I've Got The Blues For Christmas, a clever pop track with a memorable melody, smooth instrumentation and featuring Fabrizio Poggi on harmonica. This is a smooth release with a lot of warm tracks. 

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Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Bigfoot Records artist: AG Weinberger - Reborn - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Reborn, by AG Weinberger and it shows a smooth transition from earlier hard core blues to a more relaxed and flexible release. Opening with Willie Dixon's Wang Dang Doodle, AG Weinberger's approach has a cool jazz feel with light piano and double bass by Hars Viktor under his smoky vocals it's a different approach that I haven't heard and I like it. His guitar soloing is much more progressive with a more improvisational and less traditional approach... actually breaking time and going into a running jazz line. Excellent opener. With a bit of New Orleans funky jazz, Cseke Gabor on piano and excellent drums rhythms by Pusctai Csaba, Sweet Little Number is a great platform for Weinberger's R&B vocal approach. Very nice. On shuffle track, The Fool's Lucky Day, Weinberger approaches 50's bebop jazz and both his vocals and guitar are up to it pared with Bob Margolin on slide guitar. This is a nicely crafted track with perfect balance. Excellent! Slippery Slope takes it to the next level with more bebop styling. Weinberger's tight guitar riffs over the excellent groove developed by Gabor, Csaba and Pusctai is exceptional. Gabor shows an excellent feel for jazz piano when his turn comes and this groove really runs. Very vice. Digging back into contemporary blues styling, Weinberger leads off shuffle Cadillac Blues with solid blues riffs. Yes...by this time, you're stomping your foot. Weinberger really lets it all hand out here with flat out stinging electric guitar riffs. Excellent! Title track, Reborn takes the transition a little further with progressive jazz styling. Weinberger works his steel guitar against his eccentric lead electric, and the solid capabilities of the band for a very successful fusion track with ballad overtones. Wrapping the release is I Am The Water, a quiet ballad featuring the sensitive vocals of Weinberger over the brilliant piano work of Gabor. Solid closer. This is a really interesting release and one that I am interested to listen to further on my home system.



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Monday, May 6, 2019

Highlander Records artist: Kerry Kearney Band - Smokehouse Serenade - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Smokehouse Serenade, from Kerry Kearney Band and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with Shakin' Like Jelly, a driving shuffle, Kearney on lead vocal and guitar leads the way with some fiery riffs, supported by Frank Kingbee Latorre on harp, Mario Staiano on drums, Gerry Sorrentino on bass and David Bennett Cohen on keys. Blind Willie McTell's Statesboro Blues gets a dash New Orleans with a stepping rhythm and cool trumpet by Victor Poretz and Charlie Wolfe on harp. Fireplug is a somewhat funky blues rocker. Staiano's rhythm on this track sets the pace and I like Cohen's bouncy piano soloing. A more traditional delta style blues, No Way Back Blues gives Kearney a solid opportunity to show his acoustic blues guitar work. Very nice. Wake me, Shake Me, Bake Me is one of my favorites on the release with a great rhythm, a hot guitar, piano and harp solos. Very cool. Sittin' On Top Of The World has a cool laid back feel with really nice acoustic slide, piano (by Mark Mancini) and vocals. Excellent! With a real New Orleans beat, Goin' To the Mardi Gras has all the party elements. With Bob Paopucci on harp, an excellent trombone solo by Poretz, Jeff Naimoli on percussion, tight drums by Staiano and excellent slide by Kearney, this is a solid top track. Wrapping the release is Pretty Baby, a lumbering blues rocker. Kearney's vocals are solid and with a tight bottom by Staiano and Sorrentino  and his own guitar punctuation, a solid closer.



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