Guy Belanger - Eldorado - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Eldorado, from Guy Belanger and it's pretty cool. Opening with instrumental, Carving The Wind, featuring Guy Belanger interweaving his harmonica work with Robert MacDonald on guitar over the bass work of Marc-Andre Drouin and Michael Dufour on drums. A pure Latin beat sets the tone for instrumental title track, Eldorado, with it's crisp rhythm and swaying feel. Belanger crafts a really nice melody and MacDonald shapes flowing guitar tones that almost sound like the wind. Very nice. A track with an overall blues feel and real tension, When Will I Know features Belanger on lead vocal and harmonica and Bob Stagg on b3, piano and Wurlitzer. This is a really sensitive track with a great radio sense. One of my favorite tracks on the release is light funky jazz rocker, Wicked with it's super bass line from Drouin, and Belanger on harmonica melody and including a real nice guitar solo by MacDonald. Another track with roots in the blues is Hummin' with some really nice blending between Eric Longsworth on cello and MacDonald on acoustic guitar and understated harmonica work by Belanger. With an almost Tower of Power (with no horns) feel, Ganga has you bobbing in no time and with harmonica lead, excellent guitar work by MacDonald, the addition of Paul Picard and the hard work of Drouin on bass. Excellent! Wrapping the release is Stillwater, an interesting, almost anthem track, with strong harmonica effects and a firm guitar, bass, drums underpinning. This is a smooth closer for a real interesting release. 

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Delmark Records artist: Jimmy Johnson - Every Day of Your Life - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Every Day of Your Life, by Jimmy Johnson and it got real feel. Opening with swamp funky, title track, Every Day of Your Life, old school Chicago bluesman, Jimmy Johnson on lead vocal and lead guitar shows his unique style. I high pitched, almost howl is how I'd describe it lending to a real bluesy feel. Joined by Rico McFarland on guitar, Roosevelt Purifoy on piano and B3, JR Fuller on bass, Pooky Stix on drums and Tymphanie Monique on backing vocal, this is a super opener. Rattlesnake is a really nice high stepping blues track with an excellent mix of jazz and blues guitar riffs. With Brother John Rattke on piano, B3 and guitar, Curt Bley on bass, Ernie Adams on drums, and Julia A Miller and Elbio Barilari on backing vocals, this is a real cool track. Fenton Robinson's classic, Somebody Loan Me A Dime is always a great showcase both vocally and on lead guitar and Johnson's particular fluid guitar burst styling is particularly effective on tracks with decent space between the vocal and turnaround of a phrase. Also of note is a beefy piano solo by Rattke giving the track a nice balance. Another favorite track on the release is R&B framed, Strange Things Happening with it's low slung groove. Fuller's bass line sets a perfect pace and Johnson's guitar feel is really strong. Clocking at over 6 minutes, this track has great presence. Wrapping the release is Lead On Me, a pure soul track featuring Johnson singing over his own piano accompaniment. This is a cool track and with true feeling, is a solid closer for a really strong release. 

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Red Tint Records artist: Big Mike & the R&B Kings - This Song's For You - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, This Song's For You by Big Mike & the R&B Kings and I really like it. Opening with New Orleans Funk infused, Last Night with Big Mike Perez on lead vocal and a pounding bass line and a tight drum kit from Jorge Leal and Oberon Jackson Jr. , this band is hopping. Rex Canieso and Paul Provotsy are laying down some great guitar lines and a hot sax solo by Bob Sass and Tajh Derosier is super. Great opener. On slow blues, Played A Fool, Big Mike really gets the chance to show just how good a lead vocalist he is and his vocals are smooth and soulful. Ultra smoky sax work over the firm bass line by Big Mike will sit you back in your seat...get ready! To top it off, feel the blues solo that Canieso lays down here. Very nice! Getting into a super James Brown like groove, Big Mike really works his bass line and the light ride cymbal work of Leal is perfect. Another aggressive sax solo blows the lid off of this track and Ben Joseph really pushes the heat on organ. Mr. Big Funky is a hard driving heavy bottomed party track with the band playing full out. Radically cool. Buddy Guys power track, Someone Else Was Steppin In has an even funkier feel with that James Brown roll. Big Mike's vocals are spot on, a ripping guitar solo really spanks it and the backing of Joseph on organ really drives this boat. Wrapping the release is mellow, light jazz like, Are You Serious with nice sax work and a strong guitar solo closing out what I'd say is a pretty strong release. 

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Jim Stephens - Yellow River - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Yellow River, from Jim Stephens and it's a cool mix of rock and R&B. Opening with foot stomper, Torture Me, Jim Stephens on lap steel surrounds himself with a full barrage of horns including Big Sam Williams on trombone, Jeffrey T Watkins on tenor sax, Lori La Patko on alto sax, Ian Smith on trumpet, and with a solid bottom by Desmond Milk Williams on drums and Jerry Henderson on bass. R&B track, Keep On, features cool harmonized vocals by J Thomas B-B Wonder, Aerial Skye and D Roisin with Shaun Matrin on piano, Watkins with a cool sax solo and Ian Smith with a super trombone solo. With a more traditional approach to the blues, Stephens takes the lead on vocal, adding harmonica and guitar to Rice N Greens over cool piano work by Roisin. Stephens really digs in on his lap steel on Yellow River, a country fused blues rocker with Cajun like roots. Wrapping the release is title track, Working Together, a horn powered ballad featuring Thomas, Wonder and Skye on lead vocal. This track has classic radio styling and is a solid closer for this release. 

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Watermelon Slim - Traveling Man - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Traveling Man, from Watermelon Slim and it's quite good. Recorded Live at The Blue Door in Oklahoma City in 2016, these recordings capture the authenticity and focus of Slim's work. The first set, recorded on September 24, opens with Blue Freightliner, Slim on resonator slide guitar and vocal captures the spirit of the original delta blues. Deliberate, foot stomper, Northern Blues is one of my favorites with a great little guitar dun and perfect balance. Very nice! Substituting harmonica for guitar on Jimmy Bell, Slim shows another facet but the sound is still pure and all delta. Very cool. Wrapping the first set is Holler #4, a stripped down blues track with a skeletal framework set by slide resonator and pure hollering blues vocals. Solid closer. Set 2 (disc 2) was recorded at The Depot on February 28 and opens with a more commercial track, Let it Be In Memphis. Slim carries the melody of this more certain melody with ease , accenting the edges with lightning slide play. Traditional blues track, John Henry has a great fleet pace and short turn around slide riffs accent the track nicely. A particularly cool track in this second set is Devil's Cadillac, a eerily bluesy ballad. Not only is the story great but Slim's slide technique gives a minor tone and feel. Excellent! Wrapping the release is Dark Genius, a straight forward folk track with a blues overtone. This is a really solid set of tracks and definitely a show I'm happy to gear.

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World Talent Records artist: The Forrest McDonald Band - Blues In A Bucket - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues In A Bucket, from The Forrest McDonald Band, and it's a solid release of blues, funk and soul. Opening with New Orleans soaked, Boogie Me Till I Drop, Andrew Black leads the way on vocal with Forrest McDonald on guitar, Lee Gammon on bass, John McKnight on drums, Matthew Wauchope on piano, Jimmy King on trumpet and Norman Franks on sax. Cool opener.  Slow Blues, Blues In A Basement is an excellent showcase for Blacks lead vocal, with super organ work by Wauchope, really hot guitar riffs by McDonald and with Jon Schwenke on bass and Tony Carey on keys, one of my favorite tracks on the release. Another track with real style is Windy City Blues which is a great stage for McDonald's guitar chops. With warm horn backing and Blacks soulful vocals, a solid entry. McDonald had the mic on Misery and Blues and blended in call and response with his own guitar lead, and a cool harmonica solo by Pix Ensign and solid brass reinforcement, one of my favorite tracks on the release. Becky Wright takes the mic on Powerhouse and her powerful soul richness gives this track real heat. Wrapping the release is another New Orleans hi stepper, Let The love In Your Heart with a super lively rhythm. Wright and Black share the lead vocal spot and with tight drumming by McKnight, Ensign on harmonica and the firm backing of King and Franks, an excellent closer. 

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Angel Forrest - Hell Bent With Grace - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Hell Bent With Grace, from Angel Forrest, and it's a solid rocker. Opening with Menie the Monster, a sure footed rocker, Forrest shows excellent poise with a gritty edge on lead vocals, backed by Denis Columbus on acoustic guitar and bass, Ricky Paquette on guitar, Bernard Quesy on B3, Alec Mc Kelchenson on bass, and Sly Carombe on drums. Get It On has just the right amount of funk with a hot bottom, and great drum work by Carombe and some real nice guitar riffs by Paquette. The Blame Game has all of the components of a radio track with the strong melody line, solid backing vocals by Paquette and just a light tint of country with a memorable guitar solo by Paquette. Bluesy ballad, Marigold, is my favorite track on the release with strong vocals by Forrest, a really nice melody and rich Wurlitzer tones and guitar interweave by Quesy and Paquette. Wrapping the release is Bane Lorraine, a strong rocker with a steady beat. The band pulls out the stops on this one with a loose instrumental overture stretch which gives the release a bit more weight.  

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Val Starr & The Blues Rocket - Lighter Side of the Blues - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Lighter Side of the Blues, from Val Starr & The Blues Rocket and it's a cool mix of 40's style pop and blues. Opening with Say Goodbye to The Blues, Val Starr leads on vocals and with solid vocal harmonies and super sax work from Danny Sandoval and Saxaphone Zot. Slow blues, All or Nuthin' Man is a nice showcase for Starr on vocal with rich, soulful phrasing and with cool harmonica work by Frankie Munz and the lead guitar work of Timothy Brisson. Snappy, 24 Hour Blues is a certain radio track with a strong bass line by John Ellis and a tight drum rhythm by Paul Farman under my favorite vocals on the release. Classic, Big Boss Man gets a minor rework giving Munz the opportunity to lay out some cool harp riffs and calling up a strong piano solo by Todd Morgan. Wrapping the release is The Blues Doesn't Pick or Choose with a tight bottom, solid duet vocals by Starr, strong harmionica soloing by Munz and a real nice guitar solo by Brisson. This is a cool closer for this release. 

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The Jimmys - Gotta Have It - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Gotta Have It, from The Jimmys and it's a cool blues and boogie collection. Opening with Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet, Jimmy Voegeli leads the way on piano and lead vocal with a great feel with Melodye Perry in harmony and with Perry Weber on guitar, Peterson Ross on sax, John Wartenweiler on bass, Kevan Feyzi on trombone, Mike Boman on trumpet, Kyle Samuelson on trombone, Al Falaschi on bari sax, Kurt Shipe on trumpet and Tony Braunagel on drums. Solid opener. Title track, She Gotta Have It, has super swing with lead vocals by Voegeli and backing by Perry and Marcia Ball. With a firm walking bass line and Weber's no frills guitar lead, Voegeli's piano work shines through. Cool boogie woogie track, Hotel Stebbins, is thick with a big horn section. Real nice. Drinkin' has a real nice slow feel with Voegeli singing over terrific piano lead. The horn section is full and tight and Webber's guitar punctuation is sweet. With it's Latin beat, Always A Woman, is punched up nice with Braunagel and Ingram on percussion. With the added vocals of Weber and Voegeli pulling out the B3 and nice sax work by Ross, this may be my favorite track on the release. Slow blues, Someday Baby, gives Weber a nice chance to stretch out a bit on guitar with solid lead vocals by Voegeli and with punchy brass adding punctuation and an excellent sax solo by Ross. Very cool. Wrapping the release is B3 soaked, Jose, with it's R&B sound. A soulful sax solo by Ross, cool percussion by Ingram and brassy melody is really a cool closer for this solid release. 

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Jangling Sparrows - Bootstraps and Other American Fables - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Bootstraps and Other American Fables, from Jangling Sparrows and it's really cool. Opening with Estuaries, a rocker with a contemporary beat, rowdy vocals and a wide open guitar rhythm, this is a solid opener. All That I Was Never Afraid has a great "Frank Black" like feel with dynamic vocals and open jangling electric guitars by Paul Edelman and a strong melody, wrapped by stern lead guitar, firm bass work by Louis Stein and drums by Joe Grey. Highway Jawn is a really cool track with fleet fingered picking by Edelman and snappy snare work by Grey. This track has a definite country flair and brings to mind old Charlie Daniels. Boogie track, Label's All Mine has a great feel, formed by a walking bass line by Stein. Edelman story telling lyrics are accentuated by his dramatic delivery and loose guitar work making this one of my favorite tracks on the release. Wrapping the release is Bootstraps, an acoustic ballad by Edelman who shows his strong vocals and guitar styling. Solid closer. 

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Hamilton Loomis - This Season - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the latest release, This Season, from Hamilton Loomis and I got to tell you, it's the best seasonal album I've ever heard (non traditional of course). I typically will only review a "seasonal" release just before the holidays, but this one somehow slipped by (came in too late for my work load) and I decided to listen to it anyway. I always like Loomis' work. Opening with the title track, This Season, Loomis has that great soulful funky beat that he's known for. Puts you in a good mood right off. Mike Meade's bass groove is perfect, Brannon McLeod's drumming is tight and Loomis' own vocal, keyboard and guitar is tops. This is the radio track but think of it in the class of Sly or Stevie Wonder. Super opener. Another cool funky pop track is Lay Around and Love. It's got the beat, it's got the hook and Hamilton's delivery on vocal and harmonica is super. The more contemporary but traditional God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman, shows up here as an instrumental and with just a rock drum beat, a simple bass line and his guitar wizardry, turns this classic into a Brian May like masterwork. This track is very "unlike" anything that I've heard Loomis do, but if you didn't know it was a Christmas song, you'd play it all year! Christmas Tears is a real cool blues number with Loomis' smart vocal style and solid guitar riffs. His phrasing is dynamic and fluid. Very nice. Chuck Berry flavored, Run Rudolph Run is a great rocker with low slung rock and roll guitar riffs and a some great stylistic bends. Super ballad, Love Again, has that super backbeat that Loomis is known for and his silky smooth vocals over Meade's bass line shows how a master can craft a great song for any occasion. Wrapping the release, Loomis pulls out all the stops and sings O Holy Night like a choir boy with light acoustic accompaniment.  It's rare that you hear someone as accomplished a musician as Loomis, and not a crooner, attempt such a piece and he kills it. Bravo pal! This is a great release and it will get airplay at my house all year.

You want to play a Christmas cd at your holiday party and have people actually ask you what it is because they like it? This is it!

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Jim Roberts & The Resonants - A Month of Sundays - New Relese Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, A Month of Sundays, from Jim Roberts & The Resonants, and it's a cool blues, rock country fusion. Opening with blues rocker, Skeeters, Jim Roberts on lead vocal and slide guitar sets a strong pace. With a funky bass line by Rick Hollander, a hot sax solo by Pat Zicari and with Bobby Spencer on sax and Michael Leasure on drums, this is a solid opener. With a contemporary take on delta style blues on What Her Evil Do, Roberts vocals are deep and rich, slide acoustic guitar  is tight and mandolin tasty and Joey Gomez adds a nice harmonica top giving it just the right touch. Title track, A Month of Sundays is a cool, jazzy track with a great bass line by Hollander. Hi fret slide work by Roberts over Hollanders bass line and the crisp drum work of Mike Harvey is strong. This track has that special weave making it my radio choice on the release. Long Haired Mississippi Hippie has a great groove with that North Mississippi Hill County sound. A lumbering beat, great lyric pattern, plucky bass and wailing slide makes this one of the coolest rockers I've heard in a while. Yes sir! Power blues rocker, Pay The Price has a great bottom and with it's rock like slide work, brings to mind Led Zep. Vocal harmonies by give this track a cool feel but it's the rock beat working that slide that gets ya. Love it! Another track, based on delta styling but with a contemporary flavor is Moonshine Maiden. A simple guitar riff, overlaid with soaring slide over a simple kick drum is all it takes with Robert's vocals. Excellent! Wrapping the release is a bluegrass flavored track, Steppin' Out with Roberts on slide and Hollander on  Banjolele. This is a cool track and a cool closer for a really cool release. 

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Spona artist: Tomislav Goluban - Memphis Light - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Memphis Light, from Tomislav Goluban, and it's a cool eastern European slice or blues. Opening with rocker, Hayloft Blues, harmonica man, Tomislav Goluban introduces his 11th studio release with the backing of Jeff Jensen on guitar, David Green on drums, Rick Steff on keys, and Bill Ruffino on bass. Jensen plays a hot intro on soulful blues number, Fun Starts Here, featuring Vince Johnson who really pounds out the lead vocals. Jensen smokes the track with a great guitar solo, contrasted with cool piano work by Steff. Country Bag , a strong Chicago blues style track gives Goluban a great opening to show his blues chops and guest, Mark Johnson lays down some real nice slide guitar giving the track great texture. Another flavor introduced is a surf blues, Party Time Blues, with it's rocking rhythm, melodic harmonica, a slick slide solo by Johnson and cool backing vocals by Reba Russell and Daunielle Hill. Wrapping the release is a radio track, Can I Be What I Want, with Goluban singing lead with Russell and Hill, a stiff drum beat by Green and harmonica overtones. 

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NOLA Blue records artist: Frank Bey - All My Dues Are Paid - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, All My Dues Are Paid, by Frank Bey and it's a solid mix of R&B, soul, funk and blues. Opening with Eddie Palmieri's Idle Hands with it's excellent NO funk. Bey really works this one Jim Pugh on organ, Eric Spaulding on sax solo, Jack Sanford on bari sax, Nancy Wright on tenor sax, John Helbleib on trumpet, Alex Petersen on drums, Jerry Jemmott on bass, Martin Winstad on percussion, Kid Andersen on guitar and Lisa Leuschner Andersen on backing vocals. Excellent opener! Rick Estrin's, Calling All Fools is a great shuffle with some really cool work by Nancy Wright and showcasing Bey's silky smooth vocals. Very nice. One of my favorites on the release is another Rick Estrin track, I Bet I Never Cross Your Mind, with it's slow, bluesy approach, and terrific guitar work by Kid Andersen. Nancy Wright's sax is thick and juicy and Pugh's organ solo is prime. Percy Mayfield's Ha Ha in the Daytime has a solid bounce. Bey's deep vocals are rich and with Jemmott's firm bass work and Spaulding's sax work, this is another really cool track. Up tempo pop track, One Thing Every Day is an ideal radio song with a great melody, solid lead vocals and full backing vocals by Loralee Cristensen, Lisa Leuschner Andersen and Vicki Randle. Wrapping the release is John Lennon's Imagine with a gospel like remix. Bey knows how to bring it and Lorenzo Farrell's organ work, along with Pugh on piano and organ, a soulful sax solo by Wright, soulful guitar work by Andersen and with Jemmott on bass, D'Mar Martin on drums, Jack Sanford on sax, Halbleib on trumpet, Ric Feliciano on trombone, a well chosen closer. 

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Hipsterdumpster Records artist: Matty T Wall - Transpacific Blues Vol. 1 - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Transpacific Blues Vol. 1, from Matty T Wall and it's quite entertaining. Opening with John Lee Hooker's Boom Boom, Matty T Wall picks up Hookers classic and moves it forward. With toasty guitar riffs, solid vocals, the firm brush work of Ric Whittle on drums and Stephen Walker on bass, and the addition of great slide work of Dave Hole, this is a real cool opener. Hi Heel Sneakers gets a cool, funky treatment, with terrific lead by Wall and Eric Gales. Very nice. On Albert Collins' Quicksand, Kid Ramos steps up with Walls on lead guitar and with a rolling pace, quick shuffle keeps you bopping in your seat. Excellent! T Bone Walker's Stormy Monday take a different turn altogether with a great slow pace but with a different (than the original) melody. This adds tension and with hard grabbed, stinging, guitar riffs Wall keeps you plastered to your seat and listening close. Very cool. Kirk Fletcher sits in on Albert King's Born Under A Bad Sign and again, Wall uses the melody loosely with cues to the original track, especially Walkers spot on bass lines. This freedom to let it all hang out gives the track a definite freshness. Wrapping the release is Robert Johnson's Crossroads, turned rock classic by The Cream and now reworked with a military like drum beat and a Hill Country feel. I like this release. Not only does it have a all-star cast of guitar slingers, it's got a different story to tell. Very cool. 

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Black Cat Bones - Tattered & Torn - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Tattered & Torn, by Black Cat Bones and it's a cool blues rocker. Opening with Manslaughter, with it's driving bass line by Jeff Daniels, Black Cat Bones show their blues rock roots. With Charlie Pitts on vocal, Jerry Sommers on drums and Richard Rivera and Gary David on guitars these guys drum up the feeling of the early days of blues rock music and Humble Pie. Dead Broke Blues maintains a rock swagger and solid lead vocals, but what really stands out to me are the impressive guitar accent lines by Rivera and David. Rather than long flowing lines of solos, these guys insert strategically placed accents that set the track off nicely. Slow blues, The Race, has a real solid melody and lead vocal by Pitts and introduces some nice sax soloing by Clay Brown, Carla Brownlee (bari sax) and Amochip Dabney (in this order). Very cool. One of my favorite tracks on the release is rocker, Pay You Back With Interest, with it's tight drumming, double kick drum and cool back beat. The lead guitar lines on this track are definite throw backs with a cool pedal treatment. One of the tracks that has a sort of iridescence is Laying In Wait with a cool, laid back bottom and key overlay. Pitts' vocals carry the track nicely and understated guitar lead is perfect. Wrapping the release is I Don't Care, is an easy rocker with an almost Rolling Stones/country feel. Call and response between Pitts and Daniels on vocals is strong and laid back guitar lead feels great on this track. A solid closer. 

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Sugar Blue - Colors - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Colors by Sugar Blue and the title reflects it's musical diversity. Opening with the familiar rhythms of Bo Diddley on And The Devil Too, Sugar Blue covers lead vocal but more importantly, plays some pretty frantically cool harmonica. Backed by Rico McFarland on guitar, Brady Williams, Llaria Lantieri on bass and Damiano Della Torre on keys a cool opener. We Will Be Alright is a smooth sensitive ballad with a strong melody. Backed by Della Torre on keys and the angelic vocals of Afrika Riz... very nice. A funky remix of The Beatles, Day Tripper, has a great beat, presents some of Sugar's best vocals on the release and gives Sugar a cool track to jam on harmonica over. Solid. Acoustic blues shuffle, Good Old Days, gets your foot stomping along with McFarland on guitar and Washboard Chaz on Washboard. Dragging out some excellent blues guitar riffs, McFarland really hits it as Sugar crafts a suggestive tale, Dirty Old Man, and lays out some real nice blues harp riffs. A sure crowd pleaser. Wrapping the release is radio track, Keep On with a smooth, memorable melody and ultra smooth vocal and harmonica over the keyboard work of Della Torre. Solid closer.

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