Avey Grouws Band - The Devil May Care - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Devil May Care, from Avey Grouws Band and it's a swinging blues release. Opening with shuffle, Come And Get This Love, Jeni Grouws has the leash with lead vocals backed by Chris Avey on guitars, Bryan West on drums, Randy Lesman on bass and Nick Vasquez on keys. A radio flavored track, this one is smooth.  With a driving Latin influenced beat and a western structure, Rise Up is a cool track. Not only does it give the band room to stretch, and Avey a crisp opportunity to lay down some solid riffs, it is also some of my favorite vocals by Grouws on the release. Weary is one of the coolest tracks on the release with a low key background and total vocal melody, over the glistening guitar trim of Avey and Vasquez key work. With a real Latin sway, Dirty Little Secrets has a definite groove. West sets a strong path on drums and Avey channels his inner Peter Green (Santana). Very Nice. Dig What You Do is a real rock and roller with Avey and Grouws singing a duet. This is definitely my favorite track on the release with it's grinding guitar run, rock (abilly) guitar solo and tight vocal pairing. Very cool. Wrapping the release is dusty shuffle, Two Days Off (And A Little Bit Of Liquor) and it's laid back vocal lead. With the addition of Nolan Schroeder on sax and Dan Meier on trumpet this track has a definite jazzy taste and finds Avey rolling into a great swing blues solo. Excellent closer for a solid release. 

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Melody Place Music artist: Lisa Mills - The Triangle - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Triangle, by Lisa Mills and I really like it. I feel immediately that this release will solicit comparisons to some of more known blues singers but I think that Mills has her own voice. This first set was recorded in Muscle Shoals and the opener, Little Richard's Greenwood, Mississippi is a warm R&B style rocker with plenty of spunk. Backed by Clayton Ivey on keys, Bob Wray on bass, John Willis on lead guitar, Fred Mollin on rhythm and acoustic guitars and Justin Holder on drums and with punchy horn work by Jim Hoke on sax and Steve Herman on trumpet, this is a solid opener.  Clarence Carter's, Tell Mama has the spunk you'd expect from James or Joplin but her vocals are in a groove and with the unmistakable horn work of the south, the cool guitar solo by Willis and key solo by Ivey, it's all south! Very nice. Moving on to Memphis for the next set the tracks get a little more funky with That's What Love Will Make You Do. Michael Toles on lead guitar lays down a cool solo line and with Lester Snell on keys, Leroy Hodges on bass, Steve Potts on Drums and Rev Charles Hodges on B3. A new town and a definite different spin puts you right on the middle of that soul sound. Very nice. Another great track from this set is Otis Redding's, sweat soaked, That's How Strong My Love Is. Sounding like it's right off of a 45 in 1968, this one is smooth. On to Jackson, Mississippi, and Denise LaSalle's Someone Else Is Steppin' In. Buddy Guy has almost adopted this as his trademark track and Mills' voice is really made for it. In the audiophile business, they say a speaker loves a voice, her voice loves this track. It really does show off the richness of her voice and a ripped sax solo by Hoke is a perfect topping. This set features Sam Brady on keys, Mike Thorn on bass, Brennan White on lead guitar, Mollin on rhythm guitar, and George Lawrence on drums. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Travel On. There's just something about certain tracks and how they make you feel and this one has it! Excellent! Wrapping the release is Just Walking In The Rain, a simple, soulful ballad.. Mills and Michael Toles on guitar. This is a real nice cool down track for what is an exceptional soul release. 

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Omnivore artist: Dom Flemons - Prospect Hill: The American Songster Omnibus - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Prospect Hill: The American Songster Omnibus, from Dom Flemons and it's a cool retro mix of country, folk, blues and rag  with great vocal and instrumental tracks. This release is a compilation of the original 2014 release, Prospect Hill along with a never before release on cd, What Got Over which had been released on vinyl and an additional 12 never released instrumental tracks. Disc one, Prospect Hill, opens with springy rag Til' the Seas Run Dry, featuring Flemons on acoustic guitar and lead vocal, Ron Brendle on bass, Kobe Watkins on drums, and Brian Horton on clarinet. Excellent opener. One of my favorite tracks on the release is But They Got it Fixed Right On, with Pura Fe Cresioni on harmony vocals, Guy Davis on Mike Seeger's six sting band, and Horton again on clarinet. Super track. Harmonica track, Martching Up to Prospect Hill features Flemons on rhythm bones with Davis on harmonica. Excellent! It's A Good Thing is another of my favorites on the release with Flemons on vocal and guitar and a somewhat elongated phrasing on vocal and a nice exchange with Davis on vocal and banjo. Really cool. Wrapping disc one is My Money Never Runs Out, a cool country blues with Flemons on vocal, guitar and banjo. Super closer.

Disc two opens with Big Head Joe's March featuring Flemons on bass drum with Davis on snare with fife. Cool traditional hill country styling. Contemporary styling give Clock On The Wall a broadly recognizable format with Flemons on guitar, harmonica and vocals with Brendle on bass and Watkins on drums. Blind Boy Fuller's Keep On Truckin' gets a mild rework and sung and played as written. Hot Tuna covered this track probably 40 years ago but with more substantial alterations. Cool to hear the vintage styling. Hot Chicken is a great rag with solid vocals and harmonica by Flemons and super guitar work by Davis.  Til The Seas Run Dry has great pace and the violin work by Hunter is terrific with Flemons on banjo and vocals and Davis on harmonica. Tracks 10-21 are a mix of mostly rhythms and fife which is quite interesting. One track that really stands out for me is Georgia Drumbeat with an African flavor featuring rhythmic acoustic guitar, drums and percussion. Wrapping the release is Blue Butterfly, a cleanly picked guitar duet featuring Davis and Flemons. It's a really nice track and an excellent closer. 

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The Mary Jo Curry Band - Front Porch - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Front Porch, from The Mary Jo Curry Band, and it's a cool blues rocker. Opening with Nothin' Is Easy, a romping boogie, Mary Jo Curry is a solid leader and vocalist with Albert Castiglia on guitar, Rick Snow on drums, Chris Rogers on bass Michael Rapier on slide guitar, Brett Donovan on Hammond and Brian Moore on sax. Cool opener. Shuffle track, All Your Lies, really showcases Curry's vocal prowess and with a swell of Hammond by Donovan, riding drums by Snow and a flurry of guitar work by Rapier. Bluesy ballad, Explaining The Blues, shows the silky smoothness of Curry's voice and with warm keys from Ezra Casey creating tension and tight ride cymbal by Snow. I like guitar shuffle, Shake & Bake, featuring the fancy finger work of Tom Holland on guitar, backed by Snow, Rogers (who lays in a cool bass solo), Rapier, Casey and with a heavy sax solo by Moore. Very cool. Edgar Winter's, We All Had A Real Good Time, is a good fit for this band with it's funky, R&B feel and Castiglia lays in a real nice solo over the infectious bass line of Rogers. Wrapping the release is funky, gospel number, Joyful, with it's changeups in timing and rich bass lines. This is a cool closer for a cool release. 

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Down In The Alley Records artist: Cort Duggins - Luke's Juke - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Luke's Juke, by Cort Duggins and it's a cool mix of Chicago style blues. Opening with I Can't get You Off My Mind, Babe, Duggins, is a virtual one man band (one track at a time) with a rolling bass line, rhythm guitar, simple drums line, vocal and harmonica. Cool. My favorite track on the release is slow blues, Blue And Lonesome Ramblin' Man with mandolin like guitar strumming and quick guitar riffs over shimmering reverb laden chords, raw vocals and soulful harmonica. Very nice. Shuffle track, Watch Yourself, Mind Your Own Business has some fun riffs both on harmonica and guitar. Duggins' vocals on this track on my favorites and his slide work is primitive but cool. Honky Tonkin' Down Easy starts off with a simple, tom tom laden, almost Latin beat but mellows into full boogie with a cool walking bass line and wailing harmonica. Wrapping the release is Hey Good Lookin, I'm Ready, the clearest mix of Hank and Willie on the release with raw vocal and drums, supplemented with harmonica.

It's an interesting idea and a cool release. 

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Dixon Landing Music artist: Alex Dixon - The Real McCoy - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Real McCoy, from Alex Dixon, grandson of the great, Willie Dixon and it's pure Chicago style blues. Opening with Nothing New Under The Sun, this track could be straight off of a Muddy Waters release. Featuring  Lewis "Big Lew" Powell on lead vocal and Steve Bell on harmonica, this track is solid with Dixon on bass and piano, Alvino Bennett on drums, Joey Delgado on guitar, and with backing vocals by Leila Dixon, this is a great opener. Willie Dixon's, Spider In My Stew is my favorite track on the release with some stinging guitar work by Rico McFarland and strong harp work by Sugar Blue. Slower blues number, My Greatest Desire has a great bass line and Big Lew's vocals are as crisp as anywhere on the release. Sugar Blue does a real nice job on harmonica, playing strong but not overpowering lew on lead vocal. Very nice. Wolf's, Howlin' For My Darling has great pace, Big Lew's vocals are cool, Steve Bell's harmonica lead is fresh and Melvin Taylor and Gino Matteo share guitar lead with super results. Very cool. Another of my favorite tracks is Chi-Town Boogie with a hot pace, absolutely made for harmonica and Bell does a great job. Dixon gets the chance to solo on this one and does a super job and with additional solos by Dixon on piano, and Bennett on drums, a super track. The release is wrapped by a supercharged instrumental take of Chi-Town Boogie. McFarland takes a nice guitar solo and the band rocks it. Excellent closer. 

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Access Records artist: Harper and Midwest Kind - Rise Up - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Rise Up, from Harper and Midwest Kind and it's a cool rocker. Opening with title track, Rise Up, Peter D. Harper leads the way on vocal, harmonica, didgeridoo, keyboard and guitar, With Geoff Michael on guitar, Dan "Ozzie" Anderson on bass and Jim Pryor on drums. With it's chant like rhythm and primitive sounds, it's quite a cool opener. On Blues I Can't Use, Paul Nelson joins on guitar and hill country styling is accented nicely by hot slide riffs. My favorite track on the release is I Still Got You with it's funky, R&B bass line, great melody and Harper's soulful harmonica and vocals. Another track with a thumping bass line is Welcome Home with cool vocals, a bouncy rhythm making it the most likely radio track and solid harmonica work. Wrapping the release is Peaceful, a cool, jazzy track with a light feel and nice percussion under the stylized acoustic guitar work of Harper and cool backing vocals of Bobbi Llewellyn. 

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Third Street Cigar Records artist: Chris Shutters with special guest Jimmy Burns - Good Gone Bad - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Good Gone Bad, by Chris Shutters with special guest Jimmy Burns and it's a fun packed blues rocker. Opening with driving rocker and title track, Good Gone Bad, featuring Chris Shutters and Jimmy Burns on vocal and guitar, joined by Byron Harris Jr. on bass and drums, Rick Warner on piano, and Tony Shutters on harmonica. Super opener. Adding Art Bishop on sax, this band gets funky on Can't Play The Blues Like B.B. Chris takes the lead on vocal and guitar and this track has just that perfect edge with the horn reinforcement sounding quite like Sly or Clinton. On boogie, Unwind, Frank May's bass line defines the rhythm and a more melodic approach makes this a cool radio track with a clean, meaty sax solo by Bishop. Straight up rocker, Living In A Dream, has a super pace and with it's quiet bridge and a hard working bass line by Harris Jr. the track gets a real edgy rock style guitar solo by Shutters and Burns. Shuffle track, Keep You Satisfied is straight up blues but with an accelerated pace. Organ work by Mike Huffman and a bluesy solos by Burns and Shutters give this track real traction. Wrapping the release is springy shuffle, The Book Of Life, with clever rhythm patterns by Harris Jr. on drums and melodic vocals by Shutters. A cool closer for an interesting release. 

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VizzTone Label Group artist: Phanton Blues Band - Still Cookin' - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Still Cookin', from Phantom Blues Band, and it's terrific! Opening with a classic R&B track by Wilson Pickett, Don't Fight It (Feel It), this band knows it's strengths and plays into it. With Mike Finnigan (keys), Larry Fulcher (bass) and Johnny Lee Schell (guitars) on lead vocals, this band lays out one of my R&F favorites with strong horn work by Joe Sublett (sax) and Les Lovitt (trumpet) and great rhythm  and Tony Braunagel on drums. What a lineup! Slipping into a New Orleans funk on Wingin' My Way Johnny takes the lead on a strongly Little Feat influenced track (dedicated to Paul Barrere) with solid slide work and a tight horn line. Slow blues, Blues How They Linger, features Finnigan on lead vocal and piano, with light backing. A strong, somber track keeps it low till about half way through when Sublett cuts loose with a real nice sax solo, punctuated by Lovitts trumpet work. Very nice! Reggae track, Shine On, has a great island beat with Lenny Castro joining on percussion and Fulcher and Finnigan on lead vocal. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Latin flavored, Tequila Con Yerba, an excellent, primarily instrumental that makes you squirm in your seat...think Buena Vista. Finnigan, Sublett and Lovitt each get a spot to solo and use them well. Very nice! Shuffle track, I'm Just Your Fool, has a great sway and nicely blended vocals by Johnny with Mike give the track a warm feel. Another strong sax solo by Sublett cements the track and Schell lays in a nice run of his own. Very nice. Wrapping the release is I Was Blind, a quiet ballad featuring Schell on lead vocal, backed by Finnigan. Schell lays in some warm slide work and Finnegan some nice organ work, under the basic melody giving the track a full bottom. This is a solid closer for a really cool release. 

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Retro Records artist: Tom "The Suit" Forst - World of Broken Hearts - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, World of Broken Hearts, from Tom "The Suit" Forst and it's got a warm bluesy feel. Opening with Late Night Train, Tom Forst blends super blues concepts with a Pink Floyd, march like cadence and wailing guitar. Leading the way on vocal, bass  and guitar Tom is joined by Ryan Hommel on guitar, James Montgomery on harp, and Travis McNabb on drums. On ballad and title track, World of Broken Hearts, Tom accompanies himself on banjo. This is a solid track with a strong melody and also featuring Vincent Brike on keys and Cynthia Tolson on violin. Wrapping the release is my favorite track on the release, Willie Dixon's Hoochie Coochie Man with a great funky rock drum beat by McNabb, Forst on keys, bass and guitar behind his best vocals on the release. Hints to Dr. John's, I Walk on Guilded Splinters are really nice.  Also of note is some real nice slide work by Paul Nelson and backing vocals by Christine Ohlman, Suzy Bessett and T'Zell. Solid closer. 

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Ruf Records artist: Ryan Perry - High Risk, Low Reward - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, High Risk, Low Reward from Ryan Perry and he has put together a solid blues rock release. Opening with Ain't Afraid to Eat Alone, a straight up rocker with R&B overtones, Perry's strong vocals and fluid guitar lead is perfect for this band. Backed by Roger Inniss on bass, Lucy Piper on drums and Jeffrey Staten & Stephanie Bechtold on backing vocals, this is a super opener. Maintaining the strong melody and rhythm consistent throughout the release, Pride continues to showcase Perry's vocal strength, addition of backing vocals by Staten, this track has strong radio appeal and soulful guitar lead reinforcing the melody. Title track, High Risk, Low Return has a real cool droning guitar sound that I associate with Mississippi blues and with it's simple structure and rich vocals makes this one of my release favorites. Oh No has a slower pondering pace with a suspenseful feel. The surprise track on the release is Willie Dixon's Evil is Going On. A real power rock take on this track has a great groove. With synchronized drums, bass and guitar the house is rocking. Perry unleashes the dog on this one and his playing is wild and distorted in pure blues rock fashion. Excellent! Wrapping the release is Hard Times, another hill country flavored blues number with a droning note guitar style. Really putting it on is layered distorted guitar, heavy tom tom and a solid bass line. This is a really cool closer for a strong release. 

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Andy Watts - Blues On Fire - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues On Fire, from Andy Watts and it's a cool, contemporary blues rocker. Opening with a blues strut, Full Throttle, Andy Watts on lead guitar is joined by Eyal Klein on keys, Elad Gellart on sax, Gregory Rivkin on trumpet, Tom Mochaich on bass and Avi Barak on drums. With a fat bari solo by Gellart and a stinging guitar solo by Watts, a cool instrumental opener. Joe Louis Walker joins on title track, Blues On Fire providing soulful vocal lead and Watts sails along nicely on guitar with well articulated guitar phrasing. Very nice. A real nice cover/interpretation of Steve Ray Vaughn's Riviera Paradise floats along with great fire and spirit provided by Watts guitar riffs. With the addition of Rivkin on trumpet giving it just a bit of a jazzy feel, and a bright, clear piano interlude, this is a strong track. Roy Young is featured on lead vocal on JJ Cale's I Got The Same Old Blues with a distinct R&B feel and stinging guitar riffs by Watts and the addition of nice guitar work by Ronnie Peterson and great B3 funkiness by Klein. My favorite track on the release is Junkies, Monkeys & Donkeys featuring Danny Shoshan on lead vocal. A funky track with a great bass line by Amos Springer, this track has great presence and with horn backing by Gellert and Klein's key work, Watts walks through with the poise of a superstar playing just the right number of notes to give the track a great punch. Excellent! Wrapping the release is Who Knows, a heavy footed instrumental with Illan Hillel on bass, Moshe Yankovsky on drums, Niv Hovav on keys giving Rivkin and Watts a great platform to jam. Solid closer. 

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Mick Kolassa - Blind Lemon Sessions - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blind Lemon Sessions, from Mick Kolassa and its a cool retrospective of classic, traditional and new tracks, all done in an acoustic environment. Opening with Lonnie Johnson's Jelly Roll Baker, Mick Kolassa on guitar and lead vocal, Seth Hill on bass and Eric Hughes on harmonica. Clean and easy, a solid opener. On Bob Carlton's tune Keep On Truckin' (The Ja-Da Song, later made popular by Blind Boy Fuller and Hot Tuna as Keep On Truckin') Kolassa takes the Hot Tuna route adding Alice Hansen on violin giving it a nice, rural feel. Up next is a cover of Jace Everett's Bad Things, the theme song for HBO Series, True Blood. I gotta admit, Everett hit a homer with this track and although Kolassa's voice isn't as cool as Everett's, this is a cool cover and with the addition of guitar by David Dunavent, a real nice job. With some real nice violin work by Hansen, Kolassa covers classic, St. James Infirmary. Not pulling in any drama and playing it straight as an acoustic blues featuring violin, Maybe my favorite on the release. Lennon and McCartney's Help is the surprise on the release, with an acoustic, non pop, approach. Although it's introspective slant is totally different and somewhat more digestible than the original pop track, it remains fresh and interesting with only Kolassa and Hansen on violin. Wrapping the release is The Space Between Us, a Kolassa original ballad. Pure vocal with only acoustic guitar backing, a simple closer. 

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Rott'n Dan & Lightnin' Willy - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, from Rott'n Dan & Lightnin' Willy and it's a set of cool modern interpretations of Pre-war, Piedmont, Country blues and compatible self written tracks. Opening with Mississippi John Hurt's, I'm Satisfied, Lightnin' Willy Ryan on lead vocal and guitar lays down a great finger picking style with Rott'n Dan Shinnan on harmonica. Cool opener. Original track, Coliseum Station Blues has really strong bones with potent vocals by Willy giving plenty of room for the excellent harp work of Dan. Lead Water Blues is a spry rag with plenty of movement. Ryan on lead vocal and guitar really gives Dan a nice track to showcase. One of my favorite tracks on the release. John Lee Williamson's Good Gravy is another great rag with terrific vocals by Dan (working in some great harp riffs and hollers) and tight finger work by Willie. Wrapping the release is Mercedes Benz, an excellent acoustic guitar and harp jam. This is a nicely crafted release showing a lot of skill and enthusiasm. Very nice.

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Subcat Records artist: Drive On - Tas Cru - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Drive On, from Tas Cru and he just keeps getting better. Opening with cool boogie, That Lovin' Feeling, with a real nice bass line form Colin Beatty, a stiff drum beat by Andy Hearn, power B3 work from Anthony Geraci, solid sax work from Anthony Terry and of course Cru on vocal and lead guitar. On rocker, Money Talks, Youngblood Gabe Stillman throws fuel on the fire with his fat slide work and Cru's own driving guitar rhythms and vocals give this track real zip. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Save Me, has a real nice driving bass rhythm by Beatty and features a real nice guitar interlude by Cru that has a certain clarity and with ringing harmonics gives the track a great feel. Very nice. Another relentless boogie, Kinda Mess, again features the hot slide work of Stillman, along with a driving bottom courtesy of Sonny Rock on drums, punctual sax work by Terry and Cru's vocals makes for a strong entry for best track on the release. Laid back, Memphis Blue has that radio styling with Stillman on slide, Cru on harp and joining Mary Ann Casale lead vocal, the track has a solid melody and beat. Wrapping the release is Devil In Your Heart, a subdued acoustic blues number featuring Cru on resonator guitar accompanying himself and Casale on lead vocal.  

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Whitney Shay - Stand Up! - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Stand Up!, from Whitney Shay and its got a cool R&B vibe. Opening with funky title track, Stand Up! ... Whitney on lead vocal and strong drumming by Brannon Temple. This track has got it going. With solo guitar work by favorite Laura Chavez and a full horn compliment of Kaz Kazanoff on tenor sax, John Mills on bari and Al Gomez on trumpet and with Chris Maresh on bass and Red Young on keys, this is a strong opener. Equal Ground is a slower, lumbering blues style track with a lot of swagger. Slide work by Derek O'Brien and the rich vocals of Shay gives this track just the right sound. Radio ballad, I Thought We Were Through has a strong melody and soulful vocals by Shay and a cool sax solo by Kaz makes this an ideal radio track. A duet vocal with Guy Forsyth on funky, Far Apart (Still Close) a solid fluid guitar solo by Chavez and a strong bass line by Maresh makes this track one of my favorites on the release. Boy, Sit Down has a snappy, beat with a sizzling drum rhythm. Shay's sassy vocals, cool resonator work by Forsyth, real nice trumpet work by Gomez and keys by Marcia Ball is another of my favorites on the release. Falling back into a nice soul track, I Never Meant to Love Him, is a great showcase for Shay's voice and one of the stellar tracks on the release. Really nice! Wrapping the release is Change with the Times, a rolling R&B track with a full horn compliment. Mills has a throaty sax solo giving the track a nice jolt and backing vocals by Alice Sadler, Whitney Shay and Kaz give the track smooth out the edges before a pumped up finale. Very cool release. 

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Bill Blue - The King Of Crazy Town - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The King of Crazy Town, from Bill Blue and it's a full bodies slice of the blues. Opening with blues rocker, Do What I Say Don't Do What I Do, Billy Blue of guitar and lead vocal really kicks the jam. Geoffrey Lowe lays down a solid walking bass line, and Joey Marchiano keeps the bottom tight on drums. Super opener. On power packed, horn soaked, I Want It All, Blue not only says it, he screams it. Excellent drumming by Randy Morrow gives it a cool New Orleans flavor and an excellent horn section consisting of Rob Cutts on sax, Jason Chapman on trumpet, Adam Seely on bari and Karl Lyden on trombone seals the deal. Backing way down to a delta style blues on Hunker Down, Blue sings over a droning resonator guitar and harmonica by Bob Moughler. Very cool. Another favorite on the release is You Ain't Fun Anymore with a really cool, funky back beat, reinforced by snappy drumming by Morrow, cool key work by Ericson Holt, some real nice harmonica by Matt Backer, Blue's excited vocals and solid backing vocals by Lily Gonzales. Enough Blues To Give You The Blues has a great Latin rhythm driven by Claire Finley and the super slide work of Blue. Moughler sails on harmonica and warm backing vocals by Jill Cassell and Gonzales give this track a nice glow. Wrapping the release is instrumental,  Mojolation, with it's relentless slide work and pumped up horn section.

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