Jim Diamond review - Friends & Family - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review to most recent release, Friends a & Family, from Jim Diamond Review and it's a swinging party. Opening with I'm Cryin', Jim Diamond Boyington leads the way on lead vocal and some stellar guitar riffs. I love the bari work of Ryan Stiles and John Reese Pleasant's organ really works nicely, backed by Beth Deminski-Boyington on drums, Chris Herndon on rhythm guitar, Mark Wagner on bass and Joe DiGiuseppe on tenor. Great opener. Tight Mini Skirt is a cool jump track featuring Hank Mowery showing real nice harmonica solo throughout. Sometime In June is a cool instrumental which almost seems to want to break into a Latin rocker but maintains a southern R&B flavor with Stiles again ripping a solid bari solo and cool organ work from Pleasant. Jim's guitar solo is nicely phrased and extended. Very nice. Funky, I'm Walkin', has a great bass line by Wagner, with Nick Mowery screaming a strong guitar solo and DiGiuseppe adding a cool tenor solo. One of my favorite tracks on the release is straight up blues number, Hi-Dee-Hey, Hi-Dee-Ho with a great lope and killer slide by Joe Litteral and Mowery on lead vocal and harp. Very cool. Wrapping the release is easy paced 15 Below with dark sax work by Ray Warfield. Pleasant gets a chance to shine on this one with a solid organ solo and Jim's guitar work is exciting with quick burst riffs closing the track. 

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Music Maker Relief Foundation partner artist singing weekly outside of nursing home

Pat "Mother Blues" Cohen, a Music Maker Relief Foundation partner artist sings weekly outside of a nursing home that's had an outbreak of COVID, where her brother lives. Pat's is a powerful story of artist giving back the way they can, even while the artist herself, with cancelled shows, little money, little digital literacy, and underlying health problems, is at a disadvantage. This is true of so most of the MMRF partner artists, primarily older black musicians. Pat had to leave New Orleans after Katrina flooded her house and was set to make a major comeback there with a slot at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest, which is obviously not happening now. She lives outside of Charlotte, NC these days. Following are pieces from PBS NewsHour, CNN, and Rolling Stone.com on Pat, as well as her compatriots Sam Frazier, Jr. of Birmingham, AL, Ironing Board Sam (also formerly from NOLA) of Montgomery, AL, and New Orleans' Alabama Slim, and how Music Maker works closely with each them. Goes without saying that the music is also killer. Frazier is supposed to get a kidney replacement soon and Slim has had an album put off due to the crisis.

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PBS Story

CNN Story
Rolling Stone Story

Bible & Tire Recording Company artist: Dedicated Men of Zion - Can't Turn Me Around - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Can't Turn Me Around, from Dedicated Men of Zion and it's terrific! Opening with boogie track, Father, Guide Me, Teach Me, with George Supplick on drums, Will Sexton on guitar and Mark Stuart on bass leading the way, the Dedicated men of Zion lay out a contemporary blues/spiritual smorgasbord. Featuring Anthony Daniels, Antwan Daniels, Marcus Buggs and Dexter Weaver on vocals this is tight. Slower blues number, A Leak In This Old Building, has the Dedicated Men's soulful vocals soaked in a sea of organ by Calvin Barnes, with only a steady drums beat and bass... excellent! Showing a bit of R&B style on I Feel Alright, these guys show their versatility and warm harmonies, backed by the horn work by Jim Spake on horns and Art Edmaiston on horns. Very nice. Title track, Can't Turn Me Around, is a great soul track with wrenching vocal lead and excellent backing vocal with not much more than the guitar accent of Will Sexton and keyboards by Barnes. Think a modern rendition of classic soul fusion band, WAR. Up next is a trio of traditional spiritual style tracks, You Don't Know, Leaning On The Lord and When I Look Back with plenty of punch. Back to the R&B style with It's A Shame and these guys definitely know how to deliver. With it's strong vocals, dance drum rhythm and horn backing, this track will have you dancing in your seat (if not on the floor). Wrapping the release with Work Until My Days Are Done, a straight up spiritual bringing the Dedicated Men back to the center and closing strong. If youo have never heard a great spiritual release, now's the time. If as close as you have gotten is Leon Russel and the Shelter People (which is great by the way), you owe it to yourself.

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Jim Gustin & Truth Jones - Lessons Learned - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Lessons Learned, from Jim Gustin & Truth Jones and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with I'd Been Drinking, a romping party track with a boogie rhythm, Gustin and Jones share the mic and horns blazing behind them. Gustin does a nice job on guitar with Steve Alterman on piano, Scott Duncan on bass, Chuck Strong on drums and Lawrence Tamez on sax with Jim Scimonelli on sax and Lee Thornburg on trumpet. Cool opener. Duncan sets the pace on bass on The Truth and Gustin's gravelly voice is perfect for this one. Again, Gustin steps up with a nice guitar solo over the power organ work of Alterman. One of my favorites on the release is I Hate To See You Go with another great bass drone, anchor snare drum and clever double entendre vocals. Ripping guitar and sax solos dress this track out nicely giving it a turbo boost. Very cool. A crisp rocker, Rockslide, showcases Gustin's vocal with just the right amount of cow bell, nice vocal blending with Jones, and that power horn section pushing. Very cool. Bluesy ballad, My Love Is True, showcases Tamez's lush sax work and puts Jones in her most prominent vocal spot on the release. Wrapping the release is radio style rock track, Three Things, with a solid duet with Jones and Gustin and structures keyboard backing by Alterman. Cool closer for a cool release. 

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Ruf Records artist: Victor Wainwright and The Train - Memphis Loud - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Memphis Loud, by Victor Wainwright & The Train and it's spicy. Opening with Mississippi, a cool party song with a kaleidoscope of musical tones including Wainwright on vocal and keys, Billy Dean on drums, Terrance Grayson on bass, Pat Harrington on guitar, Mark Earley on sax, Doug Woolverton on trumpet, Dave Gross on percussion, Mikey Junior on vocal, Reba Russell on vocal, Stephen Dees on vocals, Patricia Ann Dees on vocals, Gracie Curran on vocals and Peanut Reed on vocals. Title track, Memphis Loud is a real locomotive with instrumental horsepower. With Wainwright really hitting the electric piano and Earley and Woolverton pushing the horns, this track has a massive opening. Smoothing into a Louisiana flavored, country tinged, track, Sing, Wainwright and Dave Gross really work the vocals. Quieting down to a real nice ballad, Disappear, Wainwright shows his strong vocal feel with a nicely crafted undercarriage of piano, drums and bass. With a slick guitar solo by Gross over the organ and piano work of Wainwright, this is a really nice track. Golden Rule is one of my favorite tracks on the release with it's complex rhythm pattern, almost like a Frank Zappa basis with warm vocals by Wainwright and Harrington who also lays in a real nice unstructured guitar solo of his own. Certainly one of the most memorable tracks on the release is South End of a North Bound Mule with it's clever lyrics and it's swampy, funky rhythm. With great vocals, some real nice guitar riffs by Harrington and Greg Gumpel and the vocal work of Wainwright and Reba Russell, this is a great track. Another fun track is My Dog Riley with super New Orleans style piano and horns and of course great horn and vocal backing. Wrapping the release is soulful ballad, Reconcile which, with the rich vocal styling of Wainwright and a strong guitar solo by Gumpel is a super closer. 

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Gulf Coast Records artist: The Proven Ones - You Ain't Done - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, You Ain't Done, from The Proven Ones, and it's a solid blues flavored rocker. Opening with Get Love, a contemporary blues rocker with hints of Jim Dewer, The Fab Thunderbirds and SRV, lead vocalist Brian Templeton has a powerful voice, and with the stinging guitar riffs of Kid Ramos and Mack McCarthy on trumpet, and with Jimi Bott on drums, Willie J Campbell on bass, and Anthony Geraci on keys, a super opener. Gone To Stay pushes further into the grunginess of rock and with a Nirvana like attack, ventures further into the rock arena. Bott's driving drum work really give this track a firm footing. With a firm backbeat, title track, You Ain't Done is one of my favorites on the release with solid vocal blending from Mike Zito and LaRhonda Steele, a great trumpet compliment from Mack, cool slide work from Ramos and a rich organ solo from Geraci. Ruthie Foster lends her fabulous lead vocal to Whom My Soul Loves, a strong ballad with nice piano work from Geraci. Mack steps up with a real nice sax solo on this one too giving it that extra punch. Excellent! Latin flavored, Nothing Left to Give, has great movement in percussion by Bott and with strong vocal lead and full horn compliment gives it even more spice. Fallen has great swagger with the vocal attitude of Templeton, the ace drumming of Bott and perfectly crafted guitar riffs of Ramos. Mack's horn playing is anything but window dressing with this track being really punchy. Wrapping the release is Favorite Dress with all of the rock and roll feel of a prime time Stones track. This is an excellent closer for a really solid release. 

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Polymerase Records artist: Tom Gilberts - Old School - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Old School, from Tom Gilberts and it really is "Old School" style blues rock. Opening with "Lady" Luck, a slow 12 bar blues featuring everybody's favorite format...3 piece combo. Tom Gilbert on lead guitar and vocal, Brian Foxworth on drums and Dave Captein on bass gives this release a solid opener. Instrumental, Zoot Suit Shuffle has a brisk tempo giving Gilbert plenty of space to showcase his fluid guitar riffs. Title track, Old School, is another fast paced shuffle, this time featuring Gilbert on slide guitar and vocal. Hi playing is melodic and just a little edgy making it perfect for this track. My Paper Bag is another cool instrumental with a cleaner tone and more of a Texas style guitar riff sequence and lope. Very cool. Instrumental, Brown's Camp has a cool, funky beat and warm, round tone placing it in a more southeastern blues camp with the likes of Warren Haynes. Very nice. Nighttime may be my favorite track on the release with it's somber melody, lower octave guitar work and a Texmex influence. Wrapping the release is The Fuzz, a real butt kicker with a funky beat, a lot of bottom and searing guitar riffs. With the addition of fuzz tone on the guitar lead this is an excellent closer for a totally enjoyable release. 

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Best Side Records artist: OSLU - Another Token - New Releaase Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Another Token, from OSLU (Our Little Secret Underground), a modern blues/rock recording project based in the UK and it's cool. Opening with Andy Lewis original, Julian, a smart piano. Lewis does a nice job in the writing and execution. Solid opener. One of my favorite JJ Cale tracks, Crazy Mama get only the slightest of modifications with wah wah guitar soloing as well. Very nice. A straight up 12 bar slow blues, Blues For Embassy gives Lewis an opportunity to stretch a bit on the fretboard with Clapton inspired riffs over organ and his own more polished vocal style. JB Lenoir's I Want To Know, is a great guitar shuffle with Charles Grassot, somewhat in the style of Skip James. I like this track. Maybe my favorite on the release. Su Kirby-Clarke is featured on lead vocal on Jane's Return and the strength of the track is her vocal richness. Very nice. Wrapping the release is a Lenoir reprise, I Want To Know, with  Grassot on vocal, traditional acoustic blues guitar duet riffs and solid vocal. Super closer. 

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Blue Kitty Music artist: Liz Mandeville - Playing With Fire - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Playing With Fire, from Liz Mandeville, and it's a solid blues entry. Opening with smooth shuffle, Bailing the Titanic, Mandeville on lead vocal and guitar is backed by Dario Lombardo on lead guitar, Andy Sutton on drums, and Steve Hart. Comfort Food Blues is one of my favorite tracks on the release with it's Chatmon like sound and excellent slide work from Minoru Maruyama and Darryl Wright on bass. On Chicago style track, I Just Cry, Philippe Fernandez rips some great guitar riffs pushing Mandeville into a great vocal zone. With Gilles Gabisson on harp,  and Andre Howard on bass this track is smokin.  He Loves My Biscuits is a great swing track with my favorite vocals on the release. A smooth delivery, accented by the vocal and violin contributions of Ilana Katz Katz and additional vocals by Carl Uchiyama and real nice guitar runs by Mandeville, makes this another of the top tracks on the release. Peter Struijk shows great guitar style on  Joliet Town, a strong 8 bar number with Dizzy Bolinski on harp, Bass on drums and  Hart on bass.  Hart leads the way on bass, laying down a driving boogie line on Boss Lady. With Bolinski taking the first solo on harp and Johnny Burgin stepping up with some stinging riffs of his own, this track has a great feel. Wrapping the release is John Hartford's country style blues, (Hey Babe) Ya Wanna Boogie? with Mandeville on vocal and washboard, Struijk on acoustic guitar and a cool tuba solo by Hart. Super closer for a cool release.

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Stony Plain Records artist: Rory Block - Prove It On Me - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Prove It On Me, by Rory Block and it's pretty tasty. Opening with Helen Humes' He May Be Your Man, Rory Block uses her laid back bluesy style with some of her best vocals in years, matched by her always concise guitar riffs. Excellent opener. Stuff Smith's If You're a Viper is a great tune, paying tribute to Rosetta Howard. Block's vocals are altered into a cool, more vintage feel and with light percussion and great slide, all played by Block. Very nice. Ma Rainey's Prove It On Me is the title track and shines brightly with full, thick vocals and sweet slide work. Blocks really hits her stride on this release, with a clean contemporary recording of excellent old classics. Memphis Minnie's In My Girlish Days is among my favorites on the release with rich vocal styling and Block's well known slide techniques, backed by her own angelic harmonies. Merline Johnson's Milk Man Blues (Yas Yas Girl) is my favorite track on the release with it's perfect poised pace, Block's extra work on vocal delivery which is extremely convincing for the time period and always excellent slide work. Wrapping the release is Elvie Thomas' Motherless Child, a strong closer with deep vocal character and clean slide soloing. This is a strong acoustic release. Check it out!  

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Louise Cappi - Me'lange - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Me'lange, from Louise Cappi and it's a mix of Latin jazz,  rock, and ballads. Opening with Brazilian influenced Bossa Nova style jazz pop, Talk To Me, Jenna McSwain on piano, Cali Millington on bass, AJ Hall on drums, and Russell Ramirez on trombone. Cool opener. Cappi gives Randy Newman's Guilty and bluesy ballad feel and lays out some of the best vocals on the release, backed by Dean Zucchero on bass, Piere Menefield on drums, and Alex Krahe on guitar. Stirring in a little bit of soul with Chain of Fools/Unchain My Heart Cappi has a warm, club feel with David Hyde on bass, Krahe on guitar and vocal and John Doheny on sax. Gershwin's classic, Summertime gets a cool jazzy makeover and Cappi shows her jazz pedigree (daughter of later NY jazz guitarist, Al Cappi) with plenty of style. Wrapping the release is Leon Russell's Song For You. Cappi takes it straight with Paul Longstreth on piano accompaniment. This is a serious vocal release with a taste of everything. 

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Stony Plain Records artist: Sass Jordan - Rebel Moon Blues - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Rebel Moon Blues, from Sass Jordan and it's got a raw edge. Opening with a funky take on Sleepy John Estes' Leaving Trunk, Sass Jordan shows just how special her vocals can be with Steve Mariner on harp adding great punctuation. Backed by the Champagne Hookers, Chris Caddell on guitars, Jimmy Reid on guitars, Derrick Brady on bass and Cassius Pereira on drums, this is a great opener. Smokin. On Keb Mo's Am I Wrong, Jordan works it hard with Caddell on slide acoustic guitar, kick drums and basic handclaps percussion. Simple and solid. JB Hutto's Too Much Alcohol gets a strong remake with Caddell on slide dobro. Keeping the track in it's raw "acoustic" format and accentuating the raw marriage between Jordan's vocals and the sound of Caddell's resonator guitar makes for great blues. Wrapping the release is Gary Moore's blues ballad, Still Got The Blues. Jordan backs off of the throttle just a little and allows the natural smoothness of her vocals float on the back of Moore's melodic guitar lead, played here by Caddell. This is a cool release showing the strong vocal talents of Jordan.

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Grant Dermody - My Dony - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, My Dony, from Grant Dermody, and it's real, old school southern blues. Opening with title track, My Dony, Grant Dermody on lead vocal and harmonica shows real grit with the richness of hill country blues. Dirk Powell, who plays lead guitar and also worked as the engineer on the release, makes ever guitar note count with a solid backing band of Jamie Dick on drums and Jason Sypher on bass. With more of an urban feel, One Step At A Time, still has a raw purity but sounding more Chicago with fat harp work by Dermody and the addition of Corey Ledet on accordion.  Very cool. On slower, Springtime Blues, not only are Dermody's vocals point on but Powell's lead guitar work plays nicely against the strong harmonica lines of Dermody. Very nice. Corner Strut is definitely a contemporary piece with a heavy bass line and bouncy drum rhythm. Dermody's vocals seem to skip across the music like a stone and his harmonica work adds great texture. A cool solo by Ledet adds a different dimension for funk music making this another cool entry. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Come On Sunshine with Dermody teaming up with Kelli Jones on lead vocal and some real cool stumble drumming from Dick. With a surf overtone, 35-59 is a cool rocker. This is the kind of track that could easily find itself as a tv show theme or a radio hit...quirky but cool. Wrapping the release is Hometown Blues, a straight up shuffle with strong lead vocals and harmonica lead by Dermody over a solid blues vamp. Solid closer for a strong release. 

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VizzTone Label Group artist: Casey Hensley - Good As Gone - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Good As Gone, from Casey Hensley and there's some powerful good music on there. Opening with driving blues rocker and title track, Good As Gone and Casey Hensley wastes no time in showing what she's got. A powerful lead singer along the lines of Ann Wilson, Hensley cuts loose over a potent rhythm section of Laura Chavez on guitar, Marcos C. on bass and Evan Caleb Yearsley on drums. On You Should Be Lucky, Chavez steps up in the mix with that rich guitar tone that she's known for playing some blistering riffs balancing Hensley's strong vocals. With a shift to swing style and the beat on 2, Be My Baby (What Do You Say?) is a comfortable style for Hensley with perfect clarity and Chavez of course plays tight and right. Blues ballad, Love Will Break Your Heart is the best showcase for Hensley's vocals on the release with a smooth backing vocals, horn work by Jonny Viau and Steven Ebner and of course tasty guitar soloing by Chavez. Another solid blues ballad, Don't Want It to Stop finds Hensley pushing hard with gutsy vocals and Chavez does another beautiful job of squeezing the blues from her guitar. Very nice. Wrapping the release is jump track, All In, with Hensley and Chavez both showing giving it a great run. This is a super closer for a strong release. 

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Put Together Music artist: The Reverend Shawn Amos and the Brotherhood - Blue Sky - New release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blue Sky, from The Reverend Shawn Amos and the Brotherhood and it's an airy mix of folk, rock , blues R&B... You name it. Opening with, Stranger Than Today, Amos on lead vocal and harp, backed by Brady Blade on drums, Christopher Thomas on bass, and Chris Roberts on guitar the feel is high plains and relaxed. On Counting Down The Days, the band gets a real interesting groove going with an odd guitar riff, and great backing vocals by Piper Amos, Sharlotte Gibson and Kenya Hathaway and featuring a really expressive harp solo by Amos. Very nice. Hold Back is a driving rocker with cool, Ike and Tina backing vocals. Really cool. Rolling shuffle, 27 Dollars is one of my favorites on the release is wild vocals, a super piano solo by Matt Hubbard and a tight rhythms by Blade. Wrapping the release is a cool New Orleans style track, Keep The Faith, Have Some Fun with Jamelle Adisa on trumpet, Marc Bolin on sousaphone, Mike Cottone on trumpet, Matthew Demerritt on tenor sax, and Dan Weinstein on trombone. An excellent closer for a solid release. 

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VizzTone Label Group artist: Backtrack Blues Band - Your Baby Has Left - New release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Your Baby Has Left, from Backtrack Blues Band and it's a solid, straight up blueser. Opening with Best Friend's Grave (Joy, Joy, Joy) Sonny Charles on lead vocal and harmonica steps off this shuffle, with Kid Royal on lead guitar, Little Johnny Walter on rhythm guitar, Joe Bencomo on drums, Stick Davis on bass, Bruce Katz on organ and piano and with backing vocals by Latonya Oliver and Dana Merriwether. Title track, Your Baby Has Left is a great boogie with super harp work by Charles and stinging guitar accents by Royal. With it's low slung lope, Natural Born Lover features Royal on lead vocal and nicely styled guitar riffs and cool piano work by Katz freeing up Charles to lay a little heavier into the harp. Very nice. One of my favorite tracks on the release is up tempo shuffle, You'll Come Back Someday. I particularly like Charles lead vocal on this track and his harp work, punched up by Vinnie Ciesielski on trumpet and Brad Guin on sax and Royal's guitar work is always  particularly cool. Wrapping the release is slow blues number, Times Is Hard with a great guitar intro and lead vocals by Royal. With nicely interwoven, short solo riffs by Guin, Katz and Charles and a more extended guitar solo by Royal, this is an excellent closer for a solid release. 

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Wide Mouth Mason - I Wanna Go With You - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, I Wanna Go With You, from Wide Mouth Mason and it's got a cool, stripped down, earthy sound. Opening with Bodies In Motion, Saskatoon born Shaun Verreault on vocal and guitars and Safwan Javed on percussion and vocals establish a high bar with a fat guitar toned, blues rhythmed, track with a solid melody and super vocals. With phrasing that puts me in mind of prime Leon Russell, this is a super track. Quick paced, Some Kind of Requiem, is a snappy, contemporary blues number with fluid slide runs and strong vocals. Very nice. I really love the overdriven electric guitar sound that Verreault gets on Erase Any Trace. These guys have focused in on a really cool blend of blues, rock and gospel styling that really hits square. Very nice. On Only Child, Mason stretches further into the driving rock styling but preserving the raw blues edge grinds out s pure rocker. Excellent! Another style covered is southern blues style of Shorty Medlock on High Road. Guitar picking, over laid on slide work and a driving bass line gives this track particular traction. Listen closely on Modern Love, yes, the Daviid Bowie hit track gets a total rework and if you don't catch the words will likely slip right past you. It retains the original energy but totally reworking the track format, and with the addition of Shawn "The Harpoonist" Hall makes this redo is very successful.  Rag style track, Outsourced gives Verreault a great opportunity to show off his guitar work and the addition of Kelly "Mr Chill" Hoppe on harmonica and nicely blended vocals, a cool track. Wrapping the release is a really solid radio track, You Get Used To It with great vocal blending between Verreault and Javed. With it's contemporary rock styling and sound, this is the definite radio track on the release and a super closer. 

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