Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live , from Justin Saladino Band and it's a cool rocker with plenty of radio potential. Opening with Take What You Need , Saladino on lead vocal and guitar, joined by Antoine Loiselle on guitars, David Osel-Afrifa on keys, Denis Paquin on drums, Gabriel Forget on bass, and Lucie Martel on vocal and percussion. Continuing with it's happy go lucky pace and beat, Honey has a great melody and some real nice guitar work. On Tom Petty's You Don't Know How It Feels , Saladino adds in a little slide and some heavy organ giving the track a more bluesy feel. On blues ballad, Peace With You , Saladino really works the vocals laying down the best track on the release. Nicely phrased lead guitar soloing and a quiet background really elevate this track. Very nice. Another favorite on the release is Purple Girl with overdriven guitars with traces of Jimi or Gary Clark Jr. Really a cool blues rocker. Wrapping the release...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, My Getaway , from Dustin Arbuckle and the Damnations and it's a solid blues rocker.  Opening with Say My Name , Dustin Arbuckle, formerly of Moreland and Arbuckle, is upfront on harmonica and lead vocals, backed by Branden Hudspeth on guitars, Dr Mark Foley on bass, and Kendall Newby on drums. With a solid rhythm and the strong vocals that M&A was known for, this is a strong opener. With a familiar Muddy Waters like melody, ramped up tempo and Arbuckle's soulful vocals, Across The Desert is a great follow up. You Got To Go crosses further into the rock arena with R&B rhythm and soulful vocals. With a strong harp vamp and a cool guitar riff, Arbuckle's vocals ride high on top like Peter Wolf on JGB. Very cool. Darlin' Dear is a really nice radio track like Jackson Browne meets Marshall Tucker Band. Nicely blended vocals, and a strong melody are the key to this track. Another interesting track is Whe...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Tales from the Psychedelta , by Kerry Kearney and it's a cool mix of laid back delta style blues and contemporary blues rock. Opening with blues rocker, Five Time Man, Kerry Kearney shows real chops on guitar with fluid lines and crisp riffs, supporting his solid vocals. With Louie Appel on drums, Peter Bennett on bass, and Jeff Naimoli on percussion this is a strong opener. Driving rocker, Mississippi River Stomp with it's slick slide work is a great track, backed by Mario Staiano on drums, David Bennett Cohen on piano, and Ken The Rocket Korb on harmonica, this track will have you rocking in your seat (if not on your seat). Thank You Jesus is one of my favorites on the release with it's easy blues feel, acoustic slide and excellent vocals by Kearney and The Great Sam Taylor, harmonica by Charlie Wolfe Pete Kiernan on harmonica and Eileen Murphy on drums. Memphis High has a lot of the modern southern blue...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Heart On The Line , from Vanessa Collier , and it's quite good. Opening with James Brown's, Super Bad Collier is off to a strong start morphing a quick tempo driver into a slow, funky instant hit. This track has it all with movement, great vocal, a great bottom, and saxy solo by Collier. Backed by Nick Stevens on drums, Scott Sutherland on bass, Laura Chavez on guitar, William Gorman on keys, Quinn Carson on Trombone, Doug Woolverton on trumpet, this track is hot! With a delta feel on Bloodhound , Chavez lays down a cool slide riff and Colliers vocals really take over. With CC Ellis on bass and Stevens on drums, this track has oomph. Randy Newman's You Can Leave Your Hat On gets a really nice rework with plenty of spunk. I really like the horn work on this one pushing it along and Chavez's guitar solo just just right in the groove. Excellent! Original track, Weep and Moan has a really great feel with a slo...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues O' Blues , from Tony O. and it's solid old school electric blues. Opening with You Upset Me Baby , Tony O, who has played with a who's wo of blues greats including Pinetop Perkins, Jimmy Rogers, Victoria Spivey, and James Cotton (to name a few) is upfront on vocal and guitar and his playing style, quite reminiscent of BB King keeps you bopping with super backing by The Uptown Horns. On rolling blues number, So Excited , Tony takes an extended intro and a driving bass line and great horn support to Tony's solid guitar lead. Very cool. One of my favorites on the release, My Love Strikes Like Lightning , has strong tempo, punchy horns and really tasty lead guitar phrasing. Jimmy Rogers', You're So Sweet, is up next and Tony leads with solid harmonica and vocal. Excellent piano and snappy drum and bass work give this track real zing. R&B style track, It's Just A Matter Of Time , is a real ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the newest release from Johnny Iguana , Chicago Spectacular! and it's a cool mix of styles and packed with blues notables. Opening with Roosevelt Sykes' 44 Blues , featuring John Primer, Bob Margolin and Michael Caskey, Iguana does a great job on keys and Primer's lead vocals are super. On Willie Dixon's Down In The Bottom  ,Primer has the mic again and with cool guitar lead and with Michael Caskey on drums another cool entry. Gil Scott- Heron's Lady Day and John Coltrane has a cool, laid back jazzy feel and features Phillip-Michael Scales on lead vocal and guitar. Iguana really rocks the piano on this one with simple rhythms by Caskey. Lil' Ed guests on Burning Fire with flaming lead guitar and vocal. Rolling piano work by Iguana and solid drum work by Kenny Smith makes this one of my favorite tracks on the release. Lil' Ed is back on Elmore James' Shake Your Moneymaker and Ed knows how to make that slide talk. V...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Stronger Than Strong , from John Nemeth and it's tasty. Opening with Chicago bluesy, Come On And Take It , with Nemeth on vocal and harmonica, Danny Banks on drums, Matthew Wilson on bass and Jon Hay on guitar. With it's tight rhythm and classic styling, it's a solid opener.  With darker overtones and Nemeth's soulful vocals, Sometimes is a strong player that is a great showcase for Nemeth's vocal strength and harmonica reinforcement. Throw Me In The Water is a great rocker with a rockin beat and a moving bass line by Wilson, potent vocals by Nemeth and some flashy guitar work by Hay on guitar. Very nice. I really like Chain Breaker with it's blues vamp driven by Wilson and plenty of room for Nemeth and Hay to cruise. Very cool. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Work For Love with it's infectious bass line and Nemeth's soulful vocals. Adding a little bounce to a classic blues pat...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Mistaken Identity , by Johnny Nicholas and I really like it. With it's kooky lyrics, blues overtones and country western flavor, it's packing. Opening with, She Stole My Mojo , Johnny Nicholas on vocal, guitars, piano, and harmonica tells a wild tale with a loose riff, joined by Scrappy Jud Newcomb on guitars and vocals, John Chipman on drums, percussion and vocals and Chris Maresh on bass and vocals. This is a wacky track but a memorable one. Nice opener. With it's country strut, Mule and the Devil is a cool track with Newcomb on mandolin and the addition of Chris Stafford on organ. With a funky New Orleans feel, title track, Mistaken Identity is not only a clever story but has nicely blended backing vocals and cool Clavinet work by Eric Adcock. Tight Pants is a super rocker with a high octane rhythm. With it's rock n roll feel and free wheelin' vocals, it's hard not to bop. One of my favorite ...

  I just  had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Brand New Eyes , from Doug MacLeod and it's super. This release on Reference Recordings, Fresh label captures MacLeod alone on acoustic guitar and resonator in a pristine setting. Opening with title track,  Brand New Eyes , MacLeod uses his vocal and finger picking pace to stimulate the track and a foot tap to stabilize the pace. Easing into a John Lee Hooker like trance with resonator and a solid foot stomp, MacLeod really captures the feel of Delta Blues on Something Dark Is Walking . An obvious student of the old masters, this track is spot on. With a traditional rag style and strong finger picking, Zu-Zu Woman is a terrific track and one of my favorites on the release. With raw emotion, I Rolled A Nickel feels delta authentic with the jangle of the resonator and slide, foot stomp and wailing like vocal. Very nice. Story telling country blues, The Nature of the Man has a great tempo and solid vocals ma...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues In My Heart, from Fiona Boyes and it's very good. A remaster of her first solo release from 2000 this is just releases by Reference Recordings and a tight mix. Opening with original track, Blues In My Heart , Boyes on acoustic guitar and vocal shows real finesse, a strong voice and clean execution. On Leadbelly's, Pig Meat , Boyes lets loose on it with much less controlled vocals and really fans the guitar with hot clean runs. Very nice. One of my favorite tracks on the release is ballad, Have Faith , with it's sensitive melody and quiet vocal and guitar blending. In Memphis Minnie style, Honey You Can Take My Man and joined by Kaz Dalla Rosa on harmonica, Paula Dowse on drums and Gina Woods on piano, Boyes really gets a swing on. Excellent! Boyes does a real nice job on Rev. Gary Davis' Mean Old World . Her guitar fingering, thumped accents and bluesy vocals really come together nicely on this one. ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Still , from Malaya Blue and it's a solid release with plenty of soul. Opening with title track, Still , UK singer/songwriter, Malaya Blue is joined by Nat Martin on guitar, Stevie Watts on keys, Mike Horne on drums and Eddie Masters on bass. Really nice vocal phrasing and a solid melody makes this a strong opener. With a funky beat and and some cool organ work, Down To The Bone has a great groove and Martin's guitar soloing is really tasty. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Why Is Peace So Hard with it's gospel overtones. Malaya really works this track and the organ work on Watts drives it home. Excellent! R&B track, You Kiss My Troubles Away has a great beat and with it's rhythmic vocal delivery, a solid radio presence. Another of my favorite tracks is jazzy R&B track, Settle Down Easy with a strong bass line from Masters and a solid vocal delivery by Malaya. Wrapping the release is ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, HypnoBoogie , by The Barrett Anderson Band and it is a super live release. Anderson, who started his professional career at 15 backing Pinetop Perkins and Bob Margolin before joining Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters at 16. After a few years with Earl and another hand full with Monster Mike Welch, Barrett released his first solo release, All The Way Down in 2007 and another, The Long Fall in 2012. This latest release, HypnoBoogie, was recorded live at The Fallout Shelter in Norwood, Mass on February 1, of 2020. Opening with Bo Diddley's, Mona , this band shows you immediately that no one in the crowd is gonna remain seated. with tom tom's flaring courtesy of Doug MacLeod and thumping bass and harmony vocal by Jamie Hatch, Anderson gets things cranking on his guitar and with energetic lead vocal. On Magic Sam's, Lookin' Good , Anderson's driving guitar vamp, pushed by MacLeod and Hatch drives the energy e...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Overlook , from Blind Fiction and it's a cool, blues based rocker. Opening with Better Man , an upbeat, country flavored rocker with a contemporary beat, Tim Wright on lead guitar and vocal, Eric Madunic on bass, keys and backing vocals and Nick Lang on drums set a good pace. Joined by Eric Schoor on sax and Andrew Riehle on trumpet, a solid opener. I really like rocker, Deal With You Later with it's harmonized lead vocals, fanned blues chords and romping bass line. Wright gets loose on this one showing his excellent chops. Mean Old Jack maintains a rock stance but with firm blues footing, and slick slide guitar by Wright. With broad radio styling, Waiting On A Tragedy , utilizes harmony vocals, a strong guitar riff and nice additional keyboard work by Joe Howard, to create the perfect hit combination. Closing the release is You Never Know , with it's basic R&B feel but with a cool hitch rhythm giving it ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, My Blues Pathway , from Kirk Fletcher and it's great. Opening with blues rocker, Ain't No Cure For The Downhearted , Kirk Fletcher opens his newest release with a smooth rolling track. Joined by Travis Carlton on bass, Lemar Carter on drums, Jeff Babko on keys, Joe Sublett on sax and Mark Pender on trumpet, Fletchers vocals are crisp and his guitar riffs fluid. Ballad, Love Is More Than A Word, gives Fletcher a nice chance to play and sing in the soul vein. Reinforced on organ by Babko, and with nice horn work, this is a real nice track also giving Fletcher to scream a bit on guitar. Very nice! In the vein of A Thrill Is Gone, funky, Struggle For Grace is one of my favorite tracks on the release. Fletcher's vocals are perfect and his guitar work fluid and gripping. Switching gear into a rolling blues with a organ vamp by Babko and really strong soloing by Fletcher, this is a great change up. Slow blues, Heart ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Blues , from William Shatner, yes that William Shatner. What's it like...you'll have to see for yourself.  Opening with blues classic, Sweet Home Chicago , Shatner teams up with Brad Paisley who throws down some cool blues and country riffs along with Jurgen Engler on guitar, bass and banjo, Chris Lentz on keys and Adam Hamilton on drums, bass, guitar and harmonica. Shatners vocals are freeform and emotional. Otis Rush's I Can't Quit You Baby , features Kirk Fletcher who runs some real nice glues riffs of his own and manages Shatner's freeform vocals nicely. Cream's Sunshine of Your Love is up next, mostly in spoken word and I gotta say that Hamilton's work on drums is exceptional and Landreth wails on slide. Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore takes BB King's, The Thrill Is Gone to the next level and Shatner's vocals are as relaxed as I've ever heard on this track. Pat Travers ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Mississippi Suitcase , from Peter Parcek and it may be his best yet. Opening with The World Is Upside Down , Peter Parcek opens his grittiest and rockinist release, with a driving rhythm and blazing guitar. With a rock modified blues track, Parcek has lead vocal and guitar, backed by Tim Carman on drums, Tom West on keys, and Marc Hickox on bass. Really solid.  With it's march style snare drum rhythm, Everybody Oughta Make A Change has a cool, relaxed blues feel. Parcek's vocals and lead guitar seem to float over the tight drum pattern giving the track a different kind of feel. Very nice. Bob Dylan's, Beyond Here Lies Nothing, has an interesting, easy Latin feel, reminding me of early Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac Blues band with nice slide work and phrasing by Parcek. Followed by The Supernatural , a strong Peter Green composition, Parcek really works the fretboard over with a strong guitar lead composition...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Volume 1 , from New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers and it's great stuff. Opening with Blues, Why You Worry Me features Charlie Musselwhite on lead vocal  and harmonica. A strong Chicago style shuffle, also includes Alvin Youngblood Hart and Jimbo Mathus on guitars, Jim Dickinson on piano, Luther Dickinson on guitars, mandolin, Cody Dickinson on drums, Chris Chew on bass and Paul Taylor on tub bass. Super opener. Charlie Patton's Pony Blues is a super follow up with it's Hill Country styling and Hart on lead vocal. It's no secret that Mathus is one of my favorite contemporary musicians with his quirky style and super grooves (not to mention his solid country sound). Night Time features Mathus on lead vocal and one of his infectious, funky grooves, driven by Chews' bass line and strong harmonica work from Musselwhite. Very cool. One of those cool party rags, Come On Down To My House , features the late...