Bman's Blues Report

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Tryin' To Get Home , from Andy Cohen and it's a cool, rural blues release. Opening with Blind Boy Fuller's Step It Up And Go , Andy Cohen wastes no time in showing that he's a serious student of the blues and a solid vocalist. His finger picking work is strong and his vocal delivery perfect. Excellent opener. Cohen shows broad versatility sitting behind the piano on Louis Jay Meyers Memorial Stomp . This is a really nice piano blues and with great feel, and a strong composition by Cohen. Another Cohen original, Puffin' That Stuff is one of my favorites on the release. A short finger picked guitar rag, this track will be a favorite in concert and on the disc. Very cool. Mississippi John Hurt's Talkin' Casey , is a classic blues story track with Cohen punctuating Casey's story with acoustic slide. Very nice. Reverend Gary Rag is a great tune and a cool tribute to Davis by Cohen. With his fl...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, If You Can't Be Good, Be Good At It!, by Mick Kolassa and I think it's his best release yet. Opening with I Can't Help Myself, a R&B style track with a light funky beat featuring Kolassa on lead vocal and acoustic guitar, Jeff Jensen on electric guitar, Bill Ruffino on bass, John Blackmon on drums, Rick Steff on keys, Marc Franklin on trumpet, and Kirk Smothers on sax, this is a solid opener. With deep gospel richness, James Taylor's Lo and Behold has great guitar underpinnings and super vocal by Yullie Brae. Rocking title track, If You Can't Be good, Be Good At It! is clever and has solid guitar riffs by Jensen, and power horn work by Franklin and Smothers. My favorite track on the release, A Good Day For the Blues , features nice guitar work by David Dunavent and Jensen and some of Kolassa's best vocal work on the release. Smooth blues ballad, Slow and Easy Love gives Jensen a wide road to...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues Bash , by Duke Robillard & Friends and it may be his best recent release. Opening with Do You Mean It , Chris Cote is up front on lead vocal with Robillard on guitar, Bruce Bears on piano and Hammond, Mark Teixeira on drums and Jesse Williams on bass. With it's up tempo shuffle feel and super lead work by Robillard, super opener. Piano boogie, What Can I Do showcases strong piano by Bears and super sax by Greg Piccolo, Rich Lataille and Doug James and again. With Cote on lead vocal again and some really hot guitar riffs by Robillard, this track spins. With it's bluesy lope, Rock Alley is a great track to show Robillard at his best. His guitar phrasing is terrific and his feel is soulful. A bluesy sax solo by Lataille really adds great spice on this track. Very nice. Michelle Willson steps up on lead vocal on swing track, You Played On My Piano giving it a great feel and a rich, fat, sax solo by James r...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, So Much Trouble , from David Rotundo Band , and it's tasty. Opening with She's Dynamite , a strong blues rocker, features David Rotundo on lead vocal and harmonica, Milky Burgess on guitar, Ron Weinstein on organ and piano, Dean Schmidt on bass, Andrew Cloutier on drums and Darian Asplund on sax this is a super opener. Slower blues, I Must Be Crazy , is one of my favorite tracks on the release with solid lead vocal,  Weinstein really working the organ and fine guitar work by Burgess. Very cool. Too Blue , with it's easy sway is another cool track with haunting backing vocals by Annie Jantzer always strong lead by Rotundo and wailing guitar work by Burgess. Drinking Overtime is a swinging shuffle with over the top organ by Weinstein and solid sax by Asplund. Rotundo wails on harmonica and works his vocals into a frenzy. Trying to find it is a solid rocker with group vocal featuring Rotundo, Lee Oskar, Erik Yager...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Vortex , by Tim Woods and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with Ready , a cool straight up rocker with solid gritty vocals by Tim Woods who also plays some pretty serious lead guitar, backed by Bobby Lee Rodgers on guitar, bass, drums and keys. Very cool. Title track, Vortex , has an interesting sound along the lines of Wishbone Ash with an almost ethereal feel, crisp drum work and strong vocal backing by Derek Woods and Ryan Woods. Sage is an interesting self perpetuating, guitar lead, instrumental with full organ backing by Rodgers. This is my favorite track on the release. Light shuffle, I Don't Know Yet really has a crisp, jazzy feel with a great strutting rhythm. Woods' vocals are breezy and his guitar lead is fluid and resolved. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Water Is Life , a firm ballad with primarily rhythm guitar backing with cool undercurrents of key and drums. This is a solid closer to an enj...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Star of Stage and Screen , by Bob Margolin and it is a continuation of his most recent acoustic release, This Guitar and Tonight. Opening with acoustic blues and title track, Star of Stage and Screen , Margolin is back with his voice and guitar. A cool, stripped down delta style shuffle, Margolin sits upfront with a mostly vocal track with a tight rhythm and some cool riffs. My favorite track on the release is After Party with it's up tempo shuffle beat, straight up acoustic rhythm guitar and some real nice slide, all by Margolin. Another favorite on the release is ruff and tumble, Let It Go with it's slide guitar signature riffs and Margolin's best vocals on the release. Wrapping the release is March 2020 In Stop Time , with Margolin working his words about the state of politics and the current US leadership. maintaining the track to mostly vocal with accent guitar, it's true to it's blues roots and...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Soft Hard & Loud, from Dennis Jones and it's a cool blues rocker. Opening with Revolves Around You, with it's reggae/funky beat fueled by Cornelius Mims on bass, Raymond Johnson on drums and the vocal and guitar lead of Dennis Jones. His melodic, yet fiery lead work works nicely with this radio focused track. Cool opener. I Love The Blues is a solid blues ballad with Bennett Paysinger on B3 and along with Jones' warm vocals some real tasty guitar work. With a lot of fire, Front Door Man has a driving SRV like vamp. Layered lead guitar work by Jones really sets up this blues rocker nicely. Another track with a strong shot of radio appeal is funky blues rocker, Gonna be Alright . Fluid lead guitar soloing and a cool melody really sets this track apart. The anchor on this release and my favorite is slow blues, I'm Not , with it's T-Bone Walker structure and with Jason Freeman on B3. Jones really t...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Tribute , from Jack De Keyser and it's  straight up rocker. Opening with the driving, Are You Ready? , De keyser on lead vocal and guitar is joined by Alan Duffy on bass, Nick Succi in piano and organ and Peter Grimmer on drums. De Keyser has a distinctive and particularly active guitar style and this is a solid opener. With the addition of Richard Thornton on sax, On the Money has a funky sound along the lines of Stax but with great blues guitar soloing. Very cool. Coming Up has a definite driving rock beat with traces of Don Nix and Jeff Beck. Duffy's romping bass line accented by Succi on piano and de keyser's scorching guitar soloing makes this my favorite on the release. Supernatural has a Spanish flavor and with it's smooth melody, works nicely with Carlos Santana like guitar riffs. Blues ballad, You Turned My World to Blue , will be my choice for radio track on this release with it's catchy mel...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, 400 Bears by a band with the same name ( Paul Wilkinson , artist) and it's a cool mix or country, rock, blues and blue grass. Opening with Borderline , an easy flowing jam style track along the line of Hot Tuna with just a dash of gospel with country rock style guitar lead, organ and tight drum rhythms. Solid opener.  With a mic'd resonator and steel style riffs, Holy Place has a real country sound and a strong melody. Wilkinson's vocals and backing vocals blend just perfectly. Take It Slow is a great track with bluegrass roots and a freewheeling tempo. Wilkinson really hits the nail on the head perfectly. Based on a Jimmie Rogers rhythm, Small Town crosses over between country, jazz and blues. With a full organ chorus and light snare work under low end fret work along the lines of Bill Kirchen, this track gets into a nice groove. Finger picking a metal bodied resonator guitar and with the addition of slide, c...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Something Good , from JD3 & The Jondo Trio and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with Restless Soul , Nate Mosley on lead guitar and vocal, backed by Stu Way on bass, Paul Osborn on drums and Chris Dafford on keys and horns set up a great track. With a solid rhythm and grinding guitar work by Mosley this is a strong opener. With a funky, soulful Albert King like approach, Big Daddy is one of my favorite tracks on the release. Mosely has a deep, gritty voice and with a full bottom, cowbell and confident guitar lead, over a tight bass line, this is a great groove. Texas is a cool, laid back rocker with pocked guitar riffs that will throw you back in your seat. The band has just the right swagger and behind the powerful vocals of Mosely, this band has something special. Bluesy ballad, Try, Try, Try has a strong melody falling right in the Ray Charles roadway with tight soulful guitar lead and soloing. This is a g...

Leslie West, born Leslie Weinstein, has passed away. The iconic guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and storyteller has left a legacy that to this day is celebrated by peers and fans across The World.   Weinstein was born in New York City, and first emerged in the scene as a member of The Vagrants. A few years later he and Felix Pappalardi formed Mountain, a band that was amongst the first to pioneer the genre later to become known as Heavy Metal. Hits that include “Mississippi Queen,” “Theme From An Imaginary Western,” and others established an indelible voice and guitar tone that remains legendary to this day. In 1969, West brought his presence to the stage at Woodstock.   As the decade turned, he formed West, Bruce and Laing with his band-mate from Mountain drummer Corky Laing and Cream’s Jack Bruce. In, 1971 West contributed to The Who’s Who’s Next sessions in the city, performances which can be heard on the 1995 and 2003 reissues of that cornerstone album.   Alongside hi...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Grass Ain't Greener on the Other Side , by Peter Veteska & Blues Train and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with Am I Wrong Pretty Baby , singer/songwriter and lead guitarist, Peter Veteska starts off with a cool slinky blues, with Mikey jr. on harmonica, Alex D'Agnese on drums, Jeff Levine on B3 and Coo Mo Jee on bass. With it's Latin blues rhythm, Running Like A Dog . is strong with a really nice B3 solo by Levine and solid vocals and tasty guitar riffs by Veteska. My favorite track on the release is shuffle track, You Give Me Loving with a cool guitar/B3 intro and solid vocals. Veteska really gets the crew would up on this one and his guitar soloing is sharp and tight. R&B track, Thinking and Drinking has a light, upbeat rhythm and with balanced vocal and guitar melody, makes this a likely radio track for the release. Willie Cobb's You Don't Love Me is a great cover with a snappy dru...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Faith In The Blues , from Sam Barlow and it's solid. Opening with scorcher, Sittin' In The Jailhouse , lead vocalist and guitar player, Sam Barlow wields his guitar sounding like the second coming of Johnny Winter on slide. Joined by Erwin Solback on piano, Joseph Seltzer on drums and Anthony Movsesian on bass, this is a terrific opener. Breaker Box Blues is a really strong track with an excellent melody, vocal and a power punch by Barlow on guitar. His riffs are tight, ripping and emotional. In addition, Barlow plays a mean harmonica on this track, backed by Izzy Aguirre on keys in addition to Seltzer and  Movesesian. Excellent! Anika Chambers works her magic on vocal with Barlow on Willie Dixon's My Babe , nicely complimented by cool organ solo by Aguirre. Funky, Get Off Me , really gets a workout by Seltzer and Movesesian (who lays in a hot bass solo) with rhythm guitar, vocal and harmonica by Barlow. He cu...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Fading Away , from Artur Menezes , and it's a strong contemporary blues rock entry. Opening with title track, Fading Away , with a catchy melody and Hendrix style riffs, a drone bass riff and a wide open pathway for nicely crafted guitar soloing by Menezes. Backed by Gui Bodi on bass, Lemar Carter on drums and Kesha Shantrell and Revel Day on backing vocals. Solid opener. Come On is a strong blues rocker with a cool tapping riff and a driving bottom. With the addition of Joe Bonamassa on guitar, this track has some really nice guitar work and a great rock feel. Instrumental, Northeast , with it's jagged drumming against offset soaring guitar guitar soloing is a real interesting track. Very nice. With a lush, jazzy feel, Free At Last featuring Josh Smith on guitar, and Carey Frank on B3,  Travis Carlton on bass, Matt Mitchell on rhythm guitar has a definite Brazilian feel. Very cool. Wrapping the release is Green...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, 50 Years of Jethro Tull , from Martin Barre and it's surprisingly fresh. Like most everyone, I was a Tull fan in the past but have more recently tired from hearing them over and again. I was quite surprised when I started listen to this release how new and interesting it sounded. Opening disc one with My Sunday Feeling ,  Martin Barre, one of the first guitarists with Tull plays guitar with Dan Crisp on vocal and guitar, Alan Thomson on bass, Josiah J on keys and Darby Todd on drums. With it's tight boogie like delivery, this is a super opener for this new release. Barre's guitar lead is free and flowing. Love Story is a cool rocker with power guitar riff and a British sound but lacking much of the drama present in a lot of the Tull work. Very cool. Song For Jeffrey has me rocking in my seat with it's driving beat and scorching guitar riffs, driven hard by Todd on drums. The duplicated guitar intro on Not...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Crawling Spider: A Tribute To Mike Montgomery Vol.1: The LA Sessions. The release was compiled by Marlon Montgomery, son of Back Street Crawler keyboardist and composer, Mike Montgomery who passed in 1991 of lung cancer. Opening with Survivor ,  featuring Robbie Wyckoff on lead vocal, Billy Watts and Johnny Lee Schell on guitar, Tony Braunagel on drums, Terry Wilson on bass and Adam MacDougall on keys, this is a solid rocker. It's A Long Way Down is a cool British style blues rocker with a strong Bad Company feel. Lead vocals by Wyckoff and great backing vocal by Teresa James and Terry Wilson along with Braunagel make this track a standout. 99 Days is a straight up rocker along the lines of the Stones and Mark Campbell has the mic with cool slide work by Schell and Adam MacDougall on keys. All The Girls Are Crazy (Flood The Engine) has a real swagger with a great guitar vamp by Bill Leverty and lead vocal by Jim...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Rise Above , from Billy J and it's a solid rocker. Opening with She's Mine, a cool 60's style rocker features Billy J on vocal and guitar, Yonrico Scott on drums, Charlie Wooton on bass, and Jeremy Baum on keys, this track could have turned up on an early Englisher metal rocker. Cool opener. Shuffle, Line Em Up is a slick blues rocker with a tight bass line and solid guitar riffs. Slow blues ballad, New Car , gives Billy a strong opportunity to step up and show his stuff soloing. With a play on words with the lyrics and a plenty of space to move, Billy sets a great table. She is a simple, mostly acoustic ballad that would seem to be a direct tune for the radio. With the melody of a Lindsay Buckingham composition, this track is mellow and tight with a nice melodic guitar solo. Wrapping the release is Boomerang , a strong rocker with a driving beat and ripping guitar lead. This is likely my favorite track on t...

 I just had the opportunity to review the latest release, Love & Desperation , from Rick Shea and it's a cool mix of country, tex mex and rock. Opening with Blues Stop Knockin' At My Door, with a great country feel and a dash of Accordion by Phil Parlapiano, bass by Jeff Turmes and drums by Shawn Nourse. Shea does a great job on lead vocal and guitar. Super opener. Down At The Bar At Gypsy Sally's is an interesting story track with shimmery guitar behind Shea's vocals and Jim Turmes on sax complimenting Shea's stylistic guitar work. Nicely crafted ballad, A Tenderhearted Love with it's memorable melody is my choice to the radio track. With it's easy guitar hook and warm B3 work by Parlapiano this track is a radio standout. Another favorite on the release is Tex Mex track, Juanita (Why Are You So Mean) with accordion and tight snare rhythm supporting Shea's vocal work. Mystic Canyon is a real nice western flavored instrumental with Shea dabbing t...