Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Parade , from Greg Sover Band and it's a strong rocker with roots in the blues. Opening with Wake Up , a firm rocker with a stiff drum rhythm and grinding guitar riff, GSB lets you know right up front that this is no ordinary blues band. With Sover on lead guitar and vocal, Garry Lee on bass, Allen James on guitars, Wally Smith on keys and Tom Walling on drums, this is a solid opener. On Feelin' Sumthin' , Sover dons a resonation and lays in a cool slide riff pitted with Willing's punctuating snare strike over Lee's active bass line to create a modern, country blues rocker. It's nice to see Jack Bruce's Politician , come out on a new release. I have always love this track and Sover handles Bruce's vocal lead nicely and his own lead guitar is exciting with excellent drumming by Walling and a great bass groove by Lee. Very cool. Wrapping the release is Never Gonna Stop , a classic style ro...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Stone Crazy , by Kevin Burt and it's a cool contemporary blues rocker with a pop edge. Opening with I Ain't Got No Problem With It, a free and easy rocker, Burt on lead vocal, guitar and harmonica is joined by Mike Zito on guitar, Doug Byrkit on bass, Matthew Johnson on drums, Lewis Stephens on keys and Jimmy Carpenter on sax. Purdy Lil Thing has a cool, swampy feel and Burt's deep, smooth vocals are excellent! Johnson's drum touch is terrific and guitar accents by Zito have just the right touch. R&B based, title track, Stone Crazy, has a laid back feel and Burt's vocals float nicely on a lush melody. You Get What You See is a smooth fusion between a blues shuffle and a Booker T jam. With it's driving guitar vamp and Carpenter's sax work, this is a cool track. With it's funky groove, Better Off Dead is one to be reckoned with. Burt lays in the pocket with the confidence of Bill With...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live at the Isabel , from Miss Emily and it's solid. Opening with Sometimes It's Better To Lose, Miss Emily takes command of the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts with her powerful vocals. Backed by Van Sheen, James McKenty and Rob Baker on guitar, Gord Sinclair on bass, Seamus Cowan on bass, Zak Colbert on bass, Sean Jensen and Rob Radford on drums, Benni Vander on keys, Jon "Bunny" Stewart on sax, and Spencer Evans on piano. Who Is He is a slinky R&B number with a cool guitar vamp and lush backing vocals by Kelly Prescott and Chad Murphy on backing vocals. Gospel flavored Three Words , is one of my favorite tracks on the release with super dynamics and heartfelt vocals, accompanied by piano. Very nice. The Letter , made popular by Joe Cocker is up next and really a strong rendition, closely following Cocker's arrangement. Soulful ballad, Blue Is Still Blue is a great showcase for Em...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Bad Man , from Martin Lang and it's pure blues. Opening with Reefer Head Man , a real nice Chicago blues, featuring Martin Lang on lead vocal and harp, Little frank on guitar, Illinois Slim on bass and  Dean Haas on drums. Lang's phrasing and sense of feel is really classic sounding like original Chicago blues rather than a current day take. Very nice. He Don't Love You is a great track with some of Lang's best vocals on the release. His harp tone is warm and round and David Waldman on piano adds classic blues piano. Harp boogie, High as a Georgia Pine is a top notch track with Lang riding high on harp over a solid bass line by Illinois Slim. The Mix Up is another harmonica instrumental with a Latin flavor. Lang has a great feel for just how much harp to add with a great balance of guitar by Little Frank. Mood Indica is a cool, slow blues instrumental with really nice exchanges between Frank and Lang. V...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Brotherhood , from Terminal Station and it's a super blues rocker. Opening with instrumental, Barrelhouse , Terminal Station is off and running with Scott Smith on guitar, Jeremy Holmes on bass, Liam MacDonald on drums and percussion, Darryl Havers on keys and Vic Polyik on harmonica. Cool opener. Chicago Calling is a real cool blues track built around a slide guitar riff. With solid lead vocals and Little Feat like swampy rhythm and slide, clear precise piano work by Havers and the addition of harmonica lead by Polyik this track has a great feel. On bluesy ballad, If You Don't Know Me Now , Smith shows solid vocal footing in R&B with nice piano lead by Havers and a smooth melodic guitar solo of his own over the firm footing of MacDonald and Holmes. Energetic rocker, It's Not The End of the World has strong pop appeal with extensive vocal work, reinforcing snare work by MacDonald and slick, Allman influen...

  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...