Bman's Blues Report

  Blues Rocker Clay Melton Releases Killer EP "Back To Blue"   "We love it! Blues rock the way we like it.."   - Blues Moose Netherlands "It's a fabulous EP! All killer and no filler with this one.." - Barry Maxwell Blues On The Hill Australia     Houston, TX (July 19 2021)   Texas Blues Rocker Clay Melton’s Red Hot New “Back To Blue” EP Twenty seven year old blues rocker Clay Melt...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, What We Did , from C hris Daniels, Hazel Miller, Dana Marsh & Friends and its shows what musicians will do in the face of adversity to help others. This was a virtual concert for Inner City Health who's mission is to reduce the inequity of health and wellness access and delivery in the underserved populations of Denver. Opening with The Doobie's, Takin' It To The Streets , Freddi Gowdy has the mic, backed by Chris Daniels on vocal and guitar, Victor Wooten on bass, Dana Marsh on B3 and Christian Teele on drums. On Albert King's, Born Under A Bad Sign , Gowdy leads the way with a much more soulful approach with Todd Parker Mohr on guitar, Marsh on keys and Teele on drums. Hazel Miller has the mic on soul drenched, Could You Believe . Played with a lot of gospel influence, I like Miller's delivery and the piano/organ backing. Possibly my favorite track on the release. Very nice. Another nice take is Dan...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live On Beale Street: A Tribute To Bobby "Blue" Bland. from Rodd Bland and the Members Only Band and it's terrific! Opening with R&B track, Up And Down World, Chris Stephenson has the lead on vocal and keys, with Rodd Bland on drums, Jackie Clark on bass, Harold Smith on guitar, Marc Franklin and Scott Thompson on trumpet and Kirk Smothers on sax. Great opener. Ashton Riker is on lead vocal on St. James Infirmary and really works it. I've always like this track and this remake works really nicely. Jerome Chism has the mic on R&B track, I Wouldn't Treat a Dog (The Way You Treated Me) with a particularly strong drum rhythm and tight horn backing. Chism's vocals work perfectly on this track and I really like the activity of Bland on drums who really pushes the beat. Excellent! Slower blues, Soon As The Weather Breaks, is one of my favorites on the release with punched horns and suspenseful org...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Rocket Ride , by Broke Fuse , and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with  The Stephenson Swamp Stomp , Jay Moonah, the man behind Broke Fuse, lays down some cool blues harp work, backed only by tambourine, setting the pace for the release. Title track, Rocket Ride , is a driving blues rocker with a great bass/drum rhythm, keyboards and lead vocal, all by Moonah and nicely blended female backing vocal by Debbie Fleming and featuring Mike McKenna on slide guitar. Very cool. Shuffle, One Shot , has a bit of blues and a bit of rock with piano by Eric Lambier and vocal, harmonica, drums, organ and bass by Moonah. A definite radio track candidate. Stingray Blues has a slow easy pace with guitar and drum rhythm. Moonah's vocals are understated but his harp playing sails. Very cool. Pop rocker, Miss Me When I'm Gone , has a really lively beat and is another top radio style track with it's solid melody and rhythm. ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Year of Pain , from Robert Stoner and it's a reflective, folksy, rural collection of ballads. Opening with Just a Riverboat , a cool folk ballad duet with  vocal and violin accompaniment by May Elise, Stoner shows clear songwriting talent and good balance between vocal and accompaniment. Nicely crafted, Holy Grail , is one of my favorite tracks on the release with a haunting melody, nicely blended vocals and guitar work. Another solid track is Hear Their Voices with a strong melody and subtle backing vocals behind Stoner's lead vocal and guitar. Wrapping the release is title track, Year of Pain a solid ballad and it's reflection on today's issues.   If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites b...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (August 20, 2021), Mood Swings, from Andy Peake and it's a mixed bag of  rock, blues, reggae and pop. Opening with radio style track, Make Peace With The Blues , Andy Peake, drummer, lead vocalist and songwriter makes his debut. With John Prestia providing shimmery guitars and James Pennebaker with a really hot guitar solo , Al Hill on keys, and Paul Ossola on bass Peake lays down a cool drum line. Two stepper, If the Blues Was Green is a cool, country flavored rocker with Kevin McKendree laying down some real nice piano work, Pennebaker with some tight twangy riffs and cool doubled vocals by Peake. My favorite track on the release is Bob Dylan's I Shall Be released with strong lead vocal shared with John Cowan, Phillip Wolfe providing really nice piano and organ, Will McFarlane and Prestia again with essential guitar riffs, Bob Marinelli on bass and of course Peake on drums. Light islander, Untangle The Line, ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent releae, Jimi , from 2B3 and I really like it! Opening with Purple Haze , classic Hendrix, 2B3  translates one of Hendrix's heaviest tracks into a cool jazz fusion wonder. Featuring Jeff Jenkins on B3 and synthesizer, Mike Abbot on electric guitar and Mike Marlier on drums, this is a great fusion interpretation. Yeah, there's plenty of guitar but in this case it's the raw edge of jazz with a funky edge, ever pushing B3 and really tight drums riffs. Excellent! On one of Hendrix's most beautiful compositions, Little Wing , Abbot has the vocal lead, but on guitar with understated lead lines and shared B3 lead with a slightly Reggae rhythm. Very tasty lead runs by Abbot that have a bit of grit but maintain the basic melody structure give this track every bit of breath as Derek and the Dominos or SRV's formidable renditions. Very nice. Hey Joe is so reworked with warm funky texture and clean guitar lead that I never ...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Folk Songs, Jazz Journeys , from Alex Martin and it's quite good. Opening with Postal De Bata , a heavily Latin influenced instrumental, Alex Martin on acoustic guitar, Keith Butler Jr. on drums, Tyler Sherman on bass and Uasuf Gueye on balafon, this track really has a Central American flavor. Gueye's playing is central to the theme and Martin's guitar soloing is cool. Another track with a light Brazillian flavor, Viceversa ,  features Maya Rogers on vocal and tightly articulated guitar riffs over brushed drums and bass. Triangulo is very reminiscent of Brazilian jazz from a few decades ago. Without adding a lot of contemporary frill, Elin Melgarejo's lead vocals and Martin's electric single line guitar soloing make a very nice pair. Backed by Butler on drums, Foote on bass, Deepak Shenoy on tabla and Bruno Lucini on triangle, this track moves nicely. My favorite track on the release is Rue Des Ursuli...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (August 20, 2021), Beautiful Things , by Keny Shanker and it's a warm blend of cool bop and jazzy pop. Opening with original composition, Cool Mint , Kenny Shanker is upfront on sax carrying the melody. Blowing solid bebop riffs and paired with Mike Eckroth on piano, and Daisuke Abe on guitar, this is a strong opener with a solid bottom by Yoshi Waki on bass and Brian Fishler on drums. Another original track, Prestissimo , is excellent with aggressive sax runs by Shanker and fine trumpet lead by  Bill Mobley and crisp piano soloing by Eckroth. Very nice. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Mirth with it's searching sax lead lines and classic piano/bass/drum backing. Mobley pops in again with some really solid trumpet lead and again, Eckroth follows with a great piano lead. Really nice. With a great play on and original classic, Without A Song , has a great bottom and Shanker really hangs it out there with...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (July 9, 2021), That's What I'm Talkin About , from Sean Chambers and I really like it. Chambers put together this release as a tribute to Hubert Sumlin who he played with  for over 4 years, in fact the title of the release is due to it being a phrase that Hubert used frequently. Opening with blues rocker, Hubert Sumlin's Chunky , a funky instrumental, features Chambers on lead guitr, Bruce Katz on B3, Andrei Koribanics on drums and Antar Goodwin on bass.  With strong blues rock guitar lead and solid phrasing, this is a super instrumental opener. Howling Wolf's Rockin' Daddy gets a really hnice Wolf like vocal lead and Chambers' guitar lead is nothing short of electrifying. On St' Loius Jimmy Oden's Goin' Down Slow , Chambers works the space with excellent phrasing and his attack has fire that I've rarely heard from contemporary blues players except SRV. Excellent! On Willie Dixon...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Relish , from Dave Kalz , and it's a strong retro blues rocker. Opening with Mexico with it's drum heavy rhythm, hits the road running right from the start with Kalz on guitar and vocal, Greg Hulub on bass, Lewis Stephens on organ and Kevin McDonald on drums. Kalz of course brings experience from being a founder of Honeytribe with Devon Allman, as well as other high profile groups. On title track, Relish , with it's British blues influences, Kalz stretches a little on guitar with it's continuous guitar runs. Very cool. Werewolf Blues is one of my favorites with it's sauntering shuffle beat and realy cool electric and slide guitar riffs from Kalz and Mike Zito. Stone Cold Stuck is a hot rocker with laid out rock n roll riffs and a driving bottom. Texas style blues rocker, Route 666 not only has a great rock form but excellent guitar riffs and tone and traces of RBG. Surf rocker, She's Got A Hemi i...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (July 16, 2021), Resurrection , from Mike Zito, and it's a cool blues rocker with a lot of snap. Opening with JJ Cale's, I'll Make Love To You , Zito works this blues rocker with real radio appeal. His slide work and vocals are solid, backed by Zach Zito on vocal and guitar, Matthew Johnson on drums, Doug Byrkit on bass, Lewis Stephens on keys, Eric Demmer on sax and Fernando Castillo on trumpet. Lain back, country flavored, In My Blood is a real nice track with sparkling guitar riffs and solid lead vocal, backed nicely by Lisa Leuschner Andersen. A rework of Clapton's Presence of the Lord works nicely with this set and Zito's vocals work nicely with his Clapton like guitar riffs, expanded to his own, more wide open jamming style giving the track more bite. Very nice. Blues ballad, Damned If I Do , has strong radio appeal with Zito showing both soulful vocals and nicely phrased guitr phrasing. Very nic...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (July 16, 2021), Bayou Liberty , from Tiffany Pollack & Co. and it's a cool blend of New Orleans blues and country. Opening with Spit on Your Grave , a solid shuffle, Tiffany Pollack on lead vocal shows her power, backed by John Nemeth on harmonica, Brandon Brinious on guitar, Stoo Odom on bass, Christopher on sax and Ian Petillo on drums. The track has just the right amout of grit to make it different. Very cool. Colors has a real nice sway to it with Pollack riding the wave and nicely stylized guitar lead by Brunious. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Sassy Bitch , a funky blues rocker with it's obvious hook and some real lnice sax work by Johnson. With a light country flavor, Baby Boys is a cool ballad with strong lead vocals and with nice steel guitar highlights by Eric Lewis. With a bit of R&B worked into it's country roots, Livin' For Me has a funky bottom and Johnson shines on sa...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Back From The Edge , from Mark Cameron and it uses blues roots to explore mostly pop branches of the rock tree. Opening with funky salted, It's Alright , with Mark Cameron on guitar and vocal, backed by Sheri Cameron on percussion, Scott Lundberg on bass, Rick Miller on harmonica and Dan Schroeder on drums, this opener has a great beat and some real nice guitar riffs. Blues shuffle, 2nd Job has a cool guitar riff and just the right harmonica tone to give the track a nice edge. Blues rocker, All There Is To It, has a solid bet and with a memorable melody, bluesy guitar runs. sax work by Sheri and fat harmonica tone by Miller, a likely radio track. Blues rooted Dollar For Liquor, has a cool bass line, nice slide by Cameron, subtle sax work by Sheri and relentless harmonica work by Miller. Wrapping the release is popp rocker, Lost and Found with nicely blended vocal harmonies and a cool melodic guitar lead. Solid clo...

 I just had the opportunity t oreview the most recent release, Hope Dies Last , from Steve Marriner and it's a  blues fuzed rocker. Opening with Take Me To The City , Daniel Neill sets a stiff snare beat, Joined by Jim Bowskill on lead guitar and Ian McKeown on bass and of course Marriner on lead vocal, guitar and harmonica. Strong opener. High energy rocker, How High is one of my favorites on the release with Glenn Milchem on the drum kit and Bowskill again on lead guitar. Marriner has a markledly more rocking sound and it's tight. Samantha Martin guests with Marriner  on lead vocal on Enough with Jesse O'Brien on piano and B3, Darcy yates on bass, Boswkill on steel guitar and Milchen on drums. This is the definite radio track on the release with a solid melody and smooth presentation. Another really cool track is Uptown Lockdown with it's funky bottom courtesy Yates and Milchen and fat lead guitar work by Boswkill. Very cool. Petite Danse has a definite French/New...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Stop, from Robert Billard, and it's a pop rocker wiith some edgy guitar. Opening with Road To NoWhere, Robert Billard shows his traditional ballad vocal style with side guitar vamps, and thumping kick drum. JW-Jones lays down some real nice melodic guitar lead on Waiting For The land To Dry, joined by A-Train Boynton on bass and Clayton Hill on drums. No Shape For Talking is a cool radio hit with aggressive rock guitar soloing by Wild T Springer and Murray Peter on keys. Groove is a modified boogie with a lot of that George T. vibe. With JW-Jones grinding the guitar lead, Tobin Frank on bass, Porter on keys and Hill on drums, a cool blues number. Nothing Can Stop Me Now is an upbeat jazzy number featuring Jones on guitar, Kenny Blues Boss Wayne on keys, A Train on bass and Hill on drums. With over 6 minutes, these guys get a chance to jam a bit with nice piano passages from Wayne. Wrapping the release is Home, featuring...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blood On The Strings , by John D'Amato and it's a cool mix of blues and rock. Opening with slick rocker, Working Girl , John D'Amato really shows a good had on guitar and lead vocal, backed by Carl Brenner on drums, Hottube Willie Scruggs on bass,and Dan Nadassi on keys. Cool opener. Swinging shuffle, Break Your Heart features Lauren D'Amato on lead vocal, and a cool lead guitar demo by John. With John Green on bass and Brenner on drums, a cool track. Title track, Blood On The Strings is a driving boogie with a a solid bass line by Scruggs and John on lead vocal and guitar. Slow R&B style ballad , What Happened , features John and Lauren on lead vocal duet, balanced by John's stinging guitar riffs. Using a classic blues vamp and ripping blues riffs on Walk on Water , D'Amato on lead vocal and guitar sets up a real nice blues track with a strong rhythm guitar line and bottom. Very cool. Wrappi...