Bman's Blues Report

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Does Hound Dog Taylor: Try It... You Might Like It! , by GA - 20 and it's off the hook! First I have to say that I am thrilled to have a vinyl copy of this release and that in itself is a pleasure. I routinely do my reviews at my office using a computer and complimentary speakers and in this case, being able to review on my home system and in my dedicated listening room. I am also going to describe the packaging because that is also a real treat. My personal collection of blues records has at times exceeded 5000 lp's and this is one of the nicest covers both graphically with a photo of Hound Dog Taylor's hand in red on a bright yellow cover and a cover that is built of heavier reinforced cardstock than I remember on any of my records going back to the 50's and 60's... beautiful! The vinyl is heavy duty and as quiet as you could imagine.  Opening with She's Gone, Pat Faherty on lead vocal and madly...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release October 15, 2021, Diddley Bow , from Archie Brown & the Young Bucks , formed in Newcastle in 1975. This release was written and produced in lockdown with a tight sound, despite not being in the same town. Opening with TexMex style, You Just Don't Know , Patrick Rafferty on accordion adds just the right sound to lead the vocals by Kevin McKay and Guitarist Tony Wadsworth. Backed by Chris Ringer on bass and Steve Dolder on drums, this is a cool opener. Straight up rocker, Ballad, Venus in the East is a solid radio contender with a strong melody and classical piano and vocal backing. Blue Bird . with it's Latin jazz rhythm and smooth approach could have broad appeal. Solid underlying guitar lead by Wadsworth and warm backing vocals carry the track and an interesting trumpet solo by ex-Chart Commando's Steve Nash highlight the track. Wrapping the release is Mummy's Boy , a simple ballad with a strong melody ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, What Happens Next , from Davy Knowles and it's an interesting mix of electric blues, rock and acoustic folk. Opening with rocker, Light of the Moon , Davy Knowles on lead vocal and guitar leads the way for this radio style track. Backed by Tod Bowers on bass, Andrew Toombs on keys, and Jeremy Cunningham on drums, this track has an 80's retro feel. Ballad, Roll Me , is a nice showcase for Knowles soulful vocal style and reverb saturated lower octave guitar lead adds a cool suspense over the Toombs work on keyboards. Blues soaked, Devil and the Deep Blue Sea , has a solid melody, a cool guitar vamp, plenty of reverb and some of Knowles' tastiest guitar work on the release. Another choice radio track, River , has a memorable melody and soulful vocals. A bluesy guitar solo by Knowles adds a nice dash of spice but doesn't get too far outside of the basic track framework. Wrapping the release is a very nice acous...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Legends Play The Beatles , from Cleopatra Records , and it's an interesting mix of Beatles covers by notable rock, pop and folk icons. Opening with Here Comes The Sun , Richard Page has the lead vocal and Steve Morse has the guitars, backed by Jay Schellen on drums and Billy Sherwood on keys. With a nearly identical arrangement to the original, Page sets the stage. Heart's Ann Wilson does an acoustic cover of Across The Universe backed by acoustic guitar and percussion. Very nice. Surprise rockers Molly Hatchet Cover Back In The USSR ... Beach Boys style backing vocals and all. Air Supply covers, A Long And Winding Road with a bit more theatrical vocal lead by Russell Hicthcock and nice bass work by Billy Sherwood. Another interesting cover is Tomorrow Never Knows by Electric Moon. Komet Lulu's FX, Sula Bassana synth and drums by Marcus Schnitzler rocks this track. My disappointment on the release is Jack Bruc...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, P apa Didn't Raise Me Right, from The Porkroll Project , and it's a solid mix of rock, blues and country. Opening with title track, Papa Didn't Raise Me Right , lead singer and guitarist, Neil "Porkroll" Taylor is up front setting the mood, backed by Walter Runge on organ, Anthony Pieruccini on bass, and John Thomas on drums. With a Latin rhythm on Down In Mexico , Taylor tells a pretty good story and Thomas does a real nice job on keeping the rhythm tight. Taylor's Santana flavored guitar lead feels good and backing vocals by Runge, Pieruccini and Thomas really work nicely in the mix. Blues ballad, Crescent Moon , sports nice sax work by David Renz and Taylor's lead guitar lead is firm and smooth. Funky mix, Mama Put The Gun Down , really works nicely due to Pieruccini's bass and Runge's organ, under the clever vocal work and some of Taylor's best guitar lead on the release. With ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent self titled release from Rusty Ends Blues Band and it's a cool blues rocker. Opening with What's Next, a crisp, up tempo shuffle, Rusty Ends on lead vocal and guitar pairs up with some muscular harmonica work by Jim Rosen and backed by Dave Zirnheld on bass and Gene Wickliffe on drums. Cool opener. Secrets In The Street has a warmer feel with  Rod Wurtele on B3 and a fluid guitar lead by Ends. With a bit of a Freddie King, Sinner's Strut is a cool shuffle with Ends leading the way on guitar harmony and with Danny Kelly on drums and added percussion by Barry Shaw. Slower blues, Something Wrong Going Wrong , gives Ends a chance to showcase his blues phrasing. Hi vocal styling reminds me a bit of Mike Bloomfield. One of my favorite tracks on the release is rocker, I'm Searching , with it's driving bottom, Wurtele on piano, solid vocals by Ends and relentless harmonica by Rosen. Latin rhythm permeates High Beams ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the newest release (September 24, 2021), Put A Lid On It , by Diane Durrett & Soul Suga and it's a blend of soul, blues and gospel. Opening with In My Soul, Durrett works her magic with a soul base and gospel overtones and rich backing vocals over Yoel B'nai Yehuda on B3, Melissa Junebug on drums/percussion and Gregg Shapiro on bass. Cool opener. I like Sweeter Love Grows as the releases best radio track due to it's sweet melody and nicely blended vocals, a solid guitar solo by Daniel  Groover and some of Durrett's best lead vocals on the release. Another track with gospel overtones, Wish It Would Rain has really solid footings, soulful lead vocals and great, piano and organ work by Yehuda. Very nice. Wrapping the release is punched up funky rocker, Make America Groove , featuring Mike Burton on sax, Melvin Jones on trumpet, Fuji Fujimoto on bass and Ian Schumacher on guitar and a chorus of backing vocalists including Adam M...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Blues Never End , from Elly Wininger and it's a solid take on traditional blues. Opening with Sister Rosetta Tharpe's, Let That Liar Alone , Elly Wininger on lead vocal and guitar and Lou Pappas on upright bass set the bar for the entire release. Elly's riffs are tight and her playing shows her enjoyment for the real deal. Skip James' Special Rider Blues is a particularly cool track with Wininger's voice being nearly as high as James' falsetto vocal. Her acoustic guitar, the only accompaniment for this track is really solid. Title track, The Blues Never End , is a really melodic ballad by Wininger. It's purity and structure make it my choice for radio track on the release and possibly Wininger's best vocals on the release. Tony Joe White's As The Crow Flies is one of my favorites with Wininger on slide/resonator, Mike Merenda on banjo and Eric Parker on percussion. Matching the voc...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (September 24, 2021), Scrutiny , by the Bowmans , and it's a warm vocal release. Opening with Digger , twin sisters, Sarah and Claire Bowman weave beautiful melodic harmonies. Joined by Christian Winiker on electric guitar, Mathias Kunzli on drums and Wolfgang Zwiauer on bass as well as Partik Zosso and Daniel Somaroo on beat programming, this is an interesting. Sarah opens Wildfire accompanying herself on acoustic guitar, backed with cool keys by Claire. Their voices blend so nicely and a strong melody, this track having that special dynamic that really gets your attention. A burst of electric guitar soloing by Winiker drives the point home making it one of my favorite tracks on the release. Very nice. Blue Light is a particularly nice track with lush vocal harmonies and a very delicate keyboard backing. Very nice. Wrapping the release is When It Breaks , a cool track with a simple yet effective melody and subtle piano ...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Can We Get A Witness , from The Georgia Thunderbolts and it's a southern flavored rocker with plenty of swagger. Opening with Take it Slow , lead singer T.J. Lyle hits the road running with solid harmonica lead and a powerful voice. Backed by Zach Everett on bass and keys and Bristol Perry on drums and the grinding guitar work of Riley Couzzourt and Logan Tolbert this track has punch. One of my favorites on the release is Lend A Hand with it's firm footed attack and vocal attitude. The hard drum slam and solid vocal backing works really well with the aggressive guitar work of Couzzourt and Tolbert. A modern remake of the Allman's Midnight Rider really works the vocal pairing of Lyle and Everett with a heavier, more "rock guitar" feel. Another track with a heavy bottom is Half Glass Woman . Perry really sets the pace on this one with overdriven lead guitar, cool slide by Couzzourt and a strong harp l...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Restless , from Jackson Potter , and it's quite good. Opening with Bird Flu , a quick tempo number with aggressive lead lines. Wiithwriter, Jackson Potter on guitar, Patrick Leavy on bass, Gibb Mandish on drums and Leo Folsom on piano and featuring David Mason on sax. Potter's lead lines are clean and unexpected and Folsom and Mason lead lines are pure. Even Leavy get the floor for a short solo and does a great job over the tight riffs of Mandish. This is a great opener. Latin rhythms grace, Mulberry Tree with Potter laying down the supple melody on guitar. Mandish and Folson hold a tight rhythmic envelope with nicely woven sonic passages. Folsom is the first to break loose with his crystal clear piano solo, followed by an inspired bass solo by Leavy. Very nice. Amalfi has a really nice drum line that drives the entire piece. Leavy lays in a solid bass solo, followed by a light breezy guitar solo by Potter. Very n...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (October 1, 2021), Deviate from Standards , from David Larsen and it's primarily built around a modified old school style without the blazing brass section. Opening with A New Thing Comin' , David Larsen on tenor and bari sax leads the way, paired with Greg Yasinitsky on tenor and bari sax as well and backed by Kate Skinner on keys, Josh Skinner on bass and Brendan McMurphy on drums. With tasty soloing by David and Greg and a nice piano run by Ken, a solid opener. Smoke Screen is a driving jam with nice extended lead lines by Larsen and and Danny McCollim on keys as well as the  the addition of McMurphy on trumpet and Nick Isherwood on bass. With it's walking bass line by Skinner, He Who Getz The Last Laugh is a real cool track. Larsen sets a real nice statement with his fluid lines and rich tone and Skinner takes a few bars on bass solo really setting this off. Very nice. With a lot of swing, Into The Mild s...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Dear America , from Eric Bibb and it may be his best in years. Opening with Whole Lotta Lovin' with it's rolling acoustic guitar riff and backing instrumentation by Ron Carter on bass and Glen Scott on keys this track had a very friendly warmness. Shaneeka Simon joins Bibb and Tommy Sims on lead vocal, and teamed with Steffan Astner on slide guitar gives this track strong appeal. Slower, lumbering Whole World's Got The Blues features a nice appearance by Eric Gales who lights up his electric guitar and Sims on bass, and Glen Scott on drums fill out the bottom. A modern take on the delta style blues, title track, Dear America pairs Bibbs acoustic guitar and vocal over Chuck Anthony on electric guitar, Scott on drums and percussion, Christer Lyssarides on mandola and Simon and Big Daddy Wilson on backing vocals. Strong ballad, Emmett's Ghost plays to Bibb's strength in songwriting, vocal and acoustic gu...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Broke Down Busted Up , from Tas Cru and it blends blues, rock and rural styling for a unique sound. Opening with Where Do We Go , Cru, on vocal and acoustic guitar is joined by Anne Harris on fiddle, Mike Lawrence on bass and Andy Hearn on drums for a solid rocker. Title track, Broke Down Busted Up blends a bluesy theme, and a funky beat with a jazz approach for a pretty cool track. With a fiddle solo by Harris, solid piano work by Dave Liddy and a funky bass line by Bob Purdy this track would work nicely on the radio rotation. Cru tips his hand with some clean acoustic guitar work on River of Insanity a jazz influenced rocker. Working in response with Harris on fiddle, this track has a real nice balance. Mary Ann Casale is the featured vocalist on All Stays The Same , a ballad with piano, guitar and club like backing. Latin rhythm permeates Stay Home Blues with strong percussion by Ron Keck, a nice New Orleans styl...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Loud Mind , from Nathan Jacques and it's an interesting blend of acoustic folk, western and pop. Jacques has a potent voice and on the opener and title track, Loud Mind , accompanies himself on acoustic guitar with atmospheric backing by Adam Churilla and Michael Madill on electric guitar, Madill again on glockenspiel, Charles La Cagnina on acoustic bass, Kaya Shaffer and Ed Donnelly on drums and percussion and wailing pedal steel by Tim Fleming. Cool opener. Young Devil has real radio potential with a firm rhythm and forward guitar by Churilla and Jacques on pedal, all presented over a strong melody and nice backing vocals by Tyler Carlson. Bold rock rhythm directs Physical Forever , with Churilla, Jacques, Madill, Donnelly, and John Mueller on electric guitar, deep grinding vocals by Jacques, Donnelly on essential B3, Madill on vibraphone and stiff drum rhythms by Shaffer and Donnelly that really sets this track apa...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Dark Side of the Blues , Pat Fulgoni Live In Prague and it's a smoking cover of some of the top blues tracks that you know. Opening with Sonny Boy Williamson's classic, Help Me , Fulgoni on vocal gets this band rolling with Jan Martinek, Lukas Martinek and Richard Mader exchanging guitar riffs over the keys of Boris Secky and Jan Korinek, Brian Regan, Mick Reed, Vladimir Grunt on drums, and Leos Drabek, Robert Mader and Jason Riley on bass. On soulful, Hard Times , Fulgoni really turns on the heat and his guitar arsenal is right there with him creating a steamy, Ray Charles like feel and featuring Jim Corry on sax. Very nice. BB King's hit, the Thrill Is Gone gets a bouncy rework but without losing it's blues intensity. A real nice showcase for Fulgoni's vocals, the track actually seems to strut rhythmically as it rolls and the guitar intensity is tight. John Lee Hooker's boogie, Think Twice Before...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Porch Sessions Volume 2 , from Tony Holiday and it's a great Chicago style blues party. Opening with She's Tuff , Victor Wainwright and his rhythm section really get things rolling with Wainwright on vocal and piano and Holiday on harmonica. With plenty of attitude in presentation and this dynamic duo, this is a strong opener. Willie Buck has the mic on Honey Bee with Rusty Zinn on slide and Kim Wilson on harmonica. Zinn really conjurs Muddy's tone on guitar and Wilson's sound is fat and rich. Excellent! In more of a Delta styling on Recipe for Love Master , Bobby Rush on vocal and Vasti Jackson on guitar really make a great team serving up a heavy helping of blues. Very nice. Going to Court is a real hot number with James Harman on harmonica and Kid Ramos and Landon Stone laying down pure fire on guitar. Lurrie Bell teams up with harpmaster Mark Hummel on a shortened take on Everyday I Have The Blues bu...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (October 22, 2021), Wood & Waste , from Tom Rodwell and I really like it. English artist and writer Tom Rodwell, now living in New Zealand has completed this most recent work and it's diverse and interesting. Opening with Don't Be A Fugitive All Your Life is a cool mix of Hillcountry Blues styling and primitive rock. It's simple structure, which relly sets it on it's way is propelled by Rodwell and simple blues guitar riff and vocal, Chris O'Connor on drums and Jeff Henderson on bass drum. Very cool. Carry On is a simple straight up rocker with a solid radio melody. Henderson on bass drum and O'Connor work great with Rodwell's guitar environment and cool backing vocals by Colleen Davis. Blues rocker, Touch Me Like A Teddybear is a real interesting track with classic blues guitar riffs with a twist and overlayed guitar work making this one of my favorites on the release. With a Latin beat, ...