Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, 106 Miles To Chicago , from The B. Christopher Band and it's a party band deluxe. Opening with Floyd Dickson's Hey Bartender the band is swinging. With Eddie Testa on vocal, B. Christopher on guitar, Anton Fig on drums, Nick Douglas on bass, Bruce Katz on keys, Andy Snizter on sax, Ryan Keberle on trombone, and Tony Kadleck on trumpet, the house is rockin'. Robert Johnson's Sweet Home Chicago has much of the Blues Brother's swagger with blazing horns, cool piano work by Katz, bluesy guitar swagger by Christopher, a sweltering sax solo by Snizter, warm trombone work by Keberle and smooth vocals by Testa. On Taj Mahal's slinky, She Caught The Katy , Testa really delivers on vocal with Kadleck on trumpet and Studebaker John on harmonica pushing the top. Christopher lays in a real nice guitar solo pulling forth strong emotion from Mahal's original arrangement. Wrapping the release is the horn line...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release,  To The Blues and Back Again , by Val Starr & the Blues Rockets , and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with title track, Been To The Blues & Back Again , Val Starr o lead vocal leads the way with Frankie Munz on harmonica playing over a shuffle rhythm by John Ellis on bass, Pamela Charlles on keys, Kirk Hooper on drums and featuring Timothy Brisson on lead guitar. Boogie track, If You Don't Blues It You'll Lose It , Starr really puts some swing in her vocals, with Brisson on lead guitar and solid bass work by Ellis and cool key work by Arthur. With a Latin flavor, Ask Me No Questions , really features the vocal work of Starr and Arthur on organ, and a sassy sax solo by Marty Deradoorian and Brisson on guitar. Stephen Kimball lays down some real tasty guitar riffs on The Blues That Moves Me , a soulful track that could get some real traction. R&B track Big City Blues , has a cool Booker T feel cou...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Brown Eyed Blues , from Jeff Pitchell and it's a lot of fun. Opening with thumping rocker, Now You Know , Jeff Pitchell on lead guitar and vocal sets a finite reference. With grinding guitar tone and solid bass line from John O'Boyle and Ephraim Lowell on drums, this is a powerful opener. Boogie, Wait , is driven by an aggressive bass line by Mike Nunno and Mike Levesque on drums. Pitchell really gets the track rocking with strong vocal lead and great guitar riffs, backed by Colin Tilton on sax, Dan Fontanella on piano, and John Robinson, Theresa Wright and Linda Ransom on backing vocals. Pop rocker, When We Kiss , has a light finky beat and features Duane Betts on guitar, adding the twin lead guitar closely associated with the famous Allman Brothers band. Jay Vernali on piano and organ, Tommy MacDonald on bass and Tom Hambridge on drums make this the radio choice for the release. Latin flavored, Stay While The Nig...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The New Jersey Sessions , from Sean Hong Wei and Jeremy Monteiro , and I really like it. Opening with Charlie Parker's Dewey Square , Alex Sipiagin on trumpet, Jay Anderson on bass and Evan Sherman on drums lay out the basic rhythm/ melody. Sean Hong Wei leads off with a stimulating solo on tenor sax and Jeremy Monteiro follows with a real nice solo of his own. Sipiagin steps up with a real nice trumpet solo punctuated by Monteiro and Anderson rolls in a real nice bass solo of his own crowned by Sherman on drums. Excellent opener. Influenced by Coltrane's arrangement of Billy Eckstine's I Want To Talk About You , Hong lays down his own interpretation with rich tenor tone. Coaxed by Monteiro and anchored by Anderson and Sherman, this is a solid entry to the set. Marvin Fisher's, W hen Sunny Gets Blue is another rich ballad and Hong's sax really sings it joined by Houston Person. Expressive phrasing and s...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Tornado Watch , from Adam Hersh and it's quite interesting. Opening with Woe V Shade , Adam Hersh on Rhodes piano, Jermaine Paul on bass and Myles Martin on drums create a whirling rhythm. Andrew Renfroe on guitar joins adding to the mix and a very cool tight mix. Parallel Motion is a deeper exploration featuring Evan Abounassar on trumpet and Devin Daniels on Alto sax. Hersh on Rhodes and stepping bass lines by Paul create an intriguing dialog and Daniels on sax plays thoughtfully expressive phrasing. Very interesting. On Concessions there is a distinct change in direction with a more forward melody by Abounassar and Daniels. With a bop driving bass line by Paul and piano encouragement by Hersh, Daniels lays out a real nice solo. Hersh takes the reins and a real nice gallop over Paul's bass line and tight drum action by Martin. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Propellant with a smooth, almost Latin influence....

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Reimagining The Court of the Crimson King and it's a modern day replication of Fripp's early masterpiece. Opening with 21 Century Schizoid Man , Todd Rundgren and Arthur Brown on vocal is a bit more outrageous than Greg Lake's stellar vocals on the original release. Fripp who masterminded everything that KC did played guitar beautifully on the original yet Chris Poland pushes the envelope yet further. Michael Giles, who plays drums on the original track I always thought did a masterful job yet Ian Paice really does a nice job here as well and the addition of Mel Collins on sax really is a great touch. Excellent! One of my favorites form the original composition is I Talk To The Wind with Jakko M Jakszyk on vocal, guitar and keys and he really does a nice job. Django Jakszyk on flute holds the sub melody. Very nice. Danny Faulkner has the lead on Epitaph and really carries it well. Joe Lynn Turner sings Moonch...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Young Man's Blues , by Frankie Boy & The Blues Express and it's strong. Opening with Guitar Jr , a cool jam with a funky, James Brown "Boogaloo" feel. Frankie Boy Blues takes the lead on guitar and vocal with Mickey Maguire on bass, Mike Morgan on guitar and Harrison Foti on drums. Young Man's Blues is a cool, laid back blues with a low slung guitar vamp. Mike Morgan plays a melodic guitar solo with Frankie on vocal and a stiff drum swat by Foti. Very nice. Luther Johnson's Talkin' About Soul is a energetic hi stepper with JB energy. Funky rhythm guitar, a rumbling bass line and a stiff drum swat gives Frankie plenty of room to groove. Lots of fun. Slow blues, Something About You really showcases Frankie's feel for the blues and excellent guitar phrasing. Cheatham's Chicago classic, Black Drawers On , really rolls. With excellent guitar work by Morgan this is one of my favorites...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Tulsa Custom , from Seth Lee Jones , and it's a cool blues rocker. Opening with stylized Texas blues rocker, 110 , Seth Lee Jones creates that overdriven romp that a certain band from Texas made famous. Grabbed chords on guitar and gritty vocals by Jones, solid bass by Bo Hallford and a steady drum beat by Matt Teagarden makes this a very memorable opener. Rockin boogie, All That I Ask has a driving rhythm and a cool moving bass line, snapped in place by Teegarden. I like Jones' approach on guitar soloing. Very cool. Another driving boogie, One Chance , has a terrific groove. Jones' vocals are gritty and Hallford and Teegarden really kick up the dirt. Jones on guitar blends traditional blues rock riffs with more contemporary "tricks" but the end results is solid boogie. Wrapping the release is bluesy ballad, Don't Waste A Thing , with Jones singing with a much silkier nature and melodic guitar solo...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Three Chord Monte , from Tony Romano and I really like it. Opening with fusion track, Cadillac Green , Tony Romano on percussive guitar, Jennifer Vincent on bass and Rob Garcia set a really super groove. Paul Carlon on sax sets up the melody and continues with an aggressive sax groove. Romano takes the lead on guitar and really digs in with percussive guitar rhythm and jazz chords. This really is a super opener. Lay It Down is a jazz rocker with an African rhythm feel. Romano and Carlon alternate and jointly play the compact melody before Romano takes an adventurous run on guitar. This track really has that Kuti vibe and with excellent work by Vincent and Garcia on the bottom this track is hot. Carlon's sax work is terrific with the life of authentic African jazz. Excellent! Camino has a definite Latin feel with a solid bottom by Vincent and Garcia and slick Flamenco style guitar work by Romano. Very nice. Ratatat ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, About Time , from Celos Salim and Darryl Carriere and it's packed full of lively rock and blues. Opening with BBQ , a hot R&B style track with a funky backbeat. Celso Salim on guitar leads this rocker with a cocky strut and Darryl Carriere on harmonica and vocal  really get this track going, backed by Mike Hightower on bass and vocal and David Kida on drums. Solid opener. Jump track, Sweet Thing really has a great feel with excellent riffs and wicked trem bends by Salim and wailing harmonica by Carrier. Excellent! Slow blues, In Your Arms has it all with a strong melody vocal depth by Salim, sumptuous harmonica solo by Carriere and gripping solo by Salim. Very nice. Lightly funky, Get Along is really a cool track with a potent drums rhythm by Kida. Salim and Carriere play a great call and response vocal jibe and tasty work by both , this is one of my favorites on the release. Shuffle, Love On A Shelf has a...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Silver Lining , from Misty Blues , and it's strong. Opening with Seduction By  Blues , Gina Coleman with her deep, thick blues oozing vocals permeate the air. Out of the darkness bursts Seth Fleischmann on guitar backed by Bill Patriquin on bass and Rob Tatten  on drums, driven by David Vittone on keys. Powerful opener.  The Upper Hand had a cool creep about it with atmospheric guitar work woven with Joel Nicolas on keys, Aaron Dean on sax and Patriquin on trumpet. Bluesy rocker, Enough Lovin' For Two and a great sax/bass riff and Fleischmann rips a real nice guitar solo adding nicely to this already cool track. Funky blues rocker, That's My Cross , finds Coleman on vocal over a funky guitar rhythm. I really like the laid out sax solo by Dean and Fleischmann rips a great solo of his making this one of my favorite tracks on the release. Wrapping the release is Blues Never Ends , with the Diego Mongue Band...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Person of Interest , by Billy Price and it's got style. Opening with funky, Inside The Box , Billy Price is back with his next chapter. Notable for a leading vocal style for more than 25 years, Price is joined by Larry Fulfher on bass, Josh Sklair on guitar, Jim Pugh on keys, Tony Braunagel on drums and backing vocals by Masayn Lewis, Fred White and Will Wheaton. Of course there's a great horn section behind him including Ron Dziubla on sax, Eric Spaulding, and Mark Pender on trumpet. Great opener.  Bluesy ballad, Mercy , gives Price a chance to belt one out and warm keys by Pugh under the solid lead guitar work of Fulcher, and a sultry sax solo by Spaulding make this a solid radio contender. Title track, Person Of Interest , really has a funky pop sound in the vein of Steely Dan. Reggie McBride on bass lays in a great vibe and Pugh is killer on keys. Price's vocals are loose and free and Dziubla and Pender do ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent releases, Spirits , by Kid Andersen and Soul , by Lisa "Little Baby" Leuschner released together as a single release (2 discs) and it's great! Opening with slow blues, The Civilized Life , Kid Andersen opens with some of the most powerful music to come out of Greaseland Studio. Andersen is a talented musician across the board and his guitar playing and lead vocals here are really strong. Endre Tarczy on bass, Chris Burns on keys and Mike Rinta on trombone, Dr Aaron Lington  and Stevie Gurr on harmonica add great texture to this excellent opener. Blind Willie Johnson's Nobody's Fault But Mine gets a really nice rework with a slinky feel courtesy Dave LeMieux on drums and Kid on guitar, bass and lead vocal shared with Lisa Leuschner. Check out the outrageous slide guitar work by Kid on Hey, Little Reaper , a Chicago style blues romp with solid harmonica work by Nic Clark and Charlie Musselwhite, coupled with B...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Mariwo^ , from Juan Megna Group and it moves. Opening with title track, Mariwo^ , a fast paced, Latin flavored number, Juan Megna on drums and percussion holds a tight ship. Jose' Luiz Martins on piano sets up the structure with Shawn Purcell on guitar and Leonardo Lucini on bass. Tedd Baker on sax plays a really strong solo, Lucini on bass has a solid solo of his own, David Sacks lays in some great trombone riffs and Megna really takes it home on drums. Powerful opener. F'ara Ogunja' has a driving rhythm and Baker really lays it out there on sax, joined by Sacks on trombone really intensifying the feel. Megna is anything but a quiet drummer with excellent rhythm and driving riffs. Purcell lays out a really nice solo of his own on guitar punctuated by Martins on piano and well placed bass lines by Lucini. Si Estuvieras is a particularly beautiful song composed by Megna and Luis A Perez. With a Lucini on bass,...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, BEATitude , from David Bixler and it's quite enjoyable. Opening with A Power Deferred , alto sax player/ composer, David Bixler sets up a solid melody, caressed by the excellent accent work of Jon Cowherd on piano and Ike Sturm on bass and Rogerio Boccato on percussion. With a lightly salted Latin rhythm and Bixler trades with Cowherd who's piano lines flow nicely and Sturm's bass solo is firm and inciteful. Strong opener. Hide Seek Find has a bit of Bossa Nova in it's blood with Cowherd and Boccato creating the basis for the rhythm and Sturm really working the bass. Bixler, free to play the melodic solo lead. Again, Sturm gets the floor and his freedom to enhance the track is really meaningful. Cowherd takes a nice stroll on piano before joining back to a uniform front giving the track real texture.  Wrapping the release is Lost Hours? No , with it's solemn, alto sax drifting a hint of melody over the...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Slow Ride - Live In Concert , from Foghat and it's an excellent record of the energy produced by one of the best blues rock bands of their time. Spawned from Savoy Brown, Kim Simmonds brain child, Lonesome Dave Peverett (vocal and guitar), Tony Stevens (bass), Roger Earl (drums), joined up with slide master Rod Price and Foghat was an immediate hit. This concert was recorded in 1999 after the departure of Price and joined by Molly Hatchet's Bryan Bassett resulting in this line up. Opening with Drivin' Wheel , Bassett's gain saturated slide work gets things going and Peverett's incredible pipes lead on this terrific opener. Always known as a potent rocker Earl and Stevens provide a serious bottom. Excellent opener. On Elmo James' deep blues, It Hurts Me Too , again Peverett and Bassett have just a magical sound. Soulful vocals and overdriven slide is killer and with Earl and Stevens on the bottom, th...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, One Guitar Woman , from Sue Foley and it's an acoustic solo release in tribute to female pioneers of guitar. Opening with Elizabeth Cotten's Oh Babe It Ain't No Lie , Foley on vocal and guitar delivers this classic blues track with clarity and nicely articulating Cotten's classic guitar styling. Mother Maybelle Carter's, Lonesome Homesick Blues is a nice showcase for Foley vocally and her Davis like turnarounds work really nicely on this track. Spanish styling on Foley and Lydia Mendoza composed, Mal Hombre , is really tasty and Foley singing in both Spanish and English really suits this track. One of my favorites on the release. Classical composition, Romance In A Minor is a beautiful addition to this set. Composed by Niccolo Paganini, this track is all feel. Very nice. Sister Rosetta Thorpe song, My Journey To The Sky is a really soulful composition and Foley does it justice with clean vocals and a ...