Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Somewhere Not Here , by D. Scott Riggs and it's a super take on traditional acoustic blues. Opening with Hard, So Hard Sometimes , D. Scott Riggs has the perfect combination of gravely vocals and resonator guitar presenting spartan blues. His delivery is unwavering and solemn. Gripping opener. Nicely articulated finger picking carries Riggs gritty vocals on Troubled, So Troubled with his paired vocal and guitar melody and well adorned yet brief, guitar turnarounds between chorus'. Very nice. Riggs presents a more contemporary sound on These Walls Don't Own Me without breaking his traditional blues presentation. I like his almost Farka Toure' guitar styling on this track giving it a brighter, change up. Instrumental, The Breaking of The Day is a really nice track with a great melody and the addition of slide to the turnaround is haunting. Excellent! Wrapping the release is Goodnight My Angel, Goodnight , ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, With Love , by Mitch Ryder and it's an interesting mix of rock and R&B tracks. Opening with Lilli May , an up tempo rocker featuring Ryder on lead vocal, Dave McMurray on sax, Luis Resto on keys, Roscoe White on guitars, Jeff Canady on drums, Mahindi Masai on percussion and Chuck Bartels on bass. Solid opener. Sanguine is one of my favorite tracks on the release with it's lightly salted Latin influence and super guitar soloing by Laura Chavez. Another Latin flavored track, Oh What A Night , really has a great rhythm featuring Masai on percussion and Resto on keys. Ryder's vocals, backed by Hershel Boone and Terena Boone give it just the right flavor and McMurray's sax solo really tops it off. Fly is on of my favorite tracks on the release with it's funky rhythm and solid vocals by Ryder and Boone. McMurray steps up again on sax and Canady's drum work really shines on this track. Wrapping the r...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release,  Blues Cut Like Glass , by Matt "The Rattlesnake" Lesch and it's hot. Opening with Feel So Good , an up tempo shuffle featuring Matt "The Rattlesnake" Lesch on lead vocal and realy laying down some excellent lead guitar work. Backed by Chuck "Popcorn" Louden on drums,  and Taylor Streiff on organ, this is an excellent opener. Low slung, Big Legged Woman , opens with a fat sax lead by Ian Buschmann with Ben Schafer on tenor sax, Dan Smith on tenor, Streiff on piano, Gus Thornton on bass and Louden on drums setting a solid platform for more of Lesch's blue guitar riffs. Very cool. Latin flavored blues, Sittin' At The Station has a Peter Green feel with clear single line lead over rich cords and with strong vocals by Lesch and warm organ by Wayne Sharp, John Davies on bass and Louden on drums, this is a real nice track. Title track, Blues Cut Like Glass , has a deep, Gary Moore feel ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the mot recent release, Eye Of The Storm , from Murray Kinsley & Wicked Grin and it's strong. Opening with gritty Ray Wylie Hubbard's blues rocker, Snake Farm , Murray Kinsley on lead vocal and cigar box guitar slides in with thick overdrive and bluesy finesse. Dave Tettmar on drums pairs with Laura Greenberg on bass and backing vocal, setting a rock solid bottom and Steve Marriner adds great harmonica riffs making this a dynamic opener. Driving rocker, Dressed In Black , is led by Jesse O'Brien on organ, Greenberg on bass  and Kinsley on vocal and guitar but features hot harmonica riffs by Marriner. With Britsh blues overtones, this track has a great flair. Shuffle, Friday Blues , has a cool, easy pace ana features Marriner on harmonica and Kinsley on vocal upfront. O'Brien on piano lays in a real nice solo followed by Marriner making this track the most logical radio track. Wrapping the release is Blues For Sorrow , a solid, ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Breaking News , from McKenna Moonah Blues Duo and it's a solid blues rocker. Opening with title track, Breaking News , Jay Moonah on lead vocal and harmonica and bass/percussion creates the structure of a Texas boogie with Mike McKenna playing lead guitar throughout.  Thursday Night Boogie has a great feel with Moonah on vocal and harmonica leading the way and McKenna playing lead and some fine guitar riffs in answer. I really like the feel on Adria for radio track with it's driving bottom and vocals by Moonah and straight forward melody. Wrapping the release is Scarborough Blues with McKenna on acoustic slide and Moonah on vocal and harmonica. Cool, country blues closer.   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 aud...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Been A Long, Long Time , by Mark Muleman Massey , and it's a strong mix of blues, soul and R&B. Opening with title track, It's Been A Long, Long Time Clayton Ivey on keys and Robert Fossen on harmonica set the pace for Mark Muleman Massey on lead vocal and guitar, backed by Roger Starr on drums and  Bob N. Weaver on bass. On funky blues, Can't Tell Me Nothing About The Blues showcases Massey on lead vocal over Ivey's active keyboard work and features a nice slide solo by Billy Lawson. Give Me Your Love is a terrific soul track featuring Massey really belting the blues over the warm keyboard backing of Ivey. Very nice. Another soulful track, Bobby Womack's I'm Sorry About That , really hits a sweet spot with excellent vocals by Massey and lush horn backing by The Webster Street Horns. Wrapping the release is Your Good Stuff, a funky radio track with Massey on vocal with tight rhythm by Starr ...

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Breadman's Blues , by The Bob Lanza Blues Band , and I really like it. Opening with Johnny Jihngo , a cool blues rocker, Bob Lanza is upfront on guitar and vocal with healthy sax work by Nick Conte. Eric Heilner on keys,  Steve Kirsty on bass and Nick Fishman on drums keep it tight and the slashing guitar lead of Lanza really delivers. Excellent opener. Strutting blues rocker, Cut Off My Right Arm really hits the slot with gripping SRV/Albert King style guitar attack and his vocals are gritty and real. Really nice. Ballad, Same Old Blues , has a strong melody, supported by Heilner on keys and Lanza's guitar chops are A1. Shuffle, A Man Like Me, has traditional form and solid lead lines supporting some of the best vocals on the release. Honey Hush has a great, Latin rock twist giving Lanza, Heilner on piano and Vin Mott on harmonica great room to solo. Very cool. Roller Coaster has that signature Allman Brothers/D...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Under A Lavender Sky , by Ermelinda Cuellar and it's really smooth. Opening with classic Latin jazz track, Poinciana adapted from a Cuban folk song by Simon and Bernier. Presented with clear vocals by Ermelinda Cuellar on vocal and surrounded by rhythm by Anthony Caceres on bass, and Marlon Simon on percussion and featuring a strong guitar solo by Greg Petito, this is a solid opener. Mucenca Rota is a rich Peruvian ballad written by the Quinteras and Cuellar really digs deep emotive presentation. Featuring Darrell Lavigne on piano, Jerre Jackson on drums and Deborah Ungar on accordion, this is a nice entry to the set. Johnny Mercer's classic, Midnight Sun is another top track with super lead vocal by Cuellar. Lavigne on piano, Jackson n piano, Andre Hayward with a soulful trombone solo, Petito on guitar, and Caceres on bass really give the track nice balance. Horace Silver's classic, Song For My Father real...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Soft Light , from Mark Scott III and it's a mix of bop and contemporary jazz. Opening with Carpals , Mark Scott III on guitar leads the way with clean lead and chord emphasis over a tight rhythm by Ben Triesch on bass and Mike Gordon on drums. Triesch gets a nice opportunity to shine on bass as Scott falls away to give him room. This is a strong opener with solid bop roots and concise concepts. Very nice. News Blues sounds like a jazz classic with a straight forward melody on guitar. As the track develops, Scott deconstructs the melody and explores on guitar, giving a bit of space for Gordon to lay in an articulate drum riff before returning to the cohesive melody. Monster Beat has a bit of a modern groove with Gordon holding it tight and Scott running free over nicely placed bass lines by Triesch. Very cool. Smile has a happy go lucky feel with Scott cruising on the melody, supported by loose bass by Triesch and a ...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, What Is? by Russ Anixter's Hippie Big Band and it's energetic and fun. Opening with Tower of Power's, What Is Hip? and it really moves. With aggressive drum work from Scott Neumann and Michael Aarons on guitar the onslaught begins. Jopined by Dan Levine on trombone, Jack Schatz on bass trombone, Matt Hong on alto sax (who plays up a storm), Stan Harrison on tenor sax, Frank Vacin on bari sax, Matt Owens on trumpet and Audrey Flores on French horn and punched up by Steve Count on bass and Bill Hayes on vibes and congas, this track really pumps. The Beatles She Said , She Said has an interesting arrangement like orchestrated Beatles on Zappa. Owens' trumpet work is really solid, Levine gets a real nice opportunity to shine on trombone and Harrison rips a great sax solo of his own, but the excellent drum/Xylophone work of Neumann and Hayes really give the track excellent texture. Saint Stephen/Turn On Your L...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, small things , from Jackson Potter and it's a groove. Opening with Trams , Jackson Potter on guitar and Hamish Smith on bass set a great riff, joined by Alex Ridout on trumpet and Troy Roberts on sax forming a solid melody and tightened up by Marcello Cardillo on drums. Roberts broadens the track with some real meat on sax and Potter shows excellent fluidity and purpose laying out a really nice guitar lead. Roberts again steps up with some great riffs of his own and Cardillo shows a snappy bottom Excellent opener.  Title track, small things , has a warm melody and Roberts cruises nicely on tenor sax creating  a lush first solo, followed by Potter who's guitar work is clean and has just a slight Latin seasoning, capped by Ridout on trumpet. Very nice. Background Noise opens with Roberts on sax but joining with Ridout and the addition of Cardillo, really winds it up with a more direct Latin rhythm. Potter's gu...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Ghost Notes , from Preacher Boy and it's a cool blues rock release with it's own style. Opening with Up The River Again , Preacher Boy lays down a Bo Diddley beat on drums with rhythm guitar and loose female backing vocals. Intriguing. Reverb saturated guitar envelopes Preacher's pain drenched vocals on, Dashboard Dial , a cool, bluesy ballad. With just a light touch of TexMex, I really like this track. Chop Wood, Carry Water has a simple folksy/blues feel. With Preacher carrying the melody on vocal and simple guitar, harmonica and drum backing, this track has a Pixies kind of construction, yet totally different delivery. Nice. Trying To Get To Mobile is raw folk rock track with underdriven, stylistic guitar lead and cool vocals. See All The People is a solid radio track with a earthy melody and solid vocals. The addition of harmonica fattens this track up a bit giving it a memorable aura. Wrapping the rele...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues Power , by Big Al And The Heavyweights , and it's saturated with real blues. Opening with Big Freight Train , Marcel Anton on lead vocal and guitar really gets the release hopping. His fluid guitar riffs and Dale Robertson on harmonica lead the way, joined by Dennis Cedeno on bass and Big Al on drums. If is a strong, bluesy, ballad with a terrific melody and excellent phrasing. Anton lays down some of his best vocals here making this one of my favorites on the release. Springy, Tired Of Waiting , is a great volley between Anton on lead vocal and Robertson on harmonica and Anton's fleet fingered soloing really makes this track shine. R&B flavored, Got What I Like , is another really nice track with excellent vocals by Anton and rich, gospel like, backing vocals by Cedeno and Robertson. Very nice. Latin flavored, I Want To Know , is really flavorful with vibrant vocals and stinging lead guitar work. Robertso...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Yeah Man, by Steve Howell & The Mighty Men and it's soothing.  Opening with Blind Lemon Jefferson's Long Lonesome Blues , Steve Howell on vocal and guitar leads this contemporary shuffle joined by Chris Michaels on guitar, Dave Hoffpauir on drums and Jason Weinheimer on bass and keys. Easy going, cool opener. J.B. Hutto's 20% Alcohol is a cool track with a solid strut feel and free wheelin' guitar run. Jack Lawrence's I'm Glad For Your Sake is really a nice bluesy ballad featuring Howell on vocal with lush guitar adornment and Weinheimer on keys. Very nice. Joe Zawinul's Mercy Mercy Mercy was a great tune written for the great Cannonball Adderley and enhance with lyrics by JG Watson. Howell keeps the original structure sans vocals and parlays the original sax tune into a reverberant guitar tune. Very cool. Wrapping the release is Bob Dylan's Chimes of Freedom featuring another nicel...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Gonna Be 2 of Those Days , and it's a super contemporary blues rocker. Opening with Blues In The 21st Century , Jimmy Vivino on lead vocal and guitar is joined by Joe Bonamassa for a straight up blues rocker with a driving rhythm and super slide work. Joined by Rich Pagano on drums, Mark Teixeira on percussion, and Scott Healy on piano, this is a strong opener. Title track, Gonna Be 2 Of Those Days , has a real nice groove with excellent vocals by Vivino, With Jesse Williams on bass, Scott Healy on piano Rich Pagano on drums and some real tasty guitar work by Vivino, this track is smoking. Slow blues, Fool's Gold is my favorite track on the release with soulful vocals, deep full B3 work and excellent guitar work by Vivino. With Pagano on drums and Williams on bass, this track is tops. Another standout track is Shady Side Of The Street with it's Howlin' Wolf like story telling and daunting bass line by Will...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Doin' The Shout!, from Bob Corritore & Friends and it's cooking! Opening with shuffle, Say Baby Say, Thornetta Davis is upfront on lead vocal and I really like her style. With my pal Johnny Burgin on guitar, Dave Keyes on piano, Bob Corritore on harmonica, Bob Stroger on bass and Wes Starr on drums, this is a great opener. Woman Wanted features Oscar Wilson on lead vocal and Muddy Waters like slide work by guitar wiz Bob Margolin. I really do love his loose slide and with Stroger on bass, Anthony Geraci on piano, and Starr on drums, this is a super track. Francine Reed has an unmistakable voice and her addition on I Guess I'm A Fool is a terrific idea. With Duke Robillard adding lush guitar, Corritore up with key harmonica lead, Ben Levin on piano, Ben Hedquist on bass and Lewis Nash on drums, this is a solid soul track. Wilson is back on lead vocal on Just A Dream and it really lays in the groove. His vocal...

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Silver On Aluminum , by Eldad Tarmu ,  and it's a solid work based on the music of Horace Silver . Opening with The St. Vitus Dance , Eldad Tarmu on vibraphone leads the melody with precision and clarity. Supported by Marty Isenberg on double bass and Michael Shapira on drums, this is a strong opener. No Smokin' is a driving track with an excellent interpretation on the melody and active drum work by Shapira. Opus De Funk has a great "cooking" rhythm with an understated melody and highlights solos from both Isenberg and Shapira. Very cool. Wrapping the release is Yeah with a nod to Barney Kessel style in his engagement with Isenberg and Shapira. With it's Latin influence and monster drums solo, this is a solid closer.     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 P...