Bman's Blues Report

ALBUM REVIEW Antone's 50th presents Chicago Bound Label: Blues Till 2 Recording Company Released: August 28 , 2026 DR: TBD "A ntone’s 50th" refers to the milestone celebration of Austin’s legendary blues club, Antone's Nightclub, marking half a century as "Austin's Home of the Blues." Founded by Clifford Antone in July 1975, the venue became globally famous for nurturing blues prodigies like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmie Vaughan, while hosting icons like Muddy Waters, B.B. King, and Buddy Guy.  Rather than just a calendar date, the 50th-anniversary campaign manifested as a massive multimedia project and an overarching musical collective known as the Antone’s 50th Allstars.   1. The Historical Foundation Clifford Antone started the venue with a singular ethos: “The Blues is so big that no one person could ever learn it in a lifetime.” Over its 50-year history, the club operated as a cross-gener...

ALBUM REVIEW   Clarence Hines Jazz Orchestra - Along The Way Label: Origin/OA2 Records Released: October 23 , 2026 DR: TBD C larence Hines is a trombone player, writer, and teacher who has spent his career playing all over the world and helping the next generation of players find their sound. Right now, he hangs his hat at the University of North Florida as the Director of the School of Music, where he keeps busy coaching students in jazz trombone and big band arranging. Over the years, he has shared the stage with a wild mix of music royalty, trading notes with everyone from pop icons like Frankie Valli and the Temptations to heavy-hitting jazz names like David Sanborn. Whether he is writing charts for major concert halls or clinics, he knows how to make a large ensemble feel alive and easygoing.  With his latest album, Along the Way, he finally put his own spin on the big band tradition by stepping out as a leader fo...

ALBUM REVIEW Christopher Wyze & The Tellers - Naptown Blues Label: Big Radio Records Released: October 2, 2026 DR: TBD C hristopher Wyze is a seasoned blues singer, songwriter, and harmonica player who proves it's never too late to start a brand new chapter. For decades, Christopher held down a forty-year career in advertising while singing blues covers on the weekends. But everything changed in his mid-sixties when he took a few deep, immersive trips down to Clarksdale, Mississippi. Soaking in the Delta air, he started turning his own poems into original, swampy roadhouse blues. Fronting his powerhouse band, Christopher Wyze & The Tellers, his story-rich, natural songwriting quickly caught the industry's attention, turning this late-bloomer into a breakout voice on the modern roots scene.  Recording for Big Radio Records, Christopher and the band have been on a serious roll with a string of acclaimed releases. ...