VizzTone /SWMAF Records artist: John Primer and Bob Corritore - Crawlin' Kingsnake - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Crawlin' Kingsnake, from John Primer & Bob Corritore and it's a full house, blues release. Opening with Take A Message, John Primer on lead vocal and guitar starts off this dynamic shuffle. Bob Corritore steps up pretty quickly on harmonica with great Chicago style blues chops that he's well known for, adding a nice solo by Jimi Primetime Smith on guitar, and joined by Bob Stroger on bass, Anthony Geraci on piano and Wes Starr on drums. Super opener. Willie Dixon's Down In The Bottom is up next with a cool bass line by Stroger and potent piano rhythm by Geraci. Primer's vocals are solid and Corritore trades solos with Primer and Smith adding nice balance. John Primer's shuffle, Hiding Place has a really great feel with vocal swagger by Primer and a driving guitar/ piano feel. Corritore lays out a real nice harmonica solo and Primer's solo nods to Elmore James. One of my favorite tracks on the release is BB King's Chains and Things with it's more soulful bluesy approach. Primer's vocals are always terrific and Geraci's piano really adds nicely to the mix. Corritore lays down a soulful harmonica solo and Geraci matches it with a beautiful solo of his own. Primetime and Primer are both solid blues guitar players adding nicely. Jimmie Lane's blues rocker, You're The One has a really nice rhythm pairing Primer on vocal and guitar with Corritore who sails on harmonica. This tracks stands out nicely with an additional guitar solo by Primetime. Magic Slim's Gravel Road has a driving Chicago feel with Primer singing in the slot. Corritore chides Primer on harmonica as he belts out the melody and Smith lays down a real nice rocky blues solo. Wrapping the release is Muddy's, Feel Like Going Home with a solid jam. Primer on lead vocal and slide, trades riffs with Geraci on piano and Corritore again showcasing some of his excellent soulful playing. Geraci rolls in nicely with traditional blues piano improvisation presented nicely and Primer on slide adds a lot of grease. Strong closer. 

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Blue Heart Records artist: Anthony Geraci - Tears In My Eyes - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Tears In My Eyes, from Anthony Geraci and it's great mix of rhythm and blues. Opening with slow blues, Broken Mirror, Broken Mirror Anthony Geraci is back with his powerful blues piano style, joined by Sugar Ray Norcia on super lead vocal. With Barrett Anderson on Muddy style slide guitar, Paul Loranger on bass and Marty Richards on drums, this is a strong opener. On jump track, Owl's Nest, Geraci pounds out the melody on piano and Drew Davies steps up with some terrific sax work. Excellent track. On Judge Oh Judge, Norcia really sings the blues with warm sax soloing by Mario Perrett nicely complimenting Geraci's piano structure with Loranger on bass and Kurt Kalker on drums. On piano boogie, Ooeee, Geraci really rolls it, accompanying his lead vocal on piano and with Drew Davies on sax wailing away. Very nice. Norcia is back on lead vocal on bluesy ballad, Now What. With a strong melody, excellent piano soloing and rich sax work by Davies, this track could be the radio choice for the release. Wrapping the release is Lonely Country Road Blues with it's memorable melody and Robbin's like piano roll. Joined by Anderson on guitar, Loranger on bass and Kalker on drums, a clear closer. 

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VizzTone Label Group artist: Bob Corritore - Women In Blues Showcase - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Women In Blues Showcase by Bob Corritore and there are some real gems here. Opening with You're Gonna Be Sorry, Barbara Lynn on vocal and guitar is joined by Corritore on harmonica, Maxine Johnson and Laydee Jai on backing vocal, and Bill Tarsha on drums. A cool, early blues rock sound makes this an excellent opener. One of my favorite tracks on the release is soulful, I Just Need A Friend, by Carol Fran. Johnny Rapp on guitar, Paul Thomas on bass, and Chico Chism on drums really support this excellent vocal track perfectly. Koko Taylor is front and center on What Kind of Man Is This with great Chicago swagger. Joined by Bob Margolin on guitar, Frank Krakowski on guitar, Bob Stroger on bass, Adriana Marie on bass and Willie Big Eyes Smith on drums, a real cool track. Shy Perry does a great job  belting out Dixon's Wang Dang Doodle with Corritore on harmonica and Brian Fahey on drums. Diunna Greenleaf 's rocker, Don't Mess With The Messer really is a mover and Greenleaf's vocals are gritty and powerful, backed by Fred Kaplan on piano, Troy Sandow on bass, Andrew Guterman on drums and a terrific bari solo by Doug James. Wrapping the release is Francine Reed on Why Am I Treated So Bad. I gotta say I really love Reed's voice and the choice to place her last on this release is a great one. With  Kid Ramos on guitar, Johnny Main on guitar, Mike Hightower on bass, Michael Reed on backing vocal and Brian Fahey on drums, this is an excellent closer for a really strong release.

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Blue Heart Records artist: Blues Called My Name - Anthony Geraci - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues Called My Name, by Anthony Geraci and its strong. Opening with That Old Pine Box which features Sugar Ray Norcia on lead vocal. A quick moving tempo and poised vocals by Norcia as well as super guitar work by Charlie O'Neal, Geraci on keys, Paul Loranger on bass and Jeff Armstrong on drums and this is a super opener. Boston Stomp is a super piano boogie featuring Geraci at the keys and with a great walking bass line by Loranger and Armstrong on drums this track moves. Slow blues, Corner Of Heartache And Pain features Erika Van Pelt on lead vocal. Solid work between Van Pelt on vocal and Geraci on piano and organ creates a really ice dialog and Geraci's bluesy piano solo caps this track nicely. Blues superstar, Walter Trout sits in on lead guitar on Into The Night and his feel and tone is immediately apparent. With his melodic lead, and Geraic's piano/organ solo work, this soulful track is easily my favorite on the release. With New Orleans flavor on Wading In The Vermillion, Geraci masterfully gets the theme going, joined by Loranger, Armstrong and Anne Harris on violin. Very cool. Wrapping the release is rag piano track, Song For Planet Earth which has a grea melody and excellent execution by Geraci. This is a strong closer for a solid release. Terrific cover by the way.

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Stony Plain Records artist: Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters - Mercy Me - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Mercy Me, from Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters and it's strong. Opening with Muddy Waters' classic shuffle, Blow Wind Blow in Earl style and it's great. With Diane Blue handling the lead vocals nicely, Dave Limina on B3, Paul Kochanski on bass and Forrest Padgett on drums and Peter Ward sharing the guitar work with Earl, this is a solid opener. Slow blues, Blues For Duke Robillard, is prime Earl. I know that this may sound repetitive, but although Earl is an excellent player across the spectrum, his flow and chops on slow blues instrumentals are really tops in todays market. His feel, phrasing and tone is excellent and this track is an excellent example. With a slight uptick, Anthony Geraci's A Prayer For Tomorrow, is another great jam showing Earl not only with strong lead phrasing but gripping trem bends and lush chords under the beautiful key work of Geraci. Very nice. Another great shuffle, Dave's Groove, has just the right feel with Earl playing just behind the beat adding nice tension. Mario Perrett lets it fly on tenor sax giving the track a fat horn push along with Limina's B3 work. Excellent! Percy Mayfield's Please Send Me Someone To Love features Blue again on lead vocal and powerful horn work by Perrett on tenor and Mark Earley on bari sax adding a real soulful feel. The warm B3 tone by Limina and Padgett's light drum rhythm lends an excellent slate for Earl's clean, complimentary guitar soloing. Clocking in at over 10 minutes, a terrific track. Wrapping the release is Higher and Higher, further reinforcing the R&B influences throughout the release. Blue gets a great groove going, backed by Tess Ferraiolo on backing vocals and with the warm, gospel feel of  Limina on B3 and piano, excellent sax work by Perrett and Earley really sets the stage for Earl's highlighted guitar accents. Very nice closer for a strong release. 

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Severn Records artist: Sugar Ray and the Bluetones featuring Little Charlie - Too Far From The Bar - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Too Far From The Bar, by Sugar Ray and the Bluetones featuring Little Charlie and it's heaping dose of Chicago style blues. Opening with shuffle track, Don't Give No More Than You Can Take, featuring Sugar Ray Norcia on lead vocal and harmonica and the great Little Charlie Baty on lead guitar. This is one of the last recordings of Baty who passed away in March of this year. Norcia's vocals are always great and his harmonica playing is first class, backed by Anthony Geraci on keys, Michael Mudcat Ward on bass and Neil Gouvin on drums. Swinging piano boogie, and title track, Too Far From The Bar really hits the groove with Geraci leading the way and Norcia on piano. Baty takes a great solo run showing just how tight his riffs were. Excellent! Instrumental. Reel Burner is a super harmonica track with Norcia barely taking a breath. Stilladog take notice. This track hums! Rock and Roller, My Next Door Neighbor is a vocal workout for Norcia and Baty spanks the fretboard with 50's style riffs over Geraci's piano wizardry a thumping bass and brushed drums. More smooth and a lot more jazzy, What I Put You Through, is one of my favorites on the release with excellent piano work from Geraci under glistening guitar work by Baty and the excellent vocals of Norica. I have to mention Baty's work on jazz standard, I Gotta Right To Sing the Blues, where the entire band really shines but I gotta say, this track was made for Baty. Excellent! Returning to that classic Chicago styling, Walk Me Home is a cool shuffle with ample jam time for Geraci, Baty and Norcia. Very nice. Wrapping the release is an alternate take on Reel Burner. The is a real burner so it's a great kick in the pants to close the release with hot riffs by Norcia throughout. Very solid release. 

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Shining Stone Records artist: Anthony Geraci - Daydreams In Blue - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Daydreams In Blue, from Anthony Geraci and it's a solid release with a who's who of players. Opening with shuffle, Love Changes Everything, the line up is Dennis Brennan on lead vocal with Anthony Geraci on piano, Monster Mike Welch on lead guitar, Michael Mudcat Ward on bass, Jeff Armstrong on drums, and with Scott Arruda on trumpet and Mark Early on sax. I really like Welch's approach on guitar with excellent phrasing and tone. Very cool. Walter Trout sits in on No One Hears My Prayers and lays in some of the smoking best guitar riffs I've heard in a while over full horns and tight piano riffs. Brennan and Geraci play a smart piano duet on Mister, a smooth shuffle with Brenan on lead vocal and harmonica and Geraci on piano. With cool piano rolls and extended lead lines, this track has a nice groove. Swing track, Tutti Frutti Booty has a great beat and rowdy vocals by Geraci. Geraci really kicks out the stops on this one and Troy Gonyea's guitar work really is tops working it hard with a horn compliment. Classic track, Jelly, Jelly has some of Brennan's best vocals on the track and with a more poised approach, gives Geraci a nice option to play clean articulate riffs. Welch is back on this one and his signature vibrato and overall styling is terrific. Wrapping the release is Ode To Todd, Ella and Mike Ledbetter, a piano focused jazz instrumental. A smart closer for a real nice release. 

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Gulf Coast Records artist: The Proven Ones - You Ain't Done - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, You Ain't Done, from The Proven Ones, and it's a solid blues flavored rocker. Opening with Get Love, a contemporary blues rocker with hints of Jim Dewer, The Fab Thunderbirds and SRV, lead vocalist Brian Templeton has a powerful voice, and with the stinging guitar riffs of Kid Ramos and Mack McCarthy on trumpet, and with Jimi Bott on drums, Willie J Campbell on bass, and Anthony Geraci on keys, a super opener. Gone To Stay pushes further into the grunginess of rock and with a Nirvana like attack, ventures further into the rock arena. Bott's driving drum work really give this track a firm footing. With a firm backbeat, title track, You Ain't Done is one of my favorites on the release with solid vocal blending from Mike Zito and LaRhonda Steele, a great trumpet compliment from Mack, cool slide work from Ramos and a rich organ solo from Geraci. Ruthie Foster lends her fabulous lead vocal to Whom My Soul Loves, a strong ballad with nice piano work from Geraci. Mack steps up with a real nice sax solo on this one too giving it that extra punch. Excellent! Latin flavored, Nothing Left to Give, has great movement in percussion by Bott and with strong vocal lead and full horn compliment gives it even more spice. Fallen has great swagger with the vocal attitude of Templeton, the ace drumming of Bott and perfectly crafted guitar riffs of Ramos. Mack's horn playing is anything but window dressing with this track being really punchy. Wrapping the release is Favorite Dress with all of the rock and roll feel of a prime time Stones track. This is an excellent closer for a really solid release. 

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Subcat Records artist: Drive On - Tas Cru - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Drive On, from Tas Cru and he just keeps getting better. Opening with cool boogie, That Lovin' Feeling, with a real nice bass line form Colin Beatty, a stiff drum beat by Andy Hearn, power B3 work from Anthony Geraci, solid sax work from Anthony Terry and of course Cru on vocal and lead guitar. On rocker, Money Talks, Youngblood Gabe Stillman throws fuel on the fire with his fat slide work and Cru's own driving guitar rhythms and vocals give this track real zip. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Save Me, has a real nice driving bass rhythm by Beatty and features a real nice guitar interlude by Cru that has a certain clarity and with ringing harmonics gives the track a great feel. Very nice. Another relentless boogie, Kinda Mess, again features the hot slide work of Stillman, along with a driving bottom courtesy of Sonny Rock on drums, punctual sax work by Terry and Cru's vocals makes for a strong entry for best track on the release. Laid back, Memphis Blue has that radio styling with Stillman on slide, Cru on harp and joining Mary Ann Casale lead vocal, the track has a solid melody and beat. Wrapping the release is Devil In Your Heart, a subdued acoustic blues number featuring Cru on resonator guitar accompanying himself and Casale on lead vocal.  

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Gandy Dancer Records artist: Peter Ward - Train To Key Biscayne - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Train To Key Biscayne, from Peter Ward and it's energetic. Opening with The Luther Johnson Thing, Luther Guitar Junior Johnson is upfront on lead vocal with Peter Ward on guitar, Mudcat Ward on bass, Neil Gouvin on drums and Anthony Geraci on piano. A cool shuffle with slick guitar lead, nice harp and excellent vocal phrasing, a super opener. Laid back, almost country styled, title track, Train To Key Biscayne features Sugar Ray Norcia on lead vocal and Jiri Nedoma on piano. Ward's warm guitar soloing backed by the sax work of Aaron Gratzmiller gives it a cool retro feel. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Blues Elixir (Ronnie's Here) featuring Ward on lead vocal and really nice trademark guitar lead work by Ronnie Earl. Backed by Nedoma on piano and with solid harp work by Norcia, this is a really cool track. Johnny Nicholas is up front on lead vocal on Change (Ain't Never For The Good) and features excellent guitar work by Ward and a solid harp solo by Norcia. Geraci really gets the keys workin on this one and the drum reinforcement by Gouvin solidifies the natural swing. Very nice. Brisk swinger, As Long As I Have A Chance, again features Norcia on lead vocal and gives Ward and Geraci a great platform to showcase their soloing. Wrapping the release is Anthony's Son, a very clean guitar melody with Ward strumming chorded melody. Very nice closer for a very cool release.

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Shining Stone Records artist: Anthony Geraci - Why Did You Have To Go - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Why Did You Have To Go, from Anthony Geraci, and it's rich. Opening with R&B title track, Why Did You Have To Go, Sugar Ray Norcia is upfront on lead vocal backed by Michael Mudcat Ward on bass, Marty Richards on drums, Sax Gordon on sax, Doug Woolverton on trumpet and with stellar guitar styling by Monster Mike Welch and piano wizardry by Anthony Geraci. Excellent opener. Bluesy ballad, Angelina, Angelina is really strong with really nice piano work by Geraci and lead vocals by Sugaray Rayford. Welch is back again with signature tone, backed by Willie J Campbell on bass and Jimi Bott on drums. Very nice. Soul track, Two Steps Away From The Blues, features Michelle "Evil Gal" Willson on lead vocal with warm piano and B3 work by Geraci. Norcia is back on vocal and harp on Time's Running Out, an easy shuffle, joined by nice pace piano work by Geraci and the strong guitar accents by Ronnie Earl. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Baptized In The River Yazoo with Willie J Laws on piano duet with Geraci. The piano work here is terrific. Another track with dazzling piano is Too Many Bad Decisions with Dennis Brennan on lead vocal and Welch on guitar. Slow blues, My Last Good-Bye digs in deep with Norcia on vocal and harp. Piano tension and guitar excellence (by Earl) really gives this track edge, making it another of my choices for the release. Wrapping the release is jazzy A Minor, Affair with Troy Gonyea and Geraci leading the foundation of the track which features nice trumpet and sax solos by Wooverton and Beadle and a flight fingered guitar solo by Kid Ramos. Excellent closer for a strong release. 

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Roseleaf Records artist: The Proven Ones - Wild Again - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Wild Again, from The Proven Ones and it's quite good. Opening with Jimi Bott penned, Cheap Thrills, The Proven Ones hit the high stepping with a driving bass line by Willie J Campbell, Bott on drums, Anthony Geraci on Hammond and piano, Kid Ramos on guitars and Brian Templeton on lead vocal, this is a veritable who's who band. Up next is City Dump, a rolling boogie not unlike James Brown might use with nice solos by Ramos and Renato Coranto on sax, joined by Joe McCarthy on trumpet and Robert Crowell on bari sax. Fats Domino's Don't Leave Me This Way has great dynamics with excellent vocals by Templeton and ripping guitar work by Ramos. Excellent! Peter Green's slow shuffle, If You Be My Baby, has perfect pace and with the jangle of Geraci's piano, Templeton's vocals and the stylistic playing of Ramos, this track really hits! Clarence Carter's Road Of Love had the fortune of having had Duane Allman on the original release giving it broad exposure. This remake is excellent with Templeton doing a great job on vocal and Ramos taking a new route but with definite nod to Allman with a fiery solo of his own. Probably my favorite track on the release. A Fenton Robinson track (and another Duane Allman influenced track from an early Boz Scaggs release) Loan Me A Dime, gets an 11:30min plus dedication. Ramos really digs in on this one ripping some extremely memorable guitar riffs of his own, soaked in the Hammond work of Geraci and of course with the solid lead vocals of Templeton. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Lennon/McCartney's Don't Let Me Down, a solid contribution with balanced instrumentation and nicely interwoven leads throughout. A very nice closer for a really strong release. 

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The Little Red Rooster Blues Band - Lock Up The Liquor - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Lock Up The Liquor, from the Little Red Rooster Blues Band and it's a lot of fun. Opening with instrumental shuffle track, Pitchin' Woo,  Dave Holtzman leads the melody on harp, backed by Kevin McCann on guitar, Jeff Michael on bass, Bob Holden on drums and special guest Anthony Geraci on piano. Kickin' it Chicago style, Rather Be Lonesome gives Holtzman a real opportunity to be out front on harp and lead vocal but it's his tribute to James Cotton on Cotton Mouth that the band really shines with Holtzman really winding it up! Jump track, Thrift Shop Rubbers, uses a clever play on words for a fun track with smooth vocals and hot harp work. On Nothing Left Between Us, the band slows it way down for a deep blues with solid solos by McCann, Holtzman and Geraci. Boogie track, There Oughta be A Law, has a cool groove. good vocals, a snappy guitar solo and cool harp work. Very nice. Alternating back and forth between a Latin rhythm and flat out shuffle, Livin' At Jerry's House has some of Holtzman's best harp work and a cool rhythm. On 4 O'clock In The Morning, McCann lays in some real nice blues riffs on guitar with a delicate hand giving the track that extra something. Wrapping the release is my favorite track on the release, Lock Up The Liquor with it's super drive, excellent vocals and solo work by Geraci, Holtzman and McCann. This jam boogie is a terrific closer for a really nice release. 

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Gandy Dancer Records artist: Peter Ward - Blues On My Shoulders - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues On My Shoulders, from Peter Ward and it's quite good. Opening with solid shuffle, She Took It All, Peter Ward on guitar and lead vocal sets a great pace with Mudcat Ward on bass, Neil Gouvin on drums and Sugar Ray Norcia on harp. Excellent opener. Surf rocker, Which Hazel, is a solid rocker along the lines of Chuck Berry with a strong surf twist. Clever lyrics and guitar riffs by Ward give this track a lot of gas. On title track, Blues On My Shoulders, Anthony Geraci adds nice piano and I particularly love the guitar work by Monster Mike Welch. Collaborate is all about lush chords and sassy sax and Ward's guitar work with Sax Gordon Beadle's sax work is just that. Excellent! Shuffle track, It's On Me is another outstanding entry on the release with a hot sax solo from Beadle and hot fingering from Ronnie Earl and Ward. Very nice. Southpaw is a hot number with a smoking B3 solo from Rusty Scott, solid bass work from George Dellomo, and hot guitar riffs by Ward.  One of my personal favorites on the release is jump track, Kansas City Blues featuring great vocals, a strong bass line by Joe Delia and really nice soloing by Ward. Wrapping the release is Drummin' Willie, about Willie Big Eyes Smith with Neil Gouvin on druma, Mudcat on bass and Sugar Ray Norcia on harp. This is a strong release with a lot of cool surprises. Check it out. 

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Stony Plain Records artist: Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters - The Luckiest Man - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (November 17, 2017), The Luckiest Man, from Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters and it's really strong. Opening with Don Robey's Ain't That Loving You, and a great groove featuring Diane Blue on vocals, the band is smoking. Earl's perfect syncopation on his solos backed by Dave Limina on keys, Forrest Padgett on drums and Paul Kochanski on bass...excellent opener. Jim's Song is a quiet, introspective track using primarily guitar chords as the skeleton and guitar lead soloing as a lush environmental flesh. Very nice. With a cool swing, Blue is back up front on Heartbreak (It's Hurtin' Me). Limina really takes the floor with his B3 solo and Earl tears it up nicely with great balance and style. Soul track, Never Gonna Break My Faith really shows off Blue's vocal style at it's best. Earl and Limina carry the weight, but this track is all about Blue and she kills it. Sugar Ray Norcia's slow blues, Long Lost Conversation features Sugar Ray on lead vocal and harp, backed by Anthony Geraci on piano, Mike Welsh on guitar, Neil Gouvin on drums, Mudcat Ward on bass and of course Earl on lead guitar. This track is extended (over 10 minutes) and excellent! Blues For Magic Sam is another excellent track. Purely instrumental, Earl plays the melody of this excellent track with expressive confidence, technique and style. Really nice!  Wrapping the release is Fenton Robinson's You Don't Know What Love Is with it's funky beat. Blue is back up front on lead vocal works really nicely with Earl adding as much strength vocally as Earl does on guitar. This is a really strong closer for a really solid release.

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VizzTone Label Group artist: Ilana Katz Katz - Subway Stories - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Subway Stories, by Ilana Katz Katz and it's a big slice of blues, jazz and Americana all rolled into one. Opening with Boogie track, Don't Forget, Ilana Katz Katz, vocals and fiddle, is joined by ex Canned Heat guitar player and producer, Barry Levenson, Mike Sandberg on drums and Hank Van Sickle on bass. On 12 bar blues number, Subway Blues, Sugar ray Norcia adds his special harp work to the tasty riffs of Levenson and Ilana for one of the more solid of the blues tracks on the release. Motherless Child gets a real soft handling and with it's warm guitar chords, intense blues guitar lines somber violin work and child like innocence on vocals shines as one of my favorite tracks on the release. With it's jazzy slant, Roosevelt Sykes' Ice Cream Freezer Blues features Anthony Geraci on piano and has some of the hottest guitar riffs (and bawdy lyrics) on the release. Super groove, Requiem, is a real nice instrumental jazzy duet featuring Levenson and Ilana over tight drums and bass. Very nice. Instrumental shuffle track, The Excuse, gives Levenson and Ilana a super opportunity to lay out fluid solos over a super blues riff. Wrapping the release is a strong jig (or reel) John Brown's Dream/Subway Light of Mine which along with having great tempo and a great closer is my favorite track on the release.

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Boston-Based Guitarist Peter Ward Sets October 20 Release Date for His New CD, "Blues on My Shoulders," on Gandy Dancer Records; Special Guests Include Ronnie Earl, Sugar Ray & the Bluetones and Sax Gordon Beadle

Boston-Based Guitarist Peter Ward Sets October 20 Release Date for His New CD, Blues on My Shoulders, on Gandy Dancer Records

Special Guests Include Ronnie Earl, Sugar Ray & the Bluetones and Sax Gordon Beadle

BOSTON, MA – Guitarist Peter Ward announces an October 20 release date for his new CD, Blues on My Shoulders, on Gandy Dancer Records. Besides Ward on guitar and vocals, special guests on the new disc include multiple Blues Music Award-winning guitar legend Ronnie Earl, Sax Gordon Beadle on sax and the members of Sugar Ray and the Bluetones: Sugar Ray Norcia (vocals and harmonica), “Monster” Mike Welch (guitar), Anthony Geraci (piano), Michael “Mudcat” Ward (Peter’s brother – bass) and Neil Gouvin (drums). 

“It pleases me to present Blues on My Shoulders, my first solo project,” Peter Ward says about the new album. “I wrote the words and music to 12 of the 13 songs. I grew up wearing out the vinyl records trying to understand how Robert Jr. Lockwood, Tiny Grimes, Louis Meyers and Jimmy Rogers made songs sound so good. It's what I wanted to do. I was lucky to sit in often with my friend (and former roommate) Ronnie Earl and play alongside many of my musical heroes. A highlight was touring with the Legendary Blues Band: Joe Willie ‘Pinetop’ Perkins, Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith, Calvin ‘Fuzz’ Jones and Jerry Portnoy, who had brilliantly backed Muddy Waters for years. The way they played blues was everything I believed in, then and now. Willie Smith was an inventive drummer — and a wily character. I pay tribute to him in the song, ‘Drummin' Willie.’ The track ‘Which Hazel’ is my homage to Chuck Berry. Sugar Ray Norcia honored me by singing the heck out of ‘Collaborate,’ a tribute to Lockwood and Lonnie Johnson. I appreciate that Ronnie Earl and Sax Gordon Beadle accepted my invitation to perform on two songs: ‘A Little More’ and ‘It's On Me.’ ‘Southpaw’ is my ode to lesser-known left-handed swing guitarist Dickie Thompson, who worked with organist and front man Wild Bill Davis. My instrumental, ‘Shiprock,’ reminds me of a hallowed part of Navajo country I visited with my wife Mai Cramer, who died of breast cancer in 2002 and previously hosted a popular blues program every weekend for 24 years on WGBH-FM. She was an avid supporter of the blues and its purveyors. I think she would have liked Blues on My Shoulders. I hope you do.”

As a teenager growing up in Lewiston, Maine, Peter and his brother Michael (“Mudcat”) listened intently to blues records and went to see Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Taj Mahal and Hubert Sumlin whenever they performed in the area. Peter played blues with Mudcat and did gigs also with his younger brother Jeff, who died in 1991. “Jeff was too young to drink, but club owners would let him in so he could play bass with New York City drummer Ola Dixon and me,” Ward recalls.

Ward later moved to Boston and played in various bands, frequently sitting in with Sugar Ray & the Bluetones, who then featured his brother and Ronnie Earl, and backed blues artists such as Jimmy Rogers, Eddie ‘Cleanhead’ Vinson and Lowell Fulson.

“In the Big Apple, I was thrilled when Otis Rush told me I played chords like an ‘old man,’ Ward remembers. “In 1978, each week I drove across I-90 to Rochester, N.Y. to play blues for three nights with guitarist-vocalist Joe Beard. Beloved there, Joe had once been a neighbor of Son House. In the 1980s, I loved everything about touring with the Legendary Blues Band — the traveling and camaraderie, but especially the way we played blues in an unhurried, improvisational way. We recorded a CD for Rounder Records that featured Duke Robillard, whose brilliant guitar I had first heard at a high school dance.

“I married Mai Cramer, who spun records for Boston station WGBH-FM every weekend from 1978 until 2002, when she died of breast cancer. Her fans and I stage a fundraiser in her honor each spring for charity at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, Mass. Headliners have included Jody Williams, Luther ‘Guitar Junior’ Johnson, Lurrie Bell, Ron Levy and Eddie Taylor, Jr. In 2010, I produced Goodbye Liza Jane: Hello Western Swing, a CD of western swing (a cousin to the blues) with Herb Remington, an original member of Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys. In recent years I've begun writing songs, as I culled the many snippets of melodies and phrases stuck in my mind. It's fun to turn thoughts into songs and then sing them while people dance. It's been a blast, and it's not over.”

Severn Records artist: Sugar Ray & The Bluetones - Seeing Is Believing - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Seeing Is Believing, from Sugar Ray & The Bluetones and I love it! Opening with Sweet Baby, Sugar Ray Norcia are dynamic and his harp playing fat. Anthony Geraci's piano work is tight and Monster Mike Welch sets a great groove, backed by Michael Mudcat Ward on bass and Neil Gouvin on drums. Great opener. Title track, Seeing Is Believing brings down the pace a bit and Monster Mike's guitar work is outrageously rich. Norcia's vocals are smooth as silk and the band is super. Absolutely excellent! With a cool lope, Noontime Bell strolls along giving Norcia the opportunity to set the bar on harp. Geraci's piano work is always solid and this track plays right into his hands with Welch laying back and watching...very nice. Keep On Sailing is another terrific track with a Muddy Waters feel. Norcia's vocals are super and his harp work solid. Geraci really digs in on this one and Monster Mike a giant. Excellent! Jumper, Blind Date, is just smoking! Norcia cranks it up from the first note and with strong support overall, Monster Mike cranks it up Texas style. Wow! Bringing down the pace a bit, BB King's You Know I Love You is a great opportunity for Monster Mike to play lead and just turn the phrase over and again. Terrific! With a bit of New Orleans blues, Misses Blues, has an almost falling down the stairs drum beat that really makes me like it. Light on instrumentation, Norcia tells the story backed by the crew and heavily saturated harp. Bluesy ballad, Not Me, has the cleanest vocals on the release with chorded guitar work and melodic, Stevie Wonder like harp styling. Got A Gal has a solid lope and Welch really pulls out the round guitar tones giving the track a very human sound. Norcia continues to confirm his vocal prowess cemented by his harp work. Sounding like it's right out of the Morganfield archives, Two Hundred Dollars Too Long, has a great feel. Norcia not only sets the vocal tone but his harp is very Chicago and Monster Mike has the slide tone cooked to a T. Excellent! Wrapping the release is It's Been A Long Time with continuous riffs from Welch and Geraci under the vocals. This is a continuous Chicago blues p[arty and one you wish would never end. Excellent release!



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