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I started a quest to find terrific blues music and incredible musicianship when I was just a little kid. I also have a tremendous appreciation of fine musical instruments and equipment. One of my greatest joys all of my life was sharing my finds with my friends. I'm now publishing my journey. I hope that you come along!
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Wasted Youth, from Mick Kolassa, and it's chocked full of hot contemporary blues players doing what they do best. Opening with blues rocker, Throwing Away These Blues, Kolassa on vocal and guitar leads the way with James Cunningham on drums, Tullie Brae on backing vocal, Rick Steff on piano, Jeff Jensen on guitar, Bill Ruffino on bass and Marc Franklin on trumpet. Solid opener. Title track, Wasted Youth, has a thunder bass line by Ruffino and with Doug McMinn on drums, Brad Webb lays in some real nice slide work and Eric Hughes adds some real nice harmonica. Funky rocker, I Can't Get Enough gives Anthony Paule a nice chance to show his stuff and Kirk Smothers blows a real nice sax solo topping the track off. Victor Wainwright plays a real clean piano on Feeling Sorry For Myself, a cool blues track with just the right amount of sway. Brandon Santini adds his superlative harmonica tone to My Mind Doesn't Wander, an easy blues rocker. Slow blues, Pieces of my Past has a real nice pace and Jensen plays a soulful lead solo on guitar over his rich chords. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Edge of a Razor, an acoustic blues featuring Albert Castiglia on slide guitar. Very nice closer.
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I just received the newest release, Watch Your Step, from Andy Santana & the West Coast Playboys and it's a mover! Opening with Fran and West 50's R&B track, Knock Knock,Santana delivers with a full New Orleans swing. Bob Welsh handles piano in fine form, joined by Anthony Paule on guitar, Kid Andersen bass, Robi Bean takes on the drums and Frankie Ramos hits a hot sax solo. Very nice! Bobby Parker's Watch Your Step has a cool Latin rhythm and Santana carries lead vocal and some really tasty lead guitar. Kid Andersen kits the sax on this track adding some key lines and Nate Ginsberg handles the keys. Dave Bartholomew's swing boogie, Playgirl is a really nice track to feature the fine harp work of Santana. He also takes a great lead guitar solo on this track backed by Kid Andersen as well as Mike McCurdy on bass and Robi Bean on drums. Hot track! ZZ Hills R&B track, One Way Love Affair had some real nice dynamics compliments of Eric Spaulding on sax, Jack Sanford on bari and Manny Angel on trumpet. Santana again takes center stage on guitar laying down some really gritty lead riffs backed by Rusty Zinn. Ginsberg is back on B3 and Mike Phillips lays down some real nice bass lines. Hi steppin R&B track, Love Sickness, penned by Bonny Rice features Bob Welsh on lead guitar Lorenzo Farrell on B3, Phillips on bass, and D'Mar on drums but it's the groove that pumps this track. Gill and Jones', up tempo jump boogie track, You May Not Know, features solid vocals by Santana and again he gets a fine opportunity to hit the harp. Welsh on piano and warm vocal backing by Lisa Leu Andersen add a solid middle as Paule hits it hard on lead guitar solo. Rick Estrin track, No Double Talk, has a 60's rock feel with wild guitar effects from Kid Andersen and keys by Welsh. Chuck Willis' super nice slow blues number, Can't You See, features Santana on some of his strongest vocals and Paule steps up on lead guitar. Farrell's B3 work compliments Paule's extremely tasty guitar riffs with B3 warmth, Welsh pulls out some strong piano lines, Phillips riding on bass and June Core keeps the drums low and tight. Phillips really drives rocker, Take Me Back,on bass and Santana shows his guitar flash once again with cool retro guitar riffs. Very cool! Funky Greaseland, is a cool instrumental with Santana, Paule, Mighty Mike Schermer and Welsh each taking turns at lead guitar. Santana even takes an interesting Moog interlude on this one. Phillips plays a pretty plucky bass line and Core holds down the bottom on drums. Very nice! One of my favorite tracks on the release, You Smell Like Cookies, a straight up Chicago style shuffle. Jammin the harp balanced against Welsh on piano and featuring Paule on lead guitar, this track is really sweet! What's Wrong? has some really interesting components over a basic blues rocker including some cool keyboard tones from Farrell and and surf machine gun guitar from Andersen. Wrapping the release is another Dave Bartholomew R&B track, Go On Fool. A country style guitar riff by Andersen and a hot sax solo by Ramos gives it flair and Spaulding, Sanford and Angel on horns and LL Andersen on percussion and shouts give it a bit of a New Orleans finish. Cool closer to a very enjoyable release.
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 audience for your favorites band!- ”LIKE”
I just received the newest release, Putting Down Roots, from Nancy Wright and it has a nice groove. Opening with pop soul track, Sweet Soul Satisfaction, Wright takes the lead on vocal with Lisa Leuschner Andersen on warm backing vocals. Of course she plays hot sax, a signature that she is well know by. Funkin' It Up, is a smoking instrumental jazz groove with Paul Olguin on bass and Paul Revelli on drums setting the forms for a great sax lead by Wright. Tony Lufrano on keys adds the glue and cementing this cool track in place. Just Can't Put A Finger On It returns to the soul style pop format again joined by Anderson on backing vocals. The track is capped off by some sweltering sax riffs... nice! Driving paced, A Serendipity, has a Motown feel, almost like a Martha Reeves meets Jr Walker. Hot key riffs from Lufrano also add nicely to the track. Instrumental, The Big Queen has a deep throaty sax voice with a New Orleans rhythm section making this funky track one of my favorites. Hush Little Darlin', with it's pop melody, features Wright on lead vocal and Lufrano on keys. Wright adds King Curtis styling and smoke of Soul Serenade curls about the room. Well I'm Travellin' has a definite country/blues twist with Wright taking the lead on vocal but then stepping up with a thick hearty sax solo as well. Kid Andersen rips loose a hot guitar riff to boot. Cool! Grooving Easy has a contemporary smooth jazz feel with a funk bottom and a touch of Cannonball Adderley. Wright shows why she is in demand as a sax musician with her solid riffs on this track. Lovely Pretender has a lot of radio appeal with solid vocals and melody. Nicely articulated sax soloing highlight this track. Gospel styling on Seems I Still Love You, set up by Lufrano on keys, gives Wright an open alley to sing lead vocals paired with LL Andersen. Lufrano's certain piano strength on this track sets it apart. Free wheelin', Boogie For JL, is a fast paced rocker with hot guitar riffs and smoking sax. Another of my favorite tracks, it pay homage to JL Hooker with whom Nancy toured. Sancity In Blue is a sultry sax fueled bluesy ballad with nice key and guitar solos as well. A really nice track to conclude a cool release.
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 audience for your favorites band!- ”LIKE”
I just received the newest release, I Saw The Blues, from Jackie Payne and it's a funky blues party! Opening with Back To Normal, a soulful ballad with a nice walking bass line from Endre Tarczy and with horn backing from Ed Early (trombone), Jeff Lewis (trumpet) and Frankie Ramos (sax). Kid Andersen lays in a scorching bluesy guitar solo nicely complimenting Payne's vocals. Next up is title track, I Saw The Blues, R&B track with a rural feel. Lorenzo Farrell does a real nice job on organ on this track and Anthony Paule gives the rhythm a funky feel on guitar. Aki Kumar adds his always tight harp work. Very nice! Anthony Paule rips it open on Full Moon Blues with rich slide guitar work. Derek D'Mar martin on drums and Farrell on organ are joined by Bob Welsh on piano and Paynes vocals are real nice. Full blown swing blues When The Blues Comes Knockin', features Payne leading the way with really strong vocals and solid horn reinforcement. Kid Andersen really takes a nice walk on the fretboard on this track making it one of my favorites on the release. Basic R&B styled Wife, Woman, Hootchie stays the basic line sounding like it could have been performed during the prime R&B days with particularly nice backing vocals and punchy guitar riffs. Paynes vocals are particularly strong on this track. On Kicking Back With The Blues, Anthony Paule selects just the right spots to insert stinging blues guitar riffs nicely accenting Paynes' vocals. Ed Early steps up with a killer trombone solo. Piano boogie, Feel Like Doing My Thing features Bob Welsh on piano and he really rolls. Payne's vocals are perfect for this mix and Farrell lays down a nice organ line punctuated by Early, Lewis (with a nice muted trumpet solo) and Eric Spaulding on horns making this a great track. Slowing it down and getting it dirty, Six Million Dollar Man plays it right down the blues highway. Andersen rips it a new one with a hot, heart felt guitar solo, and the horns are strong but this track is all about the vocal and Payne really has a take no prisoners attack. Excellent! Another funky track, I Get Off On It, gives Tarcyz the chance to step up with a great seriously funky bass line. With a lot of the swagger and Kid Andersen working the wah wah and vocoder, this track really gets you moving. Easing off the pedal with a T-Bone Walker style track, Rock Me With A Steady Roll, Payne shows the more sensitive side of his voice. Bob Welsh rolls out a cool piano line giving Lewis a nice opportunity for a tight trumpet solo followed by a really hot sax solo from Frankie Ramos. Oh yeah, Andersen slips in some hot riffs of his own on guitar! Little Johnny Taylor's Somewhere Down The Line has a great feel. Payne hits it running and Ramos tears it up on sax...really! Kumar, Lewis ans Welsh each get a few really nice riffs off but don't miss the great bass work of Tarcz. Wrapping the release is Ollie Nightingale's I'll Drink Your Bathwater Baby. Yeah, I haven't met that one, but it is a great track to close a really powerful release. Payne never eases up and Andersen rips another great guitar solo on this track. Check it out!
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 audience for your favorites band!- ”LIKE”
I just received the newest release, Soul For Your Blues, by Frank Bey & Anthony Paule Band and a not only clever but appropriate name. Opening with I Don't Know Why, a smokin' soul track featuring great heartfelt vocals from Bey and great horn backing from Mike Rinta (trombone and tuba), Nancy Wright (sax) and Steffen Kuehn on trumpet. I'm Leavin' You maintains the sould feel but crosses over closer to the blues with a solid bottom by Paul Olguin (bass) and Paul Revelli (drums). Anthony Paule lays out some really hot guitar riffs on this track again with backing from the dynamo horn section. I Just Can't Go On, written by Christine Vitale, has a really solid soul feel and conjures images of Bey's earlier employer, Otis Redding, who died 45 years to the day of the completion of these recordings. Paule steps up with a nice guitar guitar solo on this track which isn't overpowering but pinpoint on. Super job by all. Don't Mess With The Monkey is a high stepping R&B style track and one of the most memorable tracks on the release with it's catchy melody and hook. Rick Estrin adds cool harp riffs to this already fun track. Buzzard Luck has a real old style club blues swing feel. One of the best tracks to feature Bey's vocal smoothness, also features a different side of Paule on guitar. Real nice. On straight up blues ballad, You're Someone Else's Baby Too, the band really gets a strong groove on, with Bey leading belting out the lead. The warmth of the horns on this track is really super and Paule plays some particularly articulate and melodic guitar lead on this track. I Want To Change Your Mind is another strong R&B track again with Bey leading strong and with rich backing vocals from Lisa Leuscher, Larry Batiste and Ron E. Beck. BB King like blues riffs flow from Paule's fingers adding a nice blues touch to the mix. Instrumental track Smokehouse lets the band get into a New Orleans style blues jam. A really hot trombone solo from Mike Rinta, cool key work from Tony Lufrano and trumpet work from Kuehn are great adds to Paule's lead guitar work. On Percy Mayfield's Nothing Stay's The Same Forever, Rinta plays the lead intro on tuba, something I rarely hear and it's cool, with Bey following closely on vocal. Turning with a funky beat, this is a strong track on every facet. The band is well mixed with just dabs of sound from each member. This is a great track! Wrapping the release is a swinging instrumental version of I Left My Heart In San Francisco. Paule pulls out all the stops leading the way with clean guitar lead. The horns keep the track full and Revelli on drums make this track rock.
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 audience for your favorite band!
I just received a copy of the newest release, You Don't Know Nothing, by Frank Bey with the Anthony Paule Band. This release was recorded live in San Francisco and I have to say the people who saw this show got an ear full! Bey has a very solid soul style to his blues and this band is absolute killer! The recording opens with the title track, You Don't Know Nothing About Love which is a smokin' soul track. Bey is a great showman and Anthony Paule wastes no time in showing that he can really make his guitar sweat. Not only beautifully bluesy riffs but great filler riffs giving nice texture...and with great tone. Backed by a stellar band including Tony Lufrano on Keys, Paul Olguin on bass, Mike Rinta on Trombone, Paul Revelli on drums, Nancy Wright on Sax and Steffen Kuehn on trumpet. Yes, Bey is the star of this show and a mighty strong singer he is but take nothing at all from the great horn backing on this set. On Ain't That Lovin' You, Paule shows his jazz chops integrating style and technique for a really nice spotlight. On John Lennon's Imagine, Bey gives a somewhat "sacred cow" a very proper cover. Paule, Lufrano and Wright take an absolutely blistering solo interlude on this track making it particularly interesting. The band does a very clean cover of Town Without Pity led by Paule and before you start thinking, Montrose... no. This is done more in a Les Paul style with a lot of 50's feel. It is actually quite cool but then... Wright steps in with "the beef" on the sax and Paule plays counterpoint on the guitar making the entire track quite memorable. Again on Still Called The Blues, a funky Albert King like track, Wright really steps it up and if you love sax... and I mean down and nasty grab you by the short hairs sax..this is it! I also gotta say Rinta plays one of the hottest trombone solos I've heard on CD this year! Paule original, Can't get The Time Of Day, gives Paule a great chance to step out swing style and some nice swing articulated guitar he does. Paule also takes the vocal lead on this track and the horn section comes forward in the mix a bit but when they break loose, Wright is on the trigger again...Stilladog...you listening? This lady is really hot.... I mean don't get close to the brass! Paule rips some really nice riffs on this track as well even squeezing some chickin' pickin' in there! Real tasty! Bey takes on Ray Charles' Hard Times and although not Ray Charles, he does a really sweet job. Wright takes over where Bey leaves off and man can she carry the load. This is some of the most soulful sax on any blues CD to reach my desk in quite some time. This is a really hot set instrumentally as you can tell and Bey really sets the tempo. On You've Got To Hurt Before You Heal, Bey brings is back to solid soulville and give Wright and Paule each a chance to show their gold one last time. Although primarily a ballad track showcasing the strong vocal efforts of Bey, Lufrano really pulls the track together on organ and Wright and Paule each get one last chance to shine.
This was a show not to miss and I'm happy to have had the opportunity to listen to it today.
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 audience for your favorite band!
Anthony Paule has been a mainstay of the Bay Area music scene for many years touring and recording with luminaries such as Boz Scaggs, Charlie Musselwhite, Maria Muldaur, The Johnny Nocturne Band, Norton Buffalo, Mark Hummel, and others. Anthony has released two solo CDs, Big Guitar, and Hiding In Plain Sight. For his most recent release he has teamed up with Philadelphia based soul singer Frank Bey to record You Don’t Know Nothing, a live recording of a show at Biscuits & Blues nightclub in downtown San Francisco.
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 audience for your favorite band!
