Screaming Lizard Records artist: Laurie Morvan - Gravity - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Gravity, from Laurie Morvan and she's got flair. Opening blues rocker, My Moderation is built around a classic blues rhythm set up by Bob Glaub on bass and Tony Braunagel on drums. Morvan has a really nice hand at the strat managing riffs solid riffs like child's play. Mike Finnigan is hot on the trail with his signature organ riffs and backing vocals are provided by Lisa Morvan, Maxayan Lewis and Kudisan Kai. Nice opener. Stay With Me features Morvan's stinging guitar riffs over a heavy lumbering bass line and thick B3 by Finnigan. With a dash of funk into a rockin mix, The Extra Mile, is one of my favorite tracks on the release. Blended vocal lead and really hot lead guitar is the ticket on this one with an obviously heavy bottom. Very nice. With a smooth melody, title track, Gravity,carried by Morvan on lead vocal and Jim Pugh on B3 is the definite radio on the release. Another track that shine brightly with fluid guitar lead is Dance In The Rain, Morvan not only handling lead vocals handily but also showing strong runs and nice guitar tone. Gotta Dig Deep has a really base blues root with a super foot drums accent and some constant double stop playing giving the track a particularly cool bluesy feel. Another stand out track, The Man Who Left Me, has a dark feel, super backing vocals by Lisa Morvan, Kai, Leslie Smith and Ricky Nelson. Morvan's slide guitar work on this track works nicely to reinforce the bluesy darkness. Very nice.  On boogie track, I Want Answers, Morvan pairs her own lead vocal with guitar as Finnigan, Pugh and Braunagel dig in. Wrapping the release is another track with a bit of funk. Too Dumb To Quit works Morvan's straight vocal delivery against her slide guitar response over that funky bottom, giving it just the right chemistry. Excellent closer. 

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Kelly Z - Rescue - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Rescue, from Kelly Z and it's quite enjoyable. Opening with James Brown's What Do I Have To Do, Kelly Z has that driving sound, backed by Teresa James, Shari Puorto and Lisa Orloff Staley on vocal, Rick Reed on bass, John Marx on guitar, and Bryan Head on drums. Mo Beeks really ramps in up with some super keyboard work and the horn section featuring Andy Najira on sax and Stan Martin on trumpet pump up the sound. On The Shirelles' Baby It's You, Kelly shines with only minor changes from the original arrangement one upped by nice trumpet work by martin and guitar soloing by Perry Robertson. Mike Bloomfield's ballad, You Don't Realize has a solid feel, backed by Barry Goldberg on B3 and Roy Weigand on trumpet. Very nice. Tina Turner's high energy Trying To Find My Mind is up next with sassy vocals and featuring Chuck Kavooras on slide. Isaac Hayes' Do Your Thing is my favorite track on the release with a dynamo bass groove by Reed and a slinky guitar solo by Marx. Very cool! Wrapping the release is Jimmie Davis' You Are My Sunshine. This track is almost unrecognizable as the tune we've all heard as children due to it's pumped up horn lines, heavy tom tom and R&B feel. Very smooth closer for a cool release.  

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Little Lightning Productions artist: Shari Puorto - My Obsession - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, My Obsession, from Shari Puorto and she's still slamming it. Opening with funky rocker, It's A Damn Shame, Puorto's vocals are tight and her phrasing is super. Johnny Hawthorn knows how to make it hot on guitar and Bob Glaub's bass lines are smokin. Backed by Kenna Ramsey, Julie Delgado and Mike Finnigan, this is my favorite track on the release. On Home of the Blues, Jimmy Vivino and Steve Fister step up on lead and slide guitar (respectively) and Mike Finnigan's B3 work is super. Rock and roller, Six Months Sober is square down the middle with Jim Pugh's piano and B3 and slide soloing by Hawthorn is smooth. Sugar Daddy is a slower sure stepper with a drone bass line and slap snare from Tony Braunagel. Title track, My Obsession, opens with a subdued niteclub feel but kicking into a solid rocker with Vivino and Finnigan trading lead riffs under Puorto's cool vocals. Old Silo Road is a quiet ballad, primarily the purity of Puorto's voice and Finnigan's piano. Johnny Lee Schell's tasty slide riffs add a real nice touch to this solid radio track. Workin' The Room has a definite country feel with a two step rhythm and nicely executed piano work from Barry Goldberg. Schell again steps up with a cool guitar solo making this another track that could easily hit multiple radio lines. Better Left Unsaid has a R&B styling with cool backing vocals from Ramsey, Delgado and Finnigan. Schell's rhythm guitar work and Finnigan's piano work give this track a lot of textural traction. With a New Orleans feel, What's The Matter With The World, has a real nice rhythm and Schell's slide work is spot on the mark. Finnigan gives the track a nice boot of his own with nicely stylized piano work. Very cool! Steve Fister adds his own guitar zip to All About You, a serious ballad with Schell joining on rhythm guitar. The interweaving guitar styles, coupled with Puorto's vocals make this another serious radio track. Turned To Stone has a real "Jackson Browne" feel with Johnny Hawthorn playing some excellent David Lindley style pedal steel lead throughout. Goes without saying that this track, with a cool melodic hook and slick pedal work, could really hit big. Wrapping the release is the soul classic, When A Man Loves A Woman. Finnigan on B3, Pugh on piano and with Darrell Leonard and Joe Sublett on horns, gives this track a rich clarity and Vivino's clean guitar work, coupled with Puorto's power makes this a perfect track to close it up.


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GM Boogie - Barry Goldberg & Harvey Mandel & Corky Siegel

Harvey Mandel (born March 11, 1945, in Detroit, Michigan, USA)[1] is an American guitarist known for his innovative approach to electric guitar playing. A professional at twenty, he played with Charlie Musselwhite, Canned Heat, The Rolling Stones, and John Mayall before starting a solo career. Mandel is one of the first rock guitarists to use two-handed fretboard tapping.
Mandel was born in Detroit, Michigan but grew up in Morton Grove, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago and his first record was the album Stand Back! Here Comes Charley Musselwhite's Southside Band in 1966 with Charlie Musselwhite. Described in 1997's Legends of Rock Guitar as a "legendary" album, it was influential in bridging the gap between blues and rock and roll, with Mandel's "relentless fuzztone, feedback-edged solos, and unusual syncopated phrasing."[3] He relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area, performing often at a club called The Matrix, where local favorites like Jerry Garcia or Elvin Bishop would sit in and jam. He then met up with pioneering San Francisco disc jockey and producer Abe 'Voco' Kesh (Abe Keshishian), who signed Mandel to Philips Records and produced his first solo album, Cristo Redentor in 1968. In retrospect , Cristo Redentor bears some resemblance to cuts and songs that were on Wes Montgomery's albums. Mandel recorded with Barry Goldberg on a bootleg from Cherry Records and recorded with Graham Bond. He cut two more solo LPs for Philips, Righteous (1969) and Games Guitars Play (1970), followed by three more solo albums for independent label Janus in the early '70s which include Baby Batter.
Chicago Blues Reunion - Buried Alive In The Blues (10/15/04)
- GM Boogie (Goldberg/Mandel)
* Corky Siegel : harp
* Harvey Mandel : guitar
* Barry Goldberg : keyboards
* R.Zach Wagner : rhythm gutar
* Rick Reed : bass
* Gary Mallaber : drums
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Bman's Exclusive Interview with Shari Puorto

Bman: Hi Shari. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me. Tell me about Shari, the person. Your Bio indicates that you are "currently residing" in Southern California but didn't you grow up on the east coast?

Shari: I did grow up on the East Coast! If you asked me where I was from, I'd probably say, Connecticut. Even though I was born in So. Cal. I feel I'm "from" Connecticut because that's where I grew up. I have strong ties there. I still have family and my bestest friends in the world in Connecticut! Not to mention the best pizza in the world, Pepe's. Oh man, my mouth is watering! I always feel at "home" when I go back to CT. Interestingly enough, I'm currently writing a song with Barry Goldberg called, "Old Silo Road". That's the road I grew up on! I'm so psyched.


Bman: I'm guessing that a move back east isn't in your future. I grew up in the east as well.You look really comfortable in your west coast skin.

Shari: Well, never say never right?.....but I don't plan on it anytime soon....I love California. You can't beat the weather and living by the beach. It's just gorgeous!


Bman: Exactly! You put on a pretty hot show which is likely why you've shared the stage with the likes of Johnny Winter, Dickey Betts, Robben Ford, Tower of Power, Walter Trout, Coco Montoya, Larry Carlton... a virtual who's who of the blues music business. Now you're working with Barry Goldberg. Now I know that a lot of people don't really know Barry by name but he's played with Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, Howlin Wolf, Bob Dylan and Mike Bloomfield. I even have an old vinyl recording of him with Duane Allman!

Shari: Wow, I'd love to hear that album! What a treasure.

Bman: Ask Barry about the recording. It was primarily he and Mike Bloomfield but Duane was featured as well. So how did you hook up with Barry?

Funny you ask about how I met Barry. I met Barry through Alastair Greene, who you know. He coordinated a jam and Barry and I hit it off ever since. We've been writing songs and on occasion perform live together. It's been about 3 years now! Man, how time flies. Barry and I had a show last night ironically enough. Too much fun!

Bman: Nice! Do you write most of your own music or is it mostly collaborative?

Shari: Mostly collaborative. It can work so many different ways. Sometimes I write the lyrics based on something happening in my life (or happened) with an idea of the melody or chorus. Then I'll sit down with someone and the magic begins! Or, the other person might have an idea and they start playing it. I'll start to sing lyrics here and there based on how the music is making me feel and we go from there. Sometimes Barry and I have written amazing songs in 2 hours (well, I think they are amazing! One I'm thinking of is called, "Could it be Me?")

Bman: And I know that you recently released a new album called "Real". How is that going?

Shari: I'm so excited about this album. Also scared a little. My fear is that it isn't better than the last one. You know we always want to top ourselves, right? At least I do. I've received great feedback which settles me a bit. And I am very happy with how it came out.

Bman: No, You're right. We all think tomorrow's results should be better than today. Can you tell us a little about it?

Shari: Would love to. I called the CD 'Real' because that's how I feel the music and performances are on the CD (and should always be), "Real". You know how the record industry has been going which is more "pop" culture ...with a lot of synthesized sounds, bells and whistles not only in the "live" performances but on the recordings too. I miss Real, Raw, it-is-what-it-is performances from the heart and soul. Just strip all that crap down and let's go for it! From the singing to the musicians....that's what we do. Each and every fiber of my songs (whether it's a recording or a live performance) gets a piece of me and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Bman: I know exactly what you're saying. I'm glad to know that the artists aren't all buying into the machine where it all has to sound homogenized.

Shari: Maybe you should come out to my CD Release party on 12/3?! It's going to be a blow out event. I can't wait. The show will be at the new Harvelle's in Long Beach, CA at 6pm. More details can be found at my website, www.BluesRockMusic.com. Why not come out!? In case anyone is interested, being the "starving" musician I am, I have a fundraising campaign online with a company called Kickstarter. If you went to Kickstarter.com and typed my name (Shari Puorto) in the search box you can watch my video and read all about what I'm doing. I'm raising money to fund a long held dream of mine. Which is filming a High Def DVD to be released next year. The people near and far can watch and hear us. I am very excited about this. So everyone who comes to the CD release party on December 3rd will be a part of the DVD! How fun is that?


Bman: Sounds like a blast! Do you have a supporting tour set up for this new cd. If so what is the schedule?

Shari: I don't have a scheduled "tour" per-say at the moment, but we perform a lot which certainly is helpful. We'll be heading up North at the first of the year, with other travels in the works and, festivals hitting around festival season. Those are always fun times!






Bman: It gets harder for some of the more talented but less "Pop" band to afford touring except in a festival setting so I'm glad that that venue is still available.
Do you have anything else that you would like to share with your fans?

Shari: Yes! I can't thank my supporters enough. They know who they are and they mean so much to me. If you haven't seen or heard my music, please take a moment, tune in and take a listen. There are several sites that carry my 3 albums. iTunes, CD Baby, and my website (BluesRockMusic.com), etc. If you want to feel something deep in your soul and like to be "moved" by music, I think you might like what we are doing. But to really get the idea, you have to come to a show! Or help with the DVD campaign so you can get a copy. Again, the campaign can be found at kickstarter.com - search for Shari Puorto.

Shari: Thanks Bman. I truly appreciate your time and interest in talking with me. I hope to see you soon! Perhaps on December 3rd!! =) Music and what's 'real' xo Shari
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