NOLA Blue Records artist: Benny Turner & Cash McCall - Going Back Home - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Going Back Home, from Benny Turner & Cash McCall and it's quite fun. Opening with rumbling R&B track, Got To Find A Way, Turner is upfront on lead vocal and bass joined by Carla Davis. This track has solid horn punch with Jason Mingledorff on sax, Barney Floyd on trumpet and includes Cash McCall and Butch Mudbone on guitars, Raishene Webb on keys and Terry Saffold on drums. McCall steps front and center on Willie Dixon's Spoonful sharing the guitar work with Turner, Joe Krown on keys, Webb on organ, and Johnny Sansone on harmonica. McCall original, Money is a really cool track with spoken dialogue by McCall and only base piano, drums and walking guitar rhythm. Very nice. Elmore James' Shake Your Money Maker has great pace with Turner on lead vocal, Mudbone on slide and a nice sax solo by Mingledorff. Another EJ track, It Hurts Me Too features Billy Branch on harmonica as well as Turner and McCall on vocal and some nice slide by Mudbone. Very cool. On The Dirty Dozen the band really gets into a groove with McCall on lead vocal, Krown on keys, Turner on bass and guitar and Rod Bland on drums. Excellent! Wrapping the release is Willie Dixon's Bring It On Home with Branch on lead vocal and harp, Turner on bass, Cash and Mudbone on guitars, Krown on keys, Webb on organ and Saffold on drums. Solid closer for a solid release.



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Nola Blue Records artist: Benny Turner - My Brother's Blues - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, My Brother's Blues, from Benny Turner and it's great! Benny pay homage to his big brother and best friend, Freddie King and does it with style. Opening with Big Legged Woman, Benny is on lead vocal and bass, showing excellent vocal style and tone. A punchy horn section featuring Barney Floyd on trumpet and Jason Mingledorff on sax really sets the track off and the solid foot pedal of Jeffrey "Jellybean" Alexander and the riding organ work of Keiko Komaki plays nicely with rhythm guitar fills by Derwin "Big D" Perkins and lead guitar runs by June Yamagagishi. Excellent! Have You Ever Loved A Woman is a definite highlight on this release with soulful vocals by Turner, backed by Earl Smith and suppressed but critical horn work and organ by Davell Crawford, and Jack Miele plays some real tasty guitar lead to ice the cake.  Swinging I'm Tore Down features Otis Clay, Turner and Marva Wright on lead vocals and it's a powerful threesome. June Yamagishi has lead guitar on this one and with Freddie King like flavor, the track rocks. Another of my favorites on the release is You've Got To Love Her With A Feeling when Turner's vocals are particularly strong and Floyd and Mingledorff are so tight it hurts. Joe Krown's piano and organ work is super and Yamagishi is pure in the slot. Mingledorff really shines on sax on See See Baby, a cool laid back boogie. Carolyn Wonderland sits in on Mojo Boogie with some great slide guitar and Krown's piano work is stellar. On Wee Baby Blues, a low slung blues Wonderland and Kathy Murray join Turner for the richest vocals on the release. Turner has lead guitar on this one and solo lap steel is handled by Roosevelt Collier. Very nice! BB King's Ghetto Woman is another super track with super bluesy guitar lead by Yamagishi and super horn reinforcement by Floyd and Mingledorff. Again, Turner's lead vocals are strong and undeniable. Wrapping the release is a powerful rendition of Don Nix's Same Old Blues. Turner is at his most soulful backed by the gospel like piano styling of Chizuko Yoshihiro. Tracy Griffin on trumpet and Greg Dawson on sax add real fullness and Yamagishi's lead guitar work is inspired on this super closer for a strong release. Very cool!

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Check Out Benny Turner's Book & Enter To Win Autographed Copy

Reply to this email to enter drawing for an autographed copy of Benny's book!   After more than 60 years performing gospel, R&B, soul and blues everywhere from the Chitlin Circuit to the Apollo Theatre to the far reaches of the globe, Benny Turner shares his captivating life story in his new biography, Survivor: The Benny Turner Story. Available in hardcover and eBook versions beginning July 8, 2017. An oral history as told to Bill Dahl, Benny talks about his early years in Gilmer, TX, the family’s move to Chicago in 1950 and the ultimate birth of his career in the gospel, R&B and blues genres. Surviving extreme poverty in rural East Texas followed by the shocking transition to urban life in Chicago and the untimely death of his big brother, bandmate and best friend Freddie King, are only a portion of the obstacles Benny has survived. Early acclaim for the book has been high, both from within the music industry and beyond, earning multiple 5-star reviews from Readers Favorite book reviews. "Freddie King fans will definitely want to check this book out, but Turner's story stands on its own as a testament to resilience and survival." Tom Cullen, Blues Music Magazine "...it feels like Benny Turner is sitting with you as a friend at the kitchen table, sharing his history."  Jamie Michele, Readers' Favorite

Survivor - The Benny Turner Story Book Signing Dates Available In Hard Copy & Ebook Amazon Barnes & Noble Benny's Website Benny's Interview On RMU Radio

Nola Blue artist: Benny Turner - When She's Gone - New Release Review

I just received the newest release (February 14, 2016), from Benny Turner and it's smooth! Now on his 4th release, Turner, brother to Freddie King (yes, that Freddie King) really has it going. His last release, Trouble

was really nice and this one is even better! Opening with I Can't Love, a cool swinging blues with a nice heavy bottom compliments of Alonzo Johnson, and sparkling keys courtesy of Samuel "The Bishop" Berfect gives the track traction and Turner's solid lead vocals and backing vocals by Diane Lotny and Yvonne Washington give it a James Brown twist. Very nice! On Pity On This Lovesick Fool, The Bishop on piano, Davell Crawford on Rhodes and organ and Marc Adams set an almost Billy Preston presence and Turner, joined by Marva Wright on lead vocals gets in the groove. Smooth ballad, Because Of You, features Turner right up front and with such a soulful melody, should hit the radio hard. Backing vocal by Tanya Jarvis, The Bishop on keys, Dr John on guitar, Alonzo Johnson on bass and Herman Ernest III keep this really tight. Solid! On Bill Withers' super track, Ain't No Sunshine, Turner hits with some of his best vocals ,Bob Margolin adds key ethereal slide work to a really nice arrangement of a really cool track. Complimented by Derwin Perkins on rhythm guitar, Turner on bass, Keiko Komaki on keys and Jeffrey Jellybean Alexander on drums this may be the best redo of this track I've heard. So Deep is a really interesting track with lead bass lines by Turner. A gospel feel with full backing vocal ensemble including Davell Crawford, Craig Adams, Carla Davis, Yvette Whittler and Charles Chucky C Elam, over just Charles Brown on piano, The Bishop on organ and Larry Williams on drums makes this one of my personal favorites on the release. Excellent! If I Can't Have You has a cool bass line by Johnson and a really nice walking groove. Turner's vocals, backed by Lotny and Washington, is point on and keys by the Bishop, harp by Sean Lewis and drums by Alexander a really nice track. Have You Ever Been Lonesome, again finds Turner supplementing his lead vocals with some really tasty bass lead. A slower soul style blues track is really smoking fanned by the Bishop on keys, Johnson on bass and Alexander on drums. Excellent! Lowell Fulson's Reconsider Baby gets a slight swing and excellent guitar punctuation by Bob Margolin. John Paxton and Keiko Komaki roll the keys and Marglolin lays in some of the tastiest guitar riffs you'd love to hear. Very nice! Jimmy Rogers' That's Alright is laid back with cool harp riffs. Turner takes his place at lead guitar and vocal and his guitar style isn't flashy but soulful and nicely matches his vocals. Very nice! Wrapping the release is Jessie Mae Robinson's Black Night and Turner takes the bull by the horns. With an aggressive vocal style, clever guitar work by Marc Stone and key piano and organ work by Brown and the Bishop, punctuated by Jason Mingledorff on sax and Barney Floyd on trumpet makes this an excellent closer to a super release.

 

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Nola Blue artist: Benny Turner - Journey - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Journey, from Benny Turner and it has a fine groove. Opening with Breakin' News, a shuffle track with a nice Taj Mahal kind of feel and gospel like backing vocals, it's a great track. Marc Stone on steel guitar, Keiko Komaki on piano and horn work by Jason Mingledorff (sax) and Barney Floyd (trumpet) set this track off. Funky blues Don't You Ride My Mule has a really cool feel with not only nice vocals from Turner but a solid key work from Josh Paxton, super horn work from Mingledorff and Mark Leuron on trumpet and Harp work from Bruce "Sunpie" Barnes. Very nice! R&B ballad How I Wish has a soft sway and cool rhythm from Marc Stone on guitar. Deanna Bernard and Ellen Smith add warm backing vocals and Mingledorff and Floyd cool horn backing. Another R&B style blues track, I Wanna Make It Right, has just a super groove. Bernard and Smith again adding just the right vocal backing and Komaki adding some really tight keyboard. My Mother's Blues has a bit more of a picking blues feel with Turner on guitar and kazoo. Tom Worrell ecohes Turners riff on piano for a really clever instrumental. I Wanna Give It to You Baby is a solid 12 bar blues number featuring a harp intro by Patrick Williams and additional harp work from Barnes. Jeffrey "Jellybean" Alexander doesn't do anything flashy but his steady beat adds significantly to the overall track. Worn Out Woman has a real nice R&B bass groove by Turner to carry his super vocals. Derwin Big D Perkins adds a nice guitar riff throughout this track cushioned nicely by Komaki on keys. Possibly my favorite track on the release. My Uncle's Blues (Fannie Mae) has a straight up 12 bar blues rhythm featuring Turner on guitar and lead vocal. Tom Worrell and Komaki share keyboard responsibilities and Williams does a real nice job on harp. A slower blues, Voodoo Lady has a dark bass lead complimented by Marc Stone on guitar. Turner paces himself on vocal cushioned by Komaki on piano and organ. Wrapping the release is What's Wrong with the World Today which has a real taste of New Orleans. I really love the vocal harmonies of Bernard, Smith and Barnes. A high stepping rhythm that develops between Turner, Komaki and Alexander is really cool. Very nice conclusion 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”