VizzTone artist: Dani Wilde - Live at Brighton Road - New Release Review - CD/DVD

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live at Brighton Road, from Dani Wilde, and with it's easy going acoustic set coupled with it's driving electric set, it's quite entertaining. Opening with Memphis Minnie's Bumble Bee, Wilde has lead acoustic guitar and vocal coupled with her brother brother Will on harmonica. This is a smooth contemporary adaptation of this classic track showing how clear Wilde's vocals really are and coupling her own tight guitar work with her brother's adept harp making for an excellent opener. Acoustic ballad, My Old Man is a bright, radio track with a nice melody and warm vocal blending with Kate Cameron and Faye Streek. Very nice. Mike Rutherford's The Living Years is a really nice arrangement of a large radio hit and with nicely blended backing vocals is a really strong contender for nicest of the acoustic set. I can certainly see why she wanted to get this set on disc. Very nice. Opening the electric part of the set is Deeper Than Black built over the classic Junior Wells vamp. Bass line by Victoria Smith sets the pace, Gregory Coulson stirs in the organ, Alan Taylor snaps up the drum kit, Will blows out the harp and Dani throws in a few stinging "Steve Cropper" riffs to give this track some green onion flavor. Very cool! Lieber and Stoller's Houndog gets a Latin mix and Wilde's vocals are nice. Her swinging blues playing works just right when the track gets into full swing with Smith rocking the bottom and Coulson rolling the piano. A cool boogie is Don't Quit Me Baby with some of Wilde's best vocals on the electric set, coupled with a great driving bass line, strong guitar work and ace soloing by Will. Wrapping the release is Refugee, a contemporary pop track with a solid melody. A super radio track with a clean guitar solo, a nice closer for a solid release.

Also included is a DVD with live studio performances and interview. Very nice!

  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”

 For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE" 

 

“Like” Bman’s Facebook page and get support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

Cleopatra Records artist: Leo Bud Welch - Live At the iridium - New Release Review CD/DVD

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live At The Iridium, from Leo Bud Welch and it's a solid, real deal blues rocker. Opening with original track, Praise His Name, Welch lays out a real nice hill country style blues track accompanied by his own guitar, drums and vocals. Excellent opener. On Muddy Water's Still A Fool, Welch conjures up the feel of the primitive blues with minimal effort. This is a great track and Welch compliments it nicely.  Another of my favorites on the release is Rosco Gordon's shuffle, No More Doggin'. Welch sets a cool pace and delivers from the gut. Very nice. Always a favorite, Willie Dixon's My Babe is loose and bouncy. On Sweet Little Angel, Welch's vocal phrasing is all his own giving it an interesting texture and his cool guitar playing makes it a definite top track. I've always liked Don't Let The Devil Ride and Welch's cool rock style handling of this classic is classic in itself. On Sonny Boy Williamson's good Morning Little School Girl, Welch grabs the wave and rides. A cool interpretation of another of my favorites. Wrapping the release is Me And My Lord  a traditional tune given the Mississippi country blues rockin' twist. This is a cool closer for a cool release. Looking forward to getting the DVD home and checking 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”

 For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE" 

 

Gospel Blues Phenom LEO BUD WELCH Leads An Old Fashioned Blues Revival On His New Concert CD/DVD LIVE AT THE IRIDIUM!

Gospel Blues Phenom LEO BUD WELCH Leads An Old Fashioned Blues Revival 

On His New Concert CD/DVD LIVE AT THE IRIDIUM!

Los Angeles, CA - He’s 85 years young and just getting started! Mississippi bluesman Leo Bud Welch has been playing and preaching real deal gospel blues music since he first picked up a guitar in 1945, but he remained on the outskirts of the profession music industry known only to friends, family, and a handful of elder blues statesmen. That is, until Welch signed his very first recording contract at the ripe old age of 81! It’s a remarkable story that is now the subject of a full-length documentary film called Late Blossom Blues currently screening at film festivals around the world.

Since the release of his debut album Saboulga Voices in 2014 and the follow-up I Don’t Prefer No Blues in 2015, Welch has completely taken the blues world by storm, and now he offers his very first live concert album recorded at NY’s prestigious club The Iridium! Live At The Iridium takes audiences on a journey through 6+ decades of blues music as Welch performs a mix of traditional songs, standards, and Welch’s own compositions highlighted by “Praise His Name,” “Got My Mojo Working,” “Don’t Let The Devil Ride,” “Good Morning, Little School Girl” and more! The DVD portion was directed by veteran documentary filmmaker Wes Orshoski, creator of feature length films on UK punk legends The Damned and the late great Lemmy of Motörhead, and includes bonus interviews and a video biography of Welch.

Look for Live At The Iridium in a special CD/DVD jewel case package starting March 31!

Track List:

CD/DVD

1. Praise His Name

2. Still A Fool

3. Got My Mojo Working

4. Five Long Years

5. No More Doggin’

6. Woke Up This Morning

7. My Babe

8. Sweet Little Angel

9. Cadillac Baby

10. Po’ Boy

11. You Don’t Have To Go

12. Pepticon

13. Don’t Let The Devil Ride

14. Rollin’ & Tumblin’

15. Good Morning, Little School Girl

16. Walkin’ The Floor Over You

17. Me And My Lord

Buy the CD/DVD: https://cleorecs.com/store/shop/leo-bud-welch-live-at-the-iridium-cd-dvd/

Buy the digital version: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/album/live-at-the-iridium/id1211024992?app=itunes&at=1000lt9k

BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS--EASY SKANKING IN BOSTON ’78

BOB MARLEY’S 70TH BIRTHDAY WILL INCLUDE YEARLONG CELEBRATION OF RARE AND UNRELEASED MATERIAL FROM THE MARLEY FAMILY VAULTS AND PRIVATE COLLECTION

1ST COMMEMORATIVE RELEASE OUT ON FEBRUARY 17th WITH

BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS--EASY SKANKING IN BOSTON ’78

Historic June 8, 1978 recording at Music Hall captures band at their height

Feb 17 release on Blu-Ray/CD combo pack, dvd/cd and cd versions



Los Angeles, CA – January 6, 2015 – Bob Marley’s 70th birthday year (2015) will include a variety of releases and events to commemorate the legend, his work and iconic impact.  Over the course of the year, his legacy will be remembered by new releases of rare and unreleased material as well as fan favorite deluxe editions of his most memorable work.  The first release will be available on February 17.   BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS – EASY SKANKING IN BOSTON ’78, features two historic live shows from Boston’s Music Hall, June 8, 1978.  This new and unreleased performance  is from the Marley family giving unprecedented access for the first time to their  personal material from their private collections and their vaults. The album will be available on blu-ray/cd combo pack as well as dvd/cd and standalone cd versions.  Additional newly created animated material will also be a part of this release, marking the first time the family has incorporated this technology into any official Marley releases.

The video footage was shot with a hand-held camera by a fan that Marley allowed to sit right in front of the stage. The result is remarkable imagery that captures Marley from just a few feet away, allowing one to experience the intimacy of his set.  While the cinematographer was shooting with film and forced to change rolls of tape, the gaps in the live footage have been augmented with specially created animation over the existing audio. The animation video elements were produced and created by the animation team of S77 whose credits include recent projects for Bruno Mars, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Disney, ESPN and many others. The 46-minute video includes seven of the 13 songs in the full set.

Highlights of the performance include a lively “Jammin’” and “The Heathen,” a song Marley and the band didn’t perform during the second set. The show features them at their most comfortable, truly enjoying themselves in the spotlight, basking in the appreciation of the audience.

Marley, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, is notable not only as the man who put reggae on the global map, but, as a statesman in his native Jamaica, he famously brought together the country’s warring factions — symbolized by rival politicians Michael Manley and Edward Siega joining hands on-stage -- during his legendary “One Love Peace Concert” in Kingston, which took place on April 22, 1978, less than six weeks before this Music Hall performance in Boston. It was five years since Marley and the band arrived from Jamaica, with the 1977 release of EXODUS, recorded in London just after an assassination attempt on his life, turned into not just a socio-political statement, but one which included such hits as the title track, “Waiting In Vain” and “One Love,” paving the way for their next release Kaya and a world tour in ’78.  Together with his music’s theme of liberation, Marley’s own rags-to-riches story brought inspiration to subjugated people around the world, where he was revered as a larger-than-life leader.

Today, Bob Marley remains one of the 20th century’s most important and influential entertainment icons. Marley’s lifestyle and music continue to inspire new generations as his legacy lives on through his music. In the digital era, he has the second-highest social media following of any posthumous celebrity, with the official Bob Marley Facebook page drawing more than 74 million fans, ranking it among the Top 20 of all Facebook pages and Top 10 among celebrity pages. Marley’s music catalog has sold millions of albums worldwide.

Thirty years after its original release, Bob Marley & The Wailers’, LEGEND, shared the top of the charts, holding the No. 5 spot on Billboard’s 200 Album Chart among Maroon 5 (#1), Jeezy (#2), Guardians of the Galaxy Soundtrack (#3), and Ariana Grande (#4). LEGEND also holds the distinction of being the longest-charting album in the history of Billboard magazine’s Catalog Albums chart and remains the world’s best-selling reggae album. Marley’s accolades include inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1994) and ASCAP Songwriters Hall of Fame (2010), a GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award (2001), multiple entries in the GRAMMY® Hall Of Fame, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2001).  For more information visit: bobmarley.com and facebook.com/bobmarley.

The set listing for the BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS – EASY SKANKING IN BOSTON ’78 CD:

1. Slave Driver
2. Burnin' and Lootin
3. Them Belly Full
4. The Heathen
5. Rebel Music
6. I Shot the Sheriff
7. Easy Skanking
8. No Woman, No Cry
9. Lively Up Yourself
10. Jammin'
11. War/No More Trouble
12. Get Up Stand Up
13. Exodus

TRT: 1:15:17

The set listing for the BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS – EASY SKANKING IN BOSTON ’78 Blu-Ray/DVD:

1. Rebel Music
2. I Shot the Sheriff
3. No Woman, No Cry
4. Lively Up Yourself
5. Jamming
6. War/No More Trouble
7. Exodus

TRT approx. 46min

The complete list of the performers on BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS – EASY SKANKING IN BOSTON ‘78 :

Bob Marley - vocals, guitar
Carlton Barrett – drums
Aston Barrett – bass
Marcia Griffiths - backup vocals
Rita Marley - backup vocals
Judy Mowatt - backup vocals
Tyrone Downie – keyboards
Alvin Patterson – percussion
Julian Marvin - lead guitar

****

Fat Possom Records - VERY Extremely Dangerous - New Release Review - CD/DVD

I just received a cool new DVD/CD which featured a documentary about a real music outlaw. This documentary by Robert Gordon and Paule Duane feature real live footage of a wild man with a wild past. Jerry McGill had recorded with Sam Phillips Sun Records in 1959 and been the road manager for Waylon Jennings under the name of Curtis Black. This is the story who lived the life of a real outlaw, serving prison time, swinging a gun around, robbing and thieving. I knew a man like this once in my life (but without the gun) and as stated by Robert Gordon, historian and film maker, someone who I may not have wanted in my house, but someone I was glad was in my life. This is not a dry, dusty, fluffy documentary with a lot of pretty scenery but the real time documentation of a 70 year old man who has not at all mellowed, full of most everything and ready to spring at the whisk of a mouse whisker. This is a documentary about music but this is really a healthy slice of life and one that will likely stick with you for a while. Ride along and feel your hair raise. Listen to yourself say...are you kidding me. Yes, this is the real deal. The video does have some brief musical performances and there is a cd included documenting about 11 songs but this is all about life. Real life. Pick this up and enjoy!

(winner of the Special Jury Prize at IndieMemphis 2012)

Ruf Records artist: Mike Zito & The Wheel - Songs From The Road - CD/DVD - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Songs From The Road from Mike Zito & The Wheel and it's terrific! This like a number of other releases in this series is a 2 disc set and in this case, one a DVD and I'll tell you, I can't wait to get this thing home and watch it! I'll do a separate review of the CD here and a follow up for the DVD shortly. Opening with Don't Break A Leg, a real hot funky number is cooking. With Zito on vocal and guitar and hot sax lines from Jimmy Carpenter, a funky organ solo from Lewis Stephens, Scot Sutherland laying down a funky bass line and the tight rhythms of Rob Lee on drums, this is Zito at his best! Next up is Greyhound with an almost Keith Richards attitude but with a bit more country flavor. Carpenter rides high on sax with soul and clarity. A change up is a quiet remake of Prince's Little Red Corvette and again the supple vocal like sax leads of Carpenter. Another rocker with attitude is Rainbow Bridge. I really like the slick slide guitar work and fat riffs backed by Carpenter on sax and and that swampy, rocky feel. Excellent! Pearl River is a bluesy ballad with warm chords and a sultry sax chaser. Zito's vocals really shine on this track and his guitar tone is rich! Hell On Me is a rolling rocker with some really grinding guitar work. Pushed along by snappy drum work from Lee, this track really hits. C'Mon Baby is an easy R&B style ballad with a country twist. Organ work from Stephens cushions the vocals nicely making for a definite radio track. Judgement Day is a solid high stepper with a pounding down beat. Zito steps out with a much more rock style guitar solo on this track the excellent snare work of Lee really makes it work. An over the top sax solo by Carpenter iced the deal on this one. Dirty Blonde has a real country/rock blues feel and Zito take a page from the Gatemouth Brown book. With R&B richness the band develops a real nice jam and Stephens lays out a great electric piano solo opening the floor. Zito follows short behind with a free flowing guitar solo of his own. Carpenter steps up and trades riffs with Zito making for a really enjoyable rocker. Subtraction Blues has a real New Orleans funky blue sound that is hard not to really like. His vocals have a rawness that contrast nicely against the polished sound of Stephens on the electric piano. His stylized guitar work adds without overwhelming the track and his phrasing is really cool. Wrapping the CD portion of the release is Gone To Texas, a subdued and well written ballad. Carpenter and Zito really light up the solos giving the CD portion of this release a super close.  

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”