Provogue Records artist: Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Trouble Is ... 25 - New Release Review (CD/DVD)

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Trouble Is...25, from Kenny Wayne Shepherd and it's great to hear. A release and reinterpretation of his second release, Trouble Is, Trouble Is ...25 sounds pretty fresh. Opening with Slow Ride, KWS really gets the program started with great vocals,  high energy blues riffs, and excellent sustain. With Chris Layton on drums, Kevin McCormick on bass and Reese Wynans on keys, this is a strong opener. Laid back, Everything Is Broken, anchored by Layton, has great drive and KWS shows all of the southern guitar spunk he has accumulated during his career. (Long) Gone has terrific Texas style swagger with hot guitar riffs and the addition of harmonica on this track really pumps it up. Classic, Somehow, Somewhere, Someday is just slow (fast) enough to really hit the groove. Wynans keyboard adds real tension and KWS's guitar work is stinging. Wrapping the release is Bob Dylan's fabulous Ballad of a Thin Man and KWS really knows how to work it. His vocals are soulful and believable and his responding guitar riffs scream. Wynans' organ and piano add another dimension. This is an excellent closer for a really strong redo by Shepherd. I'm checking out the concert DVD later tonight.

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MDV Visual: Man Of The World: The Peter Green Story - DVD - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Man of the World: The Peter Green Story and it's riveting. Many blues fan have been listening to the original Fleetwood Mac and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers with Peter Green for a long time and most have seen video clips of their performances but this release is seriously great! Rather than paste together more clips with music that may or may not be released, this film takes a totally new direction playing Peter Green's music in full fidelity between and behind excellent candid interviews with John Mayall, Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Peter's brothers and many others. This film is focused and fresh, showing the band as it was ... up close and really personal questions regarding Green, his talent, his problems and how the band Fleetwood Mac got it's name. It's tormented yet sensitive. It's done in an organized fashion so that it's easy to follow but not oversimplified to be repetitive or slow. Last but not least, you get a personal tour by Green of his guitar collection. It's curious to see his wonder with each guitar as if they are new but then his recall of stories related to each. Another extra is the reading of a letter that Green wrote to his manager when he was in Hawaii, explaining his interest in remaining clear of money. Lastly, there are further discussion of his prec=vious bandmates which were left out of the film. I see a lot of film and this one is really top notch with necessary live footage showing the band in performance. I highly recommended this film for anyone with even remote interest in British blues and modern blues roots. Excellent!

Man Of The World - The Peter Green Story

Man Of the World - The Peter Green Story coming to home video on November 18th The incredible story of the man who formed Fleetwood Mac

After replacing the legendary Eric Clapton in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Peter went on to form Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, one of the most successful bands to come out of Britain in the 60's. Peter's genius on the guitar was matched by the songs he wrote including Black Magic Woman, later a huge debut hit for Santana, and the supernatural and sublime instrumental Albatross, as well as the classic Oh Well. The film traces that early success, explores Peter's drug use and his eternal spiral into schizophrenia. The film also examines how the treatment he received (Electroconvulsive therapy or ECT) prolonged his illness and extended absence from the music scene. The story continues with Peter's fragile mental and artistic recovery, his return to the recording studio and live music scene in the mid 1990's that saw his most positive creative output for many years. It portrays an artist who has now come to express his feelings, not just through the guitar music he still loves, but also his art and photography. The film contains extensive and rare archive footage of live and studio performances, stills and original in-depth interviews with Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Mike Vernon, (legendary producer of the original Fleetwood Mac "Blue Horizons" albums), Noel Gallagher, John Mayall, Dennis Keane (road manager), Martin Celmins, (Peter's official biographer), Carlos Santana, Jeremy Spencer, (the original Fleetwood Mac guitarist) and many others who were fortunate to work with or know this extraordinary Man Of the World. The DVD can be ordered at the MVD Shop or on Amazon Product Details Format: DVD SKU: MVD9484D UPC: 760137948490 Street Date: 11/18/16 PreBook Date: 10/14/16 Label: HENRY HADAWAY ORGANIZATION » Genre: Pop/Rock Run Time: 150 mins Number of Discs: 1 Audio: STEREO Year of Production: 2009 Director: Steve Graham Producers: Steve Graham Actors: Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood, Noel Gallagher, John Mayall, John McVie, Carlos Santana Box Lot: 30 Territory: NORTH AMERICA Language: English # # #

Robert Mugge film - Last of the Mississippi Juke Joints - DVD review

I just had the opportunity to review the new release, Last of the Mississippi Juke Joints, a film by Robert Mugge and it's really interesting. This film chronicled the days of Jimmy King's legendary Subway Lounge in Jackson Mississippi and the early days of Morgan Freeman's and Bill Luckett's Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale Mississippi, a heartfelt attempt at recapturing the spirit of fading juke joint traditions. This film documents interviews with Morgan Freeman and Bill Luckett and Dick Waterman, famed music photographer. The first live set is with Alvin Youngblood Hart with Sam Carr and Anthony Sherrod. Hart's performance is super as always with a great voice and pure slide techniques. Showing the real flavor of a juke joint, Luckett and Freeman point out beer signs, pool tables, antiques signs, flea market tables, mis matched table cloths and catfish sandwiches, all the things that make a juke joint feel authentic. This is no city blues club. This is the real deal. Next up interview with Steve Cheseborough and Jimmy King at Subway and featuring a set by Greg "Fingers" Taylor. Ongoing commentary by Vasti Jackson adds color and texture to the film. A short clip of Dennis Fountain & Pat Brown is inserted before more discussions with blues players like House Cat Hendrix. The dynamic Patrice Moncell takes on the stage with a hot band featuring James Levinthal on alto sax and a hot guitar player, Mark Whittaker. Eddie Cotton plays his telecaster and sings by himself sitting at a table as a part of his interview. One of my favorite antidotes from the film is when Jimmy King tells about his beer buckets. They serve beer cans by the bucket over ice. At the end of the night often the beer is left unopened and the bar takes it back (to sell again). Once beer sales are stopped for the night, patrons are free to bring in their own beer. King happens to sell beer next door in his store after hours and with a receipt from next door his bar gives them a bucket of ice to continue to drink in his establishment until daylight. Vasti Jackson plays his set with local scenery showing in the background as well as clips of earlier days in black and white. JT Watkins and Levon Lindsey have a powerful gospel blues style. Bobby Rush does a real nice track just singing alone with harp as a part of the interview. A profile of the Summers Hotel, the first black owned hotel in the area is quite interesting. The Subway lounge is located in the basement of this older structure which was the home of blues and R&B musicians touring in the 50's. King Edwards Blues Band shows it's own style of R&B. Chris Thomas King is next up in the interview chair describing plans for new club and showing the sad state of repairs on the hotel. David Hughes is next on the stage with his shuffle style. Further community interviews with shows of support for the conservation of the Summers Hotel and cards from some of the more notable visitors including Hank Ballard, Mrs James Brown and the Freedom Riders. Devastating films and imagery of racial tension, segregation and cruelty are also shown further documenting the importance of the hotel in history. Chris Thomas King does a real nice delta style blues alone accompanying himself on a National steel bodied guitar. Further plans to remove substantial portions of the hotel due to collapse and the renovation of historic structures on the Civil Rights Tour are shown before the ultimate destruction of the hotel to the sounds of Lucille with Greg "Fingers" Taylor. Cheseborough does his own rendition of a delta blues song with his own steel bodied guitar as Jimmy and Chris discuss how the new clubs just won't be the same. An interesting juxtaposition. Abdul Rasheed, a solid soul singer is up next with his set. Closing the film is Fingers Taylor and the Subway Shuffle. This is a meaningful film documenting not only the music of the area but also the texture of the music scene and remnants of the roots of the blues.

Last Of The Mississippi Jukes coming to DVD on 10/21

Last Of The Mississippi Jukes Special Edition DVD coming on 10/21 Robert Mugge's stunning exploration of fading juke joint traditions at the heart of  Mississippi blues culture, with Morgan Freeman "American roots music at its most soulful and authentic. Excellent." - Boston Phoenix "This wonderful documentary [is] a definite good buy for blues fans." - Jazz & Blues Report "One of the most important Mississippi music films ever made." - Planet Weekly (Jackson, MS)

LAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI JUKES is Robert Mugge's exploration of Mississippi juke joints, the rustic, often dilapidated music venues where, early in the last century, itinerant blues musicians played for plantation workers and others, creating a powerful new music which soon migrated to Memphis, St. Louis, Chicago, Kansas City, Detroit, and elsewhere. Of course, even as this music spread around the world, changing as it went, it continued to have a strong presence in the state where it was born, a fact clearly shown by Mugge's 1991 film DEEP BLUES. And yet, in the decade after the release of DEEP BLUES, artists who had appeared in that earlier film began passing away, and the jukes where they and others had played became increasingly scarce. So, Mugge decided to make a new film about what was being lost. Funded by Starz Entertainment Group and premiered at the Starz Denver International Film Festival in November of 2002, LAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI JUKES focused primarily on two well-known venues. One was the legendary Subway Lounge in Jackson, Mississippi, and the other was Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi, a new and more commercial enterprise that drew on virtues of the more modest venues that inspired it. The idea was not that these two music spots were, themselves, the last remaining places where live blues could be heard in Mississippi, but that they embodied important musical traditions which were slipping away. The Subway Lounge was created by singer Jimmy King and operated by him and his wife Helen in the basement of Jackson Mississippi's historic Summers Hotel. King arrived at the name "Subway," because the entranceway to his basement performance space reminded him of the subway stations he saw on trips to New York City. What makes the hotel itself historic is that it was black-owned during an era of entrenched segregation, and that, when it opened in 1944, it was the first in the region to offer accommodations to African Americans. However, for music fans, its bigger claim to fame was that, in 1966, owner W.J. Summers allowed King to open the Subway Lounge in the hotel's basement, first as a jazz club, and then as a place to hear down-home blues performed late into the night. By the time Mugge filmed there in the spring of 2002, the hotel had been shuttered for years, and parts of the building had fully collapsed. But the Subway itself was still open every Friday and Saturday night from midnight till approximately 5:00am, with two bands, the House Rockers and the King Edward Blues Band, taking turns as its house band every second weekend. Joining these bands over the course of the night was a diverse group of singers and musicians, some of them stopping by after their paid gigs elsewhere had ended. Together, they played a rich selection of blues standards, including plenty of "soul blues" classics from Jackson-based Malaco Records. As a result, on any given weekend, that dark and dusty room reverberated with joy. For its part, Ground Zero was started by movie star Morgan Freeman and Clarksdale attorney (now mayor) Bill Luckett, in cooperation with former Blues Foundation executive director Howard Stovall. Together, they took an empty Clarksdale building close by the Delta Blues Museum and decorated it with the standard design elements of jukes - Christmas tree lights, pool tables, catch-as-catch-can furniture, and an overall makeshift sensibility - in order to endow it with the spirit of those traditional, ramshackle performance spaces. Of course, while Ground Zero's well-stocked bar, trendy menus, and sometimes well-heeled patrons sound like the marks of a modern-day music club, their aspirations to make this venue like a juke offered valuable lessons as to what made those earlier venues so distinctive.  At the time the film was made, Ground Zero was not yet offering as much live musical performance as it soon would. So, Mugge brought in Memphis musician Alvin Youngblood Hart to perform for the evening, accompanied by local musicians Sam Carr and Anthony Sherrod. Mugge and co-producer David Hughes, a Mississippi-based musician and collector, also beefed up the usual Subway Lounge talent with appearances by Vasti Jackson, Bobby Rush, Eddie Cotton, Jesse Robinson, Lucille, Greg "Fingers" Taylor, Casey Phillips, Virgil Brawley, and actor and musician Chris Thomas King, all of whom had played the Subway in the past but, at present, were too busy with their own touring to make more than cursory appearances. Still, the Subway's regular talent (including Patrice Moncell, Abdul Rasheed, Dennis Fountain, Pat Brown, Levon Lindsey, and J.T. Watkins), audience members, and owners represented the heart of the Subway experience, and that was true for the film as well. LAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI JUKES includes the following narrative threads: an illustrated introduction to Mississippi jukes, discussions of Ground Zero Blues Club and the Subway Lounge, a history of the Summers Hotel and the Civil Rights struggles that both preceded and accompanied it, and a portrait of the public movement to save the Subway Lounge after the building that housed it was condemned. Like most music documentaries, this film alternates between musical performance and related conversation, and interviewees of note include owners of both venues, Subway patrons, singers and musicians, Jackson politicians, a Jackson newspaper reporter, celebrated blues photographer Dick Waterman, and Mississippi blues author Steve Cheseborough. LAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI JUKES was first broadcast over the Black Starz channel (later renamed Starz in Black) in 2003. In addition, a commercial DVD and separate soundtrack CD were released the same year, yet both disappeared in 2007 when the releasing label went out of business. MVD's new Special Edition DVD includes not only the original feature-length Documentary, but also the original Soundtrack Album and a Video Update created by Robert Mugge in 2005 while he was serving as Filmmaker in Residence for Mississippi Public Broadcasting. The DVD can be ordered at the MVD Shop or on Amazon # # #

New Hal Leonard instructional book - Chicago Blues Rhythm Guitar ...The Complete and Definitive Guide

I just received the newest instructional blues book, Chicago Blues Rhythm Guitar... The Complete and Definitive Guide by Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin and Dave Rubin and it has it all. This book starts at the beginning with simple tips on setup and history. Then as you start to get into the tablature, it's all written out there for you, beginning with a boogie shuffle on the bass strings.What's really cool is they go further and show it's application in a way that you know how to apply it. Sliding 9ths never sounded so easy. These give the track fullness say like on Stormy Monday. Comping gives your track a Freddie Green richness. And flat tire that odd note out used quite effectively by SRV on Pride and Joy. The box shuffle is a standard of Buddy Guy for example. Once you understand the root it makes it soo much easier to fill. Jimmy Reeds "two beat" style is also covered. Next E major and A Major keys are covered with basic runs. On this you can build the basic triple stop chord form. Tips on using a capo and tuning as well as a practical application is really helpful. The next section is devoted to accompanying a harmonica player. This is particularly important in the traditional effectiveness of harp/guitar call and response. Try it! Robert Lockwood Jr and Luther Tucker riffs are nicely touched upon. This is the gold standard here. Next there is a discussion of blending guitars and piano work. Substituting guitar for piano with a similar effect is also covered. Covering the change up rhythms is critical. Latin influence as well as funk, in blues is very prominent including Jr Walker and James Brown feel. A morphing into the blues rock style is also covered with slides and runs from Jimi. Yup, there are even base Beck and SRV runs here to get your feet wet. Also included is dialog about playing with strong players as well as a number of pages of cool lead riffs for two. This is a real cool book (and DVD) that brings you from the most basic to the more complex concepts but keeping it simple that any level guitarist can work through it. If you are into blues guitar and want to secure some riffs...this is a great place to start.

  

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Joe Bonamassa to release "Muddy Wolf at Red Rocks" DVD, Blu-ray & CD

"MUDDY WOLF AT RED ROCKS"

JOE BONAMASSA’S TRIBUTE TO
MUDDY WATERS AND HOWLIN’ WOLF

RELEASED ON DVD, BLU-RAY, VINYL & CD ON MONDAY 23rd MARCH 2015

"They always try to write off the blues; well we’ve proven tonight that at least 9,000 people like the blues," says celebrated blues rock master Joe Bonamassa who releases "Joe Bonamassa – Muddy Wolf At Red Rocks" on DVD, Blu-ray and CD set on March 23, 2015.
The exclusive concert experience, which is a tribute to blues legends Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, was filmed at Red Rocks Amphitheatre over Labor Day weekend in 2014.

Joe Bonamassa "Muddy Wolf At Red Rocks" Album Trailer

Carved into the bedrock of Colorado’s majestic Rocky Mountains, the famed amphitheatre sets the stage for Bonamassa’s fiery delivery of over 2.5 hours of bluesy guitar-wailing and horn-filled tunes honouring the two Blues greats. Playing to a sold-out crowd of 9,000 fans, this marks the biggest show of Bonamassa’s career, a major milestone for the bluesman.
The Blu-ray and DVD contains over 1.5 hours of bonus features including exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, photo gallery, historic footage of Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, and a featurette of Bonamassa and producer Kevin Shirley’s trip to The Crossroads.

Photo Credit:© Christie Goodwin

Unlike any Bonamassa show before, Muddy Wolf marks the start of a tribute concert series that will display a different band and catalogue of material that will vary from Bonamassa’s music as a solo artist. For Muddy Wolf, songs were carefully selected from the catalogues of Howlin’ Wolf, one of Chicago’s most influential bluesmen, known for his deep, scratchy voice, and Muddy Waters, considered the "father of modern Chicago blues."
Muddy Waters was a major inspiration for the British blues explosion of the 1960s, a genre that has heavily influenced Bonamassa’s original music throughout his career.

Photo Credit:© Christie Goodwin

The concert features a selection of songs from each artist, followed by a 30-minute set of songs from Bonamassa’s own extensive catalogue, plus a line-up of players different from Bonamassa’s touring band, dubbed the “Muddy Wolf Band” which includes Anton Fig (drums), Michael Rhodes (bass), Reese Wynans (piano, Hammond organ), Lee Thornburg (trumpet, horn arrangements), Ron Dziubla (saxophone), Nick Lane (trombone), Mike Henderson (harmonica), and Kirk Fletcher (guitar).

"MUDDY WOLF AT RED ROCKS" (PRD 7457)

(2CD/2DVD/BLURAY/3LP)

MUDDY WATERS SET

Mississippi Heartbeat (Intro)

1. Tiger In Your Tank
2. I Can't Be Satisfied
3. You Shook Me
4. Stuff You Gotta Watch
5. Double Trouble
6. Real Love
7. My Home Is On The Delta
8. All Aboard

HOWLIN’ WOLF SET

1. How Many More Years
2. Shake For Me
3. Hidden Charms

i. Band and Introductions
ii. Spoonful
iii. Killing Floor
iv. Evil (Is Going On)
v. All Night Boogie (All Night Long)

JOE BONAMASSA SET

1. Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)
2. Oh Beautiful!
3. Love Ain't A Love Song
4. Sloe Gin
5. Ballad of John Henry
6. Muddy Wolf Credits

BONUS FEATURES

1. Joe and Kevin’s Excellent Adventure… to The Crossroads
2. Behind the Rocks - An Exclusive View Behind the Scenes
3. The Originals - Historic Footage of Muddy Waters & Howlin’ Wolf
4. Rockagram Gallery

Photo Credit:© Christie Goodwin

Of the experience, a humbled and grateful Bonamassa says - "Inspired was the feeling that permeated the camp from the very downbeat. It was the gig of a lifetime for me. What you see on this DVD is what it was like to play in front of the largest audience of my career, playing music that I loved, love, and fell in love with again in a much bigger way than I had before.
The concert is presented by Keeping the Blues Alive (KTBA), which Bonamassa founded, and helps to promote the heritage of the blues to the next generation, fund music scholarships, and supplement the loss of music education programs in public schools. With ticket sales from the show, KTBA raised over $40,000 for schools across the country. 
What was proved on this night, with $40,000 raised for charity and 9,000 fans dancing to Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf songs, is that blues music is alive and well.

Photo Credit:© Christie Goodwin

JOE BONAMASSA ONLINE

Official Website | Official Facebook | Official Twitter

Official YouTube Channel | Official Instagram | Mascot Label Group

Jeff Beck Live In Tokyo – 2014 - DVD (audio review only) - New release Review - Stilladog - Guest reviewer

My old pal Stilladog had a chance to listen to the new Jeff Beck DVD audio and his review follows. We have both been Beck fans for a long time so I was thrilled to see his review:

The recordings take place at the Tokyo Dome City Hall in Japan on April 9th of this year.  These Japanese recordings were the first to feature Beck’s new backing band of Jonathan Joseph (drums), Nicolas Meier (guitars) and Rhonda Smith (bass). The setlist includes some material from his new, as yet unreleased, studio album as well as material from nearly all of his previous releases. In contrast to Beck s previous videos done in small clubs, Live In Tokyo was filmed in a major concert arena and has a very different, more spacious feel.  Beck has released a number of live albums from Japan over the years and he obviously feels comfortable there.

The set begins with a tune from his most recent EP, Yosogai, entitled Loaded.  It is a perfect warm up for the alternately beautiful and soaring instrumental version of Jimi Hendrix’s , Little Wing, which follows.

A new song, You Know You Know, is next and I am interested in hearing this version contrast with the studio released version assuming it is included on the next release.  This is followed by three of Jeff’s live standards, Hammerhead from Emotion And Commotion, Angel (Footsteps) from Who Else!, and Stratus which I believe he has never done in studio.

Yemin is another new song which borders jazz with a middle eastern touch as you might imagine from the title.  Then the band reaches back to the Guitar Shop days for the beautiful ballad, Where Were You. Reaching yet further back into the extensive Beck catalog they find The Pump and You Never Know from There And Back sandwiched around an exquisite medley consisting of a 1:10 intro of Charles Mingus’ Goodbye Porkpie Hat and Brush With The Blues.  Probably my favorite cut on the album.

Beck’s incredible fretboard control is on full display on the classic ballad, Danny Boy, also originally released on Yosogai.  Then it’s a return to dig yet deeper back to the mid 1970s of Blow By Blow and Wired for the screamers and crowd favorites, Blue Wind and Led Boots. 

Throughout, the incredible tone and of Jeff Beck is mesmerizing.  The set continues with a blend of rock, jazz, with flashes of blues and funk including The Beatles’ Day In The Life (now a Beck Live standard as well), Big Block, Rollin’ and Tumblin, and Corpus Christi Carol.

The set ends with an absolutely perfect Rendering of Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers. For an encore the band performs Why Give It Away from Yogosai, the only tune on this release with vocals.

This is pure Jeff Beck.  Better than the Ronnie Scott’s release.  No special guests. Just Jeff and his hand picked band.  While Jimmy Page has dropped off the face of the earth and Eric Clapton has become a product of the music marketing machine (and about as interesting as his last album, an ‘Old Sock’) this is an awesome display from the lone virtuoso rock guitarist that remains creative and relevant SIXTY years hence!  Very highly recommended.  That is all.         

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Ruf Records artist: Dana Fuchs - Songs From The Road - New Release Review - CD/DVD

I just received the newest release, Songs From The Road from Dana Fuchs and it's quite dynamic. Recorded Live at Highline Ballroon in New York City, Fuchs opens with Bliss Avenue. Fuchs hits the stage hard with a dramatic vocal entrance and a stinging tele solo from Jon Diamond really turned my head. Next up is Handful Too Many, a track showing a lot of commercial potential with a pinch of country and warm backing from Elaine Caswell, Nicki Richards and Bettie Sussman (The Screaming Sirens). Livin' On Sunday is a really cool track with a funky revival back beat. The "Screaming Sirens" really give it that extra edge and may be one of my favorite tracks on the release. How Did Things Get This Way really has a Stones feel and Fuch's "Pearl" like vocals shine through. Diamond is again hitting the frets hard this time on Les Paul but this track is a hard driven rocker. R&B track So Hard To Move is a really nice ballad and both the solid bass work of Jack Dailey and keys from Pete Levin are instrumental in making the track so easily controlled by Fuchs. Another powerful tele solo by Diamond ices this cake. Summersong is another R&B number with sweet backing vocals from The Screaming Sirens. I would be totally amiss if I didn't mention how cool Dailey's Jazz Bass looks with it's 50 year old black worn finish. Set It On Fire is a pop rocker with solid commercial potential. Tell Me I'm Not Drinking is a strong acoustic number featuring Fuchs and Sirens on rich vocal harmonies and Diamond on acoustic guitar. Another acoustic number, Sad Salvation, features Fuchs on a quiet country ballad backed by Diamond on vocal and acoustic and Matt Beck with nice crying tele backing and a real sweet slide solo. Kicking it back up into country rock mode, Love To Beg has a taste of Skynyrd but built on more of a pop ballad bass. Diamond again wields his mighty axe where it isn't as much about speed as about intensity. Very nice. Rodents In The Attic has a real country western rhythm emphasized by Joe Dailey's drum patterns. Fuch's shows absolute comfort and composure on this track. Getting down more into a honky tonk feel, Nothin' On My Mind, gives Levin to show his country chops and Diamond twangs his tele as well. Very nice! Vagabond Wind actually reminds me a little bit of Macy Gray (a real compliment) but of course with the biting vocal style more akin to Joplin. A very strong track, this is my favorite tune on the release. Long Long Game is a basic country rock track with well blended instrumentals throughout. Diamonds solos on this track are a bit more progressive on this track but Fuchs, maintains front and center with her dynamic personality. Keep On Walkin' gets back into a funky rock feel with Fuchs getting tight with the Sirens and Diamond taking a short crisp solo. On Otis Redding's soul classic, I've Been Loving You, Fuchs may best show the qualities of her vocal skills and Diamond lays down some of the beefiest guitar riffs on the release. This is the hottest track on the release... smokin! Wrapping the release is John Lennon's Don't Let Me Down. You do have to wonder how one would close a set after that last track and Fuchs pulls out the perfect track in this rock classic. Using Lennon's basic arrangement but with solid organ work from Levin, a great bass line from Dailey, Diamond throws a stiff guitar solo, warm vocals from the Sirens and some of the most tame vocals on the release, you feel a closure with this set. 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”

 

Hal Leonard - Smokin' Blues Guitar - Smokin' Joe Kubek - Guitar tab and DVD - Release Review

I've had the opportunity to review Hal Leonard's release, Smokin' Blues Guitar featuring Smokin' Joe Kubek. This is a well prepared and clearly illustrated instructional video and accompanied lesson book. The chapters are Licks, Riffs, Turnarounds, Rhythm, Slide and a section aimed directly at capturing the essence of some of the best blues players. I personally went through the book and video and found some of the lessons quite easy and some very challenging. This is a book that you could play with for a long time and continue to learn something each time through. Although no instructional program has all of the answers, this is a very interesting lesson which has keys that could assist any player trying to develop your blues and guitar skills. Kubek illustrates each of his points clearly and even shows you a number of his secrets. The last portion of the program is a feature which looks at the style of the following players: T-Bone Walker, Gatemouth Brown, John lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins, Elmore James, Guitar Slim, BB King, Albert King, Freddie King, Albert Collins, Johnny Winter, Billy Gibbons, Jimmie Vaughn, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn. Kubek captures the essence of these players not such that you can play like any of these players but how you can use some of the classic riffs that they are known for and adapt them to your own style. Beginners, intermediate players and advanced players will benefit from the use of the combination of the DVD and Tab package.

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HEART release "Fanatic Live" Deluxe Edition, DVD & Blu-ray

Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the release of Heart's concert "FANATIC LIVE FROM CAESARS COLOSSEUM" on CD+DVD Deluxe Edition, DVD and Blu-ray in the UK on Monday 24th February 2014.
The history behind this recording began in 2012, which was a year of major achievements for Heart. In addition to Ann and Nancy’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and news that they had been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the year was filed with musical accomplishments. 

Heart - Nancy Wilson (guitar) and Ann Wilson (lead vocals)

Wilson combed their archives for a definitive four CD box set release in the early part of the year, and in the fall of 2012, released their "Fanatic" album to strong critical and fan acclaim.  To support the release of "Fanatic," the band embarked upon a major North American headline tour, which ended with a magnificent performance at Caesars Colosseum in Windsor, Ontario, which was filmed by AXS-TV. Heart will be performing shows in North America in February, March and April, 2014 as a continuation of the "Fanatic" tour.
"Heart is one of my personal favorites," said Frontiers Records President Serafino Perugino, "and it is more than a pleasure to have them joining the Frontiers family. We look forward to a great partnership together!"

Heart has long been associated with Canada having broken out in Vancouver in 1976 with the release of "Dreamboat Annie" and their return to Canada for the "Fanatic" tour was greeted with the kind of enthusiasm the Canadians save for their own.  Ben Mink, who produced the "Fanatic" CD and is another great musical Canadian musician, joined Ann and Nancy on stage at Windsor, playing fiddle and leading a string ensemble.
In addition to songs from the "Fanatic" album which were performed for the first time for the television viewing audience, "Fanatic Live From Caesars Colosseum" also showcases many of Heart's classic hits including "Barracuda," "Crazy on You," "These Dreams," "Alone," "What About Love," and many more.
Preview the release and enjoy a personal Ann Wilson presentation:
A digital download is available via iTunes and includes an instant download of a new rendition of the Heart classic "Dog And Butterfly".
Over the group's four-decade history, Heart had different line-ups, with the constant centre of the group since 1974 being sisters lead singer Ann Wilson and guitarist Nancy Wilson. To date, Heart has sold over 30 million records worldwide, including over 22 million in album sales in the U.S. The group was ranked number 57 on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock". With Top 10 albums on the Billboard Album Chart in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2010s, Heart is among the most commercially enduring bands in rock.

Band Line-up:

Ann Wilson: Vocals/Guitar/Flute
Nancy Wilson: Guitar/Vocals/Mandolin
Craig Bartock: Guitar/Vocals
Debbie Shair: Keyboards/Vocals/Percussion
Ben Smith: Drums/Percussion
Dan Rothchild: Bass

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