Food For The Soul Records artist: David Michael Miller - Same Soil - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Same Soil, from David Michael Miller and it, like his 2014 release, Poisons Sipped , it's quite remarkable! Opening with All The Blues To You, a smokey, slinky, groove machine this release is off to a real nice start. Miller has a deep but silky voice and a great funky feel. Joined by Mike Brown on drums and mandolin, Jim Ehinger on piano and Tom Vayo on bass this is a real nice opener. Just Ride, jazzy twist on a blues theme opens quietly but opens up with a lot of heat. His own sumptuous guitar soloing, scorching slide work and nice B3 work from Ehinger give this track a spicy flavor. Gospel influenced Got Them Blues, has super piano and B3 work from Ehinger and wicked slide riffs from Miller complimenting the lead vocal. His own hand claps and drums by Carlton Campbell pushes the track along nicely. Easing back into an excellent electric soulful blues ballad, Friend Of Mine, Miller shows what a super voice he has. This track is certainly one of my favorites on the release with beautiful sax work from Jason Moynihan and some of Miller's warmest guitar work on the release. A definite nod to Mr Morganfield, Doing Me In, Doing Me Wrong has the basic components of an original but with modern adornment. Miller does a really smart job of blending the guttural feel of I'm A Man with his own modern styling. Jeremy Keyes lays down some real nice harp work on this track and Miller shows control on guitar, even when the track breaks into a scattered step jazz feel, allowing the track to maintain it's primitive roots yet with today's tastes. Clever pop jazz style track, Shoes To Shine, has a really nice rhythm courtesy of Nick Patterson on bass, Ehinger on Rhodes and Josh Miller really snapping the drums. Sax work from Barry Arbogast and frenzied slide work from Miller really builds the climax on this radio perfect track. Soft and easy is the word on Needle To The Wheel. A nicely written and performed, primarily acoustic ballad makes it a super track for cross radio play. Funky, If'in You Hear Me, keeps a light pace with nicely woven B3 from Ehinger, slide work from Miller, bass by Richii Valentino, drums by Campbell and Moynihan on sax. Emotional singing by Miller complimented by his solid slide work is bound to make this a live favorite. Born To Lose comes out of the gate with Moynihan, Ehinger and Campbell ripping the irregular but really tight rhythm. Miller is riding high with really nice vocals. Moynihan and Miller each gut this tune with laser hot solos making this one of the hottest tracks on the release. Jimmy Reed like, Too Early In The Morning, has an easy shuffle feel. Robert "Freightrain" Parker drives on bass and Ehinger really rolls on piano. Miller 's vocals are bluesy, joined by Keyes on harp before kicking it into high gear for a hot finish. This is really Ehinger's track through and through... nice job! Wrapping the release is acoustic ballad, Man's Got Things To Do. Nicely written and performed, although quiet in stature, this is a really strong track. Featuring Miller on guitar, vocal, percussion, piano, Brown on B3, and John Kibler on upright bass this track leaves you wanting more. Haunting slide guitar work over primitive military style snare work gives this track an extra kick. 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”

 

David Michael Miller - Poisons Sipped - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Poisons Sipped, from David Michael Miller and it's terrific! Opening with Hand Me Downs, a slide guitar boogie with great vocals, Miller cuts a swath that will be hard to follow. With a romping pace and a gritty feel, this track has screaming lap steel slide work by Darick Campbell and backing vocals by Serena Young and Jasmine Neeley as well as driving bass by Daric Bennett and drums by Carlton Campbell. Great start. Edge Of The End Of The World is a pop track with a real nice feel. Miller really does have a cool voice and backing by Young and Neeley add substantially. Jim Ehinger lays out some nice key strokes on this track and Barry Arbogast contributes a cool sax attack. Memphis Belle is a deep track with a real grip. Miller has a great feel for blues vocals and phrasing like you rarely hear in contemporary blues bands. Chuck Campbell really adds nicely with crying pedal steel riffs and Young, Neeley and Ashley Brown are perfectly placed with vocal backing. Excellent! Hope Finds A Way has a cool R&B jazz feel with nicely blended vocals by DM Miller and Jesse Miller and horns by Barry Arbogast and Stephen Jacob McClean Jr. Miller also steps up with a really bluesy guitar solo on this track that will make you sit up and take notice.  Moonshine is a terrific R&B track and Miller's voice really shines. Jason Moynihan adds some sexy sax on top of some slick guitar riffs by DM Miller. Top notch radio track. Spent opens with guitar open into a saturated tube amp.... perfect. With it's funky beat and Chuck Campbell on pedal steel this track moves! Arbogast and Mclean Jr and back on horns and Young, Neeley and Brown on backing vocal but it's the screaming pedal steel that takes this track over the top. Excellent! Carolina Bound demonstrates just how good a song writer Miller is with a beautiful melody, perfectly phrased vocals and excellent lap steel work by Derick Campbell. Careless is a very nicely composed acoustic ballad featuring primarily Miller on vocal and guitar with Ron Davis on accordion. Diggin On Bill is a really cool track with a funky jazz feel. With softly sung and well articulated vocals, Miller is surrounded by well woven instrumentation by Campbell, Bennett, Arbogast, Ehinger and Mclean Jr. Slick guitar riffs by Miller on this track are a nice highlight but this is a very strong track and one of the nicest tracks on the release. Once has a real move to it and makes it difficult not to be dancing in your seat (if not on your feet). The groove factor on this track is really nice and guitar driven with horn backing. Jesse Miller slips in there with some slick organ/piano work adding nicely to the mix. Excellent! Did I mention that this is a cool vocal track... yeah... get the funk out! Movin' On has an unusual time signature adding to the natural tension of the track. Jesse Miller pushes up dynamics of the track with organ and Campbell does a really nice job on drums but I keep coming back to the excellent vocals on this release overall and occasional but hot stinging guitar riffs over the rhythm that are so nicely added. Wrapping the release is Extraordinary, is a great name for this track. How often do you listen to something and think, this reminds me of an early Stevie Wonder composition. This could easily be a SW track from the 70's with it's beautiful melody, orchestration and feeling. I really think that this is a terrific release and one that demands a lot of attention. Miller is an excellent writer/composer/arranger and this guy can sing! Only a natural disaster can hold this guy down. If you only buy one CD this year... this would not be a bad choice!  

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”