Chin Music Records artist: Shaw Davis & the Black Ties - Tales From The West - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Tales From The West, from Shaw Davis & The Black Ties, and I really like it. Opening with power blues rocker, Take My Hand, guitarist and lead vocalist, Shaw Davis  sets a signature sound with his Marino / Hendrix / Trower like blues rock style. With a tight rhythm section of Patrick Stevenson on bass and Bobby Van Stone on drums, these guys are hot. On Zappa's classic blues rocker, Willie The Pimp, Stevenson and Van Stone really turn up the heat with heavy, precise bottom and in addition to Davis' great vocals exceptional guitar soloing. Excellent! With a funk rock beat, Mama Told Me gets this train grooving. Excellent drum work by Van Stone set this track off nicely and with a rumbling bass line Shaw just rips the guitar lead.... oh yeah...you know what I mean... step back. Ok... you really got me with Junior Kimbrough's I Gotta Try You Girl and it's hill country style. Taking it's simplistic droning style and pairing it with power blues rock rhythm and lead is ingenious with excellent results. Stevenson and Van Stone are unbending and relentless and Davis slashes with his guitar lead making this and excellent showpiece for the band. Wrapping the release is My Friend, a more subtle starter with relentless guitar lead, a strong bottom and ethereal flow. If you've been wanting to know who is doing that hard edged blues rock today... look no further. Very nice job!

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Texas Blues Rocker Touring Florida This Month

Three Show Dates - Three Cities Not one but three separate show dates in the Sunshine state starting with Tallahassee then Spring Hill and then closing out in Tampa.

March 16th - The Junction at Monroe - Tallahassee

March 17th - Marker 48 Brewing - Spring Hill

March 18th - Ferg's Live - Tampa

Seeing is believing - click and experience The Ally Venable Band

Learn more about Ally - click here

Harpo Records artist: Backtrack Blues Band - Way Back Home - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Way Back Home, from the Backtrack Blues Band and it's solid. Opening with Going to Eleuthera, a snappy shuffle, Sonny Charles leads the way on lead vocals and Kid Royal is hot on his heels on lead guitar. Rounding out the troupe is Little Johnny Walter on rhythm guitar, Joe Bencomo on drums and Stick Davis on bass. Victor Wainwright is featured on piano and does a real nice job and Charles really makes his harp sing. Nice opener. On Tell Your Daddy, the band sets a funky dance groove with a boogaloo bass line. Breaking into a smooth shuffle Royal plays it like a stud and the deal is on. Breaking back, Charles brings his harp to the forefront with great tone. Shoot My Rooster has a real nice blues lope with Charles' harp on call and Royal's guitar on response. One of my favorite tracks on the release, this track features super piano work by Wainwright in the mix with Royal and Charles. Excellent. Sonny Boy Williamson's Your Funeral, My Trial really gets the feel of old Chicago blues with Charles working his harp. Royal's Texas blues guitar styling is tight and forceful giving the track great balance. Nobody But You has a bit of 50's R&B blues styling and Royal's guitar work is clean and distinctive. Charles' harp work is fat and rich with tight underpinnings by Wainwright, Davis and Bencomo. On Heavy Built Woman Royal takes a real nice walk on his six string with Funderburgh like runs and Charles' vocals and super harp are nicely backed by Latonya Oliver and Dana Merriwether. Blues classic, Baby Please Don't Go is up next and with great enthusiasm Charles shouts out the lyrics. This track has great instrumental qualities with solid entries by Charles and Royal. Check it out! Rich Man Blues has a real deep lope and strong Chicago blues styling. Royal and Charles take nice solo passes and Wainwright's contributions are essential. Wrapping the release is Help Me Just This Time, a modified boogie. With it's driving bass riff, Wainwright's extensive piano work and Royal and Charles trading riffs, this is a great track to wrap a fun release.



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Cottonmouth Perry

I was raised on a healthy mix of New Orleans Ragtime Funk, Hard Driving 70s Classic Rock and Heavy Metal. Discovered Pure Delta Blues when I began to play Harp at age 18. Guitar shortly followed and I have been searching for my sound ever since.  









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Big Road Blues - Delta Swamp Rats

Steve Arvey started playing Music seriously when he was 18 years old. While in college in Gainesville, Florida he met John Vilardo who was the first person that he ever jammed with. Soon after he was meet to Ben Andrews. Ben was a country blues ragtime guitarist from Washington, DC. Bent turned me on to the great country bluesmen like Charley Patton, Robert Johnson, Bukka White and Leadbelly just to name a few. When I first heard Leadbelly it seemed my whole life changed. Ben really was my first big influence into the blues. He showed me how to fingerpick and got me into playing bass. Another person from Gainesville and an early influence was Barrelhouse Chuck. Chuck had a large record collection and was playing in the Robert Hunter Blues Band. Robert Hunter was a blind saxophone player who had worked with Bobby “Blue” Bland in the sixties. Eventually Chuck moved out to Seattle and Ben and I formed another band to back up Robert Hunter. The same year Bo Diddley moved to Gainesville. Soon,the Robert Hunter Band ended up backing Bo Diddley. Arvey eventually returned to Chicago, where he worked as a sideman on the Chicago Blues scene playing bass guitar, guitar, and drums behind such Blues Legends as Hubert Sumlin, Jimmy Rogers, Big Smokey Smothers, Homesick James ,Andrew Brown, Lefty Dizz, Big Moose Walker, BB Big Voice Odum, Detroit Jr, Lovie Lee, Carey Bell, Big Jack Johnson, Sam Carr, Frank Frost, Lester Davenport. Eddie Taylor, Sam Lay, Eddie Clearwater, Sugar Blue, Abb Locke, HipLinkchain, Sammy Lawhorn, Jr Wells, Sammy Fender and others. Then Arvey formed a band called West Side Heat and Released his first Album. The band was very active between 1981-1991 and toured all over the world, sometimes backing up Notable blues artists. The Highlight of the Group was their Performance on The Crossroads Stage at the 1990 Chicago Blues Festival. Steve is again playing the Blues. It’s about getting back to the roots, where it all began in the Mississippi Delta area, true source of Blues music. With his unique style and interpretation, you can hear raw blues music as it was played in the past. Anthony “Tony” Smith, first held a harp at age one when his dad put a harp in his crib. He blew it a few times and tossed it out, only to be picked up again 15 years later. While attending Middle Tennessee State University, a friend introduced him to the music of Muddy Waters, Hound Dog Taylor and many of the early blues masters. He fell in love with the harmonica because it moved him the way no other instrument had ever done before. Being close to Nashville, Tony took advantage of the many talented musicians that lived and toured in the area, catching major blues acts that whetted his appetite for more knowledge and proficiency on the harp. Influenced by studying the masters such as Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller), Sam Myers, Gary Primich, William Clark, Kim Wilson and Little Walter to name a few, he developed his own blues style. His passion drives his playing to express the lyrics being sung and grove of the song, taking the listener into the song and the emotions it was meant to express. The result after 25 years of playing the blues is an approach that is a great fit for the old blues style of playing that is the trademark of the Delta Swamps Rats.  


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Baby Please - The Betty Fox Band

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With an extensive background in gospel and a lifelong passion for soul music, Betty Fox has burst onto the Florida music scene in a whirlwind of controlled yet unabashed passion and has taken the hearts of anyone wise enough to lend her their ear. Betty Fox appreciated singing early in life and performed for the first time at a church play at the age of 4. Her family had a deep love for southern country gospel and tight harmonies which they would express at every family gathering, and that is where her affinity for music began. "My uncle Fred would pound on the keys with his monster hands and the harmonies would resonate in my soul", Fox says. Now, at age 27, this fiery songstress has her own musical project with quite a few heart wrenching, lyrically driven and musically sound original tracks that beg the question "What kind of life must this old soul have lived?" To support her talent, she has carefully selected musical heavyweights Matt Walker on guitar, Barry Williams on bass, and Sam Farmer on drums to set herself up for nothing less than well deserved success. Listen for yourself by clicking on the "Music" tab. In fact, in the past year this dynamic quartet has played on multiple music festivals including the city of Treasure Island's Bikini Blues Bash Festival, the Tangerine Blues Festival, the Dunedin Wines the Blues Festival, the Gasparilla Music Festival, they headlined the Safety Harbor Seafood Festival, and will be performing at the Daytona Blues Festival in October. They have opened for such artists such as Mavis Staples, The Legendary JC's, Selwyn Birchwood (IBC WINNER), Roosevelt Collier of "The Lee Boys", Damon Fowler, Lucky Peterson, Shaun Murphy, Bill Wharton "The Sauce Boss", and Marcia Ball, They have performed on festivals with Lord Huron, Ozomalti, Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears, Best Coast, Dawes, and The Meter Men, for crowds amassing over 6,000 screaming fans. You definitely don't want to miss this one of a kind musical experience! If you haven't heard them, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of their first album "Too Far Gone", released in July 2012 and titled after one of her powerful original songs in which she pleads with a loved one lost in addiction. "It's the most important song on the album", Fox says. From the Salsa tinged chart "Goodbye" written as a farewell to her beloved Grandmother, to "Dirty Soul", a rickety anthem of her love affair with music and a thorough homage to Howlin' Wolf, this album will pull at your heart strings and make you want to dance while you play it on repeat. "Too Far Gone" can be found on itunes, Amazon.com, and of course here on her website. Thank you for visiting with us!

  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 favorite band!

It's A Little Too Late - Lee Delray

With over a quarter of a century under his belt and 14 years fronting his own band, Lee is causing quite the buzz on a national and international level. In 2013, Lee Delray headlined the 4th Annual Blues Bash in Hackettstown, N.J., along with Blues/Rock Legend Johnny Winter. He was also invited on as supporting act for “Superharp” James Cotton at The Stanhope House, N.J. Lee’s cd “570-BLUES” is getting airplay in over 15 countries and over 40 US states, and rapidly building a worldwide fan base. Lee’s style has been called a ferocious mix of Albert King, Albert Collins, and Luther Allison. He has also been compared to more modern artists like Tommy Castro, Nick Moss, Joe Moss, Chris Cain, and Bryan Lee. If you enjoy any of these artists you will love Lee Delray. Born in Florida and raised in N.Y.C., Lee started playing guitar at age 11 after finding an old flat top in a back corner of his garage. Lee gave up the guitar one year later for the drums after seeing a Krupa/Rich showdown on The Johnny Carson Show, but that didn’t last too long. Lee was captivated by a performance he saw of Alvin Lee & Ten Years After doing “I’m Going Home” on PBS, and begged his dad to buy him an electric guitar. But that was not Lee’s earliest influence to perform. Delray remembers his dad taking him to see Pete Seeger perform on a Staten Island pier when he was about 7 years old. “ He seemed larger than life to me at that age”. “Actually… Pete seems larger than life to me at any age. Those concerts my dad took me to every year changed my life forever. I knew after seeing Pete for the first time that I wanted to sing and perform for people. He made people feel good. After all the pain I’ve been through in my life, that’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. Make people feel good”, says Lee. After spending his youth playing in bands ranging in styles from Rock-N- Roll to Punk, from Oldies to Country, Lee discovered the Blues. Or rather, the Blues discovered him via an old Muddy Waters Record given to him by a long time friend and fellow musician Duke Lee. Lee talks a little about “Street Credit” and how he feels he was destined for the “Blues Life”. “My family lived in Staten Island suburbia surrounded by PTA meetings, Tupperware parties, and Monday night Mah-jong. But I wasn’t down with that. I hung out in the Park Hill Projects and on the streets of the “City” at all hours of the night. I was in and out of group homes till the age of 17. I was a graffiti artist, and I was there when Rap music was born. I’ve been shot at in East New York. I played guitar on the ferry boat and in Battery Park for change. I’ve dragged a Marshall Half Stack to auditions on and off every train in NYC. I’ve hung out with the Panthers in Harlem. I watched a “Wise Guy” beat a man half to death with a baseball bat, and I’ve been stabbed in the stomach and face going into a gig. The song “Don’t Tell Me I Can’t Get the Blues” is just the tip of the iceberg. Needless to say, I have a lot more stories to tell, so stay tuned”. Delray notes his main influences in the Blues as…Albert King, B.B. King, Albert Collins, Jimmie Vaughan, Luther Allison, Jimmy Reed, Hound Dog Taylor, Eric Clapton, and Freddie King.. Lee also was very honored to have former bassist with The Mighty Bo Didley, Debby Hastings and Margo Lewis ( Bo Didley and founding member of Goldie and The Gingerbreads) as his “Showstopper” rhythm section. Lee toured with this lineup which also included “Papa” John Mole’ ( Otis Rush, Bill Perry Band) for 2 years. Since forming his own band in 1998 Lee has played with or shared the bill with some of the finest musicians in the world of Blues from NYC all the way to Austin Texas and back.

  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 favorite band!

SHANYTOWN IS KEEPING THE LEGEND ALIVE ON NEW SELF-TITLED CD FROM GARAGE DOOR RECORDS; VAN ZANT NEPHEWS RONNIE AND ROBBIE MORRIS CARRY ON SOUTHERN ROCK BAND TRADITION

SHANYTOWN IS KEEPING THE LEGEND ALIVE ON NEW SELF-TITLED CD FROM GARAGE DOOR RECORDS

VAN ZANT NEPHEWS RONNIE AND ROBBIE MORRIS CARRY ON SOUTHERN ROCK BAND TRADITION

JACKSONVILLE, FL – Growing up Southern – or from anywhere else on the globe for that matter - true fans of rock and roll know all about the history of the Van Zant family of Jacksonville, Florida. Known as the “First family of Southern Rock,” they have thus far produced three landmark groups: Lynyrd Skynyrd, 38 Special and the Johnny Van Zant Band. Now, there is a proud new addition from Southern Rock’s first family, a hot new band called Shanytown, who’ve released their debut album self-titled CD on Garage Door Records.

Shanytown is led by “Lil Ronnie” Morris (lead vocals/guitar) and Robbie Morris (drums), both nephews of the late Ronnie Van Zant, as well as Donnie and Johnny Van Zant. Ronnie and Robbie Morris’ musical roots run deep and like their uncles they are the real deal. In fact, Robbie spent 15 years drumming in the Johnny Van Zant Band before stepping out to form his own group with his brother, Ronnie, as well as Kevin Williams (rhythm/lead guitars/vocals), Charles Moody (bass) and Tommy Bluestreetcar (yes, that is his name), who joined the band shortly after the album was recorded (rhythm/lead guitars/vocals).

In the last few years, Shanytown has carved its own musical path, known primarily through their explosive live performances and lyrical song-styling. Wherever the band has played, they’ve left audiences with a sense of fulfillment rarely seen or offered by any of today’s entertainers.  Now, the Jacksonville-based Shanytown has successfully captured their powerful live sound in the studio to bring audiences their debut album, Shanytown.

Shanytown’s musical influences are so diverse that the sounds created when they come together are truly unique.  As musicians they excel, as writers they push the very boundaries of Southern Rock with astonishing results, as evidenced by the 11 highly-combustible tracks on the band’s new CD.

The new CD is a treasure of contemporary Southern Rock propelled by the blistering vocal performance of Ronnie Morris; driven by the rock-solid rhythm section of Robbie Morris and Charles Moody; and fueled by the twin guitar assault of Ronnie and Kevin Williams’ fretwork to produce an original, contemporary sound that could only be created by Shanytown.

Already a hit at radio stations around the world, this stunning collection of original Southern Rock is being released worldwide on the American independent label, Garage Door Records. And the Van Zant legacy continues...

For more information, visit www.garagedoorrecords.com.

Guitarist Sean Chambers Announces His Most-Extensive Tour Ever

Guitarist Sean Chambers Announces His

Most- Extensive Tour Ever

New CD, The Rock House Sessions, Produced by Reese Wynans, Set for Release on October 15

TAMPA, FL – Guitarist Sean Chambers, whose new CD, The Rock House Sessions, is set for release on October 15 from Blue Heat Records, has announced his most extensive tour schedule thus far in support of the new album. His latest itinerary includes performances in a number of markets that Sean has not played in a long time, plus many he’s never played before, including all of his upcoming California shows, as well as San Antonio, Fort Worth, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Phoenix, Boulder, Cedar Rapids and New Orleans. Sean Chambers is booked by The Jo-Ann Freda Agency (203-530-1019 / joannfredaagency@gmail.com).

The Rock House Sessions is the first album he’s recorded as Sean Chambers rather than The Sean Chambers Band; and producing for the  first-time is legendary keyboard player Reese Wynans (best-known as a member of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s band). It’s also his first album using all studio musicians, as Sean and Reese tapped into a host of all-star local players and songwriters. The album was recorded at the studio of another acclaimed keyboardist – Kevin McKendree (Delbert McClinton Band) – named The Rock House, hence The Rock House Sessions.

Besides Sean on lead vocals and lead guitar, the main band includes Reese Wynans on keyboards, Tommy MacDonald on bass and Tom Hambridge on drums. Special guests include  Rob McNelley on guitar, TJ Klay on harmonica, Chaz Trippy on percussion, Etta Britt on backing vocals, Bob Britt on guitar, Steve Herman on trumpet, and Jim Hoke on sax.

“We used three of my original songs on The Rock House Sessions,” said Sean Chambers about the new album. We had so many different songs on the table from some really great songwriters, including not only Tom Hambridge, but Gary Nicholson and Rick Vito. I really liked the diversity of all the music that we had to choose from here.

“The songs that I wrote are ‘Your Love Is My Disease,’ ‘It Hurts to See You Go’ and ‘Meant to Be’. ‘Your Love Is My Disease’ is a straight-ahead up tempo blues song my band and I had been playing at our shows a couple months before the CD was recorded, and it was always very well received. ‘It Hurts to See You Go’ is a slow minor blues song about a guy who is trying to convince the love of his life ‘not to go.’ ‘Meant to Be’ is really unlike any other song that I have ever written. It was inspired by my soon-to-be wife, Karen, and the song kind of wrote itself. After talking with Karen on the phone early one morning, I had this melody running through my head and some lyric ideas also. I picked up my acoustic guitar and wrote the whole song in about 45 minutes. Reese Wynans helped me fine tune the song in the studio and also added a few lyrics at the end. Not to mention the piano lines that he added really took this song to another level. Although it is not the typical kind of song that one might expect to hear on a blues/rock album, it came from the heart and it is one of my favorites. It's about real stuff!”

Radio promotion for Sean Chambers is being handled by Rick Lusher Radio Promotion (917) 742-0254 / rickl11421@hotmail.com

To arrange an interview with Sean Chambers, contact Jill Kettles at Mark Pucci Media (770) 804-9555 / jill@markpuccimedia.com

To download a hi-res photo of Sean (photo credit: Karen Chambers) click here: Sean Chambers color photo

For more information, visit www.seanchambers.com

Sean Chambers Tour Itinerary

09/14/13                              Orlando, FL                                         McWell's

09/15/13                              Sebastian, FL                                      Earl's Hideaway

10/11/13                              New Port Richey, FL                        Cocktails

10/12/13                              St. Petersburg, FL                            Ringside Cafe

10/19/13                              Boca Raton, FL                                   The Funky Biscuit

10/23/13                              Tuscarawas, OH                                Canal House

10/24/13                              Indianapolis, IN                                 The Slippery Noodle Inn

10/25/13                              Marion, IL                                            John Brown's Bar

10/26/13                              Blue Springs, MO                             Trouser Mouse

10/27/13                              Cedar Rapids, IA                               Parlor City

11/15/13                              Wichita, KS                                          Soggy Bottom Too

11/16/13                              Boulder, CO                                        Boulder Outlook Hotel & Suites

11/17/13                              Evergreen, CO                                   Little Bear Saloon

11/19/13                              Salt Lake City, UT                              Sun & Moon Cafe

11/20/13                              Salt Lake City, UT                              Sun & Moon Cafe

11/22/13                              Santa Cruz, CA                                   The Pocket

11/23/13                              Arcadia, CA                                         Arcadia Blues Club

11/24/13                              San Francisco, CA                             Biscuits & Blues

11/26/13                              Phoenix, AZ                                        The Rhythm Room

11/28/13                              Austin, TX                                            Saxon Pub

11/30/13                              Fort Worth, TX                                  J & J Blues Bar

12/03/13                              San Angelo, TX                                  Sealy Flats Blues Inn

12/04/13                              San Angelo, TX                                  Sealy Flats Blues Inn

12/06/13                              San Antonio, TX                                Sam's Burger Joint Music Hall

12/10/13                              New Orleans, LA                              Mid-City Lanes Rock 'N' Bowl

12/12/13                              Atlanta, GA                                         Blind Willie's

12/13/13                              Marietta, GA                                      Darwin's

12/14/13                              Jacksonville Beach, FL                    Mojo Kitchen

1/24/14                                Sugarloaf Key, FL                              Mangrove Mama's Restaurant

1/25/14                                Sugarloaf Key, FL                              Mangrove Mama's Restaurant

Additional dates forthcoming….

Alligator/Proper Records artist: JJ Grey & Mofro - This River - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, This River (June 24, 2013), by JJ Grey & Mofro and I really like it. Opening with Your Lady, She's Shady, Grey lays down a hip hop style rhythmic attack with ultra cool horn, harp and guitar solos. On Somebody Else, one of my favorite tracks on the release, Grey sounds a lot like Al Green in arrangement and style with it's prancing strut. With reverb on the guitar, Stax style drumming and horns on the bottom, his song is really sweet. 99 Shades of Crazy is a straight up rocker with a blues twist. Grey knows how to use rhythm and the vocal blending and horn support makes this a strong radio candidate. The Ballad Of Larry Webb is an extremely tasty track. Strong melody and vocal execution with only minimal instrumentation for atmosphere, this is another of the best tracks on the release. Florabama is a funky pop like track and actually reminds me a lot of Kiss (Prince). Addition of sax and trumpet work on this track gives it a lot of texture adding texture. Write A Letter is another strong ballad with strong instrumentation. Mofro, made up of Andrew Trube on guitar, Anthony Farrell on keys, Todd Smallie on bass, Anthony Cole on drums and organ, Art Edmaiston on sax and Dennis Marion on trumpet. Harp and Drums is a funky track primarily featuring Grey on harp. A strong contemporary hip hop influenced jazz track allows room for a lot of the players to take their turn at the mic. Last up is the title track, This River, a quiet and strongly country influenced ballad. This is another track that should have strong mass appeal. This is a cool release from an already established band. I believe that it will reinforce it's existing fan base and should generate interest for new listeners as well.

  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”

 

Shining Stone Records Signs Guitarist Paul Gabriel & Will Release His Label Debut CD, "What's the Chance," on June 18

Shining Stone Records Signs Guitarist Paul Gabriel and Will Release His Label Debut CD, What’s the Chance, on June 18

Album Produced by Duke Robillard and Also Features Special Guests Mark Naftalin and Roomful of Blues Horns

MIAMI, FL – Shining Stone Records announces the signing of Connecticut-based guitarist Paul Gabriel, and will release his label debut CD, What’s the Chance, on June 18. Produced by Duke Robillard, What’s the Chance features Paul Gabriel backed by a core band of Billy Bileca on bass, Nick Longo on drums and Larry “Buzzy” Fallstrom on keyboards. Special guests on the new album include Duke Robillard on guitars and background vocals; former Butterfield Blues Band alumnus Mark Naftalin on piano; Bruce Bears on keyboards; Steve Pastir on guitar; and the Roomful of Blues Horns consisting of Rich Lataille on alto/tenor sax, Mark Earley on tenor/baritone sax, and Doug Woolverton on trumpet.

For decades, Paul Gabriel has been a regional treasure in New England, and his previous forays into recording have brought him accolades from fans, critics and fellow musicians alike. In a career that spans over 40 years, Gabriel appeared on three albums by legendary singer/songwriter Harry Chapin, played slide guitar on Rory Block’s Grammy-nominated album, Mama’s Blues, toured with Michael Bolton and recorded and toured with his several of his own bands.

Now, with the release of What’s the Chance, Paul Gabriel truly steps into the spotlight on an album of 13 tracks that not only showcases him as a distinctive, bluesy guitarist, but also a talented songwriter and a master of diverse musical styles. Throughout the new disc, he takes the listener on a trip of blues, R&B and even excursions into jazz, as evidenced by the two instrumentals on the CD, “328 Chauncy Street” and “C.M.C.” On the lone cover, Chris Kenner’s “Something You Got,” Gabriel does the Crescent City proud with a lowdown and swingy take on the New Orleans gem.

Gabriel and Robillard have known each other for many years and the two had a great simpatico in the studio, trading guitar solos on several cuts, including the jumpin’ opener, “Old Time Ball,” “Ride, Ride, Ride” and the aforementioned”328 Chauncy Street.” Original Paul Butterfield Blues Band member Mark Naftalin joins in the fun on two tracks, playing piano on “Devil’s Daughter” and the duet spot with Gabriel on “Fine At’tire,” a hipster/rhythm and blues tune that recalls the best of the early ‘50s sound.         

“I first saw Duke Robillard perform around 1968 with a new band called Roomful of Blues.” recalls Gabriel. “Our paths crossed many times over the next few years leading to the eighties, and at some point I realized that I needed to absorb what Duke was doing. Eventually we got together (1983), sat down and just played at Duke's house. He encouraged me about the things I did well and helped me correct the things that I was doing wrong, all the time treating me as a peer and always giving me little clues that would help develop my style further. During the ten years with my band, Blue in the Face (1987-1997), I did numerous shows opening for Duke, continuing to learn from him. In 2011, I did a show with him, playing solo and performing some new songs I had written in anticipation of a new release. One of the songs I played was called 'Roomful of Blues.' Duke asked me if I had recorded that yet, and I said I was saving it for the new release. Later that year, I headed to Rhode Island to start recording the new album with Duke producing. Right from the beginning, the magic was happening. The band, engineer Jack Gauthier and Duke all became one, as the chemistry created something very special, and in my opinion, the best album I have ever done.”

  

What’s the Chance was recorded and mixed at Lakewest Recording. “Some very special equipment was used during this recording,” said Gabriel about the sessions, “including a Sony 24-channel tape recorder, real tape delays and a lot of really great guitars and amps. I used a 1954 Gibson ES-5, a 1963 Fender Stratocaster, a 1966 Fender Jazzmaster, a 1965 Fender Super Reverb and a 1965 Fender Twin Reverb. Duke played a variety of Fender guitars, Teles and Strats, Epiphone Casino, a Gibson Midtown, and a 1947 Gibson L-7 archtop.  Billy Bileca used a 1966 Fender Precision bass and a 1947 Kay upright bass.  Mark Naftalin played a real piano and Larry Fallstrom a 1961 Hammond B-3 and Leslie tone cabinet. Nick Longo used a lot of old drums and Bruce Bears played a variety of keyboards by Nord. The horn section used a variety of 50s and 60s era instruments that produce a sound that only they can.”

The Great Big Jubilee - Ethel Davenport

Ethel Davenport b April 12, 2010 of Jacksonville, Florida, singing "The Great Big Jubilee." She was one of the Gospel promoters during the Golden Age of Gospel and she would bring lots of big names, including the ones she mentioned in this song.




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Allmusic - Alma Mares - Promotional Release Review

I received a sampler of music from Ocala, Florida. It has a mixture of musical styles and musicians. The commonality in the release is Alma Mares on keys. Russell Alexander opens the set with a ballad backed by keys. Deep Sharma follows with Longing, a quiet ballad with eastern influences. Waltz Trisle is an interesting keyboard jazzy instrumental. Another track by Deep Sharma, She Is Falling, has a British eighties/nineties pop sound. I Want To Be One featuring Carl Erwin is a reggae beat track with smooth vocals. autumn, another instrumental composition on keys is well written and executed. Old Town Chicago, with Marta Kubisova and June has a lot of traditional country roots. Dave Trezak is up next with a classic ballad, Dancing In Your Eyes. Lullaby featuring Peter Sujan maintains an ethereal sound of vocal over keys. Pedro, another instrumental, has a Spanish flare and classic writing. Memory by Dave Trezak is spoken poetry over light keys. Quasimodo, another instrumental, has a lot of qualities of a musical soundtrack. Stay, another instrumental by Alma maintains the them of keys and electronic rhythm. Alma has a particular style and is is very soothing. Watching the Sea, another instrumental maintains the serene soundscape but with in this case lead on keys sounding like pan flute. In My World featuring Marta Kubisova and Dave Trezak is again a vocal ballad. Finishing up the demo is a upbeat instrumental called Bright Days.

Thanks for your submission Alma and good luck to your artists.  

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Blues Leaf Records artists: Nicole Hart and Anni Piper - Split Second - New Release Review

I just received the new release (to be released April 9, 2013), Split Second, from Nicole Hart and Anni Piper and it's quite good! The release opens with a vocal duet rhumba, Can't Let You Go. This track has a good beat and you can dance to it... I mean John Ginty plays a cool organ part on an otherwise primarily radio oriented track. Up next is Clap Your Hands, along the lines of Ray Charles' What I Say. Ron Rauso plays a hot guitar riff on this track and Ginty takes a nice piano and organ solo as well, all driven by the hot shot drumming of Sim Cain. Ain't Nobody Watchin' slows the train down a bit and Sandy Mack steps up on harp. Piper sings nice lead on this track with heavy support from her bass. The Classic rockabilly track, Dream Baby, is covered here very nicely by the duo. Rauso and Ginty take turns throwing a riff into the mix on this track. On You Can't Make Somebody Love You, rich vocal treatment and a swampy spiritual arrangement make this a really strong track. Sugar Ray Norcia's Why Should I Feel So Bad fits really nicely into this set with some of the best vocal work on the recording. Ginty opens up the organ for a nice solo and Rauso plays a really soulful guitar solo as well. Great job! Bad Side Baby takes a trip to Chicago and both Rauso and Mack play smokin' riffs keeping the iron hot. An old Stax track, What Will Later On Be Like, really opens the doors to another sound. This is really soulfully done duet is another vocal highlight of the release. Rauso plays very "Stax like" guitar work on this track and you think the clock is wound back. Really nice! Janis Joplin's One Good Man, is a cool track to set up for this band. Again, Rauso captures a bit of the frantic playing style of the original recordings and Hart and Piper blend nicely. The duet calls up the Everly Brothers (in spirit) on Walk Right Back. Want a trip down Americana ... this is it! Juke Joint Jonny plays a track appropriate guitar solo keeping in balance with the recording. Original Hart track Listen To The Rain Fall, is a really sweet conclusion to the release. Hart's solo vocal against light guitar chords played through heavy tremolo and with a solitary harp the effect is just magic. This is a cool release with a lot of meat for the listener looking for more more polish and vocals and less grit and guitar.

 “Like” Bman’s Facebook page. I use Facebook to spread the word about my blog (Now with translation in over 50 languages). I will not hit you with 50 posts a day. I will not relay senseless nonsense. I use it only to draw attention to some of the key posts on my blog each day. In this way I can get out the word on new talent, venues and blues happenings! - click Here Get Facebook support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE I can't find any video at all by the duo. if any surfaces i will add it. Here is Nicole Hart on her own for a taste of things to come.

The Electric Room - Parlor Jones - New Release Review

I just had the chance to listen to The Electric Room by Parlor Jones. Jones (vocal and guitar) and company [Eliot Falk (bass), Jeff Drake (Drums), Marlon Savarino and Bob Markos (harp), Joey D. Dunlop (keys), Perry Sheldon (guitar), Jo Ann Hudson and Jann Childers (Backing vocals)] have assembled a set of blues pop tracks for basic listening pleasure. The songs range from We're Gonna Rock and Roll Tonight, with a retro English blues pop sound to a Outside Woman Blues, a Cream cover of a classic blues track. You Must Know I Love You has the classic lines of the Kinks or Buddy Holly. Southbound Train is a driving blues rock track along the lines of Foghat but move conventional guitar soloing and adding of harp work. Take The Time, the bluesiest of the original tracks featuring some nice guitar work by Jones as well as a relentless harp ambiance. Cream's White Room ans Politician as well as the Beatles Glass Onion round out the set with classic style and giving Jones the opportunity to play out a bit on guitar.

 “Like” Bman’s Facebook page. I use Facebook to spread the word about my blog (Now with translation in over 50 languages). I will not hit you with 50 posts a day. I will not relay senseless nonsense. I use it only to draw attention to some of the key posts on my blog each day. In this way I can get out the word on new talent, venues and blues happenings! - click Here Get Facebook support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

 

I Can See Everybody's Mother, Can't See Mine - Blind Connie Williams

Williams was born blind in southern Florida circa 1915 to parents who were migrant farm workers. During his youth, he attended the St. Petersburg School for the Blind (also Ray Charles’ alma mater) and became sufficiently proficient on guitar to begin a career as a street musician in the 1930s. He eventually settled in Philadelphia in 1935 and often traveled to New York City, where he plied his trade in Harlem during his visits. It was there that he met Rev. Gary Davis, whose influence can be heard in Williams’ guitar and singing style. His repertory was an extremely eclectic one. As a street musician, he primarily performed sacred material, although he knew a number of proto-blues folk songs and topical material from the 1930s and 1940s as well. He was also familiar with a few blues compositions, but as the booklet notes point out, he preferred “8- or 16-bar blues to the more widespread 12-bar form.” Welding discovered Williams performing sanctified numbers to accordion accompaniment in a historically black neighborhood of Philadelphia sometime in 1961.  
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Missing You - Blue Mitchell

Richard Allen (Blue) Mitchell (March 13, 1930 – May 21, 1979) was an American jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock, and funk trumpeter, known for many albums recorded as leader and sideman for Riverside, Blue Note and then Mainstream Records. Mitchell was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He began playing trumpet in high school where he acquired his nickname, Blue. After high school he played in the rhythm and blues ensembles of Paul Williams, Earl Bostic, and Chuck Willis. After returning to Miami he was noticed by Cannonball Adderley, with whom he recorded for Riverside Records in New York in 1958. He then joined the Horace Silver Quintet, playing with tenor saxophonist Junior Cook, bassist Gene Taylor and drummer Roy Brooks. Mitchell stayed with Silver's group until the band's break-up in 1964, after which he formed a group with members from the Silver quintet, substituting the young pianist Chick Corea for Silver and replacing Brooks, who had fallen ill, with drummer Al Foster. This group produced a number of records for Blue Note, disbanding in 1969, after which Mitchell joined and toured with Ray Charles till 1971. From 1971 to 1973 Mitchell performed with John Mayall, appearing on Jazz Blues Fusion and subsequent albums. From the mid-70s he recorded and worked as a session man in the genres noted previously, performed with the big band leaders Louie Bellson, Bill Holman and Bill Berry and was principal soloist for Tony Bennett and Lena Horne. Other band leaders Mitchell recorded with include Lou Donaldson, Grant Green, Philly Joe Jones, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley, Johnny Griffin, Al Cohn, Dexter Gordon and Jimmy Smith. Blue Mitchell kept his hard-bop playing going with the Harold Land quintet up until his death from cancer on May 21, 1979 in Los Angeles, California at the age of 49.

 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 favorite band!

Forgive Me - Little Mike and the Tornadoes - New Release Review

I just received a copy of Forgive Me, a release by Little Mike and the Tornadoes and its super! Little Mike Markowitz (vocal and Harp) has assembled a crew of players and together they make a great crew. Opelousas is a really cool instrumental track featuring Troy Nahumko on guitar and Sonny Rhodes on steel. This is a loping Elmore James/Freddie King style track with plenty of room for guitar soloing and Little Mike brings it on harp. Wait A Minute Baby is another track in the Texas groove but pushed with horns and featuring some cool organ work by Jim McKaba. Nothin' I Wouldn't Do has a bit more of the soul sound and isagain backed with the horns giving it an authentic soul sound. Warren King plays a light jazzy guitar solo on this track as well. Tell Me Baby comes out of the gate rompin'. Rhodes plays some cool steel (slide) riffs on this track and Cam Robb (drums) and Chris Brzezicki (bass) keep the bottom on track. Little Mike shows his chops on this track and his vocals are just right. Walked All The Way really gets that Texas groove that SRV made so popular and Nahumko plays a cool extended riff on this track with horns punching the track along. Fool Too Long is a cool easy swing blues lending itself nicely to Nahumko's guitar style. This may be my favorite track on the release. You Don't Love Me is a slow, smooth blues track with sliding guitar chords keeping the melody as Little Mike sings the story line and McKaba plays some really nice piano. Nahumko gets down in the mud and digs out some dirty riffs on this track making it a real nice track as well. Forgive Me Baby (along the lines of Trouble No More)gets the Chicago sound cookin' with solo contributions from McKaba, Nahumko and Little Mike. Traveling Blues has a bit more of a boogie rhythm driven by McKaba and Robb. Little Mike takes a nice solo on this track leaving the door open for some chicken pickin, blues style, from Nahumko.
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Jimmy Garrison with John Coltrane Quartet

John Coltrane sax Jimmy Garrison bass Elvin Jones drum Mc Tyner piano Jimmy Garrison (March 3, 1934 – April 7, 1976) was an American jazz double bassist born in Miami, Florida. He was best known through his long association with John Coltrane from 1961–1967 He formally joined Coltrane's quartet in 1962, replacing Reggie Workman. The long trio blues "Chasin' the Trane" is probably his first recorded performance with Coltrane and Elvin Jones. Garrison appeared on many classic Coltrane recordings, including A Love Supreme. In concert with Coltrane, Garrison would often play unaccompanied improvised solos, sometimes as the prelude to a song before the other musicians joined in. Garrison also had a long association with Ornette Coleman, first recording with him on Ornette on Tenor and Art of the Improvisers. He and drummer Elvin Jones have been credited with eliciting more forceful playing than usual from Coleman on the albums New York is Now and Love Call. Outside of the Coltrane and Coleman ensembles, Jimmy Garrison performed with jazz artists such as Kenny Dorham, Philly Joe Jones, Curtis Fuller, Benny Golson, Lennie Tristano, Lee Konitz, Jackie McLean, Pharoah Sanders, and Tony Scott, among others. After Coltrane's death, Garrison worked with Hampton Hawes, Archie Shepp, and groups led by Elvin Jones
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Noble "Thin Man" Watts

Noble "Thin Man" Watts (February 17, 1926 – August 24, 2004) was an American blues, jump blues and rhythm and blues saxophonist. He primarily played tenor saxophone. Allmusic journalist Bill Dahl considered Watts "one of the most incendiary [...] fire-breathing tenor sax honkers" of the 1950s Born in DeLand, Florida, Watts studied violin and trumpet in his youth, later switching to sax. He gained musical training at Florida A&M, where he played in the school's marching band with future saxophonist Cannonball Adderley. Hired to play with The Griffin Brothers after college, Watts began his professional career. During the 1950s, he would work with Lionel Hampton, Dinah Washington, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, the Everly Brothers, and others. He also appeared on American Bandstand with Johnny Mathis in 1957, and performed in the house band at a Harlem club owned by boxer Sugar Ray Robinson. Watts's career would eventually decline by the mid-1960s. He played lounge music in parts of Florida before being "rediscovered" by record producer Bob Greenlee. He made a minor comeback in 1987, and worked for Greenlee's record label. In 2004 Watts died of a combination of pneumonia and emphysema. He is survived by his wife June and daughter, Natalie Watts Brown. 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 favorite band!