Moon Voyage Records artist: Chris Daniels and the Kings With Freddi Gowdy - 40: Blues With Horns Volume II - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, 40: Blues With Horns Volume II, by Chris Daniels and the Kings with Freddi Gowdy and it's pure party. Opening with Jump (When My Baby Says), Freddi Gowdy gets things going on vocal, leading a hot group featuring Steve Ivey on drums, John Thornburg on bass, Colin Jones on guitars, Chris Daniels on guitar, Bob Rebholz on sax solo, Darryl Abrahamson on trumpet solo, Darren Kramer on trombone solo and featuring a really cool fiddle solo by Sam Bush. Excellent opener. Funky, Everybody's A Millionaire, really moves with a radio feel, vocals by Gowdy and Hazel Miller punched up with tight horns and Tom Capek on B3. Congo Square has a hot Latin feel with Ivey on drums and Christian Teele on percussion. Sonny Landreth plays some trademark slide work adding real tension and Gowdy's vocals blended with Miller and the punchy horn section really gives Landreth's slide work a ripping grit. Wrapping the release is When You're Cool (The Sun Shines All The Time), a slinky, boogie feel. Gowdy and Miller harmonize nicely, Thornburg, Ivey and Teele really work the bottom and Kramer's solo on trombone, leading to some real nice riffs by Daniels gives the track real pop. Solid closer for a cool release. 

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Moon Voyage records artist: Chris Daniels and The Kings with Freddi Gowdy - Blues With Horns Vol 1 - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues With Horns Vol 1, by Chris Daniels and The Kings with Freddi Gowdy and it's a lot of fun. Opening with country rocker, Sweet Memphis, Sonny Landreth has his slide would up and Freddi Gowdy's vocals a pure. Backing Gowdy and Daniels are Randy Amen on drums, Kevin Lege on bass, Colin "Bones" Jones on lead guitar, Jim Waddell on alto and tenor sax and Darryl Abrahamson on trumpet. Very cool. Fried Food/Hard Liquor is an interesting blend of Steeley Dan and blues. The backing vocals provided by Hazel Miller, Coco Brown, Jacob Davis and the band mates are warm and well blended and acute guitar soloing by Jones is tight. Just the right touch of horns gives this track a super feel.  Get Up Off The Funk is driven by the funky guitar rhythms of Jones and Lege but it's the excellent sax work by Waddell that punts this track out of the stadium. Excellent! Elvin Bishop's Can't Even Do Wrong Right, maintains Elvin's tongue in cheek approach, playing it with a slightly smoother delivery with sweet backing vocals and a nice trumpet solo by Abrahamson. Very cool. Johnny Guitar Watson's infamous, You Can Stay But That Noise Must Go is a great match for this band with it's tight horn section and Gowdy's vocals. always loved this track and this is a cool rework with a crisp guitar solo by Jones. Buddy Miles' Changes, always a great driving rocker slots in next with hardy horn and harp work. Jones gets the go ahead on a more progressive guitar solo and he does a really nice job with fluid runs, punched by horn work. Super. Wrapping the release is original track, Rain Check, featuring Daniels on slide guitar, vocal and harp and John Magni and Doug Krause on keys . This is a light hearted ballad, primarily acoustic in nature with a solid melody.


And I forgot to mention...this extremely expensive looking die cut cover is out of control cool!

  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”

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Moon Voyage Records artist: Chris Daniels & The Kings featuring Freddi Gowdy - Funky To The Bone - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Funky To The Bone, from Chris Daniels & The Kings featuring Freddi Gowdy and it's a funky R&B jam party! Opening with title track, Funky To The Bone, is a full on horn blow out featuring Jim Waddell on sax and Darryl Abrahamson on trumpet. Colin "Bones" Jones throws down a funky guitar riff and Chris Daniels, Fred Gowdy and Randy Amen lead the party on vocal backed by Hazel Miller, Coco Brown and Carl Carwell. R&B track, Something You Got is nicely blended melody with a bluesy saunter. A cool trumpet solo punching up the soulful vocal lead and crisp guitar riffs makes this a perfect radio track. Don't let Your Mouth Write No Checks takes a street saying and makes it into a funky R&B song. Billy Payne adds some funky keyboard along with that shaft guitar work for another radio bound track. A full boat horn section including Darren Kramer (trombone), Bob Rebholz (tenor), and Carlos Chavez (bari) along with Billy Payne on B3 gives Joy a lively spring. It brings to mind the sound created by Elvin Bishop with Mickey Thomas during his magical years. Very nice! Cool Breeze has a really nice horn intro breaking into a polished "hip-hop" vocal line by Chris Kimmel. Smooth jazz vocals and dynamic horns round out the track. Dance Dance has a cool sound with a little nod to Sly. A bit funkier and TOP style horns and a slick guitar solo give it a definite edge. Very nice! What A Day has a warm club sound with orchestral style horn backing. The lead vocals are solid and the backing vocals are warm and tight. Horn work , especially trumpet work by Abrahamson tops this track. Nobody Knows has a "Santana like" Latin feel with Christian Teele adding super percussion. Exceptional vocal lead and horn backing on this track, paired with Spanish styled electric guitar soloing makes it my favorite track on the release. Excellent! Survivors is a simple ballad with clean, clear piano intro by Payne. A definite radio track with a simple melody and backing horns and a light funky percussion base delivers it. A really sweet sax solo gives this track an extra boot toward the end. Wrapping the release is Birthday Suit a sassy blues track with a walking bass line from Kevin Lege. Payne on keys and the ensemble on horns really gets this track swinging for a tight ending on a very enjoyable release!

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”