NimoySue Records artist: Sugaray Rayford - Southside - New release review

I just received the newest release (May 19, 2015), Southside, from Sugaray Rayford and it's got a great groove! Opening with Southside Of Town, Ralph Carter develops a great walking bass line stage for Rayfords solid vocals. Backed by Allan Walker on sax and Gary Bivona on trumpet as well as Jade Bennett, Zara Davis and Rachele Quiogue on vocals, Leo Dombecki lays out a nice keyboard solo and Gino Matteo rips on guitar continuing under the vocals throughout the track. Very nice! Slinky funk track, Miss Thang, again is heavily reliant on the bottom provided by Carter as well as Lavell Jones on drums. Rayford adds girth with his beefy vocals and Matteo rides the funky wave with tight guitar riffs. High stepping, Live To Love Again, really gets you moving and with horn and guitar punctuation is a clear radio play hit. Matteo lays out a crisp guitar solo and Walker and Bivona add warmth. Excellent! On shuffle track, Texas Bluesman, Matteo really take a nice guitar solo. Rayford chides him on with names of some of the all time greats as he builds a frenzy. Take It To The Bank is a simple acoustic blues track with only acoustic guitar, Rayford on vocal and Bob Corritore laying down some sweet harp riffs. Smooth R&B track Call Off The Mission, has a real cool sway as Rayford masterfully crafts his melody. I particularly like Jones sense of rhythm dynamics on this track punched by Bivona and Walker on horns. Bennett, Davis and Quiogue really ad a nice warmth to this track. Very nice! All I Think About is another high stepper with solid sax bottom. A swaying bridge by the horns give the track and rounder feel and a Billy Preston like keyboard solo adds some funk to the mix. Slow bluesy ballad, Take Away These Blues, gives Rayford a chance to really stand his ground and air out his pipes. Cool reverb on the guitar and horns on the top help to balance this special track on the release. Wrapping the release is Slow Motion, a classic soul style track and a real gripper. Matteo holds it down with atmospheric guitar effects and the horns creating tension. This is a really solid conclusion to a soulful new release from Sugaray.

  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”

 

Delta Groove Music artist: Sugaray Rayford - Dangerous - New release review

I just received a copy of the newest release (September 17, 2013), Dangerous, by Sugaray Rayford and it's quite impressive. Rayford, well know as the featured voice of the Mannish Boys, has cut loose with his own release and he is backed by a huge list of talent. Opening with Country Boy and a strong smell of Chicago, Rayford's robust voice paves the way and Sugar Ray Norcia has the harp screaming. Anthony Geraci adds really nice key work on a solid bass by Willie J Campbell (bass) and Jimi Bott on drums. Stuck For A Buck has a bit of the James Brown shuffle going with Gino Matteo rippin fine guitar lead and Fred Kaplan warms the track with organ play. Rayford of course nicely handles lead vocals and a solid horn section made up of Ron Dziubla and Mark Pender cooks the track. On I'm Dangerous, Rayford and Norcia really grind deep in the blues. Norcia plays outstanding harmonica solos on this track making it one of my favorites on the release. Norcia shares the lead vocals on Two Times Sugar and Monster Mike Welch drops in for a really hot guitar solo. This is cool swingin blues that could make solid airplay. Another of my favorites is Pee Wee Crayton's When It Rains It Pours. Super soulful vocals by Rayford are nicely complimented by the strong guitar work of Frank Goldwasser and piano by Fred Kaplan. Super smokn track! Rayford's vocals on Charles Brown's Depression Blues have a beautiful lope and Kid Anderson takes the guitar solo to the edge... really sweet. This is another of the top highlights on the track. Bill Stuve adds a nice solid bottom on acoustic bass and Pender and Dziubla really round out the track. Goin' Back To Texas is a slow paced blues featuring some real nice slide wirk from Goldwasser, nice harp work from Kim Wilson and some of the richest vocals from Rayford on the release. I Might Do Somethin' Crazy has a real nice Willie Dixon style to it. Rayford's vocals really play into this track nicely and Kid Anderson again steps up with some spectacular guitar riffs. Excellent! Again on In The Dark, a swingin blues track, Rayford sings up a storm and really opens the doors for Anderson who kicks the guitar solo in the nuts. (Strong horns too!) Need A Little More Time takes an acoustic attack with strong vocals from Rayford backed by minimal percussion by Bott, and meaty work on National Steel Guitar by Goldwasser and harp by Chortkoff. Big Pete is featured on harp on Keep Her At Home, a quick paced boogie. The release is concluded with Son House's Preaching Blues. Goldwasser handles the slidework like a deer going through open pasture and with only like percussion, Rayford show surefooted command as his own band leader. Really super 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”

This track is not from the release but is a good example of the music presented.

Rip Cat Records artist: Gino Matteo - Sweet Revival - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Sweet Revival, by Gino Matteo and it's quite interesting. Matteo, a So Cal based singer songwriter has put together 9 new tracks using his own unique style and voice. Opening with Here Comes The Lord, Matteo blends rock ballad with gospel and tops it off with clean guitar riffs and warm backing vocals for a overall cool track. Pulpit In The Graveyard takes clues from southern rock and Matteo really shows that his melody writing is up to his vocal talents. Coming Clean features Jason Ricci on harp and on a country rockin track Trevor Monks really holds down the bottom on drums with James Breker on bass. A nice groove and a great feel in vocal delivery from Matteo with great backing vocals from Jade Bennett, Steve Delgado and Sherri Pruitt. A unique approach to soloing is the key that binds the funk to the bottom on this track actually sounding more like Govt Mule than any other band I can think of. Take A Chance On Me opens with some really sweet piano work from Dave Kelley and Matteo plays guitar melodically opening a wide path for his vocals. primarily a ballad, this is really strongly composed and performed and possibly my favorite track on this release. Childhood Games is a uptempo blues rocker with a cool radio hook. This is a track that I could easily see being picked up as a TV or Movie theme song. Grandma Told Me opens with some really cool instrumentals on electric keys and guitar with heavy reverb. Played over the solitary sound of light percussion this heavily Latin influenced track is absolutely beautiful. Matteo's vocals blended at time as a duet is very soothing, contrasted by a controlled burn on open guitar soloing with hot Spanish styling. Excellent! The Longest Night blends the sounds of the Clash with surf guitar and creates once again a unique style with an 80's pinch. Matteo again shows that he's a finisher with guitar anthem soloing concluding this track. We Can Find A Way has a light funky / R&B rhythm and with the addition of B-3 takes on a little Stevie Wonder flavor but staying in the Latin vein. Another cool track that should easily find airplay. Listen To Your Mother closes the release with a quiet ballad with light keys and brushes on the bottom and crisp acoustic guitar soloing and dabs of textural harp work from Ricci to round out the sound. This is a cool, interesting release and one that could easily have multiple frequent radio play tracks.

  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”