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I started a quest to find terrific blues music and incredible musicianship when I was just a little kid. I also have a tremendous appreciation of fine musical instruments and equipment. One of my greatest joys all of my life was sharing my finds with my friends. I'm now publishing my journey. I hope that you come along!
Please email me at Info@Bmansbluesreport.com
Showing posts with label Hamilton Loomis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hamilton Loomis. Show all posts
I just had the opportunity to review the latest release, This Season, from Hamilton Loomis and I got to tell you, it's the best seasonal album I've ever heard (non traditional of course). I typically will only review a "seasonal" release just before the holidays, but this one somehow slipped by (came in too late for my work load) and I decided to listen to it anyway. I always like Loomis' work. Opening with the title track, This Season, Loomis has that great soulful funky beat that he's known for. Puts you in a good mood right off. Mike Meade's bass groove is perfect, Brannon McLeod's drumming is tight and Loomis' own vocal, keyboard and guitar is tops. This is the radio track but think of it in the class of Sly or Stevie Wonder. Super opener. Another cool funky pop track is Lay Around and Love. It's got the beat, it's got the hook and Hamilton's delivery on vocal and harmonica is super. The more contemporary but traditional God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman, shows up here as an instrumental and with just a rock drum beat, a simple bass line and his guitar wizardry, turns this classic into a Brian May like masterwork. This track is very "unlike" anything that I've heard Loomis do, but if you didn't know it was a Christmas song, you'd play it all year! Christmas Tears is a real cool blues number with Loomis' smart vocal style and solid guitar riffs. His phrasing is dynamic and fluid. Very nice. Chuck Berry flavored, Run Rudolph Run is a great rocker with low slung rock and roll guitar riffs and a some great stylistic bends. Super ballad, Love Again, has that super backbeat that Loomis is known for and his silky smooth vocals over Meade's bass line shows how a master can craft a great song for any occasion. Wrapping the release, Loomis pulls out all the stops and sings O Holy Night like a choir boy with light acoustic accompaniment. It's rare that you hear someone as accomplished a musician as Loomis, and not a crooner, attempt such a piece and he kills it. Bravo pal! This is a great release and it will get airplay at my house all year. You want to play a Christmas cd at your holiday party and have people actually ask you what it is because they like it? This is it!
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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I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Basics, from Hamilton Loomis and it's really great! Opening with blues rocker, Sugar Baby, bassist, Sabrina LaField also takes the mic. With just a bit of swish in the tail this is a snappy rocker with Loomis on harp and lead guitar joined by Armando Aussenac on drums. Getting into a super funky groove, If I Would've, Loomis is back up front on vocal, guitar and harp creating a purely infectious track. His electrifying guitar riffs and bass lines are tight. Super! With an easy sway, Candles and Wine has just the right feel featuring tasty guitar riffs and cool vocal backing by Aussenac, Fabian Hernandez and Chris Eger. Ain't What It Ain't is a solid rocker with cool vocal blending but what really sets this track apart is super harp and hot slide riffs from Eger. Bluesy ballad, Breaking Down, is pure Loomis and it's a thread that you can trace from release to release. Rich composition, super vocals and warm interwoven instrumentation with Loomis' certain hand on guitar soloing makes this one strong track. a really hot sax solo by Fabian Hernandez bouncing back and forth with Loomis on lead guitar coupled with strong vocals makes Looking Into a Dream another of the top tracks on the release. Funky, Cloudy Day has really nicely arranged instrumentation, punchy sax work, great rhythm and vocals. Another super Loomis creation. Quiet ballad, Prayer, has strong R&B bones, featuring Loomis' beautiful lead vocals with rich backing vocals and a slick melodic guitar solo. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Funky Little Brother with Sarah Kimberly on keys and trumpet, Reagan Kimberly on drums, Austin Morris on guitar and Daniel Holder on bass with Loomis on lead vocal and guitar and Alex Mckown, Zach Person and Michael Bryan-Harris on guitars. Almost getting into Sly world, this is a great funky rocker and a super closer for a super release. Excellent!
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”
For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE"
“Like” Bman’s Facebook page and get support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE
ALBUM
NOTES: Hamilton
Loomis does indeed go back to basics on his new album, which is his most
personal and emotional effort to date. Gone are the double entendres for
which Loomis is known; this time, his lyrics are direct, personal, and often
autobiographical. The “basics” theme runs through the entire CD, in its
lyrics (“Prayer,” “Cloudy Day”), single-chord progressions (“Sugar
Baby," "Looking Into a Dream”), simple melodies (“Come and Get
Me”), and stripped-down instrumentation of guitar, bass and drums (“Reason,"
"Getting So Big”). Still,
Loomis’s trademark deep-grooved funk and soulful blues-rock is definitely
present. “I wanted this record to be more stripped-down. Even the CD jacket
is black and white and pretty basic itself," he says of the disc, which
features songwriting collaborations with Grammy-award winning songwriter/
producer/bassist Tommy Sims, co-writer of Eric Clapton's “Change the
World." Loomis’
2013 album “Give It Back” showed his pay-it-forward attitude of passing on
knowledge to young, up-and-coming musicians, just as his mentors (notably
Houston’s Joe Hughes, Johnny Copeland and rock icon Bo Diddley) once did for
him. On Basics, Loomis continues the tradition by featuring several of his
young protégées, and finishes the record with a jam session by some of his
favorite Houston-area youngsters, whose ages range from 13 to 16. Loomis is
also on a mission to raise awareness about hyperinsulinism (HI), a rare
disease that causes low blood sugar. His 3-year-old son was diagnosed with
the life-threatening condition in 2015, and Loomis dedicates Basics' opening
track, “Sugar Baby,” to Congenital Hyperinsulinism International (www.congenitalhi.org), an organization that heads
research on the disease, educates doctors and hospitals, and supports
families affected by the disease. “They call HI kids 'sugar babies,' so I
wanted to write a song in appreciation for all they do for families all over
the world,” Loomis says.
FOR
A LIMITED TIME: Hamilton is offering one-on-one Skype lessons on Guitar OR
Harmonica! Regardless of your skill level, let Hamilton help you attain your
goals on your instrument, and give insight into his approach and style. MAKES
A GREAT GIFT!
Only
$50 per hour, and flexible scheduling via email! CLICK HERE to purchase your 1-hour lesson! We will
email you to schedule!
Here's the March 2015 schedule --
West Coast, here we come! DISCOUNT TICKETS are available for some shows listed
below, so click "TICKETS" in the listings below to get yours. The full schedule
is atwww.hamiltonloomis.com/schedule.html
! 3/6/15 Mandeville, LA
Ruby's Roadhouse 9:30pm 3/7/15 Beaumont, TX Madison's 9:30pm 3/13/15 Littleton, CO
Englewood Correctional Facility 1pm (closed to public) 3/13/15 Littleton, CO
Toad Tavern 9pm TICKETS 3/14/15 Rock Springs,
WY Johnny Mac's 8pm 3/15/15 Salt Lake City,
UT Bleu Bistro 6pm to 9pm 3/17/15 Loomis, CA Country Club Saloon 6:30 to 9:30pm 3/18/15 Santa Cruz, CA
Moe's Alley 7:30pm TICKETS 3/20/15 Sacramento, CA
Torch Club 9pm 3/21/15 Fresno, CA Club Habanos 7pm TICKETS 3/22/15 San Francisco,
CA Biscuits & Blues 7pm 3/27/15 Galveston, TX
Crow's Cantina 9pm 3/28/15 Austin, TX One 2 One 8pm to 9:30pm TICKETS
Please forward this
email to any of your friends/family in these
cities!!
We hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! This December
Hamilton and the Band make a quick run through TOPEKA, KANSAS CITY, MINNEAPOLIS,
DES MOINES, and OMAHA...see below for
details! 11/28/14 Port Arthur TX Dylan's 9:30pm 409-722-1600 11/29/14 Austin TX One 2 One 11:30pm 512-473-0121 TICKETS 12/3/14 Topeka, KS Uncle Bo's 6:30pm - 9:30pm 785-234-4317 12/4/14 Kansas City, MO Knuckleheads 6:30pm - 8:30pm TICKETS 12/5/14 Minneapolis, MN Famous Dave's Calhoun Square 9pm 12/6/14 Des Moines, IA Gas Lamp (formerly Blues on Grand) 6pm - 8pm 12/7/14 Omaha, NE 21st Saloon (formerly Murphy's) 6pm - 9pm TICKETS 12/12/14 Tomball, TX Main Street Crossing 8pm TICKETS 12/13/14 Brenham, TX
Private Event 12/19/14 Mandeville, LA Ruby's Roadhouse 9pm 985-626-9748 12/20/14 to be announced on
www.hamiltonloomis.com
