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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!
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Finyl Vinyl, from Canned Heat and it's really enjoyable. Opening with a rowdy rocking boogie, One Last Boogie, Canned Heat blows the roof off of this newest release. Featuring Jimmy Vivino on lead vocal and guitar Heat is packing with Dale Spalding ramping it up on harmonica, Fiti De La Parra on drums and Rick Reed on bass. Strong opener. Dave Alvin guests on Blind Owl singing lead and playing guitar. With it's droning bass line by Reed and tight drum line by De La Parra, this is a hot track. Wicked guitar soloing by Alvin and Vivino and solid harmonica by Spalding playing really take this track higher. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Tease Me with it's bluesy feel. Spalding has the mic and does a real nice job on vocal and harmonica. Spalding's up again on A Hot Ole Time but it's the fleet fingered work of Vivino that makes this track in my eyes. Very nice. Slow blues, When You're 69, features Vivino on lead guitar and vocal. This track really lets the guys get down and dirty mixing Vivino's slide and Spalding's harmonica. Hot! Wrapping the release is There Goes That Train, a New Orleans R&B style track with a relentless vamp and giving Spalding a great opportunity to play his blues. Solid closer.
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"
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For your convenience, you can click the title of this post above to be taken to a site where this cd can be purchased - Happy Listening
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, So Far, from Bob Margolin and Bob Corritorewith special guest Jimmy Vivino and it's solid blues. Opening with Steady Rollin' On, Bob Margolin leads this acoustic duo on lead vocal and guitar with Bob Corritore on harmonica. Written by Margolin, this acoustic delta style blues is a cool opener. Robbie Robertson's It Makes No Difference is on of the Band's super tracks and one of my favorites on this release, blending vocals by Margolin and Jimmy Vivino who also contributes guitar and showing a totally different side of Corritore on harmonica in a totally non Chicago blues stance. Boogie, Now and Then is a cool mover featuring Corritore on harmonica over the steady drive by Margolin on guitar. Very cool. Bob Corritore's Salt River Stomp is another of my favorites as an instrumental with a lot of hot licks. Wrapping the release is John Lee Williamson's, My Little Machine with Margolin on lead vocal and guitar. His playing is tight a strong and Corritore's harmonica is loud and proud. Excellent closer.
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
For your convenience, you can click the title of this post above to be taken to a site where this cd can be purchased - Happy Listening
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, This Guitar and Tonight, from Bob Margolin and it's an acoustic blend of folk and acoustic blues. Opening with delta style title track, This Guitar and Tonight, Margolin, who handles lead vocal and guitar in tandem with Jimmy Vivino on acoustic guitar lays it out like he was Skip James or Robert Johnson, pure and simple. The guitar playing is tight and vocals wailing. Solid opener. Margolin gets his Muddy on with Waters like slide work on Over Time. Margolin spent years in Muddy's band and plays his own soulful take on the classic slide style. Dancer's Boogie is a lively track with hot jazz style guitar riffs and Margolin's best vocals on the release. Harp master, Bob Corritore joins Margolin on Blues Lover, a romping shuffle. One of my favorites on the release is country style story blues, I Can't Take Those Blues Away. Margolin delivers the story over a solid guitar vamp. With a more contemporary sound, Predator, is more of political commentary on the presidency over a guitar vamp. This is a different type of release for Margolin with a definite acoustic flair.
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, Hokum Blues, from Chris "Bad News" Barnes, and it's true to the old style 30's blues. Opening with Tampa Red's It Hurts Me Too, Barnes' vocals are solid with super slide work from Jimmy Vivino and Steve Guyer on harp, backed by Will Lee on bass, Shawn Pelton on drums and Bette Sussman on piano. Kicking it into swing mode and getting a little suggestive, Barnes struts Let Play With Your Poodle, featuring a real nice piano solo by Sussman and crisp guitar riffs by Vivino. Very nice. Prohibition style, I'm Gonna Get High, maintains a lot of the "prance" of the area and caller style vocals. Wild slide work on Bo Diddley rhythmed It's Tight Like That really gives this track a great presence. The Hokum Boys',You Can't Get Enough Of That Stuff, is one of my favorites on the release with cool vocal harmonies and easy going rhythm. With a Latin beat, Keep Your Mind On It has really nice percussion by Pelton and particularly nice guitar work by Vivino, topped off by cool piano twist by Sussman and a cool harp solo by Guyger. Another track with a pure 30's style, even a quasi megaphone sound, is Let Me Pat That Thing with it's suggestive yet funny lyrics. Another nice solo by Sussman on piano is topped off by cool trumpet work and a nice clarinet solo. A cool rocker by the Hokum Boys, Caught Him Doing It really has a nice rockabilly flair and strong solos by Vivino and Sussman. Closing with Tampa Red's Christmas and New Years, Barnes hits the spot on vocals and Vivino's slide work is thick and greasy. I cool closer for a nice retro style blues 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”
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ANNOUNCING THE 15TH ANNUAL BLUES FROM THE TOP FESTIVAL:
TWO BIG
DAYS OF BLUES ROYALTY IN BEAUTIFUL WINTER PARK, CO
Enjoy Fabulous Thunderbirds, Anders Osborne, C.J. Chenier
& the Red Hot Louisiana Band, Carolyn Wonderland, Alvin Youngblood
Hart, And More, All In A Beautiful Mountain Setting!
~ Presented With Pride By The Grand County Blues Society,
In Memory of Blues From The Top Founder, John Catt ~
Saturday, June 24 (11am to 6pm); Sunday, June 25 (10:30am to
6pm)
(Winter Park, CO) - Announcing the 15th Annual Blues From The Top Festival, two big days
of blues royalty in a beautiful mountain setting, located at Hideaway
Park, 78820 US Highway 40, taking place Saturday,
June 24 and Sunday, June 25. Gates open
10am, with music from 11am to 6pm (Saturday) and 10:30am to 6pm (Sunday).
Currently, General Admission tickets are $30. (one day), $50. (2 days);
prices will increase. V.I.P. Experience: $100.00 per day per person,
$185. for two days. V.I.P. Seating features Stage Right starting at the
Front Row; Daily Buffet; Private Bar with two Complimentary Drinks each
day; free water and soft drinks; Shade Tents with tables and chairs; and
Private Restrooms. Kids 12 and under, free (when accompanied by an
adult). Tickets on sale now at www.bluesfromthetop.org.
For additional BFFT Festival information visit www.bluesfromthetop.org.
Blues From The Top is presented with pride by the Grand County Blues Society, in memory of Blues from
The Top Founder, John Catt.
The two-day lineup is packed! Appearing on Saturday,
June 24: The Fabulous Thunderbirds featuring Kim Wilson; Little Hurricane;
C.J. Chenier & the Red-Hot Louisiana Band; Jimmy Vivino and The Kate
Moss 3; Austin Young Band. Sunday, June 25 features performances by
Anders Osborne, Carolyn Wonderland, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Analog Son,
Danny Franchi, and Mountain Gospel featuring Ali Grayson.
~About
Some of the Headliners at 15th Annual Blues From The Top ~
For over thirty years, The
Fabulous Thunderbirds have been the
quintessential American band. The group’s distinctive and powerful sound,
influenced by a diversity of musical styles, manifested itself into a
unique musical hybrid via such barn-burners as “Tuff Enuff” and “Wrap It
Up”. Co-founder Kim Wilson, the sole original member, still spearheads
the group as it evolves into its newest incarnation. “We started as a
straight blues band”, vocalist and harmonica player Wilson says. “We now
incorporate a mixture of a lot of different styles. We’re an American
music band and we’re much higher energy than we were before.” In addition
to Wilson, the current Thunderbirds line-up features Jay Moeller on
drums, Johnny Moeller and Mike Keller on guitar, and Randy Bermudes on
bass.
A musical force equipped with the soulful vocals of
Janis and the guitar slinging skills of Stevie Ray, Carolyn Wonderland reaches into
the depths of the Texas blues tradition with the wit of a poet. She hits
the stage with unmatched presence, a true legend in her time.
"Carolyn Wonderland's live shows are just outright phenomenal. Top
notch, five-stars, off the meter - whatever the clinch., Carolyn and her
band meet it...Her voice can be as beautiful as an angel and as powerful
as a Class 5 hurricane all within the drop of a hat...One thing's for
certain, some forces - even those barely five feet tall - cannot be
contained" (ROCKZILLAWORLD).
Between the potency of his richly-detailed
songwriting, his intensely emotional, soulful vocals and his piercing,
expert guitar work, New Orleans' Anders Osborne is a true musical treasure. He is among the most original
and visionary musicians writing and performing today. Guitar Player calls
him "the poet laureate of Louisiana's fertile roots music
scene." New Orlean's Gambit Weekly has honored Osborne as
Entertainer of the Year. Osborne's songs have been covered by artists as
diverse as Brad Paisley, Tab Benoit, Jonny Lang, Trombone Shorty and
Aaron Neville, to name a few. His songs have appeared in multiple feature
films. A powerful live performer, Osborne has won over fans through
non-stop touring as well as a heralded collaboration with the North Mississippi
All-Stars and Southern Soul Assembly.
Clayton Joseph Chenier, who fronts C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band, was born September 28, 1957 - the son of the great
King of Zydeco, Clifton Chenier. C.J.'s father was the first Creole
musician to win a Grammy Award. C.J. spent his childhood in the tough
tenement housing projects of Port Arthur, Texas. His earliest musical
influences were an eclectic mix of funk, soul, jazz and Motown, and his
first musical instruments were piano, tenor saxophone and flute. It
wasn't until his 21st birthday, after winning a scholarship and studying
music at Texas Southern University, that C.J. first performed with his
famous father and the legendary Red Hot Louisiana band.
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The James Montgomery Blues Band, from James Montgomery and it's a cranking homage to Paul Butterfield. Opening with funky rocker, One More Heartache, Montgomery blows the doors open with his always powerful harp, backed by George McCann on guitar, David Hull on bass and Jeff Thompson on drums and punched up by the Uptown Horns including Crispin Cloe on sax, Larry Etkin on trumpet, Arno Hecht on sax and Bob Funk on trombone. Super opener. Nick Gravenites' Born In Chicago gets a bit more bounce that Nick's original and McCann sports a real nice guitar solo opening the way for Montgomery's harp solo. Very cool. Little Walter's Blues With A Feeling is solid and Montgomery's vocals are raw and gritty. I particularly like the tight guitar work by McCann on this track giving it a casual pace along with stinging riffs. Young Woman's Love just has that snap making it sit solid on your foot. McCann is featured on lead vocal and Montgomery really digs in with fat, well formed harp riffs making this one of my favorites on the release. Sure to be the release favorite, I Got A Mind To Give Up Living, features Jimmy Vivino on lead guitar and he really pours it on. Montgomery's harp work is relentless and his vocals soulful. Excellent! On Elmore James' Shake Your Moneymaker, McCann slips on the slide and the band is loosely tight like Hound Dog Taylor giving this track real life. Good Question is a jazz born R&B track that really sings. Grace Kelly sets up a real nice sax solo and Montgomery rides high on the rhythmic drum work of Thompson and a moving bass line by Hull. McCann cuts loose with a real nice solo of his own and the band circles back for a final refrain. Very cool. With it's walking bass line, One Plus One absolutely struts. Closing the release is Junior Parker's Mystery Train. Cooked in full JL Hooker, boogie style, Montgomery works the band into a real lather for this sensational closer.
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
I just received the newest release, My Obsession, from Shari Puorto and she's still slamming it. Opening with funky rocker, It's A Damn Shame, Puorto's vocals are tight and her phrasing is super. Johnny Hawthorn knows how to make it hot on guitar and Bob Glaub's bass lines are smokin. Backed by Kenna Ramsey, Julie Delgado and Mike Finnigan, this is my favorite track on the release. On Home of the Blues, Jimmy Vivino and Steve Fister step up on lead and slide guitar (respectively) and Mike Finnigan's B3 work is super. Rock and roller, Six Months Sober is square down the middle with Jim Pugh's piano and B3 and slide soloing by Hawthorn is smooth. Sugar Daddy is a slower sure stepper with a drone bass line and slap snare from Tony Braunagel. Title track, My Obsession, opens with a subdued niteclub feel but kicking into a solid rocker with Vivino and Finnigan trading lead riffs under Puorto's cool vocals. Old Silo Road is a quiet ballad, primarily the purity of Puorto's voice and Finnigan's piano. Johnny Lee Schell's tasty slide riffs add a real nice touch to this solid radio track. Workin' The Room has a definite country feel with a two step rhythm and nicely executed piano work from Barry Goldberg. Schell again steps up with a cool guitar solo making this another track that could easily hit multiple radio lines. Better Left Unsaid has a R&B styling with cool backing vocals from Ramsey, Delgado and Finnigan. Schell's rhythm guitar work and Finnigan's piano work give this track a lot of textural traction. With a New Orleans feel, What's The Matter With The World, has a real nice rhythm and Schell's slide work is spot on the mark. Finnigan gives the track a nice boot of his own with nicely stylized piano work. Very cool! Steve Fister adds his own guitar zip to All About You, a serious ballad with Schell joining on rhythm guitar. The interweaving guitar styles, coupled with Puorto's vocals make this another serious radio track. Turned To Stone has a real "Jackson Browne" feel with Johnny Hawthorn playing some excellent David Lindley style pedal steel lead throughout. Goes without saying that this track, with a cool melodic hook and slick pedal work, could really hit big. Wrapping the release is the soul classic, When A Man Loves A Woman. Finnigan on B3, Pugh on piano and with Darrell Leonard and Joe Sublett on horns, gives this track a rich clarity and Vivino's clean guitar work, coupled with Puorto's power makes this a perfect track to close it up.
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"
NEW ALBERT
CUMMINGS ALBUM ! Guitar
Wizard Releases "Someone Like You"
Albert Cummings, a rare talent renowned for his
uniquely muscular yet polished guitar wizardry, has released a new studio
CD entitled Someone Like You. The album was produced in Los
Angeles by Grammy-winner David Z, and features special guest and labelmate
Jimmy Vivino (bandleader on the Conan
TV show) on three tracks.
Producer Z, who's worked with Buddy Guy, Prince, Jonny Lang, and Gov’t Mule,
said, “Albert Cummings writes, plays and sings the blues like nobody
else. What a blast to watch him jell in the studio with some of the
best musicians in Los Angeles.”
Master builder
turned master guitarist, Albert has become a favorite of fans who love
soulful, explosive rocking blues. Double Trouble, the late Stevie
Ray Vaughan’s rhythm section, was so impressed with Albert’s talent that they
volunteered to play on and produce his debut recording in 2003.
Billboard said his “guitar
work is sizzling.” Guitar
One exclaimed, "He attacks his axe with unbridled ferocity
and deep soulfulness.”
And in an audio
exclusive, noted publication Guitar Player is premiering one of the new tracks
on their website - "Meatlocker" (an instrumental featuring Albert
and Jimmy Vivino) HERE.
Cummings said, "I'm tremendously excited about this CD and the team of
people that will be working this record. It was such a pleasure to also work
with David Z and Jimmy Vivino and so exciting to share their excitement about
the potential this record has."
CDs are available at
better record stores. To purchase CDs and downloads from Amazon, please click
HERE. Downloads from
this and other fine Blind Pig releases are available from "The Pig
Pen" on iTunes HERE.
I just received the newest release, Someone Like You, from Albert Cummings and it rocks! Opening with hot rocker, No Doubt, Cummings sets up a great groove with Reggie McBride on bass, Tony Braunagel on drums and Mike Finnigan on organ. Cummings vocals, blended with Teresa James are prime and his guitar riffs are tight and clean. Excellent! Pop rocker, I Found You has more of a tame sound but Cummings puts his trademark guitar riffs on the track giving it just the right amount of spank. Up Your Sleeve is a real cool shuffle track with fluid guitar riffs and nice double stops. Finnigan has such a great touch on organ just playing a note here and there...but it's the right note at just the right time... not an easy thing to do. A swinging guitar solo ensues and the track really does move. Very nice! So Strong is a quiet ballad with a sweet melodic guitar solo making it a clear radio track. Finally In Love is a clean rocker with a 2 step rhythm. Cummings really has a pretty good voice and his guitar tone on this track is rich! Fluid riffs and a solid snare from Braunagel and icing by Finnigan makes this another solid track. Boogie track, Make Up Your Mind, has a great feel and just the right amount of grind on Cummings strat to perk up my ears. A nice feel for just how much to play makes the difference between average and real nice and this track hits! Slow blues track, Little Bird, my definite favorite on the release starts off with a really creamy blues guitar riff by Cummings that makes you just lay back and breathe. McBride's bass line drives the pace and with Finnigan playing the melodic filler, Cummings controls this track with his soulful vocals and his smoking hot guitar riffs. If you've heard Cummings really dig in before and you're wanting to hear it again...this is it. At over 7 minutes this track is steamy! Peppy swinger Meatlocker, is a quick paced shuffle track with nice jazz influences. Excellent chord selections, crisp percussion and nice guitar lead makes this instrumental another of my release favorites. Understated country blues track, I'm In Love With You, has a nice swagger with authoritative guitar riffs and solid melody line from Cummings. Driving blues track, Old Dog, sets a great groove and Cummings hits every edge with slashing guitar riffs. Finnigan helps to pump up the tension and McBride's walking bass line and tight drum work from Braunagel makes this another key track on the release. Wrapping the release is a hot blues shuffle, Stay Away From My Sister, and Cummings kicks it up a notch with stinging guitar riffs pushed along by Braunagel. Excellent finish to a overall strong 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”
The Southern California heat wave started last Monday night when the Sugaray Rayford Band took center stage (and left, right and rear). This past Monday night at the Maui Sugar Mill, for Cadillac Zack's Monday Night Blues Party, it was exceedingly hot outside - 100 degrees - with a 100% chance the inside of the venue would reach 120!! Reach it did... into every nook and cranny of the small dive bar. The A/C was flowing through the vents. The fans were moving in a circular motion. Both operational. When the headliner and his band hit the stage, the temps began to rise... and rise... and rise... to a sweltering surreal meltdown of blues/rock!
Two words: Walter Trout. Two more words: Unofficial comeback.
An abundance of more words: Walter was on death's bed waiting for a liver transplant not too long ago. He had lost 140 pounds, could barely speak and thought he was at the end of his life. His wife, Marie, constantly told him it was not his time to leave, so he held on to her words. The good news came that they found a liver for him. He had the surgery and recovered and now he is back to carry on his legacy as one of THE best blues/rock guitar slingers and vocalists; without a doubt... not even a shadow of one!
This writer had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Trout once before in 2004ish at Humphrey's by the Bay in San Diego. Never having heard of him before, I was in utter disbelief by the talent that he exuded. I mean, come on, he is only one human being and since he doesn't wear a superhero costume or even a cape... how could he be who he was? He was born to play the blues and he will leave this earth playing the blues, as did BB King.
With his new zest for living a brand new life, he has an even more impeccable and renewed sense of who he is and exudes it with a heightened stage persona.
Dressed in a purple shirt (purple for empowerment) I knew the packed-to-capacity audience was in for a heavy-hitting set! Rounding out the band: Sammy on keys, Michael Leasure on drums, John on bass. First song in the set was "Can't do it by Myself" and what a great message that is... he couldn't have survived without the donor, his wife, the rest of his family, his friends and his fans. When he started performing "I'm Back" I got teary-eyed. He picked these songs to play for obvious reasons and it touched me deeply... the message and his performance. He plays the hell out of his guitar and sings as if it were his last song.
He welcomed another legendary blues man, John Mayall, up to the stage; playing keys for several songs. They dedicated a song to BB King "Say Goodbye to the Blues", which was so poignant in its lyrics, yet sensually alive; a contradiction in a beautiful way!
Other guests he called up to the stage were Bob Langreth on harp, his son John Trout on guitar and Jimmy Vivino of the Conan O'Brien show.
The last song was a tribute that Walter wrote for his wife Marie. It was an instrumental that relayed, even without words, the beauty that he sees in her, the love that he has for her, and the gratitude he will hold in his heart forever. Beautiful. Haunting.
This set could not have been more powerful in its delivery, its lyrical meaning, its sound, its visual. It was hot as hell; sexy as sin and as sensual as the purest sensuality.
Thank you once again to my friend Cadillac Zack for bringing THE best blues to Southern California! Pasadena on Saturday. Long Beach on Sunday. Tarzana on Monday.
Blues guitar master Elvin Bishop -- newly inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame -- will appear on TBS' CONAN on Monday, May 11. The legendary
guitarist will sit in with Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band for the
duration of the show.
Last month, Bishop was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the
groundbreaking music he made with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Bishop's
latest solo album, Can't Even Do Wrong Right, has been
hailed as the best of his long career. Rolling Stone says the CD is
"among Bishop’s very best...Impeccable playing by a legendary guitarist…engaging
singing and most notably, good spirits…a great showing for a distinguished
American player."
Can't Even Do Wrong Right finds Bishop playing,
writing and singing some of the most distinctive blues and roots music today.
The album proves that Bishop is as vital and creative an artist now as he was
when he first hit the national scene in 1965 with The Paul Butterfield Blues
Band. He is as slyly good-humored and instantly crowd-pleasing as he was when he
was scoring Southern rock-styled hits during the 1970s. For five decades, he has
never stopped touring or releasing instantly recognizable music featuring his
inventive playing, easygoing vocals, witty lyrics and good-time humor.
In addition to his new album and his Rock Hall induction, Bishop's 1975 hit
Fooled Around And Fell In Love found new life in the 2014 box-office
smash Guardians Of The Galaxy. The soundtrack hit #1 on the
Billboard Top 200 chart and received a Grammy Award nomination.
I just received the newest release, Slide Guitar Summit, from Arlen Roth and it definitely lives up to all the pre hype. Roth, well known for his own guitar styling, especially on the tele with the likes of Roy Buchanan and Danny Gatton, has put together a group of the best known slide players on the planet for a full blown celebration of all things slide. Opening with Do What's Right, Roth teams up with Jack Pearson on vocal and slide guitar as well as Tom Hambridge on drums and backing vocal and Tommy MacDonald for a country two step rocker. This track moves along nicely with lead and harmonic sliding... a terrific opener. Robert Johnson's Dust My Broom is next featuring Lee Roy Parnell on vocal and slide and adding Kevin McKendree on piano. With the feel of Elmore James and a nice thick slide texture, this track is hot. McKendree adds significantly to the mix with hot piano riffs. Much like a live recording, Parnell and Roth take turns on lead slide making for a hot track. Clarinetist Acker Bilk wrote this next track, Stranger On The Shore, and performed it on clarinet in the early 60's. It has since been performed by a number of artists including the Beatles but none quite as sensuously as this take by Cindy Cashdollar on lap steel with just a touch of Hawaiian flare. Beautiful. Sonny Skies features Sonny Landreth and Roth joined only by Eddie Denise on upright bass. A jazzy track with Roth's signature sound, this is a great showcase for tow of today's masters to team up and show how it's done. Jackie Breston's Rocket 88's features Johnny Winter on slide (his last session) along with Roth on slide and lead vocal. Scott Spray and Tyger MacNeal join on bass and drums respectively. A bright toe tapper, the two guys blend nicely and Roth pulls out some of his trademark riffs making this a particularly cool track. Lowell George's Dixie Chicken gets the full Little Feat treatment with Tommy MacDonald on bass, Kevin MacKendree on piano, Hambridge on percussion. Leroy Parnell takes the lead vocal and shares slide with Roth. I don't know about my readers, but there are a few places that you need to tread lightly and Lowell George territory is one of them. I think that these guys did a great job of paying tribute and MacKendree really did a nice job on Bill Payne's work as well. Excellent! Jimmy Ninino brings the first delta style acoustic track with only he and Roth and their guitars on Poor Boy Blues. Possibly my favorite track on the release. Following with Laura Nyro's And When I Die made popular by Blood, Sweat and Tears again only Vivino and Roth on acoustics. Keeping it simple and playing it pure country blues style gives it a new life. Jimmie Rodgers' Peach Pickin' Time In Georgia features Roth on lead vocals and Greg Martin joining him on slide. McKendree takes a real nice piano bar on the track but the release is about sliding and in country 2 step style, the boys do bring it! Paradise Blues is a simple quiet guitar ballad with nice Les Paul like harmonics and Hawaiian style blending. Rick Vito and Roth blend their guitar vocals nicely for a really pretty instrumental track. Cindy Cashdollar is back on lap steel again on Steel Guitar Rag and Roth this makes two. A simple instrumental track with just a twist of country styling shows the chops of these two guitar super stars. Smokey Robinson's ballad, You Really Got A Hold On Me is delivered nicely with Roth and Vito playing the lead and harmony on slide with no vocals. This is a great track and these guys give it new life in this instrumental form. Roy Byrd's Her Mind Is Gone features the incredible David Lindley on lead vocal and lap steel, joined by Roth on lap steel. Everyone knows that Lindley is one of the best guitar players on the planet and especially creative on lap steel. This is a great little blues addition from the masters, jamming together in one of the tightest acoustic blues jams in a while. Wrapping the release is Roth and Greg Martin on Amazing Grace with Hambridge and Tommy MacDonald. Nicely done and heartfelt it is a really clean and creative ending to a long awaited tribute to slide guitar featuring today's modern masters.
Very nicely done.
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”
“Like” Bman’s Facebook page and get support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE
For your convenience, you can click the title of this post above to be taken to a site where this cd can be purchased - Happy Listening
