Short Stack Records artist: Johnny Sansone - Into Your Blues - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Into Your Blues, from Johnny Sansone and it's got great style. Opening with title track, Into Your Blues, Johnny Sansone on harmonica, resonator guitar and lead vocal sets a cool, slinky pace. With Mike Morgan and Johnny Burgin on electric guitar, Jeffrey Bridges on bass, John Milham on drums, Tom Worrell on piano, Chris Spies on B3, Brad Walker on sax, Steve Lands on trumpet and Michael Sinkus on congos, bongos and tambourine, this is a solid opener. On Chicago style blues, Pay For This Song, Sansone gets in the slot with a super low slung lope and guitar riff by Burgin. Sansone blows some of his classic harmonica riffs giving the track a real Chicago feel. Jason Ricci guests on Blowin' Fire, an up tempo blues rocker. With solid vocals by Ricci and his flaming harmonica style, this is a great addition. Little Freddie King is featured on vocal and guitar on Willie's Juke Joint, a simple John Lee Hooker style, primitive boogie. Driving, The Getaway, is one of my favorite tracks on the release with Sansone back on lead vocal and harmonica. With it's stripped down feel and harmonica vamp, this is a cool track. Sansone lays into the slide Resonator on New Crossroads, another boogie track with a simple bottom by Milham and Bridges under Sansone on vocal. Single Room has a cool, swampy feel with Sansone on vocal and shimmery guitar work by Burgin and Morgan and great percussion work by Milham and Sinkus. Wrapping the release Southern Dream, is a solid acoustic instrumental with Sansone layered over himself on Resonator, slide resonator and guitar. This is a cool closer for a cool release. 

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Al Gold - Al Gold's Paradise - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Al Gold's Paradise, from Al Gold and it's raw funky blues rock. Opening with That's My Baby, guitarist/vocalist, Al Gold is joined by Jerry Cordasco on drums, Mitch Eisenberg on guitar, Jared Gold on organ, Eric Heilner on piano and Baron Raymonde on bari sax. Cool opener. Shuffle, Paradise (Downhome), features Gold on slide guitar and Johnny Sansone on harmonica. Loosely crafted blues styling on Mr. Banker has the vitality of a Hill Country blues track that I really like with tight snare drumming and rhythm guitar riffs. Piano boogie, Got A Mind has Eric Heilner on keys and a hot bari solo by Raymonde complimenting Love's own guitar work and rowdy vocals. Smokin. My favorite track on the release is slow blues, Won't Sleep Tonight with it's glistening chords, soulful vocals and enchanted lead guitar work. Wrapping the release is cool, Latin infused, Maplewood Limbo. With it's cool guitar lead and tight drums and percussion, this is a great closer. 

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NOLA Blue Records artists: Tiffany Pollack & Eric Johanson - Blues In My Blood - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues In  My Blood, from Tiffany Pollack & Eric Johanson and I really like it. Opening with title track, Blues In My Blood with it's fat acoustic slide work, courtesy of Eric Johanson, this track sets a smoky stage for the powerful vocal lead of Tiffany Pollack. With Jack Miele on bass and percussion, Brentt Arcement on drums, organ and piano this is a super opener. Memories To Forget has a chilling guitar solo laid over a warm melody, lead vocal primarily by Johanson, haunting harmonica by Johnny Sansone and excellent drum accent by Acrement. Pollack demonstrated over and again the richness of her voice and her excellent blues phrasing. On ballad, Michael, she is rock solid and Johanson's amplified resonator body guitar work is really nice. A cover of Keith and Mick's No Expectations really flows nicely with Johanson back at the helm with ample harmony by Pollack. Very nice.  Shuffle track, Do I Move You is another really nice showcase for Pollack's vocals with poise and style. Johanson shows a really nice feel for straight blues guitar lead and with Phil Wang on bass and strong organ and piano work by John Gros this track sails. Pollack and Johanson venture deeper into blues rock on Slave Of Tomorrow with a super groove laid down by Miele and Arcement. Johanson's vocals are excellent and I love the lumbering pace. Excellent! Get Lost With Me is the absolute radio track on the release (except it's almost 5 minutes long) with a great Ray Charles feel and solid lead vocal and aggressive blues guitar riffs by Johanson. Super nice. Wrapping the release is an absolutely wonderful cover of Peter Seeger's If I Had A Hammer. Totally destructuring the original, putting it back together with a strong bottom line, organ excellent vocals and soulful guitar, this track is such an excellent closer. If you wonder if I liked this release...read the review again! 

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Reference Recordings artist: Fiona Boyes - Voodoo in the Shadows - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Voodoo in the Shadows, from Fiona Boyes. Opening with dark, smoky Call Their Name, Boyes, with her swampy guitar rhythms and solid vocals leads the way backed by Tim Neal on keys, Mark Grunden on drums and Johnny Sansone on harp. On What You Put On Me, the band sets a Mississippi hill country pace with Sansone wailing away on harp and Boyes laying out some prime cigar box slide work. Very nice. On Latin flavored, Dark and Dangerous Love shows a different side of Boyes with dark, a seductive melody, steamy vocals and smooth guitar lead. Neal adds some real nice sax backing in addition to a hot organ solo and Grunden's conga playing really spices it up. New Orleans has a nice bluesy feel with great piano work by Neal. R&B roots fuel With A Little Respect. Neal steps up with another nice sax solo and melodic harp work by Sansone adds just the right tough to Boyes vocal efforts. Wrapping the release is another R&B track, Ember, with the most straight forward melody. Boyes' vocals are really nice and her guitar lead is tight, warmed nicely by the organ efforts of Neal. This is a nice closer for a real solid release.

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Ruf Records artist: Albert Castiglia - Up All Night - New release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Up All Night, from Albert Castiglia and it's smokin! Up to his 7th release now and still getting better, Castiglia opens with Mike Zito's Hoodoo On Me blistering his way on guitar and leading on vocal. Joined by Jimmy Pritchard on bass and Brian Menendez on drums, this is a great opener. With a heavy footed rock beat, I Been Up All Night is a classic funk rocker. Castiglia has great presence with fluid blues riffs and raspy vocals over the big bass lines of Pritchard and tight drumming of Menendez. Excellent! Driving rock n roller, 95 South is a super track highlighted by real nice slide work by Sonny Landreth. Another Mike Zito track, Quit Your Bitching has beautiful slow blues phrasing and may be my favorite track on the release. Smooth vocals, inspired guitar soloing lead the way. Cyril Neville's Unhappy House Of Blues has a solid blues bass with a great harp topping by Johnny Sansone. Another rocker, Chase Her Around The House, has a great boogie base line giving Castiglia a super opportunity to fly on the fretboard. Excellent! Wrapping the release is lumbering blues, You Got Me To That Place, featuring Zito and Castiglia on acoustic guitar and vocal. This is a solid closer for an exceptional 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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Anthony Rosano and the Conqueroos - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release from Anthony Rosano and the Conqueroos and it's a hot fusion of rock and biting blues. Opening with 20 Days, a tight rocker featuring Anthony Rosano on lead vocal and stinging fat slide guitar, Jeremy "JB" Bustillos on  vocal and harp, Paul Warren on bass and Scott Smith on drums. Shuffle, Give Me Strength has a cool groove with Warren romping the bass, harp attack by JB and a slick guitar solo from Rosano. You Don't Know Me is a mover and Rosano's guitar tome is warm and meaty. With a great beat and stinging guitar riffs, this track is super. Boogie track, Wicked Grin is hot with unbridled guitar riffs and a cool sax solo from JB. Excellent! Funky, Shakin' In The Veins, features really cool slide work by Anders Osborne  and with a definite southern flair, cool harp work by JB pushing the track even further. Bound To You is a solid ballad with a scorching guitar intro. I particularly like the melody on this track and Rosano's vocals are the best on the release. Veracious guitar work throughout the track make this my definite favorite. Wrapping the release is Proud of My Sins, an acoustic blues with Rosano on lead vocal and mandolin. Vocal harmonies and harp work by JB make this an excellent closer for a cool release.

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Ruf Records artist: Samantha Fish - Black Wind Howlin' - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Black Wind Howlin', from Samantha Fish and it's a romper! Opening with hard driving Miles To Go, Fish rides a hard rain with fat slide work and solid vocals. Pushed by Charlie Wooton on bass and Yonrico Scott on drums this is a straight up slammer. Mike Zito joins on Kick Around, a country style track featuring stylistic riffs and a little duet action with Zito and Paul Thorn. Go To Hell has a lot of guitar grind and bottom with Scott really hammering it out. A very strong radio style rocker with plenty of rowdy riffs. Sucker Born features Jumpin Johnny Sansone on harp and some razor sharp slide work under Fish's strong vocal attack. Fish penned blues ballad, Over You, is a sure winner with a nice melody, sweet guitar riffs and euphoric backing instrumentals and vocals. (put your money on it) Who's Been Talking, again featuring the hot harp of Sansone is a smokin Chicago/Latin style blues track. The guitar riffs are understated and the tone is superb. Sansone really nails it on this track as well making it one of the best on the release. Lay It Down plays a bit harder with saturated guitar tones on rhythm and thin cutting lead work. Fish's vocals are sassy making this another strong entry. Let's Have Some Fun is a quiet pop track that nicely features Fish primarily as a vocalist accompanied acoustically. Heartbreaker has the biting drive of Foxy Lady but with a bend toward Bad Company. An open wheeling slide solo on this track leaves the room smokey. Foolin' Me is pretty straight down the middle of pop rock road. Certainly a solid tune and ready for airplay. One of my favorites on the release, title track Black Wind Howlin', is strongly related to Voodoo Chile with powerful bass and drum leads and the hottest guitar riffs on the release. Excellent! The release is completed by a return to country influenced track, Last September. Bo Thomas adds to the rural feel of the track with fiddle work and Scott knows exactly how to stay down on this style of track. Fish shows broad interests in music and will likely attract new fans with this open approach to her music.  

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!

33rd Blues Music Awards Presented By The Blues Foundation

The Nominees For Contemporary Blues Male Artist are:

Joe Louis Walker

 

Johnny Sansone