Eliza Neals: Badder To The Bone - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Badder To The Bone, from Eliza Neals and its a power blues rocker. Opening with United We Stand  with heavy tom tom's on a Bo Diddley beat by Jeffrey Fowlkes and slide guitar by Michel Puwal, Neals is on a roll. On slow blues, Queen of the Nile, Neals shows real soul on vocals, playing piano and taking names. Backed by Jason Kott on bass and Tim Grogan on drums, and featuring Lance Lopez laying down some excellent blues riffs on guitar and Peter Keys on B3, this is an excellent track. With a tango rhythm and nicely blended vocals, the stylistic guitar work of Puwal makes Bucket of Tears a real standout. Soulful, Heathen, drips with southern soul under the vocal control of Neals and with the thick B3 and piano work of John Gavin. Steve Winwood's Can't Find My Way Home is always great to hear and Neals puts her special touch on it with firm vocal lead and nice backing, topped with strong guitar lead work by Lopez. Wrapping the release is Queen of the Nile II, a foreshortened rip of the earlier track but still tasty and with excellent guitar riffs by Lopez. Excellent closer for a tasty release. 

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Provogue Records artist: Gary Hoey - Neon Highway Blues - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Neon Highway Blues, from Gary Hoey and it's a solid blues rocker with lots of heat. Opening with, Under The Rug, a funky blues rocker with a definite Eric Gales added guitar flavor. Hoey's style is easily discernable from Gales and they work together nicely. With Matt Scurfield on drums, Sandy MacDonald on organ and AJ Pappas on bass, a solid opener. Slowing it down to a cool blues pace, Mercy of Love is up next with Josh Smith joining Hoey for some real blues fireworks. Excellent! One of my favorite tracks on the release is shuffle track, Your Kind Of Love with an super shuffle feel and slick slide guitar work. Very nice. Don't Come Crying is a solid 8 bar number featuring Hoey's son Ian laying down some serious riffs with the old man. This is a cool track and showcases what's coming up for the blues world. For those seeking the blues ballad style with lead guitar a la Gary Moore, Almost Heaven is sure to scratch your itch. Lance Lopez is certainly a force to be reckoned with and add him to the mix with Gary Hoey, you've got white heat. That's exactly what you have on Damned If I Do, a pyrotechnic guitar shuffle. Trading solos over a solid rhythm line gets it done. A flashy, run heavy blues rocker, Living The Highlife really shows Hoey's agile finger work over a solid rock line. Very cool. Wrapping the release is title track, Neon Highway Blues, a melodic guitar ballad which has all the right stuff. Clean, articulate slide work over lush chords...a perfect way to end a really solid release.

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Connor Ray Music artist: Ally Venable - Puppet Show - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Puppet Show, from Ally Venable and it's quite good. Opening with Devil's Son, a powerful blues rocker, Venable leads on guitar and vocal, backed by Elijah Owings on drums and Bobby Wallace on bass. Gary Hoey adds some voracious guitar riffs on this track giving it a smoking hot edge. Very nice. Steve Krase joins on traditional delta style, Blackwater Blues, with a stripped down opening and then opening up to a full tilt blues rocker showcasing some of Venable's best riffs on the release. One of my favorite tracks on the release is a cover of Taj Mahal's, He Caught The Katy, with it's super bass line and solid vocal and guitar work by Venable. Excellent! With the swagger of Lynyrd Skynyrd, title track, Puppet Show is a solid rocker with really nice guitar riffs by Venable and warm keys by Eric Steckel. Another of my favorites on the release is slow blues, Comfort In My Sorrows with it's big time San Francisco blues styling and crisp, fluid guitar soloing by Venable. Very very nice! Jazz rocker, Survive, has exceptional bass lines with driving drums and full organ. Venable leads throughout with proud guitar work continuing to confirm her arrival as a serious guitar rocker. Wrapping the release is Sleeping Through The Storm, a straight ahead rocker with a driving boogie beat and heavy bottom. With slashing riffs and stiff, in your face drumming, this is an excellent closer. 

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Texas Blues Rock Guitarist Lance Lopez To Release Electrifying Live Performance From New York City On CD!

Texas Blues Rock Guitarist Lance Lopez To Release Electrifying Live Performance From New York City On CD!

Los Angeles - Texas blues rock king Lance Lopez takes his electrifying guitar virtuoso performance to the Big Apple on this extraordinary live album! This incredible concert album features highlights from Lopez’s most recent album, the critically acclaimed Handmade Music!

“ 'Live In NYC' was recorded on such a powerful night! It was Johnny Winter's 70th Birthday Party at a sold out B.B. King's Blues Club in Times Square...and was filled with a who's who of the blues! I played my heart out for Johnny that night, and was so happy that they were able to capture it on a recording...it's absolutely one of my finest performances I ever did in New York City.” - Lance Lopez

A music professional from the tender age of 14, Lopez cut his teeth with legendary drummer Buddy Miles, who would go on to co-produce Lopez’s debut album in 1999, and has played with virtually every notable blues musician of the 20th century! Lopez's newest project, the blues rock supergroup Supersonic Blues Machine, will release a new album in February with guest appearances by ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, Eric Gales, Walter Trout, Robben Ford and others!

Track list:

1. Come Back Home

2. Hard Time

3. Get Out And Walk

4. Traveling Riverside Blues

5. Lowdown Ways

6. Tell The Truth

7. El Paso Sugar

Buy the CD: http://flyt.it/LanceLopezCD

Download on iTunes: http://flyt.it/LanceLopezDig

Lance Lopez official website: http://www.lancelopeztx.com/

Provogue Records artist: Supersonic Blues Machine - West Of Flushing South Of Frisco - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, West of Flushing South of Frisco, from Supersonic Blues Machine and it's a smokin' cool release. Featuring the leadership of Lance Lopez (guitar and vocal), Kenny Aronoff (drums and percussion) and Fabrizzio Grossi (bass, Hammond and vocals) this band is cooking. Opening with Miracle Man, a southern influenced blues rocker, the band is really off to a great start complimented by Jimmy Z Zavala on harp, Serge Simic on acoustic guitar, Garrett Hollbrock on lap steel and Francis Bentez and Andrea Grossi on backing vocals. Next up is I Ain't Fallin Again, a sophisticated rocker with a cool back beat and a solid drive. Billy F Gibbons leads the way on vocal and guitar on Running Whiskey a straight up rocker with a definite Gibbons flavor. Remedy, features Warren Haynes and his influence is immediately noticed with a warm, laid back feel. Trading lead riffs and vocals with Lopez, Haynes doesn't dominate the track at all and it actually feels a bit like a cool Marshall Tucker influence with new wind in it's sails. Bone Bucket Blues is a great boogie with Paulo Verdone on lead guitar with Lopez on lead vocal and guitar. This track is hot with Jimmy Z's harp work as icing. Let It Be is a cool soul rocker track with some of Lopez's best vocals on the release. I particularly like Grossi's bass work on this track complimented by Hammond work by Sam Lusting and a solid solo from Lopez. Very nice! That's My Way features Chris Duarte on some flaming hot guitar riffs joined by Lopez on lead guitar and vocal and also featuring some tight bass work from Grossi. Ain't No Love (In The Heart of the City) is one of my favorite tracks on the release with particularly strong vocals from Lopez and strong backing vocal support from Francis and Andrea. Excellent! Nightmares and Dreams takes a heavier swagger and rightly so with guitar monster Eric Gales joining. Lopez, Francis and Andrea handle the vocals really nicely and with a rock solid bottom from Aronoff and lively bass by Grossi, this track is propelled by the guitar pyrotechnics of Lopez and Gales. Can't Take It No More has an almost Wishbone Ash feel with twin guitar leads courtesy of Lopez and Walter Trout. Trading lead vocals and Pink Floyd backing vocals by Francis and Andrea, this track is super. This is a really nice stack up with Trout and Lopez. It isn't as much a slug fest as it is a choreographed joust. Very nice! Whiskey Time is a 2 plus extended jam excerpt from Running Whiskey. You like guitars... this is cool! The king of the melodic blues guitar players, Robben Ford shares center stage for ballad, Let's Call It A Day. Lopez is in the left channel and Ford in the right channel, playing melodically along with Lopez's smooth vocals on this top selected radio track. Wrapping the release is Watchagonnado, a funky track with a super groove. Grossi sets a really nice bottom and Francis and Andrea highlight Lopez's super vocals. Phil Parlapiano adds a grat funky Hammond set and Lopez's guitar riffs really make this the best track on the release. Very cool!

 

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Lance Lopez - Live In NYC - New Release Review

I just received the most recent release, Live In NYC, from Lance Lopez and it's explosive. Opening with with boogie rocker, Come Back Home, guitarist/vocalist, Lance Lopez really gets the place hopping with Chris Reddan on drums and Mike Nunno on bass. With his steady, heavy handed blues rock guitar work this track rips. Lopez's aggressive guitar tone on On Hard Time, shows that he means business. With fluid blues riffs, overdriven rhythm guitar tone, solid bass work and tight drums, this is prime rock! Get Out And Walk, has a great opening riff bringing to mind Humble Pie at their best. You like the classic rock style when blues was king. This is it. Lopez avoids the temptation to overplay and with his excellent rock voice, Lopez has the stuff to balance his ripping guitar leads and Reddan and Nunno are not left behind. Super! Traveling Riverside Blues has a powerful lumbering swagger with strong vocals and drone double stops not unlike ZZ Top or Johnny Winter. At nearly 8 minutes, this is an excellent rocker with hot blues guitar riffs that absolutely kicks ass! Lowdown Ways is down and dirty, the way we like our blues (think "My Own Fault"). This track kick in at over 11 minutes so sit back and have some cold beverage ready cause it will make you sweat! Tell The Truth is a straight forward rocker with a super double timed bass riff and scorching guitar lead. Not Humble Pie but definite influences. I really like this style. Terrific! Wrapping the release is rocker El Paso Sugar, with it's Piedmont style blues intro played on electric guitar. The track develops into a swaggering butt kicker with an almost James Dewar feel. This release shows just how powerful Lopez and his band are and put them high on my see for 2016 list! 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”

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Mr. Rattlesnake - Lance Lopez

There's no doubt about it, the state of Texas is well known world wide for its fiery blues guitar players.

Although born in Shreveport, Louisiana, at the age of 12, his family moved to Dallas, where with the exception of a spell back in New Orleans and Southwest Florida, the guitarist has called his home ever since.

Lance has been a professional musician since he was 14 years old. He has shared the stage with legends such as Lucky Peterson, Johnnie Taylor and Buddy Miles.

Developing a close friendship with Buddy Miles, the former Band Of Gypsys legend would go on to mentor Lopez, leading to him co producing his debut album 'First Things First', along with Grammy winning producer Jay Newland (Norah Jones) which was released independently in 1998.

From 2003 to 2007 Lopez recorded, and released three studio and one live CD for a small independent label, Grooveyard Records - all of which were heavily influenced by one of many of the guitarist's main influences - Jimi Hendrix.

Now after a three year break, Lopez is back with a brand new Jim Gaines (Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Santana) produced studio album 'Salvation From Sundown'. Intentionally conceived as a more traditional Texas blues styled offering, it's the guitarist's most mature recording to date, showcasing strong songwriting while still retaining the red-hot fretwork which has elicited none other than guitar god Jeff Beck to call him "A very exciting and intense blues guitarist". His first release on a major label (Sony/MIG) it shows him poised to take his rightful place as one of the finest blues players on the planet.
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Pali Gap - Lance Lopez

There's no doubt about it, the state of Texas is well known world wide for its fiery blues guitar players. Even just a cursory look will reveal the state's rich tradition, which easily rivals Chicago and Mississippi for producing players who have been both originators and contributors to the legacy of the guitar's significant role in the genre's history. Dating back to the 1920's with "Blind" Lemon Jefferson, continuing through the 1950's with such legends as Freddie King, T-Bone Walker and "Lightning" Hopkins, with the advent of the rock era of the 1960's the pressure cooker exploded. Albino blues giant Johnny Winter, from Beaumont, in 1968 was signed to what was then the largest advance in the history of the recording industry---$600,000. Houston's ZZ Top, with the Reverend Willie G, i.e. Billy F. Gibbons - armed with a '59 Les Paul- during the 70's went from being "That little ol' band from Texas" to being world wide ambassadors with their unique brand of deep blues infused boogie rock. Although disco and subsequently new wave lessened blues rock's influence in the late 70's, by 1983 it was another native Texan, Dallas born Stevie Ray Vaughan, whose combination of raw blues mixed with Hendrix styled pyrotechnics spearheaded yet another resurrection as the genre rose its evil head once again. A breath of much needed fresh air amongst the synth heavy offerings on MTV and radio airwaves of the time, the guitarist's massive influence has extended long beyond his untimely, tragic death twenty years ago. One such player whom Vaughan touched the soul of was young, gifted blues/rock axeslinger Lance Lopez. Although born in Shreveport, Louisiana, at the age of 12, his family moved to Dallas, where with the exception of a spell back in New Orleans and Southwest Florida, the guitarist has called his home ever since. A professional musician since the age of 14 when he began playing local bars in and around the New Orleans, Louisiana area, at 17 he was hired by soul great Johnnie Taylor, with whom he toured for six months. By 18 he was hired as the band leader of blues legend Lucky Peterson's band, spending three years touring throughout the world. It was while with Peterson in Europe that he struck up a close friendship with the larger than life drummer Buddy Miles, subsequently becoming the guitarist for The Buddy Miles Express for a brief time. The former Band Of Gypsys legend would go on to mentor Lopez, leading to him co producing his debut album 'First Things First', along with Grammy winning producer Jay Newland (Norah Jones) which was released independently in 1998. From 2003 to 2007 Lopez recorded, and released three studio and one live CD for a small independent label, Grooveyard Records - all of which were heavily influenced by another of the guitarist's main influences - Jimi Hendrix.
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