Blue Kitty Music artist: Liz Mandeville - Playing With Fire - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Playing With Fire, from Liz Mandeville, and it's a solid blues entry. Opening with smooth shuffle, Bailing the Titanic, Mandeville on lead vocal and guitar is backed by Dario Lombardo on lead guitar, Andy Sutton on drums, and Steve Hart. Comfort Food Blues is one of my favorite tracks on the release with it's Chatmon like sound and excellent slide work from Minoru Maruyama and Darryl Wright on bass. On Chicago style track, I Just Cry, Philippe Fernandez rips some great guitar riffs pushing Mandeville into a great vocal zone. With Gilles Gabisson on harp,  and Andre Howard on bass this track is smokin.  He Loves My Biscuits is a great swing track with my favorite vocals on the release. A smooth delivery, accented by the vocal and violin contributions of Ilana Katz Katz and additional vocals by Carl Uchiyama and real nice guitar runs by Mandeville, makes this another of the top tracks on the release. Peter Struijk shows great guitar style on  Joliet Town, a strong 8 bar number with Dizzy Bolinski on harp, Bass on drums and  Hart on bass.  Hart leads the way on bass, laying down a driving boogie line on Boss Lady. With Bolinski taking the first solo on harp and Johnny Burgin stepping up with some stinging riffs of his own, this track has a great feel. Wrapping the release is John Hartford's country style blues, (Hey Babe) Ya Wanna Boogie? with Mandeville on vocal and washboard, Struijk on acoustic guitar and a cool tuba solo by Hart. Super closer for a cool release.

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Blues Kitty Music artist: Liz Mandeville - The Stars Motel - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, The Stars Motel, from Liz Mandeville and it has a real nice flow. Opening with Too Hot For Love, Liz Mandeville is up front on lead vocals with Scott Ellison on lead guitar, Matt Kohl on bass, Robbie Armstrong on drums and Joan Gand on B3. With a more relaxed BB King kind of feel, Blues Is My Boss features Dario Lombardo on lead guitar with Mandeville handling lead guitar and lead vocal. Matt Cartwright sets a deliberate bass line and Andy Sutton is tight on drums. With a New Orleans feel, Everybody Knew But Me, has a great rhythm with Heather Tackett Faludo on bass, Steve Hart on tuba n Alex Leong on trombone and Jim Godsey on percussion. Very cool! Quiet ballad, One Dance, is soulful and has great horn bass featuring Jeannie Tannec on trumpet, Johnny Cotton on sax Charlie Kimble on sax. Gand's B3 work really beefs up the middle and Minoru Maruyama, guitar work gives the track sting almost sounding like a Muscle Shoals track. On Try Me Mandeville gets a great soul feel going backed by Rachelle Coba and Andy Sutton. Gand's Piano work is spot on developing a great swing with Faludo and Sutton's lines. Mandeville lays out some real nice lower octave guitar riffs that set the track apart. Truth has a great chugging rhythm not unlike a cool Al Green track. Darryl Wright's bass line really sets this and Mandeville's vocals ride it. Harp work by Dizzy Bolinsky adds really nice texture and guitar work by Maruyama and Mandeville ices it. Dario Lombardo's Reefer and a Glass of Wine is a super swing track featuring Doug Deming on lead guitar. A really swinging sax solo by Charlie Kimble seems to fuel Deming's guitar work and sassy trombone work by Cotton makes this one of my favorites on the release. Slower blues ballad, What Could Have been is the best showcase for Mandeville's voice. Matt Kohl sets a solid bass bottom and Gand's B3 work caress the soulful guitar lead by Mandeville. River Of Blood has a swampy sound with heavier vocal lines by Mandeville and fluid guitar lines by Coba. Wrapping the release is swing track, What Do Blues Men Like? with really slick guitar lines by Ellison and really rich vocals by Mandeville. Jon Parris on bass and Sutton on drums tops a great closer for a solid release.


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Earwig Music Company - Angels Sing The Blues - New release review

I just received the newest release, Angels Sing The Blues featuring performances by Liz Mandeville, Mary Lane, Al Short, Shirley Johnson and Johnny Drummer and it's cool! Opening with Al "Guitar" Short on the Johnny Guitar Watson track, A Real Mother For Ya, backed by Johnny Drummer on keys, Walter Scott on rhythm guitar, Anthony Palmer on lead guitar, Kenny Hampton on bass, Tino Cortes on drums this release starts off with a kicking funk. Danny O'Connor takes the mic on Cold Women With Warm Hearts and a rolling James Brown rhythm driven by O'Connor's own bass lead. Very nice! Johnny Drummer is up next and a slick guitar intro by Palmer opens Gonna Sell My Cadillac, Buy Myself A Mule. This track has a great feel with extended guitar work by Palmer and Drummers vocals are tight, complimented by his own harp work. Slowing it down a bit, Drummer leads a low slung groove in easy style. Palmer steps up with some real nice riffs on this track giving it a real bluesy feel. R&B style track, Get Your Lovin' Where You Spend Your Time, features Shirley Johnson on lead vocals and she takes command. Compact guitar riffs and simple phrasing makes this track a solid radio contender. Mary lane takes center stage on Just As Grown As You and with a solid 12 bar rhythm and prominent keys from Drummer delivers a stike right down the alley. On Ride In Your Automobile, Lane gets the band involved with backing vocals from Mike Pappas and Alvin Short for a cool driver. Drummer is back up front on Rockin' In The Juke Joint and this is a cool rumble. Shirley Johnson is back up front on I'm Gonna Find Me A Lover, a high stepping R&B track with some of her best vocals on the release. Hamptons bass work on this track stand out nicely with compliments by Palmer. Again on Unchain My Heart, Johnson takes total control with thick, rich, vocals. Drummer's organ work on this track sets up just the right amount of tension, along with a slick guitar solo from Palmer, making this one of the strongest tracks on the release. Mary Lane really grinds out a classic on You Can Have My Husband, Please Don't Mess With My Man. With solid organ backing, nice bass work from Hampton and tight drums from Cortes, Palmer rips a real nice solo on this one. Very nice! Liz Mandeville takes center stage on Use What You Got and she gets hot and sassy. This is a hot track with heavy overtones and a sweet guitar riffs. Continuing with I Just Want To Make Love To You, Mandeville really works it and Drummer's harp and organ add nicely with hot guitar riffs from Palmer. Very cool! On John Prine classic, Angel From Montgomery, Mandeville, Lane and Johnson team up for a solid soulful rendition supported by Amber McMillan and Taniesha Brock on backing vocal and John Elwood Migliaccio and Scott Harper on sax. Very smooth. Wrapping the release is a funky, Run A Red Light, with plucky guitar and bass riffs and Mary Lane showing her stuff just one more time.

 

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Blue Kitty Music artist: Liz Mandeville - Heart 'O' Chicago - New Release Review

I just received the newest release. Heart 'O' Chicago from Liz Mandeville and it's quite cool! Opening with Cloud Of Love, a blend of soul, R&B, funk and gospel; I really like the feel! Featuring sax solo's from Oz Landessberg and Eddie Campbell as well as a cool trombone work from Eric Campbell and hot bass from Darryl Wright, this smokes. On These Blues, the band falls back into a calm swing and Mandeville goes from a hot spiritual vocal style to more of a club jazz style. Minoru Wright on guitar and Joan Gand share the instrumental spotlight backed by Wade baker on trumpet, Eric campbell on trombone and Oz Landessberg on sax and the slick stick work of Jeremiah Thomas on drums. Don't Doubt My Love finds Charlie Love in a vocal duet with Mandeville on an easy R&B track. Maruyama lays down a nicely stylized guitar solo on this track which nicely dresses it. So Called Best Friend has a cool groove set by Wright and Thomas and featuring Mandeville on vocal. Billy Branch lays down some real nice harp on this one as does Maruyama with his stinging guitar riffs. Quit Me On Voice Mail has a real nice slow sensibility. Eddie Shaw digs in on this track showing some of his best chops on anything I've heard in a while. Mandeville shows real comfort moving from the slow ballad to the moving R&B and high energy spiritual. Maruyama again steps up with sweet sweet blues riffs. Very nice! Shuffle track, Party At The End Of Time, lead by a rolling bass line from Wright, features Branch back on harp and a cool solo line from Maruyama. Silver Lining (Shirley's Blues) is a cool R&B track again with gospel energy. I have always liked this style of track and mandeville's voice is nicely suited for this. I really dig Wright's bass work on this track and well articulated guitar work from Maruyama is tops. Baker, Campbell, Landessberg and Gand really get this track swinging! Tic Tok has more of a Rock/R&B feel with strong horn backing and nice B3 work from Gand. Why Would A Woman Sing The Blues is a high stepping track with a super nice groove. Mandeville takes one of the most aggressive, raw guitar solos on the release immediately elevating it to one of my favorites. Smart Women Foolish Choices again features a vocal duet with Charlie Love and Mandeville. A slick modern shuffle, features really nice bass work again from Wright and a cool trumpet solo from Wade Baker. (Life Is Like A) Wave takes standard 12 bar format and features Dizzy Bolinski on harp. Mandeville steps up with a little blues swagger of her own on guitar in tandem with Bolinski for a simple conclusion to a very cool release.

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Blue Kitty Music artist: Liz Mandeville - Clarksdale - New Release review

I have been listening to the new recording, Clarksdale, by Liz Mandeville. Stylistically strong, blues singer Mandeville has assembled a star studded group of players here including Willie "Big Eyes" Smith and Nick Moss to play a mixture of swing/boogie, ballads, roots and blues tracks. The recording starts off with Roadside Produce Stand, a swingin boogie with Big Eyes featured on harp. No Fear/Everything is an a capella spiritual style song showing the breadth of Mandeville's singing style. Donna Herula add some sensitive slide work to the ballad A Soldier's Wife. Leandro Lopez-Varady contributes some really interesting piano riffs to Clarksdale/Riverside Hotel Blues. The recording is wrapped up with the strongest composition, more of a country style foot stomper called My Mama Wears (Combat Boots) which should receive strong airplay. Mandeville is a sassy singer with strong conviction and will certainly attract a strong following of listeners looking for female vocal oriented blues styled music.
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