Jose Ramirez - Here I Come - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Here I Come, from Jose Ramirez, and it's a very cool, R&B flavored, contemporary blues release. Opening with title track, Here I Come, Jose Ramirez leads on vocal and guitar, backed by Jim Pugh on piano, Wes Starr on drums and Nate Rowe on bass. Showing his first solo, he's low slung and with plenty of Texas feel...think Jimmie Vaughan or Anson Funderburgh styling. Very nice. Slow blues, I Miss You Baby sounds like it's right out of the T Bone Walker songbook and with solid vocals by Ramirez and the backing of  Texas Horns (Mark ‘Kaz’ Kazanoff, John Mills and Al Gomez) this track is rich. Listen to Ramirez make that guitar sing... nice. Anson Funderburgh actually shows up on Gasoline and Matches and lays in some stinging riffs over the Horns, a funk bass line by Rowe. Very nice. Goodbye Letter is a real nice slower blues with some of Ramirez's best vocals on the release and excellent rolling piano work by Pugh. Sit back and let him stroke the strings... solid phrasing and great tone. Combining the guitar loping riff of SRV and the warm organ work of Pugh, Three Years has a real soothing blues feel and gives Funderburgh and Ramirez plenty of space to work. Very nice. Super soulful, As You Can See, is one of my absolute favorites on the release with strong lead vocals by Ramirez, and plenty of fat horn work. Ramirez holds back on his guitar until the tail of the track but it's a perfect short of heat at just the right moment. Excellent! Wrapping the release is strong shuffle, Stop Teasing Me, with cool organ work by Pugh under Ramirez's solid vocals. His lead guitar lines and the tight drum work is a perfect balance and with continued pressure from Pugh on his Hammond, this track is a stong closer for a really strong release. 

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Whitney Shay - Stand Up! - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Stand Up!, from Whitney Shay and its got a cool R&B vibe. Opening with funky title track, Stand Up! ... Whitney on lead vocal and strong drumming by Brannon Temple. This track has got it going. With solo guitar work by favorite Laura Chavez and a full horn compliment of Kaz Kazanoff on tenor sax, John Mills on bari and Al Gomez on trumpet and with Chris Maresh on bass and Red Young on keys, this is a strong opener. Equal Ground is a slower, lumbering blues style track with a lot of swagger. Slide work by Derek O'Brien and the rich vocals of Shay gives this track just the right sound. Radio ballad, I Thought We Were Through has a strong melody and soulful vocals by Shay and a cool sax solo by Kaz makes this an ideal radio track. A duet vocal with Guy Forsyth on funky, Far Apart (Still Close) a solid fluid guitar solo by Chavez and a strong bass line by Maresh makes this track one of my favorites on the release. Boy, Sit Down has a snappy, beat with a sizzling drum rhythm. Shay's sassy vocals, cool resonator work by Forsyth, real nice trumpet work by Gomez and keys by Marcia Ball is another of my favorites on the release. Falling back into a nice soul track, I Never Meant to Love Him, is a great showcase for Shay's voice and one of the stellar tracks on the release. Really nice! Wrapping the release is Change with the Times, a rolling R&B track with a full horn compliment. Mills has a throaty sax solo giving the track a nice jolt and backing vocals by Alice Sadler, Whitney Shay and Kaz give the track smooth out the edges before a pumped up finale. Very cool release. 

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Severn Records artists: The Texas Horns - Get Here Quick - New Relese Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Get Here Quick, by The Texas Horns and it's smokin'! Opening with Guitar Town, a real Texas style blues, cooked up with  Anson Funderburgh and Johnny Moeller on guitars and Gary Forsyth on lead vocals. Kaz Kazanoff on tenor, John Mills on bari and Al Gomez on trumpet and this track is hot. With a bit of New Orleans flavor, Instrumental, Feelin' No Pain is all horns to the floor with excellent piano work by Red Young, bass by Russell Jackson and Tommy Taylor on drums. Mills lays out and excellent sax solo and Moeller shows why he is regarded as one of the top bluesmen in Texas today. Title track, Better Get Here Quick is another instrumental with rich tandem sax lead and excellent guitar accents by Moeller. Gomez steps up with some crisp lead work of his own and Youngs takes a nice few bars of his own. Very cool. An excellent New Orleans style instrumental, 2018, has a super march style snare lead by John Bryant with Chris Maresh on bass and again featuring excellent work by Moeller and Connolly. Gomez's trumpet is bright and punchy. Very nice. Curtis Salgado is up front on lead vocals on Sundown Talkin'. His vocals are always soulful and stellar and this track is no exception, being clearly the radio track on the release. The horns flex their muscle through out and excellent accents by Moeller give the track a great presence. Instrumental, Funky Ape really gives Kaz, Al and John a chance to play and they push you back in your seat. Excellent! Wrapping the release is Truckload of Trouble, a springy, instrumental with a solid horn melody and with a cool muted trumpet interlude by Gomez, and a sweet sax lead by Kaz as well. Ronnie Earl is featured on lead guitar adding a bluesy component to an otherwise driving horn composition. This is a real cool outing for the Texas Horns. Enjoy! 

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Ruf Records artist: Ina Forsman - Been Meaning To Tell You - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Been Meaning To Tell You, from Ina Forsman and it's really strong. Opening with power ballad Be My Home, Forsman presents her vulnerable sounding vocal style over organ and piano by Red Young and gospel like backing vocals by Mark Kazanoff and Alice Spencer. Very nice. On Get Mine, blending hip hop vocal delivery and funky wah wah guitar by the notorious Laura Chavez, joined by Brannen Temple on guitar and Chris Maresh on bass really kicks this release into gear. Stepping high on Genius, Forsman moves further into a R&B groove with an excellent bass line and the Texas Horns (Mark Kazanoff - sax,  John Mills bari sax, Al Gomez - trumpet, Randy Zimmerman - trombone) with yet more sassy guitar style by Chavez. An interesting track, Why You Gotta be That Way has strong lines in neo soul with flavors of one my favorites, Eryka Badu. The band glistens on piano and tight bass and drum lines makes this fusion track one of my favorites. Blues ballad, Miss Mistreated really showcases Forsman's voice and it's rich strength with solid emotion. Also playing right into Chavez's had, Laura grabs the track by the short hairs accenting Forsman's vocal emotion with excellent guitar punctuation. Latin flavored Every Single Beat gets a strong latin rhythm going and you start to wonder if Forsman can do about anything. The Texas Horns are jolly on the spot with just that right tough of punch and Temple's drums and percussion is perfect. Wrapping the release is Sunny showing Forsman alone, acapella and powerful. Nice closer. Who wouldn't be proud of this release. 

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VizzTone Label Group artist: Jonn Del Toro Richardson - Tengo Blues - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Tengo Blues, from Jonn Del Toro Richardson and it's great! Opening with Behind The Curtain, a high stepping R&B style track with the Texas Horns blazing you know that you're in for something special. Richardson sings behind the beat which I really like and his sense for blues phrasing is very strong. Like Willie Dixon's Wang Dang Doodle, I'm Her Man has a super groove reinforced by the tight bass lines of Nathan Rowe and drums by Wes Starr. I really like Richardson's guitar expressions with trem bends and frequent short guitar riffs as accents. Excellent! Texas shuffle, Love If You Want It has a real grinding lope, and shows a nice interplay between Nick Connoly on piano and Richardson on guitar. Triple Lindig is an excellent instrumental shuffle with an easy jazz overtone but with great blues lines. Richardson leads the way with solid riffs, followed by Connoly on organ and Kaz on sax. Excellent! The Moment is a terrific Lantin salsa inspired piece with Al Gomez hitting the trumpet hard giving it a lot of authenticity. This track has spicy percussion and a lot of life. Excellent! Can't Run From Love has a radio sense with the instrumentation peeled back featuring Richardson on lead vocal. Punched up by the Horns, and with lively drums by Starr, and featuring a cool bluesy guitar solo by Richardson this track has pure radio power. Get Me Back To Texas has a real country 2 step rhythm and simple solid foundation. Richardson is joined on this track by super guitar man Anson Funderburgh who adds his clean style and articulation. Soul ballad, This I Know, features really nice vocal work from Richardson and along with nicely enveloping organ work, melodic blues soloing by Richardson making this one of the top candidates for blues guitar lovers on the release. Excellent! Tall Pretty Baby is an super shuffle that is bound to make you jump in your seat and joined again by Funderburgh and backed by The Horns makes this one of my favorites on the release. Here She Comes, another richly R&B style track on blues. Feeling a lot like Mary Had A Little Lamb or Mustang Sally, Richardson picks his spots carefully for poker hot accuracy. Wild Ride is a country fused blues track with a driving bass line and hot piano by Connoly. With non stop guitar riffs and driving rhythm...it is a Wild Ride! Funky blues, Tell Me Do You Love Me, is a great track with hot horn underpinnings. Gomez's trumpet work and Starr's drum work are particularly evident in the overall feel developed under the stylized guitar riffs by Richardson. Very nice! Wrapping the release is title track, Tengo Blues, a really hot Latin style track with Spanish influenced guitar riffs, jazz riffs and and really tight percussion cushioned on a bed of organ. This is an excellent closer for an excellent release. I do suggest that you check it out...now!!

 

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VizzTone Label Group artists: The Texas Horns - Blues Gotta Holda Me - New Release review

I just received the newest release (May 19, 2015), Blues Gotta Holda Me, from the Texas Horns and it's a hot one! Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff, John Mills and Al Gomez kick out the windows on opener track Soul Strut, a cool shuffle just pumped with fat sax work and trumpet highlights. An instrumental track, this one has a great groove and despite the press, features really cool guitar work from guitar wizard Anson Funderburgh. Next up is Go On Fool with it's New Orleans strut. Marcia Ball leads the way on piano and vocal. Thirties track, You're Driving Me Crazy, features Kaz on vocals and huge swing style horn solos from Kaz, Al and John. Nick Connolly on piano and Roscoe Beck on bass round out the band. They ain't playing around! Straight up, horns in your face rock on Kick Me Again features a great thick bari solo from Mills as well as Derek O'Brien with a ripping guitar solo and Danny Levin on piano. W.C. Clark takes front and center vocals on shuffle track, Cold Blooded Lover. Rich horn work envelopes this track but O'Brien on guitar and Kaz on harp do rips some really nice solos as well. Percy Mayfield's Lost Mind lays back in the groove featuring Kaz on vocals. Kaz lays out a real sweet tenor solo and Gomez works the mute really nicely on his trumpet with a sassy solo of his own. Earl King's Sing, Sing, Sing again visits the New Orleans flavor and this time with more of a Dixieland approach. Barry "Frosty" Smith's drumming on this track really gives it the extra punch. Kaz lays down a nice tenor solo and Connolly rolls the piano down the road like he owns it. Hot charger Rippin' and Trippin' is a horn mans delight. These guys really do rip it on this track with a featured solo by Kaz on tenor backed by Danny Levin on piano and Ronnie James on bass. Title track, Blues Gotta Holda Me is a real rock and roller with Kaz on vocal leading the way chased by the entire horn section. Johnny Nicholas hammers out a great piano solo and Gomez and Kaz each rip great lines of their own. Curtis Mayfield's People Get Ready shows a healthy blend of horn work with Mills on bari, Gomez on trumpet, and Kaz on tenor all taking sweet solos. Roscoe's bass solo is a particularly pleasant surprise as well. Fleecie Moore's Caldonia plays right into the hands of a band with this kind of horsepower. Kaz takes the vocal lead with strong piano backing from Connolly. Gomez on trumpet, Mills on Bari and kaz on tenor all take righteous solos making this one of the hottest tracks on the release. Breaking back to some southern soul, Home Cooking sounds just like the title. You can smell it on the stove simmering. The horns balanced nicely against Connolly on B3 this track grooves. Kaz steps up with a tenor solo followed by Gomez on trumpet and Mills on tenor. Smokin'! Wrapping the release is beach blanket rocking Spanky's Twist. These guys drive it home on this track with a great solo from Connolly on B3, Kaz on tenor, O'Brien on guitar, Miulls on bari and Gomez on trumpet. Excellent conclusion to a horn soaked extravaganza!

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Sorry , could not find an appropriate video. here's Kaz.

Why is Love So Hard to Find - Marcia Ball w/Lou Ann Barton featurning Mark KAZANOFF

Saxophonist Mark ‘Kaz’ Kazanoff is well known to blues, rhythm and blues, and jazz fans around the world. Kaz has contributed horn arrangements, saxophone and harmonica solos, and original songs to more than 130 record albums over the last 25 years, as well as producing many CD’s, but he still thinks of himself as a live musician! Albums Kaz has played on and produced have been nominated for and won Grammy and W.C. Handy Awards. For the last five years, as a tribute to the high quality of his live and studio performances, Kaz himself has been nominated each year for a W. C. Handy award in the Blues Performance Instrumental Categories. Delbert McClinton’s excellent CD “Live From Austin” featured Kaz’ sax work, and won a Grammy as Best Blues Album. Kaz co-produced, performed on, and arranged W.C. Clark’s acclaimed “Texas Soul” CD, which won the W.C. Handy award in 1997 as Best Soul/Blues album. Other recent production credits include Marcia Ball (“Let Me Play With Your Poodle” for Rounder Records), Pat Boyack (“Super Blue and Funky” for Rounder Records), Bob Margolin (“Hold Me To It” for Blind Pig Records), and Long John Hunter. Kaz played on and arranged the horns for “The Lone Star Shootout” Alligator CD (1999), featuring Lonnie Brooks, Philip Walker, and Long John Hunter. The movie “The Client” featured Kaz’ song, “She Said” (from The Tri-Sax-Ual Soul Champs Blacktop CD). Other songs of his have been used in TV shows such as “The Big Easy”, and international TV commercials (American Express). Kaz can be seen and heard on music TV shows such as Austin City Limits, Bravo ‘Up Close and Personal’, and Lonesome Pines Special, performing with artists like Marcia Ball, Irma Thomas, Tracy Nelson, Angela Strehli, Albert Collins, Colin James, and Delbert McClinton. Kaz has performed often at major international music festivals such as the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage, North Sea Jazz, and Monterey Jazz Festivals, Chicago Blues Festival, Ottawa Blues Festival, and San Francisco Blues Festival. “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson 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”