Gulf Coast Records artist: Lara Price - Half & Half - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Half & Half, from Lara Price and it's got the spunk of a "real" classic blues rocker from the early 70's. Opening with We're Still Friends, a bluesy rocker, Lara Price, leads with her gutsy vocal style with Randy Hayes and Kid Andersen on drums, Endre Tarczy on bass, Baxter Robertson on keys, Sue McCracklin, Maureen Smith, and Lisa Leuschner on backing vocals and Mike Zito and Might Mike Schermer whipping out some sweet guitar interplay. Solid opener. Funky, Things Ain't Everything, has a terrific bottom, courtesy of Clint Simmons on drums and Nick Jay on bass. Price slips into a great vocal slot on this one and David Jimenez and Chris Tondre add tight guitar riffs, with Trevor Nealon on keys and McCracklin, Smith and Leuschner on backing vocals. This will get you moving. Solitude is a vocal showcase for Price singing an Ellington song, paired with Matt Burger on guitar. Very nice. Wrapping the release is spunky rocker, Heart On A String, with  Randy Hayes driving the beat on drums. Price really has that Memphis sound on vocal, Tarczy reinforces the bottom on bass and Robertson adds great key rhythm. Schermer on guitar lays nicely in the groove and McCracklin, Smith and Leuschner blend nicely with Price adding a solid richness. Airplay choice and smooth closer for this release. 

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Little Village Foundation artist: Mighty Mike Schermer - Just Gettin' Good - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Just Gettin' Good, by Mighty Mike Schermer, and I really like it. Opening with title track, Just Gettin' Good, this release is off to a hot start. With Mighty Mike and Ms. Kimmy Pickens on lead vocal and the stinging guitar work of Mike out front, this track struts. With the fat bari sax work of Aaron Lington, and joined by Dmar on drums, Steve Ehrmann on bass, Tony Snead on organ, Eric Spaulding on tenor, Jeff Lewis on trumpet and Mike Rinta on trombone, this track is smokin'. On slow, soulful This Is Where My Love Is, Schermer sings a solid ballad and keeps the instrumentation to a minimum with Paul Revelli on drums, Steve Ehrmann on bass and Austin DeLone on organ.  On island track, The Hungry Dog, Schermer gets a calypso rhythm and the guys really get into the swing. June Core on drums, Kid Andersen on bass and vocal, Chris Burns on piano, Kimmy on percussion and Wally Pickins on vocal, this track is a lot of fun. Funky blues, Tired of Travellin', is one of my favorite tracks on the release. With Mike throwing down some great riffs, with Revelli on drums, Ehrmann on bass, Tony Snead on organ, Andersen on rhythm guitar and heavy horns by Jack Sanford on sax and John Halbleib on trumpet. Super. Another blues track with a funky bottom is Cook Up A Little Love. With Kimmy and Mike trading off lead vocal, Ehrmann on bass, Tony Snead on keys and D'mar on drums this track and Mikes grip on the guitar, another cool track. Rocker, Kimmy Kimmy Gimmee Gimmee has a early rocking feel with a lot of spunk. Wrapping the release is ska track, It's Not Me, It's You. With Revelli on drums, Ehrmann on bass, Austin DeLone on organ, Andersen on acoustic guitar, John Nemeth on vocal, Uncle Bernie on sax, Mike Kobin on trumpet and James Cody Arnholt on trombone, and with Mike taking a stylized guitar solo this is a fun party closer. 

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VizzTone Label Group artist: Mighty Mike Schermer - Bad Tattoo - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Bad Tattoo, from Mighty Mike Schermer, and I really like it. Opening with She Won't Be Coming Back, a cool Latin rhythm rocker features Mighty Mike on vocal and guitar and in particular Eric Bernhardt on bari sax. Nancy Wright slaps down a really nice tenor sax solo of her own and with Paul Revelli on drums, Steve Ehrmann on bass and Austin Delone, this is an excellent opener. Slipping into a really nice R&B groove on Lover's Hall Of Fame, Schermer shows his outright style on vocal and guitar backed by D'mar on drums, Kid Andersen on bass and organ and Dennis Love on congas and vocal. Shifting gears again on How Much Longer, Schermer gets on a country track with a really nice Cajun spice. With Revelli on drums, Ehrmann on bass, Delone on piano/Farfissa and Lisa Lueschner Andersen on backing vocals this track has great radio flavor and sets up explosive guitar riffs by Schermer. Title track, Bad Tattoo has a great loping swing and a solid, funny, story. With horn warmth and slick riffs by Schermer, this is definitely one of my favorites on the release. Tex Mex track, Hey Francine, is another of my favorites with tight drum rhythms, a cool guitar riff and nice lead and backing vocals by Schermer and Andersen. Excellent! Baby Down The Well is another track of specific note with Aki Kumar on harp, a slapping drum beat and a solid vocal delivery by Schermer, not to mention his hot slide work. Very cool. Make sure you check out Suffocating Love, in Johnny Guitar Watson style. Yeah, I'm talking that funky R&B blues, with a real back beat. Schermer doesn't mimic Watson's guitar style but plays twin leads and alternating solos with Chris Cain. Very very cool! Wrapping the release is Up All Night with a bright, Clapton/Cale style. Delone takes a nice piano solo, Schermer flashes his cards a few times and harmonizes with Andersen but holds back on an explosive ending. This is a nice track keeping you wanting more. This may not be the flashiest releases you will hear all year, but it may be one of the most solid end to end. Very nice work!

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LMP/VizzTone Label Group artist:Lara Price - I Mean Business - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, I Mean Business from Lara Price and it's got spunk. Opening with R&B track, Get It When I Want It, Price leads the way on vocal backed by Derrick Martin on drums, Steve Evans on bass, Kid Andersen on guitar, Micheal Peloquin on sax, Micheal Rinta on trombone, Mike Rose on trumpet, Sue McCracklin and Maureen Smith on backing vocals. With it's Motown overtones, this track is cool! With a bit more of a Memphis sound, Cryin' Over You has a smooth, soul sound. With warm horn backing, Smith and McCracklin on backing vocal and with Mighty Mike Schermer on lead guitar, this track has strong commercial potential. With a Latin rhythm, traces of Procol Harem and a thick thread to Bond themes, Undone dances along nicely. Schermer rips a clean guitar solo punched up by the horn section and the driving bass work of Evans. Moon In The Mirror has super balance and may be my favorite track on the release. Price's vocals are creamy smooth with an almost Smokey Robinson feel. Excellent! Crazy Lucy is a sassy 2 stepper with tight instrumental backing and warm backing vocals. With a catchy melody, another solid radio track. Happy Blue Year slows things way down setting up a track with real sway. Price's lead vocals on this track are clear and seem to float on the bed of keys and backing vocals. Schermer's funky guitar work on this track has real sting and authority. Very smooth! High steppin', Slipped Tripped Fell In Love, struts in with attitude and punch. Funky, Pack It Up is a heavy footed, stomper with cocky horn work. On top of Price's solid vocals, lead guitar work on this track by Laura Chavez is mighty fine with some explosive riffs. Very nice! Smooth and slinky, Time, has the musical sensitivity of I'd Rather Go Blind, but with a more contemporary rhythm and drum riffs. I really like Chavez's guitar soloing on this track and really it rips. On title track, I Mean Business, the band gets a revival kind of tent raising feel with clean guitar riffs. Very cool! One Tear At A Time has a solid strut reinforced by stinging guitar riffs by Mr.Chris Cain and tight horn work. Super! Wrapping the release is Love Lost, a soulful ballad with a nice melody and nicely placed guitar riffs by Kid Andersen. A nice conclusion to a solid release.

 

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Finedog Records artist: Mighty Mike Schermer - Blues In Good Hands - New Release review

I just received the newest release, Blues In Good Hands, by Mighty Mike Schermer and I really like it! Opening with R&B track, Baby Don't Stop featuring Mighty Mike on lead vocal and guitar, Paul Revelli on drums, Steve Ehrmann on bass, Tony Stead or organ, Austin Delone on piano, Terry Hanck on sax, and backing vocals by Shelley King and Carolyn Wonderland. Hanck steps up with a clean solo and Mighty Mike throws down a nice riff or so himself but I gotta mention that I really like Delone's piano work on this track. Great radio track with a cool melody and a good hook. With a funky beat, Heaven's On The Other Side struts in and Ehrmann's bass really sets the pace. Mike rips really tasty blues guitar lines over a warm organ line by Stead. With a laid back Philly kind of sound, It's A Pleasure, really hits a solid. It's catchy melody, even pace and warm overall feel, with Delone on electric piano and nice jazz style guitar work from Schermer makes this a radio success story. Reggae track, One Tear At A Time, has a really nice Jimmy Cliff kind of feel with Keith McArthur on bass and spot on guitar riffs from Schermer and perfect vocal blending between Schermer and Randle. Very nice! Pop jazz track, World Gone Crazy has a nice Steeley Dan feel with some of Schermer's best vocals on the release. Nancy Wright hits the sax on this number adding warmth and texture and Schermer's own guitar riffs at the bottom of the fret board are really nice! The writing on this release is really quite good with traces to many of the great song writers of the 70's to now. Blues In Good Hands has a real Becker/Fagen compositional style (Any Major Dude Will Tell You) but based around a different style. It is quite interesting and successful with Hanck on sax and King and Wonderland adding smooth backing vocals. Shuffle track, Wait-On-Me Woman, is more Dylanesque with a definite blues feel. Greg Izor's contributions on harp and Damien Llanes on drums give it it's looser style. Nice! New Orleans style Most People has just a twist of Chuck Berry (Almost Grown) and Schermer's vocals paired with Delone's piano deliver the goods. A plucky guitar solo from Schermer and breaks the basic 2 step pace but compliments the track nicely. Boogie Woogie track, Barkin' Up The Wrong Tree, features Marcia Ball, the perfect piano player for this track. With it's country blues feel and casual vocal delivery, Elvin Bishop would be proud. Schermer takes and excellent guitar solo followed by Ball. One of my favorites on the release. Latin style, Take Me By The Hand, lets Llanes loose on drums, complimented by Izor on harp. Schermer has a rockin good time on vocal and guitar and Johnny Bradley's bass line is perfect. Tommy Castro joins on Stop Cryin' the hottest blues track on the release. With only simple bass and drums complimenting the vocal, Castro (on left) and Schermer really tear this one up. Excellent!! R&B track Baby Be Kind, is another track that really lends itself to cross radio play. John Nemeth trades harp riffs with Schermer on guitar giving the track nice balance. Wrapping the release is Hear You Calling Him Baby, has a strong dose of New Orleans and a spunky guitar solo from Schermer over the stylized piano work of Stead. Excellent closer! I definitely recommend that you check this one out!

   

  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”