I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, My Brother's Blues, from Benny Turner and it's great! Benny pay homage to his big brother and best friend, Freddie King and does it with style. Opening with Big Legged Woman, Benny is on lead vocal and bass, showing excellent vocal style and tone. A punchy horn section featuring Barney Floyd on trumpet and Jason Mingledorff on sax really sets the track off and the solid foot pedal of Jeffrey "Jellybean" Alexander and the riding organ work of Keiko Komaki plays nicely with rhythm guitar fills by Derwin "Big D" Perkins and lead guitar runs by June Yamagagishi. Excellent! Have You Ever Loved A Woman is a definite highlight on this release with soulful vocals by Turner, backed by Earl Smith and suppressed but critical horn work and organ by Davell Crawford, and Jack Miele plays some real tasty guitar lead to ice the cake. Swinging I'm Tore Down features Otis Clay, Turner and Marva Wright on lead vocals and it's a powerful threesome. June Yamagishi has lead guitar on this one and with Freddie King like flavor, the track rocks. Another of my favorites on the release is You've Got To Love Her With A Feeling when Turner's vocals are particularly strong and Floyd and Mingledorff are so tight it hurts. Joe Krown's piano and organ work is super and Yamagishi is pure in the slot. Mingledorff really shines on sax on See See Baby, a cool laid back boogie. Carolyn Wonderland sits in on Mojo Boogie with some great slide guitar and Krown's piano work is stellar. On Wee Baby Blues, a low slung blues Wonderland and Kathy Murray join Turner for the richest vocals on the release. Turner has lead guitar on this one and solo lap steel is handled by Roosevelt Collier. Very nice! BB King's Ghetto Woman is another super track with super bluesy guitar lead by Yamagishi and super horn reinforcement by Floyd and Mingledorff. Again, Turner's lead vocals are strong and undeniable. Wrapping the release is a powerful rendition of Don Nix's Same Old Blues. Turner is at his most soulful backed by the gospel like piano styling of Chizuko Yoshihiro. Tracy Griffin on trumpet and Greg Dawson on sax add real fullness and Yamagishi's lead guitar work is inspired on this super closer for a strong release. Very cool!
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