Booga Music artist: Patti Parks - Whole Nother World - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (May 28, 2021), Whole Nother World, from Patti Parks,  and it's a mix of blues, soul, funk and gospel. Opening with shuffle, I'm Trouble, Patti Parks sets a swing pace on lead vocal with Kenny Neal on lead guitar, Carlton Ross on rhythm guitar, Arlando O'Connor on bass, Fredrick Neal on keys, Michael Harris on drums Brandon Adams on organ, Guy Nirelli on organ and with some hot sax from Jason Parfait. On slower blues, More Than You'll Ever Know showcases Neal's soulful guitar lead working nicely with warm organ overtones by Adams surrounding some of Parks' best vocals on the release. A softer yet effective take on James Brown's It's A Man's Man's Man's World, Parks delivers on vocals, with strong support from Neal, O'Connor, and Harris. Neal shares the mic on straight up blues track, Baby Bee playing harmonica and guitar with little other backing. Pure blues... very nice. One of my favorite tracks on the release is soulful gospel influenced Don't Play Me Cheap with Adams on organ and Parfait on sax. Wrapping the release is No Means No with a funky, high strutting attitude and cool guitar riffs by Neal, backed by Adams, Nirelli, O'Conner and Harris. Solid closer. 

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Nurs'n Blues Music Fest Benefits Music Therapy Program

NURS'N BLUES MUSIC FEST BENEFITS MUSIC THERAPY PROGRAM; PRESENTED BY BUFFALO MUSICIAN AND NURSE, PATTI PARKS; GRAMMY-NOMINATED KENNY NEAL HEADLINES STRONG LINEUP   Saturday, May 25 - THE COVE  - 3PM to 10PM

Patti Parks, creator of the Music Therapy program, is also a member of the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame.    (Depew, NY) - The Nurs'n Blues Music Fest takes place at The Cove, 4701 Transit Rd., Saturday, May 25. Showtime: 3pm to 10pm. Tickets: $20. Donation in advance, $25. at the Door. Info: (716) 870-3600 or visit https://www.musicisart.org. Proceeds benefit Nurs'n Blues Therapy Program, that uses Blues Music Therapy for those struggling with chemical dependency. Presented as a non-profit collaborative by the Blues Society of Western New York and Music Is Art.    Nurs'n Blues Music Fest features two stages with continuous music all day long, headlined by Grammy nominee, blues guitar great, Kenny Neal. Also performing: Robert "Freightrain" Parker; Jeremy Keyes Band; Grace Stumberg and Grace Lougen; Hanna PK; 12 Pack Jack McArdle; Sheila Connors; and the Patti Parks Band (Parks, from Buffalo and a member of the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame, is the creator of the Nurs'n Blues Music Fest).    Now in its fourth year, the program has served over one-thousand clients and families. Each week, a Board-Certified Music Therapist creates a plan of care that includes music interventions. During these sessions the therapist makes a correlation examining influences of Blues American History, lyrics or particular music format or rhythm which help insight feelings or touch upon thoughts opening critical pathways to the brain. This past March, the Music Therapy Program visited Kids Escaping Drugs and Horizon Village, both located in the Buffalo area, where they've been providing sessions every week for the last three years. At a 2018 press conference, Music Is Art founder, Goo Goo Dolls' bassist Robby Takac, formally endorsed the Music Therapy program.      "The Blues was chosen as a beautiful art form and positive affect on improving communication," explains Parks, who felt helpless as her own son was affected by struggles with chemical dependency. "The Blues genre was a perfect means of communicating deep-rooted feelings and mirrored Blues American history, while serving as a positive influence on those struggling with chemical dependency and their families," Parks adds.  "Over one-thousand people within three years from ages thirteen to adult have been helped. We currently provide services at Kids Escaping Drugs and Horizon Village in Sanborn, (New York). We have also expanded services to colleges, and see a need in other community settings."    In 2016, Parks was invited by the Blues Foundation to speak at their "Blues As Healer" symposium in Memphis about her Music Therapy program along with famed guitarist Walter Trout, Dr. Marie Trout, blues journalist Don Wilcock and the aforementioned Neal, whose performance this year was donated by a family whose child was affected in a positive way from the program. At the symposium, Parks shared dramatic stories illustrating how the Blues has helped young people, veterans, and performers in their road to recovery.          Patti Parks Interviews/Music Therapy Promotional Materials Available.                                              www.musicisart.org                                 www.facebook.com/MusicIsArtOrg

Swing Suit Records artist: Mick Kolassa - Double Standards - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Double Standards, from Mick Kolassa and it's packed full of stars and blues standards. Opening with Willie Dixon's 600 Pounds of Heavenly Joy, Kolassa is joined by Sugaray Rayford on vocal with solid Latin rhythm by James Cunningham on drums. With Kolassa on guitar and vocal, Bill Ruffino on bass, Chis Stephenson on organ, and Colin John on guitar, very solid opener. Heather Crosse joins on lead vocal for another Dixon hit, I Just Want To Make Love To You. With her sultry vocals and Eric Hughes on harp, this is a real cool track. With it's jazzy club feel, Annika Chambers really shows on Fever. Her vocals are rich and deep caressed in a warm bed of Jensen's guitar tone. Alice Hasan's violin contributions to Tas Cru and Kolassa's rework of Jimmie Cox's Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out is really nice. Another particularly warm spot is Erica Brown's vocal lead on Dixon's Spoonful. Jensen lays down a real nice guitar section on this track as well. Another Latin influenced track, Early In The Morning, features David Dunavent on guitar. Stylistic and cool. The most guitar intensive track, Outside Woman Blues really gives Jeff Jensen the opportunity to show off on guitar and he does a real nice job. Wrapping the release is Ain't Nobody's Business featuring excellent vocals by Chambers, Gracie Curran, Erica Brown and Jeff Jensen. This is a super closer for a real solid release benefitting the Blues Foundation's HART Fund and Generation Blues programs.

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Patti Parks - Cheat'n Man - New release Review

I just received the most recent release, Cheat'n Man from Patti Parks. Parks is a dynamic singer with a tight band. Opening with Baby Don't You Know a swing tune, with healthy hor work from Gerry Youngman (trumpet), Nick Salamone (tenor sax), Bob Miers (trombone) and Paul Vanacore (bari sax). On slower paced ballad, Happy You're Mine, Salamone again steps up with to fluid sax runs. On boogie track, Back Off, Sam Guarino, Carol Jean Swist and Pete Holguin add cool backing vocals and Charles Buffamonte lays down a nice guitar solo. Carol Jean Swist adds a nice bed of piano and Mike Phelps keeps the botton particularly tight on drums. It Ain't Right is a slower Texas style blues with some of the hottest guitar work on the release. Buffamonte really rips it up on this track... take note. MaMa is a simple ballad featuring primarily Parks vocals with clean piano work from Ken Kauffman and Roman Mckinulov on cello. Title track Cheat'n Man is a sassy bluesy number featuring Boby Serette on tenor sax. Nick Veltri carries the bottom on this track (bass) and Guy Nirelli on organ offers strong support when Buffamonte cuts loose on guitar. On Everyday Veltri adds a cool walking bass line tight with Holguin on drums. Swist lays out some nice piano riffs opposite Nirelli on organ and Buffamonte is again on top of his game with the guitar. What I Had To Be has a chugging R&B sound with a lot of pushing horns. Gary Mallaber takes the drums on this track and Jimmy Ehinger handles the piano nicely. John Riggi steps up with a few slick riffs of his own on this track on guitar. Wrapping the release is Whatcha Gonna Do has a real strut with a show tune kind of feel. Youngman, Salamone, Vanacore and Miers set a warm backing on horns and Salamone takes a particularly hot tenor solo.

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