Suzie Vinnick - Fall Back Home - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Fall Back Home, by Suzie Vinnick and it has a nice groove. Opening with solid radio track, Lift You Up, with just the right country blues blend and a New Orleans like rhythm, Suzie Vinnick on lead vocal and acoustic guitar is backed by Davide Di Renzo on drums, Alec Fraser on bass, Colin Linden with some signature electric guitar riffs, Jesse O,Brien on organ and Samantha Martin and Delta Sugar on backing vocals. With a stronger country overtone and real nice guitar work by Linden, Salt & Pepper has a strong melody and Vinnick shines on lead vocal. I really like ballad, City & Skies with it's simple melody, straightforward vocals and nicely crafted steel guitar work by Steve Dawson. Another real nice ballad, Let Me Make It Up To You Tonight, is a bluesy ballad with jazz overtones, but retaining it's simple, country based theme, with excellent vocals by Vinnick, tasty harmonica soloing by Carlos Del Junco and inciteful guitar work by Kevin Breit. Wrapping the release is tex/mex flavored, Hurt By Luck with a tight drum beat by Di Renzo, and melodic accordion work by Mark Lalama. Working with Vinnick upfront on vocal is Breit who also plays guitar and Gwen Swick. With nice undertones by Danny Greenspoon on pedal steel, this is a real nice closer. 

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Rick Fines - Solar Powered Too - New Release Review

 

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Solar Powered Too, from Rick Fines, and it's a soft blend of blues, tropical and folk music. Opening with Below The Surface, a smooth acoustic ballad, Rick Fines accompanies him vocal on Cuban Tres and Baritone Guitar. With it's solid melody and accomplished vocal and guitar work, this is a fine opener. With traditional blues guitar riffs and slide by Fine and Roly Platt laying in some really nice harmonica, Worry be The Death of Me is one of my favorite tracks on the release. Country style blues, Laundry On The Line, is nicely executed by Fines with tight finger patterns and warm vocals. Another of my favorite tracks on the release is Tex Mex styled, That's What Makes You Strong with Melissa Payne joining on vocal, Alec Fraser on bass, Gary Craig on drums, and Jimmy Bowskill on Mandolin. Very nice.  Slow, country style ballad, One Lone Loon has a beautiful melody and with singing pedal steel guitar by Bowskill, paired with Fines on guitar and vocal makes for a very nice track. Fines' resonator slide work on upbeat Never Let Go, really adds great texture to this radio style track. Wrapping the release is acoustic blues, Scared To Dance with it's prominent finger picking and solid vocals by Fines. This is a solid effort and enjoyably fast. 

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On The Fly Music artist: Lee Palmer - Like Elway - New Release Review

I just received the newest release (May 12, 2015), Like Elway, from Lee Palmer and there's a lot of airplay coming. Opening with Rockin' This Chair, a bluesy, country kind of thing with a pinch of New Orleans, Palmer on vocal has enlisted Lance Anderson on accordion and Elmer Ferrer who screams a pretty good electric guitar solo to make this a fun opener. On pop country ballad, Life's A Mess, Anderson on keys and Al Cross on drums provide most of the music not produced by Palmer on acoustic guitar and vocal. Light, breezy jazz number, Those Winter Blues, has a smooth bass line by David Woodhead and crisp runs from Anderson on piano and Ferrer on guitar. Lonely At The Top is a simple 2 stepper with a catchy melody and vocal harmonies by Mary McKay. Country flair is added by Ferrer on guitar and Cross keeps the drums tight and simple. Title track, Like Elway, has a real cool feel with a Latin beat. Palmer spins a talking tale as McKay sings a catchy chorus and Ferrer adds tasty slide guitar riffs. Possibly my favorite track on the release. With a distinct New Orleans flavor, Palmer creates the bluesiest track on the release, This Feels Like One Of Those Days. Roly Platt adds some of his rich harp work to this laid back track with backing vocals from McKay. Anderson lays down some great electric piano riffs giving the track an even more authentic feel. Very nice! Another ballad, Maybe That's Why, has the purest melody with nice vocal blending with McKay. Anderson adds a warm European flavor with accordion and Ferrer lays down one of the most beautiful Spanish style guitar solos I've heard on a contemporary release in a long time. Have A Wonderful Life is a stripped down rocker with a tension created by Joaquin Nunez and Cross on percussion and drums as well as Anderson on keys. Ferrer opens the final track, Axe to Grind, with a slick slide guitar solo. Nunez on percussion, Cross on drums and Palmer and McKay on vocals are nicely balanced by Anderson on keys and Platt on harp. A straight up rocker, this is a great closer for a solid release.

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Roly Platt - Inside Out - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Inside Out from Roly Platt and I really like it. A mixture of classic ballads, jazz, R&B and deep seeded blues this release has a lot of breadth. Opening with Joe Sample's, Put It Where You Want It, Platt that's a jazz track and replacing horn with harp it has a real nice effect. Joined by Al Cross on drums, John Tilden on guitar and Lance Anderson on keys this is a super opener. Mad River has a real nice Texas boogie style driven by Russ Boswell on bass, Platt, Tilden and Anderson each take nice solo lines. Dropped down a few clicks, Steve Strongman takes the lead vocal spot and adds guitar on Good Mind To Wander. Platt rides high with his harp on the melody of this likely commercial track. Congo Strut has a jazzy feel of course featuring the slick but gritty harp work of Platt. Anderson adds some real nice electric piano work giving the track a nice transition to a hot guitar solo from Tilden. Yes, everyone has done an interpretation of Over The Rainbow but aside from Jeff Beck, this may be one of my favorites. The purity of Platts harp work puts me in mind of Toots Thieleman although on a conventional harp. Anderson plays a very expressive and sensitive piano solo complimenting Platt's work. Excellent! Rippin' It Up is a hot rock n roller featuring Platt on vocal and harp. A genuine smoker, conjures thoughts of JL Lewis with boogie piano by Anderson but this track is burning from all corners with Neil Chapman on guitar, tight drums and harp work as well. Well done! Steve Strongman is back on Ocean Of Tears, a slow blues number. Platt really digs in deep with deep blue phrasing and Strongman's vocals are spot on. At 8 plus minutes this track is "the one" that you guitar heads are looking for. Strongman, Tilden, Platt and Anderson each take turns at the lead and Boswell and Cross keep the track tight. Hot! On Ray Charles' I Got A Woman, vocals are replaced by lead harp and Platt is certainly up to the job. He lays down fluid harp lead and Anderson pushes him along on Hammond. Chapman and Tilden each throw down hot riffs but this is Platt's show and it's well done. Another jazz classic, Georgia On My Mind is done quite straight forward with nice phrasing by Platt. On this track it's Anderson's spiritual like phrasing on keys that really propels Platts work. Very nice! Funk Shui puts me in mind of TOP but with harp instead of horns. Again Platt shows he's got what it takes to shake the bushes and Tilden steps up with yet another tasty guitar solo. Anderson takes a nice ride on the Hammond and Cross and Boswell hold the gang together. Wrapping the release is a somber ballad, Bartender's Blues,  with Jordan John on acoustic guitar and lead vocal with Platt adding just the right amount of harp to round out the release. This is a different kind of release but one that I thoroughly enjoyed reviewing.

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DUTCH MASON

DUTCHIES LAST ONTARIO GIG...WITH PAT RUSH,JOHN LEE,ROLY PLATT,JOE MACLEOD,COLONEL JESSOME AND SAB SABOURIN. Dutch Mason, CM (19 February 1938 – 23 December 2006) was a Canadian musician from Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was inducted into the Canadian Jazz and Blues Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the Order of Canada in 2005 Dutch started performing as a musician in the mid-1950s, usually playing rock and roll or rockabilly standards as well as traditional music from the Canadian maritimes. Dutch regularly played the local twin city lounge scene, notably The Wyse Owl/Eastern Billiards, The Dartmouth Inn and The Monterey in Halifax. As he began to become known as a blues artist in the sixties, he started to tour various parts of Canada. Into the 1970s and onwards, he became a very popular act and toured the country regularly, performing at the legendary Albert Hall in Toronto and the Rising Sun in Montreal. In 1998, during his 60th birthday celebration, the CBC recorded a live tribute CD that includes performances by the Nova Scotia Mass Choir, Sam Moon and Frank MacKay. In 2004, he was nominated for a Juno Award for Best Blues album[3] and in 2005 and nominated in 2005 for Best Blues album at the East Coast Music Awards. Dutch is survived by his sons Charlie Mason and Garrett Mason, who won the 2005 Juno Award for Best Blues album.

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 favorite band!