Azuretone Records artist: Ray Fuller and the Bluesrockers - Pay The Price - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Pay The Price, from Ray Fuller and the Bluesrockers and it's a lot of fun. Opening with blues rocker, Hoodoo Train, bandleader, lead vocalist and lead guitar player sets the pace with solid vocals and a steady pace. backed by Jumper Tutu on drums, Doc Malone on harmonica and Manny Manuel on bass, this is a real nice opener. Stepping up to Chuck Berry like pace on Pearlene, Fuller gets the house rocking and with clean double stops this track is rolling. Very cool. On Mojo Hand, John Lee Hooker creeps into the mix with an endless boogie. This band does know how to boogie with rhythmic guitar work, excellent vocal phrasing and overlying harmonica by Malone. Rollin' and Tumblin' is a great track with a constant drum attack by Tutu and some mighty greasy slide by Fuller. Back to the driving rock n roll feel with I Will Not Let You Go with a solid bass line by Manuel and wailing harmonica by Malone. Fuller lays it out there with his own version of Berry styling and hits the groove hard. Very nice. Another great boogie track, Hooker's My Father Is A Jockey, has great form with modified Hooker riffs. Fuller's voice is a bit more polished than hooker's but he knows how to drive a boogie and his guitar does his talking. With strong harmonica lines from Malone and a stiff beat by Manuel and Tutu this is a great track. Very cool. Wrapping the release is Tore Up, a fast paced rock and roller with quick guitar riffs and solid rhythm. Fuller's vocals are strong and his guitar work spot on. Real nice release. 

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Azuretone Records artist: Ray Fuller and the Bluesrockers - Long Black Train - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Long Black Train, from Ray Fuller and the Bluesrockers and it's a solid blues infused rockin romp. Opening with boogie, Burn Me Up, Ray Fuller on vocal and guitar leads the way with Myke Rock on bass, Darrell Jumper on drums, and Doc Malone on harp. This is an excellent opener with a lot of drive. Voodoo Mama is a modern day rocker with deep roots and contemporary links to CCR and ZZ Top. On hot rockin, Hip Shakin' Mama, Fuller kicks it up a few notches and with his slide blazing, has the essence of Hound Dog Taylor going. Very cool! Title track, Long Black Train, has a hard driving Chuck Berry flair and Fuller kicks it nice. Something' Shakin' is a solid 12 bar number with cool harp work by Malone. Fuller steps up big on this one with hot slide work in the flavor of Elmore James or Billy Gibbons. Very nice. Whiskey Drinkin' Woman has the strong foundation of Muddy and with it's Chicago sensibility and tight instrumental sensitivity, this track is a solid blues machine. Along the lines of Robert Johnson's Walking Blues, Pipeline Blues maintains a lot of the fundamentals that made Johnson on of the best blues men ever and with solid vocals, raw slide work and integral harp work, this track is hot. Wrapping the release is a flaming hot rocker, You've Got The Blues. This is my favorite track on the release with a hard driving beat, blues harp and sizzling guitar riffs. Excellent!



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Azuretone Records artist: Ray Fuller and the Bluesrockers - Live At Buddy Guy's Legends Chicago - New Release Review

I just received the newest release (April 15, 2014) Live At Buddy Guy's Legends Chicago , from Ray Fuller and the Bluesrockers and it rips! Opening with a hot cover of Elmore James' Wild About You Baby, Fuller wastes no time in whipping hot the hot slide action. Excellent! Next up is Rock N Roll Cowboy, a blues/boogie with a western twang. This track moves along really well and Fuller really knows how to deliver on guitar and vocals. Next up is John Lee Hooker's Boom Boom. Glen "Manny" Manuel on bass and Mark Ward on drums carry the bottom and Keith Blair rides the organ on this primarily vocal boogie. Richard Doc Malone fills in with some choice harp riffs and Fuller continues JLH's intention with guitar in pure boogie style. Love and Alcohol is a cool original slow blues track with great old style blues riffs throughout. JL Hooker and Johnny Winter are definitely present in spirit. This is a very expressive track with a lot of the feel of delta blues but electrified. Very cool. Bayou Blue has a Tony Joe White feel Blair taking the first spot with a cool piano solo. Fuller steps up with a real swagger on guitar with CCR like feel. Nice track. Walkin' Shoes is a fast paced boogies track with what you say Jon Lord like organ soloing and fire spitting guitar work. Rock on! Otis Rush killer, So Many Roads is up next and Fuller brings up some of his best vocals. Maintaining a very similar pace to the original, Blair rolls out some really super key strokes grabbing the essence of the real blues. Flipping over to organ as punctuation, Doc Malone rolls in on harp. Fuller does make it up to the front and center squeezing out some nasty guitar riffs. This is tasty stuff man! On classic R&B/rocker, Take Out Some Insurance Baby, Blair and Fuller have the lead rhythm and Manuel and Ward do the heavy lifting. Malone steps up with a nice harp solo on this track. Fuller isn't shy to show his chops on guitar and that's a good thing because he does have some good ones. Nice job. Ronnie Dawson track, Rockinitus, has that Ray Charles/Billy Boy Arnold feel and Ward really shines on this track. It's cool that this is a live release as it captures a lot of the instrumental spontaneity of this band in action... something that I believe would be lost on a studio recording. Feelin' Evil has a slow blues lope giving Fuller a super opportunity to slip back on with the slide and he has a cool feel. Malone is again the first to step up with a harp solo but Fuller isn't far behind with great slide tone. Blair again delivers on the 88's and shares riffs with Fuller. The band takes it way down and Fuller quietly but feverishly lays out the sliders plan. It's really hard not to enjoy his playing with his technical mastery and tactile exploration of the fretboard as he builds the pressure. Sallie Mae has a strong Bo Diddley beat and Fullers vocals are again at their best. Ward hammers out the beat like a marching machine and Manny is solid in the slot. Blair, Fuler and Malone share the spotlight equally on this track making it well balanced and a good winder for the grand finale. Eddie Clearwater penned this last track, I Wouldn't Lay My Guitar Down, and Blair plays it in Jerry Lee Lewis style. With a real driving guitar riff, Fuller enters Chuck Berry/Keith Richards territory showing some pretty flashy rock riffs. Malone steps in again with solid harp work and the crew wraps up a pretty hot set!]

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My Home is a Prison - Ray Fuller and the Bluesrockers

Ray Fuller's talent as a singer and guitarist has allowed him to share the stage with many blues giants including Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Albert Collins, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and so many more! In fact, MUDDY WATERS, after witnessing an opening act performance by Ray Fuller on slide guitar exclaimed for all to hear "That was some hot slide boy! I could smell the smoke backstage! JAMES COTTON, after witnessing a similar Bluesrocker performance shook Ray's hand and proclaimed "Finally I met somebody as wild and crazy as I am!" JOHN LEE HOOKER was so impressed with the band and their performance that he took the Bluesrockers and his own band out to dinner and picked up the tab! These opportunities to hang out and learn at the feet of the masters were not wasted on young Ray as he paid close attention to every pearl of wisdom and every nasty riff and blues lick generously shown to him as an eager student of the blues. Since then Ray Fuller and the Bluesrockers have been performing their brand of low down gutsy blues and red hot rock'n roll for many years, leaving a trail of scorched stages and satisfied fans from Michigan to Florida,and from California to New York State. Long time drummer Mark Ward toured with Ray Fuller for many years, formerly with Terry Davidson & The Gears. Blues harpist Mike Gilliland has backed up the legendary delta bluesman Honeyboy Edwards , singer and guitarist Cleveland Fats,and the late, great Missisippi - Chicago blues singer Willie" Pooch " Johnson. Pianist Keith Blair brings a ton of stage presence and was one of nine finalists in the 2003 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. Bassist Manny Manuel has spent many years touring with the likes of Patrick Mclaughlin and Hot Rod and The Blues DeVilles. Together they are an unstoppable force of blues and rock'n roll energy!
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