VizzTone Label Group artist: Tyler Morris Band - Next In Line - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Next In Line, from the Tyler Morris Band, and it's solid. Opening with arena rocker, Ready To Shove, Morris shows his strong technical guitar skills, with Morten Fredheim on lead vocal, joined by Scott Spray on bass, Tyger Macneal on drums and Mike Dimeo on keys. On blues rock classic, Willie the Wimp, Joe Louis Walker has the lead on vocals, nicely complimenting some real tasty blues riffs by Morris. Very cool. Down On My Luck is a heavy footed blues rocker with a good swagger. I like Morris' lead guitar approach on this one giving the track real traction. Changing gears, Choppin' is a cool shuffle instrumental with guitar melody and punched up by the Uptown Horns. Very cool. Thunder has a more Hendrix edge with isolated vocals and wah wah. Without doing a straight Jimi thing, Morris captures his feel in his own sound. This Ain't No Fun has the staggered rhythm of Whippin' Post combined with vocal harmonies and a different approach to the melody. Developing into a super boogie with nice grinding guitar soloing, this track gives Morris a chance to really stretch. Another track with great swagger is Truth Is The Question with it's straight ahead rock approach and firm guitar trigger. Wrapping the release is Keep On Driving with it's light jazz feel. Latin rhythm, bright piano work by Dimeo and warm jazz guitar chords set the pace and Morris' tight guitar soloing blends nicely, rounding the set for a solid closer. 

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VizzTone Label Group artist: Tas Cru - Simmered & Stewed - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Simmered & Stewed by Tas Cru and it's a cool blues rocker. Opening with snappy revival rocker, Dat Maybe, Tas Cru is grooving his own tune on vocal and guitar with Ron Keck on percussion, Mike Lawrence on bass, Chip Lamson on piano and Guy Nirelli on organ. Boogie track, Grizzle N' Bone is up next with cool backing vocals by Mary Ann Casale and Andy Hearn on drums, Bob Purdy on bass, Jeremy Walz on guitar, and Nirelli on organ. Somber ballad, Time and Time is a real nice track with super bluesy guitar work from Cru and warm backing vocals by Casale and Alice "Honeybea" Ericksen. Excellent! R&B track, Road To My Obsession has a really cool rhythm along the lines of Tony Joe White. With harp work by Dick Earl Ericksen and stylistic guitar work by Cru, this may be my favorite track on the release. Cover My Love is a cool ramblin song with cool resonator work by Cru, nice harp work by Ericksen and tight piano work by David Liddy. I really like the feel of Woman Won't You Love Me, with cool slide by Cru and Ericksen's harp work, dressed nicely by Chip Lamson on piano and Cru's own melodic vocals. Blues rocker, Tired Of Bluesmen Cryin" has a great groove with Joe Goehle on piano, Andy Hearn on drums, Lamson on piano and Cru's own vocal and resonator work which may be his best on the release. Wrapping the release is Jackie Wilson's Higher and Higher, which grows in tempo with slide guitar, keys, driving drums and warm backing vocals as Cru drives it on. This is a great closer for a solid release.



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Neon Blue Records artist: James Day & the Fish Fry - Southland - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Southland, from James Day & the Fish Fry and it's hot! Opening with New Orleans style R&B track, Chain of Pain, Day leads the way on vocal with it's modified twisting beat complimented by Dave Young on bass and John Meriglano on drums. Ron Baldwin hammers out a great piano lead and Day slides the fretboard on guitar. Very Nice! One of my favorite tracks on the release, Next New Thing is a hot Chicago style track with a twist of New Orleans from Baldwin on accordion. Stilladog ... listen up! The harp work on this track is cooking (Think Hoy Hoy Hoy)! Mark Shewchuk lays down a really meaty swing blues guitar solo topping of a really great track! Muscadine Wine has a simple rhythm reminiscent of the Coasters' Idol With A Golden Head. A cool party track with solid organ and unusual guitar riffs. Time & Money is a straight up blues track with nice piano runs. I particularly like Day's vocals and Mark Hummel's harp work on this track. Nice romp! Nat'chel Man has a light Gypsy Jazz club feel with Bill Nixon on fiddle, Rich Delgrosso on mandolin and Wally Bechtold on clarinet. Great tune! Fish Fry Jump is another hot boogie lead by Massimino. Day is really having a blast on vocals here and rips into his chromatic harp for a killer solo. Excellent! Country Woman really has a lot of the feel of Keith Richards playing the country music of the stones. Still has a rock edge but no polish and all feel. Cool! One Step Des Chameaux really gets that Zydeco sound with the French vocals and Baldwin on accordion. Nixon hits the cajun fiddle for a solid party track. Don't Bruise The Melons, another track with a sound of early rock/R&B featuring Carl Crabtree on sax and Day on vocal and harp. Keli Vale and Alisa B Anderson warm up the back with some tight vocals. Weather Blues is delta blues track for the release with particularly cool vocals. Day plays slide cigar box guitar on this track and Mark Hummel throws down fart harp riff after riff. Great track! Zydeco Boogaloo is likely the one track that comes to most everyone's mind when you say Zydeco. Nicely executed and rockin'. Festival Time digs deeper into the New Orleans bag featuring Richard Orr on clarinet, Jimmy Parker on trombone and Troy Corley on sax. Boneman Larry Toft pulls off a hot trombone solo opening up the traditional New Orleans jam held tight by Mark Thornton on percussion. Money Smarts & Charm is a blend of New Orleans and Skiffle. Shewchuck cuts loose some chicken Pickin riffs giving it a country twist. Day wraps it all up nice with a rolling harp solo! Title track, Southland has the definite sound of rural south with slide guitar, acoustic bass, fiddle and jaw harp. Vocal harmonies enforce the rural feel of this track with anchors it in it's rural roots. This is a really tasty release with strong writing, hot riffs and clever turns. Check it out!

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Jimmy Carpenter - Walk Away - New Release Review

I just received the newest release (9/23/14), Walk Away, from Jimmy Carpenter and it has style. Opening with Can't Let Go, a strong melodic track featuring Carpenter on vocal and sax, Anson Funderburgh and John Fohl on guitar, John Gros on B3, Casandra Faulconer on bass, and Wayne Maureau on drums. Title track, Walk Away, has clean simple vocal harmonies and a slick funky beat featuring cool sax work from Carpenter. When You're Ready, another catchy tune, shows a stronger hand on guitar with the addition of Mike Zito and a stinging solo results. She's Not You is a slower ballad with a cool sax intro from Carpenter. Reba Russell adds nice backing vocal on this track and Gros warms the bottom with organ melodies allowing plenty of space for Carpenter to solo further on sax. Coming off with a strong strut, 7th Street Shuffle has a real nice swagger led by Carpenter on sax. Fohl has a nice op to lay down a cool guitar solo and Gros is right there with B3 over a solid lead bass line from Faulconer. No One's Ever is a cool R&B with a very strong melody. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Carpenter does a nice job on lead vocal and sax. More Than Meets The Eye is another strong radio track with nice trumpet accents from Antonio Gambrell and warmly blended vocals with Carpenter and Russell. Hard To Be Cool opens with a strong sax trumpet intro and a sultry groove. Carpenter has a solid voice and using a bari sax really pushes the depth on this track. A deep throated sax solo and Electric key work from Gros on this track sets it apart on this release. Crazy 'Bout You' has a bright poppy sound with an accentuation on vocal harmonies. The instrumental, C King Blues really puts me in mind of the great Curtis Ousley so that makes it one of my favorites on the release. With solid sax lead and a memorable melody, this is one of the strongest tracks on the release. Very cool! Favorite Muse has an easy jazz feel over a Latin rhythm. Fohl's clean guitar work, Gros' solid organ styling and Maureau's snappy percussion hold tight on this track rounding out this track, primarily a vocal track. On The Outside is a bright and bouncy rocker with a catchy melody. Wrapping the track is Fellow Traveler, a simple ballad with a country flavor. Carpenter shares lead vocals with Reba Russell and also vocal duet. A clean simple track, this is a nice conclusion to well written release. Oh Yeah...boy can sing!

  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”