Delmark Records artist: Jose Ramirez - Major League Blues - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Major League Blues, from Jose Ramirez, and it's solid contemporary blues. Opening with title track, Major League Blues is a cool shuffle featuring Jose Ramirez on lead vocal and guitar and with Jimmy Johnson sitting in on guitar as well. Bob Stroger on bass, Willie Hayes on drums, Roosevelt Purifoy on B3 and Billy Flynn round out the band for this solid opener. On soulful ballad, I Saw It Coming , Ramirez is really out front on vocal with Purifoy creating a warm B3 envelope for his vocals. Flynn and Ramirez really do a nice job on lead guitar with solid melodic lead soloing. Here In The Delta is a cool contemporary blend between Hill Country flavored music and solid BB King styling. I really like the heavy tom tom work by Antonio Reyes, working nicely with Purifoy on B3 and the nice guitar work by Flynn and Ramirez, his own solid vocals and cool backing vocals. Kenny Watson Jr on bass adds to the heavy bottom making this one of my favorite tracks on the release. Latin fused, Are We Really Different, has really nice percussion work by Evan Hoffman and Reyes who also plays a bit of tasty bass. Ramirez's vocals and fiery guitar work really make this track sail. Wrapping the release is quiet ballad, After All This Time, with lush guitar chords and B3 carrying Ramirez's vocals. Shelly Bonet lays in some really nice contrasting vocals, followed buy some really nice blues guitar riffs, closing the set. 

  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”

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Delta Roots Records artist: Gerald McClendon - Can't Nobody Stop Me Now - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Can't Nobody Stop Me Now, from Gerald McClendon and it's a solid dose of old school soul and R&B. Opening with title track, Can't Nobody Stop Me Now, Gerald McClendon sets a real nice soul groove featuring Herb Walker, Joe Burba and Mark Wydra on guitar, Roosevelt Purifoy on keys, Art Love on bass and Twist Turner on drums. With punchy horns by John Brumbach and Skinny Williams on sax, this is a super opener. Soulful, Where Do We Go From Here, is one of my favorite tracks on the release with strong vocals and wailing sax by Williams. Runnin' Wild has swagger with cool trumpet work and some of McClendon's best vocal work on the release. Another of my favorites is It's Over Now, a bluesy ballad with a great melody and nicely defined guitar work. Slow blues number, You Can't Take My Love, has a really sassy sax solo by Williams further accenting it's overall soulful melody and nicely phrased vocals. Wrapping the release is I Think About You, a really nice soul track with easy horns, surrounding the warm vocals of McClendon and with another power solo by Williams on sax. This is a really cool release and one that competes with the original soul music of the 60's. Very nice. 

  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”

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Delmark Records artist: Linsey Alexander - Live At Rosa's - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live From Rosa's, from Linsey Alexander, and it really captures Alexander in his element. Opening with cool shuffle track, Please Love Me, Alexander on lead vocal and guitar starts electrifying the audience right from the first note. Joined by Sergei Androshin on guitar, Roosevelt Purifoy on keys, Ron Simmons on bass and "Big" Ray Stewart on drums, they set a tight groove. On blues classic made popular by Freddie King and later Eric Clapton, Have You Ever Loved A Woman, Alexander really digs in on guitar and with essential organ work by Purifoy, lays down my favorite track on the release. Alexander's vocals are real and his soloing inspired. Another cool shuffle is Goin' Out Walkin' and Alexander works his guitar against his vocals nicely. Hi steppin' Snowing In Chicago has a cool driving beat with fluid guitar lines and energized organ soloing by Purifoy. Wrapping the release is funky, Going Back To My Old Time Used To Be, with a cool bass line by Simmons, and with just the right amount of organ and electric piano by Purifoy. Stewart's drumming is tight and Alexander steps up with some real nice soloing of his own to wrap up this solid set. 

  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”

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Delmark Records artist: Jimmy Johnson - Every Day of Your Life - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Every Day of Your Life, by Jimmy Johnson and it got real feel. Opening with swamp funky, title track, Every Day of Your Life, old school Chicago bluesman, Jimmy Johnson on lead vocal and lead guitar shows his unique style. I high pitched, almost howl is how I'd describe it lending to a real bluesy feel. Joined by Rico McFarland on guitar, Roosevelt Purifoy on piano and B3, JR Fuller on bass, Pooky Stix on drums and Tymphanie Monique on backing vocal, this is a super opener. Rattlesnake is a really nice high stepping blues track with an excellent mix of jazz and blues guitar riffs. With Brother John Rattke on piano, B3 and guitar, Curt Bley on bass, Ernie Adams on drums, and Julia A Miller and Elbio Barilari on backing vocals, this is a real cool track. Fenton Robinson's classic, Somebody Loan Me A Dime is always a great showcase both vocally and on lead guitar and Johnson's particular fluid guitar burst styling is particularly effective on tracks with decent space between the vocal and turnaround of a phrase. Also of note is a beefy piano solo by Rattke giving the track a nice balance. Another favorite track on the release is R&B framed, Strange Things Happening with it's low slung groove. Fuller's bass line sets a perfect pace and Johnson's guitar feel is really strong. Clocking at over 6 minutes, this track has great presence. Wrapping the release is Lead On Me, a pure soul track featuring Johnson singing over his own piano accompaniment. This is a cool track and with true feeling, is a solid closer for a really strong release. 

  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”

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Rocketnoodle Music artist: Vince Agwada - Light Of Day - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Light of Day, by Vince Agwada and I really like it! Opening with hard driving boogie track, Two Tons of Fun, Agwada lays it down hard and heavy with a track that will appeal to most anyone who loves blues music. I mean blazing slide guitar and great vocals by Agwada, pushed along by Brian Jones on drums and with Terri Lane on backing vocals, this track is excellent! Hard Headed Woman takes a basic blues and funks it up with a great bass line by Andre Howard, and drums by Brady Williams, keys by Roosevelt Purifoy, horns by Game Changer Horns and adding excellent blues guitar soloing throughout just killing it. Blues 99 has a heavy footed funk feel and it's grittiness maintains a blues rock framework with Agwada on guitar and bass, Steven Gillis on drums and Agwada's vocals are perfect. This may be the best opening 3 tracks on a blues rock release is many years.  If you lean more toward a Gary Moore 'ballad" style blues, Blue Moon Call has you covered with a solid melody and melodic guitar solo making it the top radio track on the release. Quicksand has much of the drive of Don Nix's Goin Down with just a touch of funk and stinging guitar riffs over the drumming of Steven Gillis, Andre Howard on bass and Joe Munroe on keys. Mustafa's Lament has a more laid back feel with excellent solos by Edwin Daugherty on sax and ripping guitar by Agwada. Very cool. With a cool jazzy touch and springy blues/jazz guitar riffs, Find My Baby has a great feel. With Terrence Higgins on drums, Billy Blalock on percussion and Lionel Haas on keys, this gives Agawa a really nice platform to showcase a more sensitive side of his guitar playing a la George Benson. Very nice. Wrapping the release is a more contemporary, Hendrix/rock inspired track, and title track, Light of Day. With slashing guitar phrasing by Agwada and power drum backing by Billy Blaylock, this is a strong closer for an excellent release. 

  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”

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Delmark Records artist: Lurrie Bell - Can't Shake This Feeling - New Release Review

I just received the most recent release, Can't Shake This Feeling, from Lurrie Bell and it's a big helping of Chicago blues. Opening with Blues Is Trying To Keep Up With Me, Lurrie Bell opens with a flash. Handling lead vocal and guitar, he is joined by Roosevelt Purifoy on keys, Matthew Skoller on harp, Melvin Smith on bass and Willie Hayes on drums. A cool shuffle track, Bell airs our his guitar and Purifoy dazzles as well on piano leading up to Skoller who takes it home. On upbeat, Drifting, Bell really gets a great groove going. His vocals are powerful and Purifoy's harp work is tight. Slowing it down a bit, I Get So Weary, shows Bell on some of his most expressive guitar riffs on the release. This track is smoking! On stripped down, One Eyed Woman, Bell and Skoller pretty much handle the instrumentation making it a real simple and effective track. Very nice. Excellent blues track, The Worrisome Feeling In My Heart, is propelled by really soulful vocals by Bell and particularly effective rhythm guitar work by Bell. His lead guitar work is pointed and biting. Very nice! Back up to speed, Sit Down Baby is back on the Chicago groove. A well balanced track with effective vocals and clean harp and piano, this track hits solid. Hold Me Tight has a real bounce with a tight bottom compliments Smith and Hayes. Bell takes a different kind of guitar solo with a T-Bone Walker feel . Very nice! Sinner's Prayer continues along a T-Bone Walker theme sounding quite a bit like Stormy Monday. Providing a super floor for Bell and Purifoy to solo, this track really is tasty. I Can't Shake This Feeling gets back into the Chicago groove and Bell rides it high. Skoller lays out his own solo and then in tandem with Bell. Very nice. Born With The Blues has a bit of a BB King flare with short compact response guitar riffs to his call vocals. Clocking in at over 6 minutes, this track is really packed with blues and heat. On shuffle track, Do You Hear, Purifoy lays a cool piano riff over Smith's bass line and Skoller plays some of his hottest riffs. Wrapping the release is down and dirty, Faith and Music, a really nice piece with Bell accompanying himself electric guitar and vocal. This is a particularly effective track with tasty riffs supporting his vocals. Very nice closer.



  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”

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