Rip Cat Records artist: John Clifton - In The Middle of Nowhere - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, In The Middle Of Nowhere, from John Clifton and it's quite good. Opening with the excellent, I'm Leaving You Baby, with it's firm Chicago romp style. John Clifton, former leader of MoFo Party Band, has his own gig and on lead vocal and harp, this gig is hopping. Backed by Scott Abeyta on guitar, Jake Finney on bass, Edward Fritz on drums, Bartek Szopinski on piano and John Shafer on tambourine and cowbell this band is tight. On shuffle track, If It Ain't Me, Clifton is howling on harp and his vocals are vibrant. I particularly like Szopinski's piano work and the fluid guitar soloing of Abeyta on this track. Very cool. Cool Spot In Hell is a good name for a laid back jazzy track in the middle of a hot set. Abeyta lays in some really nice lead runs and Szopinski's phrasing is terrific leading up to Clifton's own lush harp scape. Very nice. Four Years Ago is a great driving blues track with a heavy bottom. The contrast between Clifton's vocals and the bass work of Finney really adds raw tension. To really boost the mix, Clifton's relentless harp work sends this track over the top and Abeyta adds heat of his own making this one of my favorites on the release. Breaking way down on a slower blues track, So Tired I Could Cry, the band really gets a chance to wring every drop of blues from the release. Szopinski, Abeyta and Clifton each have their turn upfront and they make me sweat just listening. Wrapping the release is country fused, Honky Tonk Night Time Man with train like running rhythms by Fritz and genuine chickin pickin by Abeyta. 

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Rip Cat records artist: John Clifton - Nightlife - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Nightlife, from John Clifton and it's solid gold blues. Opening with Charlie Musselwhite's Strange Land, John Clifton on lead vocal, harp and guitar, joined by Scott Abeyta on guitar, Matt Moulton on bass, John Shafer on drums and Brian Szopinski on piano set a solid old style groove. Lee Moses' excellent soul number, Sad About It is up next and Clifton's really plays it to the hilt. The band really sits on this one making it one of my favorites on the release. Little Walter's Long As I Have You is another top track with excellent vocals, super harp and excellent guitar soloing by Abeyta. Very nice. Cool original track, Swamp Dump has a smooth Latin blues feel with a nice tandem harp/guitar melody and easy rhythm. Jump track, How About That is an excellent instrumental with a driving bass line fluid lead guitar work along the lines of Gatemouth Brown and hot harp work leading the way. Very cool. Blues rocker, No Better Time Than Now, has a cool funky bass line and stylistic harp work that propels this track nicely. Wrapping the release is Every Now And Again, a slower blues but not without a sweet guitar solo to top off 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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Rip Cat Records artist: Lisa Cee - My Turn - New Release Review

I just received the debut release, My Turn, by Lisa Cee and there are some hot riffs in here! The recording opens with a blues rocker, What Good Am I, along the lines of Messin' With the Kid. This track, featuring Cee vocal talents with heavy influence of R&B, gets the listener energized and ready for what's to come. Fire In The Sky has a funky beat and BR Millon takes a real nice guitar solo displaying great tone. Ron Dzuibla pushes up the bottom with his sax on this track. Lost You, a soulful bluesy ballad is up next giving Cee a great opportunity to lay it all out there and she does a really nice job. Scott Abeyta and Millon play some real soulful guitar riffs on this track. Good-Bye Baby has a solid Texas boogie style and again Abeyta and Millon team up to play some really hot guitar riffs. Fire is a really funky track with Dzuibla adding some over the top sax riffs on a cooking bass track laid down by Mike Hightower. My Turn is a quiet ballad with minimal accompaniment. A track that is highly airplay friendly with Abeyta adding nice slide guitar work. Cee does an interesting take on I'll Take You There, adding a little jazz and a little Latin guitar to an already swinging gospel style track. Likely the best overall track on the release, Right Man opens with a real nice harp solo from Johnny Mastro. A swinging blues track, gives Mastro the opportunity to stretch out a bit and Cee's voice is as comfortable on this track as most anywhere on the release. Stop Trying, a short radio player is again driven buy the funky bottom of Hightower and with drums by Albert Trepagnier Jr. Millon rips some strong accents on guitar on this track as well. Blues ballad Bright Shiny World, is strongly constructed along the lines of Albert Kings, As The Years Go Passing By. Cee shows her natural talent as a vocalist on this track, with some smooth B3 action by Edo Guidotti and nice ripping guitar work from Millon. Cold Hearted Woman takes a march down Bourbon Street with smart jazz march drumming from Trepagnier Jr. Millon again has a real nice spot to show his touch as a guitarist, not dominating the track but very tasty. Evil Mind has that smokey, funky R&B sound and Cee blends her voice nicely into the mix. Again I like the quiet soloing of Millon under the tune carried by Hightower and Trepagnier Jr. who also add backing vocals. Cee steps into the mist covering a sacred cow, White Rabbit (Grace Slick). She does a nice job on this track and the horn work of Dziubla is really cool. Already Free is a solid acoustic style vocal ballad with Chris McCarthy on cello. This is not a blues track but I think it may be my favorite vocal work on the release. All in all a very interesting 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” Although not off of the release, a fair example of Cee's work.