Severn Records artist: Devin B. Thompson - Tales Of The Soul - New Release Review

 

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Tales of the Soul, by Devin B. Thompson and it's super. Opening with Love To See You Smile, Devin B. Thompson sets up a great groove. Leading on vocal with top notch help from Steve Gomes on bass, Robb Stupka on drums, Johnny Moeller on guitar, Kevin Anker on piano, Benjie Porecki on organ, Mark Morella on percussion Kenny Rittenhouse and Joe Donegan on trumpet, Antonia Orta on sax, Bill Holmes on trombone and backing vocals by Thompson, Caleb Green, Christal Rheams and Kennedy Thompson, hold onto your hat! One of my favorite tracks on the release is gospel influenced, Something You Can Do Today, written by Gamble and Huff, the leaders of the Philly Sound has such a super feel and Thompson really capitalizes vocally with warm backing organ, key trumpet punctuation and great backing vocals. Excellent! With a super bottom by Stupka and Jimmy Earl on bass, and great horn work by Rittenhouse and Donegan, this track will really have you moving. Smooth and easy, Can't Get Over You is another strong track with a magical rhythm really highlighting Thompson's lead and really strong backing vocals. On Get Home Tonight, splashing in some funk and excellent guitar lead by Robben Ford, Thompson shows super poise and phrasing. Wrapping the release is Tell Me, with power soul track with a funky bottom and punchy horns. Moeller lays into his wah pedal and plays some funky blues riffs giving the track just a dash of blues to accent it's true soul nature. I really like this release. If you like Al Green and Curtis Mayfield, check this out!

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Severn Records artist: Nora Jean Wallace - Blues Woman - New Release Review

 

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Blues Woman, from Nora Jean Wallace and it's packed full of soul. Opening with shuffle, Martell, Nora Jean Wallace (formerly Bruso) means business with her thick rooted voice. Backed by Johnny Moeller on guitar, Steve Gomes on bass, Kevin Anker on organ, Steve Guyger on harmonica, Stanley Banks on keys and Robb Stupka on drums, this track is a strong opener. With a strong dash or R&B, I Can't Stop has a great feel a romping bass line and with David Earl on guitar. Victim is a bluesy ballad featuring Wallace's vocal up front with super soulful feel and some real nice guitar work by David Earl. I've Been Watching You is a real cool track with a funky kind of bas line. Wallace really works this track, making it one of my favorites on the release. Wrapping the release is I Don't Have to Beg You to Love Me with it's lumbering bass line and floating Wallace's rich vocals is the lush guitar lead of Moeller. This is a strong release and a definite female vocalist to watch. 

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Severn Records artist: Sugar Ray and the Bluetones featuring Little Charlie - Too Far From The Bar - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Too Far From The Bar, by Sugar Ray and the Bluetones featuring Little Charlie and it's heaping dose of Chicago style blues. Opening with shuffle track, Don't Give No More Than You Can Take, featuring Sugar Ray Norcia on lead vocal and harmonica and the great Little Charlie Baty on lead guitar. This is one of the last recordings of Baty who passed away in March of this year. Norcia's vocals are always great and his harmonica playing is first class, backed by Anthony Geraci on keys, Michael Mudcat Ward on bass and Neil Gouvin on drums. Swinging piano boogie, and title track, Too Far From The Bar really hits the groove with Geraci leading the way and Norcia on piano. Baty takes a great solo run showing just how tight his riffs were. Excellent! Instrumental. Reel Burner is a super harmonica track with Norcia barely taking a breath. Stilladog take notice. This track hums! Rock and Roller, My Next Door Neighbor is a vocal workout for Norcia and Baty spanks the fretboard with 50's style riffs over Geraci's piano wizardry a thumping bass and brushed drums. More smooth and a lot more jazzy, What I Put You Through, is one of my favorites on the release with excellent piano work from Geraci under glistening guitar work by Baty and the excellent vocals of Norica. I have to mention Baty's work on jazz standard, I Gotta Right To Sing the Blues, where the entire band really shines but I gotta say, this track was made for Baty. Excellent! Returning to that classic Chicago styling, Walk Me Home is a cool shuffle with ample jam time for Geraci, Baty and Norcia. Very nice. Wrapping the release is an alternate take on Reel Burner. The is a real burner so it's a great kick in the pants to close the release with hot riffs by Norcia throughout. Very solid 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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Singer Nora Jean Wallace Deals Straight Chicago Blues on New "Blueswoman" CD Coming October 30 from Severn Records

Singer Nora Jean Wallace Deals Straight Chicago Blues on New Blueswoman CD Coming October 30 from

Severn Records

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Severn Records announces an October 30 release date for Blueswoman, the new CD from Blues Music Award-nominated singer Nora Jean Wallace. The new album was produced by Severn label head David Earl (who also plays guitar on four tracks) and recorded at Severn Studios in Annapolis. Backing Wallace’s powerhouse vocals are Severn’s A-list team of musicians, including Johnny Moeller – guitars; Steve Gomes – bass; Kevin Anker – organ; Steve Guyger – harmonica; Stanley Banks – keyboards; and Robb Stupka – drums. Multi-Blues Music Award-winner Kim Wilson is a special guest on harmonica on one track.

Nora Jean Wallace (formally Bruso) returns after 16 years since her 2004 BMA-nominated and critically-acclaimed release, Going Back to Mississippi. Blueswoman shows why Nora was born to sing the blues. A staple of the Chicago Blues scene, Nora Jean pours her heart into eight originals including the Koko Taylor inspired title track, “I’m a Blues Woman,” and “Rag and Bucket” written with co-writer, Stanley Banks. The Syl Johnson classic, “I Can’t Stop,” and George Jackson’s “Evidence” are great canvases for Nora’s powerful gift. No wonder The Chicago Sun-Times called her performance at the Chicago Blues Festival “show-stopping,” and the legendary Koko Taylor is quoted as saying, “Nora Jean sounds just like I did when I was her age!” This is a must for all fans of real-deal blues.

“During a very low period in my career, a friend reminded me that the Bible says your gifts will make room for you,” Nora Jean Wallace explains. “When I gave serious thought to that which I already knew, I never looked back. Slowly but surely my gifts indeed have made, and continue to make, room for me and this project is living proof of that.

“I left the blues scene to take care of my mom who was sick at the time (she has since passed). From the cotton fields of Mississippi to the bright and steamy windows of Chicago blues, she always supported me. I think a part of her felt guilty because I had to leave what I loved doing the most to take care of her. And although she’s gone, she’s still with me. I thank God for all she instilled me. She always told me to put God first, never quit and everything else will fall in place.

“Here I am in 2020 embarking on a renewed career in blues. The gifts that have made room for me have come in the form of creative people who’ve helped me pave a new path in the blues. I believe God had a hand in it all and has placed people in my life to make me better, stronger and more determined to do what I love best…sing the blues.”

Nora Jean Wallace is a Chicago Blues singer with deep Delta roots. Like so many blues greats that hail from the Delta of Mississippi, Nora was born and raised in Greenwood, a town in the heart of this blues-rich region. From birth her father, Bobby Lee Wallace, a professional blues singer and sharecropper, and her Uncle, Henry “Son” Wallace, a blues singer and guitar player, infused the blues in her soul. Also contributing to her musical education was her mother, Ida Lee Wallace, a gospel singer, and her grandmother, Mary, who ran a juke house. As a child, Nora would sneak down to her grandmother’s place on Friday and Saturday nights and listen to her relatives sing blues classics. It was during these years that Nora developed a love for the music of Howlin’ Wolf that has continued to the present day.

Nora’s singing career in Chicago began in 1976 when her Aunt Rose heard her sing at home and brought her to several clubs she was promoting. It was at the Majestic on the West Side of Chicago that Nora sat in with Scottie and the Oasis. She was invited to join the band and spent several years with them before Scottie’s unfortunate passing. During this time many local Chicago musicians, most notably Mary Lane and Joe Barr, encouraged Nora and taught her the finer points of her craft.

Nora’s big break came in 1985 when Jimmy Dawkins saw her perform at a local Chicago club and invited her to join his band. For the next seven years Nora toured and recorded with Jimmy and his band and appeared on two of his CDs, Feel the Blues (JSP, 1985 & 2002 with a bonus NJB track) and Can’t Shake These Blues (Earwig, 1991). She also released a single, “Untrue Lover” (Leric, 1982) and her first solo release in 2002, Nora Jean Bruso Sings the Blues (Red Hurricane).

While touring Europe, Canada, and the United States, Nora refined her performing skills and developed an international fan base. She appeared on many major festivals including the King Biscuit Blues Festival, AK, the Chicago Blues Festival and the Pocono Blues Festival.

Nora has lived a life full of passion and pain, triumph and despair, and with it has come a wisdom out of which art is born. Living involves pain but offers redemption as well. That is what the blues is all about.

“Seems like this day would never come, but through it all Severn Records has been steadfast in making sure this project would be a success,” Wallace summarizes. “With their support, I’ve been able to once again share my voice with fans and the blues community that I’ve grown to love. Big, big shout out to Stanley Banks who put pen to paper to write some incredible songs for this project as well as share his talent.”

Severn Records artist: Tad Robinson - Real Street - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Real Street, from Tad Robinson and it's jam packed with R&B soul music. Opening with Changes, a real nice "Al Green" flavored track, Tad Robinson shows what much of the world already knows... he's a great singer with poise and style. Backed by Charles Hodges on Hammond, Leroy Hodges on bass, Howard Grimes on drums, Joe Restivo on guitar, Kevin Anker on piano, Mark Franklin on trumpet, and Kirk Smothers on sax, this is a great opener. Bluesy ballad, Search Your Heart is really strong and Robinson's exceptionally smooth vocals, backed by Devin Thompson on vocals and the warm Hammond work of Hodges and with a crisp guitar solo by Restivo make this one of my favorites on the release. Excellent! Another really bluesy track, Love In The Neighborhood has a great R&B style but checks off the blues box nicely with soulful vocals and harmonica by Robinson and solid guitar lead by Restivo. My favorite track on the release is soulful, Wishing Well Blues with ultra soulful vocals by Robinson and just the right weave of instrumentation over Anker's funky keyboard work and JG Watson/WW Washington style guitar playing. Excellent! Wrapping the release is slinky, Long Way Home with a real nice bass line by Leroy. Robinson has an unbelievable sense for soul music and the sound that this unit puts together is lush and inviting. Highly recommended. 

  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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Severn Records artists: The Texas Horns - Get Here Quick - New Relese Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Get Here Quick, by The Texas Horns and it's smokin'! Opening with Guitar Town, a real Texas style blues, cooked up with  Anson Funderburgh and Johnny Moeller on guitars and Gary Forsyth on lead vocals. Kaz Kazanoff on tenor, John Mills on bari and Al Gomez on trumpet and this track is hot. With a bit of New Orleans flavor, Instrumental, Feelin' No Pain is all horns to the floor with excellent piano work by Red Young, bass by Russell Jackson and Tommy Taylor on drums. Mills lays out and excellent sax solo and Moeller shows why he is regarded as one of the top bluesmen in Texas today. Title track, Better Get Here Quick is another instrumental with rich tandem sax lead and excellent guitar accents by Moeller. Gomez steps up with some crisp lead work of his own and Youngs takes a nice few bars of his own. Very cool. An excellent New Orleans style instrumental, 2018, has a super march style snare lead by John Bryant with Chris Maresh on bass and again featuring excellent work by Moeller and Connolly. Gomez's trumpet is bright and punchy. Very nice. Curtis Salgado is up front on lead vocals on Sundown Talkin'. His vocals are always soulful and stellar and this track is no exception, being clearly the radio track on the release. The horns flex their muscle through out and excellent accents by Moeller give the track a great presence. Instrumental, Funky Ape really gives Kaz, Al and John a chance to play and they push you back in your seat. Excellent! Wrapping the release is Truckload of Trouble, a springy, instrumental with a solid horn melody and with a cool muted trumpet interlude by Gomez, and a sweet sax lead by Kaz as well. Ronnie Earl is featured on lead guitar adding a bluesy component to an otherwise driving horn composition. This is a real cool outing for the Texas Horns. Enjoy! 

  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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Severn Records artist: Big Joe and the Dynaflows - Rockhouse Party - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Rockhouse Party, from Big Joe and the Dynaflows and it's super. Opening with super shuffle, Driving Wheel, Big Joe Maher on lead vocal and drums sets the pace with Tom Mookie Brill on bass, Kevin McKendree on keys, and Yates McKendree and Robert Frahm on guitars. A low slung blues rocker, this track is an excellent opener. Excellent guitar phrasing, coupled with powerful lead vocals on So Mean To Me makes it a real standout. Brill takes the lead vocal on slot on Eight Men and Four Women and his vocals are out of sight. This track, with warm key backing by Kevin, and vocal backing by Erin Coburn is excellent! Guitar shuffle, Overdrive is an excellent showcase for the McKendrees with nice phrasing and great pace. Uptempo Go With The Flow, is a real toe tapper with hot riffs and solid vocals. On Vibrate, a rockabilly romp, guitar flurry and stylized  vocals give this track high power. Wrapping the release is easy flowing, slow blues, Two Years of Torture. Big Joe's vocals are sweet and Kevin's piano work super. Rich lead guitar lines and chords give the track nice depth. This is a real nice closer for a surprisingly good 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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Big Joe and the Dynaflows Are Throwing a "Rockhouse Party" and Everyone Is Invited!

Big Joe and the Dynaflows Are Throwing a Rockhouse Party and Everyone Is Invited!

New Blues/Roots Album Set for February 15 Release on Severn Records

ANNAPOLIS, MD - Severn Records announces a February 15, 2019, release date for Big Joe and the Dynaflows’s new album, Rockhouse Party, featuring acclaimed blues singer/drummer Big Joe Maher. With distribution by MRI/The Orchard/Sony, Rockhouse Party will be released on both CD and vinyl formats. The colorful album cover graphics were designed by Big Joe’s good friend, Marty Baumann, who works for Disney-Pixar Films.

The new album was produced by Big Joe and Kevin McKendree, who also contributed piano and organ on the sessions, which were recorded at McKendree’s Rockhouse Studio in Franklin, Tennessee (hence the album’s title). The rest of the players on Rockhouse Party included three-time Blues Music Award bassist “Mookie” Brill (who also sings lead vocals for the first time on record), plus the talented guitar tandem of Robert Frahm and Yates McKendree, Kevin’s then- 16-year old son (who’s now a ripe old 17). Another teenage phenom, Erin Coburn, adds her tasty guitar licks on one song and backing vocals on three more. The tracks showcase both a number of original songs as well as several cool covers.

“Rockhouse Party represents my love of pure blues and R& B,” states Big Joe Maher. “The songs I write come from my heart and tell the same story as all the great blues artists have done for the last 100 years: the story of life!”

Big Joe is also proud and honored to announce that he’s playing drums on Delbert McClinton’s upcoming CD and will be performing for the 15^th time on McClinton’s legendary “Sandy Beaches Cruise” in early 2019. Additionally, Maher has been playing gigs with his long-time buddy Anson Funderburgh, and will be performing with him in Europe next month.

Rockhouse Party also reunites Big Joe Maher with Severn Records, the label that released his 2011 CD, You Can’t Keep a Big Man Down, 1998’s I’m Still Swingin’ (which won a Washington Area Music Association award for “Best Blues Recording”) and his 2000 release, All Night Long.

“This album was something I have wanted to do for a while,” relates Maher. “It brings together some of my favorite musicians - the McKendrees for one. I gave Kevin his start in the music business with his first gig with the Dynaflows back in 1987. We have played together off and on since then; and then his genius son, who I have known since his birth, he’s simply the best. Only way I can describe Yates is that he’s a 50-year-old man in a 17-year-old body. I have known Robert Frahm since he was about 17 and now at 37 is a true bluesman on the guitar. I met Tom “Mookie” Brill playing the now-defunct Double Door Inn in Charlotte, North Carolina, in about 1982. From the minute I met him, we hit it off. We are kindred souls who think alike, love great singing and follow the same deal. If you can sing we love you! Tom had never sung solo on a record before and I felt it was my duty to feature him on this project. The end result - he knocks it out of the park!”

Based in the Washington, DC area, Big Joe Maher has been performing blues and jazz for almost 50 years. In his high school jazz band, he was able to play with such jazz greats as Clark Terry, Urbie Green, Mundell Lowe and James Moody, which helped develop his innate style of swing playing that permeates his music to this day. Over time, he’s shared the stage and backed up a diverse group of blues, R&B and soul performers such as Jimmy Witherspoon, Willie Dixon, Lazy Lester, Bullmoose Jackson, James “Thunderbird” Davis, Nappy Brown, Otis Rush and Earl King, among others. In the late ‘80s, after performing (and managing) a nine-piece DC swing band, The Uptown Rhythm Kings, as well as several years as the drummer in the Tom Principato Band, Joe formed his own five-piece jump-blues group, Big Joe & the Dynaflows. In between touring and recording sessions, Joe was musical coordinator for Mick Fleetwood’s club in Alexandria, Virginia, in the mid-90s. His knowledge of local and national blues and jazz performers made him a natural for that gig, and the club was booked with top-notch talent during his tenure. Joe’s also produced a number of blues, jazz and R&B albums, including one by local DC saxophone legend Joe Stanley.

In addition to his previous releases on Severn Records, among the other labels Big Joe has recorded for include Black Top Records out of New Orleans (his Layin’ in the Alley album won the 1994 WAMA award for “Best blues Recording”), as well as the DC-based Powerhouse label, which released his Good Rockin’ Daddy CD.

“I have always loved blues; it’s like an infatuation with me,” Maher proclaims. “I have been blessed to have played with some of the greatest blues and R& B artists ever. All in all, this CD is ME.....this is the music I love and will play till my last breath.....so sit back pour your beverage and let the Rockhouse Party begin !!”

Severn Records artist: Mud Morganfield - They Call Me Mud - New release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, They Call Me Mud, from Mud Morganfield and it's got deep soul roots. Opening with title track, They Call Me Mud, Mud Morganfield, son of the great Muddy Waters shows his own take on the blues with a funky R&B twist. A high stepper with punchy horns by Phil Perkins on trumpet and Michael Jackson on sax this is a cool opener. On 48 Days, a soulful blues number Muds vocals are compelling and stylistic guitar riffs by Billy Flynn add real pepper. Mud's vocals on Cheatin' is Cheatin' coupled with E.G. McDaniel's bass work puts one in mind of the great Curtis Mayfield and his quiet soul wailing. Very nice. Muddy's Howling Wolf is definitely straight out of dad's catalog with traditional vocal styling, strong harp from Studebaker John and super Muddy slide emulation by Billy Flynn. Excellent! Another smooth R&B track and one of my favorites on the release is Who Loves You with Lashunda Williams on backing vocals. Smooth styling and just the right amount of rhythm makes this a strong contender for radio play. Shuffle track, Rough Around The Edge has a real nice feel with smart brass work by Perkins and a super bass work by McDaniel leading to real nice piano soloing by Sumito Ariyo Ariyoshi. Flynn gives he guitar a nice ride, paired with Studebaker John for one of the coolest jams on the release. Wrapping the recording is Mud's Groove, a cool War like smooth track featuring Billy Branch on harp and Bryant "T" Parker on percussion. This isn't the sound that I would immediately associate with the name Morganfield, but I like it!

  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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"They Call Me Mud" CD Coming from Mud Morganfield on March 9 via Severn Records

They Call Me Mud CD Coming from Mud Morganfield on March 9 via Severn Records

Blues Singer and Son of Legendary Muddy Waters Steps Out on New Album Recorded in Chicago with All-Star Cast

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Severn Records announces a March 9 release date for They Call Me Mud, the new CD from singer Mud Morganfield, son of the legendary blues icon, Muddy Waters. Produced by Mud Morganfield and Rick Kreher (who also plays guitar on the CD), They Call Me Mud was recorded at Joyride Studios in in Mud’s Chicago hometown. Mud penned 10 of the album’s 12 songs, with two others coming from his illustrious father’s catalog, “Howling Wolf” and “Can’t Get No Grinding.”

A stellar cast of Chicago area musicians adds some authentic, downhome blues touches to the recording, including Billy Flynn on guitar, Studebaker John on harmonica and backing vocals, Sumito Ariyo Ariyoshi on piano, E.G. McDaniel on bass and Melvin “Pookie Stix” Carlisle on drums.  Special guests include Billy Branch on harmonica, Mike Wheeler on guitar and Mud’s daughter Lashunda Williams, who joins her dad on a loving duet, ‘Who Loves You,’ where Mud gets to stretch out on some of his R&B grooves. There’s also a horn section featured on several tunes, and Mud, himself, plays bass on three tracks.     

“I think it’s the some of the best work I’ve ever done yet,” Mud Morganfield proclaims about the new disc. “I feel that with the variety of material I have on here, people will get a chance to hear the other sides of my music: everything from soul and R&B to jazz and, of course, blues. I got to play bass on three songs, too, and I’m so proud to a have my youngest daughter, Lashunda, sing with me on this album. She’s a natural, too, and regularly sings gospel at home.”   

In the album’s liner notes, co-producer Rick Kreher recalls how he found out about Mud and finally got a chance to meet and become friends with the big man. “About a dozen years ago or so, I heard that a son of Muddy Waters was popping up at clubs on the Westside of Chicago and sitting in for a couple of tunes. A few weeks later, a Chicago blues club was having their annual musicians Christmas luncheon and there was this guy who certainly looked like Muddy. As soon as I introduced myself and he began to talk, I knew without a doubt that this was Muddy’s son. No one could have that deep baritone voice and as soon as he gave that little ‘chuckle’ that Muddy always did, I was convinced. Since that first meeting, we have become great friends and have worked together on many musical endeavors. Mud Morganfield has grown into a superstar on the blues circuit. Certainly, there will be comparisons to his dad, but that can be expected and rightly so. Mud comes as close to the Muddy experience as one can get. He will always pay tribute to his dad with the Chicago blues ensemble sound that Muddy created. But, Mud was also brought up musically in the ‘70s and ‘80s when soul, Motown and R&B ruled the world. Mud played bass and performed with bands playing the hits of that era. This, along with his blues pedigree, has influenced Mud’s own songwriting skills, which are constantly evolving.”

They Call Me Mud is Morganfield’s third album for Severn Records. Son of the Seventh Son (2012) was the first recording that brought Mud into the blues limelight. Mud wrote most of the songs on that album, which was nominated for numerous blues awards and received rave reviews around the world. His last album, For Pops (2014), a tribute to his dad that featured harmonica great Kim Wilson, was showcased on National Public Radio and garnered a Blues Music Award nomination for Traditional Album of the Year.

Rick Kreher describes the music on the new disc as “a blues buffet, with something for everyone. We have a new signature song, ‘They Call Me Mud,’ a hard hitting funky blues with Mud growling it on home. Some rockin’ blues with Studebaker John on harp and Mike Wheeler on guitar going toe-to-toe on ‘“Who’s Fooling Who?’ We have a couple of Chicago blues stompers, ‘Walkin’ Cane’ and ‘Rough Around the Edge;’ a great minor blues, ‘48 Days,’ with Billy Flynn channeling the great Jimmy Johnson on guitar; a Stax groove on ‘Oh Yeah;’ and Mike Wheeler again getting funky on ‘24 Hours.’

“Then, to honor his dad once again we have Muddy’s slide guitar blues, ‘Howlin’ Wolf,’ and the roaring shuffle, ‘Can’t Get No Grindin’,’ where everyone takes a solo turn. And finally, a jazzy instrumental, ‘Mud’s Groove,’ featuring the great Billy Branch on harp. This was the kind of song that blues bands would play before the star of the show would appear to get them into the groove. This song is a perfect finale to a CD that showcases Mud’s take on the blues.”

They Call Me Mud – Track Listing

1) They Call Me Mud   

2)  48 Days

3)  Cheatin’ is Cheatin’  

4)  Who’s Fooling Who?  

5) Howling Wolf  

6)  24 Hours 

7)  Who Loves You 

8)  Oh Yeah

9)  Can’t Get No Grindin’  

10) Rough Around the Edge

11) Walkin’ Cane   

12)  Mud’s Groove

Severn Records artists: The Original Blues Brothers Band - The Last Shade of Blue Before Black - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Last Shade Of Blue Before Black, by The Original Blues Brothers Band and it's great! Opening with Jimmy Reed's Baby What You Want Me To Do, Bobby "Sweet Soul" Harden with Tommy "Pipes" McDonnell on harp and vocals and Rob "The Honeydripper" Paparozzi on harp and vocals take center stage with super harmony and John Tropea plays terrific guitar soloing backed by Tom Malone on trumpet, Baron Raymonde on alto sax, Eric "The Red" Udel on bass, Lee "Funkytime" Finkelstein on drums, Leon "The Lion" Pendarvis on organ, Rusty "Cloudmeister" Cloud on clav, Wurlitzer and piano. High stepping, Cherry Street, features McDonnell on lead vocals, Birch Johnson on trombone and Raymonde really rips on alto sax. Eddie Floyd is up on lead vocals on slinky, On Saturday A Night, and guest Tom Malone on bari sax  and with tight, warm horn backing. Harden takes the lead on funky, Itch and Scratch. This is a mover with hot horn work pushing all the way and snappy drum work over the funky bass line by Udel. Joe Louis Walker had the lead on Willie Dixon's Don't Go No Further. This track has a great groove with Rob Paparozzi on chromatic harp and featuring a cool harp solo by Tommy McDonnell. This track is saturated with soulful horns punctuated by Steve Howard's trumpet solo and a  classic guitar solo by Matt "Guitar' Murphy. A hot version of James Brown's Sex Machine is lead by Paul Shaffer on lead vocal and piano with David Spinozza on guitar and Tom Malone on trumpet. New Orleans flavored, Your Feet's Too Big has Paparozzi on lead vocal and harp. The horn work throughout is super with standout solos on this track by Cloud on piano and Lou Marini on clarinet. Excellent! Dr. John is front and center on Qualified with his distinctive vocal and piano styling. With Birch Johnson on trombone, Baron Raymonde on alto sax, Lou Marini on bari and tenor sax solos, this is one of my favorites on the release. Title track, The Last Shade Of Blue Before Black has a real nice Johnny Guitar Watson bluesy R&B feel featuring Lou Marini on lead vocal. This is a super closer with Tropea featured with some ultra tasty guitar and a sultry tenor sax solo by Marini. Excellent! 

  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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Severn Records artist: Kim Wilson - Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1 - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1, from Kim Wilson and it's a heavy dose of old style Chicago blues. Opening with harp instrumental Bonus Boogie, Wilson is hitting on all cylinders, backed by Big Jon Atkinson on guitar, Bob Welsh on guitar, Troy Sandow on bass and Malachi Johnson on drums. Excellent! Sonny Boy Williamson's, Ninety-Nine features Wilson on lead vocal and harp and it's one of my favorites on the release. Pure Chicago style and Wilson's tight harp tone is the ticket here. Big Maceo's Worried Life Blues is up next with a solid slower pace highlighted by the keen piano work of Barrellhouse Chuck. John Lee Hooker's Same Old Blues has a swinging blues feel a la BB King or T Bone Walker. Billy Flynn steps in with some choice riffs on guitar, complimented by Larry Taylor on bass, Richard Innes on drums and Jonny Viau on horns. Very nice! Magic Sam's Look Whatcha Done has a great groove with slick guitar riffs by Atkinson and Welsh. Big Walter's Blue and Lonesome is another of my favorites on the release with Atkinson and Nathan James on guitar, some of the best vocals on the release and tight guitar attacks under the melody throughout. Wilson really belts it out on this one crushing it. Kim Wilson's own instrumental, Edgier is a great shuffle with harp lead. Excellent! Wrapping the release is Jimmy Rogers' You're The One. With solid vocals and harp by Wilson, Dodson on drums, and Atkinson on guitar, this is a super closer for a really solid 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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Kim Wilson Gets Back to Basics on "Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1" CD, Coming October 20 from Severn Records

Kim Wilson Gets Back to Basics on Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1 CD, Coming October 20 from Severn Records

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Legendary singer/harmonica master Kim Wilson has gone back to the basics and old school Chicago blues for his exciting new CD, Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1, coming October 20 from Severn Records. Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1 was produced by Kim Wilson, with most tracks  recorded and mixed by Nathan James at Sacred Cat Studios, Oceanside, California; except tracks 4 and 15 recorded by Big Jon at Big Tone Recording Studios, Hayward, California.

“I want to tell all of the real blues fans out there what a labor of love this project has been,” Wilson writes in the album’s liner notes. “I’ve been recording many, many tracks for a couple of years now and time has just flown by! A couple of the greatest musicians that ever lived, Richard Innes and Barrelhouse Chuck, have passed away during the process of making this CD. One of their dreams was to see this stuff come out.

“So here it is, the first of many to come. This kind of music is very easy and pleasurable for me to perform. I like to surround myself with musicians who like to ‘fly by the seat of their pants.’ People like Richard and Barrel, Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson, Marty Dodson, Nathan James, Larry Taylor, Malachi Johnson and all of the other fantastic blues musicians who are on this CD. I desired to record songs that I have always wanted to do. However, I have to put my own twist on everything.”

The track list includes several Kim Wilson originals that fit like a hand-in-glove along with the deep blues songbook he delved into for the new disc, including tunes by Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, Elmore James, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Rogers, Magic Sam and Jimmy Reed.    

A founding member of the legendary Fabulous Thunderbirds and a multiple Blues Music Award winner as a solo artist, Wilson salutes many of his Chicago blues roots influences – in particular his harmonica mentors such as Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson and especially James Cotton – on Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1. It’s music that is both timely and timeless.  

“I’m dedicating this CD to my big brother, James Cotton,” Wilson says. “He has always been a great inspiration and a dear friend. When I was a kid, having a great time with all of the masters of this music, I never dreamt I would be living in a world without them. Every time I open my mouth to sing or pick up my instrument to play I am doing it for them! There are hundreds of tracks in the can and still recording, and I really believe that this period of time is the beginning of my legacy. I could never have done it without my family of masters who invented this music and the musicians who are on this CD. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed making it!”

Kim Wilson and The Fabulous Thunderbirds are managed by Glen Parrish of GP Entertainment.

1. Bonus Boogie - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Bob Welsh; Bass: Troy Sandow; Drums: Malachi Johnson

2. No Love in My Heart - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitar: Nathan James; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Big Jon Atkinson; Drums: Richard Innes; horns: Jonny Viau

3. Ninety Nine - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Drums: Richard Innes

4. Worried Life Blues - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson; Bass: Kadar Roy; Drums: Marty Dodson

5. You Upset My Mind - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Drums: Marty Dodson

6. Teenage Beat - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor; Drums: Richard Innes

7. Same Old Blues - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitar: Billy Flynn; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor; Drums: Richard Innes; horns: Jonny Viau

8. Searched All Over - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor

9. From the Bottom - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor; Drums: Richard Innes

10. Look Whatcha Done - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Bob Welsh, Big Jon Atkinson; Bass: Troy Sandow; Drums: Malachi Johnson

11. Blue and Lonesome - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Drums: Marty Dodson

12. Sho Nuf I Do - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitar: Big Jon Atkinson; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Nathan James; Drums: Richard Innes; horns: Jonny Viau

13. Learn to Treat Me Right – vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor; Drums: Richard Innes

14. Edgier vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Bass: Nathan James; Drums: Marty Dodson

15. Mean Old Frisco - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Bass: Kadar Roy; Drums: Marty Dodson

16. You’re the One - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Drums: Marty Dodson

Severn Records Announces October 6 Release Date for New CD from The Original Blues Brothers Band featuring Steve Cropper & "Blue Lou" Marini, "The Last Shade of Blue Before Black"

Severn Records Announces October 6 Release Date for New CD from The Original Blues Brothers Band featuring Steve Cropper & “Blue Lou” Marini,

The Last Shade of Blue Before Black

Special Guests Include Eddie Floyd, Joe Louis Walker, Paul Shaffer, Dr. John, Matt “Guitar”Murphy and

Joe Morton

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Severn Records announces an October 6 release date for The Last Shade of Blue Before Black, the new album from the legendary Original Blues Brothers Band, featuring guitarist Steve Cropper and sax player “Blue Lou” Marini, with special guests Eddie Floyd, Joe Louis Walker, Paul Shaffer, Dr. John, Matt “Guitar” Murphy and Joe Morton.

“Had anyone told me in 1978 that in 2017 I would still be traveling around the world and playing with the Blues Brothers’ Band, I would have said they were out of their minds,” says “Blue Lou” Marini. “But, amazingly here we are with a new CD and still playing all over the world. This album is a true labor of love and I’m so proud of the organic way it came about. We really wanted to honor our history and to include some of our favorite musicians that we’ve worked with and loved over the years.  We have the legends, Eddie Floyd and Dr. John, plus our original band leader, Paul Shaffer and the great bluesman Joe Louis Walker.

“We also have Tom ‘Bones’ Malone playing and arranging, and cameos from Matt ‘Guitar’ Murphy and Joe Morton, a star from our second movie. We are also thrilled to have former members David Spinozza on guitar, Birch Johnson on trombone, and my steady sub, Baron Raymonde on alto sax.”

The Last Shade of Blue Before Black was produced by Lou Marini, Steve Cropper and The Original Blues Brothers Band and recorded at IWII Studios in Hoboken, NJ, by Jay Messina.

“We wanted to present some new original material and do some tunes that hearkened to our past,” declares Marini. “This is a live CD, with everyone recording at once, mostly first or second takes and live vocals and solos. The only overdubs were some baritone sax parts and a few minor fixes. We were blessed with a fantastic studio that suited us so well, IIWII in Hoboken, New Jersey, and the world’s greatest engineer and friend to all, Jay Messina.

Essentially begun as a one-time musical skit that debuted on NBC-TV’s Saturday Night Live” in 1978 and fronted by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as Jake and Elwood Blues, the band became an overnight sensation, spawning numerous TV appearances, hit albums, two blockbuster movies and global touring.  

“I think the power and joy of this great band that has been playing together for so many years is evident,” states Marini. “We love each other and love making music together. Everyone played their asses off on this CD and none more so than our wonderful bassist, Eric Udel. Eric died tragically in September from a fall here in NYC. He was a great musician and a sunny, funny man whom we all loved. We dedicate this album to him as well as our other fallen and still greatly missed brothers, Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn” and Alan ‘Mr. Fabulous’ Rubin.

“I’ve often said that the OBBB is the world’s greatest part-time job because of you, our fans. We’ve gotten to see the world and enjoy it in your company. We’ve eaten and drank with you, especially the latter, and you have treated us like kings. Enjoy this music and for God’s sake, PLAY IT LOUD!”

The Original Blues Brothers Band are: Steve “The Colonel” Cropper - guitar; John “Smokin’ John” Tropea – guitar; Eric “The Red” Udel – bass; Lee “Funkytime” Finkelstein – drums; Leon “The Lion” Pendarvis – organ; Rusty “Cloudmeister” Cloud - clavinet, Wurlitzer, piano and organ; Steve “Catfish” Howard – trumpet; Larry “Trombonious” Farrell – trombone; Lou “Blue Lou” Marini – saxophones; Bobby “Sweet Soul” Harden – vocals; Tommy “Pipes” McDonnell - vocals and harmonica; and Rob “The Honeydripper” Paparozzi - vocals and harmonica.

The Last Shade of Blue Before Black Track Listing and Additional Credits

1. Baby, What You Want Me To Do - Music & lyrics by Jimmy Reed (Conrad Music/The Seeds of Reed Music, BMI) Arranged by Lou Marini Bobby, Tommy and Rob-vocals, John Tropea-guitar solo, Rob Paparozzi-harp, Tom Malone-trumpet, Baron Raymonde-alto sax

2. Cherry Street - Music & lyrics by Delbert McClinton, Kevin McKendree & Gary Nicholson (East Folks Music, BMI/ASCAP). Arranged by Lou Marini Tommy “Pipes’ McDonnell-lead vocal, Birch Johnson-trombone, Baron Raymonde-alto sax & solo

3. On a Saturday Night - Music & lyrics by Eddie Floyd & Steve Cropper (Irving Music, BMI) Arranged by Tom Malone Eddie Floyd-lead vocal, Tom Malone-baritone sax

4. Itch and Scratch - Music & lyrics by Ronald Hayes & Toby King (Gulf Coast Music LLC) Arranged by Lou Marini and The Original Blues Brothers Band Bobby “Sweet Soul” Harden-lead vocal, Rob, Tommy & Rusty-background vocals, Baron Raymonde-alto sax

5. Don’t Go No Further - Music & lyrics by Willie Dixon (Hoochie Coochie Music, BMI) Horn arr. by Lou Marini, rhythm arr. by The Original Blues Brothers Band Joe Louis Walker-lead vocal, Rob Paparozzi-chromatic harp, Tommy McDonnell harp solo, Steve Howard-trumpet solo, Matt “Guitar” Murphy-guitar solo

6. You Left the Water Running - Music & lyrics by Dan Penn, Rick Hall & Oscar Franks (Screen Gems-EMI       Music, Inc., BMI.)  Arranged by Tom Malone Bobby “Sweet Soul” Harden-lead vocal, Tommy, Rob & Lou-background vocals, Lou Marini-tenor sax solo, Tom Malone-baritone sax, David Spinozza-acoustic guitar

7. Don’t Forget About James Brown - Music & lyrics by Eddie Floyd (Irving Music, BMI) Arranged by Leon Pendarvis Eddie Floyd & Tommy “Pipes” McDonnell-lead vocals, Baron Raymonde-alto sax, Tom Malone-baritone sax, Larry Farrell-trombone solo

8. Sex Machine - Music & lyrics by James Brown, Bobby Byrd & Ronald Lenhoff (Dynatone    Publishing Co., BMI.) Arranged by Paul Shaffer & Tom Malone Paul “The Shiv” Shaffer-lead vocal and piano solo, David Spinozza-guitar, Tom Malone-trumpet

9. Your Feet’s Too Big - Music by Fred Fisher, lyrics by Ada Benson with extra lyrics by Fats Waller   (Morley Music Co/Sony ATV Tunes LLC, ASCAP) Arranged by Lou Marini and The Original Blues Brothers Band Rob Paparozzi-lead vocal & bass harmonica, Rusty Cloud-piano solo, Lou Marini-clarinet

10. 21^st Century Baby - Music & lyrics by Rob Paparozzi (Robodripper Tunes, SESAC) Arranged by John Tropea Rob Paparozzi-lead vocal, Baron Raymonde-alto sax, Tom Malone-trumpet & baritone sax

11. Blues in My Feet - Music & lyrics by Rusty Cloud (Stousefouse Music, BMI) Rusty Cloud-lead vocal, Tom Malone-baritone sax, Rob Paparozzi-harp solo

12. Qualified - Music & lyrics by Jessie Hill & Malcom Rebennack (Warner-Tamerlane Publishing OBO Skull Music, ASCAP) Arranged by Lou Marini Dr. John “The Nite Tripper”-lead vocal and piano, Bobby, Tommy, Rob & Rusty -background vocals, Birch Johnson-trombone, Baron Raymonde-alto sax, Lou Marini-baritone sax & tenor sax solo

13. I Got My Mojo Working - Music and lyrics by Preston Foster (ARC Music/Dare Music, Inc., BMI)      Arranged by Lou Marini Rob Paparozzi, Bobby Harden, Joe Morton & Tommy McDonnell-lead vocals, The Original Blues Brothers Band-background vocals, Rusty Cloud-organ solo,     Tom Malone-trumpet

14. The Last Shade of Blue Before Black - Music & lyrics by Lou Marini (Hip Pickles Music ASCAP) Arranged by Lou Marini and The Original Blues Brothers Band Lou Marini-lead vocal, Bobby, Tommy, Rob & Rusty-background vocals, John Tropea-guitar solo, Lou Marini-tenor sax solo

Severn Records artist: Sugar Ray & The Bluetones - Seeing Is Believing - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Seeing Is Believing, from Sugar Ray & The Bluetones and I love it! Opening with Sweet Baby, Sugar Ray Norcia are dynamic and his harp playing fat. Anthony Geraci's piano work is tight and Monster Mike Welch sets a great groove, backed by Michael Mudcat Ward on bass and Neil Gouvin on drums. Great opener. Title track, Seeing Is Believing brings down the pace a bit and Monster Mike's guitar work is outrageously rich. Norcia's vocals are smooth as silk and the band is super. Absolutely excellent! With a cool lope, Noontime Bell strolls along giving Norcia the opportunity to set the bar on harp. Geraci's piano work is always solid and this track plays right into his hands with Welch laying back and watching...very nice. Keep On Sailing is another terrific track with a Muddy Waters feel. Norcia's vocals are super and his harp work solid. Geraci really digs in on this one and Monster Mike a giant. Excellent! Jumper, Blind Date, is just smoking! Norcia cranks it up from the first note and with strong support overall, Monster Mike cranks it up Texas style. Wow! Bringing down the pace a bit, BB King's You Know I Love You is a great opportunity for Monster Mike to play lead and just turn the phrase over and again. Terrific! With a bit of New Orleans blues, Misses Blues, has an almost falling down the stairs drum beat that really makes me like it. Light on instrumentation, Norcia tells the story backed by the crew and heavily saturated harp. Bluesy ballad, Not Me, has the cleanest vocals on the release with chorded guitar work and melodic, Stevie Wonder like harp styling. Got A Gal has a solid lope and Welch really pulls out the round guitar tones giving the track a very human sound. Norcia continues to confirm his vocal prowess cemented by his harp work. Sounding like it's right out of the Morganfield archives, Two Hundred Dollars Too Long, has a great feel. Norcia not only sets the vocal tone but his harp is very Chicago and Monster Mike has the slide tone cooked to a T. Excellent! Wrapping the release is It's Been A Long Time with continuous riffs from Welch and Geraci under the vocals. This is a continuous Chicago blues p[arty and one you wish would never end. 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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Severn Records artists: The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Strong Like That - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Strong Like That, from The Fabulous Thunderbirds and I really like it. Opening with Temptations classic, (I Know) I'm Losing You, TFT have melded a track that has been done by everyone from Rare Earth to Rod Stewart and with spicy steel guitar work of Roosevelt Collier and the funky beat of Wes Watkins created a cool new sound. Kim Wilson is upfront on vocal and harp and Steve Gomes lays down a solid bass riff along with Kevin Anker on keys. Very cool! Stepping off like Curtis Mayfield on Don't Burn Me, Wilson delivers a really soulful vocal line. Anson Funderburgh lends an artful hand to this soulful mix with tasty guitar riffs and with Christal Rheams and Caleb Green on backing vocals, Gomes on bass and Robb Stupka on drums. Excellent! Funky blues soul on You're Gonna Miss Me has a super groove that makes you want to bounce in your seat if not outright get up and dance. Wilson's harp work on this track is more soul than blues and really works nicely. Al Jackson's Drowning On Dry land has a super cool bottom Wilson keeps it light as air with his smooth vocals and restrained harp. Moeller's guitar riffs are spot on and Anker punctuates nicely. Excellent! Another funky track, Somebody's Getting It, is full blown with Kenny Rittenhouse on trumpet, Joe Donegan on trumpet, Antonio Orta on sax and Bill Holmes on trombone and Rheams and Green on back vocals. Wilson's vocals are particularly rich on this track, possibly being my favorite featuring him in near memory. With it's rolling bass line, Meet Me On The Corner, is the bluesiest track on the release and Wilson takes full advantage with his trademark blues harp riffs and vocals. Very cool. Where's Your Love Been has a cool southern soul sound with the full horns, crafty keyboard work by Anker and a few real nice guitar outings by Mr Johnny Moeller. Eddie Floyd's I've Never Found A Girl (To Love Me Like You Do) has a smooth soul sound with tight horn work and cool stylistic rhythm guitar work by Moeller. Wilson's vocals are cool and the track solid. Wrapping the release is title track, Strong Like That. With it's funky bass line and snappy drum bottom, Wilson really brings it home on vocal and harp. His phrasing and tone are top notch and this track is a particularly cool closer to what may be my favorite Thunderbirds release...ever!



  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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Severn Records Sets October 7 Release Date for "Seeing Is Believing," New CD from Acclaimed Sugar Ray & the Bluetones

Severn Records Sets October 7 Release Date for Seeing Is Believing, New CD from Acclaimed Sugar Ray & the Bluetones

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Severn Records announces an October 7 release date for Seeing Is Believing, the new CD from the acclaimed Sugar Ray & the Bluetones. Seeing Is Believing is the band’s seventh album for Severn Records and follows their highly-successful 2014 CD, Living Tear to Tear, which garnered them seven Blues Music Award nominations, including “Best Band,” plus individual nominations for Sugar Ray as “Traditional Male Blues Artist” and “Instrumentalist – Harmonica,” and a song nomination for “Things Could Be Worse.” At the most-recent Blues Music Awards in May, the group was again nominated for “Band of the Year,” as well as individual nominations for keyboardist Anthony Geraci, guitarist Monster Mike Welch and bassist Michael Mudcat Ward. Anthony Geraci’s album with The Boston Blues-All-Stars, Fifty Shades of Blue, received three additional nominations.

Produced by the band, the dozen tracks on Seeing Is Believing – 11 originals and a scintillating instrumental cover of B.B. King’s “You Know I Love You” – sweep out of the speakers with the power of a gale force wind, blowing with a transcendent groove. The band: Sugar Ray Norcia on lead vocals and harmonica, Monster Mike Welch on guitars, Anthony Geraci on pianos and Hammond organ, Michael Mudcat Ward on bass and Neil Gouvin on drums, never wastes any notes. From the opening Mississippi blues of “Sweet Baby,” that features Norcia's down-and-dirty harmonica and his signature blues growl, and the wink-and-a-nod jazz blues of “Misses Blues,” to the smoky lounge tune, “Not Me,”  Sugar Ray and the Bluetones wring out every emotion, demonstrating  just how blues ought to be played.

“We do this to have fun,” laughs Sugar Ray. “Every time we go into the studio or out on a road trip or onstage, we always say ‘let’s have some fun’.” It’s that spirit of keeping it loose and playing for the fun of it and simply letting the music carry them wherever it will that keeps Sugar Ray & the Bluetones burning up the musical landscape. As the band sings on the song, “Blind Date,” written by Norcia, “if you ain't having fun/you're doing something wrong.” Each player’s ability to step right up and plug right into the groove with his own musical vision for the song creates the overarching unity of the band’s music.

“We’re almost telepathic in the way we work together,” says Sugar Ray about the band’s communication, creating a unity that results in the band’s tightness. No notes ever get left on the floor, and Welch, Ward, Geraci, and Gouvin seem to know just when to come in with a riff or a beat and when not to. Monster Mike “understands me very well musically,” observes Sugar Ray; “so if I want to play a low-down blues, he has the part down and comes right in.” Mudcat knows the right things to do and the right things not to do, “and that last part might be even more important,” chuckles Norcia. It’s so refreshing to work with Anthony and Neil, too, Norcia says, because “they, like all of us, want to play this music right to pay homage to it.” This unity of musical vision and ability, says Norcia, is what “sets us apart.”

That musical oneness also grows out of the Bluetones’ time together. They just celebrated 35 years as a band. Monster Mike Welch is the “youngster” of the band, since he’s only been with the Bluetones for 16 years. Over those years, the band has put out many critically-acclaimed albums and garnered high honors; this past April, Sugar Ray & the Bluetones were inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame. In 2014, Sugar Ray received his third Grammy nomination (“Best Blues Album”) for his playing on Remembering Little Walter.

On Seeing is Believing, as on all their albums and at their shows, Sugar Ray & the Bluetones are having fun—and so will anyone who listens to any song on this new album—but they’re also paying homage to this “beautiful, wonderful genre of music.” This new album itself is a work of beauty and wonder, indeed, both paying tribute to the music of everyone from Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, and Little Walter to Louis Jourdan and Louis Armstrong. The sound is that big and that tight.

Websites: www.sugarrayandthebluetones.com                www.severnrecords.com

Itinerary

Aug 26 - Blues & BBQ Event, Webster, NY
Sept 2 - Blues In Hell Festival, Hell, Norway
Sept 4 - Harvest Time Blues Festival , Monaghan, Ireland
Sept 9 - Thunder Road, Somerville, MA
Sept 10 - The Knickerbocker Cafe, Westerly, RI
Sept 17 - Pennsylvania Blues Festival (Boston Blues All-Stars) Lake Harmony, PA
Sept 24 - Pitman’s Freight Room, Laconia, NH
Oct 1 - Crossroads Music Series, North Andover, MA
Nov 19 - Blackstone River Theater, Cumberland, RI
Nov 25 - Poland (Sugar Ray and the Bluetones with The Boston Blues All-Stars Featuring Anthony Geraci, Darrell Nulisch and Michelle Willson)
Nov 26 – Holland
Dec 2 - Blue Rooster, Sarasota, FL
Dec 3 - Bradenton Blues Festival, Bradenton, FL
Dec 7 – Englewood’s On Dearborn, Englewood, FL
Dec 8 - Wireless Blues Society Christmas Party, Dothan, AL
Dec 9 - Aces, Suncoast Blues Society Christmas Party, Bradenton, FL
Dec 10 - Eats and Beats, Parkland Amphitheater, Parkland, FL
Dec 16- Chans, Woonsocket, RI