Silvertone/RCA Records artist: Buddy Guy - The Blues Is Alive And Well - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Blues Is Alive and Well, from Buddy Guy and it's strong. Opening with A Few Good Years, Buddy Guy pleads in song for continued good years to remain but his vocals are smooth and his guitar as vibrant as ever. Joined by Tom Hambridge on drums, Rob McNelley on guitar, Kevin McKendree on B3 and Willie Weeks on bass, this hits home. Shuffle track, Guilty As Charged shows a strong romp attitude and you can see that gold tooth glistening as Buddy shouts out guilty and fans his guitar wildly in one of his frantic guitar explosions. Very nice. Cognac, is a real nice 12 bar number featuring not one but two legendary guest guitar players, Keith Richards and Jeff Beck who along with Guy give this track real teeth. Richards' riffs are always standout and Beck's style is remarkable and an absolute signature. Excellent! Title track, The Blues Is Alive And Well is a great R&B fused track with Weeks' instinctual bass work leading the way. Guys' vocals are rich and pure and the backing by the Muscle Shoals Horns (Charles Rose on trombone, Steve Herrman on trumpet, Doug Moffet on tenor sax and Jim Hoke on bari sax really add depth to Guys personal guitar style. Very solid. Soul ballad, Blue No More features James Bay and Guy trading vocal and guitar lead. Smooth as silk and blue as can be, this track is a great radio track. Digging in the funk, Whiskey For Sale shows a side you don't often see but a great side it is. With McNelley on slide, Guy tearing up the lead and the McCrary Sisters on backing vocals this track may be one of my favorites on the release. Slow blues, You Did The Crime is classic Buddy Guy with terrific vocals and guitar, fat slide from McNelley and Mick Jagger on harp. With that rumbling bass line that I like to think as classic Buddy, Old Fashioned, is a great track with Guy conjuring up the notorious Buddy Guy guitar tone and riffs. The Muscle Shoals horns really pump up the volume and McKendree's B3 fills out the sound. Excellent! When My Day Comes is still another great track with Buddy on full throttle with expressive vocals and lead vocal and tight pointed drumming by Hambridge. Sonny Boy Williamson's Nine Below Zero sits solid in the Chicago sound with classic lines and riffs. Guy grew up in this stuff and knows just how to dress it right. His soloing is fresh, expressive and meaningful. Excellent! Boogie track, Ooh Daddy is a hard driver with Weeks leading the way and Buddy shows nothing but vitality with youthful yelps and pounding riffs. Super. Wrapping the release is End Of The Line and Milking Muther For Ya. Guy does it big time smooth band with horns honking and great guitar tone. Continuing his theme of nearing the end of his time, Guy shows no signs here to slowing or losing his fine talents as some of his predecessors have done. He ties into this last track his little ditty that he often sings in concert about the girl who tries to milk the bull. I've seen Buddy many times and he's always a great performer. My hopes are that he still has many more years to come. Excellent release!

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Silvertone/RCA Records artist: Buddy Guy - Born To Play Guitar - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Born To Play The Blues, from Buddy Guy and it's terrific! Opening with title track, Born To Play Guitar, Guy starts at his roots with a primitive blues track with basic blues picking supplemented by Rob McNelley on resonator and Guy on strat and super blues vocals. Terrific start! Wear You Out is a great boogie featuring Billy Gibbons trading vocals and guitar riffs with Guy. Backed by Tom Hambridge on drums, Rob McNelley on guitar, Kevin McKendree on Clav and Glenn Worf on bass this track rocks! Classic styling on Back Up Mama features McNelley on slide and Guy on strat trading riffs. Buddy is just such an exceptional performer and his vocals are tight. His calling card frenzied guitar riffs kick this track in the back side giving it that extra punch and McKendree's piano is tight. Kim Wilson joins Guy on swing track, Too Late. His harp riffs blend nicely with Guy's vocals. Whiskey, Beer & Wine has a great groove driven by Doyle Bramhall II, McNelley, Hambridge and Michael Rhodes (on bass). Reese Wynans lays in some real nice B3 and Clav and Guy switches off to an uncharacteristic ES335 for a rounder tone blending nicely with his vocals. Shuffle track, Kiss Me Quick, shows some of Guy's best vocals on the release and his guitar tone from the 335 have a real nice roundness. Kim Wilson adds some hot harp riffs and McKendree's piano work is hot! Crying Out Of One Eye is a cool track with a trace riff from Otis Rush. With an overall R&B feel, this track has a clever concept in title. It reminds me of something that I supposedly said to my parents when I was a kid "I'm laughing on the outside but crying on the inside" as I was taking my punishment for a bad deed. Guys uses the one eye crying for the foolishness of someone who really doesn't hurt. I really like it. With it's almost BB King like guitar riffs and backed by the Muscle Shoals Horns this track packs a punch. On classic R&B track, Baby You Got What It Takes, Guy is joined by Joss Stone and her vocals are clear and sweet as honey. I'm not a big "star collaboration" guy, but Stone has joined another of my favorites, Jeff Beck, on his performances and in both cases she has shown not to be just a calling card on a piece of paper but a real cool singer who can hold her own with the real heavyweights. Turn Me Wild has a real nice strut with Guy nicely punctuating his own vocals on guitar and Billy Cox driving the groove on bass. Some of the slickest guitar work on the release is on this track with Guy taking his strat for a nice walk. Crazy World is an easy soulful ballad with Reese Wynans holding the course with B3 and Guy just singing his guts out. Short meaningful guitar work by Guy is smooth and articulate with a lot of grip. Smarter Than I Was has a vibrant rhythm part by Hambridge, and a cool underlying guitar part by Rob McNelley... and crisp guitar bursts from Guy set this track on fire. Excellent! The big R&B hammer is dropped with Thick Like Mississippi Mud. "Good Whiskey and Women"... shoot...you got me already! Guy gets into one of his classic grooves (Think Damn Right I've Got The Blues) and there's no holding him back. Guy works up a real guitar frenzy on this track literally blowing the lid off! McKendree on piano, Worf on bass and the Muscle Shoals Horns prod him along and he responds with flames! Easy going ballad, Flesh & Bone, in concert with Van Morrison is a nice ballad of both men's style. Trading lead vocal spots, this is probably (after Thick) the most radio likely track on the release. Thick because of it's power and F&B because of it's natural tenderness and melodic sensibilities. Wrapping the release is Come Back Muddy, a stripped down blues number featuring Wymans on upright piano, Bramhall II on 12 string, Michael Rhodes on electric bass and Guy on acoustic guitar and vocal. Classic blues chords and lines give it a primitive feel but it's "modern Guy" getting into a real nice acoustic groove with tight guitar solo's. The release is opened in easy style and closed in easy style. This is a really nice release from Guy and one with a lot of heart. Check it out!

   

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Silvertone Records/RCA Records artist: Buddy Guy - Rhythm & Blues - New Release Review

Buddy Guy is back and with a vengeance! I just received the newest release (July 30, 2013), Rhythm & Blues, by Buddy Guy and it screams! This new release, a double CD offering is broken into Rhythm and Blues but frankly... it's all Buddy and all great! Opening with Best In Town, Guy is crankin' right out of the box with funky horns behind Buddy's signature vocals and wailing guitar riffs. I love it when Buddy just opens it up and lets it fly and he does open it up! Justifyin' has a lower profile but again with a bit of funk under the lead and voracious man eating guitar tones. I Go By Feel is a bit more of a soul ballad but Guy still doesn't relent on his ripping of the fretboard. On Messin' With the Kid, Guy joins up with Kid Rock for an honest cover of the classic track. What's Up With That Woman has a great sway and Guy's voice is smooth as silk. Guy has not lost a step continuing to grow as a player. On One Day Away, Guy and Keith Urban sing a duet which will likely get a lot of airplay in crossover markets. This track is laden with solid punctuate guitar riffs. Guy pulls out an oldie with Well I Done Got Over It puts a new spin on it. With a huge horn sound backing him, Guy sings with a lot of feel and plays guitar riffs with swing, but maintaining his signature sting. What You Gonna Do About Me features Guy in vocal duet with Beth Hart. Taking a lot of the kind of style from Thrill Is Gone, Guy and Hart trade vocal leads and Guy really holds back on the pyrotechnics a bit making this another track want for the radio. The Devil's Daughter is a strong solo track with Guy handling vocals on his own and with simple keys and drum/bass accompaniment, flares away on his guitar in compliment to his smooth vocals. On Whiskey Ghost, Guy, keeps his vocals at bey with sonic sound garden guitar effects creating a ghostly bed for his tale. Lightly picked guitar blues backs this track. Closing the first disc is Rhythm Inner Groove, a really cool funky instrumental ... my only complaint is it isn't longer! Disc two opens with Meet Me In Chicago, a country funk track reminding me quite a bit of Elvin Bishop in style... Buddy Guy and Elvin Bishop... now there's a thought! This is a cookin' track and Buddy lets the dogs out. Jump back and watch! Too Damn Bad opens with a traditional blues pattern on guitar developing into a full blown guitarsplosion. Excellent! Evil Twin is a more modern turn on the knock down blues featuring Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and Brad Whitford. Guy digs in some good riffs as does Perry. Nice. On I Could Die Happy, Buddy opens with very clean acoustic guitar rhythm and his rich vocals but as the song progresses plays really tasty but sparse electrifying guitar riffs. On Never Gonna Change, Buddy dons his slide for a swinging boogie. On All That Makes Me Happy Is The Blues, a sweet electric piano riff opens the door for Buddy to strut in sounding all slick and polished. Horns balance out the electric piano and Buddy lays back just hitting you with a hot riff here and there as he tells his story, but you know it's coming... a gut wrenching solo like nobody else can do. If there is one artist on the planet who a person can tell who he is with one note...it's Buddy... and that note is wow! On My Mama Loved Me, a cool track along the lines of Tobacco Road, Guy lays back in the pocket and sings the blues but then the tidal wave comes and Buddy unleashes the big guns! Great fretwork and dynamic vocals! On Blues Don't Care, Guy is paired with Gary Clark Jr., one of my favorite contemporary players. This is a super track and one where each player takes his turn and their styles match up quite well. I Came Up Hard is right down the middle Buddy Guy... just what you want to hear. Guy is a terrific singer and player and this is a super demo of his well rounded talents. I see Buddy every chance I get and I'm really happy to see this super new release with all fresh material. Buddy just keeps crankin' and I still find him one of the most exciting blues men of any age on the scene today ... if not the best. Poison Ivy is a really uncharacteristic track fro Guy having a real swing lope to it. Guy has his guitar turned up real fat and with the solid boogie bass line behind it it's a great intro or outro track. Without his vocals, it's such an uncharacteristic track for him, that you'd have to listen twice to guess it was him... but his signature sound is still there and it's like a new day. This is a really superior recording and I recommend it for new and old fans alike. I have heard most everything Buddy Guy has recorded and I'm thrilled to add this to my listening stack!

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Silvertone/RCA Records artist - Live At Legends - Buddy Guy - New Release Review

I just received the newest Buddy Guy release, Buddy Guy Live At Legends, and its smokin! Released December 18, 2012 this release is going directly to my Bman's Best of 2012 releases. Buddy opens his set with a stew of frenzy fiery guitar riffs on Guy classic Best Damn Fool. Buddy, still the ultimate performer, has the crowd in the palm of his hands, just where he likes them! Buddy's playing is relentless shows all the fire of a young man. Marty Samson plays a nice extended piano interlude against Tim Austin's tight drums. Next up is Waters/Bo Diddley, Mannish Boy, and the pyrotechnics continue. Guy rolls right into Dixon,s I Just Want To Make Love To You. Buddy is chokin' the life from his strat and has it screaming for it,s mama! Guy,s voice is still in top form and you can hear his smile coming from the recording. Extensive use of scatter machine gun picking and wha is extremely effective in creating incredible energy. Up next is Buddy,s R&B classic, Skin Deep. Listening to Guy sing this track makes you extremely conscious how serious an issue this is and how deeply he feels the scars. On Damn Right I Got The Blues, Guy conjures up incredible passion using his stair step bending technique to open one of his contemporary blues favorites. Buddy punctuates each line with white hot guitar riffs. Guy's technique, tone and playing style is legendary and unmatched. If you've seen Buddy's show in recent years you've seen him do a medley of blues and guitar greats including John Lee Hooker, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. In keeping with tradition, Guy does a short entree of Boom Boom and Strange Brew and everything goes up in flames on Voodoo Chile, continuing into Sunshine Of Your Love. This wraps up the concert, but also included are three more bonus tracks starting with Polka Dot Love enforcing a strong grip on deep rich blues with Guy laying down some of his tastiest riffs in years. Coming For You, a Tom Hambridge, Delbert McClinton tune is an upbeat funky track which should see some serious airplay. The studio tracks include Tom Hambridge on drums, David Grissom on guitar, Reese Wynans on keyboard, Michael Rhodes and Tommy McDonald on bass and adding the Memphis Horns. Muddy Waters' Country Boy, the final track on this release is done in a dirty low down manner giving Guy one more opportunity to show his particularly rich vocals and soulful blues guitar riffs. This is not just another live CD from a major artist to capitalize on a few tracks but a serious clip of Buddy Guy today...at his best. I am thrilled to add this to my collection!
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 This video is not the same track as on thie new CD but used to represent Guy live in concert.