Gypsy Soul Records artist:The Commoners - Find A Better Way - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Find A Better Way, from The Commoners and it has all of the swagger and sting you would want. Opening with title track, Find A Better Way, Chris Medhurst shows what a rock frontman is supposed to sound like. With a touch of Steve Marriott, and a powerful bottom, led by Adam Cannon on drums and Ben Spiller on bass as well as solid guitar riffs by Ross Haynes Citrullo gives this track real bite. More than Mistakes has a firm bottom and some real nice lead guitar by Citrullo, supported by Miles Evans-Branagh on keys and Medhurst on rhythm guitar. Solid radio track. Naturally, has a strong melody and rich backing vocals by Chantal Williams, Shezelle Weekes and Tash Lorayne, coupled with a strong sway making it another top radio candidate. I Won’t adds another dimension with just a touch of country blues, and the steel guitar finesse of Michael Ekhart and really nice vocal blending. Very nice. Wrapping the release is stripped down folk blues, Alive, featuring the lush vocals of Medhurst, with beautiful steel work by Ekhart. This is really a nice release with a lot of meat. 

  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”

 For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE" 

 

“Like” Bman’s Facebook page and get support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

For your convenience, you can click the title of this post above to be taken to a site where this cd can be purchased - Happy Listening

Stony Plain Records artist: The Hogtown Allstars - Hog Wild - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Hog Wild, from The Hogtown Allstars and it's super. Opening with New Orleans flavored, Mr. Lucky, featuring Chuck Jackson on lead vocal, Gary Kendall on bass, Pat Carey on sax, Teddy Leonard on guitars, Howard Moore on trumpet, Jim Casson on drums and featuring super piano work by Tyler Yarema on piano and backing vocals by Quisha Wint, Jill Zadeh and Selena Evangeline. Shuffle, Real Good Night has a party feel with solid horn backing by Carey and Moore and prominent placement by Wint, Zadeh and Evangeline. Moore lays in a real nice guitar melody on this track but this tune really is prime for airplay. Subway Casanova is one of my favorite tracks with it's swampy, funky rhythm and great slide work by Leonard. Chicago style blues, Biscuits and Beans is stripped down with Jackson on vocal and harmonica and Leonard on guitar. This is as pure and simple as it gets. Very nice. Wrapping the release is I Ain't Lyin' a driving boogie. With Jackson, Kendall and Moore on vocal and the music being carried by Yarema, Kendall and Casson with some real nice horn work by Carey this is a solid closer for a 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”

 For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE" 

   

 “Like” Bman’s Facebook page and get support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

Jim Dan Dee - Real Blues - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Real Blues, from Jim Dan Dee, and I really like it. Opening with Guitar Slim's The Things That I Used To Do, Jim Stefanuk on lead vocal and guitar is on attack. His vocals are strong and his riffs relentless. Backed by Shawn Royal on drums, Dwayne Lau on bass and Jason Sewerynek on sax, this is a fiery opener. On title track, Real Blues, the band uses a slow firm pace to create dynamics and Stefanuk plays lead arpeggiation and fluid lead runs over reverb saturated harmony. With David Gilmore like phrasing, this track is sure to be a fan favorite. Rock and roller, Two Shakes of a Lamb's Tail has a cool backbeat courtesy of Royal and Lau. Sewerynek really punctuates with his sax work and Stefanuk's vocals are cocky with stinging guitar riffs to back 'em up. Solid. I like the approach on T for Trouble with a heavy bottom and heavy guitars under the vocal. Sewerynex wails the blues on sax and Stefanuk grinds on guitar.  This is pure 70's blues rock. Excellent! Wrapping the release is Texas style boogie, Money Don't Work On The Devil and the band is in full tilt. Strong 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”

 For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE" 

 

“Like” Bman’s Facebook page and get support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

Outside The Box - Mike Nagoda - New Release - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (January 14, 2022) Outside the Box, from Mike Nagoda and it's an interesting blues rocker. Toronto based, Nagoda, was born with Cerebal Palsy and identifies as a queer, disabled blues and roots musician. Having a difficult time mastering guitar in a conventional fasion, Nagoda approached Toronto bluesman Brian Cober who developed the art of double slide where a slide is worn on two separate fingers creating an unusual effect. Opening with shuffle track, He's My Man, Nagoda wastes no time in displaying his sexuality, which was quite common with early blues although primarily heterosexual in nature. Joined by Liam Ward on harmonica, Nagoda showcases his double slide techniques. Pretty cool. With a slinky, kinda funky bottom, courtesy of D'Arcy Cain on bass, Jeremy Ronson on drums, Here To Stay has a rocky feel with Nagoda on guitar, vocal and Hammond. Slow, 8 bar track, Busker's Blues, features a nice guitar solo by Michael Keith, a solid piano solo by Anthony D'Allessandro, and some real nice harmonica by Liam Ward. O, Maximus is an interesting blues rocker with an adventurous instrumental extension featuring nice solos by Nagoda and Ward. Very nice. I think my favorite track on the release is "Pixies like" title track, Outside the Box, with it's alternating time signatures, vocal attack and rowdy guitar work by Frank Cosentino, Nelson Sobrel and Nagoda. Latin influenced, Conquistador, features cool percussion work by Chris Birkett with Ronson, Rex Ruber on alto sax, D'Allessandro on piano and a hot guitar solos by Robb Cappelletto and Nagoda. Wrapping the release is We Got A Party (Further On Up The Road), a loose blues rocking jam. D'Allesandro lays in another nice piano solo and Nagoda rips another solo of his own making this a solid closer for the 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”

 For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE" 

   

 “Like” Bman’s Facebook page and get support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

Josh Piche' - Self Titled - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent self titled release from Josh Piche' and it's a cool set. Opening with Starry Eyes, a solid rocker with plenty of radio appeal, Josh Piche' is up front on guitar and lead vocal backed by Eddy Ruyter on keys, Steve Pelletier on bass and Don Pham on drums. Piche's vocals are really cool and his guitar attach sophisticated. Another track with solid radio appeal is Spend My Time with the addition of steel guitar work by Mitch Lewis. With it's softer approach, December Birds has a folky acoustic feel with light instrumentation and warm backing vocals. Wrapping the release is reggae flavored, Fools In Love with tight drum rhythms, mellow lap steel by Lewis and the addition of Anthony Brancati on keys and Mike Ferfolia on vocal. 

  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”

 For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE" 

 

“Like” Bman’s Facebook page and get support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE 

Stony Plain Records artist: Rory Block - Prove It On Me - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Prove It On Me, by Rory Block and it's pretty tasty. Opening with Helen Humes' He May Be Your Man, Rory Block uses her laid back bluesy style with some of her best vocals in years, matched by her always concise guitar riffs. Excellent opener. Stuff Smith's If You're a Viper is a great tune, paying tribute to Rosetta Howard. Block's vocals are altered into a cool, more vintage feel and with light percussion and great slide, all played by Block. Very nice. Ma Rainey's Prove It On Me is the title track and shines brightly with full, thick vocals and sweet slide work. Blocks really hits her stride on this release, with a clean contemporary recording of excellent old classics. Memphis Minnie's In My Girlish Days is among my favorites on the release with rich vocal styling and Block's well known slide techniques, backed by her own angelic harmonies. Merline Johnson's Milk Man Blues (Yas Yas Girl) is my favorite track on the release with it's perfect poised pace, Block's extra work on vocal delivery which is extremely convincing for the time period and always excellent slide work. Wrapping the release is Elvie Thomas' Motherless Child, a strong closer with deep vocal character and clean slide soloing. This is a strong acoustic release. Check it out!  

  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”

 For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE" 

 

“Like” Bman’s Facebook page and get support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

Canadian National Treasures and Country Music Legends Ian Tyson and Sylvia Tyson to be Inducted into Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame; Historic Double-Album Release of "Ian & Sylvia

Canadian National Treasures and Country Music Legends Ian Tyson

and Sylvia Tyson to be Inducted into Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame

Celebration Coincides with Historic Double-Album Release of

Ian & Sylvia The Lost Tapes on September 6th,

60 Years After They First Met

TORONTO,  – July 1959 was a pivotal month for the history of folk and country music. It was when Ian Tyson met Sylvia Fricker for the first time, which began a musical journey, both as a dynamic duo and with distinguished solo careers, that would help put Canadian country music on the map globally. In honor of the start of this historic musical collaboration, Stony Plain Records will be releasing Ian & Sylvia The Lost Tapes on September 6^th; the day after their much-anticipated inductions as individual songwriters into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, which will be presented on September 5^th at Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, during Country Music Week in Calgary, AB.



“Ian & Sylvia were pioneers of the singer-songwriter movement – a genre firmly established today because of their leadership,” said Vanessa Thomas, Executive Director of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. “As a performing duo they were superb, and it was apparent through their second album that they wanted to announce their strong individual songwriting skills as well, which continued to drive their authenticity throughout their music careers spanning more than six decades.”



During the ‘60s and ‘70s, as the folk-singing duo Ian & Sylvia, they were among North America’s leading singer-songwriters, achieving commercial and critical success and recording 13 studio albums.  The duo performed their hit songs for U.S. President Lyndon Johnson’s 1964 re-election campaign, at the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall and Town Hall in NYC; as well as appearances on television’s “Hullabaloo,” the Johnny Cash Show, Steve Allen Show, and Mike Douglas Show, and the BBC.



Their folk standards “Four Strong Winds” – deemed by the CBC to be the “most essential” piece of Canadian music – and “You Were on My Mind” were inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003 and 2007 respectively.  Ian penned “Four Strong Winds” after an evening with Bob Dylan, and Sylvia is credited with “You Were on My Mind,” making her one of the few female folk artists to write a major song in that genre at the time, which was remade in 1965 by American folk-rock quintet, We Five, to become a worldwide #1 hit single. Both songs, cemented their individual status as hit-making songwriters. 



While Ian & Sylvia’s catalog is filled to the brim with stellar music, the release of Ian & Sylvia The Lost Tapes is culled from newly-discovered concert tapes from the early ‘70s, and never-before-heard versions of country and pop classics, cementing their reputations as performers who pushed the boundaries of folk, blues, country, rhythm and blues, and rock ‘n roll.  Much of their best-known repertoire is superbly represented here including “Four Strong Winds,” “Summer Wages,” “Crazy Arms,” “Four Rode By,” “Little Beggar Man,” “When First Unto This Country” and “Darcy Farrow,” reminding fans of what they were able to do best - blend influences from folk and country on the way to be widely considered two of the eras greatest songwriters and musicians.



“The pivotal role of Ian & Sylvia in music history may be their refusal to be trapped in the patterns of their past as one of the leading acts of the '60s folk era,” notes Canadian music industry journalist Larry LeBlanc.  “Along with the Byrds, Gram Parsons, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson, Ian & Sylvia laid the foundation of Canadian country music and Americana music that evolved as a recognized source of popular culture.”

 

Ian, who loves the cowboy way of life living on his ranch in Longview, Alberta, performs his own Western influenced repertoire; Sylvia continues to have a fascinating, and still-thriving solo career while performing, writing, and recording with Quartette with Caitlin Hanford, Cindy Church, and Gwen Swick.

 

For this richly rewarding retrospective complete with liner notes written by Larry LeBlanc, Sylvia and producer Danny Greenspoon picked unreleased performances that Sylvia had discovered while assembling memorabilia for the National Music Centre in Calgary.



On September 5^th with the country music industry gathered in Calgary for Country Music Week, Ian Tyson and Sylvia Tyson will receive their individual distinctions in the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame at Studio Bell. The release of Ian & Sylvia The Lost Tapes will be released on September 6^th, and available for pre-order here.







The Lost Tapes Track Listing



Disc One – Classics



1.    Keep On The Sunny Side (Ada Blenkhorn / J. Howard Entwisle)

2.    Darcy Farrow (Steve Gillette / Tom Campbell)

3.    Will The Circle Be Unbroken (Ada R. Habershon / Charles H. Gabriel)

4.    When First Unto This Country (Traditional, adapted and arranged by Ian & Sylvia)

5.    Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies (Traditional, adapted and arranged by Ian & Sylvia)

6.    Four Rode By (Ian Tyson)

7.    Nancy Whiskey (Trad.)

8.    Four Strong Winds (Ian Tyson)

9.    Little Beggarman (Traditional, adapted and arranged by Ian & Sylvia)

10. The French Song (Pease / Vincent)

11. Summer Wages (Ian Tyson)

12. Crazy Arms (Ralph Mooney)

13. I’ll Fly Away (Albert E. Brumley)

 

Disc Two – Previously Unreleased

 

1.    After The Fire Is Gone (L.E. White)

2.    Heartaches By The Number (Harlan Howard)

3.    Sweet Dreams (Don Gibson)

4.    Come On In My Kitchen (Robert Johnson)

5.    Jimmie’s Texas Blues (Jimmie Rodgers)

6.    How Long (Rick Nelson)

7.    The Last Thing On My Mind (Tom Paxton)

8.    That’s The Way Love Goes (Lefty Frizzell / Sanger D. Shafer)

9.    Crying Time (Buck Owens)

10. Starting All Over Again (Melvin McArthur Hardin / Hubert Timothy McPherson)

11. Together Again (Buck Owens)

12. Silver Threads and Golden Needles (Jack Rhodes/Dick Reynolds)

13. The Goodnight Loving Trail (Utah Phillips)



About Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame

The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF) honors and celebrates Canadian songwriters and those who have dedicated their lives to the legacy of music, and works to educate the public about these achievements. National and non-profit, the CSHF is guided by its own board of directors who comprise both Anglophone and Francophone music creators and publishers, as well as representation from the record industry. In December 2011, SOCAN (the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada) acquired the CSHF. The Hall of Fame’s mandate aligns with SOCAN’s objectives as a songwriter and publisher membership-based organization. The CSHF continues to be run as a separate organization. www.cshf.ca



About Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre

Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre (NMC), is much more than a museum. A national catalyst for discovery, innovation and renewal through music, NMC is preserving and celebrating Canada’s music story inside its home at Studio Bell in Calgary’s East Village. With programming that includes on-site and outreach education programs, performances, artist incubation and exhibitions, NMC is inspiring a new generation of music lovers. For more information, please visit studiobell.ca.



About Stony Plain Records

One of the most prestigious record labels in Canadian music, Stony Plain has received three Grammy Award nominations and its artists have also garnered numerous W.C. Handy Blues Award nominations and won several Blues Awards from the Blues Foundation. In Canada, Stony Plain has won several Juno Awards, Canadian Country Music Association Awards, Maple Blues Awards and Western Canada Music Awards. 

Jay Kipps Band - How To Polish Your Longhorns - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, How To Polish Your Longhorns, from Jay Kipps Band and it's a cool blend of different style of music with a mutual theme of good stuff. Opening with Colt 45, a great western style instrumental track in the vein of Rawhide with a bit of Dick Dale mixed in. Chard Burford leads the charge with solid finger work and backing by Jay Kipps, Chris Lubker on bass and Cory Bruyea on drums. Low slung, funky blues, Rotten Apple Blues has deep rooted guitar riffs by Burford and Kipps, and Kipps own harp and vocals give it real texture. Big Old Engine is a cool, country style blues (think upbeat Grateful Dead) with slick guitar riffs, an aggressive bass line and smoking harp supporting Kipps masterful vocals. Very nice. Another twist is Sinister with it's tight pop rock style. If you know The Eagles of Death Metal, that's the format and Kipps really executes well. Gonzo (Live) is one of my favorite tracks on the release with adventurous abstract delivery. This track has spoken vocal lead and a great bass/guitar/drum unified dialog like a sort of Gunn/Crimson/Belew assembly. Excellent! Another live track, JJ Cales' Call Me The Breeze uses the pace of Skynyrd but with a more easy handed delivery like Cale's original.  Kipps vocal and harp attack over Burford's guitar riffs  is authoritative and confident.  Wrapping the release is surf (Dale) style track, Surffarie with bass and guitar lead and Dalesque runs. This is a cool closer to a totally enjoyable 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”

 For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE" 

 

 “Like” Bman’s Facebook page and get support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

Gail Gunnis & The Dirty Roosters - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent self titled release from Gail Gunnis & The Dirty Roosters and it is a mix of classic blues artists with the bands cool personal arrangements. Opening with Freddie King's I Love You More Everyday, Gail Gunnis leads the way on vocal, backed by Fabio Parovel on guitar, Paul Kidd on sax, Chris Rooney on bass and Duncan McBain on drums. Solomon Burke's Cry To Me is up next with a great R&B feel. Pat Carey steps up with a rich sax solo and McBain's tight drums give the track just the right snap. Ann Peebles' I Can't Stand The Rain is one of my favorite tracks on the release with some of Gunnis' best vocals and a thumping bass line by Rooney. Another cool sax solo by Carey sets the track off nicely. Hot R&B track,  I Know, is a great track to pull out of the hopper with a super beat. again Carey is featured on sax and again, nice job. Since I Fell For You, another classic soul track written by Buddy Johnson, is one of the nicest showcases for Gunnis with smooth vocal lines and rich sax echo by Kidd and clean guitar soloing by Parovel. Wrapping the release is Jimmy Reed's My Bitter Seed with light electric rhythm and Robert Davis on harmonica. Real nice closer for a 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”

 For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE" 

  “Like” Bman’s Facebook page and get support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

https://www.facebook.com/DirtyRoosters/videos/441021792774675

Jim Dan Dee - Self Titled - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent self titled release from Jim Dan Dee and I like it quite well. Opening with rocker, Save My Soul I can't not draw comparisons to Roger Waters with it's bottom driven rhythm, raucous vocal delivery by James Stefanuk and female backing vocals by Jules Cordosa, with drums by Shawn Royal and sax by Jason Sewerynek. Although I really don't think that this band sounds like Pink Floyd, a lot of the things that I like about it have a similar construction. Payday has powerful keyboard work by Jesse Karwat and solid guitar soloing by Stefanuk. Very nice! I love the soulful vocal lead on Just Cuz which just oozes richness and just the right about of backing vocal with deep sax work by Sewerynek and clean guitar solo lines by Stefanuk. Excellent! With it's John Lee Hooker romp, When You Move Like That There, is my favorite on the release with it's heavy handed drum and bass lines and all out feel. Excellent! Who doesn't love fat, distorted slide guitar and that's what you get on Killer with it's heavy tension. R&B track, Stand By My Woman is a solid radio track with a memorable melody and sultry sax lines by Sewerynek and and strong vocals by Stefanuk. Wrapping the release is blues rocker, Walkin Shoes with a heavy bottom and coolly distorted guitar lead.  Again, backing vocals by Cordosa and fluid finger work by Stefanuk play strongly in this power closer. 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”

 For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE" 

 

 “Like” Bman’s Facebook page and get support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

Blues Rocker Anthony Gomes to Release Peace, Love & Loud Guitars on October 19th

Blues Rocker Anthony Gomes to Release 13^th Disc

Peace, Love & Loud Guitars out October 19th

International Tour Underway

Anthony Gomes has been carving out his own space as an unapologetically rock-influenced bluesman and songwriter since first coming to national attention in the 1998. Gomes’ new record, Peace, Love & Loud Guitars, is the culmination of a life spent honoring blues traditions while never losing sight of his own identity. He writes memorable new songs that exist somewhere between Willie Dixon and Billy Gibbons. He stands his ground as a creative artist, not a derivative history lesson, and is eager to push the blues back into the mainstream.

Originally from Toronto, Canada, Gomes relocated to Chicago in the late 90’s. During a brief stint as a sideman for Magic Slim and the Teardrops, Gomes put together his own group and won the first annual Buddy Guy’s Legends “Best Unsigned Blues Band” competition in 1998. Later that year, Gomes released his debut CD, “Blues in Technicolor,” which introduced him as a guitar-slinger loaded with impressive firepower. On 2002's “Unity”, he accomplished the album's title with a heavy mix of styles leading Bandit Blues Radio to name it one of the “Top 30 Essential Blues Albums” of all time. Gomes was elevated to the top of the blues field just one year later when BluesWax Magazine named him “Artist of the Year,” a nomination he would claim for several years in a row due to his endless commitment and touring. “Music Is the Medicine” (2006) peaked at number four on the Billboard Top Blues Albums chart, only to be outdone by LIVE (2008) debuting at number one. The accolades continued, with “Up 2 Zero” (2012), “...Before The Begining” (2013) and Electric Field Holler (2015) all claiming real estate on Billboard’s Top 10 Album chart and critics ‘best of’ lists.

Gomes has taken his blues to 17 countries and performed with luminaries like B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Robert Plant, Heart, Sammy Hagar, Joe Bonamassa, .38 Special, Jonny Lang, Robert Cray, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. His high-level guitar, vocal, and songwriting skills have made him one of the top drawing artists in the blues/rock world. His 2015 release Electric Field Holler, debuted at Number Three on the Billboard Blues Chart and he has had five records make the Top Ten there, including 2008’s Live, which debuted at Number One and his song “Love Sweet Love” has racked up over 3.5 million plays on Spotify.

Fresh from his victory at the European Blues Awards for “Best Musician/Live Performance” comes Anthony’s latest Peace, Love & Loud Guitars. He bares heart and soul on “Come Down,” a modern work song with the startling plea “Come down from heaven B.B. King, cause this kingdom has no king.” “White Trash Princess” describes a princess from “Texarkana” who “keeps a loaded gun, right next to her bible,” for a memorable aural portrait of a femme fatale. Gomes always crafts memorable content, with the grinding slow drag “Blues in the First Degree” a prime example. Over industrial strength crunch guitars he modulates his voice from accusingly corrosive to purringly sweet while a soaring guitar solo with cascading finger tapping nails the indictment. Gomes waxes tender on “You Are Amazing”, a classic R&B ballad that should become a standard. The anthemic blues-rock of the hopeful title track could be a new motto for the post-Woodstock generation, replacing the “sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll” hedonism of yore. Acknowledging the past, Gomes pays tribute to Robert Johnson while creating his own crossroads legend on “Stealin’ from the Devil.” Anthony Gomes has nothing left to prove while leaving all his passion on the table. Nonetheless, he continues striving to not only find the legendary “lost chord,” but the ultimate combinations of words, notes and performance.

Peace, Love & Loud Guitars out October 19^th

Sons Of Rhythm - - Sons Of Rhythm - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent self titled release, Sons of Rhythm and it's quite good. Opening with My Time Is Going To Come, a pop rocker, the band gets revved up with Mick Maratta on lead vocal and bass, Fererico Luiu on guitar and backing vocal, Mike Carbone on drums and backing vocals and Anthony Brancati on piano. Nice opener. Brancati blow out the doors with a wailing sax solo on shuffle track, Talkin' Bout My Baby under a nicely balanced track. Among a full boat of radio tracks, Will I Ever See You Again? stands tall with a strong melody, nicely blended vocals and a memorable guitar lead by Luiu. Allen Toussaint's Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky is a terrific entry to this other wise self penned set, with a funky bottom and great vocals. Luiu gets a chance to stretch a bit on guitar and he doesn't waste a note. Very nice. Wrapping the release is hot boogie, Swing Thing, with a great beat, snappy drums, a hot sax solo and great rock n' roll guitar. Great 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”

 For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE" 

 

 “Like” Bman’s Facebook page and get support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

Powerful Soul Ensemble Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar Set to Release Sophomore Recording

Powerful Soul Ensemble Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar Set to Release Sophomore Recording

Run To Me out April 27 followed by hometown CD launch party April 28 at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto Watch/Share new live video for "All Night Long" here

For Immediate Release: March 29, 2018 (Toronto,ON) - Toronto-based Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar’s latest recording, entitled Run to Me, is scheduled for release on April 27, 2018. Produced by Darcy Yates (bassist for Bahamas), the new album explores the full range of the vicissitudes of love: desire, betrayal and, at times, emotional and sexual satisfaction. The lyrics are incisive, the melodies are constantly arresting and the harmonies and arrangements call up the best of the soul sounds of Stax Records and such contemporary artists as Leon Bridges, Sharon Jones, and Lee Fields. Samantha Martin and Delta Sugar’s debut release, 2015’s Send the Nightingale, was a stripped- down affair consisting of Martin, her two co-singers Sherie and Stacie, and guitarist Mikey McCallum. For Run to Me, Martin elected to record her emotionally wrought material with an expanded band, augmenting the core of Delta Sugar’s gospel-infused harmonies with a full rhythm section, piano, organ and an ever-so-soulful horn section. Send the Nightingale was a stunning achievement which garnered four Maple Blues nominations in 2016, was regularly featured on the CBC, topped the blues charts on Stingray radio and propelled the group onto the stages of all the major Canadian festivals and clubs coast to coast. Subsequent to the album’s release, Martin has been nominated three years in a row as Female Vocalist of the Year at the Maple Blues Awards. Continuing to build on the group’s steamrolling momentum, in the fall of 2017, Samantha Martin and Delta Sugar were selected by a panel of blues experts to represent Toronto at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, a platform that has served to launch any number of careers in both Europe and the United States. While Martin is a powerhouse unto herself, the vocal alchemy of Delta Sugar is not the work of a single talent. In combination with what she likes to term her “co-vocalists,” Sherie Marshall and newest full-time member Mwansa Mwansa, the vocal blend Delta Sugar produces is pure, unadulterated gospel-tinged, neuron-tingling magic where the sum is even richer than the already soul-melting parts. After performing 130 high energy “soul revue” style shows in the US and Canada in 2017, and buzz-worthy showcases at both Americana (Sept. 2017) and at The International Blues Challenge in Memphis (Jan. 2018) – Samantha is now building her European fan base with two full-length European tours scheduled before February 2019. The live show is a torrid force of nature, taking audiences to emotional peaks while leaving them stunned with pin-you-against-the-wall power.   samanthamartinmusic.com | gypsysoulentertainment.com   Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar CD Release Party Saturday, April 28 The Horseshoe Tavern 370 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON Doors at 8:00 p.m. Show at 9:00 p.m. with Dani Nash and The Honeyrunners  Advance tickets $15 available at ticketfly.com / $20 at the door

Bad Luck Woman & Her Misfortunes - Cursed - New release review

I just had the opportunity to review the debut release, Cursed, from Bad Luck Woman & Her Misfortunes. Opening with Snatch & Grab It, Raha Javanfar, lead vocalist and bassist for Toronto based swing band is kicking it. A walking bass line with Andrew Moljgum on sax, Galen Pelley on drums, Tom Moffett on trumpet and Adam Beer Colacino on guitar makes for a great opener.  With it's Latin influence, I Don't Know About You, is a super track showing Javanfar's vocals, and Tom Moffett on trumpet and Moligun on bari really set this track off. Very nice. Memphis Minnie's bluesy, Bad Luck Woman has a cool feel fired by Jay Swinnerton's piano work and stylistic guitar work by Fraser Melvin. One of my favorites is Spinach Song with it's rag feel. Javanfar's vocals are perfect and with strong bass, cool rhythm guitar and kazoo...perfect. Boogie track, Went Down, has a real nice feel with a great bass line, strong trumpet soloing by Moffett. Very cool. Wrapping the release is Ay La Bah, a blues rocker with punchy horns and cool vocals. Moffett sets down a real nice trumpet solo and Melvin's guitar work is smart. Super closer for a cool 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”

 For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE" 

 

 “Like” Bman’s Facebook page and get support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

Vizztone Label Group artists: Godboogie - Play Music & Dance - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Play Music & Dance from Godboogie and it's a funky party. Opening with a New Orleans/BoDiddley beat, Play Music & Dance, Jerome Godboo takes the lead on vocal, harp and accordion with Eric Schenkman on guitars, Shawn Kellerman on guitar and Gary Craig on drums. On shuffle track, Honey Badger, the band hits a nice groove with Schenkman taking a real nice ripper of a solo. Slowing it down with a nice lope, Wounded shows a broad range of vocal capabilities by Godboo and of course showcasing his harp work. Ripping loose with another flier of a solo is Schenkman giving the track a nice edge. Breaking down to a smoking funk, It's A Party is really a dancing groove with slashing guitar riffs. Stumble blues track, Kitty has a real cool beat and the edgy vocals of Godboo contrast nicely against the grinding guitar work of Schenkman. Very cool. Hitting right up the middle with slow blues ballad, Sign Of The Times, Godboo brings his soulful blues vocals and Schenkman throws down his best blues chops. Another soulful ballad, The Way to Heaven, is my favorite track on the release with a nice hook, really soulful harp work and a super melody. Soul track, Call On My Love, is another of my favorites with a great melody, lead vocal work and musical tension. Wrapping the release is Tigers, Horses, Kings & Queens, a cool blues rocker with solid vocals. Schenkman plays a fairly outrageous guitar solo on this track over a driving bass line by Kellerman and tight drums by Craig. A real nice closer for a cool 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”

 For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE" 

 

True North Records artist: Colin James - Blue Highways - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blue Highway, from Colin James and it's super! Opening with Freddie King's Boogie Funk, James is really ripping with excellent guitar tone and pace. Craig Northey is on rhythm guitar, with Norm Fisher on bass and Pat Steward on drums. Simon Kendall's organ work is tops and Steve Marriner's harp is vital. On Peter Green's Watch Out, James steps up on lead vocal and the pace is just right. Jesse O'Brien is up or organ with Steve Pelletier on bass and Geoff Hicks on drums. James lays down a solid guitar solo and Simon Kendall lays in a nice organ solo as well. Tommy Johnson's Big Road Blues gets a more modern rocking beat with James on vocal and slide. With an almost JJ Cale feel, this track could see a multi channel radio play. Made famous by Freddie King and Jeff Beck, Don Nix's Going Down is up next with a solid blues rocking drive. O'Brien's piano work is tight and James' vocals are clear, paving a broad street for some lightning guitar riffs. Very cool! Retreating into the basics of the blues, Muddy Waters' Gypsy Woman is up next and James shows his basis understanding of the blues on both guitar and vocal holding his own...old style. I particularly like O'Brien's piano riffs on this track as well as Marriner's harp work. Very cool. On Jimmy Rogers, Goin Away, James takes a little bit of an Eric Clapton approach to the track with nice slide work and backing vocals by Chris Caddell and Coleen Rennison. Memphis Slim's Lonesome gets a big swing and James steps up with monster guitar riffs. His vocals are smooth, nicely complimented by O'Brien's piano. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Junior Wells' Hoodoo Man Blues. This track is really tight to the original and James vocals and guitar riffs work nicely, highlighted by the masterful harp work by Marriner. Setting a cool acoustic blues set is Willie Dixon/ Jimmy Reed, Riding in The Moonlight / Mr. Luck. Light and snappy, James holds down acoustic guitar and vocal balanced with Marriner's harp. Very nice. Soulful William Bell track, Don't Miss Your Water gives James a chance to really show off his vocal chords and smooth they are. With simple arpeggiated chords and with horn backing by Jerry Cook and Derry Byrne this track has a super sound. Blind Willie McTell's Ain't Long For Day is up next and of course drawing out a really nice slide solo by James. It is more soulful than bluesy but heartfelt had solid. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Robert Johnson's Last Fair Deal done in standard Piedmont style. With James only on guitar and vocal, he gives the track some acoustic flair but holding true to the blues. A nice little closer to a really nice 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”

 For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE" 

 

“Like” Bman’s Facebook page and get support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

OUT NOW: THE KAT KINGS SWINGIN' IN THE SWAMP

Following in the traditions of rock 'n' roll, rockabilly, country and rhythm & blues, Toronto's The Kat Kings deliver their sophomore album on June 10, 2016

Available on iTunes and Radio Submit

Listen to "Juke Joint Jimmy" on Soundcloud "A high octane record that has nothing to offer other than the message that the party better keep going, this jump blues/rockabilly roots flavored set was made for good times." - The Midwest Record Led by vocalist and guitarist Kevin McQuade, The Kat Kings released their debut album The Winning Hand in 2011 to critical acclaim and quickly became a favourite among DJs in Canada. A cross-country tour was underway when McQuade was sidelined with news of his daughter’s near-fatal traffic accident. Plans for gigs and promo for the album came to a grinding halt and the devoted family man headed home. "All of a sudden touring to support a new record didn't seem that important”, McQuade recalls. In this story of second chances, McQuade and The Kat Kings have outdone themselves on the 13 original songs that make up Swingin’ In The Swamp. With swing being the tie that binds jump blues, rock ‘n’ roll, country and rockabilly music together, The Kat Kings deliver what can be described as “bluesabilly” on Swingin’ In The Swamp. The album opens with the danceable numbers “When I Say Jump” and “Poppin’ At Party Time”. “B Flat Kat” is a rockabilly gem complete with doghouse bass. The love song “I Work For You” was inspired by Wilson Pickett. “I wrote this song for my wife”, says McQuade. “You have to work hard to keep the home fires burning!” The rollicking “Juke Joint Jimmy” is the true story of a sharkskin-suited patron of the legendary Toronto watering hole Grossman’s Tavern. On the swampy, gospel-infused “Before I Found Him” McQuade takes a darker turn. “I wrote this song about a guy on death row. They interviewed him on TV before his execution and asked him if he had found God. He said he wished God would have found him before he found God”. The upbeat “Ridin’ In Style” follows the familiar theme of hot cars, hot women and a fistful of money to enjoy it with. “I’m Just A Shadow” is a soulful ballad of love lost. Gritty and dark, “It Came From The Swamp” was written in about 20 minutes while McQuade was sitting vigil in the hospital with his daughter. “Til It Feels Alright” is about the things that folks sometimes do that feel wrong and yet oh so right at the same time, is followed by the bluesy “I Got The Fuse”. A straight-ahead New Orleans style rumba, “Late Night Thing” details a man in love who can't get a handle on the girl he loves until it's late in the night. The final track is the rockin’ “Baby You Can't Drink”. In addition to the exceptional vocals and guitar playing from bandleader Kevin McQuade, The Kat Kings are comprised of an award-winning cast and “who’s who” on the Canadian blues and roots scene including the album’s producer Teddy Leonard (Fathead, The Maple Blues All Stars) on additional guitars, John Dymond (Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Bruce Cockburn, k.d lang) on bass, Chuck Keeping (Big Wreck, Fathead, Suzie McNeil) on drums, and Wayne Dagenais (Joel Johnson) on keys. The album also features Fathead’s singer John Mays on three tracks. Swingin’ In The Swamp is an unparalleled album filled with originality, thought-provoking lyrics and outright good times destined to elevate the band to wider acclaim and recognition among fans of rockabilly, blues and soul. thekatkings.com