Woodstock Records artist: Professor Louie & The Crowmatix - Miles of Blues - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Miles Of Blues from Professor Louie & The Crowmatix and it's a mix of stripped down rural blues. Opening with L-50 Blues, featuring Professor Louie and Miss Marie on lead vocal with Louie on keys, Gary Burke on drums, Frank Campbell on bass and John Platania on slide guitar. Passion In My Life is a cool shuffle track with Louie up front on vocal and hot piano and tasty guitar work by Platania with solid vocal backing by Marie. With  cool, New Orleans style drumming by Burke on Rain 40 Days, Marie has the lead vocals on this one and organ accent by Louie and funky bass by Campbell, this is one of my favorites on the release. Stinging guitar riffs by Plantania and warm organ work by Louie on Exit Zero gets just the right amount of punch by Nick Driscoll on sax, Jim Buckley on bari sax, Danny Coyle on trumpet and Chuck Smith on trombone. Marie's vocal highlight is on Please Send Me Somebody To Love. Louie and Plantania each take supple solos complimenting the track nicely. Oh My Lady is a smooth soulful track featuring Louie on lead vocal and fat fat bari sax by Buckley. With it's solid melody, I like it as the radio track on the release. Bull Frog Jam Blues (Live) is a cool up tempo shuffle with super slide work by Plantania, cool vocal blending and solid horn work by the Woodstock Horns making this a nice closer.

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

 For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE" 

 

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

Woodstock Records artists: Waydown Wailers - Backland Blues - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Backland Blues from Waydown Wailers and it has flavors of the Dead and the Allmans with touches of British pop and American country. Opening with Back Door Woman, a bluesy shuffle, David Parker lead the way on vocal and guitar joined by Christian Parker on guitars, Connor Pelkey on bass, Michael Scriminger on drums and Professor Louie on piano. Up tempo country blues, I Want Your Soul has a great feel, drive and just the right guitar vamp. Very cool. With a modern, jazzy, almost Becker/Fagen styling, a cover of Elmore James'  Done Somebody Wrong is next showing total ingenuity. Another Bump In The Road has a southern rock feel and a Dead meets Marshall Tucker feel. Larry Williams' Dizzy Miss Lizzie retains much of the styling of the Beatles cover of this track with plenty of attitude and spunk. State Of The Union Mix has a cool Euro sound with nicely blended vocals, rhythm guitar and nice Hammond work by Professor Louie. Wrapping the release is Lover Of The Bayou with it's driving bass line, tight drums, and some of the best vocals on the release. 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

Woodstock Records artists: Waydown Wailers - Empty Promises - New Release review

I just received the newest release, Empty Promises, from Waydown Wailers and it has a swampy, rocky, pop sound. Opening with Don't Let Life Pass You By, lead vocalist and guitar player, Dave Parker leads and easy paced country rock track with a bit of cowboy and a bit of the New Riders influence and some nice steel guitar work from Christian "Moe" Parker, backed by Michael Scruffy Scriminger on drums and Connor Pelkey on bass and vocals. With a modified funky rock beat, Jealousy has a melodic, Tom Petty feel with a bit of hip hop delivery. Interesting. Title track, Empty Promises, is the "hit" track for the release with solid vocal hooks, and an arena rock feel. Waydown Blue has a light, breezy rock feel with a jazzy rhythm. Melodic vocals and balanced instrumental backing is the key here. No Time To Waste is a strait forward rocker with an almost Eric Clapton feel complimented by Moe's clean playing. St. Vraine is a cool ballad reminding me quite a bit of Gregg Allman as a solo artist. Nicely written and delivered, this may be my favorite track on the release. Funky guitar riffs set the pace for, She's Gonna Run, with Booker T style organ work by Professor Louie. An extended guitar solo on this track by Moe is actually quite cool. Hawkins' written Susie Q is always a cool track a much more direct guitar attack than on previously issued covers of this track but cool none the less. Still Water has a strong waltz tempo and with appropriate instrumental backing has a real authentic early American feel. I like this track for it's purity. Very nice! Wrapping the release is Whiskey & Cornbread, a real nice rocker to take this release home. With a Canned Heat feel and slide guitar, this track is a super track to wrap 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" 

 

Hypnotation Records artist: Michael Falzarano - I Got Blues For Ya - New release review

I just received a copy of the newest release, I Got Blues For Ya, from Michael Falzarano and it's a riot. Opening with The Night King Curtis Died, a lumbering 12 bar number, features strong vocals, lead and rhythm guitar from Falzarano, bass by Chris Matheos on bass, Ray Grappone on drums and excellent slide work from Kane Daily who has a lot of the feel of slide master Rod Price. Title track, I Got Blues For Ya, is structured along the Bo Diddley beat with a swampy feel and guitar not unlike Peter Green. Klyph Black joins on bass and Christian Cassan joins on drums. Josh Colow takes the lead guitar on I Never Think About You, a bluesy ballad. Professor Louie adds a cool piano runs and Miss Marie gives the track a warm texture on backing vocals. Colow lays out a few really nice compact solos on this track and the Professor rides the B3 high. A hot riding boogie, Snake Box Boogie, has a super beat and Falzarano really grinds this one out with the Professor and Colow for one of my favorite tracks on the release. Big Fish is one of those great laid back tracks with the Elvin Bishop saunter. Vasser Clements' unmistakable sound on fiddle joined by Kerry Kearney on slide and super chops gives this track a real authentic country blues rock feel. Very cool. Shuffle track, We Got A Party Going On, has really hot rolling piano work by the Professor and cheering backing vocals. Colow lays in a pinched guitar solo backed nicely by Frank Campbell on bass and Gary Burke on drums. Good Good Lovin has a cocky beer chugging Lynyrd Skynyrd feel. Daily lays on a slick melodic "Lindley" style slide solo with Jon Marshall Smith on organ and Lisa Bouchelle on backing vocals. Very nice! One of my favorite blues vocalists, Alexis P. Suter joins Falzarano on vocals for a darker, Hooker style boogie, Crossroads Avenue. Jimmie Fleming on mandolin, Pete Sears on piano, Charlie Wolfe on harp, Frank Celenza on bass and Eileen Murphy provide instrumental texture behind this boogie jam track. Slick blues strut, The Devil's Gone Fishin', featuring Kerry Kearney on lead guitar and the Professor on Hammond and piano has a really nice groove. Kearney smokes the strings up pretty good on this one... enjoy! One of my favorite Rev. Gary tracks caught live, Death Don't Have No Mercy, has a life of it's own here with Falzarano on vocal and acoustic guitar, Mike Miz and Tom Circista on acoustic guitar, Freeman White on keys, Klyph Black on bass, Dave Diamond on drums and featuring Barry Mitterhoff and Jason Crosby with excellent mandolin and fiddle work, respectively. Upbeat shuffle, Trouble, is a cool blues number with rolling piano by the Professor, Farfisa organ by Harley Fine, and fine guitar and slide solos by Falzarano, Daily and Kearney. Wrapping the release is a rocking cover of Wilbert Harrison's Let's Work Together. A nicely blended cover featuring concluding solos by Daily and Falzarano and vocals by Falzarano and Miss Marie make this a super 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”