New Blues & Gospel Releases – 5/14/2019
New Blues & Gospel Releases – 5/14/2019
New Blues Adds:
Harpdog Brown – For Love & Money (Dog House): Harpdog Brown is a Canadian blues player with a raspy voice and a style with a swagger. He also plays harmonica. He wrote two songs and collaborated on one and they are full of grit and a grin: “Reefer Lovin’ Woman”, “Stiff” and “No Eyes For Me”. The covers range from “Blue Light Boogie” and “Vicious Vodka” to Memphis Slim’s “The Comeback” and and Dave Webb’s “For Love And Money”. Accompanying musicians include Dave Webb (B3), Robert Vail Grant ((drums), William Joseph Abbott (clarinet, alto sax), Skye Lambourne (trombone), Jerry Cook (bari and tenor sax), Jeremy Holmes (basses) and Steve Dawson (guitar). All in all, it’s a great time! Click here to check out several songs on this disc.
Tim Gartland – Satisfied (Good Taste): Veteran singer/harmonica player/songwriter Tim Gartland has been a student and fan of the blues and now that he has been settled in Nashville for a few years, he is wearing the Americana label quite well. His performances are fairly laid back on this disc and it fits him well. Backing players include Tom West (piano, organ), Kevin McKendree (piano, organ), Robert Frahm (lead and rhythm guitar), Steve Mackey (bass), Jack Bruno (drums) with Tom Britt (slide guitar on two songs) and Wendy Moten and Ray Desilvis add some backing vocals. The overall style is like story telling on a hot day on the front porch with occasional pieces of wisdom. Click here to listen to “Satisfied” and “You Best Think Twice”.
Ellis Mano Band – Here And Now (Suisa): This is the first release for the band. It features Chris Ellis (vocals), Eids Mano (guitar), Nico Looser (drums) and Severin Graf (bass) playing mostly original songs by the group with Shane Brady providing most of the lyrics. All of the songs are originals. Ellis has a strong and commanding voice and uses it with authority. Several of the songs deal with heartbreak or disappointment with a strong feeling of maintaining their friends and lovers despite the hard times. The best of the song performances are truly fine and this is certainly a band to keep in your radar. Scroll down to listen to performances of four of the songs on this disc.
Manx Marriner Mainline – Hell Bound For Heaven (Stony Plain): Harry Manx (vocal, banjo, slide guitar), Mohan Veena, (often associated with classical music from India) and Steve Marriner (guitars, harmonica, bass, drums, organ, vocals) have joined forces to celebrate old songs from Charlie Patton, Pops Staples, and Reverend Gary Davis, as well as writing their own (3 by Manx, 2 by Marriner, 1 by both). It’s all rather rural with just enough background to make their performances have a spark of today. Many sound like front porch with an electric edge. Very inviting. Click here to listen to the opening song.
The Texas Horns – Get Here Quick (Severn): The Texas Horns have called up a batch of friends so they can all make more of that loud, big band blues sound. The Horns are an amazing trio, featuring Mark “Kaz” Kazanoff (tenor sax), John Mills (bari sax) and Al Gomes (trumpet) and they sound so much bigger. The other players include singers Guy Forsyth, Carolyn Wonderland, Gary Nichoson, John Nemeth, Kaz Kazanoff and the amazing Curtis Salgado; guitarists Anson Funderburgh, Johnny Moeller, Ronnie Earl, Carolyn Wonderland, Gary Nicholson, Derek O’Brien, Denny Freeman and Jon Del Toro Richardson; keyboard players Red Young and Nick Connolly, bass players Russell Jackson and Chris Maresh; and drummers Tommy Taylor and John Bryant. It’s a raving session from end to end. Click here to listen to a brief sample of a song on this disc.
Robin Trower – Coming Closer To The Day (Provogue): Long time rocker Robin Trower drops in a new serving of blues rock that features a dozen new originals in a rather laid back setting. Trower has been noted for his grasp of many of the dynamic styles created by Jimi Hendrix and even now that style shines, albeit in the mellower way Trower offers on this set. Trower plays guitar and bass and sings and he is accompanied by Chris Taggart on drums. This is a truly fine set throughout. Click here to listen to a song from this disc.
Jennifer Truesdale – Through The Circle (Self-produced): “Jennifer Truesdale is a singer, songwriter, vocal coach and music career coach in Boston, Massachusetts. A graduate of Berklee College of Music and a 25 year veteran of the music industry….” (https://www.jennifertruesdale.com/about) Truesdale is a mainstream singer who blends pop with a declarative gospel edge. She wrote seven of the ten songs on this disc. She is supported by Joe Musella (guitar), Bill D’Agostino (drums), Marty Ballou (bass), John Mulroy (piano), Tom West (Hammond B3), with occasional backing by Ririka Tokushige (tenor sax), Hiro Tokushige (trumpet), Angel Subero (trombone) and Jason Macres (bari sax). Truesdale also offers some nice rearrangements of “Have You Seen The Rain” and “Love The One You’re With”. Click here and scroll down to listen to samples of songs on this disc.
Peter Ward – Train To Key Biscayne (GDR): Peter Ward was the Legendary Blues Band guitarist for quite some time and is especially well-respected throughout the Northeast. He has gathered quite a crew for this release: Ward sings on two songs, plus bass on two and plays guitar throughout and is supported by Sugar Ray Norcia (harmonica, vocals on 3 songs);with Mudcat Ward (bass), Neil Gouvin (drums) and Anthony Geraci (piano) with guests Luther “Guitar Junior” Johnson (vocal), Ronnie Earl (guitar, 1 song), Michell Willson and Johnny Nicholas (vocals, 2 each), Jiri Nedoma (piano), Bob Berry (bass), George Dellomo (drums), Hank Gratzmiller (sax, organ) and Keith Asack (guitar, bass, drums). Though no match for the old days, there are some nice moments on this disc. Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this disc.
New Soul Add:
O.B. Buchana – Face Down (Ecko): O.B. Buchana offers a new release of his sweet and seductive soul music created for dancing in the semi-lit dance rooms. The synth sounds and medium tempos hypnotize. Synth rules. Rhythm tracks and sequencing are mixed by John Ward, James Jackson and Beat Flippa with John Ward Ward and Gerod Rayborn (guitars), John Ward (B3) and vocals by O.B. Buchana and Omar Cunningham. Parental Warning! The sample song is the title song! Suggest previewing before children or the faint of heart listen! Click here to hear the title song.
New Gospel Add:
The Lee Boys – Live On The East Coast (M.C.): “This family group consists of three brothers, Alvin Lee (guitar), Derrick Lee and Keith Lee (vocals) along with their three nephews, Roosevelt Collier (pedal steel guitar), Alvin Cordy Jr. (7-string bass) and Earl Walker (drums). Each member began making music at the ages of 7 and 8 in the House of God church they attended in Perrine, FL. Here they underwent a rigorous course of training in a variety of musical instruments, including lap and pedal steel guitars. Born and raised in Miami, each of The Lee Boys grew up in the church where their father and grandfather, Rev. Robert E. Lee, was the pastor and a steel player himself. ‘Sacred steel’ is a type of music described as an inspired, unique form of Gospel music with a hard-driving, blues-based beat. The musical genre is rooted in Gospel, but infused with rhythm and blues, jazz, rock, funk, hip-hop, country and ideas from other nations.” (http://oneddl.org/music/98717-the-lee-boys-live-on-the-east-coast-2019.html) This disc includes a wide array of songs including four originals and several drawn from the public domain and some re-imagined versions of songs like “Don’t Let The Devil Ride”, “I’ll Take You There”, “Turn On Your Love Light” and “You Got To Move”. As funky and rockin’ as it can be! This is a certified Professor Bebop “Wax Devoid of Cracks”! Click here to listen to the opening song on this disc.
Kopsaetically,
Professor Bebop
