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New Blues News – 6/1/2021

Jeff Fetterman – Southern Son (Self-produced): “Blues/rock guitar and vocal ace Jeff Fetterman turns in one winning performance after another on his new independent album Southern Son. The set is now out and available on all major platforms but, in reality, it’s the result of two years of sweat and effort by Fetterman, his incendiary band, and producer Kristoffer “Kid” Andersen, recorded at his Greaseland Studios. Fetterman is a deep well of talent who takes inspiration from greats including Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chris Duarte, and B.B. King and builds his own personal musical world on their foundation. He tends the tradition of the music, respects it, and adds his own greatness and style to the mix to create a sound that has earned him the nickname “Boss of the Blues.” The record is loaded with outstanding songs and guitar work and will appeal to blues fans everywhere looking for something vital and fresh to pump through their speakers…. Fetterman lets it all fly in his solos and displays an authoritative command of old-school rock guitar playing.” (https://www.rockandbluesmuse.com/2021/01/19/review-southern-son-jeff-fetterman/) Click here to listen  to “I Don’t Want To” from this set.

Kingdom Of Mustang – Tales From The Atomic Tambourine (KOM): “Kingdom of Mustang is a musical collaboration featuring Mark Roebuck [The Deal, Big Circle, Sub-Seven], Michael Clarke [The Deal, Left Lane], Tim Ryan [The Gladstones, Jeebus, Left Lane], and Rusty Speidel [SGG&L], who first came together in 2016 to perform songs from Mark’s album “The World and All Within”.  Discovering a mutual love for songwriting and making records, Kingdom of Mustang has since spent most of its time writing and recording, but once in a while pops its collective head out and plays some live music for the people before heading back into the studio to make the next record.” (https://kingdomofmustang.com/bio) This is the group’s fourth release and their performances show their maturity in all aspects. They are unique and wonderfully blended as performers. In the words of Charlie Pastorfield, “Kingdom of Mustang … just released a new CD “Tales from the Atomic Tambourine,” and it’s just beautiful. Perfect is a word that comes to mind. If you like pop music ranging from The Beatles to The Raspberries to Big Star to Teenage Fanclub, you should check out this recording” (Charlie Pastorfield — May 14, 2021) Click here listen to the songs on this truly fine release.

Redenbacher’s Funkestra – Big Funk Band (RSB Records): “This is the 12th full-blown instrumental album by UK based Redtenbacher’s Funkestra. ‘Big Funk Band’ is a collection of eight original and expertly crafted Jazz Funk album with a stellar line up of Jazz and Funk heavies alongside the battle hardened core of the Funkestra’s inner core. Some of the guests are Cory Wong (gtr), Stanton Moore (drs), Keith Carlock (drs), Benny Greb (drs), Francesco Mendiola (drs), Tucker Antell (saxophone), Bruce Gertz (double bass) and Mike Outram (UK)…. This is the 12th full-blown instrumental album by UK based Redtenbacher’s Funkestra. ‘Big Funk Band’ is a collection of eight original and expertly crafted Jazz Funk album with a stellar line up of Jazz and Funk heavies alongside the battle hardened core of the Funkestra’s inner core. Some of the guests are Cory Wong (gtr), Stanton Moore (drs), Keith Carlock (drs), Benny Greb (drs), Francesco Mendiola (drs), Tucker Antell (saxophone), Bruce Gertz (double bass) and Mike Outram (UK)…. Best known for their original ‘wall-to-wall’ instrumental Jazz Funk, the London-based Redtenbacher’s Funkestra are excited to share Big FUNK Band, which follows 2020’s well received The Hang. The latter has accumulated over 500,000 streams on Spotify since its release last fall and spent multiple weeks on the top of the Roots Music Report’s weekly funk charts. As Redtenbacher describes it, the concept of Big Funk Band was to feature different drummers and instrument combinations not heard before on a Funkestra record – like “Funkberater” recorded with two drummers and ‘Go East’ recorded with double bass and electric bass. Opening track “Crescent City” is an homage to New Orleans, a musical melting pot and the birthplace of Jazz. The album draws from a wide range of influences and was performed by nearly 50 musicians from Austria, Cuba, Germany, Ghana, Italy, The UK, The USA and Venezuela. The multi-nationality of the players is an important factor to Redtenbacher who views music as a unifying force during seemingly fragmented times and world events.” (https://redtenbachersfunkestra.com/2021/04/30/redtenbachers-funkestra-new-album-big-funk-band-out-now/) Click here to listen to samples of the songs on this release.

Deb Ryder – Memphis Moonlight (VizzTone): ““Memphis Moonlight”, the fifth studio album by singer songwriter and vocal powerhouse Deb Ryder, is undoubtedly her best effort yet. This ever-rising blues diva shows she is in stellar form delivering superior lyrics and musical arrangements on all thirteen original songs. Produced by Grammy Award and Blues Music Award winner Tony Braunagel, Co-Producer and Executive Producer Ric W. Ryder, this record covers a myriad of styles from blues to roots, both traditional and contemporary, and proves why she deserves her many accolades! Ryder is once again supported by an impressive list of all-star musicians including Tony Braunagel, Johnny Lee Schell, Mike Finnigan. Travis Carlton, Pieter van/der Pluijm, Joe Sublett, and Mark Pender. Special Guests include: Ronnie Earl, Los Lobos members David Hidalgo and Steve Berlin, Alastair Greene, and the Delgado Brothers, Joey and Steve.” (https://airplaydirect.com/music/DebRyderMemphis/) “”Her vocal ability puts her among those great female blues singers that preceded her. There is no reason why she shouldn’t ascend to the higher ranks of the blues elite!” GREG ” BLUESDOG” SZALONY – BLUES BLAST. “Duane Verh – ROOTS MUSIC REPORT “Vocalist Deb Ryder matches her unquestionable blues-mama bona fides with some of the smartest lyric sets dropped in the genre this year!” Duane Verh – ROOTS MUSIC REPORT The only thing I can add is this is a certified Professor Bebop “Wax Devoid of Cracks!” Click here to listen to the songs on this disc.

Soulful Femme – It Is Well With My Soul (Skydogstudio): “What do the words ‘soulful’ and ‘femme’ mean to you? To me, these words evoke the strength, wisdom, and vision of seminal female artists like Nina Simone, Erykah Badu, Tina Turner, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and Roberta Flack; this lineage is precisely what blues/funk/jazz fusion duo Soulful Femme channel with their debut album It Is Well With My Soul, joining a famed league of powerful female voices in music. The Pittsburgh duo of vocalist Stevee Wellons and guitarist Cheryl Rinovato have been performing in the tri-state area for almost twenty-five years – Wellons, alumni of Afro-American Institute (AAMI) has perfected her on-stage presence by pouring her heart and soul into performance for over a quarter of a century, whilst Delaney-endorsed Rinovato is thrice the winner of the Jim Weber Award for blues-based musicianship during her seasoned career in and out of the studio. Their individual pedigree is unquestionable, but it wasn’t until their paths merged and Soulful Femme was formed that they began to seamlessly weave the drama of blues with the sophistication of jazz music.” (https://musicexistence.com/blog/2021/05/26/album-review-soulful-femme-it-is-well-with-my-soul/) Click here to listen to two songs from this release.

Kopasetically,

Professor Bebop