I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Homesick Blues, from Cedar County Cobras, and it's a cool, laid back rural folk style album. Opening with Utah, Tom Spielbauer on vocal and guitar is joined by April Dirks on vocal and upright bass thumping a two stepping blues. With dobro resonator style guitar and slide, and the thump of the standup, this is a solid opener. Dirks really brings Long Time Gone to life with addition of her mandolin and her own blending on lead vocal with Spielbauer's vocals and guitar this is a perfect blend of bluegrass and country blues ..read more

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, 11x11, from 11 Guy Quartet and it's super. Opening with rhythmic blues mover, Lightning Road, Richard Rosenblatt sets the pace with great harmonica tone, over the solid drum rhythm of Chuck Purro and Bill Mather on bass. Paul Lenart really amps up the track with some hot slide making this a strong opener. Slow, chord driven, Blues Beyond Midnight, really should get a lot of traction with Lenart letting it all hang out on his melodic guitar lead, paired with Rosenblatt taking a real nice solo of his own on harmonica. Exce ..read more

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Love You Bleed, from Danielle Nicole and it's a solid, radio oriented release. Opening with Love On My Brain, a cool rocker with a strong melody. With Danielle Nicole Schnebelen on lead vocal and bass, Go Go Ray on drums, Damon Parker on keys and Tony Braunagel on percussion, the track has super vocal and a stiff guitar lead by Brandon Miller. Strong opener. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Right By Your Side with it's bluesy feel. Solid soul format with nice backing vocals and crisp melodic guitar lead work by ..read more

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Thank You, Brother Bill: A Tribute to Bill Withers and it's great! Opening with Who Is He (And What Is He To You)?, Kevin Burt on guitar, harmonica and lead vocal sets up a funky groove. With Scot Sutherland laying down a deep bass groove, Kevin Valdez with a perfect funky rhythm track on guitar and Eric Douglas really punching on drums, this track is strong. I really love Douglas' snappy work on Kissing My Love and Sutherland really sets the bottom on fire with his bass work. Burt really demonstrates what a great vocalist ca ..read more

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Wolves are Coming, from Philip Sayce, and it's a powerful blues rocker. Opening with Oh! That Bitches Brew, this release is explosive from the first note. With Philip Sayce on vocal, guitar and bass, and Michael Leasure on drums, this track is a powerhouse. Sayce and Leasure really drive a heavy rhythm and Sayce plays stinging lead guitar giving the track plenty bite. Excellent opener. Another hard driver is Babylon Is Burning with the addition of Fred Mandel on organ. Blues based guitar riffs permeate the mix but this is ..read more

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Miracles In The Nothingness, by Anyone, Riz Story's latest project and it is notably adventurous. Opening in epic fashion, Story, who writes, arranges and performs most everything uses thunderous drums, guitar, keys and his own vocals to create a sensational opener, Dawning Of The Miracle. Children of the Void has a haunting melody, sung by Story, with a really cool drum rhythm, absorbed by keys and piano. Soaring guitar lead propels this track. Very nice. Transcending, with it's jagged time signature and tightly anchored per ..read more

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Phoenix Blues Rumble, from Bob Corritore and Friends and it's a great blues rumble. Opening with Big Fat Woman 489 LBS. a blues rocker featuring Chico Chism on vocal and drums, Henry Gray on piano, Paul Thomas on bass and Bob Corritore on harmonica. This is a solid opener with plenty of harmonica by Corritore. With a deep, New Orleans, R&B feel King Karl has the microphone on Mathilda, wailing some really soulful lines. With Johnny Rapp on guitar, S.E. Willis on piano Thomas on bass and Doug James on horns, this is a real ..read more

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Get Goin', from Katie Henry and it's a solid release of female vocal oriented music with hints of blues, country, pop, rock and soul. Opening with Scott Sharrard's, Love Like Kerosene, Katie Henry opens her latest release with a country flavored rocker on lead vocal and guitar. Joined by George Moye on bass, Matt Kimathi on drums and guitars, Eric Cannavaro on organ and keys, Richard Pappik on percussion and Michael Murauer on guitar, this is a solid radio worthy opener. Ballad, A Doll's Heart, has a strong melody, with firm ..read more

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Evergreen, from Jun Iida and I like it's upbeat attack. Opening with Gooey Butter Cake a real nice track, Jun Iida on trumpet has the melody, with a adventurous bass line by Jonathan Richards. Josh Nelson on piano lays in a really nice, New Orleans flavored solo complimented heavily by Xavier Le Couturier on drums and Masami Kuroki on guitar follows with a spicy guitar solo of his own making this a really ice opener. Title track, Evergreen is a really solid track and one that should command airplay with Aubrey Johnson singing ..read more

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Silver Rain, by Desolation Sound and it's cool rocker with strong writing. Opening with a sonic loop of sound, the mood is set almost as a palate cleanser for what is to come. Title track, Silver Rain has a fairly straight up rock format with a tight Bonham like drum opening by Scott Sluis but it's clear pretty quickly that this music is meant to be listened to with plenty of attention to melody and guitar soloing attended to by Daniel DeShon, with Blake Night on guitar and Darvis Taylor on bass. A strong rocker that caught m ..read more