Posts Tagged ‘ Blues ’

David Bloom & Cliff Colnot – Shadow Of A Soul

shadowofasoulChicago guitarist and flautist David Bloom began studying folk guitar at the age of eight, and was listening to jazz three years later. For example, he was inspired by Herbie Mann.

Six years later, when he was 17, he heard Buddy Guy and wanted to play the blues. He asked Buddy for guitar lessons in blues, but also wanted to learn jazz at the same time. Finally, he attended Berklee College of Music for 2 years.

After playing and touring with several bands, in 1981 he decided to focus his energies on teaching, writing and painting. This new CD means a return to performing and playing the alto flute on 2 compositions.

Read more …

Larry Carlton & Paul Brown – Soul Searchin’

SoulSearchinjpgWhen two guitar virtuosos of high renown play together, it is fair to expect something great. It was that way with Larry and Lee, and it’s no different with Larry and Paul.

This is not the first time the two have worked together. As Larry notoriety shot up through his period with the supergroup Fourplay, he decided to release the solo album Fingerprints. Paul Brown played on this album drums and also worked as composer, arranger, producer and recorder. It was not until twenty years later that the idea of recording a guitar album together matured.

The album opens with Miles and Miles to Go written by Wes Montgomery inspired guitar player Mark Carter. Paul and Larry are perfectly attuned to each other and the tone colors of their guitars are also very similar.

Read more …

Jules Leyhe – Your First Rodeo

YourFirstRodeoThis ain’t your granddaddy’s blues. Heck, it ain’t even your daddy’s blues. Guitarist Jules Leyhe is on an entirely different trip. His forthcoming “Your First Rodeo” is a whimsical mashup of blues, hip hop, funk, fusion, jazz, rock and Latin music dropping September 17 on Monkey Finger Records. Producing the set with Protist, the Oakland, Calif.-based slide guitar slinger wrote the bucking bronco of an album that obstinately refuses to be categorized.

An audacious collection evading lasso, “Your First Rodeo” brilliantly juxtaposes futuristic elements with downhome “comfort” sounds. Leyhe paired inventive sonicscapes with soulful blues guitar play. Conceived and constructed using vivid fantasy, the guitarman wondered what it would sound like to pair diametrically opposed artists – or, in this case, use signature elements of the imagined artists’ unique style – on one recording. Picture Cardi B sitting in with the Buena Vista Social Club. Or Jimi Hendrix playing in Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Or Duane Allan jamming with jazz pianist Gil Evans.

“I wanted to create music based off of collaborations that I’ve pictured of many of my favorite artists who never actually worked together. The clearest example is picturing Jimi Hendrix playing with the psychedelic Beatles era, a wild pairing that never actually happened but sure is fun to imagine and try to create with my own flavor. My bandmates’ fantastic playing and imaginations helped me reach for this sort of potential for pairing abstract, disparate musical ideas and getting away with it, or at least creating something unique to us. This album encapsulates so many musical idioms with a gritty, urban, fun feel of an old-soul Oakland band,” said Leyhe who was empowered by his Family Jules Band – keyboardist Ian McArdle, saxophonist Nancy Wright, bassist Murph Murphy and drummer Isaac Schwartz.

Continue reading

Patrick Yandall – Rouge River

Guitarist Patrick Yandall is without a doubt one of the most productive musicians under America’s sun. This year alone he has released three albums, Jazz On The Vine, Nylon Expression and now Rouge River.

As a multi-instrumentalist, Yandall now routinely records, produces and releases the entire album himself. Each album has a certain direction and purpose. Rouge River is Patrick’s homage to his roots and the beautiful state of Michigan.

Also on this album Patrick lives out his artistic freedom to record what is close to his heart. And so it starts with Zug Island, a piece Patrick has created in the energetic style of the group Tower Of Powers. Hammond B3 organ and a strong horn arrangement support his guitar performance. Instead of sterile drum programming he conveys the use of an advanced live drum kit.

Read more …

Patrick Yandall – Jazz On The Vine

It is the independent musicians with small budgets that keep the fire of the smooth jazz genre burning. Among them it’s guitarist Patrick Yandall who distinguishes himself by special activity. He begins the New Year with his album Jazz On The Vine (2020), dedicated to the Napa Valley wine region.

Patrick is a welcome guest at the events in this wine region, which brings its products closer to the consumer with numerous smooth jazz activities. Patrick’s main passion is creating new music every day. Playing many instruments with a convincing perfection is his ability and especially advantage when recording a new album. Playing with other musicians is really joyful but studio time is not cheap and that’s the reason why most musicians are working today’s in their own home studio.

Patrick has written and produced all songs of the new project. Patrick admits that this is already the fifth album without the help of other musicians. The title song commemorates the festival that is held annually at The Osthoff Resort. While the intro sounds somewhat spacey with its wave sound, the guitar driven main theme is almost jazzy despite the use of a lot of reverb.

Read more …

The Justus Brothers – Chinese Checkers

The roots of The Justus Brothers date back forty years, in the birthplace of soul, blues and rock ‘n’ roll: Memphis. The musicians who comprise the band dropping the eponymous debut album on October 11 on the iconic Memphis International Records/Select-O-Hits labels met long ago in the sweaty blues and smoky jazz clubs on Beale Street. Together, they electrified Memphis churches with rousing musical sermons and tracked in fabled Memphis recording studios alongside an incomparable list of hall of famers, Grammy winners and chart-topping legends. Before they backed a galaxy of stars in sold-out arenas, the members of The Justus Brothers paid dues playing long hours, night after night, sharpening their chops and earning virtuosity while forming a brotherhood built upon rhythm and groove.

Guitarist Niko Lyras and The Justus Brothers produced the ten songs on their self-titled set, a balance of original tunes and choice covers given the full Memphis makeover. Already garnering playlist adds is their soul-powered jam session workout “Chinese Checkers,” a revival originally recorded by Memphis’s Booker T. & the M.G.’s (https://youtu.be/ArzJIfJI8Zo). Several members of The Justus Brothers have ties to Booker T. & the M.G.’s, including drummer Steve Potts, who was a longtime member of the outfit.

The chemistry between the five “brothers” sizzles throughout the collection. Lyras, Potts and bassist Dave Smith have been playing together the longest. Thirty years ago, hornman Pat Register (tenor, alto and soprano sax and flute) and keyboardist Jason Clark completed the family. Continue reading

Patrick Yandall – When Its Hip

To classify Patrick Yandall as a smooth jazz guitarist would not do justice to his stylistic spectrum. Smooth jazz, contemporary jazz, blues, rock, every genre is a facet of his musical personality. Patrick’s new album When Its Hip has exactly these edges that make up the whole Yandall package.

Patrick performs all instruments on the new album. With the exception of three covers he has written all songs. The album is launched with the title song. While the lead guitar is focused on chords offers the main part variations of trumpet, bass and guitar underlined by synth strings. King James is somewhat harder due to the use of distortion effects. Even a short piano solo is included.

B Boy is called a break-dancer, who follows the athletic path of street dancing. Piano and guitar alternate in the presentation of the main motif. Most friends of smooth jazz will know Who’s That Lady through guitarist Peter White, who helped the 1973 Isley Bothers song to new fame. Unlike Peter White, Patrick lets the wildness of the guitar shine in its untamed form.

Read more …

Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers – All I Got For Christmas Is The Blues

2018 holiday release. Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers return with a powerhouse blues rock holiday album. Four original songs feature the hard driving, down and dirty “All I Got For Christmas Is The Blues”. And five holiday classics including “Merry Christmas Baby” and “The Christmas Song” are reimagined with a gritty, raucous spirit.

Mindi Abair is a two-time Grammy Award nominated saxophonist, vocalist, and author. Her solo career has produced ten #1 radio singles, two #1 Billboard Jazz CDs, and four more solo CDs that have landed #5 and above on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Charts. She was the featured saxophonist for the 2011 and 2012 seasons of American Idol.

Our third Christmas recommendation is available on Amazon.com.

Randy McGill – Eclectic

Born in Houston, Texas, now a South Florida resident multi-instrumentalist Randy McGill covers a broad range of styles. Inspired by artists such as Robert Glasper and Snarky Puppy, he is a musician always pushing for greatness.

His debut album is the EP Eclectic, released in November 2017. Randy has written and mixed all songs and invited an elite circle of top musicians to his project. Neeeooooohhhhhhh follows a completely different approach to traditional smooth jazz. Instead of a sonic melody, McGill chooses a collage of voice messages, sound sequences, and gospel-like vocal chords.

That it also works differently, he demonstrates with the following Your Eyes. Extraordinary in the length of the song fascinating solos on piano and keyboards evolves from a very groovy piece. Responsible for this musical listening pleasure is blessed pianist Randy McGill and Dre Synth, who played the outstanding synth solo.

Read more …

Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers – The EastWest Sessions

I saw it coming. Smooth jazz saxophonist Mindi Abair joined Aerosmith for their 2012 Summer Tour and Bruce Springsteen and Max Weinberg for a night at the Beacon Theater. Infected by the Rock music virus her music became edgier. Mindi comments: “From touring with Aerosmith to getting to sit in with Bruce Springsteen for a song, those experiences gave me the permission to go a little more rootsy, and I’m going to run with it!″

The EastWest Sessions is her second album with the group The Boneshakers. The first one was Live In Seattle (2015). Mindi already worked with Boneshakers’ founder Randy Jacobs on his albums From Me To You (2005) and Rhythm And The Beat (2013). The Boneshakers are Randy Jacobs (guitar, vocals), Sweet Pea Atkinson (vocals), Rodney Lee (keys), Derek Frank (bass, vocals), and Third Richardson (drums, vocals). Featured guest musicians on the new album are iconic Blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa and Grammy awarded singer Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz better known under his stage name Fantastic Negrito.

The album starts with Vinyl, a powerful rock-fueled song showcasing Mindi in the double feature as singer and saxophonist. Forgotten is the sweetness of former records. This Mindi is sharp like a steel needle. Not That Kind of Girl is not just a title, it’s a statement. Third Richardson treats his drums with mighty beats and guitar and sax crank up the volume to the max. With a lot of party noise, Mindi pushes her rock heart to the limit.

Read more …