Danielle Nicole Band

Venue: The Alley
Location: Sanford, FL
Date: December 8th 2017


The good folks at The Alley continue to raise the bar with the talent they are attracting right in our backyard of Central Florida. It will just keep getting even better in the new year as some of the best names in the blues have already been booked. Keep up the great marketing and booking strategy!
So it doesn't come as a surprise that one of the best kept secrets in blues rock played the Alley on a hot Friday night a few weeks ago in December. Danielle Nicole Schnebelen formerly of Trampled Under Foot with her brothers Kris and Nick Schnebelen, put that project on hold and is forging ahead with her own Kansas City creation; The Danielle Nicole Band formed in 2015. Her Debut recording; Wolf Den was released in September of that year, and ended up in the #2 Billboard Blues Album Charts. The Grammy award winning Danielle and the band have steadily been touring during that time. She has teamed up with Branden Miller on guitar, who is a top notch professional, showcasing his diversity with various tones and styles on electric, acoustic guitars and you guessed it -mandolin. Then, there is Danielle Nicole who is without question on the upper echelon of  blues talent today. Her range of vocals is simply phenomenal as is the variety of her repertoire which is amazing- from Led Zeppelin to Etta James and everything in between. Add to that her total mastery of the bass guitar which is off the charts as she plays effortlessly all the while directing the three piece, sometimes four piece touring band!  Yet another amazing musician rounded out the three piece on this night - Rodd Bland on drums - son of the legendary Bobby "Blue" Bland. His precise rhythms, shuffles and backbeat filled in so well with this band. Rodd of course played with his father and also another legend: The great BB King. So he knows his way around a drum kit.
The Danielle Nicole Band played two sets mixing in originals and their own takes on classic blues standards. A standout was Willie Dixon's stellar song: Spoonful. They also did plenty of acoustic material from the Live At The Gospel Lounge CD which I was able to get my hands on after the show! The Danielle Nicole Band was one of the best shows of 2017 at the Alley - I'm giving it 4 stars! I did have my trusty Nikon with me and was able to record a few frames. Enjoy those along with a video from Danielle Nicole's new CD to be released in February: Save Me. The title song downloadable now on Itunes features Kenny Wayne Shepherd on Guitar.

                                                                               

Bradenton Blues Fest 2017

This year's totally sold out blues extravaganza at beautiful Riverwalk park in Bradenton Florida had the entire crowd already thinking and planning for next years festival!
The perfecto Sunshine State weather always adds clout to the fact that this is one of the premier annual festivals in the entire country.
Florida's own Sean Chambers took the stage a 11 AM! His latest recording; Trouble & Whiskey is his best yet and he and his stage band delivered a stellar live set from this recent album of originals and covers. Great stuff from these guys from start to finish!
It seems every Bradenton Blues Fest has a surprise diamond in the ruff you didn't see coming! This year I got blind sided by Vanessa Collier who had the crowd wrapped around her little finger with her music that cleverly combines blues, funk, rock & soul! Vanessa has the "It" factor and she exudes confidence on stage that rivals performers twice her age. The new album Meeting My Shadow played well live on the Festival Stage. Her hour long set ended way to quickly! All good things come to an end and off stage, Vanessa spent the next entire hour and a half meeting, greeting, taking pictures and signing her CD. Enough said.
     Great Chicago Style blues was up next as the award winning Nick Moss Band was front & center. Nick through the years has served as an incubator for all kinds of talent that takes off on their own under his tutelage. Case in point Michael Ledbetter guitarist and unique vocalist that has recorded with several other blues greats (Ronnie Earl, Monster Mike Welch) For quite some time now Nick has featured Dennis Gruenling on harp and vocals front and center. It is a plus for the live band as it adds some depth and diversity to their Chicago Style sound. Their set was exhilarating and had the crowd just wanting more and more.
     Next up was a trip down to Cajun Country NewOrleans with Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band. Chubby and company had the audience dancing and singing along. Veterans of blues festivals around the world, Cajun Music speaks to everyone.
     Sugar Blue with his serious harp attack followed. Curtis Salgado and Joe Louis Walker rounded out the day and we will feature them on another edition of East Coast Blues News.
     As is customary, I had my trusty Nikon with me in one hand and a Photo Media Pass around by neck, so was able to get a few frames for your viewing enjoyment. See you soon.

  

Mt Dora Blues N' Groove

Venue:  Elizabeth Evans Park
Location: Mt Dora                                                 

Date: 5/20/17

     Beautiful Mt Dora was once again the picturesque location of the ninth annual Blues N Groove Festival held one week ago. The Orange Blossom Blues Society organized the spectacular event this year and as usual, it was a tremendous success! Saturday's festivities began with some of the best national talent in the land as The Nouveaux Honkies were introduced .The talented and unorthodox musical duo of Tim ( guitar & vocals) and Rebecca O'Donnell ( fiddle & vocals) are riveting. The Honkies flawlessly delivered songs that covered nearly every genre of music known to mankind today. They preformed many tunes from their popular release: Blues For Country, to the delight of the crowd. Love this band!
     JP Soars & The Red Hots took the stage next, noted for their high powered blues- rock which ignited the festival goers. The band really cooks and when the Arkansas native brought out his hand made cigar box guitar, everyone really got into it! JP Soars & The Red Hots is one of the hardest working bands in the land!, and they certainly lived up to that in their spirited set.
     Bradenton's own Doug Deming and the Jewel Tones took up where JP Soars left off. Doug IS Rockabilly and Swing Blues at it's best. The addition of the legendary Madison Slim on harp is noteworthy. His style and expertise solidifies the rhythm section of Andrew Gohman on bass and Sam Farmer on drums. It was 4 PM and the hot, humid Florida sun was raising the temperature and Doug Deming was keeping pace. So glad  Doug is making his mark on blues worldwide. A new recording is now in the works and I can't wait!
     Closing things out for the day and headlining, was Californian John Clifton & his band. Virtually unknown on the east coast, the Florida blues crowd were cordiality introduced to his style of "in your face" blues, soul and funk. Any band that wears great looking suits in the sweltering Florida heat has my total respect. Clifton can flat out blow the harp and sing . . .and that he did! They covered a wide variety of bluesy, soul standards and sprinkled some originals in the mix. John & company are welcome back to the sunshine state anytime.
     As is usually the case, I had the trusty Nikon with me and captured a few frames of the event. It was one for the books and I am already looking forward to next year.

    

Eric Gales

Venue: The Alley
Location: Sanford, FL
Date: April 7th, 2017

Some things are worth the wait. It was in 1991 that I first sat and listened to a obscure CD entitled: The Gales Brothers Band.  Having grown up with Hendrix music well through the 60's, my ears knew immediately that the player on this recording was unique, gifted, and whatever other accolades you could throw his way. Really quite remarkable since Eric Gales was only 17 years old at the time.
2017 and fast forward twenty-six  years with lots of water under the bridge, Eric will tell you he is now writing the best chapters in his life. He made mention of his sobriety and how he is living life to its fullest and enjoying playing and touring more than ever before. He is especially proud of his current #1 recording on the Blues Charts; Middle Of The Road. as he should be.  It was at that pivotal point of the show that Eric Gales let his guitar do the talking. . . Simply Amazing.
He is actually one of those players that I consider as the upper echelon of guitar royalty, the cream of the crop . . .so good that you can't believe what you just heard, if you know what I mean. Add to that - He is a perfectionist and is very much cognizant with providing the paying audience a top notch performance for their bucks. Concentrating on the new recording he and the band delivered extended versions of those songs to the delight of the full house at the Alley. He then threw in renditions of classic rock songs with his own twist of riffs, notes and progressions that had heads spinning. Don't Fear The Reaper, Miss You and Voodoo Chile were covered in tremendous style. Several ovations were well deserved before the night ended too quickly. He came out for one encore, but could  have played another set as far as I was concerned. I attempted to capture his raw energy with my trusty Nikon and wanted to share some frames of the show. Enjoy.- R Keith Lambert

                                                                       

                       

                  

Lauren Mitchell / Desire

Release Date: March 31, 2017
Producer: Tony Braunagel

     "If you can't stand the heat, keep on walking through the fire. You don't have to move a mountain, you just climb a little higher! You know its gonna taste so sweet, so don't listen to the liars. Gonna rise up from those ashes and believe in your desire". . .  Lauren Mitchell's emotional lyrics attest to the uncompromising dedication and tenacity that burns within her as a successful singer/ songwriter. Desire-the title song sets the mood perfectly for the entire 13 song session. It was  recorded within an eight day span in the California Ultratone Studio. Within that comfortable setting, musicians, singers and producers collaborated, working feverishly with the goal of creating a memorable recording. Having been privileged to listen to the CD for the past few weeks, I am thoroughly convinced their goal was achieved.
     I have known for some time that Lauren Mitchell was a gifted singer, no question. However there are intangibles that set her apart from others, mainly her diversity. Obviously the blues have a hold on her. Etta James has got a special place in her heart. However, Lauren can rock, she can roll, she's got soul and she can Gospel. Desire captures all of  those individual attributes and much more.
     The songs are solid, the musicianship is smooth and tight. The players and singers who contributed  are consummate professionals including two virtuoso guitarists: Josh Sklair  (Grammy winner as Etta James musical director and guitarist) & Johnny Lee Schell.( Toured with Bonnie Raitt). Stand out songs on Desire include: Soul Music - a Motown meets Memphis style song with solid rhythms and excellent background singing that take you back to that era. Jump Into My Fire is a hot blues rocker that features Lauren's strong vocals combined with some searing guitar work. Feels So Good  is a top notch easy listening blues ballad with catchy story telling lyrics. My ears were also drawn to; Bridge Of My Dreams . . .A gospel Classic. Lauren concludes the album on a high note with a mainstay favorite from her live shows: Brown Liquor.
     Desire is indeed a milestone for Lauren Mitchell. The world is officially her stage as she will encompass a larger audience who well deserves to hear one of the best kept secrets in the south.
-R Keith Lambert / East Coast Blues News
4 Stars ****
    

Seafood Blues Festival

Date: February 19, 20th 2017
Venue: Clearwater, Florida / Coachman Park

Each and every February of the year you must without fail  mark your calendar to attend what is known as the premier Blues Festival of all in the beautiful state of Florida down in Clearwater, known as the Seafood Blues Festival!
The organizers of this great venue bring their "A game" with superior food, drink, venders and of course the entertainment speaks for itself.
Two days of blues music filled the air as both local and national acts took to the stage. Saturday in particular featured Tampa's own Souliz . . .bringing their ear pleasing, toe tapping funky blues to the forefront. As the first act of the day, Souliz brought the crowd to life with their non- stop energy. They covered a couple Ko Ko Taylor tunes and were spot on! They also laid down some great original material which was well received. Good things ahead for this band.
Local Songstress Betty Fox is undeniably one of the best kept secrets in the blues and I am so glad many of us Floridians have had the privilege of seeing her evolve and mature musically, and the amazing thing about Betty is that she hasn't even reached her full potential! The Betty Fox Band is on a mission when they play a Festival and that mission is to entertain the audience and deliver the "Wow" factor. . .that they did!
Betty's vocals are so good & powerful, they raise the hair on your neck. Enough said. Front and center stage of this festival She covered material on the latest release: Slow Burn,  then teased with songs from a new album; Living Room Sessions. Make no doubt about it, The Betty Fox Band moves the needle. . . wherever and whenever they play. Stellar set at this Festival!
Selwyn Birchwood followed Ms Fox and is a crowd favorite. An Orlando native that has done well on the national blues scene, Selwyn and Band brought the heat to the stage and had the appreciative audience wrapped around his finger and begging for more. Don't Call No Ambulance was the highlight of his well performed set. Go see this gifted man when you have an opportunity.
Mike Zito  followed and I really enjoyed the Texas three piece lineup he brought to the festival stage. This particular band sounded very tight and extenuated Mike Z's explosive guitar work and splendid vocals as they took turns in the spotlight. Songs from the new recording: Make Blues Not War  rained through his set as well as a bevy of staples from his extensive catalog of tunes. Very entertaining set.
The much anticipated heavyweight blues performer of the night; Sonny Landreth  took the spotlight with a three piece acoustic set initially followed by an electric set. Sonny is a master slide guitar technician and is jaw dropping every time I have seen him. The Louisiana native is a wonder to behold with his style of picking, fretwork and hamonics, not to mention the superior slide work. Well into his 60's after hearing Sonny you know what a journeyman guitarist brings to the table.
I was fortunate enough to be awarded a photo media pass, so was able to capture a few frames of the wonderful talent in front of my eyes with my trusty Nikon. Hope you enjoy.