Samantha Fish

In case you haven't already heard. . .  From Kansas City Missouri comes one of the most polarizing women in the blues to date. Twenty Five year old Samantha Fish hits the ground running and completely captivates a crowd when she takes the stage with a guitar in her hand. There is no doubt you get a sense she is driven when it comes to entertaining the audience with her fiery mix of Hill Country Blues, Rock and American Blues. Relentless in her touring, The "Kansas City Bomber" and band have played a plethora of blues festivals and shows across the county and overseas to the delight of  thousands of appreciative fans.
Which brings us to "Wild Heart" -the much anticipated & latest collection of studio songs by Ms Fish. This recording flows well and is a great mix of complex genres of the blues. Right out of the shoot with the hard rocking Road Runner - this song in particular captures your attention with plenty of slide guitar, searing riffs and sultry vocals. Go Home is a compelling county blues ballad that exemplifies the soft side of Samantha's ultra smooth vocals. Jim Lee Blues Pt 1 is a stand out. I so much appreciate the diversity of the songs here. The tempo of the music changes constantly so you really don't know what to expect and I like that. It seems the unknown keeps my ears peeled if you know what I mean. Give it a listen. Easily Four Stars in my book.
Glad I attended and had stage access to two festivals Samantha Fish performed at. With my Nikon in tow, I attempted to capture the essence of this young lady's stage presence. Enjoy.

 

                                                                                 

Brandon Santini

He hales from Memphis, has been blowing the harp and singing since age 15. His live shows will flat out get your feet moving and knock your socks off! It's traditional blues with a side of soul that Brandon Santini specializes in. The Band is tight, turns on a dime and entertains the audience with non -stop music from start to finish. Brandon's harmonica licks capture the essence of James Cotton and Paul Butterfield wrapped up into one as Santini lays down some spellbinding modern renditions of Blues Standards. Timo Arthur is The Man on lead & rhythm guitar and complements Brandon's harp and singing in a way that showcases his immense talent as they feed off of each other on every song! Rounding out the rhythm section is Steady Nick Hern on bass guitar and David Green is a force to be reckoned with on drums.
The current album out for only a few months is: Live And Extended! - Nicely produced it captures the dynamic energy of a Live Santini show and is the next best thing to being there front row and center. Brandon's rendition of Slim Harpo's ; Got Love If You Want It - nails it!  Elevate Me Mama satisfies the listeners craving for sultry slow blues. My Backscratcher is a stand out as well.
To sum things up, I urge you to give Brandon Santini a serious listen - download Live And Extended then get out and see him when he comes to your town! It's definitely a win win situation.

The Betty Fox Band

On the heels of her upcoming album release; "Slow Burn"- Betty Fox is poised to become a very hot commodity in the ever-changing climate of Blues Music. In the process, The Betty Fox Band has once again, put Central Florida in the spotlight- which, in case you hadn't noticed, is a hotbed for the blues of late.
Blues, Soul & Funk, are the main ingredients that makes her music cook, and Betty is the Master Chef  that delivers the appetizing and delectable sounds to the listeners ears. Not an overnight success, Betty has honed her craft, paid her dues and continues to evolve as an emerging artist. Wisely, she has surrounded herself with a talented group of veteran musicians who complement her wide range of vocal talent and this troop is spot on with impeccable timing and precision. On guitar; Kid Royal; unequivocally knows his way around the fretboard. Barry Williams on bass guitar is without a doubt the backbone of the rhythm section. Finally, Sam Farmer on drums, the man who ties everything together by laying down steady shuffles and accents, old school style.
The Betty Fox Band takes it to another level while on stage. They are definitely in their element when preforming live. Betty's vocal range soars and her emotion, soul and power are something to behold front row and center. At the recent Sea Blues Festival held in Clearwater, Florida, Betty & the band captivated the large crowd with 45 mins of non-stop, knock your socks off, down and dirty soul -blues, earning them a standing ovation from the audience of knowledgeable blues fans who literally begged for more!
To put things into perspective, I see good things in the immediate future for The Betty Fox Band. The 2012 release: Too Far Gone was a milestone and just a beginning of things to come. Slow Burn is an analogy for her musical career. Ms Betty Fox is about to illuminate as an artist and realize her dreams come true.

Benji's BluesDoggle

Date: March 20 -22nd 2015
Location: Airport Field / New Smyrna Beach, FL


Three Days of Blues Music, 18 artists with their bands for one great cause -Benefiting The Childhood Cancer Foundation. What an event! The Bluesdoggle is amazing! The blues flowed like the mighty Mississippi for three days. Up and coming blues artists as well as established veterans  gave freely of their time and energy on the stage . . fans showed up from all over the country to enjoy the music, the weather, great food and drink. I obtained a media photo pass and tried to capture the raw emotion and unbridled talent from those who graced the stage. Here is a small sampling . . .

Jarekus Singleton

Jarekus Singleton

Jarekus Singleton

Jarekus Singleton

Brandon Santini

Brandon Santini

Brandon Santini

Brandon Santini

Timo Arthur

Victor Wainwright

Sean Chambers

Sean Chambers

Skyla Burrell