Showing posts with label B. Christopher Band. Show all posts
Showing posts with label B. Christopher Band. Show all posts

Sunday, June 23, 2024

The B. Christopher Band - 106 Miles To Chicago

Album: 106 Miles To Chicago
Size: 60,7 MB
Time: 26:11
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2024
Styles: Blues/R&B
Art: Front

1. Hey Bartender (2:39)
2. Everybody Needs Somebody To Love (3:51)
3. Sweet Home Chicago (6:57)
4. Peter Gunn Theme (3:23)
5. She Caught The Katy (4:07)
6. Gimmie Some Lovin (2:59)
7. I Can't Turn You Loose (2:12)

Although assembling a band as renowned as the members of The Blues Brothers Band would be tough, B. Christopher did one heck of a job trying. The maestros on this project include: the album’s producer and band leader B. Christopher on guitar; Eddie Testa on lead vocals; the legendary Anton Fig on drums; Nick Douglas on bass and backup vocals; Blues Music Award winner Bruce Katz on keys; Grammy Award winner Andy Snitzer on tenor and baritone sax; Ryan Keberle on trombone; original Blues Brother Band member Tom “Bones” Malone on baritone sax; Studebaker John on harmonica; and Sharlotte Gibson on backup vocals.

Things kick off with that classic drinking song whose title contains the words that many of us have uttered lots of times – “Hey Bartender”. Telling you nothing you don’t already know, the song is indeed a sing-a-long, dance floor filling smoker. With all the horns, including the Mississippi saxophone, in play; the keyboard wailing – as you might expect in a Floyd Dixon song; this rhythm on this one, led by heart thumpin’ beats from Anton (drums) and Nick (drums); is totally ablaze. With that all pumping them up, Eddie and B. are killing it on the vocals and lead guitar.

Just like the band did in the movie, not a beat was missed between the end of the last track and the start of this one – “Everybody Needs Somebody To Love” (B. Berns/S. Burke/J. Wexler). Also, not much has changed as well, it’s another full throttle performance by everyone involved. Having never heard of Eddie Testa before, I’ve got to tell you, he’s quickly making a fan of me. His vocals, along with the deep bass backups of Nick and the contrasting soprano style harmonies of Sharlotte, combine to make this one hell of a well sung song.

Why stop now, when you’re on a roll? This is the perfect spot to do a seven-minute ass kickin’ rendition of “Sweet Home Chicago” (R. Johnson). With the instrumentation on this disc, and the talented players on those instruments, it is so easy to sound redundant. So yes, this is another rhythm fueled smoker. Individual highlights feature Eddie making me shout “hell yes” every time he belts out the line ” C’mon baby, don’t you want to go…..”; ferocious drum work from Anton; barrelhouse piano runs from Bruce; sizzling tenor sax and trumpet leads from Andy and Tony, respectively; and some killer (sweet home) Chicago style blues licks from the boss man on guitar.

With it having won Henry Mancini an Emmy, two Grammys, and being inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, “Peter Gunn” is most likely one of the best, and most recognizable TV theme songs of all time. From a sheer musical point of view, being an instrumental with nothing but masterful musicianship, it’s number one on my list. From the very aggressive opening rhythm beat, to the fierce horn section leads, to the rhythm guitar runs, the guys did this one justice by pretty much playing it note for note and sounding as good as the original version.

One of the album’s, and the movie’s as well, most energetic performance is “Gimmie Some Lovin” (S. and M. Windwood/S. Davis). Making Rolling Stones top 500 songs it was the Spencer Davis Group’s biggest hit and started off what would become a most amazing career for the then fifteen-year-old Stevie Windwood. Again, since this is a tribute album and making covers your own never comes into play, the guys did this – and every other track – justice by keeping it very real. With the whole band in a fierce jam mode behind him, Eddie, with strong backup from Sharlotte, puts on the album’s most compelling vocal presentation. Other tracks on this excellent release by The B. Christopher Band include: “She Caught The Katy” by Taj Mahal, and a fabulous instrumental version of Otis Redding’s “I Can’t Turn You Loose”. /Peter “Blewzzman” Lauro, Atlanta Blues Society

106 Miles To Chicago mc
106 Miles To Chicago gofile

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

B. Christopher Band - Two Rivers Back

Size: 387 MB
Time: 52:30
File: Flac
Released: 2019
Styles: Rock/Blues
Art: Front

1. Newbie’s Funk (4:00)
2. Tried to Keep You Satisfied (3:46)
3. Sad State of Affairs (5:12)
4. Bit O’ Butter (4:11)
5. She’s Gone (2:20)
6. It’s Alright (3:33)
7. I’m Drunk (3:17)
8. Nina Come On (4:57)
9. Perfect Curves (3:39)
10. Bye Bye (4:21)
11. Strike Two (4:33)
12. Twenty Eight Days (4:59)
13. It Just Hurts (3:35)

The album opens with a nice little instrumental entitled “Newbie’s Funk.” Christopher’s guitar takes us for a melodic ride with a stinging tone; the song has an very cool vibe overall. “Tried To Keep You Satisfied” opens up almost immediately with a raucous set of vocals by Boles in a jumping tune. The guitar takes the lead but piano and harp also play a big part in this one. Tenor sax enters the picture in “Sad State of Affairs,” a soulful tome about living in poverty in a one room efficiency where Boles again sings with passion. The guitar and Snitzer’s sax both offer up solos for us to enjoy. “Bit O’Butter” is a solemn and tasteful guitar instrumental that showcases Christopher’s talents with Katz and the back-line in support. Next up is “She’s Gone” where Christopher breaks out the resonator and slips and slides for us in another cool instrumental, this one solo; well done!

Two Rivers Back FLAC

B. Christopher Band - Snapshots from the Second Floor

B. Christopher Band - Snapshots from the Second Floor Size: 327 MB
Time: 44:35
File: Flac
Released: 2022
Styles: Blues
Art: Front

1. All Twisted Up (3:32)
2. Where You At (4:37)
3. Sugar Baby (3:34)
4. Talk to Me (3:35)
5. Take It Home (3:43)
6. Who You Gonna Turn to Now (4:07)
7. Something's Wrong (2:38)
8. Late Night Crying (4:50)
9. Deep Dish Grit (2:36)
10. Ain't That Cold (2:56)
11. Like a Fool (3:18)
12. Thirty Years (3:01)
13. Smoke (2:02)

Guitarist B. Christopher is a big name in his USA, especially in the world of TV music. He composed and played countless songs, intended for TV. He is now on his sixth solo album with his B. Christopher Band. A band, which on this album consists of, in addition to B. Christopher, Anton Fig (drums, including Joe Bonamassa), Studebaker John (harmonica), E.J. “Moose” Boles (vocals), Nick Douglas (bass) and Eric Collier (bass). I already regret never having heard B. Christopher's previous albums because the material on B. Christopher's new album is unparalleled! And that is mainly due to B. Christopher's guitar playing that sounds incredibly hard and biting. A guitar style that immediately evoked memories of Roy Buchanan in me. He opens his album with the cheerful pumping blues All Twisted Up. An instrumental with hard piercing guitar work and the tearing harmonica of Studebaker John in the lead role. Then follows the languorous blues Where You At in which the very lived vocals of E.J. “Moose” Boles stands out next to the painfully hard-sounding guitar and the broodingly moaning harmonica. The instrumental shuffle Sugar Baby shows B. Chrisopher with raw roaring guitar playing in the best Roy Buchanan tradition. Then the loose rocker Talk To Me moves towards the sound of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. After the sultry instrumental shuffle Take It Home and the swaying swinger Who You Gonna Turn To Now, the album's highlight follows. The sultry pumping instrumental shuffle Something's Wrong with B. Christopher's hard-twanging and scraping guitar in the lead. Deep Fish Grit is a gritty plowing blues with hard biting guitar work, followed by the brooding boogie Ain't That Cold with really frenzied raging slide guitar playing. The album's closer, Smoke, showcases B. Christopher's more intimate side in an instrumental track with melancholic raw slide guitar playing. B. Christopher's sixth album is an absolute must for all blues (guitar) enthusiasts and a very good reason to also purchase his previous albums!

Snapshots from the Second Floor FLAC