Blues

Bridget Kelly Band - Blues Warrior (2018)

2018-07-28T09:47:03Z

Bridget Kelly Band - Blues Warrior (2018)


01. Lil’ Honey Bee
02. Cabrini-Green
03. Stolen
04. No Good Man’s Blues
05. Alone
06. Trouble In Texas
07. Let Go
08. Blues Inside Of Me
09. It’s A Shame
10. Snow Fall
11. Nameless Nobody
12. Sugar Sweet Baby
13. Chemo

Bridget Kelly - vocals
Tim Fik - guitars
Mark Armbrecht, Mike Hamm - bass
Alex Klausner, Michael Barady, Christine Alexander - drums
+
Chris Alexander - keyboards
“Little Mike” Markowitz - harmonica

Alpha Sun Records and the Bridget Kelly Band are excited to announce the release "Blues Warrior" (2018), with a series of songs that delve into the topics of human trafficking, homelessness, domestic abuse, and the deadly allure of heroin addition. Of course, there are a couple of love song to balance the mood... but BKB is serious about discussing some pressing issues. All in all, an all-original music album with influences that range from Blues-Rock, Electric Blues, and Classic Rock. ---cdbaby.com

The Bridget Kelly Band is another group we simply cannot get enough of. Their fifth album for Alpha Sun Records in the last six years is entitled “Blues Warrior,” and that they are, indeed, continuing to spread the word of the blues from their home base in Florida to fans all over the globe. Bridget’s got a voice to die for, sultry, soulful, and sexy, (often all at the same time!), while Tim Fik is the consummate guitar-meister, with influences as varied as B. B., Jimi, and Dickie Betts, and everyone in between. He also serves as the set’s producer. They were Semi-Finalists in both the 2015 and 2016 IBC’s, and, this year, Tim collared a prestigious KBA, a lifetime achievement award given to those who have dedicated their lives and careers in Keeping The Blues Alive and preserving and promoting its heritage.

As you can see, this group has a boatload of accolades, and now we gotta git’ to gittin’ on the excellent material contained herein. On this set, the band takes one huge, altruistic step forward, using their music to call attention to society’s problems of homelessness, drug addiction, domestic abuse, and human trafficking.

Things do start off on a playful note, tho, as Tim lays down some fancy lead lines over Bridget’s declaration of forever love to “my Li’l Honey Bee.” She comes back a little later and rocks him again, this time with the help of Chris Alexander on piano on the juke joint romp of “Sugar Sweet Baby.” (Tim Fik, you are one sho’ nuff lucky man!). “Cabrini-Green” recounts the deplorable living conditions in that fabled North Side neighborhood in Chicago, as Bridget calls a “time for change!” “Stolen” has a beautiful intro from Tim, giving way to Bridget’s shout-out to victims of human trafficking, begging to be spared from “this den of thieves.” The all-too-often-ignored people in “Nameless Nobody” recalls the plight of the nation’s homeless, “as the city bustles by,” while the burning, slow-churn of “No Good Man Blues” deals with the pain and suffering of domestic abuse. And, the sad consequences of a life of dependency on the “needle and the spoon” are laid bare in the stark “Snow Fall.” They close the set on a bittersweet note with the poignant “Chemo,” a tribute to Bridget’s grandmother and Joyce Hanken, and also to fallen-but-never-forgotten blues sister Candye Kane.

The Bridget Kelly Band has used the music of “Blues Warrior” to empower all who suffer from any of the plights that plague modern society to take every step possible to stand up and fight back. An excellent blues album under any circumstances, this one is made even more appealing by the band’s philanthropic outlook of “giving back” to their fans and the blues community who knows of someone suffering in silence. Thank you, guys–we love you! Sheryl and Don Crow, The Nashville Blues Society. ---donandsherylsbluesblog.wordpress.com

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Bridget Kelly Band - Bone Rattler (2017)

2017-06-07T14:42:55Z

Bridget Kelly Band - Bone Rattler (2017)

CD1
01. Ain't Missin' You (4:13)
02. What You Need (5:47)
03. Levee & the Bridge (3:46)
04. Boom Boom (3:43)
05. I Ride Against the Wind (4:05)
06. No Good for Me (7:09)
07. Goin' to Chi-Town (4:06)
08. Leavin' on Sunday (5:09)
09. Same Bad Attitude (4:26)
10. Deeper Than Blue (6:06)
11. Don't Bother Comin' Home (4:23)
12. Outbound Mississippi (8:26)
13. Ghost Train (6:47)

CD2
01. The Dark Night (7:04)
02. Mr. Gaines (4:53)
03. In My Sorrow (3:25)
04. I'm so Tired (3:54)
05. Hambone (5:37)
06. Bad Tornado (3:04)
07. Cell Phone Blues (5:08)
08. Cat's out of the Bag (6:15)
09. Your Limozeen (4:37)

Bridget Kelly – vocals,
Tim Fik – guitar and vocals,
Mike Hamm – bass,
Michael Barady – drums
Members of the group hail from Gainesville and Palatka, Florida.

The Bridget Kelly Band call Gainesville, Florida, their home. They’ve been one of our favorites for some time now, and they continue to improve their sound with each successive album. Led by the red-hot vocals of Bridget Kelly, the band plays the blues with their influences coming from Memphis, Texas, and classic blues-rock. Along with Bridget, there’s Tim Fik on guitar and vocals, Mark Armbrecht on bass, and Alex Klausner on drums.

Their latest set is a monster, indeed. “Bone Rattler” is twenty-two original songs spread over two CD’s that is guaranteed to, well, “rattle your bones,” as they lay it all on the table for their fans with this outstanding collection. Brother Tim Fik has always been a mighty force on guitar, but he absolutely scorches the frets throughout both discs. That is readily evident as the first set kicks off with a blistering, Freddie King-styled groove, as Bridget tells an ex that “I’m sleepin’ real good tonite–I Ain’t Missin’ You!” Bridget pays tribute to the people affected by Katrina with the minor-key read of “graves without stones,” “The Levee And The Bridge.”

We’ve always enjoyed Bridget and Tim layin’ down some of that good, deep, slow-blues, and her story of “I was so good for you, baby, but you were No Good For Me” is just what the root doctor ordered! And, they turn in a sweet duet on the slide-heavy tale of “going down to Florida” on that “OutBound Mississippi” train, with a cool “alternative” ending!

Our favorite was, hands down, Bridget’s call for us all to follow her, “Goin’ To Chi-Town,” as Tim busts out his best Elmore James licks.

The second disc boogied just as hard as the first. It features Tim on the majority of the vocals, and he really lets his guitar do some talkin.’ He leads off with the supernatural groove of “The Dark Night,” with plenty of Johnny Winter-inspired guitar. A bit later, he gets his Voodoo Chile on, with a cool song that was just too short, entitled “In My Sorrow.”

We had three favorites on Disc 2. Bridget joins in on duet vocals as that “Bad Tornado” Tim sings about, on this stone rocker ’bout a woman who’ll “give you the blues!” We loved the abstract humor of Tim’s story of a man who “has a third wife, but still sees the other two,” because, even tho he “gave up whiskey,” he just can’t quit that “Hambone!” And, a song that could only happen in the 21st Century, “Cell Phone Blues” finds Tim leaving a lover who’s “married to that damn cell phone,” playing out over Tim’s sizzling guitar lines.

The Bridget Kelly Band flat tore it up on stage as a part of the “Women In Blues” showcase during the 2017 IBC’s in Memphis. Their hot streak continues, with this set, sho’ nuff a “Bone Rattler. ---Gna Sicilia, donandsherylsbluesblog.wordpress.com

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Bridget Kelly Band - Outta the Blues (2016)

2017-05-22T15:17:32Z

Bridget Kelly Band - Outta the Blues (2016)


01. Gonna Stay Here (3:39)
02. Spellbound (5:16)
03. If You See My Baby (5:21)
04. Sweet River Blues (4:21)
05. Baltimore Woes (6:47)
06. Dancin' with the Blues (6:02)
07. Dangerous Man (4:31)
08. Up and Gone /Smokestack Lightning (4:32)
09. Lonely Night in June (4:27)
10. When the Nighttime Comes (5:45)
11. Hard Times in the City (3:59)
12. Someone's Hoodooin' Me (4:45)
13. Double Crossed (4:37)
14. Rocket to the Moon (4:29)

Bridget Kelly - vocals
Tim Fik - guitar, vocals
Mark Armbrecht - bass
Alex Klausner - drums

In 2014 I reviewed The Bridget Kelly Band’s previous CD Forever In Blues and complimented the band on an entirely original set of blues with excellent guitar, good production values and clearly sung lyrics. Exactly the same comments apply to the latest addition to the catalogue as Bridget on vocals, husband Tim Fik on guitar and occasional vocals are joined by a new rhythm section of Alex Klausner on drums and Mark Ambrecht on bass.

Hailing from Gainesville, Florida, the band has produced a solid set of original music, avoiding the frequent trap of making a rock album with hints of blues: this CD has plenty of genuine blues, witness the opening brace of “Gonna Stay Here” which has plenty of overdubbed slide and “Spellbound”, a classic slow blues with some sweet guitar from Tim. The band goes for some latin rhythms and Santanaesque guitar leads on “If You See My Baby” and although Bridget’s voice is less well suited to the higher register that the song demands, musically this is a definite winner. Time then for a shuffle and “Sweet River Blues” provides a bright tune and a solid vocal from Bridget, a song that sounds instantly familiar though it is another original. The slow-burning “Baltimore Woes” is the longest track here and opens with elegant acoustic guitar as Bridget sings of “fighting for glory, for the ones who do not care”, the song gradually building in intensity as bass, drums and layers of electric guitars add to the underlying tune.

After two rockier tracks the band uses the core riff of Howling Wolf’s “Smokestack Lightning” as the base for their own lyrics on “Up And Gone”, a device that works well as Bridget sings her lyrics and even uses a touch of Wolf’s signature howl as Tim adds some great slide work. The band pays appropriate homage to the original tune in the liner notes. A gentle ballad “Lonely Night In June” shows another side to the band and acts as a good interlude before the intense guitar intro to “When The Night Time Comes” which Tim sings in a gruff but serviceable voice. The fast-paced “Hard Times In The City” has plenty of good guitar work in support of Bridget’s vocal about the underbelly of the city before “Someone’s Hoodooin’ Me” presents a more standard blues ‘chug’ with a grittier vocal from Bridget that fits the song perfectly.

Once again the band has come up with a full album of originals and deserves credit for that. Plenty of real blues here and some fine playing – worth a listen. ---bluesblastmagazine.com

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Bridget Kelly Band - Back in the Blues (2013)

2017-05-19T14:49:47Z

Bridget Kelly Band - Back in the Blues (2013)


01. Why I Sing the Blues (4:38)
02. Windchase Blues (4:40)
03. Mr. Blues (6:36)
04. Cold Stone Treatment (5:15)
05. Lets Talk About Love (4:15)
06. To Die for Love (5:33)
07. Nuthin' Left (4:13)
08. Texas Tea (4:22)
09. Nine After Midnight (3:43)
10. Blue Cadillac (3:09)
11. Bring My Baby Back (6:46)
12. Without Your Love (3:49)
13. All Dressed Up (4:49)
14. Sad River (6:15)
15. Rockin' the Blues (4:59)

Bridget Kelly – vocals
Tim Fik - guitar and vocals
Mike Hamm – bass
Michael Barady - drums

Bridget Kelly Band is a high-energy electric blues band that rocks the house with their original blend of hot smokin' blues. Their new CD “Back in the Blues”, release March of 2013, contains a wide variety of blues songs couched in styles that range from Chicago Blues to Texas Blues. In live shows, the group also performs music of artists like B.B. King, T. Bone Walker, Muddy Waters, Bernard Allison, the Allman Brothers, and Bonnie Raitt. The band’s original compositions have been featured on WXJZ Smooth Jazz in Gainesville (on DJ Qquincy’s Blues Show), and the group enjoys playing various music venues, clubs, and festivals across North and Central Florida. Members of the group hail from Gainesville and Palatka, Florida. ---cdbaby.com

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Bridget Kelly Band - Forever In Blues (2014)

2016-07-09T13:20:28Z

Bridget Kelly Band - Forever In Blues (2014)


01. I'll Be Missin' You (4:42)
02. Blues In The Kitchen (3:45)
03. Texas Toast (5:58)
04. I'll Take The Blues (4:05)
05. I Live Alone (4:02)
06. Take Me Home Blues (4:11)
07. Forever Little Angel (4:33)
08. Forever In Blues (5:16)
09. He Lied To Me (3:37)
10. Goin' To Memphis (4:11)
11. Tall Man (6:07)
12. You Left Me Cryin' (4:07)
13. Everyday Without You (7:09)
14. These Blues Are Drownin' Me (4:47)
15. When The Blues Come Around (3:42)

Bridget Kelly - vocals
Tim Fik - guitar & vocals
Mike Hamm - bass
Michael Barady – drums

North Florida’s Bridget Kelly Band consists of Bridget on vocals, Tim Fik on guitar and occasional vocals, Michael Barady on drums and Mike Hamm on bass. All the material on this generously filled CD is original, written by Bridget and Tim. The band has shared the stage with the likes of Albert Castiglia, Victor Wainwright, Brandon Santini and Jeff Jensen and pay tribute to that ‘next generation’ of blues stars in the sleevenotes.

The CD is well produced (by Tim) and the guitar is particularly well played, Tim demonstrating tasteful tone throughout. Bridget’s voice lacks a wide sonic range but is clear and the lyrics are easily understood; she also avoids the trap that many female vocalists fall into of resorting to shouting.

Opener “I’ll Be Missin’ You” sets out the stall with some searing guitar licks over a steady rhythm section. “Blues In The Kitchen” follows a similar approach but has more interesting lyrics, the usual clichés of kitchens (dirty dishes in sink, floor needing sweeping) being related to the absence of a good man, Tim contributing a fine, chopped solo.

“Texas Toast” opens with some more fluid and expressive guitar before taking the food/love analogy further on an extended slow blues: “I was your bread and butter, I treated you like gold; you’ve burned me for the last time, baby I ain’t no Texas toast”.

To ensure that we all get where the band is coming from no fewer than six tracks contain the word blues in the title. In fact “I’ll Take The Blues” has something of a latin lilt to it, especially in Tim’s great guitar on the track, and it’s one of several standout cuts here. If a rocking blues is more what you fancy, try “Take Me Home Blues” for size.

Title track “Forever In Blues” is a slower tune, the rather downbeat lyrics being well matched by the music as Tim wrings out some very ‘blue’ notes from his guitar. The jump style tune “He Lied To Me” makes a good change of pace, not that far removed from Tampa Red’s “Don’t You Lie To Me” and the chugging rhythm of “Goin’ To Memphis” sets the toes tapping.

“Tall Man” changes the lyrical focus with tales of making deals with the tall stranger “at the crossroads in Mississippi where you hear that black cat moan” – “that’s where you find him, the keeper of lost souls”, Tim taking an extended solo which ranges across the frets impressively. The longest track here is “Everyday Without You” brings Tim to the vocal mike as well as contributing some more excellent guitar on a grinding slow number. Tim also shares vocal duties with Bridget on “When The Blues Come Around” to provide a good, upbeat close to the album.

Overall a solid CD with plenty of good guitar which should appeal to many blues fans out there. All credit to the band for going for all original material rather than slipping in a few of the old warhorses – good to hear. --- John Mitchell, bluesblastmagazine.com

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