Backtrack Blues Band - A Day By The Bay

Album: A Day By The Bay
Size: 131,1 MB
Time: 56:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2023
Styles: Blues, harmonica blues
Art: Front, back

1. Best Friend's Grave (6:06)
2. Make My Home In Florida (8:19)
3. Help Me Just This Time (6:34)
4. Dixie Grill (5:35)
5. Natural Born Lover (4:44)
6. Rich Man Blues (5:16)
7. She Might Get Mad (4:52)
8. Times Is Hard (7:56)
9. You'll Come Back Someday (7:23)

The Backtrack Blues Band was formed in St Petersburg, Florida in 1980, and is one of the longest-running blues bands in America. This high-energy quintet features Chicago- style blues, with Texas influences. Exceptional guitar, harp, and vocals have made this band a favorite on the American and international festival circuit. Backtrack Blues Band has performed in concert with the world’s greatest blues artists, including Stevie Ray Vaughan, BB King, Buddy Guy, Gregg Allman, Robert Cray, Johnny Winter, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Koko Taylor, John Lee Hooker, and many more. The group has released eight albums of original music, including this latest album on Gulf Coast Records.

Recorded live at the Tampa Bay Blues Festival on April 10, 2022, the new live album showcases the band that consists of Sonny Charles on harmonica and vocals, Kid Royal on lead guitar and vocals, Little Johnny Walter on rhythm guitar, Joe Bencomo on drums and Stick Davis on bass. On larger shows, the band is joined by Wayne Sharp on B3 organ and the Backtrack Angels on backing vocals. These seasoned musicians combined have garnered a Grammy Award, two Blues Music Awards, a Keeping the Blues Alive Award, and three Tampa Bay Music Awards for “Best Blues Band“. The group’s members are serious students of blues music, and their influences include Little Walter, Albert King, Ronnie Earl, Paul Butterfield, and Sonny Boy Williamson.

Sonny Charles is an accomplished harp player in the mold of the great Chicago blues harmonica legends. Kid Royal is influenced by the Texas blues sounds of Freddie King, T-Bone Walker, and Jimmie Vaughan. Together, they comprise one of Florida’s longest-running and most accomplished blues bands, displaying original, electric blues music with honesty and panache!

Personnel: Sonny Charles (vocals, harmonica); Kid Royal (vocals, lead guitar); Little Johnny Walter (rhythm guitar, backing vocals); Joe Bencomo (drums); Stick Davis (bass); Wayne Sharp (Hammond B3 organ); Latonya Oliver, Dana Merriwether (backing vocals).

A Day By The Bay mc
A Day By The Bay zippy

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Backtrack Blues Band - Your Baby Has Left

Size: 107,4 MB
Time: 46:15
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2020
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. Best Friend's Grave (5:22)
02. Your Baby Has Left (4:56)
03. Dixie Grill (4:46)
04. Killin' Time (3:56)
05. Natural Born Lover (4:48)
06. You'll Come Back Someday (5:05)
07. Girl On Bordeaux Mountain (5:06)
8. She Might Get Mad (4:14)
9. Times Is Hard (7:59)

The Backtrack Blues Band is a crew of well-travelled veteran musicians who have another hot new album Your Baby Has Left, that’s set for release on April 3rd, 2020 on the VizzTone imprint. Based in the Tampa Bay region of Florida, Backtrack has been putting original blues down since 1980 and is now one of the state’s longest running live acts. Your Baby Has Left is Backtrack’s seventh album and is full of the group’s signature blend of harp, guitar, and vocals that’s kept it going since the days of disco.

Produced by George A. Harris, the band cut these new tracks to two-inch analog tape at Big 3 Studios in St Petersburg, Florida and Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The sound is an amalgam of Chicago and Texas blues styles stretched across eight new original songs and one cover from Jimmy Reed.

The five-piece Backtrack Blues Band has carved out a solid reputation over the years and have appeared with major artists including Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Gregg Allman, Koko Taylor, Johnny Winter, John Lee Hooker, and Robert Cray. The lineup of Sonny Charles on harmonica and vocals. Kid Royal on lead guitar and vocals, Little Johnny Walter on rhythm guitar, Joe Bencomo on drums, and Stick Davis on bass is a tight and capable unit that has performed prestigious sets at the award-winning Tampa Bay Blues Festival, Notodden International Blues Festival, in Norway, Utah Blues Festival, Color Line Blues Cruise, and many other fabulous venues. Also, Backtrack Blues Band was the winner of the “Coolest Blues Song of 2019” Contest run by Detroit’s Big City Blues Magazine. Clearly, these cats have it together.

Backtrack gets things going with “Best Friend’s Grave (Joy Joy Joy), which is the song that won the award from Big City Blues. It’s a joyous shuffle despite its title and sports some hot guitar work from Kid Royal. Next up is the title cut “Your Baby Has Left,” which is a big blast of hard-edged boogie absolutely drenched in Sonny Charles’ ripping harp playing. The entire band drives the pocket into the John Lee Hooker zone, keeps it there, and a good time is had by all.

“Killin’ Time” is a more laid-back groove with a touch of The Fabulous Thunderbirds to It. Charles’ harp is again gritty and toneful and fills every bit of space it’s given with the real-deal blues. Jimmy Reed’s “Natural Born Lover” is the lone cover song on Your Baby Has Left and is a wonderful example of how to play Reed’s style of post-war blues. Every member of Backtrack gets deep into Jimmy’s style of shuffle makes this one sound as fresh as the day it was written.

“She Might Get Mad” is a popping jump blues with a great swing feel that issues a stern warning to any man considering acting the fool in his relationship. It’s a dancefloor dynamo with a humorous set of lyrics topped off with outstanding performances from each band member. Consider it a reminder of everything cool about old-school blues. The record closes with “Times Is Hard,” a powerful slow blues number that winds the party down properly and treats us to some killer saxophone licks in the verses. The band rubs the pocket just right and Charles’ harp and Kid Royal’s guitar speak eloquently to anyone lucky enough to be listening.

Backtrack Blues Band has a winner on its hands with Your Baby Has Left and hardcore blues fans are likely to love every moment of it. The band proudly carries on one of American music’s most vital traditions and adds a few more pages to our nation’s ever-evolving songbook. This is one of the South’s premier groups without a doubt and Your Baby Has Left will quickly earn its keep in your record collection. ~Mike O’Cull

Your Baby Has Left

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Backtrack Blues Band - Your Baby Has Left

Year: 2020
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:15
Size: 106,5 MB
Styles: Electric blues, harmonica blues
Scans: Front

1. Best Friend's Grave (5:22)
2. Your Baby Has Left (4:56)
3. Dixie Grill (4:46)
4. Killin' Time (3:56)
5. Natural Born Lover (4:48)
6. You'll Come Back Someday (5:05)
7. Girl On Bordeaux Mountain (5:06)
8. She Might Get Mad (4:14)
9. Times Is Hard (7:59)

Backtrack Blues Band’s 7th release stands as one of the group’s very best projects. Released on the VizzTone Label, it features powerful harp and sizzling, Texas-style guitar, with impressive vocals and a killer rhythm section. Joining the band on the recording are Bruce Katz on piano and B3 organ, the Backtrack Angels on backing vocals, and the Muscle Shoals Horns. The album was recorded to analog 2 inch tape at Big 3 Studios in St Petersburg, Florida and the horns were cut at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Produced by George A. Harris, this record features eight original songs and a fabulous Jimmy Reed cover.

Multiple Grammy Winning producer and songwriter Tom Hambridge provided these comments: "With a sound all their own, Backtrack Blues Band has come up with a hot collection of authentic, original blues that includes plenty of hardcore Chicago influences and some deep, sweet Texas guitar tones that would make T-Bone smile. Sonny Charles grabs you with his powerful and authoritative vocals, but it's his full-throated harmonica attack that gives this album its center".

Your Baby Has Left mc
Your Baby Has Left zippy

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Backtrack Blues Band - Captured Alive

Year: 2012
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:05
Size: 127,1 MB
Styles: Electric blues, harmonica blues
Scans: Front, back

1. You'll Come Back Someday (4:48)
2. Killing' Time (3:31)
3. Like It Or Not (4:47)
4. Let's Ride Baby (5:05)
5. I Make My Home In Florida (6:48)
6. Don't Throw Our Love Away (6:45)
7. Help Me Just This Time (6:30)
8. You Move Too Slow (8:56)
9. Boogie Shack (7:51)

The Backtrack Blues Band has been performing for decades, and this live CD and concert DVD captures the band at it's very best. The strong, amplified harmonica, and blistering slide guitar solos, together with great vocals, make this two disc package a "must buy" for blues and blues rock fans. The state of the art recording still retains the authentic, raw edge so essential to the best blues sounds of the past. While the project contains all original songs, the band has lived and studied the blues for years, and the phrasings of Little Walter, Paul Butterfield, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy, and Duane Allman are evident throughout.

This Florida-based band was formed in 1980 and has been performing continuously thereafter, making Backtrack one of the longest-running blues bands around. The group's devotion to writing original music has distinguished it from many other blues bands and has landed it opportunities to appear in concert with some of the best in the business. Backtrack has opened shows for Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King, Gregg Allman, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, John Lee Hooker, Koko Taylor, George Thorogood, and many other blues masters. The band is grateful for these opportunities and hopes that this live recording demonstrates a mature blues band at the top of it's game!

On Saturday, November 19, 2011, the Backtrack Blues Band performed a show of its original blues at the historic Palladium Theatre in St. Petersburg, Florida. The concert was captured live and was filmed in real time, all pure blues - no overdubs or edits. It's a performance of honest music, recorded just as it was played, without any technological gimmicks. We hope you'll enjoy the show, play it loud, and feel the energy and integrity of the Backtrack Blues Band! Get ready for a good time, house-rocking' blues party in your town soon!

Captured Alive mc
Captured Alive zippy

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Backtrack Blues Band - Boogie Shack

Year: 1995
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:26
Size: 128,0 MB
Styles: Electric blues, harmonica blues
Scans: Full

1. Best I'll Ever Find (The Big One) (4:01)
2. Tell Your Daddy (5:02)
3. Boogie Shack (5:26)
4. You Move Too Slow (5:49)
5. Don't Throw Our Love Away (6:39)
6. Take Me Back Baby (4:37)
7. Pretty, Pretty Baby (4:29)
8. Man Of Steel (5:17)
9. Take Heed (To What I Say) (3:35)
10. Tropical Depression (6:48)
11. Cryin' Shame (3:38)

The Backtrack Blues Band is one of Florida's longest running and most accomplished blues bands. Founded in 1980, the group has performed continuously for over 30 years. Backtrack's high energy Chicago-style blues with exceptional guitar, harp, and vocals, has made the band a constant on the Florida blues concert, club, and festival scene for over three decades.

The quintet consists of Sonny Charles on harmonica and vocals, Kid Royal on lead guitar and vocals, Little Johnny Walter on rhythm guitar and vocals, Stick Davis on bass, and Joe Bencomo on drums. Backtrack has appeared as an opening act in concert with many legendary blues artists including B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Gregg Allman, Robert Cray, Johnny Winter, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and others. The group has also been recognized by the Tampa Bay community as a leader in the blues music arena by garnering three Tampa Bay Music Awards as the area's "Best Blues Band."

Together, these guys comprise one of Florida's best and most accomplished blues bands, and their live show is an original and exciting display of electric blues at its very best! The band's leader has significant experience in producing top quality blues music shows, having founded and managed the award-winning Tampa Bay Blues Festival for over 20 years.

Boogie Shack mc
Boogie Shack zippy

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Backtrack Blues Band - Killin' Time

Year: 1991
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:17
Size: 81,9 MB
Styles: Electric blues, harmonica blues
Scans: Front, tray, cd

1. Killin' Time (3:03)
2. Heavy Built Woman (4:12)
3. Cruisin' For A Bluesin' (3:02)
4. Like It Or Not (3:14)
5. Work To Do (4:15)
6. Babe Oh Babe (3:02)
7. Come On To Me Mama (3:33)
8. Don't Need Nobody (3:28)
9. I Make My Home In Florida (4:04)
10. You'll Come Back Someday (3:20)

Some black separatists will tell you that white musicians are incapable of playing the blues convincingly - that they don't have it in them to play genuinely gritty blues. But that silly and racist myth is exploded by the Backtrack Blues Band, a white blues-rock unit whose influences include Louisiana swamp blues, Chicago blues and the innovations of John Lee Hooker. A few of the tunes on Killin' Time are unremarkable, but most of the time, these guys are as confident as they are infectious.

Backtrack isn't afraid to play dirty and lowdown, and that lack of slickness works to the Florida quintet's advantage on smokers like "Come On to Me Mama," "Cruisin' for a Bluesin' " and "Babe Oh Babe." Backtrack throws us a curveball with "Don't Need Nobody," a 1970s-type funk tune along the lines of Tower of Power. Although far from well-known, Killin' Time is definitely worth searching for. /Alex Henderson, AllMusic

Killin' Time mc
Killin' Time zippy

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Backtrack Blues Band - Make My Home In Florida

Size: 116,1 MB
Time: 49:33
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Chicago Blues, Texas Blues
Art: Full

01. Checkin' On My Baby (4:34)
02. Woke Up This Morning (5:05)
03. Make My Home In Florida (7:53)
04. T-Bone Shuffle (6:30)
05. Nobody But You (2:57)
06. Your Funeral And My Trial (5:51)
07. Heavy Built Woman (5:44)
08. Shoot My Rooster (5:12)
09. Tell Your Daddy (5:42)

The Backtrack Blues Band is one of Florida's longest running and most accomplished blues bands. The quintet's latest masterpiece of an album, "Make My Home in Florida," captures a high-energy performance featuring the stellar blues harp and vocals of Sonny Charles, and the impressive Texas guitar sounds of Kid Royal, layered over a seamless Chicago-style rhythm section.

The aptly titled "Make My Home in Florida" captures the band lighting up the stage at the Palladium Theater. Sonny summons nails-tough vocals and boiling harp solos. Kid Royal stretches out on guitar that would have amazed even TBone Walker. The originals are a distinguished lot. Whether they're cooking up a dynamic original or reviving a hallowed classic, the Backtrack Blues Band has a sound all its own. This exciting in-concert recording is the next best thing to experiencing them in the flesh!" - Bill Dahl, author "The Art of the Blues"

Make My Home In Florida

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Backtrack Blues Band - Way Back Home

Size: 108,7 MB
Time: 46:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Electric Blues, Harmonica Blues
Art: Front

01. Goin' To Eleuthera (5:23)
02. Tell Your Daddy (5:19)
03. Shoot My Rooster (4:20)
04. Your Funeral, My Trial (4:48)
05. Checkin' On My Baby (4:32)
06. Nobody But You (2:24)
07. Heavy Built Woman (5:26)
08. Baby Please Don't Go (4:08)
09. Rich Man Blues (4:44)
10. Help Me Just This Time (5:22)

I just had the opportunity to review the newest release, Way Back Home, from the Backtrack Blues Band and it's solid. Opening with Going to Eleuthera, a snappy shuffle, Sonny Charles leads the way on lead vocals and Kid Royal is hot on his heels on lead guitar. Rounding out the troupe is Little Johnny Walter on rhythm guitar, Joe Bencomo on drums and Stick Davis on bass. Victor Wainwright is featured on piano and does a real nice job and Charles really makes his harp sing. Nice opener. On Tell Your Daddy, the band sets a funky dance groove with a boogaloo bass line. Breaking into a smooth shuffle Royal plays it like a stud and the deal is on. Breaking back, Charles brings his harp to the forefront with great tone. Shoot My Rooster has a real nice blues lope with Charles' harp on call and Royal's guitar on response. One of my favorite tracks on the release, this track features super piano work by Wainwright in the mix with Royal and Charles. Excellent. Sonny Boy Williamson's Your Funeral, My Trial really gets the feel of old Chicago blues with Charles working his harp. Royal's Texas blues guitar styling is tight and forceful giving the track great balance. Nobody But You has a bit of 50's R&B blues styling and Royal's guitar work is clean and distinctive. Charles' harp work is fat and rich with tight underpinnings by Wainwright, Davis and Bencomo. On Heavy Built Woman Royal takes a real nice walk on his six string with Funderburgh like runs and Charles' vocals and super harp are nicely backed by Latonya Oliver and Dana Merriwether. Blues classic, Baby Please Don't Go is up next and with great enthusiasm Charles shouts out the lyrics. This track has great instrumental qualities with solid entries by Charles and Royal. Check it out! Rich Man Blues has a real deep lope and strong Chicago blues styling. Royal and Charles take nice solo passes and Wainwright's contributions are essential. Wrapping the release is Help Me Just This Time, a modified boogie. With it's driving bass riff, Wainwright's extensive piano work and Royal and Charles trading riffs, this is a great track to wrap a fun release. ~bman

Way Back Home

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