Blues Blast Magazine - April 28, 2011 Issue Based out    of northern California, this band has tearing up the West Coast for the    last decade, highlighted by their being named the winner of the 2009    Monterey Bay Blues Festival Battle of the Bands. Mike Hammar is the    front man, handling the lead vocals and guitar. He also wrote all twelve    tunes on this project as well as producing the recording. Possessing   a powerful voice, Hammar is able to hold the listener’s interest by    varying his vocal approach from track to track. And his fervent guitar    work is a consistent highlight throughout the disc. His bandmates    include Allen “B3 Blues” Carroll on organ & keyboards, “Harmonica” Jim    Pedersen on harp, Sparky Gehres on bass and Greg Merino on drums. Photos    of the group included with the package suggest that they are hardy    veterans of music as well as life. The disc    opens with the title track, which is built around the John Lee Hooker’s    boogie riff. Hammar describes learning about the blues from his father’s    records as he barks out a laundry list of blues legends. “Arrested at    the Catfish Fry” takes a humorous look at a night out on the town gone    all wrong. Hammar, Carroll and Pedersen all turn in lively solos. The    band shifts to a funkier groove on “Miss Katrina”, which could serve as    a travel guide for some of New Orleans highlights.The    proceedings shift to a gospel-tinged vein on “Yes I Will”, with Hammar’s    eloquent vocal and soulful guitar picking making this track one of the    highlights. “Carry On” works the darker side of the human experience as    the leader belts out a message of hope in the face of life’s travails.    Carroll fleshes out the arrangement with fat chords from his organ.    “Suited for the Blues,” sounds like it was borrowed from the Robert Cray    playbook. The grinding rhythm of “Down at the Junction” provides a    launching pad for a fiery solo from Hammar. Pedersen    and Carroll trade licks on “Workin’ Overtime” before the leader turns in    another solo that burns up the fretboard on his guitar. Pedersen’s harp    is featured on “Who’s Richer Than Who”, which has a country music feel    and is the weakest song on the disc. Everybody gets a chance to stretch    out on the lone instrumental “Hambrosia” with Hammar and Carroll once    again distinguishing themselves.Hammar    pours out his grief on the passing of his mother on, “This Ain’t    Goodbye”. Pedersen’s mournful harp tones lead into Carroll’s organ,    which takes you to church before Hammar’s heartfelt singing and gentle    guitar picking closes out the disc.There is    plenty to enjoy on this release. This band of veterans really works well    together plus they have the very capable Mike Hammar leading the way. If    they could put together a full program of material on a par with songs    like “Yes I Will” and “Carry On”, there would be no holding them back.    This one is definitely worth a listen.  Reviewer      Mark Thompson is president     of the Crossroads     Blues Society in Rockford, IL.

Stockton Record - Blue Titans Get Together for a Friendly Musical Summit They're calling it a "summit," not a showdown or a smackdown. Mike Hammar and Steve Johnson - who started building their blues-rock portfolios in the Central Valley - have way too much respect for each other to go all WWE. They'll be negotiating with their blues guitars and bands during Saturday night's East-West Blues Guitar Summit ...  Click on the link for the full story!

Monterey Herald - Monterey Stage "Magical Saturday's hour long performance was entirely original music, highlighted by the pulsating drums and bass of "Take Me Back," swampy harp on "Down at the Junction" and eclectic keyboards in Recipe for the Blues," the title track of their newest album, released last month. Hammar's vocals are grinding, lifting, creative, and pitch-perfect, and his guitar riffs are world class, which presumably is why he's shared billings at other shows with the likes of Johnny Winter, Elvin Bishop, and Charlie Musselwhite. Dennis Taylor The Monterey Herald