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Low Country Blues: Gregg Allman |
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Blues: Jimi Hendrix |
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BOOK: Children of the blues AUTHOR: Art Tipaldi At last, a book on the blues that features contemporary artists, let's them tell their story and doesn't simply repeat the same old biographical details, and bridges the gap to the blues artists of the past. There's something here for all blues fans, whether they prefer the bluesmen and women of previous generations (like Muddy Waters and Walter Horton) or those of today. If you want to learn every single detail about the life of the featured artists (the 49 contemporary artists chosen or those that they talk about) then this probably isn't the book for you. If however you want to find out more about their personalities then this is a must buy. Blues is about feeling and is based on experience and this book gives a great insight into the events that have shaped the music of some of today's foremost artists. This book offers first-person recollections from a new generation of artists who applied the musical and life lessons of the fathers of the blues, stoking the 1960s blues revival that continues today. It focuses on 49 current musicians who preserve traditional blues forms while infusing them with fresh voices and lessons. Artists covered include: Rory Block * Taj Mahal * Robert Cray * Junior Watson * Charlie Musselwhite * Stevie Ray Vaughan * Marcia Ball * Duke Robillard * Bob Margolin * Tommy Shannon * Keb' Mo' * and many more. |
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BETWEEN A ROCK AND THE BLUES - Joe Louis Walker |
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The “Ultimate Blues Band From the Heartland”. I have had the privilege of watching these boy’s play, at a house party in Cobourg, ON, and I can tell you this is the real stuff. Close your eyes and you are there. If you are into that raw Bluey feeling crossing Junior Kimbrough, and R. L. with Hound Dog Taylor you will luv this. Not as hard rock/punk as the Black Keys, definite party music. |
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JUST BETWEEN US - Clarence Spady
Welcome back Clarence! Anyone familiar with Clarence Spady understands. Rarely does an artist emerge that is the REAL DEAL. Clarence touches the soul in ways that can't be explained with words. In the mid-1990s, guitarist Clarence Spady was widely-considered to be the next big thing in blues music. A virtuoso on the fretboard and a soulful vocalist, Spady had plenty of upside, and expectations among blues fans and the biz were high. Just Between Us isn't your typical blues album, instead more of a mixture of supercharged-soul, raucous R&B, and slick urban blues (with muted rock & roll influences). Spady possesses a rough-edged voice, definitely reaching at times, while nailing other performances with a distinctive vocal flair. |
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ALABAMA BLUES: Rare and Intimate Recordings from the Tragically Short Career of the Great Chicago Bluesman J.B. Lenoir's final two albums before his death in 1967 may well have been his crowning achievements. Alabama Blues (1965) and Down in Mississippi (1966), both produced by Willie Dixon, were recorded for the German label L & R, and both featured stripped down acoustic arrangements that recast Lenoir as a Southern folk-blues troubadour. Lenoir's lyrics on these two albums (which have been packaged on one CD as Vietnam Blues by Evidence) approached pure poetry as he skewered racism and other cultural ailments with a fiercely focused passion. Some of the tracks featured the veteran Chess drummer Fred Below, as well as an occasional backing vocal turn by Dixon. Alabama Blues, recorded in Chicago in 1965, appears to be made up of outtakes from those sessions, or possibly rough home demos done to get a feel for the direction Lenoir wanted to go. These tracks aren't as rare as the subtitle suggests (JSP released the same tracks -- with a different running order -- as One of These Mornings in 2003), but they make a perfect addendum to the single disc Vietnam Blues release on Evidence. Lenoir sounds somehow both relaxed and intense on these short pieces, and his agenda of both personalizing and politicizing the blues is well in evidence on songs like "Alabama Blues" and the harrowing "Remove This Rope." Fred Below plays drums on "God's Word," while Dixon adds some background vocals here and there, and gently interviews Lenoir at a couple of points. Had Lenoir survived into the early '70s, his sharp writing, his emerging experiments with African rhythms (which he called "African Hunch"), and his fierce determination to speak the truth may well have made him an international star on the order of Bob Marley. Fate took over, though, and Lenoir was all but forgotten at the time of his death, and continues to be too little-known, even in the blues community. His last recordings, including the enticing fragments found on Alabama Blues, are arguably his best, outlining a focused, socially committed direction for the blues. |
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HOPE RADIO - Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters
I must warn you that this CD is souly instrumental, and great to sit back an groove on to. The first time listening, I was amazed by the groove laid down. after hours of listening and working I was still refreshed. Dave Limina on the B3 brings back thoughts of early STAX recording artists Booker T. . Long tracks set in the sweet spot only found in a great jams with musicians that love their art. Two-time W.C. Handy "Guitarist of the Year", Ronnie Earl's influences are the usual, oft-listed legends (Muddy Waters, Big Joe Turner, Otis Rush…) but he sure channels Stevie Ray Vaughn like no one's business. And maybe there are a handful of purists and experts out there who will argue that Earl possesses or does not possess SRV's touch and technique, but I will tell you that he sure has his sound and, most of all, his soul. They may also nit-pick that The Broadcasters—Dave Limina (piano, Hammond B3), Jim Mouradian (bass), Lorne Entress (drums), and guest Michael 'Mudcat' Ward (bass, piano)—may not be as visceral as Double Trouble, but these boys know deep how to hold a groove and swing. Recorded and filmed earlier this year live at Wellspring Sound in Acton, Massachusetts, 'Hope Radio' blows the doors open with the Santana sounding Eddie's Gospel Groove, slips effortlessly into Bobby's Bop (wherein B3ist Limina conjures Jimmy McGriff), then builds fiercely into the scorching, SRV fueled Blues For The West Side and I Am With You. From there, RE & the B'casters keep their lamps trimmed (Blues for the Homeless) and burning (Wolf Dance and Blues for Otis Rush). A rare solo acoustic turn Katrina Blues bears testimony to the emotional resiliency not only the player, but of the people of the Crescent City. "Hope Radio" unlike 97% of the radio frequencies jamming our airspace, deserves to be—no, strike that—absolutely needs to be heard by everyone, blues aficionado or not. |
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ALLIGATOR LOVE CRY - Scrapomatic With a fresh take on both urban and country blues, Scrapomatic arrives with a convincing array of raw, outspoken and emotional tracks as they make their Landslide Records debut. ALLIGATOR LOVE CRY, the band's second CD release, demonstrates a solid foundation of potent blues, overlaid with a stunning mixture of jazz, sweet soul, highly charged vocals and a memorable taste of scat. Led by Derek Trucks Band singer Mike Mattison and award winning guitarist/songwriter Paul Olsen, Scrapomatic is accompanied by a savvy group of musicians including newly signed EMI Manhattan artist Kristina Beaty (vocals, fiddle). Black Snake Moan Soundtrack - Various Artists The soundtrack "Black Snake Moan" is like opening Pandora's box for the uninitiated. Those familiar with the hypnotic, drowning, trance-like sounds of the North Mississippi hills a la Fat Possum records will find a lot to enjoy here, including tracks by the actual visible heads of that style, such as the late Jessie Mae Hemphill and Samuel L. Jackson as a bona fide blues singer? He might not be the next Muddy Waters, but he delivers convincingly. His outrageous cover of "Stackolee" fronting the R.L. Burnside live unit plus Luther Dickinson from the North Mississippi Allstars is a highlight, but his recitative to eerie bluesy sounds in Blind Lemon Jefferson's "Black Snake Moan" is even better. The established names showing up in this CD include Bobby Rush, acoustic blues-gospel singer Precious Bryant, Akron-blues-Boys Black Keys, as well as the aforementioned Jessie Mae Hemphill and R.L. Burnside. The soundtrack track, includes a true all-star lineup including the Dickinson brothers and Charlie Musselwhite on harp, and they are uniformly exciting and interesting, keeping a sense of continuity throughout the CD. Black Snake Moan -Samuel L. Jackson Earl Klatzel - Painter Artist Earl was born in Calgary, AB. where he attended the Alberta College of Art, and currently resides today. After years of dedicated focus in his studio Earl has begun to show his reflections & influences of life in the 20th century. His straight forward look at life is characterized in the style and design of his artwork. Music and its history is the main theme to his portfolio, covering: Blues Life, Blues & Rock musicians, Classical composers. His technique & mediums give each series a unique quality. Earl's wide use of mediums allows him the versatility to achieve a desired atmosphere in his paintings. His use of mix-media enhances a unique feeling within the works as well as to individualize a certain series. Earl's art is collected by corporate and private collectors in: British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec & Prince Edward Island.
Diane Braithwaite & Chris Whiteley - Morning Sun Morning Sun is a really sweet acoustic blues record. It's original and cliché free - which is more than I can say for a lot of blues discs out there. Morning Sun is a concept album that works very well. It's a tribute to the blues sounds of the '30s and '40s, but here's the thing; Chris and Diana didn't go through their record collections looking for songs from that period that meant something to them, and then cover them. All 13 songs on Morning Sun are originals but each of them has the vibe of a song cut in the '40s. Check out these tracks.... Birds that Whistle (Diane Braithwaite) Box Car Blues (Chris Whiteley) For more info on the artists please visit: www.dianabraithwaite.com and www.chriswhiteley.com
Junior Wells - Live at Theresa's 1975
Book: Moanin' at Midnight:
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R.L. Burnside.
The figure has always been the dominant drive in
his portfolio, but expands into a wider range of themes and topics.
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