Blues Matters 67

FROM THE USA!

MERRELL FANKHAUSER

SONNY LANDRETH BOBBY WHITLOCK

MARCUS MALONE LITTLE G WEEVIL FROM THE UK!

SANDI THOM BLUES MIX

The BLUES without the blinkers! www.bluesmatters.com JOAN

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Alan King / Gez Morgan: editor@bluesmatters.com

Founder alan@bluesmatters.com

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Liz Aiken, Roy Bainton, Andrew Baldwin, Adam Bates, Duncan Beattie, Adrian Blacklee, Bob Bonsey, Bob Chaffey, Martin Cook, Norman Darwen, Dave Drury, Sybil Gage, Stuart A. Hamilton, Brian Harman, Nat Harrap, Gareth Hayes, Trevor Hodgett, Billy Hutchinson, Peter Innes, Duncan Jameson, Martin Knott, Brian Kramer, Frank Leigh, Geoff Marston, Ben McNair, Michael Messer, Martin ‘Noggin’ Norris, Merv Osborne, Mike Owens, Frankie Pfeiffer, Thomas Rankin, Clive Rawlings, Chris Rowland, Paromita Saha, Pete Sargeant, Dave ‘the Bishop’ Scott, Graeme Scott, Andy Snipper, Suzanne Swanson, Richard Thomas, Tom Walker, Mel Wallace, Daryl Weale, Kevin Wharton

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© 2012 Blues Matters! Original material in this magazine is © the authors. Reproduction may only be made with prior consent of the Editor and provided that acknowledgement is given of the source and copy is sent to the editorial address. Care is taken to ensure that the contents of this magazine are accurate but the publishers do not accept any responsibility for errors that may occur or views expressed editorially. All rights reserved. No parts of this magazine may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying recording or otherwise without prior permission of the editor. Submissions: Readers are invited to submit articles, letters and photographs for publication. The publishers reserve the right to amend any submissions and cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage. Please note: Once submitted material becomes the intellectual property of Blues Matters and can only later be withdrawn from publication at the expediency of Blues Matters. Advertisements: Whilst responsible care is taken in accepting advertisements if in doubt readers should make their own enquiries. The publisher cannot accept any responsibility for any resulting unsatisfactory transactions, nor shall they be liable for any loss or damage to any person acting on information contained in this publication. We will however investigate complaints.

Since the last issue we’ve all celebrated the Queen’s 60th year Jubilee and what a celebration it was and how deserved. Whatever ones views about Royalty, few can deny all the years of selfless dedication. What an example she has been for all these years of selfless devotion to this country of ours. Doesn’t it bring home some simple yet sweeping statements of dedication, commitment and loyalty that’s so often missing in today’s society. Let’s hope the Jubilee has made people realise just how thankful we all should be. BM has now been serving the Blues for 14 years all told and still continues to be independent and thoughtful. Having, like the Blues it serves, had it’s ups and down’s the magazine is now firmly back on track. As the ‘ego’ had ‘left the room’ after its Founder’s enforced absence the publication found its way again and having been put back together ‘team BM’ bonded and as many of you have noted since the magazine has once again become a real force for the Blues across the whole Blues community. We thank you for your support and ask you to spread the word and encourage friends and fans to join up. Give a BM subscription as a present for a Birthday, Christmas, Easter (instead of chocolate!), Father’s Day (several of these this year) and why not Mother’s Day come to that) and any other reasons you can think of. If you would be happy to take a few of our fliers to gigs or your local record store please get in touch and we will send you a few.

Seeing the likes of a respected publication like The Word closing down after nine years brings home other simple truths about publishing – it doesn’t get any easier that is for sure no matter how big or small you are. Dedication and determination are just two of the necessary commitments it needs what-ever sector you are in. One of the other MAJOR commitments needed is that of the ‘industry’ or field that each publication serves to help it be a success and to reach more readers. Then one more is a core of fans who enjoy the music to actually subscribe to their chosen magazine. It is said that niche publications are the way forward in these times and even large publishing houses are finding difficulty to balance things. So anyone in the music industry reading this who deals with any Blues at all do be in touch with the true independent magazine here to promote your material where the readers do care and will find you.

It will soon be time for the BM Writers’ Poll so we wait to see who is acknowledged this year in the categories. All done at an easy pace with no voting frenzy or trading votes going on, nice and simple and as a well-known radio presenter has said “very credible, as voted by a respected team of ‘critics’”.

Alan & Gez and all the BM ‘Team’

Ben Poole, Boisdale Gig, Eddie Martin John O’Leary & Alan Glens All Stars, Grainne Duffy, J D McPherson, Matt Schofield, Mick Taylor, Savoy Brown, The Nimmo Brothers, Tommy Allen Band, Tribute to Muddy Waters & Ronnie Wood.

Andy Drury, Dave Jackson, Gus Munro, Liam Tarpey, Paul Liddell.

18 INTERVIEWS

Bert Deivert, BluesMix, Bobby Whitlock, Connie Lush, Jim McCarty, Joan Osborne, Kenny ‘Beedy’ Eyes Smith, Little G Weevil, Marcus Malone, Merrell Fankhauser, Otis Grand, Sandi Thom & Sonny Landreth.

74 FEATURES

Blues DJs, Blues in Schools pt 3, Blues Radio, Donald “Duck” Dunn, Johnny Dickinson, Johnson to Bonamassa Part 4, Re-Opening of the Crawdaddy Club, Ronnie Wood Chess Label, US Road Trip.

94 FESTIVAL FEVER

Burnley Blues Festival, Hebden Festival, Linton Festival.

JOE BONAMASSA, JOE JACKSON, LAYLA ZOE, LI’L RONNIE AND THE GRAND

DUKES, MIKE ZITO, SANDI THOM, OLI BROWN, ANTHONY GOMES, BUDDY MILLER, DAVY GRAHAM, DUKESY & THE HAZZARDS, GOV’T MULE, HAT FITZ AND CARA, INDIGENOUS, J.D. MCPHERSON, JOHN OATES BAND, JUDITH OWEN, KATE CAMPBELL, MARION JAMES , MARK EASTON, MELISSA JAMES, MENIC, MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD WITH NICK GRAVENITES & AL KOOPER, MICHAEL VAN MERWYK & BLUESOUL, MITCH RYDER, MR H, MUDDY WATERS BLUES BAND, RYAN HART & THE BLUE HEARTS, STACEY

EARLE AND MARK STUART, THE 44’s, TOM RODWELL, WARREN HAYNES BAND, WILLIE DIXON & OTHERS, HUMBLE PIE, SONNY LANDRETH etc.etc.

OTIS GRAND

Although born in 1950 in Beirut he spent much of his life in the US, he has also lived in France but currently resides in the UK.

Joe Louis Walker produced his first album.

He is considered to be one of the 50 Greatest Blues guitarists of all time!

JimMcCarty

Joan Osborne

BluesMix

Sandi Thom

Marcus Malone

Connie Lush

SonnyLandreth

Bobby Whitlock

Little G Weevil

This issue the Top Ten Blues tracks are selected by one of the UK’s premier Blues Festivals’ organisers Barbara Hood and husband Gary who between them have run the Burnley Blues Festival for 25 years now so know a thing or two about the Blues. Gary ‘retired’ from the event when he moved jobs and Barbara took over his role and the Hood has continued the great work. This year marked the event returning to it’s traditional 3 da7 Burnley enthusiasts had desired she managed to help improve the situation and funding. After another successful year fans can now look forward to 2013.

1. Elmore James – ‘It Hurts Me Too’

It must have been awesome to have Elmore James on a festival, classic Songs, classic Vocals and Classic Blues. It must have been unbelievable to hear his slide playing and those lyrics blasting out at you

2. John Lee Hooker- ‘Boogie Chillun’ (1948 version)

We don’t care how you spell it and there are too many JLH tracks to choose from this starts slow and builds brilliantly. Too many young bands go for the obvious they should look much deeper into an artist’s work. The 1948 version is the best; it would have been great to go to Henrys swing club.

3. Slim Harpo – ‘Hip Shake’

This makes us smile and want to dance, you can imagine everyone in the room dancing in some makeshift bar in the Deep South just waiting for the police to come and close it down. The drinks would be flowing and the girls would be dancing and the men fancying their chances.

4. John Petway – ‘Catfish Blues’

Love the thought that this was 1941ish and sounds like it could be yesterday. Lots of inspiration came from this track, even the name of the Rollin Stones and our good friend Catfish Keith. It’s still a really cool track.

5. Tommy Castro – ‘I’m Not Broken’

This is just a great song so many of us must have resonance with the lyrics whenever you feel challenged put this song across your speakers it’s not blues as we know it but it is far better than the success it achieved.

6. Johnny Shines – ‘Ramblin’

Delta Blues at its best you can hear the train rhythm driving through the song plus Johnny shines amazing voice. It has a lot of emotion in it almost a Gospel feel to the vocals at times the guitar playing is brilliant.

7. Albert King – ‘I’ll Play The Blues For You’

Albert King did not reach enough people in his lifetime this is his melodic side powerful soulful and stylish. Like all the great artists of any genre Albert had massive presence both on stage and on record.

8. Walter Trout – ‘Red House’

We could have gone for Hendrix’s original but that would have been too easy. Walters’s version is wild and he plays it with every bit of energy he has in his body the vocals are great on all of his versions this is Walter at his best and it goes on for a long time too. It’s the type of track your mother would have told you to turn down.

9. Muddy Waters- ‘Manish Boy’ (1955 version)

This has to be in the Hood top ten because it was the first blues record that inspired us to get involved with the wider Blues world. It was great listening to it in the late 60s and it’s still great listening to it today.

10. Mahalia Jackson – ‘Let It Rain’

Blues purists may not see Gospel as great Blues but we do and Mahalia Jackson personifies the best of all the amazing female Blues Singers we have known. Living in Lancashire this has got to be our signature song.

Some People Did Very Well Out of R & B and Rock’n’Roll …. But Not The People Who Invented it … A Book Exclusive!

Roy Bainton, the successful author of Talk To Me Baby, The Story of The Blues Band, has been a Blues Matters writer from the very beginning. Good Time Charleys: Tough Tales from R&B uncovers the rip-offs, racism and struggle behind the music we love. The Mafia, dodgy producers, slavery, the Ku Klux Klan all figure in the long, hard story of the Blues.

All Books Signed by the author PAPERBACK 232 pages photos, a Blues Glossary and a compendium of blues quotat ions.

GOOD TIME CHARLEYS is Exclusive to BM readers at £11.50 post paid.

Also available: TALK TO ME BABY £10. Post paid.

SPECIAL OFFER: Buy both books for £18. Post paid. Order today from jenny@bluesmatters.com

01656 743406 Mon-Tues only 10am – 4pm

“Rhythm & Blues to me meant „rip off and bullshit!‟”

- BO

D

IDDLEY

First came Jazz, the Blues, then Rhythm and Blues, then Rock‟n‟Roll.

Yet for African Americans, their brilliant creativity came with a steep price.

From the age of slavery through to the 21st Century, Good Time Charleys outlines the defiant rise of American black music against a backdrop of privation, outright racism and the rapacious demands and outrageous behaviour of record producers. With the Mafia controlling juke boxes, Mississippi in the control of white supremacists, the Ku-Klux Klan deciding on where artists could play, eat, drink or travel, and with greedy record executives purloining compositions whilst living high on many black artist‟s creative output, the triumph of rhythm and blues is a remarkable story.

When what was once called „race music‟ stormed into the pop charts of white America in the mid-50s, it made millions for the anodyne, white cover artists who hi-jacked rock‟n‟roll. Yet without her royalties, the woman who built Atlantic Records, Ruth Brown, ended up as a bus driver, whilst Arthur Crudup, the composer of three of Elvis‟s greatest hits, dug potatoes before dying in poverty and Roy Brown, composer of Good Rockin’ Tonight, was forced to sell encyclopaedias, as LaVern Baker, her legs amputated, had to carry on performing in a wheelchair to pay her medical bills.

FREE JHS ‘The Blues’ Harmonicas

The writer of every letter published will receive Three FREE JHS ‘The Blues’ Harmonicas courtesy of JHS & Co. Ltd. (www.jhs.co.uk).

This 10 hole vamper model is available in keys: C, D, G, A, B, Bb, E and F. Please advise your choice of keys when you send in your letter.

guys deserve a lot of credit for the quality of the product you have here.

Your customer service is great and I am recommending this mag to all and sundry!

Many thanks, and keep up the fine work.

Ewen Allardyce

BM: says Nice to be appreciated all part of our service., hope you enjoy the magazine for many years to come.

Dear Blues Matters

Hey BM,

As organiser of the newly titled Carlisle Blues Rock Festival I felt I should write to help those sporting ‘blues blinkers’ to get over the change of name but firstly I must apologise to everyone who’s been misled in the past by the ‘Blues Festival’ misnomer. The festival has never been a purist blues event.

Regarding the new title I did think about changing the name to,

What a storming cover, totally sexy imagery in a musical context, I love it.

Gary Boner, London

BM says: Gee thanks Gary, We are very pleased to hear that your recovery after the operation has gone well, and that Roadhouse will be back in full flight from August.

Congrats on the magazine - I think it is getting better all the time - I am a regular subscriber and find it informative, interesting and also a great source book - I have found so many venues, promoters and other pieces of information from digesting the mag totally front to back! All the best. Graeme, Little Devils

BM says: Thank you so much. Spread the word please do. Next year will be the magazines’ 15th anniversary!! Wow. Not bad for something started by one man on a mission, through thick and thin we have steered and survived and continue to work for the Blues like noone else. Storm on you guys too!

Alan,

Many thanks for sorting out my subscription, what a great magazine, I am thoroughly enjoying reading through the issues, they are very informative and well constructed. You

‘The Carlisle Blues/Rock/Soul/Jazz/Americana/Country/ Reggae/Roots/Folk/Rock n Roll And Any Other Music

Sitting Under The Big Blues Umbrella Played Fantastically Well And Totally Live Festival’.

However I didn’t think that would catch on so settled for something more succinct whilst remaining as accurate as possible.

By the way I noticed the letter from Ian Connolly, Stafford was very similar in style and content a Facebook article posted by one of your regular contributors. Perhaps they are friends and share the same blinkers....er beliefs. Must end now, much too busy organising this years’ festival to get involved in pedantic, non-productive, potentially damaging debate.

Yours Nick Westgarth Organiser of the Carlisle Blues (Whatever) Festival

BM says: Well hello Nick. We all need a sense of humour, some have it and some do not, shame for them isn’t it. Humour and music can carry you through anything given the chance. Keep up the fine work you do and here’s to a full house at this years’ event.

Dear BM, are we allowed to complain about other readers’ letters here? You know I took exception to the previous issue letter by Ian Connelly sighting the names of some acts which were part of the reason I previously ceased to subscribe to your now once again excellent magazine. It was some of those very names and other content were

why I lost heart with the magazine. Since you sorted yourselves out you are once again top of the tree in the Blues press and I am proud to be a member again. Steven Court, Hull.

BM says: Steven, I think we’ll simply say a thank you to you on that and an amen to the reasons. We hope you continue to enjoy our efforts for the Blues. Please do spread the word on Blues Matters!

Hi Blues Matters and so pleased to renew my subscription. I look forward to my Blues Matters popping through the letterbox. The magazine is so good, not sure how you could improve it but a full interview with Robin Trower would certainly make my day. Keep up the great work. John White, Wirral.

BM says: John, thank you for your support and we will look into contacting Robin. Got any questions you’d like to put to him? Let us know.

Dear Blues Matters, First of all I congratulate you on a fantastic magazine! I look forward to reading each issue to keep up with the British Blues scene.

I first started to play guitar in the early 1960’s and got very interested in the Blues prior to the British Blues boom. At that time I joined the London Blues Society and subscribed to Blues Unlimited magazine of which I still have copies. Having played guitar in many styles over the years I always seem to return to the Blues. I have some great memories of the Blues ‘boom’ period not least seeing John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Fleetwood Mac and many other British Blues bands in their heydays.

I remember attending the 1st British Blues Convention held at Conway Hall, Red Lion Square in London in 1968 and also the 2nd in 1969. These were run by Mike Vernon and Alexis Korner. I have a 3 page write up of the 1st convention in the November 1968 issue of Blues Unlimited. I believe Free gave one of their first gigs at one of the Conventions and Aynsley Dunbar Retalliation, Stefan Grossman, Jo Ann Kelly and Duster Bennett were highlights. I also believe that the 2nd Convention included a Jeff Beck Group concert (the Truth line-up with Rod Stewart) at another upstairs pub venue. Whilst at the 1st Convention I was walking through the park in Red Lion Square with friends jamming on harmonica and guitar and we were overheard by Dave Kelly. He joined us and chatted to us for a while about his then recent trip to America and about meeting Muddy Waters. Great memories. I continue to play the Blues in a duet D.R.Blues., D and R standing for Dave and Rog. We are recording our first CD at present. Thanks again for a marvellous magazine. I wondered if other readers had memories of the 1960’s British Blues bvoom or even of the Conventions.

Roger Coombs, Leics.

BM says: Another thank you going out from us all at BM to you Roger. Ah, yes Blues Unlimited was an inspiration for us all, Shakey Vic and Peter Moody bless them both. Most recently heard of Shakey playing with none other than Chris Youlden. Our founder has all the original copies of that publication. If anyone has other memories please do let us know.

Dear Blues Matters,

You know I find it very frustrating that I have called you now on several occasions to ask where I can buy your most excellent magazine. You have always been very helpful and now given me three different newsagents explaining that each should either be supplied with the magazine or at least be able to order it through their suppliers due to the distribution you have in place. Each of the three have told me that they do not know your title and cannot get you. Without naming names here I will supply you with those agents details and hope that your distributors can sort them out as you are being done a dis-service by some ‘lazy’ newsagents out here it seems to me. I have now subscribed and must say I feel much happier now I have had my rant and know that in future I will receive my copy

safely. I thank you and all the contributors for your excellent and much needed work you put in for the blues. You are simply like no other publication in the music field and one of my pleasures is in the unpredictability of the content, you pay no heed to whoever is ‘the flavour of the month’ like others, you bring so much good music to our attention that you deserve an award for what you achieve. More record labels should get behind you so you might be able to do even more for the genre. Praise be to BM, and long may your ‘independence’ reign supreme.

Yours in admiration

Simon Cox, Worthing.

BM says: my, my, thank you Simon. Yes indeed the distribution can be annoying at times. Recently a chap from the North had the same experience and we were able to give him the address of a newsagent that happened to be right next door to his Doctors’ surgery. He was chuffed. Then he went to the shop and the same thing happened to him. This is not something we can easily keep tabs on but when we are told we notify our distributor to action. We solved one case in New Zealand recently would you believe. We will do the same with the ones you give us and see what response we get. Generally, like you people subscribe to be sure of their issues.

HAPPENIN’

SANDI THOM

Scottish Singer-Songwriter And Multi-Instrumentalist, Sandi Thom, Best Known For Her 2006 No.1 Hit Single I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair), Is Pleased To Confirm The August 27th Release Of Her Fourth Studio Album “Flesh And Blood”.

Produced by the Black Crowes’ Rich Robinson, and featuring a rare duet with Buffy Sainte-Marie, the album and was recorded at 16 Tons studio, Nashville, Tennessee. Sandi will embark on a nationwide UK tour in support of the new album, which begins at the London Islington Academy on Thursday November 1st 2012.

Sandi’s new song, Sun Comes Crashing Down will be available as a free download from www.sandithom.com on Monday May 21st.

The album features an all-star ensemble led by the Black Crowes’ Rich Robinson, drummer Steve Gorman and fellow Black Crowe and widely travelled session guitarist Audley Freed, respected Nashville stars Mike Webb (keys/ Dobro) and James Haggerty (bass) complete the lineup with special guest performances from Rolling Stones collaborator, saxophonist Bobby Keys, and stunning duet with the legendary singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie on her 1992 classic The Big Ones Get Away. “Flesh And Blood” is a significant release, being Sandi’s sophomore studio album, released solely by her independent label Guardian Angels Records (distributed in the UK by Nova through Universal Music Operations). The highly anticipated new album radiates the raunchy blues rock bravado of the opening track Help Me, followed by the country-flavoured Leadbelly classic ‘In The Pines’. The album also features the strutting, clavinet-led Stormy Weather; and the emotionally compelling finale Lay Your Burden Down.

Sandi really stretched herself and made a bold new album,” reflects Rich Robinson, “Her songs are honest, vulnerable and very strong. Her vocal abilities are showcased really well, as is her guitar work, and harp playing. I think Sandi’s made a great record. It was a joy to work with her.”

Classic rock producer Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, The Black Crowes, Joe Bonamassa) also mixed two tracks, Sun Comes Crashing Down and a duet with Buffy Sainte Marie on the latter’s classic song, Big Ones Get Away. “Sandi’s writing is fantastic,” says Shirley, “and her singing is wonderful. Sun Comes Crashing Down has all the right ingredients to be a hit.”

Following Her Critically Acclaimed UK Tour In November 2011, Due To Popular Demand, Blues Rock Guitarist And Singer, Joanne Shaw Taylor Returns To The UK To Undertake A 13-Date Tour, Which Starts On October 11th 2012.

The tour dovetails the highly anticipated release of Joanne’s third studio album “Almost Always Never”, released by Ruf Records on Monday September 17, 2012. Planet Rock will start a 24-hour ticket pre-sale from Wednesday May 23rd. Tickets will then go on sale on Friday May 25th from 0844 478 0898, thegigcartel.com

Dates include Bristol Tunnels (Oct 11), Tavistock Wharf

(Oct 12), Falmouth Princess Pavilion (Oct 13), Poole Mr Kyps (Oct 14), London Leicester Square Theatre (Oct 16), Brighton The Haunt (Oct 19), Norwich Arts Centre (Oct 20), Sale Waterside (Oct 21), York Duchess (Oct 23), Newcastle Cluny (Oct 24), Glasgow o2 ABC (Oct 26), Stockton Arc (Oct 27) and Nottingham Rescue Rooms (Oct 28).

Originally discovered by Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart as a 16 year old guitar prodigy, Joanne will perform music from her new album, as well as dipping into songs from her first two critically acclaimed albums - White Sugar (2009) and Diamonds in the Dirt (2010).

For two years consecutively, 2010 and 2011, Joanne was voted “Best British Female Vocalist of the Year” at the British Blues Awards. Joanne is fast becoming a major force on the international blues rock music circuit. Hailed by Classic Rock magazine, Joanne also received a Best New Artist Debut nomination at the British Blues Awards for her debut LP White Sugar.

The new album’s produced by legendary record producer Mike McCarthy (Spoon, And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Patty Griffin) in Austin. “Mike comes from a different musical background from me,” says Joanne. “He pushed me out of my comfort zone, and allowed me to explore new territories whilst remaining true to who I am. I never thought when I started on this journey I would ever get to work with such an amazing array of talent. I’ve been a fan of JJ, David and Billy for years and their performances on this album are exceptional.”

The album features David Garza (keyboards), Billy White (bass, guitar) and J.J. Johnson (drums).Garza has worked with Juliana Hatfield, Blues Traveler and Fiona Apple. Billy White has played with the Heartless Bastards and Craig Finn. J.J. Johnson has played drums for John Mayer. Scoundrels Snapped Up By Legendary Seymour Stein As First European Signings To Legendary Blue Horizon Label Since 1970

Fast-rising London rhythm & blues rockers celebrate with new EP. London-based quartet Scoundrels, who supported Alabama Shakes at this year’s South By Southwest festival, have signed to the world-famous British label Blue Horizon, after their rhythm and blues-tinged rock sound caught the ear of A&R legend Seymour Stein.

They’re the first European signings to Blue Horizon since Stein and famed producer Richard Gottehrer, who cofounded Sire Records with him, revived the label via digital distributor The Orchard. Blue Horizon became worldfamous as the home of the original Fleetwood Mac and countless other great blues names of the late 1960s and with Scoundrels, it’s never sounded so cutting-edge yet true to its roots.

After opening for Kooks, headlining dates of their own in both the UK and US, and making their first album in Louisiana, Chicago and London, Scoundrels supported hotter-than-hot blues rockers Alabama Shakes at SXSW in March. Now they’re completing work on their own studio in Seven Sisters in north London, where they’ll soon record their much-awaited second album.

Scoundrels’ first release for Blue Horizon, under Stein’s

HAPPENIN’

inspired stewardship, is the “Sexy Weekend” EP, out on July 2. It shows how they’ve perfected a brilliantly infectious sound at the intersection of greater London and the Southern states. The band are building on the firm foundations of last year’s acclaimed debut set, initially recorded on a life-changing trip to Lafayette, Louisiana, then produced in part by Steve Albini at his studio in Chicago and completed in London by the band and ‘Chicky’ Reeves.

That led to a No. 2 slot on the iTunes blues chart - behind only the late great Etta James - with the track ‘Hangman’s Lament.’ They’ve also made quite a name for themselves as airplay favourites already in South Africa, where they’re touring in late April and May. Vocalist/guitarist Ned Wyndham, bassist Alex ‘Billy’ Hill and drummer Josh Martens were at school and then at LCCM Music College together, later joined in the line-up by guitarist George Elliott. They shared a passion for the swampy rock of Creedence Clearwater Revival and the driving R&B of the early Stones, but the American adventure added plenty more ingredients.

“It changed a lot when we went to Louisiana,” says Wyndham. “We all really like rock ‘n’ roll, and we’re inclined towards soul and blues, but going to Louisiana completely opened up that New Orleans thing, Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson, Huey ‘Piano’ Smith, Fats Domino, and all these amazing melodies and grooves and beats they have.” The band were greeted in Louisiana by Hart, a longhaired roadie with one tooth who drove a 22-foot Lincoln Continental called the Cream Puff, and was accompanied at every stage by what Scoundrels fondly describe as “a slightly bedraggled old stripper.”

There, they slept on a houseboat in the Louisiana swamps, lived on a diet of crayfish and gumbo, watched two or three bands every night, most of whom invited them up onstage, and gorged themselves on zydeco jazz, blues and modern rock. By day, they laid down songs that were growing and evolving with every minute, steeped in the Louisiana spirit. But with Stein’s ringing endorsement, and with the further heavyweight backing of One Fifteen (the management company behind David Gilmour, Jools Holland and many others), it’s obvious that 2012 is going to be a year of complete Scoundrels. “We love the American grooves and soul,” says Wyndham, “but our sensibility is distinctly English.” Scoundrels’ Sexy Weekend EP is released July 2 on Blue Horizon, and their second album to follow in the autumn.

BLUES IN THE CITY 27th To 30th September 2012

After the success of Blues in Town last year Nick Garner has decided to take the event to the next level now renamed Blues In The City after Chelmsford gaining City status in the Queens’ Jubilee Awards. This year the event will run over four days at different venues in and around Chelmsford. Nick has teamed up with Blues Matters, The New Crawdaddy Blues Club, Hooga and the all new Evoke nightclub and other local pubs and venues to make it all happen.

Who is it all for? This year again it is to benefit The J’s Hospice who deliver hospice, respite and end of life care and bereavement support for 18 to 40 year olds with life limiting and life threatening conditions their families and carers in the comfort of their own homes. To find out more about the charity visit www.thejshospice.org.uk

What’s planned for the four days?

Day one: Thursday 27th September this is a great launch at the New Crawdaddy Blues Club at the Belveder near Billericay and Basildon CM11 2UH. We have a double headliner to open with Roadhouse and Tim Aves & Wolfpack this is assured to be a great night and is only £8. You would normally pay this to just one of these bands.

Day two: Friday 28th September the acoustic night. This is at Hooga in Victoria Road Chelmsford CM1 1NZ. The night is free and will rely on your generous donations and that of Hooga as well. The line-up is Happnin Boy and Mike Rassmussen, Mississippi MacDonald, Richard Townend, Back Porch, Dove & Boweevil, Jeremiah Marques and Laurie Garman.

Day three: Saturday 30th September is the fringe. This day sees many acts playing at different venues in and around the City of Chelmsford you will need to keep an eye on our website to keep up dated www.bluesinthecity.co.uk . So far confirmed we have Roy Mette, The Jives, The Heaters, Ramon Goose, Ian Goodsman, John Campling and The Wild Coyotes. We do know that the Black Bull will have two acts playing that night and that St Anne’s Castle in Great Leighs will have a band playing as well other venues with more acts to be announced.

Day four: Sunday 30th September - the final day. This is our marathon event taking place at the all new great Evoke nightclub which while being a state of the art night spot is also Chelmsford’s hottest and biggest long awaited live music venue with capacity for over a thousand people and yup it will have real ale on tap as well! This is going to start around 1pm and run until about 11.30pm with ten fantastic acts some you will know some you will not but be assured as last year each and every one of them is worth seeing. The line-up is Bare Bones Boogie Band, Roy Green’s Bluesboys, Bill Liesegang (played guitar for Jack Bruce, Rod Stewart and Terry Reid to name a few), The Mustangs, Saiichi Sugiyama Band, Storm Warning, The Blues Corporation, Rosco Levee, Marcus Bonfanti and Earl Green & The Right Time. Again we think this is a truly fantastic line up. You can see all ten bands for just £15 you will not find better value or a better line up.

All the acts are playing for free so that we can raise the maximum possible for the charity we also have to thank The Blues CD Store, Chelmer Web Design and Reprohouse with their help and the venues we could not put the festival on.

For more information visit www.bluesinthecity.co.uk or email info@bluesinthecity.co.uk or call 07531 033191

HMV Paid £46 Million To Acquire Mama Group In 2010Misreported In Some National Press As £64m.

HMV CEO Simon Fox told Music Week last year the company had invested little over £60 million in the subsidiary in total - and that it was looking to recoup that amount and more with the sale of its live music assets.

Mama Group continues to operate the following London venues; HMV Forum (2300), Heaven (1000), The Garage (800), Barfly Camden (450), Jazz Cafe (400) and The Borderline (300), and regionally the Manchester’s HMV Ritz (1500), Edinburgh’s HMV Picture House (1500) and the HMV Institute in Birmingham (1500). It is reported on Music Week site that HMV are in excess of £175million in debt.

Rare TV Performances By Capt. Beefheart And His Magic Band ‘The Lost Broadcasts’ To Be Released On DVD 6/7/2012 - London, UK - Don Van Vliet, (1941-

2010) better known to his legions of fans as ‘Captain Beefheart’ was one of the most enigmatic figures in rock music. Unashamedly an artist, rather than a pop star, he forged his own idiosyncratic furrow through popular culture, producing some of the most innovative and uncompromising music ever committed to recording tape. From the age of three he painted and sculpted, and had an obsession with animals and the natural world. As a teenager he was friends with Frank Zappa, and as early as 1963 they recorded a demo under the name ‘The Soots’. Sadly this was unsuccessful, and the world would have to wait a few more years before Beefheart’s own unique take on the blues would be heard by anyone outside his own particular circle of friends. His first album, ‘Safe as Milk’ came out in 1967, and Hunter Davies’ eponymous biography of The Beatles notes that John Lennon was an early fan. It is not surprising considering that the primal rock and roll that Lennon idolized and the pioneering surreal blues of Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, had much the same cultural genesis. Probably the most important album of the Captain’s career was the Zappa produced ‘Trout Mask Replica’ which was released in 1969. Its mixture of blues, free-form improvisation and heavily structured Van Vliet avant-garde compositions proved too much for many listeners but eventually ensured him a place in the history books. High profile fans of this album include the late John Peel, who would remain a champion of Beefheart’s until he died.

In 1972 Captain Beefheart released two albums; ‘The Spotlight Kid’ and ‘Clear Spot’. He also toured the UK and Europe with the Magic Band, even performing two concerts at London’s famed Royal Albert Hall. On April 12th, in the middle of the European leg of the tour, Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band stopped off at the Beat Club studios in Bremen, Germany to film a session for later transmission. Of the four songs filmed that day only one track has ever been broadcast. The band at that time included: Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet) vocals, harp; Rockette Morton (Mark Boston) guitar and bass; Zoot Horn Rollo (Bill Harkleroad) guitar; Orejon (Roy Estrada) bass; Ed Marimba (Art Tripp) drums; and Winged Eel Fingerling (Elliot Ingber) guitar. Author Jon Kirkman describes the recordings: “The session kicks off with a bass solo entitled ‘Mascara Snake’. This short piece was named after a

former member of the Magic Band Victor Hayden (Don’s cousin), who had appeared on the ‘Trout Mask Replica’ album. The solo is played by Mark Boston, although at this point former Mothers of Invention bassist Roy Estrada had joined The Magic Band following his departure from Little Feat in early 1972. The other songs in the set here include a track dating back to ‘Trout Mask Replica’ (‘Steal Softly Thru Snow’) and also a track that would be featured on ‘Clear Spot’ some eight months later (‘Golden Birdies’). Now, over 40 years later, much to the excitement of Capt. Beefheart fans worldwide, premier UK label Gonzo MultiMedia will be releasing these historic Beat Club sessions on DVD titled ‘Capt. Beefheart and his Magic Band – The Lost Broadcasts’. These films have not been seen in over 4 decades and are the complete sessions from April 12, 1972. Only one song was broadcast at the time and then never to be seen again. This DVD contains all the material filmed during that session now available for the very first time!

Pre-orders are being taken now at: www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15486/ Captain_Beefheart_and_his_Magic_Band-The_Lost_ Broadcasts.html

For more information: www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk

Music Legends Pay Tribute To The Black Keys Black On Blues Out On Cleopatra Records

July 17

Los Angeles, CA…On July 17, Cleopatra Records is releasing “Black On Blues”, an all-star tribute to The Black Keys featuring a wide range of artists, Iggy Pop, Ginger Baker, Albert Lee, Oli Brown and Doug Kershaw are just some of the contributors.

Hailing from Akron, Ohio, The Black Keys is Dan Auerbach (guitars and vocals) and Patrick Carney (drums). As part of the heavily blues-based garage rock revival, the duo has sold millions of records in its decade of recording and touring. From festival headlining to national ad campaigns, The Black Keys has gone from indie buzz band to sometimes controversial major player earning honor from the classic artists that have paved the way.

Many classic artists with hefty blues credentials appear on BLACK ON BLUES. Including the legendary Iggy Pop (of the Stooges), epic drummer Ginger Baker (Cream, Blind Faith), Walter Trout, Cyril Neville, Devon Allman, Mike Zito , we also have the UK’s, Oli Brown, winner of 2011 British Blues Awards for Best Band of the Year and Best Album of the Year.

Why did so many established artists jump on to The Black Keys tribute? Fiddler extraordinaire Doug Kershaw, who recorded “I’ll Be Your Man,” said, “I love the raw bone rock music of the Black Keys. Huw Lloyd-Langton (Hawkwind) added, “As an American Rock Duo, they are writers and performers of great blues-based music, which is pretty much my background”. Oli Brown said, “ I am a huge fan of The Black Keys and they have inspired me in my writing, listening again to “Next Girl” from The Brothers album, really opened my eyes to the technical depth they go into for recording their tracks. Awesome band” And Dave Davies put it simply as, “I loved doing it. It was great fun to be part of this project. Cool rockin’ track.” Black On Blues was mastered by Grammy Award-winner Brian Lucey, who has mastered several of The Black Keys albums, including the most recent, EL CAMINO and Oli Brown’s latest album “Here I Am”. Available from: www.cleopatrarecords.com

HAPPENIN’

Scottish Blues Compilation

Guitarist Lewis Hamilton and Blues Matters reviewer Duncan Beattie are preparing a compilation of Scottish independent blues acts for release in September this year. The CD will feature many of best new blues outfits emerging from Scotland today, with some established artists and bands based elsewhere with prominent Scottish band members. Further details on the CD and the artists included will be available in the next issue. Anyone looking for further information should contact Lewis Hamilton via his website: www.lewishamiltonmusic.com

CURTIS SALGADO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- JUNE 29, 2012

Category: General

Posted by: odaglassllc

Award-winning soul blues singer/harmonica master Curtis Salgado will undergo surgery on July 18 in Portland, Oregon, to remove a cancerous growth from his lung, according to his manager Shane Tappendorf. A partial lobectomy will be performed to remove a segment of Curtis’s left lung where a metastasized mass was found. It is suspected to be the same type of cancerous mass that was removed from his lung in 2008.

Salgado will be hospitalized for a period of four to six days and will require a recovery time of up to four weeks. Salgado and his doctors anticipate a complete recovery. Winner of the 2012 Blues Music Award for Soul/Blues

Artist of the Year, Curtis Salgado has recorded eight critically acclaimed solo albums. He tours internationally with his own band and has also toured as vocalist with the Robert Cray Band, Roomful of Blues and Santana. Salgado is also credited with being the inspiration for John Belushi’s character of Joliet Jake in The Blues Brothers Salgado’s new CD, Soul Shot, on Alligator Records, is being hailed as his greatest album to date and continues to receive rave reviews and radio airplay worldwide. Blues Revue calls Soul Shot, “A joyous celebration of life. Soul Shot is this millennium’s finest soul blues record...deep, commanding, and essential.”

“I am extremely grateful for the overwhelming support of my family, friends and fans and the courageous people that have faced this fight before me,” the 58-year-old Salgado wrote from his home this week. “I also want to thank the promoters and venues for their understanding regarding my medical situation. We will do our best to reschedule all of our performances affected by my surgery.”

Salgado, who was diagnosed with liver cancer on March 23, 2006, underwent successful liver transplant

surgery on September 30, 2006 at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

Donations to help with Curtis’s expenses can be made online at: http://curtissalgado.chipin.com/curtis- salgadomedical- fund Donations can also be made to the Curtis Salgado Fund c/o Odaglas LLC Donation Account at all US Banks or by mail to US Bancorp, 2550 NW 188th Avenue, Hillsboro, OR 97124. For additional information please visitwww.curtissalgado.com and www.facebook.com/ CurtisSalgado

Blues Matters! Blog

Blues Promoters - Pete Feenstra

Blues passion

“I’m

one of the luckiest people in the word, as my job is also my passion. I’ve never been able to play or write music properly, so I aimed at the next best thing and promote the people who can.”

“I market, promote and present music over about 5 venues and I write about live music as well as interview and review the musicians and the music they record. I do this for various record companies (or what’s left of them) and http://www.getreadytorock.com. I also worked for Mystic Records for 7 years approximately in two separate periods, before I decided that I needed to spend more time on my own independent promotions as http://www.feenstra.co.uk”

“Music is a passion. In my youth I loved sport, music and travel, but much of the football and cricket etc has become corporate, travel is less spontaneous than it used to be, leaving music as my creative outlet. But of course it isn’t just the music itself, but rather meeting and dealing with people that I really enjoy.”

“Other than some great music, I really love the job satisfaction. Apart from temporary jobs, I’ve never done a job I didn’t enjoy in some way. And there really is no better buzz than promoting a successful show, especially one in which you have championed a band you believe in. This happened with The Blues Burglars with Paul Lamb in the 80’s, Poormouth with Jackie McCauley in the late 80’s, Walter Trout in the early 90’s Joe Bonamassa, in the noughties, and the likes of WT Feaster, Oli Brown Virgil & The Accelerators, and Billy Walton in more recent times. They were all bands I started promoting and marketing when they were relatively speaking unknown at the time.”

“But that’s a longer term satisfaction. On the more mundane show to show basis, once you’ve done all the

Pete Feenstra with Black Country Communion

CURTIS SALGADO

deals, the press, the publicity, direct marketing, venue hiring, flyer and poster printings and sometimes organising accommodation and riders, etc it’s a great feeling to get a full house. But it’s equally good to get any kind of audience and response for a new band, especially if you feel they can grow.”

A personal history

“I promoted some shows and helped promote shows in the 70’s but left the UK and music altogether when Punk came along. But I came back to it in earnest in 1979. I ended up in Copenhagen in Denmark at the end of 2 years of travelling and worked on some shows (The Kinks, Santana, Rod Stewart, CV Jorgensen) in a Theatre there. I loved both the work and the place, but thought I needed to come back to the UK to get a ‘sensible’ job (I’m still looking!). Cut a long story short, I did a post grad diploma in library and info science and worked with the BBC Film library and then later for local authorities at Southwark and Hounslow. The latter wanted to explore the idea of ‘outreach’ in their libraries, with the idea being to attract more people by extending library services beyond the traditional book format and including organising events.. By then I was specialising as a music librarian with record borrowing figures - including London’s biggest rock and blues collection etc. etc. - (the ego has landed, lol), and they offered me a job in the new ‘Leisure Services Department. That meant booking shows for theatres, sports outlets and local public halls. One of the venues was the very unfashionable 500 capacity Feltham Assembly Hall, an underused venue languishing next to a couple of rough tower blocks that no one really wanted. But I never looked back.”

“The early 80’s was a time when guitar players were ignored and any semblance of ‘quality music’ was overlooked. The UK media wasn’t interested, and still isn’t really, but I always thought that as long as the bands I remembered from the past were still playing and the audience potential was still in place, why not give it a go? I had 7 great years at that venue with a budget, a couple of staff and lots of memorable shows, including the very first Jethro Tull convention, the first international Zappa Day and three Welsh Conventions built around the Welsh band Man and their sundry spin off bands.”

“We also got some TV for the ground breaking Peter Singh, ‘The Rockin’ Sikh – The Indian Elvis’ which led to a BBC documentary. I mention these shows if only to emphasize that if you do something you believe in, it can work. At the time none of these events had happened before, and were organised at a time when rock music was very unfashionable.”

So, you want to be a rock ‘n’ roll star music promoter?

“I really believe you’ve got to have a passion for what you do, and believe in what you are doing. It may sound a cliché but without that it, the work can be a real slog.”

“Quite simply, music is about people and shared magical moments. If you can’t connect with those, you’d be better doing a 9-5 job, as this is a life consuming job, or at least I think it is.”

“And from my own experience, ultimately it’s all about people, no matter what line of work you are in.”

The future – what bands are you enjoying working with in 2012?

“Walter Trout as always, as its over 20 years since I first brought him over here, (glad to report he just returned to the Boom Boom Club after several years for a sell out show) and enduring bands like Steve Gibbons, Del Bromham’s Stray and The Nimmo Brothers (surely the most underrated rock/blues band in the land) who just keep going, and a raft of younger bands like Virgil & the Accelerators, Chantel McGregor, Clare Free, Oli Brown, Danny Giles, Mitch Laddie, Jake Rigden and 14 year old Aaron Keylock who represent the future.

Then there are also a handful of interesting bands like the slide guitarist Erja Lytinen, Nicky “The Voice” Moore, the soulful Ian Parker, the irreverent Larry Miller and the stunning City Funk Orchestra who bring much needed stylistic diversity. Finally a quick mention for personal faves like Tommy Castro, Popa Chubby, Marcus Malone, Roadhouse, Focus and Skinny Molly, but the list is endless.

BLOGS will become a feature in the forthcoming issues a new update for all those not on the internet. But if you are then start checking the Blogs and joining the Blues Tweet @ Blues Matters

Pete Feenstra with Erja Lytinen

Pete and Steve Lukather from Toto

The Lone Wolf chews the fat with Darren Weale

This issue Blues Matters welcomes multi-award winning Bluesman Otis Grand to its pages. We invited Otis to talk about his musical upbringing, influences, the greats he has played with, and his take on the Blues today and what young musicians should learn – which is where this feature gets as hot as his playing. Read on.

BM: When did you start playing the guitar, and who influenced you?

OG: I first picked up the guitar in 1963 - I was influenced by the guitar instrumental bands of that time, the Ventures, Dick Dale, Surfaris, and Roy Clark, etc. Back then when you turned on the TV all these great pickers were appearing on programs everyday, including adult schmaltz like the Lawrence Welk show which featured two incredibly great guitarists, Neil Levang and Buddy Merrill. In fact it was Merrill’s white Strat that did it for me. My love affair with the Blues was fuelled when I became aware of Blues through black radio stations playing records by B. B. King, Bobby Bland and Ray Charles. I never did get interested in the Acid-Rock scene, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane etc... and I am thankful for that now! My roots were firmly in the record player and the radio – and I did so much listening that I’d worn out several copies of my fave vinyl LPs. At the age of 17 my whole world was turned upside down when I went to see a B.B. King concert. BB was young, strong, played loud and had a 10 piece band behind him and he left a powerful, chiselled indentation on my psyche. From then on I was deeply immersed in electric city Blues. Apart from B.B. King, Albert King, Buddy Guy, T-Bone Walker, Otis Rush, Gatemouth, Magic Sam and Freddie King were also major influences.

How has your playing changed since you started out? Do you think your style is distinctive? Yes. I think I do in the sense that I consider myself as the one of the few remaining stylists who are securely anchored in the older, classic tradition of playing Blues guitar – you know, the few of us who have no interest in playing fast supercharged hard solos through a Marshall stack with two dozen effects pedals and with a bass player using a 5 string guitar… the last of the Mohicans. My style of playing is squarely based on mid-sixties BB King and T-Bone Walker and the other, older traditions of playing Blues guitar especially Magic Sam’s. That is a guitar plugged straight into a tube Amp and turned up all the way. But throughout the long years I managed to put all these different styles - using pick, thumbs and fingers, and the steel guitar claw-picking technique - all together and come up with my own style which is played how you feel it and when you feel it, preferably without thinking about it too much and just let your feelings drive you. No real strict meter per se, so you can have the true dynamics of a Blues tune being played live on stage – like what BB developed with his drummer Sonny Freeman as a standard for a slow Blues. I tend to leave a lot of space between the notes so that the Blues shows up in your playing. Sadly, Nowadays Blues guitar playing is firmly attached to the Stevie Ray Vaughan hard rock Blues style with distortion pedals and many amps. Honestly, your sound and your guitar tone is a reflection of your personality and that’s how come all the great Blues players like BB, Albert King, Albert Collins and Buddy Guy all have their own distinctive sound. It is part of who they are. These old guys play like they talk and nothing to do with what guitar or amps or effects setup they use, or how much musical theory they utilize. Blues is all about expression and feel. So it isn’t the instrument – it’s yourself that makes the tone.

Do you use any sound modifiers on your guitar?

Never did, never will. Just the classic Fender amp effects - reverb and tremolo. I don’t understand kids today who would be forever searching for a sound and buying all kinds of effects pedals that distort and interfere with the guitar’s natural beauty, and yet they are never satisfied and continue to pursue the use of many a pedal but not their talent. Take these pedals away from them and they can’t play. In fact they can’t even keep it in tune. I am the complete antithesis of a music teacher - I tell all my Master Class students to forget about everything they learn in music class and follow their hearts and just one piece of advice: “Throw all those pedals into the nearest river and start all over again”. The tone and sound everyone is looking for is in the flesh and the wood – the rest is total consumerism trap. The truth is that nobody can sell you tone.

How often do you practice guitar?

You got to be kidding! I never touch the guitar outside a live show or a recording session. I am self taught and I never did learn the basics of music theory so there is nothing to practice. I never learned to play scales or modes and all those daft things. You hear musicians who aspire to play Blues talking about Pentatonic and Mixolydian scales and fast arpeggios and where the “blue note” should fall. Well, all that crap doesn’t figure in my playing – I stick to what I know best. This may sound like a cliché by now, but Blues is a feeling – either you got it or you don’t. I never touch the guitar or do warm-ups before playing a show. What I do is spend about an hour alone before my shows listening to old Blues tapes – mostly BB, and through some symbiotic body process, that’s all I need to recapture that inspiration. It has all to do with feel and not the mind. I am lucky enough to have started watching and learning from the old masters in a live situation. The fingers, the facial gestures, the sweat, and the mistakes they made – that’s all Blues. It was fucking hard slow work, but I ended up with tons of feel, tone, and my own voice on the guitar. I also developed a strong right-hand which is essential in playing Blues. Believe me, Blues may appear simple on the face of it, but it is the hardest style to get right. For all his greatness and mastery of the instrument, George Benson can’t play Blues to save his life.

You have worked with some of the greatest musicians in your career. Is there anybody that you worked with that you couldn’t believe it?

I had the pleasure to meet and play with many great musicians during my years. The few I remember well: Ike Turner, Hubert Sumlin, Junior Wells, Albert Collins, Gatemouth Brown, Snooky Pryor, Lowell Fulson, Katie Webster, Robert Cray, Roscoe Gordon, Steve Winwood, Guitar Shorty (he taught Jimi Hendrix to play) Eddie Bo, Earl King, Philip Walker, and all those old guys including Pee Wee Ellis and Maceo Parker (from James Brown’s band) who both ended playing in my band for a while. Ike was the one who really dazzled me when I was young. I was listening to all his recordings and learning his guitar style – then suddenly, I am in his band touring, his absolute confidante and recording with him. What a genius. Certainly misunderstood and permanently demonized for a character in a Disney movie that wasn’t like him at all. He was like my second father. He took care of me and I took care of him during the bad days he suffered. I was with him until he passed in Dec 2007. Don’t believe in all that shit they wrote about him. That was just a Hollywood movie - Ike signed an agreement with the film producers without reading it – so they got their bogeyman. In reality, he was a very creative genius, and I saw this first-hand. But he didn’t suffer no fools or anyone who fucked with him in terms of gig fees and contracts. Ike was a bad boy, but the new Bad Boys do even worse things today.

What has each decade meant to you since you began playing?

The 60’s – a most defining decade in all instances. Music becomes a part of everyone’s life and we kids discover our selfbeing. Some of the greatest Blues Albums are released by Delmark, Vanguard and others. I learned my Blues by listening to these LPs and watching the touring Bands picking up firm ideas what I wanted to sound like. Unless you witnessed it first-hand, no one will understand the power of a young, energetic BB King kicking ass with his 10 piece orchestra. My new CD ‘Blues ‘65’ is squarely based in this period.

The 70’s – Blues was decimated by Disco in the early part and comes back with a vengeance in late 70’s with Muddy Waters finally making money. Other Roots bands take over – Ry Cooder / Little Feat / Commander Cody were equally great, talented and made life tolerable.

The 80’s - Reagan and Thatcher sell the world down the drain and corporate greed becomes acceptable behaviour. SRV makes it big – and seriously talented Blues musicians emerge like Anson Funderburgh, Robert Cray and Kim Wilson. However, ‘The Black Suits’ move in on the Blues in the hopes of discovering more SRV cash-cow types.

The 90’s – all of the 90’s were good to me. Don’t remember much except that I was constantly on the road with my own Big Band, backing major artists or with Ike Turner. Robert Cray continues his life-saving brand of contemporary Blues. The 00’s – Corporate America ditches the Blues for lack of immediate returns. Vince Power sells off his Mean Fiddler Empire of venues which pulls the rug from under the live circuit in London. Ken Livingston’s enhanced Health & Safety regulations ensure that Pubs back away from hiring full member Bands and Blues begins its cyclical rotation into the darkness stages.

Today & Now – Global economic hegemony, fuel prices, the internet and consumer blandness ensures the death of the troubadour.”

Ike Turner, Otis Grand & Pinetop Perkins

What kind of music do you like to listen to these days?

Well, I got to say this: all modern music nowadays – and I may be out of touch here - turns me off especially Rap / Hip-Hop/Heavy Rock, Metal and Boy Band jiving sh*t and all those hopelessly dreadful 21st century singer-songwriters.

What the hell happened to talent like James Taylor? The dancers have hi-jacked real music, aided and abetted by MTV and commercial radio and the kids today end up with a bland, digitized shell of music shoved down their throats. It is despicable that the terms R&B and Blues are now used in an entirely different connotation to mean late night smooch music. Woe onto us!! So, naturally, my reaction is to ignore today and go back and listen to real music from the past. I think even the smart kids are doing this too. My fave period is from late 1948 to just about 1969 before the advent of disco, although the 70’s had great roots bands like Little Feat and Ry Cooder. Even Pop stuff in the 50’s had beautiful melody and I don’t mind this at all. But I generally listen to Jump bands with horns including Western Swing, Bluegrass, Hawaiian, Mexican Ranchera and Mariachi music.

What younger artists impress you in the Blues scene these days? None! They don’t make them like they usta! Most all new people like Bonamassa area complete turn off.... actor Hugh Laurie passing off as Blues is ridiculous. All of this is UnBlues.

What are “UnBlues” ’ and where do you think the Blues is making unwelcome departures, and what does the future hold for the Blues?

Ok – first of all… I am not an anorak!! But I am a deep-rooted certified purist!! Muddy Waters coined and used the term “UnBlues” a lot when he heard young white bands in the studio or opening up for him. It covered the long-haired supercharged rock Blues bands that bastardized versions of his songs. And this degrading didn’t fit into his notion of real downhome Black American Blues. UnBlues didn’t mean they weren’t good players – just didn’t have soul. Muddy was always astounded and infuriated at the staggering amount of money white musicians made off his songs. He never did forget nor forgive. As far as the future of Blues - I am a bit pessimistic. I hate to say it, but we are losing track of the original music that we all learned to love. Stevie Ray Vaughan did a great redefining favour for the Blues by commercializing it, but on the other hand, it was the worst thing that could have happened to the Blues. It thereafter attracted masses of blue-eyed pilferers and the swindlers in black suits. It was hijacked purely for profiteering, and later dumped entirely by the major Labels for lack of immediate financial returns. For God’s sake, John Lee Hooker didn’t start to make any real money until he was 70 years old, but every kid now wants instant SRV stardom and wealth. Nowadays, too many Blues albums are not saying much, not achieving much and are basically a re-hash of the same old songs, so many combobulations of the same songs with assorted guitar & harp wizardry, and this is why I feel Blues may be losing audiences rather than gaining, because it’s not going on, it’s not going forward. There are no more pure talents emerging to replace the disappearing old guys. People may be buying Eric Clapton records by the millions no matter how awful these are but they’re certainly not buying anybody else’s. And another freaky trend in Blues today is the popularity of what I call the “Sex & Strat Blues”– young Caucasian girl guitarslinger acts, barely into their teens. Too much Monkey business - but salivating men go see them by the hoards. Nothing wrong with that, except that it is just another misplaced tangent the Blues has to deal with. 95% of them can’t really play the guitar, and haven’t put in the amount of hard graft necessary to truly be part of this idiom. This is all “UnBlues” to me too. But don’t get me wrong - I’ve witnessed so many shifts and changes in the past, so I am not getting worried over all of these new kids playing Rock Blues. Blues has deep roots and these can’t be severed even by total mindless greed and disregard for the past. In the last 5 years, many legendary bluesmen have passed away. The tradition of real, true Blues is dying out along with those old men and there aren’t a lot of younger musicians taking up where they are leaving off. BB King is the last of the great bluesmen – the sole survivor of a tradition that goes back to the Mississippi Delta and the early 1920s. All the others are gone, honoured and forgotten.

What advice would you give to a 16 year old

beginning

Blues guitar?

My first bit of advice to young guitar players is: Listen, Listen, Listen! Go back beyond 1985 and listen to the older guys and absorb that feeling and monophonic sensation. I never get tired of listening to BB or T Bone or Magic Sam. My whole perspective on this is that to really understand the essence of Blues playing and not just a cloning process, you need to go deeper into the artists’ soul and personality. Dig inside them, into their inner feelings rather than the notes that come out.

Understand the mannerism rather than their riffs alone. Blues is as much about phrasing and the space between the notes as the actual notes they hit. Like I said these great innovators play like they talk – their phrasing is uniquely connected to their verbal abilities. Did you ever hear Albert Collins speak? It is the same way he plays. BB King is a soft spoken, wellmannered gentleman and it shows up in his playing and phrasing. More than anything else, bending and finger vibrato is what defines their unique sound. Check out Otis Rush’s note bending – nothing like it in the world. From all of this, discover how it works and your own personality ways and the sound will emerge. Once you have all that in place, then you cop a few licks here and there. To explain my point above, check out what Peter Green did with BB King’s style of playing in the late 60’s. He went deep inside BB and extracted the essence, authenticity and signature tone from his recordings. You know he is playing all BB fashion, but it became all his own.

What about you’re Blues in Schools program?

Because I am so passionate about my Blues and would like to see it survive unmolested I do lectures at High Schools in the UK and all over Europe. I developed this program I teach from scratch and it is properly prepared lectures with a PowerPoint Presentation that covers Blues History, Blues heroes, sample tunes, blues chords & lyrics and ends up with a demonstration by me on guitar of the different styles and then a jam with the students. Attendance is mandatory and some schools give credit. There is so little opportunity for these youngsters to have exposure to the Blues so if I turn on 5 kids out of the 100 to Blues, I am a happy man. What is the best thing anyone has said to you (and/or about you)?

“You play like I used to when I was young”– BB King said that about me opening for him at a festival in Southern England c.1996. Just about the only voiced approval anyone has ever given me that matters, including Ike Turner’s love and friendship. After all those years of listening to and idolizing BB, he lays it down head-on and that made me feel fortunate.”

How does your new album ‘Blues ‘65’ compare to its predecessors?

I never was the kind of musician who self-promotes, so I won’t talk about it much and I won’t lie about it either. But I can tell you that ‘Blues ‘65’ is the finest album I ever recorded with great material and with the finest musicians to boot. I don’t make the same albums twice so this is the first recording where I don’t get into extended songs or solos – everything was detailed and thought out before hand. The release date is soon. Blues ’65 is a step further than Hipster Blues. I don’t see it as a retro recording, more like something that would have come out of that era. First of all, in 1965 I was a mid-teenager coming of age and there were a lot of changes happening in America, and the rest of the world. Not only was that the year that I truly got the Blues but there was a cultural shift happening that had profound, long-term implications for the future. Vietnam was raging; Motown was at its peak, and solid Blues output was coming from B.B King, Howlin’ Wolf, and Muddy Waters. I bought my first BB King LP ‘Live At The Regal’ as well as Albert King albums. Before that I was buying Junior Walker & R&B records. More significantly, I owned my first electric guitar in ‘65.

JOAN OSBORNE

New York Soul

by Gareth Hayes

Kentucky’s Joan Osborne finally releases a Blues album in “Bring It On Home”. Ever since her nineties pop hit ‘(What If God Were) One Of Us’ she has claimed to have a Blues record in her. In tackling diverse but interconnecting genres from country to soul we have waited patiently by taking the opportunity to enjoy her constant Blues-infected touring, which has seen her perform with John Hiatt, the Dixie Chicks and the Grateful Dead amongst many others. Making New York City her home in the 1980s and forming her own label Womanly Hips before the hit album “Relish” in 1995 and then that song, the last twenty years has seen her become one of the most respected R&B and soul vocalists around. Recording the new album at the Waterfront studios in New York, Joan passionately revisits her early performances by paying homage to the genealogy of the Blues. Gareth Hayes joins her on her journey.

BM: At the time of our last chat in 2008 you told me you had a Blues album to do. Is this it?

JO: Here is one of the Blues albums. I have eight or ten Blues albums in me now. Once you start prying that thing open you realise how many amazing songs there are and now I get inspired to write things in the same genre. It’s a very rich vein for me.

The new album mixes the old and the new, but it seems it was a conscious decision to cover songs that you hadn’t done before?

Yeah, when I first started out, playing in little bars and clubs in New York I was doing a lot of Blues and soul music. I guess I was trying to imitate my heroes at the time; people like Etta James, Otis Redding and Tina Turner. I really became a better singer by trying to emulate them and I did have a lot of old Blues songs in my set at that time, but I didn’t want to just go back and take one of my old set lists. In the first place a lot of the songs I had done are very familiar and covered by a lot of people, and in the second place I just felt like I now know more about the material and the origins, so I wanted to dig a little deeper and show people a few things that they maybe hadn’t heard before.

How did you make the selection?

I certainly knew in the beginning that I wasn’t going to aim for the twelve definitive Blues songs in the Universe. I didn’t try and set that as a task. I knew that there were some things that I wanted to try. The label had a couple of ideas and I opened it up to the guys in the band too. Then my co-producer Jack Petruzzelli and some friends of mine I knew could give me advice too. I ended up getting around twenty-five or so songs to rehearse with and then it was just a matter of going through the rehearsal process and deciding which songs were going to fit my voice and which songs we going to present in a way that was different enough from the original versions to make them worth doing but also still respectful and not just change them for the sake of changing them. It was a fine line to walk and from that rehearsal studio process the ones we chose just rose to the top and became obvious.

The tunes have your signature, but also offer an invitation for us to discover or rediscover the artists you are paying tribute to.

I am actually thrilled that you can give that input, that insight. For me that was very much part of it, to get maybe the lesser known people out there, like Olive Brown for instance and her song ‘Roll Like A Big Wheel’. She’s very little known outside of that early area. She predates so much of the more popular Blues from say, Chicago. It’s a nod from me; and one of the more interesting things about the project was to get closer to some of these amazing female characters. They’re almost feminist icons in a pre-feminist world. That’s one of the things that really drew me to the music in the first place. The last time we spoke you introduced me to the term “Seduction Song”. There’s a huge element of that in these Blues songs that you seem to be very good at teasing us with?

Most of the songs were written by men or for men to sing, or both. I wanted to get inside of it in a different way and give it a fresh perspective. Take for instance, the Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon tune ‘I Wanted To Be Loved’. He brings a very forceful performance to it and that was his stocking trade; a superman of the Blues that came in and demanded what he wanted. That was what was expected too. I felt that I could do that a little bit but I also wanted to try to bring a feminine energy to it. As we say in the south “You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar”. I wanted to sweeten it a little bit and see if I could make it work in that way. We tried to reflect that, not just in my vocal performance, but in the way that we constructed the track, in the way that we extended the chorus, the female chorus.

Your vocal is powerful, controlled and seductive across the album yet we understand the album was almost recorded live?

You know, we had some constraints that ended up being really good for us. I have certainly been part of it when you would go into the studio and spend what must have been months and months recording where you give yourself too many options and it goes on and on and on. In this situation we didn’t have that option; we were working lean and mean. We decided to put most of our time into the rehearsal so that we knew what we were aiming to do when it came to the

recording and didn’t have to toss around ideas at that point. Most of the songs were done in two or three takes. We hit the ground running by knowing what we wanted. These are people I’m very familiar with having worked with them for many years and I knew that I could depend on our chemistry. So rather than “here’s the drum track, let’s add the bass” we went for everyone playing at the same time! Hey, that’s how those great Blues records were made. We went for that and it gave the record a freshness and life. Ha, at least I didn’t have to get up for take thirty seven, take thirty eight. We were hot, next, let’s get it done, next, done.

Maybe there would be a danger of over polishing it too?

Oh yes, that’s the antithesis of what this music is about. We didn’t want to overthink it.

There’s a great track on the album that lifts any Blues mood. Tell us about ‘Shake Your Hips’?

Yeah, it was not on the list that we brought into the studio. It wasn’t even one of the ones we had been thinking about. Jack and I and the rest of the guys were just sitting around waiting for someone to get back from making a phone call when Jack just started playing the signature lick from the top of the tune and everyone just jumped on it. We all started playing along and it felt really right. I started singing it, and there it was. It was fun to do it; it had this great energy of both the Stones and Slim Harpo versions. I like the muscularity of it.

Is it included in the live shows?

Oh yes, it’s one of those that we have real fun with as it really features the whole band. It’s the song that lifts us as a band, makes us a racehorse of a unit.

With such a back catalogue of varying genres from the mix of pop and secular gospel in “Little Wild One”, the soul of “Breakfast In Bed”, and country of “Pretty Little Stranger”, how do you pick your set list?

There’s such a common element running through my music, even the pop stuff. I brought elements of roots music to what I’ve done in pop so there is a common thread in all of it. We don’t have to make huge changes for the new shows. Sometimes we slow it down and do a couple of songs with vocal and piano to keep the listeners ear from being worn out with the same high energy. Hey, as a music fan I don’t just like one genre and I think most people are like that. And people know to expect an eclectic experience. The issue is usually that we have more songs we want to play than we have time to play.

Who comes to the shows?

It’s a combination of die-hard fans that have been with me from before the “Relish” album and they shout out tunes from the very early recordings and then there are people who admit to have never heard of me before but have just got to know of me through ‘One Of Us’ being on the television show Glee. And there a few who know me through my association with The Grateful Dead. That whole scene has a big big following. The come and check out the shows after seeing YouTube. That’s the interesting thing about doing this for a living. You put things out there and they will have a life. Hey, we weren’t asking Glee to use the song. They chose it and suddenly it’s back in popular culture. In fact there’s a version of ‘One Of Us’ in the works that is hip-hop and I’m in talks with them to do a vocal. That song in particular has an interesting life.

The new album has a sweet array of guest artists from Rufus Thomas’s daughter Vaneese to The Holmes Brothers. How have these come about?

I’ve got a very long friendship with The Holmes Brothers. I met them before I was even singing when I was a fan just going out and listening to music. I was going to open mic nights and they were kings of that scene at the time. Jack actually brought in Vaneese after doing studio work with her in New York but we had sung together before at a benefit concert. She’s got a powerhouse voice and such a generous spirit.

New York is clearly important to you?

It is, and so many respects. I am very inspired by Walt Whitman’s poetry and he’s a long time favourite of mine so I went back to read a lot of his work trying to get a sense of place for a setting of New York City.

Whitman had a striking creative influence on Woody Guthrie.

Really, I didn’t realise there was a connection there. I know of so many artists that love his work. What I love about his work is that he takes this notion about a huge city and really appreciates it from the level of the spiritual being where you have all these people coming from different lands with different traditions and different religions. They’re all packed into these places trying to create something new, a community and it has to find its own spiritual level. I have it in mind every time I go through my day living in this city, interacting with its people, and it gives me perspective on things. I don’t think a lot of people have it, that notion of a huge cosmopolitan city as being a spiritual place.

You have an interesting side project going?

Yeah, Trigger Hippy. I’m working with Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman, Jackie Greene, Nick Govrik and now the amazing Will Kimbrough; all with a tremendous pedigree. We’ve done a dozen shows and now have a website and stuff like the download ‘Cave Hill Cemetery’. You should check it out.

It sounds like a new supergroup?

I cannot deny they are very talented people

Finally, you’ve mentioned some of your Blues heroes already but I know you have a thing for BB King? Oh yeah, I love him. I had the thrill of doing a concert with him some years back and was able to bring my daughter back stage to meet him. We had a wonderful little moment where he gave her a little guitar pick. She had seen his performance and was so enthralled by him, hypnotised by the fact that he gave her a guitar pick. She held the pick for a minute and then she gave it back to him as if, well, it’s BB King’s. Aah, it was a special moment. He’s one of my big heroes so that was the greatest thrill. The Blues is such an awesome tradition you know. I was listening to some Muddy Waters the other day. It’s a well that you just keep on going back to again and again and again. You find something new depending on where you are on your emotional terrain.

by Pete Sargeant

SONNY LANDRETH

Sonny Views

For this reviewer familiarity with the work of Louisiana slide guitarist and singer starts with the impressive “South of 1-10” album of 1995. Born in Canton Mississippi, Sonny’s family eventually settled in Lafayette, Louisiana. His current home is in the Breaux Bridge area. What caught my ear was the fuzzy waspish slide sound on opening cut “Shooting For The Moon”, all set against the very rich ensemble vocals. Also the voodoo-driven “Congo Square” painted a picture to me as it’s quasi Bo Diddley beat thumped along with fluid guitar runs threaded through the number.

Slide guitar ace Sonny Landreth discusses his new instrumental album with Pete Sargeant

BM: A warm welcome from Surrey, England and I have been listening to your “Elemental Journey” album, Sonny and scribbling down impressions. Where are you at the moment?

SL: I am actually at home at present. We have a couple of days off before going to Japan where I’ll be on tour with Johnny Winter.

Johnny Winter?!

Yeah we go to Japan on Wednesday.

Wow, his “Second Winter” set is a key slide album for me, as an influence. Yeah he’s one of my big heroes too of course. It’s a great honour to be on the bill with him and moreover in Japan. To play our music out there to an appreciative crowd is such a thrill.

I do remember the opening track of his first Columbia album and on ‘I’m Yours and I’m Hers’ there’s a doubletracked guitar solo with slide bursting out of on one of the channels

Yeah man. It’s a no frills powerful sound and what he plays is so exciting...the technique, the figures, the drive.

I saw that band at a “Sounds of the 70s” show, Royal Albert Hall with Taj Mahal on the same night. Winter had his trio plus Brother Edgar on sax and Keith Emerson on keyboards. What a five piece! ….I have your other records and your phrasing vocally sometimes evokes the late great Irish musician Rory Gallagher, is he someone you have listened to?

You know people do mention Rory to me and I have heard some of his work. I can see why some people see a likeness in what I do despite our very different backgrounds, of course.

Your ‘Native Step Son’ is pretty close to a Celtic jig or a reel…..

Exactly! The Creole culture and the Cajun culture in Louisiana does have a direct line, a thread. There are definitely some shared musical patterns and tempos influenced by Appalachian and of course blue grass music that somehow connects to the Celtic way of making music but there are other influences on top of that which create what you hear from this area. It’s that hypnotic element that drives the music into your soul, I guess.

Yes - I use open D guitar tuning a lot and whatever I play on the third string as I move it around that hypnotic feel is there. It’s like a Raga… Yeah. It’s the Celtic drone…..

Well the two Ds humming and the melody moving inside of that….. I really liked your ‘Congo Square’ song. Well thanks. It’s a favourite with a lot of fans.

On this album you’re not using words at all so you’re relying on wood, metal, your fingers and your brain to put pictures into our heads. What made you want to create an instrumental album?

OK this really goes back to the early guitar instrumental recordings by artists The Ventures (the Yank counterparts to our Shadows or Dakotas–PS) all those records back then really struck me and excited me and I tell you what Pete “The Ventures in Space”, all the sounds that you hear are made by real instruments. All these other worldly sounds were created on instruments by human beings. The records are creating landscapes, if you will, so yes I heard all that stuff along with other instrumental tracks of the time and of course also film soundtracks and sometimes the tunes can actually be more atmospheric than by using vocals!

Yes, it’s a beautiful album cover, by the way, I love that blue cover. It immediately says to you – there are pictures in here brother, now listen up… I’m going to give you a chance to laugh at me, to laugh at my stupidity. OK? I have notes here on the tracks made as I listened to the album. Your head, your fingers, your instruments are putting these pictures into my brain. Now, ‘Gala Tribe’, it’s got a powerful stealthy tempo and twists and turns. The powerful slide guitar is almost like wordless singing, in the soprano/alto range. OK, what were you doing there?

Well you’ve got that very well. That’s what is definitely is. The guitar is the voice. It creates a lot of tonalities and it’s really

SONNY LANDRETH

important how you phrase that. It’s creates a lot of different melodies also the mix and the chord chemistry are working in there to create the vibe.

The next note I’ve got says that the Satch (Joe Satriani –PS) seems to be in Zappa mode, the baroque strings –Ha! That’s exactly what I wanted (laughs) nobody has said that to me yet! That was the intended concept, that’s how it’s supposed to work….

When I play a guitar solo I often have someone and their style in my head as appropriate for the moment. Usually it’s someone like Elliot Randall who can play a million times better than me!

The thing with Zappa is that his sound could make long instrumentals work. And they were very thematic. They just flow along. Si I asked Joe to have that Frank thing in his head when contributing.

Well yeah,’ Watermelon In Easter Hay’ for a start.

It’s almost more important with an instrumental to keep that tension… when you think of a drone, as we were discussing, I think that for those twists and turn there’s things harmonically, rhythmically, melodically all combining and all that has to come together to create the whole picture.

Now the next note I have says that baroque strings do sound just right but very European (this in contrast to the warm West Coast string arrangements as used by Wes Montgomery on, say, ‘Bumpin’ OR the great Harvey Mandel on ‘Christo Redentor’ –PS) on this the string arrangement doesn’t seem a great distance from ‘Finlandia’ or a piece like that.

OK yes - this was definitely an influence and believe it or not it goes back to my days playing a trumpet and working with an orchestra. Now fortunately I had good teachers they were always keen to expose us to all kinds of music, from the classical world, including Eastern Bloc European works. We wen tot Moscow and Belarus, there was just something in the air, all these places with a lot of culture as different parts of the world often have their own distinctive vibe. If you key into it you can pick up on something that you will use in your own music later. So I can hear these melodies in my head just walking around the streets, soaking it all up, as a visitor…

I often have a film soundtrack sort of playing in my head and yes it’s an inspiration. The next track “For You And Forever”, you know, that put in my head Savannah, Georgia… and I’ve never ****ing been there! There’s a book called “In The Garden Of Good And Evil” which your tune evokes to me. Do you know this book, there was a film starring Clint Eastwood?

I don’t know that book.

It had that stately Southern feel to it.

For me, on that one the main guitar here has a Chet Atkins feel and it’s in his memory so there’d be something filtering in from that perhaps?

Oh hell, I’ve noted Chet Atkins in my upcoming note on track 4! Oh really? I confess…. he’s a huge influence….rhythms, note choice, phrasing, tone…a big influence.

Track 4 is called ‘Wonder Ride’, it made me think of ‘downhill skiers, Chet Atkins feel and Alpine Bridge’… by that I meant a Winter Wonderland atmosphere.

That’s beautiful…. inspired by Tennessee and other places. Back in the 80s though I was around Colorado and the Rocky Mountains and maybe the winter touch is from that…that time spent.

Sorry we jumped over track 3. (‘Heavy Heart Rising’ – PS) - What I have down here is “Did Sonny have ‘Dear Prudence’ in his head composing this one?”

For me that’s a heartbreak sounding one. Instrumentally, yes, it’s that descending line. The finger pattern creates the harmonic feel around the melody and theme. So the link with ‘Prudence’ yes it may be there.

That clawhammer picking technique was something John Lennon was taught by Donovan Leitch. My favourite track on this is 5, ‘Passionola’. It has a detective film or mystery movie feel to it and the great Eric Johnson, your friend is playing on this one. Was he playing a Les Paul on that?

No, Pete he’s playing a Strat on that and so am I. We were going for a mysterious feel.

It should open an ‘L.A. Confidential’ type film.

Yes, it’s all anticipation and tension. Going for the edgy atmosphere…could indeed be in a film scene, I agree.

Now ‘Letting Go’, I’ve written down –

SONNY LANDRETH

‘very sad, the fairground has left town’…. It’s about a relationship thing where you’re breaking up with the one you love. People letting go, that’s exactly the mood. Or it could be for parents letting go of a child? Or an emotional event in that kinda territory.

The art of life is knowing when to hold on and when to let go. Those being the words of the sage Keith Urban. Often you say to yourself in life ‘I hung onto that too long’ or ‘let that go too soon’..

Yes, again I think you’re living in the moment and one would hope that you would recognise that. I find myself a lot more worried than I used to be. I didn’t do much worrying in my 30s and 40s. It’s a different perspective that I have probably evolved to. What we’re talking about is you’re trying again to gather the emotional aspects of something and then set suitable music to that.

I find when I leave a stage I’m not happy just to have made people rock or dance I want people to have been taken through different moods.

Yeah, you do want to transport them somewhere. GIve them a time in another place, sonically.

There are bands who play AT the audience…. but you play more FOR the audience. Hmmm yes to that…I would say FOR and WITH the audience. It combination of taking that energy, giving it to them and then is coming back and you’re right that’s the thing that makes me happy. If I don’t do that… I haven’t done my job.

You know yourself when you’ve played well and when you haven’t. Whatever comments people make afterwards. You know when you’ve played to best of you’re ability and when you’ve not quite got there. You know in your heart when you’ve connected with something outside your body. On the title track you seem to be playing on your guitar a saxophone line, something that Dave Samborn would be playing. But I could be totally wrong.

No - I started off playing trumpet when I was 10 years old before I got my first guitar when I was 13. Sometimes a horn line comes out when you’re playing guitar (the late Paul Butterfield commented when he heard Jeff Beck play guitar that he sounded ‘like a horn’ – PS).

The drumming’s great on that track. Right, ‘Brave New Girl’, again I’ve put Zappa in mode and mood and I half expected a deep monologue!!

(Laughs) Well to help the overall feel of the album, to emphasise the thematic element we wanted that tone….that Zappa element here and there.

Well I could play that tune to somebody else and they probably wouldn’t know that was you.

Yeah and I do feel good about that. We used the rhythm guitar on the demo more like a click and we built on that and played around in the studio. Then we went out the road last year and it would get that very reaction that you just said, it was indeed unlike anything they’d ever heard me play before BUT they were really touched by it.

I’ll grab a point for that one. ‘Forgotten Story’ has got this steel drum, Caribbean lope again it put a film theme in my head, Leonardo DiCaprio in a white suit wandering into Trinidad with a new identity trying not to be found out by the people he’s double crossed. Moving on, track 10, ‘Reckless beauty’ which is the most readily identifiable as you and it’s got that galloping tempo. It’s got this great counter point keyboard sound, that made me think of the Charlie Daniels band, stretching out on these moody songs. They’d play their hits and then they’d go into Southern Rock mode, jamming….

I know the segment of the song you’re talking about, I wanted to stay close to the roots/rock feel here. The chord changes made that richer texture, using that energy for the build…

This album that I’ve been listening to quite a lot, believe it or not. It’s got some pastoral moments but overall it’s

SONNY LANDRETH

not as relaxed as I thought it would be and has more trickier moments. It’s not an album for when you are cooking dinner, you wanted this to be like an art gallery didn’t you?

Somewhere between the two. I do understand what you’re saying on the art gallery point. Entirely because these ARE like paintings, yes…. individual pieces with an intended mood to give the listener the intended impression.

You know what I’m saying, when you go into a gallery you don’t look at the old or the new pieces you take them all in. I think musician’s help themselves if they have an art gallery approach. Your roots are blues, folk, zydeco, swing but you’re taking them somewhere different. For your own personal art gallery your fingers or your voice makes is your own. This was much more a trip through moods than I thought it would be.

I appreciate that. I wanted to take the roots and create new things from them. I wanted to say here’s the music without any visuals. That way you the listener can interpret it all your way and yeah I like the art gallery analogy. This is our way of achieving that. All these imaged and emotions it’s the difference between a gig where you are in the moment, with raw emotions ruling and in contrast this project which is a production piece where you add your open colours to what you hear.

When you’re painting you can cram in lots of detail or leave things stark or any place in between. A couple of details in a pastoral scene can tell quite a story.

And when you play if you move outside your comfort zone it’s such a help in developing your art.

Finally Sonny, will any of these tunes end up with lyrics added to become songs?

Not for me they won’t! That would take away a lot of the integrity of it…

Enjoy Japan…I’m sure they’ll enjoy you!

Thanks a lot, we will!

Sonny Landreth’s “Elemental Journey” is out on Landfall Records (Thanks Will, thanks Al)

CONNIE LUSH

chats with Christine Moore

They say every picture tells a story; well this one on the opposite page shows Connie as we all know her impish and full of fun. Connie has been a mainstay of the British Blues scene for more years than I dare to mention! For good reason too; her performance grabs your attention from the first note and she keeps you on hold until the last. You can’t get enough of a good thing they say and I can never get enough of listening to Connie. Long may she be up at the top of the blues circuit tree.

BM: How did you start singing and how old were you when you started, was it a conscious decision, or was it unplanned?

CL: Never wanted to sing! Totally unplanned! I naturally sang as a child from the age of 5yrs when I joined the church choir and later the school choir until I was 17yrs old. In my family everyone sang, so I was hoisted up onto the bar of one of my auntie’s pubs as soon as I could talk.

What made you decide that singing was your gift, and you needed it to be your career, as it’s a tough life singing for your supper?

The decision to start professionally singing wasn’t mine really....It wasn’t until I met my husband Terry who played bass with his own band that things started to change. The band used to rehearse in the cellar of our house and I stood in one night and the band decided they wouldn’t carry on unless I joined...so Terry had no choice and I became the reluctant lead singer but as soon as I had done my first gig you couldn’t get me off the stage and that was it. The choice of a musical career was not mine but from that day that all I wanted to do. The joys far outweigh the tough times. It’s not a career choice to be made lightly especially the two of us together going down that road but we have never looked back.

You write some of your material and excellent it is; ably performed by you. But have you ever written for anyone else or do you know anyone who covers your songs, as I suspect it will be hard to improve on your performance?

I have written a couple of tracks for local TV productions in the past but it’s not something that I enjoy. I know ‘Crying Won’t Help You’ and ‘Dog’ are being covered...which is nice!

You were voted Best UK Female Vocalist 5 years in a row, you were also made European Singer Of The Year in the French Blues Trophies awards which was for male and female singers. Are there other awards you have and what do these awards mean to you personally?

I was awarded ‘Women in Business of the year” in the Performing Arts section last year here in Liverpool which is very special to me because I was voted for the award by women in Liverpool and of course it’s my home town. So I was very proud that day, in fact they have asked me back this year to speak and chat about music.

Anyone who has seen you perform knows how much you put into your performance and it really looks like you are enjoying yourself. Do you still have the same drive you had when you started out?

I have to say YES!! In the beginning everything is so new! It’s exciting discovering your music and playing it for the first time. I am very lucky because music for me has stayed that way. People think that blues is so simple but in fact it’s the hardest because you have to give it feeling. No feeling, no blues. Plus of course doing what you love best is the greatest gift. That old saying comes to mind “If you do a job you love, you never work a day in your life”

You always start out wearing your shoes but I notice that most of the time these are dispensed with before you get through your set. Is this because like myself you prefer to be bear footed or do you just buy shoes that don’t fit but look good like most women do?

Oh me, shoes!!! Unfortunately have had to start wearing them again! I have much more freedom with no shoes on but too many splinters lately and I have been forced to keep em on!!! Nice Turkish carpet on stage would be good!

How many countries have you visited with your band and which ones do you enjoy the most or which venues or festivals?

I think over 25 different countries and still counting....it’s really hard to pick and choose because my second love besides music is travel. You really have to have a stomach for on the road, or it can be hell. Me....I am a road rat and long may

“Send Me No Flowers”

it continues...so it’s hard as they are all special in their own way. I do love France, Germany and Austria...the festivals in France are wonderful and an old favourite of mine is “Cahors” in the South of France. We were last there two years ago and I invited the talented young Rachelle Plas to play harmonica on stage with me...my how danced baby!!!The is a crazy venue we do in Switzerland which has alligators in the toilet but then Switzerland can be a bit weird but in a nice way of course and then there is a club in Switzerland were they had a Heidi house to sleep in at the end of the night!......you know who you are!

You have recently been on a tour of Germany and as part of that tour I see you were teaching in a German school, imparting your vocal gymnastics to girls who were interested in singing. Can you tell us all about it and what were the highlights?

CONNIE LUSH

Wow what a time we had.....We were each given a set of pupils and of course the singers set was the biggest (12) everyone wants to be the lead singer....they had learnt an old blues number ‘Built For Comfort’....I was told they were all very shy and that when I asked for volunteers to sing with me on stage that night there probably would be only one or two...well 12 hands shot up at the end of the session to volunteer! The guys had loads of volunteers too so I think there were about 30 on stage!

Some things never change, the girls who were really interested in singing for a living asked “how do I get to the big cities and make it?” If I had the answer I would be a millionaire! The laughter and fun we all had was amazing and the students, who ranged from 14yrs to 18yrs were surprised at how happy the blues was and not miserable as they were lead to believe!

Would you like to do this sort of thing in the UK working with youngsters teaching them to sing and giving them your experiences of how it is on the Blues circuit and how hard it is to make a living? As opposed to their view of pop stardom that they are fed on the TV shows, I won’t mention their names as everyone knows which ones I mean!

I would certainly like to give it a whirl...I am forever being asked, especially about the voice but I am a great believer in being yourself and developing at your own pace with good solid advice from teachers. There have always been people who want only the fame but there are more who want to do it out of love. So at the moment I do it when I can fit it in.

Your band changed a few years ago and it seemed that things took a while to settle down into the band you have now. How hard was that for you and Terry when you had been used to being a tight knit group for so many years and then were thrown into turmoil?

It was difficult when the band split but it showed to me how determined and how much we loved our music not to stop. It could have been a time to give up...but we chose to keep on. We miss the guys, but that’s life and we have found some great players. Can I add that I could never have achieved what I have done without the help and musicianship of Terry, we have always performed on stage together and I would just like to acknowledge this.... always together on stage

CONNIE LUSH

Send Me No Flowers

Alessa Records

Janis Joplin mould, it’s a beast of a voice that can just as easily caress you, before tearing your heart out. Even better she can write a cracking blues tune as well, and half of this album contains original material with ‘Morning Blues’ and the title track, the best of those. She’s had a host of accolades over the years, whether it’s the French showing rare good taste in voting her European singer of the year in 2003 and 2004 in the French Blues Trophies Awards or BB King saying that her voice makes his heart sing. It’s been a while since I’ve heard Ms Lush, probably when “Unfaithfully Yours” came out in 2002, and if anything, she’s got better with the passing of time. Of the covers on offer, the double header of ‘Jesus On The Mainline’ and ‘I Could Have Had Religion’ take some beating, but ‘Nobody’s Fault’ comes mighty close. The band put in a good stint, with the drumming of Mikhael Weizman and bass playing of Terry Harris are a particular highlight. An thoroughly enjoyable release from a great British Blues singer.

Stuart A Hamilton

CONNIECONNIELUSHLUSH

What has been your best experience on stage, i.e. your lasting memory?

I do have many memories I am glad to say... but the best was opening the Echo Arena in Liverpool where they asked me to sing “I put a spell on you” and later used “Shopping” as a back drop in the Arena.

Have you ever been to the USA, where was it and did you sing with anyone?

Yes, we have played in New York in Greenwich Village, ‘The Bitter End’ and ‘Pink Cadillac’ and a couple of others... whilst we were there I auditioned for a show on Hollywood Boulevard in L.A. and went there and performed...it was mind blowing. There are lots of stories there! I also went over to Memphis to record with the Hodges Brothers (they backed Al Green) we recorded some songs at the famous Cotton Row studios Memphis with the brothers. I also sang at BB Kings in Memphis I think Queen B was singing too that night. I sang on Beale Street too but that was jamming with the guys up and down the street. It was an amazing time but can you believe it I missed England! Forgot to mention that I sang with the Memphis Horns too at a private party while there, what a time!

Lastly is there any living or dead person or band you would love/loved to sing with?

John Lee Hooker, Ray Charles, Jimmy Reed (he’s too cool tho!) Big Momma Thornton... and of course Billie Holiday and a sweet passion for the biggest diva ever and my fave Maria Callas. May they all sleep in peace!

Thanks Connie for taking time out to talk to BM we really do appreciate it.

JIM McCARTY

Is Sippin’ Cactus Juice with Paul Aaronson

You may not have heard of the Detroit-based Jim McCarty (no, not The Yardbirds drummer) but you definitely have heard him play his guitar. Jim McCarty could be the best guitarist you never heard of. A pity because he’s played and recorded with such great bands as Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, The Buddy Miles Express, Cactus and The Rockets (a stint in the Siegel-Schwall Band yielded no records). I had a chance to catch up with Jim by phone after seeing him with Cactus at BB Kings in NYC for Blues Matters:

BM: Tell me about your recent Blues CD “Jim McCarty and Friends Live From Callahans” (in Detroit)… How did the disc come about?

JM: Man, I loved doing that. Callahans is a great club and I got a chance to play with everyone from Duke Robillard to John Nemeth to Johnny A. to Jimmy Thackery. Not to mention my old bandmate, Johnny Bee and my current band Mystery Train. A real labor of love, no doubt, you’ll hear me playing the blues that I cut my teeth on… My buddy Mike Moss from Callahans helped me put it together. We had stuff recorded from as far back as 2008 that we used, and I get to pay tribute to some of my heroes on it…

Tell us about some highlights…

Man, you got a rockin’ Chuck Berry’s ‘School Days’ with me and Jimmy Thackery on guitar; Sonny Boy’s ‘Help Me’ done up with the hip Nashville cats Jason Ricci and New Blood; my band Mystery Train paying tribute to the Duke Pearson instrumental ‘Cristo Redentor’; and John Nemeth and me just tearing up BB King’s ‘Sweet Little Sixteen’…

Yeah, I dig your take on that one; Nemeth’s vocal really channels BB’s…

Yeah, you know Albert King had the balls but it was BB who could make ya cry…

What about ‘There’s A Train Coming Down The Tracks’…

That’s an original from my old (Rockets) bandmate Johnny Bee (Badanjek) with him on vocals and acoustic; he’s also singing and drumming on the James Cotton tune “West Helena Blues” with Duke Robillard and myself trading licks, people have always heard the rockin’ side of me, I thought it was high time to give ‘em a taste of my “blues power”…

It’s all right here on “Live From Callahans”, a feast for the ears! Tell me a little bit of the latest Cactus deal… Your playing in the current Cactus is reminiscent of your glory days with them in the early 70s…

Back in the day you had the Detroit guys, me and Rusty (Day, singer) and The Long Island guys, Carmine (Appice, drummer) and Tim (Bogert, bass), and somehow we just jelled into this bad-ass band. Now it’s me and Carmine, with Jimmy Kunes on vocals, Pete Bremy on bass and Rusty Pratt on harp…

Cactus was the model for greasy, bad-ass blues-rock; the kind you’d listen to if you were ready for a brawl! Just look at the back cover photo from the 1st album…

You know what; we probably had just kicked some ass! Rusty found that rubber glove lying on the ground and just put it on…wouldn’t you know ever since then everyone always asks me how he lost his arm! …I tell ‘em “whaddya think, it was a nasty brawl” (laughs)…

Too bad he’s no longer around. But it’s great to hear Cactus is still Kickin’ ass! …….I just heard your set and you’re still a bad-ass band; Lesley Gold (infamous NY “radio chick”) introduced the band as “gritty and grimy” and there’s no argument there! I love that picture of you guys on the back cover of the first album where Rusty’s wearing that glove…

Yeah, he just happened to find it lying on the ground and put it on; I can’t tell you how many people have asked me how he lost that arm.

That fits right into the mystique of Cactus being a “take no prisoners” band…what a treat to hear you do Willie Dixon’s ‘You Can’t Judge A Book…’ live (for me a definitive cover version – check out the first album)… Man, I can’t remember the last time we played that live…but it felt great tonight!

You ain’t kiddin! That first album is an all-time classic, and “One Way Or Another” and “Restrictions” (the other 2 featuring the original line-up) ain’t exactly chopped liver either…

We feel that there is a lot of juice left in the ol’ Cactus tank and we’re gonna be crankin’ out some new stuff real soon, so keep an ear out for it…

I for one can’t wait. Give me a tale from back in the day…

Back when I was playing with Buddy (Miles) in The Express we went to see Jerry Lee Lewis, who was playing The Scene (great club owned by Steve Paul) in NYC. A friend of Buddy’s tagged along, guy by the name of Jimi (Hendrix). Man, I can’t tell you how much fun we had ‘cause I honestly don’t remember. But Hendrix was great, just a shy, sweet guy. But damn, he sure could play, couldn’t he!

Yes he could, but you know what? So can you, and you’re still out there, bringing it every night. My advice is, if you haven’t seen Cactus yet and they come to play near you, get out there and see ‘em before the guys disappear again for another few decades…

Michael Burks - Show Of Strength Alligator

Absolutely bursting with the white-hot intensity that made Burks one of the greatest bluesmen of his generation. His sudden death in May of this year robbed the blues world of one of its brightest stars.

Dani Wilde/Victoria Smith/Samantha Fish

Girls With Guitars Live - Ruf

Three of the hottest female musicians on the contemporary blues scene, Kansas City native Samantha Fish and Dani Wilde marking her third Blues Caravan go-round and young, in-demand , debutante bass player Victoria Smith.

Mud Morganfield - Son Of The Seventh Son Severn

The first national release by the eldest son of Muddy Waters who proves to be a chip off the old block with a powerful 12 song set of in the classic Chicago blues style.

The Nighthawks - Damn Good Time Severn

Lead singer-harmonica player extraordinaire Mark Wenner joined forces Jimmy Thackery and formed The Nighthawks in 1972 adding the best rhythm section the area had to offer: Jan Zukowski on bass and Pete Ragusa on drums.

Johnnie Bassett - I Can Make That Happen Sly Dog Records

The veteran bluesman & Detroit blues legend is joined by musicians from two popular Detroit bands, The Brothers Groove & The Motor City Horns for this soulful, funky outing.

Heritage Blues Orchestra - And Still I Rise Raisin Music

Drawing its sound from field hollers, work songs, spirituals, soaring gospel voices and hard-driving rhythms of the the delta,the Heritage Blues Orchestra digs into innovative musical territory making a unique and exhilarating contribution the blues.

and much more visit www.propergandaonline.co.uk

Ahead of the launch in August of her fourth studio album “Flesh And Blood” Sandi Thom talks to Blues Matters’ Clive Rawlings in a transatlantic phone call from LA as we catch up with her about the new album, her music life and future plans.

BM: You’re perhaps best known for the 2006 No.1, “I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (with flowers in my hair)” - how do you look back on that song now bearing in mind it had airplay all over Europe? Of course, over here at the moment we have the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations which coincide with the 35th anniversary of punk - will you be celebrating either of these?

ST: Someone posted up a Facebook post in honour of the Jubilee “Keep Calm and Listen to Sandi Thom”! I thought it was great. Americans are really into the Royal Family here so I probably get updated more on what goes on with them than I do in the UK! I love that the Jubilee coincided with the 35th Anniversary of Punk – it makes me think of the line in “Punk Rocker”, “When God saved the Queen she turned a whiter shade of pale”, that was a reference to the punks and hippies.

To bring us bang up to date, the new album, “Flesh and Blood”, which is due for release at the end of August, you’ve referred to as a “coming of age” for you - can you amplify on that?

I made this record with Rich Robinson, the tale of how we met is too long to elaborate but it was on one of my many adventures. I was so blessed to have musicians that went all out and stepped outside the box for me. “Flesh and Blood” truly belongs to me, without the contributions of people from my past; the title track ‘Flesh and Blood’ was my own production and that something I’m really proud of.

I detect a change in direction, more of an Americana/Blues feel - and if I dare say so, much more polished. Does the input of Rich Robinson on production duties have anything to do with that?

I have the greatest respect for Rich - he pushed me into uncomfortable places, a real wake-up call for me. He gave me confidence as a singer I didn’t know I had - we recorded the album in three weeks, it was really great experience to work with him and the musicians and to hang out too; we would go to this quaint little Mexican bar next door and bare our souls. Rich’s influence is there from track 1, the blues/rock of ‘Help Me’ - do you agree?

I’d been playing it for a long time in my live set so I really wanted to record it but Rich changed the rhythm, wanting it to sound more like an old Rolling Stones track than a traditional Blues which I digged. I love the feel of the Sonny Boy Williamson’s harmonica playing. As a harp player myself he is who I attempt to emulate. The repeat chorus was spontaneous and a couple of vocal lines, particularly ‘I Can’t Do It’ just came out in my takes. James (Haggarty) on bass was off the scale!

You also have, besides Rich, some fantastic musicians with great CVs; Audley Freed on guitar, (whom I remember from Cry Of Love days) Steve Gorman on drums (BCs), James Haggerty on bass (whom I remember from Josh Rouse’s band) and the ‘grand ole Opry’ stalwart Mike Webb on keyboards and dobro - how did that all come about?

With Audley’s solo on ‘I Owe You Zero’, originally written in a Johnny Cash rhythm (à la Maggie McCall), Rich changed the rhythm and made it great. The first time I heard the solo it blew me away, made me want to cry. Mike Webb’s piano playing on ‘Big Ones Get Away’ is just too good to be true. I had a solid number of Nashville Community musicians play on this record and it is so amazing to have musicians of that calibre endorse you as an artist and take to your music, they became like brothers to me in the studio.

At the moment it’s difficult to find an album without the name Kevin “Caveman” Shirley popping up somewhere - he mixed the first single from the album ‘Sun comes Crashing Down’ and the beautiful duet you do with Buffy Sainte Marie on her song ‘The Big Ones Get Away’ (which, by the way, had my wife in tears!). What exactly does Kevin bring to the party and has Buffy in any way influenced your career?

My Mum was a fan of Buffy Sainte Marie and when I was a little girl she used to play ‘Big Ones’ in the car. This was an inspiration to me. Buffy is an American Indian, she got into trouble for protesting on behalf of American Indian rights and

it struck a chord with me - the power of music to comment on what is happening in the world. I had recorded it solo in Nashville, and when I left the studio, Mum said to see if she’d record it with me. I tracked her down in Hawaii of all places and she loved my version. Coincidentally we both ended up in London where we recorded it. She was an amazing lady - she walked into the studio in her leathers and cowboy boots - a real female rocker, everything I aspire to be. To top it all, I was even giving her the lines to sing! I mean, I’m standing there instructing one of my idols, surreal right! It was an honour to sing with her. As for Kev well he is just such a gem and that man has ears like no one else, he mixed those songs to perfection and he works so flippin’ hard.

Whilst on the subject, who else has influenced you? I sang in a band when I was 15 and the other band members were in their forties. We would sing Fleetwood Mac songs, everything from the Peter Green era to the McVie/ Buckingham/Nicks era, McVie heavily infuenced me as a songwriter, I think you can hear that on ‘Sun Comes Crashing Down’, Stevie Wonder, Eagles, the Beatles, Dire Straits, Van Morrisson, Dylan, Neil Young, the list is endless. While everyone else at my age was listening to the Spice Girls, I was down the local singing ‘Horse With No Name’ - so cool! My favourite guitar player has to be Peter Green. We haven’t mentioned him yet but on track 10 ‘Love You Like A Lunatic’, you sing about your love life - is Sandi Thom in a happy place? Certainly sounds like it! Yes!!!!! Absolutely. I can definitely say this is the happiest I have even been in my life. I’ve had a colourful life, lots of ups and downs, sad/happy moments; now is the time to be truly happy. Happiness has come from Joe, he is the love of my life; Also, I don’t know if it’s an age thing but I am comfortable with who I am now, I’m in a great place, I have to pinch myself occasionally. Every record I make tells a chapter in my life, a window - whether I sell millions or not, I am happy that it tells a story. The record making process is so cathartic and I just only ever hope that the fans love it as much as I do.

Another musician I haven’t mentioned yet is on the bonus track ‘You’re Not My Man’ - the legend that is Bobby Keys. What was it like working with him?

The man’s a legend!... Bobby worked without a contract; the only thing he wanted was a six-pack of Corona in the fridge and one waiting for when he arrived! A wonderful man.

Can we expect to see this band touring with you in November?

I definitely like the idea and think it’s possible for 2013 but logistically it may be difficult this year with their schedules; I will be out with my band this year touring all over the world, they are my road family. The album launch will be in LA on the 9th August in LA.

Good to hear a bit of harmonica on the album - as a matter of interest, how many instruments do you play?

Just guitar, piano and Harmonica - I learned the piano from 4 years old - I play it better but it is very cumbersome to lug around with you! If I ever get to the point where I become well known enough to roll a baby grand on and off stage you will definitely see me play it more!! On the title track “Flesh and Blood” I play a white baby grand in the video which was such a thrill for me!!! Baby grand’s are to me what 59 Les Pauls are to Joe!

On ‘The Sun Comes Crashing Down’ you refer to your role as an Oxfam ambassador in Africa - are you still involved?

I get asked to be involved in a lot of charities, and where I can’t get involved I donate, same with Joe, were always donating guitars and whatever really to fight a cause. For me to be able to report on the situation in Malawi for Oxfam was such an eye opening experience it made me shiver to the bone, the stark reality that people die every day from hunger and famine is seriously a wake-up call for the problems you face in your own life, at the time we were trying to raise $15m for World Food day and we did it; I’m also involved heavily with horses like my friends Deborah (Bonham) and Cynthia (Rodgers), I’m the patron of an animal’s sanctuary in Scotland called The Willows which I’m visiting in June to perform to raise money.

I’ve already mentioned the tour - are there any future plans you can share with us?

Lots of stuff – I run a label called Guardian Angel records (www.guardianangelsrecords.com ), my Mum and brother are both involved heavily so it’s a family affair; we are signing acts to both our label and our publishing division. One of my proudest moments as an artist and a business woman was striking my distribution deal with Fontana Universal, I felt like I had done something for independents everywhere and hopefully aspiring artists who are doing it themselves. One other thing I am doing this year is re-recording my first and second albums with a different producer. Should be a really fun

project, oh and a covers album! And we’re filming a DVD on the 9th August in LA.

What song do you never tire of hearing?

“Go Your Own Way”

Favourite album?

Black Keys “Brothers” 2010

Recession question - for readers down to their last £20, why should they go out and buy “Flesh and Blood”? Without wishing to sound pretentious, I’ll just say, because it would mean the world to me.

And finally my trademark question, what’s your favourite biscuit? Difficult question, Clive - that’s a hard one, when I was little, it was custard creams but I guess now it’s got to be chocolate digestives.

Sandi, thanks so much for your time, - so glad the phone line lasted out!

Sandi Thom releases new album “Flesh and Blood” on August 27th

Produced by Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes

Featuring duet with the iconic Buffy Sainte-Marie

TRACK BY TRACK

– FLESH AND BLOOD

BY SANDI THOM

HELP ME – It’s a song originally written by the late great Sonny Boy Williamson II. Sonny Boy Williamson was one of the most influential Blues harmonica players this world has ever seen. As one of very few female harmonica players I have listened to Sonny Boy’s work so much to only try and play like him. I have great admiration for him and it was an honor to cover his song.

I OWE YOU ZERO - This song is not about a person (as you may assume), it’s about the past. For many years my past haunted me. So many experiences that I just couldn’t shake. My step father walking out on us when I was 16, the time I was assaulted by a police officer, knocking my teeth out and very nearly ending my career at 19. Those are just some of the things that contribute to this very colorful life I have led. But there comes a time when you just have to let go. Sometimes the past can bare down on you so heavy its like it has a personality, a little voice in your head that never leaves you alone. Well this song is me saying to my past; ‘Its time that you Fuck off and let me live my life”. Safe to say……..it did. FLESH AND BLOOD – I am and forever will be a freedom fighter, an activist, a big fucking hippy (with flowers in my hair). I as much as anyone wants to see the world become the glorious place that it could be. If I feel passionate about it, I sing about it and I write about it. There are not enough songs in the world right now that are uplifting and uniting. Now I ain’t Dylan, but I’ll give it my best shot!!! This is a song for the people, a song that could and hopefully might unite. Even if it strikes a chord with a few people that’s enough. That’s all it takes to start a revolution!

THE SUN COMES CRASHING DOWN – Well, where do I start. This song began in Africa. I travelled to Africa a few years ago in my role as an Oxfam Ambassador to report on the affect of climate change. It changed my life. It changed everything. You you know what a broken heart feels like? You don’t know the half of it. Wait til you watch all your children die before you, have no hope of survival or salvation and then you might have an idea. And Courage? I’ve never seen courage quite like it. I was so touched by the experience I wrote this song. This song was a prayer for rain. The farmers, who so desperately relied on their crops, hoped they would be saved by the rain. That was their only hope of survival. I told the villagers I would save them. I couldn’t. I didn’t.

IN THE PINES – The first time I ever heard this song sung was by Curt Kobain back in the 90’s when I wore Doctor Martins, died my hair Blue and had one hell of an attitude. It is one of those forgot treasures. Like The House of the Rising Sun its origins are a mystery. I took the original version and re-arranged it, adding in verses and bridges. The song probably dates back to the 1890’s so its incredible to be re-creating it over a century later. There have been many theories on its meaning but one particular version actually talks about a young Georgia girl who flees to the pines after being raped. Her rapist, a male soldier, is later beheaded by the train.

THE BIG ONES GET AWAY (with Buffy Sainte Marie) – I have very few female idols: Stevie Nicks, Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, Susie Quattro and Buffy Sainte Marie. (And my mother off course!) So to be given the opportunity to record with one of them is so surreal and so mind blowing I can’t even begin to describe the feeling. All I can say is it was one of the most defining moments of my life to record this song with Buffy, she is a mountain, a mighty force of a woman and she stands for everything that is good and proper in this world as does this song. I first heard Big Ones Get Away when I was 6 years old and it is the reason I am a musician. It gave a shy little girl hope that one day she could have a voice, and it would be through song.

STORMY WEATHER – Channeling my inner Stevie Wonder we got the Clav out and cranked it up to 11! This song was a blast to record. Its one of the more foot loose and fancy free songs on the album. I wrote this song during a storm! No joke!

The title just rolled of my tongue and the song wrote itself. I was also feeling frustrated at the time being so far apart from my boyfriend for so long.

I SEE THE DEVIL IN YOU – You know when you think you see something in someone, you get that weird feeling in your gut that sets of the alarm bells but you just don’t want to believe it? Well, been there, done that and got the shit-shirt.

I don’t really want to say who this song is about but let’s just say that I thought I had a friend for life and she turned out to hurt me more than I think anyone ever did, broke my heart actually. The irony – I co-wrote it with my former guitarist, her now boyfriend.

RISE AS ONE – This song is last chance saloon for a dying relationship. Ever tried to patch up the holes but the stitches just keep coming loose!? Say no more.

LOVE YOU LIKE A LUNATIC – Patsy Cline sang Crazy, Sandi Thom sang I Love you like a Lunatic! People in Love do the craziest things! Well its true and its certainly true for me, safe to say I LOVE my boyfriend like a lunatic. He makes me crazy. He makes me insane. And the craziest thing is? I enjoy it! That’s what everyone is looking for right? All consuming, ridiculous, insane, outrageous, batty, bonkers, nutty as a fruit cake, Love.

SAVE MY SOUL – Even I don’t know what this song is about! This song came from somewhere very dark and deep within. I think it’s ultimately about the days when i treaded water and walked a very thin line with my life. I admit I’ve done some stupid shit in the past, drank too much, smoked too much, took too many happy pills and got into a lot of trouble. I don’t regret it but it did take me to some dark places that I’ll never forget.

YOUR NOT MY MAN (With the legendary Bobby Keys) – Need I say more? It’s about my former partner. My mother taught me a great saying “Least said better mended.”

LAY YOUR BURDEN DOWN – Some say that when you’re inebriated you pour your heart out. I would have to agree in this case. I picked up a guitar, tuned it in some crazy fashion and this song just poured out of me. It’s about me, my brother, my mother & my best friend. Four people that play a HUGE part in my life and that I love to death and four people who have suffered some serious heartache. I closed my eyes and thought about them all and prayed to whatever God is in the sky to heal their broken hearts, to mend their scars and to dry their tears. Life’s too short to live in the past. Mum always says “The past is a foreign land and we don’t speak the language.” Its true. Someday we all have to lay our burdens down.

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Man With The Mandolin Blues Mission

Bert Deivert; originally from Boston, currently resides in Sweden, travels to and plays regularly in Thailand. His latest release; “Kid Man Blues” is truly an international venture. Recorded in Thailand, Mississippi as well as Sweden it features a host of seasoned Blues players like Sam Carr, Willie Salomon, Memphis Gold, Sven Zetterberg, Bill Abel & Tom Paley just for starters with his Mandolin featured prominently in the center of this recording. Bert and I both share the unique experience of playing & recording with Eric Bibb over the years but 25 years apart. We met up in Stockholm for a few shows together as well as his CD release party and had this candid conversation about his life with music and the power of the mandolin.

BM: Take me back to the beginning; what first got you started playing music?

BD: Like most kids in the 60’s I grew up listening to Rock & Roll but my mother grew up in the dance band era of the 40’s and my dad much earlier in the 20’s & 30’s… So Dianna Washington, Tony Bennett, Wayne Newton.

Shirley Bassey?

No, that was too hip for them but Oscar Peterson and the West Side Story Musicals… stuff like that. I started to sing very early and sing solos in the glee club. My mother always paraded me out when we had relatives over and had me sing… which was both, bad and good I suppose.

When did you get your first guitar, was that the instrument of choice?

No actually it wasn’t. We saw the Beatles on TV when they came on the Ed Sullivan Show and my brother and I made these fake guitars out of cardboard with wood on the back and made this fake Beatles band and then I decided I wanted to take drum lessons and started playing drums when I was 13. I actually got quite good and played in several bands but when I was 16 I saw Son House on TV and I couldn’t believe it! He was playing a bottleneck and I’d heard of bottlenecks but I’d never actually seen one and I was blown away. So I went out and tried to make a bottleneck and I used to take my brothers guitar out of his room when he wasn’t watching, ‘cause I was the drummer and he didn’t want me playing his guitar. I couldn’t bring my drums with me when I went to University so I got my own guitar and just concentrated on the guitar, got interested in folk, blues, I was a DJ on the radio station at the University… Then I was finishing up my graduate degree in San Francisco and I didn’t have a place to live and was sort of down and out so I started playing on the street

when I was 22 and started getting club gigs in San Francisco, but mostly playing in the streets. I met a couple of guys, Peter case was one of them… playing to just get by.

So that was the “College Of Hard Knocks”?

You really learn how to handle an audience, get people’s attention, at the same time it’s kinda hard, I did it for like a year and wouldn’t want to do it longer than that. Luckily I met a Swedish girl and moved to Sweden. She and I first went to Mexico and Guatemala for a while. Then on the way back earned some money and got to Europe and then I started gigging a lot.

When did the connection with Opus 3 start? (Stockholm based indie-audiophile record label)

I’d done a trip to Afghanistan helping out with some film work, that’s what I was in school for, and the sound technician told me “I know this guy, he has this record company and you should talk to him”, and he gave me his address. I sent him a demo tape… a “real” cassette tape, old school… And he really liked it and said OK, let’s do a record. I made a solo record and then Eric Bibb was on the same label & I sent him a letter asking if we could do something together, cause I’d seen Eric in 75’ playing with Cyndee Peters and I didn’t care for Cyndee so much but I thought Eric was great. The first recording together was called ‘April Fools’ ‘cause it was recorded on the first of April… It was totally impromptu, we didn’t even know each other and we just came with a bunch of songs and started workin’.

But neither of you were “roots heavy” back then…

Well actually I was playing a lot of old stuff even then, but not on that particular record.

What was the tone back then in the studio and playing gigs with Eric Bibb?

I didn’t do many gigs with Eric actually. I think we only actually did one gig… a radio gig. We recorded three albums together and they did quite well actually. We did get some gigs in Germany but um, he didn’t go.

So the mandolin; was that in the mix at this time?

Well this is the thing, I heard Yank Rachel play mandolin in 73’. Peter Case had this record with Sleepy John Este and Yank Rachel… Mike Bloomfield was on it called Broke And Hungry & I was crazy about the mandolin, so when I came to Sweden I found one of those cheap German mandolins laying around and started fooling around on it but it was difficult to play. And then the guy I was playing with in Sweden, he had a mandolin and I used to play on his sometimes, he showed me a couple of chords… but he only knew three chords; G, C and D. And then Eric Bibb came to the session, the second session we did together; River Road and he had a mandolin with him… that he bought from Izzy Young, which… He never paid for… Izzy told me “oh, yeah, Eric still owes me 500 bucks for that mandolin!” But anyway he got it at the Folklore Center, some handmade thing… I said “oh, cool, that’s really neat” And he says “oh, you know how to play? let’s do something”. So actually for the songs we were gonna do, I actually leaned those lick just then. Mostly guitar and banjo on that one but by the time we got to Hello Stranger (the third recording) we had several mandolin songs on it.

I think the first time I saw your name was at Izzy Young’s Folklore Center. I was sifting through some albums and found “Hello Stranger” & asked him about it and who you were… I can’t remember when we actually first met… Yeah I remember! I’d heard about you and was checking out your web site and you had an Amistar resonator guitar & I really thought it was cool and I wrote you an email and I said hey man, that’s a cool guitar. I’ve always wanted to get one like that, I’ve got a Resonator but it was kind of a funky old Sears Duolian. And you said “oh wow their sellin’ out their guitars and changing distributor & I can get you a really good deal on it.” We actually met when you delivered the guitar to me and you brought Bob Brozman with you! He was sitting at the Folklore Center with you and Izzy doin’ an interview. So, anyway… I had a mandolin laying around and just decided that I’m gonna learn to play blues mandolin. In around 2003 I had a friend going back to America and I asked if he could pick up a mandolin if I ordered it; at Mandolin Brothers in Staten Island. And I started really woodshedding. I got all the Yank Rachel stuff I could together and whatever I could get a hold of. Unfortunately there are no movies of these guys playing. I just sat & worked and worked and worked.

That’s funny you’re the first guy I know that actually bought a “mandolin” at Mandolin Brothers… because they are infamous for their vintage flat-tops & resonators in NY. But the first National guitar I owned, the 1930 Triolian, which I got from Eric Bibb; he originally bought at Mandolin Brothers. He did? Ahhh…

There’s a connection there as well…

It’s the “pawn shop” one?

Yeah, he took me over to the pawn shop and I paid to get it out and I paid him for it but I still call it a “gift” because he only charged me exactly what he paid for it when he bought it in the 1980’s…

The prices were a lot less.

Well Bert what I really like about what you do is you are able to take the older, traditional stuff but revive what was funky and fun about it then and reintroduce that same vibe now.

It’s fun music, there’s a lot of emotion in it, joy… sadness… tragedy. There’s something about it that just grips me. The same way that Son House gripped me when I first saw him.

So, From Boston to Scandinavia and somehow there’s some new life in Asia?

Yeah, well I’ve done this thing where I go to other countries and I go for two reasons; food and music. Crazy ‘bout food, crazy ‘bout music! I went to Thailand a couple of times and I had my mandolin with me and I happened to walk by this Blues Bar & they had a really good band there. So I waited for the guitarist to come out, his name is Pong. His girlfriend ran the bar & he ran the music… This was about 2005, the last night before I was leaving we hung out and he was like “wow cool!” We kept in touch and when I went back over to do the Phuket Blues Festival I went to Bangkok after and he asked me to be on a record. I asked him if he played this Thai folk music called “Isaan” from an area called Isaan and he said “oh, that’s where I’m from”. I had a slide guitar with me and he started to play and it was a revelation! I pulled out the mandolin and started jammin’ & he just stopped and said, “wait! can we record that, just like this!” We went into the studio there and recorded it and it came out on his record… and there’s this big newspaper in Bangkok & they have these big music and film awards every year, big gala on TV… So I’m back in Sweden and he calls and says, “Bert that song we did duet, just the two of us and made up on the spot, it won the Best Instrumental of 2009!” I got a trophy and all. Then I started goin’ back every year, playing 4 nights a week with them.

So now you have the new album; “Kid Man Blues” which is clearly reflecting your International extensions. Well Pong wanted to make an album together and started recording, half in English, half in Thai. I knew it would not come out in Europe so I took two cuts from it and used it for Kid Man Blues. I’ve been going to Mississippi since 2007 and met Bill Abel there, through your connection actually; Adam Gussow! I went to the Muddy Waters Cabin dedication for the Mississippi Blues trail and he was there helping Honeyboy Edwards, ‘cause he used to play with Honeyboy… Bill invited me to play some juke joints and then I did some gigs with him and Cadillac John and then T-Model Ford. I helped out with a T-Model Ford recording session while I was there & Sam Carr was playing drums.

Sam Carr? isn’t he Robert Nighthawk’s…

Robert Nighthawk’s son… and he used to play with Robert Nighthawk and Houston Stackhouse… Great drummer, the greatest Delta drummer! So we recorded at Bill’s studio and we used some of the cuts. Then some tracks recorded here in Sweden. I’ve got Sven Zetterberg on one cut so there’s a real mix. The big thing for me is that people have been really generous to me as far as music is concerned, really kind and those people I wanted to lift them up and put them forward. There’s some fantastic people involved here and they deserve some recognition. All these folks like Pong and Sven and you… people that have been really nice and have helped me.

It’s my privilege to be a part of it as well! So Bert, you confident with where things are going and where do you see things going next?

I just see myself continuing in the same vein I’ve been doing. I sometimes feel like… There’s a guy who wrote this in a review; “He’s a man with a mission” and actually I guess it is sort of a mission about mandolin Blues… there’s too few people playin’ mandolin. There’s like five guys today in the world who have actually recorded mandolin blues albums… I really want people to discover it and to play and to lift it up more. It’s such cool stuff, people don’t know about it. Music has been good to me in many ways and the people have been good to me. I just want to keep giving back. For more about Bert Deivert & his music, check out; www.deivert. com

Brian Kramer & his music can be found at www.briankramerblues. com

FRI 25th- MON 28th JANUARY

BUTLINS SKEGNESS

from just

£72 pp

Even better than usual just for you!

by Clive Rawlings

BOBBY WHITLOCK was an original member of the legendary band Derek and The Dominos and played on George Harrison’s solo album, All Things Must Pass. He has written numerous songs performed by such artists as George Jones and Sheryl Crow. He and his wife Coco Carmel have carved out a new career together and have just returned from a successful festival appearance in India. Here, he answers questions for Blues Matters readers about his legendary career put to him by Clive Rawlings.

BM: You were born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee - what was the first single/album you bought and do you remember the first concert you went to?

BW: I have never bought a record album or a single. There were a few given to me but I almost never have listened to anything on purpose. Ever since the beginning of my career I had not listened to much of anything except what I could not escape from.

Who did you hear in your youth that made you sit up and say «Yeah, I want to do that!» ?

No-one really because I have always been a singer. Although I have always loved Ray Charles’s singing I never tried to sing like him, or anyone for that matter.

In addition to your autobiography being published, last year was the 40th anniversary of the release of Layla and Other Assorted Love Stories: can you believe it’s 40 years and has time been good to you?

George Harrison once said that forty years passes very quickly, and it does! Turn around and if you are still kicking, you have a family and you are clean and sober and living life. Or you are one of those who left the scene at an early age so as to make for a good looking young corpse. Personally, I am very happy to have lived through all of that nonsense.

Why did you decide to write your autobiography now, and expose everything, «warts and all»?

I didn’t decide to write my autobiography. It was decided for me. I had a cathartic experience that didn’t stop for eighteen months. It was God working through, and for me. When the work was finished, so was the book.

In the Sixties, you were the first white artist to sign with Stax’s HIP label; how did you find yourself in that position?

I was the first artist to be signed with Stax’s HIP label. They were trying to get in on the British invasion and wanted to have a pop label. I was chosen to be the first on it and what they had in mind for me was not what I did so it ended very soon after it got started. It wasn’t soul music or rock and roll music. It was bubble-gum and without substance. Basically it was nothing that I cared to be remembered for.

Did your experiences there influence your musical direction - if I remember correctly you started by playing a lot of the Stax back catalogue?

My musical direction was chosen not by me or anyone really. It simply evolved into what it was simply because of the nature of my up-bringing. I was just very fortunate that I was at a great place musically like Stax, because everyone who was of like mind gravitated there.

Musicians from that era must have been fun to play with and a great influence on you? Can you amplify? It was all a growing experience for me. Like a living schooling that I was receiving. I was learning my lessons as I went through them.

Strange question, but I’ll ask it ...how would you describe your relationship with the Hammond B3?

I am one with the Hammond organ. I become it and it becomes me. It’s an instrument just as surly as my voice is, and I am at one with it as it is one as well.

Parental conflict rears its ugly head quite often, but you relate in the book the complete lack of support from your father - do you feel you can go further on that?

I could write a book based entirely on child abuse but there are people who make a living writing books on that subject. Unfortunately for me my dad wasn’t writing a book. He was simply out of control his whole life. He was a victim of materiamedica as well. So we all suffered because of his addiction to pills. Drugs and legal but still dope just the same. I have a few friends who are addicted but think it ok because it is prescribed by a doctor. It’s just dope prescribed by and handed out by legal drug pushers. The pharmaceutical companies and the doctors and the pharmacists are all in bed with each other. Money, money, money, money!

Can you comment on the early career decision to leave Stax in favour of a back-up role with Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett?

Stax had me set up to be another bubble-gum act and I saw Delaney and Bonnie as an opportunity not to be missed. I had not been west of the Texas/Arkansas line and saw it as my chance to finally see the world.

Then you made the decision to leave Robert Stigwood and head south to Capricorn Records?

That was probably the biggest mistake that I ever made as I had no-one to turn to about what was to happen to my career. I was on drugs and not making sound decisions. I should have went to Robert and told him of my dilemma and the problem that I was having would have been fixed right then and there. I was young and inexperienced and did not know what to do or where to turn except round and round in circles.

photo by Jim Chapin

How was Derek and the Dominos conceived? And can you explain the buzz you got playing with such luminaries? Derek and the Dominos was Eric’s and my conception. He and I were writing songs while I was living at his home in Surrey when George Harrison rang and asked if Eric and I would put together a rhythm section and record his first solo album. I called Carl Radle and Jim Keltner to do the gig. Carl was still on the road with Mad Dogs and Englishmen as was Jim Gordon. When he heard about it he stormed over and eventually got Keltner’s gig.

How did the name come about?

Tony Ashton miss-named us when he introduced us at our first concert at the Lyceum. It was originally to be called the Dynamics..

There are so many classic songs on Layla - how did you and Eric approach song- writing duties? We wrote very naturally with no set rules. We were that place where creativity flowed through with ease. It seemed that we could do no wrong when it came to writing songs. We were a natural songwriting team right up there with Lennon and McCartney, and Jagger and Richards...We still are for that matter. Our songs still hold up even after all of these years. I think probably even more so as the album that we wrote together has not ever had another to compare it to so the songs didn’t get lost with the onslaught of tons of recordings. They are, each one, very special songs with a different meaning for everyone.

In the book, you praise the talent and contributions made by guest guitarist Duane Allman, how there was a brotherly attachment between you, but elsewhere you say that he would not have made an ideal full-time live band member, that Eric could have handled his solos - can you expand on that? Duane was from a structured situation where each time that anyone played in that band they played the same thing on each song that they always played. Parts for a part oriented band. Derek and the Dominos was a sophisticated rock and roll band and we never did the same thing twice! Eric only played the signature licks then we were all off and running.

Any memories from the road and the band members you can share with us?

Most of the memories that I have of the band on the road are in my book so it wouldn’t be fair to my readers for me to recount what they have read or are about to read.

Arguments always rage, sometimes heated, about who is the greatest rock guitarist of all time. Who is yours, and why?

To be sure, it is Eric Clapton! I need say no more as his career speaks for itself.

Why would the song «Layla», in your opinion, be stronger without the piano coda? Because it was never an original part of it. The song Layla was written entirely by Eric Clapton with no help from anyone. The piano coda was a rip-off by Jim Gordon from his then girlfriend Rita Coolidge. That piano part is tainted and I never liked it and still don’t think it anything but stolen goods. It taints the character and high level of spirituality and that’s where that great song came from. The voice of God as played and sung through Eric Clapton.

Do you have any plans to collaborate with Eric in the future?

That remains still to be seen. Time is something that we have plenty of or so it would seem. I have waited this long so who knows? We will just have to wait a little longer and see.

It’s no secret that you hit rock bottom - can you explain how you managed to turn your life around to where you are now, married to the lovely Coco?

I stopped doing drugs and alcohol October 13th, 2000. That was the beginning of my freedom. Miracles started to happen and CoCo was one of them. I am a very fortunate man I know but I do not count my blessings. There are just too many to count.

On reflection is there anything you would have done differently?

I would have been more understanding of

Robert Stigwood and what he had in mind for me. I was just too young and in-experienced to grasp that level of stardom at that time in my life.

On many of your solo albums over the years you’ve remade songs from the D and D period, in various tempos and moods - was this a conscious effort?

I always tried to do at least one of our old songs as to do my part to keep them alive if only in my mind. I never did Layla though as that is Eric’s song. At least not until CoCo and I came up with our version.

Are we able to source any of your vast back catalogue?

There are sources on the internet that have all of my catalogue. Google Bobby Whitlock and that will keep you very busy I am sure.

Have you ever felt any of your D and D songs to be millstones around your neck?

I have always considered Derek and the Dominos songs as metals around my neck and all of the gold and platinum albums on my walls as trophies. I am very proud of each one of them.

Tell us about the latest music you’re making with Coco, and what are your hopes for the future?

The music that CoCo and I do is just an extension of everything that I have always done. The quality and caliber of each song is of the same essence as my first songs.

As we speak you are off to India to play in a massive festival there. How did you get that gig?

There was a couple from India named Jayanta ans Arumina who made a pilgrimage to Austin to come see where I worked. They have a band called «The Saturday Night Blues Band» in India. The Saxon on Lamar in Austin is where CoCo and I play every Sunday as our little home town informal gig. It is a place where we tighten our act and break in new songs. This couple saw a poster of Eric that I had signed and the sound man there said that we played every Sunday there. He gave them a copy of our CD Esoteric and the next thing you know they are writing to me and asking if we wanted to come to India to play. The rest is history now as we have gone there and played a show in Bangalore and are going back in the fall and then again in the spring to play. We have become big stars in India as I write this article.

Any message for our readers?

Life is what you make it so take it and make it beautiful....

And finally, my trademark question - what’s your favourite biscuit? McVities chocolate covered digestives. Where’s that cuppa?

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE SONG

John Mayall

ISC

James Cotton Mose Allison

by Clive Rawlings

If BluesMix is not a familiar name on the blues scene at the moment, without doubt it soon will be. The London based quartet play to packed houses in the capital and are booked for a couple of appearances at summer festivals. Hopefully after you have read this article and on the strength of their new album “Flat Nine”, you’ll be lucky enough to catch them at a live gig. Rob Fleming, guitar and vocals talks to Clive Rawlings and tells Blues

Matters readers all about the band.

BM: Tell me about the band, how and when did you get together?

BM: We are a 4 piece band with a focus on original material. The line up is Rob Fleming on vocals/guitar, Bob Morgan on keyboards and sax, Emil Engstrom on bass, Ivan Kormanak on drums. We just released our 3rd album (Flat Nine) via Proper Records and the band has been going for 5 years but a year ago the rhythm section changed to Emil and Ivan and this is our first album with this line-up. Things are going well for us.

Influences?

We have a mix of influences ranging from “pure’ classic Blues artists such as Howlin Wolf and Jimmy Reed through New Orleans stuff such as Allen Toussaint and The Meters through to modern day groove and funk artists such as Soulive, The New Mastersounds.

What was the attraction to Blues?

For us it’s all about feel. True, authentic Blues is immersed in emotion and feel and we love that and strive to carry that into our own playing.

Are any of you multi-instrumental or do you stick to “what it says on the tin”?

Bob for sure falls into that category. In the band he plays piano/organ as well as Sax. Not both at the same time I hasten to add! Outside of the band is also a mean clarinet player.

I’ve had the pleasure of listening to the new “Flat Nine” CD; for the uninitiated, what is BluesMix all about?

We are so pleased with the reaction to Flat Nine and have had some absolutely wonderful reviews from the music press.

Pictures supplied by artist

Quite a few of them have commented on aspects of BluesMix which we would say we are about too. The first is groove and feel. One review said the album had “A funky groove that could get a corpse twitching”. We were chuffed with that because that’s at the heart of what we are about. The second thing is original songs… of course we love material written by others too and play some in our live sets but for a CD release the focus is original material. Does there really need to be another recording of say ‘Dust My Broom’. Invariably the original recordings are often the best anyway. In a nutshell with BluesMix we are trying to blend soulful Blues with strong feel, groove and at times a vintage funk sound. Something a little different and certainly not Blues Rock.

What’s your favourite track?

Yikes ONE is hard to say. From the 4 of us we can call out 3. A track that everyone seems to love at our gigs (a guy the other day bought the album just for that track!) is Magnetize, a Blues track with a hook and slightly swampy feel. We like that too. We also love playing a track called ‘Break My Back’ which is a powerful raw funk Blues track which often takes some interesting twists and turns live. It’s great to sing too with some pretty contemporary lyrics. Finally a track called “Well Well” which is a heavy funk blues track which usually has people up dancing at gigs.

All the tracks are self-compositions; are any of them autobiographical?

Hm, there are elements of that yes. Mixed with storytelling and fiction. A blend.

Any interests outside music?

Of course not!!

Anything in music you’d like to try that you haven’t done yet? We would love to play in New Orleans!

What is, in your opinion, the public’s perception of the Blues? I have found sometimes resistance when promoting artists in this genre - how do you see the future of blues music?

I read an interview in a blues magazine recently that said there is no Blues scene in London. Absolutely not true! I think the blues scene is healthier than in many years here in the UK. That said it’s still not as revered and popular as in parts of Europe and the US. I think bands that have taken the Blues and looked to twist and extend it a little (e.g. the Black Keys) have actually turned a lot of newcomers onto the Blues. That’s a great thing. At many of our gigs we find a healthy mix of Blues fans/purists and a (dare I say!) younger audience who just want to hear and appreciate good music. Often they aren’t steeped in Blues knowledge but they know what they like and we often get those types of people come up to us at the end of a gig asking what a particular song was and looking to go off and explore the Blues more based on that. We see really encouraging signs.

Is there any reason why you appear to concentrate on playing only in London?

Well, we are lucky to get a lot of re-bookings from playing London gigs. For example we play monthly at places like Ain’t Nothin’ But The Blues in Soho and headline a Blues Night at The Troubadour in West London. Gigs at those great venues are special and usually packed out with a great atmosphere. We aren’t going to turn those down. That said we do play further afield and plan on doing more of that. For example in the Autumn we are gigging on the West Coast of the USA. We are also playing Maryport Festival in Cumbria. We are always interested.

Having in the past played with and supported artists as diverse as Elton John and Eric Clapton, you must have some stories to tell - any you can share?

We had Amy Winehouse sit in with the band on 5 or 6 occasions. For all the backstory / hype associated with her I have to say she was always really nice to us and her talent was plain to see even after a few drinks. It was fun to hear her improvising over a blues shuffle! Mick Abrahams sat in one time, he was a nice guy. I spent breaks at a gig talking with a nice chap who said he played bass. He asked to play with us and was great. I checked out his name on Google later and found out it was John Giblin who has played with a who’s who of the music industry e.g. Kate Bush, John Martyn, Al Green, John Lennon.

Thanks for your time - where can we catch you live in the summer?

Lots of gigs over the summer. We are on the bill of a couple of fantastic nights in London – The Borderline on July 6th and The 100 Club on July 24th. Further afield we are playing the Maryport Blues Festival on July 27th. In addition gigs at Aint Nothin But The Blues, GreenNote and many other venues. Lots of them…..all listed on our website which is www. bluesmix.com

And your favourite biscuits are....?

This is the toughest question of the interview. After much though…I would say the classic HobNob!

From Dishes to True Wishes with Duncan Beattie

While in Albert Collins’ song ‘Too Many Dirty Dishes’ the narrator suspects a partner’s infidelity, for Little G Weevil racks of unclean plates led an altogether more positive outcome. Leaving his native Hungary for Memphis, his first job as a dishwasher eventually led him to be the first European to receive a long term performing contract on Beale Street! Stimulated from his early teens by the interest in American roots music once the iron curtain came down, he has taken a fascinating trip in self-discovery and blues exploration. Becoming a star in his homeland, before suffering the blues in London, this Weevil has found his natural home. Comfortable with his musical style in the blues of the southern states, his exceptional new album “The Teaser” is receiving heavy airplay in on blues stations around the world. He’s performed on stages with the likes of Lonnie Shields, Big Jack Johnson, the Neville Brothers, Denise LaSalle, Hubert Sumlin, Honeyboy Edwards, Larry Garner, Pinetop Perkins, Bob Margolin, Louisiana Mojo Queen, Johnny Winter and Ian Siegal. However let’s cut the intro to allow Little G Weevil to tell you himself his remarkable and uplifting tale to date.

BM: I hadn’t realised when I first heard ‘The Teaser’ that you are Hungarian. Please tell me about life growing up in Hungary, your musical upbringing and also how you discovered the blues?

LGW: Well, my parents originally came from south Hungarian farmer families. When the Soviets took over the country following World War II, they lost the lands that belonged to their families for generations. They moved to the outskirts of Budapest where I was born and raised.

As far as I remember I was always into music and nothing but music. I started playing drums at 11 and switched to guitar about 5 years later after discovering John Lee Hooker, Albert Collins and Chuck Berry.

You became a professional musician at an early age in Hungary. Is the blues a familiar style in your home country and did it take you long to get established?

When I fell in love with this thing, there were Blues Festivals all over Hungary. Blues music became so popular it was sort of unreal. At summer I could hitch - hike from one festival to another and not go home for a month. You know, after the wall came down in `89 this music meant freedom to lot of us. I mean FREEDOM. It was a big deal.

Anyway, I practiced six to eight hours every day for a good 2-3 years before I went out gigging. At the age of 19 I was literally touring with my first band. We did not even have a demo but every music club wanted Blues those days so it was relatively an easy start for me.

I’ve read that you felt a calling to move to the blues heartlands in the south of the USA, and you moved to Birmingham, Alabama and then Memphis. Please tell me how you found it out there and if the experience changed your musical approach.

Yes, I felt like something was missing from my playing, I wasn`t satisfied with my sound at all. I was not only into to the music but I dug deep and studied the culture and heritage behind it. I wanted to experience it myself and learn from the real deal guys. I was fairly busy and had a pretty alright life in Hungary by playing Blues full time but I was looking for some plus to take me further as a Blues artist. Eight years have gone by and I know I made the right decision. I have found my own style and sound.

Was it a challenge to gain recognition as a European relocating to the birthplace of the blues? I hear you became the first European blues artist to receive a long term contract on Beale Street. Well, let`s say it was very adventurous. After 8-9 months in Alabama I moved up to Memphis. Getting a gig on Beale Street is not easy at all. Each club has the same variety of acts for every day of the week. I was told in May 2005 they haven’t had any new acts in three years on The Street. So it was tough, very tough at first. My first week in Memphis, I had no place to stay. I slept in my van and washed off in the Mississippi river. I`m not kidding. It was like living the blues for real. Finally, I got a dishwasher job on Beale Street so I could be close to the fire. About two months go by when one of the steady entertainers ‘Earl the Pearl’ lets me play two tunes with them during my shift. I remember it`s a Tuesday. I`m wearing my apron on stage! I do a tune; the crowd love it so I do another one. I get off stage and the manager calls me over, I’m thinking, I’m about to get fired. He asks if I had a band and I go yes. Well, I did not have a band but I wanted the gig so bad. Come and play next Monday he said. I`d put a band together real quick and got the job done. We did well so they called us back for next Monday and the Monday after that. After the third gig I was hired. That was my goal. Another three months go by and I’m back playing the Blues full time. I had to pay my dues, I know that. I had to do dirty jobs and try to survive from that little I got for washing dishes 11 hours a day, 6 day a week. It`s like God challenging me. You want to be a real Blues man? Here you go boy! Hahaha. Anyway, I overcome the struggle after awhile and began touring with different projects. I have learned a lot in Memphis I tell you that. There are so many great players over there and the history of the Blues gives you inspiration. I was told that Jerry Lee Lewis used to bus tables in the very same club before he became famous. I`ve learned where Albert King used to sit all the time smoking his pipe. Amazing history of Blues right there. Memphis was a school of learning for sure both mentally and musically.

For a while you also lived in London, which going by the lyrics of ‘Big City Life’ you did not enjoy so much. Why was that?

To be honest, I was in a very bad relationship those days and it affected my everyday life. I wouldn`t say London didn`t

work out. I didn`t spend enough time trying. I did get some help from great folks like Ian Siegal and his manager Richard Pavitt which I appreciate very much. I have known Ian for about 10 years now. He is a real deal Blues man.

Anyway, I was working on my first solo album ‘Southern Experience’ which I released in 2008. Instead of trying to get things moving in England I chose to promote the album elsewhere. I did not really have much going in England for awhile and prior the official release I already had offers from Canada, the US and European countries so finally I went for it. It has had led to two things. I had very successful tours all over the place which produced good CD sales but my ex ended up kicking me out for never being home in London. On my latest CD “The Teaser” there are songs about this time. The stories of ‘Big City Life’, ‘She Used To Call Me Sugar’ and ‘Which Way Shall I Go’ relate to this period.

I do hope though you will return to the UK and play sometime

Thank you. By the time this interview comes out I will have made a solo appearance in June in London. My eldest son still lives in London so I will always have a strong connection to the city.

You recorded two albums before “The Teaser”, “One” as Little G Weevil & Pure Blues in 2004 and then Southern Experience, 2008. How did these albums represent your musical development at the time and how do you look back at these albums now?

I had an EP, too in 2001. In 2004 I had serious disagreements with the label during the project and although we released it, never took it on the road. Otherwise, we only recorded all kind of Blues covers. The Band was great but in my opinion I was not a fully developed player yet. I did not write any songs until I moved to the US. The songs of “Southern Experience” are ones I have wrote during my time in Alabama and Memphis. You will find nothing but original tunes on that record. That is Little G Weevil`s Blues. Good or bad, I don`t know but it`s mine.

“The Teaser” is of course the album that grabbed my attention and I think it’s a superb release with a great mix of different blues styles, very strong vocals and most importantly, brilliant compositions. You had some great musicians to record with you too. Where did you record the album and how did it all come together?

Thank you for the kind words. ‘The Teaser’ was released in December 2011. We closed the year reaching #2 on APD`s US National Radio Indicator Chart. By March 2012 the album made it to the Roots and Blues Music chart. It`s still getting strong airplays in the US and is #2 on Sirius XM Bluesville Radio Chart this week. For February 2012 it was #1 in France. Germany is good on airplay as well and the CD sales are pretty high over there. It makes me believe we did a great job on this album.

Currently, I live 20 miles from Atlanta, GA and the recordings took place in downtown Atlanta at Jeff Bakos` studio. Jeff has worked with greats like Shemekia Copeland, Derek Trucks and many more. We used both digital and analogue technology for this recording and it`s resulting a very cool, sort of LP kind of sound. This is my steady band with very well experienced, long time blues musicians. Bill Burke on bass has toured with John Lee Hooker, John McKnight on drums has recorded nearly 50 albums with premier Blues guys, Bob Page on keys backed everybody from Muddy Waters to Chuck Berry and Maurice Nazzaro is one of the main harmonica players in the South East. There are 12 original tracks on the album, 8 with the band and 4 solo. The whole material has a very positive, energetic feel and the band smokes all way through.

Did it come out as you hoped?

It really did. We just had so much fun recording and it definitely shows.

“The Teaser” also showcases your fine acoustic playing and ear for a melody. How important was it to you that this aspect of your playing was also featured on the album?

Since I play solo a lot it was kind of obvious. I love playing solo. It gives me chance to do deep, raw Blues that I love so much. I write most of the songs for one man and rearrange those I think would sound good with the band.

Something that’s perhaps missed from some contemporary blues is the ability to tell a story through your songs.

That’s something you seem to achieve well. What is the most important aspect of song writing for you?

I know what you mean. True stories first of all and a rolling groove are the things for me. To me, there is no point of singing about something I cannot relate to or making up a story line just because it is a sellable, radio friendly subject. That`s bottom line for me when it comes to song writing. It`s like telling lies to your best friend. You don`t do that. The Blues is my best friend and you, the listener are in this conversation with me. To me

it`s very personal and I want to keep it this way. I want you to feel like I’m talking to you for real. I`m not Shakespeare but I get my point across, hopefully. Look, every time I play I put all my heart and soul into it 100% and I want people to feel this passion. I take stories from my everyday life and sing about them. Positive or negative, it does not matter. Again, it`s like calling your best friend like hey, guess what happened. I just put these “phone calls” into songs. I`m not a guitar hero but I can smoke on the guitar. I`d rather tell the story with a feeling and passion. When I’m with the full band you don’t see me doing guitar solos all night. It does not interest me. I want to make good Blues with the band as a whole and get the story across with soul. That`s all I try to do.

You seem to have an interesting regular collection of guitars?

Well, I don`t really call it a collection. I go for sound not brand or price. I have a custom made Fibenare Basic Jazz electric guitar built by the Hungarian Benedek Brothers. Fantastic tone. I have a 1940 Kay arch top. Beautiful piece of history. A cigar box guitar made by a buddy of mine in Alabama. I`ve recently purchased an 80`s Epiphone acoustic guitar in Clarksdale, Mississippi for $150. Talking about a good deal! Oh, and I have an old Stella, too but she`s kind of retired now. My younger son plays it sometimes.

I can hear such a range of influences in your material such as John Lee Hooker, Lightnin Hopkins, Albert Collins and RL Burnside. Who influenced you most?

There are so many artists I admire. Those you mentioned are definitely inspired me a lot. Of course there is an endless list of musicians from Furry Lewis, Bukka White to all the Kings and Muddy Waters. The list is so long there is not enough space to cover them all. I don`t really separate the guitar from the vocal, to me it`s one thing. I never really practiced singing, though. I was in the elementary school`s choir but I got kicked out for bad behaviour!

You’ve met and played with some notable blues artists. Are there any specifically memorable occurrences or highlights that you’d like to tell us about?

There are so many stories of course and I’m still very young. Every gig, jam and handshake is memorable, though. I feel blessed to be able to meet or jam with many of my heroes. I was definitely honoured to play a good long set with Anson Funderburgh and the great late Sam Myers. That was huge for me. I`m glad to hear that after years of break now Anson is planning to hit the road again with Kim Wilson. Anson is an outstanding player. Every note he hits makes perfect sense. I`m very proud of opening for Johnny Winter. He was very cool. He`d let me play his legendary Firebird backstage. Are you kidding me? I treasure the picture of that moment. He also signed my guitar and took time to chat around a little bit.

What are your future plans?

I have some tours coming up this year which I look forward to. I want to promote this album so whether solo or band gig I want to be in it. There is also a possible one man band album plan in the picture for next year but we will see.

Do you have anything you’d like to say to the readers of Blues Matters?

First off I want to thank you guys at BM for being chosen for this interview, I truly appreciate it. And thank you readers, blues fans for supporting this beautiful art form. Please continue supporting the Blues and make sure you go out and show some love to your local musicians, too. We must keep this thing going so our children can experience it, too. Go on my web site www.littlegweevil.net or amazon and check out the new album. I truly believe you will like it. If you want to say Hi don`t hesitate to connect either through my web site or Facebook. Thank you again Duncan and Blues Matters, God Bless you all!

Interviewer: Martin Cook

Merrell Fankhauser was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1943. As a child he stumbled across the blues. Thus began a musical journey that took him to the beaches of Pismo, through the deserts of Lancaster, on to the islands of Maui and into the great beyond. It’s a tale of psychotic Captains, drunken Beatles, lost civilizations, U.F.O’s, jungle jam sessions and one of the most original blues LPs ever made. Martin Cook talks to Merrell for Blues Matters!

Merrell Fankhauser was born in 1943, the son of racing legend Milt Fankhauser. ‘My dad played guitar, in Dixieland bands. He was also a racing car driver and a pilot! We lived in rural Kentucky, with a creek running near our house. I used to go down there and catch fish and crawdads, watching out for the Water Mocassins (a poisonous snake). Across the railroad from my home was where the black community lived. I played with the kids there and at weekends we’d get together and sing gospel and play.’

So how did he discover the blues? ‘Well, one time one of these kids had an uncle show up. He started to play the guitar… this is still imprinted in my mind… I remember this guy breaking the end off of a wine bottle and playing the guitar with it. He’d been eating cornbread, now he was singing… off in a dream, playing slide, cornbread crumbs dripping out of his mouth. Those rhythms and tones stuck in my mind.’

Merrell moved from Kentucky to Arroyo Grande, California, after his father suffered one wet season too many. The nearby Pismo Beach surf music scene was to have a major effect on the fledgling guitarists’ career, but he kept his love of the blues…

‘I got my first guitar, and acoustic, after earning bucks from picking strawberries. One day I took a bottle to a local rockcutting shop and got the end taken off. It fitted my finger and I played with it. My first slide!’ Later I got a job at a local cinema as an usher and cleaner. In between movies I’d play my guitar and sing. One day, the cinema manager heard me and offered me 12 dollars a go to sing between matinees. I did this for a year or so before I got picked up by ‘The Impacts’, a local surf band.’

It’s worth noting that around this time The Impacts recorded a Fankhauser instrumental, known as ‘Wipeout’. Yep, that ‘Wipeout’. The song was adapted by DelFi Records stablemates ‘The Surfaris’ and went on to become a huge hit, Frustratingly, Merrell’s part in a piece of surf music history is often overlooked. ‘When we recorded Wipe Out with The Impacts in Sept. 1962 we signed our songwriting rights away to the producer and publisher Tony Hilder. We never got any artist or songwriting royalties even though our Del Fi album was a very good seller. In 1994 the copyright expired and I got the rights back to my songs Wipe Out, Seahorse and Tandem. I’ve been receiving both artist and songwriting royalties ever since.’

By 1963 Milt Fankhauser had landed a job as a flying instructor inland at Lancaster. Lancaster is on the edge of the Mojave Desert and was light years away from the Pismo surf scene that Merrell loved. After a taste of fame he was in the back of beyond…

‘I thought to myself, ‘Oh my God…’ I was living in busy Pismo, then, suddenly, there were jackrabbits and rattlesnakes and not much else! One day, I was sitting in an aircraft hangar, playing my guitar when one of the hangar crew heard me. He said ‘My son plays guitar, want to play with him?’ I jumped at the chance… I’d been stuck in Lancaster for nine months and was going mad. That guy was a 14 year old Geoff Cotton.’

Jeff and Merrell soon formed a band, The Exiles. The Exiles evolved through many line-ups and became leaders of the ‘Antelope Valley’ music scene, recording for local label Glen Records. They were soon scoring hits on the local radio, whilst another Lancaster resident, one Don Van Vliet, was listening carefully. Don was en-route to mutating into the legendary ‘Captain Beefheart’ and he had plans for the Exiles… ‘Don was planning on forming a band himself. He’d sit outside our rehearsal space and send friends in to listen and eventually got all my musicans! He got John (French, soon to be re-christened ‘Drumbo’) and Jeff (re-born as ‘Antennae Jimmy Semens’). Don started out doing Howlin’ Wolf impressions, then he dropped acid and the music went into a new, fragmented style of blues, infused with his own Dadaist streak. It was pretty unique.’

Merrell went back to the West Coast. He and Don were destined to meet again, but for now there was the business of forming a new band. It was 1967 and surf music was out – folk-rock and psychedelia were in. Merrell had written some new material in the psyche vein and an LP emerged, christened ‘Fapardokly’. Fapardokly quickly

Into the Blue Beyond!The legend of Merrell Fankhauser

By 1968

burnt out, and were followed by another psychedelic outfit – HMS Bounty. HMS Bounty had signed to UNI records, soon to sign Neil Diamond. Then things began to fall apart…

‘We opened up for loads of bands like Canned Heat and Chicago Transit Authority, we were really enjoying the attention. Our first single came out and it started to climb the charts and then, all of our sudden, everybody on the label was less of a priority as Neil Diamond took off. We recorded a version of Harry Nilsson’s ‘Everybody’s Talking’ around the same time as ‘Midnight Cowboy’ came out with his version of it. Ours was swept under the carpet. HMS Bounty sank’

Harry (Nilsson) and Merrell were friends since the early 60’s. Harry later worked (and got wrecked) with John Lennon. He introduced Merrell to Lennon many years later, during one of the latter’s legendary ‘long weekends’ away from Yoko Ono.

‘I was doing some sessions in L.A. and I went over to Harry’s house and there was a crowd of about thirty people milling around and John Lennon was sitting in the corner. Harry announced ‘this is my friend Merrell from Maui and he’s going to play a song for us!’ I was a bit nervous and got my acoustic guitar out and thought I’d better toke up for this. And that started a conversation that went on for quite a while! We all went in the kitchen where John and Harry began to d- toast every manager, promoter and record label in the music business that had done them wrong! John and Harry were very funny together, like The Marx Brothers...

Don Van Vliet, now know as ‘Captain Beefheart’ re-appeared in Merrell’s life.

‘I was living in Woodland Hills, a suburb of LA. Woodland was full of old forties houses. Beefheart had one that was set back from the road. It was a really spooky scene, with moss-laden willow trees that hid most of the house. The Magic Band (as the Beefheart group were now known) would sleep all day, then spend all night on their music. All of the neighbours were afraid of them, they all looked really strange. I remember driving over to the house one night to jam with him and hearing all of this strange Delta blues.’

Merell re-connected to his former Exiles band mate, Jeff (Antennae Semens) Cotton. But it was soon obvious that things were not exactly peace and love at the Beefheart commune.

‘When I went over to jam one of the guys in the band would often be injured, a splint on his finger, a bloody lip. Don would go: ‘Well that guy’s fucking up the band’. This would go on. Every time I went over there it was a different band member, another injury.’

Jeff Cotton may have still been in the Magic Band, but not for long…

‘Jeff wasn’t ‘happening’ with Beefheart’s psychedelic regime. Jeff said that he missed playing with me. I don’t know what happened, but there was some kind of skirmish between him and Beefheart. He’d got a couple of ribs broken and ended up in hospital, so his Mom came down from Lancaster to pick him up and take him back home. I got a call later from him saying he was better and that he wanted to work with me again in LA. I had to promise to his parents that I would protect him from Beefheart, as I still lived near ‘The Captain’ in LA.’ It was 1971. So began the strange tale of MU, a band that took the blues to another world. MU lasted for only four brief years, and only produced one LP in their lifetime, but their unique take on the music that inspired them has ensured a cult following ever since.

‘Randy Wimer, who had been one of the drummers in The Exiles, and a bass player called Larry Wiley began jamming

with me. We got Jeff and started making music together. I got gigs lined up in LA and started writing songs with Jeff again. Jeff had taken some of Beefheart’s sound with him and I had my bottleneck and my yearning to play the blues again. MU had that music running through us.’

Released in a post-Altamont, pre-glam rock time that was saturated with progressive blues n’ boogie workouts MU’s debut LP swam against the tide. Called simply ‘MU’ it was a glorious, ten song celebration of a missing continent.

The ‘MU’ LP got released on a tiny American label in ’71. A short while later UA in the UK pressed up copies, thanks to the interest of legendary UA head, Andrew Lauder. Numbers like ‘Ain’t No Blues’, ’Blue Form’, ‘Eternal Thirst’ and ‘Mumbella Baye Tu La’ were a whole new kind of blues, but still the blues. Complex, switchback slide, intertwined with blissed-out harmonizing vocals.

MU appeared on TV (a show called ‘Head Shop!) at the time of their debut, clad in white and suits and playing numbers from their fabled debut. Years later Merrell tried to track down the video footage, only to discover that it had been wiped. Miraculously, though, an 8mm clip of the band survives. Shot by a fan in San Louis Obispo, prior to their departure to more exotic shores…

The band flew out to Maui in ’73. The aim was to continue the band’s growing interest in the lost continent that they’d taken their name from, the remnants of this sunken land were believed to now be Maui. Not long after arriving on the fabled island the band played at a major festival, with Bonnie Bramlett and a host of others. The concert was filmed, but the footage never saw the light of day due to legal hassles. Then there was the business of recording a second album. MU settled into recording in the jungle studio of one Barry Mayo. During the recordings they had some special visitors…

‘One night myself and the band MU was atop Haleakala crater on Maui and a bluish light suddenly came into view and was completely silent and lit up the floor of the crater. Two more lights emerged out of it and they formed an inverted pyramid! They shined lights back and forth for a bit and then came back together as one and shot straight up and disappeared in the blink of an eye. The entire encounter lasted about four minutes.’

A radio interview from MU’s jungle commune survives… ‘There’s only one thing that’s gonna win out today, and that’s love…’ states a blissed out Merrell. The mellow state of affairs on Maui led to an even more spritual slant on the blues, with tracks like the instrumental ‘The Awakening’, ‘One More Day’, ‘Blue Jay Blue’, ‘Haleakala’ and the epic ‘End Of An Era’ saturated with slide guitar, a drifting space blues that still sounds fresh today. Two singles emerged from the sessions, but the full LP didn’t get a release until 1988 and has since emerged several times, with several different titles, one being ‘The Lost Album’. Their lack of success finished MU off in 1975, Jeff Cotton and Randy Wimer returning to California, the former becoming priest.

What became of Merrell Fankhauser? He stayed on Maui and recorded an album with MU’s guest violinist, Mary Lee. In ’77 he returned to California and forged a career that continues to thrive to this day. More albums are in the pipeline, including an alien blues rock concept CD/DVD, called ‘Area 51’ and there’s a growing series of DVDs from Merrell’s West coast TV show ‘Tiki Lounge’, with the man himself playing with everyone from Willie Nelson to Nicky Hopkins.

He’s also returned to his musical roots: ‘I keep getting requests from radio DJs all over to do more Instrumental Surf Music and I am now working on Volume 4 of my ‘Rockin And Surfin’ surf series. We are also 75% finished with my son Tim’s album that is mostly Blues with a Country Delta flavor. It will be titled ‘Sunny Tim Fankhauser – I’ve Got The Right To Sing The Blues’.

Then there’s the Merrell Fankhauser Signature ‘Impact’ guitar, more TV shows, more albums and an autobiography. He’d even like to play Europe. Maybe soon.

Want to hear Merrell Fankhauser’s music? Well, the best way to start is with the compilation CD ‘The Best Of Merrell Fankhauser’. ‘The Best Of...’ covers nearly 50 years of Merrell’s music, with MU numbers and unreleased gems, included in a neat package. There are also two volumes of Merrell’s TV show ‘Tiki Lounge’, with various West Coast music legends playing and talking to the man himself. These are available through www.Gonzomultimedia.co.uk The fabled MU LPs, ‘MU’ and the Maui sessions are going to see the light of day soon, as re-packaged, re-mastered recordings, with sleeve notes by Merrell. Until then... keep watching the skies!

Shoots the Breeze with Christine Moore

My first encounter with Marcus Malone and his music was at the then famous Black Bull Blues Club in Blaydon, more years ago than I care to admit. My question to the founder Keith Latimer at that time was “How did you get a cool dude like Marcus from Detroit to play here in a small pub in the North East”? But anyone who frequented the Blaydon Rhythm and Blues Club will know why. It was a must play venue for any band on the blues circuit wanting a great audience who appreciate their music and respect the band. Great pity that neither Keith or Blaydon Rhythm and Blues Club are now not still around!

Back to Marcus who is from Detroit, Michigan. He was first signed by Al Teller of United Artists Records (now EMI Capitol). Taking up residence in LA he recorded the classic heavy metal ‘Marcus’ album which was re-released on Zoom Records throughout Europe and the US in 2001. The band consisted of Gene Black - now guitarist for Joe Cocker; Sandy Genero - drummer for Pat Travers and Tim Bogart of Vanilla Fudge on Bass. Marcus has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, Burnley and Colne Festivals in the UK; Harlebeke Blues Festival in Belgium; the Bospop Festival in Holland; Valdagno (Vicenza) Blues Festival in Italy; and various UK Art Centres and Blues Clubs. Marcus is presently working the European blues circuit, festivals and concert halls including tours of Belgium and the Netherlands. He performed at the The Kwadendamme Festival NL (May), Luxembourg Festival (July), Huntenpop Festival (August) and Tegelen NL and Oisterwijk Festivals NL in September 2011. The fifth album “Let The Sunshine In” recorded in the UK -was released 25 April 2011.

BM: I know you are from Detroit Michigan. The question is; what made you come to the UK and take up residence here, have you now settled permanatly?

MM: That’s a pretty long story. The subject material for many songs. Love primarily made me do it! In the end we broke up and she went back to LA and I stayed on nurturing my broken heart….sob sob. I had been in the UK in 1997 and again in ’98. Once while working with a project from the US in Nice, France, I came over and stayed here for a couple of months just checking the music scene out and various connections I had met in LA. One of the connections I had here from the states – Jef Hanlon (Jef Hanlon Promotions) told me if I decided to come over and stay in the UK, he could get things going for me. At the time he was working for a company that was handling Rod Stewart and other major artists. I had been thinking about moving here before meeting my wife to be. So when she wanted to come here and work with a management company to launch her career, I had no problem with coming as well. I met up with Jef and he sorted me out with studio time and introduced me to some musicians and I stayed on. I’ve worked with tons of great musicians since and I’m still here. I’m married now and have a 6 year old and 13 year old and I don’t think I would be moving back to LA without them. So I guess I’m here for the duration.

What was the first band you were ever in?

My first band was with some college music students looking for a singer to do some gigs in Detroit. JD and the ‘Somethings’. I was still in High School and had done a few talent shows and they had heard of me. I was very excited as they were playing at the ‘20 Grand Ballroom’ down the street from my house. BB King, Albert Collins and all the Motown artists played this venue which was a bowling alley (20 lanes). It was the venue to play for all black R&B and blues artists passing through Detroit on tour. The same night I did the show with JD, ‘Blue Monday’ it was called, Bobby Blue Bland was playing next door. I wasn’t allowed to watch him or hang out in the crowd as I was considered under age still. I could hear Bobby from my dressing room though and I was mesmerized by his ‘unique’ voice and style. My next band; before starting The Marcus’ Band which was eventually signed to United Artist was the Detroit Wheels. It was originally called Mitch Ryder And The Detroit Wheels. When Billy moved to Europe I got a call from the bass player and they asked me would I do the gig. 7 nights a week at Sexy Sadies. A club in East Detroit where I met tons of musicians. And yes the club was as seedy and drug ridden as they come. From the connections I made there, I started The Marcus’ band.

Your voice is one of the most amazing, strong and soulful I have heard. How did you start on this voyage of singing and songwriting?

I started singing in Detroit at the age of 6 in the Mt Olive Baptist Church Choir. I had my first solo spot when I was 6 and I remember being so nervous and frightened I’m surprised I didn’t sh*t myself. listen to the voice of the savior… Actually I was listening to the voice of my mother... “sing or else”. I was always singing along with Motown Records, Stax Records, and imitating whatever records were around the house. When I was not playing my 45’s I used to make up my own songs and melodies copying the Motown format.

Your music is very much your own, where do you get the inspiration from, is songwriting a painful experience for you or do you find it easy?

I guess my favorite songs are usually what I call ‘divine inspiration’. I hear an entire song in my head from beginning to end - melody, lyrics and music and hopefully I’m near my recording gear or guitar. Songs like ‘One More Time’, ‘Redline Blues’, ‘Blue Radio’ were pen to paper and recorded in a couple of hours. Sometimes when working on a CD I have a concept in mind and I write lyrics around it. A lot of times one of my partners I co-write with, like Stuart Dixon, will have a riff and it inspires me emotionally to write about an experience or situation I’m going through. Like ‘Crawlin’ from the Hurricane CD. The song ‘Hurricane’ was born in a sound check. It’s actually a love song of sorts. The music just reminds me of how

photo by Markus-Hagner-Photography

love can start off slow, easy and innocent and become this all consuming force sometimes, wrecking everything in its path or consuming your every thought and move. Musically it’s really a one chord jam, I put the words together right quick expressing what I was feeling and it became the first song of the night on that gig and of course the title song for the CD. I really try not to force anything. If I get an idea for a song, like a title or a lyric, and I can’t make it come together fairly quickly, I leave it for a bit and come back to it. The main thing for me is I have to feel a song emotionally and lyrically. I have to connect with it.

Do you write for others as a sort of sharing of your daily life experience, or is it just a release for yourself to get moods out in song?

Well yes I would say I do both. I’m always on the lookout for daily ‘scenes’, happenings or incidents that can be used to create a song or two. Life is one big movie to me and I translate the scenes that have an effect on me emotionally into song. I try to come up with at least one good idea a day and hopefully by the end of the week I can have a couple that are good and worth pursuing. Could be something I read in a book, newspaper; a situation with the opposite sex (most common); an observation while driving or in transit, maybe ‘standing on the corner watching all the girls of summer go by’. Conditions and reasons for how songs come together for me are endless. I don’t bother writing much anymore when I’m partying or had too many. The crap I come up with….smile. I think I’ll keep 90% of my mood releasing to myself and the rubbish bin.

What do you think the appeal of your music is i.e. which audience is it that appreciates you the most, as you are not purely Blues or Rock where would you class your music?

I seem to sell a lot in Europe, especially in the Netherlands, Belgium and France. But it’s a lot bigger land mass than the UK and young people in Europe, especially, come out to see bands other than ‘pop’ bands. We were invited to play at some very large pop festivals in Holland last year as well as Blues Rock festivals. We will be doing some festivals in the UK this year and I’m very excited. Personally I think my music is more in the Classic Rock vein like Free, Hendrix crossed with Muddy Waters, ZZ Top and Motown

Recently you shared the stage at the Round House Camden with Ronnie Wood, Dr John, James Cotton, K T Tunstall etc. What was that experience like?

Well I gotta say I couldn’t have dreamed that experience up in a million years. It is pretty high on my ‘favorite lifetime experiences’ list. It was a benefit and auction to raise money for the ‘Save the Children’ Organization. I actually rehearsed and sang 3 songs with James Cotton (harmonica), a wonderful musician and person. He had throat cancer and doesn’t sing anymore, so that’s how the opportunity arose. I am a member of a group of high profile studio musicians and singers known as the ‘Allstar Collective’ (about 40 musicians) and the Manager, Paul Pacifico, thought I would be most suited for James Cotton’s material. I think you could have knocked me over with a feather when I walked into the rehearsal room for

the first time and was greeted by Ronnie Wood. In rehearsal James asked me did I know ‘I Got My Mojo Working’. Well you all who have seen me before know the answer to that one. On the night of the show they decided to do ‘Mojo’ as an encore with everyone who performed during the evening on stage at the same time. I did the lead vocals and directed my dream band. ‘Hey Maceo -gjmme some horn’…. I’ve said that 100’s of times with various soul bands while performing a James Brown song, but never thought I’d say it with the real Maceo next to me. Ha! What a rush.

I have all your albums so no secret that I am a big fan. Your latest Latest “Let The Sunshine In” is another great album. I know this would be a hard question for me to answer but which of all your albums or songs are your favourites?

That is a hard one. I guess ‘One More Time’ is the first CD produced in this country and still my favorite, but there are songs on each CD that I really am proud to have created or co-created.

Do you have an artist singer or guitarist that you admire?

There are quite a few very talented singers and/or guitarist that I listen to and admire. I think my favorite is Lewis Taylor. I love his voice and songwriting. He’s one of those guys who plays all the instruments and records an entire album by himself. If you have never heard him before you should check him out. Ryan Shaw is a phenomenal old school vocalist.. Joe Bonamassa – went to see him live and was really blown away like everyone else I imagine. Love John Mayer’s guitar playing and songwriting. Robert Randolph – wow!! I’m also a Bowie, Paul McCartney, Harry Nillson, Joni Mitchell and Tom Petty fan from way back. I keep ‘The Complete Lyrics of Bob Dylan’ on my desk in clear view. I can’t leave this space without saying Jimi Hendrix’s music and lyrics are always on my mind and an inspiration to me. There’s not really enough space here for all the wonderfully talented musicians I admire and respect.

If you could front a band of artists to sing with, they can be alive or dead, who would be in that selection?

Well couldn’t do without Jimi Hendrix on guitar; Marcus Miller on bass; Sax, Maceo Parker; Billy Preston on B3; Cozy Powell/John Bonham on drums and David Bowie to cheer me on…. Ha ha!! Yeah I could be a ‘Hero just for one day’. Of course there is the dream band I fronted for the ‘Save the Children’ show at the Roundhouse in February. That was excellent and I would jump at the chance to do it again. Ronnie Wood, Dr John, James Cotton, K T Tunstall etc. and the Allstar Collective (a collection of 40 or so of Britain’s top studio musicians) featuring Randall Hope Taylor & Winston Blissett on bass; Guy Phethean and Richard Simmons on keys; Chantelle Duncan Heath, bvs; Mike Brown and Christopher Newland on guitar; Greg Heath on Sax.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement to date and it doesn’t have to be about music?

Well as my 13 yr old daughter Jasmine would say, “I love her the bestest and I’m so proud of her”. She wrote this on my facebook page on my laptop while I wasn’t looking. What could I say!! I have a 7 year old, Lola, as well who keeps me going - literally. I wrote the song ‘Be Still My Beating Heart’ just after her birth on the Hurricane CD.

Would you do anything different in your life if you had your time over again?

Well I’m sure we all have some regrets, and made mistakes, but at the end of the day, the bed you make is the bed you have to lay in. There’s no going back. I feel a song coming on… gotta run. Oh yeah, when I was about 10 years old these two very cute girls (Maxine and Cassandra…still remember them like yesterday) cornered me in a cloak room after school and gave me my first kiss(s) ‘on the mouth’. I was so shy I didn’t know what to do. Almost wet myself I think. Well I’d go back if I could and well, you figure out the rest. On a musical note, after the Marcus band had been together for about a year, I got a call from the Manager of Marc Bolan from the UK. He was going out with a girl I had known in Detroit and she told him about me and played him some demo’s and had photos of me. He wanted me to come over. I didn’t even have a passport and no way was I leaving my band at the time. We were doing gigs with Ted Nugent, Iggy, New York Dolls, and starting to headline some of the larger theatres. Things were good. When she came back to Detroit, she told me I was crazy and should have gone. Well I don’t regret it, but I do wonder what the different chain of events would have been had I got on that plane.

You have quite a few festival dates in the UK this year I hope to see you at some of them but which festivals in the UK have you enjoyed the most to play?

I’m sure you know the answer to that one, Christine…’Carlisle’ of course. The second time I’ve worked this festival and Nick Westgarth is a great promoter and adds that personal touch that makes this festival fantastic. He really takes care of the musicians and makes everyone feels special. The crowd for 2011 was excellent and very receptive to my brand of Blues Rock. We had a fab time as did they. We are playing on the Blues Matters Stage at the Cambridge Rock Festival 5 August, which should prove to be

very interesting and the Blackburn Festival the first Sunday in October.

What’s happening in the foreseeable future with recording and gig.

As usual I’m writing songs to express myself and hopefully make a living in the process….smile. I’m working on a new CD which will hopefully be released by the end of the year. The songs are coming together and I can feel the thread that is tying them all together for a nice concept. ‘Living the Blues’ is going to be the title so far. I would say this album will have more traditional blues formatted songs than any of my other albums. I went home to Detroit a few months ago and was inspired to write ‘Detroit City Blues’. Actually Stuart came up with a ‘ala’ Paul Kossoff ‘heavy bluesy’ type groove which reminded me of my visit – ‘All that’s left of my old neighborhood is some empty fields and some burnt out shacks’. Detroit looks like a bomb hit it, well my neighborhood anyway – the inner city. Other song titles are ‘Under Pressure’, Living the Blues, Slow Down, One Woman Man. I cover quite an array of topics using more of a 12 bar format than usual. It was a personal challenge to myself. The songs still have that Classic Rock vibe. They still sound like ‘me’ as Stuart would say. I’m also composing with other artists and bands. I’m doing an album with Shawn Lee, US. He has written all the music and I’m doing all the lyrics and melody. He will produce the album and put it out on his label. Shawn is worth a ‘google’. He’s done some excellent work. I wrote a song with him last year ‘It Takes Two’. He has a very retro funk, soul vibe. I also write with ‘Jet Tricks’, a UK based retro funk, jazz, dance group also worth a ‘google’ if you like the retro ‘old school’ sound. I’m doing quite a few shows around the UK in October and some really good festivals in Europe. I’m looking forward to playing the new material live so there’s always something new, even for those who have seen me before.

Confirmed artists include:

Oli Brown • Catfish Keith

Todd Sharpville

with special guest Marcus Bonfanti

Rob Tognoni (Australia)

Kent Duchane (USA)

Tim Aves and Wolfpack

Little Toby Walker (USA)

Grianne Duffy Band (Ireland)

Beggi Smari (Iceland)

Arthur Ebeling (Holland)

Jamie Francis Band

Henry’s Funeral Shoe

KENNY “BEEDY EYES” SMITH

Like Father, like son by: Billy Hutchinson

Willie “Big Eyes” Smith knew before he passed away that the family name was in very good hands. Kenny is accumulating an impressive collection of quotes by his peers on his talent and professionalism. He is also often the drummer of choice for session work and touring blues bands. He is a very photogenic young man who could become a good ambassador on an upcoming generation. He has recently launched a polished new website www. beedyeyes.com, and put down his sticks long enough to speak to Blues Matters

BM: Do you feel that being around so many musicians and music as a child gave you such a saturation to Blues that it became second nature?

KS: Absolutely, so many musicians knew me, even before I could even speak my first word out of my mouth. They were at my house so much that I only knew them as family. This house was also the previous residence to Muddy Waters located at 4339 South Lake Park Ave in Chicago IL. Someone was always there hanging out or rehearsing in the basement. Being very young, I fell in love with the sound of the Blues, back then I could not explain the emotions that would run through my body when I heard it, but I knew that I liked it. Every time they would practice, I would sit in my little chair listening and watching, taking it all in. If they practiced for hours, I would be right there with them the whole time.

How much did you see of your Dad when he played with Muddy Waters?

I feel like he was always there. When he was on the road, we would wait anxiously for his return because we knew he would walk in the door with candy and gifts, along with a big hug. If they were performing in or around the Chicagoland area, we would regularly go to the shows, and I was becoming fascinated. All the families of the guys in the band became close and we as kids looked forward to seeing each other. We would get together at each other’s houses for family BBQ’s, or to swim and we would always have a blast. Those were some great memories. It’s still the case now. It’s like a big family reunion when we can all re-connect and reminisce.

Do you wait until the neon sign goes up on the Krispy Kreme donut shop saying “Hot”?

Haha. I love a good, hot donut. Depending on how desperate I’m feeling though, I’ll eat it any way they have it! Mainly, I do try to eat healthy- especially when I’m on the road. It could be pretty easy to not eat well or actually forget to eat because things can get really hectic and I’m running from place to place- but I do try to pay attention and grab a salad once in a while! My favourite food is actually broccoli- strange as that may sound.

I have to say you are a good- looking guy like your Dad. We never hear about your mother. Ironically, people tell me I look like both my mom and my dad. My mother, Ilene Smith, is a sweet lady who played a big part in helping me get to where I am today. She too is a big blues fan and supported me when I started playing. The Blues was just a part of my family and both my parents really encouraged me to pursue my dream to play music. She tolerated me banging around on the drums in the house for years and years. I have to say “Thank You Mom”, for that. Now she’s encouraging her grandchildren to do the same. She’s an educator and understands how important it is for a child to be well-rounded and to have fun in life.

You state most of your mentoring on drums came from your Dad. What was his approach as teacher to his son? He knew I enjoyed playing the drums so he bought me my first drum kit and if I didn’t understand something, he would show me and sometimes practice with me.

You yourself are an educator. Tell us about what you do. Is it the same as Fernando Jones and Fruteland Jackson are doing in and around Chicago?

I’ve taught people from all different backgrounds and of all different ages, nationally and internationally. It’s one of the things that I enjoy most as I feel like I can really impact people and I end up learning from them, too. It’s pretty amazing to be in a position to inspire and have an effect on people and to me that’s really important. It’s one of the things that make me feel like I’m doing a good job and am successful. I like to give back to the community.

How hard is it to juggle your commitments? Can you tell us about your future projects, i.e., appearances, bands, recording sessions, etc.?

I’m always on the phone and looking at my schedule, making sure that I show up to the right place at the right time! It’s not hard to juggle though because I enjoy what I’m doing and I’m committed to the music, and making all the pieces come together. I have a busy summer ahead of me and I am excited to be a part of a lot of great tours, all over the world. Check out my website for information on future exciting projects that are in the works: www.beedyeyes.com

Seems you touch on a whole lot of jobs. You produce, mix, write and form all- star reviews. Give us a low-down on what you are involved with and how big or interested are you in each department.

I take “keeping the blues alive” very seriously, so I’ve made a point to involve myself in all different aspects of the business to help preserve, nurture and to keep the Blues expanding in every corner of the world. I’m really getting in to the producing and mixing aspect of the business. I think I have a good ear for what works and what doesn’t and it’s rewarding to see the finished product. I do like writing too. Some of the projects I’m most proud of are actually children’s CD’s that I’ve produced and created. I became inspired by working with children to be able to provide them with a fun, modern way to learn. I used sounds that they’re drawn to, to teach them about a variety of different subjects, and I can see that it’s working. They don’t even realize they’re learning because I’ve made it fun to do so. That has been great. In terms of

forming all-star reviews, it’s nice to be able to get so many old friends together to make some magic out there on the stage for everybody.

Give me your take on Chicago and its neighbourhoods.

Chicago is truly a great city and one that’s like no other. I’ve travelled the world and I have to say that I always enjoy coming home. I lived in Hyde Park for most of my life. I love the culture, the diversity and the endless options. I think it’s a friendly town that always has something interesting to offer. All the neighbourhoods are unique and you’ll never run out of new restaurants, clubs or fun things to do. As the song goes, yes it is Sweet Home Chicago to a lot of great Blues musicians.

Have you ever thought of owning your own club, or is that too precarious a venture?

That thought is not too far-fetched and if I ever found the right investors, that just could happen one day!

Your Dad getting a Grammy must have been a highlight of his career, making him feel like a legitimate “artist”. Tell us how it affected him, and what it was like being a part of both Pinetop and your Dad’s “Joined at the Hip”?

Willie and Pinetop were already at the top of the world and winning a Grammy was just the icing on the cake for them. Pinetop and my father enjoyed playing the Blues every minute of their lives, just as I do. Playing with them on “Joined at the Hip” was just like second nature. I grew up playing the Blues and learning from them, so we already had a strong connection- both personally and professionally. It was always an honour.

How, as a young man, can you instil enthusiasm in the young generation to embrace the Blues, both as fans and as future Blues musicians?

It’s more about introducing the Blues to people of all ages and letting them know that it is OK to feel the Blues. If you are happy or sad feeling good or bad, the Blues will be there for you in every way giving you the strength, motivation and excitement to make it through another day. I do my best to turn them on to a variety of blues artists’ music through live performance. Furthermore, I talk about the history of the Blues. It’s such a wonderful feeling when I see them again at a Blues festival and they express to me with so much passion, that the Blues has made a big difference in their lives. The look in their eyes is like a child with a new toy. That’s when I know that I have done my part.

Do you have any great stories that you can remember?

Yes, I remember going to a Muddy Waters Concert. I remember right before the show, Jerry Portnoy gave me a harmonica. We were sitting exactly in front of the stage watching the show and the audience was dancing and having a great time. I started blowing the harmonica and I stood up and walked on the stage. Jerry Portnoy saw me and gave me his microphone. Muddy was singing and he looked around, saw me with a surprised look on his face, gave me a big smile, and then continued to sing; he loved it.

You talked about your introduction to the blues as a young boy. How was it to be a teenager who played the blues and got to travel with different bands?

I was a typical teen, did the regular things other kids my age were doing, hung out with friends, went to Prom, football games, etc. It was by playing music that gave me a positive outlet and it would not be odd to find me staying late after marching band so I could practice or heading home to do the same. I think immersing myself in the music really kept me focu

What was it like travelling with your Dad on the road?

My father loved driving that van of his. There would always be blues music playing; the whole way to our destination. Lots of conversations, lots of advice. We would always stop at Waffle House and if we were going to Memphis, we’d for sure be stopping at “Boomland” for some fireworks and to eat. That was Willie’s favourite and we all had fun.

What do you like to do when you have a day off?

On my days off, I like to spend time with my wife Holly and our one-year-old daughter Mae. We like to be outside in the summer, go on walks, head to the park, etc. It’s just nice to have a minute to relax. There’s usually music playing and my little girl gets us dancing and laughing. I’ve also started planting in our yard so you could find me out their watering or exploring to see what’s growing. I’ve turned into a suburbanite! I’ve also started biking and running, which I like to do when I have the time

Do any of your family members play music?

All of my older brothers can play drums, but I’m the only one that plays professionally. My niece and nephews have really shown an interest in the Blues, through singing and guitar playing. That has been fun to see.

How do you deal with all the time differences when you’re travelling from place to place?

My trick is to stay on U.S. time. I usually stay up really late at night and sleep a little bit during the day so that when I return, I’m pretty much on the same schedule and am not too jet-lagged. It’s definitely not rare for me to have to hop off the plan and head to a show straight from the airport.

by: Pete Sargeant

My drummer John and I spent a memorable afternoon a few years back talking to Marshall Chess, the American entrepreneur and label boss discussing the Chess and Cadet labels output through the years. As a young man he was around the studios and mixing with all the great artists to record on the imprint as the senior Chess family members Leonard and Phil steered the musical ship. He was lucid, frank ( not everyone by any means understood his fervour to mix in psychedelic influences and players on the sessions...some of the artists in particular Howlin’ Wolf didn’t care for the results, but I don’t think Burnett’s voice ever sounded better recorded than on the ‘This is..’ album and one of the mighty label’s most telling creations was the Rotary Connection version of ‘Respect’ already a wellknown tune by the time it was recorded but here given a positively eerie electric guitar counterpoint to the late Minnie Riperton vocal by none other than Cornell Dupree) and he was warmly funny. But our abiding memory was his fulsome praise of and affection that Marshall had for The Rolling Stones. To the extent that he was instrumental in running their own label. I would argue that due to the Stones and to Phil May and the Pretty Things, Downliners Sect and others the Chess label would not have been so swiftly revered and collected in the UK and in Europe. Bear in mind that when a Chicago TV station in the Sixties pleaded with the Stones to appear they agreed to do so provided Howlin’ Wolf was on that same show. AND!!! Mick and Keef recently paid for the funeral of Wolf guitar mainman Hubert Sumlin. Remembering your inspirations cannot find a nobler manifestation than actions like these. A sad many of the original Chess and Cadet artists have left the planet, recently Hubert and Solomon Burke and the regal Etta James. But their music and the directness of their recording approach has and will continue to influence every roots player in the world whether it’s John Hiatt and his rasping bite of a voice or that teenage bunch of lads in the garage over the road turning their back on identikit formularised synth-soaked Auto Tuned Cowell Crap and finding inspiration in what we have to call ‘real music’. Would anyone have dared suggest a Vocoder or tuning-tweaker to John Lee Hooker! Said apparatus would have been embedded in the proponent’s rear passage a few seconds later… After an excellent young roots opening act – more of which later – our man Ronnie shuffles onto the stage and using a couple of electric guitars (one tuned to open ‘E’ I think, for slide) runs us through some signature riffs and rhythms that leaped out of our loudspeakers from import black or blue Chess/Cadet 45rpm singles back in the day. Incidentally, Yank readers, the UK label Pye put out many of the singles and four-track EPs over here and the labels were a bright red and yellow. When I interview visiting American acts they stare in awe at any contemporary UK records I show them. Wood sighs with regards as he pumps out the key tags of songs he loved and loves e.g. Little Red Rooster, Down In the Bottom, Bo’s Mona, a snatch of Big Bill Broonzy, Hooker’s chugging Boogie Chillun’, Smokestack Lightnin’, fragments of Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson (The Second, aka Rice Miller and of whom our Yardbird pals Chris and Jim can tell scary on the road tales) and their harmonica stylings……all of which as our Ronnie remarks ‘sets the scene’ for the show to follow. Incidentally Wood himself plays a blinder tonight, by turns tender and menacing, fluid and emphatic. His guitar tech leaps around as The Thin Man Who Can’t Keep Still (and why should he?) careers around the stage.

We did already have some idea of who might be in the performance. Pleasingly the three Stones I have met - Wood, Taylor and Wyman and all warmly welcomed by the all-ages London audience – take up their positions. MT has one of his sunburst Les Pauls and Mick being Mick slips in sharp slide runs just at the right moments, clearly having survived the verbal roasting given to him on NY late night show Jimmy Fallon by radio eagle of death Howard Stern who berated Taylor over and over for leaving The Rolling Stones. Taylor had shrugged off the human hawk’s tirade with a grin and played with Fallon’s house band The Roots and to great effect.

It had seemed to me that not much could go wrong with these cats aboard for the show but then Wood introduces two

drummers – Andy Newmark and Simon Kirke - both old pals of Ronnie and working tonight like a four-hand percussionbeing. So the skins are in the hands of the sticksmen for Sly and the Family Stone AND of Bad Company/Free!!! Newmark of course played on Wood’s first solo album but if you want to hear him at his stellar spacey best visit Sly’s ‘Fresh’ album. But as the shopping channel guys shout – not only that! Singing some of the initial songs and playing choppy rhythm guitar the whole evening we have the Average White band mainman Hamish Stuart. The horn section of Frank and Nick include flute and harp playing when not saxing, sometimes wandering out to front of stage during the spirited boogie selections. As if the sonic cake has not already plenty of icing, the keys are in the hands of Andy Wallace and Geraint Watkins, whose piano lines are very close indeed to dear old Johnny’s on all those Chuck Berry 45’s. Listen again closely to those jukebox gems of Chuck’s...it ain’t just the red Gibson guitar runs that make them rock!

Ronnie takes us straight into ‘Hi Heel Sneakers’ with Hamish on vocals, then ‘My Babe’ chugs along. An unannounced female vocalist sings – it may be his daughter Leah Wood?

Then, joy of joys for me, a Howlin’ Wolf key tune ‘300 Pounds of Joy’, Geraint singing and the horns diving like they should. Little Walter’s ‘Just a Fool’ has great Frank harp and a stinging Wood Strat solo. Up steps Mr Bill Wyman to sing Berry’s ‘You Never Can Tell’ to a great response, sax players’ excursion at al. Then an Elmore James classic ‘The Sky Is Crying’ – it’s the wettest June in London for many years, weather watchers, but at least it’s fine tonight and anyway we’re indoors, unlike those saps at the Royal Jubilee miming show earlier this month, watching Gary Barlow of Take That and the talentless Cheryl Cole slaughter a Lady Antebellum song who were all soaked to the skin – with Ronnie on clear and dramatic slide with Mick Taylor complementing each sweep on a Strat over the steadiest bassline ever from Wyman and pattering drumbeats from the dynamic duo of the backline.

Jimmy Rogers’ ‘Walkin By Myself’ has been a personal favourite since Savoy Brown put it on a Decca single but here the singer guesting is evergreen song deliverer Ali McKenzie, now he was the vocalist on Ronnie’s early band The Birds (not to be confused with Chicago musician Jim/Roger McGuinn’s US West Coast folk/psych group The Byrds) and he makes the song come to life, no problem. Taylor sounds godlike on this and indeed has his own Bluesfest show upcoming at Under The Bridge at the football stadium that hosts Chelsea.

Wyman’s own touring band – Rhythm Kings - features beautiful soul stylist Beverley Skeete and she visits Etta James ‘Tell Mama’ with great spirit and the horns cruising through the selection, Taylor skipping through the changes with his special touch and through the saxlines. Look, as anyone who was here will tell you, these were Masters At Work, unselfishly making the featured singers sound terrific. Good musicians play to make everyone sound their best, not to show off. Skeete makes “Mojo Boogie’ a gem of a J B Lenoir number as the tinkling piano and grainy Hammond organ set the pace and Taylor’s slide hovers like a vulture over the block sound. It’s delicious. As is the gorgeous and confident walk by Beverley through Etta’s ‘At Last’. Is this the greatest love song ever? It sounded like it tonight and the crowd roared their approval. A flute-embellished showstopper.

Ronnie than chops his way into a very edgy ‘Spoonful’, many shades way from the familiar Cream and TYA versions of yore. His Strat solo is almost heroic and the harp and sax blend evokes US group War viz on ‘Slipping Into Darkness’. Wood wonders aloud whether he can do justice to ‘Big Town Playboy’ (Eddie Taylor) but it sounds good to these ears. The audience welcomes Texas lass Sharleen Spiteri as she hits “Mama Talk To Your Daughter’ at a Mayall-type tempo. Many are surprised she can sing out like this as the radio-friendly hit singles her band has amassed just don’t hint at these roots. A hug for Mick and Ronnie than she roars through ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’ with a real conviction. An underplayed coda wraps the song up.

Some out and out rock is needed for the show finale so step up usually introverted musician James McCartney who can sing in the range his dad used to and with his blue Fender he whacks into ‘Oh Carol’ and then ‘Johnny B Goode’ A lot of attendees were surprised to hear this edgy rock sound from James however we had been to his recent Borderline show and he know he can hit that Dale Hawkins vibe as well as the mellower Donovan-tinged mystics songs. With This vocal lead it does sound like a Beatles/Stones get-together. A rousing extra of ‘It’s Only Rock’n’Roll’ has everyone back on and singing along, the Wyman rumbling bass sounding – OF COURSE! - spot on.

The only ‘problem’ with this show was what numbers to choose we could have had ‘Rescue Me’, ‘You Can’t Judge a Book’, ‘Rocket 88’ or ‘Reconsider Baby’....but what was selected was played to perfection by a unique ensemble. Well done Ronnie and pals...

Ah yes - the openers. Well wisely and to contrast with the blues and R&B to come, the first act on had a roots/county rock/ Americana sound which was as pleasant to listen to as it was expertly played. Guitars, bass, sax, drums, keys and singing brothers are the assets of John Bull & The Bandits. If it’s possible to mix rocking with smoothness, it’s achieved here. ‘Let The Good Times Roll’ was fine; ‘Lover Man’ and ‘Sweet Rosie’ had charm and bite. ‘Gotta Go Home’ a cool song indeed – one member contrasted tonight’s mega-gig with a village-green job they played last week! - while new composition ‘Which Card’ had originality and crisp delivery. ‘Country Trip’ was a slide feature and showed ace dynamic sensibility. They reminded me of Clover, if you remember them? And they still did if you don’t. This crew and The Dunwells give me hope for young outfits not just wanting easy TV overnight ‘fame’. They may thank me for suggesting: SOUNDCLOUD.COM/JOHN-BULL-THE-BANDITS

(Hope your heads aren’t too heavy this morning, lads and at least you were upbeat when we met you after the show despite you Roses late night before.....)

PS – just noticed on the Sunday morning TV news it was Jade Jagger’s wedding yesterday....might explain the Richmond resident MJ’s absence last night?

Pete Sargeant www.fairhearing.co.uk

by Richard Thomas

From Johnson To Joe Bonamassa In About 8 Unlikely Steps; Taking Time To Leave The Main Blues Highway To Follow A Less Well Trod, But Sometimes More Interesting Route.

Part 4 - Levon And Paul – Life Savoured, Life Squandered.

The recent passing of The Band drummer Levon Helm puts me in mind of a great piece of old Blues footage which is both entertaining and poignant. There’s a back story that needs telling first, followed by some rock ‘n’ roll moralising. First, the back story. When Robbie Robertson decided to call time on The Band in 1976 it developed into a messy, ill-tempered process. Co-founder Helm had no wish to break up the group, took no joy in whatsoever, and told Robertson so at their lawyer’s office. He had been on time, mused Helm, but had “always had the feeling the meeting had started an hour earlier” (The Independent 1994). Robertson dreamed up the idea that their last hurrah should be filmed, and Martin Scorsese (of Mean Streets and Taxi Driver fame) was the man that would provide what Helm called Robertson’s “ticket into Hollywood” (ibid 1994). What happened next – the farewell bash in front of 5,000 adoring, if grieving fans at the Winterland Theatre in San Francisco - has since been much debated. While some critics suggest it was “greatest rock ‘n’ roll movie ever made” (Triplett 2002), others cite technical gremlins and some patchy performances combined to make “a compelling study in physical and psychological exhaustion” reflecting how “music can become just another job when the magic has gone and how even a glamorous milieu like the rock ‘n’ roll circus can seem superficial and imprisoning” (The Oxford Times 2011). In Helm’s duet of “Mystery Train” with Paul Butterfield, one such electrical failure left Butterfield alone under a single “harsh white spotlight” (The Independent 1994). It was unscheduled but it worked; “things went wrong in our favor” reflected Robertson, “...you see this leather jacket, and everything else is shadows... It’s like, ‘Who lit this?’ It’s so spooky, and it was purely accidental” (Gunderson 2002).

For Helm, the number with Butterfield where they “traded verses” was “a special moment” (The Independent 1994). Arguably, and with apologies to Muddy Waters and Neil Young, alongside “The Weight” featuring the Staple Singers and Rick Danko’s enthusiastic vocals on “Stage Fight”, it was one of the highpoints of the show. Helm clearly loved the driving, locomotive-like beat and Butterfield’s chugga-chugga harmonicas, and barely managed to suppress his smile throughout. Butterfield, bearded and stylish in mid 70s chic brown leather jacket is altogether more serious and intense. They are two binary figures in collaboration, and present in microcosm opposing lifestyle routes for rock ‘n’ roll.

The night was a pivotal one for Helm of course, because it signalled the end of the group that had made him famous. As the multi-instrumentalist on the drum stool, Helm and colleagues Robertson, Danko, Manuel and Hudson had nursed Bob Dylan through the traumatic conversion to an electric sound. Not that it had been easy; early “plugged in “gigs were met with “slow-clapping, walkouts and constant booing” (The Daily Telegraph 2012) which so disturbed Helm that he turned his back on it all for a while and found temporary peace on an oil rig (Shaw 2012).

He dealt with that, and returned to the fold. He coped with stardom better than some, and was resilient enough to reform The Band without Robertson, albeit these incarnations were seriously derailed by the deaths of Richard Manuel in 1986 and Rick Danko in 1999 (The Courier Mail 2012). Thereafter, he “continued to perform at every opportunity”, and as The Age noted, his subsequent creative output included film parts (2012). Perhaps the Telegraph’s description of his acting career as “modest” was fair enough (2012), but his film credits include the critically lauded Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980).

Thereafter his music continued to impress audience and critics alike. His 2007 album “Dirt Farmer”, described as “a haunting set of old-time folk and country songs” won a Grammy for best traditional folk album and follow-ups “Electric Dirt” in 2009 and “Ramble at the Ryman” in 2011 were similarly rewarded (Sweeting 2012). Sweeting also notes Helm’s Recording Academy lifetime achievement award in 2008, and an “artist of the year” award from the Americana Music Association (2012). Starting in 2004 and by now in semiretirement in Woodstock, Helm was regularly joined by a stellar cast of world-renowned musicians for intimate “midnight ramble sessions” (The Courier Mail 2012). It quickly became the hottest ticket in town.

All this success and acclaim was played out against a backdrop of deteriorating health. Though it didn’t finally claim his life until recently, his struggle against throat cancer had lasted for well over a decade (Sweeting 2012; Shaw 2012). As the Telegraph reports, in the words of one reviewer, “...the dirt on which America was built is still running through this man’s fingers” (2012). Moreover, for Helm, seemingly life was something to be

Paul Butterfield

Paul Butterfield

relished, and for over ten years he achieved and created, even though his body (and most notably his voice) were in rebellion.

For Helm’s collaborator for that “special moment” under that “harsh white spotlight” in the Winterland, it was a different tale. Fornatale describes Paul Butterfield as “one of the first white boys” to venture into American blues clubs of the early sixties, subsequently “soaking up the intoxicating music he found there” (2009). Furthermore suggests Fornatale, “no history of American blues music would be complete without mentioning his name and accomplishments”. Indeed, it would be hard to keep him out of a more general history of popular his, since “when Bob Dylan shocked the audience at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival” with his first foray into electric sound, it was the Paul Butterfield Blues Band that accompanied him (Irwin 2008). Ironically of course, Dylan’s transition was further helped by his own backing band of the era, including Helm on drums.

Piper further establishes Butterfield’s credibility with references to “groundbreaking” and “prodigious ability” (2010) while Harrington is even more effusive, suggesting that “the one constant in Paul Butterfield’s long career has been his ability to blow problems away with some of the most earthy and evocative blues harmonica imaginable”. The consensus is that the man could blow a mean harp. Pareles calls Butterfield’s Band “a major concert draw in the 1960’s” (1987) but this isn’t to suggest that their recorded output was at all sluggish; it had been generally thought that the first Paul Butterfield Blues Band album made its appearance in September 1965, but the discovery of the “Elektra Butterfield Sessions” recorded in December 1964 is described by Probert as “one of the most exciting finds in recent years” (1995). These lost sessions contain what Probert calls “19 tracks of in-your-face blues highlighted by Butterfield’s astonishing harmonica playing and frequently overlooked singing” ( 1995).

Interestingly, there seems to be less of a consensus of the quality of Bloomfield’s vocals. Ellis suggests for example, that on his album “Put It In Your Ear”, Butterfield’s “vocal efforts fall flat” and “there’s just not enough harp playing”, finally reflecting that “ ...what should have been a musical event - the first solo album by one of the great American bluesmen - fell flat”. Swenson also considers Butterfield a “limited” vocalist, but counters this with the assertion that his harmonica playing “grabbed the attention” and sent “chills up a listener’s spine” and that “the distinctive two-guitar sound and a bluesrock arrangement strategy” impacted “every white blues band to record in the next several years” (1987).

By the turn of the 1980s though, as Pareles notes, Butterfield’s health began to fail (1987). These problems meant that by the time of his death in 1987 at the age of 44 he had produced only 4 albums in the last 14 years of his life (Turner 1994). Among the eulogies were regrets, with “those close to him” suggesting that his real legacy should be “the knowledge that drugs can be an inescapable pit” (United International Press 1987).

The moral of this Helm / Butterfield contrast is nothing new. The pair’s obituaries point to Rock ‘n’ Roll’s ultimate conundrum, and the range of choice for young musicians busy making their names. Helm sampled temptation, and having turned his back on it spent the remainder of his life struggling – literally - for life. Butterfield in contrast, was according to his ex-wife Kathryn in “too deep with drugs and he couldn’t get out’’ (United Press International 1987). There were hugely positive assessments of his life including one from New York Times pop music critic Robert Hilburn, who suggested Butterfield raised the “consciousness of blues in what was a white-dominated ‘60s , and “helped make the idea of a white musician playing the blues credible” (Soble 1987). Finally though, as Swenson concludes, “like a lot of blues geniuses he seemed pursued by demons. The hellhounds that trailed Robert Johnson, Little Walter, (Mike) Bloomfield and (Richard) Manuel also chased - and caught - Paul Butterfield” (1987). Mystery Train. Helm took one track and Butterfield took the other. ‘Twas ever thus.

References

Ellis, T. 1997. The Final Years. (Online) Available at: http://www.bluesaccess.com/No_31/butter.html (Accessed 20th May 2012)

Fornatale, P. 2009. Back to the Garden: The Story of Woodstock and How It Changed a Generation. Simon & Schuster. Gunderson, E. 2002. The Last Waltz’ takes one more spin on DVD, CD box set. USA Today. 22nd May 2002. Page 6d Harrington, R. 1981. Paul Butterfield .The Washington Post. 4th September 1981. Page C4.

Irwin, C. 2008. David Gahr; Folk, jazz and rock photographer. The Independent. 5th September 2008. Page 40. Pareles, J. 1987. Paul Butterfield, whose band added Chicago Blues to Rock. The New York Times. 6th May 1987. Page 11.

Piper, J. 2010.Obituary: Little Smokey Smothers. (Online) Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/dec/13/ little-smokey-smothers-obituary. (Accessed 20th May 2012)

Probert, C. 1995. Recordings : ‘Lost’ Butterfield sessions: 19 tracks of in-your-face blues. The Original Lost Elektra Sessions The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. The Globe and Mail (Canada). 9th December 1995.

Levon Helm

Shaw, P. 2012. Levon Helm; Drummer and soulful singer at the heart of The Band. The Independent . 21st April 2012. Page 44

Soble, R. 1987. Paul Butterfield, Blues Innovator in Rock Music, Dies. (Online) Available at: http:// articles.latimes.com/198705-05/news/mn-4039_1_ paul-butterfield (Accessed 20th May 2012)

Sweeting, A. 2012. Obituary: Levon Helm: Singer and drummer with the acclaimed rock group the Band. The Guardian. 21st April 2012. Page 51

Swenson, J. 1987. Paul Butterfield’s legacy; Vocalist-harmonica player led influential blues band. United Press International. 15th May 1987. The Age (Australia). 2012. Rough-hewn virtuoso kept on rockin’. The Age. 28th April 2012. The Courier Mail (Australia). Mark Lavon `Levon’ Helm. The Courier Mail. 28th April 2012. Page 94 The Daily Telegraph. 2012. Levon Helm; Obituaries Raw-voiced drummer with The Band and bedrock for Bob Dylan’s controversial ‘electric’sound in the 1960s. The Daily Telegraph. 21st April 2012. Page 31. The Independent. 1994. Arts: Do it, puke and get out. The Independent. April 10th 1994. Page 22. The Oxford Times. Parky at the Pictures. The Oxford Times. 1st December 2011. Triplett, G. 2002. The Band waltzes on with DVD. Daily Oklahoman. 10th May 2022. Turner, S. Where are they now? Sex, drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll have taken their toll. The Observer. 10th April 1994. Page 12. United Press International. 1987. Friends eulogize bluesman Paul Butterfield. United Press International. 8th May 1987.

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Louisiana Red playing a Michael Messer LIGHTNING

Levon Helm

COCONUT REVOLUTION

Revolutions are not a new thing, but revolutions based on the coconut fruit are, such a revolution occurred amongst indigenous peoples of Bougainville Island against the New Guinea Army. Their strife was documented in the multi-award winning film The Coconut Revolution which inspired London based producer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Jim Palmer to compose a song with the same name. A chance meeting backstage at the WOMAD festival brought Jim (who had been performing with Baaba Maal) and British guitarist Ramon Goose (who had just completed an album with Senegalese griot Diabel Cissokho) together and the two realized they were on a similar path of musical exploration and discovery.

Jim Palmer was born in the Bahamas and brought up with a strong musical heritage; Jim evolved his song-writing drawing from a rich and diverse vein of influences. A prolific song-writer, drummer and guitarist Palmer has developed a beautifully trans-global sound for his own performance whilst also writing songs in a variety of genres, along with his work touring with Baaba Maal, Jim seemed set on a journey into something a little different, a little off the beaten track.

Ramon Goose has had a long career mixing different genre s to create something new and fresh, including his work with Nublues (produced by ‘Oh Brother Where Art Thou’ star Chris Thomas King) then his collaboration with Kora player Diabel Cissokho which produced the album ‘Mansana Blues’ which was met with critical acclaim by critics and music lovers alike. A virtuoso blues guitarist, Goose was looking for a fresh project, something truly unique but also something that would be an antidote to tired old blues clichés and over produced pop music.

Both Palmer and Goose were moving around in similar musical circles particularly in the World music scene and the WOMAD festival brought the two musicians together and after a brief meeting the two communicated ideas for a new musical project which would base around strong songwriting but bring in elements of Blues, African, Latin, Pop and alternative Rock styles.

Ramon suggested bringing in Senegalese vocalist Modou Touré (son of renowned singer Ousmane Touré) who had been involved with Goose in ‘The West African Blues Project’. Modou Touré was born into music. His father Ousmane Touré has a clear influence on his work, their voices bearing striking resemblances, but Modou had created a strong personal style all of his own. He founded the band Tilo (which means ‘Sun’) in Dakar, and collaborated with Melokaan and Elendo, and was also one of the lead singers for Lolou in London Like Palmer and Goose he composes and arranges his music, plays guitar and percussion. Being Senegalese Touré sings in Wolof, Mandinko, Soninke and also French and English. All that remained was the name of the band, the three decided to go back to the title of first song written for the project – Coconut Revolution. Currently in the studio in London finishing off the debut album the three musicians have written the songs together in a very organic manner letting the songs evolve naturally into what now Goose, Palmer & Touré affectionately call the “Coconut Revolution” sound. Palmer has taken on most of the studio production duties leaving Goose (who has often produced in the past) & Touré free in the studio to experiment with sounds. Some of the compositions have started out by the three musicians just jamming in the studio and others have been brought by each member as a basic idea which the others contribute to.

There are also some surprise guests which have already contributed such as Baaba Maal (renowned Senegalese singer) and also Guy Pratt (bassist for Pink Floyd, David Gilmour, Michael Jackson, Robert Palmer & Madonna). More contributions by from other musicians are planned and the album lineup is proving to be very exciting indeed. As yet it’s too early to say when they will make the first appearance as Coconut Revolution but talks have started already about concert dates so more new will follow soon on their Facebook and website.

L to R Jim Palmer, Modou Toure & Ramon Goose

The Blues Foundation celebrated its thirty-third annual Blues Music Awards (formerly the W.C. Handy Awards), in Memphis, Tennessee, this May. For those in the music industry it is a reunion of sorts. It is that one time of year when blues musicians, industry representatives, and fans from all over the world celebrate the best in Blues recordings and performances from the previous year. Each year, the Foundation presents The Blues Music Awards to the artists selected by its members.

The night before The Foundation holds its Blues Hall of Fame event. This year’s inductees included legendary songwriter/ producer Allen Toussaint and musicians Billy Boy Arnold, Matt “Guitar” Murphy. Also being inducted are Mike Bloomfield, Lazy Lester, Furry Lewis, Buddy & Ella Johnson, and Frank Stokes. During the lengthy awards program presented in a dinner/cabaret style various special guests as well as some of the one hundred nominees entertained. What was very apparent this year was a display of fans musical tastes with artists like Joe Bonamassa, George Thorogood and Warren Haynes, all receiving their first nominations. This year there were several multiple nominations. Artists like Sugar Ray & the Bluetones, Tab Benoit, and Johnny Sansone all receiving four nominations while Eugene Hideaway Bridges, Lazy Lester, David Maxwell, Ana Popovic, and Johnny Rawls received three nominations each.

Big winners of the night were Tab Benoit in Contemporary Blues Album “Medicine”, Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year, and BB King Artist of the Year; Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks won with Album of the Year “Revelator”, Band of the Year, Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year, and the Gibson Guitar Award. In the hallway, outside the main auditorium, there was much discussion regarding the performers. Charlie Musselwhite, “provided a soulfully pleasing number”. Otis Clay, Billy Boy Arnold, and John Primer, “elicited a great co-ordination of traditional blues.” This was stemming from their nomination with “Chicago Blues A Living History The (R)evolution Continues.” Doug MacLeod, “gave an impressive arrangement”, in the acoustic category. Ruthie Foster, nominated with her “Let It Burn” album, along with Hadden Sayers, “ripped the stage up.” Sayers, a formidable musician in his own right, writes material for Foster. Tracy Nelson, alongside Maria Muldaur, “wowed us all with the duet they staged.” Tab Benoit, winner in three areas, gave a taste of his own “Medicine”, this being the title of his award winning album for 2012. Lazy Lester, Hall of Fame winner, known for his “swamp blues” and uptempo rock, “put wide grins on all our faces that made us want to get up and boogie in the aisle.” Ian Siegal & The Youngest Sons, “gave an impressive first-time-at-the-BMA’s performance.” Well respected keyboardist, David Maxwell, who competed with his “Conversations

In Blue”, an acoustic album using duets with, as well as paying homage to the late, great Otis Spann, impressed everyone.

It must be noted that Grady Champion, who was nominated for his soul blues album, “Dreamin”, elected to play the last set of the long night. Grady brought a roar of applause when guitar legend, Matt ‘Guitar’ Murphy, (known for playing in the James Cotton Band, plus working with Chuck Berry, Ike Turner, as well as two “Blues Brothers” movies), rolled onto the stage with his wheelchair. It was the perfect ending to an amazing night of music.

Blues/rock musicians, Scott Holt, known for his excellent guitar licks and song writing, (latest album “Kudzu” is a fine example of this), and ‘Bad To The Bone’ (Destroyers’ drummer) Jeff Simon, for George Thorogood, had a wonderful time seeing old friends and catching up with fellow musicians.

It must be noted that every act that took the stage paid respect to the late electrifying guitar player, Michael Burks, who had died suddenly two days earlier. Burks had just returned from a European tour and was on route home when he died in the Atlanta, Georgia, airport.

We are very grateful to Executive Director, Jay Sieleman, Deputy Director, Joe Whitmer, and Board of Directors President, Bill Wax, (Sirius XM-Radio), of The Blues Foundation, for creating an outstanding evening. Their dedication to The Foundation and recognition of world-wide blues entertainment inspires all who love this genre.

“The Blues And Nothing But The Blues” ©Copyright 2012

Ian Siegal was nominated for an award at this ceremony. He may not have won THIS YEAR but he got the chance to play to this gathering of an assembled fans and music industry audience. Putting on a great show as we know he can. A friend of ours was in the audience keeping us informed of his progress he was sending updates via text thank goodness for new technology one of his messages read “He may not have won and award tonight but he put on a performance that they would remember”.

Better luck next year Ian were counting on you to make it to the winning post in this great award ceremony.

Keep flying the flag for the UK!

This photo by Arnie Goodman

In April 2012 I crossed off an item on my bucket list that I had been hoping to do for a very long time. I undertook a road trip in the USA taking in Austin & Fort Worth, Memphis, Clarksdale Juke Joint Festival, and Nashville. I wanted to do a bit of playing so I booked a few gigs but mainly I wanted to soak up the culture and most importantly the music! I had played in Texas before but this was my first time further a-field than that, or should I say Further on up the road! By the time I got to Dallas/Fort Worth airport it was late so I checked into the nearest hotel I could find and set off the next day to pick up the hire car for our journey. Mindful of costs, I booked the cheapest I could find but they up-graded me amazingly to a brand new Mustang V6 convertible! So feeling very rock n’ roll I floored it out of the airport area and hit the Fort Worth traffic. A nightmare! I have driven a little in the USA before but Fort Worth is not a good place to start. I think I had to change Freeways 6 times just to get out of Fort Worth but once away from the spaghetti junction plus I settled down as the roads became easier to navigate. I was heading for Austin. In fact I had a gig at the legendary Antone’s, which was Stevie Ray Vaughan’s old stomping ground. Good decision as it turned out. As soon as I had travelled for about two hours I heard the news that tornadoes were on the ground in Fort Worth! I was definitely going in the right direction and eventually I arrived at Antone’s and began setting up. It doesn’t look much from the outside but like Dr Who’s Tardis, it is a large sized venue on the inside. It’s a good sounding room too and the PA guys know what they are doing. Antone’s was the first club to open on 6th Street in 1975 (It has since moved location) and has hosted the “Greats”. Muddy Waters, BB King, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, Billy Gibbons, Eric Clapton, Elvis Costello and of course the great Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Tonight was my turn! I was introduced to my band for the evening, Corey Keller on drums and Jeff Hayes on bass, and away we went. These musicians know their stuff. It was almost like having my own band with me. The set went well and the audience appreciated my playing….all good. I then hung around to listen to the regular house band. Derek O’Brien who is a very talented Texas-style blues guitarist leads the band. He is also a bassist on occasion and a record producer. O’Brien has backed up major blues names such as, Buddy Guy and Muddy Waters. The house band is flexible and on any given night it can have awesome players involved. The skilled shuffles just rolled out from the band effortlessly and the audience just sat back and enjoyed. Next it was back to Fort Worth. Thankfully the Tornadoes had all blown over and I was off to play at the Keys Lounge with Bobby Count and Buddy Whittington! The bar was jam-packed and the place was buzzing with guitarists and singers getting up to play. No shortage of talent in Fort Worth then; and there doesn’t appear to be any shortage of venues either. There are a lot of bars and juke joints kicking out live blues music in this area. The radio stations are interesting too, featuring a lot of country, blues and Christian music stations. I’m sure they had pop stations too but I never found them!

I had a blast and of course I got to play cowboy down in the old town as you do. Next I got in the Mustang and headed for Memphis. I took a couple of days for the trip, taking it easy. If you are ever in the area, a nice, picturesque place for a visit is Hot Springs in Arkansas! Pressing on though, I wanted to get to Beale Street! Beale Street began in the late 20’s and went on to influence the world of music with blues and practically the birth of rock n’ roll. Today it is still thriving and attracting people from all over the world in search of the holy grail of blues! Nothing prepares you for the buzz that hits you walking down Beale Street at night. It was absolutely electric. A fairground of neon lights and pulsating sounds. Tourists flocked like bees around a honey pot to taste the Memphis blues sensation under the watchful eye of the city cops who permanently block the road at both ends. To add another worldly feel to the place, horse drawn cart riders were offering rides around the city. Each rider had a pet with him or her up on the cab. We saw cats, dogs, birds and a rabbit! It was a bit like being on the set of the “Golden Compass”. Riders had his or her demon with them!

What surprised me was how rocky the blues was here. I didn’t expect that but the bands I saw were all top notch and many featured great horn sections, which is synonymous with the area! Beale Street is not very long; it is sectioned off at both ends and absolutely teaming with activity with blues music pumping out of every venue. In beat up old shacks selling BBQ food you might see a fantastic blues band that ordinarily you would pay good money to be entertained by. However, you have to have your wits about you as everyone is pushing something, trying to get you to part with your cash, from CD’s to having your shoes shined! Worth a visit too is Sun Studios. Again, not much to look at but you get to go inside and hear tracks recorded and stand where Elvis stood….uhhuh! Sun is a cool, very old school studio but still working today. Its almost like standing on holy ground

imagining BB King playing ‘Love Comes to Town’ with U2 and further back in time of course, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Jerry Lee Lewis who all recorded there throughout the mid to late 1950s.

Nashville is only about 3 and half hours away so I just had to go and experience this too. So once again I set off in the Mustang to Music City! Nashville has a totally different feel about it. It’s very clean and business like. Almost everyone from the hotel staff to the bus driver is a musician or a songwriter. The Beale Street equivalent is Broadway. It’s longer and wider, teaming with bars and street entertainers playing country music of course. When you are in Nashville that’s what you want to hear and some of these guys think nothing of playing for 4 hours in one stretch! Imagine asking UK musicians to do that, all for tip money! ‘Tootsie’s’ was my favourite club. Good old boys playing songs about dawgs, trucks, women and beer! Well it beats X factor any day! Once I had had my fill of country I got myself ready and headed back to Memphis to attend Clarksdale Mississippi Juke Joint Festival! This is a must go to place if you ever have the opportunity. Going south on Route 61 (The Blues Highway) it took about two hours from Memphis on a very flat, straight and dusty road. It was easy for me to start imagining the early blues pioneers travelling in the opposite direction. On arrival in Clarksdale it was a bit of a culture shock in some ways. GPS took me through a very nice part of town. Not what I was expecting at all. Clarksdale is obviously not all run down as you might suppose. I found that I could park up easily in the centre of town and headed to the festival head quarters to get my bearings. Basically there are venues and juke joints up and down the blocks and musicians were already playing outside in the street. In the centre is surprisingly a very nice café where I just sat down to look at the map and decide on what was on offer. This place is a real mixture of cultures. It seems that the folk who live here have turned this into a living museum. And quite rightly they want to celebrate the area’s rich blues heritage. Incidentally there are, in fact a couple of museums, which are well worth a look. The festival does try to showcase local Deltan musicians as much as possible, playing in the tradition of their forefathers and pioneers of the genre. However, there was a fair amount of visiting musos like myself. I couldn’t help feeling a bit like an impostor at times but ultimately we are all doing the same job in drawing attention to this wonderful form of music with all its diversity and influence.

By Saturday the place was a hopping, vibrant carnival of sound sight and smells. Market traders were set up in the middle of the roads selling all kinds of blues related stuff including diddley bows and cigar box guitars which I was tempted to but very wisely thought about how I was going to get it back on the plane! The smells I refer to were the BBQ’s dotted around the site with all the usual fair but in addition you could get “Hot Tamale’s” as sung about by Robert Johnson in “They’re Red Hot” and of course Catfish. Hot Tamale’s are made out of corn based dough, which is steamed or boiled in a leaf wrapper. They are filled with meats, vegetables and chillies according to taste. Needless to say I sampled both Hot Tamale’s and Catfish.

Must see places are the famous Ground Zero, owned by local attorney and businessman, Bill Luckett and academy award winning actor Morgan Freeman. Saw a lot of bands in this venue…in particular there was a local guy by the name of Terry “Big T” Williams. Big T has dedicated his life to his music. Born in Clarksdale in 1960, he spent his early years on a plantation in Farrell, Mississippi, hearing stories about Muddy Waters attending Sunday picnics in his grandmother’s yard. He grew up listening to all the great music of the Delta and after learning to play guitar at age 9, his music has taken him all over the world. The place was electric as the audience really responded by jumping, dancing and flocking around to take pictures of the Big T spectacle as it unfolded. Another must see venue was “Reds” run by Red Paden a whisky drinking, bear of a man. Reds Lounge guarantees a real authentic juke joint experience. It’s “Rough And Ready” to party! This was my first Clarksdale experience and I really enjoyed wandering around and soaking it in. A lot of the action was happening on the street. There was one memorable performance from a guy playing a distorted, three stringed cigar shaped guitar and a filthy sounding blues harp around his neck, while at the same time stomping on a large stomp box. He was extremely good and attracting a lot of attention. A few hours later he was still at it but now he had been joined by another harp player and they seemed to battle for supremacy. They were both as good as any you might pay good money to hear in the UK. It was all happening; from country blues to rock. Of course I got to play too. It felt like I was sitting on someone’s back porch playing to the tourists. Of course I was a tourist too. There is a lot to see and hear in Clarksdale. It was hot and the people were very friendly. Worth a visit…also you can’t go all this way without taking a picture of the Crossroads monument!.. Even if it is on a busy intersection with a gas station and stores right nearby!

THE LIAM TARPEY BAND

In 2012 I moved into band management for the first time. The Liam Tarpey Band are a talented young Blues trio from London UK, comprising of Liam Tarpey (guitar and vocals), Rob Millard (bass and vocals) and James Taylor (drums).

I had dabbled in the music business while living in South Africa from 2002-06. I approached Nelson Mandela via one of his Foundations about using segments of his speeches on a track by jazz artist and friend Simphiwe Dana whose first album ‘Zandile’ had gone platinum. I was told by observers I ought to become a promoter, something I had never considered. I soon realized back in the UK that band booking; particularly for smaller lesser known bands was a lot tougher and less lucrative than I had imagined. Without professional help, the vast majority of bands never muster the marketing inertia to leave the gravitational pull of their local pub circuit.

Listen to many top bands and they will site their manager as one of the most important factors in their success. Led Zeppelin had Peter Grant, the Small Faces Don Arden -the Beatles’ early success has been attributed to Brian Epstein’s management.

I was lucky in that I had contacted Alan Fish of the band Egypt when I looked for an act I could assist gig booking. Alan proved a most patient and able mentor. I realized that in order to really get on - the only way I could succeed was via hard graft, knocking on doors, and daily pushing my way forward.

My second major piece of lucky was when Wey Radio’ producer, Heather Harrison and blues DJ Martin Clark pointed out the Liam Tarpey Band who had recently appeared on their station. With my entrepreneurial background I was soon in contact with Liam.

So do you become a top manager? To learn about the industry I read books and I researched top managers and their histories. You need fundamental business skills, legal knowledge - contract law in particular, also an understanding of book-keeping and accounts. If you cannot manage yourself, goes the adage, you will never manage other people. You need sales skills, and the ability to cold-call. You will need negotiating skills as you become more successful.

On befriending promoter Stephen Stanley of Solid Entertainments -who runs a portfolio of blues festivals and venues –Stephen gave m the idea of introducing Liam to Susan Williams of, Frontier Promotions. Sue was the publicist that helped Joe Bonamassa’s meteoric career.

After only a few months the Liam Tarpey Band is appearing at The Great British Blues Festival and The Maryport Festival this summer, the band tracks are being requested for use on promotional CDs alongside other top blues artists. We are working on a new album and a European tour for 2013 and we already have the offer of slots on several festivals next year

Elvis Presley said of his manager Colonel Tom Parker: “I don’t think I’d have ever been very big if it wasn’t for him... The manager may not get the praise and the limelight the artist gets but you can rest assured, they are their in the background earning their percentage.

Simon Collyer

THE ANDY DRUDY DISORDER

The Andy Drudy Disorder is, it goes without saying, a project put together by pro guitarist and sessioneer Andy Drudy. For Andy, this project has been a long time coming, and long overdue. Andy says, “I have been lucky enough to have earned a living since I was at school, by strapping on a Fender Stratocaster. It was never intentional. I never wanted to be a professional player, but people kept asking me to do stuff and hear we are 20 countries and 30 years later.” .Andy has had projects before but this is his first solo outing. So why blues?

“Well, for me it was a coincidence of birth. Almost every piece of music that I have been exposed to from an early age is derived from blues. It is not so much the progenitors of the form that interest me as much as the tree that grew from those roots. Waters became The Stones, The Stones became Fleetwood Mac, Mac became Hendrix, Hendrix became Led Zeppelin, Purple, Lizzy, Travers and so on until Nirvana made a train wreck of blues based rock. And that there - is my life”! It is not surprising that a new interest in blues has flourished after so long in the wilderness. “Hell, since Nirvana, even guitar solos have become unfashionable”!

“I have always had a fascination with jazz and I see no difference between jazz and blues at all. And that is reflected in The Disorder. Play Round Midnight with a slow shuffle and that will turn anyone’s head around”. In fact ask Andy and he will tell you “We have not even scratched the surface of what you can do with Blues and Rock for that matter. The world does not need another Stevie Ray or another BB or Hendrix. There is no point reiterating that stuff. It is desperate however for some new blood, some pioneering spirit. And that notion inspires me”. And that is where the Disorder comes in, it is basically a workshop for sprouting new ideas onto a blues rootstock. Some of it works, and some of it is pushing at the boundaries!

Andy is signed to Splash Point Records with his first release “The Blues Civilisation” available from July 2nd.

PAUL LIDDELL

Paul Liddell is a working musician/singer/songwriter/recording artist based by the sea in the North East of England. His current album, the excellent ‘Milestones And Motorways’ is a proudly home-made and independent release.

Paul is an experienced live performer with an unstoppable work ethic, clocking up on average 20 gigs a month both solo and with his band ‘Delphians’. Live, his singularly unique voice and unpretentious delivery combine with the use of live sampling, guitar percussion and layered vocal harmonies to provide a great platform for his wonderful songs to shine. Paul has toured in America, whipping up a storm in several little coffee houses across California. While there he performed on a TV show filmed in Time Warner studios in Hollywood, and got his song ‘Brighter Lights’ placed on a nationally distributed and TV advertised folk compilation CD. Other live highlights include a show-stopping performance on the main stage at the Beverley Folk Festival, and a memorable show at the Piperine Free Festival in Milan. Other artists Paul has shared billing with include Billy Bragg, Turin Brakes, Beth Rowley, Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze), Karine Polwart, Polly Paulusma, Calvin Harris, Nick Harper, Nerina Pallot, and Florence And The Machine. Other notable achievements include making it through to the final 10 of Q Magazine’s Glastonbury competition, being named as the hardest working, most gigging songwriter of 2009 by the PRS, and selling over 3000 albums and EPs solely at live performances.

Paul is currently unsigned and unrepresented, building a cottage industry into something more in a purely independent, DIY fashion.

Praise for Paul’s album “Milestones And Motorways”

Paul is a smooth and capable guitarist, and his low-key vocals tackle social injustice and media corruption with wry compassion. The vivid splashes of grungy electric riffage that punctuate this album add welcome force to this sharply etched portrait of life in modern Britain – Guitarist magazine.

“Milestones And Motorways” is a real troubadour album, one that throws life and experiences right back at you, ready to challenge your thought processes and move on. Politics both personal and global aren’t shied away from; Liddell is not about to sell himself and his listeners short by compromising yet still contrasts his aggression with recocilliation – Fatea magazine.

An artist in the bloom of their creativity – folking.com

Lyrically, the songs come armed with a social and political conscience (bankers, the media, Catholicism, instant gratification culture,) as well as exploring self-doubt and the human condition… capable of sharp observations and on the lovely Footprints with its ‘walking in circles footprint wheels’ line, unbridled romanticism – Netrhythms. paul@paulliddell.com - paulliddell.com

DAVE JACKSON

Former New Orleans-based pianist turned ‘Born Again Bluesman’, Dave Jackson is a guitarist who knows the value of dynamics, the potency of a sustained note and the effectiveness of a vocal growl. With great songs, deep tone, mighty riffs, exemplary jamming and bluesy vocals, ‘The Dave Jackson Band’ are the very best in ‘power trio blues’. On bass, is Dave’s soul-mate Jan, she may answer to the name ‘Janet Jackson’, but her bass playing enjoys the heavy blues styling of ‘Andy Fraser’, the front-line presence of ‘Leo Lyons’ and the spontaneity of Jack Bruce. In the engine room, on drums is ‘Reg Patten’. He is rock solid, a pristine time keeper and given to more than the occasional ‘Mitch Mitchell’ style flurry. The band’s live performances are always unique. Their ability to jam like ‘Cream’, free from the restrictions of set lists and over-rehearsed arrangements, make each song a new and exciting experience and each solo a new road to travel. Dave’s musical journey began in Africa, jamming with local musicians on a home-made guitar. The first time Dave met the blues was in the form of a ‘Buddy Guy’ concert. He knew then that the blues was more than a collection of notes, it was a place in your soul, and to ever sing the blues for real, you had to find your own place. After years of searching and paying his dues, playing in bars and clubs around the world, from New Orleans to Rio, Dave has done just that. His guitar playing has been described as ‘mesmerising’; ‘inspired’; ‘spontaneous’; ‘adventurous’; ‘luscious’; ‘rippling’; ‘intense’; ‘soaring’; ‘fiery’ and ‘fluid’. And with a voice to match, whether he is singing his signature tune ‘Born Again Bluesman’, (nominated for a ‘ 2012 British Blues Award’), or a ‘Robert Johnson’ classic, this is as real as it gets. Promoting his debut album, he has been building a reputation, with a headline show at ‘The 100 Club’ and guest appearances with the likes of ‘Wilko Johnson’ and ‘Stan Webb’.

As one rock writer sums up: “This is a band who have confidently walked into the studio and laid down the core of their live set. The guitar playing has a visceral, edgy quality and the juggernaut rhythm section pushes Dave every inch of the way. There’s an inherent rawness and a constant emphasis on the spontaneous that would make the likes of ‘Hound Dog Taylor’ smile, and contemporary outfits like ‘The Black Keys’ and ‘The White Stripes’ look over their shoulder”. Thanks to Pete Feenstra for his permission to use certain quotes: www.getreadytorock.com www.davejacksonband.com

Gus Munro

Catch Gus at The Great British R&B Festival, Colne Saturday 25Th August 7.30 pm: Dressers Club, Sunday 26th August 3.15 pm: The Acoustic Stage

He is one of the hidden gems of Scotland’s thriving blues scene. The singer songwriter is starting to create waves in his hometown of Glasgow. His recent run of gigs at The Ferry, in Glasgow, and the Dundee Blues Bonanza has seen the emergence of a loyal fan base and huge interest from venues and promoters. His song writing manages to retain the feel and emotional expression of the deep-rooted blues, while pushing through his Scottish roots in a modern context. The emotional depth of his song writing and soft, melodic tone of his voice often display a real sense of vulnerability. He is an artist who is not afraid to show his emotions. Nor is he afraid to sing in his natural voice and shuns the temptation of the oft used “American” singing voice. His singing and song writing are complimented with some of the most imaginative slide guitar playing you are likely to hear. While often subtle and understated, his guitar playing completes the emotional impact of the performance. He is quickly gaining a reputation as a unique talent and is a very welcome departure from today’s current trend of heavy rock based blues. A genuine, warm engaging performer, Gus will draw you into his world and compel you to listen.

photo of Gus by Paul Webster

Thanks to Harriet Armstrong for her photo: www.harrietarmstrong.com

The Screen Fades.....The Soundtrack Plays On by Roy Bainton

When I was at school, once I’d entered my teens, I always dreamt of going to America. That was where the music played all day. Not Victor Sylvester, Henry Hall and Joe Loss; but real rock and roll, played by the men and women who invented it. On a sharp, bright winter morning in 1961 my dream came true. As we sailed into New York on board the MV Port Halifax the sun sliced through the frosty air as the crew stood on the afterdeck, smoking and laughing. We were waiting for a tug and I had brought my trusty Philips transistor radio up and it was stood on the hatch, volume full on. We cruised past the Statue of Liberty as the Big Apple’s finest DJ, Murray the K of 1010WINS New York boomed out in his machine-gun delivery enthusiasm. Then it happened; that long, spine-tingling opening note from the brass section, then the irresistible beat. It was number three in the Billboard chart; this exhilarating instrumental was called Last Night, by a group called the Mar-Keys. I never saw a real Fender bass guitar until about 18 months later. It was wielded by Hull’s Rick Kemp, (later of Steeleye Span) playing in a pub in Hessle, The Marquis of Granby, with a Hull supergroup called Johnny Hawk And The Aces. But I knew that sound – it was the same heart-beating, funky thud I’d heard on the Mar-Keys record, and on that memorable New York morning, it had been played by Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn. If you want to know all about Booker-T and the MGs, the Stax Records story, I’m not going to re-run it all here. The Internet is awash with it and in any case, I’m too sad about Duck’s death to trawl through it. Just remind yourself of the thrills he was involved in by listening to Otis Redding’s “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” (1965) and (Sittin’ on) “The Dock Of The Bay” (1967), Eddie Floyd’s “Knock On Wood” (1966), Albert King’s “Born Under A Bad Sign” (1967) and Wilson Pickett’s “In The Midnight Hour” (1965), or take your copy of The Blues Brothers movie off the shelf and enjoy seeing this talented man in physical action, puffing away on his trademark pipe… and don’t forget Time is Tight and the still thrilling Green Onions. There’s a lot said about the ‘Deep South’ so we have to remember that Booker T and the MGs broke an important mould as a rare example of an integrated group, made up of Dunn and Cropper and African Americans Booker T Jones on organ and piano and Al Jackson on drums. Al Jackson was shot and killed in 1975, resulting in Duck’s outspoken advocacy for gun control. And now another musical hero, Donald Dunn has died in his sleep at a hotel in Tokyo, aged 70. How strange it is that he should make his exit far away from his hometown, Memphis, in Tokyo, where he was on tour with MGs guitarist Steve Cropper. Cropper found his departed workmate in his hotel room and commented “I have just lost my best friend”. In many ways, so have we all – their sound was the essence of joy and friendship.

Every time I hear the Mar-Keys playing Last Night I am 17 again, looking across the sparkling expanse of New York Harbour on a clear winter morning, the skyscrapers looming up like welcoming, beckoning arms through the frosty haze. Dunn would have been a year older than me on that day. We both had a long life of musical discovery ahead of us. If our lives play out like a movie, then Donald Dunn was part of the soundtrack of mine. The credits may be rolling, but the music will play on until I join him. Rest in Peace, Duck, and thanks for the memories and the thrills.

Blues Matters!

From left: Dunn, Booker T, Steve Cropper and Al Jackson.

Photograph: Michael Ochs Archives

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JOHNNY DICKINSON “Dylan Day”

by Alan Nichol

Long-term hospitalisation is a dread of most people but it can be particularly tough on professional musicians, who are selfemployed, after all. Northumberland-born slide-guitarist/singer/ songwriter, Johnny Dickinson is currently the victim of a particularly pernicious condition which has seen him spend the last eight weeks (at time of writing) in an intensive care unit in a Newcastle hospital. At first, it was thought to be Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a distressing illness which compromises the body’s natural immune defences and attacks the peripheral nervous system. At its worst, it can render the patient immobile and can require months of highly-skilled treatment and subsequent physiotherapy. The initial diagnosis has recently changed to a related and a similarly littleknown condition – which presents the same symptoms - called CIDP (Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy). It is currently challenging the hospital’s specialists not least because John’s pre-existing lymphoma, diagnosed a couple of years ago, is compounding the task. At this point, a brief summary of Johnny’s career to date would probably be helpful. Johnny Dickinson, now in his forties, has performed music all of his adult life and he has a seriously eclectic outlook ranging across blues, country, folk, Western swing, gospel, reggae and beyond. Initially, however, he fronted a hotly-tipped (by Kerrang magazine) rock outfit called Splitcrow and later worked in London with the bluegrass-influenced Moonshine Boys (and occasional Asleep At The Wheel references) while accommodating a day job. While still in London, he was a founder member of multi-award winning Paul Lamb & the Kingsnakes (with fellow Northumbrians Paul Lamb and John Whitehill). On his subsequent return

JOHNNY DICKINSON

to native turf, he tore-up his own corner of north-east England with the wildly experimental Hillbillies From Outer Space - a psychedelic roots band, no less. About ten years ago, he decided to try his hand at a solo career - majoring in acoustic guitar with occasional reversion to electric - and it proved to be an inspired move. His debut album, Castles & Old Kings, won him accolades for his deft balance of folk and blues, all underpinned by his shimmering slideguitar work and a full-ranged vocal dexterity which gifted him the freedom to roam at will. The guitar-style was the product of years of poring over the works of country-blues originals like Blind Willie Johnson, Fred McDowell, Tampa Red, Robert Johnson and so on. Blending a long-time affinity with the music of highland pipe-bands he was able to fashion a Celtic-blues hybrid. Blues, indisputably, is at the very core of his work.

He was quickly identified as a wanted man by the BBC Radio 2 specialist programmes, recording sets for national broadcast for Mike Harding (Folk and Roots), Paul Jones (Blues) and the more mainstream Mark Radcliffe. He was able to dip into his deep reservoir of songs - originals and covers – to satisfy them all. The folk elements of his work, for example, saw him nominated for subsequent years in the BBC Folk Awards, playing many of the leading folk-festivals (at Cambridge he appeared on all three stages and recorded for the BBC TV highlights show) and his album, English Summer, was folk album of the month in Mojo magazine. He toured with other musical mavericks like Kelly Joe Phelps and John Martyn and expanded into continental Europe for gigs with Jan Akkerman, Tommy Emmanuel, John Renbourn, Thom Bresh (virtuoso son of Merle Travis) all of whom were, by any yardstick, top-drawer company. Johnny also recorded a live DVD and subsequently offered a live CD - Sketches From The Road - which provided a typically expansive sample of his art. He also reprised a partnership with harmonica virtuoso, Paul Lamb, and the pair toured Europe as an acoustic duo in the style of their mentors, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee.

There are clips galore on You Tube of Johnny playing with any number of highly-respected pickers but he has, aside from a highly-developed guitar sound, a voice the like of which none of the others possesses. At his shows Willie Dixon’s Same Thing or Fred McDowell’s I Wish I Was In Heaven sits comfortably alongside The Gypsy Laddie or John Hardy and in that respect Johnny was no different to, say, Alvin Youngblood Hart. It may not all be blues but blues informs most of his work. His last studio album, Hilo Town, has more than a passing nod to Western swing. The news of Johnny Dickinson’s illness galvanised the musical fraternity, especially in his native corner of the UK. As a result, a download -only album is now available from http://www. johnnydickinson.net/ . The twelve tracks include a couple of live cuts from Johnny (one with Tommy Emmanuel, one solo) and a donated track each from fellow guitarists, Joscho Stephan, Tony McManus, Thom Bresh, Wizz Jones, John Renbourn, Aziz Ibrahim, Jennifer Batten (long-time guitarist for Michael Jackson), Clive Carroll, Jan Akkerman and John Smith. The whole album can be downloaded in double-quick time for only £5. Bearing in mind that Johnny’s wife (and family of four children) has a daily seventy-mile round-trip from the family home in Northumberland to Newcastleand all of the costs that incurs - musician friends have put together a benefit show at Newcastle’s Cluny on Saturday, 18th August to help meet the unforeseen additional expenses. A full line-up with running times, ticket arrangements etc are available on page 82 or the Cluny website http://www.thecluny.com/

Johnny Dickinson’s own website is at http://mazzycranks.com/ johhny/ and it has all of the usual facilities like albums, videos, message section and biography.

A tired question often heard is “Is the Blues dead?” Frankly, the question isn’t worth asking, because the Blues keeps on playing and living, old style, new style, retro, and ground-breaking. Always churning out fresh talent, while wily old stagers play on and on.

One example is London’s Flamingo Club, a nightclub which hosted some fantastic jazz, Blues and Rock talent and has been part of history since it closed late in the 1960’s. Yet some of the life of the club lives and breathes again, once a month, at the Bull’s Head in Barnes, itself a venue with a great jazz-Blues pedigree, where a Blues line up of distinction and a surprising array of talented guest musicians plays a fitting tribute on the last Monday of every month. All the more fitting as some of the musicians played the old Flamingo Club, and some memories from two of them are the heart of this feature.

First a little history. The Flamingo Club was started in 1952 by Jeffrey Kruger, and was originally located at the Mapleton Restaurant in Coventry Street as a home for quality jazz in comfortable surroundings. The club had a resident band that included saxophonist Ronnie Scott, and the club featured performers such as Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. In 1957 the club moved to Wardour Street, and in October 1962 the club saw a fight between two lovers of Christine Keeler, who became famous during the Profumo Affair. By 1963, the Flamingo Club featured both jazz and R&B music (the original kind!). Bands who performed at the club regularly included Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames and Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band, Chris Farlowe and the Thunderbirds, and Shotgun Express featuring Rod Stewart. Members of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Jimi Hendrix were regular customers. Later, the club featured Stevie Wonder, Bill Haley, John Lee Hooker and Jerry Lee Lewis. The club later rebranded as The Pink Flamingo, before it closed in the late 1960s.

Flamingo memories

1: Don Craine (of The Downliners Sect)

“In the early 1960’s, following the pre–Sect Downliners Friday evening gigs at the 2I’s in Old Compton Street, I’d head to the Flamingo for the All-nighters. Making my way down the stairs, I would buy a coke and settle down in a seat, in front of the stage, to listen to the likes of Earl Watson and the Blue Flames, Ronnie Jones and the Night –Timers and Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated. For me, the place seemed like a Speakeasy from a U.S. gangster film, and I felt that I was in the coolest venue in London. There was seldom any trouble, but if any problems arose, you would always hear promoter Rick Gunnell shouting out “Why Don’t The Band Play?”. When we sacked our manager, for selling whisky at our unlicensed gigs (without sharing the profits), we were approached by a deserter from the Military Police who wanted to represent us. Not really wanting him to have the job, but wary of upsetting him, I said that if he got us a spot at the Flamingo, he could take up the position. To my amazement, he came up with the goods, as it turned out that he had approached the Gunnell brothers (Rick and his brother Johnny), on the very day that a band had pulled out of a Bank Holiday Special that they were organising. The gig went well and from then on we played the club regularly, until we took up a residency at the Studio 51. As for the would-be manager, he was arrested shortly after our first Flamingo appearance and we never saw him again.”

Flamingo memories 2: Nick Newall (formerly with Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band) “Back in the early sixties I was a Bournemouth boy, working in bands around the area. A few of us, including Zoot Money, Andy Summers and Colin Allen used to drive up to London occasionally for the day, when we weren’t working, to check out the delights of the Metropolis and go to Ronnie Scotts in the evening. I remember the evening we walked up Wardour St. As we were about to turn into Gerard St. where Ronnies was in those days, Andy noticed a sign opposite outside the Flamingo Club advertising Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames. I thought it all sounded a bit tacky and wanted to carry

on to Ronnies, but Andy went down to have a look. Moments later he returned saying that it was great and we should all come and see.”

“It was a revelation… the atmosphere was great, and the band was very cool. Georgie Fame was on Hammond Organ and none other than John McLaughlin on guitar. The tenor player was Mick Eve, a guy with a very American sound. I was completely sold on this place and the music. In fact I thought that this was just the kind of place that I wanted to play at, and just the kind of music. It just so happened that a few months later, Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band was getting established in London, and was able to fill a lot of slots at the Flamingo, because Georgie Fame was starting to tour round the country.” “The clientele was very hip at the Flamingo, a lot of American servicemen used to be there, especially at the weekends. On Friday and Saturday nights there were All-Nighters that used to start around 12 to 12.30 and go on to 4 or 5 in the morning. In those days it meant that in the early hours that was pretty much the only game in town, so a lot of visiting musicians would show up, and sit in. I remember one night at about 3AM we were playing a slow blues... probably “Stormy Monday”, and having played a solo, I was leaning on the Leslie speaker with eyes closed, listening. When the vocal came back in I remember thinking “ Wow! Zoot ‘s sounding fantastic tonight”. When I looked over I saw someone else sitting on the organ stool with him... turned out to be one of the Isley Brothers, who had just arrived in town. That was the kind of thing that used to happen there. We often had people like Long John Baldry sitting in, Geno Washington too, when he was still a serviceman, and a very young Elkie Brooks.”

“The club was run basically by the Gunnell brothers, and mainly featured bands booked by their agency, who included Georgie Fame, Chris Farlowe, Zoot Money, John Mayall, and latterly Geno Washington, amongst others. This created a situation where bands which played at the Flamingo tended not to play at the Marquee or the Scene club, and people like The Animals and Manfred Mann who did, didn’t work at the Flamingo, as a rule.”

“When I started playing at the Flamingo early in 1964, R&B played there every night except Saturday evenings when Modern Jazz was presented by people like Dick Morrissey and Don Rendell, until midnight before the All-Nighters took over. However that was dying out, and before long it was all R&B bands.”

“When we played the All-Nighters, we had usually been playing somewhere else during the evening, and would arrive around 12 and have to unload the van and get all the equipment down the narrow stairs. The club was in the basement, the Whisky a GoGo was upstairs, so we had to get past the queuing punters. The club had a low ceiling and was usually already hot and steamy from the early session by the time we arrived. I remember lugging the Hammond organ into the club with my glasses completely steamed up and unable to see anything. During the gig we’d sweat profusely, and our band mohair suits would hang up afterwards in the van only to emerge next night still damp, but we were young and keen and excited and just didn’t care!”

“The Flamingo was not licensed and only sold soft drinks, coffee, hot dogs and hamburgers, so any alcohol consumed was smuggled in. It didn’t seem to matter. The hotter it got the more Cokes they sold. In front of the stage were a few rows of cinema seats for the serious music fans, behind that open space for dancing and all kinds of social mingling. It was a wonderful place.”

Back to the Flamingo nights: Don Craine

“When I first heard Alan Glen and the Barcodes, I was immediately reminded of the sounds from the old Flamingo days, so I was delighted when Alan asked me to guest with the Allstars at the Back To The Flamingo Club at the Bulls Head in Barnes. The music is authentic and the spirit is spot on, and when I hear sax. player Nick Newall say “Why Don’t The Band Play?”, I know that the world isn’t such a bad place after all.

Back to the Flamingo Club nights mini-review

The reason why this feature has been written is because the Back to The Flamingo nights are great. Great musically, for listening to a band and guests that are so at home with their music that they could play it in their sleep. Great for an atmosphere that is relaxed and friendly, the venue being small and all the chairs being close to the stage. Great for the company: of both the musicians themselves, who also include John O’Leary, and the paying public. On the night I was last there, I sat next to a lady who was formerly a cloakroom girl at the similarly famous Eel Pie Club. If you’re anywhere near the Bull’s Head in Barnes, get Back to the Flamingo Club. You won’t regret it.

Venue/gig listing: http:// www.thebullshead.com/ GigListing.html and here http://www.feenstra.co.uk

Note Music/Flamingo Page http://www. note-music.co.uk/ BackToTheFlamingo.html

- Youtube Play List http:// www.youtube.com/playlis t?list=PLD18C282D64C0

E0CD

FaceBook Page https:// www.facebook.com/ groups/308338972567321

The Barcodes: http:// www.thebarcodes.co.uk/

FESTIVALFEVER EVENTS

THAT HAVE HELPED SHOWCASE THE BLUES

Burnley Rock & Blues Festival 2012

Well gone has the original title – the simple “Burnley Blues Festival” and ROCK added - for what purpose? Increase the possible numbers attending – liven up the event – broaden the musical horizon?? What ever! – it was nice to see it go ahead after being in the doldrums in the last two years. Whether or not it needs the ROCK appendage will remain unknown. Gone too has the Sparrowhawk (hotel) where several of us stayed during the previous years and watched many a great fringe gig there. No Blues Cruise along the canal this year either – many of us sorely missed that little excursion. The Mechanics (main venue) has altered internally with a new “Temperance” bar but no OLIVERS’ stage (free public access venue) so the foyer was unusually hushed – very odd to us veterans! The box office is where we once got grub and so on. The main stage and bar were, however, as lively and enthralling as before and the programming splendid. In the town new fringe venues have been added and accommodated the punk/rock groups - a few subtractions were noted as we saw boarded up drinking establishments - a sign of our times eh? It was nice to pass The Coach and Horses and The Talbot en route to the Mechanics and catch snatches of well loved Blue bands belting out their tried and tested Hoochie Coochie Man/and Little Red Rooster etc.. Blues Train held sway at The C and H again and delighted the punters under the showmanship of one Reg (The Post) Chalker and the raucous and good humoured Bikers/rockers in their traditional black leather garb hung outside the Talbot whilst the bands changed over! BUT it was so nice to be back in Burnley and as long as it had Blues somewhere in the title we didn’t mind the changes (though getting our heads around it being May Bank Holiday and not Easter may take us a little longer!!) and we have to take our hats off to congratulate all those who strove / fought and won the day to restore Burnley to the forefront of the British Blues scene. Thank You.

BURNLEY ROCK & BLUES FESTIVAL – 4th to 6th May 2012

Diane Gillard (Sister Feelgood)

Change of bank holiday weekend but Burnley is back in its traditional three day format with a stupendous line-up that is sure to delight everyone. Friday evening started the festival off with the crowds full of anticipation, Dr Truth opened up the proceedings with a set that included some great lyrics from the charismatic word-smith Mike Bowden including a topical song ‘Down The Line’ all about internet dating. Following quickly was the young Rock/Blues four piece outfit Albany Down. This band has potential and were finalists of the New Brunswick Battle of the Bands. The competent skills were all there with accomplished guitar and vocals backed by a solid rhythm section. They are yet another example that British Blues/ Rock continues to draw in talent. The set demonstrated their skills and delivered in a variety of tempos ‘You Ain’t Coming Home’ was a slower number that showcased the lead vocals. The band delivered quite a mature sound and will be seen I am sure on the festival circuit. Then came the act everyone was waiting to see and pure class was delivered by Jimmie Vaughan & the Tilt-a-Whirl Band with special guest Lou Ann Barton from the off. The band warmed the crowd up with an instrumental opening number, with Jimmie’s picking style lead with that authentic Texan blues feel. This was the act that was a crowd pleaser he soon had the audience on their feet. The set was varied with an endless list of favourites including ‘Tear Drop Blues’ & ‘I Ain’t Going To Do It No More’. What a brilliant start to the festival in the lovely environment of the refurbished Burnley Mechanics, with more great music promised over the weekend. Saturday’s impressive line-up did not disappoint opening the proceedings was the fabulous Norman Beaker Band & Larry Garner. The interplay between Larry and Norman (guitars) Lead/Rhythm respectively was seamless that reflected the 20 years they have been working together as demonstrated in ‘Two-time Woman’. Larry Garner wooed the crowds with his entertaining anecdotes delivering a top-drawer and thoroughly entertaining set. Followed quickly by ‘The Revolutionaries’ this superb Rock N’ Roll band fronted by the charismatic ‘in-your-face’ Ed Stephenson who can sing dance, play guitar, keys and blues harp. The set they delivered was accomplished and got the dancers to their feet in sheer delight as they shook their hips and jived the afternoon away. The house by the end of this accomplished set was rockin’ as the energy in the audience rose reflecting the style and delivery of this band that is guaranteed to turn up the tempo at any festival.

Blues Matters! 94

photos on these pages by Liz Aiken

With what was now becoming a smooth routine one band left the set and the background staff who were doing a superb job got the next band organised just giving the crowd time to catch their breath before the unique band ‘Hokie Joint’ took to the stage with all the style and panache they can muster. Delivering pure stage-craft and drama to all the songs by all members of the band, and not least by the charismatic performance of Jo Jo Burgess on vocals who punctuates the meaning of the words with meaningful and powerful hand and eye gestures.

To pick a single song from the set is difficult but their delivery of ‘The Crying Song’ for the crowds at Burnley was awesome, this band is the cutting edge of blues in Britain with their distinctive rootsy dirty sound, and like marmite you either love or hate them, they are undeniably talented bringing a depth and difference to any festival they play for.

The lyrics are strong and the musicianship is superb and in my opinion they are the band of the moment and are going from strength to strength with a forceful set. Following Hokie after a short break was the second Texan of the festival the ever popular ‘Hamilton Loomis’ with a new look band with new Sax/keys player and drummer. What an accomplished musician delighting the crowd who were already on a high from three brilliant performances. Hamilton wandered among the crowds stepping from table to table bringing the stage to the auditorium. With the skill that comes from touring all the time he bought freshness to all his old favourites and introduced some new material such as ‘Working Real Hard’. Hamilton is funky blues performer and produces an amazing sound, combining his prodigious talents as a guitarist, harmonica player and mean vocalist, this is modern exciting blues. Finally, the headliner for Saturday was on stage ‘Sugar Ray & The Bluetones’, they may be headlining but following a day of class musicians demonstrating the depth of talent with in blues today they would have to deliver as the preceding bands had set the bar very high indeed. This was Sugar Ray’s only UK date and the last on his latest European tour and boy did he deliver what a tremendous sound as he led the audience through a discography of the blues. With songs from the greats including Little Walter’s ‘Mean Old World’ the perfect showcase for his vocals and virtuoso harmonica playing, followed by songs from Otis Grand, T. Bone walker and Slim Harpo number ‘Shake Your Hips’. This was high quality East Coast blues and with the crowd absorbing every perfect note as Sugar Ray led the band with confidence enabling them to showcase their skills in the rhythm section and with the high-pitch lead breaks that were the trademark of the lead guitarist, his telecaster sounding like a Stratocaster. What an ending to an awesome Saturday, Burnley Blues Festival was delivering and Sugar Ray was a coup anyone who missed the performance missed and blues-man delivering at the highest level simple tremendous awe-inspiring musicianship. Sunday, all too soon this great festival would be over, opening the proceedings was Virgil & The Accelerators’ getting the afternoon of to a rollickin’ and rocking start as this high powered 3 piece fronted by exciting lead guitarist Virgil McMahon and equally talent drummer his younger brother Gabriel got things off to a great start. This band raises the tempo of any festival bringing their own style of rock with a heavy influence of blues this young band play with a maturity beyond their years. Virgil took every opportunity to demonstrate his considerable guitar skills with complicated and fast moving licks, definitely a band for the ‘guitar-heads’ amongst us. ‘What I am I To Do’ demonstrated the skills of all the band members this young band is reaching ever higher heights and the sky’s the limit for this talent group of young men, on a personal note I wish Virgil would drop the faux American/mid Atlantic accent he is British and be proud of that it is his music that speaks for him. ‘Dani Wilde’, contrasted well with the opening act with the combination of her guitar skills and soprano voice and a bluesy sound. The band produced a very tight and slick performance with a solid rhythm section that included a female bass player Victoria Smith. The band sound was augmented by her Brother Will’s (another musical set of siblings!) great harmonica sound and Stuart Dixon’s lead/rhythm guitar. This array of talent gave the music depth and colour with a great mix of tempo, as demonstrated on some tracks when the interplay of Stuart and Will created a “brass” sound, very innovative. The lyrics of some of the songs were very relevant and modern including ‘The Burning Truth’ about the London Riots contrasting with old favourites such as Smokey Robinson’s ‘Whose Loving You’. The set drew to an end to rapturous applause and the Ian Siegal Band took to the stage Ian had flown back from the States where he is recording a new album just to entertain at Burnley was greeted with cheers and the expectations that crowd always has when Ian performs. The set included songs from his last few albums and delivered with class and polished professionalism. You couldn’t help but notice a definite Mississippi influence on songs from his previous albums such as ‘Hard Pressed’. Andy Graham

FESTIVAL FEVER

(Bass) & Nikolaj Bjerre (Drums) provided the perfect backdrop of this talent blues-man and adapt to whatever Ian throws at them. The set delivered by Ian was full of confidence and excitement with his new stage persona a jaunty black hat with a feather he was the complete artist, his guitar skills are phenomenal but his delivery of the strong lyrics from self-penned songs is what makes Ian stand out from the crowd. This strong set would often be the headline but no Burnley had two further acts to keep the audience engaged. Ian was followed by Matt Schofield who are both on Nugene Record Label. As ever Matt delivers controlled and measured guitar playing in his own distinctive way with all the favourite tracks that makes him such a great blues guitarist as ever supported by Johnny Henderson (Hammond Organ) and Kevin Hayes (Drums). His voice is growing from strength to strength and this is a blues trio with a generous dollop of funk and jazz as demonstrated by ‘Betting Man’, then to the delight of everyone Ian Siegal joined the trio for a number ‘Pretty Baby’, the Nugene segment of the festival was pure class and left the audience breathless. The headliner for Sunday Nine Below Zero with Glen Tillbrook are festival favourites but they would have an uphill task as the auditorium was buzzing from the previous two acts. They performed their usual set with added spice from Glen Tillbrook who had good interplay with Dennis Greaves. They delivered and didn’t disappoint their fans. Burnley Blues festival was a great weekend, the backstage staff ensured the proceedings went without a hitch with good sound and lighting and the breaks between bands was kept to a minimum. With music ringing in our ears Sunday came to an end and we were mentally booking Burnley 2013 into our diaries.

Liz Aiken

The Revolutionaires

Christine Moore

Hamilton Loomis

Ian Siegal

Jo Jo Burgess

Virgil McMahon

Larry Garner

Dani Wilde

TAKIN’ IT BACK TO THE BRIDGE

With a prestigious nomination for “Best Festival” at the 2012 British Blues Awards under its belt, the pretty Yorkshire Pennine town of Hebden Bridge hosted its second Blues Festival from June 1-3

With no Council backing and only a tiny amount of sponsorship, Hebden Bridge Blues Festival has to run on a shoestring budget, selecting acts purely on talent rather than cherry picking – though they did pick a cherry as it happens, in the form of Cherry Lee Mewis!

Most of the acts were chosen by co-organiser Paddy Maguire: “We have a firm belief that the best action and the most excitement in the Blues scene is with those artists who are of the here-andnow. People who are out there gigging, writing and recording new material. These musicians are what keeps fire in the belly of the Blues.”

Not that Hebden Bridge was all about unknown bands. Todd Sharpville, the headliner on Saturday night, won the British Blues Connection “Best UK Guitarist” award in 1995. And you wouldn’t say Mitch Laddie, Cherry Lee Mewis, Idle Hands, Bare Bones Boogie Band, Ben Poole, Angelo Palladino, Paddy Milner and Marcus Bonfanti are unheard of.

It’s not only the festival itself that has been nominated for awards. Between the assorted musicians playing there were 15 nominations in the various categories, including two in the Best Female Vocalist category, two in the Best New Artist category, three in the Acoustic section and no less than five in the best original song section.

The town’s b@r place (no caps, @ for the first ‘a’ but not the second!) was the festival’s new HQ, under the guise of the Blue Horizons Stage. It hosted Paddy Maguire’s Midnight Jam Sessions, where artists from across the festival come and – well, jam.

That’s where the Festival began on the sold-out Friday night, with an entertaining set from a local band with a growing reputation for their energetic live performances, The Revelators (I can definitely say this was the first time I’d seen a Theremin used in a blues band), followed by the hugely talented Ben Poole Band. There was also a first taste of Howlin’ Fox, the beer brewed specially for the festival by the local Slightly Foxed brewery. Many were indeed Howlin’ and Slightly Foxed before the festival was over.

With various Juke Joints around town supplementing the two official stages adding to the variety on offer, the Blue Horizons Stage hosted a Saturday afternoon line-up including Poplar Jake, the award-nominated Babajack and Rabbit Foot, both the latter featuring female percussionists in Becky Tate and Carla Viegas respectively. Rabbitfoot’s ‘swamp boogie blues’ involved Carla hitting her African drums so hard they had to be gaffer-taped together to prevent being pounded into an adjoining county. Jon Bonham was a pussycat by comparison!

In line with the festival logo of a flaming guitar, two of many richly talented guitar-based trios on show over the weekend came next, the Stuart James Band then Mitch Laddie, topping the Blue Horizons bill that evening.

Over at the Main Stage, the town’s Picture House, Idle Hands gave the afternoon a great start, fronted by charismatic vocalist Phil Allen. The band had another festival to play that evening! The funk blues of the Fuschi 4, fronted by Italian guitarist/singist Paolo Fuschi, and the kilt-clad Binsness Blues Boys followed. They’re from the north of Scotland, I should explain. The Bare Bones Boogie Band, no-nonsense festival regulars, and festival headliner Todd Sharpville completed the Main Stage line-up. Todd’s what would happen if Bruce Springsteen got the blues, I reckon.

Sunday on the Main Stage got a great rockin’ launch from another of those guitar trios, Lewis Hamilton and The Boogie Brothers, with yet another, Russ Tippins, following later. In between, Rhythm Zoo’s singer Andi Jones offered a soulful hint of Billie Holiday and Janis Joplin.

Across at the Blue Horizons Stage, Angelo Palladino, Dave Arcari and Tom Attah were providing a sharp contrast. There’s something very lazy summer Sunday afternoon about acoustic blues, even though it was raining heavily outside with temperatures more like March than June, and even though they are all powerful performers. All were very enthusiastically received.

Sunday at the Main Stage was Women of Blues Night, starting with the precociously talented local teenager Lucy Zirins, followed by Fran McGillvray, the excellent Hooson featuring Calderdale’s own Janis Joplin, Jenna Hooson, and

Tony Winfield

Todd Sharpville

Lucy Zirins

FESTIVAL FEVER

finally bill-topper Cherry Lee Mewis.

Around the same time over at the Blue Horizons Stage (all of 3 minutes’ walk away), Crosscut Saw were delivering their customary high energy crowd-engaging set involving some outstanding (and surprisingly rare for this blues festival) harmonica, before Marcus Bonfanti and Paddy Milner rounded things off in truly top quality. Their ‘Now I’m Gone’ may well have been the star moment of last year’s festival, and it may well have been this year’s too. It will be interesting to see how this festival develops over the coming years, whether it can build momentum and attendances. Maybe that’ll include having some festival T-shirts next year – of this year’s there was no sign, apart from the organisers and staff and a few who bought them at a warm-up gig last December. I lost count of how many people asked me where they could buy one. The shirts cutely add … ‘and me!’ at the bottom of the list of artists on the back. Collectors’ items already (XL, black, offers ….)!

Chris Rowland

TAURUS CRAFTS BLUES FESTIVAL, Lydney, Gloucester June 23rd 2012

I enjoyed this ‘little’ festival last year so returned this year along with eight companions. Set in the sheltered walled orchard/ lawn area of the craft and garden centre under a stout canopy it has straw bales to sit on, a real ale and cider bar. Food is available and kids are welcome. Once again the good old British weather cast doubts over the event but a goodly crowd attended and it all went exceedingly well. Oliver Carpenter (event co organiser) MC for the day introduced and made welcome the first artist on stage this day: Nedd Evett (Nashville,Ten,USA) fretless glass necked slide guitar supremo! Looking much like a youthful Monty Don (TV gardener) Ned started and held the audience spellbound with his novel Globro as he calls his guitar and his polite mannered and good humoured chat. He was not alone this day as friend and fellow musician percussionist ‘Todd’ joined him and gave gravitas to much of the material during the performance. Nedd has recently recorded an album in 2012 (TREE HOUSE) so naturally drew on it for a good part of his set – and having played the CD when I got it home he had cleverly selected the Rockier/bluesy songs from Tree House for the festival audience. Nedd started out on a scholarship to study classical guitar (influenced perhaps by parents? Both professionals – English prof. Father, Opera singer mother) but abandoned that to set out on a career of song writing/ singing. He met and came under the influence of Adrian Belew (King Crimson, Frank Zappa guitarist) and so developed a steady touring work ethic. He sang ‘Dead On A Saturday Night’, ‘Bend Me’, ‘Pure Evil’, ‘Mars River Delta’ all from the CD and gave us a great Hendrix ‘Are You Experienced?’ and several more choice songs and instrumentals. Nice start to the festival.

BabaJack was next on! What can I add that hasn’t already been put into print on this band? They are riding a Blues Festival and Club circuit HIGH this last twelve months and more - Nominated in Blues Awards. - Plenty ‘air play time’ - and Good on ‘em! They have based themselves in the acoustic Folk/Blues band tradition they drew much from delta bluesmen material as well as their own real good stuff. Becky Tate (vocals/percussion) introduces each number and makes easy chat between them. Her voice carries well in this intimate setting and her short dress showed plenty of thigh when sat akimbo to play the cahon (wooden box) and had male audience hearts beating well too! Becky introduced the other band members – Trevor Steger who played on own home made wine box guitars in true folk tradition and accompanied Becky with the vocals. Marc Miletitch on upright bass harmonised occasionally with Becky and Trev but remained for the greater part the quiet perhaps serious influence on the band with his thumping and remarkable bowing of the strings. All quite lovely. I particularly liked their ‘Moneys all Gone’, ‘Big Man Blues’, ‘Skin ‘n’ Bones’, ‘Rooster Blues’ (also title of new CD) but best of all ‘Gallows’ Pole’. Mumbo Jumbo were here again and why not? Chris Lomas (bass) and Oliver Carpenter (Vocals/trumpet) are “artistic directors” to the festival. Tony Bayliss, their drummer was to feature heavily throughout the festival proceedings as he was in another band later and stood in at short notice for Steve Roux’s band. Abby Brant (keyboard

photo of Jenna Housson by Tony Winfield

Tommy Allen Band

player/vocalist) kept them all in order! Friends with me who had not heard them before were impressed and liked their laid back swampy down home back porch bluesy style. I have seen them several times and love Oliver’s gritty Tom Waits style vocals and trumpet solos. Chris sang and played various instruments – the old ukulele was great. Abby has a beautiful voice and also had lovely solo moments as well as superb harmony to Chris and Oliver. Tony kept the beat going - through Mumbo’s set and kept going and going... Favourites for the set were ‘Regret It’ and ‘Nice Work’. Tommy Allen Band: Tommy on guitar and Vocals, Chris (Lomas) bass and Mick Barker drums. Forthright heavy rock beat blues songs and choice instrumentals. This is when the dancing got serious! We dancers ‘Rocked Steady’, walked the ‘Walking Blues’ stood at the ‘Crossroads Of Love’ and tried ‘Texas Love’ as well as ‘Tried Living In The Belly’ and many others before collapsing at the end of a spectacular show of musicianship from these guys. Just awesome!

Steve Roux and the Brass Knuckle band: I admit I had to go on the web to find out more about this band before going. They have played some great gigs and featured in respected festival line –ups but to date I’d not seen them. Their YouTube videos looked promising. In the flesh here at Taurus they were everything they say on the label Tony Bayliss depped for their injured drummer and pro that he is, and the band you hardly noticed the ‘join’! We dancers stayed on the floor all through –hence I cannot remember individual songs after the likes of ‘New York City’, Rosco Gordons’, ‘No More Doggin’ Around’, ‘Satisfy Suzie’ ‘Breaking Up Somebody’s Home’. Horn and rhythm sections added to the stupendous guitar work from Mr Steve Roux. They play the next one day Festival in The Fold (Worcester) next month and we look forward to that dance session with relish!

Simon “Honeyboy” Hickling Band - The final band and what a band! Whereas l missed Johnny Hewitt and his harmonica from the Tommy Allen’s band Honeyboy sure made up the deficit! His wild and exciting “Mississippi saxophone” style is impeccable. His band is awesome, even the drummer and yes you guessed it… Tony Bayliss played like his life depended on it! Simon’s skilful, breathtaking performance had the whole place dancing including his lovely wife Monique. The Swansea girls took him to their hearts when he was a regular at the Tawe Delta Blues Club and all wore glitter festooned t shirts with his name on them. One Swansea girl missing was Louise who couldn’t make it so Simon played ‘Louise’ –then mobile phones were out and the aforesaid Louise called so that she could hear the song dedicated to her. It was a grand little festival despite the downpours all day. It was a soggy walk back to the hotel but the day was, we all agreed, very much worthwhile and great fun. We then feasted on birthday girl Jean’s chocolate fudge cake and a hot toddy! Look forward to next years’ festival.

LINTON MUSIC FESTIVAL - The Alma Inn Nr. Ross on Wye, June 15th,16th,17th 2012

Diane Gillard (Sister Feelgood)

It was the best of festivals – It was the worst of weathers – to parody Chas Dickens - but we Brits stuck with it despite the challenges of gruesome quagmire car parks and swampy but never quite submerged camp site. Organisers had their work cut out but in true Dunkirk style spirit they coped magnificently. New sponsorship added to the traditional list of worthy sponsors and that this year there was plenty more cover to shelter from the tropical storms and squalls - conditions that could and DID wreck other festivals this summer but not Linton! Good programming and widening of musical horizons without detracting from the BLUES element that has been the mainstay of this festival over the years. It ensured the regulars turned up as usual and many new faces appeared. Dave Butler was excellent in his debut roll as MC for the weekend

Friday - Recommended by Paul Jones no less! 24 Pesos opened up the festival hero from Thin Lizzie - The Pesos took the music scene by storm in 2008 with their wild lively high energy set. (I better save some adjectives for the other bands or else I’ll use them all up on this outfit!) They showed us why they have been nominated for this year’ Blues Awards. Despite dreadful climatic conditions they got this Linton Festival and the dancing under away. Likewise the veteran rock bluesman of Thin Lizzie fame Eric Bell continued the process of engaging the audience with some vintage rocking blues and once again the punters took to their feet and bopped away in the damp soil. In support to him was an extremely talented rhythm section that had a long drum solo moment when Eric’s guitar lead/amp? Gave up the ghost! Hero as he is too many there I watched them sing to all his ‘hits’ old and more recent. Following that the LA based band Vintage Trouble took the last spot of the night and went into a very up tempo lively set of thumping good blues with a little rock, R&B and soul thrown in for good measure. The crowd in front of the stage danced away and it was obvious why after this festival they were quickly on their way to gigs on into Europe. True professionals with talent by the bucketful they finished off day one in style.

Saturday - It was unfortunate that the opening band this day Red River Blues Band had a lousy start (not their fault) with technical trouble and probably the worst downpour of the whole weekend. In true pro style when things got going again so did they and they thrilled the audience

All photos of LintonFestival supplied by Diane Gillard

Adam Norsworthy from The Mustangs

FESTIVAL FEVER

with their “Tight, bright and great rootsy – yes you do need your dancing shoes on” performance – just as it said on their promo label. A valiant performance! The storm had abated by the time The Mustangs came on! I love this band having spotted and noted them at a Swanage Blues Festival some years back and at major festivals around the UK since. Adam vocals /guitar rhythm section Ben and John and harmonica hero Derek played a stonkingly great set of Brit R&B. Many songs from their new CD Pow Wow featured as well as some golden oldies and I overheard many a favourable comment from people sat close to me when they had finished their fine set. The next musical indulgence was the talented and very pretty Chantel McGregor. Guitar musos moved closer to see her play that six string of hers as she played some heavenly great rocking blues as well as entertaining us with friendly chat in between tuning and songs. An engaging young lass with bagfuls of talent and wicked humour she won many a man and boy with an interest in guitar showmanship over after her performance especially the Hendrix!! Next: The Cadillac Kings. It had dried up a little by now and the sun looked as though it may make an appearance! Whether it did or not did not matter as everyone was being delighted by the ultra Mr. Red hot and cool Mike Thomas and the band! In complete control with a penchant for dry wit and satyrical p... take along with excellent slide guitar and nonchalant vocals he cut a dash as did the people flooding into the dance floor. We boogied on down, got low down and dirty, we bopped till we dropped and jived like our lives depended on it and rocked to the end of their set on jump jive 40s and 50s style dance beats. Don’t think they’ll be in church on Sunday!

Chantel McGregor

Thought I might have to sit out the next performance (Alan Nimmo and King King) having seen them earlier in the week but did I? NO WAY! Right down in the very front of stage I gyrated for the whole of their mind blowing set. Numbers were mostly off their “Take My Hand” album that has been playing continuously in my car CD player for months. (it has only recently been usurped by a new CD Voodoo Moon by Savoy Brown!) What a glorious evening singing and dancing along to fantastic songs and rhythms and standing in silent awe at the slow tempo and sublime guitar wizardry Alan portrays in his version of “Old Love”. Magic!

Bernie Marsden and Friends, I love this guy and in my humble estimation he can do no wrong. Beautiful guitar technique but modest with it – name dropped –yes but when you’ve around as long as he has been as great a guitarist singer song writer as he has and in demand as he has been you are entitled to do so. It is alleged that BB King once said of him “Bernie Marsden - now that man CAN play the Blues”. In the closing hours of Saturday night he (and his friends) showed us why he has come by such praise and numerous other accolades. He went through many a White Snake anthem then touched on early Brit Blues and current songs from recent musical ventures. Lovely sound creations from the twin lead guitars and vocals - band and audience went through many a rock anthem that evening – my favourites being: Is this Love, Would I Lie to You, Young Blood (you’re Hot Property), Fool for Lovin’ You, Can’t Get Enough of your Love and the crowd just loved and joined in whole heartedly each chorus of Aint no Love in the Heart of the City. A master class recital all splattered with Marsden good natured humour. I pitied King Mo who had to follow THAT! But having flown in from Holland and being that countries top playing Blues Band they carried it off. They knew they had their work cut out but did it deter them? No way! They settled into a dynamic performance of raucous rocking blues. Many numbers were their own and stood up well against old tried and tested Blues. Sjors Nederlof, Phil Bee,Jules Van Brakel, Colly Franssen and Andrus Robbie Carree who make up this phenomenal line up have won accolades a plenty in their home land and over the continent and this night they conquered a soaked to the bone field full of people in the UK .I own up that I was so tired by now that I did retire early to get some rest so missed seeing the full set BUT I could hear them loud and clear half a mile away when I snuggled down in my dry spacious tent for the night and was still awake to hear their encore – a spectacular version of “Little Wing”.

Sunday: Started off dry and windy so we decamped while it lasted. Sure enough as we got to the main stage again the weather broke. So Stratus started and re started when wind and rain and gremlins got the better of them. When they did get under away to play a shortened

Alan Nimmo

set they played their socks off for us. They are the local Linton village band - all school lads about to set off to different careers ,colleges etc and this was a much needed sending off gig for them They played valiantly and impressed us with their own songs as well as championing their selected ‘cover’ versions. By the time they finished the sun almost emerged from the grey slow dispersing clouds.

Larry Miller next! Resplendent in navy and gold braided military Sharpe style jacket and a broad crimson bandana holding back (just) his long blonde flying locks he stormed on stage and continued to pound us with military precision on those gunning guitar orientated salvos of rocking blues. He was on a high and so too were the audience before very long. Recently back from Ireland and his success with the Rory Gallagher Memorial concert fans at Ballyshannon on his first visit to the festival, he, it seems, could do no wrong. This last day of Linton was to be no different. Over the top antics, gestures, and searing guitar solos kept his band and audience on their toes throughout. Shell shocked and shattered after such bombardment it was nice to hear his beautiful slow ballads here and there! Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Gary Moore were then thrown into a medley of instrumental mayhem that worked. After the encore and final departure of LMB from the stage audience members limped back to their seats or to the field hospital (aka The Beer Tent) to lick their battle fatigued bodies into shape for the next whirlwind of guitar action about to strike! Oli Brown is another rocking bluesy guitar slinger but is far more subtle in his performance than Miller. Grey pinstripe and crisp shirt regalia for him! Less flamboyant (dress wise and stage performance mannerisms) than Miller Oli is no slouch when it comes to marketing himself or his style to an audience. He is cool, youthful and clever but in no way conceited with his abundant talent. He had a splendid write up (and large photo) in the Telegraph recently following his 26 gigs triumph as support band to John Myall!! He’s back now playing the ‘circuit’ his own man and for the greater part his own music. He won the audience over by the end of his allotted time exposure to the Linton crowd. And now for something completely different as Montypythonians would say and The Grand Slambovians are just that! A New York based band (I would have put them further south than that but I’m wrong) they are over on a short British tour and are known to Linton as they headlined here a year or two ago. I didn’t quite know what to make of them then or even now for that matter. Whereas I dismissed them last time I paid more attention this time around and came to the conclusion you shouldn’t try to understand them or take them too seriously but just listen! Slambovian fans crowded in front of the stage and so I watched and listened. What is it that turns them onto their spooky but not sinister appearances, their peculiar but not ‘potty’ or pretentious mannerisms. Their influences mention The Beatles (Lennon not McCartney for my money) Dylan –so obvious in songs chosen and intonations. Bonzo Dog DooDah Band – no mistaking that. I loved the Tom Petty vocal style here and there along with an odd Waits thrown in for measure but it was the normal voice used in intros and asides by front man and lead singer that reminded me of Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest!!! I don’t think they intend to be taken seriously but their musicianship and humour has to be. I sang along on the chorus of “The Tran Slambovian Bi Polar Express” as did the hundreds around me! The hundreds also knew and sang along to “Very Happy” and “Everybody Needs A Change”. It certainly was – ‘a change’ and it worked well for both the Slambovians and Linton audience alike. Am I converted…? Well yes - but not as yet in full communion at the holy shrine of Slambovian devotion.

Earl Thomas and Paddy Milner - Just when we thought all the bad weather was behind us .......it was back on top of us again. Did that bother us? NO! Taking to the shelters – mine under the stage awning – I estimated that at least 95% of the sell out crowd were still there to the bitterly cold wet end and enjoyed every second of it. You cannot fail to recognise the talent, energy, charisma and downright electrifying showmanship this man exudes! The band was a line up of notables too! Paddy Milner – keys, Marcus Bonfanti, Randall Breneman guitars, Bob Dowell trombone, Ben Somers, Sax and Jon Radford trumpet. It was without doubt a spectacular display of talent. Everything Thomas did was outstanding and if you only go to see one band this year or performer then make it this guy and this musical collective. Thomas’s tribute to the late Etta James – his version of ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’ is unforgettable. But then again so was everything else he does be it rock, blues, soul, and gospel he does it all and he does it well. A brilliant finish to the day and Festival The weather may have been bad and other festivals bigger but Linton is still the best little festival going.

Diane

Gillard (Sister Feelgood)

Bernie Marsden

Gandalf Murphy

OLI BROWN

Here I Am Ruf Records

It’s been said many times that an artist’s third album can be the most difficult to write and deliver, yet Oli seems to have grown in stature with the release of “Here I Am”, his third release. His songwriting and above all his voice have grown in maturity, producing a work of depth and quality. With Wayne Procter on drums(as well as wearing the producers hat), Scott Barnes on Bass and complimenting his touring trio, Joel White on Hammond and Rhodes, this is a work that strides many genres and may well appeal to a wider audience than his previous releases. Opening with the bouncy title track, he then moves into a lazy Hoax style shuffle of ‘Thinking About Her’, a track which allows his voice to really penetrate and demonstrate its quality. ‘Manic Bloom’ is a slow but dark Blues inflected number whilst ‘All We Had To Give’ is a mournful tune about lost love. Whilst Oli is a very talented and capable guitarist, this albums is not so much about the instrumentation and solos, instead the emphasis is on the song and the singer. Solo’s are therefore curt, but one that stands out is the middle of ‘Start It Again’, a mid tempo three minute rocker. The autobiographical shuffle of ‘Devil In Me’ is a Brown original song and charts the progress that he has made in his own lyrical and musical writing. The highlight however is his interpretation of Al Kooper’s ‘I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know’. Made famous by Donny Hathaway, this is a slow Blues that smolders, the words made more electric by Brown’s soulful rendition and the thick Hammond backing. Dani Wilde appears as guest vocalist on ‘Like A Feather’ and Paul Jones adds harmonica to ‘Solid Ground’. “Here I Am” says it all for Oli and the socalled precocious young teenager has certainly come-ofage with this release; his future seems very rosy indeed.

ANTHONY GOMES

Up 2 Zero Independent

providing the perfect platform for Anthony’s trademark mesmeric guitar riffs and incendiary solos. A serious student of the blues, with a master’s degree, ‘Room 414’ is the mysterious room in which the blues are preached, the same number as the hotel room where Robert Johnson recorded his songs. This is a beautifully crafted album with legendary keyboard player Reese Wynans supporting magnificently in the background. We need to see more of this superb band in the UK.

The Bishop

BUDDY MILLER

Your Love and Other Lies/Poison Love Shout Factory

Buddy Miller is not an artist I am familiar with but this package is an excellent means to get acquainted to his music, the double album set replicates his first two solo albums recorded in 1995 & 1997 respectively, Buddy is a Country singer and guitarist who on these albums sticks fairly closely to this genre. Throughout his career Buddy has worked with and alongside some of USA’s top Country artists and on these albums the debt is repaid by the likes of Emmylou Harris and Jim Lauderdale, while I am struggling to find any blues here this should not distract from some quality music that is clearly aimed at the UK market on the back of Robert Plant & Allison Krauss’s successful Country influenced albums over the past couple of years. Besides being a quality musician Buddy is also an excellent vocalist and hardly needs the support he receives here from an assortment of musicians, while these albums were recorded over a decade ago the music is timeless and should do well second time round.

DAR WILLIAMS

In The Time Of The Gods Floating World Records

Merv Osborne

He may not be very well known over here, but this is the ninth album in 14 years by the 41-year old Canadian blues/rocker singer, songwriter and guitarist who now lives in Nashville. The 11 songs are all originals and cover a variety of genres from the commercially appealing, ‘Anywhere You Run’ and ‘Fly Away’ to mainstream blues, epitomized by the excellent, ‘Voodoo Moon’ and the poignant, ‘Last Bluesman Gone.’ The latter reflects on, “What we gonna do when the last bluesman’s gone? Who’s gonna sing the truth, who’s gonna carry on, who’s gonna heal the world?” Gomes sings with the honesty and integrity you would expect from a man whose motto is the Shakespearean, “This above all, to thine own self be true.” One minute he is singing slow ballads which ooze sincerity, not least ‘N’Abandonne Pas’, and then he blasts his way through hard rock numbers such as the blistering, ‘Back To The Start’ and the title track, ‘Up 2 Zero’, both

Adrian Blacklee

Dar is the childhood nickname given to Dorothy Snowden Williams who was born in 1967 in Mount Kisco, New York. Although Williams displayed an early musical inclination she was drawn towards drama, and eventually majored in theatre and religion at Wesleyan University. In 1980 she moved to Boston, Massachusetts and began a love affair with music. Since the early 1990s she has released over a dozen albums, and is now regarded as one of America’s finest singer / songwriters. Williams now lives in Cold Spring, New York. This as with previous offerings is hard to pigeon-hole and falls into the broad category of singer / songwriter. There are echoes of Mary Chapin Carpenter and Carole King but in more of a folk rock and occasionally country setting. What sets this apart from the crowd is the highly intelligent lyrical content, where evidently much time has been spent in avoiding verbosity and cliché in favour of expressive and meaningful words. Just one example in describing child suffering she writes, “Oh what have we here, he must be three or four, Shaken out of a boot on its way

to war, And he’s not looking for a father or mother, Just a seven year old brother, On this smudged line border camp of refugees”. Williams’ songs tend typically to centre on themes of social ills, religion, gender issues and relationships, but all overlaid with a gentle observational wit and song craft. The playing throughout this album is impeccable, and the clever lyrics are delivered with a crystal clear and pleasing voice. Picking out standout material is difficult, because the whole entity is of a uniformly high quality, but the atmospheric and moving singing in ‘Crystal Creek’ is sublime. This is sheer quality.

Noggin

DUKESY & THE HAZZARDS

Ain’t Coming Back To You Independent

This Australian four piece band play jazz/funk with a touch of Blues and their album contains nine original songs written by Nick Brown who also handles guitar and vocals. They bear a passing resemblance to the James Taylor Quartet but with a little more emphasis on guitar and vocals than Hammond organ. Opener ‘I Get Up’ is all pumping bass from Dave Evans and wailing organ from Jarrah White. This is all topped off by icepick guitar and soulful vocals from Brown. The funky ‘Hey There Little Lady’ is more of the same with particularly good interplay between guitar and organ. This is music to get the juices flowing and the dancers on the floor, or in my case, the toes tapping. There is a superb groove to ‘Just Got Paid’ as the band proclaims how happy they are to have got some money to spend and have a good day. Title track ‘Ain’t Coming Back To You’ has a more Bluesy feel to it and is reminiscent of Climax Blues Band. These guys are all experienced musicians and certainly know how to set up an infectious groove. As the title implies there is a Latin feel to ‘Necesito Una Copa’ which almost strays into Barry Manilow territory but manages to retain credibility with a particularly funky bass solo. The aptly titled closing track ‘Running Outta Time’ is taken at breakneck speed with Nick Brown displaying great dexterity with his vocals and guitar work. I enjoyed this album and it certainly makes a nice change from screaming Blues-Rock guitars. I imagine that Dukesy & The Hazzards would be a great party band. Look out for them if they ever come to these shores.

Dave Drury

original version and is one of the many highlights on the album, if you like your Blues “Hard n Heavy”, this will be your must have purchase

Adrian Blacklee

DAVY GRAHAM

Anthology 1961 – 2007 Lost Tapes

Les Cousins

GOV’T MULE

Gov’t Mule

Floating World Records

Formed in 1994 out of one of the many incarnations of the Allman Brothers Band, this three piece powerhouse band released this, their debut album the following year. The album has been re-released in 2012 on the British label and gives the UK public the opportunity to purchase and listen to this groundbreaking album, by a band who’s music is often described as a ‘Southern Rock Jam’, the opening track ‘Grinnin In Your Face’ highlights the band at its best, starting with a spoken blues style vocal before all hell lets loose and the volume intensifies and the riff gets heavier, Blues Rock at its best! The remaining tracks at times veer into Heavy rock territory powered by Warren Haynes’s guitar and vocals but still retain a strong blues feel to them, the rhythm section of Allen Woody & Matt Abis lay down a solid base that allows Warren to ‘Jam’ and improvise to his hearts content, as you can imagine there are very few three minute tracks here. One notable cover is the Free Track ‘Mr Big’ which is fairly close to the

Davy Graham was a legend and is quoted as an influence by more stars than you could shake a bushel of sticks at. Listening to this anthology you cannot help but be struck by how his own influences shone through his music but he always came through as a guitarist of particular skill and a performer of rare integrity – if he had played up his influences and stuck to the popular forms he could have been a million seller but he was always more interested in taking his music forward and this shines through here. The anthology is split into three sections – 1961-1963, 1965-1970 & 1970-2007 and the combination of Folk, Jazz and Eastern as well as his Folk/Blues is remarkable, coming from just one man. His classic ‘Anji’ is here, with a talk-in by Graham himself describing how it came about and describing it as “incredibly simple” but on the same Cd you also get a version of Brubek’s ‘Take Five’, ‘Southbound Train’ and a delightfully happy ‘Saturday Night Shuffle’. The version of ‘Mustapha’ on here, with its overtones of Indian Raga and Arabic influence is mesmerising. CD2 opens with a live show, appallingly recorded but still showing his virtuosity on ‘Davy’s Train Blues’ and a wonderful version of Willie Dixon’s ‘I’m Ready’. This seems to have been recorded at a University folk club with the crowd reaction edited out but the version of ‘Louisiana Blues’ must have gotten the ‘kids’ up on their feet. The live material is followed by ‘Blues Raga’ proving once and for all that he understood how to develop a piece and take it through phases. Most of the rest of the disc is from what sounds like a John Peel show performance featuring ‘Bruton Town’ to remind you that he was a folk performer of great renown and a stirring ‘Rock Me’ as well as ‘Tristano’ and the disc closes on an echo laden ‘Hornpipe For A Harpsichord’ .The third CD has better sound quality, as befits the developments in recording technology, and sees him more as a jazz and Folk guitarist than a Bluesman but there are overtones of the Blues in numbers such as ‘Happy Meeting In Glory’ and the album closer ‘New Junkies Blues’. These recordings deserve to be issued, even if they will mainly be for the already converted fans of Davy Graham but I must admit that they sent me back to listen to some of his original releases.

Andy Snipper

INDIGENOUS

Featuring Mato Nanji Provogue

Fans of Indigenous will lap up this latest offering, not because of the rather obscure subtitle of “Featuring Mato Nanji” (especially because it also features Jonny Lang), but because it’s a welcome return of the Indigenous signature sound. Those same fans will know that Nanji has been part of the band since its beginnings over a

decade ago and so the title is probably more about who the band no longer features. Lang contributes soaring guitar on the first track ‘Free Yourself, Free Your Mind’, whilst the rest of the album is Mato Nanji and the new band. It’s clearly bridged around the sort of pained vocal and screaming guitar that Nanji exudes in homage to the likes of Stevie Ray, Jimi et al. No bad thing as it all fairly flies with incendiary force. There are unsubtle slow Blues here too and ‘I Was Wrong To Leave You’ adds a Santana-esque vibe amongst the heavier Stevie-styled tunes such as ‘Storm’.

JOHN OATES BAND

The Bluesville Sessions DBA Records

Gareth Hayes

This album represents a 100% live Radio Show recording that took place on October 11th 2011 at the Sirus/XM Radio Station studios, unless you had known this, from hearing the album you would have thought this was a polished studio album, such is the quality of the sound and musicianship. Another surprise was that this melodic blues band is led by none other than one half of the 1970’s soul/pop band ‘Hall & Oates’, who manipulated the charts in their prime. This album showcases a group of musicians who play what I consider to be ‘Good Time Blues & Soul’ music, the majority of material is self written but the band but they do cover some interesting cover’s, including Elvis Presley’s ‘All Shook Up’ and Curtis Mayfield’s ‘Its Alright’, as you would expect with his pedigree John Oates provides some sublime vocals throughout, the only blot on the copybook is the rendition of the old Hall & Oates track ‘Maneater’, which does not sit well with the rest of the material although as it is a Radio Show recording I can understand its inclusion. A good soulful Blues recording that benefits from a band full of top class musicians, guitarist Mark Newman should get a special mention for his slick slide guitar work, on the basis of this “live” album the band will be a treat to see live.

Adrian Blacklee

JUDITH OWEN

Some Kind of Comfort Courgette Records

On this thirteen track album (all originals) the Welsh singer produces one of the most personal recordings you’re ever likely to hear. Many of the songs on ‘Some Kind Of Comfort’ featured in the West End show ‘Losing It’, a ‘mental health comedy’ starring Ms Owen and a certain Ruby Wax, dealing with depression (an illness that affected both women’s lives) and there is a cathartic, healing quality in the rigorous examination to which the composer subjects herself through this mesmerising set. Her overall sound, over her own hypnotically rolling piano, is reminiscent of both Joni Mitchell and Kate Bush, but it is the emotional tone that makes the album so successful. Many of the songs’ specific subjects -basically depression in its many forms- have been visited many times before, but it’s the consistency, integrity and thoroughness of Owen’s study of depression, its roots and manifestations,

that make this album so moving and valuable. Impeccably backed by the subtle bass of Laurence Cottle and the cello of Gabriella Swallow, added to unfussy string arrangements by Robert Kirby and Jay Weigel, Owen has produced her most musically cohesive and moving album to date.

Clive Rawlings

MICHAEL VAN MERWYK & BLUESOUL New Road

Groove Stew Records

Germany isn’t traditionally a hotbed of the blues: too clean, too ordered. But it seems in Michael Van Merwyk & Bluesoul there has emerged a band who wouldn’t be out of place in the down’n’dirty Delta. The title track and album opener embodies the band itself: uncompromising, hypnotic and atmospheric. The musicianship is impeccable on this album, van Merwyck’s lap steel playing as incisive as a surgeon’s knife. Indeed, there is something clinical about the way this band execute their music, a lack of thrills despite their spectacular playing. This is no bad thing however, as the band’s distinctive sound shines through on an eclectic collection of tracks, from the funky ‘Gravy’, to the blues ballad ‘Hooked’. There are only two covers on this album, and they the lowest points in an otherwise fine output; Charlie Musselwhite’s ‘Blue Feeling Today’ is lifeless on here, and a decidedly unwise interpretation of John Martyn’s exquisite ‘Don’t Want To Know’ – where van Merwyk’s vocal pastiche of the late folk singer brings into stark focus the German’s quite bland voice – just feels incongruous. There is much to recommend here, and if you like your blues with a twist, then “New Road” could be for you.

Adam Bates

MARION JAMES

Northside Soul

EllerSoul Records

One of the last living links to the heyday of Nashville, Tennessee’s Jefferson Street, Marion James is one of the Blues’ great survivors. Since making her debut single – the top-ten ‘That’s My Man’ – in 1966, Marion James has had more comebacks than Lazarus, enduring a lean 70s and a non-existent 80s, before the 1990s release of Marion James & The Hypnotics heralded a return to form. The re-release last year of “...Hypnotics” has seen a rediscovery of James, and it is on the back of this reappraisal that she releases her latest album, “Northside Soul”. She is backed by superb musicians, and although dulled by age, James’ voice still drips with raw soul across the 13 tracks on offer here. A blend of blues standards – a particularly funky Willie Dixon’s ‘I Just Wanna Make Love To You, and a moody Ray Charles’ ‘I Believe To My Soul’ etc – and original material, “Northside Soul” is a surprisingly raw journey through the history of blues and soul, guided by someone who was there to see it all.

Adam Bates

J.D. MCPHERSON Signs & Signifiers Rounder

It doesn’t make sense that this is on CD – it should be on big thick 12 inch vinyl, or even more likely, a series of six singles (or maybe three four-track EPs) on some obscure Texas label. This Oklahoman former school-

teacher has come up with a debut solo set that is “good old rock ‘n’ roll” in the truest sense of the word. What a voice he has! Elvis, Bo Diddley, Dale Hawkins, Junior Parker, The Coasters, and Little Richard, among others, come into play on this wonderful set. Try ‘Wolf Teeth’ for a total rave-up, ‘Scratching Circles’ for Wynonie Harrisflavoured rocking R&B, ‘A Gentle Awakening’ for a Bobby Bland styled blues-ballad. Lovely arrangements too, on all tracks, but whilst the sound is retro, there is never a sense of recreating a lost style; rather, the enthusiasm and skill of the originators is also very strong here. J.D. obviously loves and completely understands this music, there is great – but not slavish - attention to detail, and this album achieves the seemingly impossible feat of sounding both vintage and contemporary. Oh, and the 35 minutes playing time is just perfect!

HAT FITZ AND CARA

Wiley Ways

Rsmusic

Norman Darwen

It’s an obvious observation but anything produced by Australian guitar maestro Jeff Lang has to be worth a look. This is one such album and it rises above expectation by being a breath of fresh air in a busy market of retro Blues. Looking like the bedraggled remnants of outback hillbilly folk, Hat Fitz and Cara Robinson play dirty old time country Blues. The rasping ‘Power’ starts a hypnotic album of curse and holler that trawls, and drawls, through the linear, offbeat and obscure. Lyrically engaging, each track puts the listener on the porch with the storytellers whether that is for the crazy ‘Company Underground’ or the profound ‘Play Me Something New’. Jeff Lang contributes throughout but never intrudes and prefers to put Hat and Cara’s whistles and rattles in the front line for the best ‘homemade’ Blues of the year so far. It’s practically a field recording of raw and ruminant attitude and quite scary in originality.

KATE CAMPBELL

1000 Pound Machine

Large River Music

Gareth Hayes

My overall impression after several listens to “1000 Pound Machine” is that it is an album heavy with sadness and darkness, with very little light and joy shown anywhere. Raised in Mississippi, Kate Campbell draws from many influences like Gospel, Country Folk and Blues and her music is rooted in her native deep south, covering themes from religion and social awareness to Civil rights. Campbell is herself a piano player, and the album is built largely around that instrument with very little accompaniment. Opening with ‘1000 Pound Machine’, the title alludes to the piano itself and is a simple but somewhat meaningless song about how the piano works, Sadly the album closes with an even longer reprise of this track. ‘Montgomery To Mobile’ is a haunting song aboard a Greyhound bus and deals with race relations in the South. ‘Red Clay After Rain’ deals with homesickness and the longing for the familiar, and here there is some simple but most welcome melodic guitar accompanying her. Even the inclusion of an instrumental fails to break the eeriness and darkness surrounding this album, with the strings

adding to the sense doom and sadness. Country Blues is referenced in ‘Alabama Department Of Corrections Meditation Blues’, a song about finding religion whilst serving a life sentence for murder. Best song for me is ‘Wait For Another Day, perhaps the only song with a ray of sunshine as Campbell sings about delaying necessary jobs in order to look after a loved one. Kate Campbell possesses a beautiful singing voice, but I’d just love to hear her singing in a more positive and melodic environment than this one.

Merv Osborne

MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD WITH NICK GRAVENITES & AL KOOPER

Blues At The Fillmore 1968-1969

Raven

Based in Australia, Raven Records are really trying to keep the legacy of Mike Bloomfield alive. Over the last few years they have released several titles of this fine guitarist who was found dead in mysterious drug-related circumstances in 1981. This ten track set features five with songwriter/vocalist Gravenites, followed by five with keyboardist Kooper, and all come from both coasts of the famed concert venue. The set opens with ‘Stronger Than Dirt’, a fine instrumental that showcases the range of styles Bloomfield could employ. It has a funky opening with the guitarist laying down some stinging guitar, followed by an almost psychedelic interlude, before finishing with a sweet, soulful, very jazzy climax. ‘If I Ever Get Lucky’ is a lengthy, slow Chicago Blues with Taj Mahal on vocals. The collection is not just full of Blues guitar improvisation, as Bloomfield lets the other musicians do their thing, and there are plenty of saxophone solo’s to keep the music interesting. A version of ‘One Way Out’ is meted out, and whilst it doesn’t quite have the fire of the Allman Brothers Band version, it is far from shabby. There is also a featured cut with Johnny Winter on ‘It’s My Own Fault’, where Bloomfield clearly shows his adoration and Winter is on top form too with a fabulous dual guitar extravaganza. If you haven’t any of this axeman’s stuff in your collection, this is as good a place to start as any.

Andrew Baldwin

MITCH RYDER

Never Kick A Sleeping Dog Repertoire Records

Don’t be fooled, as I was into thinking that this 1983 resurfacing of the great R&B shouter Mitch Ryder (of. & The Detroit Wheels fame) would bring back the rawness and uninhibited joy of this once great 1960s rabble-rouser. His historical importance, especially in the States, cannot be underestimated, and moved even the esteemed Bruce Springsteen to cover ‘Devil With A Blue Dress On / Good Golly Miss Molly’ in similarly high-octane style. Despite employing the talents of long-time fan John Cougar (later Mellencamp) as producer, and members of Mellencamp’s band in the studio, notably Kenny Aronoff on drums, this amusingly titled album falls way short of Mitch Ryder’s halcyon period. Do not expect encounter the same brilliance as just for two examples ‘Jenny Take A Ride’ or ‘Shake A Tail Feather’ here. This, in unfortunate contrast, is a remastered reissue of what is unimaginative1980s straight ahead rock, with all the associated horrible outdated and regrettable production values of that time. Just now and then there are hints of a once great voice, but the decades were not kind to Ryder’s vocal chords. ‘A Thrill’s

A Thrill’ a duet with Marianne Faithful and ‘The Thrill Of It

All’ exemplify the combination of poor song, weak voices and dated production. The classic song ‘Cry To Me’ is plodding, and there are many better versions; such a pity, because Ryder’s vocals are for once impassioned, but again the mix is so weak. Even Larry Crane and Mike Wanchic’s stunning guitar work cannot save Mellencamp’s ‘Rue De Trahir’. Buy “Rev Up! The Best Of Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels” instead.

LAURENCE JONES

Thunder In The Sky Promise Records

Noggin

Nineteen year old Laurence Jones is the latest in a line of young guitar slingers in the Blues-Rock world and this is his debut album. The material is all original apart from a version of the oft covered standard ‘The Thrill Is Gone’ which gets a creditable funky reworking. The Jones approach is full on from the off with the kitchen sink being thrown into the mix early on. His influences are listed as Moore, Hendrix, Clapton, McPhee, BB King and Albert Collins so you get the picture. Having now listened to this album I would have thought Stevie Ray Vaughan and maybe The Hoax would be high on his list. A clattering drumbeat introduces ‘Bad Girl’ which is a crushing rocker with plenty of attack as Jones bemoans his luck in the love stakes. The playing is good and his band of Ali Hetherington on bass and Mikey Dean Smith on drums provide solid backing as Jones explodes into action with the almost non-stop guitar pyrotechnics. The funky groove of ‘Too Good’ is a standout track featuring a furious wah-wah guitar break from Jones plus keyboards from Charly Coombes. ‘Put A Spell On Me’ finds us deep in SRV/Hoax territory and as ever the playing is impressive but it would be OK to step back a little at times during the onslaught to provide a little more light and shade across the whole album. The title track ‘Thunder In The Sky’ is the sole slow Blues here and although the playing is good the vocals are a little more exposed but should certainly mature after some time spent touring the UK and European circuit. Closing track ‘Going Down’ features coruscating slide guitar runs set against a crashing drum figure and sounds like an updated Bo Diddley attack which is always a good thing in my book. There is already much to enjoy here and the promise of much more to come as Jones’ potential is undoubted.

Dave Drury

has a more than capable songwriting partner in Ross Lorraine, the haunting ‘Miss You’ one of their better collaborations. After three years, ‘Day Dawns’ has emerged. Amassing a fine set of musicians, including Matt Park / James Pusey on guitar, Nick Pini/Larry Bartley on bass, Nick Ramm/Dave Lennox on keyboards, Tony Kofi, sax, Mark Fletcher, drums and last, but not least, Damon Brown on trumpet, I can only assume fun was to be had at Cowshed Studios for the recording. Standout tracks for me are ‘Little Caged Bird’, ‘I Need You Here’ and ‘I Miss You’. As I said at the start of the review, great late night listening, this lady is certainly worth checking out.

Clive Rawlings

MENIC

Railroad Blues Anthology

Voodoo Rhythm

Zeno Tornado aka Menic plays out of Bern, Switzerland and has garnered favourable local reaction, especially as singer, guitarist and fiddle player with his band Zeno Tornado & The Boney Google Brothers. This is his first solo release, and he says that he draws influences amongst many others from Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Steve Earle and Townes Van Zandt. He has played with many artistes in the dispirit musical genres of punk, Cajun, Irish folk and bluegrass. It is fair to say that this eclectic grounding has informed what is an unusual and varied singer / songwriter album. The CD begins with the lively opening of ‘Shake My Bones’, then through the folk style of ‘I Sold Myself’, replete with whistles; and then on to the entirely solo ‘Lay Some Boot In’ with suitable boot percussion, of course. ‘1957 Ford Meteor’ has a Jim Croce Americana feel, before the more country-influenced ‘Gunpowder Mill’ and ‘I Got A Halo’. Most of the tracks have some fairly minimal accompaniment, typically of guitar, slide, banjo, double bass and accordion. A driving rhythm kicks off the excellent ‘My Everyday Is A Noday Now’, and Satch adds some neat square neck slide. ‘Jack Rabbit Blues’ is a particularly jaunty country Blues song. Occasionally the lyrics suffer from adopting the vernacular, for example in the cringe worthy “What’s better than getting laid?” in ‘Crazy Love’, but mostly the words are intelligent and sung with conviction. The exception is the final track where the lyrics are self-serving and banal, but this song is easily omitted. The occasional turkey should not detract from an accomplished debut, which grows with repeated listening.

Noggin

MELISSA JAMES

Day Dawns Independent

South London singer/songwriter Melissa James is already attracting a considerable ‘live’ following. This is no great surprise to this reviewer; the lady has an earthy, soulful sound reminiscent of Maria Muldaur. Picture yourself in a smokey jazz club late at night, sexy voice in the background and you get the picture! If it’s a fusion of blues/jazz/folk and soul you’re after, and then look no further. Melissa’s songs will take you on mini detours, illustrating the raw elements of her inner thoughts. She

MARK EASTON Grind Plastic Donut

The Australian multiinstrumentalist in the opening track, ‘Moving On’ declares that, “I’m on the road to nowhere, got to get there as fast as I can, so I need to keep moving”. Well, this very interesting second album on the Plastic Donut label, following the equally raw and uncompromising, “Money Is The Root Of All Evil” CD, is certainly taking Mark in the right direction. He sings, plays guitar, bass, resonator, drums and harmonica which he ‘loops’ to create an original, fluent sound which replicates that of a full band. Easton does not so much sing as growl, with a deep, tormented, gravel

voice which makes Leonard Cohen sound effeminate, particularly on ’Evil Woman’ and the haunting version of, ‘Good Morning Little Schoolgirl.’ Mark honed his skills in small bars and clubs across Australia and it must have been a tough experience for him to have come through it with a sound so dark, menacing and moody. This is pounding, primeval blues, and even the frenetic and more light hearted version of Hound Dog Taylor’s ‘Let’s Get Funky’ is punctuated with eerie, piercing and chilling laughs. ‘How Do You Sleep At Night’ sounds like Jim Morrison in his most depressed state at the nadir of his career, the lyrics impassioned and at times despairing. Would I give him a bad review? Never, as I might meet up with him one day and in any case he is someone well worth checking out, his slide guitar work and intricate finger picking style a joy to listen to.

MR H

Pale Rider

Independent

The Bishop

Welshman Mr H purveys well written songs in a rootsy, indie acoustic style with touches of jazz and Blues thrown into the mix. His all original songs are delivered in a pleasing, lilting and rasping vocal style accompanied by acoustic guitar, double bass, drums and keyboards. Opener ‘Marianne’ is a gentle and melodic love song which rumbles along nicely. ‘Dead Cat Fool’ is a soul belter which features a honking horn section and electric guitar as Mr H tells of feeling out of place in the 21st century. A gently rolling piano is the sole accompaniment to the emotional ballad ‘Angels In The Universe’ a touching song of thanks for being guided to a special person. Title track ‘Pale Rider’ is an upbeat number featuring a walking bass line and rocking horns as Mr H spits out the lyrics and the band whip up a storm. The songs are lovingly crafted and the arrangements and playing are excellent throughout. ‘Paradise’ is a gentle love song featuring only acoustic guitar and synth string backing as Mr H croons “in your heart paradise is where love dwells”. The jaunty soul rocker ‘Where Have You Gone’ is propelled by strummed guitars, bongos and hard riffing horns as Mr H poses the question of lost love. Mr H paints pictures with his best lyrics and ‘Under A Velvet Sky’ is a gentle ballad which tells of shared pain and loss. ‘Same Damned Road’ has an atmospheric and smokey feel to it and would be the perfect late night song in a dimly lit cellar jazz club at the end of the evening as the last punters hit the deserted streets. Closing track ‘Tired Of Fighting With You’ features a weary and resigned vocal from Mr H as he bids goodbye to another lost love and hits the highway one last time. I enjoyed this album of wellconstructed very personal songs delivered in a beguiling and pleasant style which should appeal too many.

Dave Drury

Gumbo. Think Seasick Steve meets Gordon Ramsey. An album highlight is the self-explanatory ‘gumbo recipe’, a step-by-step guide to cooking your own version of this very special dish: ‘the first thing that you do, you’ve got to make yourself a roux, and if you take care of the roux, the roux will take care of you’. However, there is more to Sauce Boss than mere novelty value: his slide guitar playing is fearsome, and his band really knows how to groove. Just listen to the intensity of ‘what was I thinking’, and the funk of ‘I Can’t Sit Down’ to know that Sauce Boss is serious about his music. And he cooks a mean Gumbo - Seasick Steve never did that.

Adam Bates

STACEY EARLE AND MARK STUART Dedication

Gearle Records

Indefatigable touring musicians, Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart claim to have written the tracks on “Dedication” during the half a million miles or so spent travelling across the Northern US in their battered Chevy. How apt this is: “Dedication” is the perfect music for the open road, timeless Americana, with the cynicism turned low, and the earnestness cranked up to 11. There is a beautiful simplicity to Earle and Stuart’s music, gentle chord patterns and tasteful accompaniment a suitable backdrop for some wistful vocal harmonies. Dedication’s guitar-led title-track sets out the duo’s stall from the off, and the sister tracks of ‘Here Comes The Pain’ and ‘Here Comes The Rain’ add something of the Neil Young-style piano ballad to the mix. The album highlight is undoubtedly ‘Broken Heart for you’, even if its hackneyed lyrics typify a group who’s Hallmark card sentiments have been far more eloquently expressed by other singer/songwriters. At times – particularly with ‘Little Rock’ and ‘The Flag’ – there is a descent into tepid and anodyne Glen Campbell-style Country & Western, but thankfully these moments soon pass. Get this album, get in your car, and get on the open road.

Adam Bates

RYAN HART & THE BLUE HEARTS

Call My Name Far-Tone Records

SAUCE BOSS

Live at the Green Parrot Burning Disk

If Reggae Reggae offers to ‘put some music into your food’, then Sauce boss puts some food into your music. Recorded live here, Chef-cum-musician Sauce Boss combines the worlds of good ol’ southern cooking and blues music, actually cooking live the Louisiana delicacy

“You’ve got to live it to give it” states the first line from this Ryan Hart’s latest CD. Apparently, in their twelve years together, this band have, indeed, lived it. Firmly rooted in the Chicago and West coast blues they have built their reputation on, ‘Call My Name’ expands their sound with soul, proto-rock’n’roll and even a little ska. All eleven originals on here contain common blues themes of love lost and found, but they also reflect the changes and growth of the band members. It ranges from depression to choosing music over a relationship. Ryan leads from the front on phenomenal vocals and harmonica, ably supported by Eric Ducoff on guitars/backing vocals, Nick Tescano on drums and finally Jeff ‘JB’ Berg on bass and slide guitar on the wonderful ‘When It Rains’. This is their third release on this label in nine years, I may well search out the others, and they sound like a good all round gigging blues band.

Clive Rawlings

MUDDY WATERS BLUES BAND

Mud In Your Ear

Douglas

Long lost recording of the Muddy Waters Blues Band live in New York City in 1969 but with a twist: for contractual reasons the man himself wasn’t allowed to sing or play lead guitar although he does appear on backing vocals and rhythm guitar (as well as a few solos). Excellent band consisting of Luther ‘Snake’ Johnson on guitar, and vocals alongside Mojo Buford on harmonica and vocals and Otis Spann on piano. Sammy Lawhorn pitched in on guitar and the engine room for this set was Francis Clay on drums and ‘Sonny’ Wimberley on bass – not a shabby collection of musicians at all. Johnson’s bellow sounds brilliant on ‘Diggin’ My Potatoes’ with Buford’s harmonica wailing like a banshee and Spann tinkling in the background and the set is off to a fine start. ‘Long Distance Call’ follows and if he didn’t use his own name you could swear that this was being sung by a Morganfeld rather than Luther Johnson but the number is deliciously loose with an easy feel and classic Muddy Waters type of groove. ‘Mud In Your Ear’ is an instrumental version of ‘Mojo Workin’ and it is followed by ‘Sad Day Uptown’ and then the album starts to be slightly less than a Muddy Waters album. The numbers here that were not written by Muddy simply don’t have the touch of Muddy himself. These are excellent Blues numbers and played by an excellent band – with this collection it could hardly be less than that – but it isn’t a Muddy Waters album. I would be happier to see less of the Muddy photos and images on the album cover and see the album billed as the Waters Allstars or similar because that would allow me to listen with fresh ears but as it is an excellent lost Blues album is overshadowed by the great man.

VARIOUS ARTISTS

a four man line up it is very refreshing to see a band with a harmonica player as a ‘full band member’ in their own right, Tex Nakamura does not disappoint, driving the bands sound with skill and dexterity. The band are also fortunate to have the services of Kid Ramos, who adds some nice guitar touches as well as producing the album, not that the band need any assistance on this evidence as they are a very solid unit who put their ‘life & soul’ into their music. While the majority of the tracks are high energy, the exception to the rule is ‘Hard Times’, a slow acoustic blues with just a hint of John Lee Hooker in its build up, on close listening to the album you can hear a variety of blues influences that the band incorporate into their music, including a small debt to the British Blues Boom. There are no ‘buts’ here, everything about this album is first class, while the guest player will take some of the plaudits vocalist/guitarist Johnny Main is the ‘Main Man’, in more than one way!

Adrian Blacklee

A Whole Lot Of Shakin’ Goin’ On Fantastic Voyage

Andy Snipper

This interesting double cd contains fifty rock’n’roll/blues songs with the word ‘Shake’ in the title. The advent of rock’n’roll music changed forever the body language that predominated on dance floors. It was now possible to ‘shake that thing’ to express your innermost feeilngs. If you’d got it, flaunt it. You could wobble like a jelly, shiver ‘til you quivered or wiggle whilst you jiggled. Stuart Colman has selected the fifty pertinent ‘Shakin’ titles from Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Hayley, Joe Turner, Conway Twitty, Howlin’ Wolf, the list is endless and reminds me so much of my (mis-spent!) youth. Well done to Stuart I say, not only are there dance floor fillers on here, but brilliant examples of early R&B, country, or blues.

Clive Rawlings

THE 44’s Americana

Rip Cat Records

The Los Angles based band deliver thirteen thumping Blues Rock tracks on this album that are full of energy, style and authenticity, with just

TOM RODWELL

Live Humble

Fireplace Recordings

I haven’t been so excited by a new artist for quite a long time. Seasick Steve was to many a breath of fresh air, but to me the brashness and lack of melody just didn’t ring true. Tom Rodwell however is quite the opposite. Born in Sheffield, England, but now resident in Auckland, New Zealand, this singer guitarist has mined a vein of melodic, groovy funk-lined music that can be easily compared to the disregard that early country Blues artists had for the musical conventions of the day. Rodwell plays guitar and stomp box, his only accompaniment is Damian HornerPausma on tabla, kanjira and pandeiro(I need to look those two up) and Art Terry on accordion, although it has to be said that his guitar playing is really percussive as shown in ‘Beulah Land’, a spiritual sounding song that defies anyone to not tap their feet. The nearest artist that produces music with such moodiness and air is Otis Taylor who says of Tom:” …Thanks for making my job a lot harder man. I was gonna go out there and play a bunch of bullshit, now I gotta go out there and do something.” Described as Sheffield’s answer to Lightnin’ Hopkins and as a Calypso Blues guitarist, Rodwell moves from Blues and work-songs, through spirituals and calypso with ease, even trying a little improvisation on ‘Trio Improvisation’ where he sounds a cross between Slim Harpo and German Industrial band Can. The simplicity of this album coupled with the rhythmic variations makes “Live Humble” a true gem of an album. My favourite track is ‘You Better Mind’, where his guitar plays both simple occasional bass line, interspersed with chunky rhythmic guitar turning an old gospel song into a very Blues soaked number. All lyrics are traditional, but the music is Rodwell’s interpretation, and what great music he’s made.

Merv Osborne

STEVE SUMMERS BAND

Lookin’ Back, Movin’ On Independent

The Steve Summers Band are a muscular Blues-Rock trio who have been together for a year or so with much of that time spent producing this debut album of standards mixed with four originals. The opening track ‘Lookin’ Back, Movin’ On’ sets the scene perfectly as the band lay down a heavy beat and Summers fires out some guitar wizardry to accompany his gritty vocals. Their influences include Clapton, Hendrix and Mike Bloomfield and these can

be clearly heard in their material. ‘Your Funeral, And My Trial’ gets a thorough working over with a heavy backbeat and some corruscating wah-wah guitar from Summers and the whole thing sounds a million miles away from Sonny Boy’s original. In contrast the steady paced rocker ‘Little Miss Blue’ has a touch of ZZ Top about it. The Summers penned ‘Lovebound’ is followed by the slow Blues ballad ‘Dangerous Mood’ which features a restrained solo from Summers. Robin Trower’s ‘The Rolling Stoned’ opens with a funky bass line from Trevor Brooks and also features fine drumming from Scott Hunter and more wah-wah from Summers.. Coco Montoya’s ‘Am I Losing You’ is a big production slow Blues instrumental featuring excellent guitar work as Summers builds the tension and this one reminded me of Gary Moore. A cover of Deep Purple’s ‘Maybe I’m A Leo’ is an out and out rocker which is followed by a thumping version of that old chestnut from Willie Dixon ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’ featuring slide guitar from Summers. Closing and longest track on the album is Jethro Tull’s ‘A New Day Yesterday’, a la Joe Bonamassa, which gives Summers plenty of opportunity to display his fine guitar technique on the catchy riff and long instrumental outro. This is a good solid band who have produced a fine album. Anyone into the power trio approach of Cream, Hendrix, Gallagher and Larry Miller will find much to appeal here.

Dave Drury

WARREN HAYNES BAND

Live At The Moody Theatre Provogue

Heaven. To fans of The Allman Brothers Band, Gov’t Mule, even the Grateful Dead, this is heaven. Two live CDs and an explosive DVD, all expertly produced, make this an absolute must buy. It doesn’t disappoint. The CDs encompass practically all of the two and a half hour show from the Austin, Texas theatre in March 2011. He takes material from all his incarnations and particular fun, humility and virtuoso is enjoyed with Hendrix’s ‘Spanish Castle Magic’ and Sam Cooke’s ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’. Most of the songs are Haynes’ own however and they fairly funk along with dynamic fret work and superb Southern Rock vocal. It is so difficult to highlight star turns whether that be from the jamming feel of the huge piece, the guest slots by Ian McLagen and the silky Grooveline Horns, or the marathon excesses of tracks like ‘On A Real Lonely Night’ and ‘Invisible’ at twelve minutes each, or the sound check rehearsal bonus tracks of ‘Patchwork Quilt’ and ‘Hattiesburg Hustle’, or the HD 5.1 DVD footage! Yes, Heaven.

Gareth Hayes

Warren Haynes was featured in the last issue 66 which is still available if you want more copies. Or if you were already subscribing then check out hte interview.

JOE BONAMASSA

Driving Towards The Daylight Provogue

For this, his thirteenth album, Joe and faithful producer Kevin ‘Caveman’ Shirley, return to Las Vegas for a back to basics album, recorded in the same studio as their first joint venture ‘You and Me’. Consisting of four originals and seven covers, I detect Shirley wanted to push Joe out of his comfort zone, helped along the way by drafting in a talented group of session players, Aerosmith’s Brad Whitford and his son Harrison on guitars, Anton Fig (drums), Arlan Schierbaum (keyboards), Michael Rhodes (bass) and Jeff Bova and the Bovaland Brass on horns. The album kicks off with a power-filled rocker, ‘Dislocated Boy’, the hard driving beat setting the scene for what lies ahead. The old Robert Johnson classic ‘Stones in my Passway’ is transformed into the Zeppelin age. One of the strongest songs I think Joe has written follows in the shape of the title track. The lyrics pull you in and the melody holds you there. A snippet of Howlin’ Wolf’s voice leads into the cover ‘Who’s Been Talking’, Joe ripping into the main riff before taking the listener once again back to the roots. Willie Dixon’s ‘I Got All You Need’ and Bernie Marsden’s ‘A Place in my Heart’ are amongst the blusiest tracks, before the gear shifts back to blues/rock with a blinding version of Bill Withers’ ‘Lonely Town, Lonely Street’, Arian Schierbaum must take credit here for his keyboard mastery. ‘Heavenly Soul’ showcases Joe’s mature vocals, he’s certainly come a long way in that department. Tom Waits’ ‘New Coat of Paint’ has the massive guitar solo we’ve come to expect, whilst ‘Somewhere Trouble Don’t Go’ is an upbeat rocker. A surprise (to me, anyway) is the appearance of Aussie Jimmy Barnes on the final track, his own ‘Too Much Ain’t Enough Love’, killer vocals. For me, the tracklist is well balanced and if, like me, you have a favourite track you always return to, you have eleven on here.

JOE JACKSON

The Duke Ear Music

Clive Rawlings

‘The Duke’ is a decidedly unconventional salute to Duke Ellington, demonstrating the timeless brilliance of his classic compositions while showcasing Jackson’s sublime skills as an arranger, instrumentalist and vocalist. Although it’s only the second time he’s recorded an album not comprised of his own compositions, ‘The Duke’ is a deeply personal project to Jackson, whose longstanding affinity for Ellington’s pioneering spirit has served as a key inspiration throughout his 30+ year career. Jackson’s distinctive voice on ‘I’m Beginning To See The Light’ , ‘Mood Indigo’ ‘I Got It Bad (and ain’t that good)’ while ‘It Don’t Mean A Thing (if it ain’t got that swing)’ features a duet with none other than Iggy Pop. R’n’B diva Sharon Jones sings on ‘ I Ain’t Got Nothing But The Blues’. In keeping with Ellington’s multi-culturism, Jackson welcomes Iranian singer Sussan Deyhim to perform ‘Caravan in Varsi’ and Lilian Viera of the Brazilian/Dutch collective Zuco 103, to create a sunny, sexy version of ‘Perdido’. The album’s mix of electronic and organic

textures are evident on the instrumentals ‘Isfahan’, ‘Rockin’ in Rhythym’, ‘The Mooche’ and ‘Black and Tan Fantasy’. Musicians include Contempary Jazz stars violinist Regina Carter and bassist Christian McBribe, rock guitarist Steve Vai, drummer Ahmir ‘?uestlove’ Thompson and other members of the Roots, plus Jackson’s old associates, guitarist Vinnie Zimmo and percussionist Sue Hadjopoulos. The album was recorded and mixed by seven-time Grammy winner Elliot Scheiner (Steely Dan, Sting, Bob Dylan).

LAYLA ZOE Sleep Little Girl Cable Car Records

Clive Rawlings

Much as we’d like to take credit for it, two years ago Canadian Blues singer Layla Zoe and German guitarist Henrik Freischlader appeared side by side in issue 54 of this magazine. Whoever did come up with the suggestion for them to record together came up with an inspired pairing. The result is Zoe’s sixth studio album and is the one to put her firmly on the international map. Layla Zoe sings with her heart on her sleeve and when she repeats the lead line on heavy opener ‘I’ve Been Down’ you know she means it. On the funky strut ‘Give It To Me’, her powerful voice is a demand rather than a plea. For those familiar with Freischlader, the sound is not unlike that of his last two studio albums, and aside from his superb guitar playing, he also contributes both drums and bass with an optimum effect. While he provided the music, it the lyrics and melodies belong to Layla Zoe. Her personal stamp is apparent throughout, least so on ‘Singing My Blues’ in which she expresses the belief she will sing the blues to the end of her days. The straight up blues of ‘Let’s Get Crazy’ includes some organ interplay from Freischlader’s regular bandmate Mortitz Fuhrhop before the stand out track: ‘Black Oil’ follows the major BP oil leak and Zoe produces an impassioned vocal performance in this song of environmental consciousness, with shades of Peter Green in the guitar playing. The most commercial track is ‘I Hope She Loves You Like I Do’ with Layla Zoe providing her sweetest vocals, but this girl loves to rock and ‘Rock N Roll Guitar Man’ sounds as great as you would expect. The album closer though is the title track and it’s an acoustic lullaby to sooth the listener. Having followed Layla Zoe’s career to date, “Sleep Little Girl” is her finest release to date and with at least one firm offer in the bag, it appears a certainty that we shall finally see the self-titled Fire Girl perform in the UK within the next year.

Duncan Beattie

«Greyhound» does not feature multiple guests such as Cyril Neville who was prominent on the title track of the previous record. Anders Osborne returns as producer, second guitarist and backing vocalist with drummer Brady Blade, and bassist Carl Dufrene completing the studio band. Together they have created a strong collection of songs that throughout display a blues influence, yet also take much inspiration from southern rock. Zito’s ability to create a memorable melody and chorus is apparent from the opening ‘Roll On’ and comes to the fore in title track which is reminiscent of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Following these is the Gary Nicholson co-penned ‘Judgement Day’, a riff heavy rocker with the memorable line, «If I’m going to walk the streets of Hel, I might as well dance.» The rest of the album is written by Zito, save for the upbeat ‘Show Me The Way’ co written with Osborne and indicate what a fine song writer he is. Likewise, his rich soulful vocals impress throughout. A couple of his early tracks, previously recorded on his pre label self releases, resurface, including the bittersweet acoustic ‘Motel Blues’. The harder edged ‘The Hard Way’ recalls the spirituality theme, while ‘Until the Day I Die’ is a fastpaced shuffle dedicated to his wife with a superb guitar solo. A superb album is brought to a close with the slow blues song of lost love ‘Please, Please, Please’. This is an exceptional and in many cases overlooked album, which cements Zito’s reputation as one of the finest American blues based singer songwriters. Following this album, Zito has now formed the southern rock band Royal Southern Brotherhood with Neville, Devon Allman, Yonrico Scott and Charlie Wooton that looks to boost his profile much further. Look to catch him performing with them on their November UK tour.

Duncan Beattie

LI’L RONNIE AND THE GRAND DUKES

Gotta Strange Feeling EllerSoul

MIKE ZITO

Greyhound

Electro Groove

One of the final nominations for last year’s Blues Music Awards in the category for blues rock releases, Mike Zito’s «Greyhound» warrants further examination. His third CD for the Eclecto Groove label saw Zito shift the focus from his 2010 album «Pearl River» to a songwriter and soulful singer who also happens to be a great blues guitar player.

To judge by the cover shots, Virginia-based singer, harmonica player and bandleader Ronnie Owen is no Johnnycome-lately. This impression is obviously reinforced as soon as the music starts: Chicago blues, jump blues and good old rock and roll are what is on offer, with Ronnie and the band stepping into Louis Jordan’s shoes for the cover of ‘Buzz Me’ and tackling a less obvious Chuck Berry number in ‘C’ Est La Vie’. The remainder of the 14 tracks are originals, bringing to mind the likes of Little Walter, Slim Harpo’s swamp sound, or T-Bone Walker (kudos to guitarist Ivan Appelrouth for some inspired musicianship), but ‘Cold Hard Cash’, a slippery, funky number a little reminiscent of Little Feat, proves that this band can also come a little more up-to-date. This set’s predecessor was produced by no less than Anson Funderburgh, and listening to this nicely unpretentious CD, it is easy to understand what attracted him to this band.

Norman Darwen

SANDI THOM

Flesh and Blood Guardian Angels Records.

This is Sandi’s fourth studio album, the first on her own label she runs with her mum and brother. Rich Robinson of Black Crowes fame is on production duties and brings along his colleagues Audley Freed (guitar), Steve Gorman (drums). Nashville’s own Mike Webb (keys/dobro), and former Josh Rouse bassist James Haggerty complete the line-up.Robinson’s influence is there from the raunchy blues opener, ‘Help Me’, a Sonny Boy Williamson cover allowing Sandi the freedom to let rip on the harmonica. Freed’s guitar solo on ‘I Owe You Zero’ is all too brief, but at the same time awesome, in keeping with the song, not about a person, but Sandi’s haunted past. Kevin Shirley takes over mixing for a couple of tracks, the download single ‘Sun Comes Crashing

Down’ (available on www.sandithom.com), a reference to Sandi’s work as an Oxfam Ambassador in Africa and a truly amazing duet with Buffy-Sainte Marie on her classic ‘The Big Ones Get Away’, a real goosebumps moment! Sandwiched between those two is the country flavoured Leadbelly cover ‘In The Pines’ and the strutting clavinet-led ‘Stormy Weather’. ‘Love You Like A Lunatic’ is based on her life changing three year love affair with Joe Bonamassa, as strong as its ever been, judging by this ‘fun’ track. There’s one more special guest appearance, that of former Stones collaborator Bobby Keys on ‘You’re Not My Man’. Unfortunately this is a bonus track on the album and was ommitted from the promo, so I can not give an opinion. What I can say though, is that from the opener to the emotionally compelling finale ‘Lay Your Burden Down’, we have a lady who, in her own words,has come of age. This material is so far removed from her ‘Punk Rocker’ days and I urge you to explore the other side of this wonderful performer.

Clive Rawlings

HUMBLE PIE

Humble Pie

Eat It Thunderbox

Lemon

When Humble Pie was formed in 1968 with Steve Marriott (ex-Small Faces) and Peter Frampton (ex-The Herd) on guitars and vocals, plus Greg Ridley on bass and young drummer Jerry Shirley, the group’s future seemed bright. They recorded two albums for Andrew Loog Oldham’s Immediate label and had a top ten hit with the fondly remembered ‘Natural Born Bugie’ – and then the label went bust! They were quickly signed to A&M, and set about recording their third album – the eponymous set reviewed here. As a result of a change in label and management, the group focussed more on the US market and Steve Marriott took on a greater front-man role than before. The sound is mostly that of the heavily blues-inflected rock of the time – there is a very heavy version of Willie Dixon’s ‘I’m Ready’, a similarity to Led Zeppelin on ‘One Eyed Trouser Snake Rumba’, and hints of progressive-rock on the gentle ‘Earth And Water Song’. A couple of numbers have a country flavour thanks to B.J. Cole’s pedal steel playing, and a further couple have almost nothing to do with the blues, but lovers of that late 60s blues-into-rock sound should find enough to enjoy here. In 1972, the soughtafter American success arrived big-time; Clem Clempson replaced Peter Frampton in the line-up and the band released “Smokin” which hit the album charts in both America and Britain. Surprisingly, Marriott changed the band’s direction for the follow-up. “Eat It” was originally a double album but the whole now fits comfortably onto a single CD. It dates from 1973 and the original idea, still discernible, was to have one side of Marriott’s own rock numbers, one of soul styled covers, an acoustic side, and three numbers recorded live in Glasgow to finish. To add to the soul feel, The Blackberries were enlisted, three African-American singers who had previously worked as both The Ikettes and The Raelettes, and their contribution is magnificent, especially on the soul/ R&B material. The album was viewed as a disappointment at the time (the sound quality didn’t help – no longer a problem with digital remastering) but it sure sounds fine now. Interestingly, there are some strong echoes of The Rolling Stones too. The final set under consideration was released in 1974. The band’s followers have cited this as the beginning of the band’s decline, but with hindsight and a taste for today’s blues, it can be seen as ahead of its time. There is some out-and-out hard rock - try the title track and the closer, though the former sports some wailing blues harp from Marriott - contrasting with a lovely straight blues rendition of Chuck Berry’s ‘No Money Down’. Most interesting though are the other cover numbers: is Steve paying homage to his mod roots with a version of Arthur Alexander’s 1962 ‘Anna (Go To Him)’, or is it The Beatles? Then a couple of Ann Peebles’ numbers successfully blend hard rock and Memphis soul, which might seem impossible! The Blackberries help out again but the leader’s vocals are as soulful as it got at that time - certainly on a chart bound rock album. My advice to those intrigued by Humble Pie is to try the last set here, and then work back. Existing fans can now put their worn-out vinyl into the blues-rock retirement home for clapped-out 12 inchers, as The Pie would probably have put it.

WILLIE DIXON & OTHERS

The Willie Dixon Story Proper

Some box sets you actually don’t need to listen to – just close your eyes and play these wonderful tracks in your mind because you have heard these in so many other forms and guises. The set is in four parts – The Songwriter, The Performer, The Session man, The Record Company Man – and what is incredible is the sheer number of artists that he touched on, wrote for or recorded with: there are 100 tracks here and none repeated. Take Buddy Guy or Betty Everett and every track is a classic – The Songwriter: he wrote songs for such various styles and talents as Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf, Eddie Boyd ‘Third Degree’ anyone? The Performer disc sees him in his various ‘own band’ guises from ‘The Four Jumps Of Jive’ and through ‘The Four Breezes’, ‘The Big Three Trio’, ‘Willie Dixon & Memphis Slim’ and solo, the cover picture of that sleeve shows him wrapped around his double bass and grinning like a man in love and listening to the bass on these recordings you really can hear his talent. The very early recordings with ‘The Five Breezes’ are single miked and countrified but even then there is something worth listening to and his tracks alone, ‘Walkin’ The Blues’, or with Memphis Slim, ‘I Got A Razor’ are

marvellous pieces of their type and time. The Session Man disc has so many great tracks it stands as an album in its own right. Any album that opens with Rosetta Howard’s ‘Ebony Rhapsody’ and closes with Chuck Berry’s ‘Johnny Be Goode’ counts as a classic in my reckoning but it also tales in Bo Diddley, Junior Wells and Sonny Boy Williamson’s ‘Fattening Frogs For Snakes’ but the standout for me is the rarely heard Reverend Robert Ballinger and ‘This Train’ with Dixon slapping the bass like the rapture was upon him. All through his time at Chess Records and latterly at Cobra records Dixon was involved in far more than just writing and performing, he produced and engineered as well as scouting talent (and probably doing the washing up) and the fourth disc, The Record Company Man, features tracks that he had more than a passing involvement with including tracks like Howlin’ Wolf’s ‘Red Rooster’ or Arbee Stidham ‘When I Find My Way’. There is, for my money, a missed disc from this set – The Influence - recordings by all the artists that used Dixon songs to base their music on without necessarily paying true tribute to the originals – Rolling Stones, Yardbirds, Zeppelin, Doors, TYA – a huge list. Dixon titled his autobiography ‘I Am The Blues’ and for once it isn’t an idle boast – this collection shows just why.

Andy Snipper

THE REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND Between The Ditches

SideOneDummy

This is the fifth outing for the Rev, wife Breezy and Cuz, recorded at White Arc Studio, Bloomington, in their home

TOP 20

1. Various: Juke Joints 3 (JSP 4CD)

2. Enrico Crivellaro: Freewheelin’ (Electro-fi CD)

3. Warren Haynes: Live At The Moody Theatre (Provogues 2CD & DVD)

4. Various: It’s Saturday Night! Starday-Dixie Rockabilly 1955-61 (Fantastick Voyage 3CD)

5. Howlin’ Wolf: Message To The Young (Get On Down CD)

6. Walter Trout: Blues For The Modern Daze (Provogue CD)

7. Tail Dragger & Bob Corritore@ Long Time Friends In The Blues (Delta Groove CD)

8. John Cleary: Occapella (FHQ CD)

9. Various: Festival! (Eagle Vision DVD)

10. Larry Garner: Blues For Sale (Dixie Frog CD)

11. Various: Nobody Wins - Stax Southern Soul 1968-1975 (Kent CD)

12. Gid Tanner And The Skillet Lickers: Olde Timey’s Favourite Band (JSP 4CD)

13. Bonnie Raitt: Slipstream (Proper CD)

14. Allman Brothers Band: A&R Studios - New York 26 August 1971 (Left Field Medis CD)

15. Various: Every Day In The Week Volume 1 (Hidden Charms LP)

16. Nathan James & The Rhytm Scratchers: What You Make Of It (Delta Groove CD)

17. ZZ Top: Live In Germany (Eagle CD)

18. Various: Lonesome Whistle - Anthology Of American Railroad Songs (Properbox 4CD)

19. Bob Dylan: Live In New York, Gaslight Cafe 06/09/61 (Firefly CD)

20. Bo Didley: Big Bad Bo (Get On Down CD)

state of Indiana. The Band approached this recording more slowly and according to Peyton aimed “to make a record this time, not just a recording.” The result of not recording ‘live’; they still retain the feeling of running headlong into the abyss, but with sharper production this time. Produced by the Reverend and Paul Mahern, it benefits from mastering by Brian Lucey (Black Keys, Dr. John). The sound is crisp and clear with more depth to the sound than previously. The fourteen tracks (just over 48 minutes of music) feature a range of the Reverend’s guitars; Nationals, Eastwood Airline Map, Gibson flattop and a cigar box. The songs visit a variety of Blues styles with the signature slide organised mayhem on ‘Shake ‘Em Off Like Fleas’ and ‘Easy Come, Easy Go,’ which also features a great riff. ‘Move Along Mister’ is down in the Delta, while three tracks are pure country-blues; ‘Brown County’ being a standout gentle closer to the album. Everywhere there are great hook lines, repeated for effect “the money goes (4)...up her nose” on ‘The Money Goes’ This track has harp mixed in the back to complement the slide, while on other tracks Breezy adds beautiful economy in backing vocals. The album is released in August and the band will be touring the UK in September. Get along and see a live show if you can.

Mel Wallace

SONNY LANDRETH

Elemental Journey

Landfall Records

Sonny and the guitar is a partnership made in heaven as

he demonstrates that rare combination of technical skill mixed with passion and enthusiasm. He is technically gifted demonstrated on this instrumental album. To enjoy the music you do not need to understand these technicalities your ears tell you this is a distinctive sound. This is not the same old blues it is modern bright and above all entertaining, incorporating masters of the modern music world including Joe Satriani who at times is quite savage in the opening track ‘Gaia Tribe’ and Trinidadian steel drum master Robert Greenidge adds musical shade and texture making possibly my favourite track ‘Forgotten Story’. An instrumental album is different with the vocals being replaced by guest stars and makes this a thought provoking album and does work with layers of harmonious sounds. By the end of the album I realised that I had stopped listening for the vocal dimension, and was really listening to the instrumentation, which can get over looked when strong lyrics are taking your attention. Overall though I missed the voice as for me integral to the Blues is the story and the instruments never quite completed the tale for me. That said the musicianship is superb and I will continue to enjoy the instrumental approach taken by Sonny Landreth on “Elemental Journey” and found this moody tempo driven album engaging.

Liz Aiken

Release with a Blues vision

JOE BONAMASSA Beacon Theatre

– Live from New York Provogue

If one was to judge this by the cover, or more accurately the packaging and presentational detail, this would something of a curate’s egg. The styling is natty enough, but the disc-securing arrangement almost demands a billhook to release said disc. An almost nauseously gushing address by JB himself includes misspelling Paul Rodgers’ surname, and the sleeve notes apparently miss out one or two of the featured guitars but rather quaintly, seemingly everyone who drove a bus or pushed a crate to contribute to the show is credited. Before we get bogged down with pedantry however, we must get down to the meat and potatoes. Back in his native New York, Bonamassa delivers the usual wizardry in a performance befitting a venue with

such a musical pedigree. The “Feature” disc begins with his arrival in NYC as an anonymous busker, segueing to the appropriately named opening number “72nd St. Subway Blues” - a whole lot rowdier than the “Django” curtain-raiser he has used previously. Indeed, with Tal Bergman and his frizzy perm thumping tubs, you could be forgiven for initially thinking this was more Budgie than Bonamassa. As if he realises that his star is still rising and his currency high, JB struts and gurns more than ever, and by the time we get to “When The Fire Hits The Sea”, the downturn in tempo is a welcome change as he exchanges lusty riffing for more reflective lament. The introduction of his guests keeps things fresh, and albeit her tattoos made me wince, Beth Hart’s Joplinesque delivery is mightily impressive, and John Hiatt does a good job on “Down Around My Place” but even that terrifically tinny vocal can’t take the spotlight from your man Bonamassa. The eternally young Paul Rodgers nails “Walk In My Shadows”, then it’s back to JB and his enthusiastic sideman (Carmine Rojas shines on bass as usual) for what in “Mountain Time”, should be the final crescendo. Containing traces of the aforementioned “Django”, it’s Bonamassa at his ultimate best and in retrospect he may feel that this was the gig’s natural conclusion, rather than the slightly selfindulgent “Young Man Blues “that follows it. Visually and aurally, this is an excellent production – the camerawork isn’t distracted by a rapturous crowd and concentrates on the performance; an early fan consensus suggests that production-wise this eclipses the Rockpalast and Royal Albert Hall offerings. Not even an oddly disjointed Bonus disc can sway me from thinking the same.

Richard Thomas

I’m new to this. So make of this what you will; ill informed and simplistic? Possibly. Objective and insightful? I’ll let you decide. These are the views of someone who on and off has been involved in the general music scene for over 30 years - but who has only recently got involved with the British blues scene. And it seems, from my observations at least, that British Blues is, if you pardon the pun, approaching something of a Crossroads.

First, the good news. Unlike many other musical genres, blues has a thriving community. In general, it’s welcoming, supportive and, in the main, non competitive. Maybe this polite inclusivity and tolerance is something of a problem but we’ll come on to that later. For now let’s focus on the positives and many positives there are. The inter connectivity of the community means that that the artists, journalists, radio media, promoters, venues, festivals, fans etc feed off one another; so much so that as an artist you can get yourself heard and, providing enough people like you, progressed up the blues ladder quite quickly and effectively, in a way that doesn’t happen in the (much more disparate) music industry, generally.

Now the less good news. Rightly or wrongly, to far too many industry people outside of the Blues Community, find it difficult to take British Blues music seriously; to some, indeed, it’s simply a joke. The image of older men with very limited musical ability and even more limited sensitivity playing cheap, three chord tricks and Hendrix covers, rather badly, still characterises many people’s mental image of the scene. On the upside, most of these same people - and, indeed, musicians generally - like and respect blues music. It’s just that they tend to like it in small doses - i.e. 10 minutes is generally enough! And beyond that, industry people want their blues played with some degree of skill, taste, originality, sensitivity and twist and, indeed, sincerity and integrity isn’t exactly frowned upon either. As someone who has sat through a typical British Blues festival I’m not sure these qualities are necessarily always in universal evidence throughout. I’ll also not even sure these values are necessarily demanded by the Blues media. Maybe the tolerance and politeness I mentioned earlier on has led to a lack of quality control? I accept these things are subjective but, nonetheless, there is some rather compelling evidence that some of the time honoured qualities of good music - not least variety, taste, space and dynamics - get rather overlooked by some - many? - British blues acts?

The other thing that strikes me - your well meaning but admittedly critical observer new to the scene - is how so much British Blues is now really bare faced guitar driven Blues Rock, with a heavy emphasis of rock. Now everything has its place - even badly played pub rock has a place for what it is- but does it really serve the scene well and not least the future of the scene for guitar rock to so characterise the genre? Particularly when real blues - black man’s blues - shares it’s roots so uncompromisingly with gospel, soul and spirituals.

So, I think British Blues has more than just an image problem. It’s problems run a little deeper than mere cosmetics. In particular, I can’t see too many ways in which the community is seeking to make itself relevant and connected to the wider industry in general and, importantly, younger music fans. It’s true that there are some younger artists on the scene - some of them not untalented - but whether that translates to a younger audience? Well, I’m far from sure about that. Of course, for every point made above there are exceptions to the rule and these matters are not a matter of black and white, again no pun intended. And as I say there are very many good things about the community which are missing from other parts of the industry. The trick will be to keep the baby in the bath while throwing out the dirty bath water?

British blues is ready for a revolution. A revolution which does for the genre what ‘Americana’ did/continues to do for Country music. I look forward to watching developments with interest.

www.bigiam.co.uk

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GOT LIVE

THE JOHN O’LEARY & ALAN GLENS ALL STARS @ Back To The Flamingo Club 26th March 2012

A reviewer is in trouble if the name of the night, the names of the performers, and the names of the bands they are or have been in take up most of the allotted 350 words. Fortunately, this review a longer article next issue about the line up and the history behind it, the legendary Flamingo Club. Equally fortunately, the reader can enjoy clips on You Tube: www.youtube.com/user/Stonkin

Once a month on Monday nights, the Bull’s Head in Barnes becomes Blues Heaven and reprises the atmosphere and sounds of early British Blues. That the place next to a picturesque stretch of the River Thames and a decent chip shop is a bonus, but it is the music that is the marvel. Take the opening track – ‘Walkin’ The Blues’ – the sultry honk of Nick Newall’s sac, the throb of John O’Leary’s harmonica and his sophisticated smooth vocals, punctuated by Alan Glen’s guitar wizardry and held together by the drums of Pete Miles, bass of Pete Mills and keys of Richard Simmons. Take the second track, ‘Who’s Been Talking?’ – Papa George on guitar adding some strains of Santana to proceedings, with delightful jazzy keyboard runs and sax solo’s creating a sound and feeling where Jake and Elwood from the Blues Brothers would feel at home.

It is this very feeling that makes these nights. The band are masters of their craft. They play off each other with comfort, and the songs are given time and space to breathe. And if the regular house bands aren’t enough, there is the array of guests. On this occasion, at one point the band rose from 7 strong to 10 strong. Guest or no guest, you don’t get musicians like Robin Bibi, Andy Twyman, Andreas Millns, Laurie Garman, Paul Cox and Emmanuele Fizzotti off a stage easily. Which explains why Bo Diddley’s ‘You Can’t Judge A Book By It’s Cover’ was played with appropriately primal power with bass guitar and five other guitars striving to be heard.

Even when the Massed Bands of the Blues weren’t playing, entertainment continued, with mini-sets from Steve Morrison and Dr Ika. The Back to the Flamingo nights are certainly a throwback to the former club – and seem like

an attempt to get every act that might ever have appeared there on stage at once. A notable effort, and a noble night out.

Darren Weale

SAVOY BROWN @ The Jazz Café London Tuesday 24th April

This was Savoy Browns only London gig during their short European Tour, you would have expected the venue to be packed to the rafters for the bands homecoming, especially as the band have now been playing professionally for over 45 years, unfortunately this was not the case but those who didn’t show, ha ha you missed an excellent night of Blues rock! The current line up of the band have been together now for a couple of years and they are really a very solid unit, they opened with a rip roaring instrumental ‘24/7’ from their recent album release Voodoo Moon, this set the tone for the next ninety minutes; Kim Simmonds is a modest but wonderful guitar master and he played some masterful solo’s during the evening, including some rarely heard slide guitar, on another recent track ‘She’s got the heat’. The pick of the night for me was the acoustic medley sequence where Kim highlighted his all round guitar skills when covering, amongst others, Train to Nowhere & I am Tired, the majority of vocals were delivered by Joe Whiting, an excellent vocalist who additionally plays some saxophone on the extended songs. Another rare event was the harmonica solo performed by Kim on the 1970 track ‘Poor Girl’, one wag commented that this was not evident on his original LP & had he must have been sold a duff copy all those years ago! The rhythm section of Pat Desalvo on Bass and Garnet Grimm on Drums were impeccable and as usual these instruments were used to the fore on the lengthy Hellbound Train rumble, all the band seemed to be enjoying themselves and took time out at the end of the gig to shake hands and chat to the audience, no ‘prima donnas’’ here. As its name implies the Jazz Café is not a recognised Blues venue although the two tier set up worked well, by my count the band played over twelve numbers and mixed their older material with tracks from Voodoo Moon; Kim is not recognised as a great songwriter but when you hear tracks like; ‘Street Corner Talking’,’ Voodoo Moon’ and ‘Looking In’, this situation needs to be re-accessed. A feel good gig and a rare opportunity to see one of my Blues heroes, ‘You should have been there’.

Adrian Blacklee

TRIBUTE TO MUDDY WATERS

24 Pesos with special guests @ The Jazz Café, London Since they burst onto the British blues scene a couple of years ago (with a little help from BM-Jaks stage at Butlins), 24 Pesos have been firmly establishing themselves as one of the UK’s finest live blues act. With two albums under their belt including the recently released “When The Ship Goes Down,” the band appeared to be in fine form at London’s Jazz Café when they headlined the evening tribute to Muddy Waters. Kicking off with electrifying version of the Waters’ classic “Can’t Be Satisfied,” the performance showed off 24 Peso’s strong command of playing the blues while offering their own unique twist with splashes of excellent slide guitar from lead singer Julian Burdock and vibrant swirling keyboards from Moz Gamble. Without much effort, the band switched from the Muddy

Water’s classic to one of their tracks “Everybody’s Got The Blues,” from their current album. Throughout the evening, their skilled musicianship was apparent from the way they smoothly moved from playing their own material onto the classics from Muddy Waters. During certain numbers, Burdock would resort to a megaphone to amplify his vocals for effect, which seemed to work. Halfway during the set, they were joined by British blues legend Todd Sharpville, which proved to be an electric collaboration on stage. Sharpville wowed the audience with his rendition of “Mannish Boy.” Later on, British Blues guitarist Jon Amor joined the band on stage to perform two Muddy Waters numbers including “I Am Ready,” and a fantastic funk interpretation of “Mojo Working.” The evening concluded with a set featuring the band’s original numbers from their two albums, including “Melon Man,” – a tribute to bluesman Leadbelly and also showcased Burdock’s talents as a vivid storyteller. Overall, the evening was more than just a celebration of the genius of Muddy Waters; it was the perfect showcase of the UK’s most vibrant blues band!

Paromita Saha

MATT SCHOFIELD & STEVEY HAY’S SHADES OF BLUE @The Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh 09/05/2012

This show marked a first as the show was the first blues show presented by the local Guitar Guitar music chain. If this was a pilot for future shows, then happily the night was a very successful one, as the venue was as busy as I’ve ever seen it. There was a near capacity crowd in time for the support act, Stevey Hay’s Shades Of Blue. Hay has by his own admission been around the block a few times. Now he’s back to playing the music he loves and it’s heartening to see he’s now found the musicians to bring out the best of him. Backed with one of the finest rhythm sections

comprising Paul Manson on bass and Dave Swanson on drums and second guitarist Neil Warden, each of whom had cut their teeth with amongst others the late Tam White, the outfit gave us their jazz tinged take on the blues.

Classics such as ‘You Upset Me Baby’ and ‘Travelling South’ were interwoven with originals from their debut album including ‘Willie Brown’ and the Slim Harpo styled ‘Shake Rag Boogie’. The pick of their set was ‘Put It Where You Want It’ an instrumental recorded by the Crusaders and Larry Carlton. The groove of ‘Anything But Time’ heralded Schofield’s appearance on stage, yet it’s when he unleashes his solos he grabs the ear. Schofield’s voice was strong and well suited to the soulful funk of ‘Ship Wrecked’. A nod to one of his biggest influences came in his take of Albert King’s Wrapped Up in Love. His playing was less focused on guitar riffs and more on fluid improvisation, with Johnny Henderson also taking leads on his Hammond organ. Echoes of Hendrix’s melodic moments emerged in ‘Dreaming Of You’ before a charged take through ‘Siftin’ Through The Ashes’. ‘Ear To The Ground’ was greeted by a hail by those in the know, as one of his finest songs. Finally we were wowed in a musical tour de force as Schofield, Henderson and Kevin Haynes each took a share of the limelight in an extended ‘Black Cat Bone’.

Duncan Beattie GRAINNE DUFFY @ Empire Music Hall, Belfast. 31 May 2012

“This always feels like home to me,” declared Monaghan’s Grainne Duffy of Belfast, a city where she is massively popular, and her fans at this gig duly treated her like a returning heroine.

Even since her last appearance in the city Duffy has become a much more commanding presence on stage, and here she gave it some serious rock‘n’roll attitude, confidently fronting her regular four piece who played with lethal force throughout. On a mostly-original repertoire, that included ‘Everyday’ and ‘Each And Every Time’, there was at times a rambunctious, swaggering Stonesy vibe but the soulful ‘Good Love Had To Die’ also impressed, as did the reggaefied ‘Sweet Sweet Baby’, on which the band sounded like Rastafarian refugees from Trench Town. Almost. Duffy, on Les Paul, played a characteristically incisive guitar solo on ‘Drivin’ Me Crazy’ and a marvellously elegant introduction to ‘I Know We’re Gonna Be Just Fine’. In fact the quieter, more restrained songs worked best, for notwithstanding the visceral excitement of the hard-rocking songs, of which most of the set consisted,

Photo byTrish Keogh-Hodgett

on them the extraordinary quality and expressiveness of Duffy’s vocals tended to be submerged. Thus a highlight was ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’, dedicated to Etta James, which Duffy interpreted with a raw, emotional truthfulness that was electrifying and brought the gobsmacked audience to its feet. Amongst Duffy’s accompanists the effervescent guitarist Paul Sherry complemented Duffy’s playing skilfully and unleashed several exciting solos while massively talented keyboard player John McCullough accompanied sensitively and contributed some scintillating solos. A rip-roaring encore of the Rolling Stones’ ‘Happy’ blew the audience away.

Trevor Hodgett

JD McPHERSON @ The Borderline, London. May 11th JD Mcpherson has been hitting the radio airwaves like an American mid - west storm with his vintage blues and rock ‘n’ roll sound. His debut album “Signs and Signifers,” has been received with critical acclaim as well as a sigh of relief from disillusioned music purists on both sides of the Atlantic. The fact that London’s Borderline is so packed that I can barely make it past the entrance, is a testament to the band’s immense growing popularity. Girls with lacquered hair dressed in vintage tea dresses and boys clad in retro baseball cardigans and sneakers make up the crowd. The former schoolteacher from Oklahoma and his five-piece band take to the stage against the backdrop of a couple of antiquated looking amps. At the front of the stage with JD McPherson is the album’s producer Jimmy Sutton whose remarkable acrobatic style of playing on the upright double bass is a definite highlight of the evening. From Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry to Little Richard, JD and his band capture the early rock ‘n’ roll sound with the utmost skill in songs such as ‘Fire Bug’, ‘Scratching Circles’ and ‘North Side Gal’, without falling into the trap of sounding too clichéd or derivative. In many ways, the evening serves as a history lesson in contemporary music as in JD’s material you can hear how the blues evolved into r ‘n’ b and eventually into rock ‘n’ roll. JD and his band are due to play again in July in the UK, and judging from tonight’s performance, tickets will be selling like hotcakes.

Paromita Saha

MICK TAYLOR at The Iridium, New York City, May 9 –14, 2012.

For twelve sold out shows in six days during mid May, long cues formed outside of the Iridium club on Broadway in New York City to see, for the first time in many years, a performance by former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor. Anticipation was high at this legendary venue (where the late Les Paul resided for concerts every Monday night). Mick looked good and was in fine spirits for these performances, and who wouldn’t be, with a band consisting of the great Bernard “Pretty” Purdie on drums, Wilbur Bascomb on bass, Hamish Stuart on guitar, Max Middleton on keyboards, and Arno Hect from the Uptown Horns on occasional saxophone. Playing a familiar Les Paul guitar for most of the evening, Mick’s performance of originals, standard blues numbers, shuffles, and some Rolling Stones chestnuts was exactly what his fans came to hear. “Secret Affair”, the first track from his album “A Stone’s Throw”, was also the opening number of the set. Mick’s vocals were as good as he’s ever sounded. His guitar playing, both lead and slide, has not waned over the years; he was spot on most of the time, with his signature tone fully intact just as it was earlier in his career.

We’d be treated to three more from the same album as the show went on; “Twisted Sister”, “Losing My Faith”, and “Late At Night”. “Fed Up With The Blues” was a newly written original, and the set closer was the instrumental portion of the Rolling Stones “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” which would turn into a lengthy jam featuring all members of the band. As an encore, Mick offered up another Stones track, “No Expectations”, originally from their “Beggars Banquet” LP. Other songs performed during the week included “I Wonder Why”, “You Gotta Move”, and “Little Red Rooster”.

As is tradition on Monday nights at the Iridium, the star performer sits in with Les Paul’s trio, and Mick welcomed the opportunity to play with these musicians for the final two shows of the twelve show run. Along with Max on keyboards and his own drummer Jeff Allen, Mick joined guitar great Lou Pallo, John Colianni on piano, and the wonderful Nicki Parrott on bass, performing the usual songs from Mick’s set. Les Paul’s trio clearly made Mick feel quite comfortable in their home, as was evident by the excellent performance by all. Kudos to Nicki Parrot on electric bass, who rocked it so well during “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” in the first set, Mick gave her a bass solo during the second set’s performance of that song. About a half hour after the second set ended, Mick surprised the small crowd of about twenty five people or so still hanging in the club with a short performance to test out a new guitar he was given. A one off guitar manufactured by the Teye company went through a test run to the surprised small group of folks as Mick, along with drummer Jeff Allen played portions of the songs “Honky Tonk Woman”, “Start Me Up”, “Brown Sugar” and some others. The guitar sounded great, and Mick played through those riffs as if he played them every day. This short little surprise set ended with a laugh as Mick said “now please don’t put this on YouTube!”

Mick had a wonderful time during these performances and hopes to come back to do it again. That is, if he’s not called into service to work with a certain other band celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2013!

Barry Fisch

THE NIMMO BROTHERS @Backstage At The Green Hotel, Kinross 14/04/2012

I’d been looking forward to this gig with great anticipation. Seeing Stevie and Alan Nimmo on the same stage can be an irregular occurrence and this time they had a brand new album “Brother To Brother” to promote. Arriving at the hotel it was evident many others felt as I did as I had to drive some distance to park. While Kinross is some 50 miles from their hometown of Glasgow, this show, the third on their current tour, did have a homecoming feel about

it. Neither Stevie nor Alan could hide the smiles as they took to the stage with Matt Beable and returning drummer Dave Raeburn. They commenced with a highlight of the new disc ‘Lady Luck’ where Stevie took the lead with some powerful vocals, before Alan took centre stage for the first incendiary guitar solo of the evening. What followed was a top draw from the band as they blended songs from the new album with classics such as ‘If I Could See Through Your Eyes’ and ‘Long Way From Everything’. The lead track from the new album’ ‘Still Here Strumming’ referred to their own endurance, despite never having the media profile that their undoubted talents merit. While the brothers have worked on separate projects of late, this was certainly a reminder of their formidable presence together. Their contrasting stage presences, exceptional vocals, and combination of Les Paul guitars had the whole crowd enthralled throughout. We received an apology in advance to the new song ‘For You,’ for it not being particularly bluesy, yet there was not denying its appeal with a catchy chorus and guitar harmonies where there would normally be a guitar solo. Following a tribute to their early influences Free, with ‘Fire and Water’ the evening came to a conclusion with ‘Black Cat Bone’ which paradoxically made us will the band onto the song’s climax, yet also hope the performance would not end. Rejuvenated with their new material, the Nimmos are back and they’re as good as ever.

Duncan Beattie BEN POOLE band @ Latest Music Bar, Brighton. 02/05/12.

Ben and his band played a rare ‘home ‘ gig to a full house at this intimate venue just off the seafront. Following a superb acoustic set from the upcoming local artist Alex Bay, Ben hit the stage running. Promoting his soon to be released and long awaited first full album «Let’s Go Upstairs», Ben and band are on form from the off. Opener ‘Losing You’ has been a live favourite for a long time now and has got better with each listen. The title track from the album is followed by ‘Have You Ever Loved A Woman’, beautifully crafted and mellow. So early into the set you get the feeling that the audience are transfixed, Ben has them eating out of his hand. To be honest, the set flew by. New songs, old songs, it makes no difference, they’re all crowd pleasers. Ben’s songwriting skills have come on in leaps and bounds as demonstrated particularlly on the acoustic/ electric extravaganza ‘Hanging In The Balance’ and ‘It Doesn’t Have To Be That Way’. But Ben, like a magician, has a knack of pulling rabbits from a hat, on covers such as ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’, ‘Mr Pitiful’ ‘Hey Joe’ and the exquisite Tony Joe White’s ‘As The Crow Flies. Extra special mention goes to long-time drummer, Alan Taylor and relatively new bassist Barry Pethers, the latter being one of the rare breed that quietly and effectively gets on with business, but likes a solo or two.I have monitered Ben’s progress closely over the last two years and I now see a confident young band, led by a guy who knows exactly when to ‘tweak’ his audience, a mark of a true showman. He’s now getting the plaudits his hard work deserves, long may it last!

Clive Rawlings

TOMMY ALLEN BAND @ Prince of Wales Inn,

Ledbury. Sunday 24thJune 2012

I could not resist this gig –it was straight after Taurus Craft Festival on Saturday where Tommy et al had featured. The Swansea girls, Jean and me spent the afternoon at Newent

International Birds of Prey Centre watching falconry displays and chilling out on a warm (YES WARM) sunny day before going on to The POW in Ledbury. Tommy and the band set up in the alcove and then set off on what was to be an astounding exhibition of rocking blues mastery from him and his band. (Chris Lomas bass, Micky Barker drums) They had delighted everyone on Saturday but today was something different something magical. It was a performance that stunned all present by its awesome majesty and resonance from the six string wizard Tommy Allen. Lomas and Barker were equally impressive as they enhanced the Blues explosion that took place in the crowded bar that hot Sunday afternoon. We thought the previous day’s performance was stupendous but this was – well – bloody awesome! They started off with slow, low down, dirty grinding blues numbers and then picked up the tempo. Bit by bit, number by number they reached a crescendo somewhere about Hendrix’s ‘Voodoo Chile’. The packed bar room erupted after each song/instrumental and more so at the break. The second half took up where it left off and most of us dancing (as best we could in such crowded condition) loved every single note and solo moment going. The song that stood out for me personally was ‘Read Me My Rights’. It was a brilliant gig and ending to a good all round bluesy weekend.

PS .It wasn’t completely all over for me – after being dropped off at home about 8pm I felt so good that I hopped into my car and sped up to Monmouth to The Queens Head to see The Little Rumba Band - a smashing group of great musicians playing something altogether different. A fine acoustic guitarist and vocalist Pete Musthill, a fantastic thumping Bassist Jacqui Savage, ultra cool sax man Hugh Colvin along with quirky accordion and flawless fiddle player John Hymas chilled me out with a selection of their own material. It was a pot pourri of Eastern European, South American, Cafe Parisienne, tangos, rumbas, jazz and Blues. Real cool stuff!

Diane Gillard Sister Feelgood

OPENING NIGHT OF THE BOISDALE BLUES FESTIVAL 14 June 2012 - Jools Holland lays on classy Blues Festival

The Blues didn’t grow up in opulent surroundings. It grew up on farms, in jails, places like Beale Street in Chicago, and clubs in the US, London and Newcastle. Many were hip and (at times) dangerous, like the Flamingo Club in London featured in this issue. However, the Blues is no stranger to classy venues, and even recently, The White House, courtesy of US President Barack Obama.

The Blues now has a very classy home in the UK, the Boisdale at Canary Wharf and Belgravia – intimate venues with lovely décor and dining and a range of whisky and bourbon the late John Lee Hooker would have written songs about. To underline just how classy, Jools Holland is the Boisdale Patron of Music. He compered the opening night of the first Boisdale Blues Festival on 14th June, promising a night of “fantastic and extraordinary acts”and he delivered. He also played “Happy Birthday” for a lucky member of the audience, which added to the special feeling of the evening.

Leading the night’s array of talent was Errol Linton, who played a set of harmonica-driven songs that Junior Wells would have been proud of. Little wonder, as Errol was introduced by Jools Holland as “one of the greatest harmonica players in Britain, if not the world.” A highlight was “Hooked on your love”, providing some of those memorable moments when you know you’re in the presence of musical beauty.

As the night darkened and the candles on diners tabled were lit to add to the atmosphere, Jordan Rush stepped up to the piano. Kicking off with Louis Jordan’s Choo Choo Ch’ Boogie, he went through a repertoire of feel good, lively songs, in a refreshing bass and drums-free line up of piano, sax and guitar, and with a wonderful slower rendition of “Johnny B. Goode”.

Next up was Big Joe Louis, who played a magnificent set with a double bass adding depth. Clearly a man big on presence, big on talent, and big on entertainment. His song “Heartbeat” chugged along with glorious throb, menace and lament, a modern classic that I want in my collection. Jools Holland said “Big Joe’s on good form tonight” and he was right. So too was Eric Ranzoni, who played some great piano and later doubled up with Jools Holland for a song.

The evening closed on a yet higher high, with Mud Morganfield gracing the festival opener. Boisdale’s Managing Director, Ranald Macdonald, said, “Mud Morganfield, son of legendary Muddy Waters, was guest of honour to launch the Boisdale Blues Festival hosted by Jools Holland. After an evening of fantastic Blues all night showed us why he is probably the greatest living Bluesman in the world.” Mud himself loved appearing at the Boisdale, and described it as “a very classy place, and some great Blues lovers.”

Mud is back at the Boisdale Canary Wharf on November 24th. That will definitely be a night not to be missed and others coming up there and at the Boisdale Belgravia include The Spikedrivers, and Boisdale favourites, Reuben Richards and Soul Train, and Eric Ranzoni. With Jools Holland as Patron of Music, you know every act will be as classy as the Boisdale venues themselves. See http://www.boisdale.co.uk for details.

Darren Weale

EDDIE MARTIN (OLD) BAND, The Gower Hotel, Cardiff. June 23rd 2012

Which OLD band do I mean – well the one with Tony Cadle on bass and Mike Hoddinott on drums. To many this means the REAL Eddie Martin Band. No more so than here in the former Dragon Blues Club where these lads frequently featured over the years at the Thursday club night. Those were the days! And it almost seemed they had come back as the house was full to over flowing. The upstairs bar was open (alas no Yvonne) but all the other old faces (mine

included) were there to welcome back our Blues Heroes. Eddie has played in my guises over the last two decades. I have a tape in my collection (somewhere!) recorded at The Howlin’ Wolf pub in Bristol entitled “I’m The Band” when he went out as a one-man-band. He’s had several rhythm sections and additions such as the Little Big Horns and guest musicians all brilliant in their different ways but we remember this line up in particular as one of the best. Tony Cadle married and moved to Norway 8 years ago. Mike Hoddinott plays in the Bristol Jazz scene and with his Blues All Stars band. Tony is visiting family in Bristol so a few gigs were arranged and we were lucky to be included on their reunion tour. Eddie is playing far and wide these days. He tours the UK, Europe and the US blues scene and still retains his Sunday night residency (when home) at The Olde Duke Bristol. Eddie went straight into a “Bad to the Bone” instrumental on that cherry red Gibson of his and stirred the emotions up immediately. He had come here to play the Blues and there was no mistaking it! That opening chord and following wailing guitar said he meant business – BLUES business! Much of the material played was from the era of his ’Bad To The Bone’ album so familiar to us all. “You can’t Hold Mercury”, “Standing on the Edge of the Line” “Big Enough Lever” “Birds and The Bees” they were all there – and none of the magic had gone. The “Fumble” had the dancers up and going. Those seated watched in awe of this band. Eddie is also a sublime slide player and rack harp performer extraordinaire. Off the rack he plays a superb ‘gob iron’ solo Hoe Down number that would impress any Grand Ol’ Oprey country music crowd. He is one of Britain’s finest. Tony and Mike showed what a stonkingly good and totally professional rhythm section they make and obvious choice players for the master Eddie. Eddie is forever evolving both himself and his music without losing the integrity of his chosen genre – The BLUES.

We didn’t want it to end but end it did at stop-tap alas! Reluctantly we left and the band packed up – they were off to The Worthenbury Blues festival the next day. Then Tony goes back home. Still we had a little bit of old time magical blues nostalgia that’ll keep us talking about for years to come.

Diane Gillard (Sister Feelgood) HEXMEN “mini-review” Dundee Bonanza

On a bad night The Hexmen still make Dr Feelgood look like a Freemason’s picnic. On a good night they make your head ring. One way of telling whether a band is having a good time is to look at the bass player. Bass players tend to stand there and do it or, at worst, look like they’re auditioning for Spinal Tap. On 30th June 2012, at the Capitol in Dundee, Noz Easterbrook looked like he was interacting with the band, and looked like he was enjoying himself. That’s always a good sign. From the moment that front-man George Hexman shouted “Skin up, you’re at yer aunties!” into the mic, you could

tell we were in for a treat. “A fantastic band, this!” said a bloke next to me during a lull in the performance – a lull in the performance, when did that happen? – and he wasn’t wrong. We lost a lot of George’s vocals and, unfortunately, his phenomenal harmonica-playing due to a problem with some of the sound equipment, but the band still had people dancing at the front. In Dundee that’s an achievement. One of the reasons the band’s performance was so tight and together must have been the return of guitarist Colin Guthrie. I had been looking forward to seeing and hearing him and I was impressed. Effortless, funky, disciplined, yet hard and flashy when he needed to be, his presence had lifted the band.

Wayne Dangerous is a bloody cracking drummer. Enough said. I swear he could play a luggage set, or a row of saucepans and packing cases and still drive a band along. If he hit those Gretsch tubs of his any harder they’d hit him back.

The material was what you come to expect. If they didn’t kick off with ‘Ridin on the L&N’, if they didn’t play ‘Homework’, ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’, ‘Treat Her Right’, or that version of ‘Gloria’ that starts all hippy-trippy and then goes mental, then you’d think something had gone wrong. I’d love to see them do their own take on Otis Redding’s ‘I Can’t Turn You Loose,’ done at the pace he did it on ‘Ready Steady Go’ in 1966. I keep making suggestions, they keep coming back to Scotland, I’m not complaining.

Duncan Beattie Red Butler, Clives Latest Blues Festival on July 1st. With an average age of 19, Red Butler took to the stage to kick off the Latest Blues Festival, at the Latest Music Bar in Brighton. Considering this is a relatively new line up of highly talented musicians comprising Alex Butler on lead guitar, Jane Pierce on vocals, Stephen Everleigh on bass and Charlie Simpson on drums, you could be forgiven for thinking they’d been together for years! They played a 45 minute set of varied blues classics starting with Walking in my Shadow flowing into Feeling Good allowing Jane to enchant the crowd with her vibrant yet soulful voice from the first note. Her confident stage presence and interaction with the audience and the strong backline provided by Stephen and Charlie was also well received by the hand clapping and foot tapping crowd. Alex played a solo during each number but my favourite was from Crossroads which he played with skill and a firm understanding of blues form and I noticed a marked improvement in his playing since the first time I saw him at an open mic in Worthing last year.

The set also included Heard it Through the Grapevine, I’d Rather Go Blind and Midnight Blues, all performed to the same confident and well rehearsed standard, by these enthusiastic and energetic newcomers who ended their set with a rousing rendition of Smooth that had the audience clapping along to the beat. So in summing up, this young band is well worth a listen and I’d have to warn those bands that have been out on the circuit for a while ‘watch your backs guys there’s some new kids on the block’

Sarah Reeve

James “The Blues Hound” Nagel (USA) by Darren Weale

In this first of a series on Blues DJ’s from around the world Daryl Weale talks to long time US broadcaster and all round Blues supporter James Nagel

How I got into the blues.

My first blues experience came when my mother came home one day with Ray Charles’ new release, “Modern Songs in Country and Western Music”. Even at that young age that soul and emotional connection was unlike anything I had ever heard. Growing up I heard other glimpses of the blues on the radio from artists such as B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf and Jimmy Reed. Then came the British music invasion … The Stones, The Bluesbreakers, Zeppelin … with a whole new interpretation of the blues. I didn’t realize at the time, but they were re-introducing what was already in my own backyard. But it wasn’t until my college years that I would experience my first blues epiphany. It was Antone’s nightclub in Austin, Texas and the Fabulous Thunderbirds that got me hooked on the blues.

How I became involved in the blues business.

In the early 90s I began writing CD reviews and submitting photos to local blues publications. From there it was off to the races with articles and interviews being published in local, national and international publications, such as Texas Blues Magazine, Austin Blues Monthly, Southwest Blues Magazine, Juke Blues and Living Blues magazine to name a few.

How did you become involved in radio?

The only radio station in my area that was programming blues on a regular basis was 90.1 FM KPFT (Pacifica) in Houston, Texas. There was a vibrant blues community happening and Sunday blues radio would keep everyone connected. On a whim (sometime around 1995) I decided to visit the station and meet some of the DJs. One thing led to another and I was suddenly answering phones and bringing in CDs, and before I knew it I was co-hosting a program. I guess you could say I stumbled into it and never looked back. June marks the tenth anniversary of our program, “Howlin’ the Blues” (Sundays 2-4 pm CDT), which is co-hosted by my wife, Colleen, aka Baby Girl. She’s an integral part of the program, but more importantly my wife of 35 years, who organizes all of our giveaways and compiles what is arguably the most comprehensive music calendar in our area. We’ve been told that our relationship and ability to anticipate what the other is thinking is one of the endearing qualities of the program … we are a team. I’m the ham and she’s my drivin’ wheel. The show’s primary focus is new releases and in-studio interviews and performances.

There are two websites I’d encourage people to visit … www.kpft.org and www.theblueshound.com. The first features a live stream of the program, access to the archives, and the playlists. The latter is our personal website and features coming attractions, the music calendar, venue list and an extensive photo gallery.

View on state of the blues in the U.S.

The Blues Foundation and blues societies around the country have done an amazing job of both promoting the blues and keeping the blues alive. It is still a small slice of the music market, but, in my opinion, healthier than ever. That’s not to say it is by any means an easy industry … nobody ever said any of it was going to be easy, just real … that’s why they call it the blues. Musicians increasingly find it tough to get gigs, club owners and venues are cutting back, and the way music is produced and marketed has changed. It is still a daunting industry on many levels.

Favorite U.S. and British artists?

Man … that’s like going to the paint store and trying to pick out your favorite color of blue on a paint chart. There are so many flavors and variations out there. It’s a mood thing with me. Since I primarily focus on new releases on my radio program, I guess I lean toward contemporary blues artists and bands such as the Phantom Blues Band, Curtis Salgado, Janiva Magness, Tab Benoit, Joe Bonamassa and the Tedeschi-Trucks Band. I like my blues with a whole lot of soul and a whole lot of bite. Clapton would have to be my favorite all time British blues artist, but there are new cats coming along like Matt Schofield and Simon McBride that are demonstrating how the blues continue to evolve. These cats are crazy good.

Personal highlight of being a DJ?

In 2006 KPFT was honored for its blues programming by The Blues Foundation with a KBA (Keeping the Blues Alive) Award achievement in public radio. As a blues programmer this is an honor I deeply cherish and feel proud to be a part of. The real honor, however, is the many men and women we have gotten to know within the blues community over these many years that have dedicated their lives to the music. These are the folks that live their lives out of suitcases and bare their souls night after night with the music we all love. I always felt somewhat guilty taking any recognition for just pushing a play button in the studio. I know who the real heroes are and will always give them their props at every opportunity. Each year we lose more and more of our cherished musicians, most recently Etta James, Duck Dunn, Pinetop Perkins, Jerry McCain, Levon Helm, Michael Burks and Doyle Bramhall, to name a few. They all leave behind an incredible blues legacy, their contributions immense.

Other involvements

I have served on the Board of Directors and currently on the Advisory Board of the Houston Blues Society, served as the Interim President of the Houston Blues Museum (2009-2011) and have worked as an organizer, producer, promoter and emcee of numerous fundraisers, events and festivals. I strongly urge everyone that might be reading this to become involved in their own blues community. Don’t just listen to the blues, become part of the blues by supporting live music and working with your local blues society or affiliate and supporting Blues publications for the great jobs they do.

Next issue – British Blues Awards nominated Radio Wey/KCOR Blues Session DJ, Martin Clarke

USA 60s PSYCH SPECIAL!

starring THE STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK

Smell of incense: The Summer Of Love’s unlikeliest chart-toppers

THE FALLEN ANGELS

Part two of our exclusive in-depth feature on Washington’s best kept ’60s secret

CLEAR LIGHT

LA luminaries who cut one memorable album and guested on the silver screen before imploding

CRYSTAL SYPHON

The last great “lost” California ballroom band? Newly released recordings would suggest so

50 U.S. PSYCH ALBUMS YOU NEED TO HEAR

MAINSTREAM RECORDS

Inside the bonkers world of New York psych’s exploitation label

50 ESSENTIAL US PSYCH ALBUMS

PLUS: EDGAR JONES • SHOES • BILL FAY • ERNIE JOSEPH and more

In February 2012 I went back to school again. This time I was in Memphis during the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge week. Specifically to Memphis Downtown Option Elementary on Madison and 4th Avenue. This is a fairly modern, well-equipped school that caters for achievers from 4 – 13 years. The reason was take a look at the Blues in the Schools (BITS) initiative, which is part of a nationwide programme by the Blues Foundation supported by the local Blues Societies.

by Mike Owens

Dan Treanor, an experienced veteran of the programme took today’s session. Dan’s music has been reviewed by BM in the past and may be remembered by those who caught him on his European Tour a few years back. Based in Colorado, he usually works in schools in that area, but he also went down to Austin, Texas to set the programme up there with local musicians and subsequently for Wyoming as well. Prior to his performance, I spoke with Dan who related that he’s still mystified by the number of children, especially black ones who were the majority in this school, who were unaware of their blues heritage. This he opined, was because they didn’t have much music in their homes despite today’s saturated media. Dan’s approach is very proactive. As a retired teacher of history he knows how to reach the children. Sitting centre stage in a very nice auditorium, he played some slide blues on his Stratocaster as the children filed into their seats. Then he segued into a simple intro of his own composition, ‘How do you do’, evoking a call and response to get the kids immediately involved. They were quick to respond and having got them on board, Dan took them back to the music traditions of West Africans prior to slavery. Explaining how they used words and rhythms as a method of recording tribal history for a nation that had no written language. Switching to a homemade ‘Khalam’, a traditional African stringed instrument, he once again got the kids singing a simple and amusing call and response example setting the girls off against the boys. Then he moved on to the reasons for the slavery trail to America and how the slaves used the field holler tradition to relieve the drudgery of working in the plantations, again involving the children in song. Switching back to the Strat, he then spoke of the influx of Celtic music traditions into America with the immigrants from Europe, bringing in their instruments and harmonies. How consequently, the blacks took these influences and integrated them into what was to ultimately become the blues. Dan used ‘Little Red Rooster’ as an example, it’s earthy connotations fortunately lost on these kids! Moving on to modern derivatives, Dan brought up the children up in time to rap and persuaded an obviously popular lad from the audience to participate. Then, inviting a group of senior girls from the audience to vocally back him on stage, Dan brought the session to a well-received finale with ‘The Blues Is Alright’. There is no doubting Dan has the gift and right formula to get the message to the children and The Blues Foundation in concert with the Blues Societies, is to be congratulated for making finances available to sustain the programme. On the strength of this performance and his past work, Dan richly deserved the KBA he received at the Foundations Awards ceremony later in the week. I’m also indebted to Dan’s supportive wife Eleanor, roadie and photographer for the pictures.

Finally, to any musician/s out there who would like to become involved with Blues in the Schools, I would suggest they download the following PDF file for a comprehensive guide; http://www.blues.org/bits/ teacher_guide.pdf - Also the broader concepts of The Blues Foundation’s BITS initiative can be found at; http://www.blues.org/#ref=bits_index

Dan Treanor

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Do you recognise the name Giorgio Gomelsky? Unless you are a true follower of the early days of British Rhythm and Blues (R&B), probably not. However, he was one of the pioneers of what I like to call ‘The West London’ sound. In 1962, as a documentary filmmaker recording the Richmond Jazz and Blues Festival, he realised the potential of the great jazz musicians of the early sixties, and he opened the original Crawdaddy Club in what was at the time The Station Hotel opposite Richmond Station. The club’s time in that venue was short-lived for a number of reasons. The owners were unhappy that the bands had evolved from jazz-based genres to the more lively early British R&B acts promoted by Gomelsky, the foremost of which were of course The Rolling Stones. There was also a perception that the club had become rowdier, forcing its relocation to the much larger venue at the Richmond Athletic Ground, where the Stones had their first residency followed by The Yardbirds with Eric Clapton. Gomelsky had an amazing knack for finding some of the best bands of the times, many of whom lived around the Richmond and Twickenham area. Besides the Stones and The Yardbirds, acts such as Long John Baldry, Rod Stewart, Paul Jones with Manfred Mann, and even Elton Jonn and Ray Davies were amongst the iconic names who have graced the stage of The Crawdaddy Club in years gone by.

And with those memories still alive, I am proud to say that The Crawdaddy Club reopened its doors on 2 March 2012. The first headliners were the brilliant Blue Bishops, who rocked up a storm with their mixture of classic R&B numbers straight from The Crawdaddy Club back catalogue alongside their own compositions. We were also treated to a guest appearance by Elmer Gantry joining the band on ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’, and were honoured by the visit of Bill Wyman who – despite keeping a low profile all night – happily posed for pictures with yours truly before speaking about the early days of the Stones and The Crawdaddy Club. Our second date was equally successful, featuring another West London-based band, 3AM. Once again the place was rocking and a surprise visitor was Tony ‘Top’ Topham, one of the original Yardbirds. Despite being on crutches, he joined the band on a great version of ‘Stormy Monday’. This was followed by another of our iconic guests, Don Craine from The Downliners Sect, jamming and singing one of his own numbers. They both enjoyed talking and reminiscing about their memories of playing here half a century ago!

The next date for the diary is 3 August, when we are really excited to welcome one of UK’s most entertaining blues bands, The Mustangs. With their high energy rock blues sound, they will appeal not only to our already faithful audience, but also to a younger group of music fans.

We initially plan to run these gigs every other month, and will keep to the spirit of the original club by booking only the best quality musicians and bands. If all goes well, as it has so far, we hope to ramp it up to a monthly basis.

Please visit our Facebook Page at facebook. com/crawdaddyclubrichmond or email me at crawdaddyclubrichmond@gmail.com to keep up-todate with news from the club. Tickets are available for £8 in advance from wegottickets.com and visitrichmond.co.uk or £10 on the door.

Mike Rivers

Walter Trout

DIGITAL RADIO

ASHWYN SMYTH – DIGITAL BLUES ON GATEWAY 97.8 - Wednesdays 21.00 to 23.00 repeated Sundays 20.00 to 22.00 – 97.8fm in Basildon, East Thurrock & surrounding areas and at www.gateway978.com

Podcasts available on i-Tunes and PodOmatic – visit www.digitalblues.co.uk for listen links, Playlists and music submission details – e-mail music@digitalblues.co.uk

BARRY-MARSHALL EVERITT - http://www.houseofmercy. net e-mail - barry@houseofmercy.nett

BLUESSHOWBOB WILLIAMS – GTFM BLUES SHOW - Mondays 20.00 – 22.00 – 107.9fm in and around Pontypridd and at www.gtfm.co.uk – e-mailbluesshowbob@aol.com

CLIFF MCKNIGHT – NOTHING BUT THE BLUES – Weekly Podcast available at http:// www.nothingbuttheblues.co.uk/ - e-mail - cliff@ nothingbuttheblues.co.uk

DAVE RAVEN – The RAVEN AND BLUES – Weekly Podcast every Friday available at http://raven.libsyn.com/ and on i-Tunes - http://www.raven.dj/ - e-mail - dave@ raven.dj

DAVE WATKINS - BLUES TRAIN – Alternate Sundays 16.30 to 17.30 on www.fromefm.co.uk podcast available at http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/fromefm-blues-train/ id482994881 e-mail - bluestrainradio@gmx.com

GARY BLUE - STAR BLUES – Sundays 22.00 to 24.00 on Star FM - 107.9fm in Cambridge and surrounds - www. star107.co.uk -- NO DOWNLOADS ACCEPTED

GARY GRAINGER – BLUES SHOW – Sundays 18.00 to 20.00 on Bishop FM - 105.9fm in South West Durham and at www.bishopfm.com - repeated on www.lookerradio. co.uk – playlist & blog at http://thumbrella.blogspot. com/2011/11/blues-show-134-playlist-stream.html e-mailgarygrainger@gmail.com

IAN MCHUGHES - BLUES IS THE TRUTH – Mondays 21.00 to 23.00 -www.ukjazzradio.com – e-mail - ian. mchugh@me.com

IAN MCKENZIE – WEDNESDAY’S EVEN WORSE –Alternate Wednesdays 18.00 to 20.00 on Phonic FM 106.8 in Exeter and surrounds and at www.phonic.fm – More details at www.bluesinthesouth.com – e-mail ian@ broonzy.com

JIMMY CARLYLE – HAMBONES’ BLUES RUMSHACK podcast -http://www.therumshack.com and SHADES OF BLUE on BBC Radio Shetland. EMAIL - therumshack@ gmail.com

KEVIN BEALE - BLUES ON THE MARSH – Fridays 19.00 to 21.00 at www.lookerradio.co.uk e-mail - bealekev@ gmail.com

KEVIN BLACK - BLACK ON BLUES – Weekly Podcastwww.blackonblues.com e-mail - kevinwilliamblack@gmail. com or black.kevin51@yahoo.com

LES YOUNG – WALL TO WALL BLUES – Mondays 20.00 to 22.00 repeated Friday 22.00 to 24.00 on Penistone FM 95.7fm in the Barnsley area and at www.penistonefm.co.uk – e-mail - les.young@penistonefm.co.uk

MARION MILLER – LADY PLAYS THE BLUES - Fridays

20.00 to 24.00 on 107.9 in the Stroud, Glos. Area and at www.stroudfm.co.uk/ - e.mail - marionmiller@talktalk.net

MARTIN CLARKE - THE BLUES SESSION - Fridays

21.00 to 23.00 at www.radiowey.co.uk – e-mail - martin@ thebluessession.co.uk

NICK DOW – LANCASHIRE BLUENOTES - Fridays 21.00 to 22.00 on BBC Radio Lancashire – 95.5 and 103.9 fm and at www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001d74y

PAUL JONES - PAUL JONES SHOW – Monday 19.00 to 20.00 on BBC Radio 2 and at http://www.bbc.co.uk/

PAUL STILES – UK BLUES TODAY – Sundays 06.00 and 18.00 on Radio Seagull 1602AM and at http://radioseagull. com/ - details at http://ukbluestoday.co.uk/ & http:// bluesfromoxford.com/ e-mail - paul@ukbluestoday.co.uk

ROB ALLEN – MEDECINE SHOW INTERNET RADIOwww.internetradio.co.uk

STAN COCKERAM – OUT IN THE WOODS - Tuesday 20.00 TO 22.00 REPEATED Saturday 16.00 to 17.30 – on The Park FM 96.9fm in the New Forest and at http://www. thepark.fm/ - e-mail - stan@riversidebluesband.co.uk

STEVIE SMITH – RETROSMITH RADIO – AFCUK Radio – Wednesdays 21.00 to 23.00 at www.wix.com/retrosmith/ retrosmith-radio-show - e-mail - retrosmith@hotmail.co.uk

TERRY KNOTT - ROADRASH BLUESSHOW –Podcast also broadcast weekly Saturday 18.00 and Sunday 19.00 on www.coventgardenradio.com , www. radioukinternational.com , www.roadrashbluesshow. podomatic.com – e-mail - podcastalleybluesgroup@gmail. com - road_rash_blues_show@myspace.com

TIM AVES - THE BLUES IS BACK - Sunday 20.00 to 22.00 on 94.7fm in the Maldon district and at www.saintfm. org.uk – e-mail – blues@saintfm.org.ul

TONY FITTON – BLUES IN THE NITE - Sundays 22.00 to 01.00 on Phoenix Radio 96.7fm in Calderdale and at www. phoenixfm.co.uk – e-mail - bluesinthenite@live.co.uk

TONY NIGHTINGALE - BLUES UNLIMITED – Mondays 19.00 21.00 on Lincoln City Radio 103.6 in Lincoln and surrounds and at www.lincolncityradio.com EMAIL - tony. nightingale@yahoo.co.uk

Information from the On Line Blues Radio group on Facebook. Programme times and day taken from station schedules as shown on their websites April 2012.

Many of these shows or variations thereof are also available on Kansas City Online Radio – www. kconlineradio.com

In The Next Edition Of Blues Matters

We hope you all enjoyed reading issue 67. We have loads in the pipe line for this year and beyond. Read on and find out what’s coming next in issue 68

Interviews – Joanne Shaw Taylor, Lewis Hamilton, Robert Cray, Mud Morganfield, Jon Cleary, Jim Sulher and more

Features – Johnson To Bonamassa (Part 5), Old-New Flamingo, Blues DJs, The Role Of The Harmonica In The Blues, Blue Horizon and more

Red Lick - Top 20 Chart

Blues Matters Writers Poll 2012 – Returns after the success of last year’s BM Writers’ Poll (see issue 62, page 58)

Top 10 – By Todd Sharpeville

Blue Blood – New Blues artists and bands to look out for Blues News – All the latest Blues news

Feedback – We publish your thoughts on the Blues scene.

Plus The Magazine Regulars: CD Reviews, Gig Reviews, Festival Reviews and more!

You meet some interesting people at Festivals! Who pop by the Blues Matters! Roadshow. If your at a festival this year, why not drop by and say Hello, offer suggestions for future features, chat about the music you love. Buy a bargain CD or subscribe to BM for a Christmas present, Birthday present, Any occasion. You friend will apprecite this thoughtful gesture.