Blues Matters 55

BLUES MATTERS!

“The BLUES without the blinkers!”

AWEK (FR)

BJORN BERGE (NOR)

ERIC BIBB (USA)

JIMMIE VAUGHAN (USA)

JOHN NORUM (SWE)

LARRY MILLER (UK)

MARCUS BONFANTI (UK)

MIKE ZITO (USA)

NINE BELOW ZERO (UK)

SANDI THOM (UK)

SMALL BLUES TRAP (GR)

TOMMY CASTRO (USA)

4 CD BOX SET

CONTAINING 74 TRACKS NEWLY REMA STERED DIGITALLY FROM THE ORIGINAL MA STER TAPES. INCLUDES 5 TRACKS RELEA SED IN THE UK ON CD FOR THE FIRST TIME

BLUES MATTERS!

PO Box 18, Bridgend, CF33 6YW. UK

Tel: 00-44-(0)1656-745628

Opening hours: Mon-Fri. 9am-12.30pm & 1pm-4pm.

Web: www.bluesmatters.com

MySpace: www.myspace.com/bluesmattersmagazine

EDITORIAL team

Geraint Morgan / Alan King:- editor@bluesmatters.com

Founder/Publisher

alan@bluesmatters.com

Contributing writers:

Liz Aiken, Roy Bainton, Andrew Baldwin, Adam Bates, Duncan Beattie, Bob Bonsey, Carol Borrington, Bob Chaffey, Norman Darwen, Dave Drury, Diane Gillard aka ‘Sister Feelgood’, Jamie Hailstone, Stuart A. Hamilton, Nat Harrap, Mark Harrison, Gareth Hayes, Steve Hoare, Sue Hickling, Peter Innes, Duncan Jameson, Philippa le Marquand, Ben MacNiar, Vicky Martin, Martin McKeown, Martin ‘Noggin’ Norris, Merv Osborne, Frankie Pfeiffer, Thomas Rankin, Graeme Scott, Dave Scott, Andy Snipper, Richard Thomas, Kevin Wharton, Rhys Williams, Philip Woodford, Adrian Blacklee.

Contributing photographers:

Tony Winfield, Christine Moore, Liz Aiken, Annie Goodman,

Production-Art/Layout

Kitty Rae

Advertising:

Alan King / Geraint Morgan:- ads@bluesmatters.com

Tel: 01656-745628

Subscriptions/orders:

Jenny Hughes :- jenny@bluesmatters.com

Tel: 01656-743406 Mon-Tues only 10am-4pm.

IT/Web Management:

Geraint Morgan : - geraint@bluesmatters.com

Stand Manager:

Christine Moore : - christine@bluesmatters.com

Event Manager:

Carol Borrington : - carol@bluesmatters.com

BM Sponsored venues:

Vicky Martin :- venues@bluesmatters.com

Printers

HSW Print, Tonypandy, CF40 2XX

© 2010 Blues Matters!

Alan Pearce t/a 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. J

BM54 scored again..................

Well, well, well.............

Ah here we are again folks with BM55, yes this is definitely BM55, no part 1 or part 3 this time!

The responses to our changes have been so positive and enthusiastic that we MUST thank you all for your comments. “Best issues in ages”, “Easier to read”, “More friendly and roomy”, “despite the errors you still remain head and shoulders above the rest in your field”, “love the new bright logo” are just a few of the observations you’ve been making.

There’s still errors and room for improvement and we’ll keep on keeping on, you just keep the feedback coming, if you don’t tell us something then we’ll never know.

There’s some terrific interviews in this issue again and new features starting just check the index page.

There’s Festival reviews from Bushy’s Big Wheel Event in Isle of Man, Soul Survivors in Ferriday, Mississippi, and of course this years’ Blues Foundation Awards.............enjoy.

We are now selling in New Zealand as a new market. We had subscribers there but no stockists until now.

Remember, if you see someone walking along without a smile on their face.....lend them one of yours! It makes a difference!

Alan & Geraint

and of course all the BM ‘team’

ENJOY THE FESTIVAL SEASON

Watch out for the BLUES MATTERS! Roadshow at Festivals.

Drop by and just say hello or chat music, magazine style and content. Were always happy to hear your comments. You never know who you will spot at our stand!!!

Eddie Martin, Elephant Shelf, Joe Bonamassa, Aynsley Lister, Jethro Tull, Hamilton Loomis, Gary Moore, Bare Bones Boogie Band, Rob Tognoni, Lisa Mills, Jon Amor & Chantel McGregor.

84 CD REVIEWS

8 FEEDBACK

16 BLUES FOUNDATION

AWARDS IN MEMPHIS

18 INTERVIEWS

Awek, Bjorn Berge, Eric Bibb, Jimmie Vaughan, John Norum, Larry Miller, Marcus Bonfanti, Mike Zito, Nine Below Zero, Sandi Thom, Small Blues Trap, Tommy Castro.

76 BLUE BLOOD

Debbie Giles’ Midnight Train, JPThree and Smokin Hogs

124 EARLY BLUES

Liz Aiken

126 THE HEGEMONY OF THE BLUES

Richard Thomas.

WILL TANG, BIG BILL MORGANFIELD, TREVOR FINLAY, CLARE FREE

DAVID GERALD,SMOKIN’ HOGS, LITTLE AXE, CHARLIE BURSE AND HIS MEMPHIS MUDCATS, STANTON MOORE, RAY CHARLES, DEBBIE DAVIES, HIPBONE SLIM AND THE KNEETREMBLERS, CATHERINE RUSSELL, STACEY

& MARK STUART, EGYPT, OTIS

GIBBS, ELI ‘PAPERBOY’ REED & THE TRUE LOVES, DAVID

MAXWELL & LOUISIANA RED, ANA POPOVIC, JOHN NORUM, STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN AND FRIENDS, AYNSLEY LISTER, THE STEVE MILLER BAND, THE MANNISH BOYS, MUDDY WATERS, SMALL BLUES

TRAP, GROUNDHOGS, PHILIP SAYCE......

CONTENTS

Page 28. ERIC BIBB - Part 1

Climb aboard with us for this fabulous two part interview with Eric. He is one of the most charismatic performers you will ever have the great pleasure of watching. If you get the chance dont miss the experience.

BjornBerg

Sandi Thom

Marcus Bonfanti

TommyCastro

JimmieVaughan

FEEDBACK

What you want to vent!

Dear Blues Matters

I can see how Elvis Presley might just creep into a Blues mag, and being very generous, even Mica Paris, but how on earth did Cliff Richard sneak under the wire?

The idea of putting coloured patches on some of the pages is fine if you stick to pastel shades. But dark green as featured on P 49 of the latest issue just doesn’t work, I found it impossible to read it! (You aren’t alone, Guitarist are also guilty). Please stick to more reader friendly colours in future.

Have you thought about setting up an interview with Lulu, if she hasn’t already thought about it, I am sure that she could/ should be persuaded to do a blues album.

Dave Stone

BM: Yes we were a bit put out but it sneaked through and is done now. Bless Cliff though, he is an institution in his own right, he’s been going for so long and has the gospel on his side you do have to admire his durability.

Gentlemen,

I’ve just read with interest Richard Newman’s article on Peter Green. As a man in his forties, I pretty much missed his best years being just a lad. However, I have been a fanatic of the blues for some 30 years now and through it all, Peter Green stands out to me as the master of his craft. I struggle playing his music with his feeling, but love the challenge.

I have read Martin Celmin’s biog on Peter and just about everything available on the net and have come to the conclusion that he is a man with immense talent and complete humility. I certainly have never detected any ego in any of his live performances, recorded sessions or any writings about the great man. I think it is his humility that, for me, puts him head and shoulders above his more commercially accomplished contemporaries.

I have seen Peter live on several occasions and I fully understand the feeling of love for the man that radiates from the audience. I would concur with Richard that anyone who hasn’t really listened to the music of Peter Green should take time to listen to his output over the last 50 years. Without a doubt you should listen to his live version of the BB King track ‘I’ve Got a Mind to Give Up Living’ on the bootleg New Orleans album Dead Bust Blues recorded in 1970. You can hear it on UTube or import the CD as I did. If that doesn’t make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck……nothing will. In my humble opinion, this is Peter at his very best.

I am certain that Peter will go down in British Blues history and music generally as a pioneer of the craft and as a totally unique National Treasure who will be recognised as such once it is too late. (We’re good at doing that, unlike our American cousins who canonize most of their performers at the earliest opportunity)

Peter Green sprinkled fairy dust on most of what he touched and the world is a better place for it.

Regards, Steve Potter. Greeny Worshipper – Rochester, Kent.

BM says: There is nothing you can add to that Steve! The man had one of the most sensitive touches on the fret board to ever grace our ears for sure.

Letter to the Editor.

Sir,

As a lover of the blues in all its forms, I find myself in a disheartened state now. The issue that has brought about my level of consternation is something that has been rumbling around Facebook for the past few months, that is the so-called British Blues Awards run by Nottingham Blues Society (NBS). How can a small recently formed Blues Society claim to represent the Blues in the UK. It seems to take its nominations for awards from a few Facebook users or visitors to its website and as the society was only formed last year that would seem to be a small sample of the Blues fraternity and certainly not representative of the Blues community as a whole. Surely, such an award as this requires a wider involvement to have credibility and should have included Blues Matters in its design and promotion, along with at least one venue from each county where there is Blues played, perhaps even allowing festival goers to vote before announcing the winners. Instead we have a situation where a member of the NBS openly promoted a relatively unknown guitarist on Facebook and surprise, surprise he got through the nomination stage. There appears to have been no independent scrutiny of the nomination process or appears as if there will be any for the voting stage. Such amateurish activities by NBS serve only to lower the image of the Blues as a musical form. I would also add one further comment about the nominations; in capital letters on the nomination page of the website it said MUST BE BRITISH. This is an act of discrimination and against the 1976 Race Relations Act. As we all know the Blues originated from slavery and discrimination and to think that discrimination is being used to promote, what I am sure they only think of as a service to the Blues community, should be an anathema to all Blues fans. I would have no respect for any artist who accepted one of these awards on the basis of how they have been selected, both from the discrimination perspective and the narrowness of the voting base.

Yours Charles Barnett (Tunbridge Wells)

BM: Strong words indeed. Well Blues Matters has intended to launch new British Blues Awards for a few years now and indeed spoken to a couple of festivals about it where presentations would be made but not persued it any further so far due to other happenings. It is something that we aim to look into more in 2011 with sponsors behind us and we will do so. Let’s hear from more of you on this matter.

Hello Blues Matters, Hey guys, one word! “LOVED!!!!!” the last issue. It was full of the Blues from the top to the bottom which is something I was starting to question in past issues with the likes of Kings of Leon and others starting to creep in to a “BLUES” Magazine. Very much liking the new layout, it’s easy on the eyes. There are some mistakes in the issue but I’m really looking forward to issue 55 and hope it’s just as good or even better! Keep up the great work guys and girls.

Adam Tenner (Liverpool)

Dear BM, Venues in the UK are closing daily; we need some ideas to bring them back. Too many great bands and too many great artist but not enough gigs. We do what we can in our town, what are you doing in yours?

Chris Boughton (Dosthill, Tamworth)

BM says: This is sadly all too true and one of the reasons we exist is because of our founders’ frustration at all the great music there is out there that never got/gets covered by anyone else. So BM can and does do it’s bit in print and on web but venues is something else again. Anyone got any ideas let us know, this is a very important issue and live music regulations do not help!

Dear Blues Matters

It would be great if we could have more website reviews and also reviews of music on MySpace.

Dilwin Roberts- Young (Aberystwyth, Ceredioion)

BM says: We’re still re-organising and have people looking into more web content and utilising MySpace more so watch this space as they say.

Dear BM

I’d love to see a full interview with Robin Trower, would be nice! The magazine just gets better! Keep up the brilliant work

John White (Wirral)

BM says: Thank you so much from all the team, comments like this make it all worthwhile. We’ll look into a future interview with Robin.

Blues Matters - Jenny, I must apologize. The mag arrived last week. I did take a long time, but it did arrive. Thank you for your time in getting back to me. You have a great magazine that is jammed packed with articles, review..etc It’s a hard job, and a lot of times a thankless one in trying to keep music like the blues (and all the other music that has some blues in it) in the public eye. Your mag sorta reminds me of a smaller size Mojo. Thanks again and enjoy your summer.

Regards, Michael Louis (Brooklyn, NY. USA)

BM says: Thank you Michael. Yes Surface Mail is slow but due to the Postal charges from UK that is the way many magazines are shipped. If only we had Mojo’s circulation! Oh boy the things we could do for the Blues, spread the word and who knows..............

Hi Guys,

Received new edition yesterday, what can I say it’s superb looks better than ever. Everything easy to find, just pure quality throughout. Although I’ve not got to fully reading interviews yet again they comprise that mix of known and not so well known, and an article on the fabulous Peter Green (who could ask for more),in fact his box set is sat on my desk right now ready to be played for the ????? time.

The live and festival section is spot on and great to see a review of one of the country’s best bluesmen Eddie Martin, I still can’t believe he’s not made it really big yet, just doesn’t seem fair. Photos clearer and better than ever. The great thing about it over other related blues publications is just how up to date and relevant every issue is, something you should take great pride and thanks in from every reader.

The whole magazine looks great and maintains by a mile being the best blues and blues related one there is, and as I’ve said before not even the big USA mags. hold up to the layout and quality of Blues Matters. Keep it up and many many thanks indeed for the best publication on the market music wise today. Cheers

Pete Clack (Oxford)

BM: Thank you Peter, we know you are a long time supporter and greatly appreciate your views and feedback, after some difficult times it is people like you that make this worthwhile and encourage us onwards for the Blues

GETTING THE BLUES CHANTEL McGREGOR’S Blues Top 10

1. Richie Kotzen - “Live in Sao Paulo”

Raw, powerful and exciting, all of the things that made Hendrix the iconic innovator that he was. Don’t get me wrong though, this album is no tribute to Hendrix. Kotzen’s rich vocals are drenched with feeling and unrestrained emotion. His songs rock, groove and connect with the enthused audience whose shrieks of excitement complement Kotzen’s energetic performance. The track ‘Remember’ is insightful and melodically beautiful imagery of a breaking down relationship conveys a fraught yet tearful and perceptive picture of Richie as a sensitive soul. His technical guitar playing, filled with raw emotion is mirrored in his vocals and song writing. I could listen to this CD a million times and it never gets stale, each time I hear it, I hear something new. Personally, it inspires me to push my playing, making every time I perform a bit more exciting than the last.

2. Joe Bonamassa - “A New Day Yesterday, Live”

An exciting and enthusiastic live album which was recorded quite a while ago when Joe had a three piece band. This CD reminds me of why I love live CD’s so much. Joe pushes his improvisation to rousing reactions from the audience. His exciting, bluesy twist on the title track, a Jethro Tull cover, is filled with exhilarating improvisation and spontaneity.

3. Fleetwood Mac - “Rumours”

With over 40 Million copies sold, I can’t be wrong! The personal conflicts within the band at the time make this album so poignant. The breakdown of relationships is documented in the audio diary of melody, harmony and bittersweet turmoil. The sadness, hope and anger, equate to a tangled web of relationships played out in exquisite music.

4. Jeff Buckley - “Grace”

I bought this album when I was 12, I remember buying it in Bradford, getting into the car, turning it up loud (dad going mad) and thinking WOW!!! The serenity, beauty and gracefulness of this album is spelled out through the hints at other artists. Buckley incorporates the heavenly rawness of Nirvana, the tragic beauty of Nick Drake and the angelic vocal mastery, dexterity and perfection of some of the most accomplished singers in the world. Tragically, Buckley never lived past 30, after which, his fame blossomed, the songs on this album connoting an eerie foreshadowing of his fate. His emotive renditions of the tracks ‘Lilac Wine’, ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘Corpus Christie Carol’, show an insight into Buckley’s sensitive soul, with the songs bordering on ethereal angelic hymns. The contrast between these beautiful, sensitive tracks and the raw grunge of the tracks ‘Eternal Life’ and ‘So Real’, make this album, for me and so many others, one of the most poignant in my lifetime.

5. Bonnie Raitt - “Road Tested”

‘Girl Power’ clearly was not invented by the Spice Girls! Bonnie Raitt has been performing for decades and every time I hear her, I sit in amazement at the quality and classiness of her musicianship and persona. As a little girl, I always said that if I could play music for as long as Bonnie Raitt, I’d be a very happy bunny, I still stand by that today. This is Bonnie’s live album; it showcases her tasteful slide playing, feisty bluesiness and quality-filled elegance. The tracks that sum this album

Photos by Christine Moore

up for me are, ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’ and ‘Dimming of The Day’, refined and sophisticated, quality and honesty; this album reminds me of the richest Belgian chocolate – smooth, luxurious and oozing soul.

6. Seth Lakeman - “Freedom Fields”

I adore this album that much – I have two copies of it!!! The first version of this album is a lot less produced than the second, but I actually prefer the first, it feels a lot more honest and natural. To me, every time I listen to this album, I imagine myself sat in an old country pub, log fire raging, a pint of real ale in my hand, singing along to the tales of love, loss and 17th century conflict, which, peppered with myths and legends of Dartmoor, send my imagination running wild. I know you could argue it’s not Blues, but I suspect the storytelling and imagery is the Blues’ long lost relative, probably lost overboard somewhere in the Atlantic since many of Seth’s songs swirl around the sea.

7. Led Zeppelin - “Led Zeppelin III”

Well, what can I say about this album; iconic? Influential? Innovative? ... Inspirational!!! The third album by Led Zep was well before my time, but it will live with most people for a long time in the future. The acoustic and earthy sounds of tracks such as ‘Gallows Pole’ and ‘Bron-Y-Aur-Stomp’, feel like a pre-Raphaelite J.W. Waterhouse painting of the oldeworlde 18th Century cottage in Wales, overlooking the valleys, where it was written. Melodies swirling with intricate guitar playing and exciting rhythms are quite a departure from I and II, although Zep hark back to rock and blues on tracks such as ‘Immigrant Song’ and ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’. The album to me feels varied yet very ‘Led Zep’, acoustic yet progressive, traditional yet electrifying – Immortal!

8. Mellissa Etheridge - “Your Little Secret”

Again, another ‘Girl Power’ album. Mellissa is a very strong lady, and to me this album spells out how much she kicks butt! The raucous vocals, with flecks of Janis Joplin, pounding rhythms, played as intricately as any lead instrument, and powerful guitar parts, complete a sound which echoes anger, love, hate, passion, peace and all that’s in between.

9. John Mayer - “Any Given Thursday”

Another live album, and unexpectedly, it’s one he recorded before his venture into the Blues. I’ve adored John Mayer since I was about 16; I’ve travelled with his progression from sensitive acoustic singer/songwriter, to commercial popstar, to contemporary Blues musician and loved each and every step of the journey. This album, shows the diversity of his musicianship, from melodic acoustic ballads like ‘Comfortable’, to rhythmic, funky pop songs like ‘City Love’, to his first hint at his bluesy intentions with the improvised cover of SRV’s ‘Lenny’. This album, to me, conveys John Mayer as an artist in 2002. It’s also interesting to consider how Mayer has developed musically since this recording, especially his dive into the Blues and how he makes it contemporary, current and accessible to young people.

10. Neil Young - “Harvest”

A plethora of wonderful artists featured on this album, from James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt to Crosby, Stills and Nash, complimenting Young and his delicate melodies. Young is one of the most prolific songwriters of his time, and has been cited by so many artists as an inspiration across genres. This album shows his delicate acoustic side, whilst still touching on the grungy aspects of his performance in songs such as ‘Heart of Gold’ and ‘Words’. Personally, this, like all of the other albums I have picked, is fundamentally sensational because of the way the artist conveys emotion, whether it’s in a whisper or a yell, each album has its fair share of strength, sadness, aggression and love, which essentially, to me equates to honesty and feel – the basis of the Blues. Even though the albums I have chosen are not strictly “traditional” Blues albums, they stem from the same place – truth and emotion, and that’s what Blues means to me.

HAPPENIN’

Latest news from our Blues world

CHICAGO BLUES REUNION TO TOUR BRITAIN AND EUROPE

Negotiations are underway to bring Chicago Blues Reunion to Britain and Europe in 2011. A London based Promotion consortium is working with the band to bring the tour to fruition. The band, a major US festival act, regularly features legendary figures including Harvey Mandel (ex Canned Heat), Corky Siegel, Tracy Nelson, Charlie Musselwhite, Barry Goldberg (ex Bob Dylan and Electric Flag), Nick Gravenites (ex Paul Butterfield), Sam Lay (ex Muddy Waters). A tour would capitalize on a soon to be seen new movie by Barry Goldberg dealing with the story of how young white guys like Mike Bloomfield and Barry met and played with the Chicago greats in the early 60’s and brought black blues music to the American youth audience. A spokesperson for the London promo group said “Each one of the Chicago Blues Reunion is a brilliant performer in his own right – put them together and you have possibly the hottest blues band ever”. Venues and promoters are invited to register their interest at bluestour@ukmusiccity.com

NEW MAJOR BLUES & ROOTS VENUE MOOTED CLOSE TO CITY OF LONDON

Following recent success by new London venues such as Round Midnight in Islington it looks as if Blues & Roots music is coming to the City of London – a long established venue in Crosswall is being revamped, re-branded and re-launched as a venue to rival the best – a spokesperson said “We’ve looked at what we consider to be the best venues in terms of respecting the customers and the performers, and that will be our model”. Negotiations are under way with various parties for an autumn launch.

ROADHOUSE IMPRESS THE NEW PRIME MINISTER AND GET ON GLASTONBURY STAGE!

Things are really looking up for South London Rock legends Gary Boner’s Roadhouse – they even impressed new Prime Minister David Cameron recently. It happened at a recent show at the New Inn Witney Oxon. David Cameron a pub regular dropped in for a pint. Hearing Roadhouse Mr Cameron said ‘Hey, they’re very good aren’t they’. The gig was part of weekend event ‘Help for Heroes’. Martin Cornish the owner of the New Inn who also runs his own band was thrilled to get Roadhouse to the venue – “There are two London bands that play here, they’re both superb and head and shoulders above the rest, Roadhouse and Elephant Shelf”. But Roadhouse’ biggest coup was getting on to the new ‘Bourbon Street Jazz and Blues Stage at Glastonbury’ complex negotiations and a last minute drop-out by a major US act left space for Gary & Co. “It’s the most prestigious festival that we’ve played, and we’re thrilled” says Gary. They’ll be appearing alongside such as Oli Brown and Ainslie Lister. Noted for being a great rocking band with ‘glam’, Roadhouse should make a big impact.

BM VENUES – SOUTH LONDON’S FIRST

Blues Boom at the Monty is a new Blues night taking place at the famous Montague Arms in at New Cross Gate London. Graeme Wheatley is working hard to get patrons into the venue which was named as ‘STILL the best pub in Britain-Rough Pub Guide 2009’. “It’s a fabulous place, great stage set-up and sound system, and we’ve got a local tube link as well”. Graeme and co are working hard to get Blues music established at the venue and have already had some storming gigs – in particular The Riotous Brothers featuring Paul Long who filled the venue to overflowing. Rising acts booked in so far include – the Blue Bishops, the return of the Riotous Brothers, Elephant Shelf and of course the Little Devils. http://www.liveblues.info/bluesboom/

COLNE GREAT BRITISH BLUES FESTIVAL 2010;

This August Bank Holiday we are celebrating a whopping 21 years of bringing the Blues to Colne!

But there won’t be any birthday cakes, banners or balloons – just one of the best line-ups we have ever had!

With more than 600 artistes performing at eight official venues over four days, Colne’s annual Great British R&B Festival is believed to be the biggest of its kind in this country and the second biggest in Europe!

As usual we will have some popular, well-known names gracing the Muni’s International Stage, including Peter Green, Georgie Fame, Chris Farlowe and Sandi Thom.

Flying in from the USA especially for the weekend will be Omar and The Howlers, Magic Slim and The Teardrops, the Popa Chubby Band and the Larry Garner Band.

Highlights on the British Stage will include Chantel McGregor, the Mitch Laddie Trio, the Frank White Band and Cliff Stocker’s legendary Slack Alice.

Radio Lancashire will be taking over and broadcasting live from Pendle Leisure Centre on the opening night – Friday, 27 August.

The Jessica Foxley Stage is being introduced to the British Stage for the first time this year

We are giving young, local musicians a rare opportunity to perform in front of the hundreds of fans who make the pilgrimage to Colne each year to hear The Blues.

A total of 21 musicians auditioned for one of the sought-after places and after much deliberation by the group of judges, the final eight were chosen.

BASSEJOU KOYATE & NGONI BA perform at Glastonbury

Mali’s ngoni superstars Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba - “the best rock’n’roll band in the world” according to The Independent - returned to the UK to perform at this year’s Glastonbury festival (on the West Holts Stage, formerly the Jazz World Stage); it was their debut performance at the legendary festival. They will also perform in Coventry, Kendal and Dartington, and at London’s Barbican Centre.

Bassekou Kouyate who has just picked up a KORA Award for Best African Traditional Artist, has also been nominated in the Best Artist category at the Songlines Music Awards 2010, for the album ‘I Speak Fula’. The Songlines Music Awards recognise outstanding talent in world music and are voted by Songlines readers and the general public. The final nominees are the top four in each of the four categories (Best Artist, Best Group, Cross-Cultural Collaboration and Newcomer) from the public vote. One of Bassekou’s songs is included on a compilation CD which features tracks from all 16 nominated artists across the four categories. The winners will be announced in the June issue of Songlines, on sale from 30 April. More info at http://www.songlines.co.uk/music-awards/

HORSE FEATHERS UK TOUR

Horse Feathers will be returning to the UK this September. Justin Ringle has turned out to be a songwriter strongly influenced by the seasons. His Portland, Oregon-based band’s last record, the critically acclaimed House With No Home, was a winter album par excellence, from its chilly cover art to his frostbitten songs of loneliness and loss. Their new album, Thistled Spring (is out now on Kill Rock Stars) displays a rich progression - more textured and lush than the band’s previous two albums, it also captures the skilful interplay of the band’s current touring line-up of Justin Ringle, violinist Nathan Crockett, cellist Catherine Odell, and multi-instrumentalist Sam Cooper. UK Dates: below

Sunday 12th September - North Dorset, End of The Road Festival

Monday 13th September - Brighton, Freebutt

Tuesday 14th September - Manchester, The Kings Arms

Wednesday 15th September - Oxford, Jericho

Thursday 16th September - London, Luminaire

JOE BONAMASSA WORLDWIDE TOUR

On July 1st, 2010 blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa will kick off a month-long whirlwind tour of the European continent, bringing his fiery fretwork and electrifying performance style to audiences in better than a half-dozen countries. After a couple of months “off” - Bonamassa never really seems to vacation, he merely switches gears and works on something different - he’ll be hitting the road again in the fall for an October tour of the United Kingdom, after which he’ll come back home for a rash of tour dates on the East Coast. Touring in support of his new album Black Rock, released to some critical acclaim earlier this year, Joe Bonamassa is well worth going out of your way to see perform when he comes near your hometown.

10/14 @ Bristol Colston Hall, Bristol, England

10/15 @ Manchester Apollo, Manchester, England

10/17 @ Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle Upon

10/18 @ Glasgow Concert Hall, Glasgow, Scotland

10/19 @ De Montfort Hall, Leicester, England

10/25 @ Palladium, Warsaw, Poland

11/11 @ Symphony Hall, Springfield MA

11/12 @ Palace Theater, Stamford CT

11/13 @ Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom

STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN REISSUED

With his band Double Trouble, influential blues-rock guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan recorded his sophomore effort, Couldn’t Stand The Weather, less than a year after his groundbreaking debut album Texas Flood. Offering more of the same incendiary fretwork and blustery blues as his first effort, the album seemed a bit rushed at the time and, at a mere eight songs, left SRV’s new and rapidly growing fan base thirsting for more than a taste of his talents. Still, Couldn’t Stand The Weather proved to be enormously popular and provided Vaughan with his commercial breakthrough, rising to #31 on the Billboard albums chart and becoming the band’s first RIAA-certified Gold and Platinum Record.

HAPPENIN’

On July 31, 2010 Sony Legacy Recordings will be reissuing Vaughan’s Couldn’t Stand The Weather as a much-anticipated two-CD deluxe “Legacy Edition.” The first disc of the set includes the original eight-track album, re-mastered to modern audio standards, as well as an additional eleven studio outtakes from the January 1984 recording sessions, three of them previously unreleased. Among the unreleased tracks is a scorching cover of Elmore James’ classic “The Sky Is Crying,” a three-piece band performance that differs from that which was released on the album of the same name. The second disc of the Legacy Edition of Couldn’t Stand The Weather features a previously unreleased twelve-song live performance by Vaughan and Double Trouble, recording in August 1984 at The Spectrum in Montreal, Canada just a couple of months after the album’s release. The live set features a mix of material from Vaughan’s first two albums, including such Texas Flood faves like “Love Struck Baby” and “Pride and Joy.” The Legacy Edition also includes extensive liner notes by Guitar World magazine editor Andy Aledort. Released to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of Vaughan’s tragic death, let’s hope that Couldn’t Stand The Weather is the first shot in an overall restoration of Vaughan’s limited but important back catalog of albums.

WILLIE BROWN BLUES BENEFIT

Mark this date on your calendar: Sunday, September 26th, 2010, because on that night in Tampa, Florida a benefit for Delta bluesman Willie Brown will be held at Rick’s On The River club. The show is free and right now the line-up includes blues guitarist Sean Chambers, Eddie Wright, Lee Pons, the Backwater Blues Band, and special guest Damon Fowler. Born in 1900 in Clarksdale, Mississippi, Willie Brown was best-known as a side player, performing behind such Delta bluesmen as Robert Johnson, Son House, and Charley Patton. Not much is known about Brown, who remains somewhat of an enigma to even the most hidebound blues scholars. We know that he was an extraordinary guitarist who recorded six sides for Paramount Records in 1930 in Grafton, Wisconsin, which were subsequently released on three 78rpm shellac discs. Of these, only one has been discovered, and reportedly only three copies of that one are known to exist. It is believed that Brown may have been recorded by Alan Lomax in 1942 in Arkansas as part of a group that included Son House and Fiddlin’ Joe Martin.

Brown died in 1952, and was buried in an unmarked grave in Tunica, Mississippi. The benefit show, which is free but will include live auctions, raffles, and a donation bucket, is being held to raise $2,100 so that the Good Shepherd Church in Tunica can place a long-overdue gravestone on the Delta bluesman’s burial site.

SMOKIE BLUES FESTIVAL 2010

The 7th Smokie Blues Festival will take place over the weekend of 17th – 19th September 2010at the Carnoustie Golf Hotel, Carnoustie, Scotland.

Following the success of last years festival which was the first package deal festival of this type in Scotland, weekend tickets will be available with or without accommodation and separate tickets for each day of the event. The Smokie Blues festival presents an excellent opportunity to see a very high standard of international artists in the one venue on two stages over one weekend.

The programme includes a headline appearance from US guitarist Sherman Robertson, renounced for his incendiary live shows of zydeco, Texas R&B and swampy blues. Critically acclaimed British blues singer and guitarist Ian Siegal, once described by Jeff Beck as the closest thing he has heard to Chester Burnett will also perform. Delta Blues guitarist Rocky Lawrence has played with David Honeyboy Edwards and James Cotton and been described as a walking persona of the country bluesman Robert Johnson. Following a superb set last year, original Savoy Brown member John O’Leary will a make welcome return to Carnoustie with his band. Dick Wardell, who has played with distinguished musicians such as Long John Baldry and the Hoochie Coochie will bring his trademark intense performances to the festival. Also appearing is 8 piece RhumBoogie Orchestra featuring Tenor sax player Deke McGee (ex Otis Grand), Ted McKenna (ex Alex Harvey, Womack & Womack), Alan Thomson (ex John Martyn) and blues guitar virtuoso Alan Brown who are decribed as the most danceable swinging rhythm n’ blues band in Scotland. The international acts this year include Italian blues/folk quintet Dago Red and King MO who have been described as the hottest blues band in Holland. Also from Holland are their bestknown bluesrockers The Juke Joints, who will bring their mix of Chicago blues, rock ‘n’ roll and rockabilly, all linked by the band’s unmatched energy. Steel guitar player Simon Currie will perform under the moniker of ‘Man Gone Missing’, a slide guitar alt-blues-based project, while fresh from their appearance at the Blues on the River Festival, Chicago 5 will be making the trip from Glasgow to appear. The festival presents a superb opportunity to see some local and international blues artists in the fabulous setting of this four-star golf hotel on the east coast of Scotland. Weekend and day tickets are current available, but are in limited supply so early booking is recommended.

http://www.smokieblues.com or http://www.oxfordhotelsandinns.com or by telephone 01241876012

TAM WHITE born 12th July 1942 died 21st June 2010

Veteran blues singer Tam White has died at the age of 68, after collapsing following a gym session. Mr White supported a string of stars including BB King, Al Green, Van Morrison, James Taylor, Paul Jones and Charlie Musselwhite, as well as fronting The Tam White Band in a sell-out week of shows at the prestigious Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London in the 1990s.

Despite acting alongside Mel Gibson in Braveheart, Geena Davis in Cutthroat Island and turning down a role with Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as making a string of TV appearances in everything from Rebus to River City, Mr

White was reluctant to call himself an actor. “I’m always a bit suspect to call myself that,” he told the Evening News last year. Mr White was born in 1948 and brought up in the Grassmarket, where he lived till age 13 when the family moved to Saughtonhall. His mother, Marion, and grandmother, Agnes Sim, enjoyed singing and his great-grandfather was bandmaster in Gilmerton. He completed a five-year apprenticeship in stonemasonry for James Turner’s in Gorgie upon leaving school at 15, but found his true calling after hearing the Ray Charles hit What’d I Say on the car radio while hitch-hiking through Holland in a kilt at the age of 18. He formed The Boston Dexters in Edinburgh in 1964 and, following a record deal with Columbia Records, moved to London to begin a six-month residency at the Pontiac Club in Putney alongside the legendary John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, featuring Eric Clapton on guitar. The band split after around three years and Mr White went solo.

He got his first acting break in 1987 when he provided the voiceover for Robbie Coltrane’s Big Jazza in the BAFTA award-winning BBC TV series, Tutti Frutti, in 1987.

Fiona Alexander, producer of the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, had known him since his days on Tutti Frutti.

She said: “We’re all devastated. I was only talking to him a week and a half a ago about the jazz festival. He was in fighting spirit. He had a fantastic way of delivering a song which showed that it came from the heart.

“We’re going to let things settle for a few days and then start thinking about what we can do for a tribute. His musical presence and wonderful personality are irreplaceable.”

“A voice much missed already.”

BLUES FOUNDATION AWARDS

2010 Blues Music Awards in Memphis!

Anytime going to Memphis is an exciting experience. Add to it the Blues Awards and hanging out with Roger Earl (Savoy Brown and Foghat) and Jeff Simon (George Thorogood)- it is hard to beat. For those of you from the UK, the Memphis area is the heart of American music, Beal Street, Sun Records, Sam Philips , Elvis, Lansky’s, Stax, Clarksdale, Mississippi ,the Blues Trail, Delta Blues Museum, Robert Johnson ,John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, BB King ,Howlin Wolf, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and much more. The Blues Foundation puts on the best awards ceremony of its’ kind, run by Joe Whitmer and Jay Sieleman. This year’s main event was Buddy Guy getting the Lifetime Achievement Award, which was well deserved. The Awards categories range from Pinetop Perkins Piano Player, Historical Album of the Year, Rock Blues, Album of the Year, Best New Artist, Band of the Year, BB King Entertainer of the Year ,DVD (sponsored by Eagle Rock) , Album of the Year, Song of the Year ,Contemporary Blues Album of the Year, and for the first time, the Koko Taylor Award. There were 26 awards in all. In my opinion, Tommy Castro was the big winner. As always there were some great live performances led by Buddy Guy, and the legendary Eddie C.Cambell. Other outstanding performers were Billy Branch, Debbie Davies, Joe Louis Walker, John Primer, Billy Boy Arnold, Louisiana Red, Dave Maxwell, Bob Stroger, Duke Robillard, Guy Davis, Michael Burks, Rick Estrin and Maria Muldaur.

Besides the awards, there were other great events going on in Memphis at the same time. Louisiana Red & Little Victors Juke Joint

Buddy Guy

Candye Kane

all photos by Arnie

Goodman

BLUES FOUNDATION AWARDS

at Alfred’s on Beal Street, Blind Raccoon/Earwig Music Showcase at Rum Boogie put on by Betsie Brown., and The Daddy Mac Showcase for his new album. My favorite was the fundraiser for the Center for Southern Folklore, starring Bobby Rush Solo. Bobby gave you a whole history of the Blues. It is a must for any music fan to see Bobby Solo. He added a personal touch by having dinner with his fans. Brian Paris put on a great event. Let’s not forget Memphis has the best ribs in the world- for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The premier place to dine is Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous. For anybody into the Blues, the Blues Awards in Memphis is the place to go!

NEW RELEASE: BLUES ALBUM OF THE YEAR:

Jimmie Vaughan & Sue Ann Barton

DVD: SEE THE BAND IN ACTION & LEARN SCHOFIELD’S GUITAR SECRETS

Debbie Davies

TOMMY CASTRO

Duncan Beattie is a believer in Mr Castro!

Tommy Castro’s second album was entitled ‘Exception To the Rule’ and given how his career has developed since, appears entirely appropriate. Since coming to prominence via the NBC television Comedy Showcase, Castro has released a steady stream of critically acclaimed studio albums, shared the stage for a tour on a nightly basis with BB King, and was present on the last recorded session by John Lee Hooker. Full recognition of his exceptional talents came with his 2007 album ‘PainKiller’ which saw him win both the Blues Music Awards for Contemporary Blues Album of the Year and Entertainer of The Year. Last year saw the release of its follow ‘Hard Believer’, which is probably his best yet. Given his impressive back catalogue this is a fine achievement. It is a true album that blends his Blues, rock n’ roll and soul influences in such a cohesive and contemporary way showcasing his soulful vocals, searing guitar and insightful lyrics. Blues Matters were delighted to catch up with Tommy to discuss his latest album and some of the other milestones of his career to date.

BM: I wanted to start by asking you about your new album “Hard Believer”. Personally I feel it is possibly your best album to date and is such a cohesive set of songs. Please can you tell me what you like most about the album?

TC: I like that we were able make a record that is different from my others in some ways, but still sounds like me. I also think the combination of my songs, the songs written by my friends Jeff Turmes and Stephen Bruton along with our choice of covers makes an interesting listen. I think this album keeps your interest from one song to the next. You can listen from top to bottom and never say to yourself ‘okay I think I see where this is going’ as is the case with some records. Not to mention, I have a really great band now and they played brilliantly on this record.

On both “Hard Believer” and your previous release “PainKiller”, you have used the renowned producer John Porter, who has also produced for Los Lonely Boys, Taj Mahal, Keb Mo, Santana, B.B. King, Elvis Costello, and Buddy Guy. How has he aided the completion of these fine albums? John Porter a great producer who is equally talented as a musician as he is a technician. He has very good instincts. The way he and I go about making a record is using a little bit of state-of-the-art technology mixed with an old school sensibility. He helped with the song selection, arrangements and then mixed the record. The way John mixes makes the song sound very alive and exciting.

And Hard Believer was released on Alligator Records...

Yes I am delighted to be signed to Alligator which I feel that this is a major step forward for me. I am very grateful for the opportunity to record for a label which has such a rich history in Blues and American roots music.

I particularly love the song, ‘Definition of Insanity’, could you tell some of the meaning behind it? There is a saying these days that goes “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.” This saying comes from the recovery movement. It pertains to addiction. Jeff Silbar and I thought we would make this song about an addictive relationship. The characters in the song are no good for each other but they just keep coming back for more.

The album is dedicated to Stephen Bruton, whom you thanked for his friendship and inspiration. Could you please tell our readers a little about him and in what way he was so inspirational to you?

Stephen was a good friend who I wrote songs with. He was an inspiration to me because he was the kind of songwriter that I want to be. His lyrics always have a lot of substance. There have been several people in my life that have guided me on a personal level as well as professional, and Stephen was a big brother type for me. There is a lot about Stephen Bruton for anyone who wants to check out his music and contributions to pop culture. He was a singer, songwriter and sometimes even an actor.

Of course you covered Bruton’s ‘It Is What It Is’ on the album, which also features your unique interpretations of artists as diversified as Bob Dylan, the Righteous Brothers, Allen Toussaint and Wilson Pickett. What led you to choose these particular songs and is there a sense that you like to stretch musical boundaries with their inclusion?

I chose these particular songs based on a combination of songs I have thought about doing for some time, and new ideas by way of John Porter in the case of ‘Victims of the Darkness’ and ‘My Babe.’ Yes, I am always trying to stretch musical boundaries for me and my band. I am always looking for something we haven’t done yet for whatever reason that might be. For instance, I had never recorded a Bob Dylan song. That was a first for me.

Tom Poole, a trumpeter, has been added to your touring band. Was this a natural next step for you musically, and what has been the impact on your live band shows? The natural next step was to add Tom. Not necessarily a trumpeter. The fact is that Keith Crossan, my long time tenor

Pictiure by Christine Moore

man, and Tom have been playing together since college and that is a very long time. He played on all of our records and would occasionally do shows with us. After “PainKiller,” the horn arrangements were so great that we had to ask him to leave his very cool Etta James gig and join my band. The natural next step after this was to add Tony Stead on keyboard. He also played on both on “PainKiller” and “Hard Believer.” And now I have the instrumentation that I have always wanted.

You’ve recently played a tour with Coco Montoya who dueted on your stunning version of Albert Collins’ ‘Good Fool Is Hard to Find’ from “PainKiller.” How did the tour go?

Coco Montoya is one of my guitar heroes and also a very good friend for many years. It suffices to say that we really had a great time.

Montoya just played a long awaited Europe in early 2010. Do you have any plans to follow suit and play some dates either in the UK or mainland Europe in the near future?

Yes, as a matter of fact, we will be playing some festivals in Europe in May 2010. So far this includes France, Belgium and Germany and most likely Switzerland, and hopefully the UK this time around. Please check my website for updates at www.tommycastro.com

The song ‘My Big Sister’s Transistor Radio’ from “PainKiller” describes how you fell in love with soul and Blues music. What were your early influences both as a guitarist and as a singer, and have these influences changed much in the intervening years as you’ve dug deeper into these genres of music? It’s hard to say because there are so many. I will name a few – on guitar, BB King, Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, Carlos Santana, Elvin Bishop – as far as singers go – Wilson Pickett, Ray Charles and Little Richard, oh, of course, James Brown. My influences haven’t changed that much over time, although I keep my ears open for new artists that I like.

One of your earlier breaks was appearing as the house band for three seasons on NBC Television’s Comedy Showcase which put you in front of millions of viewers every week. That must have been quite daunting initially. Can you tell me a little about the experience and what you learned from it?

We laughed a lot! It was a comedy show. We worked with a great bunch of people from HBO. I learned how to start and stop songs instantly.

You’ve had the chance to perform with some legendary figures such as BB King, John Lee Hooker and Carlos Santana. The latter said that you have the voice and sound to touch everybody’s heart. How have these artists been helpful to you in your own career?

BB King was my first real Blues influence and so I learned how to play guitar from listening to his records. But, from being on tour with him, I learned a lot about how to be kind and gracious in the middle of all the insanity that is show business. From John Lee, I learned some tricks about singing and the fact that

A Dedication To Stephen Bruton

In dedicating “Hard Believer” to Stephen Bruton, Castro recognised both the talents of an inspiration and someone who enabled him to produce some of his best work. Bruton was born in Forth Worth, Texas in 1948. As his father was both a jazz drummer and a record storeowner he was exposed to a great range of music styles from an early age with artists such as Freddie King performing locally. It was an environment where the laws of racial segregation were ignored in the pursuit of musical development. Bruton got his first big break joining the band of Kris Kristofferson in the early 1970s, before recording, producing and song writing with a range of artists including childhood friend T-Bone Burnett, Bonnie Raitt, Elvis Costello, Carly Simons, Johnny Cash, Little Feat and Sonny Landreth. His first solo album “What It Is” was released in 1993 and Castro covers the title track on Hard Believer. While he also penned Castro’s ‘Blinded In The Face of Love and ‘It Ain’t Easy Being Me’, it is probably songs such as ‘Getting Over You’ recorded by Willie Nelson and ‘The Bigger The Fool The Harder The Fall’ recorded by Krisofferson and Dolly Parton for which Bruton will be best remembered. He was also an actor of note and his first acting role was also beside Kristofferson in “A Star is Born”. Since then he appeared in “Miss Congeniality”, “Convoy” and “The Alamo”. Bruton passed away from cancer in May 2009, yet his legacy lives on. Both he and T-Bone Burnett have recently been nominated for a BAFTA for the soundtrack to “Crazy Heart”.

I can do this just as long as I want to. He did it right up to the day he died. Santana lives down the street from me and we get together from time to time and talk about music. I always get the feeling he is trying to set me straight.

You are commonly known as a Bluesman, but do you find the term quite restrictive, given that your output covers several genres including soul, rock n roll and funk?

I consider myself a Blues singer and a Blues guitar player. My music includes influences from all different genres of music, but mostly it consists of Blues, Rock and Soul. I wear the Bluesman moniker proudly.

It does seem that there has been a resurgence in Blues and Blues based acts in recent years. Are there any in particular that you admire?

I like Ruthie Foster. I like Derek Trucks. I like John Mayer. He may be a pop star but he is a Blues guitar player. I am sure there are more but I can’t think of any right now.

What is next for Tommy Castro?

I plan to work on songs for quite some time before I go back into the studio. I have been talking to some of my co-writers and telling them that I have decided that my next record on Alligator is going to be The One.

Finally, do you have any message for the readers of Blues Matters magazine?

As I am not really sure why I haven’t performed in the UK in recent years, I am working with my agent to get me back there. Hopefully, that will happen very soon.

BM says: “Tommy just concluded his UK tour last month in May . If you missed it, we are sure he will be back again next year”

JIMMIE VAUGHAN

Carol Borrington takes a lesson in music and writing

On the surface, Jimmie Vaughan looks a quite serious man but when you sit and talk to him another side comes shining through. He has the most naughty but nice sense of humour that leaves you laughing and with a warm feeling when you leave his presence. His guitar playing is legendary and of Master Class proportions. He is the guitarist of whom Muddy Waters said, “When I’m gone, I want you to do that, and show everybody that’s what I did. I want you to do it for me” after Muddy heard Jimmie imitate his slide playing style. Jimmie’s also a singer, a songwriter, the co-founder of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Grammy winner, Custom Car designer, family man and the older brother of the sadly missed Stevie Ray Vaughan. His career has been long and varied playing both in bands and solo and as an equal alongside some of the World’s greatest Blues musicians. He has now produced his latest CD, which is somewhat of a departure from the norm, but still holding firm to the root. It is a collection of classic covers of the music he likes and influenced him. Blues Matters managed catch-up with Jimmie on his whistle-stop gig in London in June and posed him a few questions.

BM: Your current CD is titled ‘Plays Blues, Ballads and favourites’, can you tell us something about the people you play with on it?

Jimmie: Well it’s the same guys that I’ve got on tour with me. It’s most of the people that live in Austin. I’ve got Greg Picollo, on the tenor sax. I’ve got Kas Kasenoff on the baritone sax. Ephraim Owens on the trumpet. I didn’t get to bring Ephraim, but I’ve got Greg and there’s George Rains, Ronnie James, and Billy Pittman that are the guys in the band and of course Lou Ann Barton. That’s really the whole group, Bill Willis played on the record, on his B3 but he passed away in February. He played all the organ on there. It’s the last song, he sang and it’s the last song on the album! Its funny how time slips away, we thought it was the right thing to do. We would have put on there anyway but…!!!

You are the bandleader so how do you choose the people you want to play with in your band?

Well, I’ve had most these people for a long time, expect for Ronnie. I’ve been working with Ronnie for maybe a year and he told me he came up when he was a little kid; his dad brought him to see The Thunderbirds. He read stuff we said in the magazine, got into all that music and he was a guitar player and then decided to play bass. He’s really great, he’s

the best bass player that I’ve ever played with when I think back and I’ve had some really good ones! He’s really lit a fire in the band. I’ve been with George for about fifteen, sixteen years and I’ve known Greg Picollo for about the same amount, maybe longer, twenty years, I don’t know! I’ve known everyone for a long time, but I mean the reason why I pick them is because of how they play and they have to understand about what we are about, they have to be into the same thing! They have to understand what I want to do and they have to like it for the right reasons on their own before we play together. I’ll play with other people and I’m excited to see another generation of people coming up that like it. I used to be the young guy! But you don’t think about it until your old, right? I used to play with guys when I first started like, different groups around Dallas when I was fourteen. I was always the youngster and I would be playing with guys that were twentyone and it’s funny how all of a sudden you’re the old guy!

You cover a number of songs, which may not be widely known amongst even the musical cognoscenti. What is it about the songs you chose that inspires you?

How you say that ‘cognoscenti’, is that like a group of cockney’s? (With a wicked grin on his face and laughing)! Well, there is several reasons; the main reason was I just liked them! I listen to music all the time and I figure there’s two kinds of music; there’s the kind you like and there’s kind you don’t like and there’s nothing else! Then, there’s some in between that you may grow to love or throw it out completely. I figure that music is the most free thing we can do because nobody can tell you what to like. They can try but you don’t have to listen and that’s real liberty in that sense. That’s what I like. I picked these songs because I thought they would work for me. In a live show, they would be fun to play and people would like them. They are also favourites of mine and they were also hits. Many of them were big hits for the artists. Like, ’How Can You Be So Mean’ is Johnny Ace, actually one of his biggest hits when I was little…er! There are two songs that you thought about from Johnny Ace, that you think about from the Duke Robillard that I had. ‘How Can You Be So Mean’ and the other one was, (Jimmie breaks in to song at this point, ‘Forever my darling’ and BM gets the chance to sing-a-long with the maestro and his guitar, before returning to the interview!)Mostly, the songs were just favourites of mine and that’s why I call it that. There wasn’t any really smart reason to do it but it made sense!

Fender with whom you have a signature Strat describe your playing style as a ‘powerful less is more approach.’ Many contemporaries seem to adopt the more is more approach. Why did you choose not to follow the trend? I can say a lot of different stuff and maybe it’s funny and maybe it isn’t, but really and truly, the best way to explain it is; I had dream, that I was in a room like this with all my favourite musicians and named them. Get all your favourite guitar players for instance and each had guitar and you going round the table and they get to you and what the hell are you going to do? Right, because you can’t do what they just did! You are sitting there with BB.King, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy; you name it, Timmi Burrell and all your favourite guys that you are terrified of. So, when it comes round to you, what are you going to do? When I was young and first started playing, I was always fascinated, like, I would play a Freddie King album and they would kick-off the song, whatever it was and it sounded as if Freddie King knew what he was going to play, the whole time. There wasn’t any fooling around searching. It wasn’t a search for the Blues, it was the Blues! So, I was always interested and fascinated by, how do they know what they are going to play? How do they know and I don’t know and I want to know!

I was always trying to figure that out. You heard of your ‘mind’s eye’?

In your mind’s ear, you have to hear. You have to be able to hum it. I’ve found out if you can’t hum it, you can’t play it. So anyway, you kinda ask yourself, what do I want to hear? What do I hear and then try to

play what you hear. I’ve stolen stuff from every one of those guys in the room and it’s not called being influences, its called stealing! OK, but so have they. I talked to BB.King, he’s a big hero of mine, and he talks about T. Bone Walker. I got to see T. Bone Walker several times and I had T.Bone Walker records too. I kinda learned from the same people they did. So, I don’t feel so bad about it! You have to ask yourself, what do I want to hear? What’s mine and then you practice asking yourself that, when you are playing and try and play what you hear! It sounds ridiculous when you say it, but you are a writer and you do the same thing. You don’t just throw a bunch of words in a bowl. If you had a bowl, sitting there with a bunch of words in it, it wouldn’t make any sense, you have to add phrasing and you have to add a beginning and an end and middle, just like a paragraph.

Your son Tyrone is starting to make his mark in the musical world, can you tell us something about him? Do you have any future collaboration planned with him like ‘Without You’ on 2001’s album, “Do You Get The Blues”? We would like to do that but he’s busy doing his own thing and I’m busy doing my thing, so we talk about it but we don’t have any plans. But we don’t have any plans not to!!! It just that he’s got his wife and his little kid and now he’s an uncle, he’s just had a baby so and there is grand-kids. It would be fun; I’d like to do that. He writes really good songs. He’s a singer/ guitarist. I like his songs a lot, he writes good songs!

Your daughter Tina’s here with too. Is she a musician? Yes, kinda of. She doesn’t do it for a living but she’s always been around music. She plays a little bit, she sings. She was always a soccer player, when she was a little girl!

The Blues is renowned for improvisation especially around the middle, how important is improvisation to you especially in live performance?

Well, it is everything, you have a basic framework, again like writing, you have a paragraph. So, I’ve kinda already really answered this one, it’s the same way. It’s really that’s part where you ask yourself, what do I play, what do I hear and try to play that. It’s a bit like on a radio, an old fashioned radio. You have to get it dialled into the station, then all of a sudden, you receive. That’s the goal but you know all my favourite musicians, jazz musicians especially, like saxophone players and people that. You wonder how in the world, do they know what they are going to play. Why does it sound like their voice when they talk? When they talk it sounds like the way that they play. I don’t read music, so it’s more like being in the time, in the moment and plug-in, turning the knob and receiving. That’s the goal anyway; sometimes you can’t always do that but you try and if you can’t do that you fake it!

You are reported as being influenced by the ‘3’ Kings but also by Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson. What is it about his music that appeals to you?

I love his phrasing and he’s wild and he was out to have fun. He was a saxophone player and piano player, a very good piano player! I think his approach to the guitar, one of the reasons he started playing guitar was he could put a show on with it. He could flip it around and do all that stuff and clown with it to. It was loud; he phrases a lot like a saxophone. I just love the way that it sounds but he got his style; he had his own style but got his way of playing from Gatemouth. Gatemouth Brown and so did Guitar Slim and all those guys on the Gulf Coast that you think about, were listening to Gatemouth Brown!

What do you feel about the present day Blues scene?

I don’t know much about what’s going on anywhere else but in Austin, you have Ronnie James bass, well there a guy called Nick Curran, who is terrific. He’s a kid, I say he’s a kid; he’s thirties now. He used to be a kid! There’s Gary Clarke Jnr, watch-out for Gary Clarke Jnr. He’s actually been in several movies, he’s got some acting jobs but he’s really a musician, he’s great. So, I think there is pockets of people that are really into that but as far as the old stuff, we call it old now, that we love, I don’t know. But you know, I did know there was going to be these guys, I just told you about, so maybe it’s going to be alright!

Is there anyone in the new generation of Blues guitarists that has caught your attention and where do they find the help with Blues?

They’ve got a lot help because they’ve the books and the tapes. When I was a kid you would go see somebody play and

if they didn’t like you, they wouldn’t show you anything. Now you just buy a video and they go; “Now you tune it down…” It was more personal back then, but you really had to get in there and work at it. The best thing I can tell young musicians is the best thing that I ever did, I didn’t stop. I would never stop playing. No matter what life said. You know, “You’ve got to get a job! Quit doing that! Why do you want to that? What in the world do you want to play that for?” All that stuff like that, just ignore it and just keep playing. Even if you don’t get lucky or you are not fortunate enough to have success, you still got to do, what you wanted to do! Which is going to be good in the end, I promise. Just play and play and play some more. Cos you might end up a banker or something!!!

Is there anything you would like to say to Blues Matters readers?

I would like to say, that, and I mean this in the best possible way. All those young guitar players, that come to the gigs and stand in the front, they need to get’em a date and bring the girls and put the girls in the front and go in the back, because the music is about guys and girls, it not just about guys. It’s hard to sing all those songs about women to a bunch guys standing there! I’m not trying to be mean; I thought would be a great idea for a guitar player interview,”How to get a date and bring her to the gig!” All the girls should go up front; I am not trying to get them! I’m just want to see them because the music is about guys and girls. It’s not a basket ball game, you know what I mean. It’s about life! and like Junior Wilson says, “It’s about them girls.” So, the music is about that and the guitar playing is just what you do to sing the song. It’s not a sport! CB

Photos by Arnie Goodman

ERIC BIBB

talks about the Blues – a wonderful cosmic joke! – Pt.1

Interviewer: Vicky Martin

Eric Bibb has a long and distinguished career in blues and roots music, producing many classic tracks and superb albums. His latest; ‘Booker’s Guitar’ inspired by playing the guitar owned by the late great Bukka White, is one of his very best and deservedly acclaimed. We spoke earlier this year during the coldest UK winter for decades. After comparing the weather in London and in Eric’s Nordic home we turned to music and the album, our conversation led us to discuss spirituality, recording methods and much else too…

BM: To get in the mood for this I’ve been listening to you on YouTube this afternoon and I found a video of you singing ‘Going Down Slow’ solo with guitar, a great song and it’s a good version.

EB: Wow, where’s that from? I gotta check it out.

I’m not sure where, I didn’t read the small print, but if you search you’ll recognize it - it’s just you with guitar. I’ll check it out.

It’s got everything that’s best in blues; simple, unhurried and relaxed Thanks, I love that tune, I’m kinda growing more and more into it.

So what are you doing right now?

I’m relaxing drinking some red wine; a nice Merlot.

So you’re gonna be mellow tonight then; do you have a gig? No, I’ve a TV show coming up in Stockholm but no gig till late January in France.

Well maybe it’ll be a bit warmer?

I hope so, it’s in the South and I could use a little warm weather right now!

Let’s turn to the new album; ‘Booker’s Guitar’, are you excited by it coming out?

I am indeed, I had a really nice time putting it together and I’m really gratified by the result and very gratified by the response which has been really good.

When I heard it, I was reminded of the title of Dylan’s album ‘Bringing it all Back Home’; I’ve got your first album ‘Spirit & the Blues’ which is the one with ‘Needed Time’ on it, I listened to it last night and then the new one. It’s like you’ve gone round in a circle and come back home.

Absolutely right about that, I really wanted to revisit that real simple acoustic space where I got my big start and where I live a lot of the time. A lot of records I listened to as a kid were often just one player or a couple of players on acoustic instruments, with a singer or two. So it’s kind of like full circle for me.

I found it a very intimate album to listen to; it’s almost like Uncle Eric comes into the room and he’s gonna sit down and tell you a few stories with the guitar. I think you’ve taken us right back – because Bukka White and those guys were from the time of oral tradition weren’t they?

Yes, that’s right – the whole story telling aspect of this music really moves me – there are a whole lot of stories alluded to in blues tunes that don’t really get told. There are singer songwriters of an older ilk in the acoustic mould – like Guy Clark - who are telling stories, but when it comes to acoustic blues there are lots of very fine singers and players out there but in terms of stories I feel that we’re often missing the back story of the places and people who were associated with the music and I just was happy to have been able to spin a few.

Yes - it’s almost like one of those plays where you get different characters coming on and telling their stories… you’ve got the preacher, then there’s the lonely guy who’s just out walking the road, then there’s the guy who’s saving up for a new home…there’s a real theatrical aspect to it. It really took me back, definitely your most intimate album since the first two and I think you’ve created something very special here; an antidote to all of the over-production around now.

Yeah, thank you, I can tell you it was a challenge. We have so many tools at our disposal today, it’s actually a lot easier in some ways these days to record an ambitious project, because you can do it in pieces and in several places and I think that having access to such wonderful tools has diverted our attention from something really wonderful about music – and that is the very simple means by which a dedicated singer / musician can thrill the listener – we’ve got away from that

Photo by Joe Jannsen

kind of one-man band thing that was really the root of my whole musical initiation; people like Leadbelly or even Pete Seeger after him.

I think you’re touring Europe and the UK soon, aren’t you?

Yeah it’s gonna be the States first, then some European dates, but the UK tour starts at the end of April and through May.

Are you going to be doing all of the tracks on the album, or just a selection of them? Most of them I would say, and I’ll also be touring the UK with that wonderful harmonica player who was on the record; Grant Dermody…

I was very taken with his playing and I wondered how you’ll treat the intimacy of those songs in live venues on tour. Well, you know, the two of us together on stage are able to whip up quite a bit of a fervor, but I think what we’d like to do is present it, as you say, almost theatrically; a very focused lighting situation so that we’re in the middle of a dark stage and really try and bring the people in and not over-perform the material but just tell the stories. I generally stand when I sing and play, but for this show I think I’ll be seated.

Yes, it’s funny but the picture in my mind when I was listening was of you sitting down. I was very taken with Grant Dermody’s playing, in particular on the track ‘Floodwater’ I notice that you mention Howling Wolf’s influence on that track in the preview notes, but I thought the harmonica brought quite a European feel to that track Yes that’s true

…almost a French Café sound, you know Yes, it recalls an accordion style, I can’t recall the word, but yes it’s the double reed sound on chromatic harp that really gives it that feel.

Blues with a strong European influence, I think?

Yes, I recall as I was writing the song we were playing it with that chromatic feel, definitely that kind of watery feeling. I just thought, well, what I really like injecting into blues compositions and arrangements is a real strong sense of melody and I find that’s often missing on newer blues. I found that it was more prevalent in older blues songs where there was actually a melody that you could write down – a specific melody, not just jamming over the changes, but a real melody even though it’s in blues mode. That’s what I appreciate, I like departing from that once I’ve written a real melody, but even if you’re going to vary from it, it’s important basically to commit to a real melody that you can play.

Play and sing?

Yes, that’s what I mean, basically, as opposed to just using the reservoir of blues licks. You can have that in the back of your head and put a text in front of you, and then just improvise a melody. But I often find that’s kind of like a short cut to blues composition and I think its more exciting to have that whole reservoir of phrases that you use in song after song. That’s always exciting but it’s nice to compose and actually commit to a melody.

Yes, I actually think that quite a few of the songs on the album, in particular the title track ‘Booker’s Guitar’ would work quite well as acapella, you could just sing that it, it’s almost like a children’s song, its got a very catchy melody.

Yeah, thanks for that, it’s as I said in the liner notes that I wanted it be a song that was easily sung, even by children, because I wanted his story to be passed on to coming generations, and I felt that the best way to do that was to have not actually a blues melody, even though it’s a blues composition, but almost a childlike folk melody that was easily memorable. It’s almost, as I said in the liner notes, like a chilled out calypso, not really a blues song.

Photo by Alan White

ERIC BIBB

Yes, it’s very good indeed, it’s quite insidious, it gets inside your head, it’s been reverberating inside my head all day…it’s extremely catchy.

Excellent (laughs) -I like songs that creep up and embed themselves; it means they have lasting value

Have you got a real favourite track on the album?

That’s a difficult question to answer, it’s usually an easier question to answer with other albums but with this one its harder, there are tracks that come to mind…‘With My Maker I am One’, I’m really fond of for a number of reasons – I like the whole theme of it ‘with my maker I am one’, what I’m really trying to resolve in one song is that whole dichotomy between sacred and secular music, especially in the blues culture. It was known as the devil’s music – I understand culturally how that came about but personally I think there’s no separation between sacred and secular music – musically we’re talking about the same music, whether you’re talking about, you know, a good woman, or a really sanctified feeling that has to do with spirituality – many of my blues heroes were part-time preachers and had spiritual material in their repertoires, even if that make it to the smattering of recordings that they are known for – eh, as professional musicians they knew all kinds of songs. We’re conditioned by the market place and by what’s available as product, but most of the real people, the musicians who made that music were multi-dimensional personalities who felt the pull of both the spirit and the flesh.

We’ve been talking just recently about the blues being called the devil’s music, but when you think about how oppressed people were and how they suffered in those times I’m more inclined to think of blues as a God-given gift to help people get through…a way to express their pain.

I couldn’t agree more, in fact I know it to be true – I think that blues music and music that is the bedrock of AfricanAmerican folk music whether its spiritual songs or blues – I think that music was a gift specifically to the people of that time and place, but also to the world. It speaks to everybody, I’ve seen it over and over again wherever I’ve traveled and to me its that kind of wonderful cosmic joke where you have people who are under the yoke of and incredibly cruel and oppressive racist system can transcend that at best, and give to the world a universal musical language…that tells there stories, and tells everybody’s stories – its like cosmic revenge – it’s beautiful.

Yeah, absolutely right –so just on the question of faith, it’s quite obvious from the songs that you sing that you have a real faith in Jesus and all that goes with that; now do you ever get questioned about that?

READ THE REST OF THIS DEEP INTERVIEW IN BM56……………

Discusses her passage to the Blues with Carol Borrington

Sandi Thom at 17 was the youngest ever entrant to The Liverpool Institute Of Performing Arts. It’s only graduate to have a number one album in the UK charts. Her rapid rise to success in 2006, with her webcast driven single, ‘I Wish I was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair)’ also brought her a lot of unpleasant media hype and from people in the Music Business. Anyone who meets Sandi soon understands her love for her music and determination not to let unkind words get in her way. She went off in her own direction from a major record label to release her own music, in her way. In 2009, a career change she could never have expected came from Joe Bonamassa to help when he had lost his voice. This led Sandi to not only wanting to become a better guitarist but also back to the root of modern music, the Blues. Sandi is a focussed young woman and no fool about the in’s and out’s of the modern Music Business, but there’s a lady under that determined exterior, who is open, frank and most of all giving in her inner nature, valuing friendship and desperately wanting to be accepted by and be part of music’s most honourable family, the Blues!

BM: You toured last year supporting Joe Bonamassa crediting him with re-invigorating your love of the Blues. Can you tell us something about that musical relationship?

Sandi: Joe said the first time he came across me was in a poster in The Point at Cardiff. He said,”I saw a poster of you and said She’s fetching”, or something along those lines, that’s what started the relationship. That was 2006, then a couple of years down the line, I finished-up using the same agent as Joe. Joe heard from his agent, that he was working for me and invited me to The Albert Hall gig. I couldn’t go, so we ended up getting together via email and met up and got on really well. It was nice, I don’t think either of us had a friend in the industry we could sort of moan at or have a real bent, we found each other kinda of useful that way. When he lost his voice and phoned on Sunday morning quite unexpectedly asking me to come out to him for two weeks on the road. I met him in the South of France and learnt a lot of his songs. We did some standards as well. We did some Clapton tunes. I did two weeks with him. The first gig I did the Nice Jazz Festival supporting B.B. King. The last gig was with Steve Winwood, so it was it was a massive trip for me! It was smack bang in the middle of when I was writing the record and we were about to record it. That whole experience had a massive impact on me. Joe and I became good friends; it also made me want to pick-up lead guitar playing as well. I’d played guitar from about seventeen but hadn’t really played lead. The first thing I did was on one of his guitars, I said, “Can I borrow one your guitars!” Picked-up one of his Gold Tops and started having a doodle. Him and me went down Denmark Street and bought me a Tele. We went the whole hog; he set me up properly, got myself a Blues Deluxe. This whole experience, I definitely feel fed into the record and cemented the sound. Joe and I are definitely fond of each other in that respect. He’s helped me massively; he returned the favour by playing on the single. It was a turn of events that ended up turning me in this direction and it’s the best thing that’s ever happened!

What does the Blues mean to Sandi Thom?

It’s the most egoless genre of the music there is. It’s the one genre you find people are totally loyal to you. Never veer from, it’s timeless. It exists in any decade and can have an impact now, as it did thirty years ago. It’s all about expression, freedom of expression. Letting yourself go. Letting loose, saying what’s on your mind, heart and soul. That’s what it is for me!

You shot to fame with a webcast in 2006; why choose this route. What advantages and disadvantages there are in using that method?

Why, because it was something that people where talking about. It absolutely was an act of promotion. There’s nothing wrong with that, at the end of the day we all try to sell records! I picked-up on the fact it was new, on people’s minds, and I thought it would get a certain amount of attention if I did it. It did! The thing I didn’t expect was the level of attention it got, that was unexpected. The advantages are that it put me where I am! It was my first step, got me recognised, got me a deal, a No.1 album, a No.1 single. So, yes it was massively successful. I suppose the disadvantage, if there is anything; was the backlash, the criticism. The other side of that build you up to knock you down story. Then I think that’s character building and I’m certainly not naïve to it now.

You graduated from LIPA in 2003. What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing such a course for a musician like you?

I think the advantages were one thing, about being a performer, you got to step out there to certain extent. It puts you in a place were you had to compete and find out who you were as an artist. Carve out your own little niche, because essentially it was like a mini version of the industry, had all same things going on inside of it. The biggest thing I took from it wasn’t the degree, wasn’t the experience, it wasn’t none of that stuff. It was that I met so many great people! Every single person on this stage tonight, including Marcus (Bonfanti), came from LIPA, even my guitar tech, everybody! We all met ten years ago, we’ve stuck like that. Everything we do, every step we take, we do it together. I think that was the best thing I got! It wasn’t the teaching or the lessons you learn. It was just that we formed this little group and we’ve become a family, stuck through everything together. So, yes it’s great!

Photo by Gabyshot

SANDI THOM

In your short career you have been subject to much vitriol from the media, for various reasons. How does it affect you?

It’s like kids calling other kids names in the playground, it’s been hard. It’s hurt a little bit. I found some of it was quite insulting. It’s character building. I love the fact that despite all of that, I’m still here. I loved it that I can still go out and keep going, if this is your destiny, if there is nothing else in the world that I’m going to do but this. That crap can knock you off the path you are on but I still say, “Well, you had a go but I’m still here!” Somebody the other day said, they had read a review. It was obviously someone who was a little bit sceptic, it said, “She’s like the terminator, she doesn’t stop”. I thought that was a massive compliment and what a great thing to say. It’s like relentless. The job is like an ambition. It’s not made me want to do it less; it’s made me want to do it more. So, I actually thank those people!

Your new CD is called “Merchants and Thieves”. Can you tell us something about the process you went through when writing and producing this CD.

Everything about making that album was relaxed. There was no pressure there was no do this, do that, you can’t swear, you can’t have instrumentals on tracks, no boundaries. Please ourselves, do what you want, same band, writers, producer, everybody. I had creative ownership, I’m the boss and that makes such a difference to the outcome and everything. It’s amazing what happens when you give people that freedom to do what they want to do. No preconceived ideas no make this song sound like this. It was me, the band, three studios, one in Brighton, one in Hampshire and then with Joe, we did some of it in LA. We all just went in, mic everything up really nicely and just played, it was like that. Played it, listened back and thought great! That was it! Every song in a strange way, subconsciously somewhere in the mix, I could hear all these different influences. The first track’s got a little bit of Johnny Cash in it. There’s a bit of Robert Johnson in there, Clapton, Led Zepp playing the Blues, it’s like we are rockin out. There’s all these kind of influences, that are humming through but it’s not by anybody saying you must sound like this! It’s because we’ve all loved that music. We’ve all totally clicked with that music across the years and it still feels good to be able to honestly say this is actually who I am! This is what I want to do because it all translates when you get on stage and you play the songs, you play and sing with conviction and people respond to that. I’m so happy I got to this point, having the opportunity to make the record, to be lucky enough to have had the previous success to fund it. That’s a real privilege. I fully intend getting the next one underway by October this year.

Photo by Martin McKeown

You split from Sony/RCA and now produce your CD’s independently. What are the disadvantages of being with a major label?

I’m grateful for that time because I learnt a lot from it and now I’m running a record company, you need your wits about you and you need to be a little bit wise. If I hadn’t been on a major and learnt all I learnt from them, I probably wouldn’t be so quick now to deal with the business side of things and I think that’s really important. I made good friends and I keep in-touch with people. There is no bad vibe, it’s great. I think everyone is just happy, they think this is probably the best thing for me too. The thing with major labels, there are so many people involved, you have to compromise. You compromise and things get diluted, watered out. That’s the problem, there in the compromise!

‘Show No Concern’ appears to be aimed at a particular person or system. What inspired this song?

It’s all about the label, the compromise, the red tape and everyone strangling themselves with the red tape. It’s all about that. You can knock me down but it won’t bother me. Sure! Brush it off. Sweat off your back!!!

‘This Ol World’ is the single on the album featuring Joe Bonamassa. What criteria did you use to decide which song to release as the single?

We are not going by the major label model. At the end of the day, it’s not if the single doesn’t get into the top fifty anybody’s going to cry about it. It was just, which song do we think we should pick off this album, that’s going to represent it. Obviously, I have no problem in using and abusing Joe’s name to promote my own career! He’s quite happy with it as well. Obviously now, it’s about me re-establishing myself and people to recognise, despite all what’s gone off in the past. I’m just a musician and I play music! Joe’s built a certain amount of credibility over the years and that takes a lot of time and patience to do. To be associated with him is massive kudos for me. It’s all done in the greatest of love and respect.

MEET SANDI THOM

The latter end of 2009 saw Sandi Thom launch herself into the centre of the Blues community in a burst of new talent. Some of this is down to the influence of Joe Bonamassa who pointed Sandi back to the roots of modern music, the Blues but much is also due to Sandi’s long held respect for her music above the modern music business’ hype and glitz. So, who is Sandi Thom, where are her personal roots and musical development to be found. Sandi was born in MacDuff, Aberdeenshire and during her formative years moved around a lot due to her father’s occupation as a pilot. At 15, she moved to Angus and went to college in Aberdeen; it was here that her love music took firm roots, when she became a singer /keyboard player with a 70’s cover band, The Residents. At 17, Sandi achieved a first, when she was accepted into the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, (LIPA). She graduated from LIPA in 2003, with a BA (Hons) in Performing Arts and went on to get another LIPA first, becoming the first graduate to have a number one album in the UK Music Charts. Sandi on leaving LIPA navigated her way through the stormy seas of the modern Music Industry and her path was not to be all plain sailing. There was to some very choppy waters in those first few years mingled in with the successes. Sandi moved to London, and in 2005 signed with a small record company and released her debut single ‘I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair)’. The single failed to get the required airplay or sales and it was back to the drawing board on how Sandi should go forward in her career. Then came the clever idea of a ‘tour’, which she called “21 Nights From Tooting”. To say the least, this was a very interesting piece of promotion on Sandi’s part. The tour actually took place in the basement of her flat! If you included the band, the space in this basement was only big enough to sell 6 tickets but sell them Sandi did. She recorded the gigs and had them made into a webcast. Not only did this bring a signing to the RCA record label and a number one chart hit with her single, it also caused a media circus of mixed publicity. Sandi eventually broke with RCA and formed her own record company to take control back over her own career and music. A phone call from Joe Bonamassa last year changed her musical direction and maybe her life! CB

Photo by Ami Barwell

SANDI THOM

He’s like one of my best friends; I knew that would get people’s attention. He’s happy with me, I’ll keep going. I also think of all the songs on the album, speaking purely musically, it’s the most out and out Blues, instant twelve bars Blues, kinda song that there is. It’s to make a statement, this is definitely the one song that people were going to go, “Who, what? Sandi Thom you’re kidding me!” It’s about confounding expectation and changing people’s opinions from the word go! That was the song I thought had the biggest impact.

You collaborated with four other songwriters on the album (Jake Field, Marcus Bonfanti, Randall Breneman and Duncan Thompson). What did this add to your own writing?

I can’t take full credit for the songwriting because the other people who write are also in the music somewhere, Jake, Duncan, Randall and Marcus, all men oddly enough. Jake was my partner for five years and we broke up in December, he produced all my records. For him and me a lot of that material comes from our own situation and the demise of our relationship. It probably inspired many of the songs. In lots of ways, I do have a reason to sing the Blues right now! Marcus used to play guitar for me back in the beginning. Marcus and I have always worked together. He guest guitared on the instrumental title track, that’s Marcus and me playing. So, Marcus has always been involved in every respect. Randall is born in Chicago, brought up with the Blues, say no more. The boy is well equipped for this kind of music! He’s in his element loves playing this stuff. Everyone is brimming with excitement in the whole thing. Duncan co-produced the first and second albums with Jake and co-wrote many of the songs. We’ve all been doing this for so long, I actually find it hard to sit down with a stranger and write a song. I need to make a relationship with people and I’ve done that over the last five years. With these people and we just write well together.

You have been affiliated with the SNP and their campaign for Scottish independence. Have you been asked to write a campaign song and would you like to do it?

I got asked to play some gigs for the Government, for the Scottish Government! I think in a roundabout way, I was used as a toy for the media to play upon, which was unfortunate; I was doing things in support of Scotland because I’m Scottish. It was play St Andrew’s Day, open a festival up in Scotland, they were the sort of things that I did. It was taken out of context.

Do music & politic s mix?

I think all streams of Art reflect society in some way or other!!!

Is there anything else you would like to say to Blues Matters readers?

Just that I think I know, that I’d like to be welcomed into the Blues Fraternity. It’s an honorable thing, because you’re sitting among some of the greatest musicians that have lived. So, if people take to my music and accept me for what I am, I would be ever, most grateful.

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MARCUS BONFANTI

Smoking Gun

Gareth Hayes watches over the blue touch paper.

Marcus Bonfanti lives, breathes and sweats the Blues. Playing just about every night, either solo or in his own band or supporting his growing network of musician friends, he is immersed in the genre. It’s been a busy year too seeing him release his first album, ‘Hard Times’, tour in support of Robert Cray, release a second album ‘What Good Am I To You’, and tour with friend Sandi Thom. With a distinctive vocal delivery and aggressive, yet natural, guitar playing style he is making his mark and building a reputation for meaningful songs.

BM: How much a day do you smoke?

MB: Maybe twelve or thirteen… (laughs)

Is that what gives you your unique singing voice?

I never used to sing much to be honest. I didn’t start singing until I was about twenty-one when I was at university. We had a band together playing in bars and I gave it a go. It wasn’t really very good back then. Over time I’ve concentrated on the way I sing and, well, doing stuff last year with Robert Cray was an amazing lesson. It’s a master class in singing every time you watch him.

When he first started Robert Cray wasn’t a confident singer, he was a guitar player first and foremost, until the brand was fully realized.

Yeah, he’s always been incredible to watch, and I was so lucky to tour with him so that I can watch and learn every night. He’s very tall and has quite a soulful presence but he’s so quiet too. On stage, he just stoops down to the microphone and it’s so effortless, but it’s such a massive voice. That gave me lots of pointers about not over selling it but being in control and just letting it happen. I’ve listened to a lot more singers from the Blues genre with that in mind, to see how they do it. It can be smooth and subtle yet still have the Blues grime and grit.

So, you’re a guitarist ahead of being a singer?

Yeah, I’ve always been a guitar player first! The first time I picked one up I knew I wanted to be a guitarist. I just wanted to play guitar. Gradually over time singing has come in so I guess they co-exist now.

How do you create your songs?

I’ve been writing a lot recently, getting into the second record. I’ve been quite lucky I suppose and they’ve kind of come naturally. I’ll start playing around, jamming over a little riff and then maybe some vocals will fall into place over it. Then it’s time to grab a piece of paper and get it down. If you looked at the back of my guitar you’ll see lots of notes of different words as it’s come out and I didn’t want to lose the moment. The songs then evolve when I take them out live. I take on board how the crowd reacts and if it goes well I’ll keep it in!

On your first album, ‘Hard Times’ the tunes are familiar yet also incredibly complex. Do you set out to challenge the punter?

I don’t consider them as complex. Multi-layered is maybe a better description. It’s so easy to play the Blues, but so hard to master it. Maybe that’s the same for the listener. When you start to learn the guitar you’re taught the Blues scale and told to play it again and again. But that’s not the Blues. I don’t want to just do 12-bar Blues or covers, I want to write Blues songs. If I could liken it to anyone then it would be similar to how Taj Mahal writes. You know, he writes songs, and songs that are Bluesy.

Excuse the pun, do you have to have had hard times in order to play the Blues?

You have to have lived a bit to have interesting things to write about. You could write a rich man’s Blues because he’ll have tricky and difficult times too. Everyone can have things that upset you or intrude into normal life. When I look at my life, I can look and say that I’ve had a pretty easy life, but there’s still heartache in there. The originators of the Blues were really going through tough times and really had something to invest into their music. We’re not in the same situation but we still have Blues. I’m still broke!

Where do you write?

I’m a professional musician and I do a fair bit of session work. I’m doing work with a guy called Findlay Brown and I play with Paddy Milner too. So, I’m split between my own stuff, Findlay and Paddy. As such, I find myself on the road a lot, hotel rooms and cars. If I get an idea in my head I get it down on my phone and then come back to it. It’s nice to sit down with my guitar at home and just play, not practice, just play. I’m lucky to have a little roof balcony that overlooks the high street

and I can sit out there and play. If I’m inside it’s too easy to get distracted. I sometimes write best when I’m chilling out at someone else’s house. Again, it’s where I can’t get distracted.

How do you mix your solo work with the band activities?

I’ve done a lot of work with the band for thesecond album. I like to do a challenging mix. I’ve done a couple of duo sets with Paddy Milner so I guess I like to be adventurous, but it often just falls into place. I shared a house with Paddy and load of guys that are band members today so we’ve got a kind of musical community going on. We help each other out on sessions and projects. I’m constantly meeting new people and making connections. In some ways there is an essence of the Blues in that. Just getting up there and playing music with strangers. And those strangers become great friends. Sometimes there are car crash moments and sometimes it is just beautifully spontaneous and it works. Audiences are very

forgiving on the whole, and they want to see the car crash moments as well as the good stuff (laughs). And when I go a gig I want to see something different, I don’t just want to see the record played live.

And the new album?

The album’s shaped up well and been well-received. While it’s still very swampy and dirty like the first one, it’s got some quite psychedelic moments in it too. I worked really hard on that, ‘Get Behind Me’ is a good example of that direction. I love it. It’s certainly not a repeat of the first album. I hope people see at as the direction I’m going in.

The track ‘Meant For This World’ on ‘Hard Times’ has an air of Peter Green about it. Is this a deliberate homage?

I’m a massive fan of Peter Green. I actually randomly bumped into him in a rehearsal studio. He was in there under a different name, at least the name on the door wasn’t him. I think it was Mike Dodd. I was listening outside and heard this awesome Blues coming out. I went close to check it out and he walked out. Of course, I couldn’t think of anything interesting to say so just said ‘Hey’ and that was it. I should have said something better than that! ‘Meant For This World’ was actually about one of my best friends. We’d gone out for a riotous night and ended up waking up in the park near Alexandra Palace. I was in the sort of dazed place that gave me the creativity to think about our lives and what we were doing. Anyway, it’s a long story and I can’t tell you who he is as he may end up running the country!

Acoustic Blues is the angle on ‘The Girl I Knew’ but it also sits well in the mainstream Radio 2 arena?

I get you and take that as a compliment. It crosses over and I guess people who don’t normally listen to the Blues might get it. It goes off a bit still though so it’s honestly rooted in the Blues. It’s got a chorus and the odd middle eight that kind of gets in the way of another guitar solo. I normally put three or four solos in and leave the middle eight but I guess it’s all part of me wanting to make them songs. I’m a big fan of Keb Mo’ and Eric Bibb and try and see them when they’re over; they have that Mississippi John Hurt Blues finger. It’s almost where Blues crosses over into folk and I suppose that’s what I was trying to get with ‘The Girl I Knew’. That’s the great thing about the genre and the different directions it can go in. Not just folk but all kinds of musical styles, from and to hip hop, and gospel and back.

Have you been to Mississippi?

I’ve never been to Mississippi, but I have been across the States. I was there last summer with Findlay Brown and we drove from L.A to New York gigging along the way. His stuff is rock ‘n’ roll and went down really well. Everyone loved us going over and doing an interpretation of American music. I’m hoping to do my own stuff over there, maybe next year and try my hand at some solo shows. I’d be interested to see if people chase me out as some sort of fraud, I don’t want to appear like that all, or if they’ll accept my contribution to the Blues. I don’t want to get up there and be gratuitous. I won’t be doing twenty minute guitar solos; anyway, I can’t do twenty minute solos, I’ve come to accept that. I just hope they listen to my music.

‘Knock Me Down’ has a repeating edgy sound similar to recent stuff Jon Amor, Aynsley Lister and Scott McKeon are doing. Do you get into the technology possibilities like using loop boxes? Not yet, I’ve had a mess around with them, but it’s a bit of art form. It only works if it stays interesting. You can’t have every song taking three minutes to start as you lay down the sounds. I went to see a guy called Foy Vance recently and he does that stuff but is clearly a master at it. A loop will start and you won’t even realize he’s put it on. I thought I could have a go, but for the moment I’m happy with the way my stuff is working out.

You recently toured with Sandi Thom. It’s been great man. Me and Sandi have been friends for about eight years now. We met at University and I became her guitar player once I’d left Liverpool and we toured the world together getting into all sorts of scrapes and having a great time. She’s always been real supportive of my music and I wrote with her and played on a few tracks for her new record. She’s a lot of fun to tour with and I’ve been getting up and joining her for a few tunes in her set too; that’s always a great vibe. We jam together too; she’s become a pretty mean guitar player!

Do you do anything outside of music?

Drink a bit (laughs). To be honest, I worked out the other day that I must have become quite a boring person, it really is the music or nothing. I suppose I like films but doesn’t everyone? Oh, I like playing football when I get the chance. The crazy schedules, getting in from a gig at five in morning, don’t allow for any commitment to anything else but I do like a kick

about. Of course, I do a lot of reading. That fits in with the travelling and touring. Reading helps clear mental blocks and helps put me in the frame for creativity I guess.

Do you get to go to gigs as a punter?

Oh yeah, this last year I’ve been to a few. I went to see Derek Trucks at Shepherd’s Bush; that was pretty serious. He’s truly awesome although I’m told it wasn’t one of his best. At the gig I looked around and literally every guitarist I know from London was there. There can’t have been any other guitar focused gigs on in London that night. What about listening to other stuff?

I have an iPod and I love it. It knows me now and always plays what I want to listen to. I’ve had it about three years and it gives me what I need to hear; early Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Ray Vaughan, BB King and Tom Waits. I’m a massive fan of Waits, there’s always something going on with his music. I saw him live last year and he was unbelievable. He certainly doesn’t play the tunes like the album version; some were unrecognizable. He goes from Delta stomping Blues and then go off into fairground jazz and then come full circle.

Your singing voice has that flavour of Tom Waits about it Thanks (laughs). GH

Making Big Sounds

Marcus Bonfanti says that his sometime collaborator Paddy Milner is an ’astonishing Blues piano player’. On further investigation it appears that Milner is not only a quality player but has an astonishing career profile already in the bag even though he has only been on the scene for about a decade. Paddy Milner was tutored in classical piano at eight years old and didn’t care for the manner of the genre even though he showed proficiency for it. A light went on when his father introduced him to Blues of Muddy Waters and John Mayall, and his talent found an escape valve. Having performed live gigs from the age of thirteen, it was not too soon at nineteen to be releasing his first album. ‘21st Century Boogie’ came out in 2000 to great acclaim (‘Paddy makes the piano sing’ - Jools Holland) and features guest slots from Earl Green and Eddie Martin, the first of many music club connections. Taking a music degree at King’s College didn’t prevent Milner from experiencing life on the road with Eugene Hideaway Bridges and Big Joe Turner. However it was the connections made while within the college environment that marked the turning point, as his peer musicians, including Bonfanti, came together to form his band ‘The Big Sounds’. Co-writing his second album, ‘Walking On Eggshells’, with Pete Brown helped open more doors and it was snapped up by producer Gerry Bron who relaunched his own label ‘Bronze Records’ on the strength of the signing. The album topped the French Jazz & Blues charts with his boogie version of Dave Brubeck’s ‘Unsquare Dance’ receiving significant airplay across Europe. Touring the album offered him an opportunity to open for John Mayall and launching him once and for all as part of the Blues piano playing furniture. His largely autobiographical third album ‘Based On A True Story’ opened another door in Milner’s creativity. This time it was more personal and amongst the oddball familiar, including a cover of the Beatles’ ‘Hey Bulldog’, was the reflective piece ‘Changes’, composed in the wake of his grandfather’s death. Always keen to tour, Milner jumped at the chance to join the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise for a second time where he played alongside Earl Thomas, Tab Benoit, Little Charlie, Tommy Castro and Bobby Rush. Making friends with Earl Thomas led to the 2008 cut ‘Earl Thomas with Paddy Milner & The Big Sounds’ and definitive plans to tour the same in America throughout 2010. Milner also spends many nights as a core member of ‘Ronnie Scott’s Blues Experience’ where he has worked with more of the UK Blues cooperative such as Matt Schofield, Todd Sharpville and Jack Bruce. When he has free days he falls naturally into session work and carefully adds to his curriculum vitae the names of Joss Stone, Sandi Thom and McFly. His new album is produced by Rolling Stones producer Chris Kimsey, no doubt it’ll be an astonishingly big sound. GH

AWEK

Bernard Sellam is the leader of the leading French Blues band Awek. I met Bernard through French Blues radio DJ Clive Rawlings, who is originally from the UK writes Richard Newman.

It’s the music that takes you somewhere, we live the spirit of the Blues, we live this life, living in the Blues world is very different from life in the south of France.

I first started listening to English bands in the early 70s and the first gig I saw, the first Blues gig was Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry at the Olympia Paris, which is a very big venue, and when I came out, I realize that The Blues was the music I like best.

Paris is close to England and I have seen Eric Clapton many times, I have seen many bands. The 60s was a great time for music, and now I have just realized just what a big time it was. I was studying the guitar when I was 15. Fingerpicking acoustic Folk music, was very big in Europe then.

I have always had my small world, with my special room, with my computer. My guitars, are my best friends. I like the life outside in the south of France. But I also have my own private world of the Blues. Early on I was fond of West Coast music, bands such as ‘The Grateful Dead’ and ‘Crosby Stills And Nash’. To me that music was not different from The Blues, it was all music.

Then I discovered people like Frank Zappa, but when I wanted to get more serious about music, to become professional, I chose the Blues as the music for me.

When I started out I was just a guitar player, not as singer. I became a singer 20 years ago, because I was upset with singers, because of their egos.

I found it very difficult to work with some of them so I decided I had to sing for myself.

I listened to ‘Led Zeppelin’, ‘Canned Heat’ and ‘The Yardbirds’, who were all playing Blues on some of the tracks they recorded. I am 52 years old, I was born in 1957 and it was hard to know about the Blues when I was young, there was not much information about bands. I then got interested in Jazz and from there, found the Blues of Eric Clapton and Peter Green.

At first I was in a Soul band, it had seven musicians in it, and it was very expensive to run. That is why I decided to form the Blues band Awek, and I asked the guys and they said sure, but we don’t know anything about the blues and I said I would teach them. I started my music work in 1995, but I was writing my own stuff.

We met in Toulouse.:-The following is what Bernard had to tell me about the Blues in France and about himself and Awek.

I didn’t feel that people would take us seriously if we did not write our own songs. In the Nineties many clubs were closing, so we decided to make a band inside the Soul band. I had given up playing the Blues for 15 years, but I started again, so that we could get gigs, so that we could get more money!

I used to play them music in the car on the way to gigs, it was our laboratory, and they started to learn about the Blues We were playing Eric Clapton’s, ‘Lay Down Sally’ and ‘Blues Power’ and the Ray Charles song ‘I Got A Woman’ plus Muddy Waters songs. Slowly the guys began to get into the Blues and they started to buy Blues CDs themselves. I also listened to Little Walter with the guys, on those long car trips.

The Blues in France has only emerged in the last 15 years. Now you can get stuff through the Internet and French people can hear it. Now there are many fine Blues bands in France.

Maybe you English people led the Blues life in the 50s and 60s. England caught the blues at a good time, and so did Germany, but here in France we were more isolated.

In France we were a bit apart, there was a big Jazz scene here and there still is. There were very few people doing the Blues in France in the early 70s.

When I started I didn’t think it would last long, I was surprised that it carried on, and then I realize that this band Awek, was made for the Blues.

We have played for up to 3000 people. Our latest album was recorded in Austin, Texas. A friend of mine who was a drummer way back, went to live in there. It was while playing the Blues, at the ‘Country Blues Café’, that I met up with my friend, and he suggested that we came to Austin to do the new album. Austin was a good place for us, with a good engineer, he was very professional.

In France I had always to explain to the studio, the kind of sound that I wanted. But that is impossible to explain to someone, because there are so many things that need to be right. There are many good engineers in France, but they really are into pop music. When we went to Austin we didn’t have to explain anything to the engineers there, they just knew what to do.

Stuart Solomon an engineer from the studio had his own secret sound, he wouldn’t tell me what it was. To make a CD like we did, is a lot of work. We recorded live together, because we did not have much time. We recorded 16 songs, but we didn’t use all of them.

We had long talks together in Austin in the studio, we all talked about making music. We also talked to each other about politics and life in general, and we showed each other things on YouTube, we talked about everything!

Awek has a band sound, you have to have your own sound, people come up to us and say how much they liked the sound of the band.

Studio versus Stage.

Many people say we love the CD, but we prefer the band on the stage. This is our second CD recorded in the USA. You have to try to do something different to change the sound on different CDs, it’s not easy to do that, because our sound has been evolving for 15 years.

When we went to Austin this time, we decided to have special guests on the album, that’s the new album called ‘It’s Rollin’. I didn’t want to go back to Austin for this album, but then we decided to go back. That’s why we use special guests, so there would be something different.

Playing Live In France

Paris is not a good place for the Blues, but we have played at a festival in the suburbs of Paris, and these days festivals are the big thing.

There are many festivals in France not only in the big cities, but all over the place, and we like to play them. The festival scene is the big scene in France for Blues bands.

English people are very fond of music. I loved Peter Green’s early music when I heard it. Eric Clapton was good, but he was not just a Blues guitar player, he played lots of other styles.

For me Peter Green was the one, he was the Blues guitarist that impressed me the most from the English scene.

My favorite band was BB King and I thought that Peter Green played from his heart, just like BB King, and that he didn’t play too many notes on his guitar, again just like BB King. Peter Green just had a big heart.

For more information on Awek and to hear some samples of their new excellent album ‘It’s Rollin’ go to: http://www.awekblues.com/

Richard Newman

interviewing Bernard

LARRY MILLER

Vicky Martin interview

Larry Miller’s music, which will be known to many readers, has a real edge of excitement and a pleasing lack of repetition. Meeting Larry initially felt a tad intimidating for a fellow guitarist like me but he turned out to be a totally genuine and grounded person, father of three, happily married and a pleasure to interview. Conversations were wide-ranging and we talked mainly about his new album, a recent visit to Germany, we briefly touched the modern music scene, the Arctic Monkeys, Sid James and much else.

BM Well Larry it seems an age since I heard you at the 100 Club, at that time you were very positive about the new album that you were recording. It’s called ‘UNFINISHED BUSINESS’ and is about to be launched. So tell us first of all about the launch.

We’re launching the album at The Bush Hall in London, and it’s a limited ticket event with most tickets available only to the fan club.

So, let’s turn to the album itself, the title ‘UNFINISHED BUSINESS’ intrigues, what’s the story behind that? Just a great title........with menace (laughs).

How long did it take to record/did you hit any major snags along the way?

Well, I so wanted to make the best album ...ever! Loads more of everything ... bigger guitar sounds, bigger songs, bigger production, bigger everything ...maybe we should have called it Unfinished Bigness (laughs).

Well we’ve talked about the album title. The song itself is a pretty cool little song – as always with lashings of excellent guitar work – but tell us about the song itself?

It’s about a love rival who callously takes the love of his life, then later returns and wants to make amends. The idea was inspired by a play set during the Irish troubles.

I’m going to divert briefly here: it was interesting when we chatted after a gig recently; you showed me that riff to your song Missy Mango. It sounds deceptively simple yet I spotted some interesting chords in there –I thought I spotted a minor 11th, altered 7th with a flattened fifth, and the Hendrix chord 7#9. Can you share any thoughts on your chord work?

Well, I am a self taught guitarist, in other words I’ve just spent my life not learning theory and obscure scales but just playing the guitar. We now have thousands of technically brilliant guitarists who know more about the theory than any of the old guys ever did ...but there is more to music than notes. I want to write great songs with beautiful guitar solos and put on a bit of a show. None of those things can be taught at your guitar schools. All the old guys had their own style.

Ok, back to the album – it has this very strong centre the three tunes, UNFINISHED BUSINESS, COVERING ME and DELILAH. This last song is very strong so tell us about it, how it came about, etc.

Delilah was written from the biblical Samson’s perspective and how he must have felt regarding Delilah’s betrayal. Lyrically I believe it’s up there with any Broadway showpiece. Although musically, I haven’t noticed too many Les Paul’s into 100 watt Marshall stack type blues guitar solo’s ...which is something maybe Cameron Mackintosh needs to address (laughs).

The middle song of the three; COVERING ME, has some pretty direct references to your own faith can you tell us about the song and how it came about?

I wrote it quite a few years ago when I was in quite a dark place. You can’t see God, touch Him or hear Him ...but I knew He was there with me, covering me in His love, the words just flowed. Later I remember playing Covering Me to the refugees in Bosnia, during the troubles there and seeing people really being moved by that song, even though they couldn’t understand the words.

There is some very nice acoustic guitar on this album – apart from COVERING ME at the start of AS BLUE AS IT GETS. Can we look forward to more of Larry Miller on acoustic guitar? How about a Larry Miller acoustic gig? Well I don’t want to be sitting in the corner of a room pouring out my heart and soul, while folk are talking about the price of cod down at Tesco’s. I want to change the world. I want to play Wembley Stadium ...not the underground…+ (laughs).

I’m serious about the acoustic stuff – I reckon there is a whole side of Larry Miller still to be heard – I’d be very interested to know which of your own songs you’d pick for such a gig?

Thank you, well I’ve been writing songs forever, the very first time I picked up a guitar I wrote a song; I’ve recorded albums that even my friends aren’t aware of. I was always more into the creating as opposed to the marketing. A few weeks ago, I had such a great compliment, a couple of our fans got married and they chose my acoustic tune ‘Your’s and No Other’ from my ‘Fearless’ album to walk down the aisle to.

Photo by Liz Aiken

LARRY MILLER

Well there you are then, that shows the potential of your acoustic material (big smile). You never know, we might just offer you an acoustic gig; but let’s turn back to the album. I got echoes of Johnny Winter from the opening track MAD DOG. It’s got the same sort of weight as a JW opening track – any thoughts on that?

Initially the song was called Lap Dog, about a guy who does everything for his girl who responds by taking advantage, telling him what to wear, what to do, how to brush his hair, stops him from seeing his mates etc. Then eventually she kicks him out for being ...boring! Anyway, I felt Mad Dog was a more manly title. Talking about JW – I believe you played his guitar – tell us about that? I’ve played with him a few times now. I was back stage while he was on at Southampton, it was a hot night and I saw this flight case just lying on the floor.........I looked inside ...Yes! It’s Johnny’s Firebird! I was waiting for someone to come running, no one did ...okay, this opportunity will never come again ...let me just touch it ...so I did! Still, no one came OKAY... let’s go the whole hog…so I picked up Johnny Winters famous Firebird and started to play ... it felt wonderful. “Oi...Put it down”! “Err sorry.”

Tell us about the closing track ‘HELTER SKELTER TO HELL’, obviously that’s not you so what’s the story. When I saw the title I thought of AC/DC, is there an influence in there? Not really, this is another song that was originally called Before I Met Her. Then latterly Judgement Day. The song deals with the old crime of passion and murder but with no salvation. It starts with my old 1931 National before the band kick in, its heavy duty stuff and not as poppy as AC/DC (laughs).

We really liked the track Gambler’s Hill, rock ‘n’ roll at its best Gamblers Hill has its roots in come on part two from Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland album, a fast moving R&B toon his take on an Earl King song, but I’ve always done toons like that, because they work so well live.

The track ‘Cruel Old World’ is an epic. The instrumental second half is strongly reminiscent of Gary Moore. Do you have any comments on that?

Well I love Gary Moore’s playing so I’m a fan, but there is really nothing new under the sun. Those who know their guitar music you’ll know where it all comes from. When I was growing up my brother introduced me to Roy Buchanan’s instrumentals, we had lots of his albums ...and he influenced Jeff Beck and loads of others so much that when Gary’s Parisian Walkways came out, every Buchanan fan knew where the inspiration had come from.

We liked the track ‘Still Ain’t Done With the Blues’ the riff reminded us of Hendrix’ ‘Dolly Dagger’. Yeah, I hear where you’re coming from with Dolly Dagger, that was written about his girlfriend Devon getting off with Mick Jagger, but the riff was just a throw away riff written at the end, the structure of the song is more like a traditional blues.

We’ve talked a bit about the album, anything you’d like to add about the other tracks?

Every song, every track we’ve worked hard on. Neil Sadler who co-produced and played on it with me said it’s possibly the finest album he’s ever recorded. Simon Baker who played the drums has brought such power and soul to each track. I’m really knocked out with his playing. I also have a great new Bass player called Derek White who’s been over to Germany with me twice now.

OK then, now most of your fans will know and love Larry Miller as a guitar slinger in the classic trio format – but you recently added Ian Salisbury on keyboards – tell us about your thinking here?

Well, I’ve been looking for a keyboard player for ages and when you’re gigging full time on a professional level, they’re quite hard to find.

I thought the band sounded better than ever live with Ian added in. How do you feel that it effects the bands interaction?

Rory Gallagher’s most successful period was when he had Lou Martin on the keyboards and also Roy Buchanan’s instrumentals had that lovely Hammond organ under pinning his solo’s. Ian is such a great piano player and of course has the classic Hammond organ and it it’s just perfect for soloing over and he’s a really great guy as well. Well worth the wait.

We’ve really noticed the close empathy between you and drummer Simon Baker at gigs

Simon was in my band around 1982 ish. Then he had to pack it in because he became a Dad, around ‘84/’85. He played around locally and also had a stint with Mungo Jerry. Simon, recently back in the band reckons the title of the new album ‘Unfinished Business’ sums up how he actually feels about our band because he had to leave just as we were cracking it in the early 80’s.

You played at a German prison – sounds an interesting experience?

Photos by Liz Aiken

It was just outside Frankfurt. The prison was very old, so you knew the Gestapo would have used it. Virtually no one understood English, we were running late and we had another gig to do in the evening. It was a heavy duty prison, door after door was locked behind us. The cell doors were open and blank faces stared out at you, my posters were on the walls and at the end of this corridor was the room we were to play in. We had a quick sound check and it sounded good. “Right”, I said, “let’s give them something to remember.” We pulled out all the stops ...a full on Rock Show. I used one amp, one guitar, one lead and my vocal mike taped to a music stand! I went right out into them and even handed my guitar out ...and they went crazy! My German promoter received an email saying they’d never seen anything like it, with all the prisoners standing on chairs and stuff.

So let’s talk about your on-stage persona – I have to say that Larry Miller is a truly entertaining character – you had the place rocking with laughter on Saturday. But seriously now folks is Larry Miller onstage and Larry Miller off-stage the same person?

Well, I am just being me, but I am aware that my job is to entertain, so when I am on stage I’ll put on more of a show than when I go to the paper shop... if you know what I mean.

We especially like that kind of high speed Chuck Berry / Roadrunner style duck-walk that you do; you should patent that. How did it come about?

Well, I am a real Rory Fan and I guess that comes from him.

Talking of your stage show I must say that you pull some great faces on stage, I’ve always said that its not about the notes you play but the faces you pull when you’re playing.

(Laughs) ‘Yes’, I can’t help it (laughs)

A very expressive face though I must say

Yes, but so did Sid James…maybe we’ve got something really new here – the Sid James of the Blues – (laughter)

Let’s turn briefly to the current music scene, what are you listening to these days? I really like Gary Moore; but I still listen mostly to the stuff I love, players who mean every note – Rory, Hendrix and so on…

The Arctic Monkeys?

(Larry roars with laughter) I’m sorry; I think they’ve slipped though my net. I’ll have to get some of their stuff tomorrow.

Anyone else?

Well there’s a band called Elephant Shelf, they’re really good, they rock like the Faces and the Stones; they should go places.

Oh wow, thanks for that, do you listen to much outside the Blues / Rock field? Any jazz?

Well my Dad was really into Stephan Grappelli, he took me to loads of his gigs – if you listen to my stuff, in my solos I’m influenced by that free- wheeling jazz style. People say that live my stuff sounds different every time. That’s why I like the blues genre, ostensibly it seems limited, but its not you can take it to so many places. You can do so much with that freedom.

You are a real trouper Larry, in the traditional sense of the word. I know we’re talking blues and rock here, but it’s right in the old showbiz tradition – treading the boards, what you have to do to make it, but it looks as if things are really beginning to look up for you

I have new Management and they’re working really hard for me on every level. It does feel like so many doors are opening at the same time. I recently met Paul Jones for the first time and his manager also wants to help.

So, finally in the light of that; Larry Miller 2010 – where do you want to be in 2011/12 etc.?

Well I’m still frustrated that so many people don’t know I exist. So we just have to keep chipping away and hopefully soon the flood gates will open. Always remember; Hendrix was playing to about 12 people at the Cafe Wha and he said to Chas Chandler; “Get me out of here”, and he did. Mike Bloomfield who saw him at that time said he was doing everything that he was ever to do, playing the guitar behind his head, with his teeth etc. Then he come to London and broke big, then he returned to the States at Monterey Pop Festival with pretty much the same set and was then hailed internationally as the Great New Thing. The struggle goes on and on, but that’s the joy of life, there are no guarantees ...so we just have to keep on trying harder, then of course that’s when the great music is written.

And if all ended tomorrow what would you like to be remembered for – (Larry thought a while over this) –

As a good Dad

So Larry, now on behalf of Blues Matters thanks to you for your time and we wish you well with the album and for the future.

Thanks to you as well and my best wishes to Blues Matters.

More proper Blues

Elvin Bishop

Red Dog Speaks - Delta Groove

Elvin’s new release smoothly steers the way from strutting blues and R&B, to a good dose of good-time rock & roll, and even an occasional detour through doo-wop, zydeco and gospel.

J J Grey & Morfo

Georgia Warhorse - Alligator

“Intoxicating North Florida blues-rock, with hints of Memphis, Muscle Shoals and garageband music.” – USA Today.

Charlie Musselwhite

The Well - Alligator

“Superb, original and compelling..Harmonica master Musselwhite sets the standard for blues.” – Rolling Stone.

Pinetop Perkins & Willie “Big Eyes” Smith

Joined at the Hip - Telarc Blues

97 year-old Pianist Pinetop Perkins and 74 year-old singer/harmonica player Willie “Big Eyes” Smith are reunited on this historic dirty, raw Chicago blues session.

Lefty Dizz

Ain’t It Nice To Be Loved By You - JSP

One of the greatest blues albums ever cut. This reissue is completed by 4 bonus tracks from the Johnny Big Moose Walker album that Lefty Dizz produced and played on.

Colesseum Live 05 - Ruf Records

Their most popular songs plus some never before heard material from the 1995 tour featuring Barbara Thompson on saxophone, adding a new dimension to the classic Colosseum sound.

Walter Horton

Blues Harmonica Giant-Classic Sides 1951-56 JSP

A remarkable collection, the first time this amazing musician has been the subject of a serious, box set reissue. With a bonus disc never before on CD.

Blackberry Smoke

Little Piece of Dixie - Bamajam

Little Piece of Dixie is a fresh yet familiar collection that fuses Blackberry Smoke’s diverse influences with its road-honed musicianship.

For more information, news, competitions and much more visit www.propergandablog.co.uk

BJORN BERGE

Interview - with Frankie Pfeiffer & Nat Harrap

BM: In just a few words, why did you want to be a musician?

Bjorn: That’s very simple. There are three reasons why I started playing the guitar: I wanted to be famous, earn a lot of money and impress the girls, of course (laughs). No, I am joking… In fact, I have an older brother who was into music. He played the piano and the accordion, and that’s why I became interested in music, and playing the guitar.

To what kind of music were you attracted to in the beginning? Was it the Blues even then?

No! Like all teenagers, I loved rock - Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin. So, for quite a while, I played rock. It was only later that I became interested in bluegrass and the banjo.

How old were you when you started playing the banjo?

I was about 14. I was coming back from a rehearsal when I heard one of my neighbours playing the banjo, and I thought it was really amazing. So, I went to swap my electric guitar for a banjo. My mother wasn’t impressed because she had bought the guitar for me, and, with a banjo, the sound is much louder than an electric guitar - I think she would have probably preferred that I had kept my guitar and made less noise (laughs). But I must say that she has always supported me, always… Even if some days it must have been hard for her (laughs).

Is it the banjo that led you to acoustic music?

Absolutely right, and one of my friends who played banjo had a great vinyl collection. That’s how I discovered Robert Johnson - thanks to his vinyl records! That’s really how I started to listen to Robert Johnson, Bob Dylan, and so many others.

Were those the musicians who influenced you most?

Yes. Robert Johnson, Bob Dylan and also Eric Clapton, and then I discovered somebody called Leo Kottke.

Photo

G Johannessen

When I was younger, I was fascinated by Bob Dylan. He played on his own, he wrote beautiful songs and he had that strange voice. I was really a big Bob Dylan fan…and I still am! It’s thanks to him that I told myself when I was younger: if he’s made it, why can’t I? (Laughs)

But you never played Bob Dylan’s songs. You play some Robert Johnson, but it’s not Robert Johnson, it’s ‘your’ way of interpreting Robert Johnson. Why don’t you do the same with Bob Dylan?

(Smiles) I’ve tried, but it doesn’t work. I have tried again and again, but I don’t seem to be able to make it stick - it doesn’t suit my style. You can understand that since you were a guitar player?

I understand, but how can you explain it?

I think… I believe it is a question of rhythm. To play Robert Johnson I change the rhythm, the tempo and I play Robert Johnson my way, harder. I am not interested in playing like Robert Johnson, to recreate what’s already been done. You see, I want to play and adapt the song to my own style, my personality, otherwise it’s just ordinary and without any interest. What’s the point of copying?

If I have been correctly informed, you’ve met Robert Johnson? (Smiles) That’s right. It was, I believe, after a very, very long night (laughs)… My friend Jack Daniels was there, too, if I remember correctly.

And Leo Kottke? Have you met him? No, never.

Why? Is it because you want to keep the mystery around what could have been when you met?

No, not really, but it’s somebody who has the reputation of being a little out there, let’s say a little difficult, and I am afraid that if I met him, it might not work out and that nothing special happens. And he has a reputation for being quite eccentric, and I am not at all (laughs), so it might be better to leave well alone, don’t you think?

But you have met John Hammond, haven’t you? After you’d bought one of his albums with one of your friends? That’s right. I was in a record shop rummaging through the whole Blues section, when I saw this red album, “John Hammond Live”. I asked the record shop manager if I could listen to it and the first track I heard was ‘How She Would’ I am not sure how I can explain it, but I was on the floor. It was simply brilliant, and the sound was quite incredible. So, I asked a mate if he could help me buy a record, as I did not have enough money to buy it on my own, and we shared it between the two of us.

In 1999, I think it was in ‘99, I finally managed to meet John Hammond when he was touring in Norway. He is a great singer, and an amazing guitar player.

But you’re not bad, are you? Do you think you are naturally gifted, or do you have to practice a lot?

Both… I think I am naturally gifted, particularly with my finger picking, which I find very easy - very natural. I manage to play very easily. I learnt to play on my own without any formal training, which was a lot harder in my days. Not like now! You only need to watch the musicians play on YouTube to learn how to play - it’s a lot easier.

Up until new album “Fretwork” you had stopped writing your own songs. Why was that?

I had stopped and other people were writing for me because, to be perfectly honest, I had nothing to write about anymore. How can I say it (pauses)… My life was easy, I had no real worries and I really couldn’t think I could write anything that would be interesting to my public. For the first three albums I wrote all the songs, but from 2001, I suffered from writer’s block - I could not find any inspiration! And suddenly there I was with nothing to write about, and that is why I asked other people to help me. Here you are! You know everything now.

I wrote all the songs for the new album - just a few covers. It’s something different, less hard, softer… probably because I have just reached 40 and I am mellowing in my old age, thinking of settling down a little (laughs).

You always say that you are a group all by yourself because you do everything yourself, but for this album, you had some help…

That’s true. I had a drummer because I wanted the album to be different: it’s me and, at the same time, it’s not me. It’s difficult to explain (laughs). I hope my public like it.

BJORN BERGE

Don’t you miss playing with other musicians?

When I am in concert, I love being on my own, because I have a special relationship with the public, and I like that. I don’t need anybody other than my public! When you record a CD, it’s great to have other musicians with you. It’s a different experience, but when I am in concert, being on my own allows me to be completely free with my public and, for me, it’s very important to have this special tie with them. I am here to entertain people, to make them forget their worries, through my music, of course, but also through me being there and the stories I tell them… If you play in a group, you don’t have that freedom…not quite, anyway.

It’s true that on stage you are really relaxed; people laugh and have fun…

That’s exactly what I want to do, entertain them! You’ve completely understood what I want to achieve when I play and sing for people. Life is so serious and tough, nothing is easy. You see when I was younger; I always tried to write songs that meant something, songs which would have a message - serious stuff! Now I think it’s important people like my music, forget their problems when they listen to me and, if possible, have a good time…that’s all I want.

How do you juggle between family life and professional commitments? It can’t be easy every day, can it? (Smiles) Well, I am very lucky; I have a very understanding wife. We’ve been together for twenty-one years and she understands very well I have two lives: my life as a family man on one side and my life as a musician on the other. When I am on tour and travel, I am a musician, just like somebody who goes to the office, you see. When I am at home, I am like any other husband and father; I am just a regular guy. What I mean is that I go to parents’ evenings, drop my daughter off to handball practice, take the kids to school…I am the taxi (laughs). Probably, some people must think I might find this boring compared to what I do when I am touring, but that’s not true. In fact, more and more, I try to balance the two as well as I can: one year I tour a lot and then the following year I stay more at home, but I never stop completely. I tried once, for a whole year I did not play at all, but it was dreadful!

And your kids, do you encourage them to get into music?

My son is a musician. He is l8 and he still goes to school because I want him to have a profession before he throws himself completely into music. I really want my kids to succeed, to have a good education, and it’s also because when I left college, I went to work on an oil platform. And if one day, I don’t enjoy playing music any more, I can go back to work in the oil industry and get a job immediately without any problems because I also had a good education. I think it’s important to be able to do something else than working in the music industry.

And your daughter?

My daughter is 15 and she does what all 15 year olds do (smiles). I think she has one or two songs of my last album on her iPod, but as I am her dad, so it’s not really cool to like your dad’s songs, is it? So, she only has one or two (laughs).

Let’s talk music again: how do you choose your covers?

It’s very simple: they are songs I like and that I can play in my own way... I also need to have a feel for it - it must mean something to me, you know what I mean? But it’s very easy to choose songs I want to sing. For example, when Steve Ray Vaughan died, I was really, really sad, kind of lost and then I heard ‘One Believer’ and I wanted to do this song because it was like a second chance - a chance to succeed. It was stronger than me; I had to do it because it was in me. I have just one regret, and that is I only recorded the first take - if I could do it again, I might do a second take…that’s my only regret.

How would you like to pass on your passion for the Blues to today’s youngsters?

In fact, a few years ago, I was involved in a programme organized by Norway’s education system. The idea was to introduce kids to Blues and modern music, and I spent six months doing that. And what I did was to play Blues standards spiced up with rock and the kids were blown away because they did not expect this at all. It was a great way to bring the Blues to the kids, you see? And then when I went on tour, I kept this idea to find out if Blues lovers would also enjoy this rock spiced Blues music…it seems to have worked (laughs).

All Photos by G Johannssen

BJORN BERGE

NINE BELOW ZERO

NINE BELOW CLOCK UP THREE ZERO

As they celebrate three decades together, Richard Thomas catches up with British R&B’s great survivors

Capturing the aura of a live performance is the illusive goal of many recording artists, especially if it is your gigs that have established and cemented your position. Nine Below Zero went from London legends to British legends, and while more flaky music and artists came and went, the boys with the ice cold name kept the Blues warm for an adoring audience. For their new album ‘It’s Never Too Late’, they have enlisted Glenn Tilbrook’s assistance to replicate the energy of their live shows, thus celebrating their continuing existence as perpetuators of gritty R&B. Guitarist Dennis Greaves’ (with help from harmonica player Mark Feltham, bassist Gerry McAvoy and drummer Brendan O’Neill) tells us how punk was never an option, how taking care of business was an important move, and how the odd TV appearance has helped along the way........

BM! : You started up right in the middle of a punk explosion –was there any doubting the direction you took? Was there ever a danger of Mohicans and bondage?

DG : When we started in 1979 it was right in the middle of the new wave / punk explosion but the whole ethos of the band was based in R&B. I was introduced to Blues music at an early age by a family member and had been entranced by it, especially by the likes of Muddy Waters and Freddie King. We weren’t the only non-punk band to start around this time –there were others like The Inmates, Little Roosters, Dr Feelgood, Red Beans & Rice. However, we did occasionally take advantage of the era and exploited it when advantageous – ‘The Young Ones’ show for instance.

What was the inspiration to reforming the band in 1990 after a hiatus of almost a decade?

DG : When the band split and I formed The Truth, it was on the back of an unhappy experience when first recording ‘Third Degree’ (subsequently Curtis Schwartz produced the album and the end result was exactly what we were looking for) and “road fatigue”. We had been playing around 160 dates a year and after a few years of that your patience is impaired. The shows can become a bit ‘Groundhog Day’ and the real reason for being a musician gets a little clouded.

Nineteen years with the current line up give or take a couple of intervals and comings and goings – are you still able to surprise each other musically?

DG : When Gerry and Brendan had decided that the Rory Gallagher situation had run its course, Mark Feltham (who had been guesting with them) suggested re-forming NBZ. We had a couple of sessions, and the original passion we had started with in the first place instantly returned, along with a feeling that it was a perfect fit musically. They both had great live experience and a tightness that had been perfected by playing in a very demanding three piece. We are still pushing each other and that only happens when you have a unit of musicians that you respect unreservedly and instinctively know that they too want to continually improve their art.

Your paths have crossed with plenty of big names over the years – which artists have shaped and influenced your three decade journey?

DG : We have been lucky enough to have shared the same bill as some legendary acts and have nearly always come away from the experience enriched. You would be blinkered and egotistical if you couldn’t take something positive from artists like Eric Clapton, Ray Davies and The Kinks, Sting, ZZ Top, Brian May and The Who amongst others.

What is the great benefit of arranging your recordings through Zed Records, besides the control over your own musical affairs?

DG : Although we had a couple of offers before starting our own label Zed Records in 2000, we could see the industry was changing and that the only benefit of signing with a record label was access to a marketing budget IF you were considered a priority. Even then, it comes with a lot of restrictions and frustrations! We haven’t looked back, growing the label organically, paying for our own recordings and artistically moving in the direction we want. Having said that, you have to be prudent in your expenses and that has meant a limited PR budget.

Publicising the new record ‘It’s Never Too Late’ you mention that it’s “a statement you’ve always wanted to make” – what is the core message here?

DG : We’ve retained our loyal fan base through the years and added to it by “word of mouth” but when you have written and recorded an album like ‘It’s Never Too Late’ you just have to get it out there and that means investing in marketing and making yourselves accessible. We wanted an album of wholly original songs, recorded in a studio (45 RPM) where we would be comfortable with the facilities and the feel. We gave equal emphasis to the two weeks of mixing stage, and finally the mastering - often overlooked as a key stage in this long process. We couldn’t be collectively happier with the result.

It’s got a real London pub feel to it at times, and you seemed to have replicated the live gigs extremely well - was it important for you to make this in London?

DG : The first album we made was a live recording wholly capturing the raw energy of the band and the live circuit in London at the time. There were many positive statements about us which classified us as a ‘proper’ live group. There’ve been many attempts by many producers to re-capture the true NBZ sound.

The new record doffs its hat in a few directions, notably with a strong underlying of Motown in ‘Little By Little’ –are you fans?

MF : The Motown influence stems from Dennis’s interest and influence within ‘The Truth’. They invested in a Hammond B3 organ, which is a beast to tour with but features heavily in the Motown sound. Gerry is also a big fan of Motown, in particular bassists James Jamerson and Bob Babbitt of the Funk Brothers who traded sessions on all the early hits.

What was working with Glenn Tilbrook like?

MF : Walking into the studio every day past his Ivor Novello award made us realise that were we in the presence of a very gifted musician and songwriter. The fact he wanted to co-produce after hearing the songs inspired us to go the extra mile with this project. Being in London and working with Glenn provided the kind of relaxed environment we needed.

‘The Story Of Nathan John’ – in a different age it may have been a big commercial hit – is it about anyone in particular?

GM : It has a very interesting background. Dennis took a call from Mark, who relayed the contents of a dream he had just had in featuring a character called Nathan John. Mark asked Dennis to come up with some suitable music. Within 30 minutes the song was almost complete and Dennis suggested that Mark finish the song by introducing some lyrical reference to Jean Charles de Menezes, whose death dominating the news at the time. An hour later the song was finished.

Chart success and the favour of the critics – how important have these things been to survivors like you?

DG : Chart success has never featured on our wish list, as this tends to highlight the transient nature of our business. Most of our albums sell – ‘Live At The Marquee’ never charted but continues to sell well, topping well over 100,000 copies .

Playing live is what you are perhaps best known for- how did you go about getting the new record sounding authentic and live?

Lighting the match - Keeping the fire burning in stormy weather....

As the ‘70s morphed into the ‘80s, UK culture was changing. The ‘70s had been the troubled successor to the greatest musical decade of all, although correcting this seemed low on Mrs Thatchers’s agenda. Her methods didn’t universally impress, and by the turn of the decade the nation was preoccupied by riots and unrest.

By 1979, punk had the musical landscape wrapped up tight in bondage trousers. Angry teenagers realised that instrumental ability was no longer a priority, with passion and fury taking centre stage. The spare bedrooms and garden sheds of suburbia became workshops of noisy experiment; music was thrashing and unstructured and fashion took a massive leap towards the bizarre as clever entrepreneurs operated profitably on the fringes of rebellion. Imagine lighting a match in the midst of a hurricane. Staying true to their London R&B roots while around them are coming up with names like “The Scrotum Poles”, “Schoolgirl Bitch” and “Vile Bodies”, four lads thoughtfully reflected their musical preferences by naming themselves after a song by an old Blues harmonica player. Stan’s Blues Band became Nine Below Zero. The match was struck.

Fast forward 30 years. The match burns still, extinguished and relit along the way. As anniversaries for rock’s long livers come thick and fast, three decades of playing British R&B may escape the radar of many in the wake of some bigger names, but it is worthy of note, especially in the context of the Blues; many would argue that by the time that NBZ cranked it up, the halcyon days of British Blues were long over.

So what keeps the fire burning within bands like NBZ, when the flames could have died so many times over? Good musicians playing good music is a major factor of course, as is the essential chemistry within the group dynamic. You don’t spend 30 years together if you can’t stand the sight of each other, even though some nig names have allegedly managed it. In the current formation NBZ have spent almost two decades together, and you get the feeling they get on just fine. A loyal core of fans and supporters also sustains such bands. Out of fashion, or out of the news, it’s must be warming to see a front row full of people mouthing the lyrics and clapping in all the right places. Such support is not an automatic right and anyone who has it has kept it because they do the business live, and NBZ have few peers in that department.

Finally, and most critically, perhaps the Blues holds the key. You would expect to read such a thing in a Blues magazine of course, but consider it. Is it seemly to watch ageing punks with mortgages and estate cars thrashing around despite their arthritic knees? Maturity suits the Blues, and in a genre where some if the greatest names perform way past retirement, NBZ seemingly have the appetite and energy for the next twenty years at least.

- Richard Thomas

DG : Glenn’s studio provided us with a great live room which allowed the necessary time to concentrate on the performance. That meant fewer or no overdubs giving us the authentic NBZ sound. Your music has always had an element of good humour and there are some nice lines in ‘You’re The Man?’ Is that more about you as people or where you come from?

DG : You’re The Man is a hero’s song, which looks at high achievers in their field, with humorous moments like Elvis Presley and his peculiar cooking habits.

‘Fairweather Friends’ is described as “a snapshot of relationships in the music industry “– would it be indelicate to ask about the back story here?

DG : Song writing is often a solitary pursuit drawing on personal experiences good and bad. A song may come while touring, in a hotel, on a plane, in the middle of the night or backstage. Whichever way, it’s highly unlikely that an A&R man, accountant, lawyer and band manager would be present and contributing, but they all want a piece of the action and to share in any reflected glory. The business is full of unqualified, sharp, flaky individuals and has a definite nasty side!

You’ve made some notable TV performances over the years, like ‘The Young Ones’, ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’ and ‘The South Bank Show’. What memories do you have of your small screen appearances?

DG : We’ve been on TV to promote certain releases over the years and some have been truly memorable experiences. On the ‘The Young Ones’ an unknown stand-up called Ben Elton co-wrote and acted as warm up man for the live audience - we appeared on the first episode playing ‘11+11’ in the front room of the student digs. We lunched with Melvyn Bragg at LWT to discussing the British R&B special on ‘The South Bank Show’. Last but not least we played ‘Stone Fox Chase’ on OGWT (The Old Grey Whistle Test) as part of our set. It was the theme tune for the show and has never been performed live on the show before or since.

Mark has always had a very distinctive harmonica sound - John Popper from Blues Traveler is perhaps the nearest imitator – did the sound develop specifically or was it just the way it evolved?

MF : Trying to play my favourite country music in an R&B band during the punk / new wave era in the late seventies was a no-no from the word go ! I had no chance, so my playing style developed by being an amalgam of all of the musical styles and their accompanying attitudes we‘ve mentioned.

How are plans coming for the 30th year anniversary concert?

DG : We’ll be celebrating 30 years of NBZ over the next year and have already played with our old friends The Fabulous Thunderbirds and Dr Feelgood. We have an extensive European tour lined up for next year, including a large venue UK gig for 2010 which will be filmed for a DVD release to mark our 30 year career

You’ve got as close and as enduring a relationship with your audience as any contemporary band – does a cult following bring pressures of its own?

DG : I’m not a fan of cult – it’s a four letter word. I would rather be so mainstream and hip that I would struggle to know where to stash all of the cash. Seriously though, we have a very loyal following and many have become personal friends. This brings no pressure whatsoever; indeed we can be a little more adventurous with both recordings and live shows. Our fans are always receptive.

With thirty years of times served in the Blues, is it moving with the times or is it essentially a persevered art form?

DG: The essence of NBZ has always been raw and edgy and we always keep up to date with newer acts through our children’s energy and enthusiasm for music and digital surfing habits. We feel that with up and coming Blues artists, unless they start to invest some time in writing original material the Blues will be just a preserved art form without progression.

Finally, it been kind of you to speak with Blues Matters! What’s next for you?

DG : We have an eighteen month plan to promote the album and shake off the ‘Best Kept Secret’ tag, because you know ‘It’s Never Too Late’ !

MIKE ZITO

Vicky Martin recounts a tale of struggle, spirituality, and a career on the up and up

The legendary jazz guitarist Joe Pass said ‘There is only one way to really learn to play; that’s every night on the bandstand’. That’s exactly how Mike Zito from New Orleans honed his craft; through a few thousand gigs, and sheer hard work. I became aware of him through his latest album ‘PEARL RIVER’ which I reviewed for BM. In speaking with Mike it became apparent that there is a depth of spirituality, and a reflection of his personal struggles, that permeates his music.

The album is worth much more than a mere cursory listen, it speaks of his personal struggles; against problems that bedevil any musician; drink, drugs, and the unremitting grind of gigging. That struggle is well expressed in the song ‘One Step at a Time’ an album highlight. ‘Pearl River’ is Mike’s sixth album; the first four were independently produced. Then came a fortunate break, Mike met American blues legend Randy Chortkoff of Delta Groove records. Mike was signed up and his career has been on the up ever since. Mike’s heart is firmly based in the Blues and the roots of American music. Mike is thankful for the opportunity given by Mr. Chortkoff but always emphasizes the need to take life one step at a time.

When we spoke Mike had just finished a busy schedule including 7 weeks on the road- playing over the North East USA and New York City and 3 nights down south with Jimmy Hall which Mike described as ‘A blast of course!”

……MIKE ZITO won the award for “Song of the Year” for his duet with Cyril Neville, “Pearl River” at this years 2010 Blues Music Awards!

BM: Reading through your press stuff it seems you’ve been on the road a long time, noting Eddie Van Halen as an initial influence I’m guessing you’ve been gigging since the late 80’s / early 90’s? So how long exactly and, at a guess, how many gigs?

MZ: Wow- I got my first Van Halen record in 1978- the first one and that got me in on the guitar- started gigging around 1990 and haven’t stopped since- I play about 275 shows a year- so enough that I should be way better than I am!

I note your ‘pop’ sensibilities, including a cover of one of my all time favourites ‘Rocket Man’ but your latest release ‘Pearl River’ seems firmly rooted in the Blues – is this where your heart really lies? Have you a particular favourite Blues artist?

I am a 38 year old man who lived through the 80’s. I love all of the 80’s pop music and will forever- it’s what I listened to when I was a kid. No one in my family plays music, so I found blues from listening to my brother’s Jimi Hendrix records….I began searching for the music Jimi listened to…..Muddy Waters, T-Bone Walker, Albert King, BB King and so on. That’s what really turned me onto the guitar on an emotional level. It also reminded me of the Swing and Big Band records my Dad listened to. My heart absolutely lies in the Blues. It’s the emotional connection it makes that draws me in deeper everyday. I may not play 100% Blues at this point, but again, I am a young man who is slowly regressing…….so it will all happen in due time. My favourite blues artist; it begins and ends with Muddy Waters. I love all of his Chess recordings- but I love ‘Hard Again’ too, Johnny Winter brought it all together again- it just rocks! I have never heard Muddy Waters sing a song I didn’t like. Albert King is my favourite modern blues guitarist.

So you’d describe yourself as a blues artist?

Absolutely, and I would also describe Bob Dylan as a blues artist- always has been. I loved Modern Times! – but then I think everything Dylan ever wrote is “Blues” because it’s emotional and tells a story and he conveys it so deeply.

There’s only one or two cover tunes on the album; ‘Eyesight to the Blind’, I first heard that by Mose Allison – do you have a particular version of that one that influenced you? The other song ‘Sugar Sweet’ is that a cover? If so where did you get that one?

Mose Allison is excellent- but we copped Sonny Boy’s version and added the second-line drum beat. Sugar Sweet was written by Mel London, but Muddy Water’s version is the one I listened to most.

I said in my review that the album tune ‘Shoes Blues’ is like your take on ‘Walking Blues’, but I could have been wrong, can you comment on that?

Seriously, that’s the first blues tune I ever wrote about 15 years ago and it was of course a shuffle at the time. I was on my way to a gig and wanted to play a new tune. I was unaware of ‘Walking Blues’ at that time, but someone told me within a few weeks of playing it- I thought that was cool and kept it around for fun. I love where it’s at now- it had not been played much in years and we wanted a boy/girl 60’s era duet- and thought it was fun. Susan Cowsil makes the tune for sure!

I liked the closing tune ‘C’mon Baby’, the chords reminded me a little of Curtis Mayfield & the Impressions; that type of thing – can you comment on that?

I love Curtis Mayfield, so that’s great! I was in a hotel room somewhere in Florida and started singing the song and playing along and realized I better write this one down. It’s one of my fave’s to play live.

The track ‘One Step at a Time’ is a real country tune; it had echoes of Dylan, Steve Earle and other Americana. I got the impression that you had drawn a lot of ideas together for that song. It also subtly hints at what I might call your spiritual side. Is there a story behind the song and would you have liked to put more country (ish) stuff on the album, or might that be a problem for an FM friendly blues album? (Does the song relate to your recovery from drink and drugs noted in your bio?)

This song has a real story behind it. But I did not write this tune, my friend Anders Osborne wrote this song. He also sings the duet with me. Recovery is very important in my life, it is my life. I was a hopeless dope fiend and alcoholic, and got a second chance, so recovery is a big part of my music. I asked Anders to write me a song and he did- a damn good one. I love traditional country and feel it to be the same as traditional blues; to me, these styles are the same in many ways. The songs on the record are the songs that I picked; I will put more country-ish material out alongside blues on up-coming projects. I am not worried about what the radio is supposed to play- I wanna make sure the people who listen to my music get to hear all of it, not what I think will sell.

The title track ‘Pearl River’ is a real stand out track – tell us about that song. This is a collaboration written with Cyril Neville of The Neville Brothers who writes amazing lyrics. This is a historical tale of Pearl River, which runs along the Mississippi/Louisiana state line. Cyril told me that as a child he was told that the river was so dark and black because of all of the slaves that were murdered and thrown in the river…a deep dark story. When he gave me these lyrics to put music to I thought this was way over my head. This isn’t my story and I don’t have what it takes to tell it. But Cyril told me that I was wrong; he told me that Spirit rules all and nothing happens by accident, and that I could tell this story- so I just sat down and played the song a few times, it fell into place very easily. I didn’t think about it too much. I gave it back to him….and he was very happy. I am very proud to be a part of this song with Cyril.

What’s your personal favourite tune on the album?

Pearl River and One Step at a time are tied. It’s so exciting to get to play these songs live.

I was very impressed with the guys that you had on the album but there where times when I felt maybe we could have heard a little more of them, the keys in particular? Any comment on this? We cut this album completely live in the studio- one or two takes -the guys were fantastic- it is what it is, Reese did some parts in Nashville later.

There are a fair number of musicians on the record, how does that compare to your actual road band? Can you tell us about the guys in your road band and anything especially notable about their careers please? We have been travelling as a 3 piece, mostly out of starvation- but I plan on adding A B3 to the group permanently next year Lonnie “Popcorn” Trevino Jr. plays bass. He’s been a touring musician in Austin for 20 years and played with Monte Montgomery for 3 years. Rob Lee plays drums. He is based in New Orleans and from Canada originally. He played with Alan Haynes for many years- touring the UK and Europe.

And speaking of the road what do you and the chaps (we don’t say ‘guys’ because we’re BritishJ) listen to on the tour bus?

If we ever get a tour bus, we will be playing video games!!! We have a van, and we listen to a lot of blues- old stuff- Muddy, Howling Wolf, Ray Charles…a little Van Halen every now and then!

I think that you sing great and play great, but I also think that you could develop a really individual style and really push the envelope with your playing; do you have any thoughts in that direction, bearing in mind FM radio? Again, at this point I try not to bear in mind FM radio- even though I am happy as hell that we are getting airplay. I try to just do what I do, I know what I want to sound like in my head- and it’s getting there slowly but surely. I realized I had an individual style when I would try to copy licks and guitar styles when I was younger and had no success…..I would try different guitars, amps, effects….and no matter what, it sounded like me. That used to piss me off good, people would tell me “I don’t know why you’re trying another guitar out- it just sounds like you- it never sounds any different” I finally gave in and just played what I played- and started to realize myself. I am my own worst critic, but these days I understand it’s just who I am. It’s like listening to your voice speaking on recording- sounds really weird at first. But, it sounds like you.

I haven’t had a chance to listen to your back catalogue, but in contrast to, say, Hendrix, he was on the road for years, then he burst on the scene with a fully formed individual style. I know this because I saw him and met him when he first came to London. With you, because of all your albums it’s like you are forming and developing your style and we’re all privy to it as it happens. Sure, people see it happening- people who have been watching me for 18 years can tell things have changed- most for good. Some people think I should still be playing 1000 notes a minute, but I just don’t feel it all the time like I did when I was 25. I hope that progress continues no matter what- I am a student of music and want nothing more than to get better and try harder.

How do you see your career progressing next?

I hope that we get to Europe next year- and I would like to make a live album as well. If I can continue to play music, I will be happy.

Although I’m a guitar player, I happen to think that the whole genre is much to guitar dominated, so I’m going to ask this question of you - outside of guitar players which musicians have had the most influence on your playing? I agree that blues has become guitar music- but the guitar is still a very exciting, emotional instrument, always will be. Miles Davis, Ray Charles, Lou Rawls.

Meeting with Randy Chortkoff seems to have lifted your career no end. He is a bit of a legend over here, reputedly the man in American Blues, but we don’t know much else. Can you tell us about your meeting up with him? I was introduced through a mutual friend, and began hounding him on a weekly basis. Sending him videos and recordings until he finally submitted!!!

What is he like?

He is sincere and truly believes in music and all of its healing power. We have a lot in common, and I have learned a lot about the blues from that man.

And what about David Z your producer, tell us about working with him please? David Z is the real deal. He brings out the best in me. He is no nonsense, and has this amazing ability to hear like no other. When David tells me we got it and that it was good, I know it’s good.

I notice several allusions to the ‘spiritual’ side of things, Randy and the healing power of music, Cyril and the ‘Spirit’, do you have any formalised spiritual or religious belief. We’re particularly interested in this, because we’re interested in the background to your music, but also because we read of the strength of Christian stuff in the USA and also we read lots of kind of myth and legend about the New Orleans area anything interesting that you can tell us?

I am very spiritual and not very religious. I grew up Catholic all of my life, Catholic school- and I have no problems with any religions- but when I got sober I had a full on spiritual awakening and I came to realize that God is real and different for everyone, and that’s how it is supposed to be. My spiritual beliefs are based on my actual “God” experiences, not on something someone else told me I should believe. There is only good, and nothing bad- judgement is my only problem, but I am learning to live without judgement ….”One step at a time”…

Out of your whole canon of work which song above pleases you most?

‘Today’, it is simple and it helped save my life.

Any tips for aspiring guitar players?

Practice, take lessons, and then forget it all and go out and play every night and have fun.

Any plans to come to the UK?

Would LOVE to come to the UK- never been, except 2 hours I sat in Heathrow. I’m hoping to be there in 2011.

Have you a final word for us dudes here in England?

Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Peter Green still rock the house!

OK, so finally, we wish you all the best in your future career, we look forward to seeing what you come up with next and we look forward to seeing you in England.

MIKE ZITO Pearl River

Eclecto Groove

Mike Zito from New Orleans has given us an excellent album here. It has wonderful playing and the production is top notch. It includes several guest musicians from the New Orleans area. There are five standout tracks: ‘Pearl River’, a well paced atmospheric slow Blues with nice changes; ‘Change My Ways’, a minor Blues with nice keyboards; and ‘One Step At A Time’, an acoustic country tune. ‘Dead Of Night’ is again very good - moody with nice accordion. Finally, ‘C’mon Baby’ is a real soulful tune, which closes this record on a high. On a general note, I would have liked to have heard more of the other instrumentalists - the keyboards, in particular. I also found the album a bit long, and could have cut at least two numbers. Mike has a rich voice and excellent guitar technique, and he has the talent to develop a more individual style. With the resources that are available here, they could push the envelope much further in the future. All in all, an album that promises even better things to come.

Vicky Martin

JOHN NORUM

‘Europe Rocker Born Again In The Blues’ Interviewer: Andy Snipper

John Norum is Europe’s Lead guitarist and newly released ‘Play Yard Blues’, his seventh solo album but the first that really features the Blues rather than the more metal aspects of his playing. He resides in Stockholm and BM contacted him there.

BM: Hi John, thanks for giving me your time today

JN: It’s my pleasure

‘Play Yard Blues’ is quite a change from your normal style. What led you to making a Blues album?

I was always a Blues/Rock fan from an early age. An early influence was my step-father who was a drummer and he started me on guitar at a young age. Then recently I played on a Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush tribute album and really enjoyed the freedom to play more. I love to play where I can extend myself and fit the style to the song.

Who were your earliest influences?

Of course there was always Jimi Hendrix and Clapton but I was always a great fan of Leslie West, especially the stuff he did with Mountain, I really like his tone and his use of vibrato.

Will you stick with the album’s musical style from now on?

Well, actually I wanted to do this for a long time, you know. I mean, thankfully Europe’s last album ‘Last Look At Eden’ has a little bit of those heavy blues-rock influences. So this feels very close to home. As I said, I started to play blues guitar a very long time ago and it’s just fun. I really enjoy it, you know. I am a bit of a reluctant shredder and when I am at home I play the Blues.

You have included two tracks on the album, ‘Got My Eyes On You’ and ‘Born Again’ that are much more hard rock and not bluesy at all. Were these written as part of this album or did they come from somewhere else?

That’s a good question, haha. When I listen back to them today – because I did record them quite a long time ago – I’m thinking, ‘Why did I put those tracks on it?’ I should have done actually more of a blues thing, so it would fit the rest of the

Photos by Paul Bergen

JOHN NORUM

material. But a lot of people including fans really seem to enjoy the songs. It kind of breaks up the whole thing, so it doesn’t get too sleepy. So there are more hard rock elements for which I’m famous anyway and also, the Japanese like all that hard rock stuff.

You have a strong Gibson punch to your sound. What guitar do you use and where did you get it?

I have a ’59 Les Paul re-issue that I found in a music shop here in Stockholm. It has a great mid-range honk, very Michael Schenker! I literally went through hundreds to find the right guitar for me and the ’59 was about perfect – sometimes the guitar picks the player! I find that the Les Paul really lets me go for feel and to play melodically; I don’t just want to impress with technique.

Your son features on the cover of ‘Play Yard Blues’. What does he play? He plays an Edwards. It was a gift from a fan and it is perfect for his small hands. It has a built in speaker and amplifier so he can play to himself.

You have covered a few ‘70’s classic – Thin Lizzy, Mountain & Mahogany Rush – on the album. Is that your favourite period?

Oh yes! The 70’s, that’s my favourite time for music. I mean, it was so organic and real back then, you know. There were no computers and no messing around in the studios and trying to make bad musicians sound good. Back then, they all were really good players. You know, UFO and Thin Lizzy or Deep Purple and Frank Marino and all those bands, there was something real and organic about it that I enjoy. I’m an old hippie, so I like that kind of stuff (laughs).

Do you have any favourite modern players?

I really like Warren Haynes and Devon Allman and Phillip Sayce latest material is good and of course there is Joe Bonamassa – he is great.

What has the response been to such a departure from your normal style? Generally it has been really good. There have been a lot of reviews that are very positive. The Europe fans also like the metal stuff.

Will you be touring the solo material at all this year? Maybe I do a few shows after the summer when we’re done with the summer festivals. Also, we’re gonna start writing for the new Europe album and well, so I’m hoping to do a few shows in the future. That would be great and a lot of fun. But in the meantime I hope to see you all during the Europe tour and I also hope you guys will enjoy my new album. John, thanks again for your time.

SMALL BLUES TRAP

Interview: Norman Darwen

Small Blues Trap is the name of a Greek four-piece comprising Paul Karapiperis on vocals, harmonica, steel guitar, Panagiotis Daras on guitar, and a rhythm section of Lefteris Besios on bass guitar and drummer Stathis Evageliou. The name is beginning to spread outside of their native country and Norman Darwen finds out what the band is all about:

Who are your influences, and when did you first hear the blues?

(Paul Karapiperis) Small Blues Trap is a band with many influences from classic rock, jazz, and, of course, the Blues. Many artists such as Willie Dixon, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, Albert King, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Sonny Boy Williamsons 1 and 2, Jimmy Reed, T-Bone Walker, Elmore James, Tampa Red, Son House, Robert Johnson, Bo Diddley, Buddy Guy, Freddie King, John Campbell, Paul Butterfield, Peter Green, Tom Waits, Captain Beefheart, Jimi Hendrix, Rory Gallagher, Led Zeppelin, The Doors... and many more! As youngsters, like everybody else, we were exposed to rock music that eventually led us to discover the roots of rock music which is unquestionably the Blues.

When and how did Small Blues Trap get together, and what is the significance of the name?

(PK) We formed the band in August 2004 after having felt the need to express our emotions musically. The name, Small Blues Trap, came out of a combination of worded emotions. The blues is our base, our lodge where we allow our souls to be freely expressed. Trap is the “trapping emotion” we feel while playing the blues. The blues itself is a musical “trap”. Once you get exposed to it, you can never escape from its sweetness and the variety of emotions that go along with it.

(Stathis.Evageliou) I’ve been a member of the band since January 2007. Since then, I must confess that I enjoy unique moments of pleasure and friendship with the rest of the guys.

Can you tell me a little bit about the Greek Blues scene?

(PK) Few know that Nick Gravenites, Johnny Otis and Alexis Korner have Greek origins. The first Greek band that made

SMALL BLUES TRAP

a pure blues album was the Blues Gang (now Blues Wire) at the beginning of the 80s. Since then, many good blues bands have been formed. We usually play in small bars in Athens and other cities. Occasionally we participate in big music events. In Greece, the people who listen to the Blues truly adore this genre of music and never miss any Blues events. The popularity of the music here should also be attributed to the many great artists that have come and played here in Greece such as Buddy Guy, Albert King, Albert Collins, Otis Rush, Louisiana Red, Carey and Lurrie Bell, John Mayall, U. P. Wilson, Koko Taylor, Guitar Shorty, Katie Webster, Magic Slim, Big Time Sarah, Hubert Sumlin, Johnny Winter. It should also be mentioned that John Hammond and Big Time Sarah recorded live albums in Greece in 1983. Unfortunately, we haven’t had the chance to play outside Greece so far. We intend to do that in the future, however. Of course the economic situation of my country has had an impact on the blues scene here...people don’t have the money to see an event...we try...

How do you define your style?

(Panagiotis Daras) It’s a mixture of old blues sounds with some progressive elements combined uniquely with heavy dosages of improvisation.

(PK) The band’s sound consists of our passion for the blues music but it has flavours from other musical genres as well. We love to experiment with the music we play.

(SE) The basis is the blues. The rest follows

What does the blues mean to you?

(PD) The blues is just like learning to ride a bike when we are children. Once you learn to keep a balance, you can never forget it. The blues music filters all the other musical genres that one may have been exposed to. I would go as far as to say that modern music has evolved and continues to evolve from the blues. Our band wants to explore the “dark side of the blues” and deal with all of its myths and obsessions.

Which blues artists do you most enjoy listening to, and why?

(PD)Howlin’ Wolf, Robert Johnson, Freddy King, Albert Collins, John Mayall, Peter Green, Jimi Hendrix… I believe these musicians constitute the base for everyone who wants to play that kind of music.

(PK) I like the acoustic blues played by Skip James, Son House and Blind Willie McTell, the masterpieces of Willie Dixon and T-Bone Walker. I also like the British version of the Blues expressed by Alexis Corner, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac etc. Being a harp player, I must confess that I am still the student of Sonny Boy Williamson (1 and 2), Little Walter, Big Walter Horton, Sonny Terry, and Paul Butterfield.

(Lefteris Besios) Full House and Ace of Spades. Son House, B.B King, Freddy King, Albert King, and Willie Dixon.

What recordings has Small Blues Trap made?

(PK) After having recorded a CD that was based on popular blues songs that we all in the band loved (“Small Blues Trap”, 2004), we decided to work on original material so two more albums followed: “Our Trap” (2005) and “Crossroad Ritual’ (2006). In 2008, we participated in a compilation album called “Magic Bus Sessions” and recorded three songs by Willie Dixon, Howlin’ Wolf and Little Walter. In the beginning of 2009, my own solo album was released with the title: “Fifteen Raindrops In An Ocean Of Blues Tales”. Well, it isn’t that easy to describe that album because it can be perceived in many ways. It is basically a musical, soul searching journey based on the assumption that time is not linear but cyclical so the 15th song leads to the first one and so on. I don’t know how successful this experiment was, but quite a lot of people seem to have enjoyed it. Our new CD was released this year and is titled: “Red Snakes & Cave Bats”. It contains 12 new original songs and a song that was originally composed by Elias Zaikos, the frontman of Blues Wire.

You have the track ‘Roy B’ on the new album - what do you feel made Roy Buchanan so special?

(PK) I believe that Roy Buchanan was one of the few musicians that expanded the borders of blues guitar playing while mixing it with other genres such as country and rock. He invented new playing techniques and new styles of playing the guitar. It is a pity that he didn’t receive the recognition he deserved. It is even sadder that he had such a tragic death. We owe a lot to Roy Buchanan.

How do you feel about today’s blues scene?

(PD) The current musical blues scene in the US continues to be enriched by good musicians and blues artists in general.

SMALL BLUES TRAP

The UK has been left behind despite the very rich British blues tradition.

(PK) Although there are significant blues musicians around, the media continue to do what they have always done –to underestimate the value and the importance of musical quality. Radios play crap music through playlists while the television continues to feed the people with garbage and tasteless inhumane shows. Thank God, there are still magazines like yours that promote quality and keep the torch of human decency burning.

How do you see your music evolving in the future?

(PD) One thing is for sure. We will never abandon our blues roots no matter how much we flirt with other kinds of music. So, the music we play is strongly connected with the blues. If the blues wants to have a future, it should be embodied in the society and regain its revolutionary traits. All kinds of music should come closer to people and become the tools of expressing their worries, their anger, their concerns, their moments of despair, the emotional pain. Unfortunately, people are trapped into a ruthless capitalist system that continues to exterminate every effort for a more humane world.

(LB) As long as there are people, good companies of friends and some wine, the blues will be around. The same goes for every true and humane kind of music.

(PK) The blues will always be around. It influences and it is being influenced. It’s an international musical expression that knows no borders. It is the “lingua franca” of music.

(SE) The blues will continue to be an oasis in the desert of individualism and ruthlessness. What are your aims for Small Blues Trap, and how would you know if you achieve them?

(PD) To obtain what a musician who respects himself wants: money, women and drugs…….Just joking! Our ultimate aim is to have a good time and continue to satisfy our fans. To be productive and creative. A record deal wouldn’t be a great deal to us. The music industry as we once knew it has died. Today people have all the means to make their music at low cost and all that thanks to technology. The “revenge of the deprived” is coming.

(PK) Our goal is to have a good time playing the music we like and expressing our worries about the future of mankind through what we do. It is very important to keep the blues alive in a society that it is progressively losing its morals as well as its morale. Society needs musical genres like the blues because it needs the existence of pure, straightforward emotions that remind humanity of its true disposition. Our only ambition is to continue to contribute to the world of music as much as we can with our own very personal touch.

(LB) To move the blues a bit further.

(SE) To continue to enjoy unique moments. www.smallbluestrap.gr

FESTIVAL FEVER

EVENTS THAT HAVE HELPED SHOWCASE THE BLUES

BIG WHEEL BLUES FESTIVAL

Isle Of Man Saturday 1st – Sunday 2nd May 2010

The 12th annual festival was held as always in the Laxey Pavillion and Gardens, the main events taking place in the ballroom, with acoustic performances in the gardens and fringe shows in the town. The crowd gathered in the sunshine to listen to the opening set from Beastie Dovey on autoharp. Drawing on vintage Country Blues and the stories behind the songs she set the right note for the rest of the day. The weather stayed fine for Al Lawrence with Katie on violin, Gerald James Clarke from South Africa with some excellent original material, Jon Barker covering admirably for a fill in set before The Twigs with a lively set, and The Manx Jazz Cats. Meanwhile inside on the electric stage Blue John And Papa Cass with The Bluesmakers drew in the audience with a set of covers including ‘Corrina Corrina’, ‘High Heeled Sneakers’ and ‘Messin’ With The Kid’. Next came 12 Miles Out, a four piece band with 2 guitars, bass and double bass and 15 year old Jack Divers on trumpet. Another local band with a set list ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Paulo Nuttini.

The Zurich Jazz Quartet, jazz with a Carribean flavour, a driving bongo rhythm and Latino vocals from Sarah Peng, showcasing their new album “Groove Combo”.

A highlight for us followed with I Am President. A young power trio featuring Matthew Collister on guitar and vocals, we’d love to see these guys get a break with a promoter in mainland Britain. They would rival the best of the young Blues bands currently on the circuit. Their first EP will be on sale soon and not to be missed.

Walter Ego ended the afternoon’s proceedings, always a favourite of ours as they put a different slant on some Tom Waits covers along with great versions of songs from the likes of Taj Mahal and Pete Green.

Saturday evening commenced with home grown band Steamroller, a great hit at the festival a few years ago and reformed especially for the occasion. Mainly standards from Texas and Chicago Blues with sax and piano adding jazz and funk influences, a very tight band with excellent musicians.

Confession time now, we have seen The Aynsley Lister Band dozens of times over the past 15 years but never fully appreciated the music. This time we were blown away by a superb relaxed and intimate performance of the highest quality. Songs from the new album “Equilibrium” along with back catalogue numbers were rounded off with a stunning encore of ‘Purple Rain’. The crowd raised the roof!

A hard act to follow, but Larry Garner took the stage with The Norman Beaker Band and continued into the night with charisma and a great rapport with the audience. The chemistry between Larry and Norman was plain to see, and they played some excellent material with humour and class. There has been a fantastic response from their UK tour and it’s easy to see why.

Sunday lunchtime we arrived at Laxey Glen Gardens to the strains of ‘House

Of The Rising Sun’ followed by ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ from Shorta Cash And The Tynewald Two. Meanwhile in the ballroom The Stalking Heads were finishing their set with ‘Wishing Well’, followed by The Peter Norris Blues Band, a five piece playing some excellent covers.

Jeceris, a band who made a big impression on us last year were next with their brand of Blues/ rock. Guesting on harmoica was Ben Ruth, a superb musician and animated frontman who will be appearing with Jeceris on their UK tour. Following them was a complete revelation, The Very Very Bad Men fronted by vocal/guitarist Simon Campbell. Rock/Blues with amazing guitar played with attitude and Wilko Johnson mannerisms, this band hails from the Isle Of Man and is set to take the UK by storm. Where has this guy been and why isn’t he on at every UK festival?

The charismatic frontman theme continued, this time with a frontwoman, Sarah Puzzar and her band The Heights. Sarah’s vocals are astounding, soul packed with bags of emotion, and she delivered an original and powerful set with some very able backing from the band. The soul of Aretha with the punch of Janice Joplin.

The traditional afternoon finale was as always The Big Wheel Blues Band, comprising of the heart of the Isle of Man Blues Club. Class musicians playing together with ease and obvious enjoyment, culmulating with the Big Wheel anthem that sums up the attitude of the weekend ‘Let The Good Times Roll’.

All too soon it was the final evening of the festival and starting the night’s proceedings was London based 24 Peso’s. A four piece band that is fast gaining a name for itself in the UK for their original blend of Blues and soul funk. A confident and colourful high-energy set that got the audience going from the off.

Somehow we missed Steve Arvey’s past excursions to the UK. Now we’ve witnessed his charismatic stage art we don’t intend missing him again. His solo acoustic guitar and harp stint rivals anything we’ve seen before, with authentic blues and versatile vocal style that encompassed everything from gravel to velvet. A superb songwriter with many albums to his name. Towards the end of the set he invited Julian Burdock from 24 Pesos to duet with him on a couple of numbers to Julians great delight. Steve went down a storm and encored with the beautiful ‘Blues Messiah’ which prompted us to buy 3 albums.

A loud, rocking, blistering end to the festival was delivered courtesy of Ana Popovic. A real treat for the strat shredding fans in the audience and the male populus in particular. The majority of tracks from her “Blind For Love” album liberally sprinkled with some SRV covers kept the crowd cheering for more, as the skills of the keyboard player and the animations and gyrations of the bass player completed a superb stage show.

All too soon The Big Wheel Blues Festival came to an end, and we are already looking forward to next year.

LAX’N BLUES FESTIVAL:

Lax, France Saturday, 27th March 2010

Nestling in one of the remotest parts of Southern France, Lax is a small and peaceful village in the Aveyron, which once a year sees the arrival of a thousand visitors for its Festival. Its success is the result of a great scheduling by two Blues-mad brothers nicknamed the “Bastonero Blues Brothers” and the endless energy of 80 volunteers who manage every year to bring everything together to give it the quality and conviviality this festival is well known for. The 2010 vintage was a little special for us: not only was it a tribute to Bon Scott but it was also the first time that Blues Matters! was an official partner at a French festival and our ‘British’ participation was well received and most welcome.

Unusually for this part of France, the rain lashed down for most of Saturday but as the evening drew closer and the public started to arrive, it seemed to stop as if by magic. It was just past 7pm when the first band, Cotton Belly’s, came on stage and from the first notes, you knew something special was happening. Quick as lightning, the public left their drinks at the bar to invade the hall, pressing each other in front of the stage to listen to this astonishing band: a mixture of acoustic and electric sounds with a rhythm of such energy, the whole crowd was enthused. Yet again, Cotton Belly’s performed an incredibly impressive set, mixing covers with compos and it was with one of their songs, ‘Mambo’, that they left the stage, the public conquered by their vitality, charm and breathtaking sound.

Whilst the next band was getting ready, we had the pleasant surprise of welcoming Gas on a small stage in the adjacent marquee. The trio, ensuring each band’s change over, performed electric sets of great quality, thoroughly enjoyed by all. But it was

Tony Winfield (Photos) & Sue Hickling

Cotton Belly’s

FESTIVAL FEVER

then up to the Hot Chickens to make the temperature soar to boiling point and they certainly made an impression going from rockabilly to Elvis Presley’s biggest hits with a detour Little Richard’s way. It was basic rock, no doubt about it, but it was wickedly effective and the public was bowled over.

Cotton Belly’s

A very quick changeover saw Alexx and the Mooonshiners bewitch the crowd. Alexx, is a franco-scottish singer with boundless energy, the kind who when on stage becomes a stage animal, a kind of Janis Joplin mixed with Jim Morrison. Always incredibly alive and charismatic, with a voice which perforated every body in the room, you couldn’t help reacting to it. Lionel Riss, the Mooonshiners’ guitar player, demonstrated that he is a truly talented musician and who unfortunately has not yet been given the recognition he deserves. We just had time to grab a beer before the first riffs hit us hard letting us know what we were in for with Scottland. You just needed to close your eyes to be back to the time when Bon Scott was still with us. The amazing singer, Eric Fermentel, was perfect to take on Bon Scott’s mantle, never trying to imitate him, always respectful of his master. The drummer, bass player and guitarists matched the singer’s talent and gave us a performance with an energy and vitality you only find with the best rock bands.

Scottland finally retired leaving the ecstatic crowd in the hands of Gas for a final showdown which lasted till the small hours. We left exhausted, all wishing we could start all over again. We’ll definitely be back next year and we hope to see you there too!

Frankie Bluesy Pfeiffer and Nat Harrap

Photos: © Frankie Bluesy Pfeiffer

FERRIDAY’S

SOUL SURVIVORS FESTIVAL May 2010.

For any blues traveller rolling down Highway 61 in search of good live music, it’s a must to stop in at Clarksdale, Greenville as well as Natchez. On my second visit to Clarksdale, I revisit the Ground Zero, which is internationally renowned for good live blues music to hear a very tight, but commercial sounding blues band play to an audience of English and German tourists. I leave the home of the Delta blues, feeling hot from the Mississippi heat and with a raging thirst to hear some front porch sounding authentic blues. Consequently, I find myself heading down south towards the small town of Ferriday, Louisiana to catch its first major blues festival – Soul Survivors.

Home to a population of 4000 people, this unassuming town that sits on the other side of the Mississippi river from Natchez is renowned as the birthplace of Jerry Lee Lewis, Mickey Gilley, Jimmy Swaggart and Leon Pee Wee Whittaker. Their lives and stories are beautifully archived at the Delta Music Museum and the Delta Music Hall of Fame in downtown Ferriday. However little is known outside the South about how the town played a role in the promotion of blues music thanks to Will Haney’s Big House which was a thriving venue in the 40s, 50s and early 60s on the Chitlin circuit attracting a stellar list of blues and soul performers including BB King, Fats Dominos, Solomon Burke, Little Milton, Bobby Bland and Irma Thomas. It’s claimed that a young Jerry Lee Lewis used to sneak in through the back of Haney’s Big House, where he attentively watched some of the country’s top black musicians play, which he would adapt later into his own style of boogie woogie. Nearly fifty years after the venue was destroyed in a fire, the music fanatical Mayor of Ferriday, Glen McGlothin who is also a musician, renowned country songwriter Tommy Polk and the team behind the Mississippi Blues Trail have focused their efforts to find a way to mark Haney’s contribution to the area’s blues scene. This includes the unveiling of a Mississippi blues trail marker which tells the story of Haney’s Big House; the creation of a Will Haney day on May 22nd in the state of Louisiana and a festival which brings together the remaining blues musicians that played at the club. On the festival bill is, drummer and harp player Hezekiah Early (formerly from Hezekiah and the House Rockers) who played in the house band till the venue’s very last days and Natchez blues guitarist and singer Y Z Ealy who played regularly there between 1962 and 1963. Other local star attractions include legendary harmonica player Jimmy Anderson and Lil Poochie.

Early, Little Poochie and Ealy

It’s a blazing hot Saturday morning in May when I arrive into a rather deserted looking downtown Ferriday. Seduced by the smell of southern barbecue and the distant sounds of music, I find myself heading behind the town’s main strip into the Rockabilly Plaza; the shell of what was once the major grocery store in town. I can see a stage being set up by a group of men dressed like the Soggy Bottom Boys who are in fact prisoners from the federal county jail and are here to provide help in hand as well as soak up the sounds of the live music. Local families, black and white, old and young, start to trickle in while the barbecues on the periphery of the venue serve up cooked chicken and ribs. I meet with Tommy Polk who is one of the organizers of the festival and also one of the key players to turn around the tourism fortunes of Clarksdale, Mississippi. He also introduces me to the Mayor of Ferriday who both tell me about their multi million dollar project to turn the town into a musical destination to attract thousands of blues and rock ‘n’ roll fans from across the States and the world. Polk explains how today’s unveiling of Mississippi blues marker and live music event will be instrumental on putting this small Louisiana town on the international music map.

“ There are currently markers in Memphis, Chicago, Muscle Shoals, London and these places are connected to closely to Mississippi – so is Ferriday. This is our first maiden voyage in honoring these African American contributions – they are the soul survivors. We hope to see it growing every year.”

By mid morning, the heat starts to take its toll and pearls of sweat start to trickle down the foreheads of those who’ve gathered in the shade of the plaza. An unassuming but distinguished looking African American man wearing glasses in his seventies sits himself behind the drums. A man in a checked Burberry style shirt and cap accompanies him. Formerly on Fat Possum records with Elmo Williams, Hezakiah Early introduces himself and local legend Lil Poochie who will be leading on vocals and guitar. I am blown away as I watch Hezakiah effortlessly simultaneously play drums and harmonica

FEVER

as he belts out classics blues tracks he played at Haney’s back in the day including “Mary had a little lamb;” “Harmonica shuffle,” and “Peter Gun.”

Speaking after the show, he tells me “when we played Peter Gun, the house would almost get out of control. A group of guys would come over to Haneys and hit the dance floor and alligator. Everybody would get back and tear the house down.”

Despite the soaring heat, Lil Poochie and Hezakiah demonstrate exceptional stamina to play solidly for a good couple of hours, which include a few songs by BB King, who was the regular star attraction at Haneys. Hezakiah announces that he is due to go on a tour of Italy with his long-term music partner Elmo Williams in mid June. After his performance, I do not shy away from telling him that his partnership on stage with Lil Poochie is also dynamite and they should consider recording some of the music the house band would have played at Haney’s Big House. The morning is split by the unveiling of the blues marker which turns out to be an emotional affair for those present in particular Hezakiah Early and Y Z Ealy who see their names engraved on the plaque and acknowledged for their contribution to the region’s blues scene. Kicking off the afternoon session is Vicksburg blues duo Oswald & Blaque. Consisting of a two-hand rhythm electronic piano, and harmonica that is beautifully played by lead singer Cee Blaque, they play a great hybrid of soul and blues classics including Tin Pan Alley and Mojo Workin alongside their own original material. Cee’s voice booms with passion and love as she sings about her beloved Mississippi, a sentiment that is also shared by members of the audience who no doubt feel the same about Louisiana. I speak to some of the locals who actually used to go to Haney’s, and for some of them including retired school teacher Andrew Edmunds, the town has become quieter since the venue burnt down in the sixties. The festival closes off with a performance from Natchez bluesman Y Z Ealy and his band. I meet with him the day before the festival at his home in Natchez and he recalls vividly his time playing at the club. He tells me, “in 1962 and 1963, I started playing at Haney’s. It was a big nightclub and we the band would play on the bandstand, which was almost, like a balcony where we would look down at the people. It was the only appropriate place in the area to accommodate big bands like Little Milton and BB King.”

Y Z Ealy’s set consists of songs from his 2005 album Ground Zero produced by his brother Theodis Ealy as well as BB King classics such as the “The Thrill Has Gone.” As he strolls into the audience while playing his electric guitar in the style of BB King whom he says has been a great influence on him. The highlight of the set is when legendary local harp player Jimmy Anderson joins Y Z Ealy to perform a few of his numbers that he recorded on the Baton Rouge based Crowley record label in the early sixties. Paralyzed by a stroke and confined to a wheel chair, Jimmy belt outs his classics such as “King Bee,” and “Rats and Roaches on Your Mind.” His voice and harmonica playing still sounding crisp and polished as it did all those years ago.

It’s 5pm and the festival draws to an end with closing words from the Mayor Glen McGothin. I ask organizer Tommy Polk what are his plans for the festival next year to which he replies that he would welcome back the soul survivors featured in this year’s lineup, as well as other local acts such as bluesman Robert Cage from Woodville, Mississippi, and even soul blues singer Barbara Carr. One thing is for sure, with the Mayor’s and Polk’s commitment to providing live local authentic blues music, combined with a multimillion-dollar investment to turn Ferriday into a live music destination, the Soul Survivors festival can only grow bigger.

Elodie Pritchard

BLUE BLOOD

Unsigned acts on their own Blues mission

DEBBIE GILES’ MIDNIGHT TRAIN PULLS INTO TOWN

Having won critical acclaim in previous musical ventures, the fabulous and sultry-voiced Debbie Giles is back on the road with a brand new venture - Midnight Train. Backed by legendary drummer Sam Kelly this brand new and exciting musical partnership reignites the Blues music scene with the finest of rhythm and soul.

Having met at the Maryport Blues Festival in 2009 (when both were appearing on the bill with their own separate bands) they soon bonded over a mutual appreciation of some of the music world’s best. From Bonnie Raitt to Little Feat, Etta James to Bill Withers and Steely Dan to Stevie Wonder, their shared love brought these two musical powerhouses together in forming fantastic new band.

Debbie is no stranger to the stage, having previously worked in high profile West End productions which have included Jesus Christ Superstar at the Palace Theatre, a principal role in Hello, Dolly! opposite Carol Channing at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and The Streets Of London at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Haymarket. Soon after, she began her musical career as a blues singer, travelling the length and breadth of the UK with a number of ‘Big Bands’ ranging in style from jazz, country and popular music as well as residencies and recording as a backing singer whilst training for classical music and opera.

Sam also enjoys a musical background, with credentials including 125th Street (West End), The Blues Brothers UK Tour, Ain’t Misbehavin, Blues in the Night and All or Nothing At All. Sam can regularly be seen drumming with Geoff Achison, Papa George Band, Giles Hedley & The Aviators, Empire State, The UK Funk Allstars, Errol Linton Blues Vibe and of course Sam’s Station House and Cymande.

Debbie and Sam are joined by: Steve Oakham on keyboards who has worthy credentials of accompanying Chris Montez, Little Eva, Chris Farlow and Dave Berry, in addition to being a current member of Vanity Fair; Pete Emery on guitar who has previously performed with The John Drummer Band with Dave Kelly, and is best known for accompanying the late, great Jo Anne Kelly, who become both his musical and life partner. And on bass is the fabulous Chris Belshaw, who in the last 10 years has played rock with Stephen Dale Petit, Blues and Americana with Sonny Black, Polly Brown, Robin Bibi, Dave Hay and Nigel Bagge.

The band’s ever-increasing live set features numbers from Etta James, Bobby Bland, Bonnie Raitt, Jon Cleary, Betty Wright, Jonny Lang, Ann Peebles, Keb Mo, Lucky Petersen and BB King. With Debra’s clear and impassioned vocals, supported by her noble and talented Kings of Blues, don’t miss your chance to jump aboard Midnight Train.

SMOKIN’ HOGS

Fueled by whisky and nicotine, Smokin’ Hogs are good old fashioned blues rockers who spend their time cooking up killer riffs and lyrics.

Smokin’ Hogs are;

Steve “Cosmic” Soer – Bass / Vocals

Mark “The Reverend” Kennedy – Lead Guitar

Paul “Dr Vanity” Sutton – Vocals / Harp / Slide Guitar

Rocky Hambone – Drums

The band formed six years ago, and have built up a solid reputation on the music scene playing at various blues clubs and festivals around the UK and Europe. In 2008/2009 The Hogs played with the likes of Gregg Wright from the USA and also Dr Feelgood. They also played the Linton Blues Festival and the Harvest Time Blues Festival in Ireland.

During 2010 the band have played at the Burnley National Blues Festival and Broadstairs Blues Bash and are also booked to appear at the Upton Blues Festival, the Cambridge Rock Festival, Appleby Beer & Blues Festival and the Harvest Time Blues Festival.

Smokin’ Hogs play hard driving rocking blues with a distinctive sound which has its roots in the late 60’s and early 70’s British Rock & Blues era but is still very relevant today. They are an exciting and authentic live act and like to generate energy on stage with an electric and visual stage show.

The Hogs recently released their latest CD “Bite The Bullet” and this is receiving airplay on local and national radio stations in the UK, Europe and America. The CD contains all original material and is full to the brim with heavy, dirty and groove filled chord changes, slide guitar, harmonica solos, and deep in the rhythm bass and drums.

The ultimate aim of The Hogs is to keep the spirit of the blues alive and to get their music across to as many people as they can. Every gig they play they put on a show and hope to uplift the people in the audience. The Blues today is getting the raw emotion and feeling over through the music and lyrics but with a contemporary feel that people of this time can get.

Smokin’ Hog’s sound is widely accessible and full of attitude - certainly a band to watch out for in the near future………. The Storm Cometh!!

Lou Soer

A New Bright Act On The Blues Scene!

The band is called JPThree because:

• I’m Joey Pearson

• The Members are Joey Pearson, Richard Perkins and Tris Davies

• Joey has 3 fingers on each hand due to a rare genetic condition

• There are three of them

I started playing guitar just before my 8th birthday, and was lucky enough to have a full time teacher in my father, who has played since the 60s and has been a part of the Cardiff music scene for almost as long. I heard him playing a 12 bar on an acoustic one day, and said “I wanna do that!”. Practice began in earnest, and we had to devise new ways of playing due to my rather unusual hands. Due to a genetic condition, I have a few fingers missing and underwent a lot of surgery from about 18 months onwards. I played my first gig with dad at 11, when the Strat I used was a bit bigger than I was, and never looked back. We gigged regularly around South Wales all through my teens. I played every day, for hours. Everything was learned by ear. My tastes broadened, and through my teens I moved from the traditional SRV and Peter Green, toward Robben Ford, Steely Dan and Jeff Beck etc. I’m now 26.

I met Tris when he advertised for a project in the freeads - he’d started playing double bass (after years of regular bass playing) and we got together and formed a free form jazz project (which is always there in the background).We moved the project into fusion, funk, Jungle and metal, and had a fair bit of success along its 4 year journey.

When that band (as it was) ended, we by chance had a jam with Rich at a party. We were all a bit too far gone to remember much about it - but a few months later when I approached Tris with the idea for this project, he suggested Rich, and we got together. He turned up with his 60s Jazz kit (with the original skins from Mannys Guitars in New York still on!) and absolutely flawed us. It never ceases to amaze me, how the guy you really need to make something work, a really phenomenal talent, always lives just around the corner... it was like we’d played together all our lives.

BLUE BLOOD

Rich’s dad was a pure Jazz drummer of some note, so he’s got it in his blood. Both Rich and Tris are total masters of their instruments. Tris can slap like Mark King, play upright like Stanley Clarke, and now he can shuffle like John McVee. Rich is a technician - if you look at his drumheads, there’s a worn bit in the middle of each about the size of a pound coin, and he never looks at them (or at anybody else) when he’s playing.

Now these guys haven’t been blues purists all their lives, but their new perspective really adds something to this project. In the spring of 2009, I had formed a fixed idea of the band I always wanted to hear - I had spent years and years studying blues, and found that even my favourite albums only had a few tracks that really did it for me. I wanted to create a band that did it every song. I wanted every solo to be blistering, every shuffle to make your face melt, every slow blues to make you cry. We spent hours going over every inch of every groove, to the point that it became totally natural, so we didn’t even have to think about it. This is where years of dads teaching really came to bear fruit.

Now we’re playing gigs, and the response has been phenomenal. It seems that everyone else has been waiting for this band their whole lives too.

We did the filming and the studio thing, as a promo. But now it seems to have a life of its own, and we have to investigate the possibility that this stuff could be released.

I live in Bridgend, Tris in Cefn Cribbwr, Rich in Porthcawl. When we jam in Tris’ house, it’s a bit like the old stories you hear of Cream playing for the first time - all the local kids come to the door, and have a listen. We have a broad appeal - 16 year olds say “ wow what’s this new stuff!”, 65 year olds say “ahhh, some proper music at last”. Its blues, through and through; but played with modern tools, and modern techniques, and we really feel that the spirit of even the earliest blues is flowing through this band.

This has been a lifetime of work, sweat, and the odd blood transfusion (on my part!), and frankly, I don’t see how we can lose.

If your a new band, wanting some free publicity. This section on Blue Blood is a great way to do it. Just send in your write up to the Editor with some Hi resolution pictures and it may be included in this section next issue!

SHERMAN ROBERTSON USA IAN SIEGLE UK THE JUKE JOINTS HOLLAND ROCKEY LAWRENCE USA

DAGO RED ITALY KING MO HOLLAND CHICAGO FIVE SCOTLAND

KID WARDELL UK SIMON CURRIE SCOTLAND AND MANY MORE TO BE CONFIRMED

BOOK REVIEWS

BLUES READING MATTERS!

LED ZEPPELIN: THE STORY BEHIND EVERY LED ZEPPELIN SONG Chris Welch

Carlton Books

Are they the most talked about and written about of bands?

Music critic Chris Welch has written 4 other books about the loudest of the loud and those who were part of a decade and a bit that defined power rock. One of a series detailing the back catalogue of industry giants like U2, Bowie, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix, superficially, before picking it up you may feel that it could be like trying to make a picnic out of a glass of water and piece of lettuce. Surely the back story behind “Rock And Roll” is that’s it’s about “Rock And Roll”? Isn’t it obvious that “Kashmir” is about the contested northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent ? Not so – never judge a book until you have read it – we will leave the cover out of the analogy since like the other plates it is high quality and captures an essence. As well written as you would expect from a journalist with such gravitas, it rustles up plenty of interesting information surrounding each momentous release on a track-by-track basis. There are recording details to keep the technophiles interested – for example the minutiae about Jimmy Page playing his Telecaster through a Hammond organ-suited Leslie Speaker for the opining cut of “Good Times, Bad Times” , with the Hammond itself employed by John Paul Jones as he plays the bass lines with his feet on “Since I’ve Been Loving You”. The historians and detail anoraks will also purr; “Bron-y-Aur Stomp” was written in honour of Robert Plant’s dog and was played on tours 1972 -5. It is when other artists are tied in with the songs that this book is at its most interesting; there are many references to the ubiquitous presence of a Blues theme – “Whole Lotta Love” is connected strongly with Willie Dixon, and part of the history of “Bring It On Home” is Robert Plant’s teenage preoccupation with artists like Bukka White, Memphis Minnie and Skip James. The Blues and Zeppelin it would seem, are unmistakably interwoven, making this an essential addition to the library of those who like their 12 bar loud and lairy. Although formatted as a series of short essays, its chronology offers a thorough narrative of the rise and demise; it is visually appealing, comprehensive and well presented and at less than a tenner, outstanding value. Deep enough for diehards and elementary enough for the uninitiated.

Richard Thomas

YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT

Ecw (Author: Sam Cutler)

Cutler was road manager for The Rolling Stones on their 1969 tour of the US, which ended with the end of the sixties dream with the infamous concert at Altamont. Immediately after the tour he hooked up with psychedelic jam-band The Grateful Dead, and was with them until 1974. This is the period that this book concentrates on, other than a brief background to his childhood, and his introduction to the music scene. The book has the Altamont concert at the heart of his story, the planning, the build-up, the violence, then the tragedy, and the author has his own strong opinions on the whole saga. Indeed the concert links the two bands, with the Dead helping plan the event, in which they were due to perform, but eventually pulled out of playing due to the ongoing violence between Hells Angels chapters and other attendees. The reader feels quite tense as the chaos begins to erupt around the stage, before the inevitable death is inflicted upon Meredith Hunter, who pushed the Angels too far. The fallout from the gig is explored with him having to meet with various parties including the police and also the Angels in a secret rendezvous. He also expresses his views on what caused the trouble, and points a finger at the US government, who he believes might well have supplied the bad acid that circulated throughout the event. Cutler writes in a relaxed, easy-going style, that keeps the reader fully interested in his next move. He talks openly about Kerouac’s On The Road, being his inspiration, leading to his first LSD trip, and being spiritually awoken as a consequence. Other musicians get shorter stories told, Syd Barrett, Brian Jones and Janis Joplin to name just three. He talks of love-ins, punch ups and everything in between. He gives lengthy memoirs on the Dead’s involvement on the Canadian Festival Express, a tour of travelling musicians including Buddy Guy and Delaney & Bonnie, who all journeyed by train to perform throughout Canada. Much of the background to the Stones’ tour is widely known, but he throws in some very interesting tales and observations, such as the possible Mafia link, and back hander’s that were done between the men in the shadows. Whilst his love of each bands music is apparent, he is not afraid to criticise either Mick or Keith or indeed members of the Dead, who both treated him shabbily at the end of his tenure with each act. A fascinating read for fans of either band or if you ever wondered what it was like to be so closely involved with a touring monster in the late sixties.

Andrew Baldwin

DVD REVIEWS

Releases with a Blues vision

JANIS JOPLIN Her Final Hours Cineflix Productions.

This is a sixty-minute documentary, ostensively about the final twentyfour hours in the life of Janis Joplin. Made for TV and in the crime story format it deals mostly with her life before that final day, using that day as a reference point for flashbacks to earlier times. The period up to the beginning of her singing career is dramatised by still photos, reenactment and interviews with her brother and college friends. The documentary continues in similar vein throughout with the re-enactments mainly based around that final 24 hours. There is some interspersed footage of Janis both on and off stage, the off stage footage deals mostly with Janis’ mischievous humour and the onstage footage deals mostly with her performances. The interviews deal with people who repeatedly say that Janis was part of their ‘family’ yet weren’t a close enough family to deal with her issues arising from her low self esteem created in her early family and school life. Many assertions are made that she was unable to deal with loneliness and thus abused drugs but no primary evidence is produced for that assertion. There is secondary testimony supporting claims that of her confusion of her role with Big Brother & The Holding Company and the diva status that brought and her role with her own life. The documentary is divided into six chapters and each chapter begins and ends with scenes from the final 24 hours and a short re-capitulation of where it is going to end up. Due to the style of this documentary there are no surprises in the information it imparts, we learn nothing new about Janis or her life and the best part of her life, her performances, are brushed over as incidental.

Carol Borrington

Sorry only one DVD review this issue but watch out for more next issue. But check out the following adverts!!

CD REVIEWS

Get your Blues ears on! VARIOUS Bo Diddley’s Is A Songwriter

Ace Records CD

The late, great Ellas McDaniel, a.k.a. Bo Diddley, according to his album covers at least, was never short of a glamorous character to occupy. Gunslinger? That was Bo. Lover? Look out, ladies. Lumberjack? Swing that axe … yet for most of the time he didn’t make much fuss over his prodigious song writing talent. Let’s face it – for sheer fun and rhythmic exuberance, no R&B band worth their name could fail to have at least a couple of his compositions in their set list. So here’s 24 of the best renderings of Bo’s songs. There are some big names here. Buddy Holly works his own magic on the eponymous ‘Bo Diddley’, and there’s ‘Pretty Thing’ by - of course – The Pretty Things. It’s amazing how many British acts demonstrated an insatiable appetite for the great man’s works. The Animals do ‘The Story of Bo Diddley’, there’s the great, sadly missed Johnny Kidd & The Pirates on ‘I Can Tell’, and even the long-running Zombies with ‘Road Runner’ and a gritty, in-your-face ‘Mama Keep Your Big Mouth Shut’ from Dr. Feelgood. There’s a few obscure acts, such as The Gants, Gizelle, The Iguanas and The British Walkers, but there’s also Captain Beefheart, Los Lobos and The Everley Brothers. This collection is an historical showcase of fun and a window on a talent as wide as the Atlantic. Sheer joy.

Roy Bainton

KEVIN SELFE AND THE TORNADOES

Playing the Game

Mojo Productions

Kevin Selfe and Don Schultz (on drums) with Allen Markel (base guitar) have put together an album of “Blues” which, despite their being based in affluent Oregon in the North West of the USA, has a raw visceral feel to it. Given that Selfe originates from Virginia, I suppose there is some basis for his “gut feeling” towards that genre of music. This is though, a stylish rendition of a form of music which is the traditional fare of black African/Americans! Track 8 “Long Greasy Night” is an absolute firecracker of guitar playing allied to his other forte the harmonica. Track 3

“How Much Longer” really hits the spot, with slow, sultry guitar playing and a steady background ticking of the drums of Schultz pushing to a crescendo of riftwork only to come back down to earthy plucking of strings. Then

again the number of awards these guys have picked up along the way in their relatively short tenure together lets you know that they are at ease with their self (horrid pun intended), and the music they conjure up together is guaranteed to blow a storm in blues playing circles. I couldn’t fault any of the tracks on this, their second CD except to suggest the vocals are a wee bit “white” (I know it is not P.C. but you get the drift) for the blues. They have originality of lyrics, individuality of playing their chosen instruments and a collective output which ranks with the best of the modern era in “Blues”

Tom Walker

WILL TANG Blues Zen Music

With Will Tang, you are warned from the start. This album is dedicated to Blues and nothing but Blues. It’s a Blues recorded ‘live’ and there’s no. It’s a spontaneous Blues which is so ‘roots, it could have been of a pre-war vintage. The son of Chinese and British parents, Will Tang is one of those musicians who knows how to make the links between cultures and eras. He knows how to mix the Blues of today with the Blues of yesterday. A songwriter, singer, guitarist and harmonica player, Will Tang is part of that generation who has embraced the Blues heritage from the cotton pickers who sang about love, about their dreams and their lives. Under the influence of the likes of Muddy Waters, Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, Will Tang doesn’t play the Blues, he lives it, draws every single breath from it to and you can’t help but feel all those vibrations. All the recorded tracks are totally improvised, musically and lyrically, and were recorded in various clubs and studios in Hong Kong. Five of them, were recorded live at the Avon Studios in October 2002 and have not been released before. Throughout virtually all thirteen tracks, Will Tang, on vocals and harmonica, is accompanied by Patrick Murdoch on guitar except for ‘The Other Side’. On this track, Will Tang not only sings but also plays guitar and harmonica. With this album, you enjoy a ‘live’ performance of a different kind, it’s spontaneous and completely improvised.

Frankie Bluesy Pfeiffer and Nat Harrap

BIG BILL MORGANFIELD Born Lover

Black Shuck/Vizztone CD Morganfield? Name familiar? Yes, it’ Muddy Waters’ son, and they don’t call him ‘Big’ for nothing. He made his

recording debut back in 1999 and that first recording, as well as this CD, was produced by ace guitar man Bob Margolin. one-time member of Muddy’s band. In some ways, it must be a bit of a curse being the son of a legend. People expect so much. Big Bill, however, delivers. He has a head start, because he’s a talented performer, a big man who immediately puts you in mind of his dad, and he demonstrates a genuine love of what you might call ‘the family genre’ – real Chicago blues. Of the 12 tracks here, Bill has penned three gems –‘High Gas Prices’, ‘Who’s The Fool’ and ‘X-Rated Lover’. There are also compositions by Willie Dixon, Buddy Guy and Howlin’ Wolf. This is a vibrant, enjoyable album and it forms a valid bridge between the old urban Chicago blues and the slightly more sophisticated studio version of the 21st century. Does the flame still burn? Damn right it does, and with his fine band, Big Bill Morganfield pays homage not only to his great father, but to a great American musical tradition.

Roy Bainton

EAMON MCGRATH

13 songs of Whiskey and Light

White Whale Records

When you first listen to the 13 songs of this album, written between 2006 and 2008, you get the impression that Eamon McGrath is not unlike a rebellious Neil Young, he can’t help but sing what he feels. You just need to turn the sound up to tracks such as ‘File Under Fire’ or ‘Big River’ and you’re back in another generation, somewhere between punk and grunge. With the more acoustic songs such as ‘Last Man Standing’, Eamon McGrath demonstrates he knows how to channel the excessive side of his personality to give a subtle spicy taste to his folk songs. No frenzied guitars here but an aggressive sound which gives this album an impressive dimension, proving that the artist can combine exuberance with poetry in a universe where everything is very real. There is spontaneity in the recording and this gives a kind of raw finish to the thirteen tracks, a kind of energy and density in the melodies and the lyrics, aspects which are often lost in well polished recordings. There is no superfluous arrangement here, just the tension and rage contained in this young man with a voice that says it all, a craftsman in raw rock-folk who will never be happy

with something too clean.

Frankie Bluesy Pfeiffer and Nat Harrap

AL MORRISON BLUES EXPERIENCE

Regal Blues Featuring Juliet Roberts

www.myspace.com/almorrisonguitarist

Just putting this CD on without first checking out the label the immediate appeal of the crisp horn section and genuinely sultry vocals caused me to assume this was a New York, Chicago or Memphis outfit. Then I checked the liner notes and discover a band which was formed in my home town, Hull, in 2008 and work out of nearby York. On the 21st century British music scene, it takes a lot of discipline, sacrifice and genuine love to keep a 9-piece band on the road dedicated simply to the blues. But this is just what guitarist Al Morrison has managed to do, and if this 6 track CD is anything to go by, then his mission statement must surely be ‘quality’. The standard of musicianship is exemplary, and although, as a fine guitarist, Al Morrison leads the band, he doesn’t dominate or hog the show. The lead vocals are taken by Juliet Roberts, and oh, boy – this is some blues singer. Her phrasing on classics such as Cream’s ‘Sunshine of Your Love’ and ‘Stormy Monday’ is a real thrill, and she’s complemented by backing vocalist Jenny Smith and a brass section featuring Rob Mitchell on saxes, Rosie Nicholl, trombone, and Ian Chalk, trumpet/flugelhorn. This is big band, big city blues which would blow you away either in a club setting or a massive festival. If you’re a promoter reading this and need to give your punters the very best live blues experience, then there’s more than one reason to shop at Morrison’s…

Roy Bainton

ELECTROFIED Bad Case Of The Blues

Marva Records

Created in 2002 by Tony Fazio (guitar) and Richard James Burgess (drums), Electrofied made an impression with their first album released in 2005: “Sunday Morning Blues”. It was then followed two years later by “Live Performances”. Having joined the band in 2005 to replace Lane Wingham, Scott Taylor is certainly impressive on this new album with his voice perfectly integrating the band’s sound. He also wrote all the tracks on this album, eight with Tony Fazio and two with Richard Burgess. From the first track, ‘Bad Case Of The Blues’, you’re blown away by a groove which destroys everything on its way. Having perfectly digested all influences, this band has produced a sound which is

CD REVIEWS

now their own and which is instantly recognisable. And when Electrofied goes back to a slow Blues such as ‘Rub Me Down’, it’s to dig out some little gems from the guitar or on vocals before giving it their all on an explosive ‘It Ain’t Right’. The harmonicist, Charlie Sayles has been invited to bring a wave of madness on tracks such as ‘Life Is Like A Boomerang’. And this boomerang comes back again and again throughout the album. There are albums you really don’t need to know why and how they’ve been created, and ‘Bad Case Of The Blues’ is one of those, an example of the kind of power Blues can have. The opus ends with a showstopper, ’99 Miles’, one of those slow Blues which kills you every time. An amazing album

Frankie Bluesy Pfeiffer and Nat Harrap

TREVOR FINLAY Bootleg

BKSA Records CD

Oh, say can you see America just keeps on producing exciting acts but here’s one from over the border in Canada – Trevor Finlay. However, America’s involved because this CD was recorded live at Norm’s River Roadhouse in Nashville, Tennessee. There’s a special quality to Canadian blues acts going way back to The Powder Blues Band in the 70s through to Jeff Healy and the impressive Paul Reddick Revue. Finlay slots into this memorable roster with ease. Just 7 tracks here, all originals, a thrusting, confident 4 piece band led by Finlay on vocals, guitar and violap (for the un-initiated, a guitar you play on your lap…) with Jennifer Friend on backing vocals. It’s all good – lively, gutsy riffs on tracks like ‘Three-Chord Rock’n’Roll’ and ‘Send My Mail to Nashville’. And if it sounds damn good then it’s hardly sur prising –this man’s played with the best, including James Brown, Booker T and The MGs, Johnny Winter and Buddy Guy. Once you’ve heard this, chances are you’ll be a fan.

Roy Bainton

CLARE FREE Be Who You Are

Funky Mama Records CD

Recorded in Buckinghamshire, ‘Be Who You Are’ lays bare in ten self penned songs an impressive talent in Clare Free. If you’re not familiar with the name, take a look at her striking website at www.clarefree.co.uk and you’ll then realise why she sounds so good. She’s performed over the years with a number of high profile names, including Larry Garner, Matt Schofield, Dana Gillespie, and even retro-punk violinist Nigel Kennedy as well as (!) Rolf Harris. As a guitar player, Clare knows her way around the blues and is definitely the mistress of her Stratocaster. Her band, with Hannah Cope on bass and backing vocals, Rhys Friery, keyboards and drummer Pete Headley are all fine musicians, to. From a somewhat refreshing female standpoint, Clare’s lyrical

craft often takes you beyond the blues so it’s nice to have all her lyrics legibly laid out in the liner notes. There is deep-felt passion in such fine songs as ‘My Everything’, ‘Is This Love I Feel’ and the achingly nostalgic ‘We Were Seventeen’. The final song, ‘We’ll Have The Time of Our Lives’ perhaps sums up her philosophy; ‘We can go any place we choose/the wind in our hair will blow away our blues/and we may not be millionaires/but that helps me see the good things that we’ve got…’ And this album’s one of them. Roll on, Clare Free – you’re terrific.

Roy Bainton

DAVID GERALD To Hell and Back

David Gerald Enterprises CD

Mississippi-born

David Gerald is the real deal. He’s a stirring guitar player and gritty vocalist from that new generation of talented bluesmen who pay their respects to the greats, exemplified here by his atmospheric, live renditions of classics such as ‘The Thrill Is Gone’ and Jimi Hendrix’s moody ‘Red House’. Yet five of the ten songs here are his own originals and as well as the classic, autobiographical blues format of numbers like ‘My Guitar’ and ‘Postman’ this is a man who is willing to bare his soul, and when you read his brief liner notes you do indeed get the impression that, yes, he may well have been ‘To Hell and Back’. The song with that title is a gutwrenching, poignant story about a boy and his family, and is the very essence of the blues in this century or the last. David Gerald is a fine artist, an impressive composer and a thrilling musician – put it all together and the result, this debut album, is well worth a place in anyone’s collection. No doubt we’ll be hearing more of his work, and I for one look forward to it.

Roy Bainton

EDGEHIL AVENUE Rambler

Departure Records

Edgehill Avenue is a band from Louisville, Kentucky steeped in the roots of 70’s rock’n’roll and their latest album ‘Rambler’ takes you out of your comfort zone. It’s like a breath of fresh air. Sure this American band is different with their blend of Blues, Southern Rock and a hint of jazz here and there... And many purists will tell you that this is not Blues, just like they tell you Joe Bonamassa is not Blues. But who cares? If you like Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers Band, ZZ Top, then you’ll like Edgehill Avenue and their ‘Rambler’. Who doesn’t? Is there anybody out there who doesn’t enjoy classics such as ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ or ‘Melissa’? There’s something effortless about Southern Rock and that’s what you hear in ‘Rambler’. You can feel that

slow flow typical of Southern bands but don’t be fooled, there are also some upbeat tracks here like ‘With These Hands’, ‘Don’t Come Round Here Anymore’ and ‘Just Don’t Care Anymore’ with a bluesy sound which can rival anything Lynyrd Skynyrd has produced. On some tracks, the guitar solos take inspiration from Stevie Ray Vaughn whilst others are more acoustic and sound like the Eagles in their Country phase. There is nothing superfluous about this album, everything is just right... and this gives it soul and plenty of it. A really cool album which deserves to be up there with the best of all Southern bands. Definitely worth checking out!

Frankie Bluesy Pfeiffer and Nat Harrap

PETER PARCEK The Mathematics Of Love

Vizz Tone/Redstar Records

‘The Mathematics of Love’ finds the American bluesman Peter Parcek covering a lot of ground, from straight forward blues to rock, ballads, to more experimental pieces. As well as singing, and playing some first class guitar, he also wrote a lot of the music on the disc, from the bluesy title track, to the blues rocker instrumental ‘Rollin with Zah’ which combines elements of style from both Jeff Beck, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, as well as strong interplay with all of the instruments on the piece. ‘Busted’ by Harlan Howard is a near eight minute instrumental which strays across genres, from blues rock, to a more experimental, almost Pink Floydian coda, but always remains listenable. The covers are also well chosen, with the set opener, Peter Green’s ‘Showbiz Blues’ starting with some emotive slide guitar, whilst Jessie Mae Hemphill’s ‘Lord, Help the Poor and Needy’ features some emotive singing from Parcek, and strong support from the rest of the band. Missisippi Fred McDowell’s ‘Kokomo me Baby’ is featured, and shows Parcek’s credentials as a first rate interpretive singer and player. All in all, this is a strong album, with top notch production and musicianship from all players, and shows Peter Parcek as a name to watch.

Ben Macnair

SMOKIN’ HOGS Bite The Bullet

Unsigned

Smokin’ Hogs are a band that by all rights to do not belong in Ipswich. This bar-room blues band, the bastard children of ZZ top and Seasick Steve, flick two nicotinestained fingers up at subtlety. They should be starting brawls in Texas bars, not playing to pub crowds in Suffolk. From the album’s opener and title-track, you know exactly what you’re going to get from “Bite The Bullet”: hypnotic, foot-stomping blues boogie riffs drenched in guitar and harmonica solos. However, this isn’t to say Smokin’ Hogs are totally devoid of nuance – they put down the slides and sneers for the acoustic driving ballad ‘Two-A-Penney Blues’, on which singer Steve “Cosmic” Soer comes over all Bob Dylan. Similarly, ‘Life’s Too Short’ is a relaxed blues croon at odds with the unrelenting boogie of most of the album. It’s a travesty that a band so fun, so lifeaffirming, have yet to land a record deal.

Adam Bates

WILLIE & THE BANDITS New Breed

URM Records

The surf-friendly roots rock of Plymouth’s Wille & The Bandits is not a million miles away from the John Butler Trio or Citizen Cope. It takes the blues and fuses them with a healthy dose of funky rock, soul and everything else. The power trio of Wille Edwards, bassist Kieran Doherty and drummer Andy Naumann are a force to be reckoned with, as this album proves. Wille’s slide guitar work, lap steel and dobro is particularly stunning throughout the album. His vocals are just as impressive, particularly on tracks like ‘Country Girl’ and ‘Keep Your Head Up’. As a band, they are able to go from grungey funk-rockers to stunning acoustic tracks with the greatest of ease. Things get a little bit Captain Beefheart on ‘Otherwise’ and they also manage to pull off a trippy version of Dire Straits’ ‘Money For Nothing’. It’s refreshing to hear a band with such a fully developed sound, especially one working independently from the big labels. The brazen eclectism and the surf-friendly vibe may not be to everyone’s tastes, but this is a band to watch out for. If Cream had spent more time on the beach in Newquay, they might just have sounded like this!

Jamie Hailstone

LITTLE AXE Bought For A Dollar/ Sold For A Dime

Real World Records

Little Axe is the stage name for Skip McDonald and also his band and the two are synonymous. McDonald although brought up in the Blues chose the path of jazz, doo-wop and gospel in his younger days. Since the 1990s he has returned to his Blues roots and this CD follows that musical vein. It opens and closes in the same way with two approximately minute long gospel songs called respectively, ‘Guide My Feet’ and ‘When The Sun Goes Down’. The rest of the CD follows the traditional length of Blues songs, but with a strong gospel feel to all the songs. ‘Take a stroll’ opens with gentle wah wah guitar developed over an ostinato riff running into deep vocal sounding bass riff; lyrically it is an emotive gospel but pounded through. ‘Hear Me Cry’ opens with harmonica wailing overlaying gentle vibrato

and string bent guitar riff. Vocally it has an ethereal feel. ‘Too Late’ opens with wailing chorused guitar which has a feel of Cream’s NSU. The chorused effect continues with the choir or backing singers adding more emotion to an emotionally charged pleading about the raping of the environment, both human and earth. ‘Return’ opens with a walking bass line joined by talk box effect guitar and wailing harmonica. The vocals are powerfully driven talking Blues style with interspersed vocal wailings asking for his love to return. Though there is a strong gospel inclination to this CD there is probably something here for every music fan except the purists in any genre. It certainly grows on you with repeated listening.

Carol Borrington

TWELVE BAR BLUES BAND Key To Your Heart

Independent

Although the opener is a fine, ever-so slightly rockinflected piece, this Dutch five piece really nails its colours to the mast with the second track, a cover of Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac classic, ‘Love That Burns’, performed close enough to immediately recall the original but differently enough to make the effort worthwhile. It is actually good to be able to report that here we have a nicely old-fashioned Blues band, with a strong vocalist (who also takes the odd turn on harp and piano) and a focus on plenty of guitar work in BB King, Freddy King and yes, Peter Green modes – no jump, no swing, and just a little funk with the closing ‘Big Leg Woman’. Vocalist J.J. Sharp has that pleading tone to his voice, and the title track could almost be a lost vintage Mac recording, with beautiful electric guitar laid over an acoustic backing. Don’t get the impression though that this is any kind of tribute band – all but the two songs already mentioned are originals – and good ones too. Yes, I liked this one a lot.

Norman Darwen

CHARLIE BURSE AND HIS MEMPHIS MUDCATS Memphis Highway Stomp Document Records

It’s the familiar tale: talented bluesman is plucked from the obscurity of the Delta, taken to a big city to record some songs, only to be hurled back there after the records don’t sell. Said musician spends the next 20-30 years eking out a living with a succession of demeaning manual labour jobs, guitar gathering dust in the corner, living tauntingly close to Beale Street, before being rediscovered by some earnest young white guys in the folk revival of the late50s/early-60s and touring once more. So what separates

Charlie Burse from Mississippi John Hurt, Son House et al? Well, quite a lot actually. He had his Memphis Mudcats backing band for one thing, and their piano, double bass, saxophone and drum accompaniments making his songs feel more like big band New Orleans jazz than Beale Street Blues. Indeed, there is something quite joyous about the music on this collection, all the sides he recorded in two sessions in 1939. The likes of ‘Beale Street Holiday’ and ‘Radio Blues’ are life-affirming stuff. As well as clearly knowing how to have fun, Charlie Burse and his anonymous backing band were excellent musicians, as shown by the instrumental ‘Ain’t Gonna Be No Doggone After A While’. I guarantee you’ll have fun listening to this too.

Adam Bates

STANTON MOORE

Groove Alchemy

Telarc Int. Any musician will tell you that the most difficult band format is a trio, and probably the most demanding is the one without a bass player. This perilous exercise is performed by drummer Stanton Moore together with Will Bernard on guitar and Robert Walter on Hammond B3 organ and piano and the result is an amazing album with a devastating groove, ‘Groove Alchemy’. The recipe may seem obvious: put together some of the best players available to make up a fantastic group and let their creativity run wild. There is a kind of magic, osmosis between them, there is complicity and so much soul which goes beyond their musical talents. Just listen to ‘Root Cellar’, a track written by Will Bernard: the organ and the drum seem to be completely free without any restraint whatsoever. There is nothing superfluous about this album, the feeling of freedom is such that it transforms these tracks into masterpieces. ‘Aletta’, for example, with its huge keyboards, immense drums and percussions, could have been featured in Pink Floyd’s “Ummagumma”. It just feels like you are in the middle of a musical universe, a place where there is no need for words. With an album like “Groove Alchemy”, music and instruments are all that is needed, they translate in their own way all the sensations and vibrations you feel. A beautiful and elegant album you won’t want to put away.

Frankie Bluesy Pfeiffer and Nat Harrap

BRAD WILSON

Live At Blues By The Bay Festival

Cali Bee Music

Brad Wilson’s latest CD captures the hard-rocking on stage at the Blues By The Bay Festival in California. Wilson and his three-piece band certainly throw themselves into the gig and a great time was had by all.

The problem is that the set list is a veritable checklist of blues warhorses, from ‘Mustang Sally’ to ‘Every Day I Have The Blues’ and SRV’s ‘Pride And Joy’. In fairness to Wilson and his band, they play these well-worn songs with bags of energy and really work at getting the crowd going. He’s also one hell of a fine guitar player and he rocks the stage on each and every tune. Unlike some bar bands, there’s no hint of cynicism at having to play these tunes and the whole thing sounds like one long party. You would be hard-pressed to describe this as an essential purchase, but it would be a good memento if you had seen one of his shows. Having said all that, if Brad Wilson was playing my local pub, I would be down there like a shot! The beer would be cold and the music would be hot. You can’t really say much more than that.

Jamie Hailstone

WISER TIME

Beggars And Thieves

Wiser Time

Music fans of a certain age (and you know who you are!) can often be found at the back of concerts lamenting that they don’t make music like they used to. They get misty-eyed about country rock greats like Crosby, Stills and Nash, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell and dream of the day when the Old Grey Whistle Test returns to our screens. Such people would love this album. The American country rock band Wiser Time have delivered a masterclass in good old-fashioned back porch rock, which is guaranteed to bring a smile to any fan of classic rock and roll. The swagger, harmonies and slide guitars hark back to a simpler age, before the world had ever heard of MP3s. Singer Carmen Sclafani’s voice has a mellow and laid back vibe to it that perfectly fits the southern rock music. Fans of the Black Crowes or Little Feat would definitely dig this. The definite highlights include ‘Love And Devotion’ and ‘Revolution 09’. The retro attention to detail is well and truly staggering. At only nine tracks long, the album is short, but sweet – not unlike your average vinyl release back in the 70s. As ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris might say – great!

Jamie Hailstone

DEBBIE DAVIES Holdin Court Little Dipper Records

Debbie Davies has long track record as a highly talented musician, especially as a guitarist. This was finally recognised when she was given, “The Koko Taylor Award” for “Best Female Artist” in this year’s Blues Foundation Awards.

Debbie came to music from birth as her parents were both musicians and growing up in the 60s was surrounded by regeneration of the Blues at that time. She wanted to play the guitar at a time when it was believed electric guitars were ‘toys for boys’ and girls’ only played acoustic. Debbie bucked the trend and what a good job too when you listen to her play on this CD! There have long been calls for her to release an instrumental CD, she finally acquiesced and “Holdin’ Court”, is the result. Consisting of eleven tracks, five are carefully crafted covers and six are self-penned. It highlights Debbie’s range of skills and heart-felt feel for the Blues and the guitar. ‘Trying To Keep It Real’ features Debbie playing some effective half note bends and vibrato over a rhythm guitar track. A slight feel of Peter green in ‘Albatross’ mood but instead of being at sea you are watching the changing moods as the waves gently break on the shore. ‘Atras De Tus Ojos’ (Behind Your Eyes) has a Latino jazz feel, emphasised by the background organ, Debbie herself featuring some delicately precise trilling in places. The title track again has a Latino feel but more bluesy than the previous track with a variety of guitar techniques, taking you to the palm fringed beaches of Cancun lazily drinking Margarita’s in the early evening. This is a good display of guitar virtuosity with tunes to relax to and tunes to dance to. You don’t need to love the Blues to listen to this record, but Blues lovers will enjoy it

Carol Borrington

HIPBONE SLIM AND THE KNEETREMBLERS

Primitive Rock

Voodoo Rhythm Records

There is rock ‘n’ roll and there is proper rock ‘n’ roll’. This British trio unpretentiously tag themselves as exponents of the latter. This is jolly nostalgia – 15 abrupt, chaotic tracks, each frantically self contained, a pause for breath, then CRASH!! – The next one. Recurring hair jokes in the sleeve notes and some tongue-in-cheek lyrics (especially in “Pie-Ella”) point to not taking themselves too seriously, but they are no less worthy for that. Self-confessed influences are hugely evident – Cochran, Gene Vincent, Johnny Burnette, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash are all here, with more than a trace of Shadows DNA too. Each of the three has ample opportunity to showcase their rockabilliness - “skin walloper” Bash Brand (also a White Stripes sleeve designer) keeps a running backbeat for Gez Gerrard’s bass and honeyed harps, but inevitably it’s frontman Hipbone Slim/ Sir Bald/ The Bald Bomber himself that draws the ear. With a breathless, almost asthmatic delivery and deliciously clangy guitar licks (nicely evident on “Hung, Drawn and Quartered”) His Baldpatedness is clearly a card, however the odd wincey moment of vocal discord reminds you that overall, it’s the groove that counts. There are, perhaps, one or two slight misfires - for some reason “Standoff” and “No End In Sight” didn’t quite the spot and sounded a little homemade, but perhaps I’m missing the point; there are enough raucously vigorous snorters like “Dig That Grave” and the sinister, Peter Gunnish instrumental “Camel Neck” to please anyone who likes rock ‘n’ roll proper or improper.

Richard Thomas

CLOTHESLINE

REVIVAL

They Came from Somewhere

Paleo Music

‘They came from Somewhere’ is not an album in the usual sense. It is a series of instrumental soundscapes that sound like they come from a film soundtrack. The type of music that might fit in an intelligent indie film, the type that someone like Wes Anderson might make. It is the work of Conrad Praetzel, who as well as playing most of the instruments also produced and arranged most of the 13 tracks on the album. Instruments such as electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, bass, keyboards, and banjos sit safely alongside samples, drum machines, and atmospheric tracks. A number of other musicians contribute, such as Harmonica legend Charlie Musselwhite on the bluesy sounding ‘Washed Away Blues’ and ‘Orange Clown Train’, whilst Robert Powell adds Lap Steel Guitar to the experimental opening track ‘Voice of the Lobster’ and Pedal Steel to three tracks, the best of which is ‘Beautiful Home’ which starts of as a country gospel piece featuring sampled singing, before beats and other instruments come in. It maybe the type of thing that Moby did years ago, but here it adds a lot to the album. There is nothing really dangerous about this album, but it is a wholly satisfying mix of blues, jazz, and folk sounds with more modern production techniques, and should be heard by more people than its rather narrow niche may allow it.

Ben Macnair

CATHERINE RUSSELL Inside This Heart OF Mine

World Village

Catherine Russell is a native New Yorker’ with a musical pedigree as singer that goes back to her birth. Her father was a pianist and bandleader and the long-time director of Louis Armstrong. Her mother, Carline Ray was also musician of good repute as a bassist and vocalist. This is Catherine’s third CD on the World Village label and consists of thirteen classic numbers that reach from the 1920’s to the present day, all selected by Catherine and given a new lease of life. This she certainly does and while keeping them true their original context. On this CD she puts her own stamp on songs originally recorded by the likes of Peggy Lee, Louis Armstrong and Howlin Wolf. She is one of those singers who take on Blues and jazz with consummate ease. Her vocal is like pure velvet, with total clarity, centred in the alto and dripping with emotion. The instrumentals and arrangements throughout are top quality and it is a CD you sit back and savour for its pure musical talent. “Troubled Waters” is an exquisite number, a Blues jazz fusion. Catherine’s superb voice soulful and pain-ridden is complimented with an emotive long

instrumental middle interlude. Willie Dixon’s, ‘Spoonful’ displays her ability to sing the Blues with gusto and this is a very inspirational song which gets you right back to the roots of modern music. To be fair this CD is more for those who like the more bluesy side of jazz because it does fall very heavily on the jazz side and probably not one for the Blues purists. This though does not belie its fine vocal and instrumental content throughout and what an excellent CD this.

Carol Borrington

ARI BORGER QUARTET Backyard Jam

GRV 38

Ever since the early 60s and the crossover successes of the likes of Jimmy Smith and Jimmy McGriff, organ jazz has had a following among Blues lovers. It does help that much of the repertoire is based around the Blues form (Smith recorded ‘Got My Mojo Workin’’ and McGriff hit with Ray Charles’ ‘I’ve Got A Woman’), and also that quite often the music is as cool as cool can be, even when working up a full head of steam. I had no idea though that the concept had reached as far as Brazil, country of origin of The Ari Borger Quartet. Take a listen to The Meters’ styled groove of the title track, with not only leader Ari’s funky organ but also intricate guitar lines from Celso Salim and a lovely subtle rhythm section. This is the template for much of this excellent instrumental album, though one or two numbers stray from the general bluesy- jazzy- funky- gospel feel over into mood music territory and Ari also plays piano in places. Be sure to let the album run on at the end though for a special five minutes long straight-ahead blues and boogie-woogie bonus. Highly enjoyable and recommended, of course.

Norman Darwen

THE CHRIS CANAS BLUES REVOLUTION

She’s Breaking Me

In The Mix Productions

Chris Canas’ backing band are known as the Blues Revolution, but truth be told, there is nothing revolutionary on offer here. A collection of self-penned songs to familiar blues rhythms, “She’s Breaking Me” is a lesson in concise and disciplined blues playing from what is clearly a taut group of musicians. Bandleader Canas particularly impresses, his soulful vocals and tasteful B.B. King-style guitar licks offering some much needed personalisation to often formulaic blues backing tracks. That said, this is very much an ensemble album, and he isn’t the only one to shine, with Shane Rasmussen offering some superb Billy Preston-

style keys and organ work. Indeed, not all the tracks are predictable - ‘Who The Hell Are You’ is a truly beautiful ballad featuring arguably Canas’ finest vocal performance; the album’s title track too is excellent - a funky minor blues supplying something of a guitar masterclass from Canas. Further variation is provided by Angie C - who graces two of the tracks with her vocals - and by the somewhat incongruous pop song, ‘We’re Gonna Work It Out’. The Chris Canas Blues Revolution are clearly a collection of very talented musicians, but they need nurture and focus the eclecticism they hint at on this album if they are to rise above the thousands of functional blues-by-numbers bands currently playing their trade on the touring circuit.

Adam Bates

STACEY EARLE & MARK STUART Town Square

Gearle

This is a lovely double CD containing stripped-down acoustic version of 32 songs that this husband and wife team out of Ashland City, Tennessee – west of Nashvillehave performed previously. Both have worked as members of Steve Earle’s Dukes (Steve is Stacey’s brother), and Mark also backed Freddy Fender, the sadly-missed multi-talented Tex-Mex/ country/ Blues singer. So, as you might expect, this is Americana par excellence. Whether it is the singer/ songwriter style, Blues – there are plenty of Blues licks in the guitar work - a little gipsy or country jazz, straightahead country of course, or folk and old-timey music, this is indeed a classy collection of original material. At times the exquisite harmonies recall The Everly Brothers (who came out a very similar traditional background too), but Stacey handles the bulk of the lead vocals, with a high, pure country voice. The results are mostly quite beautiful and range from delicate and tender to southern and rootsy (though the categories are not mutually exclusive, of course). The sleeve states that Stacey and Mark are “members of The Americana Music Association” –listening to this set I’d have thought they were among the founders of that august body!

Norman Darwen

LOTTE MULLAN Plain Jane

Raindog Records

A “country girl who lives with city folk “, Suffolk-reared Lotte Mullan is regularly tagged as the “breathless girl-next-door”, which itself will attract plenty of curious neighbours. Thereafter, you must deliver, and this summery, engagingly charming collection does the job beautifully. Originally inspired by her Dad’s Beatles records helping her to “make sense of the world”, a Beth Orton gig really kick-started her own career, culminating in this thoughtful, excellently written and consistently strong collection. She holds, perhaps, the cerebrally interesting ground between Lily Allen and Norah Jones, and excels in a sweet country vocal and clean, simple licks but most notably in expertly crafted tunes with sometimes

emotionally savage lyrics. This path of country/folk/pop has been cleared by earlier pioneers, but she walks it with aplomb – perhaps only a single tempo change is missing but that’s being unnecessarily picky. With an album title suggesting a certain modesty, she is certainly unafraid to cover the unusual and offbeat - her sister’s experience of bullying is well explained in “Alright With Me” (“aint got hips like Angelina and my hips won’t fade away....”) and the brutally honest, sexually liberating and lyrically clever “Wicked Way” breaks more eyebrow-raising ground. These are not the only standouts though – “Would You Be So Kind” impresses with its hoarseness, and others, like “Suzie’s Back In Town” and “Valentine Song” are equally good. Numerous others perform strongly in her sector, but you can imagine Lotte Mullan thriving whatever the competition. Buy it and revel in a long dreamy summer.

Richard Thomas

EGYPT Blues Kerosene

Stable Records

Egypt are a three piece Blues Rock outfit that have been on-the-circuit since 1987. All three members of the band were also ex-members of The Groundhogs to give a feel of their pedigree that shines out throughout the entire album. The CD consists of ten tracks most of which are self-penned and a few carefully selected covers. It opens with a cover of John Lee Hooker’s, ‘Ride Till You Die’. This is a heavy weight Blues Rock version with power packed clout, power drum, pounding bass riffs and wailing lead guitar all joining lead singer Eric Chipulina’s dramatic gravelly vocal and the song is a prelude to much that is to follow. The tempo drops in the next track, ‘Back To The Pack’, a Blues Rock Ballad. The tempo may be down but the drive and power remain solid as Chipulina drives home the lyrics allied to smouldering guitar riffs, chest pounding bass riffs and some very impressive drumming. One cannot help but be minded by some of Bad Company’s music on this track. ‘Viola Lee Blues’ is a complete contrast and sees the band return to a very traditional Blues ballad with slide guitar taking you way down South. This is then contrasted with another Blues Rocker, very much in the early Led Zeppelin style called ‘Lazy Maisie’. ‘Fu Man Chew’ drops mood again with a traditional slide guitar instrumental and the final cry of a wolf. The CD concludes with ‘Rocking The Room’, a Blues Rocker that takes the joint apart and fires you out of the CD with style. If you like dirty, hard Blues Rock with a solid feel of the 70s at its best, this CD is for you.

Carol Borrington

OTIS GIBBS

Joe Hill’s Ashes

Wanamaker Recording Company

Daniel Durchholz described Tom Waits’ voice as sounding “like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and

run over with a car.” Perhaps exactly the same happened to Otis Gibbs, but then prone at the roadside, his voice was nibbled by hungry raccoons. And that is his absolute charm. This ZZ Top grizzly bear of a man is a “folk artist”, and earthman, “strip-searched by dirty cops in Detroit” and perhaps the most distinguished graduate from the University of Life - his simple heartfelt sentiments survive long after his rusty old throat or Thomm Jutz’s twinkling mandolin have faded. “When I Was Young” celebrates the unadorned purity of a Mother’s love, in “The Town That Killed Kennedy” he capriciously volleys against Greyhound buses – “There’s a devil named poverty who has brought us together/Now the devil is taking us for a ride”. He is not testy for long though – “Cross Country” is a jolly celebration of carefree travelling, and throughout despite the authentically cobblestone vocal, Gibbs harmonizes sweetly with significant other Amy Lashley. The memorable standout of standouts is “Outdated, Frustrated And Blue” – so visceral it almost tails off in quiet regret. This is a travelogue through America and through life, but you can imagine acclaim not mattering, a jot to Otis Gibbs; to travel hopefully is more satisfying than arriving. Here, says the press pack, is a man “in search of an honest experience”. My honest experience is to heartily recommend you buy this splendid record.

Richard Thomas

PATRICK BLOOM

Ghosts of Radio

Mud Dauber Records

Anyone sensitive enough to take a self imposed “hiatus” to allow side players Billy and Megan Valencia some time with their new baby is not surprisingly going to produce a thoughtful and considered record. Any critical listener will go hunting for the elements – in dispassionate terms the unique selling proposition – that elevates such a creation above the others in crowded melee of singer songwriters. The conclusion here is that this is perhaps one strong track and an ounce of innovation away from greatness, although what do I know – it is already gathering accolades by the day. Moody, cerebral, melodic and rootsy, it has plenty of crisp, twangy bottleneck to compliment Bloom’s strong vocals and catchy melodies, but something (what is it?) is missing. A nice opener “Minnesota” sets the agenda for what develops into a sort of travelogue of personal views on people and places. Again to be brutal and grumpily consumerist, cropping a little off some of the longish 9 tracks may have made space for more songs – Bloom can clearly craft to a high quality and less than 10 tracks may appear a little paltry to some these days. There are though, no duds out of 9 –the elegant “Rosalie” has none of the aggression of Thin Lizzy’s song of the same name; “Union Suit” catches the commercial ear and “Prophetstown” is another highlight. “Idle Signs of Summer” steals the show though – a soothing, floaty reminder of laid back days in the sunshine

and that oh for a magical, illusive something, this could be a real scorcher.

Richard Thomas

VARIOUS ARTISTS Can I Get There By Candlelight? : An Irish Tribute

David McWilliams

Smith & Co

This double CD set was originally released in 2008 in Northern Ireland. 2010 sees its release world-wide. As the title suggests it is a tribute by Irish musician to singer/songwriter, David McWilliams. His name may not readily trip off the memory but his songs probably would. McWilliams sadly passed away in 2002, but his legacy of music lives on. His music was inspired by Buddy Holly and Sam Cooke and in the 60s; he was seen as Ireland’s answer to Dylan and Donovan. McWilliams’ songwriting was eclectic and it crossed four decades. There is some Blues on this CD but it is mainly folk Blues whilst the majority of the tracks reflect the whole spectrum of McWilliams song writing ability to cross genres and it also leans heavily in the direction Irish Folk. Its appeal to the traditional Blues fans will be limited but none the less as musical work, it does stand in its own right and is a fitting tribute to Mc Williams from his family, friends and colleagues. Brian Houston takes on the song that launched McWilliams career in 1967, entitled, ‘The Days Of Pearly Spencer’. It didn’t make the BBC playlist that year but it was picked-up by Radio Caroline’s’ DJs and played all over Europe, were it became a success. The song made the charts again at No.4 in 1992, when a cover of it was released by ex Soft Cells’, Marc Almond. Henry McCullough puts his vocal to the following track, called ‘Cross The Line’. This is a striking Folk Blues number that suits beautiful McCullough gritty vocal and emotive guitar work. An extremely pleasing CD but more for the folk fans than Blues.

Carol Borrington

KAREN CARROLL WITH THE MISSISSIPPI GRAVEDIGGERS

Evolution Revolution (Live in Hungary June 2009)

Gryllus

Born in Chicago in 1960, Karen and her mother (singer Jeanne Carroll, who worked with Little Brother Montgomery) attended church in the company of Mrs Daisy Dixon, mother of Willie. At the age of six she started

her career by singing in church. Hearing only gospel and jazz at home, it was the connection with Little Brother Montgomery that ushered the Blues into Karen’s early life. Tuition from Robert Allen and Nate Griffin later enabled her to work with Lonnie Brooks and Albert King; she first recorded with Carey and Lurrie Bell in the eighties. She now fronts harpist Andor Olahs’ band The Mississippi Gravediggers, based in Hungary, and which features violin virtuoso Frenkie Lato. This live CD allows the band to display their straight-ahead blues credentials to the full on the ten numbers which are peppered with jazzy inflections and gypsy violin flurries. Karen’s voice ranges from the naturally soulful to a richly deep bass Blues shout. A lively and intriguing rendition of Little Brother Montgomery’s ‘Vicksburg Blues’ is certainly a highlight of the performance as is the more thoughtful closer ‘Just a Closer Walk With Thee.’ If you would rather have a taster first, there is a single available featuring the numbers ‘What Is Hip’, ‘Do You Ever Think About Me’, ‘I Got My Mojo Working’ and ‘Just A Closer Walk With Thee’. A fascinating, intriguing, and engaging toe-tapper!

Brian Harman

RAY CHARLES

The Great Ray Charles

Not Now Music

RAY CHARLES

The Best of Ray Charles

Not Now Music

These two collections showcase what was so good about Ray Charles. They focus on his work during the 1950’s, and show him as both a leader and sideman, although his contribution as both a vocalist and pianist are always clearly his own. The three discs that make up ‘The Great Ray Charles’ contain some 56 tracks that take in his early career, when it was his songs, sung by luminaries such as Elvis, or the Everly Brothers, or Eddie Cochran, and in their own way were as important to the development of blues and rock as the output of Elvis, Chuck Berry or Buddy Holly. All of the usual tracks are included on this collection, such as ‘The Messaround’ ‘Drown in my own tears’ ‘Hallejulah, I love her so’, and ‘I’ve got a Woman’ but the big hits that first established Charles, such as ‘What I’d say’ and ‘Georgia on my mind’ are missing, but the collection gives a good oversight into Charles work as a blues singer and Jazz musician, as well as his talent as a songwriter of the highest ranking. There are contributions from a who’s who of early blues and soul musicians, from Lowell Fulson, who first took Ray out on the road in his band, to ‘The Best of Ray Charles’ also contains many of the same songs, and misses out some of the biggest hits, and best known pieces from his back catalogue. At forty tracks across two discs, the album is a bit more manageable for the casual listener, although like most ‘Best of’ compilations it will not please all of the people. A lot of thought has gone into the package, with ‘The Great Ray Charles’ containing good sleeve notes, whilst the design on all five of the CDs is of a vinyl record, which in many ways is the best way to hear these seminal tracks. All in all, in a career as varied, productive, and iconoclastic as Charles’s was, these two collections are as good a place to start as any.

Ben Macnair

Magic Slim is the greatest living proponent of the intense, electrified, Mississippi-to-Chicago blues style that spawned much of the music played by modern blues artists and rockers. Light years away from the generic blues that became the norm when the genre turned into a globalized commodity two decades ago, Magic Slim belongs to the exclusive category of the last of the Mohicans who refused to forget their traditions and renounce their rough, urbanized Mississippi roots. His newest CD, Raising The Bar,presents an outstanding collection of older and newer songs culled from Slim’s vast repertoire.

Sue Foley and Peter Karp’s He Said She Said started as a simple email and letter correspondence that took on alife of its own. The letters turned into songs and the songs coalesced into a show that chronicles an evolving relationship between two enormously talented writers and performers.

“He Said She Said” is a unique, daring idea beautifully executed by two talented, inspired artists unafraid to express themselves in songs of love, hope, longing, emptiness and frustration.”

-Blues Revue Magazine-

VARIOUS The End Of An Era - 20 Years In Bluesland

SuperBird

A couple of decades ago the idea of a Nashville Blues scene would have seemed almost laughable to anyone outside the city - but thanks to guitarist/ bandleader/ producer and all-round tireless promoter Fred James, this situation has now changed drastically. This 14 track set presents artists who have recorded for Fred’s Bluesland Productions, which have been licensed to the likes of Appaloosa, SPV, and now SuperBird. There are plenty of veterans of the city’s Blues and Rhythm & Blues scenes - try Earl Gaines or one-time Jimi Hendrix mentor Johnny Jones (both of whom died in 2009 - hence this release’s title), or the thankfully still very active Charles Walker. The bestknown of Fred’s compositions is probably the moody, slow Blues, ‘Full Moon On Main Street’, covered by The Kinsey Report and beautifully sung here by Freddie Waters. Fred has also worked with Mississippi and Chicago artists - Homesick James, Frank Frost and Dave Riley are included here, alongside others including veteran drummer Sam Lay - did the “Bluesland” name come from that connection? Fred closes out this collection of mostly previously issued material (though there are four tracks that have not appeared before) with a funky Albert King styled instrumental of his own - a nice way to close a very enjoyable set of straight-ahead Blues.

Norman Darwen

JIMMY WARREN BAND

No More Promises

Electro Glide Records

Veteran Chicago Bluesman Jimmy Warren has taken to the stage with many jazz, Blues and rock luminaries, such as Buddy Miles, Jr Wells, Delbert McClinton, and even REO Speedwagon. This album draws on Warren’s singular vision, indeed it is almost a solo album, with some help on bass and rhythm guitar from Band members Mike Boyle and John DiGregorio respectively. Otherwise guitarist Warren also drums and programmes, as well as writing and arranging all the material himself. His son Jimi shares lead guitar duties on ‘Mean Mistreater’ and engineers the whole album, with his Dad producing. The tasty rocky-infused guitar work is in contrast to Jimmy’s somewhat expressionless voice. Although this is Blues, it lacks much drive and energy, and some songs are ballads, such as in the saccharin ‘I’m Gonna Love You’. On the welcome instrumental, ‘Darker Shades Of Grey’, where Warren plays all instruments, there is a Gary Moore feel. Bob Margolin guests on one track, ‘It Ain’t Fair’, adding impressive slide guitar solos. But mostly Jimmy Warren’s competent and often stylish guitar playing do not

compensate for the principal’s unconvincing weary vocals and the consistently slow to mid tempo songs.

Noggin

JOHNNY MOELLER BlooGaLoo!

Severn

From the opening licks, of ‘Bloogaloo’ on this outstanding album, it became apparent that this was going to provide the answer to the question, “Do they still make old-style Rhythm & Blues records like they used to, back in the day?”. The answer is a resounding “Yes!”, because unlike many sanitized and over-produced twenty-first century efforts, this is full to bursting with energy, chops, funk and raw power. Moeller is a guitarist in the legendary Fabulous Thunderbirds, and though there are similarities to the T’birds, not least through the understated presence of Kim Wilson on a couple of tunes, the sound is all Moeller. He manages to combine soul, Blues and stonking rhythms into one comprehensive whole, in which much is achieved with the sparse sound and spaces in which the music can breathe. Playing stabbing chords and licks to the dominant sound of Rob Stupka’s pounding drums, this is above all music to dance to, Veteran Blues queen Lou Ann Barton and Shawn Pittman make guest appearances, and this adds variety to Moeller’s unrestrained gusto. He performs outstanding covers of Earl King’s ‘Trick Bag’ and is joined in a splendid take of ‘I’m Stuck On You’ featuring a particularly sly heavily echoed vocal from Barton. The sheer authenticity of the sound is epitomized by the inclusion of Moeller audibly turning up the volume on his guitar during the introduction to the closing Earl Hooker classic, ‘Tease Me Baby’. Sounding like Texas from times of yore, this is the best of 2010 so far!

Noggin

KIRK FLETCHER My Turn

Eclecto Groove Californian, Kirk Fletcher now in his mid-thirties, has developed into a great guitarist. He was first inspired by his elder brother, went into soul and rock, was turned on to jazz by Robben Ford, hung out with Michael Landau in LA, and having spent years immersed in Blues orthodoxy has now emerged with his own style. What really makes this album great are two factors: firstly the presence of several spirited instrumentals, such as the Stevie Ray / Robber Ford laced ‘El Medio Stomp’ and Jesse Edwin Davis’ ‘Natural Anthem’. Secondly the brilliant clarity of production, much of which is down to the use of Michael Landaus’s home studio and hands-off style of production. Fletcher even lends his voice to a couple of tunes, but it is as a stylistically free guitarist that he really makes his mark. On the title track, another instrumental, he turns the

spotlight on Paulie Cerra’s honking sax before spicing up the jazzy tune with some explosive runs and licks. The absolute highlight is a powerful rendition of the ubiquitous ‘Congo Square’, where the trade between Cerra’s funky vocals and Fletcher’s stabbing guitar, and the insistent percussion and jerky rhythms are irresistible. ‘Way Back Home’ epitomises the faultless recording quality in another instrumental showcase, before Clifford Antone is memorialized in ‘Blues For Antone’ in a fitting Texan way. There is not a weak track among the ten, and Fletcher signs of his turn with a weird (in a good way) Hendrix tribute ‘Continents End’.

Noggin

PHILIP SAYCE Innerevolution

Provogue

The CD introduces this talent Philip Sayce playing guitar with verve and confidence he weaves his magic using his own distinct sound with reflection of rock over the last few decades. There is a definite nod to groups such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple . The opening track ‘Changes’ starts with precise drumming setting the beat and tempo, then his guitar is introduced and finally, the cherry on this delicious iced cake, his voice which is melodic, tuneful and a delight to listen too. It would be easy to pigeon hole Philip as another rock guitarist nodding towards the Blues; the combination of Ryan MacMillan (drums) and Joel Gottschalk (Bass) is solid and enables Philip to explore his full talent with awesome guitar licks and great lyrics on tracks such as ‘Bitter Monday’ which re-categorises him more as a Bluesman who rocks. The CD is a delight with every track demonstrating a different facet of this immense talent, for example, ‘The Pearl’ with its distinctive guitar lick and lyrics with the keyboards adding depth. Philip Sayce demonstrates on ‘Innerevolution’ that he is a prodigious talent demonstrating musicality and an understanding of the value of understating the guitar at times to let the lyrics shine through. He is definitely one to watch and I would sum him up as a Joe Bonamassa with a great voice...

Liz Aiken

DANIEL ERIKSON

Muddy Days

Pzydeco

Oh, this really didn’t start out at all well. The opening, title track, came on like one of John Mayalls most evil moments. The jazzy, flute led tune was like something of Mayalls “Empty Rooms” album. And that was a record that lives up to its title should you ever make the mistake of playing it in company. Luckily for all concerned, things could only go up from there. And they did. Daniel Erikson grew up in the Blues heartland of Norway, somewhere just North of the Arctic Circle. But a 1995 show by Roy Rogers & The Delta Rhythm Kings provided a eureka moment for the young Herr Erikson, as he witnessed the Californian slide guitarist in action. He’s been playing around the Norwegian Blues scene for fifteen years or so now, but this is only his second album under his name, a

follow up to the 2006 release “Ya Ya”. As the title of that album suggest, Erikson is a fan of New Orleans style fonk, as well as Mississippi Blues, and a couple of the tracks here also feature a brass band, for that extra N’awlins flavour. Of those tunes, it’s ‘Lay My Burden Down’ that comes out best and, alongside the more rough and ready Delta Blues of ‘Cross Eyed Pete’ and ‘Shortenin’ Bread’ helps make a thoroughly enjoyable release. Erikson falls into the category of gruff, when it comes to singing, but he has a very listenable voice, and his core band of bassist Ove Thorkildsen and drummer Carl Erik Hansen really have a swing and style about them that sets off the music to its best advantage. This is definitely an album I can see myself returning to over and over again.

Stuart A Hamilton

ELI ‘PAPERBOY’ REED & THE TRUE LOVES Come And Get It Capitol

Well, the True Loves may have vanished from the cover, but this is pretty much business as usual for the blueeyed soulster. Which means it isn’t a tribute to the 1981 Whitesnake album of nearly the same name, but another horn drenched set of classic soul music with a difference. The difference being it’s all brand new bar the opening cover of ‘Young Girl’, a relatively obscure regional hit from Frank Lynch that came out on Herschel E. Dwellingham’s My Records. This, the third album, from the True Loves sees them gain major label backing for the first time, and I do wonder how much influence that has on the end result, as everything is a lot smoother than on the first two releases. Whereas the absolutely essential “Roll With You” had a raw and visceral edge to it, this release sees a lot more smooth edges, both to the music and the vocals. Whether the blame for that can be laid at the door of megaproducer Mike Elizondo is open to debate, but major label + major producer = expectation. So, the opening selection of songs veers more towards Motown than the southern soul sounds we’ve come to know and love. Luckily things do pick up in the second half of the album and from ‘Tell Me What I Wanna Hear’ through to the closing ‘Explosion’, the band are in extremely fine fettle. It’s a rich, sumptuous sound, straight out Stax, and with some fabulously arranged backing vocals, the final five tracks make the admission price worthwhile. There is some added rockabilly / gospel flavour on ‘You Can Run On’, and if you want to hear his soul roar hit perfection, then tune into the epic soul ballad that is ‘Time Will Tell’. Overall, it’s a good album, but I do miss the edge of the earlier albums.

Stuart A Hamilton

KEVIN WELCH Blue Patch Of Sky

Music Roads Records

This is not a blues record but what is blues? To me it is a state of mind and this collection of songs by Kevin is a reflection of his hopes, his anxieties, lost love and in some cases a sense of loss of places wiped out by some catastrophe. So what is that, if it is not blues orientated? ‘The Great Emancipation’ tells of living through hardship and disaster. Marville is about a town burned to the ground on black Saturday. Loneliness is depicted in ‘Midnight And Noon’. You want to know what bereavement feels like then listen to ‘New Windows Dreams’. ‘Long Gone Dream’ is self explanatory. ‘Answer Me That’, a classic blues song. Wishes and hopes are covered in the title track ‘A Patch Of Blue Sky’. I did not expect to like this at all but it sneaked up and bit me on the bum. A great voice, stunning set of songs, excellent musicians, and one beautiful piece of work put together by someone with soul and feelings. Give it a listen and be surprised. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kevin Welch figures in some forthcoming awards.

Bob Bonsey

BABAJACK

Exercising Demons

Independent

Folk or Blues? It’s hard to say but it really doesn’t matter; it’s so good.

The Babajack line up is Trevor Steger, acoustic, dobro and wine-box guitars, harmonica and vocals. Becky Tate on vocals, drums and stomp, and Aron Attwood on drums, bass, percussion and vocals. Guest musicians add violin, double bass, sax and backing vocals to the mix. The title of this, their 2nd CD, Exercising [as opposed to exorcising] Demons, came from the lyrics of a song they haven’t used yet and it seemed to fit. All ten tracks listed are by Tate and Steger. The album opens with ‘Big Man Blues’ and some great slide from Trev with wistful vocals from Becky before moving up tempo. The violin and double bass feature too. ‘Sweet Jelly Love’ has a funky percussion beat to the fore with slide guitar coming through as an undercurrent. ‘Going Down’ is a heartrending offering with a doom laden beat and keening harp. There is a very interesting arrangement on ‘Dog Tired’ with guitar, violin and double bass performing an intricate dance. ‘Last Train’ is not ‘just another train song’ and is probably the Bluesiest number on this CD ‘I Walk On Diamonds’ has an African

beat and, perhaps partly because of the title [Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes] reminded me irresistibly of Paul Simon’s Graceland album.

‘Well Song’ is another Bluesy number with a persistent, toe tapping beat that builds up into a crescendo making it a fitting end to this enjoyable CD.

Except it’s not the end. An unlisted track follows with some very down and dirty vocals from Trev. They all clearly had a ball on this one. This outfit, currently making waves around the Midlands, will I suspect, soon be attracting attention from much further afield.

Linda Fisher

BILLYLEE JANEY Gimmee Some Lightning

Rockadome

Iowa’s legendary guitarist has returned with his sequel album to ‘Whats Your Trick’ his seventh in fact. The title of the CD gives an indication of exactly what you are going to get. It is an in-your-face, non-stop barrage of smouldering heavy rock blues. A collection of songs full of guitar licks that leap out at you from start to finish. Every pyrotechnique is used from feedback to wah-wah peddle. If Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai is your bag then this is for you. It is like one long jam session. Listen to ‘Burning Down The Wood’ where he mentions Buddy Guy, Clapton, Jimi and Jeff Beck. In fact he named his band Truth after Jeff’s album, so you can see where he is coming from. The track ‘Blue Haze’ could easily have been done by Mr Hendrix himself. It certainly shows his prowess as a performer, if you like your blues full on then you will love this but personally it gave me a headache.

Bob Bonsey

WOODLEG ODD One Step Ahead Woodleg Music

The hottest blues band in Norway is back and this time it’s personal. You’re now probably thinking just how many blues bands are there in Norway? Or imagining a bunch of Vikings playing ‘Boom Boom’ but hold that thought! This is their fifth album and the first to feature new lead singer Adam Douglas. It’s also a Jim (Albert Collins, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Stevie Ray Vaughan etc) Gaines production, so it kicks some serious ass. It’s a solid, hardrocking album in the best traditions of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Robert Cray and Coco Montoya. Newcomer Adam Douglas certainly earns his spurs on vocals and slide guitar. These guys have got plenty of soul and swagger and “One Step Ahead” is a seriously soulful album. There are plenty of highlights and genuinely no duff tracks, which makes a pleasant change! The band are clearly confident of

JOHN MAYALL

So Many Roads- An Anthology 1964-1974 Universal

This double CD set provides a comprehensive collection from the godfather of British Blues , during his peak period, which from just a guitarist perspective included the likes of; Eric Clapton,Peter Green and Mick Taylor. The title shows the period covered between 1964-1974 although from my limited knowledge of John Mayall, I would suggest the period covered on these two discs is more likely to represent 19641969, unfortunately as it is a promotional copy there are no details of the recording dates. The tracks are in chronological order and are a mixture of Stereo/mono recordings, there are also album and single versions although no song duplications, some of the early recordings like ‘Crawling Up a Hill’ have a beat sound and very unlike the purer blues that came later. In total there are 43 tracks here and it is an absolute pleasure to hear them all together on one collection, the song selection cannot be faulted, the only surprise being the exclusion of one of my favourite tracks from the Beano album ‘Have you Heard’. A must have album that highlights the great blues music that John Mayall delivered during his most productive U.K. period , while the early singles are extremely rare, there does not appear to be any previously un-released material here.

Adrian Blacklee

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A new CD series featuring classic blues tracks performed by legendary artists. Includes contributions from MICK ABRAHAMS, IAN ANDERSON, JEFF BECK, GARY BROOKER, ARTHUR BROWN, JACK BRUCE, GEORGIE FAME, RORY GALLAGHER, PETER GREEN, JOHN LEE HOOKER, CHRIS & MICK JAGGER, SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY, GARY MOORE, THE PRETTY THINGS, MICK TAYLOR, SNOWY WHITE and many more.

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their material and producer Gaines has never produced a duff record in his life. The band is augmented by a horn section and backing vocals on this album, but the tightness of their performance suggests they would rock any venue in their own right. Maybe it’s time to give the Norwegian music scene another chance.

Jamie Hailstone

DAVID MAXWELL & LOUISIANA RED

You Got To Move

Blue Max/Vizz Tone

They certainly don’t come any more experienced or true blues ambassadors than these two old grizzled veterans. Having played together, on and off, for over 30 years Maxwell decided that the time had come to cut an album together. Red was in the New England area to play some gigs so the pair marched into a recording studio one afternoon to cut this gloriously straightforward and authentic sounding CD. Opening track ‘Keep Your Hands Off My Woman’ is a slow blues which features superb slide guitar from Red and wonderful rolling piano from Maxwell. The playing is raw and stripped down and unashamedly old school blues and the material is all self penned albeit with some familiar sounding riffs and lyrics which have graced many other old blues classics. The ghosts of Elmore James, Johnny Shines and Otis Spann can be heard in these songs. ‘Going Back To Memphis’ features barrelhouse piano from Maxwell and declamatory, almost shouted, vocals from Red as the pair feed off each other and trade licks in exhilarating style. Title track ‘You Got To Move’ is a slow blues and a standout cut with impassioned gospel style vocals and intuitive playing between the two men. There are no effects or studio trickery here just one slightly overdriven slide guitar and straightforward piano which makes for simplicity and allows the sheer virtuosity of both men to shine through. ‘New Jersey Women’ kicks in with that familiar Elmore riff as the pair breathe new life into familiar sounding territory with all the verve and panache of much younger blues warriors. Just now and again the two men bump into each but this only enhances the spontaneity and there are some sublime moments where they feed off each other as only two truly great bluesmen can. At the end of the album Red reminisces about some of the musicians he has played with and demonstrates their guitar tuning methods and string bending techniques. These two clearly inspired each other and any blues lover will be similarly inspired listening to this rough, raw, intimate and honest album.

Dave Drury

THE JIMMY BOWSKILL BAND Live Ruf

It’s been great to see so many young people, both male and female, taking up blues over the last ten years or so. Here’s a cracker from Canada who has already built an impressive track record. This album features predominantly original material sprinkled with a few well chosen covers. The opening self penned ‘Far From Reality’ rocks furiously with the rhythm section laying down a solid foundation for Bowskill’s blazing guitar and surprisingly mature vocals. Peter Green’s ‘Rattlesnake Shake’ gets a good seeing to before the Free classic ‘Walk In My Shadow’ provides Bowskill the perfect opportunity to show that he has learned well from both Paul Kossof and Paul Rodgers. ‘Be Mine’ features heavy slide guitar riffing from the Billy Gibbons/ZZ

Top school of hard rocking and ends with some crowd pleasing grandstanding before leading into the original blues/rocker ‘Broke Down Engine’. The centrepiece of the album comes with a cover of B. B. King’s soulful slow blues ‘Three O’ Clock In The Morning’ where Bowskill holds the audience in the palm of his hand as he holds and bends notes superbly whilst ratcheting up the tension. This track weighs in at over ten minutes and the crowd are with him all the way and reward him with a huge cheer. A burst of feedback heralds the frantic instrumental ‘Karadag’ which features a drum solo from Dan Neill. One of Bowskill’s guitar heroes is Jimi Hendrix and the song ‘ Drifting Haze’ was clearly written with Jimi in mind and perfectly fits his style. The album closes with ‘Link Into Your Chain’ and it is clear that this young man has much to offer. He is touring Continental Europe later this year and I hope that he will soon come and play in UK where I am sure he will find as much critical acclaim and success as Joe Bonamassa. In the meantime you can purchase this fine album.

Dave Drury

DOWNCHILD I Need A Hat

Linus

Downchild have been Canada’s most popular blues band for 40 years and served as the inspiration for the Blues Brothers and Dan Aykroyd guests on this album of good-time, straight forward blues with a party feel. All the material is original and the current line-up have played together for over 15 years which makes for some wonderful interplay and great musicianship. Opening track ‘This Must Be Love’ is a rollicking big band swing number featuring excellent piano from Michael Fonfara and a sharp, punchy horn section. Title track ‘I Need A Hat’ is a humorous song written by Donnie ‘Mr Downchild’ Walsh who also plays excellent lead guitar.

‘Somebody Lied To Me’ is a slow blues featuring guest Colin James on lead guitar and Wayne Jackson of The

Memphis Horns on trumpet. ‘You Don’t Love Me’ is an easy rolling swing number featuring guest Colin Linden on lead guitar and Dan Aykroyd on harmonica. The song writing is exceptional and the arrangements are sharp with the emphasis on having a good time with no frills or rock excesses. ‘Rendezvous’ features searing Elmore James style slide guitar and barrelhouse piano and is the sort of number which would fill any dance floor. Chuck Jackson takes the spotlight on the slow blues ‘Time To Say Goodbye’ with his fine soulful vocals and also plays harmonica. Don Walsh takes the vocals and plays fine harmonica on ‘Some More Of That’ and the album closes with a grooving instrumental titled ‘El Stew’. Downchild have won many awards over their lengthy lifespan and this fine album contains many highllights and can be thoroughly recommended as a good starting point for any blues party, with or without a hat.

Dave Drury

JOHN NORUM

Play Yard Blues

Mascot Records

Norum’s career with Europe remains to the fore of public consciousness even though this is his fifth solo album and in many ways it’s a shame that his career may be dogged with the emblem of the chart hit with the annoying catchiness that belittles his actual talents as guitar slinger and sonwriter. More significant is Norum’s recent life where he has had more than his fair share of personal tragedies; losing family members and friends is dire regardless of any rock and roll status. It certainly gives him credibility to play the Blues. Elements of the Blues and the aggressive guitar attack, played at high speed by the way, seep with a flood through most of the tracks on the album, but it’s really only the title track, which closes the album, that takes a lowdown and dirty Blues stance. The earlier nine tracks are explosions of rock and derivative of the influences he has taken from the likes of Thin Lizzy and Deep Purple. Of course, their ancestry in the Blues is well recognised too. Phil Lynott’s ‘It’s Only Money’ is instantly intense and incendiary, as is Frank Marino’s wonderfully excessive riff and roll track ‘Ditch Queen’. Any reference to Canadian Marino and his band Mahogany Rush will bring in references to Hendrix and the connections continue with reflective awe.

Gareth Hayes

Check out the interview with John Norum in this issue

ANA POPOVIC Blind for Love

Eclecto Groove Records

Ana Popovic’s latest release finds the Serbian guitarist singer/ songwriter leading a talented band through a number of genres and feels during the 45 minute, 12 track duration of Blind for Love. Her guitar playing is now more extensive, but dynamically diverse than it was, with tones that are reminiscent of Robert Cray during album opener ‘Nothing Personal’ or the wah-wah infused, Hendrix vibe of ‘Wrong Woman’. A talented slide guitarist, this side of Popovic’s sound is explored during the KT Tunstall like acoustic guitar driven ‘Steal me Away’ whilst wah wah and slide provide a strong sound during ‘Putting out the APB’ which will be a future live favourite. A popular live draw, with Youtube and her live DVD showing that she is more than capable of holding her own in front of a live crowd. Other genres are touched upon, from the Jazz like title track, to the straight ahead blues of ‘Need your love’ and ‘Blues for M’. ‘More Real’ has an atmospheric slide guitar and keyboard backing, with much added by the gospel singers in her backing band. The marketing team has partly focused on Popovic’s good looks in the packaging, but she is more than a pretty face, as the contents of this disc show.

Ben Macnair

MORRY SOCHAT & THE SPECIAL 20s Eatin’ Dirt

Galaxie Records

This is a treat. Combining Chicago Blues with the sounds of the Fifties and Sixties, Morry Sochat (pronounced socket) has pulled together some of his favourite musicians to continue the Blues jive collective that he started with the Special 20s some five years ago. Adding horns has increased the width of their sound, but has not taken away any of their unique vitality and raw creativity. The title track opens proceedings as if it’s a live stage show and the whole album has feel of a live set. This atmosphere is enhanced with the album being recorded on tape, yet it is far from what is typically called retro, and is a million miles from parody too. It buzzes along taking boogie woogie, ‘She’s A Betty’, and swing, ‘Meet Me In Chicago’, and even rock and roll, ‘Riot Up In Here’, in hand with ease and enjoyment. Blues entries take every reference from the world of Chicago harmonica, and star strikes are seen in ‘Mother-in-Law Blues’ and ‘Telephone Blues’ where Sochat easily adds his name to the current list of iconic harp players such as Lamb and Estrin. Jimmy Sutton takes on a turn on guitar as well as performing expert producer duties and can sit back proudly with the energy he has squeezed out from Sochat and gang.

Gareth Hayes

Smoking Tracks

Independent

“This is one of those live albums that you wish you had been there”.

Andy is an innovative harmonica player who usually fronts The Ford Blues Band but on this occasion he is going solo with a pick up band in Italy, namely Donnie Romano (guitars), Charles Romagnoli (bass), and Emanuel Zamperini (drums). Andy’s style is totally original and this 2 CD set showcases an awesome talent. His tone is quite unbelievable. The two hour [yes two hour] set covers a lot of standards done in his unique style and possibly some of his own, but the liner notes do not give any information. Listen to his rendition of Albert King’s Crosscut Saw, Brook Benton’s Kiddio, Little Walter’s Tell Mam and My Babe or Jimmy Roger’s Walking By Myself and you are transported to a blissful state. I think it would not do justice to highlight any particular track because the whole double collection is a joy and a triumph. Just sit back, pour yourself a drink and enjoy the gig. Andy just drives the blues with a fire and passion.

Bob Bonsey

STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN AND FRIENDS

Solos, Sessions and Encores

Epic/Legacy

The late Stevie Ray Vaughan is well served by this latest collection, a depository of guest slots, and collaborations, featuring the blistering Vaughan Strat sound in a variety of formats and settings. There are the expected collaborations with Albert King and BB King on The Sky Is Crying, a heavy rock work-out with Jeff Beck on Going Down, Texas Flood featuring an appearance by slide guitarist Bonnie Raitt, and a studio runthrough of Pipeline with Dick Dale. The cuts all show an appreciation for the role of side-man, and although the guitar is mixed to the front, the playing is never less than deferential, particularly during Albert’s Shuffle which features the cutting tone of Albert Collin’s, or during a live version ‘Change It’ which features guitar from both of the Vaughan Brothers. Vaughan’s collaboration with David Bowie on his ‘Let’s Dance’ album was what bought him to a wider audience, and this album is represented by its title track. The weakest tune on the album is probably Oreo Cookie Blues with Lonnie Mack, but even this shows Vaughan’s more laid-back blues style, and yet the guitar solos feature blistering runs. For fans of good music, or those who want an entry into the world of S.R.V this, along with his studio albums ‘In Step’, ‘Texas Flood’ and ‘Couldn’t Stand The Weather’ is a very good place to start.

Ben Macnair

SLOWMAN I’m Back Slow Records

They say the clue is in the title and so it proves with this rather special entry into the Bluesfrom-Sweden category by fifty-three year old Svante Torgren. Nicknamed Slowman because it took him some twenty years to come up his original debut, and entitling this release as ‘I’m Back’ because it marks his return after almost two and half decades in exile, this actually proves to be worth the wait. It’s mostly genuine Blues music, albeit fairly safe, and competently handled by Slowman and his Swedish troupe. Sitting between that era which saw Clapton mimic JJ Cale, ‘Take Your Time’ rocks along with a jovial spirit and charismatic vibe. All the tracks are written by Slowman and suitably focus on loves’ losses with commanding clarity; it’s a treat to be able to hear the lyrics. ‘Southside’ and ‘Soul For Rent’ are very easy to replay and offer many moments for the air guitar player and furious foot tapper. A couple of tracks venture too far down the pop ballad route and come dangerously close to Randy Newman territory. There is redemption and it comes in the form of sanguinary Blues numbers ‘The Silent Years’ and ‘Me And The Blues’.

Gareth Hayes

MC HANSEN Pariah

Bogrough Records

Harmless Danish folk would be a cruel mark for this diverting entry into the massed ensembles of Dylanesque troubadour-styled releases, but that’s what it is. MC Hansen is a troubadour who peddles very safe poetry across a variety of concert halls and obscure stages. He touches on Blues in his words but not so much in his music. ‘Melancholy Moon’ sets the tone for more parables of pain such as ‘With Blood On My Hands’ and ‘The Song We Never Sing’. Hansen reckons he is often mistaken for being Irish and it’s easy to see why with his soft lush harmonies and traditional approach. Whilst accompanied by band members on an assortment of roots-like instruments, e.g. pedal steel guitar and clarinet, the sound comes across in the main as a one-man-band affair. This is fine, especially when he does go off on a country Blues railroad adventure with ‘On A Day As Good As Any Other’. Hansen prefers to be known as a minstrel, which perhaps does put him in the same gene pool as the hobo busker, and indeed the outcast of the title.

Gareth Hayes

ROBERT JOHNSON Rough Guide to Jazz and Blues Legends: Robert Johnson Reborn and Remastered World Music

Any “rough guide” must begin at the beginning and Robert Johnson is undoubtedly the root of any subsequent branch of the Blues. Having once said this in polite Blues company sniper-aimed spots did not form in a cluster on my chest so perhaps I can repeat it. There is something very generic and perhaps a little – gulp – static about his music? Each of these 20 offerings is an almost exactly two and half minute plinkety-plinking tale of troubled relationships and restlessly hard itinerant drifting where the devil is always lurking, perhaps ready to call in his mythical roadside wager. It’s pure and historical down to its dusty boots, with classics “If I had Possession Over Judgement Day” and “They’re Red Hot” leading the way, but aren’t they a little low octane? This double CD is a game of two halves – 20 commemorative originals (Johnson’s centenary is next year) then a bonus baker’s dozen which elevates, invigorates and offers clues about where today’s eclecticism comes from. Elmore James hoists “Dust My broom “ with the additional dimension of a harmonica, “I’m So Glad” by Skip James is every bit as dynamic as Cream’s cover version, Roosevelt James vitalizes “Sweet Home Chicago” with piano accompaniment and Howling Wolf’s deep velvety bass on “I Want Your Picture “is much more boom-boom than plinkety-plink. The devil in me suggests that a good idea can be embellished by others. England gave the world football but everyone else made it better. I’m Welsh, what do I know?

Richard Thomas

ROSS NEILSON & THE SUFFERIN BASTARDS Redemption

Thorny Bleeder Records

This Canadian trio chose to record their debut album in Zebra Ranch Studios in Mississippi, obtaining some notable local help. Cody Dickinson, son of the late James Dickinson, produced ‘Redemption’ and who also adds keys and woogieboard to the album. In addition his brother and current Black Crowes member Luther Dickinson and Alvin Youngblood Hart both add their guitar work to a track each. All of this may help sell the album, but in truth, the music sells itself. This album is a collection of well composed and arranged songs, which like the North Mississippi Allstars

range from the Hill Country sound to extended Southern jamming. Songs like the strutting ‘Fire In The Ground’ and ‘What You Can’ sound like they’ve been honed in small juke joints over a good number of years. Neilson duals some melodic harmonies with Luther Dickinson on the reflective ‘She Ain’t Got You’ yet the fast paced take of Johnson’s ‘Possession’ shows Neilson is an indication that Neilson is also an impressive slide guitarist. Behind him Shawn Warden on bass and Karl Gans on drums form a tight rhythm section who direct some extended soloing on Chester Burnett’s Commit A Crime’, whilst Hart’s contribution gives ‘Badlands’ a sinister edge. The fine musicianship is balanced by Neilson’s impressive vocals which come over best on the album’s most melodic moments too from the mellow ‘Devil Knows’ to the long weaving ‘Bold & Beaten’, the latter of which is strangely reminiscent of U2 at their epic best. This album is well worth hunting down.

Duncan Beattie

THE STEVE MILLER BAND Bingo!

Roadrunner Records

It seems a trend has developed in recent years where mainstream artists who have perhaps passed their creative peaks to record a Blues album. While Tom Petty has released a collection of blues styled originals, Steve Miller’s first release in 17 years is a selection of his favourite Blues songs. To be fair to Miller, he is no stranger to the Blues having a recorded the occasional Blues songs in the past such as Mercury Blues and Fanny Mae. This collection, which features Joe Satriani on selected tracks, includes work recorded by BB King, T-Bone Walker and Jimmy Reed, in addition to three tracks from Jimmy Vaughan’s “Strange Pleasure” album. Interestingly at times it does seem Miller has taken to replicating Vaughan’s distinctive drawl. Sadly the results are disappointing. There’s a too fast paced take of Howlin Wolf’s ‘Whos Been Talking’ which sadly is devoid of the menace of the original, the multi-layered vocals on ‘Come On’ lessen the impact of this song most recognisably recorded by Jimi Hendrix, whilst Jimmy Reed is given almost a Beach Boys flavour with Miller’s three part harmonies. Tommy Castro could pull off this version of ‘Sweet Soul Vibe’, yet Miller’s vocals are not up to the task. Overall the album is too polished; the songs have neither the emotional pull of the originals nor provide interesting reinterpretations. There’s no question doubt that Miller is sincere in his love of the blues, yet sadly this sincerity is lacking through the interpretations on this release, therefore it’s doubtful whether this album will find a great appeal with either fans of the genre or of Miller’s previous work.

Duncan Beattie

AYNSLEY LISTER Tower Sessions

Manhaton

Aynsley Lister rose to prominence in the Blues field ten years ago as a young Brit producing his own brand of blues rock featuring heavily the influences of Messers Gallagher, Green and Vaughan. As his career has progressed his music output has widened greatly incorporating the likes of Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ in his live shows, while his most recent studio albums have shown an embracement of commercial sensibilities and developing original song-writing. Was this Lister looking to leave his blues roots behind him in search of more mainstream attention? This album recorded earlier this year in a live take shows that Lister’s repertoire is diverse, yet the heavy Blues presence remains prominently. Finally ‘Purple Rain’ is recorded here and as fans of his live act would attest, it is a stunning and emotionally charged interpretation. Yet it before this is an airy version of his Blues shuffle ‘Soundman’ and slide led ‘Sugar Low’, whilst the pulsating instrumental ‘Quiet Boy!’ is an indication that Lister still loves playing guitar driven Blues, before a fully electric version of ‘Early Morning Dew’. It is more recent compositions, which demonstrate Lister’s ability to build on a solid Blues basis, yet through the use of contrasting tempos, dynamics and contemporary flavour that truly make this an outstanding collection: the introspective ‘What’s It All About, with a superb melodic guitar solo and the expansive ‘Hurricane’ and progressive shuffle ‘With Me Tonight’. Lister’s playing is freer and more improvised due to the presence of keyboardist Dan Healey, with a powerful backbeat from Midus Guerreiroon bass and Simon Small on drums. The superb recording enhances these songs beyond the studio versions making this release of interest to fans and newcomers alike

Duncan Beattie

JULIUS (RAY) PITTMAN AND THE REVIVAL Bucket List

Maeco Management

For fans of the 60’s & 70’s soul era, Bucket List will certainly transport you back in time like some form of musical tardis! Julius Pittman and his aptly named support group “The Revival” a collection of six musicians who are certainly not in the flush of youthfulness, retain that essence of Motown & Stax labels. Pittman’s Hammond organ playing is a central feature of the album and his ability to play without overlapping his vocals is a fine balancing act which he carries off with consummate skill. His cover version of Al Green’s “Tired Of Being Alone” is on a par with the original classic. “Willing To

Learn” is a real smooch number providing you have the right partner in your arms! The sax accompaniment is soulful, and throughout the Bucket List is never too heavy with just enough cadence and rhythm. Pittman reminds me of Stevie Winwood in his prime and there’s praise from a child of the sixties! The complete album is a must for fans of that era.

Tom Walker

BETTER OFF DEAD Girls, Guns and Money

GarageLand Records

The CD introduces the group even before you hear the sound the artwork is reminiscent of Hollywood glamour and intrigue of the 1930’s in films such as Raymond Chandler’s Big Sleep. The music does not disappoint with its strong rhythms and bebop style with a twist of blues, sprinkling of country and a dollop of Boogie-Woogie piano all demonstrated on the track ‘Tennessee Hot Sauce’. The tracks are great fun with the imagery of summertime and partying but hidden in the lyrics is something darker as demonstrated in a number of tracks, for example, ‘If I Can Quit Drinkin’ and ‘Porn Star’. Whereas, ‘From A Broken Home’ takes you back to the country sound of the 1950’s reminiscent of Pat Boone. However, this 28 track CD despite borrowing styles from lots of traditions including the blues instead of creating a patchwork of different textures, musical colour and interpretation has instead produce a rather monochromatic sound. In fact it would have been beneficial to “Better Off Dead”; if they had produced a double album the chance of people listening to the last tracks would have been more certain. Why, because in the format produced the listener is not engaged so they become intrigued in what sound will be coming next and are disappointed so stop listening. Despite at times a rather two dimensional sound, this is a well produced CD and enjoyable but it is definitely an example of when a management decision to include less would have resulted in a better end product.

Liz Aiken

BILLY T BAND

L.O.V.E. (Just A Silly Notion)

Big H Records

Billy T, fully name William Troiani will be known to some as bass player to Eddie Kirkland for a period of 12 years and has also performed with Lightenin’ Hopkins, Tom Russell and Poppa Chubby. The Billy T Band was formed with Troiani on vocals and bass, Ian Johannessen on guitar and Alexander Pettersen on drums and featured on Louisiana Red’s “Back To The Black Bayou before recruiting Håkon Høye on second guitar. Their debut

album “A Little Mixed Up” was a collection of many of their favourite songs primarily in the style of 1950s Rhythm and Blues. Released earlier this year “L.O.V.E” has seen them expand on this sound with a larger amount of original material and some ambitious and vocally testing covers. While the influences of the debut album remain, it does cover a broader base with songs ranging from Stax era soul to country. Amongst the highlights is a version of Otis Clay’s Trying To Live My Love Without You’ with a superb guitar solo by Sven Zetterberg. There’s a slight deviation with a honky tonk take of Johnny Horton’s ‘I’m Coming Home’ whilst the swinging ‘You Don’t Answer My Letters’ shows the band have some great self-penned songs. Trioiani’s vocals impress throughout and he has genuine range particularly on ‘It Huts To Be In Love’ originally performed by Anne Laurie. The band are not afraid to mix it up with both guitar players alternating lead roles, and the occasional use of organ, piano and a string arrangement. This album will be popular with many who enjoy a large injection of rhythm and blues to their music.

Duncan Beattie

MUDDY WATERS Country Blues

Rough Guide

This double CD covers the transition during the 40s of Waters from a traditional Delta bluesman to Chicago based urban musician when Len Chess had to rein him in by refusing to allow the electric band to have a drummer. According to Paul Jones, a big concession was when Len himself stomped on a bass drum during recordings! The early period includes, ‘Country Blues Number One’ by mentor Robert Johnson and Robert Lockwood’s ‘Mean Red Spider’. After that it is Morganfield originals all the way, communicated in that distinctive jagged bottleneck guitar style and clipped vocals. The 21 tracks cover the transformation from acoustic to electric, with Muddy incorporating new sounds and textures with an increasingly confident city strut. This is far more than a blues album it is the history of blues and popular music in the making; a high quality sound reproduction has also been achieved by the perfectionists at Rough Guide. As if all this did not represent sufficient good value in itself the bonus CD features a cornucopia of stellar musicians from the Muddy Waters band, over the years including Little Walter, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush and James Cotton.

The Bishop

MARK SLIM BAND Katrina

MS002

Italian bluesman Mark Slim recorded and produced this live album as a tribute to the people who lost everything

in the New Orleans hurricane. Whilst this is a laudable gesture, unfortunately any sense of sadness and despair is immediately lost in the trite lyrics, lightweight vocals and amateurish musicianship. It is also difficult to take the homages to Lightnin’ Hopkins and Son House seriously when the vocalist sounds like a cross between Inspector Clouseau and Mr Bean. T-Bone Walker is inadvertently similarly parodied in the ‘Mark Slim Shuffle’ and ‘Hard Way’ which sound as if Slim has just mastered the first page of Bert Weedon’s guitar tutor, Play In A Day. Goodness knows what Jimmie Vaughan would make of the tribute to him as the Texas legend is made to sound as if he plays with one finger on a single string. I just hope that the BP spillage doesn’t provide the stimulus for another album as this would just pour more oil on already troubled waters with tributes to Simon and Garfunkel no doubt thrown in for good measure. Too harsh? judge for yourself on www.markslim.it

The Bishop

THE MANNISH BOYS

Shake For Me (The 5 Year Anniversary)

Delta Groove

If you are going to tread in the footsteps of the Blues greats then you had damn well better be able to play and you had equally better understand what it was that made them great in the first place. Thankfully the Mannish Boys qualify on both counts. They aren’t slavishly copying the originals and nor are they corrupting them to a different form – these guys are good enough to put their own take on the music and understand enough to keep the spirit of the music that they play – I have to declare myself smitten. Just to list the members of the band would take up all the space I have for this review but between them they have played with the best and have come together for the love of the music first and foremost. Opening with Maxwell Davis/Sam King’s classic ‘Too Tired’ Nick Curran;s guitar is ringing out before Finis Tasby’s vocals start in with those classic words and that is followed by a Bo Diddley medley of ‘Mona’ and ‘Willy & The Hand Jive’ featuring Bobby Jones vocals and Mike Zito guesting on guitar. And so it goes – tracks by Lowell Fulsom, Otis Spann, Walter Jacobs’ ‘Last Night’ with superb harmonica from Rod Piazza, Howlin’ Wolf’s ‘’You Can’t Be Beat’ featuring Randy Chortkoff on harp and Kirk Fletcher’s guitar. Muddy Waters is only represented by ‘Champagne And Reefer’ with Johnny Dyer doing the vocals and a guitar duel between Frank Goldwasser and Kirk Fletcher and a wicked harmonica performance by Mitch Kashman. The only track here that was written for the band is ‘Those Worries’ a slow Blues from Randy Chortkoff that hits just about every button for the true Blues lover and a brilliant performance on the Chromatic Harmonica by Lynwood Slim. Anyone who loves the Blues should get a listen to these guys and if they ever come over here to play I hope to be first in the queue to see ‘em.

Andy Snipper

FLAVIO PALUDETTI First Love

Independent

Straight off, this is a very accomplished guitarist and his

love of the music shines through from the first notes of Julian Adderley’s ‘Sack ‘O’ Woe’. He has a spare and really tuneful style and when you read from the cover that he is a teacher of guitar it really isn’t any surprise to heart the purity of his tone and ease of his playing, very much in the George Benson style and with some of BB King’s phrasing. He really gives us some classics on the album with Benson’s ‘Weekend In LA’ and Bobby Womack’s ‘Breezin’ both sounding really fluid and sweet. Keyboards courtesy of Michele Bonivento are quite superb all through and tenor Sax from James Thompson really gives a belt to the sound when needed. There really isn’t a poor bit of playing on the whole album, But ... and there really is a but here, his vocals really are weak. He sings the words clearly enough but there isn’t any soul on his singing and certainly no Blues. Even when he does Willie Dixon;s ‘I just Want To Make Love To You’ you get the feeling that he really wants a polite peck on the cheek rather than out and out raunchy, desperate smooching and what he does to ‘The Long And Winding Road’ would have him arrested and put to hard labour if there was any justice in the EU. His jazz and even his Blues guitar playing is a little too clean but never sounds bad it is just that he is singing in a language that he really doesn’t understand. He really does do a great version of ‘Movin’ Wes pt 1’, the old Wes Montgomery classic and his own tunes such as the title song are pretty fair but he badly needs to bring in a vocalist and preferably one who has suffered a little. Shame, because he really is a very good player.

Andy Snipper

SMALL BLUES TRAP Red Snakes & Cave Bats

Self Produced

I first heard Small Blues Trap when they contacted me via www. livebluesworld.com the Blues networking site with an invitation to listen to some tracks they had posted. When I listened I was impressed with their avoidance of cliché, they had a good feel for arrangements. This album fulfils that promise; it is very good. The first thing that shines out is their sheer love of the music. I’m sure that we often take the availability of blues for granted here in the UK, but it can’t be so easy in Greece and I imagine that they’ve had to fight hard for the opportunity to play and be heard. Well all power to them they deserve to be heard. Paul Karapiperis is the main man in this outfit and would, I imagine have been mainly responsible for the overall sound which is excellent. It creates a real mood of isolation, loneliness and the sense of being in the minority. The instruments are well mixed to produce almost a sound wash effect and I was reminded of the sound that Daniel Lanois produced for Bob Dylan’s Time Out of Mind’ album. There is certainly something of the feel and mood of that album here, and Dylan’s ‘Dirt Road Blues’ came to mind. I was also reminded of the classic Chess Records

sound, especially that of Howling Wolf with the lonesome sound of ‘Evil’ coming to mind. The rest of the band is very good, Panagiotis Daras on various guitars, and the rhythm section of Lefteris (Lefty?) Besios on bass and Stathis Evageliou on drums; they’ve played together for a long while and it shows, a very nice, almost American feel. As for individual tracks, well there is no particular killer track but there is a good consistent feel throughout so you can take your pick and you won’t be disappointed, I particularly liked the opener ‘Mr. Jack’ and the title track ‘Red Snakes and Cave Bats. I would be very interested for the future to see what these guys, as Greek musicians, can bring to the blues from Greek music. There are surely sounds, tones, instrumentation that could be added to the sound-scapes they produce…that would be very interesting and help to build nicely on a first class debut.

Vicky Martin

SNAKEWATER

Dirty Rock ‘n’ Rolla Independent

Wow! Listening to this really takes me back. A three piece band who play simple riff-heavy rock with Blues overtones, this is the sort of rock that you will find at the backroom of the pub in your street. The three have listened to every rock band who ever put something down on tape and, truth be told, they are not the worst thing I have ever heard but also, truth be told, they ain’t the best either. It would help if they had a vocalist so that Bobby Grant could concentrate on his guitar which isn’t too shabby and Ben Streets on drums plus Ian McCormack on bass make for a reasonable rhythm section but the songs are not strong and the vocals really let them down. When you listen to the new talent like Virgil and the Accelerators or the Jay Tamkin band or Oli Brown you can’t help but wish these guys luck – they’re going to need it.

Andy Snipper

DAN TREANOR, CREIGHTON HOLLY & KYLE ROBERTS

American Primitive

www.myspace.com/dantreanorband

I can highly recommend this excellent album to Blues Matters readers. Dan Treanor is originally from Colorado USA and is a Vietnam War veteran. He’s been playing the blues for over 40 years. He specialises in what he calls ‘Afrossippi’ Blues, this accurately describes this music which captures the primal rhythms of the blues and links it to its African origins. He plays guitar and harp plus self made string and percussion instruments Diddley Bow and Khalam. From the first track to last this is the real thing. A lovely sound and feel that creates a perfect ambience for

the vocals of Creighton Holley. Anchoring it all are the drums & percussion of Kyle Roberts and Mark Diamond’s string bass which lays down a pulse that is really vibrant it is perfectly placed in the mix and is perhaps the key to the almost primal feel. I sensed an unwritten bond between these musicians; perhaps the main players are all Vietnam veterans? Whatever, the result is a 14 track album of a consistently good standard with some real standout tracks, 1. ‘Took the Wrong Road’ the bass is superb on this; 4. ‘You Can’t Outrun the Blues’- track 14 ‘1969’; and two real killer tracks. Track 7 ‘Tangled Road’ blew me away; it’s a scorching atmospheric gospel tinged song with the added Village East Baptist Church Choir; great sound. Finally track 10 ‘Sunshine Galore’ is a really uplifting calypso style blues, or blues style calypso if one prefers. With elements of Delta Blues, Gospel and so much more you can’t go wrong buying this.

Vicky Martin

modes. I saw Tony McPhee and co several times during this period and recall quite clearly that were very loud, very loud indeed. The volume levels had increased from their earlier purer blues style to include lashings of feedback and all the other things that we aging hippies loved so much. This record sounds very much of its time and in common with many recordings of the time it doesn’t quite capture the fullness of the band’s live sound. It is, nonetheless, pretty good but a little restrained, the two best tracks for this writer were those were Tony stayed closest to the purer blues form – ‘Mistreated’ and Howling Wolf’s ‘Natchez Burning’. The track which captures the prog-rock feel most is the closer the primarily instrumental ‘Light Was the Day’. I know that live Tony McPhee would have taken these songs much further. The artwork is quite funny with Tony McPhee as a vicar, Father McPhee perhaps? The rest of the band are dressed as undertakers and there is someone in the coffin, let’s just hope that whoever that was got out. All in all an interesting record of the band in its time of transition.

Vicky Martin

KEN TUCKER

Juke Joint Serenade

Benevolent Blues

www.benevolentblues.com

GROUNDHOGS Blues Obituary

BGO Records

This is a digitally re-mastered version of the Groundhogs 1969 album. It was their second album. The first album had been conventional blues; this one sees the beginning of transition to a more prog-rock style that flowered in their later minor classic ‘Thank Christ for the Bomb’. This slimmed down line-up in the ever popular ‘power trio’ mode retains blues structures but stretches a fair way beyond though remaining mainly in minor pentatonic

This is a very good, down to earth, unpretentious piece of work. I couldn’t find out much about Ken Tucker except that he’s apparently from California. The album reminded me of Dylan in several places – one song in particular ‘Desperately Need’ had a very Dylan circa ’65 sound and structure – the bridge structure reminded me of the bridge to ‘Stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again’, it’s a very good track of its type. Elsewhere Ken captures some of the feeling that Dylan had in some of the mid and up tempo blues tunes of that time. Track 6 Street Talking Woman, 7 ‘Coal Shed’ come to mind while track 9 Eliza crosses some Jimmy Reed type chugging with a Dylanish ‘feel good’ vibe. Track 10 ‘Island of Lost Souls’ echoes a Stones type of feel maybe from the Some Girls period and again is a good one. The most interesting track, the one that shows most promise for the future is 11 ‘Killer’s Mind’, primarily acoustic it builds nicely with a choir and added instruments – the arrangement is imaginative and is marred only by a slightly out of tune sound about three quarters of the way in, it’s either guitar or wordless female soprano. Nonetheless it’s a promising track; the only dud is the final track a duo with a female vocalist ‘Worst I Ever Felt’; that aside I can commend this as a very promising and heartfelt piece of work.

Vicky Martin

A contemporary blend of blues, soul, jazz and brazilian rythym

THE BURNING BRAZILIAN GROOVE

VARIOUS LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THE BLUES (ATLANTA BLUES)

Fantastic Voyage

This three CD budget collection is really great value. Packed full of gems it chronicles the evolution of blues by presenting tracks from local & visiting singers/musicians to Atlanta USA. There is so much on here from well known to the obscure including tracks by such as the early country blues artist Ed Andrews, Carolina bluesman Julius Daniels, and itinerant performers such as Blind Lemon Jefferson, Bo Carter, the Memphis Jug Band, Blind Willie Johnson, Hambone Willie Newbern, Peg Leg Howell, Eddie Anthony, Billy Wright. According to the sleeve notes, Atlanta, in a similar manner to Memphis and Tennessee, became a staging post for itinerant musicians. Also like Memphis, it was home to numerous guitarists who established a very distinctive style of playing that became synonymous with the city. It was also notably the location for the earliest known country blues artist, Ed Andrews, to be recorded. I personally am not completely convinced about these styles are that specific or that they can be so associated with exact US locations, but in any case that is more a question for academic consideration. Other than that I can only recommend that readers purchase this and for between £7 and £8 you can hear 75 tracks taking you through some thirty years of musical endeavor, along the way there are several tracks of the highest quality.

Vicky

Martin

"Superb...

Live, Pinamonti is a mild-mannered and unassuming frontman who packs a wollup with his songcraft."

-The Village Voice

MICK RUTHERFORD

INDUCTED INTO ST PAUL’S GALLERY BIRMINGHAM 21/05/2010

: Carol Borrington

Singer, guitarist and songwriter Mick Rutherford seemed surprised when asked to put one of his guitars on permanent display at the prestigious St Paul’s Gallery in Birmingham. St Paul’s Gallery is not only one of the World’s leading retailers in signed limited edition album covers, it also holds the largest collection of licensed album cover art in the world and some fine examples of music memorabilia. To wander the white clad rooms of this gallery is to walk the history of modern music through the art form. You do it in reverence and hushed silence as you stand in the presence of music’s best, hung lovingly from its walls. It is an Aladdin’s Cave of music art. To find Mick Rutherford placed in this company is no surprise, as just a cursory glance at his forty-seven year career reveals a distinguished musical past, which has seen him on stage with a Who’s Who of music. Mick started in the Music Business at 14 years old, when he answered an advertisement in a local newspaper for a lead singer of a band. His first gig was the night after the audition and the band did two sets. Mick only knew five songs, all of which he sang twice throughout the performance. The band was called ‘The Black Diamonds’ and the year 1963, Mick had arrived on the music scene just at the beginning of the 60s boom. Moving to London he found himself living with Alexis Korner and playing in his band. This was to see him mixing with bands like The Who, The Rolling Stones and The Animals, in the heart of 60s British Blues Era. Mick was taught guitar by one, John Lee Hooker at a show where he had been taken by Alexis in London. He played in a band called, ‘Six Percent’, who supported Jimi Hendrix. On the first night of the tour, Mick acquired the dubious reputation of being one of the few people to fall asleep behind Hendrix’s stack and whilst Hendrix was on stage playing! While later playing with a Tamworth band called, ‘Power & Glory’, their support band at one gig was called’ Earth’. Earth that night went on stage announcing they had changed their name to ‘Black Sabbath’! In 1974, Mick formed the band ‘Ice’ and they released the album, “The Saga Of The Ice King”, it was a hit all over Europe and is now a collector’s item. In 1995, Mick formed his present band with drummer Paul Westmoreland, ex-Bluesology, and guitarist Barry Turner, who was later superseded by ex-Dr & The Medics guitarist Carl Axon. They reached No.2 in iTunes charts with an improvised cover of ‘Spirit In The Sky’. In 2007, Mick was honoured by having third brick placed in Liverpool’s famous Cavern Wall; one for his time with Alexis Korner, one for working with Bluesology and one for The Mick Rutherford Band. It was because of all of this and more that Mick found himself on a warm spring evening in St Paul’s Gallery, to present his guitar and to perform. This was all the more poignant as the guitar he presented was the only one of his to survive his car being stolen after the last Cavern gig. The audience were music and musical art lovers, a select gathering, sipping wine and sitting politely listening to the induction speech by Neil Roberts, who owns the gallery, Mick’s signed guitar, a Stagg Electro acoustic, now sitting proudly on a stand in the middle of the room. The band giving an hour-long performance including a question and answer session with Mick followed this. Mick is ‘old school music’ and even in the exclusive surroundings of St Paul’s Gallery it didn’t take him and rest of the band long to have feet tapping and people sitting intently listening to his music. One of the first things Alexis introduced Mick to, was ‘scat’. He explained to the St Paul’s audience, that scat was a form of vocal improvisation using random vocals and nonsense syllables. Starting by a demonstration of scat by himself, he then went on to teach the assembled to sing it. One of Mick’s favourite songs comes from the band, Genesis called; ‘Your Own Special Way’ and he took the opportunity to sing it solo. This was a good rendition but there was something in that gallery setting that gave it an extra zest, the pride in Mick’s voice to be singing again amongst all of music greats, peering from frames on the surrounding walls. It was then time for the rest band to get their teeth into the music. That same pride echoing through, as Carl wailed his axe, serenading with his passionate slide guitar and Paul with his usual accuracy keeping the beat and displaying some impassioned fills. They had the audience singing along tapping their feet, clapping with not just with musical enthusiasm but also in admiration for not only a good band but also the musical history that flows through its veins.

Mick Rutherfor Signing Guitar

Signed Guitar

GOT LIVE

ARTISTS KEEPING THE BLUES ALIVE ANA POPOVIC

@Charlotte Street Blues, London, 29/04/10

Back in the UK for the first time in four years, and for a whistle-stop tour of less than a handful of gigs, it was of no surprise that expectancy and anxiety was at fever pitch. This was a warm-up tour prior to the huge twelve country summer marathon that Ana Popovic will be doing to promote last year’s CD and this year’s live DVD. She hit the stage with an attitude and vibrancy that left the audience breathless and in awe. There was no space at all between the first four songs, seamlessly segued with forceful energy; part funk, part rock, all Blues. ‘How’d You Learn To Shake It Like That?’ swivelled the band through animated arousal as bass competed with keys, but were still left in the wings as all eyes were Popovic’s cool contortions and instant Blues immersion. She finally allowed the crowd some respite with what she called a slow Blues, the not-so-slow ‘Blues For M’. This entertained the cognitive with jazz twists reflective of the alternative Stevie Ray Vaughan. ‘Recall The Days’ and ‘Change My Mind’ from 2003’s “Comfort To The Soul” pleased fans both old and new. It was swaggering and it was swampy and caught in beautiful limbo between every Blues guitar hero. If her guitar playing was stridulated then her singing was sublime. Big Mama Thornton’s ‘You Don’t Move Me’ best illustrated her vocal range and ability to improvise with great changes of pace before returning to her incendiary guitar. Let down by the so-so sound from microphone to speaker to auditorium, the audience were very forgiving and were on their knees in bewilderment after the instrumental tribute to Stevie Ray and Ronnie Earl, the monumental ten minute ‘Not A Hope More’. Popovic began the second set with the American radio hit ‘Nothing Personal’ before giving it all for more from “Blind For Love” and then a powerhouse finish with The Hoax’s ‘Long Way Home’ and Hendrix’s ‘House Burning Down’ Exhaustingly outstanding.

Gareth Hayes

PAUL JONES & DAVE KELLY

@ The Half Moon, Putney, 15/06/10

I had only ever seen these British blues legends at major festivals such as Notodden and Maryport so when I heard about this small gig in a London pub overlooking the Thames I thought it must be worth a visit. My first impressions of the Half Moon were very favourable; the bar is adorned with signed photographs of everyone who has played here from Bo Diddley to The Rolling Stones. There is also a range of memorabilia on display which adds to the atmosphere which is reminiscent of Buddy Guy’s Legends club in Chicago. The intimate setting of the back room where the artists perform is perfect for acoustic blues, especially when it is packed to the rafters with 100 enthusiastic regulars as it was when local hero Dave Kelly and the ever popular Paul Jones returned, the latter having last performed solo here 30 years ago. The Blues Band also used the venue as a warm-up for their early acoustic albums, some tracks even being recorded live at the Half Moon. Not surprisingly, the duo took to the stage with a rapturous welcome and this set the scene for an evening filled with banter and good humour in between the serious business of American blues songs and original compositions which made up the three hour set. Highlights for me were Sleepy John Estes’ ‘Drop Down Mama’, ‘Too Young To Know’ by Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson’s ‘Crossroads.’ Jones and Kelly are not just singing covers, however, as they re-energise and re-interpret the songs and pour their emotions into the lyrics. Their own compositions are equally powerful, notably Dave’s ‘Mr Estes Said’ about making changes in his life, and Paul’s ‘Room and Board’. The latter’s theme of faithlessness and betrayal followed by resignation are as apt now as they were for the black, itinerant bluesmen of the 1940s. By the end of the evening I swear I was watching Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee through a process of metamorphosis, such is the status of the veteran British pair at the pinnacle of their careers. Dave is one of the world’s best exponents of slide guitar, his heartfelt playing infused with deep feeling and complemented by flowing, sandpaper edged vocals. He worked with John Lee Hooker and Howling Wolf in the early part of his career and it shows. Paul is a harp maestro as he proved with this master class of sounds and techniques, combining his unique style with features learned from his mentors Noah Lewis and Sonny Boy Williamson II. The stories between the songs are informative and entertaining too: did you know that Charley Patton’s lyrics about a train, ‘the smokestack is black, the bell is like gold’ were the stimulus for the classic, ‘Smokestack Lightning?’ Overall, this was a special evening and a unique atmosphere; it’s just a pity that we can’t hear more blues of this quality in the local pub anymore because it’s not the same in the big venues.

The Bishop

CYRIL DAVIES TRIBUTE SHOW

@ the Eel Pie Club 12 May 2010

This was a real good down home British R&B night, but not too ‘British’ because the rhythm section Costa Tancredi – Bass and Peter Miles – Drums, hit that back beat and swung the whole night. Add Bob Hadrell’s superb organ playing and Alan Glen’s ‘Freddie King with a dash of jazz’ guitar and we had one superb band providing backing for a host of excellent performers. The evening opened aptly with Davies’ own classic ‘Country Line’ special and then proceeded to be the sort of gig that we used to have, in fact Cyril himself would definitely have approved. In common with the type of show that Cyril, in concert with Alexis Koerner, would have put on, there was no over indulgence the solos were economical and the arrangements concise. I was staggered to find later that there were no monitors for the band. To have such quality, and to go to the trouble of filming in high definition, and yet have no monitoring seems astonishing. For all that the musos segued in and out with real precision. There were numerous highlights including John O’Leary’s ‘Early in the Morning’, Papa George’s ‘Smokestack Lightning’, I’ve heard that tune over and over but Papa G always makes it sound fresh, Art Thiemann & Nick Newall blowing great sax on ‘Watermelon Man’, Paul Cox’s excellent ‘Stormy Monday’ and much more. Earl Green’s ‘Everyday’ was great with one amusing misunderstanding between guest singer and band. The finale ‘Rock Me Baby’ was a touch chaotic as all the guest musicians climbed on stage; this included a whole line of guitar players at the back of the stage (Monty Python’s Gas Board sketch anyone?). Pete French was on vocals and a slightly bemused Robin Bibi appeared on centre stage looking as if he’d just been beamed down. It was so crowded that I swear that for a moment I saw Alan Glen’s legs off the floor! But joking aside it was a great evening with great playing from all concerned, and how they did it all without monitors will remain an eternal mystery.

Vicky Martin

THE IDLE HANDS

@Millers’ Snooker Club, Kirkby-In-Ashfield 01/04/10

You can often get a feel of how a gig is going to go for the first riffs and with The Idle Hands at Millers that night, the statement was loud and clear, “ We are here, and we are going play this joint to its foundations!” and so they did right from the first number. Moving into ‘Mississippi, a Blues rock ballad of class, the punters were transported from a chill April night to the warmth of the Delta. A bare-footed Phil Allen emotively wove his way through the lyric with his gritty vocal, great microphone techniques and all stage persona of the natural front-men. He was accompanied by driving bass riff, subtle drumming and passionate guitar. There next number, Hendrix’s ‘Manic Depression’ says the tempo raise as they attacked this classic number with technical ability and a passion to match. ‘All Night Sinnin’, is the title track from the bands latest CD, one that taken a lot of praise from the Blues critic and this live version, showed why and posed one question, why this band is still being over-looked on the wider Blues circuit? Starting with an impressive soft blues rock by lead guitarist Davie Robinson, the song built in tempo as the whole band joined in to finish-up as a classy boogie woogie number. It was a rendition of the number bursting with energy, musical talent and a real belief in the band of their ability to hack with the best out there. ‘Forty Nights’ told same story about this bands ability. A broody blues ballad, heart wrenching bass riffs, tender drums, contemplative guitar and Phil’s impassioned vocal and non- verbal stage persona, told realms about the quality of this band. Idle Hands second set was as dramatic as the first and their innovative version of ‘All Along The Watchtower’, brought rapturous applause from the assembled, the guitar solo in this was especially striking. So good was The Idles Hands performance that Millers crowd demanded not one but two encores before they would allow them finally to the stage.

Carol Borrington

THE CHANTEL McGREGOR BAND

@ The 100 Club, Oxford Street, London 26/05/2010

Standing in the 100 Club among all those photos of past greats, you could not help but feel a presence of awe and history. One wondered how one music latest off-spring would stand-up in the presence of her predecessors. The answer, Chantel stood tall, and she certainly stood out at 100 Club as one of the UK’s best young hopefuls for the future of the British Blues. She’s performed cracking gigs in the last twelve months but this one to her was special and it was a privilege to stand on that stage, which was very clear to all present. This showed itself most openly when she tackled Joe Bonamassa’, ‘Sloe Gin’. An improvised version, Chantel dropped her vocal range to a lower alto, adding just the right amount of grit, to bring depth, clarity and sensuality to this beautiful song. She then launched herself into the guitar solo and it’s fair to say, stunned everyone in the room with her technical ability, which was textbook and the pure power and emotion she put into every note. At the end, there was a crescendo of applause and cheers, with punters standing to rise their hands in appreciation of this guitar princess, preparing become one of its queens. Chantel choose to do a number of solos to showcase some of her self-penned songs. “I’m No Good For You”, was a Blues ballad, which again revealed a pain-ridden and sensual vocal with almost a sinister hint. That had you asking who really was the victim of this song, the singer or her lover. Her guitar solo was slow, deliberate and more masculine in its feel than her vocal, giving an interesting Yin and Yang effect to the whole. She followed this with another self-penned title the, ‘Cat Song’ a more uptempo electro acoustic instrumental and again at the end that audience went wild at her playing. A cover of “Red House”, saw her put her axe put through playing gymnastic, pulling out of it, all it had to offer and all beautiful pulled together with some wonderful percussive bass riffs and drumming. The best indictment of this gig was she was immediately booked back for December and before she had finished left stage! Carol Borrington

GOT LIVE

LARRY MILLER

@ the Blues Room St. Albans 5th June 2010

Larry Miller has to be the most entertaining rock / blues guitarists around. His arm-raising ‘whoa yeahs’ really do energise an audience, so much so that I’ve booked some personal ‘whoa yeah’ lessons’ from Larry. This was a high energy performance in which he eschewed nearly all of the cover tunes that we’ve seen before and based the show on his own songs; this included songs from the new album together with older favourites, and you know what? Larry doesn’t need the covers, the new tunes were excellent and Larry gave us a tour de force of Rock Blues guitar solos and licks all woven into some excellent songs. The thing that shines out of a Larry gig is his sheer love of the electric guitar, on this gig he used a smaller 50w Marshall rig, the volume was at a comfortable level and everyone including his own band were highly complimentary about his sound. The show opened with ‘Rebekah’ and followed into a rocking version of ‘Missy Mango’ and then we had ‘As Blue as it Gets’ from the new album, excellent impassioned guitar and vocal. A truly rocking version of ‘Gambler’s Hill’ from the new album followed – watch out for this one. The rest of the first set flew by and finished with the only cover ‘Messing with the Kid’. After that, amazingly, the second set went up a further gear – ‘Still Ain’t Done with the Blues’ was great, truly energetic and then into the title track from the new album, the epic ‘Unfinished Business’ with a Roy Buchanan inspired instrumental section at the end. The Snowy White style ballad ‘Yellow Roses’ followed and from then on it was up-tempo all the way with ‘Cruel Old World’ from the new album as the stand-out. A great show full of passion and humour, at times Larry’s ad-libs had the audience in fits- and where does he get that energy from? We really ought to get Larry Miller to go and coach the England World Cup Squad in how to get fire, passion and enthusiasm into what you do. In the meantime – Rock on Larry!

Vicky Martin

MARCUS BONFANTI @The Inn at Lathones 11/02/2010

The intimate Inn at Lathones is in a countryside setting east of St Andrews. Ideal for such an environment was Marcus Bonfanti, whose confident and engaging communication with the audience made this concert the perfect relaxed environment for a night of Blues. Bonfanti took to the stage by himself to perform the footstomp ‘God Only Knows’ featuring only harmonica besides his powerful voice. He was joined by bass player Scott Wiber and drummer Alex Reeves for the Bluesy midtempo ‘Devil Girl’ which featured some thick Blues guitar lines on his Dean resonator. ‘Messin’ Round No More’ was far more upbeat. The remorseful ‘Now I’m Gone’ followed. The song commencing with some delicately played guitar licks and Bonfanti’s soulful vocals, before developing to a closing crescendo. A playful version of Charlie Daniels’ ‘Leave The Long Haired Country Boy Alone’ was notable with some fiery slide movements over the fretboard. The title track of the new album, ‘What Good Am I To You’, was an easy going tune before the catchy ‘Knock Me Down’ with its strong backbeat. A selection of cover versions followed which demonstrate Bonfanti’s approach to his music. Buddy Guy’s ‘Leave My Girl Alone’ was performed with emotion yet restraint before the bass lead funk of the Wells/Guy classic ‘Messin’ With The Kid’. These were not guitar centric interpretations by long lost blues idols, rather Bonfanti’s versions revert to the feel of the originals, but also with his own personal stamp. We got a version of Muddy’s ‘Mojo Working’ which sounded more down-home than the legend’s own recording. Ann Sexton’s ‘Your Gonna Miss Me’ was channeled through Jimi Hendrix, before an almost acoustic reading of the Vaughans’ ‘Long Way From Home’ and Bonfanti’s equally strong ‘Gimme Your Cash’. This is blues performed with contemporary expression with one foot retained within the roots of the music; and based on substance rather than flash. It seems certain this approach will pay great dividends for the likeable Bonfanti.

Duncan Beattie

RUNAWAY BOYS

@ the Blues Room St. Albans 6th May 2010

The Runaway Boys are a trio using string bass and playing a mix of rockabilly and blues influenced rock ‘n’ roll. This was the debut at the Blues Room for one of St. Albans’ most popular acts and this gig showed why they are so popular. If they break out of St.Albans, into London and elsewhere these boys will be popular there as well. This young band personify everything that made me fall in love with rock ‘n’ roll and electric blues in the first place – they are loud, they have attitude, they look great and they really do rock, and they’re not afraid to step out of the genre and include some real surprises and original twists. Their presentation is top class – no gaps between songs and visually the act is stunning, the haircuts are great and double bassist Tranq Lobo has all the classic moves and a few of his own. Guitarist ‘Rocking’ Ray Mysteron plays at blinding speed, and King Duncan Clark on drums holds it all together. There were several highlights in two ultra fast moving sets – a brilliant rendition of Dick Dale’s ‘Miserlou’, several Eddie Cochran classics, Peter Gunn, some early

Elvis, some blues influenced originals but in truth they hit the ground running and the fast moving excitement never let up from first to last. The show left a full house on a high, and if you love rock ‘n’ roll, electric R&B and all that goes with it then this band will leave you on a high as well.

Vicky Martin

ANDY SHARROCKS & THE SMOKIN’ JACKETS

@Leicester Sq Theatre. 18/05/2010

The Smokin’ Jackets are one of the bands who I will always make time to go and see. You never know quite who is going to be there but whether you have just Andy Sharrocks on his own or the full magnificent, ramshackle crew you will never get less than a full-hearted event – and isn’t that why you go to gigs anyway? This time around we got almost the full family and from the opening notes of ‘Davey’s Blues’ – a very country version that developed into a full band plea for mercy for our poor Gypsy – they were in a real band level groove. The band featured the usual offenders - The Reverent Paul Green on electric guitar and looking ever more like an elder statesman while Huskie Jack covered off the acoustic lead and lap slide guitars with his usual understated quality. Captain Bliss’ harmonica playing is always a joy whether he is with The Smokin’ Jackets or Hey Negrita! and in his dungarees and baseball cap he had the look of a gas station pump-jockey and the heart of wilful kid. John T has the style and impact of a grizzled gunslinger but he played bass with a steady rhythm and matched Kid Caswell’s light touch on the drums perfectly. On Congas and bongos Kofi Kari Kari made the music more than just another Americana troupe and altogether they showd that they are one of the most characterful crews around. Andy Sharrocks voice is not the most mellifluous instrument on the planet but his vocals had all his usual charm and sitting centre stage you couldn’t fail to focus on him. All the usual suspects were in the repertoire including a brilliant ‘Don’t You Wanna Waste Some Time’ and rambunctious ‘Velvet Underground Song’. The Smokin’ Jackets are a family and I can remember many other bands that had that particular groove to them but they are one of those who make the audience part of the family too and not just gawping onlookers. The whole set made me smile and feel at home and I can’t really ask for more.

Andy Snipper

THE PRODUCERS

@Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne 17/06/10

It’s been years since The Producers played here with their original lineup and this show was billed by the local press as “The Local Boys Done Good” with the focus on hometown boy and bassman Dave Saunders. He opened the show with Stompin’ Dave Allen featuring a storming set of country and goodtime blues. Stompin’ Dave played guitar, fiddle and banjo and also treated us to his fiddle juggling antics and stomping accompanied by DS on guitar and tea chest bass which soon got the crowd whooping and a hollering. There was a great air of expectation as The Producers opened with old favourite ‘New Money’ and this slow building number built to a superb crescendo with Harry Skinner providing the fireworks on lead guitar and vocals. These boys are a class act and were really enjoying themselves as they blasted through ‘Bitter And Sweet And Blue’ and Lazy Lester’s ‘Sugar Coated Love’ in fine style. New band members Ray Drury on keyboards and Biff Smith on drums have settled in seamlessly and they are an extremely tight and intuitive unit with a great sense of confidence. For the next few songs they were augmented by a horn section and the pace changed with the slow, soulful blues ‘Try A Little Faith’ followed by a romp through the hard edged ‘Killin’ Floor’. The hard rocking ‘Somewhere Down The Line’ featured great use of the wah-wah pedal by Harry and the whole band, complete with horns, were really cooking on this one. Harry now switched to resonator for a solo acoustic song ‘The Moneylender’ and was then joined by Ray on barrelhouse piano for a rollicking version of the old Muddy Waters favourite ‘I Can’t Be Satisfied’. Biff and Dave came back on stage for a series of new songs with the standouts ‘Preservation Blues’ and the frantic ‘Drive This Car’. The audience were now sensing the approaching big finish and were treated to the swinging ‘Don’t Want A Girl Like You’ and the Elmore James inspired ‘Mule’ featuring searing slide guitar from Harry. This is an all seated theatre style venue which can sometimes be a little bit inhibiting for band and audience but tonight there were huge cheers and smiles all round for a superb evening of blues. This was a great show from all concerned and indeed “The Local Boys Done Good”.

PhotobyChristineMoore

GOT LIVE

SANDI THOM

@The Rescue Rooms, Nottingham.23/04/2010

It is becoming apparent that Sandi Thom has immaculate taste in her fellow musicians, especially in the Blues, when she chose Marcus Bonfanti to open the show. Marcus’ breath-taking deep throated Blues vocal, classic stage persona and electro acoustic guitar set, opened an evening of not only pure talent but adding to message that in a growing generation of the younger set, the Blues has a safe future. The whole of this gig with Sandi and the rest of the musicians on that stage was stunning. It is difficult to point out one song that was not of merit. A sample then, serves to reflect the rest. A cover of Blind Willie Johnson’s, ‘I Need Your Love’, revealed Sandi’s fine use of vocal timbre and breathe control allied to some fine underscore and development of the vocal theme by Randle on lead guitar and it was a sheer pleasure to hear. ‘This Ol’ World’, in the absence of Joe Bonamassa who played and sang on the CD, Marcus strapped on guitar and stepped up-tothe-mic, to join in the duet. Liverpool Institute of The Performing Arts, should be very proud of its former pupils contribution to music, an exquisite number! ‘I Am A Runaway Train’ with its dramatic variation in tempo, drums sounding like steel meeting steel, percussive bass riffs, Marcus wailing harp, Sandi’s vocal harmonies and profound Blues guitar riffs, shook the Rescue Rooms with more power and passion, than any tram outside the venue door could. Sandi and harmony vocal singer Lindsay Cleary’s, A Cappella version of the haunting ‘Ghost Town’ stunned the venue into magnetic silence, as they weaved their tale of the pain of love through the imagery of a Wild West town bereft of occupants, with its musical symmetry. Although on a strict show-timing that night, it is fair to say, there might have been a lynching had an encore not been allowed. In fact, two where allowed because that crowd wasn’t going to move until its musical hunger for more, had been satiated. Absolutely great gig!

Carol Borrington

BILLY WALTON BAND

@The Buzz Club Barnet . Sunday 16/05/2010

PhotobyChristineMoore

The Buzz Club in Barnet was packed to the gunnels for New Jersey’s third favourite son and he gave a terrific example of what a really hot bar band is like. There was plenty of punch and pizzazz about his sound and he wrung the neck of his axe to deliver real hard soulful Blues and Noo Yawk rock. He claimed that he had only just landed but there really wasn’t any jet lag about the band as they plundered the best of the ‘Neon City’ album – all bar his version of ‘Papa Was Rolling Stone’ which was a shame as it is a stunning number and must be awesome live. The crowd was right behind them from the off and when they tore into ‘Cadillac Ranch’ the applause hit the roof. The closer, ‘Twist & Shout’ had them girls dancing in the front row and with Bill Paris draped in a Barnet FC scarf they got the rest of the crowd right behind them. The band were thoroughly professional and it looked as though the years playing with Southside Johnny had spawned a fine club guitarist. On this showing I wouldn’t say that The Billy Walton Band are destined for stadium rock but they showed that the best of the bar bands can get a room heaving and that is a great target to aim for. Earlier, local favourites Blues Trinity played a fine set full of good Blues and showed that Britain can also turn out quality bar-room Blues. All ways up a great night and one of those gigs that reminds you that some of the best nights can be found at the end of the street – not just in stadia!.

Andy Snipper

ERIC BIBB

@Live at Bloomsbury Theatre. 11/05/2010

Sometimes it is necessary to let go of professional detachment and simply allow a sublime performance to completely overwhelm your senses. Eric Bibb’s set at the Bloomsbury Theatre last night was one of those. From the moment he walked out and started into ‘Stagger Lee’, playing simply and without any theatrics or ceremony, a calm took over the audience and they were completely in the thrall of a masterful musician playing the music of his soul. His playing was superb, whether it was on an acoustic or on the steel bodied National that used to belong to Booker White and his voice was gentle and clear with the support of Grant Dermody on harmonica but it was the elegant simplicity of his performance

that made the set so special. It felt, at times, that the audience and the performer had moved out from the theatre to some higher plain and there really did feel to be some form of communion between the singer and the crowd – when they began to clap in time to his playing there was none of the usual stuttering handclaps as the crowd got into the rhythm and even when he played some unfamiliar numbers the audience was synched in to his vibe. Bibb harks back to some of the great Blues players and guitarists and he readily acknowledged that legacy but he should realise that he can stand alongside the best of them. – the audience knows it. He has learned the lesson that Dylan gave him all those years back to “keep it simple, don’t throw in the clutter” and he let the crowd feel the hurt and the hope in the songs and this time around he gave us something wonderful.

Andy Snipper

SLOWBURNER

@The Bluebell Inn, Ryall, Worcester. Friday April 23rd Jean and I set out not quite knowing what to expect but found our pre booked Georgian Farmhouse B&B extremely comfortable and welcoming. It was only200yds from the venue (The Bluebell) – a splendid roadside pub with real ales and an excellent choice of meals served by efficient and polite staff. Friendly locals gathered with us on a late spring evening to take in the delights of the fine spell of weather we had been experiencing and then that other kind of spell – a mesmerising soulful rocky blues band- SLOWBURNER no less. It was the bands first time at the venue and they got off to a rousing start and played a joyous set of oldies such as Hoochie Coochie Man, Bull Frog Blues and songs from their latest CD Right Down to the Bone as well as from previous releases such as One Trick Pony album. They threw in their version of Bloodshot (Ian Seigal) and Paul dedicated this to me and Jean – did we really drink enough Butty Bach to look .......perhaps! My Baby she’s a Reptile is an odd title but a great number to get feet going and many were dancing all night. Paul Bridgewater - vocals and quwerky harp- was on tremendous form – as ever. Mike Bannister gave us great stonking lead guitar along with the finest rhythm section of Rob Newel (bass) and Colin Edmonds (drums) sure had us boppers moving in the cramped bar room. This was ‘grass roots’ R&B delivered by a brilliant band often talked about by enthusiasts with comments and questions of why they are not in or nearer the top echelons of the British Blues scene for ever on some people’s lips. This was a new venue for us and we will be looking out for their future bookings and wander up to catch others if this night was anything to go by!

Diane – Sister Feelgood

GUY DAVIS (& PROFESSOR LOUIE)

Half Moon, London. 25/5/10

Guy Davis is in the very top category of contemporary American acoustic blues artists and he demonstrated just why to a highly appreciative audience. Moving from 12-string to 6-string guitar with some rack harmonica and 5-string banjo thrown in, he delivered a fine set in his quite inimitable style. Guy Davis is a showman in the best sense and he gets an audience’s attention from the start. He kicked off with an excellent rendition of Robert Wilkins’ classic ‘That’s No Way To Get Along’ (turned into ‘Prodigal Son by The Stones on “Beggar’s Banquet”) and was then joined for the remainder of his set by the excellent Professor Louie on piano and accordion. One highlight of the set was a quite brilliant version of Mississippi John Hurt’s ‘Payday’, where the guitar/accordion duo worked wonderfully, and the banjo/accordion set-up also produced a terrific, rousing version of Muddy Waters’ ‘Can’t Be Satisfied’. Guy’s distinctive deep and resonant voice was in excellent form and, together with his fine guitar and rack harmonica skills, he showed just how much power a really good acoustic blues artist can generate. Professor Louie contributed some dynamic piano playing, notably on the Dylan cover and title track of Guy’s latest CD ‘Someone Like You’. This was an example of the variety of styles in what Guy Davis does, with nothing ever getting samey and nothing purely formulaic. The covers, whether well-known or more obscure, all get thoughtful and interesting arrangements that make the songs his own rather than rehashes of someone else’s style. He finished with a really interesting and effective version of Blind Willie McTell’s classic ‘Statesboro Blues’, finding something new and personal in the song, and a powerful version of ‘Going Down Slow’. The audience lapped it all up and were ready for lots more, as were the artists on stage, but sadly time was up and that was that. If you aren’t familiar with Guy Davis, you should check him out immediately – all his CDs are of the highest quality and he’s a fine live performer.

Mark Harrison

GOT LIVE

TAMIKREST

@ The Borderline, London. 19/5/10

Tamikrest have that little bit of magic that separates the something special from the very good. On this, their first UK gig, the five-piece band of young Toureg people from the Saharan regions of Africa showed an enthusiastic audience just how fresh and exciting their brand of what gets called ‘desert blues’ is. Fronted by cooler than cool front man, guitarist and chief songwriter Ousmane Ag Mossa, they played most of their excellent debut album ‘Adagh’, hitting their own particular groove from the off with ‘Amiditin’, ‘Alhorya’ and ‘Adounia’. Percussionist Aghaly Ag Mohamedine is the engine and lynchpin, the one they all look to, and he hit the djembe with a power that Keith Moon would have admired. Bassist Cheikh Ag Tiglia wove sumptuous lines around the rhythm, alternating between reggae-style riffs and terrific melody lines, a hugely effective style of bass playing not common in western bands. The guitar interplay between Ousmane and Mossa Ag Borreiba was one of two complementary rhythm players rather than rhythm and lead, and the result was a highly distinctive guitar sound that kept the music light and airy while packing a considerable punch. To all this was added the joyous wails and trills of Fatma Walett Cheikh – her contribution being much more of a feature than merely backing vocals, as she put in her waves of sound, lifting the songs. The gig was a double bill with the US/ Australian band of indie rock veterans Dirtmusic – the two bands have been collaborating, with a member of Dirtmusic producing Tamikrest’s album and members of Tamikrest playing on Dirtmusic’s album BKO. For most of the evening, all eight members of both bands were on stage, doing each other’s numbers. Audience reaction suggested that the balance wasn’t quite right and that more of Tamikrest would have gone down well – when they were centrestage again for feelgood songs such as the album’s title track, everyone got moving again. Certainly, all the sparkle came when Tamikrest were doing their material. If you get a chance to see them, you should do yourself a favour and take it.

Mark Harrison

CLARE FREE

@Radio Wey. June 11-12th

Friday 11th June - 7:45pm and The Clare Free Band have turned up to Play live on The Blues Session on Radio Wey. After squeezing the band into Studio 2 and a quick sound check, the band are ready to go on air at 9pm.

The line up is Clare Free Guitar/Vocals, Hannah Cope on Bass, Matt Allen on Guitar and Pete Hedley on drums. Sat behind the studio desk keeping the levels and monitoring the band I’m really enjoying the sound of the mix of covers/ original material. Even with the amps turned down to almost zero there is an energy there that just wants to escape and the superb guitar work of both Clare and Matt really get the whole session going. Pete on drums and Hannah on Bass provide the glue that holds it all together; but I sense that this band can do so much more in a live venue. Saturday 12th June - 9:15pm and I’m now in the Bell View Pub in High Wycombe and while England are playing the USA Clare and fellow band members are setting up. The football finishes and the locals wonder back into the main bar away from the Wide Screen TV and Clare is ready to start. The first set starts with ‘I won’t lie’ which is a track from the album ‘Be who you are’ and straight away I notice and remarkable difference between the band playing live and what has been captured on the CD. The Album is good but sounds a little too clean, but live, the band has energy and rawness which is fantastic. Three more songs into the set taken from the album confirms this; the band sound even better live. Then it’s time for some covers and after a superb Texas Shuffle with the SRV classic Pride and Joy I’m wanting more of this and thinking why on earth there are no covers on the album. Clare has a great voice which begs to get down and dirty which is what happens as the set progresses. All in all a fantastic night out, some great home grown material and blues covers. If you like the album which I’m sure you will, you’re going to love seeing this band play live.

Martin Clarke - The Blues Session on Radio Wey - Keeping the Blues Live www.thebluessession.co.uk

PHILIP SAYCE

@100

Club May 12th2010

When Philip Sayce took the stage at the 100 Club there was an admiring whoop from at least half a dozen ladies at stage front – not surprising since he has a blonde bob and a young Adonis look to him. The whoop from a couple of hundred males in the audience was more to do with the opening chords that blasted out from the stage as he ripped into ‘Love Is A Powerful Thing’. He plays at high volume but he also plays well enough to get away with the sheer power tearing out and over the audience and even though the walls were ringing from the sonic attack the sound was clear as a bell and they sounded bloody wonderful. Sayce has shown over his two albums that he can play it hard, soft, slow or fast and he gave us all those through a set that was surprisingly fluid; ‘Over My Head’ had big Blues riffs and ‘Bitter Monday’ from the

new album – like much of the material tonight – was a funky and crowd pleasing gem. He was completely natural with the crowd and handled a couple of jovial hecklers – “Louder you Pansy” got him joking about meeting the press in the men’s room - with a winning quip and big smile; very professional. However, even though he was all about business there was still a natural ease about him that a lot of the up and coming bands don’t manage. His guitar playing was powerful but on numbers like ‘Scars’ he showed a hugely rhythmic style and when he moved into slow Blues territory he simply shimmered with passion. The only real disappointment – for me – was a desultory performance of ‘My Pearl’ which is wonderful on the new album but here was rushed. Overall a fine night and a very full crowd were thoroughly entertained.

Andy Snipper

EARL THOMAS & THE KINGS OF RHYTHM

@ The Flowerpot, Derby. 30/04/2010

Earl Thomas & The Kings of Rhythm proved themselves worthy champions to the musical legacy of Ike Turner, who touched all their careers over the years. They took The Flowerpot by storm, filled the room with dancing, foot stamping, clapping and singing punters. In many ways, to describe this as a gig is probably a misnomer; it was a party where the hosts set the tone with a sensational display of Blues and soul who through enthusiasm and pure talent touched all in the room. Earl Thomas’ vocal was superb throughout with the ability to take on high powered soul and gospel tinged numbers with consummate ease, whilst also being able to drop into the more gritty blues numbers in the flick of an eye. His microphone technique was straight out of a textbook! Earl Thomas is a natural frontman, the sort that are born and you can’t invent. His engagement with the audience was top class, using the stage, what there was of it, well and displaying great skills in non-verbal communication. The Kings of Rhythm were the late Ike Turner’s band and that in itself is a pointer to the quality of the instrumentals on display. Live they lived up to ever bit of their reputation, highlighting a myriad of great instrumental solos as well as an ability to act together to put subtle hues of musical colour under Earl Thomas’ vocal gymnastics. ‘Working Together’ with its strong underlying percussion, that brought to mind images of the chain gang, allied to Thomas’ gritty Blues vocal, imbued with so much soul and gospel, interpretive instrumentals from keys, saxophone and lead guitar made this song of the many high-spots of the gig. Thomas’ cover of Etta James, ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’ with its subtle and passionate guitar intro, joined by heart wrenching saxophone was a good match to Thomas’ vocal, with his beautifully sustained notes and pain and ridden intonation. Although, a serious singer, in his stage banter, Thomas proved to have a dry but very easy style, he joked with the assembled saying; as the British Invasion had gone to the States, he wanted to come here and rock! He launched into a wonderful rock but heavily Blues laden version of ‘Stay With Me’. By this time the crowd were dancing on mass and when it came to the end of the gig, they wouldn’t let Thomas and the Band off the stage without doing two encores and even then you were left with the feeling that if given the chance, this musical party would have turned into an all-nighter!

Carol Borrington

TOM BALL & KENNY SULTAN

@ Half Moon, Putney, London. 25/5/10

Though I might consider myself something of an aficionado of acoustic blues, I was, to my shame, not familiar with Tom Ball & Kenny Sultan until this gig. Quite how they slipped under my personal radar is anybody’s guess, but if they ever come your way don’t let that happen to you. This long established harmonica/guitar duo from California simply wowed the small but enthusiastic audience (everyone else was missing a treat) with their extraordinary skills. Their repertoire explores mostly the light-hearted and bawdy areas of Blues, a noble tradition in its own right, and includes a mix of covers and originals. The duo have honed their act over the past couple of decades into a thing of absolute joy. Completely at ease, they exuded charm and affability, two people entirely comfortable in their own skins. They kicked off with a Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee number and certainly they can be compared with that legendary pair. Tom Ball’s harmonica skills are quite something to behold and it’s hard to imagine there is a better practitioner out there anywhere. From start to finish he did almost unimaginable things on the instrument, all of it seemingly tossed off effortlessly, none of it showy for the sake of it. His easy vocal delivery slotted right in too, keeping the songs bouncing along. On guitar, Kenny Sultan made really hard things look ridiculously easy, as if the whole thing was just a light rehearsal. A straight blues would get really interesting the way he delivered it, and a ragtime sequence would simply take flight. Whether they were doing covers such as Muddy’s ‘Honey Bee’ or Willie Dixon’s ‘Live the Life I Love’, or originals such as ‘Filthy Rich’ or ‘Perfect Woman’, every song was an event in its own right, with something special in the way of musicianship to marvel at. After one number, after the applause had taken a while to die down, someone in the audience shouted out ‘Brilliant!’ Nuff said. Mark Harrison

JIMMIE VAUGHAN and THE TILT-a-WHIRL BAND Featuring LOU ANN BARTON

@ O2 Shepherd’s Bush, London.03/06/2010.

The evening event kicked-off with a short but impressive performance by Ian Parker supported by Wayne Proctor and all credit must go to both guys for their performance. There was a solid demonstration of good electro acoustic guitar playing by Parker and his vocal has now fully matured and shows all the polish mingled with the right amount of grit, taking him among the best of his peers’ out-on-the-circuit. Wayne Proctor on drum box must rate as one the top percussionists of his generation now, but he’s not a bad little guitar player too boot and the vocal harmonies between these guests both matched and complimented each to such a degree, that they displayed a level usually only seen by vocal siblings. The crowd, a mix of mature and happily younger Blues fans though were there for one man; Jimmie Vaughan and they were even applauding during his final tuning check, so great is the admiration of the crowd. The Tilt-a-Whirl started the show with an opening instrumental mix of Blues and Jazz and then there were roars of appreciation as Jimmie Vaughan himself took the stage and it didn’t take long to see why. Jimmie’s technique lives up to its reputation of ‘less is more’. He made the complex look easy, no frantic fretwork, just technically precise and emotion laden playing was the order of the day. Jimmie’s vocal, gritty and with the right level of Blues emotion. In the minds of the audience though this was secondary to his guitar work! He’s also got good stage presentation, something which often gets lost when a performer is trying to be lead singer and guitarist at the same time, but Jimmie’s stage usage was good throughout the evening, frequently going to the edges in solos to give those admiring fans a close look at his guitar technique. All this was blended with the fine instrumentals of the rest of band and there was an almost a telepathic connection between them all, so tight and responsive was their playing. This sort of quality does in some part come from long- term familiarity and playing together but it also comes from blending of understanding of each others playing and skill levels blended into one mindset. There was a mix and match of vocal and instrumental songs during the evening and in the latter half of the show, Jimmie was joined by Austin’s Queen of the Blues, Lou Ann Barton in a series of duets. One of the best judges of a gig is the response of the paying punter because at the end of the day they are the ones who keep the whole thing going. You had to be both blind and deaf to know what this crowd’s response was to this guitar legend and they demanded not one but two encores and would have taken more given the chance!

Carol Borrington

ROADHOUSE

@ The Buzz Club Barnet

From playing to over 1000 at Skegness to a small crowd at the Buzz Club Gary Boner and Roadhouse demonstrated truly professional presentation. The band has been on the road for some 20 years and yet from the degree of warmth and enthusiasm that they generated they could just be starting out. But the low turnout needs some explanation; internally the venue is very good, quality PA and lighting, and comfortable. Yet externally no one would know that there is anything happening. There were no indications whatsoever from the street that anything was taking place; in fact you can’t see anything from the street so there is no hope of attracting passing trade. It is well off the beaten track, and dark outside, the road was deserted apart from two small children arguing and a tiny dog that barked at us as we walked past. It all makes life difficult when your band is from deepest South London and the venue is on North London Herts border. Local advertising must surely help? Lots of local people think that good live music no longer exists in this part of the world and they need to know, but how can they with no posters and no general advertising? That said Gary and the boys and girls gave us a great show. There were several Roadhouse favourites including a scorching ‘Roadhouse Blues’ (maybe they should think about writing new lyrics and making this your own, it wasn’t an original riff in the first place – I’m sure they could pull out a winner!), there was a great fun version of ‘Rock Me Baby’ with loads of classic licks and blues guitar facepulling. There was also Mandy G’s usual winning version of ‘House of the Rising Sun’ but it is always the original tunes that interest me most. Apart from favourites like ‘Blues Highway’ tonight featured two songs from the forthcoming album – the title track ‘DARK ANGEL’ and ‘TOO TIRED TO PRAY’ both of them excellent. They leave me with an interesting conundrum about the band. Gary’s lyrics are quite dark, dealing with such topics as, death, illness, lonely roads, voodoo and the devil. Yet the band delivers with a big smile loads of bounce and obviously enjoys every minute. Other standouts included ‘Preacher Man’, which is always a cracking tune. For me, the very best tune of a top notch evening was ‘Brooklyn Blues’ a super slowish groove this and it featured a welcome appearance by former Roadhouse favourite Anne Campbell. Gary Boner’s Roadhouse is an object lesson to bands and bandleaders everywhere- whether the audience is 1500 or 25 they deliver, they entertain, and they do it with real style. Onwards and upwards, long may they roll.

Vicky Martin

         

  

EARLY BLUES: WORDS, MUSIC AND TALKING MUSIC’ by Liz Aiken

PAUL OLIVER has written extensively on the history of the blues, with his first article published in 1951 in Jazz Journal, and he has published a further thirteen books. His latest offering is a double bill of a book and an album set “Barrelhouse Blues”

The early participants of Barrelhouse Blues – a piano in a room - could never have imagined the music that arose from their memories of slavery, daily struggle and long forgotten origins of African beats and rhythms would be celebrated in the 21st century in a blues triumvirate in the form of Paul Oliver’s excellent Book; a Triple CD sharing the time ‘Barrelhouse Blues: Location and the Early Traditions of The Blues’ and finally completing the trinity an evening of Celebration of the Blues in Christchurch, at the Oxford Literary Festival.

Definitely the music of the blues comes first and last within the CD, the book and the festival intricately weaving the story like a patchwork quilt of wordsmith, song smith and musician and sold the blues, as a modern, relevant form of music that spreads it rhythms throughout the popular music scene.

The title “Barrelhouse Blues” is from early recording ED ANDREW’S ‘Barrelhouse Blues’ - this may have caused offence as barrelhouses were rough and crude saloons that sometimes had a piano, where itinerant piano players would play blues, boogie woogie with its 8 beats to the bar rhythm.

Paul Oliver has included a wealth of information that the CD mutually compliments. Painting the picture of early blues music recorded on location is nigh on impossible but Paul does achieve this; and the addition of the CD makes the music jump from the pages giving the words authenticity as the beat feeds the ears and the words on the page providing a context and rhythm that on their own neither could achieve. The combination is definitely an example of the whole being more than the sum of the two separate parts a demonstration of team work in action they are definitely a partnership.

The Book:

The cover illustrating dancing smiling men enjoying the music invites you to step inside, with helpful maps and reproductions of advertisements and pictures of the early blues singers and musicians the picture is painted. The writing style is easy to read; whilst being full of facts and further references so that you can delve deeper into the history and the psyche and motivations of the early traditions of the blues, together with the links back to Africa and forgotten tribal homelands.

Each chapter follows the road and like ‘Route 61’ leads you deeper and deeper into the blues. The people become real, their struggles, racial segregation and the culture of working class people is defined and shaped as their authentic voices are heard. This book will not languish unloved on your shelves but thumbed through and be dipped into over and over again as a Who’s Who of early blues and for the multitude of lyrics printed out in their original formats and snapshot biographies of key players.

The book is like a silent movie the only aspect that is missing is the music the sound to please your ears; cleverly Paul has the remedy in the form of a CD to accompany the book.

The reviews received speak volumes “....And it’s beautifully, feelingly written too.” - Down Beat; “Paul Oliver is without doubt the leading authority on the history and development of the blues” - Rolling Stone. To sum the book up – it is a classic and every page informs the reader of the social and cultural context of the blues and the journey musicians (playing a multiplicity of instruments) travelled to have their music heard; demonstrating that the guitar is not quintessentially the blues it is the soul and cry of the people. Paul Oliver, is a genius a true man of the blues.

The Album:

The Triple CD spanning the Blues from the title track ED ANDREWS, ‘Barrelhouse Blues’ recorded in 1924 through to HENRY TRUVILLION – ‘Tie Tamping Chant’ recorded in 1940. The accompanying record notes are helpful, with a whistle stop tour of early blues which should whet the appetite for the book. Though it should be noted that the numbering and sequences of the tracks is slightly askew obviously the proof-reader was more enchanted and enthralled by the music. The music takes you back to a different time and place redolent of hot fields and cotton gins oppression and lost heritage. Yet, so many of the lyrics and titles reverberate today in many inner cities and poor rural areas, such as, LUCILLE BOGAN: Pawn Shop Blues’; LONNIE JOHNSON: ‘Broken Levee Blues’ and SMITH AND HARPER: ‘Insurance Policy Blues’. This demonstrates how relevant the blues is today, how history repeats itself and the experience of one generation echoes those that have gone before.

This CD is a must for anyone interested in early blues music, or those who wish to start to understand the roots of the music all around us today; whether they are blues artists or not. Without these frontiersmen and women of the recorded sound in authentic surroundings we would not have the likes of Howlin’ Wolf; Muddy Waters; Ten Years After; Led Zeppelin; Rolling Stones; Janis Joplin; Patti Smith, Prince and today’s blues artists such as Ian Siegal; Robert Cray, Eric Clapton; and the list goes on and on ...

The album will not be to everyone’s taste but the nuances, tones and textures of the blues is here in one little box it is in a nutshell the tonal history of the beginning of this genre that has been recorded for posterity..

The Literary Festival:

David Freeman, presenter of Saturday Morning blues slot on Jazz FM introduced the evening as experimental with blues musicians joining the Blues historian and writer Paul Oliver, this was the first time this format of music and literature had graced the Oxford Literary Festival. The evening was a conversation with David, ably prompting the participants to ensure the evening had shape and form in common with the best jam sessions. He started off by asking all the participants what had led them to the blues, Paul Oliver’s earliest recollection was in 1942 hearing the most extraordinary cry/call from behind a Suffolk hedge – what he heard was a field holler rather than the blues but started him on a 50 year mission to find record and explore the history of the blues. Paul Jones found jazz at school as he didn’t like ‘pop’; spending his slender amount of money on purchasing music; listening to T Bone Walker he heard Junior Wells (Harp) and he knew what he was going to do with the rest of his life. Michael Messer came to the Blues through The Rolling Stones, Manfred Mann, Johnny Winter and Rory Gallagher. Ed Genis found his way to the Blues thanks to older brothers and listening to Howlin’ Wolf, Memphis Slim; Ian Siegal was not clear as he was not aware of a time when he didn’t know the blues, and last but not least Marcus Bonfanti, thanks to his dad’s record collection and working back from Led Zeppelin. Interspersed with the conversation was blues guitar playing at the highest level accompanied skilfully by Paul Jones on the harp. Paul Oliver was asked what characterised the blues, he answered simply there is no one factor – depended who sang it, solo or a string band, whether sang in the fields but it is the music of Afro-Americans of the Southern States. What the Blues have in common is the structure of 3 lines 12 bar stanza enabling improvisation leading to the breadth and depth of this genre. We were introduced to the array and distinctive styles of the guitars on stage with ’Rollin’ and a Tumblin’ in the Key of A; a blues song considered as traditional with authorship attributed to Hambone Willie Newbern. When Paul Oliver was asked to compare with what he heard when researching the genre 50 years ago, the quality of the sound and expressions did compare though 50 years again more solo than groups. String bands came back in again in the city with the electrification of the guitar. Paul Jones gave the audience a whistle-stop master class on the blues harp – why when the key is ‘E major’ the harp selected would be tuned to ‘A’ he demonstrated the techniques of bending, a crucial skill for the blues harpist. Robert Petway’s ‘Catfish Blues’ was used to demonstrate with Ian Siegal accompanying on slide guitar. From this the discussion seamlessly moved onto lyrics, with Paul Oliver stating that over the decades the topics used have been surprisingly wide including migration, disasters, immigration, way of life for southern Blacks all portrayed through improvised Blues. The Blues have been used as a vehicle or expression of social change and Paul shared with the experiences of travelling with his wife in segregated Southern states of 1960’s USA. Visiting Muddy Waters house was an experience as at any one time he would have 5 or 6 young black musicians living in his cellar establishing a wealth of talent which evolved into Chicago Blues. The use of slide is a key to Blues music and was originally a neck of a bottle but all sorts of items have been used including Bo Carter who used an aspirin bottle. Ian Siegal, when did the idea of using slide start? Paul Oliver replied no one is really sure but WC Handley referred to the slide in 1903. Discussion followed on the roots of the technique coming from Hawaii; Michael Messer demonstrating the lap guitar technique and slide then went on to sailor Gabriel Davion, around 1885 adapted a guitar into a lap instrument to replicate the musical instrument that had been broken during his travels. Sylvester Weaver from Kentucky often used the bottle- neck style method, playing his guitar with a knife in New York during the 1920’s. Spanish tuning of the guitar interjected Ian, is also a link back to Hawaii and Mexico as shown in Muddy Waters’ ‘Can’t Be Satisfied’ and ‘Country Blues’ these make sense of using the open ‘G’. Paul Jones moved the conversation regarding a CD from Ace Records featuring songs about ‘Jake Leg’ referring to the peculiar way of working that effected people who drank ‘Canned Heat’ now songs have moved on to crack cocaine, crack head man. David Freeman asked Paul Oliver, if he felt Blues were kept alive due to the work of Alan Lomax going out and recording artists during the 1920’s/30’s? Paul felt in many ways it was the reverse with talent scouts drawing upon a culture already existing and surviving giving prominence to the few so reduced the number of people and tended to be solo artists rather than guitar bands. With that the evening sadly, came to a close with Marcus Bonfanti taking the lead delivering Blues in E, ‘Long Way From Home’ as the grand finale, with all the musicians joining in and adding their own distinct skills and styles. Summation of this experimental evening has to be uplifting, entertaining, informative and fun and should be tried at other literary festivals and even at Blues festivals – the only downside of the evening was the lack if heat – it was freezing in the marquee and as Michael Messer commented we need some ‘canned heat’ on this stage not for drinking but to keep us warm.

HEGEMONY of the BLUES

Part 1 : The Power Race - Richard Thomas

THE HEGEMONY OF THE BLUES Part 1: The Power Race

Everything is owned or at least claimed by someone. Rightful custodians are not always those in possession – ask anyone who has been the victim of squatters. The cultural leadership or hegemony, of Blues music is a case in point – who runs it? Who are the king (and queen) makers of the Blues, and how far has it been wrestled from the grasp of those that nurtured it into its global art form? Can we apply some academic theory to it without killing it or curing it drier than a stone? What follows is a personal view.

Most scholars would agree that “ideology” is the group of habits, behaviours and beliefs that make the social world the natural world, although Professor Terry Eagleton from the University of Lancaster was mercifully earthy when he noted that ideology is like bad breath; we acknowledge everyone’s but our own. From a Blues angle, this is one element that has been fairly consistent – we have been taught through the music we love about hardship, disadvantage but ultimately perhaps, about the triumph over adversity. More than anything, it’s about spirit, ands you only have to read the early biographies of Blind Lemon Jefferson or John Lee Hooker to see that. In contrast to the constancy of the message, the political economy –the “money motive” – has fluctuated. From the start, transitions and shifts can be mapped and clear phases identified in racial control as white and black groups assume and reassume dominant roles against political, commercial and social backdrops. Money always talks, but whose lips have been moving? There is no clear final conclusion and any offered here would be only an opinion, so it is the journey that is mapped, with the final destination for the reader to decide. Eric Clapton has perhaps lived in micro what the Blues has lived in macro, but before all that, let’s begin at the beginning. There are rumours of some original roots in the west of England and some feel that the Pilgrim Fathers may have imported something rhythmical on the Mayflower that added something to what we know as Blues. Whether that is true or not, unquestionably it is the result of some kind of fusion. Establishing who started the whole shebang is contentious to say the least – there are. That is all for another day perhaps.

In his excellent book Blues people: Negro music in white America, Leon Jones asserts the most popular theory – that Blues is rooted within the native music of African slaves in America, indeed captivity was its original inspiration as they chanted in their native tongue about how they yearned for their native African shores.

Black slaves took hegemonic control of the music within their own hierarchical system but as Jones continues, crucially the white man enforced his own censorship seeing the new singing as a rebellious call to arms. The ideology of struggle had a black voice, but a white master. The Plantation owners monitored output to protect their own dominant values of suppression and wealth acquisition like record bosses with an eye for the commercial over the rustic and pure. Early twentieth century Italian scholar Gramsci (what is he doing in a piece about the Blues) claimed that “leading class” ideology can only operate if space is left for the alternative values and cultures. By permitting the impromptu work music at all, slave owners conformed to this model, and you can imagine a condescending “if that’s what keeps them happy” tolerance. For the enslaved, the music became more than just culturally important. It fulfilled several functions and Dennis McQuail’s theory from his book Mass communication theory: an introduction suggests some “uses and gratifications” that can be applied. Using his model, the Blues was a form of local information; a reinforcement of personal identity (especially in oppressive surroundings); a communal act of integration and a means of self entertainment. The black man may have been gratified, but the white man was still the one with the lined pockets. The early music itself was simple and rustic, as Jones further observes, utilising inexpensive, mobile instruments like the harmonica. Inevitably within an oppressive regime, the songs were generally sad and miserable – hardly surprising since the slaves were not only forced into hard, physical toil but were far from home. One analysis of this first phase would be that the blues conformed to the view of cultural scholars of the 1940’s known as the “Frankfurt School”. Their depressing model of how mass culture is administered was developed long after the days of slaves in the fields, but arguably sums up the situation nicely. Hegemonic control lay with the censoring white plantation owners, and the hierarchical structure within slave communities combined to administer the bland uniformity of lamenting songs with little variation. Songs about captivity and hardship continually reminded the slaves of their own unhappiness – was this an early example of the “witless ubiquity” that the Frankfurt school had warned about later?

Blues in its purest form can be simple and moving, but – and the here the devil’s advocate speaks – couldn’t it be described as rather “samey” in terms of sound and content? An alternate analysis would be that the consistent ideological message eventually spawned the civil rights movement which gained impetus over a century later.The motivation of the white owners was predominantly commercial, and thriving, settled working communities were the way this was achieved, but however hard they may have deluded themselves that they had done the black slave an enormous service by civilising him, it all changed with emancipation.The abolition of slavery made the music less inhibited, although freedom presented new problems as the structure that white enforcement had brought to slave communities was dismantled. The recognisable face and ideology of the blues was black, and hegemonic control was taken by the liberated population themselves for the first time – black music under free black direction. White America began to realise its power loss but still attempted to assume dominance. In his 1990 essay Mass communication theory: an introduction Van Dorston describes representations of black culture in international exposition fairs, specifically between 1876 and 1916 described as “demeaning”. Extreme stereotypical representations have continued since. The condemnation of Carole Thatcher by the BBC for the infamous “golliwog” comments was totally correct, but showed a short, selective memory - the corporation was no doubt delighted with the 18 million viewers they pulled in with their Black and White Minstrel Show as recently as 1978. Despite such ongoing distortions, in the 1920’s rightful black owners settled properly into control of blues music, but to continue the recurring theme in the story, the next revolution was around the corner.Just as emancipation turned everything on its head, new media forms like radio transformed entertainment and communication. Music generally was potentially available to a much wider audience and as the scale of the interested audience became apparent, Blues slowly changed from local entertainment source to a big money-spinning opportunity.

Those running radio stations and record shop were predominantly white and arguably, they didn’t so much change the hegemony of the Blues, they tried to kill it. Potentially a much bigger audience could have accessed the music at this stage, but white entrepreneurs controlled output. Van Dorston noted that over 60 years since the first phonograph, major black blues artists including Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson and Big Joe Turner were unknown to anyone other than customers at “race” record stores in segregated areas, and radio stations generally avoided this type of content. The American depression of the 1930’s delivered the next phase in Blues “ownership” history. The record industry collapsed and sales dropped from over 100 million in 1927 to six million in 1932. Previously localised, fragmented blues music was consolidated as recording costs prohibited all but a few major stars from cutting records. In The devil’s music: a history of the blues, Giles Oakley suggests that such stars retook control a level below the white media power brokers. As the record industry declined and radio continued its suspicion of black music, live performance was once again key, and by the end of the Second World War, their virtuosity and drive re-established the record industry. In Understanding popular music, Shuker quotes a thousand new record labels emerging in the US between 1948 and 1954. Telling black America that it was helping, indeed driving, a new cultural age would have been a fairly crass message during racial segregation, but when young English musicians Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies anticipated a UK market for blues, it precipitated perhaps the greatest change of all.

By the mid 1960s, the teenager had already been invented for a few years, and there was a ready “baby boomer” audience with a disposable income and the willingness to try something new. The subsequent activity within British blues music involved artists like The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac and John Mayall and perhaps here was white ownership of the Blues for the first time with purer intentions. Lesser known bands also mastered the art quickly. Post Cream, and in the early days of Blind Faith, allegedly Eric Clapton watched in awe his support act Savoy Brown from the wings, turned to his crew and asked “How the hell do I follow that?”. Well, he did of course.

As this latest shift occurred however, the credibility of white stars playing black music raised issues of authenticity and credibility. An article in The Times in September 1998 retrospectively asked whether white musicians “who grew up in the affluent suburbs of Macclesfield and Surbiton” could replicate music with the aura of “poor black sharecroppers in the Mississippi Delta”. Conversely, how relevant was the traditional Blues ideology of struggle and repression to a young British white audience who were just beginning, through technology and social change, to realise the world’s potential? Thank God these two unlikely bedfellows have stayed under the sheets for so long.

In her article Plaques honour the birthplaces of British blues in the Independent 2005, Arts Correspondent Louise Jury suggests mainstream U.S audiences in the 60’s ironically took note only when the music was exported back to them via white British enthusiasts, and she further quotes Fran Leslie, editor of Blues in Britain that “American record buyers …. would see the name “McKinley Morganfield” and discover that the artist, better known as Muddy Waters, was a black man and also American”. White owners, but now, white fans and imitators too. One analysis could be that by “stealing” blues music from black America, white Britain also saved it.

Authenticity doubts continued and remain to this day. In Trying to Find an Identity: Eric Clapton’s Changing Conception of ‘‘Blackness’’, Ulrich Adelt quotes Muddy Waters himself as saying “...they got all these white kids now. Some of them can play good blues. They play so much, run a ring around you playin’ guitar, but they cannot vocal like the black man’’. It is Clapton’s own journey that perhaps best illustrates the contemporary blurring of blues hegemony.

His implied support of Enoch Powell’s tough stance on immigration in the 1970’s appeared at odds with his promotion of black music but surely you can have an opinion about immigration without being racist, and perhaps you can feel a rare pang of sympathy for contemporary politicians who raise the subject only to be shouted down as fascists. It is Adelt makes a general point that “the solidification of a blues ideology in the 1960s ....... rested on essentialist notions of race”. It seems a simple case of binary opposites – can pure white Blues have the same passion as a scarred, black heart?

Adelt talks of “imitating blackness” to add authenticity and this is the ultimate twist in the hegemonic journey given all that has gone before – the white master enslaved the black man and censored his music and not so many generations later he is mimicking him, this time without any of the minstrel- mocking cruelty of before. Conversely of course, some black artists have attempted to become more “white” to broaden their popular appeal, and that is only one element of the tragedy that was Michael Jackson. Maybe those binary oppositions are not so clear cut after all any more.

So who owns the Blues now? A simple “Google” picture search shows that the music continues to be represented by a narrow demographic, with “black” outnumbering “white” by a factor of around six in a sample of the first hundred images or so. On the cover of Blues Matters! however, you are as likely to see white Brummie Robert Plant or Serbian Ana Popovic as Eddie Boyd or Taj Mahal. And that, I reckon, is the rub.

My suggestion is that while we can make some observations about who has owned Blues in the past - much of it is a shameful tale of exploitation - perhaps modern Blues is a true, multi-racial, inclusive community where the quality of your sound is the scale of measurement. Wherever we come from, whatever our motivations, our background or our political leanings, the music glues us into a community. The Blues is a living, breathing form of art and no doubt has one or two more surprises left up its sleeve yet...

Richard Thomas

Shindig! 17 - July-August 2010 - Out Now

Is summer here yet? In the UK it comes and goes, so rather than give you an all out “Summer Sunshine-Pop Special” we have mixed things up a bit, just the way we like to. There is a wee dose of sublime Californian sun dappled harmony via our candid MIChAel FeNNelly interview (he of The MIlleNNIUM), where he dishes the dirt on Boettcher and talks about his later career moves. I don’t think we’d ever equate ROBeRT FRIPP with the sun though, so are pleased to turn the heat down to a more english shade of light grey with a superb feature on GIleS, GIleS & FRIPP (the pre-KING CRIMSON Dorset trio who bordered on the comical, psychedelic, jazzy and gifted). Old hangdog lee hAzlewOOD has one of his last ever interviews published and there are plenty of welcome diversions into everyone from CAPTAIN SeNSIBle to US heavies BANG, UK psych lads PANDAMONIUM... and ermmm...

DUDley MOORe. let’s not forget fine new sounds from ROKy & OKKeRvIl, The MOleS and PeTe MOlINARI either.

The cheerful insanity that led to KING CRIMSON

ISLINGTON’S FIRST AND ONLY DEDICATED JAZZ AND BLUES VENUE

lIVE MUSIC 6/7 NIGHTS A WEEK FEATURING ONLY THE BEST ROOTS MUSICIANS AROUND

FROM NEW ORLEANS BRASS BANDS TO CHICAGO BLUES TO BE-BOP TO BOOGIE WOOGIE AND EVERYTHING IN-BETWEEN

FIND OUT WHAT’S COMING IN THE NEXT ISSUE…….

Here’s a taster from the next issue interview with Jeff Beck: Q. Now we are interviewing you for Blues Matters magazine, and yet you are not really famous for being a Blues man. Have you ever thought about doing a complete Blues album?

A. Yes I have thought about it once but that’s about as far as it got. I mean who plays the Blues these days? You don’t want a rehash of old Chicago Blues, and anyway theres a lot of Blues in everything that I do, but I like to try to give variety in everything,

Future parts in the Hegemony of the Blues series will include; Gender in the Blues (how women artists are portrayed, how they represented in songs and how they may be challenging the traditional power structures )

The British in the Blues ( did we hijack it or save it in the 60’s)

The ideology of Blues ( it was about captivity and suffering, but is that relevant today, and if not, what is modern blues about - is it just a homogenised music form or does it say something, or does it just “muster up” a general feeling )

Ana Popovic (Serbia), Dale Storr (UK), Foghat (UK based in USA), Harry Shapiro (UK writer), Ian Siegal (UK), Jeff Beck (UK), Jimmy Bowskill (USA), Julien Temple (UK), Mark Doyle (USA), Roadhouse (UK), Simon McBride (UK), W.T.Feaster (USA-John MAyall), and Eric Bibb Pt.2.

Jeff Beck