Blues Matters 56

BLUES MATTERS!

“The BLUES without the blinkers!”

JEFF BECK (UK)

MARSHALL CHESS (US)

ANA POPOVIC (SERBIA)

DALE STORR (UK)

ERIC BIBB (US)

OTIS TAYLOR (US)

JIMMY BOWSKILL (CANADA)

W T FEASTER (US)

GARY BONER (UK)

SIMON McBRIDE (IRELAND)

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION (US)

JULIEN TEMPLE (DR FEELGOOD) (UK)

“I mean who plays the Blues these days?”

“...the blues artists...their music was always about women, sex, and that’s what they always used to ask me” ‘ Did ya get any yet?’

“There wasn’t to much deep conversation”

“I just want to say that rock and blues are married to each other”

l

JEFF BECK

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION

MARSHALL CHESS

Gary Boner, Roadhouse

CONNIE LUSH & BLUES SHOUTER

SANDI THOM

BLUES MATTERS! EDITORIAL

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

Facebook :- :www.facebook.com/bluematters

MySpace :- www.myspace.com/bluesmattersmagazine

Follow us on Twitter: blues_matters

EDITORIAL team

Alan King / Geraint Morgan: editor@bluesmatters.com

Founder alan@bluesmatters.com

Contributing writers:

Liz Aiken, Roy Bainton, Andrew Baldwin, Adam Bates, Duncan Beattie, Adrian Blacklee, Bob Bonsey, Carol Borrington, Bob Chaffey, Norman Darwen, Dave Drury, Hugh Fielder, Rick Finlay, Linda Fisher, Diane Gillard aka ‘Sister Feelgood’, Jamie Hailstone, Stuart A. Hamilton, Nat Harrap, Mark Harrison, Gareth Hayes, Steve Hoare, John Hurd, Peter Innes, Duncan Jameson, Julian Jarrett, Randy Jones, Geoff Marston, Ben MacNiar, Geoff ‘The Silver Fox’ Marston, Vicky Martin, Martin McKeown, Martin ‘Noggin’ Norris, Merv Osborne, Frankie Pfeiffer, Thomas Rankin, Paromita Saha, Graeme Scott, Dave Scott, Andy Snipper, Richard Thomas, Tom Walker, Kevin Wharton, Rhys Williams, Philip Woodford.

Contributing photographers:

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

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!

J.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.

Welcome to your new issue as we progress and learn. There are more fascinating interviews in this issue...... Also we’d like to introduce a few new items to our pages for you so read on;

We will be allocating one page each for three new topics: Blues Record Stores (we mean actual shops you can walk into), tell us about your favourite record store and why with an image.

Blues Venues, we want you to tell us about the best Blues venues in your area and include an image. Contact details would also be welcome.

Local Blues musicians, yes the guys that have been playing in your area for ages and never get out on tour who deserve a mention for their tireless work.

Submissions by e-mail please to: editor@bluesmatters. com headed either

Blues Record Stores, Blues Venues or Local Blues Musicians. Max number of words – 400. Contact details for all the above would also be helpful for everyone reading your submission.

BM55 letters page seems to have caused a ripple. At the end of the day it is a letters page where readers can express their views and others can respond. We do not take sides. We are a vehicle for you to have your say. You will find responses to the letter that caused the stir in this issue but there will be no more on the subject appearing in our pages after this issue.

Some apologies;

In BM55 the Festival report on Soul Survivors had the wrong name at the end which was left at the end of the review in error but is actually a friend of the writer Paromita Saha, so now we’ve corrected that. Sorry Paromita – nice to chat!

Also our thanks to Fran May as we missed a photo credit to for images used in the Peter Green feature.

Omission from BM54 Pt.2: You can listen to Honeyboy Edwards at home reminiscing about his days as a hobo and gambler at www.SittingWith.com the direct link to it on the web version of BM is: http://www.sittingwith.com/ archive.html#c47

Courtesy of Gianluca Tramontana - Music Journalist & Broadcaster

Congratulations to ‘punmaster’ Tim Vine on winning the ‘Dave’ Award for the best joke at the Edinburgh Festival. Here it is:

I’ve just come back from the holiday of a lifetime.......ah, tell you what, never again!

Alan & Geraint

and of course all the BM ‘team’

Don’t forget your feedback to: editor@bluesmatters.com

Rolling

18 INTERVIEWS

Jeff Beck,Otis Taylor, Eric Bibb Pt2, W T Feaster, Julien Temple (Dr Feelgood, Jimmy Bowskill, Simon McBride, Roadhouse, Marshall Chess, Dale Storr, Anna Popovic.

124 HENDRIX 40 YEARS ON by Vicky Martin.

126 HEGEMONY OF THE BLUES by Richard Thomas..

129 HARVEST JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVALCANADA

Solomon Burke, The 3J’s Bowskill/ Bonamassa/Beck, Tommy Castro, Buddy Guy, Matt Schofield, Geoff Achison, Popa Chubby, Paul Jones, Eric Burden, The Holmes Brothers etc.

80 CD REVIEWS

BEN POOLE, NAPOLEON WASHINGTON, MARK BUTCHER, SOLOMON BURKE, DUKE ROBILLARD, STEPHEN DALE PETIT, JOHN PINAMONTI, 24PESOS, SIMON MCBRIDE, THE RHYTHM CHIEFS, MATT SCHOFIELD, WALTER TROUT, THE UNION, ERJA LYYTINEN, SEAN TAYLOR, LIGHTNIN’ HOPKINS, THE SPIKERDRIVERS, WALTER TROUT, SIMON MCBRIDE, GREGG WRIGHT, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, MUD MORGANFIELD WITH THE DIRTY ACES, RORY ELLIS, DANI WILDE, THE REVOLUTIONAIRES, THE ESSENTIAL CYRIL NEVILLE 1994 – 2007.

RONNIE EARL AND THE BROADCASTERS, NINE BELOW ZERO, DINAH WASHINGTON, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, HARPER, PINTETOP PERKINS AND WILLIE

“BIG EYES” SMITH, GOV’T MULE. etc.

Page 18. JEFF BECK

You should check out his “Emotion & Commotion” CD which he released back in March, its unmistakably Jeff Beck. He has been touring UK and Europe, but there are only European dates left on the itinerary.

Simon McBride

AnaPopovic

photo Robert Stolpe

photo Christine Moore

Dale Storr

photo Paul Cantrell

OtisTaylor

JimmyBowskill

photo Christine Moore

FEEDBACK

What you want to vent!

Mr. Barnett caused a ripple with his letter in the last issue and we’ve had a few mails and phone calls about this, the support goes both ways and here is a sample of responses;

We will not carry this discussion forward to a future issue but leave you to make your own decisions on the subject.

(we can only print what comes in letters or e-mails not take down what we are told over the phone so those of you that have been asked to put your views in by mail and not by phone will only see your views here if you have done so)

The Editor,

Well done Nottingham Blues Society for organising the British Blues Awards, I imagine a lot of time and effort has gone into the organising and collation of the votes, keep up the good work see you in Newark.

Wendy Wilde

To the editor,

I was saddened to read Charles Barnett’s letter about the British Blues Awards, where on earth he came up with the race card is beyond me, I am pretty sure there would be plenty of moans from British Blues Fans if Joe Bonamassa was voted British Blues Guitarist 2010, also from British guitarists. I for one would have loads of respect for the winners of these awards which are voted for by the people that matter, the people who pay to see the UK’s finest week in week out, the very best of luck to you The British Blues Awards 2010. Molly Murden (Carlisle)

This came in on behalf of the Awards organization; Could you please arrange to have the following statement published as the formal response of the British Blues Awards Team in your next issue?

“The British Blues Awards team and the executive committee of the Nottingham Blues Society were very disappointed to read Mr. Barnett’s letter regarding the 2010 British Blues Awards in Issue 55 of Blues Matters. Clearly we are very disappointed that Mr. Barnett feels the way that he does and also we are concerned that Blues Matters did not give us the opportunity to respond to such a strong letter before Issue 55 went to press. However, we have prepared an extensive question and answer document that deals with the points raised by Mr. Barnett in what we feel is the most constructive manner. The Q&A document is on our website at http://britishbluesawards.com/ Regards, Simon (on behalf of the British Blues Awards team)

This copied from an e-mail; I write to convey my disappointment that Blues Matters has seen fit to publish the divisive and intentionally destructive letter from one Mr. Charles Barnett questioning the legitimacy of the up-coming British Blues Awards on a number of grounds.

It is possible to take issue with all that Mr Barnett has seen fit to criticise but I shall deal with only one matter below However, the principal purpose of this letter is to ask openly why you saw fit to publish this impulsive, pompous and ill-considered outburst. Any and all of us who are lovers of the blues and blues based music should be fully behind the initiative of the Nottingham Blues Society as one of the most important developments in the field of blues music in the UK since the early days of the British Blues boom. This sniping from the sidelines, now unfortunately assisted by you, who gave it publicity, is both regrettable and unwise. If it’s green and it smells like bitter wine it is undoubtedly sour-grapes. As the Editor of Blues In The South, a much less influential publication than BM albeit that it has been in constant production since 1987, I am delighted to be the sponsor of the Male Vocalist category in the awards. I am surprised, as I have been since sponsorship was asked for, not to see BM in that list. More bitter wine? As to one of the specific issues raised by Mr Barnett. The question of whether specifying ‘British Nominees Only’ is illegal is what lawyers call a moot point, that is, a matter that has been deprived of practical significance or rendered purely academic by events. That is so because people making nominations and the Nottingham Blues Society saw fit to ignore the condition by nominating and accepting the nomination of Son Henry in the category ‘Instrumental other’ for his lap-steel work. Son Henry is an

Free press can, of course, be good or bad, but, most certainly without freedom, the press will never be anything but bad!

American and remains so albeit that he has legal residential status in the UK and is seeking British citizenship. Mr Barnett (and BM) should be applauding not sniping.

Yours Ian K. McKenzie - Editor Blues In The South

BM: There was no intention in any direction here as far as BM is concerned; a reader had an opinion and concern as he is entitled to do the same as yourself Ian. As you can see yours has also now been published. Mr. Barnett seems to have looked into this before making his comments. It also seems we have given both sides publicity as you can tell.

Bitter wine? We prefer our beer!

There were a couple of other letters on this matter from sponsors of the Awards and we did not feel it would be right to publish them all here but we thank you for mailing/writing in.

Dear Editor

I was so pleased to read the letter from Mr.Barnett as I was wondering about these Awards. Now I will not add fuel to this BUT I will congratulate you at BM for having the courage to publish the letter at all. I feel you are being open, not judging but are giving us the chance to express our views and raise questions, that is what the press is for isn’t it? We may not get the answers we want all the time but at least you do your bit for the Blues (well actually you do a hell of a lot and nobody can deny that) and are open about it. Your ‘Blues without the blinkers’ motto is an accurate one. You just keep on doing the great job you are doing there and hearty congratulations on the recent issues, much improved all round!

Sally Forbes, Bicester

BM: We humbly thank you Sally

To the Editor,

Regards the letter from C Barnett printed in Issue 55. I welcome your invitation to hear from more readers on the matter of British Blues Awards, you have done a service to the blues community of the entire country by printing said letter. Mr. Barnett’s unfortunate introduction of nationalism, race & slavery into what should be a reasoned and sensible discourse about celebrating contemporary British blues music and it’s creators & performers, is not only factually incorrect (When, in recent memory, has the adjective ‘British’ denoted or excluded any race?) but nonsensical; why on earth shouldn’t British blues lovers, supporters & fans celebrate British blues music with an awards ceremony? Should they instead host a Costa Rican, Ghanian or Norwegian Blues awards? That said, Mr. Barnett does raise some pertinent points. A visitor to the British Blues Awards homepage (www. britishbluesawards.com) is welcomed and told” We have the Oscars, the Grammy’s, the MOBO’s, now at last a set of awards for British Blues.” Yes of course, a British Blues Awards is an idea whose time has come and The Nottingham Blues Society is to be applauded and admired for their no doubt well intentioned efforts to create an awards ceremony which fills a gaping hole in the modern British music business landscape. However, the founders do themselves a disservice by appearing to, by inference, claim that their British Blues Awards currently has anything like the industry wide support or recognition of the other awards shows they name and whose company they rightly seek to be amongst. Ownership of the URL britishbluesawards.com merely means they were first to register it, and 400 online website links and a few dozen sponsors at £50 a time does not constitute the legitimacy, credibility and broad participation an awards ceremony called British Blues Awards must have if it is to be worthy of it’s name.

I urge the BBA to seek and obtain the participation and/or blessing of bodies like the BPI, AIM, MU & PRS, a comprehensive and broad representation from the legions of both national (Paul Jones, Bob Harris, or Jools Holland for example) and regional BBC & commercial blues radio supporters and programs, as well as the involvement of established print media like Blues in Britain, Blues Matters, Rock & Reel and the editors/writers of blues sections in Mojo, Classic Rock etc. I suggest that a far larger number of record labels, major AND independent must be brought on board, (surely categories for producer & recording engineer are glaring omissions) and the question also arises as to why other blues societies up & down the country should not have share of voice. Finally, the awards event must be a standalone ceremony; tying it in with an existing festival or event only leaves the organisers open to charges of cronyism & favouritism no matter how strongly they may protest otherwise.

I am well aware of how difficult starting anything from scratch can be, and also how much more work my suggestions would require. Again, hats off to each of the 6 members of The Nottingham Blues Society. The saying “mighty oaks from acorns grow” applies, and you may very well have founded a great event that will come to be universally recognised. However, the BBA is still very much a work in progress, and only time will tell if you possess the integrity, tenacity, humility and foresight to turn what is currently very much YOUR awards show into everybody’s awards show. In closing, the bitching & sniping I have come across in many places about this subject is in danger of turning into a blues supporters version of Monty Python’s “Four Yorkshiremen” sketch. Arguments about who has supported British blues the longest, the most passionately, given the most time, effort, money, support etc etc achieve precisely nothing. Nobody has the patent on love & passion for the blues; we all want to see a British Blues Awards that thrives and goes from strength to strength. It is a great responsibility the founders have chosen for themselves, and I for one, hope & pray that they succeed in carrying out the important task that they have begun.

Brian Frasier London

BM: We will leave this matter there for you all to look and decide upon and to take Shakespeare at his words: To vote or not to vote, that is the question!

FEEDBACK

Dear Editor

I read with interest the letter by Chris Boughton and reply about the threats to live venues. Blues Matters certainly does some good by having a live reviews section where readers can learn about touring artists and local venues. I do think though more could be done. The live review section is far smaller than the album review section, and I’d like to see the live reviews take a larger proportion of the magazine. While the magazine currently covers many readers’ favourites, there is a smaller level of venue that puts on shows by lesser known artists. Anything that gives these artists and venues greater coverage can only be a good thing as without these shows many of these artists would not get the opportunity to sell and record CDs and therefore might never feature in the magazine.

Lynn Wilson, Liverpool

BM: Yes Lynn, live music does need more coverage and it is an area we would like to do more on. All publications are restricted by the number of pages they can afford and copies they can print so have to try to strike a balance and make sacrifices they do not want to make sometimes. With more support we will be able to increase our pages and include more live coverage that will be the aim. Right now we are trying to print more copies to cope with distributor orders and getting into more outlets and being more accessible and getting noticed more. People need to get out to their local newsagents to find us as like many other publications the industry is missing Borders stores as an outlet and there isn’t a lot to replace them that is as reliable as they were. The costs of getting into stores like WH Smiths are high for publications like ourselves and similar publications in other genres and fields and not affordable. At least we are bringing new names to the public attention and our reviews section gets excellent feedback (we can’t print all the nice things people say) and is important to artists labels and fans who find it hard to find out about Blues releases anywhere else. We will continue to strive and spread the word and hope that our readers will do the same and encourage other friends to subscribe so that we can do more of what needs to be done.

PS. Do check out the next issue where we hope to include 3 new pages as outlined in the Editorial on page 5.

Dear Blues Matters, Cool article on Jimmie Vaughan. Playing that laid back and tasteful is a rare art. I was glad to see him mention bassist Ronnie James in such high favor. Ronnie is a good cat and a helluva bass player. I interviewed him back in April for a book I’m working on tentatively called “Trash, Twang & Thunder: Austin’s Roots Rock Revival of the 80’s”, named after the Grammy nominated guitar orgy album. You can read the interview with Ronnie at http://www.jjvicars.com/blog.html/ ronnie_james__living_the_dream/

I also interviewed Texas drum legend Mike Buck and that will be up soon as well.

Reverend J.J. Vicars – Japan

Rock ‘n’ Roll rebel & Dudeist priest. www.jjvicars.com

BM: Hey JJ, cool indeed, we are blessed. You keep up the good work and keep us posted.

Dear blues lovers

Thank you, thank you thank you so much for getting back to what matters in your magazine. I was on the verge of giving up on you but you just kept my faith with these last two issues. I was getting nervous and upset with my favourite blues read but you have restored me, how could I ever have thought that Blues Revue might have become my blues reading in the near future. Great issues, great interviews, great to have you back and to be able to buy you at our local newsagent is superb. When we walked in they said to Tom “hey you like the blues, this is right up your street!” and showed us a copy and of course we now have an order in from here on.

Sarah and Tom Gillies, Beckenham

BM: We hope more newsagents are or will be doing the same, that’s the spirit. Thank you for letting us know and we hope you will continue to enjoy the magazine. We have an advert in a magazine called MDB (Magazine Distribution Book) which every Newsagent in the country has under/by/near their counter. If anyone walks into any newsagent and asks for a copy of Blues Matters and they looked puzzled or say “What’s that?” then if they are referred to the MDB they will find us and will be able to order us without any problem.

GETTING THE BLUES

GWYN ASHTON’s Blues Top 10

What hits me in the guts - in chronological order. It’s more of a “what I heard first and what got me INTO the blues” than a top ten.

Apologies to Son House, Robert Johnson, RL Burnside, John Lee Hooker, BB King

1: All Your Love - John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers

This is my number one because it was the first blues album that I got after my introduction to this form of music. I saw a band a gig in Aldgate (in the Adelaide Hills, SA) back in the 70s and the next day I went to my local record store to buy anything to do with the blues. I bought the album on recommendation by a mate of mine, went home and put it on the turntable and this was the first track on the album. Hit me straight away. This was mind-blowing stuff that I still don’t get tired of listening to.

2: Goin’ Down Slow – Lightnin’ Hopkins

The real deal. Much copied and never obtained.

3: I Wonder Who – Rory Gallagher Irish Tour ‘74

A few months later a friend from over the road asked me if I had heard of Rory. I hadn’t and he lent me some records – this one, Calling Card and Live In Europe ’72. I played the living crap outta these records. With Irish Tour, this one and Too Much Alcohol really impressed me the most. I STILL haven’t given the records back to him!

4: I Could Have Had Religion – Rory Gallagher Live In Europe ‘72

This track got me into Muddy Waters and slide guitar. This was in ’78 or so. I was 18 and the music my parents played was really horrible white stuff! Not like the kids’ parents now who grew up on the music I listened to and support them if they want to learn how to play. In MY day if you wanted to play this stuff you’d get thrown outta home! The emotion and power in this track is what I got off on. The guitar phrasing and tone was incredible. Best heard on vinyl, I remember hearing certain phrases, picking the needle up and trying to find the groove on the record to hear it again!

5: I’m Tore Down/Ain’t Nobody’s Business – Freddie King

Two songs here. I’m cheating but I don’t care! How can you just pick ONE Freddie King song? I love all of Freddie’s stuff. He was a big bloke with lots of guts in his singing AND playing. I learned of him, and many other artists, through the Bluesbreakers. The beauty of this music is that it’s not limited to any one arrangement and the idea of improvisation is, to me, what music should be all about. Consequently, I hate doing the same songs the same way, in the same order, every night. Might as well work in a factory or play in a cover band!

6: Dust My Broom – Elmore James

It doesn’t get any sweeter than this. Again, I heard him through another white English band - this time, Fleetwood Mac. The slide guitar riff.

7: Blue Jean Blues – ZZ Top

As played at all the biker and stoner parties I used to play at in Adelaide in the 70s! Billy Gibbons has gotta be the best white blues guitarist on the face of this planet, bar none!

8: She’s Gone – Hound Dog Taylor

Sloppy, aggressive, slightly outof-tune slide guitar, incredible vocals and the whole song stays on the one. I learned from this you only need one chord if you know how to groove. Production and virtuoso technique mean bugger-all if you haven’t got the vibe of THIS record!

9: Shake ‘Em On Down–Mississippi Fred McDowell

All his stuff was great. Killer playing and slide guitar. Pure emotion.

10: Phone Call From Leavenworth – Chris Whitley

I know it’s contemporary and I’ve missed out a lot of the classic players but I think this just about nails everything I get into in one song. Great lyrics, resonator bottleneck slide technique and vocals. Whitley’s my favourite modern guy and it’s too bad he was taken from us too early. Not all his stuff was blues and he had his own take on everything he did. This version is from his ‘Living With The Law’ album.

HAPPENIN’

Latest news from our Blues world

KT’s WAKEFIELD CITY RHYTHM & BLUES FESTIVAL 2011 -By

Kate Honeyman, Chair - Wakefield Music Collective

‘No time machine to take us back’ as one festival morphs its way into the next, echoes of the message etched in the minds of Wakefield Music Collective as they embark on their 4th Rhythm & Blues Festival. Commencing on Wednesday 3rd November at Harry’s Bar with local stalwarts Tony Foster Band and closes with the rousing Resonators on Sunday 7th November. Featuring 12 bands playing @ 6 venues over 5 rockin’ and rollin’ days (all gigs are free except for the Cathedral concert). Bands also include Tim Graham & The Wild Cats, Rise, Jed Thomas Band, The Blueniks, The Welsh T Band, The Valvetronics, Hummingbird Blues Band, The Deal and headliners Dr.Feelgood. Steadily building the reputation of this small voluntary run festival, the Collective have secured the most iconic building in town, Wakefield Cathedral. The Cathedral more used to Handels Messiah than raucous R & B standards, will play host to a high energy, headlining gig featuring legendary Dr. Feelgood on Saturday 6th November at 8pm. Dr.Feelgood, not Nouvelle cuisine (all show and no substance) but those cultish Canvey Island blues guys who can whip up a storm and ladle out their proven recipe to a hungry clientele. To gorge on their special brand of musical delicacies, meander down to see what promises to be a memorable gig in this most novel of Blues Festival venues. The Cathedral concert is followed by a free gig @ Fernandes Brewery Tap with The Deal.

I thought of putting on a Blues Festival in Wakefield after listening to Steve Hacketts ‘The Fundamentals of Brain Washing’. I found myself asking ‘If you wiped out your past life what would be your alternative story?’ The pages of the new book show endless possibilities: being possessed by the spirit of Audrey Hepburn, writing an anthem with Tom Waites; staging an annual Blues Festival in Wakefield. Well it was fuel for the brain on a frosty February morning. No one can imitate Audrey’s style, Tom Waites never did get in touch, but hey, Wakefield Blues Festival epitomises possibility turning into reality.

The 1st Blues Festival held in October 2007, was a low key affair with mainly local and regional bands playing. It was held in four venues across Wakefield and all gigs were free. It started life as KT’s City Blues Bash a charity event organised by me to raise money for Wakefield Music Collective. I had promoted gigs in Wakefield in my spare time for a year before joining the Collective, and becoming Chair in 2007. Wakefield Music Collective is a non-profit making organisation run by volunteers whose aim is to promote live music. The Collective have supported the festival since its humble beginnings and we now include it in our yearly programme of live music events.

Tickets for Dr.Feelgood gig (£12 in advance/ £14 on the door) are available from Wakefield outlets: Trad Music - Lower Kirkgate, The Cathedral Shop - The Precinct, WMDC Tourist Information - The Bullring, The Hop - Banks Street, Fernandes Brewery Tap - Avison Yard .For further details ring 01924 899933 or 077193121289/07913170445, email info@ themusiccollective.co.uk or go to our website www.themusiccollective.co.uk

The Blues Festival is sponsored by Blues Matters Magazine and Trad Music. Thankyou also to The HOP, Fernandes Brewery Tap, Harry’s Bar, WF One bar, The Bull & Fairhouse (aka O’Donoghues), Wakefield Cathedral Committee and WMDC Wakefield

TOMMY EMMANUEL :- Internationally Renowned Guitarist Receives ‘Order of Australia’ Medal in Washington, D.C. From Australian Ambassador Kim Beazley. July 27 /PRNewswire/ Tommy Emmanuel was honored as a Queen’s Member of the Order of Australia on July 26 in Washington, DC. His extensive list of awards has recently been added to with Guitar Player Magazine’s top annual Guitar Legend award in 2009 as well as its Thumbpicker of the Year honor. In 2010, he was named Best Acoustic Guitarist for the second time in Guitar Player’s Readers Choice awards. For more information: www.tommyemmanuel.com

Picture: Australian Ambassador Kim Beazley, Australian country music star Troy Cassar-Daley and legendary guitarist Tommy Emmanuel.

Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100727/LA41177)

HUGH LAURIE TO RECORD BLUES RECORD :- Actor, writer and musician joins Warner Music Entertainment Grammy winner Joe Henry to produce New Orleans blues album with mainstream appeal.News date:26th July 2010, LondonHugh Laurie, the award-winning actor, writer, director and musician has signed a recorded music deal with Warner Music Entertainment (WME), an imprint of the Warner Music Group. Laurie is the star of Fox’s hit drama series ‘House’, the world’s most-watched TV show, a role which has garnered him two Golden Globes, the People’s Choice and Teen Choice for Best Actor, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Television Critics Association Awards and five Emmy nominations. Laurie will release a New Orleans blues album, to be recorded this summer and autumn, and distributed worldwide by Warner Bros Records. He will collaborate with a range of vocal and musical talent on the record with the goal of producing an album with mainstream, international appeal. Joe Henry, the acclaimed two-time Grammy Award winner, will produce the album. Henry has worked with diverse artists such as Teddy Thompson, Solomon Burke, Ani Di Franco, Aimee Mann,

Loudon Wainwright III, Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint and has co-written songs for Madonna and Madeleine Peyroux, amongst others. Laurie, who has played piano for much of his life, is predominantly self-taught (after creative differences with his childhood teacher) and has sung, performed and written music throughout his career. He is actively involved in the musical content used on ‘House’ and his character Gregory House has played blues piano and guitar regularly on the programme. Hugh is also keyboardist in the ‘Band From TV’ charity group and most recently contributed to a track on Meat Loaf’s latest album, produced by Rob Cavallo.

Hugh Laurie said “I am drunk with excitement at this opportunity. I know the history of actors making music is a checkered one, but I promise no one will get hurt. I am particularly thrilled to be working with Joe Henry, who has produced some of my favourite records of all time, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Joe Henry said “All musicians are actors to begin with - our jobs being to embody characters and articulate stories for three and four minutes at a time. I’ve been a great fan of Hugh’s work on screen, and believe purely that he is investing the same wit, intelligence and emotional generosity into his music.” The world already knows how wonderfully versatile and talented Hugh is so this first album is an exciting opportunity to put the spotlight on his passion for New Orleans blues.

IAN PARKER + BAND UK TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED! :- The big news is that as of October Ian begins his first full band UK tour since November 2008. After many years of touring with his four piece band, over the last eighteen months he’s been trying other line-ups such as the acoustic trio and found it a welcome change. Ian is also pleased to have finally found the courage to go out and play some solo shows, which have been a great learning experience. That said, he admits that he has missed the band and it’s going to be exciting to be back on stage with the electric guitar and a full band sound again.

As ever, his music has been evolving and he’s have been exploring some new avenues. Ian has written lots of new songs and is currently recording again for a new album. There’s a subtle change in direction and the focus is more on songwriting at the moment, the music is as roots orientated as ever, drawing on the blues, folk and even country at times, without ever settling firmly in any one genre.

The soloing is still there of course, it’s a big part of who he is as a musician, but he says “I’m trying to be less self-indulgent these days! I’ve enlisted the services of Chris Eaton who is without doubt one of the country’s finest exponents of slide guitar and a great all rounder. We have similar musical backgrounds, and share eclectic tastes, it’s great playing with him. The song is what matters to me the most, and there are now no inclusions in the set, which serve only as vehicles for instrumental soloing, however, between Chris and myself, it’s still a guitar driven band without any doubt”. “The band is completed by long time rhythm section of Wayne Proctor (drums) and Steve Amadeo (bass). My old mate and keyboard player Morg Morgan has retired from playing to become a school teacher, which I think he’ll be great at. I’ll miss having him around for sure, but actually on the musical front the two guitar set up is arguably edgier and grittier, which I’m enjoying. I know that there are many Blues Matters readers who attend my gigs and buy my records, so I’d like to thank BM for this opportunity to say a few words. I hope to see you on the tour!” 20th October - New Roscoe, Leeds. 21st October - Robin 2, Wolverhampton. 22nd October - The Maltings, Fly Cambridgeshire. 28th October - The Borderline, London. 5th November - The Flower Pot, Derby. 10th December - Band on the Wall, Manchester. 11th December - The Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal. www.ianparkermusic.com

THE REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN ‘CLAP YOUR HANDS EUROPEAN TOUR 2010’ KICKS OFF OCTOBER 15TH 2010 :- There aren’t a lot of Warped Tour vets who can claim proficiency in the use of washboards, bottleneck slides and five-gallon buckets. Most didn’t spend their teens playing along to Charlie Patton and Bukka White albums. And just about none are fronted by a commissioned member of the Honorary Order of Kentucky Colonels. But the Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, who has been turning heads all summer on this year’s U.S Warped Tour with wild sing-a-longs and flaming washboards have been converting skeptics left and right. The band is gearing up for their headlining European tour in Oc tober and will be coming to your town with a whole new show and plenty of fun new surprises. The band made a video that captures the essence of their live show and is naming their tour after the song! “Clap Your Hands European Tour 2010” will kick off on October 15th in Amsterdam, Netherlands. With the release of “The Wages,” earlier this year The Reverend and his wife, Washboard Breezy Peyton and Aaron “Cuz” Persinger on drums, the soulful, swinging country-blues trio proves they’re more than just a world class live band.

Here are the dates:-10/15 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso, 10/16 – Diksmuide, Belgium - 4AD Muziekclub, 10/18 –Wolverhampton, England and The Robin, 10/19 - Leeds, England – Brundenell Social Club, 10/20 – Bristol, England – The Tunnels, 10/21 – London, England – Monto Water Rats, 10/22 – Worthenbury, England – Going Up The Country Blues and Roots Club, 10/23 – Newbury, England – Arlington Arts Centre, 10/24 – Newcastle Upon Tyne, England – The Head of Steam, 10/27 - Graz, Austria – Orpheum, 10/29 - Vienna, Austria – Porgy and Bess, 10/30 - Igel, Austria – Waidhofen, 11/1 - Berlin, Germany – Bassy Club, 11/4 - Stuttgart, Germany – Club Zwolfzehn. www.sideonedummy.com/RevPeyton

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION :- The new rock supergroup will release their forthcoming self-titled debut album in the following 3 formats; Limited Edition 2-Disc CD/DVD, CD, and vinyl. The album will be released in the UK on September 20th by Mascot Records.

The band features Joe Bonamassa (guitar, vocals), Glenn Hughes (vocals, bass), Jason Bonham (drums) and Derek Sherinian (keyboards).

Available from 20th September are the following :- Format 1 - Limited Edition 2-Disc CD/DVD Features 12 album tracks on CD, plus a bonus DVD that features interviews with the band, exclusive studio and live images, Kevin Shirley’s (Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin) album production notes, “The Great Divide” music video, ‘Behind The Scenes’ in-studio footage, plus live

tracks as performed by BCC at Riverside, California.

Format 2 – Single Disc CD, Single Disc CD edition, Format 3 – Vinyl, Double-sided 12” inch vinyl album

GLENN PATRIK :- American Veterans Radio featured Glenn Patrik as their Featured Spotlight Artist of the Week! Recently. Media response has been great for Nuthhin’ But A Thang! (Shakehouse Records), the recently-released CD by renowned blues guitarist/vocalist Glenn Patrik and follow-up to his critically-lauded Mr. Blues, Jr. (currently #62 on the ‘Real Blues’ list of Top 100 Blues CDs; Mr Blues Jr. sits at #12 on the same chart). In addition to being played on regular rotation on Sirus/XM Radio’s “Bluesville” show, the album has been reviewed by over fifty media outlets throughout the United States and Europe since its release.

Patrik’s song “The Bossman” is currently the fifth most popular downloaded song, according to Glenn’s hometown paper, the Las Vegas Weekly. Glenn was voted “2010 Male Artist of the Year” by the listeners of respected web publication ‘Rockwired’ and is nominated in the “Best Blues, Roots or Americana Artist” category for the 20th Annual Los Angeles Music Awards in November.

“Glenn Patrik does his thang with a flair and style that’s laid back and relaxed, yet in control. Well worth several listens!,” says Dave Johnson, host of nationally-syndicated Blues Deluxe radio program, heard weekly on over 100 stations throughout the U.S. with a two-million-plus audience listenership. “A classic American rhythm section with ‘true swing’. Real music lives!,” exclaims Europe’s #1 music magazine, BLUES MATTERS!

Over 40 years after performing his very first show at age eight for a crowd of 3,000 people in his hometown of Kansas City, Kansas - singer, songwriter and guitarist Glenn Patrik brings a lifetime of struggle and soul, joy and pain and hard-driving blues playing to his craft.

Patrik has become an international ambassador, so to speak, for the music that has defined his life. Without the benefit of formal radio promotion, Patrik’s music has hit the airwaves everywhere from Denmark, Poland and Belgium to Thailand and Brazil. “In the neighborhood I grew up in,” Patrik recalls, “everyone played soul and blues; I was exposed, starting at about age six, to live shows and recordings by Freddy King, Albert Collins as well as Archie Bell & The Drells (and) Count Basie. I can feel Mozart right along with Nat Cole, Django Rheinhardt along with some George Clinton. Then, throw in some Hound Dog Taylor, Aaron Neville, The Carter Family with Too Live Crew and Hendrix. Add the influence of K.C. blues guitar legend Leon Estelle and you get a feel of where I come from,” Patrik concludes.

Since launching his blues odyssey well before the age of 21, hitchhiking and hopping trains from Kansas City, Kansas’ massive railroad switching yard to all points north, south, east and west, in search of musicians that he had only heard of, Patrik says, “I’ve spent the last thirty- something years trying’ to show up early, look sharp, and deliver the guitar/vocal sound that the boss was looking’ for.

Now Glenn Patrik is the boss, making sounds that carry on the legacy of the greats he learned from.

CLARE FREE DOWNLOADS FOR FREE! :-Clare Free is giving away free downloads of her new EP ‘How It Is.’ Clare and her band went back into the studio to capture the energy that the band has on stage. There are two new versions of tracks from her debut album ‘Be Who You Are’ as well as two brand new blues tracks. All of the tracks are written by Clare and she says ‘I’m very pleased with the EP, its been great to be recording again and I’ve really enjoyed writing the new songs. My band has so much energy live and these recordings have totally captured that. We recorded the tracks with no overdubs or special effects- it really is how we sound. I have a great bunch of guys in my band, and we had a lot of fun making the EP- I hope people will enjoy the music as much as I have enjoyed making it.’ To download your free copy go to Clare’s website www.clarefree.co.uk and follow the link on the home page.

TOM JONES upsets label boss :- Island’s vice-president calls Tom Jones’ new blues and gospel album a ‘sick joke’ in a leaked email. Island signed the Welsh legend to a multi-million dollar contract in October 2009 and he is set to release his first album for them, Praise And Blame, on July 26. But a leaked email from Island vice-president David Sharpe reveals a furious label boss who questioned whether Jones’ pious new sound was ‘a sick joke’. According to the Telegraph, Sharpe wrote the email in May after hearing the new songs around the office, initially thinking they were for a Christmas album. After discovering it was Jones’ new album he raged, ‘We did not invest a fortune in an established artist for him to deliver 12 tracks from the common book of prayer [sic]. Having lured him from EMI, the deal was that you would deliver a record of upbeat tracks along the lines of Sex Bomb and Mama Told Me...’

He continued: ‘Please don’t give me the art over commerce argument, it’s run its course...what are you thinking when he went all spiritual’’

Jones reportedly switched tack from his hairy-chested lothario image due to advice from his son and manager Mark in an effort to avoid ridicule. Jones told WalesOnline on July 4, ‘You see, in my head I’m still 25 and he made me aware of things I’d not considered before, about who the real me was.’

His management had not heard about Sharpe’s opinion until the recent leak. Sharpe reportedly remained unapologetic. He said, ‘Parts of this record company wanted to deliver an album for the typical Tom Jones fan and I don’t know if that is what we got. Shall we say we’ve paid for a Mercedes - we’ve got the hearse that’s arrived.’

CALVIN “Fuzz” JONES. June 9th,1926 - August 9th, 2010 - We lost another great Bluesman with the passing of Calvin “Fuzz” Jones. Here is the sad news from Bob Corritore: “Best known as the longtime bass player of the Muddy Waters Blues Band, Calvin “Fuzz” Jones, a Greenwood, Mississippi native, passed away last night of complications from lung cancer. He was 84. “Fuzz” was the definitive blues bass player, a stirring vocalist, and a wonderful human being. “

Here is the email that Bob Margolin, his longtime friend, and fellow Muddy alum, wrote concerning Calvin:-”Calvin “Fuzz” Jones passed away early this morning at Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto in Southaven, Mississippi. Calvin “Fuzz” Jones is best known for the 10 years he played bass in Muddy Waters’ band, about 1970-’80. Previously, he had worked with Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, and Elmore James. He was appreciated for his strong electric bass playing, rocking stage presence, deep Blues singing, and the friendly laugh and smile he had for all. He had beat lung cancer in the late 1990’s but the cancer came back. He was enjoying his life as much as possible until very recently. He had a sincere good word for everyone, and his reaction to any kind of health, musical, or financial challenge was his hearty trademark laugh. I asked him how he could laugh so easily when life hurt him, and he said “When you laugh the world laughs with you, when you cry, you cry alone.” He brought us deep Chicago and Mississippi Blues on the bandstand and on recordings, and his Blues and love for his friends, family, and all of us are his legacy.

Richie Hayward of Little Feat Dies Aged 64 :-Little Feat drummer Richie Hayward has passed away at the age of 64 after suffering from liver cancer. Hayward was a founding member of Little Feat. As well as being a drummer he was also a part-time actor and had a small role in the 60s TV comedy F Troop. He was also a popular session musician, featuring on records for Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder, The Doobie Brothers, Robert Palmer, Warren Zeveon, Tom Waits, Robert Plant and Bob Seger over the years.

Hayward announced in August 2009 that he was suffering from liver cancer. He told fans through the Little Feat website.

“I have very recently been diagnosed with a severe liver disease,” he wrote.

“I am looking at testing and treatments and a possible transplant, as well as an indefinite amount of time off.” “I was trying to withhold this information until I could play my last three shows and give you all I could without distraction. (My last show will be August 7th in Montana).” Because I have no insurance, my friends here in Canada, where I live with my wife, wanted to help as soon as possible and launched information about a fundraiser and my situation, to bring in much needed funds asap. As it is a relatively small and local event, we were not expecting it to be noticed, and word got out before I was prepared to make this announcement”.

“Now that it has, please know that in no way did I mean to leave you out of the loop”. “My intent is to come back to the band, as soon as I am physically able. Your love and support will mean a lot to me, more than I can say. I love and will miss you all, and I will see you again on the proud highway.”

Richie Hayward died on Thursday, August 12, 2010. by Paul Cashmere

Interview with Dave Stone

It is six years since the last studio album from Jeff Beck, one of the world’s most respected guitarists. With the release of the new album “Emotion & Commotion” back in March, and a short series of concerts with Eric Clapton at the O2, followed by a partial world tour, kicking off in the States in April, we had the chance to do an interview with Jeff at his Notting Hill Studios, where he was rehearsing with his new tour band. All was set, and then, he was ill, and we had to cancel, and arrange a telephone interview, but then he lost his voice, and it was finally almost a week later, that I finally got the opportunity to interview one of my all time heroes;

BM: Jeff, back in those early days when you were still serving your apprenticeship and playing guitar in your spare time, did you ever dream of being where you are today?

JB: Back then, all that I was concerned with was making it to the next day!

Who or what were your earliest influences?

Probably Big Bill Broonzy, you know those early acoustic Blues players, I loved the way that he could fill out the sound by playing the bass lines with his thumb, and building in the melody, so that it sounded as if there was more than just a single player. Then there was Les Paul who I used to listen to on the radio, he had a theme tune that I used to try to copy, my mother used to say that he wasn’t very good, because she had read that he used a lot of trickery, all that multi tracking, she thought that he was cheating!

The first time that I saw you play live, was with The Yardbirds at High Wycombe Town Hall, I don’t suppose you remember that gig? Before you were in The Yardbirds, were you in any other bands? I used to play with two of my friends, rhythm guitar, and drums and we played at a Fair in our local park, back where I used to live. We kept forgetting what we were supposed to be doing, but when I got home, my Mother wanted to know what we had been doing because the phone had kept ringing with people asking about us. That would have been about 1958. When did you first discover those ethereal spacey sounds and violin effects that you get by playing the volume pedal?

It’s not that difficult; you just strike a note and play with the volume.

But you make it sound so beautifully smooth, have you ever used a volume swell pedal? I haven’t really got any time for loads of pedals, about the only one that I ever use would be a Wah pedal.

I was watching your Ronnie Scotts DVD the other night, and I notice that you mostly play with your fingers? I don’t use a pick any more, except for when I play ‘Scatterbrain’ If I try to play that without a pick, I can wear my fingers to the bone!

That was a pretty impressive concert, now I haven’t seen all of it yet, I have still got a treat in store. But you have got a really impressive band there and I was going to ask you about them, when Lo and behold, new album (Emotion & Commotion) and a new band! What were the reasons for that? Is it the availability of musicians or of other commitments?

Pretty much the circumstances, they have been with me for a while now, and Vinnie (Colaiuta) had other commitments, as well as having trouble with his shoulder, he didn’t feel able to commit to what is effectively a quarter world tour!

So who is in the band on the album, is that the new band?

No the new band are for the 2010 tour, and its Jason Rebello on keyboards, he is on the album, but I have got Narada Michael Walden on drums and Rhonda Smith on bass. We had to bring Tal (Wilkenfeld) back to play on the album, and fly out to get Vinnies contribution, it was quite an expensive way to do it!

How long has it been since your last album?

About six years, but it doesn’t feel like that long, I have been busy!

So you aren’t planning on anything else just yet?

We are just about to kick off a world Tour, after the Eric gigs, and there’s no point in going off round the world unless you’ve got some product to move, so it will be a while before anything else comes along.

When does the tour start?

It starts in April, after we have finished the EC gigs at the O2

“Nessun Dorma, that’s just Posh Blues!”

Talking about the gigs with Eric, I understand that the format is that you play with your band, Eric plays with his, and then you get together. Have you already worked out what you’re going to do, are will you just wing it on the night?

No, we have already worked out what we are going to do, we were both playing last year at a concert in Japan, and that seemed to go down well (It sold out!), so we had already got most of the set worked out, and we’ve got the stuff that we did at Ronnies.

I think that I am going to have to wait for the DVD to come out, I can’t afford the O2 prices. Now every time that I see you, you’re wielding a Strat, now I know that you have also got a battered old Tele, but it is mostly the Strat, and it always looks pristine. How do you feel about guitars? Are they something to collect and value, or are they just tools of the trade?

I treat them with contempt, they are the reason that I am on the road for months at a time. I use the Strat out of preference, as it does everything that I want from a guitar, although I will be using the old Tele in the O2 concerts. If you think the Strat looks pristine, you should see it up close, it has seen a lot of life!

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? 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, there is a lot of Blues in everything that I do, but I like to try to give variety in everything.

I was just watching some of the interviews on the Ronnie Scotts DVD, and your influences are worldwide, they are coming from everywhere?

I am fascinated by eastern music, the sound of the Oud for instance, and quarter notes, I use them a lot, there’s a lot of Irish and Celtic influences too, as well as the old Chicago blues. I don’t think that there is anything that can’t be used; I like to offer variety and colour. I can’t just do an hour of 12 bar Blues, other people are doing that.

After all of this time, and all of your achievements and awards, is there anything left that you still want to do, any ambitions for the future?

Oh yes, I mean we have got a 60 piece orchestra on the new album, and I will be trying out something new. I will be playing “Nessun Dorma” with a full orchestra, and that’s Blues. Have you heard Pavarotti bending notes? I mean that’s just posh Blues.

by Christine Moore

Do you keep up with what’s happening on the music scene today, have you heard Joe Bonamassa for instance? I come across things from time to time, usually when somebody says have I heard so and so? I have only recently seen Joe for the first time, so I can’t really say that I am familiar with his playing. Being on the road is when I tend to hear new things it’s a good place to play catch up.

Harking back to where we started, are you still into cars, your hot rods especially? Where do you keep them? In the States?

Yeah, but I never get to see them now, I shall be off for three months, I think I have got a spot free in May. I have got some

Photo Courtesy of Eagle

locked up in a barn in the UK, my Hot rods, and there’s a few more back in the States yeah. Jeff, we are looking forward to seeing the DVD of the Beck/Clapton concerts at the O2. We won’t be there, I can’t afford the prices

I thought that all you journalists got in for free? We have tried to get them to offer lower prices, but they won’t have it I wish that were true, congratulations on your recent Grammy award ( for ‘Day in The Life’ from the Ronnie Scott DVD) and all the best for the concerts with Eric, and good luck with the album/Tour. Thanks very much.

Photo Courtesy of Eagle

Gareth Hayes treads carefully into the pentatonic polemic

Otis Taylor has been one of the most prolific of Blues artists over the last ten years and is always good vale for a new album every year or thereabouts. His unique self-named brand of trance-Blues has brought modernity to a traditional delivery. Taylor’s music is at home in the plantation fields and in the urban clubs. Principled to the extreme, Taylor’s collaborative album “Recapturing The Banjo” was done, in part, to tell the true history of the banjo through music. On the rock stage, he regularly works with Gary Moore and toured with him in 2009. A fan of the movies, Taylor jumped at the chance to contribute to the soundtrack to the Johnny Depp gangster film “Public Enemies”, and still found time to extend his personal evolution with the recent close release of two albums “Pentatonic Wars And Love Songs” and “Clovis People Vol.3”. The pentatonic debate, prevalent in both, being the controversy between the five and seven note scales, that occurs more commonly in improvised jazz and Blues, but also across African spirituals and ethnic folk. Otis Taylor’s unapologetic personality and ability to source the most taboo of subject matter in his songs make him an unlikely bed-fellow for the ‘Love Songs’ of his latest offerings…

BM: We see a change from pained historical racial desperate bloodstained Blues of your previous work where you interpret culture and ‘real life’ with specific stories of brutal world in the romantic “Pentatonic Wars and Love Songs” and “Clovis People Vol. 3”. Are they softer pieces of work?

Otis Taylor: Only a little softer.

If we can analyse some of the tracks from last year’s release, ‘Looking For Some Heat’ reflects touring schedules perhaps. Do you ever get burned out by the pace of it all?

I’m burned out all the time. Every time I tour I get burned out. I start burned out. I get burned out packing for three days.

Does that give you an advantage on the stage?

No.

How do you relax from it all?

I don’t relax. Do I look like a relaxed kind of guy to you? I go and watch TV to relax. If I can go and watch TV I’m cool. If there’s a movie to watch I’m cool.

What kind of movies?

I like karate movies.

“Public Enemies”?

Yeah, of course. I loved “Last Of The Mohicans”. That’s one of my favourite movies. Great score.

Michael Mann directed both films, did you meet him when you were scoring for “Public Enemies”?

Oh yeah. I didn’t make the connection until later though. I’d met him in Chicago and then when we

Blues Movie

A good Blues can elevate the soul. The Blues, driven by primary instincts for sex, security and society, can be cinematic in emotional expanse. Aligned with the recognition that a great film score can raise the hairs on the back of the neck and turn a moderate film into a classic, then the pairing of Blues and cinema has to be a winner. Movie fan Otis Taylor agrees and is delighted to have ‘Ten Thousand Slaves’ feature in Michael Mann’s recent gangster flick “Public Enemies”; it appears to have won many new fans over to the genre. However, whether as music crucial to the plot or purely incidental, Blues in films isn’t always a successful partnership as this simple list illustrates.

Bessie Smith began it all in a sixteen minute short film “St Louis Blues” in 1929. The song of the same name was a greater hit for Louis Armstrong whose role as ambassador for New Orleans was taken over by Lillian Boutte after his demise. New Orleans is the cinematographer’s and musician’s dream. Boutte sings the Blues innuendo tune ‘The Right Key, But The Wrong Keyhole’ in Alan Parker’s voodoo drama “Angel Heart” starring Mickey Rourke. The film also features ‘Honeyman Blues’ by Bessie Smith. Parker made “Mississippi Burning”, which features Mahalia Jackson and a host of gospel Blues numbers, and “Midnight Express”. This latter hit-of-its-day contained a song called “Istanbul Blues” sung in the film by John Hurt and Randy Quaid. Quaid’s brother Dennis sings in the film “The Big Easy”, alongside The Neville Brothers and Buckwheat Zydeco. Rourke starred in “Homeboy” with a soundtrack by Eric Clapton and including takes by Magic Sam and J.B. Hutto. John Belushi, as Jake Blues, in the ground-breaking “The Blues Brothers”, dedicates ‘Sweet Home Chicago’ to Magic Sam. Belushi’s first cinema hit, “National Lampoon’s Animal House” features a fleeting cameo from Robert Cray, himself a huge fan of Magic Sam. Another of Cray’s mentors, Albert Collins, features in “Adventures In Babysitting”, playing ‘Babysitting Blues’ with Elisabeth Shue, (who Otis Taylor will know from “The Karate Kid). Shue is married to David Guggenheim who was the director of the HBO series “Deadwood”; which has a Blues atmosphere at its core and features Bukka White, Brownie McGhee and Mississippi John Hurt on the soundtrack. Guggenheim has recently completed a rockumentary called “It May Get Heavy” about Jimmy Page and Jack White. Another HBO hit, ‘True Blood’ builds on Blues soundtrack popularity with contributions by Slim Harpo, Dr John and many more up and coming artists as well as the old favourites. Films specifically about Blues music are few and far between and rarely Oscar winners! “Black Snake Moan” with Samuel L Jackson performing has great potential but ends up being shallow, Walter Hill’s Robert Johnson biopic “Crossroads” lacks emotive punch, the hoodoo thriller “The Skeleton Key” is moderately satisfying and “Roadhouse” featuring Jeff Healey have musical merit but that’s about all. Karate fan Otis Taylor will already know that Steven Seagal dips out of ‘acting’ to play the on his well-intentioned “Mojo Priest”. And then there’s Bruce Willis… GH

met to consult about the movie we met in L.A. That was just to see if we could work together. I did a lot of temporary scoring for him, just getting ideas down. It worked.

Does being burned out on tour offer a unique frequency for creativity?

No. It just comes to me like a dream. Driving, showers, waking up in the morning. There’s no set place or time.

Have you written on this tour? I wrote a song and forgot it. I did, it was meant to be. It was an idea and I forgot the idea. Meant to be.

‘Sunday Morning’ is a beautiful song wonderfully delivered by your daughter Cassie. Working with Cassie must be a father’s dream?

No.

Care to elaborate?

Can you imagine what it would be like on the road with a teenage girl? You’d think it would be okay but on stage and off stage she’s my daughter. I’m gonna tell mom you’re being mean to me’ and all kinds of stuff like that.

Who’s in charge?

I’m in charge. I’m her pop, and her boss. It’s tough. She’s quit the band three times and I’ve fired her four. Family feuds and we really get into it.

She’s not here this time?

Budget really. It’s Gary’s tour so I’ve mainly done the support solo. Gary’s son Jack was always gonna play with me on the last four gigs and then I’ve brought in Sam (Kelly) to do drums because I didn’t want to play the Bush Empire without a drummer. Most of these gigs I’ve just done solo.

Cassie has an album coming up?

We’re working on an album. It’s almost finished, just need a few changes and we have to find the right deal too. There’s good deals and there’s bad deals. We’ll work on putting a band together too. There won’t be anything Otis on there, I won’t even play on it. Maybe I’ll produce, maybe I won’t. I want it to be totally her. It is totally her.

The liner notes say that ‘Silver Dollar On My Head’ is a true family tale. Is that a true story about Uncle Jimmy? James. My youngest daughter is named after him. He’s tight. A multi-millionaire, and yet so tight. I asked him why he was so tight and he told me that Grandma used to carry a bag of silver dollars and when we got hurt she’d put them on our forehead and ask if we felt better. So I wrote the song around that. It’s a true story. That’s why he’s so tight, he’s so rich and yet so tight. We call him Uncle Jimmy because he’s godfather to my youngest daughter.

The emotionally-charged ‘Lost My Guitar’ is more than just being about separation from material things? It’s a historical story and part of my history of Boulder. It’s actually about Joe Walsh’s daughter. Joe Walsh’s ex-wife is a friend of mine and I remember the time when a guy ran a stop sign and killed her child, her baby. The court gave her fifteen thousand dollars and I remember thinking that doesn’t seem right, a baby’s only worth fifteen thousand dollars. A couple of year’s ago I was talking to Stephanie and asked if she had any of Joe’s guitars and she told me she had just sold the last one. And then it all came together as a thought about loss, and divorce and that last guitar. There’s a water fountain in Boulder where my kids played named after Emma.

Ron Miles plays cornet on that track and this highlights a subtle change in musical direction for you, a jazzier feel?

Yeah, I certainly wanted to take it in slower. Pentatonic is about this scale that the jazz guys fought about in a nonassociation way, like Coltrane. There are lots of fights against it in European music. I just produced it, and well, those guys on my album are very powerful. It would be a semi-jazz album period if I didn’t control that, those guys are very strong. As a producer I just had to keep them under control. The bass player and drummer too. I was out-numbered.

And Gary as well?

Yeah, I just sent the files to Gary. He knows me so well I can just send the files to him now. First time we recorded we went to the studio, but we’ve played together so much and jammed together so much that well he knows my music so he knows what I like so I don’t have to go through any changes with him. We’ve done another one and that’ll be out next year.

“Recapturing The Banjo” went very well, as well as Gary and the banjo gang are there any other guitarists that

you want to work with?

I’m doing a thing with Chuck Campbell of The Campbell Brothers’ Sacred Steel. He’s on “Clovis People Vol. 3” with Ron Miles again, and Gary Moore. Keb Mo’ approached me about a Banjo Two, there’s no rush. It’s good that there was a Banjo One! It’s so hard, really hard, to get those guys together. I can’t do the manager, promoter, producer thing all the time.

‘Hey Joe’ is on “Recapturing The Banjo” and is a song you usually include in your set list. It was on my very first album.

The main character in ‘I’m Not Mysterious’ is an eight year old black boy. Another true story? That’s another true story. Yeah, this little white girl. Told me she was in love with me so I followed her home. She was cute shit. But I wasn’t thinking about it as a racial thing, everyone’s gone into this whole big racial thing but it’s not. It’s not. But it’s just about this girl who said she loved me. I was in second grade and hey that was cool to me.

There’s an innovation parallel between your music and that of Miles Davis; it’s fifty years since he released ‘A Kind Of Blue’. What were listening to back then?

I don’t know. Gosh the Fifties. I don’t know. I can’t remember back that far back. Whatever was popular I guess. My folks played jazz but I don’t know what it was. My father used to play some afro-jazz thing. I don’t know. Dave Brubeck maybe, although he was later. Take five on that. I’m sorry man. I’ll have to do research on that.

There’s an intensity about ‘Young Girl Down The Street’ that typifies your addictive musical style. It’s my classic trance man.

And there’s some great interplay between John Richardson on bending guitar and Brian Juan on organ at the end of that track. Are these the same guys you tour with?

Brian the organ player is at medical school now so he won’t tour but I’d like to have him for albums still. Hope it makes it as a doctor. You know this tour’s different. We’re all busy.

Your classic trance also leads the way on ‘Country Boy Girl’. This is a new version of one of your older numbers?

Yeah, it’s on “When Negroes Walked…” and I just did a rethink in the way of the new album.

‘Talking About It Blues’ is an optimistic Blues song and has the flavour of improvised African Blues. Is it African?

I was just doing a riff. I wasn’t being that deep. I’m not that deep. I was working with interesting material for the sequencing. A lot of songs you record stuff and then take it out of the song and don’t use it. We lost some stuff on ‘Looking For Some Heat’, my engineer did, and I told him to find it. He found it. We’d just been sitting around and I started playing. It was cool but we did it so quick we didn’t mark the file. It was lucky, man.

How much of your stage performance is improvised? All of it.

How does the band feel about that?

I don’t care how they feel.

‘Walk On Water’ combines savage with joy. It pounds with a rhythm of someone dancing in a thunderstorm and not getting wet. Can you walk on water? Your fans probably think you can? Well, it’s just a love song. I actually had two versions, a slow version and a faster version. The other is on the “Respect The Dead” album. I haven’t got two versions of every song, but I’ve always had two versions of ‘Walk On Water’. They’re both strong and very different. A lot of people are tuning in because of the “Public Enemies” movie. I have a YouTube website just for the movie soundtrack ‘Ten Million Slaves’ (from “Public Enemies”) and it’s had over 590,000 hits. It’s for kids who want to do covers of ‘Ten Million Slaves’ and there’s a thing going on with it now. It’s good man. If it’s heard in a film, the music, somehow it connects with the kids better; something about the memory staying in your head if it’s been on film.

A woman runs off with another woman in ‘Mama’s Best Friend’?

That’s another true story. It was on “Double V”. Originally I wanted Cassie to sing it but she wouldn’t so this time….

There’s a wonderful Otis Taylor familiarity about ‘Maybe Yeah’

I’ve recorded it a lot of times. I wrote in California, in high school class. I recorded it with Cassie a few years ago. I really like the snare sound too.

What’s the next musical adventure for Otis Taylor?

Maybe old stuff and new stuff. We like to go back in time and I guess we’ll take stuff of my first original album, “Blueeyed Monster”.

of the year’ ‘Album of the year’

talks about the Blues – a wonderful cosmic joke! – Pt.2

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…

Continuing this fascinating interview.......

BM: 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?

EB: Yeah man, I get interrogated like the inquisition, I get people who are more on the fanatical side of things; and I do say that with love, because I understand how easy it is to become, how would we say it, unbalanced when it comes to living in this world and trying to find a way through what is basically ‘mass madness’. In popular culture there is essentially an element of mass brain washing, and it really takes a lot to stop the world, get off, and really figure out who you are in relation to your creator. Jesus was a man, who lived thousands of years ago, obviously had a message and a mission that reverberates through time, and effects people and it really hits them in their heart, and this is undeniable. I’m talking about people all over the planet whether they’re illiterate or scholars they can actually feel that vibe. And you have to separate it and love it and separate it from the junk out there; because there’s a lot of incredible distortion of the message and the man out there.

Well the separation of Jesus from religion is important…

Absolutely, because we have to face the reality that religion as we know it has been an incredibly cruel, unspiritual and disimpassioned force in the world. From before and through the inquisition through modern times where we’re squabbling and killing each other ferociously over dogma; It’s disastrous but at the same time we’re seeing people awake from that brain washing and discovering some really supportive and nutritious wisdom and feeling that can really carry them through what is really end times. I say that not be dramatic, but it’s obviously the end of a cycle and we’re culminating on some level. Things are disastrously brutal and yet they’re also deliciously bright on another side of the street if you choose to walk there. Yeah. Yeah

Yeah, right, I think we’re in agreement there, but it isn’t easy in this day and age. I must say while we’re on the Jesus thing that the line I like best in all your songs is that one in ‘Needed Time’ the line that goes ‘Jesus, if you come round here’ it kind of puts it in perspective, we can’t order him around, but if he drops by then we’ll be pleased to you…

Exactly, but the variation of that line is ‘Won’t you come by here…’ it’s said humbly and with yearning for that connection… it’s an invocation.

There is definitely a strong spiritual element to that song

Yeah, I can tell you, there are many songs that I’ve sung and played and let go of. That’s a song I’ve never let go of. It’s stayed with me from the first time I heard it and I’ve never stopped singing it.

I was very touched by it the first time I heard it, I think it was the Cambridge Folk Festival around ’95? Yes that would be right.

Ok well one more thing about the album then we’ll move on. It’s a really good sound and it says on the sleeve that it was recorded in Bainbridge’s Store can you tell us about that please? OK, I’ll tell you exactly what happened; first of all the kudos go to a man named Michael Bishop who is an acclaimed sound engineer. He was brought on board by Telarc who he’s worked with for many years. He’s a guy who’s recorded everything from people like Stanley Clarke to a lot of symphonic works. He thought that we needed a good resonant room but with an energy and vibe that was reflective or reflected in the songs. So this is a smallish, one room essentially, although its on several floors, he was in the basement while we were on the main floor. It’s basically a hardware or general type store with the shelves still full of artifacts from the twenties and thirties – old tools, apothecary stone in the middle of the store, and that room was basically a jungle of microphones. He sat me in front of one branch and Grant in front of another; he was downstairs at the console monitoring the recording. It was just a great setting – it wasn’t this cold metal and glass recording studio you find yourself in at times- basically it was the kind of space that could have been a scene

in one of my songs-it was just very comfortable, I didn’t have to be conscious about whether the red lights on or whatever, it was just like ‘Hey man, just play your songs, do ‘em a couple of times and then we’ll listen’.

That’s doing it the real way isn’t it?

It is yeah, I think you know that a lot of my heroes actually recorded in a similar way. Because there weren’t the recording studios as such in those days for the kind of musicians who I’m talking about; there were warehouses, hotel rooms…you know…

Or even the open air sometimes?

Yeah field recordings

Well it has a very good sound, and of course the Spirit & the Blues album is also noted as having a really good sound.

Well these audiophile guys, they’re as fanatic about their craft as musicians are about, say, like with musicians and vintage guitars. They really are a whole tribe unto themselves and I’m happy when I meet them and they like what I do because I know that then something good can happen.

Talking of vintage guitars actually brings me to the next question – playing Booker White’s guitar which you describe in the sleeve notes must have been amazing, but I’ve always been fascinated by that story of how you met Goran Wennerbrandt and he unveiled that 1931 National Steel Guitar to you… I imagine that was a magical moment?

It was, it was a turning point in my career for one thing, because I was stuck, I’d been writing songs and trying to get a record deal, I’d kinder lost my way so in frustration I decided to return to the songs and music that first really impacted on me as a kid, which h was basically roots American music, Americana in its broadest sense – works songs to blues, spirituals, and I decided to contact an old friend of mine who was an audio engineer, and just in that moment in those weeks when I was contemplating a project with him; I ran into Goran on the train; I saw a guy with a beat-up guitar case that looked serious. I was an old, old case and he looked a serious guy. I said “Hey what you got there?” and he said “I’ll show you”, and he took out this beautiful National guitar from the early thirties and he started playing some slide guitar. I said “Listen, I’m a singer guitarist who’s deep into that kind of music; you wanna come to my house to have a play tomorrow?” He showed up and I think the first tune we played was ‘Needed Time’

So are you still in touch with those guys?

Yes I am. I’m actually set for a reunion of sorts, at some point I’d love to actually record with that whole group again.

That’d be really good I think

Yeah, we’ll do that at some point. You know we needed a break from each other Because it was very tense for a while, they had their own things going on, but there’s a natural moment when something that was really powerful needs to reconnect- and we’ll do that.

It’ll probably be really fresh when you do it again. So what is Goran doing now?

He’s still playing music and he’s also avid as an athlete, mountain climber, swimmer, he’s even a horse whisperer

Wow!

Yeah (laughs), his passion for playing has never subsided. He’s recorded an album of instrumental stuff…some of the players involved in Needed Time have joined together as Tiny Island, you might find them if you Google for them. They recorded a nice album for Opus 3, the same label that got me started. We’re gonna connect again.

Well when you get to speak to him please pass on the compliments of Blues Matters magazine, and we’ll look forward to that revival as much as you will I think. Ok, I’ll do that.

Can I just turn briefly for the sake of our musician readers to a couple of the instruments that are listed as you

Photo by Alan White

playing on the album? You’ve got Baritone Guitar on a couple of tracks, ‘Floodwater’ for instance can you tell us how the baritone guitar works, how is it different from the regular guitar?

It’s pitched lower, like in regular or drop ‘D’ tuning but lower, it was made by a friend Roger Bucknall, it’s pitched where the E string is pitched down to C, and it’s down two tones, so in drop D the lowest string would go to Bb.

It’s certainly got a rich sound

Yeah, thicker strings, it’s a challenge, thicker strings and all that…sometimes with a baritone guitar you take a lighter gauge set of strings and you use the second string as a first string, by the time you get to the sixth string you don’t have a string so you have to find a thick string, like a 0.70mm gauge or similar.

They’re not so easy to find

It’s a challenge, you have to look on line, there’s one called, I think, Strings.com, or go to specialist shops…

I notice you’ve also got a nine-string guitar on one track?

Yeah, that that was fun, originally Roger Bucknall of Fylde made me a12 string that I used on Television, the song was ‘Tell Riley’ and I performed it in front of the King of Sweden as well as BB King. It was a good resonant sounding guitar. I’ve since acquired some other 12 strings and I decided I wanted a nine string a la Big Joe Williams, so I converted the 12 string and it’s tuned lower than standard tuning.

Am I right that you use a nylon strung guitar sometimes?

Not on this record but I have on other records, I did have a period when I played classical guitar when I was younger, I love that sound but I haven’t really had a chance to get back to it in any serious way. The future will see me return to it, it has completely different sound as far as I’m concerned. It inspires a different kind of music to steel strung guitar.

I suspected you might have played classical guitar because watching you I noticed that you rarely bring your thumb around the neck?

(Laughs) Actually more and more I am beginning to do that, though I do actually have that classical left hand mindset. What that gave me was using my thumb and all fingers on the right hand. The guitar is such an orchestral instrument, such a range… Well I’ve had so much exposure on the blues stages and festivals, the genre has been very kind to me, it feels like where I belong, but I also know that as an eclectic musician I’ve been advised, and I’m taking that advice, that it’s time to reclaim some of that territory that’s home to me before I become un-payable (laughter). The time has come when I’m confident enough of my standing within the blues community to just embrace music in the broader sense knowing that that whole blues mother lode is present in what I do, and I’ll be happy to stretch the envelope even more…with more nylon strung guitar.

We’ve talked about your first album and your latest, but out of the rest of your body of work which album would you recommend?

Well the first that comes to mind is ‘Diamond Days’, so I’ll say that…I’m sure there are others…my Mother’s favourite is the one called ‘Natural Light’ where I had a chance to play with Hubert Sumlin on the tune ‘Too Much Stuff’, but I’m fine with all my records, they’re like children you know…it’s like trying to choose a favourite child. Yeah, Diamond Days contains a lot of the key ingredients to where I live musically, so that one...

OK, well we’re about through now, so can I say on behalf of Blues Matters, thank you for your time and thank you for the new album that we’re all enjoying, and good luck for your next tour. Thank you; and I must say I’ve really enjoyed this interview and also that Blues Matters is doing a great job.

So thanks to you and Sari and you have a blessed weekend… Thanks, and God bless.

Photo by Alan White

WISHING HIM WELL

Dave Scott at last meets the Indianapolis axeman who is gaining International recognition

Travis Feaster’s electrifying set at the Maryport Blues Festival lin 2009 and his subsequent appearance on Paul Jones’ BBC Radio 2 show have catapulted the 29 year old American into the public eye nearly a decade after he first picked up a guitar. Resident at the legendary Slippery Noodle Inn, the three piece WT Feaster Band regularly win the USA mid west blues band of the year award which takes them as far as Beale Street, Memphis. The release of their best selling album, “Long Overdue” to wide acclaim combined with increasing popularity in the UK broadened their horizons leading to a European tour this summer including appearances with Walter Trout. Blues Matters described Travis’ performance at a recent gig in Newcastle upon Tyne as, ‘boundless energy, telepathic musicianship and a flourish of six-string ferocity.’ Travis has just released his second album to critical acclaim, with “Wishing you Well” already outselling his first release.

BM: How did you rate your performance at Maryport and the overall experience of playing on the main stage with John Mayall, Eric Burdon and Jethro Tull at one of the biggest UK festivals? Travis: You can always point out the things that could have been better but overall I rated it as a success. My musicians understand what I am feeling and they just catch the groove and go, especially Austin Shearer who I have played with the longest and who is undoubtedly the best bassist in the mid west. Not only are they great players but they fit into what I want to hear from my music. I really enjoyed the way we played ‘Walk On’ which is an original song from the CD and a slow blues number. I felt the band was dynamic and I was able to convey what I was trying to get out from my guitar. The crowd seemed to enjoy it and showed their appreciation for the Hendrix cover, ‘Hey Joe.’ In 2008 we played in pubs on the trail so to have been upgraded to the main stage made it very special and almost like a different festival. It was a whirlwind for us being on the trail as we had to move quickly from place to place and fight through mobs of people to get to the venues. In the main marquee it was so different as we had access passes, privacy if we wanted it and the perks that go with the hospitality. The great thing about playing in the marquee is that everyone who was there was there for the music and not just for the party. There was a lot of mystique and atmosphere on the trail but that was nothing compared to the amazing experience of performing on the main stage with so many famous artists. I got to meet Paul Jones and John Mayall; John is an institution; he is a master teacher. I also met Dani Wilde who is playing at the Slippery Noodle in my home town of Indianapolis and she has asked me to do a duet with her on stage. Sean Webster introduced himself and I love his music and rate him highly.

How are you coping with ‘Feastermania’ given all the press hype, the sell out UK gigs and all of those ‘You Tube’ clips ?

I am kind of blind to it all and I continue to see myself as just little ole me. I am not self absorbed I am just aware of the need to get better. If you focus on where you are now it slows you down. You have to focus on where you need to be both professionally and as a human being. Naturally, I was thrilled to be guesting at the Tall Ships Race in Hartlepool this year and touring more of the UK including venues in London and Scotland. My website can hardly cope with all the interest from a growing number of ardent fans, with thousands of hits a day on www.myspace.com/wtfeasterband

How did you get started with the blues?

My mother was into Motown but in my teenage years I listened to anything and I got into rock and then decided to play the guitar. It was at this point that something just spoke to me about the blues and the one album that changed my life was ‘From The Cradle’ by Eric Clapton. This was the first time I heard electric blues that was modern and in high fidelity played by first class musicians and just great soulful playing. I also loved Mark Knopfler, his touch his tone and control. I was a late starter when I began to learn the guitar, I was 18 which was much later than guitarists like Joe Bonamassa but I am trying to make up for it now. Stevie Ray Vaughan was a big influence because he was so readily accessible and he is still played every day on rock radio stations. With Jimi Hendrix I was introduced to his music and it gave me some choice cuts, more of his song writing than guitar playing stuff and it screwed my mind because he had such a great sense of melody and song structure. Now a lot of that may have been down to Eddie Kramer his producer.

What does the blues mean to you?

The thing I love about it is the fact that over the last 10 years it has begun to morph and have different branches. When I started out there was Delta blues, Chicago blues and Texas blues and that was really it. Now you get the rock blues and musically it is a 1,4,5 progression but its deeper than that it is an emotion. Any time you convey emotion through your music that is the blues, especially if there is suffering. I hate to give an entirely negative connotation about blues because the blues can be good too and it can be uplifting but for me it’s about being soulful. I like to remain true to the blues form but sometimes what you want to say is more easily conveyed through a different chord structure or a different style.

Photo by Christtine Moore

W T FEASTER

However, if you listen to guys like Bonamassa and myself, even though I don’t put myself up there with him, you hear the blues roots even when it’s more like a rock sound. You always have to be aware where the music came from and respect its origins, as in the expression, ‘you pay your dues.’ You want to know which artists had to suffer to make what you are doing happen. Muddy Waters and Junior Wells are my long-term favourites but with the younger generation coming through they will look to younger blues artists and to that extent the demography is changing.

How far are you on your musical journey?

I am at the beginning and that is what I will probably still be saying in 10 years time. I would like to continue this for many years until I cannot play any longer.

Maybe I will play until I am over 80 like BB King and then it will be too late to get a proper job. Unlike rock and rap artists, here today and gone tomorrow, blues has longevity and that is why Buddy Guy and Taj Mahal have been around the scene for nearly half a century. I love having my own band but if I really liked the music I would like to play with an established bluesman like John Mayall or Tad Robinson because such an opportunity furthers your career. It is called ‘stepping off’ and people like Lonnie Brooks and Walter Trout have gone on to be very successful.

What equipment do you use?

I am a strong believer in Don Grosh guitars, a custom builder from Colorado who makes the best Stratocasters out there. My amplifier is a 55-watt combo, a Rivera which gives me exactly the sound that I want. I use pedals a lot to layer the music as well as to give that sonic variance which is important with a three-piece band.

Can you give us some insights about life on the road as a professional musician?

I think I am more fortunate than a lot of British artists in that America is so huge so there are going to be more blues clubs and festivals. Also, because I am becoming more successful the rates are going up a bit but to be in this business you have to have the support of your family but the main thing is that you have to see the bigger picture and the light at the end of the tunnel. There are times when you can’t afford to eat what you want to eat or buy the guitars you would like. It is tough and there’s lots of competition but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I couldn’t ask for better support than I get from my wife Stacy; she lets me go off and do these things. I also have to teach the guitar three days a week back home and this keeps me sharp. I also try and lead my students towards the blues even though I know I shouldn’t. They always want to play rock and I will say, ‘That reminds me of a blues song!’ I am a big advocate for playing the guitar rather than just practising so I will play for around two hours and practise for a further two. I am teetotal and I feel guilty about turning down drinks. I used to drink a little but it clouds what you do. Take Stevie Ray Vaughan; his performances in 1983 reflected his life style and drugs misuse whereas he was so much better in 1989 when he was clean and sober. I thought ‘I need a clear head’ if I am going to reach my full potential so I don’t intend to mess up my life. My main hobby is building my effects pedals; I also play golf and shoot guns but I only shoot at trees which are already dead.

Where do the inspirations for your original songs come from?

Most of the time my writing starts with the music first; a melody comes in which depicts lyrics. I am fortunate enough to have a great friend called Erick Sims who is a wizard with words; a real wordsmith. I tell him in layman’s terms what I am thinking and he turns it into lyrics so it’s a perfect collaboration.

Photo by Christine Moore

Canvey Island Calling -On The Edge of Madness interview by

Jamie Hailstone

During the early 1970s there was one Blues band that rocked harder than anyone else - Dr. Feelgood. The band from Canvey Island in Essex appealed to Blues, rock and punk fans alike with high-energy gigs and stripped back R&B. The band was fronted by the charismatic lead singer Lee Brilleaux and featured the manic energy of guitarist and songwriter Wilko Johnson. They scored several hit singles, including ‘Coming Back Home’ and ‘Back In The Night’, but as time wore on, there was growing tension between Wilko and other members of the band. Wilko left the group in 1977 and Brilleaux carried on and continued to sing with the band until his untimely death in 1994. Dr. Feelgood still continue to tour to this day, albeit with a different line-up to the classic 1970s incarnation.

The rise and fall of the original Dr. Feelgood is now the subject of the movie “Oil City Confidential” by the awardwinning film director Julien Temple. The director was also man behind the acclaimed films “The Filth And The Fury” about the Sex Pistols and “The Future Is Unwritten”, which paid tribute to the late Joe Strummer, of The Clash. Blues Matters spoke to Temple recently about one of the Britain’s most underrated band.

BM: This is the last film in your trilogy about 1970s bands. The first movie was about the Sex Pistols, the second was about Joe Strummer and The Clash. Why did you pick Dr. Feelgood as the third?

Julien: It’s kind of a punk trilogy. A lot of punk bands drove me up the wall. After the Buzzcocks, The Clash, Pistols and The Dammed, I thought a lot of punk music was rubbish. I was more interested in what created the first flowerings of punk. To me, the great bands are the Pistols and The Clash. I saw a lot of those guys down the front of Feelgood gigs in 1974/75. The big names of punk were all there. It’s this sense of being able to tell one part of the story that lead to a movement and celebrate an underdog band, which played an important part in British music and has been largely forgotten. Their music is so listenable now. It has an edge, freshness and a passion that is really relevant today.

Having spoken to a few people in the last few years about Dr. Feelgood, the one word they all is “underrated”… I would say they’re not even rated. That’s the problem. They are off the radar. When people do get a chance to re-assess them, or hear them for the first time, they will love them. Hopefully, the film will fuel a focusing on who they were.

I liked your description of the original Dr. Feelgood as “four estuarine John the Baptists to Johnny Rotten’s antiChrist”. Would you care to expand on that?

Well, it’s a bit tongue in cheek. I think the Pistols kicked the door half off its hinges, and threw a stun grenade inside, but the Feelgoods began to batter it down! You have to remember how boring things were before punk. That’s what fuelled the punk explosion. The only thing that was really happening was the Feelgoods. It was the fag end of all the 60s stuff. They came on like “Reservoir Dogs”. They looked like they were going to pull out a shotgun and rob the whole audience, rather than play a gig. It was pretty shocking at the time.

It must have made for an interesting gig, anyway…

Especially, when you have these wonderful front men, bouncing off each other and ignoring each other at the same time. Lee Brilleaux was the gang leader and Wilko Johnson was the demented “Jack The Hat”-type henchman, with his machine gun/guitar. It was a fantastic stage show. You didn’t know whether it was comedy or a hold-up. It was on the edge of madness.

A lot of bands when punk came out were shelved, but Dr Feelgood still seemed to soldier on…

I think they were part of that initial rush of energy, but to me, the classic Dr. Feelgood is the Wilko Johnson/Lee Brilleaux axis. After that, they had other guitar players. They were never going to achieve the same sort of heights in creative terms.

When you do a film like this, how easy is it to get all the key and surviving band members/players to take part? Well, any band is suspicious when a filmmaker wants to tell their lives. Obviously, Lee is no longer with us, but the other three really came around when they understood that we weren’t taking the **** out of Canvey Island. We wanted to celebrate the Feelgoods and reassert their place in British music, so they were hugely into it – particularly Wilko, who is a far more eccentric and surprising character than meets the eye. I didn’t realise how many layers he has. I wasn’t prepared for that. He is such a polymath. He is one of only six people in England that speaks early Icelandic, which gives you a clue to how obsessive he is. He spent years trying to unlock the magic formula of Mick Green’s (Johnny Kidd And The Pirates – JH) guitar playing. Wilko believed he was playing lead and rhythm guitar at the same time. He spent endless hours in his bedroom, slowing down Johnny Kidd And The Pirates records, trying to figure out how he could actually do this. Eventually, he succeeded and came up with his own way of playing rhythm and lead guitar at the same time. But in the end, he found they had used a session guitarist on those tracks and there were two guys on the songs. Wilko had done the impossible, but that’s the kind of guy he is. He has an observatory on his roof, and he spends all night up there with his guitar, looking

at the universe. We want to start a campaign for him to succeed Patrick Moore on “The Sky At Night”.

The starting event in the film is the 1953 floods in Canvey Island, which claimed so many lives… It’s unusual for a band to come from an area of just four or five streets. They were very connected from an early age. Canvey was a particularly closed community. They had this Canvey attitude, which was heightened by this terrible tragedy in 1953 when the sea wall broke. One hundred people lost their lives.

Canvey Island sounds a lot like New Orleans in some aspects…

It is strangely reminiscent of Louisiana, in the sense that it has an estuary feel. The Feelgoods described themselves as Thames Delta Bluesmen, rather than Mississippi Bluesmen. Canvey also has a lot of oil refineries. There are big oil refineries in Louisiana and there’s quite a hard way of live around those estuary towns in Alabama. It’s a very poor part of America. Canvey is only an hour from London, but it has the same out of time feel to it.

With all your documentaries, you tend to mash things up with film clips. For “Oil City Confidential”, you’ve used clips from some classic British noir films. Why did you decide to use them? Again, it’s an underdog and a forgotten genre. People don’t just watch them anymore. They give you an insight into a forgotten culture, which the Feelgoods were definitely playing on. In the absence of archive footage of the Feelgoods, we had to improvise ways of telling the story without them; so British film noir seemed to work on a lot of levels. It helped amplify this sense of Canvey Island being full of East End villains. The whole mash-up style goes back to working with the Pistols. We didn’t have any money back then, and when the Pistols were banned, it was an anarchic comment on what was going on. Funnily enough, it’s all over the Internet now.

As someone who was there when the Pistols broke. How explosive were they as a live act? They were like a box of firecrackers. If they were damp, they would not go off, but if you managed to light them, they would go off in your face. The best gigs I have ever seen were Pistols gigs, when they were good. The worst ones were when they were bad. That’s the way I like it. I think the Kinks were like that too. I like the unpredictability. It’s better than the Springsteens of this world, with an all-singing, all-dancing conveyor-belt show. You know people will be waving cigarette lighters at the end.

Did it really seem at the time that punk could overthrow the establishment?

In our heads we did feel that! I always see it in the context to the 60s. That was a cultural revolution, but it had run out of steam by the 1970s and things needed finishing off. There was still a lot of ageism. People like me, who wanted to be a filmmaker in 1975, would just be told to come back when we were 60 years old. The message of punk was screw all that. Just do it. It spread from music to other forms of writing. Pop journalism became serious after punk. A lot of things changed after punk. A lot of things come back to that moment. When the Pistols went on Bill Grundy’s television programme and told him to **** off, they were finishing a job that needed to be done.

There have been several great music films, which have come out in recent years. Are there any that you rate yourself?

I thought “Control” (Anton Corbijn’s movie about Joy Division – JH) was a beautifully made film. I liked the Ramones documentary, called “End Of Century”. I liked the film “DiG!”, particularly, which was about the rivalry between the Dandy Warhols and the Brian Jonestown Massacre. It was a very funny film. The proliferation of films about music is testament to people recognizing how important music is to our national identity.

In your film “The Future Is Unwritten”, which is about the life and times of Joe Strummer, you had many people tell their Strummer story – so what is your favourite memory of him?

I have so many! Listening to Hendrix all night by a fire was pretty good. I always loved driving with Joe, because he would have to stop at every motorway service station, just to check the bargain bins for cassettes. He would take half an hour to burrow through to the bottom of the bin, just to make sure he hadn’t missed any hidden gems. He loved cassettes for the sound.

Are you a big Blues fan yourself?

I am! I’ve just down a film about Detroit and the history of “motor city”. It’s now become a man-made version of New Orleans; it’s a post American wasteland. It’s a very strange place with ghostly freeways and empty car parks. The music from that place includes the Blues. There are people like Big Bill Broonzy and John Lee Hooker. I love the Blues. It’s a great window on the emotional world of America. These guys performed music, which had a huge impact on English musical culture.

Punk was always about the underdog and sticking it to the establishment. A lot of Blues guys will say the same about the Blues. Do you think that’s true?

It think all this music is in a direct line, from the Blues and back into Africa. You can’t underestimate the power of the Blues.

Dr Feelgood, Britains Finest Rhythm and Blues Band. “Down at the Doctors” are planning two weekend breaks in 2011. For bookings and further details please call:The Oysterfleet Hotel, Canvey Island on 01268 510111

Interviewed by John Hurd in Bonn July 2010

Jimmy Bowskill is already a seasoned veteran of the Canadian Blues scene, yet incredibly he is still a teenager. With three acclaimed albums already under his belt, Jimmy has been touted as a future Blues Superstar since he was 12 years old. Largely ‘discovered’ by the late and legendary Jeff Healey, he recently caught another influential eye – that of Thomas Ruf, who, after catching a gig in Berlin last year, was impressed enough to snap the youngster up for his Ruf Records label, which, ironically, was Healey’s last ever label. Ruf has since issued a strong live CD recorded in Jimmy’s hometown of Peterborough, Ontario. The band went into the Studio directly after a long Tour with Wishbone Ash and an almost telepathic understanding between the power trio (bassplayer Wayne Deadder and Dan Neill drums) is the result. It’s a great chunk of rough hewn Blues-rock. Maybe there was something to all the talk of the young Canadian being a future Blues Great after all? What better test than to be measured against two current Blues guitar Gods? A triple bill with Joe Bonamassa and Jeff Beck was certainly the ideal way to find out if Jimmy Bowskill has what it takes.

Jimmy and Band have been hitting Europe hard in the last year, both supporting Wishbone Ash and alone. It’s been a hard slog as can be seen on the Canadian Blues Website (www.canadianblues.ca) under ‘Shifty’s Blog where bassplayer Wayne Deadder tells all. The reward though is that interest in the Band and its leader has skyrocketed in Europe, and the rocket has come to earth here in Bonn with Jimmy kicking off a triple bill with the two aforementioned demi-gods of the fretboard. Good reason to be big headed I would say, but Jimmy seemes unaffected by it all. I saw him watching as Bonamassa went through his set from backstage and the smile on Jimmy’s face was visible despite the distance between us and the fading light. Jimmy Bowskill is clearly not just a Blues Musician but also a Blues fan; and when I caught up with him after the show for a Blues Matters interview he was knowledgable about the past of the Blues and clearly focussed on his own ambitions for the future.

BM:Was this a one off show with Joe and Jeff?

JB: There’s nothing planned so yes, it was kind of a one off.

How did it come about?

We were touring with Wishbone Ash and met the promoter doing this show and he liked our sound so he asked if we wanted to tour with Bonamassa and Beck.

The cover of your first CD has you in a Robert Johnson pose with a similar hat; so a good question to start with is - what were your first memories of hearing Blues music Jimmy?

First memories of the Blues? Jesus! Well I guess the first Blues I really heard was Robert Johnson. I’ve always been a bit of a historian you know so later there’s Hendrix, Zeppelin and that kind of stuff. But trace it back to the roots like Johnson, Son House, Charlie Patton. When I heard that stuff it was life changing, you know. It just got me started.

But how did you continue? Did you get any formal musical training? I know Ana Popovic started formal Jazz training in Holland but left early because she felt she was learning notes and scales at the expense of losing a natural feel for the music.

I don’t have formal training. I’ve taken lessons from a few guys coming up, but I’m mostly self-taught. I’m more of a feel player than anything – I’m not really a technical player; always just kind of done my thing.

Some formal training might help working with studio musicians though to explain what you want...

I guess it depends on what you’re playing and the musicians.

I’m thinking particularly with regards to your new contract with Thomas Ruf. He tends to choose the musicians that back up his Artists on recordings – especially initially. Well we do have a studio record planned – but I’ll definitely be doing it with my own band.

Have you chosen a producer? Mike Vernon recently produced Oli Brown and more recently Dani Wilde at Ruf. He’s (Thomas Ruf) run a couple by us, but we’ve got something planned already. We want to do it in Canada. I’d kind of like to do it on my own, you know. The band I have is definitely a solid unit and I don’t like to branch out from that. We’ve toured a lot together.

Especially with Wishbone Ash in Europe. In fact Wayne (bassist Wayne Deadder) wrote on his blog that your gig here (in Bonn) with Wishbone Ash had one of your best audiences. Wayne: They were with us right from the moment we walked out. Jimmy: The crowd was awesome.

It would be great if you came back here as part of RUF’s Blues Caravan next year. I haven’t heard anything, but that would be great.

I have to mention Jeff Healey of course. Is this story of you busking outside of his Toronto Club aged eleven until he came out to hear you true?

(Laughs) It is yeah!

I think you also said your father went down to Healey’s with you, so I’m wondering how much of an influence your parents were in the early days.

My dad’s a huge supporter. He’s always been there for me and it’s amazing to have someone I can totally trust to work with. Both my parents have always been very supportive. My Dad plays a bit of guitar and my Mum sings a bit you know, but they never really wanted to pursue anything themselves in music. My Dad got me started on guitar way back, when I was ten though.

So after the initial breakthrough via Healey did he continue to influence you?

Oh of course, big time. He was a huge supporter, of young acts in general. I had an open invitation to his club even though I was too young, you know. He was a humble guy, and he showed me, inadvertantly, to be true to myself. Just do what I do and have fun. The minute it goes to your head, that’s the minute you’re down, you know. And of course I picked up a lot of things guitarwise. He was incredible.

But you’ve developed your own sound since, which has been described as a retro style. In fact the artwork on the new live CD is actually provided by Bob Masse. How did you link up with Bob?

We were touring in British Columbia and he lives on this tiny island, ‘Salt Spring Island’ Very secluded. So we came across a record shop full of posters actually signed by him, and we thought ‘Wow!’ Asked if they had a number for him and they did which was great because he was doing really heavy concert posters back in the day for the likes of Cream and Jimi Hendrix. Amazing, you know.

All your covers have had a retro look in some way though I think. ‘Old Soul’ with its Robert Johnson poze, ‘Soap Bars’ is Stevie Ray style, and the self titled 2007 one has a car reminiscent of ZZ Top... Have you always had a say in things right down to the artwork?

Oh yes, it’s all up to me. I’ve always been a car guy so that’s where the 9 one comes from. But it also relates to you’re customizing a six string into a nine string guitar? Well, Big Joe Williams. He played a nine string guitar. It’s basically a six string but the first three strings, the bass notes, are doubled up. Giving you a thick, heavy sound? Yeah, and so the top strings sound like lead notes. I used it on the track called ‘Nine’ which was our intro song tonight actually.

And you used a twin necked Gibson onstage earlier too. Was that a 12 string?

Yes, that’s the funny thing about electric 12 strings. It doesn’t have that chimey 12 string sound – it kinda sounds thicker, you know. It’s a fun guitar to play with.

How is the current Blues scene in Canada Jimmy? I’d read good things for example about Monkey Junk. Yes, there buddies of ours. That’s Tony Dee, Steve Mariner and Matt Sobb. When we played in Cologne Steve Mariner came up to see us.

When will we see them playing in Europe?

They’ve done some one offs. Instead of touring they fly over for one show...

Who else would you recommend on the current Canadian Blues scene?

Steve Strongman (who opened for Buddy Guy on his Canadian Tour dates), Colin Linden is top notch. Gary Mason is the son of Dutch Mason (Norman ‘Dutch’ Mason. A Canadian Blues ambassador in the 1970’s known as ‘The Prime Minister of the Blues’). He’s in his early twenties and a real groove player. He plays with his fingers. Really cool.

You’re only 19 yourself Jimmy, rather like Oli Brown with whom you share a very down to earth approach. Can you keep that enthusiasm?

I think so. I’m a Country boy at heart (laughs) A lot of people see Blues musicians as being old black men, but Robert Robert Johnson died young, only 27. The hits Muddy had in the 50’s he was only in his late thirties then. Listen to BB King. He wrote many of his hits when he was in his twenties. It’s totally a misconception that Blues is played by old black men. Anyone can have soul and play it right from the heart. I’ve gotten in my career, you know, you’re a young kid and you’ve never felt it. But it’s not that you have to experience pain. It’s just, it’s music from the heart. That’s what the Blues is to me.

I’m pleased to see a lot of young up and coming musicians playing Blues players right now, but how do you get youngsters to listen to the music?

I don’t know. We’ve managed. We have a bit of an edge to our sound for sure; and it does have a retro vibe. Also, we play on the heavier side of Blues – and that was a natural thing, we don’t try to do it, our sound is what it is.

Can old Blues styles survive with the modern Rock Blues? Yourself, Joe and Jeff were, to my ears, playing more Rock than Blues this evening.

It was there this evening. Joe Bonamassa played some Mississippi John Hurt. Jeff Beck did ‘Rollin and Tumblin’. You can always play songs the way they were originally written but you’ll never nail that vibe or capture the original feeling of the song. If you’re gonna cover a song then you should do it you’re own way. Our last song today, ‘Broke Down Engine’ was written by Blind Boy Fuller back in the 1920’s, but we revamped it to be our own song. Your never gonna capture the original vibe. It’s part of an era.

Hopefully people will hear a song like that and want to trace the original, because that’s how many current Blues fans have worked back. I know youngsters who’ve never heard of Jeff Beck. They will tell you the guitar God is someone like Slash. Well Slash is really a Blues player big time. I heard him fill in recently for someone and it turned into a Killer Blues set, really cool!

When will Blues Matters readers in the UK get to see you and the band?

We’re looking at some UK Dates soon. There’s a European Tour coming up in the Fall. We’ve already solidified Norway, Germany, Czech Republic. We’re travelling all over so hopefully we’ll get some UK dates, it would be really nice. We’ve never been there.

Even if it means playing to fifty people in a pub? Well, you just gotta fight through it. Keep coming back and get more people. You have to build something. You can’t just expect it to be great.

You’re young enough to have plenty of time to work on it. (Laughs) I guess so.

SIMON McBRIDE

From Savage to Guitar Hero Simon gives Philip Woodford the lowdown

Like Gary Moore, one of his childhood heroes, Simon McBride grew up in Belfast and similarly, was proficient on guitar before he became a teenager. At the age of fifteen Simon won the accolade of Guitarist Magazine’s “Young Guitarist of the Year” against strong competition. An immediate invitation to join Belfast rock band Sweet Savage saw Simon play at several major festivals and on two of their albums before the band split in 1998. Since then, Simon has toured the world as guitarist for various artists across several musical genres before deciding to go solo. The current line-up of Simon’s power trio is Simon on guitar and vocals, Trevor Dyer on bass and Paul Hamilton on drums. Simon’s first CD, released in 2008, was the critically acclaimed “Rich Man Falling” comprising 11 original songs and covers of Free’s “Be My Friend” and Hendrix’s “Power of Soul” This year will see the release of his second, as yet untitled, album.

BM: You started playing guitar at 10 years of age, what inspired you to start to play and did you have any formal training?

Simon: Well my Dad originally bought a guitar for himself, and while he was away at work one day I picked it up and started messing with it, and to be honest I just fell in love with it. I learned fast. My family was always listening to music so I guess it was just in me, even though I am the only person in my family who has ever played an instrument. So from that I started to listen to guys like Joe Satriani, Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix and just started trying to learn and copy everything I heard. I actually found it was more of a challenge and rewarding to learn the stuff totally by ear rather than by using tab books. Tab books make it too easy and impersonal. Learning by ear made me work harder and I believe it made me the player I am today. I never really had any formal training or lessons; I pretty much taught myself how to play.

You won Guitarist Magazine’s Young Guitarist of the Year competition when you were 15. Please can you tell us about this?

I entered the competition in the usual way - I sent in a demo. Then I got a call to say they had picked me to go and play in the final which was held at the Wembley conference centre. It was a great experience. There was some really good competition, so I was shocked that I won. It got me some good exposure.

You were a member of hard rock band Sweet Savage for several years, and indeed recorded two albums with them. How did this come about and what did you gain from being a band member?

I had known the guys in the band for a while, and they were in talks with a record label, but they needed a guitar player as Vivian Campbell was off doing the Def Leppard gig. So they asked me to join. It was a great experience especially as I was only a 16 year old kid. I did a lot of gigs with them around the world. It was really good to play in a band situation because I had really only been doing it on my own previous to that. It was a lot of fun.

Which artists have you toured and recorded with and can you tell us a little about your experiences?

After Sweet Savage I worked with Andrew strong from The Commitments. By then I was 20. I worked with Andrew for about 6 years. There was a lot of touring involved and recording. It also introduced me to a totally different style of playing. I have also been fortunate to do gigs with the likes of TM Stevens, Zorro, and Gary Grainger. There are many other artists I have worked with, but just too many to mention!

Are there any musicians you’d particularly like to perform with?

My dream band would be: Abe Loboriel Jnr, what a drummer! and Pino Palladino on bass. And if he were still around, to jam with Jimi Hendrix!

Have you always been drawn to Blues based music?

Pretty much all electric guitar music owes something to the Blues. When I started out I was into Satriani and Hendrix. Most people would see them as rock, but they both had a bluesy vibe to them, so I guess it all kind of stems from there. I can’t say I was listening to Blues as a toddler or that I have gone on a pilgrimage to discover the old timers, I haven’t, I’m just doing my thing! It was only later, from about the age of twenty that I got into more Bluesy players, the likes of Paul Kossoff, Robben Ford, Gary Moore, SRV, Jeff Beck etc.

You have regularly played songs by Jeff Beck in your set, such as ‘The Pump’ and ‘Brush With The Blues’. In what

Photo by Christtine Moore

SIMON McBRIDE

ways has Beck influenced you and are there any others that have had such an impact?

Jeff Beck to me is one of the all-time great innovators, who keeps re-inventing himself but still keeps the sound he had from years ago. That really inspires me. The sounds that guy creates from a guitar are unreal. I love playing his songs because no matter what sort of player you are, when you play his stuff it automatically makes you want to play something different. Another player who I respect as an innovator is Steve Lukather, he is still is a big influence on my playing today. To be honest there are so many other great artists that I have not mentioned, but I would be here all day telling you about them.

You are signed to Nugene records, who have received a lot of recognition in Blues circles due to their excellent releases by Ian Siegal and Matt Schofield. Unlike them, however rock sound. What led to you being signed to Nugene?

It’s quite simple. I sent in a demo of some stuff I was working on and I met up with Richard Pavitt. We got on really well so we decided to work together and it’s going really well. Richard has a good year for guitarists and wanted something a bit different to his existing artists. The guy who has recently helped the blues industry the most is Joe Bonamassa and I would say he is more rock than some rock stuff, so to me blues is whatever you want it to be!

I believe a new CD is due for release later this year. How would you describe the overall sound of the new CD? Will it be more or less Bluesy than ‘Rich Man Falling’ and have you retained the trio format of the band?

It is a similar in style to the last album. Basically it’s me, my sound, but I think you could possibly describe it as a little bit more aggressive and rootsy. I am still very happy with the trio format - it’s raw and full of energy and the two guys (Hammy and Trev) are awesome to play with, we work well together so why change a good formula.

The majority of the songs on “Rich Man Falling” are your own. Have you also written the majority of the songs for the new album and whose songs have you covered this time?

At this moment, every song on the album will be my own, I haven’t come across a song which I really want to cover and feel I could do something with.

Since the release of “Rich Man Falling” it appears that you have not played many live shows. Can you tell us why this is and if you are planning some UK dates soon?

I have got asked this question a lot recently. It’s not that I don’t want to play UK shows; it’s just that initially there were better offers from continental Europe. And being based in Belfast doesn’t help because we can’t just get in the van and do a gig if the chance arises. Expensive ferries means we have to string dates together. The band members are full-time pros so that brings its own pressures. This year we will start touring the UK properly. We have some dates in June and then we will be out to tour the new album in the autumn.

There is currently a definite groundswell of interest in Blues-rock music across all ages. Have you picked up on this trend?

Yeah, I see a lot of kids coming along getting into the Blues-rock market, which is great to see. It’s good to see such a growth in interest towards Blues-rock music. May it keep on growing!

What occupies your time when you are not recording or performing?

I work with Music in Schools foundation and also do some teaching. But mainly I like to record or gig. I also do quite a bit of production work for other bands. Outside music, I am a massive fan of Moto GP. It was my misfortune last year to have to give up my tickets to the Spanish GP as my band was playing at the Excel in London as part of the London International Music Show - but it was nice to be playing on a really big stage!

20 years on the road! Interview with Vicky Martin

Gary Boner has led Roadhouse for 20 years… this year at last they appeared at Glastonbury and slowly things are looking up, it’s a story of struggling against the odds, no big record company advances, no-one to pull the strings, and coping with severe illness and family struggles. …Gary’s answers are spiced with typically dry ‘Sarf London’ humour, and if you like this you may enjoy the website Podcast version where Gary entertains us with anecdotes about the true meaning of the name ‘Boner’ and much more.

BM: So we’re in the 20th year of Roadhouse; that’s a surprising statistic in this day and age of constant change… almost a major achievement. Maybe you could hazard a figure as to how many gigs Roadhouse have done?

GB: I think it’s somewhere over 2,300

And the first ever Roadhouse gig was?

Would you believe it was a wedding; I met a slide guitarist/harp playing singer songwriter called Bob Roberts. He asked me to help him form a Band to play his mate’s wedding. They were a real bunch of rock and rollers, the groom had much longer hair than the bride

And the line-up was?

Bill Hobley was on bass and Roger Hunt was the drummer; that was our legendary rhythm section; and they were there in that first line up. At that time we also had a Scottish sax player called Finn.

I saw you way back as support on a young Pete Feenstra gig at the Torrington. Obviously it’s come a long way since then. Did you have a vision for the band at that stage?

Roadhouse has gone through many phases. At the Torrington alone we went through a phase with Bob Roberts as the front man singing with Mandie G. Then there was the iconic line-up of Jules and Lorna Fothergill plus Annie Campbell. We then moved onto Canadian guitar whiz (and he was fast!) Drew Barron (ex Buddy Miles) and Irish Siren Fiona McElroy, who now leads her own Band; the vision was to survive as a Band when others were going under.

I reckon it was easier then there were loads more gigs – The Torrington was great venue and there’s been nothing remotely as good in North London. How do you think the gig situation has changed in that time?

There are fewer bands and even less venues, live music in the traditional blues rock format is losing ground. The fans are ageing as a demographic and younger people can outplay us all on ‘Guitar Hero’.

…and what about the attitudes of venue owners and promoters…

A few flick your head sideways and use your ear as an ash tray…no, I’m joking really, there are a lot of good people running venues. It’s often at a loss and driven purely by their love for real music and the connection it can bring. We are, however, treated better in Holland, Belgium and France, where accommodation, food and drink is provided and you are actually treated as artists and human beings. Pete Feenstra is doing a great deal to keep live music alive around London. Well enough of the past; we’ll return to it later and draw on your experience as a band leader, this seems to have been a good year for you so far…

Yes, it started well with our appearance on Centre Stage at the Skegness festival. The band has reached a whole new level and the crowd saw that. In many ways we are unrecognisable from what we used to be. The reaction was unbelievable; we received over 100 emails from punters who loved that show. I suddenly started getting calls from venues around the Country asking us to come and play for them for the first time. The new songs have been well received and the lovely Rachel Clark joining has been a good thing. Our squad of stunning, young female vocalists is now up to 4 in total. It’s a shame that the Blues Matters stage at Colne was cancelled this year, as we’ve been the biggest crowd draw on the Sunday for about the last 6 years….you win some, and you lose some….hopefully we’ll all be back there next year…

So how did Glastonbury come about?

We were asked to be on standby in case any bands dropped out on the new Bourbon Street Blues stage.

I recall you ringing me to say that you were very close to it –I’ll bet it was a bit of a cliff-hanger then before it was confirmed?

I didn’t think it would happen, then with 5 days to go we were on

And how did it go?

It went very well; we probably had the best slot in the whole day. Stevie Wonder was just finishing up on the adjacent Pyramid Stage; we definitely had the biggest crowd on that stage. I thought everyone would be rocked out, but they loved it. It was a great experience…

It’s a been a good trip from the ice and snow of Skegness in January to high summer at Glastonbury. It’s been a strange year

Well it’s a been pretty good launch pad for the new album that we are hearing about – so please tell us about that?

Photo

G Johannessen

Yes that’s right, we’ll be recording the new CD, Dark Angel, in September and it should be out by mid October. I’m delighted with the new songs. We’ve been playing 4 of them for some time and the feedback is excellent. This is also my favourite Roadhouse line up, there’s little in-band politics, and it’s more like a family then a Band. Also the music is stylistically heavier in many different ways.

I’ve heard some of the songs in live performance and I’m intrigued, some of the lyrics are quite dark; death, the devil, voodoo, illness, etc. Yet your show is very ‘up’ and cheerful. Can you tell us about that contrast?

I’ve got a very painful disease of my muscles, tendons and central nervous system. Two months ago the hospital said I was the only person with my type of disease and in my age group (ancient that is) on their books, who was not bed ridden. I asked the Doctor concerned if he’d ever considered a career as a motivational speaker. Some nights I have restricted movement in my wrists and fingers, so I have to approach the guitar differently. This stops me from getting bored. Also I’ve been divorced a few times and struggled to keep up quality contact with my Daughter… We’ve all got our stories, but I think I’m blessed; there are so many people worse off than me. Every time I get up and play, it’s a result. The fact that we attract good crowds and sell decent quantities of CD’s is amazing to me. Playing live is the greatest feeling in the world… long may it continue. Two years ago on stage in Colne I publicly announced that I’d have to throw the towel in. The pain at that stage was relentless; I couldn’t see any light at all. But I’m still here and in less pain, so I would like to apologise to all who were there for my feeble sense of melodrama. I did mean it at the time, but somebody came up to me this year at Skegness and said “Aren’t you meant to be dead’ and that brought it home.

I note that voodoo comes into several songs, have you got a special interest in that subject?

A bit, I love the psychology of cursing someone and then they believe themselves to death. I visited the large Graveyards in New Orleans, the so called ‘Cities of the Dead’. The swampy ground literally vomits up corpses, so people have to be buried above ground in large marble tombs that often resemble gothic wedding cakes. Whole generations of families are stored in sculptured filing cabinets. I visited the Grave of Marie LeVaux the so called Witch Queen of New Orleans. Every morning her grave is found to be covered in blood and the corpses of dead animals. These offerings are meant to grant power to the giver. I bought loads of voodoo dolls when I was there…results have been mixed.

Oh dear, shudder, shudder, and tell us about a successful voodoo result… (Readers, you’ll have to go the web-site to hear the sensational unexpurgated truth about Gary’s voodoo skills!)

The title track of the album ‘Dark Angel’ paints a dark picture of hopelessness and vulnerability to outside forcestell us about the genesis of that song?

Well you are born, you live and then you die. I think it’s the middle bit that’s important, but one thing is certain, it won’t end well.

What makes you so sure of that? I mean, say, Roadhouse breaks big, GB makes a few million, has ten years of success and dies peacefully surrounded by friends, family and assorted ex-Roadhouse musicians? (Hear Gary’s startling response on the web-site)

The other song that caught my attention is ‘Too Tired to Pray’ what’s the story behind that?

It’s about loss of hope, death of dreams, inertia, exhaustion of the soul, meltdown.

Oh yeah, like trying to get a gig out of…oops, best not say that, maybe it sounds more like the aftermath of a bad pub gig?

(laughs) yes but Danny’s slide playing gives it a great blues feel

Is there a song of yours that expresses your lighter side?

‘Don’t You Point that Thing at Me’, on the album ‘No Place to Hide’ is a black comedy, double entendre and all. ‘Mexican Nights’ on our album ‘Broken Land’ is a piss [satirical] take on all those great Robert Rodriguez movies. Some reviewers called that song ‘Bizarre’, but I found it hysterical. Drew Barron’s flamenco guitar playing on that song is a revelation.

Looking back through your albums – there is a theme that emerges – religion or anti-religion, and the supernatural themes that run alongside. Is there a growing anger and sense of loss expressed in the songs – it seems to be there in the songs.

Not really, I just don’t think many Blues Rock fans relate to ‘I woke up this morning and I feel great’

It seems to be there in the artwork for ‘Sea of Souls’, the cover picture is like a burning diary – like a life being burned away and there is a religious symbolism in the sleeve artwork – taken with the lyrics of the song ‘Sea of Souls’ ‘Don’t know how I turned into a poor relation, just slipped into a world of desperation, Oh Lord I’m

photo by Vicky Martin

Gary Boner

drowning’. Not exactly cheerful is it?

More people have died in the name of religion than any other cause. To me it’s a form of social control, an opiate for the masses, right up there with public execution, gladiatorial combat and football. That doesn’t mean it’s not important.

There’s a whole other debate and interview there, so what about the cover art?

Well Vaughan Oliver is a legend in the field of graphic design and is one of the UK’s most acclaimed rock sleeve artists. His work with The Pixies, The Cocteau Twins among others is legendary. It’s been a dream that he has designed our last 2 covers and he’s on for the new one. I wonder what he’ll do with ‘Dark Angel’.

What sort of song you might sing on ice-cold morning on the beach at Skeggy?

‘Donald Where’s My Trousers’

You must let me have the chords for that; Ok so anything that you’d like to add about your songs?

They are mood pieces, stories, vignettes, often cinematic in nature. Modern film noir is a big influence, alongside a decent splash of Southern Gothic. A taxi driver in Amsterdam had 2 of my CD’s and he said that ‘I must have the most miserable existence on the planet’. Well mate, they are only songs!!

Ok, so as a bandleader of twenty years and more experience what’s the main thing that you’ve learned?

I’m a lot more laid back. If it’s going to go wrong, it’s going to go wrong. You can’t control everybody all the time and it’s wrong to try to do so. We are a Band, if there’s a compelling belief in the music, that’s all you need to get people working together in the right way.

What advice would you pass to a band just starting out, they can be any age, or let’s sharpen that a bit – what’s the first piece of advice that you’d offer?

Don’t bother, it’s a dying planet! (That’s helped get rid of any future competition)

And the second…

More seriously, it’s the kids and the new musicians that will dictate whether the genre continues to exist. Their development is essential. Wherever we play on the circuit we let young bands support us or actively feature them in jam/ open mic nights that we run. We’ve met some fantastic young musicians. I hate people going on about Joe Bonamassa selling out; if he takes us to a whole new audience, then God bless him. I’ve had the privilege of opening for him and we’ve exchanged CD’s, he’s a great player.

I’d like to turn to the band now –how did the concept of having three girl singers develop and does that cause financial problems?

Well if anybody had any intention of trying to make money out of playing live music, I’m sure the last thing they would do is form a Band with 6 or 7 people in it and the play largely original material. For me, it’s all about managing the size of the debt in order to keep the musical vision alive. We only use 3 girls at festivals and big stage shows, mostly we just use two. They are all great singers and could easily front their own bands. It’s a bonus that they are all drop dead sexy and get no shortage of admirers. Big thanks to Mandie G, Kelly Marie Hobbs, Suzie D and Rachel Clark. In my view it’s another conduit to turning people onto the music, though some may say it’s just a conduit for turning people on. The girls all move well, it’s not cheesy and co-ordinated; they connect with the music and rock out on stage.

Do you run it as a democracy or are you the boss?

I’ll ask the Band if I’m allowed to say that I’m the Boss

With 7 or 8 members do you get any dissent, how do you deal with it?

In many different ways, it happens all the time. No group of people will ever see everything the same way

So how about some specific advice for bandleaders

Don’t ever expect to be thanked, especially with sincerity

Let’s turn to your own song writing, we’ve touched on it a bit when we talked about the albums. First of all, out of all your songs, have you got a favourite?

No, faves come and go. A song that embarrasses me one month, I start to re-consider the next (sometimes, mostly I stay embarrassed).

Any particular way of working when you write?

Write the music first, if that doesn’t give you the chills then it’s not a decent platform for a narrative and melody for playing guitar. However, you are right, it’s the song first and then guitar (a very close) second

Got a philosophy of life?

If I had an ‘osophy’ I’d be a scientist

Any regrets band-wise?

Too many to mention

If it all ended tomorrow how would you like to be remembered?

As a good songwriter, someone who did a lot for live music, someone who was there for his friends and family OK, well congratulations on a really good year and here’s to it being onward and upward

THE RIVER DEVILS & JED POTTS AND THE HILLMAN HUNTERS

@ The Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh

EXTRA - GOT LIVE

This Soul Survivor event paired two of Edinburgh’s brightest blues bands. Pott’s young band showed why they are becoming a popular support act, opening with the powerful instrumental ‘Don’t Lose Your Cool.’ Their mature approach to classic American blues is based upon feel and dynamics, not speed, as demonstrated with a superb take of ‘Woke Up This Morning’. An impassioned ‘Love Me With A Feeling preceded ‘Long Distance Call’. Adept drummer Jonny Christie led bassist Barry Topping into a slow paced beat before the recognisable eerie slide guitar from Potts identified an attention-grabbing version of Rory Gallagher ’s ‘Could’ve Had Religion.’ Likewise Sandy Tweeddale’s new project The River Devils did not disappoint. As central to the band as Tweeddale’s guitar is Hammond B3 organ player Angus Rose who played out a measured introduction to ‘Just Can’t Say’ before the band, complemented by Rod Kennard on bass and Andrew Samson on drums paid homage to Philip Walker with upbeat version of ‘Dressing Trashy’. The west side soul of ‘Walking The Dog’ preceded some slow BB King style Blues. ‘Tennessee Whiskey’ showcased Tweeddale’s fine soulful vocals while the focus switched to his slide playing for ‘Fire In Town’ with tasteful Hammond flurries from Rose. Kennard and Samson’s swinging backbeat provided the foundation for a sprightly take of Lonnie Johnson’s ‘Keep What You Got’, and a funky groove through ‘Sugar Sweet’ while a Bo Diddley medley closed the evening in style.

Duncan Beattie

POPA CHUBBY @The Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh 26/03/2010

Before Popa Chubby’s appearance was support act Virgil & The Accelorators who performed an energetic set comprising some well-chosen covers and some of their own songs. The best of these were the original shuffle ‘What Am I To Do’, superb take of ‘Couldn’t Stop The Weather’; which allowed each member of this young band demonstrate their impressive musical talents and an extended ‘Voodoo Child’ as requested by the headliner. Popa Chubby has his own definition of Blues rock when he commenced his set in Edinburgh with a scorching version of ‘Killing Floor’ before an almost note perfect interpretation of ‘Ace Of Spades’. An electrifying start which certainly defies categorisation. Bedecked in a Scottish tammy hat, Chubby looked and sounded in good humour. The mood continued with excursions through the Pink Panther theme and Chubby’s take on ‘Halleliuah’, which came between songs from his most recent album “The Fight Is On”, including the heavy instrumental ‘Steelhorse Serenade’. The temperature was warming in the packed venue and Chubby, now seated, added a segment of “Electric Cubbyland” into the mix including ‘The Wind Cries Mary’. After a bizarre demonstration of his own drum skills Chubby got back to his feet for the best song of the evening, the guitarless swagger of ‘Sweat’. As he rapped out each verse of the sleeazy lyrics he reached accross and grabbed the hands of the closest audience members. Leaving the stage to come back for an encore with the isles packed was not really an option so an entertaining but not essential performance was closed with the autobiographical ‘Rock and Roll Is My Religion’.

Duncan Beattie

Part 1 interviewed by

- Vicky Martin

It was an honour to talk to one of the seminal figures behind the golden years of Chicago Blues – Marshall Chess, son of Leonard Chess, who was majorly involved with Chess Records from 1955. We talked about the recently released 100 track box set. ‘A Complete Introduction to Chess’, about the Chicago greats and so much more; the conversation was fascinating and revelatory in places as we touched on the foundation of rock ‘n’ roll

BM: It’s great to talk to you and we’d like to ask you the new box set ‘A Complete Introduction To Chess’ on first sight it brought back to me just how important this music is to us. I recall the excitement of getting my first imported American 45’s way back in about ’64

MC: Sure, when I looked at it I thought, you know it has a nice history, it starts early and it goes right through the sixties, it covers Northern Soul, Soul Music, blues, r ‘n’ b, soul, it’s really very good.

It’s interesting but we’ve of moved into an era when all of the baggage that surrounds this music is gone and the music now just stands on its own.

I understand that, its like we’re in a whole new business of music, the thing about Chess though, is that somehow young people continue to discover Chess you know, and when they discover it, its like a rare seam to them and then they start to mine it, I’m not saying it’s like millions of people but it keeps on happening.

In a sense it’s iconic almost like the soundtrack of our lives

Well it really is, its like I was recently in Chicago and I was speaking, and I thought we have all that literature and art there, yet there’s never been a more creative output than Chess Records, it’s amazing; ‘cos it wasn’t just the blues and R&B, we had so much; jazz and we had unbelievable gospel, we even had superstars of black comedy. We had an amazing output of creativity coming out of that little building.

Looking through the set, the music seems to have gone through certain stylistic trends / periods – starting with the almost country blues thing and developing the Chicago sound – could you describe some of that development for us

Well it started out with the very early country rural blues, Muddy Waters ‘Feel Like Going Home’ and it was like one step away from Mississippi, one step away from the back porch; and they came to Chicago along with a million other black people from the South, and at the same time Chicago was a centre of immigration for millions of people from Europe; my family were family living in a small village in Poland with no water or toilet inside; they came to Chicago for a better life and at the same time you had all these black people from Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, all getting jobs in the factories that were created by World War 2. All the steel mills and that; so it was all a very kind of symbiotic relationship. So it started with the country blues and as these black people and immigrants started to make money they liked to have a good time and spend their money. They liked to drink, they liked music, and these blues clubs sprang up all over Chicago and the mid-west and along with these clubs which became crowded and noisy came the desire to be heard over the noise; so just by osmosis electric blues was formed. It was formed so the music could be heard over the noise in these crowded clubs. So Muddy and Wolf and Little Walter especially discovered that amplification could really modify the sound, make it more electric and exciting – and it really exploded.

Yeah, it’s been getting louder ever since…

Yes, louder and it was the foundation of rock and roll.

Did you have any involvement with the choice of tracks for the box set, or was that entirely down to Andy Street? No, not any involvement, Andy kept me informed of track listings, photographs; and I was just very pleased; after he sent me the first lists I sent back an email saying “You’ve done a fantastic job”. He really caught the whole evolution of Chess and encapsulated it in this box set. It’s such a good classy job. Nowadays people download stuff without even any artwork…

Well I must congratulate you on a really great job…

Well I support these things, I’m very conscious of the legacy of my family and I want to keep it out there for my greatgrandchildren.

Well it really honours the music and it honours the artists involved

It does

Reading through the booklet one of the really seminal figures in the whole development of the music seems to have been Willie Dixon – what are your memories of him?

Well Willie Dixon was a great influence on the early acoustic and electric blues part of Chess Records. I remember him as…his first job was to get the bands together; these blues people who came up from the South didn’t have telephones, no cell phones, no internet; they also had numerous women, and if you had a session, you had to get a band together you couldn’t just pick up a telephone… so Willie somehow knew where all these people were, he knew which girl a guy was with, and he’d put the band together. He began by putting the band together and playing bass on many of the early tracks, big upright bass he used to play, white coloured; I remember that as a small child…and then of course he began writing… he was one of these who would write specifically, he wrote ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’ for Muddy Waters; he wrote ‘Evil’ for

Howling Wolf; he understood the artists of Chicago and the audience for that artist…he was a very key figure for Chess Records.

But the thing about it is, you have to understand, this was the era of the independent record business, having a great song and a great record was just a small piece of the pie. It meant nothing unless you got it on the radio, travelled around the country got it distributed, it was very difficult…there were so many steps that a black man couldn’t take….that’s why all these first independent record labels were run by white people. Until the sixties when Motown started, the reason was there was tremendous racism in America, there were no black record executives; I mean there might have been a few people in the business, but they couldn’t get it done. In the South on my first trips in 1955 they were still riding in the back of the bus – it was before Civil Rights – so they couldn’t go into a bank, they couldn’t get money to add to a recording. So like I said it was a very symbiotic relationship, not only between Chess, but all these early labels like Atlantic and Stax, it was crucial element of the success of the whole thing.

Just coming back to Willie Dixon for a moment; he must have had a gift as an arranger as well; the arrangements on those early tunes are so concise?

Yes, but I wouldn’t 100% agree with you because Howling Wolf did his own arrangements, they weren’t Willie’s, Muddy Waters was his own bandleader and did his own arrangements; Willie might have shown them a certain riff or something; but these guys were their own creative force…that’s why they sounded so different you know; I wouldn’t call him an arranger, I’d call him more of a great songwriter and a great ‘hook’ writer. He could write that ‘da dada da dah’, those six notes made the whole song.

Yes, it’s lasted ever since and it never gets stale…

Yeah, that’s what I’m tryin’ to say, he might play those notes on his bass ‘da dada da dah’ but was Muddy and how he put the guitar and piano to emphasize that made it Muddy’s song with that riff

Looking back at the whole story it’s interesting and slightly strange that an immigrant Polish/Jewish family with no obvious musical background would be involved in creating something which has been so influential. It seems to have been purely business at the start but how did that develop into real involvement with the music. Well my Uncle says that when they came from Poland my Grandfather had a scrap-metal yard. In Poland one man in the village had a wind-up Victrola that would play music, and the whole damn town would stand and watch from the window. They came to Chicago and there was a black gospel church across from where the scrap-metal yard was, my uncle would say that was black music – tambourine, upright piano, bass, drums, and my Uncle said my Grandfather would take the strap off to them for being late, they’d been fascinated by that music…and then it happened by accident – my Father didn’t like working for people – he was a shoe salesman, a milkman…he decided to go on his own…and he was very comfortable being around black people because of his upbringing, being brought from Europe, when he came from Poland to basically a black area where the scrap-metal yard was; there were no black people in Poland, no prejudice, but the reason he opened a liquor store in the black area of Chicago was it was the cheapest place to get rent; the cheapest rent was in the worst black neighbourhood so he scraped together enough money and pretty soon he was doing great selling liquor…so wow, they’re making money and they love to drink. He then opened a corner cabin with a juke box and that’s when they really started hearing the music. When you’re working all night and hearing the people putting the money in you start to hear the ones they play over and over again…you get a sense of what it is, so he got a sense of that…and then he went to the night club, the next step was the Macombo Lounge and live music as well as a juke box. It was mostly Jazz though, but he also saw what a Jazz it was, the crowds would come and they’d say to the band ‘play that one over again’. Then these people from Aristocrat records came to record there and he met these record business people and he said ‘wow’ another black business, he believed in the black market; I always thought maybe he was a little insecure at the beginning, being an immigrant and was more comfortable around blacks; I don’t know that’s the case, but I always though that.

Do you think there is any sort of natural empathy, you know, with the Jewish people being so oppressed?

Oh I do, they had suffering; came from suffering backgrounds, they both had prejudice against them. Yeah, I think there was a definite connection between those early Jews, in the film business as well.

Yes, I’m sure there’s a connection

And then he became a salesman for Aristocrat records, and they had Muddy Waters; in 1950, three years after a club burned down he went into the record business; when my Dad died Muddy called up the radio station, I had a tape of it, and said, “I lost a real good friend today, I’m sure Leonard Chess would agree; Leonard Chess and Chess records made Muddy Waters, and Muddy Waters made Chess records”; and that was the truth, he was our first star, 1950 you know.

You appear to have come into the business later than Leonard and Phil Chess?

Oh yeah, I came in around 1955, in the summer, because l wanted to be around my Father, and he dragged me around, you had to go to work if you wanted to be with him, but I came in much later than them, they were really the ones who made the hits.

When you first came into it did you love the music or did that happen afterwards?

I loved the artists, l would tap my feet to the music, so would my father, they used to call my father the ‘Footstomper’ ’cos he’d stomp his feet to that backbeat. It happened so gradually you know, ironically I was at the first Chess recording –Gene Evans ‘My Foolish Heart’, again my Dad took me to the session, it wasn’t at the studio…we didn’t have a studio then, and I remember sleeping on some metal fold-up chairs. Wow, that session, but yeah I loved the artists. They always were very warm and treated me great. People always say ‘Well what did they talk to you about?’ the truth is I got to be

Red Lick Top 10

1. Lightnin' Hopkins: His Blues (Ace)

2. John Jackson: Rappahannock Blues (Smithsonian Folkways)

3. Magic Slim & The Teardrops: Raising The Bar (Dixie Frog)

4. Classic Field Recordings 1936-1940 - Landmark Country Sessions From A Lost Era (JSP)

5. Watermelon Slim: Ringers (NorthernBlues)

6. Willie Buck: The Life I Love (Delmark)

7. All We Wanna Do Is Rock - Bear Family Sampler (Bear Family)

8. Mississippi Fred McDowell: Long Way From Home (Original Blues Classics)

9. Smokin' Joe Kubeck & Bnois King: Have Blues, Will Travel (Alligator)

10. Silas Hogan: So Long Blues (Excello/Ace

What did you think when you first heard the Stones?

a teenager, the blues artists, all they were concerned about was ‘Have ya had any sex yet?’ Their music was always about women, sex, and that’s what they always used to ask me ‘Did ya get any yet?’ There wasn’t too much deep conversation.

What we’d say in England is ‘Have you got yer leg over yet?’ Exactly, they were curious

You must have been a very hip and very aware teenager then? Yes I was, and I got dragged round, I wanted to be around Chess Records and my father and obviously that influenced me when I was younger, the way I dressed, the way I cursed a lot, there was a lot of that at Chess Records, but as I say it was great place, we laughed a lot there and there was music being made all day long. Ironically it wasn’t made all night like the later rock and roll people did but we made it in the day and in the afternoon, you’d always hear the drums through the floor, during the hot years when we had a lot of hits it was a really exciting place to be.

Obviously you lived with that music every day but over here it was the Stones who first introduced me to that music Yeah, the Stones, Kinks, Yardbirds, Jeff Beck and all those people; they were fantastic.

I loved it…I loved all that…I really liked it…we were amazed…in the UK…even though there was a white Blues movement of young people in Chicago, Paul Butterfield, Mike Bloomfield on guitar, they were called the Electric Flag…there was that, but the hot stuff came from the UK. I was fascinated; I was setting up Chess internationally so I got to meet a lot of the artists and go over there; but those first Rolling Stones records and Yardbirds and Kinks, they were amazing to us. I just loved it as a young person, we had no idea what was going on, and we were shocked that white people would ever do that music.

It was a really exciting time in the UK, once we heard that music it started to open up a whole new world to us. That’s why I became Chess International director; the UK in the sixties was just amazing.

Great time to be around, I’m glad I was round for some of that era

Yeah, me too

It’s called Chess Records and so we wondered if you had a chessboard as representative of your label’s music who would be the king and queen?

Muddy and Etta

I won my bet then, that’s who I thought you’d say Muddy Waters has affected me, he was a genius, so charismatic, and just something so special about him. And Etta too, such a great artist, she had magic in her voice…and right behind them would be Chuck Berry and Howling Wolf…and Bo Diddley too, another highly creative…just highly creative you know. Makes his own guitars

We were taking a kind of overview of America R&B and we see three iconic labels for US rhythm & blues – Chess / Atlantic / and Tamla Motown – each has a distinctive sound – what would you put that down to? Well I wouldn’t say Motown. I’d say Stax for Rhythm and Blues; Motown was its own thing.

Watch out for Part 2 of Vickys fascinating interview with Marshall Chess - in the next issue

Interviewer: Vicky Martin

Dale Storr, the Sheffield based pianist, who recently launched a solo career, is making a major impact on a guitar dominated blues scene with his ‘New Orleans’ piano shows. Dale’s pedigree includes playing with notables like Eugene Bridges and ensured he was well prepared for a solo career. Our discussion followed soon after a stunning performance at High Barn and ranged over New Orleans style, Dale’s plans for a full band, the place of the piano in modern blues, etc.

BM: That brilliant performance led me to this question - Is there an over-emphasis on the guitar in blues and blues based music – how do you, as a pianist, see it, and do we need to redress the balance?

DS: Well, I’ve been sideman to guitar players since I was a teenager and I have to admit that the emphasis has always been on the guitar that is until maybe these last few years. Frank White from Sheffield, who I’ve played with for many years, began to give me a lot more room for piano solos and it became quite a feature in his band. Also whenever I played with Alan Nimmo, he gave me decent space for soloing. However the piano solos were still based on ‘guitar led numbers’ so in order for me to play the type of piano I’ve always wanted to play I had to go solo. The great UK blues drummer Dave Raeburn has recently done a couple of my own band gigs which included superb bass man Jeremy Meek and my trumpet player, Ian Sanderson. Dave could not believe how good it was even though there was no guitarist. The music I play is completely different too and lends itself to piano, horns and percussion whilst still firmly rooted in blues. Every instrument has its place in every genre. I’m not biased, I like it all.

Can you give us an idea about the evolution of your playing – you’re now specializing in New Orleans styles but how did that come about?

My playing evolved from listening and copying my Parents’ record collection which was all early Rock‘n’Roll and R‘n’B such as Fats Domino, Jerry Lee, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Lloyd Price, and early Elvis. In my teens I started picking up on what Jools Holland was playing and really dug his style. I loved Jools when he had a smaller band because there seemed to be more emphasis on his piano rather than the big brass arrangements of his later band. I was still at school when I stumbled upon Dr. John through Jools’ influence. I heard Dr. John’s playing and was awestruck. I knew instantly that this was what I wanted to do, period. After the good Doctor I got into all the New Orleans Pianists including Professor Longhair, Tuts Washington and the man who became my biggest influence, James Carroll Booker III. So Jools was the catalyst but it was hearing Dr. John that struck home the most.

Can you recommend any particular players and albums for readers?

Dr. John really turned my playing around. I studied his style for years. My favourite of his is his seminal solo album ‘Dr. John plays Mac Rebennack’. A great band album is ‘Trippin’ Live’ recorded at Ronnie Scott’s, superb stuff. My ultimate Piano hero, James Booker, is the guy I’ve studied since first hearing him by accident when I was about 18. It was like an epiphany the first time I heard him. Now most of my solo shows are based on the playing of Booker and Dr. John. A great James Booker album to start with is ‘Junco Partner’. It’s a good cross section that showcases his talent. There are several astonishing live albums on vinyl and CD for the real enthusiast. I also love Allen Toussaint. His songs are incredible and he’s also a class piano player. I incorporate songs from my favourite New Orleans artists in my set. People like Professor Longhair, Lee Dorsey, Huey Smith, Fats Domino, Ernie K Doe, Lloyd Price etc

You decided to embark on a solo career recently, what led to that decision and were you concerned that it would be risky for you?

The main reason was my love of New Orleans music. After years of backing people trying to put across the music they love, I felt very frustrated. The time was right for me to go solo. It was risky and I had to start from scratch again but I’m getting more musical fulfilment now. I’ve played some pretty big gigs in the past playing to thousands but I’ve had much more enjoyment recently playing real New Orleans Piano blues to a packed pub. I’ve come off stage feeling elated, that I’ve really ‘played’ and finally been true to myself.

Can you tell us how the line-up has developed since you started?

Well I went from playing solo instrumentals on acoustic pianos wherever I could find a venue that had one, to adding vocals which was a monstrous hurdle for me. Then Ian Sanderson from Sheffield started standing in on Trumpet. I’ve always dug the sound brass and piano make together, a very New Orleans thing! We’ve done that for about 18 months; finally I’ve recently done 2 full band gigs with Dave Raeburn on drums and Jeremy Meek on bass as well as Ian.

You were enthused about Dave Raeburn, your new drummer, could tell us more about him and also can you describe what it is about ‘New Orleans’ drumming style that distinguishes it? New Orleans drumming is completely different. It’s a melting pot of different rhythms and has many different elements to it from the second line beat, which is taken from traditional New Orleans funeral marches, to Latin, blues, funk, and jazz. I’ve known Dave Raeburn for about ten years and we’ve become great friends. We’ve played together for Frank White,

Alan Nimmo, King King and various other blues acts. He’s a very dynamic drummer to watch and has one of the best shuffles I’ve ever heard. I’d been speaking to Dave about the New Orleans project for a while and he got his head into the books and has come out a certified New Orleans Drummer! A good New Orleans style band is nothing without the drummer, and I’m pleased to say Dave is really nailing it; in fact he blew us all away at the last gig we did for the Sheffield Tramlines festival

Taking a band line up of Vocal / guitar / piano / drums / bass, can you describe in words how you see the pianist’s and the piano’s role. It depends on what the band is trying to put across. In my experience in the blues field, the piano man has a chance to make a much fuller blues sound for the band. Playing blues piano voicing with both hands can give the overall sound a lot of depth as long as the left hand stuff isn’t clashing with the bass player. When bass players and pianists are playing together and get it right, like moving in contrary motion, it can sound amazing. I love playing boogie, like an Albert Ammons style chunky boogie left hand and the bass player is playing a walking bass line along side. I like to really lock into the drummer too, especially Dave Raeburn as the piano is a very percussive instrument. Also when let unleashed a good rocking piano solo can bring the house down.

We noticed on a recent gig that stylistically you incorporate much more than just blues – on ‘A Taste of Honey’ for instance there is some almost classical style stuff and lots that is cross genre can you comment on this?

A Taste of Honey is my favourite piano instrumental that I play live. It’s James Booker’s version but I’ve developed it over the years. It starts with a take on Prelude in C# Minor by Rachmaninoff then goes through a few transpositions to arrive at the key for ‘A Taste of Honey.’ It gives me a chance to put in lots of Booker style, it’s very emotional. There is classical, country, jazz and blues notation floating around throughout the piece. It is very cross genre but perhaps the most striking thing about it for me is the chord arrangement. They are absolutely beautiful chords and seem to pull at your heart strings, well mine anyway. The song means a lot to me personally and I get very engrossed in it when I’m playing it live.

You perform Dr. John’s tune ‘Qualified’ in your set. It has an interesting syncopation / rhythm; could describe what is distinct about it please?

It is a very syncopated and comes from a Booker original ‘Classified’ that I’m in the process of including in my set. It’s similar to Qualified; it’s a tricky left hand pattern to keep going especially with adding a right hand rhythm part and singing on top of it. It’s rooted in funk and if you heard the version I do with my band you would hear the rhythm section playing a funk beat and my syncopated piano part lays on top. It works nicely in the band, maybe better than solo.

Photo by Paul Cantrell

The sleeve notes to your EP mention the influence of Floyd Cramer’s slip note style –can you describe that ‘slipnote’ style and mention a couple of Cramer tracks?

I heard him on most of my parents’ records without realising it as a kid. He was the Nashville session man along with Chet Atkins on guitar. His trademark slip note is simple but extremely effective and appears in so many players today. Norah Jones uses it in her playing. It’s basically flicking from one note to another within a chord or riff, e.g. a second to a third. A couple of famous tracks from Floyd where you can hear good examples are ‘The Last Date’ and ‘On the Rebound’.

Do you have any influences in your playing that sit outside of the Blues?

New Orleans music covers a wide spectrum that is one of the reasons I love it so much. There’s no break off point between jazz ending and blues beginning. It all mixes together like a big musical gumbo. In order to play real New Orleans music you have to understand appreciate many styles I like trying to incorporate other styles within the blues numbers I play. I am influenced a lot by classical music, I especially love Chopin and also choral music like Thomas Tallis and John Taverner; the chords sung in Tallis’ ‘Spem in Alium’ are outstanding and very moving. I also love Duke Robillard, Ronnie Earl, Jimmy Vaughan and Freddie King etc for guitar based blues and I’ve always dug the Rock n’ Rollers like Little Richard and Jerry lee. I’m getting more into Latin and Cuban music too. So yes, I have influences from many genres.

Have you been influenced by jazz pianists much and do you have any favourites?

I’ve always listened to Jazz and have a lot in my collection though I’ve never studied it in depth. I’m touching on it more these days and I try and pitch in jazz notation where I think it’s necessary. Oscar Peterson was always a favourite; he uses a lot of blues notation and has an awe inspiring technique. I also like Thelonius Monk and always dug Herbie Hancock’s grooves.

Have you studied much of pianists of an earlier generation, such as Leroy Carr, Mead Lux Lewis, or Fats Waller? Yeah for sure; Meade Lux Lewis has always been a big influence; I remember trying to play ‘Honky Tonk Train Blues’ often as a kid. There is a lifetime’s worth of playing to be learnt from Fats Waller. I studied Pete Johnson and Albert Ammons quite a bit earlier on. I was really excited about their left hand work and had to nail it no matter what I did.

That Boogie style creates real excitement, but in terms of live performance does the piano have disadvantages compared to the guitar –like less potential volume. Apart from putting your feet up on the keyboard like Jerry Lee it doesn’t permit the same posing as guitar. What do you think about this and competing with guitar bands, etc.? I don’t consider it a competition, everything has its place. Great music has never been about volume, just about the musical quality. Yes I used to stand in front of the mirror as a kid posing like a guitar player but I felt pretty hip sat behind that Grand Piano at High Barn. I’ve never felt like I wanted to run all over the stage. People tell me I get quite energetic when tearing a boogie up and pull some strange faces too although that probably doesn’t count as posing!

Tell us about the type of piano that you generally use, and how you amplify it please?

My stage piano is about 16-17 years old. It’s a Yamaha pf P100, God only knows how it still works but I’ve played it to death and have been reluctant to change it.

When we saw you at High Barn – a stunning performance- you played on a grand piano how did it compare to your usual instrument?

It was an amazing thrill to do my solo show on their Grand Piano. I’ve done solo shows on upright acoustics but that gig was amazing. It made me play different but better, more authentically. The tone was superb and the action was great so it was fantastic playing my whole show on the grand. A real treat; I hope it isn’t too long a wait before I can do another such gig.

That gig was great, but it looked really exhausting – are solo shows more tiring than playing with bands? Definitely, but I enjoy it more and in terms of musical satisfaction I get a lot more back from the solo gigs, they can be mentally exhausting; if the sound and audience is right then I really immerse myself into it. I can get to the end exhausted yet exhilarated at the same time. Compared to the solo show, being a side man in a band was a breeze.

Tell us about your plans for a band

Our first gigs with a full line up were last month. I’ve mentioned the musicians I’m using and they’re all fantastic players. We’re all quite excited about the sound we’re creating. I might add a second horn at some point; sax or trombone. I have plans for the band and we are getting a lot of interest from the younger end, students. Getting on the university circuit would be great. Our music and line-up is appealing to students and I notice more interest than when I was playing in straight ahead Blues bands. We had a nice name check in the paper the other week, Sheffield hosted it’s Tramlines Festival, an Urban Glastonbury with many top names; and yet a random 22 year old was quoted as saying the highlight of his weekend was the Dale Storr Band. This confirms what I’m thinking about reaching the younger element with this New Orleans sound.

In closing – any plans for a full album?

Absolutely; I’d like to do a full album of solo and band stuff. I may end up doing an album like James Booker’s ‘Classified’ album where he does a few solo piano tracks interspersed with the full band material. I think that would be interesting for the listener. I am constantly thinking about a new album and have set certain wheels in motion already. I just want to gig the band a while to really get it sitting right before I take them into the studio.

Dave Arcari

“

Dave plays like he got his skin turned inside out and pretty soon my skin was inside out too listening and it was all good. That boy bleeds for you –he a real down deep player and a soul man...”

SEASICK STEVE

New album DEVIL’S LEFT HAND is released on Buzz Records on 1 November 2010. Available at shows from 15 October, online at www.davearcari.com and via all good digital download stores (iTunes, Bandcamp etc).

“DEVIL’S LEFT HAND” UK ALBUM TOUR 2010

Fri 15 Oct NEWCASTLE The Cluny

Sat 16 Oct YORK Stereo

Tue 19 Oct MANCHESTER Ruby Lounge

Wed 20 Oct LONDON The Blues Kitchen

Thu 21 Oct COLCHESTER The Bull

Fri 22 Oct STAMFORD Voodoo Lounge

Sat 23 Oct ABERTILLERY The Met

Tue 26 Oct SWANSEA Milkwood Jam

Thu 28 Oct BRISTOL The Thunderbolt

Fri 29 Oct BLACKPOOL Grand Theatre

Mon 1 Nov GLASGOW King Tuts

Thu 4 Nov EDINBURGH Voodoo Rooms

Fri 5 Nov ABERDEEN Lemon Tree

Sat 6 Nov DUNDEE Duke’s Corner

www.davearcari.com

The latest great lady of the Blues?

Richard Thomas interrupts the Servian with a license to roam

Ana Popovic is going to make headlines. Rooted firmly in Blues, the European Blueswoman coupling burgeoning commercial acclaim with motherhood and incessant touring while recording her lauded new album ‘Blind For Love’. Ahead of a much anticipated tour of these shores next year, she stays in one place long enough to tell Blues Matters! about teenage years influenced by Howlin’ Wolf, the famous British reserve and how “girl power” isn’t on her agenda……

Ana– how does ‘Blind For Love’ sit in context with your previous releases?

It is completely different. My previous record was more of a political statement but this is about life’s true values. No matter how rich, poor or successful we are, the only thing that will really make us happy is love, and not the John Lennon “peace and love”. It’s about family and the people that need our time and dedication; not tomorrow, or when we get successful or rich enough - but now. While we’re working hard to get a bigger house and a better car, some people love us and need to be loved back. Love surrounds us but sometimes we’re too busy making money to see it. The record has different perspectives on love, some with a different twist like the stalker’s song ‘Nothing Personal’. ‘Wrong Woman’ is about men who think they’re too good for one woman, ‘Steal Me Away’ describes uncontrollable passion for someone you don’t even know. ‘Blues For M’ is a slow blues about my favourite man. ‘Part Of Me’ is about love for an unborn baby, while ‘APB’ and ‘The Only Reason’ are global statements about love. ‘Lives That Don’t Exist’ is about celebrities whose privacy is “guarded with a gun”.

Producers David Z and Mark Dearnley have worked with Prince, AC/DC and Paul McCartney – have any of these influences permeated through to the new album? On the track ‘Wrong Woman’ we thought we heard some Angus Young sounding guitar licks ……. was it our imagination?

No sorry...it wasn’t like Angus! The important thing about a producer is his personality, his input while recording, his patience, and so on. I’m really very sensitive about the drum, vocal and guitar sounds the final mix. I met Mark Dearnley through John Porter, and was amazed with his work and his spirit. I loved working with him, and am sure this won’t be the last time.

Also, on ‘Wrong Woman’, there is a tough message for men. “Girl Power” is a bit twee nowadays, but is there any compulsion for a woman in the world of blues to explain things from a feminine point of view or focus on female issues?

No girl power here! What happened to me happens to many women; a famous musician (whose wife was in the room) was flirting with me. I’m not into flirting or being a ‘second’ woman for any man and wanted to send the message on behalf of the others it’s happened to. The first sentence says it all “What makes you think you’re too good for one woman but good enough for two?” Hey, ladies can be pretty bad at it too though!

‘Blind for Love’ has something for everyone on it – ballads, rock and funk to name but three. How do you get the balance right and still keep the Blues purists happy?

I just do it without thinking. I grew up on the Blues so I guess it would be hard not to hear the Bluesy side of me. I’m a huge fan of Blues music, and it comes out. I do play modern music though, and my lyrics address contemporary issues and young people.

Parts of the album have a really full sound, with high profile backing and brass but ‘Steal Me Away’ is a traditional taste of the deep south. Did you plan to produce something varied or was that just the way it happened?

All my records have various styles and I avoid making one the same as another. Once it’s finished I look for new styles that inspire me.

How has the album been received so far?

The comments are positive but you’re asking someone who’s not really very interested in what most critics have to say. I don’t lose sleep...

How do you go about writing songs? Has it changed over the years?

Lately I write more music before lyrics, and that’s changed. In the last couple of years I have written about some deep subjects too. You only release so many records so you may as well make them about something you believe in; a message, something to inspire people and make them think. A statement, lyrically and musically.

You include a ballad to your son Luuk (Part of Me) - is it difficult juggling some intensive recording with being a mother?

The challenge is my biggest motivation but actually I expected much worse. To those who feel that a child can ruin a musical career I would remind them that being a mom-musician means you spend more time with your baby than a 9-5 mother. I’m with him all day and when he sleeps, I play. The support of your partner is vital though. Luuk brought order into my life. Before he was born, I was casual with my time; now I ensure I practice when he sleeps. I’m straight into the studio. Actually I write and play much more now. This record was written and recorded in the 5 months before Luuk was

10 months old, and I was touring too. There are 11 self-written songs on the record too- the most yet.

Has he still got those guitar picking long fingers? Are you hoping he will continue in the family business?

He LOVES music, and already has an amazing sense for rhythm. Advising him would be hard. I’ll probably tell him he’ll need to be the best at what he does if he wants to be a musician. It’s the coolest job on earth though, and one of the few jobs that will give him true joy...

You were featured on Robert Radler’s guitar documentary ‘Turn It Up’. Is there anything you can you tell us about it at this stage? Well, it is an endless praise about guitars - the ultimate guitar movie. Watching top players talk about their instruments in such a personal and passionate way was really moving. In the film you mention as a 13 year old you were trying to get that “Howlin’ Wolf sound” – that must’ve made you a pretty unusual Serbian teenager....

Not a lot of my friends knew that side of me. I played the stuff that was around at the time and kept my ‘bluesy side’ apart. I wouldn’t play Howlin’ Wolf at a party... but he was my true inspiration. Elmore James, Koko Taylor and Robert Johnson, Albert Collins, Albert King, SRV - I was really dragged into that world. You have been described as “the saviour of the blues” and “the female incarnation of Jimi Hendrix”. Huge compliments or milestones around the neck of someone carving her own specific musical personality?

I think they refer to the energy in my playing, and it’s only in that context would I want to be affiliated with artists like Hendrix. I try not to copy and have always been inspired by artists with their own individuality. If that energy is

apparent when people hear the band then we have succeeded. I want to inspire people to think they could be doing something special themselves. If by listening to me they get turned to T Bone Walker and Snooky Pryor and if instead of listening to “best of blues compilations” they search out B-sides by the great artists, so much the better.

Your father has been a huge influence on your musical development – does this continue as you become more established?

Yes. We have the same taste in music, especially Blues. I loved having him in the studio during recording, though it didn’t happen often. Sometimes I lacked confidence to fight for my own ideas but he’d listen to other opinions then say (in Serbian): “Stick to your original idea- it was the best one ... “.He’s aware of modern Blues and is also into roots music, but as he always says, “You sound the best when you play your own songs.”

How does the reception of your music differ here from say, the US? Do you find that we have the famous British reserve?

Yes, at some venues, but that’s fine. Tough audiences are challenging and good. American audiences are warm and

supportive, but then I’ve spend a lot of time there because I find the country and music very inspiring. After all, I grew up on an American sound and it feels like home. English audiences are serious about their music, and have big expectations which I like. Britain has produced so many fabulous musicians they probably have a right to be tough....

With your busy itinerary, how often do you get the chance to return to Belgrade?

Probably once a year. I see my family more often (my parents were my guests on the last blues cruise and my Dad travels with me to the US occasionally as a guitar tech). Belgrade is a great party place. I love the people and I love being back there; the audiences rock. I love travelling in general- it takes up a lot of my free time.

As you become more of a global star, particularly with your US recognition gathering momentum, does living in Europe give you a chance to chill out?

Completely, Amsterdam is my base and is everything apart from music. I really enjoy family life here and it’s great to recharge, write and enjoy normality. I think it’s important to have a family to balance life on the road. I want to spend time with my son too and to be a regular mother for him. Having time for my relationship is extremely important too. Being out on the road 200 days a year can be tough.

You are something of a “Blues Cruise” veteran now – how did the 2009 experience compare?

It’s the best party on the planet! The highlight was my extremely popular jam. I opened up with Bob Margolin and Dad on guitar, and then it developed into the ‘all female jam’ with Susan Tedeschi, Debbie Davis, myself and a few others. The guys got their chances too, and it all went on until morning. Chip Eagle from the ‘Blues Revue’ wrote “...Ana had everyone but Oprah attending the Jam....” That was cool.

You are big Fender supporter. Ever flirted with the competition?

No, the Strat is my guitar. I play Ovation acoustics and use Mesaboogie amps but it’s the Strat for me. Fender fans seemingly have their own take on this, but what makes it right for you?

It makes you work harder.

Have you spotted any new talent on your travels? Who should we be looking out for?

Trombone Shorty

Thanks for talking to us. Lastly, we haven’t mentioned your trademark boots this time –don’t you feel like kicking them off for a pair of sandals once in a while?

Sshh, don’t let the fans hear you.....

FESTIVAL FEVER

EVENTS THAT HAVE HELPED SHOWCASE THE BLUES BLUES ON THE FARM - June 2010

And so the time of year came round for the best, or at least ‘my favourite’ outdoor UK blues festival – Carlisle’s the best indoors. For this writer the journey to the wonderfully named Pumpbottom Farm, which is within walking distance of Chichester, covered the full length of the country but it was worth every single mile. The festival is held annually in idyllic surroundings, it has a lovely feel good factor, is well run and from the punters point of view at least, perfectly executed. For me BOTF is fast becoming an annual sojourn, a must do week or weekend. Every year almost guarantees a impressive line up so it’s not too hard a decision to make and plan the break well in advance.

The mid-summer weather wasn’t quite as good as we’ve become accustomed to in recent years but the sun did eventually get out and that always helps to make the atmosphere that extra bit special. Lounging in the sun with beer/cider/wine in hand and blues on tap makes for a very decent weekend. The beer festival within and its 40 odd real ale tipples is a proper added bonus. Despite the festival kicking into gear on the Thursday night with the World Cup a distraction, plenty of people turned out in anticipation for very promising collective of relatively new, up and coming bands with an old favourite in Texas rockers Point Blank.

As the evening temperatures dipped Vorgo; and the Accelerators opened the event with an exciting, high energy Stevie Ray Vaughan type start that sets those goose bumps tingling, those you get at the start of any good festival.

Simon McBride comes out of the same stable as Siegal and Schofield so it was no surprise to find that he is a massively talented individual. Over the last few months he has picked up some prestigious support slots (Joe Satriani’s not a bad tour to have under your belt!!) and it was easy to see why as he put in a good shift of rock and blues.

Thursday was always going to be blues from the rockier spectrum and the first two bands set the bar for the Texan veterans Point Blank, brought over to the UK to headline on the first day

On hitting the stage they didn’t step daintily into their stride, they launched into it. There’s no doubting they are a rock band and there’s not getting away from the similarities to ZZ Top, Molly Hatchet, even Whitesnake but what’s wrong with that? These guys were up there with the best. Everyone loves a bit of groove based Southern rock a la Lynyrd Skynyrd and that’s what they got, delivered, in big fat, no nonsense chunks. Rusty Burns looking every bit the Texan rocker was in fine form on guitar with the rest of the band laying down a rock solid foundation. All in all their set was superb, no need for indulgent solos, (I hope the first 2 bands hung around to watch) just straight ahead no nonsense entertainment finishing with a rousing version of Highway Star and leaving the first night crowd to go off to their tents crowd more than just a little happy.

After a long hot day enjoying the rays around the Marina and lunch in a converted church opposite the Cathedral in Chichester this sun worshipper descended once again on Pumpbottom Farm (just wanted to say that again) for a second night of good old Rock and Blues. The young and talented Jay Tamkin was first on stage. For this gig Jay was playing without bass guitar, the bottom end being supplied by keyboards. This format works for some but here the bass lines were very repetitive and eventually somewhat irritating. Jay is one of the healthy number of youngster currently lighting up the UK blues circuit and it was good to see a younger crowd had gathered and were enjoying his set

Now if some bands on festival line ups don’t grab you by the proverbial’s, Hokie Joint are not one of them. They most certainly do! This band of musical vagabonds, as written elsewhere, is taking the blues to the masses, and doing a very good job of it. Having recently watched a TV programme about the Stones making of Exile on Main Street one couldn’t help but make comparisons and that is meant as a compliment of the highest order.

Jo Jo Burgess, looking the master of cool in his bizarre Victorian attire, is a magical front man, it’s obvious that he loves performing and hams it up without loosing any cool at all. It was clear that a number of the crowd were seeing the band for the first time and it was equally obvious they were being bowled over by them. They were, as they always are, vibrant, original and very modern sounding, despite obvious influences of the early Stones, Tom Waits and Howlin Wolf. It helps that they have a repertoire of superb songs from the impending new CD and the highly acclaimed The Way it Goes Sometime. The title track from that CD, Ms Jones and Franklin are well honed and hard to beat. The audience made it so very obvious that they’d thoroughly enjoyed Hokie Joint and must have had a feeling that they’d just seen something very special.

Popa Chubby was another making a return to the BOTF and from the very first notes it was easy to see why Mr Graves had made the effort to get him over from the States and to welcome him back to the festival. He came on stage as the

photos by Christine Moore

Julian Moore with Gypsy Fire

photo by Christine Moore

Friday headliner and really ripped it up, lifting an already highly charged atmosphere to supercharge level. The big New Yorker is a terrific showman and stomped on stage full of energy, aggression and anger, although the anger wasn’t totally convincing. Popa does BIG very well. He has a big personality, a big sound, a very big slice of talent and he certainly made a big impression. As a guitarist he can rock it with the best but he showed had much more in his locker than power chords and fancy licks. In a cleverly constructed set that visited a whole range of styles from out and out blues to rock and beyond, his blues roots forced their way to the surface in most things he did, even that well worn old ballad that was so popular on X factor a couple of years ago.

The inclusion of Jerry Donahue and Doug Morter was an inspired choice to open on the Saturday. With the sun just about managing to beat the clouds to create a rather special summer ambience the two guitar virtuosos had the difficult task of easing in the afternoon session. Competing with weather and the early start was always likely to be a difficult task and they started to a small but ever increasing audience. A sizeable crowd gathered and was clearly enjoying some beautifully crafted songs and equally beautiful playing.

The Paul Cox Band with French prodigy Charlie Fabert followed the Chichester College student band Green Feat and were one of those nice surprises that festivals throw up every now and then. Paul is a stalwart from the same ‘vocal school’ as Frankie Miller and Paul Rodgers who surely deserves wider recognition. Charlie Fabert is a 21 year-old French Blues & Soul prodigy considered one of the most gifted guitarists of his generation. It would be difficult to argue against that. The young Frenchman opened the set with several numbers without Paul and showed that he is comfortable leading a band in his own right. He also showed just how accomplished he is on guitar. He plays with such style and fluidity and a command of his instrument that defies his years. Nothing too flash: just pure quality and a pleasure to witness. When Paul joined him and the band the tempo immediately moved up a few levels. He took the show to another level with his infectious character and boundless energy. His rendition of soul and RnB classics were well received as was his take on Frankie Miller’s classic Be Good To Yourself in which he showed just how good he is. Individually Paul Cox and Charlie Fabert are special, together they were fantastic. Great show Mr. Cox. It seems no festival is complete without the wonderful and ever so popular rhythm maestro Mr. Kelly in one form or another. Today he and the Station House crew took the guise of Primo Blue. The collective are, it seems, almost telepathic. They never look over rehearsed, in fact quite the opposite, but they have the quality to take any number in what ever direction they choose without losing direction of the song. In Val Cowell they had someone to lead the line and take care of the vocal duties. Without her trusty Fender she was, by her own admission, a little uncomfortable but quickly relaxed and showed why she is highly regarded in the voice department. One of the highlights of the set was the funky take on The Metors classic, People Say which the crowd seemed to really enjoy. Wammajamma on the Saturday afternoon were another nice surprise. Recently reformed by Nick Parkes and Mike Hellier they were billed as dynamic and powerful; they were! These guys are not afraid to take chances and mix it up but everything they did was well thought through and nicely executed. In Nick Parkes they have a terrific front man who works well in front of a band of accomplished performers. A thoroughly enjoyable set which left me with the thought that they would be superb in a hot and sweaty cellar blues bar.

Australian Geoff Achison was the first of the evening bands and took the stage with the familiar looking Souldiggers. Geoff is a guitarist of incredible ability. He has a distinctive sound and style that is very much like……well Geoff Achison. It was refreshing to see and hear a guitarist that has a sound and style all of his own. With the Souldiggers as tight as a drum behind him he went through a whole repertoire of refreshingly fresh songs including a number from his latest album One ticket One Ride. Geoff has the ability and talent to pull off songs in a whole range of styles; from ballads to reggae to rockers and everything in between. His was a fantastic show and he an exceptional performer.

Connie Lush and Blues Shouter had the penultimate slot on Saturday. With the festival in full swing our national blues treasure was in no mood to let the temperature drop. It’s always a good sign when the last song seems to come along quickly, on this evening it came in no time at all. Connie never gives an average performance and this was no exception. She was superb, full of energy, wit, and humour but never less than wonderful in the vocal department. She always does a good job on the covers and her own songs deserve a lot of credit despite giving us guys such a hard time. What’s wrong with flowers from the filling station dear? What?

With the night perfectly set up the reformed Hoax, firing on all cylinders, kept the momentum going and the enthusiastic crowd in a state of high excitement. All the old favourites such as Bones, Grove Breaker and Stevie Wonder’s Superstition were included with every one of the band seemingly on the top of their game. Jesse Davey and Jon Amor on guitar have quite different styles but they compliment each other beautifully, each one taking the lead to suit the song. Jon seems to have so much more confidence this time round and made it obvious that he won’t be playing second fiddle to anyone. Hugh was on good form with his harmonica and Robin Davey on bass and Mark Barrett on drums were impressive in the rhythm section; Mark nails down the shuffles as well as anyone and Robin’s always on the money. It was a pleasure to see the Hoax again and still as fresh as they ever were and great fun to see three of them playing three different guitar parts on one guitar. Look

Hugh Coltman

photo by Christine Moore

FESTIVAL FEVER

forward to seeing them again and how about a new album guys?

It has been the tradition at Blues On The Farm to have a kind of chilled eclectic mix of music on the Sunday with the locals in mind. This year was probably less eclectic than in previous but no less entertaining or atmospheric. Gypsy Fire, Patrick Sweany, Big Mamma’s Door and Flanagan filled the afternoon slots and didn’t disappoint anyone. Gypsy Fire eased everyone into the afternoon with a very impressive and entertaining set in a style that the name suggests. Flanagan and Big Mamma’s Door captured the mood of the day with a nice authentic blues vibe. Mark Flanagan in particular showing why he’s such a highly regarded guitarist. Partick Sweany was the days nice surprise. His band of Matt Beable on bass and Craig Blundell on drums was a huge give away that something special was afoot. Matt has an impressive CV having played with numerous bands and recently the Nimmo Brothers. Craig is one of the very best and most sought after drummers in the UK and showed why with a brilliant, dynamic display of the highest quality. Patrick on a flying visit from the USA came across as a real live wire and very infectious. He went through a classy, much varied set that touched on a number of genres from blues to folk to bluegrass and all played with a great deal of skill and conviction. He does it all, and does it very well. Well worth catching next time he’s over in the UK.

The final evening slots of the final day were filled by The Stumble, The Duncan McKenzie Band and Ian Siegal with his band.

The Stumble, making their BOTF debut, set the tone for the evening with a rousing set of classic, driven Chicago style rhythm and blues. They are a quality act that never fails to get the audience up and moving. This was no exception, drawing material from The World Is Tough and The Houngan, their two CD’s, they captured the audience.

Duncan McKenzie had the unenviable task of playing between two of the most highly rated bands on the UK blues circuit. Duncan showed that he’s not out of place in that company with a performance that will gain him a lot of new fans.

Early Little Poochie and Ealy

Ian Siegal is probably the most talented and charismatic performers in the UK. Much has been already said and written about Ian and there’s probably nothing new that can be said here. He is a gem, a diamond waiting to be discovered. It’s a mystery how we get guys with strange names coming over from the States and hitting the main screens and masses when we, in the UK, have someone every bit as good who doesn’t get a sniff of the main stream of music entertainment in this country. Britain’s Got Talent – damn right it has, but it’s not what you see on TV on a Saturday night.

Ian drew song from his huge repertoire, mostly very strong, self penned numbers, which included tracks from his most recent award winning CD’s Meat and Potatoes and Broadside. It made for a storming finale to a fantastic weekend of music. Music from a whole variety of styles but which all fit comfortably under the big blues umbrella.

Thank you once again Mr Julian Graves (BOTF Organiser) for such a good weekend and marvellous festival.

THE 20th W.C. HANDY BLUES & BARBEQUE FESTIVAL - 4 hot nights!

Held on the banks of the Ohio River in Henderson, KY has grown from a little known regional event to an international Blues destination. Fans from not only across the US (as far away as Alaska) but from New Zealand as well were on hand to witness the 20th rendition. And this year, as has been the case since it’s inception, there is no charge for the public!! With somewhere between 50 and 60,000 people viewing the 4 night affair, the “best kept secret in Blues” continues to grow year after year.

From Wednesday night June 16 through Saturday night June 19, fans were treated to an outstanding lineup of local, regional and national bands with a diverse sampling of blues/Creole/soul and Zydeco each night.

Opening up the show on Wednesday was Henderson’s own Alias Jones, a three piece band consisting of Robbie Toerne on guitar and the brothers Bruner on bass and drums, barely old enough to have been around for the first Handy fest. We had seen these guys in 2009 playing at Big Daddies, a bar just across from the park, and were quite impressed with them then. One year later and they have shown considerable maturing. This kid is one bad ass guitar player, remember the name Robbie Toerne.

Up next was Cedric Burnside and Lightning Malcom, or as their recent CD states the “2 Man Wrecking Crew”. These two are quite a tandem, they seem like they belong together making their music. Opening up with Cedric picking out a couple of newly written pieces before making his way back to the drum kit, the delta sound was ringing throughout Audobon Mill park and all of downtown Henderson. The “Juke Joint Duo” are the real deal, and their tribute to R.L. Burnside, Cedric’s grandfather, was a classic example of Juke Joint blues at their finest. They have a new CD in the works as a follow up to “2 Man Wrecking Crew”, and from what we were treated to it will be a monster.

Chicago’s Shirley Johnson, a veteran of Chicago’s clubs for many years, was up next featuring a fiery hot band along with her soulful vocals. For 17 years she’s been featured at Chicago’s Blue Chicago providing the club set with her uniquely Chicago sound. She featured songs from her “Killer Diller” and “Blues Attack” CD’s, with her “Not for the Love of You “ and “Take your foot off my back” showcased her soulful voice.

Closing out Wednesday was Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers. Opening up with “Moonshot” and working their way through a stellar 90 minute set, this quartet had the large opening night crowd up and dancing every minute. Featuring songs from their latest release, “Soul Monster” and tracking back through Piazza’s over 40 years of harmonica blues, this band was tight and smokin’! Honey Piazza (Rod’s wife and

Magic Slim

photo by Randy Jones

keyboard player) can set the ivories a blaze and this set was not a disappointment. Rod even snuck in a little Sonny Boy Williams with “Honey Bee”. They had set the night ablaze and the Mighty Ohio River echoed with that west coast good times blues sound only Piazza can deliver.

Thursday nights at Handy Fest have been a traditional Cajun/Zydeco affair. This year’s version featured Curley Taylor and Zydeco Trouble followed by the incomparable Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, who have become a staple of the Handy Zydeco night. Curley Taylor and Zydeco Trouble mix a whole lot of soul and funk and a little bit of rockin boogie together with strong Zydeco roots to form quite a unique sound. Their latest CD, Zydeco Heart and Soul found it’s way into my CD player for the drive home. This band is VERY GOOD.

Ain’t no party like a Chubby party and this night Chubby and the band put on a romping good show. A nearly perfect summer night and a huge Thursday night crowd greeted the Zydeco master and he took the crowd on a non-stop journey through the Louisiana bayou. Featuring tracks from his latest Zydeco Junkie (the title song showcases the strength and togetherness of this band) Chubby’s party ain’t complete unless we go looking for “Who Stole the Hot Sauce”. Zydeco night always gets downtown Henderson walking funky on the way home.

Friday’s music opened at noon to sweltering mid 90 degree (Fahrenheit) temperatures and some smokin’ regional bands. First up was Hog Maw, making their sixth appearance in the past 7 years. The Bryant-Stevens band was out next and they really got the crowd going. With Dana Bryant’s hot vocals and Cole Prior Stevens’ smokin’ slide work this band was quite impressive. There was one downfall to their performance. About midway through their bass player, Brendan Lewis, collapsed from the stifling heat. He was quickly resuscitated and transferred to the local hospital, returning a few hours later. The show went on and much original material was played, including a sultry tune belted out by Dana called “Where’s my Man”. They are at work on a new CD and with what they offered up to the Handy crowd it will quite a release. Another regional band, “The Stella Vees” were up next and they played a harmonica led easy going boogie filled set. Led by guitarist Jason Lockwood and harmonica man Mark Hoekstra and featuring songs from their “Come Round Baby” CD, the swaying sound carried away the afternoon leading into the nights big three. Kicking off the evening set was Florida guitar man Albert Castiglia. (pronounced ka-Steel-ya). A veteran of the road with Junior Wells in the 90’s, Albert worked his way through his “These are the Days” and “Stones Throw” CD’s. A steller version of “Cadiallac Assembly Line” was followed up by a tribute to ex-boss Wells with “Godfather of the Blues”. “Loan me a Dime” and “Bad Year Blues” also had the crowd moving as was his rendition of Junior Wells’ “Hoodoo Man”. Albert Castiglia is for real and his “These are the Days” is must get.

Louisiana’s Kenny Neal was up next, and the Handy crowd gave him a warm greeting and he gave a monumental performance. After being off the road and undergoing medical treatments for 58 weeks to combat hepatitis C during 2007, 2008 and into 2009, Kenny has gotten himself back to health and is playing up a storm. With Neal family members Darnell on bass and Frederick on keyboards, Kenny made himself at home and strolled his way through his over thirty years of recordings. Leaning heavily on his Grammy nominated and Blues Music Awards winning comeback CD “Let Life Flow”, he opened up with Blues Leave me Alone and played his way through until his set ending “Let Life Flow”. Kenny Neal puts on a great show, moving from guitar to harmonica to slide effortlessly and his vocals are as strong as ever. I have to admit, seeing Kenny Neal was a big factor for many Handy fans to brave the heat. There ain’t much you can do to follow up a set like Kenny’s, unless of course you are Tab Benoit. Tab came out and in his Louisiana Cajun soaked guitar style and ransacked the place. Working from many years of music himself, he just gets you moving with his Naw Lens drawl and Cajun beats, never missing a note and playing his way through many crowd favorites from “Why are People like That”, to “Night Train” and “Dirty Dishes” to a bayou rendition of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What it’s Worth”, Tab put on a spirited performance (he broke 4 strings during his set). About halfway through he was joined on stage by Saturday night’s headliner Joe Louis Walker and the two traded licks and complimented each other throughout the set. A roaring crowd brought him back for more. According to Handy Fest music chairman, Doirn Luck, “that is why they call him a headliner”. Quite an understatement to be sure.

After a long hot day such as Friday, with temps soaring even higher on Saturday, Handy Fest opened day 4 with Songwriter Doug Mcleod. From over 300 songs in his collection to chose from, no two Doug Mcleod sets are ever alike and the two he did at Handy this year lived up to that bill. He pulled out his “Your Bread ain’t Done” which Albert King had recorded and “Working Man Blues” that he had provided for Albert Collins. As is the case with many of the songwriters, his storytelling is what makes the set.

Up next came Killborn Alley, a returner from 2009. Featuring the vocals and guitar of Andy Duncanson, accompanied by Josh Stimmel on guitar and Deak Harp on the harmonica, they take you on a boogieing good time easygoing strut through three albums of original music. With Ed O’Hare on drums and Chris Breen on bass, this band is just that, a band. No long

Ann Harris

Kenny Neal

photo by Randy Jones

photo by Randy Jones

FESTIVAL FEVER

drawn solos are part of their set, only the tightness of one of the finest blues bands out on the road today. Featuring songs from their latest, “Better Off Now” and working through their “Tear Chicago Down” and “Put it in the Alley”, they even took us “Night Fishin’”. Andy Duncanson’s unique vocals, combined together with an extremely talented and solid band, creates some mighty fine tunes.

Otis Taylor was up next featuring some Trance Blues, constant sound throughout the show, and once Otis got his technical issues solved the set flowed. One bad ass version of “Hey Joe” was the most memorable moment, although constantly moving violinist Ann Harris was also enjoyable to watch. Playing banjo or guitar or harmonica equally, Otis also shared the stage with Joe Louis Walker for two songs. Having not been a heavy listener to Otis prior to Handy, I walked away feeling good about his music. “Clovis People” is his latest and deserves a listen.

The legendary Magic Slim and the Teardrops took over next and winded their way through a vast repertoire that spans 50 years or so. Featuring “Shame”, Part Time Love” and”Mama Talk to Your Daughter” from his latest Blind Pig Records CD

“Raising the Bar” to favorites “I’m a Blues Man” and “How Many More Years”, by the time the set was done the crowd had felt the essence of one of the true legends of Blues.

Shemekia Copeland was on the 2009 line up and a short time into her performance the clouds opened up to a gully washing rain. With the rain came lightning and wind, ending her set. She was back in 2010 and she provided the lighting this time. From her opening “I’m a Wild Woman (and you’re a lucky man)” to her encore “It’s 2 AM”, she showed the crowd her wide range of vocals. When she steps away from the mic and sings in the clubs it resonates throughout the hall, at Handy Fest it echoed through the park and all throughout downtown Henderson. This was a monumental performance and if she shows up near you SEE HER!! You won’t regret it. Her tribute to Koko Taylor was a highlight as well.

The final set of this 4 day cornucopia of blues featured Joe Louis Walker. Featuring songs from his Blues Music Award album of the Year “Between a Rock and the Blues” and over 40 years of music, and featuring Murali Coryell on guitar, the finale was quite entertaining and greatly appreciated by the standing, cheering crowd. A fitting end to 4 hot nights, the 20th WC Handy Barbecue and Blues Festival.

Randy Jones

SXSW

Austin Texas

For the uninitiated SXSW is four days of madness in the heart of Texas, a veritable mosh pit of bands, press, media, and music-biz cronies all trying to carve their own legend. Austin in March is the only place to be. Whether you are in a toocool-for-school asymmetrical indie pop band, a spandex and tousled metal ensemble, or some quirky Casio-obsessed electro twosome, you will find someone who loves you and ready and willing to promise you the world. You can’t walk a hundred yards down the road without someone pressing a CD into your palm promising you aural delights, or wading through a deluge of flyers scattered around the floor like confetti dreams. Seemingly from dawn to well, dawn really there are bands playing at every conceivable space in this wonderful, weird and vibrant city. Picking who to see, and more importantly when, is a task in itself. As always my itinerary for the week ahead is planned in an ever-smaller airplane seat high above the Mississippi river whilst listening to Doug Sahm CDs on the iPod. It’s the best way I find. So, after a plate of enchiladas and a few swift Dos Esquis (and ruing once again the decision to stay in a cheap hotel in the middle of nowhere!) I am off. First up free beers, badges and a good old Canadian knees up at the Canada Blast showcase. Basically a tent and BBQ pitched up right in the middle of town it’s not quite Glastonbury but, hey, the beers cold and the brisket is mighty fine. Justin Rutledge, a wonderfully engaging yet melancholic songsmith from Toronto, is here showcasing tracks from his upcoming album on Six Shooter. Backed by The Beauties, a well-regarded up and coming roots ensemble who tick all the right boxes, Rutledge sets about charming the socks off of everyone there. He really has the knack of getting even the most disinterested punter to share in his roller-coaster ride on love’s highway. Ok, it might not have been the tightest set in the world and at times you would be forgiven to think this lot had just met at the bar ten minutes prior, but that is the nature of SXSW. It’s a rough around the edges place to demo new material rather than produce flawless masterpieces. Later in the evening I caught up with Rutledge in a battle of will with a heavy rock band on 6th St. He won, just, and underlined there why his time will surely come although whether he will ever produce something as fabulous as his debut, No Never Alone, is debatable.

With a million things going on everyday you need to be a contortionist to be able to go to everything you want to see. It’s just impossible. In fact, thinking about it there are two ways to go. Firstly you could hang around 6th Street, the main hub and cool SXSW central, and endeavor to see every ‘buzz’ band you can whilst battling the queues and stuffing your face on sidewalk hot dogs and pizza. Or, for the less energetic, you can move at a steady pace around the city and catch some of the bands that aren’t on Bella Union or some other fashionable label. One such trip over to the west side of town, The Belmont to be precise, unearthed one of the highlights of the entire week. NY based Israel Nash Gripka caught the ear last year with his mighty ‘New York Town’ album so expectation was high. Yet, after walking through a hurricane and black skies to get there (who said Texas was hot?) I must admit my enthusiasm had waned slightly. I shouldn’t have worried as within two songs I was warmed to the core and smiling like a Cheshire cat. Backed by a sublime trio The Fieros – think The Jam without the bowling shoes – Gripka has a voice that can move mountains. A veritable cross between a youthful John Fogerty and a rocking

Israel Nash Gripka

photo by Rick Finlay

Ryan Adams, and with a set list that moves from stompin’ country rock to heartfelt Americana all delivered in a sincere, authorative demeanor what’s not to like? The finale, an absolute killer version of Neil Young’s Revolution Blues put the black clouds overhead to shame. Truly awesome and with a new album out later this year Mr. Gripka will be on everyone’s radar pretty soon. If I could have prized my hand of the freezing beer can I would have applauded till my arms ached.

Any visit to Austin has to include a night at Antones, the famed blues venue that sits quietly minding its own business just off Congress. The AMA organization, basically a bunch of like-minded roots lovers who pull strings and ring bells championing ‘real’ country and roots artists, always put on a great SXSW showcase. This year was no exception with the likes of Elizabeth Cook, Hayes Carll, & The Courtyard Hounds all on hand for a night of good country rockin’ with grits to go. Hayes Carll, with a voice shot through with moonshine and a wayward renegade look in his eye, was sublime. Essentially a modern day outlaw with a love of whiskey and weed to boot, he powered his way through a set of tunes mostly taken Trouble In Mind, his well received album on Lost Highway. The errant funkiness of ‘I’ve Got A Gig”, the raucous country rockin’ ‘Bad Liver And A Broken Heart’, and the sheer poetic beauty of ‘Belmont’ all hit the nail firmly on the head when it comes to delivering great songs with heart and soul. The band are as tight as a knats chuff, with a bass player who looked like he could have made the grade in Slade. With the crowd baying for ‘She Left Me For Jesus’, voted song of the year in 2009 at the AMA’s, Carll just shrugged his shoulders and played something else. Not is a ‘f*ck you’ kind of way but more in a ‘it’s just one of my songs, I have others you know’ kind of way. Who needs audience participation in any case? Let the man play what he wants I say. A better forty minutes would be hard to find and that is all that matters, right? In all honesty I saw so many bands that many of them just taper off into a Lone Star fuelled haze. Some will stay with me for a little longer. Charlie Parr, a finger-pickin’ wonder, is just awesome at The Driskell Hotel. Amidst all the victorian splendor he sat there, hair draped over his shoulders like a man possessed his fingers working overtime on the frets carving out glorious down-home country blues. He’s as charming as he is brilliant, bantering with the crowd like some long-lost relative. His music is steeped in tradition but, strangely, seems as relevant today as it was then. A must-see live performer of the utmost class, I bet the following band were a little worried. Striding on stage dressed like a fifties prep kid Justin Townes Earle likes to make an entrance. Playing his own brand of honky-tonk and old-school country to a capacity crowd at the free Bloodshot shindig, an SXSW institution, Earle is every bit as engaging as his father. With a mischievous grin and a twinkle in his eye that you just know means trouble, he soon has everyone present stuffed firmly in his cotton suited pocket. Standouts, and there were many, was the wonderful ballad ‘Mamas Eyes’, the full-stompin rockabilly of ‘Who Killed John Henry,’ and the honky tonk twister ‘Poor Fool’. Both the albums have been in constant rotation since I got back and are certainly worth seeking out. It won’t be too long before Mr Earle Snr will be looking over his shoulder. By Saturday after I had eaten my way through a herd of cattle and drunk a small New Braunfels brewery dry, I was feeling ready to come home. But, with a Suburban Home/Front Porch all dayer to enjoy first thoughts of ole’ Blighty were put on hold. I have been boring all and sundry to tears for months about the genius of Austin Lucas. This mid-western giant of a man from Indiana has become an obsession. His ‘Somebody Loves You’ album was head and shoulders above anything else released last year, it’s glorious mix of bruised bluegrass and heartfelt american tales of personal reflection marked the arrival of a true warts ‘n all star. Dressed in plaid, tattooed, and ready to offer a glimpse into his very soul, there is very little you can do but be totally engulfed in the music. A voice of a angel with songs that pluck at the heartstrings Mr Lucas is in a class of his own. Just buy the record, nothing else to say really. Also on the bill were Murfreesboro’s Glossary, a band that manages to mix twang with Thin Lizzy-esque rock ‘n’ roll swagger as if they were one and the same thing. Jumping around the stage like caged tigers, here is a band that makes it all worthwhile. Tracks from the mighty new album, Feral Fire, are interspersed with old gems in a set that was close to blowing the roof off the building. Hopefully one day they will make it across the pond to these shores where I am sure they will be cherished. They have everything – presence, songs, banter, and a drummer who seems to have three arms. Well it sounded like that. Drawing on the same southern country bubble pipe are American Aquarium, a youthful bunch of checked shirt renegades who playfully mix a dash of Johnny Cash, a smidgeon of Crazy Horse, and a whole heap of southern swagger. Lead singer BJ Barham is a cock-sure son of a bitch with a mouthful of chewing tobacco and Crown Royal southern drawl. The real deal? You bet. Forget all those NME touted drain-piped wannabees, here we have a band who actually mean something. Or at least they blast out their songs as if they do and that is half the battle. Do yourselves a favour and check some of the stuff on YouTube or, better still, go grab their new record, Small Town Hymns, which has just come out in the US on Last Chance Records. It’s ace! So with a heavy heart, empty wallet, and a head full of memories I make my way to the airport and home. As usual SXSW has drained me dry. No matter how many times I go I always come back never fully understanding how they do it. The sheer scope and size of this festival is jaw-dropping to say the least. Yet, even with the crowds and hype machine in overdrive you can still manage to find your own little bit of musical nirvana if you look and make the effort. A wonderful way to spend a week then right in the heart of Texas where they make you feel like a king. Same again next year then.

Rick Finlay

NOTODDEN BLUES FESTIVAL

Norway Thursday, 5th August – Sunday 8th August 2010

Festivals catering for 25000 fans with diverse musical tastes are a huge undertaking, and a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the right mix of performers and genres. On top of that, the Norwegians demand an event at which they

Glossary

FESTIVAL FEVER

can drink and party all day and night. They love their music and it’s a bonus if they have the opportunity to dance with their friends and, indeed, strangers and also to sing along with the artists. In the case of the Notodden Blues Festival, resources are limited and it therefore takes a small, creative management team and a huge number of volunteers to make the event successful and economically viable. Keeping a narrow focus on the blues in a small town 100 miles south of Oslo is increasingly not an option in the face of competition from other festivals at home and abroad and within the context of a global recession. Nevertheless, the inclusion of rock and rollers Status Quo and soul legend Solomon Burke as headline acts might have been regarded by some as step too far and a recipe for disaster at a legendary blues venue. However, they were to turn out to be inspired choices in terms of maintaining Notodden’s reputation as one of the world’s best and most popular music festivals.

It is not often that a festival kicks off with what turns out to be the highlight of the four-day extravaganza but that is exactly what happened with Carolina Chocolate Drops. Their electrifying set showcased the multi-talented musicians, Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson mainly on fiddles, and Dom Flemons playing practically everything including banjo, bones, jug and drums. From the opening bars of ‘Hit ‘Em Up Style’ it sounded like a full band on stage and that something special was about to happen, the audience loving the blend of blues, bluegrass, folk and jazz. ‘Two Time Loser’ written and sung by Rhiannon was traditional blues, as was ‘Bogus Ben’ who pretended to be blind; ‘Salty Dog’ had a syncopated jazz rhythm and Johnny Cash’s ‘Jackson’ was pure country and western but with an original slant. All this was interspersed with happy, infectious dance tunes often performed at breakneck speed and with perfect timing and harmony. The flamboyant Dom, resplendent in checked shirt, braces and hat, wowed everyone with his slide banjo on ‘Viper Man’ and a drum solo using only brushes, one of which he lost so he completed it with his fingers, a feat which only Buddy Rich had hitherto really mastered. The six-piece Downchild celebrated 41 years on the road this year by playing songs from an extensive repertoire, mainly from the band’s new CD, ‘I Need A Hat.’ The saxophone gives this award winning Canadian band a distinctive sound and much of the material is jump blues but with traditional numbers such as, ‘It Hurts Me Too.’ Colin James joined the band on stage and added a more innovative and less clinical guitar style. By now it was like watching a Blues Brothers show and the fans reacted accordingly by gyrating, shouting and hugging each other in keeping with the upbeat, alcohol-induced atmosphere prevalent in the main marquee. This was the perfect setting for the appearance of the first legend of the festival, Solomon Burke, sitting on a magnificent gold throne in the middle of his 11 young musicians. Several of these were beautiful women who took turns to wipe the brow of what appeared to be a huge deity in this temple of soul. His new album is called, ‘It’s Impossible’ which is appropriate for a man with 21 children and 90 grandchildren. ‘Always Keep A Diamond In Your Mind’ was part of the good advice offered in a varied set which included his standard hits and more bluesy, country numbers from his ‘Nashville’ CD. At the age of 70, Burke’s vocal presence still sounds like a force of nature but he overdoes the King of Soul persona and his preaching becomes tiresome. He has become the BB King of soul and all the razzmatazz has started to detract from the roots of what should be a more simplistic, honest and authentic genre. The latter was evident on the folk and blues stage on Friday afternoon which took everyone to the heart of what this festival is about – the blues, reflected in the recreated tin-hut shack which formed a realistic and imaginative backdrop. The Norwegian duo Jolly Jumper and Big Moe epitomise the best of passionate, acoustic blues which took the listener on a journey into the bygone era of steam trains, snakeskin boots and the lazy days of Mississippi summers. Big Moe has a deep, rich, soulful voice which complements the more gritty vocals of Jolly Jumper; both of them sing in a relaxed, conversational style. Original compositions such as ‘Too Cool For School’ were balanced by traditional material from Memphis to Chicago, ending with an up tempo version of the iconic ‘Key To The Highway.’ The slide guitar and harmonica played by the duo benefited from the addition of excellent keyboard skills from Daniel Rossing. Daniel was the musician who held the Chuck Berry band together single-handedly at the Maryport Blues Festival two years ago, the day a legend died amid on-stage and off-stage arguments and a total disrespect for the audience who booed vociferously at the end of his 40-minute set. At Notodden, Daniel proved himself once again to be a tour de force who has a brilliant future ahead of him now that he is learning his trade from two of the best in the business, as evidenced in their latest CD, ‘Welcome to Jimbo Jambo Land.’ Oh for the return of those halcyon days when an understanding of the meaning life was found in music and girls! The second appearance of Caroline Chocolate Drops maintained the high standards, this time with a more acoustic focus and rooted in Piedmont string band traditional music. ‘Old Corn Liquor’ and ‘The Boatman’s Dance’ set the scene for square dance tunes and early minstrel songs, the latter from 19th century medicine shows, the forerunner of blues. Rhiannon sang ‘Wayward Girl Blues’ from an even earlier period which included a haunting violin solo in contrast to the fast and intricate style demonstrated the previous evening. Her mentor, 92-year old fiddler Joe Thompson, would have been proud of the way in which the Drops have delved back into their cultural heritage and made it living history through their energetic and unique delivery and interpretation of the music. It was fitting that you could hear a pin drop during the finale, ‘Glory Glory Hallelujah’ sung a cappella by Rhiannon, as this was the defining moment of Notodden 2010. Eric Bibb is probably the only artist in the world who could have followed the Drops in this kind of form and he wowed the audience from the first notes of ‘Stagger Lee’ to his final song, ‘Needed Time’. With his velvet voice, distinctive accentuated plucking guitar style and charming persona, Bibb immediately connected with his loyal fan base despite the technical problems which rendered him inaudible at one point. Highlights included the late John Cephus song, ‘Going Down That Road Feeling Bad’, the love song, ‘Pockets’ and the tributes BB King, ‘Tell Riley’. Add the several tracks from the Booker’s guitar album and this was the near perfect set from a consum-

photo by Dave Scott

mate professional at the top of his game and continuing the traditions laid down by his father Leon. By contrast, Lazy Lester was disappointing despite living up to his name with his languid and laid back approach to life. His vocals were grating and monotone, his guitar playing simplistic and weak but he had sufficient fans there to give him a great reception. It was a pity that he did not play more harmonica as Lester’s early reputation was based on a superb, innovative harp sound. Friday evening saw Dana Fuchs, Mighty Sam McClain, Walter Trout and Tommy Castro at various venues. Dana is tipped for the big time and her scintillating performance showed that this could be imminent. The town was buzzing with the excitement she had stirred at the opening event and she soon had a massive following. How she can move so energetically at the same time as singing defies gravity but she doesn’t miss a note; no wonder she was able to play the part of Janis Joplin in the New York musical. Whether rocking through ‘Bible Baby’ or singing a ballad with emotional intensity, such as ‘’Rather Go Blind’ and Songbird’, a tribute to her sister who died, Dana oozes charisma and connects closely with her audience through the theme of love. She sounds like a young Tina Turner but her songs are more thoughtful and her band more creative, particularly lead guitarist Jon Diamond. Indeed, during The Doors-influenced ‘Not For Me’ Dana was momentarily reminiscent of a female equivalent to Jim Morrison in respect of such a powerful sexual as well as singing presence. The best thing about Mighty Sam McClain was that he performed with the even mightier Knut Reiersrud Band from Norway. In fact many people in the audience thought that Knut was Sam, especially when he launched into ‘Too Many Cooks’ and built this up to an incredible crescendo with the help of some power drumming. Sam has a very soulful voice, but like Burke spends too much time preaching; ‘Raise your hands in the name of love stop fighting…I promise you peace.’ Not all of this sounded sincere and wore a bit thin after a while. Fortunately, Walter Trout was in brilliant form and brought the blues back to town with several tracks from his immense new album, ‘Common Ground’, including ‘Living In The Danger Zone’ a great favourite with the amassed crowd. Walter can overplay at times but on this occasion gave more respect to spaces between the notes whilst also proving that he can be one of the fastest and furious axemen in the west when he wants to be. The latter was evident in ‘Life In The Jungle’ a song from his days with John Mayall. The undoubted high spot was the poignant tribute to Jeff Healey, ‘Say Goodbye To The Blues’ which included the lines. ‘It’s a long road to heaven and a rough and rocky road down to hell so play your guitar through the darkest nights. Play on Jeff as the road is taking you to a place where everything is going to be alright. No more pain or sorrow.’ A special mention too must go to bassist Rick Knapp whose playing was exemplary and reflected his experience of performing with luminaries such as Sam Lay and Carey Bell. The Tommy Castro Band with its distinctive flugelhorn and other brass instruments blasted the notorious Sliperhallen venue with songs from ‘Hard Believer’. Tommy is an understated frontman but a very good singer and guitarist who is at last gaining the credit he deserves from European audiences following a successful summer tour. Saturday’s line up promised to be a phenomenal experience, with the biggest names in rock and roll in town preceded by the appearance of Rick Parfitt at breakfast in the hotel the previous day indicative of the meticulous personal preparations made by the ultra professional Quo. The audience in the main arena had to be patient as they were treated first of all by the ‘Women Who Cook’ namely Janiva Magness, Thornetta Davis and Robin Rogers. Whilst the compere reminded the fans that this was nothing to do with food, if it had been these women would have gained Michelin stars to go with their impressive collections of blues awards and grammy nominations. Starting with Robin, this lesser known performer showed that she is a major league singer and harmonica player from her first song, ‘The Plan.’ She peaked on Big Mabel ‘s ‘’I Need You So’ which incorporated very clever tempo changes and was a great vehicle for her powerful vocals. Detroit based Thornetta Davis has the big personality and immense stage presence of a woman in control and at ease with herself and the music she is dedicated to. She promotes peace and harmony through her conversational story-telling style but can also blast out the blues as in ‘Get Up and Dance Away Your Blues’, her final number. The scene was well set for Janiva Magnificent, a veteran of Notodden and rapidly becoming the biggest blues star in the world. She can be raunchy and rocking one minute and subdued and intense the next but whatever the mood she is dripping with sincerity and emotion, reflected in ‘Walking In The Sun.’ The only down side was that she did not have enough time to present her full repertoire and to do justice to her landmark album, ‘The Devil Is An Angel Too.’ However, this was compensated for by the tribute to Koko Taylor from the trio with a version of ‘Wang Dang Doodle’ which was sensational in that it somehow made that legendary blueswoman timeless. The transition from Women Who Cook to the Lonnie Brooks Band was seamless given the latter’s commitment to cooking 12-bar blues. Wayne Baker Brooks is a chip off the old block with his strong vocals and searing guitar on ‘It Don’t Work Like That’ and his extended version of ‘Telephone Blues’ which contained some brilliantly mimed dialogue. This set the scene for the appearance of his 77-year old father, Lonnie who upped the ante even further with his sheer energy and ‘bayou swamp music meets Chicago’ playing style. The audience joined in ‘Everything’s Gonna Be Alright’ and ‘Watchdog’, the latter having father and son swapping guitar licks with great aplomb. The mood was buoyant as the stage was set for the headline act, with an impressive, minimalist themed setting of black and white with matching amplifiers and drums. The anticipation was electric prior to Rick and Francis appearing crouched in front of their amps as if starting a sprint race. They burst into life with the first chords of Caroline and retained the momentum through the next couple of hours until the national anthem, ‘Rockin’ All Over The World.’ There had been no need for them to apologise that they are not a blues band as the party was already underway and the main stands were shaking. So what if the music is 100% rock and roll, it is still great music from per-

Eric Bibb

photo by Dave Scott

FESTIVAL FEVER

formers who make people smile and forget any cares and worries. And wasn’t it Willie Dixon who said, ‘The blues are the roots and the other music are the fruits?’ Well this was an orgy of those fruits and the reason why Quo are revered all over the world. They don’t take themselves too seriously, they don’t preach and they are exceptionally good musicians who enjoy themselves and spread that happiness. All-in-all Status Quo gave the Norwegian audience what they wanted to hear and see, and their fans were prepared to travel far and wide and camp out for four days to be at Notodden for this very special event. It is also why Quo are headlining the Cropredy Folk Festival in the UK. The Notodden festival ended on Saturday evening with the repetitive, funky rhythms of Robert Randolph and the Family Band with Sacred Steel, an exciting six piece outfit orchestrated by the amazing pedal steel guitar playing and vocals of Robert. If Eric Clapton had learned to play this instrument this is how it probably would have sounded. The percussion drove the infectious reggae-rap rhythms into the early hours and the band was a fitting finale and also tribute to the range of music heard in town over the past 72 hours. Sunday afternoon was far more sedate with the women of acoustic blues, Rita Engedalen and Margit Bakken.

In a moment of reflection, the philosophy of the 600 volunteers and tens of thousands of music lovers who make this festival a success and have helped to lift the economic blues of this wonderful little town for nearly a quarter of a century was summed up by driver Bjorn Erik; ‘We believe in community values and most of us earn enough money so we can afford to do unpaid work for the greater benefit of all those who attend. Norwegians love to party, we love our blues but above all we love music and that is why we return here year after year.’

The Bishop

ABERTILLERY BLUES FESTIVAL

Abertillery

16th – 17th July 2010

Friday evening, the 6th Abertillery Blues Festival, in the majestic setting of Abertillery Park , deep in the valleys of South Wales under the shadow of the Arael Mountain. The now familiar tradition of a big top circus tent and the bar in a tent decorated with scenes of a circus carousel, ensured that musicians and festival goers would be protected from any inclement weather that post St. Swithins’ weekend seems to throw at the festival. Another tradition is Bob and Norm from GTFM, famous for their Monday night blues show, comparing for the evening, encouraging festival goers to keep music live and get out and support local venues. Abertillery do not theme the festival, but ensure that there is a mix of the best in British and world music, from acoustic to blues rock and everything in between. Friday night, kicked off with a Mojo Jim & The Muddywulfs a popular local band who bring their own twist and turns to familiar riffs with Andy Preston their charismatic leadsman. Introducing King King with, Alan Nimmo and Lyndsey Coulson in swirling kilts dominated the stage and wooed the crowd with their normal high octane style of musicianship which, combined with Alan’s charisma, saw them delivering the blues straight from the heart and in the process won the heart of the festival crowd who were delighted with this high quality act. For many they were the act of the festival until a certain little lady from Yorkshire hit the stage. Kyla Brox was on top form introducing her husband, Danny Blomeley, during a track from her new Album, “Grey Sky Blue”, with the song ironically called ‘You Can Take my Husband but Not My Man’; allowing him a Bass solo demonstrating his skills. Kyla provided a good counter-balance to the raw sound of King King with subtleness in tempo and the use of wood instruments herself on flute and Tony Marshall on his many Saxophones. The set deftly combined well known Kyla tracks such as ‘What’s Left on the Table’ with an array of tracks from her new album. The headliner for the evening, was Gregg Wright, a lefthanded guitarist a consummate professional on his Fender Stratocaster. Gregg thrilled the crowd with his distinctive licks delivered with precision and superb timing combined with his soulful and at times ‘Hendrixesque’ voice delivering a combination of favourites and his own strong numbers, and in consequence this Texan had the crowds spellbound. His high voltage version of ‘Born Under a Bad Sign’ had the audience eating out of his hand if they were not playing air guitars; this affable Texan earned his title of ‘King of Rockin’ Blues’ and set the standard of the festival with high quality American style electric blues with an encore performance of Red House; everyone knew they had see the real McCoy when it came to guitar skills. This meant that festival goers left on a high full of anticipation for an Abertillery Saturday as they went either to the tents in the field on this damp evening or to walk/drive home.

A well known and appreciated acoustic duo, Mike Markey & Nick Jones got the proceedings underway on the Saturday their easy style was perfect for the opening slot on the Saturday afternoon. They combined a mixture of blues roots standards and the Hank Williams medley was particularly good. The crowd was now warming up to another day of different styles that all fit within the broad church of blues in Britain today. Fiona McElroy’s Big Mama’s Door got the audience swinging and a swaying; her great rapport with the audience ensured that the set was not monochromatic by adding a one-track interlude when Matt Barclay was given the opportunity to showcase his own vocal skills and prowess on the guitar with a great “T-Bone Walker” cover. This set was definitely foot-tapping and full of energy with Fiona’s natural charm and charisma shining through. Next in were the ever popular Paul Lamb and The King Snakes, with their third festival appearance. They certainly did not disappoint with a typically robust set, the band now featuring Paul’s son Ryan on lead guitar. Paul the showman pleased the crowd with his signature walk around with the harp unplugged, the crowd gave him the respectful silence to ensure the haunting notes were heard as he serenaded chosen members of the audience. The usual request for an encore was met with an unusual response, back on stage they

Gregg Wright photos by Liz Aiken

came, the King Snakes without their instruments and gathered around the microphones to accompany Paul’s vocal’s and harp for a moving rendition “Midnight Special”, concluding another great

Abertillery Set from this band. Anyone who had heard Chantel McGregor before knew what to expect when this blond curly locked, maxi-dress wearing young lady hit the stage BUT for the majority of the audience this was a new phenomenon. Many were looking to see who was on backing guitar and then the penny dropped it was Chantel; the angel in a party dress and the devil on the axe, opening with an incredible arrangement of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s ‘Lenny’ track. She certainly upped the volume, upped the excitement with a powerful and polished performance, it is hard to believe that such a sound could be created by this seemingly ”innocent” girl – but her voice and guitar playing is anything but innocent it is 100% passion and skill by the bucket load. Her rendition of Robin Trower’s ‘Spellbound’ demonstrated the depth of her skills and intuitive understanding of musicality slowing the tempo down, uses pauses and quiet to add depth and colour; skilful guitar playing is not just about speed, volume and aggression, power lies in subtlety as well. It is no exaggeration that ‘Spellbound’ was pure genius, at times quick and complex, but Chantel never lost control of guitar, voice or the crowds who by now were eating out of her hand. The air guitarists fell still as they watched awestruck at the stellar demonstration of the power of the voice and guitar they knew Abertillery were witnessing A REAL CLASS ACT. Chantel certainly raised the roof of the big top, a “knock-out” performance from a very talented and charismatic artist who was the talk of the town. Comments from the crowd included; “brilliant voice, such power from such an innocent just pure genius’”; “lovely spectacular”; “ Loved the Jethro Tull encore; fantastic not to hear the standards being covered”; “Who said you need large hands to play awesome guitar”; “No-one will top her; never seen a girl play guitar like that”.

The audience took a deep breath during the break excited that they could chat with Chantel, loving her easy down to earth charm but so bitterly disappointed there was no CD to purchase so they could have a little bit of the Chantel energy and magic to be played at home or in the car. Mud Morganfield and The Dirty Aces had the task to follow this performance that had set the crowd alight. The set opened with the Dirty Aces with Giles Robson taking the lead on vocals and blues harp. Mud Morganfield then joined them with ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’ and continued to deliver many of his father’s classics, including subtle re-arrangements. Just the contrast audience wanted after Chantel’s performance with his authentic Chicago Blues sound. The Dirty Aces provided excellent blues musicianship with exciting harmonica playing by Giles Robson, the only slap bass of the festival delivered in style by Ian Jennings and the rhythm section completed with Mike Hellier (drums).

The headliners of the festival Ten Years After did not disappoint, the set included lots of standards from the band’s four decades of performing. Without Alvin Lee they still had the power to delight playing tracks from their latest album ‘Evolution’; to follow Chantel and Mud Morganfield meant the crowd had high expectations, and Ten Years After did deliver pleasing everyone who had heard this band when they were teenagers, bringing back memories and ensuring the Festival closed on a high note. Abertillery has done it again for the 6th year in succession the quality of the acts amazed and the magic of the blues will resonate through the valleys and hills for a long time, until it is all repeated in 2011... If there is one unanimous request from the festival will be a loud shout – WE WANT CHANTEL MCGREGOR BACK...and this time Chantel, bring that CD.......

Liz Aiken

I am a professional Blues musician and the founding director of Harmonikids, 501(c) 3 non-profit organizations that provides music therapy to special needs children through shiny new harmonicas and gentle, entertaining music lessons - often in the most devastating time of their life. For 25 years Harmonikids has effectively aided thousands of children worldwide including those traumatized by natural disasters such as the tsunami in Indonesia and Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana. Naturally, when the earthquake devastated Haiti in January this year, I wanted to bring the same kind of unique relief to children there. The statistics are beyond staggering; millions of children were left homeless and hundreds of thousands orphanedeven prior to the quake. Shockingly, an estimated 300,000 of those children are domestic slaves (in restavek) commonly neglected, exploited, and subjected to physical, emotional and sexual abuse. It seems inconceivable that a country, particularly one born out of a fight for independence from slavery, could enslave its very future. Yet, Haiti ironically and tragically incorporates slavery into its culture. Well aware of the degree, complexity, and scale of Haiti’s needs, I knew that Harmonikids could not “save” Haiti. Instead, I focused on what I could do, and what I do best to reach those most in need. I contacted the Restavek Foundation (an organization whose goal is to end child slavery in Haiti) to partner on the mission with the essential logistical and on-ground support. Director Joan Conn enthusiastically and generously offered her support. Next, I contacted my professional endorsers, Hohner Harmonicas, who generously donated and shipped 1000 harmonicas. The purpose of Harmonikids mission in Haiti was simply to provide a musical sanctuary, a means of self-expression and joy to children traumatized by the recent earthquake - some remarkably distressed Haitian children. The sessions we provided there effectively provided this and more ~ they offered kids a means to access some of the childhood hopes and dreams that had been cruelly stolen from them.

OVERVIEW

We visited 7 locations in and around the most poverty-stricken and devastated areas of Port Au Prince. The sessions were held in improvised schools that the Restavek Foundation has been partnering with and supporting. The facilities were often makeshift and either outdoors, under a tarp, or in a dilapidated structure or church, some lacking windows or doors. Mosquitoes swarmed in hundred degree temperatures. The rubble from the earthquake was ever-present. Each gathering began with as many as 200 kids welcoming us by singing their favourite songs in Creole. They sang sweetly but also with great volume and exuberance. I was immediately impressed by their deep musicality. With the help of Rosalyn Phillips, my interpreter from the Restavek Foundation, I introduced myself and explained that I was there to gift them with harmonicas and teach songs to rousing excitement. I asked if they had ever seen, played or heard a harmonica before, and with very few exceptions none had. They had a nervous but inquisitive look in their eyes.

THE MAGICAL WARMUP

I always start my Harmonikds sessions by igniting kid’s curiosity with the magic of harmonica music. I asked if they’d like me to play some songs for them to a resounding “Èwé (yes in Creole)!” I then asked if they had ever heard of a music called “The Blues”, to which there was always silence. I proceeded by performing a Blues song, backed by my “band” ~ a portable recording of a Blues band that I brought along on my iPod and mini speakers. Their response was that always that of curious delight. Though they had certainly never heard such music, they would tap their feet, clap their hands and snap their fingers in perfect time. I would continue with my train song, which involves playing two harmonicas energetically whistling and chugging to a speeding crescendo, and then slowly lurching to a stop. Although there are no trains in Haiti, they responded with jaw-dropping amazement and applause at the sound coming from these small instruments cupped in my hands. I would end each performance with a fun illusion in which I convincingly play the harmonica out of my ear. In

every case the kids thought I had actually pulled it off - even after I showed them it was a trick. When I asked a teacher why they still believed, I was told that after hearing me play they thought I possessed magic and could do anything. In my experience, engaging children’s fascination is always pivotal to successfully teaching the “magic” of music. It was time to teach.

THEIR TURN – HAPPY HARMONICA BIRTHDAY

When we passed out the harmonicas and music sheets the kids could not contain their excitement. Hohner had inscribed “Joie de Vivre” on the harmonicas to signify joy in life through music. Indeed, with their shiny new harmonicas in their hands, smiles lit up the room followed by uncontrollable giggles and some literally trembling with delight. “The first song I taught was “Happy Birthday”, which I chose not only for its universal appeal and joyful nature, but also for a less apparent reason. In sad reality, many of the kids I taught were restaveks and orphans who had no birth certificates and likely had never had a birthday celebration. I explained in each session that today was everybody’s “Harmonica Birthday” proclaiming it a day to celebrate and remember in their lives. In every case they applauded gleefully. They learned it with lightning speed. Self-esteem and confidence soared as they were proud to have learned to play a song in less than five minutes. This set the stage to learn the next song “Tonton Bouki” (the Creole version of the folk song that we know as “Are You Sleeping Brother John”). This brought even greater excitement. Next, the beloved French folk song “Alouette” was met with happy recognition. Finally I gave them an American folk song, “You Are My Sunshine” which I explained was the first song I learned on a harmonica gifted from my grandfather. Though largely unfamiliar with it, they thoroughly enjoyed it and seemed pleased with its special significance. The kids weren’t the only ones to delight in the sessions. In one session, members of USAID and the US Embassy also eagerly joined in and learned to play the songs. The teachers and child advocates at the schools also joined in at every session. Sister Kitley at the Immaculate Conception was particularly enthusiastic, and beautifully sang Amazing Grace with me playing harmonica in a post-session “jam” session!

ALL TOGETHER NOW – A HAITIAN BLUES JAM

At the end of the sessions, I would go full circle and play the Blues again for the children. This time I involved them as my “band” by having them play the root notes in a Blues progression repeatedly while I improvised around them. The kids loved it and played spiritedly in perfect time. I was amazed with their musicality. Although the children were new to this type of music, they picked it up immediately - as if there pre-existed an inherent bond. Genealogically, Haitians are direct descendants of Africa; commonly considered by historians to be the origin of the Blues. When we finished the session, I congratulated and encouraged the kids to practice and carry on their new talent into their lives as well as to bring joy to others. I also encouraged them to compose their own songs and play their harmonicas to express themselves. In one session a child cheerfully and loudly exclaimed “I love you!” in English, which took me by surprise and moved me to the verge of tears. The school directors at the schools made speeches of appreciation and gratitude (see quotes) and the children would send us off with an exuberant song of thanks. Without exception, as we left the schools we heard the happy sounds of children playing harmonicas. On one occasion, an excited teenager named “Dol’’ handed me his name on a piece of paper so I would remember him. He told me that music was his passion and that he wanted to similarly help the kids in Africa. It touched me deeply that despite his own desperate situation, his first thought upon learning his new talent was to share it to help others.

A FINAL “NOTE”

The success of Harmonikids programs in Haiti can perhaps be best illustrated in quote by Mr. Runner, director of a school in one of the most impoverished areas of Port Au Prince who said in a speech:

“… This morning you make me feel that there is hope for Haiti and these children... hope that their lives can become better.”

Others in attendance, including the officers from USAID and the US Embassy shared this kind of sentiment (see quotes on the next page). In spite of their inconceivable hardships, these children were irresistibly drawn to the harmonica with its child-friendly simplicity, pocket-sized portability, and warm voice-like tone. Making music provided a positive means of creative self-expression, an emotional outlet, and stress relieving benefits crucial to their development. The sessions visibly elevated their self-esteem and confidence. And perhaps most importantly, Harmonikids gave the Haitian children an opportunity to recover some of the childhood hope and joy that had been so cruelly stolen from their young lives.

“I am heartily supportive of Harmonikids…we have seen the power of music in transforming young lives. Gary Allegretto and his work are most worthy of support.”~ Dan Aykroyd.

BOOK REVIEWS

BLUES READING MATTERS!

Improvising Blues Guitar

John

Wheatcroft

Schott Music Publishers

My local County library has a very good music section and within that, quite an impressive collection of Blues material, amongst which I found this fairly new book. Like the man in the advert said “ I was so impressed that I went out and bought it!” this is a softback title that comes with a 60 minute plus CD containing 53 tracks of both demo pieces and backing tracks. It does what it says on the tin, by starting simply and logically with basic acoustic and Delta blues, covering the styles of Mississippi Fred McDowell, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Robert Johnson. All of these are covered in clear and concise terms that allow you to work at your own pace Chord shapes, tab and notation are all provided and the layout is straightforward. Although it is perfectly possible to pick and choose as you go through the book, I personally found that it was best to start at the beginning and work through to the end. It is broken into 11 sections encompassing Chicago Blues. Memphis & Detroit, Texas Blues, British Blues, Country Blues, New wave Texas Rock Blues, slide and more. It doesn’t make the mistake of a lot of tutorials by going over old familiar ground, but really does show you how to find your own style, there are assignment pieces and backing tracks that enable you to mix and match and come up with a blend that is all your own. Did I like the book? Yes I did. Would I recommend it to any body? Yes I certainly would, I think that most players at whatever standard would find something of value here. Any reservations? Only one, and that is to do with the page layout that I found a little confusing at first, but I soon got used to it. This will make a great Christmas present.

Dave Stone

JACK BRUCE – COMPOSING HIMSELF

Harry Shapiro

Jaw Bone Press

I guess that everyone knows Jack Bruce was a member of Cream and many would have been aware of his solo work after that band. Others would have either followed or been bemused by his work with West Bruce & Laing or the power trio of Bruce Baker & Moore, but beyond that Jack seems to have drifted in and out of favor and public conscience over the decades. Now, thanks to Harry Shapiro’s authorized biography, the first he has written in collaboration with the artist, Jack’s full story can be told, and what a story it is. From the childhood in a family full of communist political belief and where he taught himself to read from his dad’s political books, through shunning University in favor of a scholarship at the Royal Scottish Academy of music, to his move to London, the home of true British Jazz musicians and his belief that he was at the cutting edge when only playing to a handful. Clapton rightly describes him as a “…man who transcends categorization” and this book shows a musician who can switch between genres easier than many can change clothes. Indeed it was a total eye-opener to me to see just how many world class musicians of all styles have beaten a path to Jack’s door, wanting to play with him. Yet, no matter what he did, it seems he couldn’t please, producing albums that weren’t commercial enough, only to be knocked back because his next release would be too commercial. Whenever Jack got it right, it wasn’t right for Jack and something had to give. Throughout the decades there is the ever present Ginger Baker, the drummer that Jack can’t see to survive with or without, their lives constantly intertwined. Shapiro’s style is easy to read with plenty of cross-referencing to keep the reader on track and plenty of quotes from musicians both home and abroad, all of whom revere Jack. Never dictatorial, but always allowing his sidemen to express and bring their own canvas to his music. Jack is seen as the epitome of a good band leader and master interpreter of other composers music whether it be Jazz, Blues, Rock, Latin, Classical or other. Gustav Mahler asked himself if a man could win fame in his own time while remaining a true artist. Jack Bruce has proved that he could!

Merv Osborne

Releases with a Blues vision

ROLLING STONES 1969-1974 The Mick Taylor Years Sexy

Intellectual

This 100 minute rockumentary asserts that the greatest period in the Rolling Stones’ prolonged history was a relatively short period between 1969 and 1974. The premise is that these were the years that spawned the albums, “Let It Bleed”, “Sticky Fingers” and the double album “Exile On Main Street”, when Mick Taylor had replaced Brian Jones as the other guitarist to Keith Richards. Many think that these represent the best recorded studio works of the band, and a single-minded case is put by rock critics, biographers and occasional musicians alike. Significantly no past or present members of the band are interviewed to support that view, with the exception of Mick Taylor who opines that the Stones have not been as good since the first or second line-ups. Albums which he also played on like “Goats Head Soup” and “It’s Only Rock ‘n’

Roll” are heavily criticised. The video has no complete performances, and often film footage is overdubbed with different audio, and then only clips. The presenters speak frankly of Jones’ ousting, the drugs, debauchery and eventual decadence in the band. Some of the quotes, particularly from the articulate and intelligent Robert Greenfield seem right on the money, and other worthwhile contributions come from Nigel Williamson. The over-riding feeling after watching this film is firstly, for the supposed greatest rock and roll band in the world there is precious little music to support that view, and secondly that it is a sad and salutary lesson in the human condition; how talent and energy ultimately gave way to repetition and inertia. The vitality of Blues and rock was subsumed by the pursuit of complete self-indulgence and celebrity. Mick Taylor quit to save himself and his musical integrity. If you want to hear his best work, I would turn not to the Stones, but his work with mentor John Mayall or his subsequent solo work.

Noggin

ARI EISINGER

The Guitar Artistry of Ari Eisinger DVD

Stefan Grossman / Vestapol

I thought I’d seen everything in a previous Stefan Grossman DVD, The Guitar Artistry of Geoff Muldaur . But now along comes Ari Eisinger, whose stupendous ability will make anyone struggling to master acoustic blues guitar immediately put their axe up for sale on e-Bay. As with the Muldaur show, here we have one man, a nice, gentle cherubic figure, talking about his career between some frankly unbelievable finger picking on tunes such as Barrel House Blues, If You See My Saviour and Jesus Gonna Make Up My Dying Bed. Apart from the incandescent fingerwork Eisinger surprises you with his strong, clear vocals. Unlike the older Muldaur, who knew, met with and learned from many of the now dead, great legendary bluesmen, Ari has had to learn third-hand, from records and transcriptions, and his grasp of this classic material is exemplary. All hail Stefan Grossman for continuing to expose to the world a stable of dedicated musical craftsmen like Ari Esinger, a man who proves that the tradition we know and love is in the safest hands possible.

Roy Bainton

THE BURNING BRAZILIAN GROOVE

BY

ANA POPOVIC BAND DVD

An Evening at Trasimeno Lake

AErec001

This DVD was shot inside the 13th century castle, ‘Rocca Medievale, on the Shore of Trasimeno Lake, Umbria, Italy and in front of an audience of about 5,000 people, during Ana’s 2010, “Blind For Love” tour. It is in three parts, 71 minutes of the performance with the full band on stage in an outside amphitheatre within the castle walls. Six minutes of two songs, solo acoustic on the castle ramparts and an 8 minute interview from the castle with the lake as backdrop. The sound and picture quality throughout is good with the exception of the solo acoustic tracks where the sound is clear but changes as the scene changes. The two songs were recorded twice in different parts of the castle and mix edited together but the tonal quality

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

of the acoustic guitar changes with the location. The interview segment is a soft, non-probing style. The main performance is atmospheric and obviously outdoors as a variety of and numerous quantities of insects fly around the stage. The whole band however is unphased by the entomological invasion and produces a flawless performance. There are some good close-ups of Ana’s technique revealing the heavy use of vibrato’s and a full variety of sting bends. The only problem with the concert video segment is the constant camera changes. No camera ever stays in shot for more than two bars of a song, and the constant switching gets quite annoying at times. The performance itself is a different story. The tempos and genres change throughout the performance and the 8 piece band take them all in their stride. Drums were metronomic whilst providing excellent polyrhythm and ostinato sequences and Ana played with lovely phrasing and feel throughout. Despite the editing and camera work, it is a DVD well worth having.

Carol Borrington

VAL TOMATO

Live DVD

O gato (Brazil)

I don’t know if there’s anyone out there who reads my reviews on a regular basis, but if you do, you might notice that I rarely give anyone a kicking. When music is so important in your life, anyone who puts a band together and actually performs on stage and on record deserves as much respect as you can muster. Brazil’s Val Tomato (pack

it in at the back there with the salad jokes) is without doubt a fine harmonica player, and his band have a confident grip on the blues. Even Charlie Musselwhite gives Val and endorsement on the Tomato website (www,valtomato.com.br). However … first of all, I couldn’t play this DVD on my regular machine, and had to run it on the PC. That’s of little consequence, I know. The quality of the picture was a long way from HD, but the sound was fine. But when you have a crew of five cameramen to sell your product to the world, a little on-stage production, rehearsal and stagecraft wouldn’t have gone amiss. Among other failings, what’s wrong here is that whereas Val is a damned fine harp player, he’s certainly no singer. Yes, he’s not singing in his native tongue, Portuguese. That makes it hard. But if he put ten per cent of the passion he puts into his harp playing into his vocals that would be an improvement. Better still, find a vocalist, Val, and concentrate on what you do best. There was another curiosity on this live DVD, too. The band has two girl backing vocalists who seem totally unaware that a film crew surrounds them. In fact, they appear to be there just to make the band look bigger, because I didn’t see or hear any vocalizing going on, and during a couple of numbers they’re just stood by the amps chatting and drinking. Come on, girls! This is a show, ‘fer Chrissakes! Val’s knocking his pipe out here! Go and watch an Ike Turner DVD and see how it’s done! So; decent band, good guitarist, fine harp playing. That’s about it.

Brazil’s Val Tomato (pack

Roy Bainton

TOM JONES

Praise and Blame

Island Records. Critics are divided. Some have called it hammy - it made the BBC critic a little “bored”. Island Records chief David Sharpe, who one would expect to be its lustiest supporter even asked if it was “a sick joke”. For others, it’s a stripped back triumph. True, Johnny Cash may have cornered the market in old timer retrospectives, but here is a major name having big enough kahunas to try something new; a collection of simple, intimate songs presented simply and intimately, the live takes adding legitimacy. The demarcation line between Blues and gospel is a fine one, and Jones hops either side of it without ever sounding contrived or pious; Sharpe’s comments about it being “common book of prayer” are off target – sure, it has reverence and reserve but there’s enough wantonness to get you chucked out of church. Utilising a fine gang of sideman including Booker T and fellow Welshman Henry Spinetti, Jones opens with Bob Dylan’s ‘What Good Am I?’ - a haunting highlight. ‘Lord Help’ is something altogether more raunchy, and ‘Strange Things’ is up-tempo with a jolly kick hard to deny, but the chilling standard ‘Nobody’s Fault But Mine’ and John Lee Hooker’s ‘Burning Hell’ pack the biggest punches, showcasing the depth and plush velvetiness of the still formidable tonsils, subtly overseen by Ethan Johns’ sensitive production throughout. Sharpe claimed that he had “paid for a Mercedes” and ended up with “a hearse”. In that case, this is quite some funeral; Jones has plenty more tricks and turns to show us yet. Splendid stuff.

Richard Thomas

STEPHEN DALE PETIT The Crave 333 Records

Stephen Dale Petit has come a long way since his first album ‘Guitararama’ was released a couple of years ago. I first saw him supporting Darren Neundorf at the Half Moon in Putney and he impressed with the intensity and aggressiveness of his ‘New Blues’ and I then kept bumping into him outside gig after gig as he was handing out flyers for his next gig at the 100 Club or for the next single release – he always seemed to be supremely

confident of himself and sure that he would get the message across. So I have been waiting a long time for ‘The Crave’ and, truth be told, rather looking forward to it as well. Well, it is here and I can honestly say that it was worth waiting for. He has expanded his playing to encompass Mod Blues, Rock, Country Blues and even some poppy ‘stuff’ and there really isn’t a wasted moment on the album. His guitar playing has always been good but he could have been accused of being flippant about his approach to songs but with ‘The Crave’ he has developed his song writing and really delivered some fine numbers. Right from the opener, ‘3 Gunslingers’ (based on a day spent driving around London in the company of Ron Wood and Eric Clapton in the same car), his playing is dynamite and his vocals are exultant. Following up with a Tupac Shakur and Dr Dre classic in ‘California’ – the next single – shows that he has no inhibitions about the music that he plays and it comes over with real brio in his own style but with due homage to the original. He moves from there into ‘Let There Be More Light’ – gospel and a huge, anthemic feel to it. ‘Gun Song’ then shows us yet another side of SDP with a hugely aggressive and harsh vocal plus some stunning guitar and the feel of a drive by shooting set to music. The title number is a complex and dense piece that seems to encapsulate so many of the things that make him tick but every track has its own character and what comes through is the sound of a supremely able and confident performer who is arrogant enough (in a positive sense) to ignore the prevailing trend and make an album that is completely a depiction of his character and style. This is absolutely the most personal album that has been released this year and possibly one of the most important – simply brilliant.

Andy Snipper

JOHN PINAMONTI End of Smith

www.pinamonti.com

John Pinamonti is a man on a mission but whilst there’s nothing escapes his Brooklyn-based eagle eyes, he cleverly don’t let his dedication to the truth compromise his great musicality. On this album of astute, considered bluesy, folky, rock, JP evaluates real life issues. Hurricane Katrina’s drowning of New Orleans is parlayed as a tale of betrayal and abandonment by the Washington DC suits“it wasn’t the rain it wasn’t the wind, it was just greed and power winning again” (‘It Wasn’t The Rain’) and his wry tales of inner-city redevelopment, dollars ahead of people – ‘End Of Smith’, a delicate, Latin-inflected bossa nova with deceptively simple acoustic guitar, and ‘The Burrow’, an annoyingly catchy fizz of energy a-popping with school-of-Mick Avory thumpy drums, Hammond organ, killer electric guitar and John’s vocal that already makes him sound like a trusted buddy. A stretch in the slammer (‘San Marino’) tells how “I’m just taking my time cause I’ve got nothing but time up here in San Marino” played as a Mexican cantina waltz. Whatever’s going down, he

sees it – ‘Eye On You’, a warning to bad-doers that he knows their game, kicks ass; it’s a real, rough-edged, rumpus. ‘Mean To Me’ is a reflective realisation of growing up comfortable with your woman and, on the countrified, Johnny Cash-reminiscent ‘Subprime Blues’, “The Wall Street firm fired their CEO, now he’s livin’ on his yacht down in Key Largo”, there’s blazing fiddles a-plenty, that then duel with banjo on the hillbilly jaunty ‘300mm Man’, facing up to US intolerance of fresh waves of immigrants newly arrived in a country that is famously and proudly made of previous, now-accepted, now-American overseas incomers. JP puts the ‘man’ into ‘manifesto’ and he takes shit from no-one. Musically, it’s a peach, and folks I’m not normally one for style – content is my thing – but hats off to the way-cool art work. Pinamonti mio amico, molti graziamenti for sharing this with us – I hope to catch up with you one day.

Peter Innes

24PESOS

Busted Broken & Blue

Ourgate

24Pesos were founded by guitarist/singer/harp player

Julian Burdock and bass player Silas Maitland who worked together with Geno Washington. Although the band hail from London, there’s little else to give it away on this superb album when the styles and subject matters are so clearly American. Indeed it’s rare to hear such an impressive collection by a British artist of southern roots music as Busted Broken And Blue. The album is primarily the brainchild of Julian Burdock who composed the album, with Maitland’s production and the quartet is completed by Moz Gamble on organ and Mike Connelly on drums who provide a raw groove as the band eases so comfortably between Blues, Gospel, soul, funk and hip hop. It commences with the story of ‘Maxwell Street’ as Burdock sings of notable Blues greats over an infectious slide guitar riff. ‘Never Saw The Devil’ by contrast has a sprightly Freddie King feel before the Blues stomp of ‘Waiting At The Station’ with a superb blend of slide and harmonica. They do slow it down occasionally, notably on the acoustic ballad ‘Somebody Else’ and the haunting slow and bluesy ‘Night Becomes Day’ with poignant organ play from Gamble.’ The band’s dedication is revealed through ‘Live My Life To Sing The Blues’ and Burdock’s dobro playing comes to the fore on the aptly titled ‘Lowdown Sweet and Dirty.’ The band describes the album as an upbeat antidote to the doom and gloom of recession-hit Britain, yet it is so much more. This is a very strong, coherent release and well worth tracking down.

Duncan Beattie

album, but when the listed instruments include such items as Tuba, cardboard box, and Spaghetti pot, alarms tend to be set of. There is a certain bluesy sound to most of the album, indeed many of the pieces have a certain haunting quality, such as the opening track ‘Devil’s Got you Boyfriend’ with its ethereal violin and harmony vocal starts the album with a suitable flavour, whilst ‘Your night is Wide Open’features fingerpicked acoustic guitar, stacked vocals, and an insistent Wurlitzer part, and we are yet to hear any percussion. ‘Big Red Heart’ features the kitchen utensils, whilst ‘We moved our city to the country’ is a Katherine Edwards country type piece, as is ‘Angel won’t you come down?’ The musicianship is of a uniformly high quality, and it is very well written and recorded, and there album goes through a myriads of moods, and needs time to concentrate on it to give it its full value. So all in all a worthwhile release, and a grower, but not one for putting on during a dinner-party whilst trying not to discuss politics or religion.

Ben Macnair

VARIOUS Let Me Tell You About The Blues: West Coast 3 CD set Fantastic Voyage/Future Music 3 CD

The wonderful thing about the sheer variety of America’s musical traditions is the distinct variation of regional styles. We get the steamy, hot ambience of Mississippi, the cool swing of New York, the electric buzz of Chicago. Yes, without doubt, it’s all blues – and when you get to the West Coast, and California, the atmosphere changes yet again. Here are 75 tracks over three CDs jampacked with some of the biggest names on the Pacific shoreline, plus many less familiar, but no less great.

You’d expect, for example, T-Bone Walker’s big, brassy guitar-driven swing, and he’s here with three of his finest recordings; Mean Old World, Stormy Monday Blues and Strugglin’ Blues. When you think California you think Johnny Otis, and the mighty man with his superb orchestra appears in various couplings, notably with Little Esther and Mel Walker. In fact, every one of these tracks is a classic – this is a collection you could load your CD player with and be guaranteed a couple of hours of absolute pleasure. Just check out the names alone –Jimmy Witherspoon, Ray Charles, Amos Milburn, Charles Brown, Cecil Gant, Lloyd Price, Etta James, Lowell Fulson and Jimmy McCracklin – this is truly a who’s who of the West Coast. You may well be educated here too – if you’re unfamiliar with artists such as Jimmy Nolan, Daddy Cleanhead, Mabel Scott, Vivian Green or King Perry and his Pied Pipers, then you’re in for some pleasant surprises – as with Oscar McLollie (only Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer could come up with a name like that) or Jim Winn’s Bobalanians.

TRACY BONHAM

Masts of Manhatten

Lojinx

To say that Tracy Bonham’s latest album is slightly out of the ordinary would be an understatement. It is a good

I got maximum ecstasy working my way through this lot – and they’ve even included a contender for the first rock’n’roll number ever to use the phrase (in 1947, no less!) – Wild Bill Moore’s Rock and Roll. Get the beer in, roll back the carpet, and bask in California’s bluesy sun –this is one of 2010’s best compilations.

Roy Bainton

KAREN LOVELY Still The Rain Pretty Pear Records

From the first track to the last Karen’s superb singing voice rings out, bringing a touch class to a great blues CD. Her vocalisation and timing belie the fact that this is only her second album following her debut ‘Lucky Girl’. With Karen Lovely, there is no luck about it, she is winning awards and acclaim due to a talent that is gritty and determined. “Other Plans” is a perfect example of Karen’s talent with a mournful saxophone played by Michael Vannice emphasising the despair within the song and in her voice a perfect harmony. Throughout the album there is a perfect symbiotic relationship between the musicality of Karen’s voice the instrumentation there is a simplicity that can only be achieved when everyone is in harmony and ego’s are not allowed to dominate. Despite this the album lacks a certain je ne sais quoi, despite the different tones from crescendo to hoarse whisper there is a similarity between the tracks. Perhaps if Karen had used a wider range of songwriters there would have been that stamp of difference between the tracks and this would have provided the excitement of anticipation of what is to come next when listening to the album. That aside this is a great CD and her voice shines through delivering perfect pitch and definitely the cry of the blues as demonstrated in the title track “Still The Rain”; Karen definitely brings her life experience and the tears she has shed glisten through the blues.

Liz Aiken

LYNYRD SKYNYRD

Live From Freedom Hall

Loud & Proud

Well this is an odd one. You would have thought that the follow-up to last year’s rather splendid “God & Guns” might have been a live recording from that tour, to act as a souvenir for the folks who bought the album and / or went to the shows. Instead, they’ve went back to 2007 for a show recorded in Louisville, Kentucky. Now that was four years after their last studio album, an album that had already been marked with an excellent live release. That had also been a double live album, so what you’re getting here is almost a single disc version of that, with only two songs here - ‘The Needle & The Spoon’ and ‘Travellin Man’ - not on that release. And the latter did turn up on the DVD version. Which leaves us with a live show of no particular merit, if you’ve already got every other live album and DVD that’s been put out? And no great effort has been put into the presentation, as once you get past the unnecessary slipcase, you’ll find the skimpiest booklet ever to lend itself to an alleged major release. Maybe the band didn’t care, but their label should certainly have made the effort at a time when punting CDs is increasingly

difficult. However, it is the last recorded output of the late Billy Powell and Ean Evans, with the formers’ piano frills still a treat to be heard. The DVD actually offers a much better experience, no more so than when you speculate how much weight Gary Rossington has lost since their last DVD. He must be half the man he used to be. The track listing is identical to the CD version, which means things start off fairly slowly with ‘Travellin’ Man’ and ‘Workin’, neither of them among Skynyrds best. Although the former means they get to bung the late Ronnie Van Zant up on the big screen at the start of the show. Things really kick off with ‘What’s Your Name’, and there’s a lot of good stuff from then on. Rickey Medlocke is an absolute star, with seemingly boundless energy for a man who was then 57. Elsewhere, it’s songs like ‘Down South Jukin’, ‘The Needle And The Spoon’, the timeless ‘Simple Man’ and ‘Gimme Back My Bullets’ that keeps the red, white and blue standard high, even if I do miss the imposing presence of the late Hughie Thomasson on stage. Despite the lacklustre manner in which it’s presented, it’s worth it for the DVD content, which also has a much better mix than the audio. That may be due to the fact that the show appears to have been filmed for TV broadcast (not that you’d know from the liner notes!) and explains why the colonials are getting this as a DVD release.

Stuart A Hamilton

THOMAS FORD

Thomas Ford

Independent

This is the first solo release from Thomas Ford following the 2009 album Thomas Ford & The Dirty Harmony’s “Separation Street.” Strangely the album opens to a recording of the Legal Eagle Blues Band from 1980, which is explained in the linear notes as featured Ford’s father Ian Langsford on harp. The recording is in tribute to him who inspired Ford to play the Blues. The album is a home recording by Ford with musical contributions other members from the Dirty Harmonys. Many of the songs were recorded in one or two takes, warts and all. Thankfully there aren’t many warts at all and the album has a real organic feel throughout. Ford provides lead vocals to the album, guitars and harmonica. ’Lightening Seed’ has a Big Bill Broonzy feel before ‘Another Girl’ is a Gospel take of the standard recorded by many, including John Mayall. A country Blues take of ‘Death Letter’ works superbly in this environment. While vocally very different, there’s a touch of Duster Bennett to some of these songs, such as ‘Don’t Pay Them No Mind.’ The addition of trumpet on a couple of songs gives them a rag time feel, particularly ‘Babe, You Tear Me Apart,’ while ‘Good Men Dead Blues’ is an earthy boogie. The acoustic ‘Love Is A Misunderstanding’ provided welcome variety in what is an album worthy of intrigue.

Duncan Beattie

HARPER Stand Together Blind Pig Records

This is Harper’s third release on Blind Pig records and takes him and his band ‘Midwest Kind’ Chris Wiley Smith on Bass Guitar, Marc Dixon on drums and Gregg

Leonard on guitar to an even higher level of musicianship and lyrical mastery. The CD includes Kurt Wolak on Keyboards and Chris Du Ross on acoustic guitar ‘We Stand Together’ is an anthemic song driven by pounding Tom Toms and staccato strummed guitar. The primeval sound of Harpers Yidaki opens the song and continues throughout, dragging the heart to the bowels of the earth as Harper’s vocal bass echoes and pleads for understanding of the culture that created the Didgeridoo and the grab of their lands by the invading foreigners. The Blues was born of persecution and discrimination and its chosen instruments were the harmonica and guitar but the chosen instrument of another persecuted people is the Yidaki and its use by Harper takes the Blues from another land into the present day. ‘Not My Brother’ Opens with drums and harmonica before melting in an organ underpinning Harpers vocal, which retains all the grit of the Blues with a more polished edge. This song is about the lack of understanding of the rich and poor and vica versa. It is sung in part in a rap style with a melodic chorus. ‘Take These Arms’ is another anthemic song in power ballad style featuring piano, drums and a gentle guitar wailing underneath and a harmonic solo in the middle. Lyrically a love song or an inspirational ballad; it is up to your own interpretation. ‘Damn Shame’ opens with driven harmonica, pounding drums and emotive guitar and is a commentary on financial institutions and the current climate. Every now and again a CD comes your way that knocks you back with admiration for what the artist has done, this is one of them!

Carol Borrington

THE RHYTHM CHIEFS Ships Of Wonder

Cool Buzz

Long known in their native Holland as a young Blues band of considerable promise, The Rhythm Chiefs may have come to the attention of some UK blues fans in 2009 when following a arm injury to Ian Siegal, he selected their guitarist Dusty Ciggaar to perform on a tour of the Benelux. “Ships Of Wonder” was

released

The trio complemented Hoff and drummer Rafael Schwidessen form a very tight unit on this album which is primarily blues based, yet Ciggaar’s vocals adapt well to the jazz and country tinged material included. ‘High Water’ is a purposeful shuffle and statement of intent with some tasteful Hammond organ filling the sound. ‘Gone Ridin’’ is vaguely reminiscent of ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb’ with a catchy chorus, while the title track is a mournful Latin tinged tune with Fleetwood style drumming from Schwidessen and an eerie guitar solo from Ciggaar. As is the case with many Dutch blues bands, the musicianship is exceptional, with ‘Five More Miles’ drive suggesting they would be a compelling live act to witness. The ear catching funk of ‘The Buzz’ is a delight. From the country tinged ‘Break That Bottle’ to

the modern swing blues of ‘It Wasn’t Me’, this is a very precise and measured release with ample variety to attract the listener’s attention. The closing ‘Chiefs’ is where the band really cut loose, following a rock n roll intro, the pace quickens each band member to show their instrumental prowess, particularly Ciggaar with some high speed intricate guitar playing.

Duncan Beattie

JPTHREE

Independent

I am only guessing at the title of this album from the writing on the CD, and though that and no track list might be indicative of a low-budget contribution to recorded Blues music, it is an irrelevant one, absolutely! This is honest and energetic music from a South Wales trio, comprising Joey Pearson (guitar and vocals), Richard Perkins (drums) and Tris Davies (bass). Joey Pearson claims that at least part of the reason for the band’s name is attributed to his three fingers per hand genetic disability, but that is no apparent impediment to his playing. His father was a major influence in his tutoring in electric guitar and everything is steeped in a Blues tradition, drawing on a myriad of influences from Stevie Ray through Jeff Beck the usual three-piece group comparisons will be made, inevitably Hendrix or Cream, but there is something of the jazz and heavily 60s influenced brash and indeed thrash rock pervading all their tunes, even in the covers like ‘Rollin’ & Tumblin’’. Perkins’ is a hit ‘em hard drummer and Davies a powerful presence on bass, which provides much impetus for this hard driving rock. I imagine they are best experienced in a live setting, but there is more than a hint of the necessary light and shade in the funky ‘Waste Of Time’ and slow Blues, Albert King cover ‘The Sky Is Crying’. Very promising.

Noggin

SOLOMON KING Under The Sun

Blue Skunk Music

Hailing from Detroit, but now based in Los Angeles, “Under The Sun” received a Grammy nomination last year for Best Contemporary Blues Album. It starts promisingly as the title track is a Chicago styled power groove with some of the bravado of ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’ and includes some stirring guitar and harmonica solos. A take of Al Green’s ‘Love & Happiness’ follows and while it replicates the vibe of the original with King supported by backing singers, it is not quite pulled off with the same grace. Of interest is a BB King styled version of the traditional American folk song ‘Frankie & Johnnie.’ Bobby Bland’s ‘Ain’t No Love’ indicates the main shortfall of this album; it’s a perfectly adequate reading, yet falls short of the original. ‘Whiter Shade of Pale’ also appears and although it appears a pretty sincere interpretation, it appears aimed at the baby boomer audience. Ultimately the album revives some great standards, yet its weakness is that it neither betters them nor provides inventive reinterpretations. More promising is ‘Jack Me Up’ which takes up the ‘Green Onions’ groove and includes King’s personal stamp, yet this is tempered by ‘Tracks Of My Tears’ which appears to be a self reflective tale yet it does come over a little too sentimental. The music is better than

competent yet a great deal more originality is needed for this King to make his mark.

Duncan Beattie

GROANBOX Livingston Sessions

Groanbox Records

Fashioned in the relative formality of North London, this is a significant departure from three previous offerings spawned in a deserted operating theatre, a Maryland barn and an abandoned office in Edinburgh. Quirky, therefore, is a given. Sometimes any old squawking and crashing is passed off as straw chewing, rustic roots but mercifully this is more accomplished and will undoubtedly attract the same hurrahs as before. Loud and electric it isn’t, so hardcore R&B fans need not apply; it’s acoustically crafted , folksy and capricious – what Mojo described as “theatrical primitivism”. This slow burning 16 tracker gives ample opportunities to wander down several disparate and dusty paths; ‘Oyster Lease’ exemplifies a hypnotic melodiousness ; ‘Peasant Under Grass’ is seductively country and the intriguingly titled ‘Sugar On My Pencil’ features a Jim Morrison-type vocal and should cause a storm in your teacup. ‘Kathleen’ will get orthodox Blues fans salivating, ‘Beat The Bush’ may be intriguing enough to hook in reggae aficionados while ‘Snapper’ is just odd, and slightly menacingly so. Paul Clifford seemingly extracts an interesting sound out of anything lying around while Michael Ward –Bergeman stretches the accordion to the limit of its potential. Cory Seznec handles the more traditional instruments and arguably this collection is at its best when he is at the fore. Accomplished playing and interesting experimental sounds aplenty, but its kookiness will polarise Blues fans - three weeks of creative preparation in a church basement have produced a charmingly multifarious curate’s egg which hits some spots and misses others.

Richard Thomas

DANIEL HERTZOV

Believing

Blue Productions

Daniel Hertzov has a fairly exotic background and that Russian Jewish combination contributes to the tone of this album. I found it too melancholic and sombre to truly enjoy and if truth be known his voice contributed to that sense of disappointment. The CD is described as “Rock” in genre, well not in my book! This is more like folk music with electric guitars, a bit of Hammond organ (that can just be heard) to provide a product that is not going to make him a household name. It is a bit “Donovan” like in flavour without the 60’s spice! In essence it is more of a Russian Salad with unleavened bread and no meat! There are some decent supporting musical offerings from him and his support, but the rather tuneless singing by

the main man will be his ball and chain. I’d liked to have more enthusiasm for anyone making a debut album and to be able to say that there were tracks I could listen to repetitively, but I can’t. With only a little over half an hour’s duration too, this hardly represents value for money.

Tom Walker

KIM RICHEY Wreck Your Wheels

Lojinx

A lovely piece of Americana-melancholia, to coin a pigeonhole. Kim Richey has a rich and slightly nasal voice and sings without overstretching herself and the end result is a relaxed and gently tuneful piece of work. She is ably abetted by Kirk Yoquelet on drums, Neilson Hubbard on all matters bassy as well as keyboards and by Kris Donegan on electric guitar while Kenny Hutson contributes Pedal Steel on three tracks and together they provide an understated Ms Richey’s plaintive singing. All of the songs sound personal and obviously have meaning for the singer but she manages to get over the inner depth of her words without making it obvious and leaves the listener working for the real meaning of the numbers although that tends to be feelings of loss or waiting or wistful reminiscence and the weakness of the album is that she never seems to raise her spirits and overall the album is a slightly unhappy place to be. ‘When The Circus Comes To Town’ does sound initially as though she might have enjoyed the visit but the lyrics make it clear that “it’s all flash – it’s all glitter, sleight of hand – it’s got no soul” – did it need to be said? I may be being a little harsh here but the quality of the playing and her voice itself really deserves to be a little more uplifted and in this world the listeners are after something with a little more ..., joy. On the plus side of it all the playing throughout really is superb and there are some moments where you simply ease back and enjoy the music but overall it is just too downbeat for this listener.

Andy Snipper

J SHOGREN

Bird Bones & Muscle

JaHa Records

J Shogren is a Professor of Applied Philosophy, who co-locates between Centennial, Wyoming, USA and Stockholm, Sweden, not it must be said the usual rocka and roller credentials. The cover of the album depicts Shogren clutching an acoustic guitar, with a crow on his shoulder and backcloth of a line=drawing of the anatomy of man. He says, “I chose the title of the CD, to illustrate a notion of fragility living next to strength; how fragile and strong a person can be when lost in the wilderness within...” and describes the music as “pulp Americana”. Quite.

FRIDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER

CHANTEL MCGREGOR

ADVANCED £6 : DOOR £8

FRIDAY 29TH OCTOBER

THE BLUEFLIES

£1 B4 10PM : £2 AFTER

FRIDAY 26TH NOVEMBER

MARCUS MALONE

ADVANCED £6 : DOOR £8

FRIDAY 3RD DECEMBER RIOT

£1 B4 10PM : £2 AFTER

FRIDAY 28TH JANUARY 2011 JAMES HUNTER (TBC)

FRIDAY 25TH FEBRUARY 2011 THE HAMSTERS

FRIDAY 25TH MARCH 201 MIKE SANCHEZ

FRIDAY 29TH APRIL 2011 SODS LAW / JOHN P TAYLOR

FRIDAY 27TH MAY 2011 HAMILTON LOOMIS

FRIDAY 24TH JUNE 2011 THE FORCE

THE TROUBADOUR (LIVE MUSIC VENUE)

STAR PRECINCT, NORTHALLERTON, NORTH YORKSHIRE 01609 777751 (VENUE) 01609 760158 (BAR 100)

TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM THE VENUE OR BAR 100

ADVANCED TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE

T H E T R O U B A D O U R ROCK & BLUES FRIDAYS

DOORS OPEN 9PM, DANCING TILL LATE

This gives an insight into the introverted albeit poetic pastiche of Americana that Shogren has written and put together in what is his third album. Having something of the lyrical surrealism of a Dylan or Waits, this album gets lost somewhere between its various acoustic musical styles and sheer wordiness, for example the folk song ‘Judge & The Hangman’. The playing, especially as it includes so many authentic and organic instruments, is impeccable and the band’s arrangements well-crafted. The mood is lifted by ‘Charlie Poole, Charlie Poole’ and sing-along ‘Procrastinator Blues’, but the dull voice and choice of themes make this a rather prosaic and certainly not moving listening experience.

Noggin

LARKIN POE Spring

2Deepig

Named for their 3-Greats Grandfather and featuring the two Lovell sisters, Rebecca & Megan (Jessica having left for college) this is an EP of Americana/Folk and Country loveliness at its best. The instruments played will give you a clue as to the type of music; Rebecca plays mandolin and guitar while Megan plays dobro, lapsteel and ukulele while the supporting musicians – including Daniel Kimbro on various basses and the drumming of Chad Melton plus Mike Seal – feature banjo, Rhodes and piano. The music never gets shouty or aggressive but there is plenty of variety in the rhythms and harmonies and the two sisters feature very different vocal styles, Rebecca very much more soulful and modern in style and Megan very light and airy but when they sing together the result is delightful and very musical. The songs are little vignettes of their lives and their feelings for one another, very closely observed and starting with ‘Long Hard Fall’, about taking the wrong paths or hooking up with those that have or ‘Burglary’ where the thieving is of another’s lover. ‘The Principles of Silver Lining’ is a superb description of depression and hope while ‘Ball And Chain’ has a real density to the music and dark tones all through. Weighing in at only just over thirty minutes this is one of the most pleasant half-hours I have spent in a while nut extended listening revealed the quality and it really is worth more than a quick listen.

Andy Snipper

AMELIA CURRAN Hunter Hunter

Six Shooter Records

From the same Six Shooting stable as Justin Rutledge, another Canadian singer-songwriter with the same thoughtful, cerebral approach to the world. Only the most enlightened of Blues fans will divert to take in this smooth syrupy vocal and simple sensitivity, but bluntly it probably won’t take you anywhere near Damascus. Peachy and agreeable, it won’t persuade you to unplug your electricity –this fayre is stripped back and emotion

exposing without reserve; but is there enough distinction to tempt lovers of other genres towards such gentle country folk-roots? Probably not. Undoubtedly an accomplished writer and performer in a KT Tunstall-kind –of-a-way, ‘Bye Bye Montreal’ is a strong opener, there are some engaging banjos throughout, ‘The Company Store’ is quirky and catching, but at times you are desperate for some up-tempo raucous relief from the languished and melancholy, exemplified by the mid record triple of ‘Ah Me’, ‘The Mistress’ and ‘Mad World Outlive Me’ which made my damp Monday morning almost unbearably hopeless. Some enchanting vocal harmonies brightening things a little, but everything is too retrospective and sad; surely her strongest followers would perhaps concur with Curran’s own judgment that this is all “a little tougher than War Brides (her previous record) but it’s still minimal”. Their candid opinions would be fascinating – should moody acoustic roots be this visceral or is there any room for the occasional thigh slap and belly laugh? Perhaps I need to take the world more seriously, but not one for a dark lonely evening.

Richard Thomas

BROTHERS OF THE SOUTHLAND

Blue Sunrise

Blues Boulevard

This album aims at nothing less than revitalising Southern Rock by presenting the genre’s greatest vocalists and musicians of several generations in a collaborative all-stars format. There are members here from The Allman Brothers, Marshall Tucker Band, Wet Willie, Black Crowes and more and it’s fair to say that they have clocked up many miles and years on the road. ‘Rock And Roll Survivor’ is an apt opener about paying dues on the road and features sturdy vocals and typically dense and intricate instrumentation complete with full horn section. ‘Can’t you See’ is an excellent track which features Bo Bice on vocals and some great slide guitar as it builds steadily to a crescendo. The track ‘Brothers Of The Southland’ comes originally from The Marshall Tucker Band and features good vocals and harmonica from Jimmy Hall. ‘Travellin’ Light’ is a funky little number with ice pick guitar and honking horns. There is an excellent cover of Greg Allman’s ‘Dreams’ featuring heartfelt vocals and good guitar work. Title track ‘Blue Sunrise’ is followed by the catchy pop song ‘Love Don’t Care’ which features Jimmy Hall on sax. ‘The Long Goodbye’ is a heartfelt ballad which builds to a soulful climax with some chiming guitar work. This is a good solid album which will probably appeal to fans of the above named bands but whether it will revitalise Southern Rock ishighly doubtful.

Dave Drury

MATT SCHOFIELD

Live from the Archive

Nugene Records

This album hits the spot with the accuracy and explosive power of an Exocet. It is a must for anyone with a love of red hot R&B, with guitar playing from the maestro to die for. Hammond organ keyboard dexterity from Jonny

Henderson is icing on this truly awesome live recording from Holland in 2007. Live recordings can be a bit “hit or miss”, but this is a quality which surpasses what anodyne pop groups produce studio. No retakes here, it is straight out of the performance and what a performance it turned out to have been. Opening with “All you Need” the combination of blues guitar and Hammond organ sets a high standard of playing which drummer Evan Jenkins weaves seamlessly into support. Even the best of guitarist’s sometime meander into well-trodden paths, but Schofield’s improvisations just keep searching new trails. “Siftin’ Through Ashes” just blew me away as the second track, and the standard just got better all the time as the performance progressed. His cover version of “Black Cat Bone” needs no good luck charm as it is pure magic of its own accord. As if it wasn’t enough to be a truly superb musician, Schofield has a voice which was tailor-made for this style of funk, jazzy blues. If you buy only one CD this year, then do yourself a favour and make it this one.

Tom Walker

PINTETOP PERKINS AND WILLIE “BIG EYES” SMITH

Joined At The Hip Telarc Records.

It’s maybe fair to say that Pinetop Perkins’ best work is behind him, but that’s the case with most 97 year olds. At an age when most are wondering if they will make it to lunchtime, the world’s oldest still-performing delta Bluesman is still gently tickling the ivories and planning his next tour (he has gigs booked as far ahead as May 2011). Is this collaboration with former Muddy Waters’ sideman colleague Smith (a mere whippersnapper at 74) in danger of becoming a twee curiosity because of their advanced ages? Oh yeah cynics just play the damn thing will you? From the glorious opener ‘Grown Up To Be A Man’ you will stop worrying. True, Pinetop’s piano is not especially prominent, but with a band sharper than a plantation billhook and enigmatically opportune vocal and instrumental punctuations, he makes this as authentic as cotton itself. Former drummer Smith’s harps are soulful and velvety in equal measure and of his 6 self penned numbers ‘Take Your Eyes Off My Woman’ is perhaps the pick, but you’re spoilt for choice. Of the 7 covers, with both Sonny Boy Williamsons represented, ‘I Feel So Good’ is moody, sultry and ticks all your 12 bar boxes. It may lack the menace and caffeine fuelled energy of contemporary generations but there is nothing plastic about Joined At The Hip – it’s as the Lord intended. May he spare these two splendid old boys so they can make music like this for many years to come. Marvellous stuff.

Richard Thomas

COCO ROBICHEAUX

Revelator

Spiritland Records

Coco Robicheaux is a legend in New Orleans, and apparently imbibes all the mystery and mojo of that great city, before breathing it out through his unique brand of music. This is no ordinary New Orleans record, even unique and faintly unsettling when compared to say the likes of Dr John, whose own brand of Louisiana music has long set the benchmark. The vocals are mostly spoken and wonderfully gruff; the themes surreal, poetic and symbolic. The feel is jazzy with fleeting sax runs and free bass lines dominating the backing. The second track repeats “Wednesday, anything can happen day” incessantly, and the hypnotic sense of this track comes to epitomize the often weird and sometimes wonderful aura of the album. Robicheaux’s monologues might be either profound or nonsense, but in the end it doesn’t really matter. It is all about the sensation of being transported from the mundane to some other subliminal place which draws you back for more. Though the mostly self-written tunes are occasionally interspersed with covers like ‘Memo From Turner’ (Jagger / Richards) and ‘Crossroads’ (Robert Johnson), so unique are the interpretations you would think they are his own. The digipak cover boasts as “a beautiful thing” its “plastic-free case, potato CD tray and vegetable inks”, but this album is not so much what its constructed of but what it’s made of - strange but true.

Noggin

TORI SPARKS

The Scorpion in the Story

Glass Mountain Records

Tori Sparks does just what her name implies; she jump starts her album with the opening track Tall Towers sparking it into life, (ironically since it is about murder) with her vocals positively oozing sensuality, even though her voice has a certain feistiness about it. Not only does she sing with it (sensuality), she writes all the lyrics with an emotional intensity which has to be listened to and appreciated for its perception! In parts I could visualise a young Joan Baez or Chrissie Hinds, but Tori Sparks is so much more. The lyrics in track eight the emotive, Leaving Side of Love are pure emotionally raw GBH of the heart. This is more folk music than blues, except in the words, and is compounded with the lyrics of the next track, the aptly named Elephant in the Room. The Penny on a Rail track is a tale of a singer crushed by her husband who resents her lifestyle, despite it keeping him from having to pay his way in life. You can bet your bottom dollar this won’t happen to this sultry, successful, hard-working lady. If she hasn’t had a hard life from which to draw on, then she’s perceptive enough of human emotion to double up as a psychiatrist in her spare time. This woman is an epitome of “multi-tasking” with the range of skills (singing, writing and playing guitar) she amply demonstrates in this album. If that weren’t enough, she runs her own record company.

Tom Walker

BRIAN KRAMER

Myself and Mine

BKB Music

You don’t need to Google Brian Kramer to know most of his life’s story – it is all there in his songs and in his

emotional and beautifully sung Blues. This entire album is just him and his guitars – I am virtually drooling over his collection of ‘55 Gibson J-50, 1930 National Steel Triolian and an NRP National Style Eastman 12 string – recorded, in his own words, “100% live, just 3 mics & a very cozy sofa at Scarecrow Studios, Stockholm”. The result is completely honest and from the heart and in my opinion one of the most personal albums you could ever wish to hear. He sings of his Great-Grandad’s pocket watch, made in 1869 and still ticking, and then takes us into the darkest Delta with some strident picking and stories of the ‘bo’s and pickers he met along the way – his playing here is superb, He is a painter of word-pictures and every song gives you clear and meaningful images that you could almost step inside and inhabit. When he sings about a plane trip over South Africa the combination of his playing and his words take you up into the ether and you don’t know if you are gliding, ballooning or just walking on the clouds – the sense of freedom is immense. He then brings you right back down to earth as he sings about his father, a New York taxi driver – not in the way most people would, of looking up to a great and honest hardworking Dad but in the real as he describes a loser, a guy who avoids the hard work and who “spends his whole damn life just scratching by” – painful honesty! He is wonderful to listen to and even though the subjects are a little close to the heart sometimes, ‘Love Just Fell Away’ about a couple who have been married for too long, he can also make you travel around the world in his eyes in a song like ‘Rainy Day In Amsterdam’. Pure class and a wonderful album.

Andy Snipper

JO’ BUDDY & DOWN HOME KING III

Everything’s Gonna Be Alright!

Ram-Bam Records

Jo’ or Joe Buddy, who also works as a producer under the (given) name Jussi Raulamo and DJ as Frankly Joe, has been around the music scene for over a quarter century in a number of solo and band guises, and is renowned as a mainstay of Finland’s Blues scene. He has shared the stage or collaborated with more Blues and rock ‘n’ artists than you could possibly name here. Many of these have influenced his style. For this album he is accompanied basically only by Down Home King III on drums and percussion, apart one or two other isolated contributions. The music is raw and pared down, enough indeed to make the White Stripes seem almost sophisticated and over-produced. All the songs are written by Jo’ Buddy, and follow a simple pattern or formula of rough vocals and fuzzy accompaniment on electric guitar. All the tunes are derivative of pioneer rock ‘n’ roll and early Blues. Judging by the recent success of Seasick Steve there may well be a renewed hunger for this primitive style of Blues music,

but after so much sparseness and singularity I found myself longing for a thudding bass or swirling B-3. It is no coincidence that the two best cuts are ‘Zydeco Ball’ and ‘Sun’s Shining So Bright’ which feature accordion and harmonica respectively.

Noggin

THE UNION

The Union Payola www.theuniononline.com

Checking the lavish website, and noting that the band’s history is rather noteworthy – Luke Morley was previously with rockers Thunder as lead guitarist and chief song-writer for two decades, and prior to that he was a member of Terraplane, whilst vocalist and song-writer Pete Shoulder shares with Eric Clapton and Peter Green the distinction of being an win a WC Handy Award for “American Blues song of the year”, expectations for this release are pretty high. And with an opener that sounds like Paul Rodgers fronting Led Zeppelin circa 1970, this one sets the bar on the top notch right from the outset. Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, it cannot maintain it consistently, but the Paul Rodgers influence can also be heard on ‘You Know My Name’, with its strutting rhythm akin to classic Free, and some guitar work in a Paul Kossoff mode, though admittedly rather heavier. ‘Holy Roller’ is one of those slide guitar pieces with a jerky backing and dark lyrics that help to define Americana, and musically at least, ‘’Black Monday’ is in a Cab Calloway vein. Other tracks include the sounds of country, folk, out-and-out heavy metal, and some Claptonesque rock.

Norman Darwen

ERJA LYYTINEN

Voracious Love

Ruf Records

This is the Finnish slide guitarists eighth record and third with the Ruf’s stable. All the songs are self or co-penned by Erja with the exception of one cover version. It is presented as thirteen love songs but being the Blues it is the more painful side of love and its various situations that she is addressing. The title track begins the CD and opens with a wah wah enhanced bassline driving through with Erja’s vocal following an octave higher. Vocally she is clear, harmonic and not at all gritty, whilst retaining the emotional contact with the song. There is a wah wah pushed slide solo in the middle which is delivered with assurance and flexibility. ‘Bird’ opens with classic early sixties rhythmic feel before Erja launches into beautiful slide guitar piece. Different to most slide work in that the tone and notes are held for longer than average slide players tend to do giving a more haunting quality which matches her vocal prowess. ‘Gilmore’ is a gentler guitar,

finger picked and slow tempo and you can tell she means it when she sings “Even love you can overdose, don’t you suffer anymore”. ‘Oil and Water’ takes her back to slide guitar in more traditional format and expertly delivered. Blind Willie Johnson’s ‘Soul Of A Man’ has some delicate finger picked guitar in a folk style, but don’t let that put you off because it is a wonderful version. This CD is varied in style from Blues rock to delicate folksy numbers but always the instrumentation from Erja and the rest of the band is top quality. Some songs the purists won’t like but it will appeal to the wider fraternity and it does deserve a listening by all.

Carol Borrington

MATHEW SAWYER AND THE SNAKES

How Snakes Eat

Fire

Oh dear, I’m rapidly losing the will to live after listening to this. Sawyer was previously drummer with indie favorites Television Personalities and this is the follow up to his 2007 debut “Blue Bird’s Blood”. “How Snakes Eat” is 11 original songs with some titles that are bizarre enough in themselves without listening to them. Sawyer’s voice is the major stumbling block here. His quivering vocals have been described as sounding like Tom Waits but to me it is more like a nascent Syd Barrett, complete with the bizarre and strange ideologies that Syd ascribed to. To me, it wouldn’t be too far to imagine this being conceived in a field near to Cambridge, with drug fuelled minions enjoying the “scene”. This is definitely an acquired taste and the insanity and poetry is lost on me. ‘Mynah Bird Calls’ opens the album and then this very English form of folk rock/pop meanders through songs as diverse as ‘Diamonds’, ‘ She The Farrey Tree’ and ‘To Pour Like English Taps’. The one song I could relate to was ‘Revenge of the Extras from Zulu’, a strangely English eccentric song with its kooky lyrics. Sawyer is more poet than songwriter, but I guess this is what made Britain Great, the ability to absorb all sorts. Good luck to him.

Merv Osborne

SEAN TAYLOR Walk With Me

SGO

Sean Taylor’s roots are Irish and the basic material was recorded in Dublin, then supplemented by a number of experienced and talented musicians, who each brought something special and unique to the sessions. Taylor says that this is the album he always wanted to write and make, and stylistically it flirts with folk, singer-songwriter and Blues effortlessly and beguilingly. Never wordy or impulsive, this album is one that grows with many and intense listening. The delightful ‘Hold On’ is a case in point, with its simple gentle melody, concise words, and repeated theme, for example “You might turn, you might take, you might

love everything you break” are minimalist yet elegant. The title track, a series of questions, is embellished with aching pedal steel and softy whispered saxophone. ‘Love Hate On’ is inspired by William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 149, replete with Vyvienne Long’s lilting cello. The pace picks up in the gruffly sung and rocking ‘Feel Alright’, before giving way to the bluesy ‘So High’, with its hippy handclaps and superb acoustic guitar work. The love song ‘For You’ is quite superb. Without a weak tune, and some true highspots, this classy and understated work assuredly evokes the ghost of John Martyn.

Noggin

LANCE LOPEZ

Salvation from Sundown

This lavishly produced set introduces Lance as ‘Killer Guitar from Texas’. He’s a fine player indeed, right out of the Texas tradition, of ‘killer guitarists’. We get an album and a DVD, and the music is very hard edged with a discernible SRV influence and liberal sprinklings of the 7#9 chords that SRV used so well, there is also a lot of the other things that SRV did such as chords or chord runs rising in minor thirds. Mr. Lopez also has a good voice, quite a soulful one in fact, especially when he lets it take a proper central role as on the album’s best song ‘Neverlove’. I found the whole album much too hard edged and I wondered what they are trying to prove here? It is so hard edged that the final track ‘Romeo’ is actually heavy metal with a sound and feel that’s just like Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’, that is not the blues. I don’t really consider that this album is adding much of value to the blues catalogue, as good a player as this chap is he does seem to eliminate the subtlety of expression, the grace and variety of style that can make blues such a meaningful channel of expression. He seems to have taken the sledgehammer out of his tool box and neglects to use all the other tools at his disposal. There is a lack of subtlety and warmth, no shades of colour that is particularly noticeable on the DVD. How many more Texan guitar slingers do we need? How many more ultra-macho, tattoo laden, black clad, and resplendent in chains, pendants, beads, and the standard Texan ‘blues hats’ and Texan boots, can we subsume into our collective blues conscience? Aren’t there any other sort of Texan blues players out there? Is there no one who plays with the marvellous subtlety and straight off the groove style of, say, Travis Feester from Indiana who I heard last Saturday? Lance commands the stage with a ‘Flying V’ or similar, plays a million notes a minute; the bass player and drummer, similarly clad in standard ‘macho blues’ outfits gaze admiringly from time to time. Sadly it is, as John Cleese once said in his role as a headmaster, – much too ‘typical’. The German audience on the DVD lapped it all up, but us…we need something different.

Vicky Martin

SOLOMON BURKE Nothing’s Impossible

E.A.R. Music

It seems like Solomon Burke has been around since Moses was a boy and if he had been he could have parted the Red Sea with the depth and quality of his voice. His voice has been known in the wider consciousness since 1961’s release of ‘Just Out Of Reach Of My

Two Empty Arms’ and seventeen million records and half a century later he is still producing records of quality. Burke is known as the ‘King Of Rock And Soul’ and if you are a Blues fan, looking for rampant guitar riffs or iambic lyric structure you will be disappointed. ’Everything About You’ is up-tempo RnB with powerful brass section support for Burke’s penetrating vocal. The title track is an inspirational, affirmative song, sung by Burke with his deep soulful voice but in a talking Blues style. It features a gently effective Saxophone solo by Lannie McMillan and some precise Conga drumming by Archie Mitchell, the grandson of the recently departed Willie Mitchell who produced this CD with Burke. ‘New Company’ is classic Blues territory with lyrics about a cheating love and delivered by Burke with all the feeling of someone who has experienced it personally. The Saxophone solo complements that emotional feel at the level of the heart not the head. ‘The Error Of My Ways’ revisits the Blues territory and is the most classically Blues song on the album, both in lyric style and music. Lester Snell on piano taking it down Bourbon Street and Lannie McMillan pushing the emotion vibe without pushing the eardrums. This is a CD of ‘True Soul, it never goes down the dark alley leading to pop but stays honest in its endeavours to reach into your soul and share it with Solomon Burke’s.

Carol Borrington

ROLAND SALLEY Killing The Blues

Telechrome Records

Rowland Salley’s childhood was spent in the Mississippi valley of Illinois. By the age of ten he’d learnt to play piano and French horn but in his teens he finally found his way to the bass guitar. Salley’s a singer / bassist and songwriter who also paints. The true all round artist! All the tracks on the CD were written in the period 2001 to 2002 and come together to form this album. The CD commences with ‘Tumbleweed’ It is an Americana based number which reveals Salley’s vocal to be on the polished side with a hint of grit, clear intonation and in the middle register. The title track falls again into the Americana vein musically. In its vocal passion and lyrical pain it certainly hints of the Blues ancestry which contributes to Americana. ‘Sugar Blues’ leans liberally in the direction of swamp Blues and is a likeable catchy number with complicated lyrics. ‘Memphis Girl’ with its classical hymnal style intro that then drifts into another Americana song, once again displays Salley’s songwriting talents. ‘Midnight’ with its hymnal lilt musically lies heavily on the Blues side of Americana but never quite crosses the line. ‘Wrecking Ball’ is the most recognisable Blues track on the album mainly due to its Blues guitar intro before moving back to Americana, underpinned by R’n’B feel to the keyboards. The CD ends with ‘Don’t Let It Rain’ with a stronger country feel song. Although the album is well written, produced and played, it is not one that will appeal to most Blues fans. It does however have a readymade place for the hearts of those who love Americana, as it is a good album in that genre.

Carol Borrington

MITCH WOODS

Gumbo Blues Club 88

Subtitled ’A Tribute to Smiley Lewis and the Pioneers of New Orleans Rhythm & Blues’ and that just about sums

DUKEROBILLARD

PASSPORTTOTHEBLUES

To be released on oct 4th

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.

Duke Robillard wrote every track but one on this “Passport to the Blues,” filled to the brim with rootsy licks in a down home atmosphere he rarely touched on record before. Duke’s new set comes in the wake ofhiscelebrated “Stomp! The Blues Tonight,” nominated for a Grammy in the “Best Traditional Blues Album” category this year..

KENNYNEAL

HOOKEDONYOURLOVE

To be released on oct 4th

Sue Foley and Peter Karp’s 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.”

Hooked On Your Love will confirm the talent of this fiery guitarist, in the wakeof the “Let Life Flow” album that earned him three awards in 2008. Neal deftly plays and sings his way through a rich mix of swamp-boogie, jazz, R&B et straight-ahead blues that bear the magic touch of New Orleans’ own, with the added presence of Lucky Peterson on keyboards.

-Blues Revue Magazine-

available

01380

01380 728000

www.discovery-records.com

Andy Snipper

THE

JIM JONES

REVIEW

the album up. Woods is a top-notch boogie piano plinker and the album is loaded with lazy and soulful N’Orleans Blooze and swing. There is nothing here you won’t have heard before but oh my, does he do it well! His band for this collection include Herb Hardesty and Amadee Castenell on sax as well as ‘Breeze’ Cayolle on baritone and tenor saxes as well as John Fohl on guitar and coupled with Woods piano and hearty vocals the entire album is a rip-snorter of party sounds. There is hardly a track here that breaks three minutes but they manage to pack more music into a 2 minute blast than most manage ion a career. The album kicks off with Dave Bartholomew’s ‘Gumbo Blues’ and you are right into a sleazy and jazzy Blues extolling the hotspots of New Orleans. ‘Ooh La La’ rocks like Fats on a good day with Woods vocals fat and rich like good boudin and the album just hits high point after high point. ‘Big Mamou’ is is all stop start and swinging while ‘Caledonia’s Party’ is pure New Orleans EZ with the raunchiest sax break in the business and then you have the uproarious ‘Lil’ Liza Jane’ and slow and heartfelt ‘Blue Monday’ with the band doing justice to Fats Domino’s best number. I couldn’t find a single track to skip over and it really is a credit Mitch Woods that he has taken some absolute classics and played them as they are meant to be played without trying to mess about and ‘modernise’ them – these are classics for a good reason.

Andy Snipper

STRAIGHT FROM THE HARP

Rain Rain Down Down

Auditorium

There aren’t many albums that leave me scratching my head and trying to work out just what the hell I’m listening to but this Danish Duo have managed to scarify my roots good and proper. On the face of it they are an electro pop somewhere between Soft Cell and Suicide but then the harmonica starts wailing from nowhere and even with all the synths and drum machines and ‘ethereal’ vocals it is Blues and damn fine Blues too! The opening number, ‘Rain Rain Down Down’, is simple, throbbing electro tempered with Jarno Varstead’s harmonica but the second number, ‘Going Going’ gives you a howling harp over a steam train rhythm and vocals courtesy of a megaphone – not many people will call this Blues but I think Howlin’ Wolf or Keith Relf might just have stood up and applauded it. All through this very short album you have the dichotomy of the coldness of the synths against the heart and soul acoustic harp and as you listen to it the whole thing seems to grow into your soul and your heartbeat raises and falls with the synths while your emotions lock onto the vocals and that bloody harmonica. It isn’t an easy album and it won’t be for everyone but is has a voice and it makes itself important to the listener –once you have heard this you won’t easily forget it.

Burning Your House Down Punk Rock Blues Records

This album is so full of energy it almost self-combusts, this is pure1950’s Rock’n’Roll in the mould of Jerry Lee Lewis & Little Richard, delivered at breath taking pace by Jim Jones and his band, while the sounds may originate in the past the songs and lyrics are fresh and reflective of London life today. After several plays I have started to get deeper into the album and there are influences that I can now pick out that were not there first time round; definitely aggressive elements from the Punk era which are mixed with some early Rolling Stones Rhythm & Blues swagger. Jim Jones leads the band on vocals and plays the piano with the deftness of a sledgehammer, getting great support from the guitar maestro Rupert Orton, the likeness to his sister is purely in name only! The album has been produced by Bad Seeds drummer Jim Sclavunos who has created a muddy garage rock sound that complements the band’s sound, who are starting to receive recognition within the music industry, this album clearly shows why.

Adrian Blacklee

JW JONES Midnight Memphis Sun Cross Cut Records

JW Jones is Canada’s top Blues guitarist by a country mile and this is a showcase for his virtuosity on the guitar, the same unfortunately cannot be said for his vocals. These are definitely not his long suite and the lyrics themselves do nothing to enhance his vocal ability. That aside (and it is a big aside) his chord playing has a dexterity which frankly astounds in its diversity of feelings and moods. Track three “Kissin’ in Memphis” has Charlie Musselwhite’s harmonica playing to emphasise the real blues sounds you’d expect, so why then is it peppered with puerile words? Track five “Born Operator” has the legendary Hubert Sumlin playing in a spine tingling exhibition of what blues guitar is all about, and even the lyrics are better than most of the other tracks. Both Musselwhite and Sumlin are guaranteed to take this C.D. on to a higher level and truthfully, JW Jones does deserve the accolades he’s been given for his guitar work. Track eleven “Howlin With Hubert” is an epic with the inimitable 78 year old Sumlin and Jones both demonstrating their art form at its peak. This will sell well in Canada, but I suspect the more discerning will be put off with the words and their delivery which is a pity since the instrumental aspects of the disc are superb.

Tom Walker

THE CHARLES WALKER BAND Used And Defiant Ehlona

The Charles Walker Band hail from Milwaukee and are not to be mistaken for the veteran singer Charles Walker. “Used And Defiant” is my introduction to this band and what a solid force they are. Of the eleven cuts here, eight are self-penned, two joint credits with vocalist Shanna Jackson and with a single cover, ‘Stones In My Passway’ by Robert Johnson. Charles Walker is the Tenor/Alto saxophonist with the band and throughout the standard on display is of the highest caliber with excellent craftsmanship coupled with plentiful emotional content.

DINAH WASHINGTON

Dinah Washington Sings Bessie Smith/ Dinah Washington Sings Fats Waller Fresh Records

These are two CDs by the late Dinah Washington as she pays tribute to the great singers, she admired. Dinah Washington’s name during her career became famed for her ability to sing with Blues RnB and jazz with equal clarity. Dinah gained a reputation as being an exponent of the Torch Song. These were songs about unrequited and lost love. In the American tradition they relied mainly on the structure of Blues. Her tribute to Bessie Smith was originally recorded in late 1957 and early 1958, The CD contains nineteen tracks which feature the LP Dinah Washington Sings Bessie Smith with three bonus tracks and the rest of CD is Dinah Washington at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1958. Although Washington’s Blues style was different to that of Bessie Smith, her vocal with all its passion, wonderful intonation and phrasing is a fitting tribute to the memory of Bessie Smith. Washington is supported throughout the CD by Eddie Chamblee and His Orchestra, giving the whole a feel and sound of early Blues in the Dixieland and Vaudeville moments. The second CD sees Miss Washington turn her attention to the music of Fats Waller. From the Blues of the last CD Washington shows the versatility of her vocal as turns her attention to a jazz orientated CD. This CD covers twenty-one of the Fats Waller catalogue and was originally recorded in 1957, in New York. Both CD’s are collector’s items but they do reveal what a wealth talent Dinah Washington had in her own right as a vocalist and in her ability to innovative on the music both of Blues and Jazz of those she admired and obviously had influenced her career. Both CDs are worthy to be added to the Blues and Jazz connoisseurs’ collection.

Carol Borrington

The styles range from the funk and bump of ‘Life Is Now’, a solid rocker with superb vocals from Shanna and a great groove to dance to. ‘Stones In My Passway’ is almost unrecognizable in its Jazz Funk style, whilst ‘One (Nation Under U.S.)’ is a slow Blues, dedicated to George Bush for all his lies. Likewise, ‘Stomped All Over Me’ is another slow blues that bubbles with emotion, underpinned by the fat chops of Rob Waters on the Hammond B3 organ. ‘Bump It’ is an out and out rock and roller whilst ‘Funky Sexy’ starts in pure Temptations style but soon morphs into pure satin soul complete with dreamy wispy sax work from Walker. Shanna is allowed here to display the depth and range of her excellent voice. Misha Ziegfried on guitar gets to show off his chops on the intro to the up tempo blues rocker ‘Wore Out’. All eleven songs are well crafted and executed by a band that plays with precision, craftsmanship and empathy with each other and together they have produced an excellent body of work.

Merv Osborne

MARK HARRISON Watching The Parade

Mark Harrison

Mark Harrison describes himself as a musician “who has been playing for ages and not very long”. For the last few years, he has had a break from his music but now has the inspiration to begin writing and performing again. The fourteen tracks on the CD are all self penned by Harrison and herald his return to the Blues. His writing tends to steer away from the traditional Blues preoccupation of male/ female relationships and centres itself on present and past aspects of his experiences. Harrison’s own description of the CD is “It’s got a foot in the past but it’s all brand new” and this sums up its contents perfectly. The CD is well produced and the sound clean is. The musicianship

which comes from a collection of friends who Harrison has teamed up with from his local jam sessions, all complement Harrison’s vocal and guitar playing, to bring about an interesting an likeable album. ‘Deacon George’ begins with a rising bassline and has a sixties RnB feel. With subtle hints towards a modern day political character, he gently finger picks his guitar throughout. ‘Hard Work’ follows and is a prime example of the past / present parallels to be found in Harrison’s clever lyrical structure. Set musically in a traditional Blues ballad format, it is a song that speaks of the hardships of those early pioneers of the Blues, translated into modern society in the present day political structure. ‘Highgate Hill Blues’ commences with acoustic slide guitar and walking bassline. Once again he uses a traditional Blues format, which he cleverly transforms into a song through the medium of a father son dialogue of the trials and tribulations of the modern day. This album is well worth a listen.

Carol Borrington

ERIC GALES Relentless Provogue

I’d never been convinced by the music of Eric Gales until he hooked up with ex shred king Mike Varney. Beginning with “Crystal Vision” and “The Psychedelic Underground”, his last album “The Story Of My Life” was his best by far, as he managed to rein in his flashier Hendrix predilections, and concentrated on writing good songs. The first couple of tunes on this record, however, and it seems like a bit of a step back. It isn’t until the pace slows a bit on ‘Block The Sun’ that things fall into place, although even there, he has a tendency to over egg the pudding, with notes flying around like there’s no tomorrow. Elsewhere, he gets a funky groove on in ‘Make It There’, which comes across

like Lenny Kravitz on speed, and is a real treat. However, there is a stack full of good tunes here, which will keep fans very happy indeed. Long time bassist Steve Evans is still in attendance but new boy Aaron Haggerty has arrived on drums and adds a rockier edge to proceeding. It’s been a long, long time since Eric Gales was the next big thing, but if he keeps making records as good as this, then his longevity in the blues is all but guaranteed.

Stuart A Hamilton

LIGHTNIN’ HOPKINS Texas Blues Giant

Fantastic Voyage

Lightnin’ Hopkins was a Texas Country Bluesman, whose career began in the 1920s and stretched all the way into the 1980s. In his life he saw many changes in the genre of blues but he rarely altered his style, which came to be known as The Lone Star Sound. This four-album set selects tracks from most of his output ranging from country blues to acoustic Texas blues via electric blues. His song writing, guitar skills whether electric or otherwise are quite something to be revered. The thing that surprised me with this collection is the amount of songs attributed to him, obviously a lot of early bluesmen’s work was plagiarised by later musicians. Eighty plus songs are sampled here, resulting in nearly 4 hours of inspirational music, basically everything you ever wanted to hear by Lightnin’ Hopkins and more. This set of discs is a must for anyone interested in the origins and history of the blues.

Bob Bonsey

CEE CEE JAMES

Low Down Where the Snakes Crawl

FWG Records

When I first heard this I thought I had put on a Janis Joplin CD, the voice is so uncannily close, it was spooky. Cee Cee along with her rhythm slide guitarist, Rob Andrews, have written a dozen great songs that really suits her style - very down home and dirty passion-felt vocals. The added sound effects throughout the record give it a real Tony Joe White vibe.

‘Black Raven’ with its harmonica floating through it, is a winner.

RITA CHIARELLI

Sweet Paradise

Mad For Music

Rita Chiarelli has gained herself the title of, “The Canadian Goddess of the Blues”, over the years and this is her latest offering. The CD Blues rooted but Chiarelli is one of those musicians that colours her music with many genres to create hues and colours round the Blues root. The CD is all self-penned by Chiarelli and one of the first things that strikes you about it is her vocal. Not only is it full of soul and passion but it also extends over three octaves which allows her to do vocal gymnastics without at time. Her range falls in middle to lower register and has the capability at one moment to sound like a deep set rough cut diamond and in the next brushed velvet. Lyrical this CD represents her time in the last few years in Mississippi and Louisana. She uses the story telling technique of writing, interwoven with poetic imagery which she then brings masterful to life with her vocal range and good intonation. Chiarelli also knows how to surround herself with instrumentalist and backing vocalist that enhance her music to its best. Chiarelli eases herself into the CD with a smokey Blues ballad and immediate demonstration of defining vocal. Although a ballad this is a track that gets right into the groove and leaves you wanting to hear more. The tempo raises with ‘Rest My Bones’ as she moves into a Blues rock ballad with hues of gospel, that has your foot tapping and body swaying gentle. ‘French Kiss’ is an interesting boogie woogie style number, where the vocal switches between English and French to produce a seductive number to take a turn round the floor to. ‘Going Down to New Orleans is a Swamp Blues number, with a vocal and instrumental kick. The songs are eclectic at times but a cracking CD

Carol Borrington

ERIC GALES Relentless Provogue

‘Love Makes Change’ and ‘Desert Blues’ are what Janis would have singing about had she still been alive. They just scream about female angst. ‘Water Melon Lucy’ makes you want to dance and ‘I’ll Ask the Questions You Tell the Lies’ has a quality that reminds me of Rory Black. The final cut ‘Spirit of the Shaman’ is pure Louisiana soul. I know I have made references to other great singers but that is just to give you an idea of how this lady sounds BUT be assured Cee Cee is her own lady and if there is any justice she should be a force to be reckoned with. If Miss James ever tours the UK your ticket price will not have been wasted.

Bob Bonsey

Eric Gales has been around for a few years, he released his first album in around ’91 as a 16 year old, and he has played for and with some huge names. He has been namecjhecked by Carlos Santana, B.B. King, Eric Clapton and no less than Keef Richards has him down as one of his favourite guitarists. He plays hard and gutsy Blues with a soulful and funky feel to it all and you get what you would expect from a guy who has Freddie King, SRV & Hendrix as his heroes and influences. From the first strains of ‘Bad Lawbreaker’ with its Buddy Guy feel and huge rhythm section you will get the power and raw energy of his playing and as the tempo raises for ‘A Little More Time’ his tone lifts with the pace and the guitar rips out some classic riffs. My favourite track is ‘Block The Sun’ and here he gets dark and funk laden with an almost funereal pace emphasising the power and richness of his playing and a real psychedelic sound to his guitar – very Hendrix or possibly Trower but also very much typical of Eric Gales. Anyone who likes a slow soulful Blues is going to love ‘On The Wings Of Rock And Roll’ as his guitar just about hangs on the edge of breaking up and his vocal arrows straight at your heart and then he finishes it all on a jazz-edged piece of fusion in ‘Universal Peacepipe’. Every number is full of classic playing but he is always his own man and he has chops that an awful lot of other Blues-by-the-dots bar players can only dream of. He mixes styles up and plays with a heck of a lot of enjoyment as well as seriousness. Andy Snipper

JIMMY THACKERY AND THE DRIVERS

Live in Detroit

Dixiefrog Records

Jimmy Thackery was, for a number of years a vital member of the blues band The Nighthawks and, on this live recording, it shows why. The fluidity, of his guitar work, the liquid licks, the flowing tones, just makes the whole experience tingling. The tracks are long but that is what one would expect from a live recording, for example ‘Solid Ice’ is a virtuoso performance at over ten minutes. In fact the whole album is nearly 80 minutes in length. ‘Detroit Iron’ has a real heavy metal feel but at the same time has a lovely big stadium sound albeit it’s in a club and ‘Bomb the Moon’ swings along in a sixties fashion. The whole CD is a joy to listen to, whatever your musical tastes are. This was a gig I would have liked to have seen and will look out for his gig list in the future if he ever visits our shores.

Bob Bonsey

EDDIE TURNER

Miracles and Demons

Northern Blues

This album has excellence and class stamped all over it. The music coming out of your speakers is cool smooth

blues. Eddie Turner has to be one of the finest guitarists I have heard in a long time.He is also a superb vocalist and songwriter with a Hendrix/Robert Cray style of delivery.

‘Say’ for instance starts with moaning wailing slide guitar that effortlessly slips into a funky groove [it reminds me of Ry Cooder]. Someone once said of Eddie ‘If anybody went down to the crossroads and let the Devil tune his guitar it was probably Eddie Turner.’ ‘Ride a Painted Pony’ has a chiming intro tone that has a hypnotic quality. ‘Blues Fall Like Rain’ has it all as far as I’m concerned. In my opinion, every track on this CD is stunning. I cannot praise this piece of work highly enough. My advice to you is to go out and buy it or borrow it BUT don’t lend it to anyone because you will never see it again.

Bob Bonsey

THE SPIKERDRIVERS

Seven Scratchy Records

The Spikedrivers are not the ‘New Kids OnThe Block’ and it shows in this CD. It has all the hallmarks of being written, played and produced by seasoned professionals who know their craft and despite being time served, still have a musical direction and the enthusiasm to take it as far as possible. They are very much rooted in the Delta but like the Mangroves found there, The Spikedrivers have spread those roots wider to give the music the oxygen it craves. ‘Easy Money Hard Times’ is lyrically as up to date as it comes with its comment on the banking crisis. Gentle fingerpicked guitar running through under Ben and Constance’s vocal. There is one ‘cover’ song on the album ‘John Henry’ which starts with fingerpicked guitar with a delta rhythmic structure leading to Ben’s deep gritty

SUPERB 2DVD SET TELLING THE COMPLETE AND FULLY AUTHORISED STORY OF RORY GALLAGHER FROM HIS EARLY DAYS IN CORK THROUGH STARTING OUT IN A SHOWBAND, THE SUCCESS OF TASTE AND HIS LEGENDARY SOLO CAREER LEADING UP TO HIS HEALTH PROBLEMS IN LATER LIFE AND HIS TRAGIC EARLY DEATH AT THE AGE OF JUST 47.

THE SECOND DISC FEATURES RORY'S PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED PERFORMANCES FROM THE GERMAN TV SERIES “BEAT CLUB”.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THESE ARE ALSO COMING OUT ON CD AS “THE BEAT CLUB SESSIONS”.

GHOST BLUES THE STORY OF RORY GALLAGHER

AND THE BEAT CLUB SESSIONS

2DVD SET: EREDV804

CD: EAGCD425

vocal supported occasionally by Constance’s ethereal alto. The middle eight brings a change of tempo, a falling bass riff and slide guitar forcing the volume and a kick drum rhythm change indicative of a Native American tribal beat. The whole transforming this traditional song, using old musical methods to make a modern song. ‘Spiked River Blues’ starts with Ben and Constance in gospel mood before Maurice ups the beat and with the addition of the harp, flies the music across the continent to the west coast. The chorus takes us back to gospel before returning to the west with driven slide guitar and harp. ‘Guided By Spirits’ is a solo by Ben with gentle slide guitar throughout and the vocal and lyric of a hymn without being denominationally explicit. This CD is well crafted, well performed and has a variety of tempo and themes. There is something for everybody here and based on this offering this band should grace the stage at every festival in 2011.

Carol Borrington

JEFF HORSEY WITH JULIAN PIPER AND THE FAMILY BAND

Horse Is Back

horseys@tiscali.co.uk

Former Backdoormen Bluesband main-man Jeff Horsey brings us Blues from the deep South - recorded in Cornwall and mastered in Plymouth, that is - owing much in raucous and harp-as-lead-instruments feel to Sonny Boy II and John Lee, with rambunctious amplified acoustic straight and slide guitars and racked harmonica. The Family Band, including George Horsey (drums), Jo Dobson (keyboards) with Kenneth Hodge (bass) and featuring Julian Piper on guitar, give Jeff’s baker’s dozen of original compositions a good old, straight-ahead Brit Blues seeing-to. The opener ‘Good For Nothing’ is a San Francisco Bay shuffle Blues with a lonely ‘Highway Chile’ vibe, and ‘Crazy Baby’ is a 3rd-generation Bourbon Street good-time, laissez les bon temps rouler jive with boogiewoogie piano and Piper strangling the Blues outta his guitar by the neck. The gospel-tinged ‘Make This World Alright’ features acoustic and electric slide guitars - any song that says “Play some soul play some blues, that’s the stuff that lights my fuse” is just fine by me. The great Stan Webb is brought to mind listening to ‘Hands Of Time’, a patiently tempoed, full-on Blues ballad with tasteful keyboards and guitar. For me, the best cut is the talking Blues ‘Listening To The Crickets’ that depicts and glories in an evocative riotous, hilarious live Blues club experience, jamming at length - free, easy and euphoric with stonking, funky guitar and entire band performance - over Canned Heat’s ‘On The Road Again’ riff.

Peter Innes

ELVIN BISHOP

Red Dog Speaks

Delta Groove

Elvin Bishop has forty-five years of non-stop gigging behind him and he first came to my attention in the late seventies when he had a monster hit in the charts with ‘I Fooled Around and Fell in Love’ but I must confess that I had not given him a thought until this record came though my letterbox. This slidemeisters new album’s title refers to his guitar [a 59 Gibson Stereo ES 345], but of course you all knew that! ‘Red Dog’ is a sort of talking blues about his long term relationship with his side kick of a guitar. ‘Neighbour neighbour’ just bops along. ‘Fat and

Sassy’ has a sing along quality. Elvin covers Jimmy Cliff’s ‘Many Rivers to Cross’ in his own style and along with Otis Span’s ‘Get your Hand Out of my Pocket’ both of which have brilliant vocals from John Nemeth. ‘Blues Cruise’ has the wonderful Buckwheat Zydeco on accordion, so you know straight away where this one’s going. ‘ Doo Wop Melody’ is self-explanatory and a joy. Every track has a different feel and that alone is quite refreshing in itself. Elvin Bishop must now be over 68 years old so he is a lesson to us all, which is that you can’t keep a good man down! Good on you Elvin, keep on boogying.

Bob Bonsey

HARRIET LEWIS & GREGORY

HILDEN BAND

Soulful Stew

Acoustic Music

Harriet Lewis is a Philadelphia born singer who has, rather amazingly, released twelve CDs under her own name. I say, amazingly, as prior to this “Soulful Stew” album I had never encountered her name before. Even more amazing when you consider that she has shared stages with the like of Eric Clapton and Luther Vandross. Granted, she’s also shared a stage with Mariah Carey, but I won’t hold that against her. A woman who has the kind of back story most would think fictional, she’s went from recording with Philadelphia International Records in the sixties to singing backups to the Four Tops to joining the US Army! She appears to be based in Germany these days, and has linked up with Gregor Hilden and his band to make an old fashioned soul and Blues review album. It’s the kind of thing that The Johnny Otis Show got up to back in the day, and sees her going at the music with gusto. It’s all covers bar on Lewis number, ‘No Words Can Tell’, and the title track from Hilden. The rest of the record is taken up with songs like ‘Wade In The Water’, Gene McDaniels ‘Reverend Lee’ and Aretha Franklin’s ‘Dr. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business). Ms Lewis also likes a show tune which could explain the appearance of ‘On Broadway’ and ‘What A Difference A Day Makes’. And that’s what makes it a bit hit and miss. When tackling Jimmy Scott’s funky ‘Love Sneaking Up On You’, Ms Lewis and the band are fabulous. When singing a showtune, your hand strays towards the skip button. However, it’s considerably more hit than miss, and if you like your Blues brassy, funky and dripping with Hammond B-3 organ, then give this a spin.

Stuart A Hamilton

NINE BELOW ZERO

Chilled/Refrigerator

Angel Air

This double CD re-release from cultish band Nine Band Zero is a terrific reminder of the star quality of the band, now in their thirtieth year. Recently featured in Blues

Matters, this set is a great induction for those who have failed to catch a piece of the band so far, and also an essential picking for fans as there are bonus tracks

The original albums were released in 2002 and 2000 respectively so the band was already well into its stride. It’s an easy ride and the laid back virtues of ‘Why Don’t You Try Me Tonight’ and ‘Spanish Harlem’ are great examples of the intuitive partnership of guitarist Dennis Greaves and harmonica/vocalist Mark Feltham. Adding two live bonus tracks from 2007 takes the slow-burning “Chilled” to over an hour in length. “Refrigerator” is slightly shorter but very much rockier. ‘Tell Me Why Can’t I Just Be Like You’ beats along like a ZZ Top track and ’24 Miles Of America’ takes a Dr Feelgood boogie riff to the extreme. Of course, it’s their genepool of the rhythm section of Brendan O’Neill and Gerry McAvoy that make Nine Below Zero such a hot proposition. Also with two live bonus tracks, from 1997, the package is complete, and it’s the last of these live numbers, the Rolling Stonesy ‘Line Of Least Resistance’, that sums up the versatility and power of the band.

Gareth Hayes

GERRY McAVOY Can’t Win E’m All Angel Air Records

Gerry McAvoy has a wonderful pedigree being an integral member of Rory Gallagher’s Band since its inception and has been the bass player on all his solo albums since 1971, more recently he has been a key member of the Blues/Rock band Nine Below Zero, so can someone with this background make a great solo album? , the answer is ‘not really’ although this is still an excellent effort that just lacks that extra spark that would have taken it to the next level. The majority of songs are confidently self-written and sung by Gerry, all delivered in a bluesy rock style, while the boundaries of the music genres are not fully explored, there are a couple of notable exceptions; the title track has more than a passing semblance to Rory and includes some strong guitar and harp from Tommy Willis and Mark Feltham respectively, while ‘What My Mamma Told Me’ gets the full Chicago blues treatment. I get the impression that this album was not recently written or recorded and has been hidden away for several years, on this evidence I cannot understand why, as this is a worthwhile album that warrants its release.

Adrian Blacklee

I have to say that there is nothing intrinsically wrong with it, but this is a Blues and Roots magazine, and if we’re looking at the album as blues and/or roots then it just does not cut it. The addition of a touch of slide guitar and few pentatonic scale guitar licks does not make the music blues, roots, or any of the other closely associated genres. I’m afraid that far too many publicists / bands / producer, who think that these things are all you need for it to sneak into those genres. What does it need? Well, as Duke Ellington once said ‘If you need to ask…’ This is a very good pop album, no more, no less, and as a pop album it is pretty good, the songs are good with strong melodies. Nearest comparison, in places only, is a slightly less rootsy Sheryl Crowe. In several cases melodically they are redolent of other pop classics; this is probably unavoidable if you’re putting an album in front of someone as ancient as this writer. The sound is well produced and very clean, in that ‘Nordic’ ‘clean air, pining for the Fjords’ sense; in fact I was reminded a little of Abba. That’s a good recommendation for a pop record. So, to return to the publicity blurb, it’s true there are no fillers; the record is consistently good; there are some good songs; notably ‘Face on the Wall’ and ‘Crazy’, but no real killers. And one final Word – guys and everybody else, surely it’s time to find another word other than ‘legendary producer’ in your blurb it’s about the 9millionth ‘legendary producer’ I’ve heard about this year, and it’s getting tedious.

Vicky Martin

B.B. AND THE BLUES SHACKS London Days

Crosscut

This five-piece band from Hildesheim, Germany has built up a formidable reputation over the last few years, and their association with Crosscut (this is their fifth album for the label, plus a fine EP) has seen their popularity spread right across Europe – yes, this was recorded in London. Stylistically they range from down-home blues and California styled swing-Blues to this set’s pounding opener, which could be popular on the northern soul scene (stranger things have happened!), and which is followed by a southern soul flavoured item reminiscent of Little Johnny or Ted Taylor – nice punchy brass and keyboards complement the fine vocals of Michael Arlt. ‘High Class Lonely;’ is an R&B stomper led by a big guitar, ‘Between The Lines’ is a 60s Chess-styled up tempo blues (and Michael remembers he is also a fine harp player), and ‘It Hurts So Good’ is a Louisiana pop Blues with a doowop flavour and a Guitar Slim inflected guitar solo, not the sort of thing that is heard too often these days. This eclecticism continues throughout this admirable album, with echoes of Otis Rush, Freddy King, Sam Cooke, Otis Clay to add to those already mentioned, plus a straight jazz piece to close. In short, a real good 51 minutes!

Norman Darwen

WINTER A Matter of Time

www.thewinterband.com

This is the fourth album from Swedish band Winter and according to the blurb this album contains ‘no fillers, all killers’, we’ll come back to that. Let’s consider the album.

HIGHWAY 414

Hellbound for the Highway Independent

What to say about this album – it’s produced by the band, they’re local musicians playing to a local crowd and they’re all playing their part in keeping live music going; in this case in Milwaukee Canada. Its hard work to get a band up and going, even harder to keep it gigging, and it takes a whole lot more effort to write the tunes, play them in get an album together. So congratulations to Highway

414 for getting this far; this brings us to the album’s content. Well it is pretty much standard rock / boogie / blues fare, its abounding with influences such as AC/DC / Black Crows and others of that ilk; I might describe it as ‘post Rolling Stones rock’. The songs are OK without there being any stand-out tracks although I’m sure that if they do these on a live gig then it would be a decent show. Unfortunately there is one thing lacking if the band wants to step up – the drums are simply not right, the feel is wrong, the backbeat is just not there; and it means that the boogies don’t quite boogie and the rockers don’t quite rock. In essence this is a promising effort but they need to take a good look at this absolute basic element if they are to move on.

Vicky Martin

THE MAYFLIES

A Thousand Small Things

Mud Dauber Records

A Thousand Small Things melds country blues with rock and rootsy hoe-down bluegrass in an endearingly enthusiastic fashion that has you listening with trepidation, heart in mouth, waiting for their apparently on-the-lam, ad-hoc performance to fall off the high-wire. From Iowa City, David Lumberg (bass, vocals), James Robinson (drums, vocals) and Stacy Webster (guitars, vocals and, wait for it...theremin!) bear comparison with Big Pink-era The Band and opening track ‘Mares’ is, simply (simple is best) way-laid-back Little Feat-esque backwoods funk.

‘All These Desperate Angels’, mucho swinging, has an irrepressible choppy Latino rhythm and affable, nothingto-hide vocals. Amidst clever but wing-and-a-prayer musicianship that seems (deceivingly) to just about hang together, but only just, the moody and broody ‘Shit Creek’ is spooky, ethereally atmospheric. ‘Petaluma’ has Dock Boggs white trash hillbilly banjo fused with far-out Hendrix electric hazyland guitar and beguiling lyrics, ‘Spooky’ gets you shaking a wicked hoof and dancin’ your butt offwhether you wannna or not, and ‘Maybe Maybelline’ is the sweetest musical love letter – she must be the prettiest gal in the world. This album’s uncontained revelry sounds like satisfying chaos.

Peter Innes

WALTER TROUT

Common Ground

Provogue

This is Walter Trout’s twentieth CD and the guy just keeps getting better! It’s a CD full of master class guitaring, with the signature Trout, gritty impassioned vocal and composed of well structured songwriting often in the traditional story telling mode. The CD opens with the catchy foot tapping Blues Rocker, ‘May Be A Fool’. This CD though is not for ‘fools’, as Trout’s gritty vocal underscored with a wailing harp and that mean axe take you on another journey into the musical splendour of a New Jersey son with all its clout and class. By contrast, the second track ‘Open Book’ is a tender Blues Rock ballad as Trout’s axe pulls into the inner depth of his and your soul with a tale of the human condition through the analogy of an open book. The title track ‘Common Ground’ is hymnal in construction through the medium of a passionate Blues ballad. Trout here questions the many divisions in human society, with a call to find a corporate way forward in the sight of the Lord of all humanity. The song has a deep religious dimension but a song of every

faith. It is song whose base structure is reminiscent of the theological premise of John Hick, who claimed that all religions are the same, in that all seek the truth. It doesn’t matter if you are believer or not but this is a song that takes you on to a higher ethereal plane with not only its incredible guitar playing but the bonding nature of its lyrics. ‘Hudson Had Help, changes direction again with a catchy Bluegrass / rockabilly number that tells of racial injustice. With the track, ‘Song For My Guitar’, Trout sings a song that every true guitarist knows in his heart! This whole CD is probably best summoned up by the picture on the back cover of the CD, with this album trout has discovered the No.11 on the tone control, it another cracker!

Carol Borrington

PAUL CAMILLERI Just What You Wanted Suisa

Paul Camilleri is an Englishman with a Maltese name and Lebanese roots, but his music draws from the power of pure Blues/Rock. This, his fifth studio album, sees him following a previous path as he did in 2004 with Popa Chubby and in 2007 with Francis Rossi. Here he has teamed up with Pete Brown, the legendary Cream and Jack Bruce lyricist who shares both songwriting and production credits. True to form, the music is simple, lyrics clear and easy to follow and with a big production to match. It’s easy at times to make the connections between this trio and their famous predecessors, even some of the bass runs wouldn’t sound out of place with Jack. The first six songs are no nonsense power Blues rockers. Opening with the heavily riffed ‘Love So Strong’ the band set out their stall and the lyrics are based in the here and now, easy to grasp. In ‘When We Get To The Blues’, “… well I like all kinds of music/but some of it puts me to sleep”, Camilleri name checks many of his influences in a pleasant all-nonsense song, “...wake me up/when we get to the blues/ that’s the stuff/ I can use”. ‘ZZ Dream’ puts his worries about catering for the band aside as he’s promised in a dream a signed copy of the latest ZZ top album. Track seven’ Beauty And The East’ is a slow Blues which shows off his smoky vocals to their best. In the production I can almost hear strings in the background. By far the best track on the album. ‘Big Gamblin’ Man’ is reminiscent of the hard driving Bachman Turner Overdrive with its’ forceful bass line. Although I found this album shallow on first listen, it’s grown on me steadily with every play.

Merv Osborne

MISSISSIPPI HEAT Let’s Live It Up

Delmark

Mississippi Heat were first formed in 1991 and through the

past 19 years, their leader, Pierre Lacocque has guided them to the position where they are now regarded across the world as one of Chicago’s premier Blues bands. The idea that has driven this is that Mississippi Heat is primarily a collective with a revolving door for the artists that freely come and go. Long known for it’s strong female vocals, the Heat have for the past ten years retained Inetta Visor who with Kenny Smith, (son of Willie ‘Big Eyes’) on drums and Stephen Howard on Bass and of course Lacocque himself on harmonica, form the main core of this recording. Guitar duties are shared between that Chicago ever-present John Primer and Carl Weathersby and a further eleven players grace this recording. Visor’s vocals throughout are pure quality, controlled, consistent and sympathetic to the songs, soaring one moment, then pleading and crying where needed. In ‘Peace Train’ she handles the gospel in a truly rousing way. Lacocque’s harp playing is his usual blend of squeaks and squeals with great runs in the upper register. His playing on ‘Another Sleepless Night’ is quite haunting and eerie, supported by some great picking from Weathersby. On ‘Don’t Cry For Me’ Weathersby emulates and replicates his former employer, Albert King, playing in that biting way that King favored. There is a great deal of variation here and once again Mississippi Heat has delivered a package with something for everyone from superb musicianship to great songs. Above all this however is Lacocque’s harmonica playing, quite simply a delight in itself.

Merv Osborne

JOSE ALVAREZ with LOS BLANCOS

Diggin’ In

Toluca Rocket

Strange to relate, this is being billed as the debut solo album from Jose Alvarez, despite the fact that the band he left 11 years ago, Los Blancos, gets billing on the cover. Since then he’s being plying his trade with Simien’s Zydeco Experience (Terrence Simien guests here), even winning a Grammy in 2008, when the groups “Live! Worldwide” picked up the trophy in the Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album category. And this is an absolute delight of a record. Mixed up between self-penned jazzy tunes, the best of which is ‘Kaffe’, and sparkling new versions of classics like ‘Don’t You Just Know It’, ‘I’m Ready’ and ‘Queen Bee’, it’s hard to find a fault. The musicianship is sublime, and you can feel that everyone involved was just having the best time. Alvarez says that the difference between this and the Los Blancos records of old is “it has my guitar which their latest releases haven’t had and it’s cranked up. I wanted to make it a

guitar record, more than usual, so I made the guitar loud. I wanted that to be the differentiating factor, but I wanted Los Blancos on it. I get to do my songs and I get to play behind songs that I love performed by people that I love.” That’s a love that translates to the listener, as you take in some fabulous music, the highlights of which, for me, where the tunes where Pete McMahon guests with some incredible harmonica work. This is the kind of record you wish the Allman Brothers Band were still capable of making. It’s that good.

Stuart A Hamilton

BLACK JACK MORGAN Write My Name On Water

Nigemenz Records.

Firebrand preacher and speaker of the House of Commons George Thomas once visited a church in the Deep South. Years later another politician with strong Cardiff connections, Jim Callaghan, recalled the hosts had said of Mr. Speaker that though he had white skin, “his soul was as black as ours”. And so to another Cardiff character, Jack Morgan. Heavily driven yet not wholly defined by his love of “first generation country bluesmen” he has produced (and mainly self penned) a curious collection of rustically recorded tracks which betray an interesting array of geographical leanings. A strong supporter of National Resonator Guitars, Jack himself claims that “something ancient and powerful when my slide touches the strings” and this proves to be no empty claim. Opening with a menacing cover of Blind Lemon Jefferson’s ‘Diamond Jack’ you get plenty of chances to cover yourself in dust and take in the small of sour mash, with ‘Get What U Want’ perhaps the pick. Not that he has confined himself to one side of the globe ; there are the faintest edges of European roots to some of his licks, but tracks like ‘Sleeper’ are unmistakably influenced by his traditional early heroes, while others like ‘Black Jack’s Blues’ could easily be the spine for some heavier flesh to be added. It’s crackling, sometimes muffled and gloriously earthy and purposely so, but in truth perhaps two or three tracks too long. Black Jack and his like however, are perpetuating acoustic blues and delivering to a new audience, for that, and an evocatively genuine collection of 15 string benders, he deserves our support.

Richard Thomas

NINA ATTAL Urgency Independent

And now it’s over to France for a five track EP / mini album from the youthful Ms Nina Attal. And when I say youthful I mean born in 1992 youthful. She began playing the guitar when she was 13 years old, starting on jazz and Blues standards, and by the time she was 16 she was heading up a Blues band by the name of Hot Mojo Blues. A couple of years on, and this is this first of what will, hopefully, be a long line of solo recordings. Because Ms Attal is a major talent in the making. As well as playing the guitar and singing, she has also co-written all the material with fellow guitarist Philippe Devin. And they’re mighty fine songs. Straddling the line between Soul and Blues, this is the kind of material you wish Joss Stone would have recorded. But, Ms Attal has both the voice and the chops, whether handling the hard edged ‘My Soul Won’t Cry No More, the funky ‘Sexy n’ Crazy’ or the deep soul of ‘Hopeful’. Givthe funky ‘Sexy n’ Crazy’ or the deep

soul of ‘Hopeful’. Given the right breaks, Nina Attal could very well be the next big thing. Heartily recommended.

Stuart A Hamilton

KACEY CUBERO Fill Your Cup

Sweetest Meanest

Twice named Indie Artist of the Year by Singer Magazine, Kacey Cubero, at first glance appears to fit more into the Americana genre, than she does the blues. This is something that is confirmed by the opening, title track. You’re thinking a wee bit Shelby Lynne, maybe a touch of Kathleen Edwards. The Tex-Mex shuffle of ‘I Want More’ is further evidence. But then some honky tonk piano and a few nods to Bonnie Raitt on ‘Reserve The Right’, and you’re reconsidering your options. And so it continues. So we’re going to have to file Ms Cubero under unfiled, as she meanders across the gamut of roots music, wherever her muse takes her. Kacey has a fabulous, sultry, voice, the songs are all good, regardless of genre, and for a self released album, it sounds amazing. No doubt helped by the mixing job, done by Grammy award-winning David Z (who has worked with Prince, Etta James and Jonny Lang, among many). I’m not the only one who’s a bit confused as Kacey has, in the past, picked up the Artist of the Year award given by the Santa Barbara Blues Society, the oldest blues society in the USA, before going on to represent them in the International Blues Competition in Memphis. Given my preferences, it’s not surprising that my favourite tunes are the acoustic blues numbers, ‘Two Trains’ and ‘Old Cadillac’, but across the 12 self penned tunes, there is something here for everyone.

Stuart A Hamilton

SIMON McBRIDE

Since Then

Nugene

Deep in the mists of time (1994) Simon McBride was, “Young Guitarist Of The Year” in Guitarist Magazine and since then has played with a variety of bands until he formed his own band and recorded “Rich Man Falling” with Nugene in 2008. “Since Then” is his second offering from that stable and sees Simon progressing his talent and saying that was then, but this is where I am now. This is a CD of tempo changes and often subtle changes of playing style within songs. It is very much Blues rock and at times pushes the rock format hard. ‘Save Me’ opens with wailing guitar pursuing Simon’s gritty vocal, before the vocal changes to softer melodic and then is joined by drums and bass. This is the most commercially accessible song on the album. The guitar solo at the end is proficient and without too many intricacies to make it bewilderingly esoteric. ‘Down To The Wire’ takes a different tack. Opening with a slow gentle emotive guitar riff it moves onto a more rocked riff, finishing with a guitar solo demonstrating Simon’s technical knowledge through vibrato, bends, shredding and violining. The violining in particular is varied and measured with class sustained

vibrato violining. ‘Tear Down Your Soul’ goes into classic Blues rock lyric territory bringing in the Devil and sinning, all supported by driving drums and bass and powerful wailing guitar from Simon. ‘Sweet Angel’ takes us to Chicago but with rock lyrical style before rocking it up for the chorus and bringing it back to Chicago and following with a soft rock ending and guitar solo. On this CD Simon has retained his Blues but made it more commercial and all power to him for trying to appeal to a wider audience, he deserves to be successful

Carol Borrington

NICO BACKTON & WIZARDS OF BLUES

Roots And Stories (2009) & Blues On My Front Door (2007) & Back Door Blues (2006)

Blues Jazz Vibes

This trio of CD’s were purchased at Linton Blues Festival – to me this group hailing from France were my unknowns gem of the weekend, their live sound was fresh, delightful blues with fantastic interaction this group knew their blues but were definitely rooted in delighting 21st century crowds. So when I could purchase all three CD’s for a knock down price I did not hesitate, just hoping the studio sound would be as enchanting bringing Gallic interpretation of the blues into my collection that I actually play. Their latest album, ‘Roots and Stories’, is firmly planted in pure blues with the combination of great lyrics combining the holy trio of Whiskey, lost love and fighting as shown in ”T-Model Ford Blues” and “Baby I love You” with the great line of You trump, you witch, you dirty cow too; yes this is not a happy ballad about true love. ‘Blues On my Front door’ is distinctly Nico’s style but has a different feel and tempo as demonstrated by the title track with great key board playing and the drumming stamping out a staccato rhythm of someone knocking on the door; bringing the dangers of the outside world into the happy home. ‘Back Door Blues’, the cover of ‘Stormy Monday Blues’ is distinct as it allows Nico’s voice to quiver and wail with emotion creating a merging of Frenchness and Americana; refreshing this well loved track. These are impressive trio and have been well played, the roughness of Nico’s vocals with a touch of his French accent combined with his skillful guitar playing including the characteristic dobro sound that is so evocative and piano supported by precision drumming from Fancois Miniconi; Christian Michel on bass and harmonica delivered with a flourish by Richie Faret. Nico Backton and Wizards of Blues are as they state on ‘Back Door Blues’ Blues vocals with Rhythm accompaniment… and rhythm they have by the bucket load.

Liz Aiken

SMOKIN’ JOE KUBEK AND BNOIS KING

Have Blues Will Travel

Alligator Records

This is the second CD on Alligator by the no nonsense Texas Blues outfit and is good value over 12 self penned tracks lasting 51 minutes. The first and title track has

the instantly recognisable trademark ZZ Top riff and the remainder of the material is largely high octane rocking Blues. The timbre of Bnois King’s sharp metallic vocal sits comfortably above Smokin’ Joe’s often fiery and jangling guitar work and enables the often witty and ascerbic lyrics to be enjoyed to the full. Although the musical style is derivative, the quality and subject matter of the lyrics add a freshness and vibrancy to the material.

‘RU4 Real’ is a tongue in cheek modern day Blues song about a lady who is no stranger to collagen, botox and silicone and even sports imitation designer accoutrements to boot! ‘Payday In America’ has a softer rhythm but harsh and topical sentiments about the evils of materialism. ‘Shadow In The Dark’ succeeds as a Robert Cray style song of illicit romance. ‘My Space Or Yours’ has clever lyrics featuring the now familiar modern technology terminology, emails, downloads and lap tops and promises to “Show You My Hard Drive”. The engine room of John Morris, bass and Adrian Marchi, drums is tight and powerful and another plus is the obvious relish the band has for their music. ‘Wishful Thinking’ with evocative searing guitar and a high pitched vocal of unrequited love is another highlight. ‘Sleeping With One Eye Open’ is a phrase I normally associate with female blues singers who are trying to avoid the over attentive men in their life but it works well here somewhat differently. All in all, an enjoyable and relevant Blues document of our times, but who knows what listeners will make of it in years to come?

Bob Chaffey

GOV’T MULE

Live...With A Little Help From Our Friends

Floating World

A surprising rerelease for “Live... With a Little Help from Our Friends”, the Gov’t Mule live record that first appeared back in 1999. I say surprising as this show, which was the Gov’t Mule’s 1998 New Year’s Eve concert at The Roxy in Atlanta, Georgia, seemed to be readily available, both as the 4-CD box set Collector’s Edition and as two separate albums. However, here it is, and it’s a potent reminder why, at one point, Gov’t Mule were the greatest jam band on the planet. I still remember the excitement engendered when the news emerged of a new Allman Brothers offshoot, and the classic line up of Allman Brothers, Warren Haynes and the late Allen Woody, along with drummer Matt Abts is still something that everyone should hear. This reissue is the 2CD first volume, so you’re getting some prime Mule along with their usual array of inspired covers and special guests. The ten minute version of ‘Soulshine’ and the Dave Mason penned, Traffic cover, ‘Sad And Deep As You’ have been favourites of mine for over a decade, and you also get Mule takes on Sabbath,

Free and Humble Pie, with fellow Allmans alumni Chuck Leavell, Derek Trucks and Jimmy Herring among the guests. I’m still not sure why it’s here, but if you don’t have a copy, then you need one.

Stuart A Hamilton

COLOSSEUM LIVE Colosseum Ruf

Records.

Colossuem’s legend goes back to the heyday of British 60s and 70s music. They were renowned for their ability to take the Blues and mix it with the improvisation and subtlety of jazz and over the years included musicians from the great bands of the era. This double CD with a running time of over 98 minutes was recorded during their Summer Tour of 2005, it features Chris Farlowe, Clem Clempson on guitar, Dave Greenslade on keyboards, Barbara Thompson on horn and flute, Mark Clarke on bass and Jon Hiseman on percussion. The first CD set includes the 2005 performance at The Theaterhaus in Stuttgart , Germany, along with the tracks ‘Lights’ and Jack Bruces’ classic ‘Rope Ladder To The Moon’ from the concert at The Music Hall, Worpswede , Germany. The second CD set is made up of a recording at The Treibhaus in Innsbruck, Austria. The sound reproduction on both CD’s is crystal clear and you could almost be transported back to the feet of musicians themselves. There is no way any review of this size can do justice to these CDs but to give you a sampler of the riches on offer. The Bruce / Brown tune ‘Theme For An Imaginary Western’ begins with underpinning sax, driving keyboard and guitar and bass supporting the vocal. With so many quality and powerful instrumentalists it is surprising that the vocal is not occasionally overpowered but the mixing is of such good quality it never happens. On disc two can be found Colosseum’s version of ‘Stormy Monday Blues’. This is a ten minute version of this Blues classic and begins with classic Blues rock guitar riffs from Clempson empathetically joined by rampant sax from Thompson leading into Chris Farlowe vocally joining and imitating sax and guitar. ‘Tomorrows Blues’ begins with a guitar riff reminiscent of ‘Edge Of Darkness’ before moving riffs pushed through delay effects bringing in keys from Greenslade and later Farlowe’s vocal which is growling, gritty and clear.

Carol Borrington

DANI WILDE Shine Ruf Records

This is singer, songwriter guitarist Dani Wilde’s second international release and it reveals a very different Dani to her first recording. The girl is now the woman and her life experiences have lead her to a more concrete view of the world. The CD is dedicated to those children and the carers in Embu, Kenya who have reached so deeply into Dani’s soul and social consciousness. The CD sees Dani surrounding herself with not only her band but also a selection of top class musicians and the producer Mike Vernon. It opens with title track ‘Shine’, which is a cross between Chicago Blues and soul and the first thing that strikes you, is the cross-generational appeal it contains. It is followed-up by ‘Some Kinda Crazy’, which begins with a haunting Chicago guitar riff before Dani launches into a gutsy vocal all underscored with brother Will’s wailing harp and Roger Inness’ deep percussive bass.

The whole is solidified in the middle with a glorious guitar solo before returning to the end vocal. ‘How Do you Do it,’ sees a change of tempo as Dani moves into slow funky number which portrays perfectly the sheer quality of the vocal, with its good sustain, intonation and register and swings from the grit to polish to accentuate the lyrics. The most striking song on the CD, which is contains the true essence and meaning of Blues, is ‘Abandoned Child’. It begins with the simple words of a child called Fiona, from the County Primary School in Kenya. The depth of human pain in this song is hard to quantify, as it speaks of the sheer desolation of abandoned children in our world today, which Dani has experienced now for herself. It is all underscored with an emotive guitar riff that mirrors perfectly the pain of vocal and lyrics. She returns to a similar feeling in ‘Big Brown Eyes’, where the pain is felt through Dani’s solo acoustic treatment of the pained eyes of another child. Dani’s truly grown in her person and her music!

Carol Borrington

FRESH GOAT

This Is Fresh Goat

Fresh Goat

This is a 20 minutes over 5 tracks EP release from a Canadian trio at the rocking end of the Blues spectrum. The twin guitars and vocals of Alan “Lopez” Woolverton and Tim Anderson are accompanied by Scott Cameron on drums and supplemented by Ted McDonald on bass. The material is entirely self penned and is fairly derivative and formulaic but very well executed instrumentally with excellent and varied guitar work. ‘Free Loading Man’ has a driving rhythm and a pleasant vocal harmony. The remaining tracks however serve to illustrate the quantum leap between the quality of the guitar work and the limited one dimensional, rather postured quality of the vocals. ‘Something’ features some fluent and interesting guitar work, ‘Heavy Burden’ has wailing wah wah but kept tight, focused and controlled, never over indulgent. ‘Freedom’ the final track has a tellingly effective guitar duel which builds urgency and rock anthem intensity but is again diminished by the pub band quality vocal. Intriguingly the standard thanks and gratitude section of the sleeve notes include an acknowledgement to Eric Clapton no less. Certainly there is excellent potential here with the quality of the guitar work on display. Add a vocalist commensurate with his stature and this band would certainly make some ripples.

Bob Chaffey

TAD ROBINSON Back In Style

Severn Records

Tad Robinson, along with his stable mate Darell Nulisch, has certainly cornered the market in sweet silky white soul music. Tad came up playing the Blues in Chicago and is quite a mean harmonica player as well, but he has gradually veered towards an extremely soulful style that owes as much to the Stax and Motown sounds as it does the Blues. Opening with a wash of organ and restrained horns, ‘Rained All Night’ is a smoldering song that harks back to the classic soul sounds of the past. ‘Full Attention Blues’ follows and is in complete contrast, with its funky back beat and Tad playing harmonica, one of only two occasions on this album sadly. Clarence Shield’s ‘You Name It I’ve Had It’ sounds like a classic from a bi-gone

era with its vocal call and horns response, a wonderful balance between singer and musicians. On Sam L Dees ‘Just Out Of My Reach’, you can feel the emotion smolder from within him as the band empathize and add to the hurt, the backing vocalists providing a sublime background. ‘On And On’, another Robinson original, sounds like Al Green at his best, a wonderful rolling beat complete with congas, and in truth, the quality of this album does go on and on. Tad uses a host of quality musicians and the outcome bears witness to their prowess and craftsmanship. “Back In Style” is late night music, something to chill to or groove to the beat, whilst soaking up the emotionally charged feel that this release exudes. It’s definitely music for the heart and soul and a sheer joy to be party to.

Merv Osborne

STUART TURNER & THE FLAT

EARTH SOCIETY

Gins and Bitters

Brigadier Records

Based in the Thames Delta this band have produced a cracking twelve track Blues/Rock album that is dominated by the hypnotic throaty vocals from Stuart Turner, who has clearly learned his art by listening and studying the likes of Howlin’ Wolf & Tom Waits, while the sounds come across as heavy, there are plenty of acoustic instruments in the background and it is purely the intensity of the vocals that leaves breathless. All the material seems to be self-written and the originality flows like an ‘open tap’, tracks like ‘If you say I am the devil the devil I will be’ has a great throbbing rock rhythm, while ‘Goodnight and Good Luck’ has more of a country feel accompanied by a lonesome Mandolin. There is a strong blues base throughout the album, which has skipped several generations and appears to have been lifted straight from the cotton fields of the ‘Deep South’ of USA, now converted to be renamed ‘2010 London Blues’!

Adrian Blacklee

PETE ANDERSON Even Things Up

Little Dog Records

Pete Anderson is a multi-platinum, Grammy award winning producer/guitarist who is probably better known for his work with Dwight Yoakam than by himself, having produced, arranged and played on his records from 1986 to 2003, resulting in well over 25 million sales. “Even Things Up” finds Pete re-entering the Blues world, an arena he first became enamored of when attending the first Ann Arbor festival in 1968 that featured artists like B B King, Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf and T Bone Walker amongst others, and it was this experience that made

the young Pete learn as much as he could about the Blues world. Anderson wrote all twelve compositions here and as well as playing guitar, harmonica, drums and percussion he also sings. The styles range widely from the hard driving Bluesrocker of the opening track, ‘Honky Tonk Girl’ through the keyboard heavy ‘Booker Twine’, a song that recalls the Hammond organ of Booker T and includes a very catchy guitar riff throughout. ’That’s How Trouble Starts’ is a southern shuffle complete with some great slide playing a la Derek Trucks. ‘Wes’ Side Blues’ sounds like a tribute to Wes Montgomery and has an almost latin feel to the rhythm. ‘One And Only Lonely Fool’ comes complete with full horn backing and he tips his hat to the Cajun/zydeco genre with ‘Stop Me’, another tune that features his slide playing. T Bone Walker is acknowledged in ‘Dogbone Shuffle’ with its heavy edged riffing on guitar. The whole thing drops a level with the first slow blues for ‘Still In Love’ where the keyboards paint a solid backwash over which there is some beautiful guitar soloing. The tour de force here is ‘Room With A View’ a complex song that opens like a Santana groove full of rhythmic anticipation but is full of interplay and interaction.

Merv Osborne

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION

Black Country

Mascot Records

This is the debut CD of a Blues Rock Anglo/American ‘supergroup’. Looking at the band line-up it is easy to see why! Lead singer and bassist is Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple, Black Sabbath fame. On keyboards is Derek Sherinian of Dream Theater. Add guitarist Joe Bonamassa and drummer Jason Bonham and put them all together with legendary producer Kevin Shirley and magic is assured! The opening and title track, is a siren call to Blues Rock of the past, into the present and the future. In pure rock

vocal Glenn Hughes, allied to his pounding bass riffs is fused with Joe Bonamassa guitar, executing a new lesson in Blues Rock guitaring at its best, the equal of any of his contemporaries with the axe. Into this Blues Rock marriage made in heaven, or as its Blues Rock possibly hell, is the power drumming of Jason Bonham providing not just the timing and rhythm but adding his own essence into the whole, add in the defining keyboards of Derek Sherinian and stand-up and shout Blues Rock is alive and kicking ass once more! ‘One Last Soul’ follows and moves the music down tempo with a sleeker more polished rock vocal and harmonies. This is a high class Blues Rock anthem in a form that has been long missing from the modern music scene. ‘Beggarman’ begins in Hendrix mode, before turning into a Blues Rock ballad of stunning vocals, instrumentation, and orchestration especially with Sherinan’s prog rock keyboard sequence underpinning

the melody. ‘The Revolution In Me’, sees Bonamassa launch his vocal into powerful Blues rock mode with a lot of classy clout. This is allied to paranoid style drum runs and bass, top notch guitar riffs and melodic keys. Every track is class and a call home to Rock to explore its Blues root once more and moving it forward to a new generation. It includes the essence of all past Blues and Rock masters evolving them into a new horizon! Blues rock never died but BCC are the power station of its revival.

Carol Borrington

ROGER KNOTT Big News From A Small Town Leg Room Records

With a biography that frequently mentions associations with Nashville, there is clearly and expectation of the type of music to come from Roger Knott. As such, disappointment will be at a distance. The opening track, ‘Watermelon Moon’ bounces along with an Americana swing and homeliness. The lyrics suggest that much of the album is autographical and it’s with the personal connections that allow Knott to invest suitable feeling into his vocals. These vocals are produced up front across the album and much of the musicianship is kept behind the scenes. This almost makes it a folk album and some of the tracks are suitably poetic, ‘Tourist Town’ and ‘Frisbee Street’ being good examples. Both tracks feature producer Steve Honest on pedal steel guitar, and with mandolin and strings also appearing on the most tracks, it’s a warmly lush album. There’s up tempo honky-tonk country too and ‘A Fine Hobby’ gets toes tapping with some vigour. Although much of the album hangs between country and folk, it’s quite possible it doesn’t quite know what it’s meant to be. Knott’s next album is to take the Nashville connection up a notch; it’s a good idea.

Gareth Hayes

BOB HADDRELL & DINO COCCIA A Shaded Spot Note Records

Popular on these pages because of their association with The Barcodes, this duo collaboration adds a jazz twist on the usual Blues flavour. Haddrell on piano inevitably contributes most of the tuneful stuff to this collection, yet it would be worthless without the effulgent drumming of Coccia. Haddrell’s hushed vocals take a side stage even though they are there in the middle. In other words, they are perfectly balanced in the whispering lounge of humility that allows the piano and drum to set the true mood. ‘Undercurrent Of Confusion’ trips along with an improvisational smoothness that is probably seamlessly choreographed. Alan Barnes joins in with his alto sax on ‘A Shaded Spot’ and breathlessly offers a guest spot of character that gently pushes the boundary of genius. Another long-time Barcode, Alan Glen, steps in to perform harmonica on ‘Natural Selection’, a track he co-penned. It’s an exceptional number because of it’s sagacity and sophistication. There are no extreme jazz histrionics here, it’s simply a virtuoso delight throughout, and that includes the two great piano-Blues numbers ‘A Slip Of The Tongue’ and ‘Upset Blues’.

Gareth Hayes

GREGG WRIGHT King of the Rockin’ Blues!

Left Hook Records

Wow! What an album, expecting high standards from Gregg this album delivers. It is as if he is playing live to you in your own front room – turn the speakers up and be absorbed in the Blues, with the winning combination of great and very relevant lyrics for the 21st century combined with good old fashioned solid musicianship. Tracks such as “Cry Myself A River”; “Bayou Moon” and “Tricked By the Devil” demonstrate the depth of this guys

It is not an exaggeration that this album places Gregg Wright in the top echelons of the great blues guitarist. This album creates the spellbinding sound that Gregg produces during his live performances it is a rare commodity the demonstration on stellar guitar skills and a soulful voice that shapes the lyrics to ensure the emotions are delivered on time every time. The title track “King of the Rockin’ Blues”; neatly sums up this album and Gregg has every right to see himself as a King when it comes to rockin’ and soulful blues.

Liz Aiken

STEPHANIE FINCH AND THE COMPANY MEN

Cry Tomorrow

Belle Sound

Stephanie Finch is married to American singer/songwriter

Chuck Prophet and Prophet plays guitars here as one of her Company Men. It would however be churlish to say that “Cry Tomorrow” relies heavily on Prophet’s appearance as this album is more about Stephanie’s own voice and songwriting than instrumentals. For a Blues magazine I can categorically state that this falls short of the Blues world, sounding much more like a post-Velvet Underground, Lou Reed inspired set rather than the Delta /Johnson/Waters inspired fare that we are used to. Opening with ‘Tina Goodbye’, this song is a pure pop tune that wouldn’t sound adrift on a Blondie collection with its catchy guitar line and bubbly vocals over the top. The very Beatlish ‘So Do I’ is a piano heavy song that feels as though it needs a kick start to get going. ‘Don’t Back Out Now’ is a much more up tempo rocker and one which I believe suits her voice, whereas the slower ballad songs leave her vocals sounding unsure. ‘Sensitive Boys’, perhaps the best track on the CD, is a gentle song that balances neatly between piano and acoustic guitar, with choruses of whispering male voices and catchy guitar hooks. Randy Newman’s ‘She’s The One’ is a return to the bubblegum pap and adds nothing to the real value of this album. Of her own songs, ‘In My Book Of Love’ is by far the best with a strong driving beat and punchy background guitar. There can be no argument against the fact that this is a pleasant set of catchy pop based tunes.

Merv Osborne

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

-The Village Voice

RORY ELLIS

Perfectly Damaged

Well what a simply brilliant surprise. Somebody I’ve never seen or heard or even heard of for that matter turns up a gob smacking trumps. There weren’t too many clues when I picked up the sleeve – apart from the art work being vaguely reminiscent of the design of “Alabama 3’s” excellent “Last Train To Nashville”. To my amazement it’s very much in the same vein in many ways. Getting interested yet? It’s simply the best album I’ve heard in months (and I’ve heard some). It starts off with the brilliant “Waiting For The Armaguard” a number loosely based around thoughts of a hold up. Next it’s the turn of “Jesus Cam” with echoes of “Ghost Riders In The Sky”. Whereas “Gravy Train” borrows from the “Rock Island Line” account and “Perfectly Damaged” has “Sixteen Tons” feel to it. “Not Much” on the other hand could have been written by the likes of John Hiatt on a good day- “The Gift” by Johnny Cash similarly. It may not be strictly a blues album and I know some people might have a problem with that. However I found it captivating from the off and it gets even better as you get acquainted with the lyrics and the hooks. Don’t pass on this one – it’s an absolute gem.

Geoff “The Silver Fox” Marston

LIGHTNIN’ HOPKINS

His Blues 1947 – 1959 & 1960 - 1969

Ace Records

This is a double release issued as soundtrack to Alan Govenar’s ‘His Life And Blues’ 2010 biography. For completists the first 26 track over 70 minute CD contains a previously unreleased track ‘Ain’t No Monkey Man’. The accompanying booklet has session data and an annotated time line which chronicles key biographical and career events. Born 1912, an obituary on his death in 1982 described him as “Clown and oracle, wit and scoundrel he was the eloquent spokesman for the human soul which dwells in us all”. This is clearly evidenced by this overview of his prolific output. He was a Blues singer songwriter with a half sung, half spoken vocal accompanied by jangling guitar work, amplified to compete with the late 1940’s advent of the Juke Box, or sometimes organ or piano. The largely self penned material is comprised of topical songs about floods, hurricanes, emotional experiences and strong lyrics about social injustice as meted out to the black community of the time. “Never one to trouble himselfroll influence and are accompanied by a drummer. The second CD of 18 tracks over 76 minutes charts the career progression spurred by the Folk and Blues revival of the period and is altogether more sophisticated. Most tracks see him accompanied by a band. This is certainly an excellent release for those unfamiliar with the much documented Texas legend. Perhaps there is not so much appeal however for existing fans.

Bob Chaffey

WOODY & THE BLUEPACKERS

Big Deal Records

I know very little about this band other than what I can deduce from reading the promotional CD cover, which shows that they are a mature Dutch four piece blues band, who recorded this six track album in Rotterdam. On playing the album I definitely want to find more about the band, as they deliver some very clean sounding rocking blues, very reminiscent of George Thorogood in his prime, the tracks all appear to be covers; I certainly recognise Hound Dog Taylors

‘Give Me Back My Wig’ and ZZ Tops ‘A Fool For Your Stockings’, the latter is more bluesy than the original and benefits from some cool Sax played by lead singer Wooz. With only circa twenty minutes playing time it is difficult to give a comprehensive review of the band although from the evidence here, they show promise and can certainly play good quality electric blues.

Adrians. Blacklee

COOKIE McGEE One Way Ticket

With the sub-title of ‘The New Queen Of Texas Blues – Live’, we can be sure of what is on offer. It’s a club recording of Carmen ‘Cookie’ McGee, a passionate Dallas Blues singer and guitarist who has the t-shirt of good time Texas Blues. This live set from Fort Worth in 2009 is a gem and, critically for Blues aficionados, it features a superb guest appearance by Lucky Peterson on the last five of the ten tracks. Cookie grew up in the same street as Freddie King and has it in her blood. Whilst hardly prolific in her recording career, her playing career goes way back to 1976 and so this puts in her the veteran category. This hasn’t slowed her up and ‘Back Playing The Blues’, at nearly seven minutes’ is a marathon opener that illustrates her stage presence and guitar prowess. Half the tracks are self-penned but sit comfortably amongst the raucous Blues standards that include Sonny Thompson (‘I’m Tore Down’) and B.B. King (‘Woke Up This Morning’). The latter track features Lucky Peterson doing his stuff on the organ and it’s impossible not to get immersed in the ecstasy of everyone having a real good time.

Gareth Hayes

MELONHEADMAN The Good & The Bad Savage Acts Records

MelonHeadMan (one word) come from the school of southern rock-cum-boogie that first spawned the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Molly Hatchet, so we can expect their name to be uniquely obscure. This doesn’t mean they have the same skills and attributes, although their passion and commitment can’t be criticised. Led by creator Simon Savage, they clearly want to add bonkers-rock to the mix and this too works well as long as that is what is expected. ‘Voodoo Lover’ sets the tone with hurried, er, southern rock-cum-boogie, and this continues with ‘Bad Bob’ and ‘Crowville’. With most of the numbers aimed at igniting familiar themes of whisky and women, and the weird, in an atmosphere of long haired guitar frenzy, then bullets crossed with crucifixes on the cover have to be considered the norm. With a message of myth and folklore running throughout, ‘Going Down South’ and ‘Hey

Baby’ serve to fly the flag of the southern soldier with some panache even if the whole album struggles to find the guitar iconic status of long-ago Lynyrd Skynyrd or the mystical distraction of today’s Black Crowes. It’s curiously addictive though.

Gareth Hayes

LOBI TRAORÉ Rainy Season Blues

Glitterhouse

Wow! Ali Farka Touré has generally been the man who is the first stop for anyone looking to become familiar with the African Blues – but now along comes another album that fulfils that role just as well. Lobi died unexpectedly in June 2010, only 49 years old; he had made his recording debut in 1989 with a cassette entitled “Bambara Blues”, and he went on to become a well-loved figure on the world and African Blues scenes. He admitted to influences from his own indigenous sounds, plus the likes of AC/DC’s Angus Young, but most especially John Lee Hooker. It is the latter who is most noticeable on this solo acoustic set, recorded in Mali in August 2009, in a single four hour session. The ten tracks are deep, intimate, rhythmic and intense, as tortuous as Hooker’s own solo material, and there is even a re-Africanised Hooker boogie to be heard here. The vocals are hollered, in a fashion that recalls the early Mississippi blues – though of course they are not sung in English! Put quite simply, this is a classic album.

Norman Darwen

RONNIE EARL AND THE BROADCASTERS

Spread The Love

Stony Plain Records

Ronnie Earl picked up his first guitar in 1973 and has become iconic in the world of the jazzy soulful Blues sound that is comfortable in New Orleans, Chicago, Austin, and with everyone that understands and appreciates his slow burn style. This album is an education of that style of playing. All of the fourteen tracks are instrumental and mix the serious with the sublime. ‘Backstroke’ is the perfect start and sets the mood with Albert Collins in mind, whilst ‘Blues For Dr Donna’ introduces superior jazz innuendo. The spiritual vibe is evident throughout and liner notes refer to him being a frequent player in church or at local homeless shelters. He’s paid his dues and he’s giving it back. The mid-album tracks of ‘Happy’, ‘Patience’ and ‘Miracle’ reflect this overwhelming aura of gratitude. Don’t be confused and think this is gospel, it’s not, it’s pure Blues, emotive and giving. The eight minute ‘Skyman’, a tribute to Duane Allman, is silky and serene. It’s so easy to get evangelic eschewing the virtues of the album yet it deserves such praise. There are guitar pyrotechnics, but there’s no histrionics. There are euphoric highs and melancholic lows, but not in hyperbole. And with an hour and a quarter of music on the clock it’s exhausting and refreshing in equal measure.

CYRIL NEVILLE

Gareth Hayes

The Essential Cyril Neville 1994 - 2007 MC-Records

Surprisingly this is the first record company backed collection of material from New Orleans based

percussionist and vocalist Cyril, the youngest of the famed Neville Brothers and emanates from his previously self released material. It covers a gamut of musical styles including Funk, Soul, Blues, Jazz, and even Rap, all tinged with Gospel. The first and only previously unreleased track ‘Blues Is Here To Stay’ featuring Taj Mahal is a typical funky workout with a Gospel chorus. Given my aversion to orchestral type brass sections and a failure to see any musical merit in Rap this album should have not held much appeal. ‘Foxy Lady’ is better served by the Jimi Hendix original, ‘Indians Got That Fire’ outstays it’s welcome with a monotonous chorus over a funk rap and ‘Projects’ is just Rap but for all that there are moments of sheer magic. The presence of Allen Toussaint and several of Cyrils siblings, coupled with his terrific vocal range and power ensures that ‘Tipitina’, a tribute to Professor Longhair works wonderfully well with impassioned vocal gymnastics and some fine piano. ‘Ayiti’ contrasts uplifting Carribean dance music with a serious lyric about poverty in Haiti. ‘Fortune a monster of a live track. one of several with a spoken intro by the artist. At eight minutes of wailing vocal, Gospel backing and Allen Toussaint on piano this is worth the admission price alone. A surprise inclusion is a scintillating version of Dylan’s ‘The Times They Are A Changin’ with an expansive and effective heartfelt ballad type vocal, again with Gospel tinges. ‘Heart’s Desire’ is a Motown ballad and the final eleventh track ‘Funkalicious’ contains passages of all the styles featured. 57 minutes of varied entertainment then, a must for New Orleans devotees. What a shame this was not a DVD release!

Bob Chaffey

WILLIE BUCK The Life I Love

Delmark

Willie Buck moved to Chicago in the early fifties and was immediately mesmerized by the Blues scene there, gradually becoming one of the city’s best vocal sidemen. Building a large following on both the West and South sides of Chicago, Willie was nevertheless unknown outside of the city boundaries and it remains that way to this day. Becoming an auto mechanic and choosing a family life, it wasn’t until the seventies that he became serious about his music. This period was a slow time for the Blues and he was able to assemble some of the finest players in Chicago at the time. “The Life I Love” is Buck’s only recording to date, re-mastered and released with an additional five live tracks some thirty years after its original release and from the opening bars of ‘She’s All Right’, the music is saturated and steeped in the Chicago Blues of old. Along with the alumni of the day, Louis Myers, John Primer (guitars), Little Mac Simmons and Dimestore Fred (harmonicas), Big Moose Walker on keys, Dave Myers

on bass and Jerry Porter and Jodie North on drums, the album is heavily steeped in the traditions of Muddy, Willie and the Wolf. Willie handles the classics easily, Water’s ‘I Want You To Love Me’ and ‘Champagne And Reefer’, Dixon’s title track, Little Walter’s ‘Everything Gonna Be Alright’ and Foster’s ‘Got My Mojo Working’ are treated with kid gloves and sound fresh and even his own two original compositions ‘How Can I Be Nice To You’, a slow burner with great Porter harp playing and ‘There’s A Time’ echo the Blues of the era. Will this bring Willie into the mainstream? The answer is no, but it’s a great reminder of the time and place that is rapidly disappearing and will be of great interest to students of Chicago Blues.

Merv Osborne

MUD MORGANFIELD WITH THE DIRTY ACES “Live”

Blues Filth Records

If by some strange fluke certain tracks on this disc had been mistakenly labeled – “Muddy Waters the lost Chicago Sessions” how many people would have said … YES! On a closer listen however there are certain tell tale giveaways – but they largely remain with the backing rather than the vocals themselves. It’s uncanny almost spooky as to how much Mud sounds like his father. Had it been anybody else you might well have been tempted to say “trying too hard” as even “an affectation” but in his case it does appear to come from within. An inner spirit if you like. The band does a good solid job – if not spectacular. That in itself is meant as a compliment as they have resisted the temptation to ego trip and high jack the set. (there are certain lessons to be learnt there by a number of musicians on the scene today). As for the material you could argue it’s the same old same old but it’s done so well it’s incredibly fresh sounding. Finally all that remains is for Mud to find and enlist another Willie Dixon type lyricist next time out “That my friend may prove the hardest part”. As Jerry “Swamp Dog” Williams famously said “they are thinner on the ground than a circus three legged tap dancing” turkey!!!!!

Geoff “The Silver Fox” Marston

IAN BAILEY Tower Songs

Northern Sun Recordings

This is the third album from acoustic, folky, singer/ songwriter Ian Bailey and all nine songs were written in Lindeth Tower an unspoilt folly on the North Lancashire coastline and I’m sure that this location contributed to the atmospheric feel of this fine album. As we hear the wind howling and the fire crackling the opening track ‘Anywhere’ is a gentle guitar and mandolin instrumental which leads

into ‘Port In A Storm’ a beautiful love song fuelled by an acoustic band featuring a violin and viola accompaniment. The sun rises with the jaunty ‘New Start’ which trips along on brushed drums and features a harmonica break from the Bob Dylan school of blowin’ and suckin’. A keening string lament introduces the troubled, but beautiful, ‘Lost At Sea’ and then two acoustic guitars chime gently as Bailey tells us ‘I Long To Write Her A Love Song’. Difficult to find any blues links in this album but no worries as the songs, production and musicianship are all first class. The pretty ballad ‘Remember’ lulls us into a false sense of security before the sharp Dylanesque rant of ‘The Romance Of Modern Invention’ hits us between the eyes. The gentle guitar and violin instrumental ‘La Puerta’ leads us to the lengthy and epic closing track ‘Saving Grace’. This song builds to a crescendo featuring lush strings and a soulful gospel choir as the singer tells his love “when the fear is comong closer and your heart is turning colder, there’ll be shelter in these arms of mine”. I sometimes wonder why we get sent some CD’s for review in a blues magazine which have little or no blues connection at all but the acid test must be - “is it any good”? Happily the answer in “yes - very good indeed” and even better my wife likes it. Quality stuff.

Dave Drury

TONY MCLOUGHLIN Ride The Wind

I first heard Ben Reel some years back and enjoyed his eclectic musical approach. He crops up as co-writer, guitarist (electric and acoustic), harmonica player, backing vocalist and producer of this album by fellow Irish man Tony, and the approach is similarly diverse. The opener immediately brought vintage Dire Straits to mind, as did several subsequent numbers – it seems to be the timbre of Tony’s voice – whilst a couple of others made me think of 70s Bob Dylan, and the closer is strongly folk-inflected. Much more than just a hint of the Blues can be heard on ‘Not That Far From Memphis” though, a powerful, stomping piece, but surprisingly perhaps, ‘Soul Brother Soul Sister’ is also a lot folkier than the title would seem to imply. To sum up then, this is a fine and very entertaining album but not one for those looking for the Blues per se. If like me, however, you have heard and enjoyed Ben Reel’s music in the past, then do be sure to try and investigate Tony McLoughlin’s generally mellow tracks.

Norman Darwen

DAVE WELD AND THE IMPERIAL FLAMES Burnin’ Love

Delmark

If you like classic Chicago blues then this is an album you’ll want to hear. Dave Weld was born in Chicago and played the west side clubs with people like Otis Rush, Little Ed, Hubert Sumlin, and Eddie Shaw whilst honing his chops before starting The Imperial Flames in 1988. He sings and writes extremely well and plays excellent stinging guitar, often in the slide tradition of J.B. Hutto, Elmore James etc. Opening track ‘Sweet Shiny Brown Eyes’ is a jumping shuffle featuring backing vocals from Monica Myhre and superb slide guitar accompanied by honking sax from Abb Locke. ‘Ramblin’’ is a slow blues about the hard life living and playing blues in Chicago featuring some tasty guitar licks from Weld and solid backup from his excellent band. Old girlfriends were

the inspiration for the hard driving ‘Burnin’ Love’ whilst ‘I Got Mad’ is a more relaxed, late night Jimmy Reed style shuffle. Monica Myhre takes centre stage with her lascivious vocals on the rocking ‘Talk Dirty’ with Weld contributing slide guitar fills. ‘Ed’s Boogie’ features Lil’ Ed on guitar and vocals and rocks along furiously with its Elmore inspired slide guitar riffs and would surely fill any dance floor in double quick time. ‘Things Are So Slow’ is a classic slow blues with soulful vocals and wailing sax from Abb Locke before the album closes with the sly warning from Weld that ‘She’s Lyin’’ This is Weld’s first recording since 1996 and his first on Delmark and it’s been worth the wait. Welcome back and I’m sure there’s more to come.

Dave Drury

MARC BENNO AND THE NIGHTCRAWLERS

Crawlin

Blue Skunk Music

Let’s get it out up front. Stevie Ray Vaughan features on this fascinating and dynamic release from the early Seventies. Amid the constant flow of hidden SRV gems since his passing, this is a remarkable record. First though, we should consider Marc Benno, under-rated except by those in the know, who was turned on to the Blues by hearing Lightnin’ Hopkins at the age of sixteen. Benno was raised in Dallas, Texas, so circumstances allowed him to play with Hopkins and all the peers of the Blues at that time. This also included playing on The Doors album “L.A. Woman”. Benno has the credentials and this album proves it. Progressive Blues like ‘Take Me Down Easy’ is reminiscent of Cream, but overall the album is Texas Blues right down the middle. Benno reckons he met SRV when he was a thirteen year old and the picture of SRV on the album cover is barely recognisable. Drummer Doyle Bramhall was also on the scene at the time. Typical record company interference meant that the album that they recorded together was canned, until Benno self-released it in 2006, and this subsequent recent worldwide release. Benno and SRV then spent some time together in the studio and four of those tracks are included here. They do tend to sound like bootleg material, yet are disarmingly wonderful nonetheless, especially ‘Whole Thang’. The closing track, ‘Long Ride Home’, is an astonishing jam that gives us an unrefined Stevie Ray Vaughan and makes this an essential purchase.

Gareth Hayes

DUKE ROBILLARD

Passport To The Blues

Stony Plain

‘Passport To The Blues’ sees a return to Duke Robillard’s roots. A wide range of gritty guitar based Blues with a smattering of brass which all ends up as a high powered and virile set of Blues. Of the 13 songs on the album, Robillard wrote 12 of them with the other being Tom Waits’ Make It Rain’. Robillard is in his early sixties and quotes his inspiration for returning to his Blues roots and an audit by the IRS: “I figured if that’s not the Blues, what is?” I see his point! If you like you’re Blues gutsy and rocking, this is an album for your shopping list. To his credit Robillard has not relied on the usual formulae that you would usually expect. Instead, there is great mix of classic sounding stuff, like ‘Rhode Island Rooster, a takeoff of Howling Wolf which grinds its way along coupled with a

take on Blues for the 21st century. ‘Text Me’ which is an upbeat message on more modern lines.

‘’Duke’s Evening Blues’ is an atmospheric late night song with some smouldering sax and Robillard talking us through an interesting encounter. Most of the tracks are good vehicles for Robillard’s superb guitar work, but the album isn’t swamped by him. In particular there are great contributions from Doug James on sax and harp. ‘Hong Kong Suit’ is a choppy funk showcasing both sax and guitar. There is a bonus track, ‘Bradford Boogie’ which is Robillard playing some impromptu stuff with drummer Mark Teixeira (as presumably this track is on every copy sold, not sure why it is a ‘bonus’ track, but its good anyway..) It is evident from this album that Robillard is a fine guitar player with a gritty voice that has stood the test of time. The compositions are a mix and naturally some are better than others. Having said this, this is a fine album and well worth a listen.

Kevin Wharton

ROY SCHNEIDER Erleichda Shiny Gnu Records

Roy Schneider is a singer/songwriter from Florida whose rootsy songs contain a mix of blues, country, folk and Americana all rolled into a beguiling and tasty stew. This is Schneider’s fourth album and amongst the stellar supporting cast is the legendary Nashville multiinstrumentalist and harmonica player Charlie McCoy. Opener ‘South In The Summertime’ is an easy rolling song featuring acoustic guitar picking, fiddle and banjo as it tells the joys of being on the road in the heat of summer. This is real feel good uplifting music with opening lyrics “Sun is shining feeling fine I’m riding Highway 29 out of Virginia”. ‘Angels Along The Road’ continues the easy rolling theme as it tells of the drifter making his way through life. The lively song ‘On Hill Time’ features insistent guitar picking from Schneider, keening fiddle from Kevin Aland and most exquisite laid back harmonica from Charlie McCoy. The playing and arrangements are superb with strong melodies and perceptive lyrics. There is a change of pace with a beautiful instrumental ‘Dancing With A Horse’ which features Schneider on flute. He gave up his nationally syndicated comic strip in 2008 to concentrate on his musical aspirations and now puts his skills to good work painting pictures with his songs. The slippery back porch bounce of ‘Let It Shine’ has the feel of JJ Cale about it with Schneider displaying his banjo picking skills. All the songs are original bar closing track which is a cover of The Grateful Dead’s classic love song ‘Brokedown Palace’. Schneider is set to tour UK this autumn and I will certainly be looking out for him. In the meantime all lovers of Rootsy singer/songwriters and Americana can purchase this fine album with confidence.

Dave Drury

BEN POOLE Everything I Want

www.benpoole.com

Introducing another great young British Rock Blues guitarist, this debut EP showcases the impressive talent of this young man. Ben combines powerful licks associated with Rock with a deft and gentler touch bringing the blues to the music. His cover of Free’s “Fire and Water” with his guitar sound influenced by Paul Kossoff whilst his voice is evocative of a young Paul Rogers, but this is no simple cover it gets the full Ben Poole treatment making the track his own. Ben’s talented rhythm section providing an ideal platform allowing him to showcase is superb guitarmanship and pleasing voice; as demonstrated on “Watching You, Watching Me” at times his vocalization and phrasing has hints of the Oli Brown about it. Ben Poole brings an energy and enthusiasm to all five tracks on this EP that is definitely the rocky side of blues; Ben controls this raw energy to ensure that each track has its own shape, producing a controlled sound that excites. The four tracks that he has composed are a combination of strong lyrics and eclectic mix of guitar licks borrowed from blues, pop and at times a twist of country with the underlying discipline of the blues harking back to the delta. Ben has an inner confidence derived from understanding his instrument of choice this enables him to produce a modern sound that is his own and he can only go from strength to strength. The EP is a staging post in this young man’s career – when is the CD coming out? This is a young man to look out for as he is no doubt a rising talent and should be supported when he comes to a local venue.

Liz Aiken

ELEANOR MCEVOY

I’d Rather Go Blonde MOSCO

This album does in truth stand a bit outside of what we’d normally review in Blues Matters; it’s Rootsy but only just. What makes it stand out is that Eleanor is a singer songwriter – no wisecracks please – who has given us an album that stands right out from the impenetrable mass of singer-songwriter albums & songs that clog up the media and the internet in particular. This album is full of enchanting melodies and succinctly composed songs with lucid lyrics over tranquil sound textures. In short, of its kind it is very good indeed, not over-produced, it does not take itself too seriously. In fact I think, if you fancy something outside our usual field I’d recommend this.

Vicky Martin

THE REVOLUTIONAIRES Have Love Will Travel Revs

Well these guys have been around the block several times now and made many fans “n” friends with their “live”

appearances both here in the UK and abroad. Many of you will remember their vintage sets at Rhythm Riot, etc. This then is their fifth CD and their best to date and goes a long way to matching up with their incredible “live” performances. It remains a glitch free recording –but personally I would like to have heard a chancier on the edge production. Never the less it shapes up very well. What will go to the next level take (and rest assured they are capable of it) - an independent producer possibly and an attempt at self penned material. They’ve been around the block so they must have a stack of experiences and anecdotes to draw “n” write from. It’s interesting to see the inclusion of “The very thought of you” which James Hunter included on his album “Believe What I Say” a while back. So hopefully Ed and the boys can themselves come up with a “Believe What I Say”, “It Ain’t Funny” or a “Way Down Inside”. In the mean time it’s a great album from a great outfit. Buy the album and catch them Live. Make sure you do BOTH – don’t sell yourself short.

Geoff “The Silver Fox” Marston.

THE REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND

The Wages

Sideonedummy

This trio out of Brown County, Indiana, impressed me with this set’s predecessor, the wonderful “The Whole Fam Damnily”, and this follow-up is just as good, as is obvious from the first few notes – a powerful, slide guitar driven slab of un-romanticised nostalgia for the rural lifestyle. This is the kind of thing this band does so well – although there are hints of the North Mississippi hill-country style or sometimes Memphis rockabilly, the Reverend and his family have absorbed these elements to forge a distinctive style, and it is difficult to believe that all this racket is created by just three people. Peyton’s vocals are raw and gritty hollers, in keeping with his lyrics. You want a routine sample? How about “If I catch a fish will you clean it for me?” – I don’t think he’s talking about simply running it under the tap… Or how can you not sit up and pay attention to a song that begins “My brother stole a chicken from the Ft. Worth Zoo”? This CD should appeal to lovers of Blues and Americana, or maybe those who just like brilliantly quirky, individual music.

Norman Darwen

GARY LUCAS & DEAN BOWMAN Chase The Devil

Knitting Factory Records

Guitarist extraordinaire Gary Lucas teams up with jazz/ blues vocalist Dean Bowman to create this album of intense, emotional music which encompasses deep blues, gospel, roots and even a Jewish hymn. One of the more straightforward offerings here is ‘Jerusalem’ a stately and pastoral hymn with words by William Blake which seems to particularly resonate in UK.and is associated forever in this country with the WI. The album opens with ‘Nobody’s House’ an original spiritual which features acoustic guitar from Lucas and jazz inflected vocal gymnastics from Bowman. This is followed by ‘Time And The Place’ another original and as with the previous track Lucas switches to fierce electric guitar which lifts the song to another level.

Lucas uses slide guitar for an intense and atmospheric reading of ‘Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground’ with Bowman moaning softly and emotionally. This song segues seamlessly into The Staple Singers version of ‘This May Be The Last Time’ and this outstanding track is the centrepiece of the album. The virtuosity of both men is always apparent but this is not always an easy or relaxing listen. The uplifting gospel of Joseph Spence’s ‘Out On The Rolling Sea’ features lovely, rolling, picked guitar from Lucas and slurred, soulful vocals from Bowman. The traditional spiritual ‘Let My People Go’ is a perfect fit for Bowman’s baritone and many of us older folks will still associate this song with Paul Robeson who was one of America’s first black concert and film stars. The album closes on an uplifting note with Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s ‘Up Above My Head’ a joyful gospel song featuring lovely restrained slide guitar from Lucas and beautiful, melodic vocals from Bowman. Some tracks work better than others but there are many moments here which have the WOW factor and both men are experienced, well travelled world class musicians who have played on hundreds of albums.

Dave Drury

MARK BUTCHER

Songs from the Sun House Independent

Mark has a head start on most of the musicians who struggle in the blues field; he captained the England cricket team for one game, scored eight test hundreds including three against Australia. That means he’s famous so it’s easier to get gigs (doesn’t it make you wish you’d attended net practise?) He was a good player, certainly better than me, blind as a bat without the specs and even slow bowling eluded my bat completely. Anyway let’s talk about the album. It’s a well produced piece of work for which Matt Taylor takes the credit. Incidentally Matt Taylor is the first producer in a while who’s not been described as ‘legendary’ on the publicity blurb, so congrats for that Matt. But thinking back to my opening words, Mark is not struggling in the blues field because this album isn’t blues and it’s not roots. What it is is blue-eyed soul redolent of eighties/ early nineties style soul and funk: lots of nice funky guitar licks and there is organ work that recalls Alan Price at times. The backing tracks are pretty good all told, although there string effects from the keys that are a bit cheesy in places. The songs are OK as well, in particular the opener ‘Put Some Soul in it’, says it all really, that’s just what they did, and track 5 ‘The River’ which has a welcome switch of tempo to 6/8 time. I think that Mark will do well with this it’s very FM friendly and probably film sound-track friendly as well. Buy it if you like that mellow soulful sound, but if it’s the Blues you want you’d best look elsewhere.

Vicky Martin

TOM COLBORN Desperate, Not Serious

Independent

Tom Colborn is from the Cambridge area he is a regular performer at acoustic venues in the South east and popularly known as ‘Delta’ Tom. I’ve known Tom for around five years and first saw him perform at some fairly grotty gigs at London’s Bullet Bar. Those Sunday night gigs were noted for appallingly bad organization, dreadful sound, the worst MC ever; this MC was a guy who would get out a trumpet and randomly accompany whatever act was playing. It sounds mad and it was; but to come through that sort of low class mayhem demands dedication and staying power. Tom was always a talented player and this album demonstrates his dedication and shows that he has finely honed and developed his skills. He studied all of the Delta Blues greats and players like Blind Blake and the rest, and was meticulous in his learning. Yet all the time he was developing an expressive style of his own. This album is really the first fruits of all that hard work. Eleven original tunes that draw on the whole gamut of slide, ragtime, hot picking and English folk to produce a really interesting set that demands attention throughout. The opener ‘Reckless’ has lots of up-tempo slide but it doesn’t go where you expect, its different and a catchy tune; track 2 ‘Paranoid and Fucked Up’ is a real stand-out, its been in Tom’s repertoire for years and is full of very British irony, in fact its real ‘English Blues’, English accent, English humour and it speaks into the everyday situations of many of us, brilliant song. ‘Desperate Not Serious’ is good tune as is ‘Good Grace’. ‘Eat Your Greens’ is again very British with a ragtime feel, and ‘In Stepped the Blues’ is a very good track as well. The only note of criticism I would make is that Tom strains his voice a little, he should maybe: a) just relax a little; b) take everything down a semi-tone; c) Eat lots of Spinach; but that aside this is a first class debut that demonstrates true love for the Blues but also is not afraid to step out, be original and to sing in an ‘English’ voice.

Vicky Martin

Dr CHARLIE Prodigal Son Independent

In 1966 Kevin Scott was all set for the big time. He played in a band with Keith Moon, was supporting bands like Manfred Mann, The Herd, he was invited to audition for John Mayall. Pink Floyd was an early support act, but then he is asked to go fashionable, and eschew all that made him different. More than forty years later, he has re-emerged as Dr Charlie, fronting a smokin’ band, playing an album of most of his own music. The guitar playing is melodic rather than technical, whereas the lyrics and singing of a universally high standard. From the set opener – ‘The Ballad of John Mayall’ with its warm brass parts, to ‘P E A C E’ with its 1960’s Hippie vibe, to the wah wah drenched ‘Cheatin’ not a note or mood is wasted. The title track is progressive rock time signatures with a bluesy edge, whilst ‘Downtown Cruzin’ blends a knowing narrative lyric with Hank Marvin’s patented tremolo sound. It may have been forty years in the making, but the experience that goes into making an album as mature and developed as this has not been wasted.

Ben Macnair

NAPOLEON WASHINGTON Mud & Grace DIXIEFROG

If you’re going to give yourself the name Napoleon then you better be prepared to back it up with a performance worthy of conquering your foes or critics.

Washington does this with a quirky album that you just can’t pidgeon-hole! It has blues guitar and slide sounds on almost every track, lyrics which defy description and his voice sounds like he smokes even more than I do! It (his voice) is gutsy, visceral and emotionally charged, all of which belies the fact that he isn’t an American but a European with natural blues instincts. Technically this C.D. and all the paraphernalia that you get for your money is cutting edge and hopefully a fore-runner for others to follow. Track 1 “Come down Blues” opens with a slide guitar merging with piano and produces a haunting sound exacerbated by the short lyrics involved eventually. His vocal ability really comes to the fore in track 3 “Blue curls of Smoke”, but the Gallic influence in Napoleon means the lyrics are obtuse and incapable of analysis as only the French can produce. My personal favourite on this eccentric album is track 11 “Write yourself a Letter” which has everything I liked about the whole album on one track. You can buy this on line and it is a bargain as you get more than your money’s worth not just musically, but graphically with all its quirkiness.

Tom Walker

STOMPIN’ DAVE & DAVE SAUNDERS

Country Blues

Independent

Stompin’ Dave is nothing if not hard working and prolific and should be well known to readers of this mag for reviews of his CDs and many live gigs on the South coast. For his latest project he is accompanied on acoustic guitar by stalwart Dave Saunders from The Producers. The album opens with ‘There’s Still Some Wonder’ which is unusually restrained for Dave being a beautiful ballad featuring double tracked vocals and a pretty slide guitar riff. Next up is the fiddle powered instrumental ‘Carrol County Blues’ with DS, as ever, providing an acoustic guitar backdrop. There are a number of old favourites here and Jimmy Reed’s ‘Baby What You Want Me To Do’ is given a sprightly seeing to complete with harmonica fills. Dave is an accomplished player of many instruments and ‘The Victim’ features banjo - enjoyed this one. A cover of Muddy Waters ‘You’re Gonna Miss Me’ features driving slide guitar and then Dave switches back to fiddle for a lively romp through the instrumental ‘Salty Dog’. If you’ve seen this man perform live then you’ll

know that he never lets up and happily his enthusiastic approach is all over this highly enjoyable album. The self penned ‘Must Of Been An Angel’ finds Dave back on banjo which is also featured on a speedy and highly original cover of ‘Going Upside Your Head’. The pace is relentless and the instrumental ‘Sliding South’ features chiming slide guitar. ‘Pig Ankle Rag’ is a traditional fiddle piece with fine bowing and scraping from Dave. The old Lieber/Stoller favourite ‘Kansas City Blues’ is turned into a banjo fuelled country blues stomp and then the pace drops for ‘Corina, Corina’. The traditional ‘Jackson Stomp’ does what it says on the tin before a full frontal attack on ‘Big Black Train’ closes out this fine album. The man’s enthusiasm is infectious and his live shows sometimes border on the manic and he generates enough energy to light up any gig. Go and see him and then buy this album to take home with you.

Dave Drury

GOV’T MULE

Life Before Insanity / Dose Floating

World

If you’d asked me to name by top 10 albums of the nineties, then there is no doubt that “Dose” by Gov’t Mule would have been in there. Their debut had only hinted at the dark majesty that was contained in these grooves. I even wrote off to Warren Haynes’ wife to get a double vinyl edition, just so I could soak it up properly. This was the record where the Mule decided to get their jazz on big time, with ‘Thelonius (sic) Beck’ a tribute to Thelonious Monk and ‘Birth Of The Mule’ their nod to Miles Davis. However, they didn’t forget to rock as all time Mule classic ‘Blind Man In The Dark’ attests, and they also looked back in time, with a take on ‘John The Revelator’. It’s only let down by seven minutes wasted on a Beatles cover. Two years later, and it was time for their third album, “Life Before Insanity”, sadly the last studio recording of Allen Woody before his passing. It really was a record of two halves as the first batch of tunes - ‘Wandering Child’, ‘Life Before Insanity’, ‘Bad Little Doggie’ and ‘Lay Your Burden Down’ – are among their finest. But it all got a bit bogged down on the second half of the album, leading me to skip Mule tunes for the first time. If you were slow off the mark, then there was a hidden gem in the shape of an eight minute Robert Johnson cover, ‘If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day’, 30 seconds after the album officially closed, which managed to save the day. It makes the track listing on this 2CD reissue, and if you’ve been wondering what the fuss was after their recent lacklustre releases, then this should put you right.

Stuart A Hamilto

Robi Zonca delivers exciting rock blues that has captured the imagination of contemporary music fans across Europe and USA. Superb and tasteful musicianship along with their razor sharp grooves makes this band a musical force to be reckoned with!

So good

the new album by

Robi

Zonca

available at: CD Baby, iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody,etc.

GOT LIVE

ARTISTS KEEPING THE BLUES ALIVE SOLOMON BURKE The Americana Festival The Sage

Gateshead Friday 23 July

On what becomes a totally blacked- out stage they wheel him on and then they return ninety minutes later again in total darkness to wheel him off.

To anybody that knows and loves him, this spectacle is tinged with some real sadness. However that’s where the sadness ends and for the one and a half hour slot in between everybody in the audience is treated to a truly sanctified soul sermon. It’s delivered in such a highly personal way it’s hard to imagine unless you have experienced it firsthand. The feel good factor is overwhelming. It is the very essence and the core of true Soul music.

On this particular evening the audience was treated to a whole host of vintage classics which included - ‘Cry to me’ - ‘Detroit city’ - ‘Stupidity ‘ and’ Everybody needs somebody to love’ etc etc. Introduced alongside these and inter dispersed throughout the set were more recent additions to Solomon’s catalogue which included numbers from three of his more recent albums - ‘Don’t give up on me’ - ‘Make do with what you’ve got’ and ‘Nashville’. And then if that wasn’t enough the cherry and the icing on the cake a couple of numbers from his newly corked album produced by the late great Willie Mitchell entitled ‘Nothings Impossible’. Surely this is all set to become a classic also. If you haven’t yet witnessed Solomon ‘live’ I beg you to do so. I promise you won’t be disappointed or regret it. What you may however regret is not latching on to him earlier. He is for my money the world’s greatest Soul singer and when you consider his stable mates and running rivals include the likes of Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, David Ruffin, Al Green , James Carr , O.V.Wright, Johnny Adams , Spencer Wiggins etc etc - that’s got to count for something. Don’t just take my word for it give Jerry Wexler a knock on his door ‘ upstairs’ (ignore the ‘ Do not disturb ‘ sign) - He’ll tell ya !

JOE BONAMASSA, with guests The Sandi Thom Band @The Magna Centre,Rotherham 29/05/2010

From a musical viewpoint this could not have been a better gig but it was marred by the venues organisation. With a near sell-out crowd of over three thousand, The Magna Centre chose not to open its doors to punters until 7.00pm for 7.30pm start. This meant that many people didn’t get in until part way through Sandi Thom’s set and were left unnecessarily out in the rain. When inside due to the shape of the venue, those positioned from the centre to the bar at the back had very limited vision of the stage and at one point there were actually some people standing on the bar to see. People were packed in like sardines, a trip to the toilet or the bar was a marathon task. It was airless and in the case of an emergency evacuation one wondered what would happen if the crowd panicked. That aside, this was a magnificent performance from both guest support The Sandi Thom Band and Joe Bonamassa himself. Sandi hit the stage as a musical force to be reckoned with, with a track called ‘Belly Of The Blues’ from her new CD, “Merchants and Thieves”. They say that first and last impressions are what stay with you. If this is true, Sandi’s first impression was made to last. She and the band made a lot of new fans at Magna with their vocal, instrumental and stage performance. There was a blistering rendition of ‘This Ol World’ from Sandi and lead guitarist Randle in duet. She finished as she started, with a dramatic performance of ‘Runaway Train’ and there were clear signs of disappointment from the crowd when she answered this was her last. They may have been there to see Joe Bonamassa but they won’t have minded a little of Sandi and the band as well! Joe Bonamassa has made a meteoritic rise in the last five years and at that point you were left in no doubt, with the deafening cheers of the crowd as his first guitar riff echoed round the Magna, lit-up in a blaze of concert arena style lighting, with large ‘B’ in lights, right in the centre of the back-drop. The opening riffs of The Ballad Of John Henry actually vanished completely in the cheer. ‘Sloe Gin’, is a trademark now in its own right but it never fails to thrill and feel fresh. A cover of The Who’s, ‘Young Man’s Blues’ was an interesting inclusion and there was even a Pete Townsend arm whirl thrown in by Joe! What do you say now about Joe Bonamassa singer, songwriter, and master guitarist, joined at the hip to a band of first class musicians and even throwing in the odd Theremin demonstration into his music! This was a top-notch performance, from a musician who still has a lot of time in front of him and one who is going to make a mark in music history books for a long time in the future.

Carol Borrington

Geoff ‘ The silver fox ‘ Marston - A.K.A ‘Popcorn Boy

photo by Carole Zeldon

DALE STORR WITH IAIN SANDERSON @High Barn Great Bardfield July 22 2010

This was an excellent show in a great venue, I’ve seen Dale a few times and it gets better every time but this was the best yet.

Opening with his own tune ‘Boogie for Tuts’ he dazzled us with a virtuoso performance which never dipped below cruise control for the whole evening.

Aided by the High Barn’s magnificent grand piano, the superb stereo sound mix meant the delineation between right and left hand was crystal clear. The show was billed as being New Orleans piano but that venerable city has been a meeting place for a great variety of cultures and the music reflected this as Dale went into a minor key tango; ‘Dance of the Negress’ - the tune modulated to a major key bridge with a swing feel and lots of rippling blues arpeggios before returning to the tango.

This was one of the most interesting tunes of the show. Iain Sanderson’s trumpet moved us from the exotic to the ‘down home’ as they went into Hank Snow’s ‘I’m Moving On’ arranged in a similar vein to the Ray Charles version.

A classic two time feel New Orleans stomp took us to another highlight. We heard Dale’s rippling 16th note arpeggios over a slowly rolling left hand bass line then in came Ian’s evocative trumpet and they segued into ‘Sick and Tired’ played with a classic New Orleans Mambo feel. Dale’s performance of this song clearly showed that his vocals are beginning to carry much more authority. A James Booker medley followed, then a great version of Ray Charles’ ‘Mary Ann’, (suggested by one Vicky Martin according to Dale) led us to the closing boogie ‘Radiating the 88’s’. This was breathtaking in the sheer variety of Dale’s variations and brought the first set to a stunning close. The second set was equally good with covers including ‘High Heel Sneakers’ and ‘Barefooting’ arranged in New Orleans style, There were two outstanding tunes – Dr. John’s ‘Qualified’ with it’s syncopated Mambo rhythm, the best I’ve heard Dale play this and there was a subtle rearrangement to the bridge with beautifully arranged trumpet over descending minor chords. Dale included many favourites like ‘Roll ‘em Pete’, but the other highlight (and best of all) was his arrangement of ‘A Taste of Honey’. Almost classical at times this featured an astonishing variety of variations over a varying ground bass line, brilliant!

Tim Aves joined Dale for a couple of tunes that included some interesting new lyrics for Fat’s Domino’s ‘I’m Ready’ and the whole show left us breathless and exhilarated.

A great show, great venue and well done Tim Aves for putting it all together.

BUDDY GUY @Shepherds Bush Empire, London. 05/07/10

From the moment he stepped onto the stage at this sell out show it was evident that for a man approaching his 75th year, Buddy Guy has the energy and cheeky glint in his eyes one would expect of a man half his age. Supported by his four piece band comprising keyboards, drums, rhythm and bass guitars, the audience was enthralled by a short but very sweet 75 minute set of favourites and mini tributes. With the tributes consisting of a few bars followed by some improvisation, it was the favourites that were played in full. These were: ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’ and a funky ‘Boom Boom’ (both arguably tributes), ‘Damn Right I Got The Blues’, ‘Skin Deep’, ‘Do Your Thing’, ‘Fever’ and ‘(Someone’s) Slipping In’ which, with Guy’s encouragement, had everyone yelling back “Slipping In”. Then came the tributes to some of the numerous artists Guy has influenced over the years. After praising Cream he played ‘Strange Brew’ and followed later with ‘Sunshine Of Your Love’. There was some irony in Guy’s choice of the former as Clapton confessed to Guy many years ago that some of its guitar licks had actually been “stolen” from him. Another artist that Guy had a huge influence on was Hendrix and we were treated to a few bars of ‘Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)’ before he disappeared stage left. He reappeared amongst the audience where he spent a few minutes serenading the throng as he worked his way to the rear of the hall. Back on stage Guy illustrated some of the tricks that have been copied by so many guitarists over the years, including Hendrix, by playing his cream Strat’ with his teeth, a drumstick and even the front of his psychedelic shirt. Guy has definitely still got it; his voice is as strong as ever and his playing has lost none of the edge that has spawned so many imitators since the early 60s. Guy loved the adulation he received and the audience knew they had witnessed a performance by a true legend.

Philip Woodford

Vicky Martin

GOT LIVE

ERIC BURDON Newcastle 02 Academy Sunday 8 August

Don’t let anybody try telling you that Eric Burdon’s voice has gone or even that it’s not what it once was. The pipes, the manifold and the blues catalytic convertor are all intact. Eric’s larynx is in superb shape and he still has that same rasp and growl and he is still definitely firing on all six cylinders.

Newcastle 02 Academy was his first gig back in his home town (city) for eight years and many must have been wondering how at sixty nine he would fare (to be honest myself included).

As soon as he took the stage any misgivings or reservations were quickly dispelled. He was in paint blistering form. Some of the layers he exposed dated back to the undercoat in the venues ‘ Maj ‘ days !!!!!!!!!!!! (Majestic Ballroom).

I would love to have said the set and the material were uniformidly excellent - and a great deal of it was. However somewhat predictably it was the Animals ‘anthems’ which faired best alongside ‘San Franciscan Nights’. What wasn’t quite so convincing was ‘River deep and mountain high’ revved up part way through and taken to break neck speed. Ike Turner might well have had something to say about that ‘ downstairs ‘. Of the self- penned new numbers a couple stood out ‘I had a dream’ and ‘Shame shame shame’. The first seemed to owe quite a bit to Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee and also Lightnin’ Hopkins. Whereas ‘Shame shame shame’ appeared to weld the chassis of ‘High heeled sneakers’ to the upper bodywork of a certain Jimmy Reed classic! But hey, Eric isn’t the first and he certainly won’t be the last to plunder the vaults and rifle through the blues back catalogue and put his name to it. At least he had the good sense and taste to pick out a couple of good un’s.

As for the four piece backing band they did a workman like job - but again were a tad to rocky for my taste in parts. That said they didn’t get in the way or attempt to hi jack the show. But Eric if and when ever you do come back – please, please, please (and I do this on one knee with an ermine fringed cape draped over my shoulder) cherry pick a real bluesy R&B outfit to back you. In that way you’ll be letting the youngsters know what R&B really stands for Finally it has to be said the encore - ‘We gotta get out of this place’ strangely prophetic - was in itself worth the twenty quid admission charge- Quite Brilliant. (Awesome I suppose - if I could ever bring myself to use that word again!).

Geoff ‘The silver fox’ Marston

TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS

Newcastle 02 Academy Friday 13th Aug

I have a feelin’ that I may be stirring up a real hornet’s nest here suggesting the inclusion of Toots and the Maytals – that’s if it ever makes print.

Fredrick “Toots” Hibbert a blues artist!?!? Well just think about it for a moment. The band on stage are currently five musicians plus the addition of two backing singers… so seven in total All black guys. For my money at least what they do is a lot closer to the blues and R”n” B than a big percentage of what today is said to be Blues when in truth is a lot closer to Rock music. Tonight Toots himself san “Reggae got Soul” (and it’s generally accepted soul lives right next door to the Blues). He even suggested in the lyrics – “Reggae got Rock “n” Roll and Reggae got Country”. Well I’d go along with the former and as far the latter didn’t he breathe new life into “Take me home Country Roads” popularized by Olivia Newton John way back. As for reggae got gospel Toots is the master of call and response in his stage act! Rest my case. The gigs highlight included “Pomp and Pride” with around as almost Punch & Judy like sequence towards the end of the number – quite bizarre. The totally infectious “Pressure Drop” alongside “54-46 (that’s my number)” and the previously referred to “Reggae got Soul”! But if you hadn’t already guessed the final number, the number which there is no known antidote “coz it’s a killer” “Monkey Man” Great black music – whatever label you want to try stickin’ on it.

Geoff “The Silver Fox” Marston

FADE2BLAC

@Millers’ Snooker Club, Kirby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire. 27/05/2010

2010 saw a new start for Fade2Black as they dropped from a five piece to four piece and Amelia taking centre stage as the lead vocalist, as well as rhythm guitar. Fade2Black play mainly classic covers and original acoustic Blues instrumentals. It is unusual for Millers’ clientele to want and even more so, enjoy bands who do mainly covers but so talented are Fade2Black and so well-crafted into their own style are the covers, they prove to be the exception to the rule. They kicked off in style with a Blues Rock number, Amelia immediately making her mark with her Blues Mama attitude belting out the words, ‘Get Over It’, with all the drive and passion that marks quality. Her vocal proved to be in the alto range and on the polished side but with just enough grit when needed. Her good intonation and passion for her songs became immediately apparent right from the first number. Even fettered to a guitar, her stage persona of a natural lead singer, shone through. This was allied to equally good instrumentals of driving bass riffs from Andy Smith and power driven drums, from Steve Paling, who held things immaculately tight throughout the performance. The whole thing topped off with emotive lead guitar riffs, beautifully interpreting Amelia’s lyrics with both fluidity and clarity by lead guitarist, Richard Warr. One number that stood high on their set was their take on the BB.King Classic ‘The Thrill Is Gone’. Amelia’s vocal on this was superb, like velvet but with added grit just in the right place to heighten the tension and passion of the lyrics. Instrumentally, the

song was given an almost funky feel, with an emotive guitar solo to top the whole thing off. The second set started with Amelia doing a cover of the great Janis Joplin song, ‘Mercedes Benz’, which really demonstrated to all assembled what a fine vocal this lady has got. The second set proved as enjoyable as the first and was greeted with cheers and shouts for encore, which Fade2Black happily provided!

Carol Borrington

BABAJACK

@ The Boat House, Upton Blues Festival. 17/07/10

Babajack is an outstanding Blues, folk [and more] fusion band. It will have come as no surprise to anyone in the audience to see from their gig list that just five days later they would be gracing the main stage at Warwick Festival. When Babajack are on stage, everyone sits up and takes notice, they have great presence and energy and this packed venue was way too small to contain the fire and passion emanating from them. Becky Tate, lead vocals, stomp box and drums and Trev Steger on guitar, harp and vocals led the way. Eazer, double bass, Alan Cooper, violin, Aron Attwood, cahon, and Becky Pell on backing vocals and percussion made up the numbers. They stormed into Last Train with Trev blowing as if his life depended on it and powered their way through Parade, a song about injustice; Sweet Jelly Love, the doom laden Going Down and Stones In my Shoes. Things slowed down a bit for Big Man Blues with Trev on slide and backing vocals through his harp mike which made a down and dirty contrast to Bec’s powerful but sweeter sounds. After that came Mary, then Leadbelly’s Black Betty, Trev played his four string, wine box guitar on that one, the audience went crazy and joined in on the chorus. Then it was back to six strings for Religion and some fine fiddling from Alan. A love song, I Walk On Diamonds, was followed by yet more tasty slide on Dog Tired. The Well Song, inspired by their allotment, and the closest they get to a murder ballad, was next and they finished the set with Sleepy John Estes’ Brownsville. Trev dug down deep and produced some raw, primordial vocals that had the audience stomping throughout and there was a deafening roar for more. These guys are tight, dynamic and real crowd pleasers who have a unique sound and perform mostly their own, terrific compositions. I suspect they will be appearing on the main stage of many more festivals in the future.

Linda Fisher.

THE MARK BUTCHER BAND

@Millers’ Snooker Club, Kirkby-in-Ashfield. 13/05/2010

Mark Butcher is a name that one often equates with cricket but not for much longer, he is forging a name for himself out on the Blues circuit. The gig at Millers showed exactly why. Mark’s set offered a couple of Freddie King classics but mainly his own songs. Some of which were taken from his debut CD, called, “Songs From Sun House” released in 2009. Millers’ crowd were able to listen to them live. Mark’s music is solid Blues with a lot of soul flavoured with rock and a hint of gospel. His vocal falls on the more polished side but with just enough grit to get through the Millers’ Blues critics. His intonation

GOT LIVE

and register were impressive but most of all was the deep-seated emotion that was portrayed in both his singing, guitar playing and the non-verbal communication with his audience. His guitar revealed good technique allied to deep emotion. His style is reminiscent of the ‘less is more’ fraternity of guitarist, relying on technique and feeling to do the job rather than fretboard gymnastics. You put all this together with the fine instrumentals of the rest of the band, which was not surprising with Jonny Dyke and Wayne Proctor onboard. It was an evening of sensational Blues, funk and a lot of soul. From the new songs on display at the gig, two grabbed you straight away. ‘Love Finds A Way’, a Blues ballad infused with the characteristic Mark Butcher soul and a peppering of rock. Mark’s vocals were tender and passionate throughout and underpinned with interpretative guitar riffs. This was built on by some subtle but powerful drumming, percussive bass and interpretative keyboards. The second new song was, ‘Is It You’. A Blues Rock number, again with that tinge of soul, power drumming ,chest grabbing bass and expressive keyboards, all building and complimenting Marks vocals and guitar and producing a belter of a song. The shouts for, “Three more” at the end were enough to say what Millers crowd thought of this performance!

Carol Borrington

ROADHOUSE

Millers’ Snooker Club, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire. 08/07/2010

After a distinguished line-up over the spring and summer, Millers had to find something special to finish and what better than one of Skegness’ Rock’n’Blues festivals favourite bands, Roadhouse! They graced Millers’ stage straight after their first appearance at Glastonbury’s new Bourbon Street Jazz and Blues stage. Double firsts in fact, the first time for a Blues’ stage at this prestigious festival, as well as for the band themselves. Their performance was carried out with all the professional panache, musical skill and humour that is expected from this band. They kicked-off with, ‘No Place To Hide’ from their 2004 CD of the same name, providing a taster of the evenings music to come. They followed with a slower Blues number, ‘Blues Highway’. Gary’s gritty vocal underscored by Mandie’s mellow tones and then full vocal harmonies from Mandie, Rachel and Gary, revealing what a wealth of not only instrumentals Roadhouse have at their fingertips but vocal diversity as well. This was all immaculately interpreted by Danny’s emotive guitar riffs and topped off with percussive bass and fine drum fills. By that time they had the Millers crowd eating out their hands, although like many acts who come to Millers, I think they found the quietness of the audience a little distracting at first. First rule of Millers, if they like you, you’ll hear a pin-drop until the end and then you’ll hear them! Roadhouse are due to release their next CD called “Dark Angel” in mid-November, Millers was given a taster of its contents throughout the gig. The title track ‘Dark Angel’ is a classy number, instrumentally, vocally and lyrically beautifully structured, with a good hook-line. A Blues rock ballad, with a hue of country, somewhat in the New Jersey vein of Blues. It’s a song full of soul and passion with lovely rises and falls in tempo. If the quality of the rest of the CD is only a fraction of the quality of this song, the band has an excellent CD in store for us. The final decision on Roadhouse, half of Kirkby must have heard the shouts, “Three more!”

Carol Borrington

GEOFF ACHISON and THE SOULDIGGERS Millers’ Snooker Club, Kirkby-in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire. 24/06/10

This gig saw a long awaited return to Millers’ for Australia’s singer, songwriter and amazing guitarist, Geoff Achison along with The UK Souldiggers comprising Sam Kelly on drum, Paul Jobson on Keys and Spy Austin on bass. It may have been a long wait for Millers but every second of it was well worth waiting for, with the musical skill, drive and passion on that stage. They opened with a funky number, which was the prelude of what was to come, with Geoff’s deep gritty vocals, which had the texture of dark chocolate with its bitter sweet passion. It was obvious from the first note on his PRS that guitar-wise this was going to something different, a night to throw out the textbook of technique and watch Geoff’s absolutely unique playing style minus any effects pedals; pulling sounds out of his axe, that at times defied description, with the level of guitar improvisation on display. Add to that the drumming skills of Sam Kelly who not only kept perfect time but fed into the performance a remarkable display of fills. Spy Austin on five string bass provided not only the rhythm but added riff after riff that complimented lead beautifully. Then there was the playing of Paul Jobson, one was minded of the style and skill of Micky Gallagher but with his own unique keyboard signature and fingers like lightening across the keys. To pick-out one song that wasn’t top class is impossible but ‘One Ticket, One Road’ did stand out with its haunting lead guitar and cross keys intro with Spy adding just a hint of bass to blend the whole, then slowly building into a heavy weight funky number with pounding drum beat. All topped off with great vocal and vocal harmonies all leading to a middle keyboard solo that was classical in its dimension, picked up by impressive guitar work by Geoff, taking it into a Blues Rock ballad. There are good performances and there are classic performances and this gig at Millers’ was a classic!

Carol Borrington

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 reinterpret 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

GUY TORTORA @Flying Club. 25/06/2010

Anticipation was high at the first Blues event at the Flying Club on the edge of Cardiff airport for the performance of this great Bluesman accompanied by Janos Bjtala on keys. This must be the only venue that has in the bar area the incoming flights including delays on a VDU display and has an interesting pre-gig percussive background of executive jets landing. None of this put Guy off his tracks, dealing with the erratic sounds with a string of songs associated with him, including “Candyman”, “Two Fried eggs” and covers from old favourites such as Robert Johnson’s and the more unusual track “Jug Band Tune”, a song Noah Lewis is associated with, along with Noah’s ability to blow two harmonicas at once – through his mouth and his nose, Guy did not emulate this but as ever combined the acoustic and harp providing a showcase of ‘Americana’, combining genres of blues, jazz, folk and roots and interpretations of other song writers, with depth and feeling to ensure they had a touch of Tortora magic. His music delighted the crowded bar and the combination of Guy’s guitar style, playing mostly with his fingers rather than a plectrum and Janos superb keyboard skills ensured every track was delivered with appropriate emotion and feeling. The second half saw an enthusiastic and tuneful audience participation in songs such as “Early Morning Blues” much to the delight of Guy who encouraged more and more and the audience responded. So often encores are called for as a tradition but tonight the audience was demanding one and Guy delivered with a great version of Curtis Mayfield’s, “People Get Ready”, a fitting song, though perhaps the lyrics could have been amended to People get ready, there’s a plane a comin’. Great venue, enthusiastic audience, hopefully this venue puts on another show delivering the standard set by Guy which will not be easy.

Liz Aiken

JAY TAMKIN BAND

@Milkwoodjam,

Swansea. 22/06/2010

Jay is definitely moving more towards the rockier end of the Blues spectrum as evidenced when we last saw him at the Skegness Festival. Tonight was a better performance thanks in part to the new line up and Jay ditching the organ and being joined by Rik ‘Howling’ Christiansen on organ This new line up has given Jay the freedom to dedicate his multiskilled talents to that of vocalist and lead guitarist. This new mix is exciting, slightly different from a standard three piece band and might have given Jay the right mixture of sounds that suits his musicality of rocky blues with a twist of jazz. Producing fast rocky blues, full of energy, yet he can turn out a looser more bluesy sound as demonstrated by; “Love Don’t Keep Me Down”. The evening delighted the Tuesday crowd at Milkwoodjam as Jay switched between his ‘lap jack’ and the use of slide and using his body as another percussive tone to add to the mix. Jay is now producing a fresh and modern sound and is not just another SRV clone; yet despite this there is something lacking, that star quality, at times his lack of personality can be verging on boring and there is sadly a predictability as every number merges into each other, as they lack a distinctive edge, which is very disappointing considering Jays considerable talent. The party trick of the evening was fun, especially the keyboard duet which was innovative and reenergised the set; but he must ensure this swapping of instruments doesn’t become an unnecessary and predictable gimmick, going and playing the drums was possibly ‘overkill’ and if there is a lack of discipline and control his act could turn into ‘rock circus doesn’t get the blues’. This said the audience loved him and he was described as ‘awesome’ and as ‘sound as a pound’, the encore ‘Hey Joe’ was appreciated by all. Jay is a young musician with great guitar skills who needs to add a smidgen of control to develop a secure and confident stage presence, then he could be among the great rock blues guitarists. His new album is awaited with anticipation as this young man develops and hones his skills..

Liz Aiken

THE HOLMES BROTHERS Live @The Luminaire Kilburn 27/07/2010

The Holmes Brothers delivered a couple of sets of simply gorgeous music at the Luminaire on Tuesday and the hundred or so souls who basked in the joy were completely satisfied. Opening with ‘Amazing Grace’ they treated us to the combination of Brother Wendell’s baritone set against honorary Brother Popsy Dixon’s near-falsetto with Brother

GOT LIVE

Sherman’s basso-profundo completing the harmonies. Wendell’s guitar playing was a real surprise as he played simple and understated one moment and then brilliant finger-slide the next. I was close enough to see that he had no effects pedals or trick-boxes – whatever he played was down to his ability alone and in times where acoustic players use FX pedals that was impressive. Their sound is best described as Gospel/Blues but through the evening they turned their hand to soul, country, rock & roll and swing but they were at their best with the harmonies and the hymns. ‘Lord Remember Me’ featured rich harmonies and some classy bass from Sherman and ‘Feed My Soul’ was blissfully given with a powerful drum sound courtesy of Popsy. The second set continued the praise as ‘Precious Lord’ and ‘Glory Hallelujah’ washed over the crowd. The harmonies just kept getting better and hit a real peak with a wonderful version of the old Jim Reeves staple ‘He’ll Have To Go’ although this was much closer to the Ry Cooder version and all the better for it. A very Bluesy ‘I’m So Lonely’ with guitar work that could have been Buddy Guy on the stage lead into a rousing ‘Jesus On The Mainline’ to close. They weren’t in any way preachy or pious, this was just the music that they make and they have been doing it to great applause for over thirty years. The crowd was happy and the smiles all through told the tale of a fine performance by three men who love what they do and do it better than most.

Andy Snipper

THE 3 J’s – JIMMY BOWSKILL, JOE BONAMASSA & JEFF BECK

@ Museumsplatz, Bonn. 19/07/2010

Officially titled ‚The 3 J’s’ this should have been‚ The 3 G’s’ as in ‘Generations’. A shame that the organizers changed Jimmy Bowskill’s starting time so much that many people came in to hear him closing his set. They missed some great raw Blues-rock. Jimmy has the enthusiasm onstage of Rory Gallagher and like Rory there are no gimmicks, no glossy image, only great music. From the opening ‘Far from Reality’ on, the band were a blast. I guess many might think that with the two high carat guitarslingers following him Jimmy Bowskill would quickly be forgotten but from the reaction I got after the whole show those that heard him were more than glad to have arrived early. Barely twenty minutes later and Joe Bonamassa hit the stage with his powerful band bridging the gap from Jimmy B perfectly, if accidentally, with ‘Young Man’s Blues’. Not that Joe is so old of course but he already seems like an institution on the Blues scene. There was a big contingent of Bonamassa fans down front to see him play and I’m sure they weren’t disappointed. Following on from the raw talent of Jimmy Bowskill, Joe and his band sounded smoothe as a strong tequila and truth to tell I’d like to have heard a bit more edge to the sound. There’s no doubting the man’s abilities though, particularly on slower, more thoughtful numbers like ‘Bird on a wire’ and the classic ‘Sloe Gin’. Closing out with storming versions of ‘Just got paid’ and ‘So it’s like that’ the band left and the taped music started. Long and loud calls of ‘Zugabe’ (encore) from the 3000+ mesmerized listeners brought Joe and Co back onstage though for ‘Lonesome Road Blues’ and that brought the mouthwatering question “How can anyone follow that?” Of course the final act of the evening wasn’t ‘anyone’ - it was one of the greatest guitarists of his, and indeed any, generation. If Jeff Beck felt there was an ‘axe battle’ to be won here tonight he certainly didn’t show it. Walking casually onto the stage with Rhonda Smith, Narvada Michael Waldren and Jason Robello; braces hanging casually from his trousers, it all looked business as usual. From the music that followed though I suspect there was more than a bit of rivalry under the engine. I saw him on this very stage a couple of years ago and sure enough he was good. Tonight though he was staggering. The Band were clearly inspired too, Rhonda Smith in particular shone with her bass solo on ‘Mna Na Eireann’. Ultimately though the evening belonged to Jeff Beck. Strange that I should come to a live concert yet spend most of the evening looking not at the stage but instead at the giant video screen next to it. Quite simply I had to see how he was playing those unbelievable notes. Even huge close ups of his fingers didn’t help. No cheap plastic plectrum from Taiwan for Jeff Beck; only his finger tips touched the strings - and sometimes not even those as he played ‘Over the Rainbow’, one hand on the tremelo arm and the other on the fretboard of his snow-white Stratocaster. Nessun Dorma saw a dove (Okay, probably a pigeon, but it should have been a dove!) glide onto a backstage speaker. God was in his Heaven and all was right with the world. We were in Heaven too, and even Jeff Beck allowed himself a satisfied smile - maybe at having put the ‘young whippersnappers’ who’d played before him in their place. If this evening was anything to go by, the past, the present, and indeed the future of the Blues are very definitely nothing to get the Blues for but very definitely everything to smile about.

John Hurd

THE MARTIN HARLEY BAND

@ The Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh 25/04/2010

Courtesy of local promoters Souls Survivor The Martin Harley Band from Guildford arrived in promotion of their new album “Drumrolls For Somersaults.” Led by vocalist and guitarist Harley the trio, completed by Jay Carter on stand up bass and Pete Swatton on drums, performed an absorbing set of confidently performed songs of marked diversity. The restrained introduction of ‘One For The Road’ led into a comfortable groove before the jazz tinged ‘Money Don’t Matter’ with bouncing double bass and vocal harmonies. Harley then picked up his lap slide for a sprightly take of Muddy Waters ‘Can’t Be Satisfied’. Aside from the powerful slide effects emanating from the guitar, the rhythm section provided they could be just as forceful as Carter rocked his bass from side to side while Swatton personified controlled aggression on his kit. A much darker mood was reflected in the haunting slide led ‘Blues In My Window’, with superb finger picking technique as the song built from quiet melancholy to sustained emotional anguish. An unplugged ‘Winter Coast brought light relief as Harley and Carter played acoustic guitars beside by Swatton on balalaika at the front of the stage. The playful country of ‘Honey Bee’ encourage the crowd dancers, and preceded a spiritual yet fiery take of ‘Nobodies Fault But Mine’ before the delta blues boogie ‘Can’t Help Moving’. Harley’s assured and soulful voice was the hallmark on a great selection of songs, yet matched by the combined passion and effort given by the trio in this performance. The highly satisfying evening had to end with a crowd stopper, in an unusual yet superb version of ‘Voodoo Child’ on the lap slide. Duncan Beattie

TOMMY CASTRO @ The Ferry, Glasgow

Buoyed by the collection of no less than four winners from the Blues Music Awards the week previous, Castro and his band appeared willing to recall the place of their presentation commencing with ‘Make It Back To Memphis’. There was a good time rock n’ roll flavour to the song that immediately indicated that the Tommy Castro Band’s recognition was worthy: proving themselves as a very tight and talented unit. The reflective ‘That Time Again’ was next with a prominent solo by tenor sax player Keith Crossan. There’s more than a touch of James Brown in Castro’s vocal delivery, no more so than in ‘Nasty Habits’ with his bluesy guitar phrasing making it a popular early choice. Castro got to stretch those melodic blues notes on ‘Back Door Plan’, before some old fashioned soul with ‘Ninety Nine and One Half Days’. Castro was keen to allow his band members plenty of space, as we were lead by pianist Tony Stead to New Orleans for ‘Victims Of The Darkness’, notably featuring vocals from drummer Ronnie Smith. The closer to a superb first set was a delightfully funky version of Dylan’s ‘Got To Serve Somebody’, which saw Castro explore the venue during an extended guitar solo. The second hour served up more treats with a fast paced ‘Serves Me Right To Suffer which saw the band gradually stripped to Castro and Smith before the swinging ‘Big Sister’s Transistor Radio’ and the gospel tinged ‘Right As Rain’. Appropriately enough the crowd had all risen to their feet before the stage for the final ‘Can’t Keep A Good Man Down’.

Duncan Beattie

HIGH VOLTAGE BLUES - Joe Bonamassa and Stephen Dale Petit

Amid the procession of atrophied 60s and 70s acts overdosing on Philosan in an attempt to secure one more payday at the High Voltage Festival in London’s Victoria Park over the weekend of July 24-25, two blues acts stood out like spicy scents against the pervading smell of mothballs. Midway through Sunday afternoon Joe Bonamassa strode onto the main stage and delivered an awesome display of power blues. An hour later Stephen Dale Petit ground out a gritty, spiky blues set from the Ace Café stage, drowning out the motorcycle din from the nearby Wall Of Death. On the face of it Bonamassa and Petit are at opposite ends of the blues spectrum. Bonamassa’s rise from the Borderline to last year’s bill-topping appearance at the Royal Albert Hall within the space of 18 months has given him an unstoppable momentum that he’s riding with poise. In contrast, Petit’s blues crusade is about challenging the cosy conventions of the blues and getting back to its abrasive roots.

And yet both men have more in common than you’d think. Both are Americans with a healthy scepticism for their own country. And both are besotted with the British Blues explosion of the 60s. The fact that they each transmit this in such diverse styles is a tribute to the strength and versatility of the blues that unites them. Bonamassa’s set was an exercise in controlled emotion and dynamics. Coming on unannounced, he slipped unobtrusively into the steady rolling ‘Ballad Of John Henry’. But within two minutes he had the audience’s rapt attention as he embellished his guitar solo with theramin sound effects. Bonamassa is the blues guitar hero people have been waiting for since Stevie Ray Vaughan whose spirit was invoked on the vibrant, swinging ‘So It’s Like That’. And his enthusiasm roams wide: the concluding cover of Z Z Top’s ‘Just Got Paid’ broke into a note-perfect version of Jimmy Page’s guitar solo from Led Zeppelin’s ‘Dazed And Confused’ (complete with John Bonham’s stupendous drum fill) that had the crowd in paroxysms of delight.

Petit quelled the club hubbub of the Ace Café with the feisty ‘3 Gunslingers’ from his new album ‘The Crave’ and paid his own dues on Freddie King’s gutsy instrumental ‘Sidetracked’ and a slow, searing take on Albert King’s ‘As The Years Go Passing By’. As well as the Pretty Things Dick Taylor on bass Petit had another potent weapon in harmonica player Laurent Mouflier who’s harsh, captivating style comes straight from the 60s Chicago scene. And he challenged the audience’s assumption of what constitutes the blues by finishing with a stomping version of Tupac Shakur’s ‘California’. Intriguingly, it also seemed like both Bonamassa and Petit have been listening to the Who’s epic ‘Live At Leeds’. Bonamassa stuck close to their version of Mose Allison’s ‘Young Man Blues’ while Petit took even more liberties with Eddie Cochran’s ‘Summertime Blues’ and Johnny Kidd’s ‘Shakin’ All Over’ than the Who did. But what they both had in common compared to all the other acts at the High Voltage Festival is that their careers lie ahead of them rather than behind them.

Hugh Fielder

PHILIP SAYCE

@ King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow, 07/05/2010

Striding onto the stage, Sayce looked full of intent as he and his band launched into his opener ‘One Foot In The Grave’, the song was a powerful introduction to his style of hard-hitting rock blues. Already heavily perspiring, the pace was only slacked the slightly for ‘Powerful Thing’. While Sayce’s imposing stage presence was the dominant feature, his bass player Joel Gottschalk also caught the eye has he stomped over his side of the stage engrossed in the music he was playing. Ryan McMillan on drums then shouted here’s one for the ladies for the melodic ‘Over My Head’ The grateful

GOT LIVE

Ryan McMillan on drums then shouted here’s then treated to the first new song of the evening in ‘Bitter Monday’. Sayce’s guitar one for the ladies for the melodic ‘Over My Head’ The grateful crowd were then treated to the first new son of the evening in ‘Bitter Monday’ Sayce’s guitar delivery is matched only by his superb vocals. The lead song from “Innerrevolution” followed with its forceful drumbeat and contrasting dynamics and prominent guitar sustain with some tasty call and response licks. Sayce then dedicated the Albert King classic ‘As The Years Go Passing By’ to his late bandleader Jeff Healey. It was a stunningly emotive take that demonstrated that Sayce could play delicate and sincere slow blues as good as any man. Normal service was resumed with ‘Tennessee Woman’ before a fiery yet fun take of the Police’s ‘Next To You’. This was a superb showing from a band that will surely rise to greater prominence in the coming years. On this evidence Sayce has the charisma, the playing ability, the songs and the energy to rise to the top of the new blues rock pile. The icing on the cake was Sayce’s signature tune, the restrained blues of ‘Alchemy’ leading to the largest and final roar of the evening.

Duncan Beattie

MATT SCHOFIELD

@The Ferry, Glasgow, 02/05/2010

This first appearance by Schofield’s band could well have been an anti-climax, but thankfully due to the excellent musicianship of Schofield and his band and a responsive audience that lapped up each guitar lick, instead it suggests a long-standing relationship. The venue was still looking a little sparse when the band commenced their first set with the swinging ‘On My Way.’ Perhaps the early start had caught some people by surprise yet as the show continued through ‘Betting Man and the catch ‘Ear To The Crowd’ the crowd swelled to a respectable level. ‘What I Wanna Hear’ has a delightful opening guitar solo and the smiles on the faces of bassist Javier Garcia Vicente and Alain Baudry on drums reflecting the rise in temperature and feedback from the audience. The band had reached top level with ‘People Say’. A brand new track ‘I Don’t Know was presented with delight before the tempo was slowed for the stunning slow blues of ‘Lay It Down’. Schofield stands out from many of the new breed of Blues artists as Henderson’s organ provides the rhythm leading Schofield to focus on his tasty guitar leads and with this batch of great songs and scintillating guitar solos whilst side stepping any urge to play rock riffs. A showcase to the immense talents of the band came in an expansive ‘Sifting Through Ashes’ before an impromptu version of ‘Black Cat Bone’ brought a resoundingly enjoyable evening’s entertainment to an end.

Duncan Beattie

STEFAN SCHILL @ King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow, 07/05/2010

Pretty much an unknown entity before this show, nineteen year old Dutch guitar player Schill was supporting fellow Provogue label mate Philip Sayce on his first UK tour. Opening with a catchy guitar riff, the band commenced with ‘Any Direction’. Although many might have expected a set of standard blues rock, Schill was a revelation as his funky material owes greatly to Prince, while John Mayer appears to be an influence, the result was an assured and distinctive performance. Supplemented by a slightly older band of the imposing Bas Nuiver on bass, drummer Arie Veharr and notably Bob Fridzema on Hammond organ, the band reached a tight funky groove which ran through a selection of self penned from his debut album “Don’t Say A Word”. Presumably with only with a 30-minute slot, the emphasis was on his most catchy songs suck as ‘Take On My Beliefs’, to provide the greatest impact. This did mean that some of the original Blues songs that feature on his album were not featured, yet his delivery and strength of material still very impressive. The similarities with Johnny Lang are clear, yet what stood out most was Schill’s desire to create his own style based upon his mature vocals, bluesy guitar solos and harmonised choruses. This was a very appetising taste of what is to come for Schill and one hopes he will soon be presented with the change to return for some more lengthy appearances.

Duncan Beattie

DAVY KNOWLES & BACK DOOR SLAM

@King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow, 04/04/2010

Amazingly it was already 10.10pm when Davy Knowles, bassist PK and Steve Barci on drums too to the stage after a couple of non descript support acts. Within moments the way was worthwhile as the band launched into ‘Tear Down The Walls’, a natural opener which was played with more virbrancy than the solo version. ‘Riverbed’ followed the trend. PK has a mobile stage presence and there were a few times his bass came close to hitting the low ceiling. Barci’s smiles told their own story and they reacted to the energy of the well attended crowd, after two low key shows in Germany. We were then treated to some of Knowles’ more melodic work with ‘Coming Up for Air’ and then a beautiful version of Govt Mule’s ‘Worried Down With The Blues’. The soul outing from “Roll Away was next: ‘Come Home’ which featured new tempo changes, it started slower, then built up place before some mellow moments in the middle of the song. Knowles’ clever use of dynamics and feedback was a notable element to the show. His vocals were as good as ever, his secret is several cups of tea during the show. ‘Messing With The Kid’ was to follow with all the excitement and soloing of the great version by Rory Gallagher. The band’s original take of ‘Almost Cut My Hair’ was played, before the band aired a new song for the first time named ‘Catch The Moon’, it had an upbeat funky guitar driven riff. Eventually time caught up with us and they departed to a storming version of ‘You Don’t Love Me’, a song Knowles first heard recorded by John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers with a young Peter Green on guitar. On this evidence Knowles is one of the most talented British Blues guitarists since.

Duncan Beattie

London’s - Round Midnight Celebrates a Great First Year

There has been a resurgence of dedicated Blues & Roots venues in London in the past eighteen months with several new venues opening. Among the most popular, especially amongst musicians, is Round Midnight Jazz & Blues Bar in Islington. Owned and run by Michael Berk the venue recently celebrated its first anniversary with a gig by the Martin Harley band. They had played to a packed house on the opening night one year ago and they filled it again on 22 July. (Find out all about that wonderful anniversary night gig in our review section). Michael Berk is a former professional musician of some note. His experience colours his attitude to musicians and the effect is very positive. Musicians canvassed hold the venue in high regard with a general feeling of being treated with a good deal more respect than in most other London venues. Until recently the venue ran a nice kitchen (chicken wings to die for) but it’s closed for economic reasons. Michael hit on a superb alternative and now the venue serves quality authentic Italian pizza direct from a nearby specialist restaurant. The musicians get a pizza and a good drinks allowance. Add in top quality real ale, payment on the dot as soon as the gig ends, and it adds up to good deal all round. Musicians who feel respected play better. Mike looks back on an excellent first year with highlights including Martin Harley’s two shows and an unforgettable performance by the solo bass virtuoso Michael Manring and is now planning for 2011. The venue’s programme is flexible – Monday is low budget jazz & blues; Tuesday night is a popular blues jam, and a jazz jam on Wednesdays. Thursday is a band night, an eclectic mix stretching from blues to World music; Fridays and Saturdays are the biggest nights for blues and blues related acts and Sundays generally feature acoustic artists with occasional major names such as Newton Faulkner or Preston Reed appearing. A further imaginative move led to Mike booking the 6 till 7.30 pm slot with piano blues, both solo and duo. The idea is to bridge the gap between the after work crowd and the later regular music audience, so far it is working well. It has been deservedly a successful first year for the venue and with its positive and welcoming attitude to customers and performers the future looks very good. Congratulations Michael Berk & Round Midnight.

HENDRIX Forty Years On!

Jimi Hendrix - 1966-1970 a personal reflection

Vicky Martin

The year 1966 is widely remembered as the year England won the World Cup. It was also the year when something happened that would transform the face of rock ‘n’ roll forever. On September 24th Jimi Hendrix flew into London with one suitcase and a Stratocaster. Seven months later; June 13 1967 he flew out again to the USA and five days after that he played at Monterey. Things have never been the same since. Jimi had spent many years on the road in the USA perfecting his craft but his meteoric rise to fame and his career were short lived. He died on September 18 1970 aged just 27. His career had been brilliant, flashing across the sky like a comet, but unlike a comet his light has never really disappeared from view. This article is a personal reflection on that period, I saw him perform in London several times during that seven months, I even met him, albeit very briefly, after his gig at the Manor House pub in London. I shall also reflect on hearing the news of his death.

Forty years on from his death, his inspiration and presence remain a pervasive influence on rock and blues guitar. I’ve seen several of the up and coming acts in these past few years and Hendrix influence is still intensely present. In the publicity blurbs that regularly come my way I often read; ‘captures the edge and excitement of Hendrix and Cream in their heyday’- it is likely that writers of such words didn’t see Hendrix play live, especially during that magical seven month period. His impact was incomparable, his presence riveting, his music awesome. No one has come close to Jimi – there’ve been contenders yes, but only one champion. I’d like to try and delineate as clearly as possible four aspects of Jim Hendrix that made him such a powerful force

First, he was a complete musician with the facility play anything he wanted. Some may object that he couldn’t play jazz guitar like, say, Joe Pass or Jim Hall. True but he could express jazz style and had the ability to express jazz ideas – David Henderson 1 recalls the great Miles Davis saying that Hendrix, though an unschooled musician, had the ear to play anything that Davis described. There is no better reference than Miles Davis. The foundation of all this is that Hendrix had learned his craft in-situ, on the bandstand, playing everything as an accompanist, from pop, through soul to blues, again David Henderson notes how Hendrix watched and listened to all the other artists, on his early UK tours, even one such as Englebert Humperdink, and absorbed everything. This lifelong habit meant he understood exactly how the guitar works, its place in the musical structure, in relation to vocal, bass, drums etc.

Second; he fundamentally used the guitar as a rhythm instrument; true he developed a marvellous technique of playing

rhythm and lead at the same time, but rhythm was at the root. As many pro musicians will attest playing rhythm is the most important thing a player can do, 95% of guitar playing is accompaniment and thus primarily rhythm. That is exactly what Jimi did as accompanied various artists up and down the length and breadth of the USA, it was the basis of his technique. The above are things we appreciate in retrospect, but the third and most amazing thing about Jimi, especially for those seeing him during those seven months, was the unparalleled impact of his live performance. Reading David Henderson’s largely anecdotal book it seems he never saw Hendrix play in England during that period as he clearly underestimates his impact. Jimi was astonishing, he exploded on stage, there was a sense of danger, of taking music to places it had never been to. It was blues but it was different, stretched and pushed…and the man himself was the coolest ever, a wild guy with an almost electric primeval intensity to his show. This was one guy your parents would never understand.

Fourth, what do we really remember Jimi for? As a guitarist, certainly, but I would suggest that of all things he is remembered for songs – not endless guitar solos. The list of his great classic songs is substantial, including; ‘The Wind Cries Mary’, ‘Fire’, ‘Foxy Lady’, ‘Little Wing’, ‘In From the Storm’; even ‘Voodoo Chile’ is a completely formed song. His classic renderings of other writers’ tunes, such as ‘All Along the Watchtower’ are remembered for his performance and arrangement of the song not solely for the guitar. In each case the guitar was the vehicle for the song and not the other way round. I would suggest that his distinctive voice was just as important an instrument as his guitar; it was distinctive, instantly recognizable and almost a musical extension of the ultra-hip patter that he used to indulge between songs. Each song is perfectly formed, every guitar solo, is economical and says exactly what it needs to say, take ‘Manic Depression’ as an example, the solo is really exciting, inventive building to a stunning climax, but it is very short.

Three years later in September 1970 I heard the news of his death. Life was vibrant in those times; by then 1966 and the Marquee seemed remote to me. His appearance at the Isle of White had received very mixed reviews, the news of what he was doing was coming to us piecemeal, it was often downbeat; he seemed to have drifted a long way from England. I remember thinking ‘Oh well, that’s sad’ when I heard the news, but felt relatively untouched. I felt that I’d seen him at his best and that was that.

Looking back now I feel much sadder, it is obvious that we lost a truly creative artist who would have had many more great musical canvasses to paint. If we look at some of his improvisations on the Woodstock video it is obvious that he was seeking to take his music to new places. The link with Miles Davis is one that could have yielded so much. Davis was in the throes of revolutionising jazz and rock music, with another 25 years of creativity still to go. Who knows what Hendrix in tandem with such creativity could have achieved? You might get a clue, and only a clue, if you check out Miles Davis album ‘Jack Johnson’, John McLaughlin plays guitar on that, it’s worth a listen and thinking what Jimi might have done. As I recall it now the contrast between Jimi’s on-stage and off stage persona that was really striking was that he was a gentle, reflective and brilliantly creative being, if only he could stepped off the treadmill, rested and refreshed himself…who knows.

So I venture the question, what would he say about what is going on now? Endless versions of ‘Voodoo Chile’, ‘Hey Joe’ and more, ‘Machine Gun’ and ‘Star Spangled Banner’ played almost note for note as he played them? I think that he would be disappointed. ‘Machine Gun’ and ‘…Banner’ were done specifically as comment about what was happening then. I think he might say ‘Come on guys, take a little of what I did and stretch it, use it to talk about what’s happening in the world now’…and as for ‘Voodoo Chile’ and all that maybe he’d say ‘These are forms to be taken onward and stretched, they’re not blues versions of classical music to be repeated ad infinitum note for note… take from my music, use it and move on as I would have done’

So these are my reflections on a true musical great – and I think we’ll honour his memory much more if we begin to write tunes and say ‘This was inspired by Jimi Hendrix’, then take what we can of his and move forward.

Oh yes, before finishing; what did he say to me when I met him? Well, it was very brief, after the gig at Manor House Bluesville where Ron Lesley was the promoter. There was a small ante-room to the side of the stage; artists walked through it get to the stage. Jimi walked right through chatting to the people, I got a brief word “Hi Jimi, I’m starting out on the guitar trying to play blues, have you got any advice please?” he had huge hands and he put a hand on my shoulder and said “Just listen and learn from the real originals”…pretty good advice that. Almost all you’d ever need. He really did seem such a warm and gentle guy…it makes it all the sadder that he left so young.

HEGEMONY of the BLUES

Part 2 : Ladies sing the Blues; a story of lost momentum? Richard Thomas

The Hegemony of the Blues – Part 2 – Ladies sing the Blues; a story of lost momentum ?

“My baby, she run away with the garbage man, Yeah, my baby, she run away with the garbage man, Well I need you so bad, so you can empty my garbage can” Garbage Man by Tab Benoit

“This is a man’s world” sang James Brown, and in so doing opened up a big can of gender-competitive worms. Most would concede though, that mail dominance pervades most elements of modern life, especially the media. This is no feminist rant however, just a personal view about women and their role in Blues music. Perhaps it will satisfy neither the misogynist nor the feminist. A starting point for the discussion is perhaps the lyrical representation we will all be familiar with. “I woke up this morning and my baby had left me” are well worn paths – the message is that these women are unreliable, intolerant and unable to remain faithful. And it’s never our fault. Nope, they just can’t be trusted. “I don’t want no woman / Wants every downtown man she meet (2x) / She’s a no good doney / They shouldn’t ‘low her on the street.” Robert Johnson’s words just underpin the feeling that we boys are just victims. Even the most casual trawl through blues lyrics will see such sentiments repeated without mercy. On the face of it women have seemingly had a raw deal when it comes to the Blues. There is more to this though. What was behind the words written by Johnson – how many times had he been deceived and betrayed by a woman? The details of his life are so sketchy that probably nobody will ever know, but according to Tom Graves’ book Crossroads – The Life and Afterlife of Blues legend Robert Johnson, a defining moment in Johnson’s life was the death of his first wife Virginia. Graves suggests that it may have been possible that this brought down a “psychological black curtain” for Johnson, and that thereafter, he drifted, rootless, from town to town and woman to woman, writing songs “that were almost always about a relationship with a women and the fear of losing someone you love”. This seems sad and genuine, but history seems to have consigned this to oblivion, preferring to traditionally blame women for everything – and not very politely either.

Piero Scaruffi in The South: Negro Music says that “sex was the dominant theme and the lyrics were often explicit” and that “black songsters liked to boast about their sexual performances” One supposes that the girls came off worst here too, and the lack of early consideration in favour of brazen chauvinism is exemplified by Peter Burton in his essay Sex, Prison, Law, And Racism In The Blues (Solidarity 3/126, 7 February 2008) with his description of how “some male blues singers expressed the attitude that the high status of light-skinned women made them more difficult to deal with as romantic partners. The idea was that light-skinned women may be more beautiful, have more money, and a generally higher status, but they won’t treat a man well”. Burton further quotes Bo Weavil Jackson’s lyrics in ‘Some Scream High Yellow’ as “Some Scream High Yellow / I scream black or brown / High yellow may mistreat you / but black won’t turn you down.” Women, it would seem, were mere possessions with their skin colour directly connecting to their sexual availability. This idea dovetails with the theories put forward by Donald Bogle about racial stereotyping – the “Tragic Mulatto” was the name given to the popular representation of a beautiful, sexually attractive and often exotic mixed race woman, “cruelly caught between a divided racial inheritance.” We can all perhaps imagine such portrayals – Bogle’s suggestions are heinously accurate.

In his fascinating autobiography Really the Blues, Mezz Mezzrow (the man who “brought marijuana to the masses”) sympathetically describes a world where women seemed to be either authoritarian figures or hookers. Albeit his own treatment of the street girls was apparently sensitive and kind, but equally clearly, from his and a wider perspective, they were still possessions to be owned by men. All this adds to a depressing picture, and in their paper Meridians: feminism, race, transnationalism published in 2008, Janell Hobson and Dianne Bartlow summarise several generations of popular music with the assertion that “in this business, women’s images are the commodities sold as well as the currency.” Piling on the agony, they purport that “women in varying cultures have been portrayed either as decorative, fetishistic, manipulative, fragile, or in need of rescuing (or submission) in contemporary popular music lyrics, music videos, music concerts, and movie soundtracks.” No condemnation could be stronger. If “sex” is biologically assigned, “gender” according to the World Heath Organisation, is “the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women.” The case rests; men have socially constructed women as objects in Blues music – they are second class citizens, sex objects and possessions who will be “at it” with someone else the minute we leave the room.

It could be a bum rap though; there is another side to this with an equally compelling case. Despite his categorisation of the women in his life, Mezzrow also tells of an almost obsessive admiration for Bessie Smith – “when she was in a room her vitality flowed out like a cloud and stuffed the air till the walls bulged”. She used to tease the white Mezzrow about his “pretty” wavy hair and he recalls that “many’s the time I almost peeled my whole goddamn scalp off, to hand to her on a silver platter” When she died, he was inconsolable. Bessie had been a “mother, sister, friend and lovin’ woman to me. taught us all we knew”, providing “the courage to keep straight with our music.” The multi roles played by Smith in

Mezzrow’s life are at odds with the one dimensional function of those old misogynistic lyrics considered earlier. In their piece Matriarchs And The Making Of The Classic Blues, online learning resource providers the Shmoop editorial team (a group of top U.S scholars) echo the suggestion made in our last essay about race and the blues that “pressed to call to mind the image of a blues singer, most people would no doubt picture a singer holding a guitar, perhaps playing that guitar with a slide. Unless it’s Eric Clapton, this singer is almost certainly African-American. And here’s another sure thing: he’s male.” Most critically however, they continue to claim that this is a “historical accident” since “throughout the 1920’s, female singers dominated the blues on record with records released at the rate or about one per week, these were predominantly made by women vocalists”. Maybe the worm is beginning to turn on this one.

So, perhaps then, the girls played a more dominating role after all, and alongside the rather sexist, chauvinistic views of their male counterparts, they were building a powerbase of their own.

In Mother of the Blues: A Study of Ma Rainey Sandra Lieb attests that it is “the blues women” that “ushered black culture into the American mainstream, indelibly recreating a world of black experience and making visible the lives and aspirations of millions of black Americans.” Taking this further, in her piece Mean Mama Blues Bessie Smith and the Vaudeville Era, Henrietta Yurchenco maintains that the Blues can be identified as being the “only body of songs which clearly expresses an honest response to her condition as a women”. Yurchenco outlines a post World War 1 feeling of liberation where people were more explicit in their feelings. This freedom is reconfirmed by Hazel Carby in It Jus Be Dat Way Sometimes when she says that “blues singers took a privileged space, taking their sensuality and sexuality outside the private sphere and into the public” Scholars Odum and Johnson witness too, that “classic blues singers were all women” and that most songs were written from a female perspective; scarcely a man’s opinion was to be found”. While Robert Johnson and co. were saying one thing, it appears that their female counterparts were in no way unsuccessful in saying the opposite. As Brad Wheeler observed in Women Get The Blues Too (published in The Globe and Mail in Canada in November 2004) “blues music is more than a man’s game queens have ruled the genre, just as the kings have”. Moreover, the queens weren’t shrinking violets either. Armed with the new confidence, according to Paul Slade in his article How Sex Turned The Blues Red Hot in The Telegraph in 2007, female stars like Bessie Smith and Alberta Hunter “made sure that the first blues records ever released were also some of the most sexually explicit in the history of popular music.” “Are you a good jelly roll baker?” “Do you need a little sugar in your bowl?” and “Does anybody here want to try your cabbage?” are all thinly disguised euphemisms for the bumping of uglies. So, not only were these early female stars taking centre stage, they were dictating terms and setting agendas. Relationships were a two-way tango and as relevant to women as they were to men. Interestingly, research for this piece involved a question to a respected local bluesman and student of early blues lyrics. “What were they about?” I asked him, innocently. His simple and serious reply was that they were about carnal knowledge (or one word to that effect). Many believe that even now, men rule the roost in terms of media representation and agenda, and there is a whole discussion here which does not involve the Blues at all. But if this is a reasonable assumption, then presumably, back in the heyday of the great female blues singers their determination, strength and sheer noteworthiness would have been essential prerequisites for success. Did the pressure of personifying women in general push these iconic figures into attention-grabbing behaviour which even would make present day celebrity wannabees blush? They certainly knew how to push the limits. In Sex, Prison, Law, And Racism In The Blues Peter Burton cites Ma Rainey as the “first superstar of the classic blues women”. Although married to Pa Rainey, her love of women was no secret at a time when such frankness was considered outrageous. Police raided a party in 1925 where “several women including Ma, were found together naked and having sex”. Shmoop describe her distinctive appearance –“short and heavyset, never described as attractive given to ostentation, often appearing in plumes and sequins and adorned with a chain of twenty gold coins on her neck” with “a reputation for promiscuity” Bessie Smith was also widely known to be promiscuous and also no stranger to strong drink; the struggles of Billie Holiday are widely chronicled and Ethel Waters, conceived during a rape pursued an unwise relationship and fell in with a drug addict boyfriend following an escape from an abusive marriage aged only 13. More recently, Janis Joplin (who paid for Bessie Smith’s gravestone years after her death) was another whose short reign was coloured by excess These were strong-willed, extreme-living (though sometimes short-living) women – a coincidence or the price they paid for carrying the hopes of others on their brittle shoulders? William F. Danaher asserts that three topics dominated the agendas of such early Blues women. In Gender Power: The Influence of Blues Queens, 1921 to 1929 he claims that their material was about labour, power, and intimate relationships. With such preoccupations, there was little time to be frivolous

BessieSmith

in terms of content, but their in so many cases their private lives seemed to be chaotically hectic and extreme. Not that the boys didn’t have their moments; according to Chris Sullivan’s 2009 piece in The Times entitled Guest list; The World As Listed By The Legendary Blues Guitarist, “thorough-going ladies man” BB King has “fathered 15 children by 15 different women”. As in the case of the race for power in terms of black or white hegemony, there is a defining moment of change. Shmoop describe how “the great depression and collapse of the US economy took the record industry and the careers of the likes of Smith and Rainey with it.” The Blues, it says, “fell largely back to folk tradition and local black audiences for a while, and when it recovered national prominence again in the 1960s, that recovery was driven by the “rediscovery” of rural blues artists by young, Leftist, and mostly male, whites.“ When Blues remerged with British help, it was with a more electric sound, and for some reason, there seemed a general reluctance for female artists to pick up a guitar - it seemed that plucking strings was a man thing and of the previous generation, few apart from the splendid Beverley Guitar Watkins stand out as plugged-in pioneers. The depression dealt women’s blues a grievous blow from which arguably in terms of exposure and dominance, it has never recovered. Shmoop mentions that since Rainey and Smith, “there has never been another time when women so dominated the genre and made the blues so much their own.” With male artists and opinions perhaps in the ascendency once again, even as simple consumers of music, the sexes are polarised. Frith and McRobbie (quoted in Brian Longhurst’s book Popular Music And Society) refer to the phenomenon of “cock rock” where men are much more active consumers of music, attending live gigs and more aggressively following the scene whereas women are more passive in their take-up. Perhaps this at least partly explains why when Britain gathered up traditional blues and breathed new life into it, there seems to be fewer women performers. Before any feminist onslaught though, at this point it should be noted that the female contributors to our magazine are equally as well versed and enthusiastic as any of the men, and so perhaps this is a moot point in our own localised context, but perhaps this carries some general weight. At the very least probably most would agree that the 1960’s Blues revival was male dominated.

In summary, and from our earlier piece, the Blues “power race” may have started off as black, was/maybe still is dominated by white artists and attitudes, but has become much less easy to analyse as the genre has developed. Similarly, after perhaps a female start it has grown and evolved towards male dominance, and the question to be posed is whether the girls are restabilising themselves in great enough numbers. It may be a man’s world, but to conclude James Brown’s opening lyric, “it wouldn’t be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl”. It remains to the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Ana Popovic, Susan Tedeschi, Joanne Taylor Shaw, Rory Block et al, aided and abetted by publications like ours to act as a conduit for everyone who loves the blues. They can germinate the next harvest. “Rebecca, Rebecca, get your big legs off of me / It may be sending you baby, but it’s worrying the hell out of me” says Big Joe Turner, but hopefully there will be less to worry about as we move slowly towards a gender equilibrium.

THE GOLDEN GATE QUARTET INCREDIBL E

To be released on oct. 4th

Decades after their inspired beginnings in the segregated Old South, between the world wars, and famous for propelling the religious music of African Americans into the musical mainstream, Elvis Presley’s favourite spiritual group makes the news with this soul-drenched and gospel-laden album. Clyde Wright (recruited by the Gates in 1954) andPaul Brembly (with the group since 1971) share credits on most of the titles here. Amust!

INCONCERT IN LONDON ON NOVEMBER 19, 2010 AT THE BARBICAN - LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL (with the Harlem Gospel Choir)

JOELOUISWALKER

LIVEONTHELEGENDARY RHYTHM & BLUESCRUISE

Tobe released on oct 4th

An incredible cast for an astonishing concert! Live and on the move on the Legendary Blues Cruise, Walker has recorded THE blues album of the year with guests Johnny Winter, Duke Robillard, Tommy Castro, Watermelon Slim, Kenny Neal, Tab Benoit, Curtis Salgado,and many others… Joe and his crew truly set the ship on fire!

The Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, is celebrating 20 years of music in 2010! And to celebrate they are looking for a UK Blues act to take part in the festival next year – more of which later. For six days each September as the maple leaves begin to change colour, Fredericton, New Brunswick, is transformed from a relaxed and spacious provincial capital into a vibrant musical party. Large in scope but staged on an intimate scale, music fans can experience 23 indoor and outdoor stages, 125 shows featuring more than 350 performers from across the region, Canada and around the world. Jay Sieleman, executive director of the Blues Foundation, describes Harvest as “world class, something truly special.” A unique festival experience, it combines New Brunswick’s famous flair for Maritime hospitality and ability to party together with great music and historic backdrops condensed into only four beautiful downtown City blocks. With the help of 1,000 volunteers in this City of 47,000, the entire community celebrates the Harvest season. Harvest takes over the town and the town takes over Harvest. Acts range from avant-garde jazz to blues – but it’s mainly Blues. Past performers include Canadian greats Diana Krall, Colin James, Harry Manx, and Oliver Jones; Americans Buddy Guy, Delbert McClinton, Little Feat, Derek Trucks, Government Mule, and Dr. John; and U.K. performers Davy Knowles, Sarah Jane Morris and Dominique Miller. Some of the performers this year are Legendary American singer-songwriter , John Hiatt, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, one of the best blues-rock guitarists of today, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi Band, Australia’s Xavier Rudd & Izintaba, Big Sugar and The Trews, Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers and Elliot Brood, Maria Muldaur, Roomful of Blues, and the International Blues Competition winner and New Brunswicker, Matt Andersen. For more information take a look at the festival website www.harvestjazzandblues.com

In case you don’t know already, New Brunswick is one of Canada’s lesser known provinces but it’s also one of the closest to the UK, on Canada’s magnificent east coast only a 6 hour flight and short drive away. And it’s not all about the music, with sprawling vistas, mighty rivers and truly great outdoors, New Brunswick is a Province that gives you the space to spread out and breathe!

You can immerse yourself in nature. Stroll the boardwalk through one of rarest sand dunes on the continent, hike majestic trails, relax on excellent and surprisingly warm sandy beaches (New Brunswick has hot summers) or climb atop some of the oldest mountains on the planet. It’s probably best known for the Bay of Fundy and its tides, at least it would be if you were paying attention in your geography lessons. For those of you who need a refresher, the Bay of Fundy is renowned for having the most extreme tides on the planet at 17 metres (50 feet) between low and high, five to ten times higher than the rest of the world’s tides. Fundy’s coast is among the worlds most dramatic and dynamic and the Bay of Fundy is often described as ‘as impressive the Grand Canyon’ in both size and phenomenon… And it’s partly due to the tides that the whale watching here is some of the best in the world including the rare North Atlantic Right Whale. In 2009, the Bay of Fundy was declared one of the 28 finalists in New 7 Wonders of Nature global campaign, the only Canadian site remaining in the contest. The winner will be announced in November 2011. Other finalists include the Great Barrier Reef and the Galapagos Islands so it’s in good company. The seven winners will be determined based on popular vote and announced on November 11, 2011.

The culture of New Brunswick is a wonderful mix of English, French, Irish, Scottish and First Nations all living in harmony. A colourful world of a French Acadian influenced language, music and cuisine you can experience the renowned Acadian joie de vivre (love of life). Crack open a luscious lobster straight from the sea and pop open a bottle of locally made blueberry wine to toast the maritime experience of a lifetime.

But let’s not forget the music and the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival. Tourism New Brunswick is looking for an act (solo or band) to take to Canada next year to play at the festival and fly the flag for the UK. They’ll be holding heats around the country in January 2011, the winner from each heat will be invited to play at the final in London on March 29th and the winner of the final will be flown on an all-expenses paid trip to New Brunswick to play at the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival next September. An ideal chance to raise the profile of a band if ever there was one.

Full details of how to enter will be on the Tourism New Brunswick website www.tourismnewbrunswick.co.uk and the Blues Matter website www.bluesmatters.com from 10th October and entries will be open until December.

INTERVIEWS COMING SOON!!

ISSUE…….57

ARI BORGER (Brazil), MARSHALL CHESS Pt.2 (USA), BARRY GOLDBERG Pt.1 (USA), DANI WILDE (UK), DEBORAH BONHAM (UK), ELEPHANT SHELF (UK), GEOFF ACHISON (Australia), HOKIE JOINT (UK), IAN SIEGAL (UK), RICK PAYNE (UK), WILLIE & THE POORBOYS (USA), VIRGIL & THE ACCELERATORS (UK), Future parts in the Hegemony of the Blues series will include; 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)

No we didnt forget it ‘LEST WE FORGET’

FEATURE WILL BE IN THE NEXT ISSUE

Jo Jo Burgess

Ari Borger Quartet

Marshall Chess

Deborah Bonham

Virgil

Sadly just before going to press we heard the news of Kevin Thorpe’s untimely death. A great musician and songwriter. He passed away on 11th September 2010. More in the next issue.

There’sthebi-monthlyBlueschart compiledbyRedLickforus.....andof coursepilesofCDandLivereviews, Festivalreportsandmore.......