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I started a quest to find terrific blues music and incredible musicianship when I was just a little kid. I also have a tremendous appreciation of fine musical instruments and equipment. One of my greatest joys all of my life was sharing my finds with my friends. I'm now publishing my journey. I hope that you come along!


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Showing posts with label Eric Bibb. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eric Bibb. Show all posts

Monday, November 20, 2023

Borealis Records artist: Michael Jerome Browne - Gettin' Together - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Gettin' Together, by Michael Jerome Browne and it's a full plate of authentic blues, performed as written. Opening with Mississippi John Hurt's, Monday Morning Blues, Michael Jerome Browne on vocal and 12 string shows a true understanding of the original music with his articulate picking pattern and vocals, joined by Harrison Kennedy on vocal and harmonica. Excellent opener. Delmore Brothers' I've Got The Big River Blues is a terrific track with MJB on guitar and Mary Flower on lap slide guitar. Really nice. Mississippi born Rube Lacy penned Ham Hound Crave and MJB and guitar wiz Colin Linden really bring this track to life. On Bukka White's (BB King's cousin, Booker T. Washington) Fixin' To Die Blues was reimagined as a mountain duet featuring MJB on vocal and gourd banjo and Teilhard Frost on fiddle. This is a great track and it's hard to imagine it any other way. Slow blues, Black Boy Shine's, Married Man Blues, has terrific vocal phrasing and 12 string by MJB, accompanied by Mary Flower on lap slide. Wrapping the release is Brownie McGhee's up tempo, Living With The Blues, with lively vocals and 12 string by MJB, joined by John Sebastian on harmonica, Happy Traum on lead guitar and John McColgan on washboard. This is a great closer, noted as learned from Penny Lang. 


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Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Stony Plain artist: Eric Bibb - Ridin' - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Ridin', from Eric Bibb and it's a good one. Opening with Family, Bibb really has it going here. With a cool bass line creating an apprehensive sense and his rich vocals and great backing vocals, this is an excellent opener.  Shuffle, The Ballad of John Howard Griffin, featuring Russell Malone, has a cool slickness with jazzy guitar chords and lead. With a tall tale, this track is introspective and positive. Country style blues, Call Me By My Name features Harrison Kennedy, on vocal and guitar trading with Bibb. This is a strong track reviewing the slave plight of human recognition. Wrapping the release is Church Bells, a cool acoustic guitar outro backed by fiddle and bass. Bibb has his own style and his own theme and that's what makes him Bibb. Very nice. 


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Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Provogue artist: Eric Bibb: Dear America - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Dear America, from Eric Bibb and it may be his best in years. Opening with Whole Lotta Lovin' with it's rolling acoustic guitar riff and backing instrumentation by Ron Carter on bass and Glen Scott on keys this track had a very friendly warmness. Shaneeka Simon joins Bibb and Tommy Sims on lead vocal, and teamed with Steffan Astner on slide guitar gives this track strong appeal. Slower, lumbering Whole World's Got The Blues features a nice appearance by Eric Gales who lights up his electric guitar and Sims on bass, and Glen Scott on drums fill out the bottom. A modern take on the delta style blues, title track, Dear America pairs Bibbs acoustic guitar and vocal over Chuck Anthony on electric guitar, Scott on drums and percussion, Christer Lyssarides on mandola and Simon and Big Daddy Wilson on backing vocals. Strong ballad, Emmett's Ghost plays to Bibb's strength in songwriting, vocal and acoustic guitar. With a super melody, and message, Bibb delivers one of the best tracks on the release. Another upmix blues track, Talkin' 'Bout A Train fuses traditional blues with just a light tough of modern neo soul. Harmonica wiz Billy Branch steps up and delivers over hot drum beat and some great backing vocals by Scott. Funky! Wrapping the release is One-Ness of Love with the silky vocals of Lisa Mills paired with Bibb's own warm lead vocals. Violin work by David Davidson and David Angell, Scott on piano and Sims on guitar, make this a strong closer. 


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Friday, April 12, 2019

Borealis Records artist: Michael Jerome Browne - That's Where It's At! - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, That's Where It's At!, from Michael Jerome Browne and it's quite fine. Opening with acoustic jazz instrumental, Don't Ask Me Why, Browne shows fleet fingered accuracy backed by the light and tight drum work of John Mc Colgan. Smoking opener with great chops. On shuffle track, Black Nights, Browne slips on the slide and settles down in a nice groove with bluesy vocals and again, Mc Colgan on drums. Harrison Kennedy joins on vocals on traditional delta blues styled Pharaoh, rich in tradition and earthy wealth. Very nice. Remember When is a cool folk ballad with clean acoustic picking and featuring vocal duet with Roxanne Potvin. Very clean. Rolling into Al Green's Here I Am (Come And Take Me) showing that Brown not only has the blues but a rich soul. His vocals are soulful and his guitar playing strong and supportive. Randy Newman's, Lousiana 1927, never sounded so sweet with solid vocals, intimate guitar soloing and sweet phrasing. Very nice. Where Is The Song? is a really nicely crafted closer for this truly remarkable acoustic folk/jazz/blues release. Browne's vocals and guitar work are very strong and his writing is really clean. Looking forward to hearing this on the home system at my leisure.



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Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Stony Plain Records artist: Eric Bibb - Global Griot - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent 2 disc release, Global Griot, from Eric Bibb and it's very warm and rich with heavy cultural influences. Opening with Gathering of the Tribes, Bibb blends the rhythms and instrumentation of Africa with his own warm vocal styling creating a unique sound. Rolling into Wherza Money At Bibb works a Jamaican sound and with key trumpet, organ and string accents weaving a really nice cultural textile. Very nice. Boogie track, Black, Brown and White takes on a traditional American blues form with soulful vocals, great rhythm and style. A Room For You is a light, folk style track with nimble fingerpicking, cool percussion and trademark Bibb vocals. Solo Cissokho is featured on Spirit Day, a cool West African flavored track with Harrison Kennedy on vocals. Very cool. Instrumental, Picture A New World is a nice guitar progression on a basic melodic them creating a peaceful sound with interwoven textures of sound. Wrapping the release is Needed Time with warm vocals, sparkling guitar and kora melodies and simple rhythm. This is a cool release with various nicely blended themes resulting in a very enjoyable package. 

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Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Stony Plain Records artist: Eric Bibb - Migration Blues - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Migration Blues, from Eric Bibb and it's a nice package. Opening with Refugee Moan, a modern acoustic blues, Bibb on vocal and guitar is joined by Michael Jerome Browne on guitar and violin, JJ Milteau on harp. With a really solid delta blues framework, Bibb masterfully crafts a beautiful recreation of original delta style blues with vocals smooth as silk. Prayin' For Shore is a really supple ballad with nicely appointed guitar accompaniment to Bibbs vocals and Milteau's harp work. Very nice. Title track, Migration Blues, is a articulate blues instrumental with nice finger and slide guitar work, complimented nicely by Milteau's harp. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Brotherly Love, has really strong soul lines. Bibb's vocals really lends itself to this style and his guitar work blended with that of Browne's is terrific. Nothing could be more appropriate to today's climate than Woody Guthrie's This Land is Your Land. Without changing the general arrangement much but spiced up quite a bit with guitar and mandolin, this track is really nice. Blacktop is another super delta style blues track with Browne on vocal and resonator. Wrapping the release is springy, Mornin' Train, with a clean Piedmont Style.



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Monday, February 27, 2017

Award-Winning Singer/Songwriter Eric Bibb Shines a Light on "Migration Blues" with New CD Coming March 31 from Stony Plain Records





Award-Winning Singer/Songwriter Eric Bibb Shines a Light on Migration Blues with New CD Coming March 31 from Stony Plain Records



EDMONTON, AB – Stony Plain Records announces a March 31 release date for Migration Blues, the new album from Blues Music Award-winning singer/songwriter Eric Bibb. The new album showcases Eric Bibb’s talents on vocals, guitars, six-string banjo and contrabass guitar, backed by a group that features Michael Jerome Browne (guitars, vocals, banjos, mandolin and triangle) and JJ Milteau (harmonica). Migration Blues was produced by Bibb, Browne and Milteau. Watch a video of the making of Migration Blues here:




Mainly composed of new tunes, the 15 tracks on Migration Blues also include covers of Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War” and Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.” An arrangement of the traditional “Mornin’ Train,” closes the opus.

“Whether you’re looking at a former sharecropper, hitchhiking from Clarksdale to Chicago in 1923, or an orphan from Aleppo, in a boat full of refugees in 2016 – it’s migration blues,” Eric says about his timely and insightful new release. “With this album, I want to encourage us all to keep our minds and hearts wide open to the ongoing plight of refugees everywhere. As history shows, we all come from people who, at some time or another, had to move.”



In a career spanning five decades, 37 albums, countless radio and TV shows and international touring, Eric Bibb has become one of the leading bluesmen of his generation. He’s also one of the most respected blues singer and songwriters, whose music is always reverent, keeping one foot in the blues and folk storytelling traditions.


“The joy of making music and sharing it with you is a big part of my life,” Bibb says in the album’s liner notes. “Another big part is travelling and getting to know folks from many places. This exposure to different cultures has led me to think of myself as a citizen of the world, blessed with countless opportunities to recognize my connectedness to people everywhere. Feeling this connection makes it easier to let go of my pre-conceived notions and prejudices toward people and cultures that are outside of my experience.



“The way I see it, prejudice towards our brothers and sisters who are currently called ‘refugees’ is the problem. Fear and ignorance are the problems. Refugees are not ‘problems’ – they are courageous fellow human beings escaping dire circumstances. Fleeing from war and unbearable hardship is something people have been doing all over the world for millennia. It’s nothing new. Every culture has its own migration stories and songs.



“While pondering the current refugee crisis I found myself thinking about the Great Migration, which saw millions of African Americans leaving the brutal segregation and economic misery of the rural South for the industrial cities of the North. Making this connection is what inspired the new songs included here. Peace and love, Eric.”



Migration Blues Track Listing



01 REFUGEE MOAN 3:06

02 DELTA GETAWAY 2:37

03 DIEGO’S BLUES 3:42

04 PRAYIN’ FOR SHORE 4:03

05 MIGRATION BLUES 3:07

06 FOUR YEARS, NO RAIN 2:36

07 WE HAD TO MOVE 3:09

08 MASTERS OF WAR 3:19

09 BROTHERLY LOVE 4:11

10 LA VIE C’EST COMME UN OIGNON 2:38

11 WITH A DOLLA’ IN MY POCKET 3:51

12 THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND 3:16

13 POSTCARD FROM BOOKER 0:51

14 BLACKTOP 3:56

15 MORNIN’ TRAIN 3:36


Eric Bibb is currently on tour in Canada with a series of U.S shows to follow.



Eric Bibb U.S. Tour Dates



3/1-3/2                 African-American Arts Center                    Albuquerque, NM

4/21-4/24            Fur Peace Ranch                                                               Pomeroy, OH

Monday, January 9, 2017

Blues Music Award nominees announced by the Blues Foundation; ceremony is May 11


THE BLUES FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES
38TH BLUES MUSIC AWARD NOMINEES 
Awards ceremony to be held May 11, 2017 in Memphis


MEMPHIS, Tenn. The Blues Foundation is pleased to announce the nominations for its annual Blues Music Awards, which the international organization will present on Thursday, May 11, 2017 at the Cook Convention Center in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. Universally recognized as the highest accolade afforded blues musicians, The Blues Music Awards upholds its rich cultural tradition by honoring the past year’s superior achievements in blues performance, songwriting, and recording. This annual ceremony represents the premier event for blues professionals, musicians, and fans around the globe.  
Sugar Ray Norcia, individually, and collectively with his band, The Bluetones, received the most nominations with seven, including B.B. King Entertainer Award, Best Song, Best Album and Best Band. The total reaches ten with the inclusion of his Bluetones bandmates Monster Mike Welch (Instrumentalist-Guitar), Michael “Mudcat” Ward (Instrumentalist-Bass) and Anthony Geraci (Pinetop Perkins Piano Player). Chicago-based guitarist Toronzo Cannon garnered four nominations and he faces off against Norcia in both the Best Song and Best Album categories. Best Album probably ranks as the most competitive category, with Norcia and Cannon battling Bobby Rush, Kenny Neal, William Bell and the Nick Moss Band, who all have three nominations.  
Several nominees will be defending their titles won at last year’s Blues Music Awards. Instrumentalist-Harmonica winner Kim Wilson is one of this year’s nominees, and Cedric Burnside might again claim the Instrumentalist-Drums crown. Shemekia Copeland and Bettye LaVette also return to the categories they won last year (Contemporary Blues Female Artist and Soul Blues Female Artist, respectively), while 2016’s Acoustic Artist winner, Doug MacLeod, is one of this year’s contenders too.   
The Awards also honor the next generation of blues performers with the Best Emerging Artist Album category. In fact, two Emerging Artist nominees also are contenders for a second award. Detroit native Thornetta Davis’s “I Gotta Sang the Blues” is up for Best Song, while Terrie Odabi is competing against the likes of Bettye LaVette and Mavis Staples to be named Soul Blues Female Artist.  
The complete list of 38th Blues Music Award nominees also can be found at the Blues Foundation’s website — www.blues.org. A ballot will soon be sent to all Blues Foundation members, as they have the privilege of deciding which nominees will actually take home a Blues Music Award in May. Anyone interested in casting a vote to decide this year’s winners may receive a ballot by joining or renewing their membership with The Blues Foundation at any time up to February 28, 2017. 
The Blues Music Awards ceremony annually proves to be one of the year’s best shows. Not only does almost every nominee attend, but they also perform, creating a lineup featuring the best of the best in blues all in one evening. More information regarding membership, voting, ticket, and host hotel information can be found at www.blues.org or by calling 901.527.2583.  
Major funding is provided by ArtsMemphis and the Tennessee Arts Commission.  The 38th Blues Music Awards are also sponsored by BMI, GET and I-55 Productions, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and Sony/Legacy.    
The Blues Foundation is Memphis-based, but world-renowned as THE organization whose mission is to preserve blues heritage, celebrate blues recording and performance, expand worldwide awareness of the blues, and ensure the future of this uniquely American art form.  Founded in 1980, The Blues Foundation has approximately 4000 individual members and 200 affiliated local blues societies representing another 50,000 fans and professionals around the world.  Its signature honors and events — the Blues Music Awards, Blues Hall of Fame, International Blues Challenge and Keeping the Blues Alive Awards — make it the international center of blues music. Its HART Fund provides the blues community with medical assistance for musicians in need, while Blues in the Schools programs and Generation Blues Scholarships expose new generations to blues music. The recent opening of the Blues Hall of Fame Museum, in Memphis, TN, now adds the opportunity for music lovers of all ages to interact with the music and the history. For more information, log onto www.blues.org.
38th Blues Music Award Nominees
Acoustic Album
Doug MacLeod - Live in Europe
Eric Bibb - The Happiest Man in the World
Fiona Boyes - Professin' the Blues
Jimmy “Duck” Holmes - Live at Briggs Farm
John Long - Stand Your Ground
Luther Dickinson - Blues and Ballads (A Folksinger's Songbook) Vol I and II

Acoustic Artist
Doug MacLeod
Eric Bibb
Fiona Boyes
Jimmy “Duck” Holmes
Luther Dickinson

Album
Bobby Rush - Porcupine Meat
Kenny Neal - Bloodline
Nick Moss Band - From the Root to the Fruit
Sugar Ray & the Bluetones - Seeing is Believing
Toronzo Cannon - The Chicago Way
William Bell – This Is Where I Live
         
Band
Golden State Lone Star Blues Revue
Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials
Nick Moss Band
Sugar Ray and the Bluetones
Tedeschi Trucks Band
 
B.B. King Entertainer
Joe Bonamassa
John Nemeth
Lil’ Ed Williams
Sugar Ray Norcia
Sugaray Rayford

Best Emerging Artist Album
Corey Dennison Band - Corey Dennison
Guy King - Truth
Jonn Del Toro Richardson - Tengo Blues
Terrie Odabi - My Blue Soul
Thornetta Davis - Honest Woman

Contemporary Blues Album
Al Basile - Mid Century Modern
Kenny Neal - Blood Line
Nick Moss Band - From the Root to the Fruit
The Record Company - Give It Back To You
Toronzo Cannon - The Chicago Way

Contemporary Blues Female Artist
Alexis P Suter
Ana Popovic
Janiva Magness
Shemekia Copeland
Susan Tedeschi
 
Contemporary Blues Male Artist
Albert Castiglia
Kenny Neal
Mike Zito
Sugaray Rayford
Toronzo Cannon

Historical Album
Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, A Music Man Like Nobody Ever Saw, Bear Family Records
B.B. King, More B.B. King: Here’s One You Haven’t Heard, Ace Records
Bobby Rush, Chicken Heads: A 50-Year History of Bobby Rush, Omnivore Recordings
Michael Burks, I’m A Bluesman, Iron Man Records
Pinetop Perkins & Jimmy Rogers, Genuine Blues Legends, Elrob Records
 
Instrumentalist-Bass
Biscuit Miller
Bob Stroger
Michael “Mudcat” Ward
Patrick Rynn
R W Grigsby
 
Instrumentalist-Drums
Cedric Burnside
Jimi Bott
June Core
Tom Hambridge
Tony Braunagel

Instrumentalist-Guitar
Bob Margolin
Joe Bonamassa
Kid Andersen
Monster Mike Welch
Ronnie Earl 

Instrumentalist-Harmonica
Dennis Gruenling
Jason Ricci
Kim Wilson
Mark Hummel
Sugar Ray Norcia
   
Instrumentalist-Horn
Al Basile
Nancy Wright
Sax Gordon Beadle
Terry Hanck
Vanessa Collier 

Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female)
Annika Chambers
Diunna Greenleaf
Inetta Visor
Shaun Murphy
Trudy Lynn

Pinetop Perkins Piano Player
Anthony Geraci
Barrelhouse Chuck
Henry Gray
Jim Pugh
Victor Wainwright

Rock Blues Album of the Year
Albert Castiglia - Big Dog
Mike Zito - Keep Coming Back
Moreland & Arbuckle - Promised Land or Bust
Tedeschi Trucks Band - Let Me Get By
Walter Trout - Alive in Amsterdam

Song
“Blues Immigrant” written by Matthew Skoller & Vincent Bucher and performed by Matthew Skoller on Blues Immigrant
“I Gotta Sang The Blues” written and performed by Thornetta Davis on Honest Woman
“Seeing Is Believing” written by Ray Norcia and performed by Sugar Ray & The Bluetones on Seeing Is Believing
“Walk A Mile In My Blues” written by David Duncan, Curtis Salgado & Mike Finigan and performed by Curtis Salgado on The Beautiful Lowdown
“Walk it Off” written and performed by Toronzo Cannon on The Chicago Way

Soul Blues Album
Bobby Rush - Porcupine Meat
Curtis Salgado - The Beautiful Lowdown
Johnny Rawls - Tiger in a Cage
Wee Willie Walker - Live! Notodden Blues Festival
William Bell - This Is Where I Live  
     
Soul Blues Female Artist
Bettye Lavette
Lara Price
Mavis Staples
Terrie Odabi
Vaneese Thomas

Soul Blues Male Artist
Bobby Rush
Curtis Salgado
Johnny Rawls
Wee Willie Walker
William Bell

Traditional Blues Album
Big Jon Atkinson & Bob Corritore - House Party at Big Jon's
Bob Margolin - My Road
Golden State Lone Star Blues Revue - Golden State Lone Star Blues Revue
Lurrie Bell - Can't Shake This Feeling
Sugar Ray & the Bluetones - Seeing is Believing

Traditional Blues Male Artist
Bob Margolin
John Primer
Lil’ Ed Williams
Lurrie Bell
Sugar Ray Norcia