Bman's Blues Report

Subject: "Chicago's Hardest-Working Blues Band" Doing Double-Duty@Double D's, Oct. 14&15 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, NOW Contact: Doug Deutsch Publicity Services September 30, 2011 213.924.4901 dougdeutschpr@gmail.com "Chicago's Hardest-Working Blues Band...For Over Two Decades!" "Give them their due: You can't see this high-energy, good-time band at a club without leaving with a smile on your face...have always provided a point of entry for Chicago rock fans to gain exposure to the Blues..." CHICAGO SUN-TIMES Perform Locally: Double D's in Tonawanda - Fri., Oct. 14/Sat., Oct. 15 (Tonawanda, NY) - "Chicago's Hardest-Working Blues Band" HOWARD AND THE WHITE BOYS , lives up to their name as they do doub...

I just received the new release "Shine" by Dani Wilde. The release has a smooth club like environment with tasty guitar licks and solid mellow vocals in a very clean presentation. Nine of the 11 tracks on the release are new and written by Wilde. The release is produced by renowned Mike Vernon who has produced a lot of the British greats including Mayall, Clapton & Fleetwood Mac. The recording is strongly airworthy and vocal. It is well put together and solid. I'm certain it will find a broad audience of listeners. Enjoy! Get Facebook support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

Koko Taylor sometimes spelled KoKo Taylor (September 28, 1928 – June 3, 2009) was an American Chicago blues musician, popularly known as the "Queen of the Blues." She was known primarily for her rough, powerful vocals and traditional blues stylings. Born Cora Walton in Shelby County, Tennessee, Taylor was the daughter of a sharecropper. She left Memphis for Chicago, Illinois in 1952 with her husband, truck driver Robert "Pops" Taylor. In the late 1950s she began singing in Chicago blues clubs. She was spotted by Willie Dixon in 1962, and this led to wider performances and her first recording contract. In 1965, Taylor was signed by Chess Records where she recorded "Wang Dang Doodle," a song written by Dixon and recorded by Howlin' Wolf five years earlier. The song became a hit, reaching number four on the R&B charts in 1966, and selling a million copies. Taylor recorded several versions of "Wang Dang Doodle" over the years, including a l...

"The first time I got the blues, I mean really got the blues, was in 1956. A friend and I got caught breaking into parking meters. I was eleven - he was twelve. Off we went to the juvenile center. The counselors in the center were young Afro-Americans in their twenties and they loved their music, like young dudes do. In '56 their music was Elmore James, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Jimmy Reed. I fell in love with the music and it's been a part of my life since then. As I've gotten older I've tried to concentrate more on playing the Blues than living them." After teaching himself to play guitar, Ron met the late Yank_Rachell, partner of Sleepy John Estes. Yank trained Ron on the finer points of Delta Blues, and they became life-long friends in the process. The actor Peter Coyote helped Ron get his first gig in San Francisco at a neighborhood coffee shop. It wasn't long before Ron put together the Hacksaws and was tearing it up ...

Reinforcements to the River!: Blues-Rock Guitarist Alastair Greene has been added to the bill of the Kern River Rock N' Blues Festival in Kernville this Saturday, October 1 . Guitar Ace Alastair Greene Added To Kern River Rock N' Blues Fest /Sat. 10-1 (KERNVILLE, Calif.) - Blues rock guitar ace Alastair Greene has been added to the bill for the Kern River Rock N' Blues Festival , performing Saturday, October 1 from 6-7:30 p.m. Joining Greene onstage that evening are Jim Rankin (bass) and Gary Mallaber (Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, Jackson Browne, Los Lobos, others). Log onto www.fundsforfreedominc.com for ticket information. Greene - the touring guitarist in the Alan Parsons Project for the past couple years - also hosted the popular Blues Night at The Savoy in Santa Barbara every Thursday this past Summer. Alastair is currently putting the finishing touches on his new CD Through The Rain , the follow-up to critically-la...

I just recieved a copy of Jay Gordon's Blues Venom - No Cure. WOW! If you like guitar blues this ride is the equivalent of being dropped from the top of the Sears Tower. It comes on hard and fast and doesn't let up! It is a fusion of a lot of different sounds but with a sound of it's own. I can draw influences like Alvin Lee's TYA, Leslie West, Frank Marion's Mahogany Rush, Foghat... I mean this is no recording for sissy's. It has a definite rock flavor but is right on the blues and the instrumentals are over the top. If you like hard driving blues rock ...you'll absolutely love this recording!! Grab one!! Bman Get Facebook support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

Houston Stackhouse (September 28, 1910 – September 23, 1980) was an American Delta blues guitarist and singer. He is best known for his association and work with Robert Nighthawk. Although Stackhouse was not especially noted as a guitarist nor singer, Nighthawk showed gratitude for being taught to play by Stackhouse, by backing him on a number of recordings in the late 1960s. Apart from a tour to Europe, Stackhouse confined his performing around the Mississippi Delta. Stackhouse was born Houston Goff, in Wesson, Mississippi, and was the son of Garfield Goff. He was raised by James Wade Stackhouse on the Randall Ford Plantation, and Stackhouse only learned the details of his parentage when he applied for a passport in later life. Relocating in his teenage years with his family to Crystal Springs, Mississippi, he became inspired listening to records by Blind Blake, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Lonnie Johnson, and by local musicians. By the late 1930s, Stackhouse had played guitar around the...

RAY CHARLES’ SINGULAR GENIUS: THE COMPLETE ABC SINGLES , AVAILABLE NOVEMBER 15 ON CONCORD RECORDS, COMPILES HITS AND B-SIDES — MANY NEVER PREVIOUSLY ON ALBUM 106 recordings on five compact discs totaling 53 singles are housed in handsome linen-textured collectors’ box LOS ANGELES, Calif. — With the release of Ray Charles ’ Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles , on November 15, 2011, Concord Records will make available for the first time the artist’s collection of ABC-Paramount singles during this prolific period (1960-1972). The digitally remastered deluxe 106-song collection presents the A and B sides of 53 singles, including 11 #1 hits, such Grammy Award winners “Hit the Road Jack,” “Busted,” “Georgia on My Mind,” “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Crying Time,” “America the Beautiful,” and many more. Twenty-one of the songs are making their digital debut, and 30 have never previously been available on CD. Liner notes were written by R&B recording artist...

Michael Bloomfield's Guitars A Brief History • Page 2 The guitar most associated with Michael Bloomfield is a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard. With it, Bloomfield recorded his most successful records and developed his trademark "fat" tone. Photo illustration by D. Rowling 1967-69 The Legendary '59 Michael had heard guitarist Eric Clapton's work with Powerhouse, the Yardbirds and with John Mayall, and was eager to meet the British guitarist when the Butterfield Band arrived in London at the end of October 1966. He was particularly taken with Eric's sound on Mayall's "Bluesbreakers" LP, a record which had just been released that July. Clapton had recorded it with a newly-purchased Gibson Les Paul Standard , a model that Gibson had discontinued in 1960 because of poor sales. It differed from the more common Goldtop and Custom models in that it had been given the more traditional orange-and-brown color scheme – a look th...

Wilko Johnson (born John Wilkinson, 12 July 1947, Canvey Island, Essex) is an English guitarist and songwriter, particularly associated with the UK rhythm and blues band Dr. Feelgood in the 1970s. Get Facebook support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

I just received a copy of the new release, Lonesome Traveller's Blues by RB Stone. The recording is made up of ten original tracks featuring Glen Kuykendall on guitar, Billy Crain on guitar, Jay Palmer on bass Ed Atkins on upright bass and both Spencer Strand and David Sappington on drums. Stone leads the charge with his vocal, acoustic guitar and harp attack. The recording is nicely done with strong guitar and harp parts featured throughout. There are both rural and city flavors and changes in moods taking the listener on a refreshing journey through the blues. Enjoy! Get Facebook support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

Relaxed accoustic set of "Think" with Elvin, Kid Andersen, John Nemeth and Finis Tasby Saturday afternoon Notodden Blues festival 2011 Get Facebook support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues and jazz guitarist and singer. He is a critically acclaimed artist who has established himself as a pioneer of the Chicago blues sound, and has served as an influence to some of the most notable musicians of his generation. Guy is known, too, for his showmanship on stage, playing his guitar with drumsticks, or strolling into the audience while playing solos. He was ranked thirtieth in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". His song "Stone Crazy" was ranked seventy-eighth in list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time also of Rolling Stone

American-based graphic illustrator El Jefe Design was recently commissioned by Lou Reed to create a visually compelling poster for his July 2011 UK and European tour. Exclusively numbered in a limited edition print-run of 500 copies, the rare screen-printed posters are available for a limited time only from Lou’s official website - www.loureed.com/posters . “Reed's music was the inspiration,” says El Jefe Design’s founder, Jeffrey Everett. “It had to do more with the whole story, his legacy, and the vibe about him. He has a truly dangerous aura around him, but he crafts this absolutely stunning and beautiful music. That was the mixture I wanted - beauty, love, desire with the feeling it will all go wrong in an instant.” For further information and to view this stunning piece of poster art, click here – www.noblepr.co.uk/Press_Releases/lou_reed/tourposter.htm The iconic illustration of the man and woman riding on a motorcycle, originally started off as a sketch that was then s...

Todd Rundgren, rock and roll icon, guitarist, interactive progenitor, singer-songwriter and record producer, plays the Manchester HMV Ritz on Saturday October 1st. The Manchester date is the first of several UK concerts billed as "An Evening With Todd Rundgren". the shows are described as "The greatest hits tour Todd fans have been waiting to see for years." Tickets for the Manchester HMV Ritz concert on October 1st are available from the 24 hour ticket hotline: 08700 603 777, www.seetickets.com. Meanwhile, Rundgren's three night residency at the London Jazz Cafe (October 3-5th) is completely sold out. These are Rundgren's first UK dates since 2010's sold-out London Hammersmith Apollo concert where he performed his 1973 album A Wizard, A True Star. Rundgren is widely regarded as the godfather of music and multimedia. Having founded and The Nazz, the quintessential `60's power-pop psychedelic band, in 1969 he left them to pursue a solo career, recordi...

I just received and have been listening to the new Sugar Ray release. It's really good. I really should say I got it last week and have been listening to it for a few days. Sugar Ray has a great command over the harp. This band is really tight and listening to it all day is a pleasure. Oh, and Monster Mike Welch covers the guitars like yu would expect from a seasoned pro! Many have long celebrated the fact that this dyed-in-the-wool bluesman has never been one to give in to fads, excesses or over-the-top antics. Sugar Ray sings, plays and writes from his heart. This is apparent on Evening which also reunites Sugar Ray & the Bluetones with guitarist Monster Mike Welch for this set of Chicago Blues. Whether it's Johnny Young's "I'm Having A Ball," Otis Rush's "You Know My Love" or any number of the superbly crafted originals, Sugar Ray delivers - as do the Bluetones on this their 5th album for Severn Records! Track Listing: 1) I'm Having A...

WASHINGTON - A stage devoted to the blues on Sunday, over 30 bands in all! And in a new twist, this year's Festival in the Borough in Washington Borough (Warren Cty) will feature an Open Mic on Saturday afternoon Oct. 1. For those musicians/singers wishing to have the opportunity to play before an audience, the Open Mic will take place under the awning of North Carolina Furniture (Broad/E. Washington Avenue) from 12 noon to 5 p.m. Meanwhile, the ever popular Acoustic Tent returns once again, this time on Sunday Oct. 2, also by North Carolina Furniture. The newly expanded two day 7th annual festival, hosted by the Washington Business Improvement District, takes place Saturday and Sunday Oct. 1 and 2. This year's event will continue to feature incredible music, this time over two days. The Saturday portion will run from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. while Sunday's hours will go from 12 noon to 5 p.m. Among the great main stage acts set to play on Saturday this year are Quimby Mountain B...

Roosevelt Melvin Barnes was born in the town of Longwood, Mississippi, about 18 miles outside of Greenville, on September 25, 1936. His family worked in the local cotton fields, as well as raising hogs. A young Roosevelt had even lost a portion of one finger when a hog bit him while he and his father attempted to ring the animal's nose. His older brother, Leroy, served time in the military and also played professional baseball. While he played ball in the winter leagues of South America, Leroy would send home harmonicas to his brother. Roosevelt became infatuated with the instrument and soon his participation in the fields became marred as he spent his time dancing and playing between the rows. These actions earned him his nickname "Booba" when his brother claimed that he was "worse than a booby trap The lure of Chicago would occasionally beckon for Booba and he made several attempts to make it in the city. He traveled there in 1963 and made some recordings with The ...

Any night of the week you can hear the blues on the west, the east, the north and the south sides of Chi-Town. In any one of those city-spots there are blues artists, some on stage and some not. Robert Schmidt (AKA) Smilin Bob is his name. The reason they call him “Smilin Bobby” was immediately apparent.

The Weber Brothers Baddest Band in the Land CD Release and Tour New CD Baddest Band in the Land Set for National Release Mid-October To many, The Weber Brothers are the baddest band in the land. To many more their story sits like an ancient volume in an old bookstore, dust covered, tucked away behind hundreds of newer, shinier books. Untouched. Waiting to be discovered. The two brothers from Baltimore, MD, Ryan and Sam Weber, were hell-bent on achieving rock n' roll greatness. Their teenage years were spent playing in dives underage before getting up for school the next day and later a pilgrimage to the home of their hero, Ronnie Hawkins, leaving behind all they knew for the chance to learn from a master and further rising through the ranks of one of the most storied bands in rock music, thus becoming part of its very history. A lifetime of slugging it out in the proverbial pit that is the music business. Call it bearing the torch passed to them from...