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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!


Please email me at Info@Bmansbluesreport.com
Showing posts with label Anson Funderburgh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anson Funderburgh. Show all posts

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Vote NOW for Blues Music Awards - Candye Kane, Little G Weevil & more!

NEWS FROM THE VIZZTONE LABEL GROUP
VOTE NOW for our 2014
Blues Music Awards Nominees!
(voting ends March 1, 2014!)





CANDYE KANE
Contemporary Blues Female Artist




LITTLE G WEEVIL
Acoustic Blues Artist
RUFF KUTT BLUES BAND

That's When The Blues Begins
- JAMES GOODE, Writer
Song of the Year

ANSON FUNDERBURGH
Traditional Blues Male Artist
Instrumentalist, Guitar


PHANTOM BLUES BAND

TONY BRAUAGEL
instrumentalist - Drums



PHANTOM BLUES BAND


MIKE FINNIGAN
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player

...and Vizzable Music artists:



GRACIE CURRAN & the High Falutin' Band
Proof of Love
Best New Artist Debut


DIUNNA GREENLEAF
Traditional Blues Female
Koko Taylor Award


And big congrats to VizzTone artists who have gone on to other labels — you're ALWAYS part of the family!

TRAMPLED UNDER FOOT - Band of the Year, Contemporary Blues Album
DANIELLE SCHNEBELEN - Instrumentalist, Bass
TERRY HANCK - Instrumentalist, Horn
       


VOTE NOW!!!
Voting for the BLUES MUSIC AWARDS is happening NOW!
If you're already a member of the Blues Foundation, click HERE to vote!
If you're not a member yet, click HERE to join! 
You'll be glad you did!


And BIG NEWS:
Coming very, very soon....
The VizzTone Room on iTunes!® 
Get ready, you're gonna love it!  ;-)

Friday, August 30, 2013

Eller Soul Records artist: Holland K. Smith - Cobalt - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Cobalt, from Holland K. Smith and I really like it. Opening with Love Liquidation, a laid back Elvin Bishop / R&B style track with swinging blues riffs, this is a real cool track. You Get What You Deserve is a cool track sounding a lot like some of the earlier Steve Miller blues tracks with a jazz flair to it. Mr. Anson Funderburgh adds his guitar wizardry to this track as well as produces the release. Wes Starr on drums has just the right touch to highlight great vocals and Funderburgh's unmistakable style. Ron Jones also adds a lot of warmth on the bottom with sax. Just One Heartache smells like Texas blues with a great Texas lope Smith rips some great Texas style blues riffs. Real nice! The Itch has an early rock sound with emphasis on piano (Little Richard or JLL) and sax. Chuck Berry like riffs permeate the track but never sounding like anything but original. Title track, Cobalt is a really sweet jazz number. Leading off with guitar and sax duet, this track is cooking. Gentleman John Street keeps up the bottom with keys and Ronnie James Webber lays down the bass on really crisp drums by Starr. Smith really shows his versatility on this, one of my favorites on the release. Off The Chain is a pop blues track which should easily see airplay. Again Smith has a voice very comparible to Steve Miller and is very solid as a vocal leader with nice backing vocals by Chaz Marie. A really smart guitar solo tweaks this track as well giving it the teeth that I like. Lefty Williams' Little Bit Of Faith has that southern gospel rock flare and I really like it. The Secret stays in that gospel /soul vein and Gentleman John plays the keys like he's spent his life in church. This track has a real authentic feel and adds significantly to the entire mix. Smith bursts loose on guitar laying down a solid melodic solo. I Don't Buy That is another uptempo pop blues track with a good hook. Nice that the instrumentals and vocals are strong carrying this Latin rhythm-ed track straight to the airwaves. Never Got The Blues has a solid blues styling with great vocal attitude. This is the most pure blues track on the release and another of my favorites. Solid piano work from Gentleman John and warm guitar work from Smith highlight the release. R&B styled End Of the Darkness again has a real structured pop styling. Smith has a real good feel for song structure not only making very cool melodies by with a laid back feel and vocal style while playing ripping guitar riffs. Capping the release is a really cool track, Olhos Verdes (Green Eyes), played on Spanish guitar and with authentic percussion by Durity Nasuhoglu and shimmery electric guitar melody which is really effective. Street lays down balanced piano work and Smith's articulation on the Spanish guitar lead is beautiful. This is definitely a release to check out if you want something different. Very cool!

 “Like” Bman’s Facebook page. I use Facebook to spread the word about my blog (Now with translation in over 50 languages). I will not hit you with 50 posts a day. I will not relay senseless nonsense. I use it only to draw attention to some of the key posts on my blog each day. In this way I can get out the word on new talent, venues and blues happenings! - click Here Get Facebook support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE Just a random video but showing Smith in action.



Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Hunters Records artist: JT Lauritsen - Play By The Rules - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Play By The Rules, by JT Lauritsen. Opening with William Bell's Everyday Will Be Like A Holiday, Lauritsen lays down an extremely soulful track with essential keys by Paul Wagnberg; clean guitar soloing by Arnfinn Torrisen and Ian Fredrick Johannessen and super gospel like vocal backing from Atle Rakvag, Sven Zetterberg, Larry McCray and Kerry Clarke. Really strong. up next is original track Next Time, a New Orleans style track with jammin rhythm by Jon Grimsby on drums and Victor Wainwright on piano. Josh Roberts plays a cool guitar riff on this track and the vocal backing crew is again spot on. On Play By The Rules vocal duets between Lauritsen and Teresa James and Debbie Jamison are really nice but you also can't miss sizzling slide guitar work by Josh Roberts throughout. Nice job! On Big Walter's Need My Babe, Billy Gibson steps up on harp and pushes Lautitsen who sings lead and also plays harp into a really super Chicago style blues. Paul Wagnberg contributes a cool Hammond solo on this track and Wainwright's work on piano can never be understated. Greg Gumpel plays a swingin guitar solo as well. On Wainwright penned track, Memphis Boogie, Wainwright takes the lead and lays down a terrific piano boogie line which is added nicely to by Lauritsen on accordion and Roberts on guitar. Jon Grimsby keeps it all tight on drums joined by Leo Goff on bass. (This ones for you stilladog) Smokin! Really nice soul track I'll Never Get Over You written by band member Atle Rakvag and Knut Eide has a strong sound of Philly. Lauritsen shows his strength as a lead singer on a soul track and again the backing vocals are key. Torrisen and Johannessen on guitar and Wagnberg each take short expressive riffs and the bass player (Rakvag) wrote in smart lines for himself as well. Well done. Another Louisiana influenced track, Ever Since The World Began, has a really nice bottom by Grimsby and Rakvag drives the bass really nicely. Vocal harmony on this track as elsewhere on the release is really super. Stinging guitar work from Torrisen and Johannessen really spice up the track. Another original track, Find My little Girl has a bit of an early rock/blues beat (Big Boss Man). Super swinger Anson Funderburgh steps up for a classic guitar on this track. Eye Candy is a rock bottom driven track again written by Rakvag and Eide. This is a classic early blues rock style track and I really like it (even has cow bell!). This track is a bit different from the rest of the release but it's a mover and possibly one of my favorites on the release... and that's good. On Bo Carlsson's classic The Blues Got Me, Lauritsen opens with cool harp work and a great blues lope. This is a great closing track and although not noted great piano work. Gumpel plays some really authentic guitar riffs and Lauritsen delivers a great closer. This is a really super release with a taste of different styles cohesively blended together for a thoroughly enjoyable album.  

If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! ”LIKE”

 

Thursday, May 23, 2013

New West Records artists: Delbert & Glen - Blind, Crippled And Crazy - New Release Review

I just received the new release (June 18, 2013); Blind, Crippled And Crazy; From Delbert (McClinton) & Glen (Clark) and it's good rip roaring fun! Opening with the tongue in cheek, Been Around A Long Time, a great lyrical track with a bit of country and a bit of rock, The band is a who's who including Gary Nicholson on guitar, Tom Hambridge on drums, Bob Britt on guitar, Kevin McKendree and Bruce Katz on keys. This track is way sophisticated for "country music" but with a great country swing attitude it really is a fun track! Up tempo 2 stepper, Whoever Said It Was Easy, brings a smile to your face as it is obvious that D&G are having as much fun making this track as I am listening to it. A slick country pickin guitar solo sets off nicely in the middle of the track but this is really all about the singers and this is entertainment. Oughta Know, featuring Anson Funderburgh, has a real Texas lope to it and of course lots of really tasty guitar. This is a great track that happens to feature great guitar licks by the master. World of Hurt has a real solid strut to it and a slick guitar solo accenting a really cool vocal arrangement. Someone To Love You is another great rocker featuring D&G's voices in tandem and hot little guitar riffs sprinkled throughout. Sure Feels Good is a laid back track again showing the magic of D&G's voices together. A nice harp solo by McClinton on this track breaks the duet and leads to individual vocal bridges. Steel guitar work on this track also gives it a bit of a country flair. Peace In The Valley really starts to broach on funk sounding like a Billy Preston track. This is a happy go lucky track with individual lead singing, fat guitar riffs and cool funky piano filler. There is also a short slide solo on this track adding a bit more paint to an already colorful palette. Peace In The Valley is a great country rocker with driving guitar with piano pushing the vocalists to a higher level. I really like this track and rate it among the best on the release. Good As I Feel Today has a distinctive New Orleans sound and the vocal blend is great. I also want to mention that I especially like the piano work on this particular track. The final track on the release, If I Could Be Your Lover, is really different with a Spanish twist. Acoustic guitar backing as well as really nice nylon string guitar soloing played against beautiful violin work makes this a great finish to a really interesting new release.

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorite band!

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Vizztone Label Group: Ruff Kutt Blues Band - That's When The Blues Begins - New Release Review

I just received the newest Ruff Kutt recording, That's When The Blues Begins, and I'm betting you're going to love it! Opening with Deep Elam Blues, Ruff Kutt wastes absolutely no time in getting gritty. Finis Tasby takes the lead on vocals and Zac Harmon and Anson Funderburgh the lead on guitar. The guitar working is stinging and Sax player Ron Jones really beefs up the bottom. Blues In My Blood with a strong funky back beat is up next featuring stinging guitar guitar work throughout. Don't It Make You Cry, a New Orleans soul influenced track gives Jones a great opportunity to play a super melodic solo. Oh Woman!, another strongly soul influenced track features some super vocals by Tasby and Jones pours on the heat on sax. Zac Harmon takes the lead vocals on Down So Low, a loping Texas style blues track with a healthy dose of slick guitar riffs. On Bare Foot Blues, Tasby returns to the mic and the band plays a swing style blues track. Wes Starr keeps things tight on drums and Gentleman John Street rides the keys. Funderburgh plays some really nice riffs on this track. The Blues Ain't A Color is a real clever track and a real swinger. Background vocals by Steven Richardson really give depth to an already rich lead vocal by Harmon. This track has some particularly hot guitar riffs on it as well. That's When The Blues Begins has a deep blues feel which takes strong depth from gospel styling. Vocal blending on this track is particularly strong and allows a nice spacing for really articulate guitar playing. I'm Over You Woman has a Albert King kind of sound again featuring Harmon on vocals. Going To Bluesville has a solid R&B strut. Funderburgh nicely punctuates Harmon's vocals with his guitar together with the band creating one of the most swinging tracks on the release. Let's Dance has a real nice groove and super horn work creating a super blues base. Tasby, back on vocals really delivers the goods on this track and Funderburgh plays a really relaxed but concise solo on this track making for a really cool track. On the finale, When A Bluesman Goes To Heaven, Harmon delivers a great punch on vocals and Funderburgh is right there dotting the i's. A guitar duet ensues on this track and the players nicely compliment each other. This a a really cool release and one that allows a number of really talented players to work together on a special project. I really like this release and I suspect that new fans will be made for the individual players as well as for Ruff Kutt!  

If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorite band!


Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Deep Texas Blues - Ruff Kutt Blues Band - FREE TRACK


    
BRAND NEW FROM THE VIZZTONE LABEL GROUP
Deep Texas Blues featuring Zac Harmon, Finis Tasby, and Anson Funderburgh

Texan James Goode describes himself as an “old rascal and beat-up coach," but this Rockabilly Hall-Of-Fame inductee, songwriter, bass player, and creator of the Ruff Kutt Blues Band certainly knows how to field one hell of a Blues team.  THAT’S WHEN THE BLUES BEGINS features fourteen songs written or co-written by Goode, performed by world class Bluesmen including vocalist/guitarist Zac Harmon, vocalist Finis Tasby, and producer/guitarist Anson Funderburgh.   

The first Ruff Kutt Blues Band album, Mill Block Blues (2011), garnered critical raves and was so successful that Goode was able to donate $10,000 of proceeds to the Blues Foundation’s HART Fund, providing relief to Blues musicians in need.  When he decided to do a follow up, it went without saying that the first call would go out to Texas Blues guitar hero Anson Funderburgh, who anchored the first CD.  Anson was quick to sign on to produce the new CD, and soon they brought in internationally acclaimed Blues heavyweights Zac Harmon and Finis Tasby to form the nucleus of the team for THAT’S WHEN THE BLUES BEGINS. Rounding things out are Wes Starr on drums, Ron Jones on saxophone, and keyboardist/engineer Gentleman John Street.

This all-star aggregation hits a deep Blues groove and delivers Goode’s songs with the assured, relaxed intensity of seasoned pros.  Sadly, these sessions are the last recordings Finis Tasby completed before suffering a debilitating stroke in December, 2012.  His many friends and fans have been sending prayers, support, and their hopes for his recovery.

Zac Harmon, James Goode, Finis Tasby, Anson Funderburgh

TRACKS:
01.  Deep Elam Blues
02.  Blues In My Blood
03.  Don’t It Make You Cry
04.  Oh Woman
05.  Down So Low
06.  Bare Foot Blues
07.  Blues Ain’t A Color
08.  That’s When The Blues Begins
09.  That Woman Gives Me Fever
10.  I’m Over You Woman
11.  Going To Bluesville
12.  Touched By Her Flame
13.  Let’s Dance
14.  When A Bluesman Goes To Heaven
"The triple-threat of Harmon, Tasby and Funderburgh chase the blues away with an ease that belies their total artistic command."  — Dave Rubin


 

Friday, February 15, 2013

Eller Soul Records artist: 4 Jacks - Deal With It - New Release Review

I just received a new release, Deal with it, from the 4 Jacks and it's a killer! With an allstar cast of Anson Funderburgh, Big Joe Maher, Kevin McKendree and Steve Mackey this is a band of bands. The title track, Deal With It is the opener and has that Stax sound with a round, plucky lead guitar melody and keyboard soloing with the solid bottom on an instrumental that is instantaneously cool as cool gets. Funderburgh plays a real nice lead solo and shows that taste that he is so well know for. Great opener! Have Ourselves a Time is a hot swingin blues featuring Big Joe on vocals. Mackey drives this track on bass and Funderburgh sets down a real nice groove on this track as well. I Don't Want To Be President brings out the Albert King funky blues style and prolific lyrics don't get lost behind the magic. She Ain't Worth A Dime is a classic 12 bar with each player contributing some smoke here. McKendree lays down some particularly hot piano licks on this track. Love's Like That is a real smokey track with tom tom drum beat as rhythm and Funderburgh blistering the paint as punctuation under the smooth vocals of Maher. Bobcat Woman is a great Texas loper and Funderburgh throws down some great guitar phrases on this track. I remember the first time I saw Funderburgh was on the Sanborn show on TV and I was an instant fan. I saw him a few years later (possibly I'll share a photo of us sometime) and I remember asking him to step forward and play more. Funny ... me telling AF that he should step up and play more. He probably thought I was some kind of hick. This is really tastefully done and well balanced with heat all around. Your Turn To Cry is a real slow blues just simmering and waiting to burst into flames. The vocal placement in the mix is particularly cool. I'm not a recording expert but it is just forward of the band, and it sounds great. Funderburgh plays some of his most inspired riffs on the cd and I'm really diggin it! Thunder And Lightning is a fast paced track along the lines of Big Boss Man or Howlin For My Darlin and the band hits it right on the screws. Texas Twister is a great honky tonk style track with Funderburgh taking the lead and McKendree playing some great keys under the top with solid bass and drums from Maher and Mackey all through. This is style! Ansonmypants is a boogie track with some comedic lines to open leading into a full out rocker. These off beat tracks are killer! Funderburgh takes this one deep and T-Bone is taking notice! The band sounds great! Bad News Baby is another slow number with great keys intro and vocal call and guitar response... I mean...who won't love this! It's good that the band held this track off until late in the release because it will be hard to top it. Mackey keeping a nice simple walking bass line going and a low mix on great key work by Mckendree...just simple rim shots from Maher, this is terrific! Ok... for the closer. Painkiller has a simple guitar/bass riff over a simple electric organ track slowly letting the cat out of the bag. MacKendree really shines on this track and Funderburgh steps forward and takes a few really nice solos of his own. This is a great funky instrumental strut and a great conclusion to a great release.

 By the way...straight to the best of 2013 candidates!!

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! ”LIKE”

You know I hate putting up a review without a video. This one isn't off of the release but a suitable track to get a flavor of the band if you are not familiar with the players.



Thursday, February 14, 2013

Blues For Ike - Otis Grand and Anson Funderburgh

Otis Grand (born February 14, 1950, Beirut, Lebanon) is an American blues musician, best known for his album, Perfume and Grime (1996). Although born in Beirut, Grand has spent much of his life in the United States. He played with local blues musicians at Eli's Mile High Club in Oakland, California, and made contacts that would later prove useful; such as Joe Louis Walker who produced his debut album, Always Hot (1988). He later cited his early influences as being B.B. King, Otis Rush, Johnny Otis and T-Bone Walker. By the late 1980s, Grand was based in the UK where he and his Dance Kings became a popular nightclub act. He was voted 'Best UK Blues Guitarist' seven years running (1990–1996) by the British Blues Connection magazine. In 1991, Grand co-starred with his backing band and Guitar Shorty, on the My Way or the Highway album. Joe Louis Walker also played on Grand's next album, He Knows the Blues (1992) alongside Calvin Owens, Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis, and the singer Jimmy Nelson. The album was nominated for a W.C. Handy Award. Nothing Else Matters (1994) involved Curtis Salgado, Sugar Ray Norcia, and Kim Wilson, whilst Walker and Salgado returned for Perfume and Grime (1996) which also utilised Luther Allison and Darrell Nulisch. In 1997 Grand guested on Joe Louis Walker's album, Great Guitars. In March 2009, Grand appeared on stage at the Arts Centre in Cranleigh, Surrey, England. In addition to living in Lebanon and the United States, Grand has lived in France and currently resides in Croydon, England, Grand remains an incisive guitarist. His latest album, Hipster Blues, was released on May 21, 2007 If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! ”LIKE”

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Delta Groove Music artist: Andy T- Nick Nixon Band - Drink Drank Drunk - New release Review

I just received the highly anticipated Andy T - Nick Nixon Band release, Drink Drank Drunk and it's a scorcher! Opening with Midnight Hour, Nick Nixon shows why he is highly regarded as a top vocalist. A Texas swing blues, this track features hot guitar riffs by Andy T and Ron Jones on sax. Don't Touch Me Baby, a classic R&B style blues again spotlights Nixon on vocals with really sweet filler leads by Andy T. Andy holds back on the chance to just blow out every note in the neck and perfectly tweaks out an incredibly soulful solo. The title track, Drink Drank Drunk, has a really nice groove and features Jones again on sax. Andy plays a really tasty solo on this track  showing his flair for dynamics rather than constant filler. Have You Seen My Monkey opens with Christian Dozzler on accordion giving it a definite Louisiana flare. This is a comical track painting graphic imagery but again featuring hot riffs from Andy T on guitar and excellent vocals from Nixon. This is bound to be a crowd favorite. Dos Danos opens with Jones playing a sax melody and setting the mood for guest guitarist Anson Funderburgh to lay down a hot instrumental track with John Garza (bass), Dozzler (piano), John Street (organ) and Danny Cochran (drums). No End To The Blues opens with a hot riff from Andy playing in what I'd term as BB King style with Nixon sharing the mike with Markey. Andy plays some of the tastiest riffs on the recording on this track with Steve Mackey (bass), Kevin McKendree (piano),Larry van Loon (organ) and Jim Klingler (drums). On Hi Heel Sneakers, Funderburgh joins the crew again with some hot riffs of his own but really only in a complimentary manner to Nixon's voice. Another favorite from the recording, Life Is Too Short, finds Nixon really singing from the heart and Andy playing some of that guitar that makes you nod your head on the off beat because it just catches you in "that spot"! You Look So Good adds Brian "Hash Brown" Calway on harp and again joined by Funderburgh the band cranks out a real sweet Texas blues number. Wrapping up the recording is Ray Charles' I've Got A Woman. Not many people could pull off a Ray Charles track without it sounding stale but Nixon sounds great and the addition of Dozzler on accordion gives the song a party feel. It's a little early in the year to start to talk much of "Bman's Best of Yea"r list, but this will definitely be a candidate!

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! ”LIKE”

 

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Good Man - Anson Funderburgh & Kim Wilson

In recent years, Dallas-based guitarist Anson Funderburgh has taken his band the Rockets out of the clubs and onto the festival stages with his critically acclaimed recordings for the BlackTop label out of New Orleans. With Jackson, MS-native Sam Myers delivering the vocals and harmonica treatments, this band mixes up a powerful gumbo of Texas jump blues and Delta blues that can't be found anywhere else. Funderburgh & His Rockets are a particularly hard working band, performing across the U.S. and Europe nearly 300 nights a year. Funderburgh was born November 15, 1954, and got hooked on the blues when he got his first guitar at age seven or eight. His first musical experiences happened in the clubs in Dallas. He developed his team approach to blues music while learning from the likes of Freddie King, Jimmy Reed, and Albert Collins when these great bluesmen were passing through Dallas-area clubs, but Funderburgh had already taught himself guitar mostly from listening to classic blues records. He never had the chance to see Muddy Waters, but he did get to play with Lightnin' Hopkins in the late '70s. Funderburgh formed the Rockets in 1978, but didn't meet Sam Myers until 1982. Butt Rockin' Funderburgh recorded with the Fabulous Thunderbirds on their Butt Rockin' album, and went solo in 1981, when the New Orleans-based BlackTop label released Talk to You by Hand, the label's first release. Funderburgh added Myers on harmonica and lead vocals in 1986. Myers had traveled for years on the chitlin circuit, where he had the chance to accompany people like Elmore James and Robert Junior Lockwood. Funderburgh admits that adding Myers on vocals and harmonica was a turning point for the Rockets, partly because of the image they project from the stage, a big towering black man and three white guys backing him up. Funderburgh continued his association in the '90s with Black Top releasing Tell Me What I Want to Hear (1991), Live at Grand Emporium (1995), and That's What They Want (1997). After releasing nine albums on Black Top, in 1999 Funderburgh changed record labels with the release of Change in my Pocket for Bullseye Blues. At the beginning of the new millennium, Funderburgh is just coming into his prime by way of his songwriting talents, so his career deserves close watching in the coming years. The best is yet to come from this guitarist and bandleader. If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorite band!

Friday, January 6, 2012

Kim Wilson and Anson Funderburgh


Kim Wilson (born January 6, 1951) is an American blues singer and harmonica player. He is best known as the lead vocalist and frontman for The Fabulous Thunderbirds on two hit songs of the 1980s; "Tuff Enuff", and "Wrap It Up.
Wilson was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1951, but he grew up in Goleta, California, where he sometimes went by the stage name of "Goleta Slim." He started with the blues in the late 1960s and was tutored by people like Muddy Waters, Jimmie Rogers, Eddie Taylor, Albert Collins, George "Harmonica" Smith, Luther Tucker and Pee Wee Crayton and was influenced by harmonica players like Little Walter, James Cotton, Big Walter Horton, Slim Harpo and Lazy Lester. Before he moved to Austin, Texas in 1974, he was the leader of the band Aces, Straights and Shuffles in Minneapolis, Minnesota; this band released one single. In Austin he formed The Fabulous Thunderbirds with guitarist Jimmie Vaughan, and they became the house band at the blues club, Antone's, owned by Clifford Antone. Muddy Waters called Wilson, "The greatest harmonica player since Little Walter".

Wilson continues to perform up to 300 concert dates per year at blues music festivals and clubs all over the world, both as leader of The Fabulous Thunderbirds and with the Kim Wilson Blues Allstars.

His powerful style of blues harp playing has been described as "loaded with the textures of a full-blown horn section.
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Wednesday, December 7, 2011

What does Anson Funderburgh have to do with Beavis and Butt-Head

Maybe more than you think. We all know Anson is a gentleman's gentleman but there is a link in there! Many of you probably know the name, Mike Judge, but don't know why. I'll tell you, it's because he is a blues bass player having played with Anson Funderburgh on Rack 'Em Up, and with Doyle Bramhall (The Senior) on numerous recordings over a period of about a decade. But here's another link. I have read that Judge based Beavis's character (appearance) on Anson.

In 1991, Judge's short film "Office Space" (also known as the Milton series of shorts) was acquired by Comedy Central, following a Dallas animation festival.
In 1992, he developed Frog Baseball, a short film featuring the characters Beavis and Butt-head, to be featured on Liquid Television, a 1990s animation showcase that appeared on MTV. The short led to the creation of the Beavis and Butt-head series on MTV, in which Judge voiced both title characters as well as the majority of supporting characters. Beavis and Butt-head visited Wilson Middle School and attended Highland High School in their series, which are the names of schools in Albuquerque, Judge's hometown. In 1997, Judge created King of the Hill for the Fox Network. Many of the show's characters were based on people he had known while living in Texas. Judge voiced characters Hank Hill and Jeff Boomhauer. At heart, however, Judge is a Willie Dixon-loving bass player who's recorded and performed with Bramhall for well over a decade.
In case you aren't familiar with Beavis and Butt-Head, the show centers on two socially awkward, rock/metal-loving teenage delinquents, Beavis and Butt-head (both voiced by Judge), who live in the town of Highland, Texas. They have no apparent adult supervision at home, are woefully undereducated and dim-witted and barely literate, and lack any empathy or moral scruples. One of the most well-known aspects of the series was the inclusion of music videos, which occurred between animated segments. The duo would watch and make humorous observations (about the band, a song's lyrics, and/or a video's visuals), or simply engage in nonsensical dialogs. Mike Judge improvised the video comments, and they were never scripted.
They showed a particular disdain for many generic 1980s "hair bands". They had almost no tolerance for new wave or electronic music (e.g. Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Two Tribes", Gary Numan's "Cars", and Scatman John's "Scatman" were all instantly shown contempt by the duo). Korn's song "Blind", as an example of Nu metal, was criticized for lacking originality (although they did claim they sounded "kinda cool"). Bands who received considerably large amounts of criticism during the tenure of the show included Poison and Grim Reaper.
When confronted with Milli Vanilli's "Baby Don't Forget My Number" and Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby", the pair looked at one another in horror and changed the channel without speaking a word; this was effectively among the harshest commentary they ever gave a music video. They also non-verbally showed disgust when confronted with a duet between David Bowie and Bing Crosby for The Little Drummer Boy, shielding their eyes before changing the channel. The Europeans' video for "The Animal Song" was the most critically trashed by the duo, as Butt-Head claimed, "This sucks more than anything I have ever seen."

Ok , so the story ends there...right? No. Beavis and Butt-head are supposedly based on the childhood friends and professional musicians and guitar aces Johnny Moeller and Paul Size.
Johnny Moeller (born Jon Kelly Moeller, 31 October 1970, Fort Worth, Texas) is an American blues guitarist currently with The Fabulous Thunderbirds.
Paul Size has carved a niche for himself as the guitarist for the blues-soul-party combo Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish.
I bring you Beavis and Butt-Head!
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Monday, December 5, 2011

Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets feat. Sam Myers


Anson Funderburgh (born James Anson Funderburgh, November 14, 1954, Plano, Texas, United States) is an American blues guitar player and bandleader of Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets since 1978. Their style incorporates both Chicago blues and Texas blues.
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Monday, November 14, 2011

New Release: Mill Block Blues - Ruff Kutt - Review

Ruff Kutt Blues is the name of the project started by James Goode, a Rockabilly Hall of Fame bass player and fan of Texas Blues. The other name you need to know on this project is the name of Texas Blues guitar legend Anson Funderburgh. James and Anson go way back. And together, they have recruited an all-star cast of musicians to work on a special CD called Mill Block Blues. I was going to include a favorite picture of mine with a few of Anson's fans (Elmo James - contributor and yours truly) but there is just way too much to cover here. This is a really strong recording that a lot of people have been waiting for some time to come out. I was first introduced to Anson on a late night show with David Sanborn. He has his own guitar style with that perfect attack. This guitar playing along with the fine artistry is well showcased throughout this fine recording. My favorite takes are "Cut Like a Knife", "Now You See Me" and the title track, "Mill Rock Blues".

They are down to around 200 CD's left. The proceeds from the sale of the
CD's will go to charity. There will be no reprints.

Anson Funderburgh - Guitar, Arranger, Producer

Anson is a local hero to blues guitar players across the state of Texas. And there's good reason. He and his bandmates have brought 9 W.C. Handy blues awards, the blues world's equivalent of a Grammy, back to the state of Texas. This is quite an accomplishment. And it's part of the reason why so many young guitar players today look up to Anson. The other reason is that his body of work on guitar is considered by both fans and critics as some of the best blues guitar ever recorded.
Anson has played with some of the finest blues, R&B and country musicians in the land, including such notables as the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Snooks Eaglin, Delbert McClinton, Boz Scaggs, David Sanborn, Huey Lewis, Betty White, Earl King, Hal Ketchum, Thunderbird Davis, Grady Gaines and Clarence Hollimon & Carol Fran.Anson plays guitar on all of the tracks on the "Mill Block Blues" CD. And once again, it's tasteful stuff from the living Godfather of Texas Blues.


Gentleman John Street - Keys, Arranger, Producer

Gentleman John Street is the musical genius behind the "Mill Block Blues" CD. Not only did he do most of the arranging of the tunes, he also did all the recording and engineering on the album. His keyboard work is stellar on the album. And the basic song ideas sprung to life when John got his hands on them.

John's been involved in music in one way or another since he was 8 years old. This includes musical director for off Broadway productions,  stage managing, production managing, sound engineering, guitar tech, keyboard tech, complete electronics tech, and player for national & international touring acts and recording on dozens of albums. He was Stage Manager for the '87-'89 Gregg Allman Band Tour. Many Scandinavian tours playing traditional blues with Rock Bottom (Parsifal Artist) & a stint with The Gregg Allman Band. He's also toured with Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets featuring Sam Myers. And he now tours with Andrew "Jr Boy" Jones as the dedicated keys player.


James Goode - Bass, Songwriting

James is the heart and soul of this project. It was his idea to record a CD to try and help musicians in need. And he wrote the lyrics to all the songs on the CD and helped with the arrangements as well. James is also an accomplished musician in his own right as he is now a full member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame with his old band, The Excels. 

James' role cannot be undersold. He played bass on all the tunes. But he is also the guy that brought all of these fine musicians together and united us on this common goal. Without James, there would be no "Mill Block Blues" CD. The songs on that CD tell the story of James' life growing up on the Mill Block. The CD and the music are a reflection of James, the man.


Wes Starr - Drums

FORREST WESLEY STARR was born on May 22, 1955 in Rome, Georgia. At the age of nine, Wes began his formal training with private drum lessons. Wes joined his school band program in the fifth grade. In the ninth grade at Pepperell High School, Wes was made Drum Lieutenant, a position he held through graduation. During these years, Wes played in local rock, jazz and dance bands in and around Rome and Atlanta, Georgia. Early influences include Gene Krupa, Elvin Jones, and Butch Trucks of the Allman Brothers Band.
When an offer came in 1979 from his friend, Kim Wilson (The Fabulous Thunderbirds), to audition with "Omar and the Howlers", Wes moved to Austin, Texas. For the next four years, he toured around the country with "Omar and the Howlers" and recorded Omar's first LP, Big Leg Beat. This was to become for Wes, the beginning of a long music career in Texas and the developing of his own creative style of Texas drumming.
After one and a half years with "Asleep at the Wheel", which included the recording of one LP and a touring schedule of more than 250 dates a year, Wes left "the Wheel" to join Louisiana's up-and-coming R&B artist Mason Ruffner. During the nine months Wes played with Mason, they toured as support act for The Firm's U.S. tour, featuring Jimmy Page and Paul Rogers.
After doing a stint in Delbert McClinton's band, Wes joined long-time friends Anson Funderburgh and Sam Myers touring the U.S., Canada, Scandanavia and Europe taking May 2001 off to tour Europe with Lee McBee.

Andrew "Jr. Boy" Jones - Vocals

Guitarist, songwriter and singer Andrew "Jr. Boy" Jones began working professionally at age 16 with Freddie King's backing band, the Thunderbirds. He got his first guitar from his uncle, jazz musician Adolphus Sneed. For many years, he's backed various Dallas-area vocalists on guitar, but in the mid-1990s, he came into his own as a vocalist with an album for JSP Records, I Need Time (1997), which showcases his crafty songwriting, great guitar playing, and powerful singing.
In 1967, Jones joined Dallas-area vocalist Bobby Patterson's band, the Mustangs. Through most of the 1970s, Jones backed various artists, including Johnnie Taylor and Charlie Robertson. In late 1987, Jones moved to California and joined the Silent Partners with bassist Russell Jackson and drummer Tony Coleman, longtime drummer with B.B. King's band (and in recent years a part-time resident of Portland). Jones recorded with the late pianist and singer Katie Webster on her critically praised Alligator Records album, Swamp Boogie Queen.
While recording with Sonny Rhodes, Jones met harmonica ace Charlie Musselwhite, who persuaded him to join his band. Jones played guitar on Musselwhite's three late-1980s/early-1990s albums for Alligator Records (Ace of Harps, In My Time, and Signature) and did extensive touring with the harmonica master (Jones appeared with Musselwhite at the Waterfront Blues Festival in 1995).
Jones left Musselwhite's band amicably in the mid-1990s and returned to Dallas, where he accompanies Dallas-area blues singers like R.L. Griffin, Hal Harris and the Lowlifers.




Dempsey Crenshaw - Vocals, Harmonica

Born in Alabama, Dempsey came to Dallas around 1961. After learning harp very early in life, he picked up bass guitar playing with and opening for many of the Blues and R&B Greats. Around 1957 he started touring with a list of artists that reads like a WHO’S Who of Rock & Roll and R&B. They include Sam & Dave, Jimmy Reed, Freddie King, Chuck Berry, T-Bone Walker, Eddie Floyd, Rufus Thomas, Marvin Gaye, Big Joe Turner, Etta James, and Little Richard’s guitar player. He also did a 2 year stint with The Drifters from 1963 to 64.
Dempsey started his own band called Shame Shame, that had success and a following in Dallas. They toured and recorded a CD, and played B.B. King’s club in Memphis. He then formed another local Dallas blues band called D.C. and the Capitals. And you can hear some of Dempsey's unmistakable vocals on several tracks on the CD.



Michael Schaefer - Vocals, Songwriting

Born and raised in Plano, Texas, Michael grew up listening to a wide variety of Texas music from the earliest days he can remember. Told by his parents that he started drumming in his crib at the age of two, his earliest musical interests involved percussion. Michael was an All-Region drummer in the middle school band in Plano. The passion for music continued while down in Austin as he studied guitar with Sean Mencher of the rockabilly trio, High Noon. 

Later Michael would develop an ear and passion for Texas blues. He founded the internet discussion group on Yahoo called North Texas Blues. And he currently runs a website called The Texas Blues Roadhouse dedicated to promoting local Texas Blues artists.

Michael was lead vocalist and a guitar player in two local Dallas bands. The first was a blues-rock band known as Texas Mojo. And the second is his most recent project called Mike and the Majestics where he worked with noted bluesman Dempsey Crenshaw. Michael is currently studying jazz guitar at Collin College. And he is currently co-director of the Frisco School of Music Jazz Band.


Hash Brown - Harmonica

For those of us in the Dallas Blues scene, Hash Brown is another of those guys that everyone looks up to. He's an ambassador for authentic Texas Blues. His brain has stored more blues riffs and knowledge about the blues than almost anyone.
Hash Brown has been playing the Blues since 1973. He plays guitar, harmonica, and sings. He moved to Dallas, TX in 1983, and cut his eye teeth playing with an assortment of Dallas Blues royalty including ZuZu Bollin, Henry Qualls, Sam Myers, Big Al Dupree, Robert Ealey, Willie Willis, Ray Sharpe,U.P. Wilson, Little Joe Blue, Ernie Johnson, and many, many more.
He has 3 CDs under his own name, a number of compilations and also appears as a side man on no less than 30 recordings; including ZuZu Bollin, Henry Qualls, Barbara Lynn, Robert Ealey, Hosea Hargrove, and many, many others.
He continues to make Dallas, TX his home and plays continually around the metroplex, and a
short tour every now and then.

Ron Jones - Sax

After getting his Bachelor of Music Education at the University of North Texas, Ron went on to get his Masters in Music at NYU. He's studied with the likes of Chris Potter, George Garzone, Lenny Pickett, Jim Riggs, Jim McNeely, Kenny Werner.

Ron recorded on Al Green's "Love Is Reality" (Sony 1990) and he's recently recorded on CD's for Anson Funderburgh, Wanda King, Christian Dozzler and Rhett Butler.

Ron has opened concerts for Crosby Stills & Nash, Tower of Power, David Sanborn,
Liebman/Brecker/Lovano, Temptations, Earl Klugh. And he's jammed onstage with Smokey Robinson, Mick Fleetwood, Gregg Allman, Kirk Whalum, Delbert McClinton, George Thorogood and Buddy Miles.
Ron has also taught Jazz at Richland College, Brookhaven College and was the Jazz Band Director at Northlake College. You can get a healthy dose of Ron's tasty sax work on this CD.


Don Cates - Rhythm Guitar



Don was born and raised on the Mill Block.  He went through the tough times as the rest of the folks there.  Don is an accomplished guitarist
and played on "This Is The Place"  The song is about the Don Cates Annual Fish Fry and Blues Bash.  His contributions on this CD are greatly appreciated.
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