Alligator Records artist: Elvin Bishop - Can't Even Do Wrong Right - New release Review

I just received the newest release, Can't Even Do Wrong Right, from Elvin Bishop and it's the best of Bishop in possibly 15 years. I have been a huge Elvin Bishop fan since his first note on the first Butterfield Blues band stuff and my admiration grew as he became more loose. He is an excellent guitar player, raucous story teller and an all around amazing performer. This release takes me back to his more primitive style days of Juke Joint Jump and Let It Flow and that is excellent! Opening with the title track, Can't Even Do Wrong Right, Bishop fronts as a vocalist and is right up to one of his curious stories. Bishop has such a great time with his stories you can't help but not only get sucked in but want to sit down and party with him! He has his 345 cranked up to fat and you sit thinking, this guy invented the real country blues... this is absolutely excellent! Blues With A Feeling has a real strong Bishop country funk with cool vocal harmonies. Bishop plays both slide and his signature straight blues riffs. This is another terrific track and one that strikes you right between your Bishop loving crossed eyes. On Old School, Bishop is joined by Charlie Musselwhite and with only light percussion, rhythmic bass, Bishop and and Charlie trade riffs. Very cool. On R&B style ballad Let Your Woman Have Her Way, old band mate Mickey Thomas (Fooled Around And Fell In Love), takes the lead vocal lead joined by gospel like backing vocals and organ. Regretfully, the literature supplied to me doesn't allocate credit to these talented participants but I will say that this is a really nice track showcasing Thomas, and Bishop plays a really tasty and classically memorable slide solo. Super! No More Doggin' has Bishop back in the easy two steppin blues and playing slide melody. Oh Yeah! This is what you real Bishop guitar fans come for... to hear the dog bark. Bishop has not lost a quarter of a step playing with the wisdom of a 90 year old and the fire of a 20 year old... with a lot of time on his hands to have some real fun. Musselwhite does really fine harp solos complimenting Bishop making, this instrumental track a tight highlight for both artists on this release. Everybody's In The Same Boat is a cool down and dirty blues track. Bishop takes the opportunity to tell one of his thought provoking but light hearted stories with a twist of humor but also with that great guitar work that we all want to hear. Very solid track. Dancin' has a definite taste of gumbo with the addition of accordion stylistic percussion. There is even some steel guitar thrown in to the mix but this track is all Bishop... loaded with fun! Honest I Do is a brilliant instrumental with lush guitar work both fat and lightly articulate reminiscent of dual guitar leads featuring Johnny V and Bishop in earlier years. Addition of accordion gives it a Louisiana spice. Excellent! Bo Weevil is all fun with the pure Zydeco sound and Elvin's vocal style fitting the bill perfectly. With both accordion and guitar taking the instrumental this is a well balanced track and a lot of fun. Wrapping the release is classic Hey-Ba-Ba-Re-Bop, a hard stompin rockabilly blues track. With a cool coronet solo on this track as well as guitar, this is an excellent track leaving you wanting more. Bishop pulls out the stops on guitar on this track with his carefree, freewheeling guitar style guaranteed to put a smile on your Elvin lovin face! This is an excellent release and one that I will be playing for a long time!  

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”

 

Blind Pig nabs major blues awards!

"REMEMBERING LITTLE WALTER," SHAWN HOLT AND THE TEARDROPS WIN MAJOR BLUES MUSIC AWARDS Remembering Little Walter, the live tribute to the blues harmonica genius, won two major Blues Music Awards  – “Traditional Blues Album of the Year” and “Album of the Year,” as announced by the Blues Foundation at their annual awards show on May 8th in Memphis. The recording, which features five of the top harmonica players in the field – Charlie Musselwhite, Billy Boy Arnold, Mark Hummel, Sugar Ray Norcia, and James Harman, received a Grammy nomination earlier this year for “Best Blues Album.” Musselwhite, who also won a BMA that evening for "Best Instrumentalist - Harmonica," said, "The best part about winning the awards for Remembering Little Walter is that Little Walter is honored for his huge contribution to blues so many years after his passing. He was my friend and a great inspiration to me. He gave me lots of encouragement when I was starting out in Chicago."  To watch Charlie performing a song from the Little Walter tribute CD show, please click HERE. "REMEMBERING LITTLE WALTER":     CD INFO              iTUNES Hummel, who produced the album, said, "I'm so thrilled and shocked we won these two major awards!!  It was so wonderful to be able to record this as a tribute to the iconic genius of the harmonica, Little Walter Jacobs, whose sound I've been chasing for over 40 years!  Plus, to have two idols of mine on the CD who knew Walter well, Billy Boy & Musselwhite, makes it even more special. Top it off with James Harman & Sugar Ray, plus the best band money could buy backing everyone up and we have a CD I'm probably more proud of than anything in my career so far." Shawn Holt and the Teardrops won the Blues Music Award for “Best New Artist Debut” for their debut recording on Blind Pig Records – Daddy Told Me.  Shawn is the son of the late legendary bluesman Magic Slim.   Said Holt, “I want to thank everybody that gave me an opportunity to carry on my father’s great blues tradition and front one of the best blues bands of the last thirty years.  I want to thank my father for putting a guitar in my hands at 16 and insisting that I develop my own sound.   I also want to thank Michael Blakemore and Marty Salzman for their confidence in recognizing that we could carry on the unique Magic Slim sound and tradition and also put my own “Shawn Holt” trademark in the mix. Thanks also to Blind Pig Records and Piedmont Talent for getting us out there and giving us the opportunity to be heard, and to everyone who, in their recognition and appreciation that Magic Slim lives on, voted for us.” "DADDY TOLD ME":    CD INFO         iTUNES Two other artists associated with Blind Pig Records also received Blues Music Awards: John Nemeth, who came to national prominence with the release of his three albums on Blind Pig, was named the winner of the “Soul Blues Male Artist” award. "NAME THE DAY!":    CD INFO       iTUNES Victor Wainwright, a principal member of the critically acclaimed roots blues “supergroup” Southern Hospitality, won the prestigious “Pinetop Perkins Piano Player” award for the second year in a row. SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY    CD INFO      iTUNES Or, take advantage of our 5 CDs for $50 offer HERE. (Photos courtesy of Marilyn Stringer)

BEHOLD THE BENDER! September 25–29, 2014. Riviera Hotel & Casino - Las Vegas, Nevada. The Inaugural Big Blues Bender is no ordinary music festival! Featuring a Grammy winning line-up of music superstars, including the legendary B.B. King, this event is also a complete Las Vegas vacation experience! The Big Blues Bender will feature 4 days of music, 4 nights accommodation, and multiple stages all contained in one property! More than just music, Big Blues Bender will offer activities, a custom restaurant, pro jams, pro-am jams and the Las Vegas strip at your doorstep. We’re taking over the hotel for the weekend so you and your friends can experience all the music, gaming, food & drink we have to offer all just an elevator ride away. HAVE A FEW DRINKS ON US! Haven’t booked your package yet? Book now (while supplies last) and receive drink tickets up to $50 to be used in our main music venue bars upon check-in. Refresh with a soda, grab a cocktail or buy a new friend a beer; you won’t have trouble using the Bender Bar tab drink tickets! EXCURSIONS UPDATE Las Vegas has a lot of attractions to do both on and off the strip. While we plan to jam pack the 4 days with music and activities, we realize that some Benders are coming early or staying late and want to see a little more that Vegas has to offer. There are several tour operators that conduct business in Las Vegas and we are encouraging the Bender attendees to all book through our recommended partner that we will announce in the coming months. By booking through the same operator, you can be assured that any group excursions will be with fellow Bender attendees. We’ll also do our best to negotiate the best prices with group bookings. Whether you want to see the Grand Canyon, go on a helicopter ride, Take a spin on the new High Roller or go for a round of golf, our excursion coordinator can help add that outing to make your Vegas trip a little more special! BENDER BLENDER Want to plan to meet up with fellow Benders before the event? Need a forum to collaborate the festivities with other Benders? Looking for a roommate? We’ve got the place for you! We want to make sure you have checked out the Big Blues Bender Blender on Facebook! Click to join today and say hello to your fellow Benders! EXTEND YOUR STAY Do you want to extend your Bender holiday without having to check out and then check back into your room again? Starting today, you have the ability to book extra nights around your package and we will combine your order so that you can stay in the same room. Not only will you save time and hassle by not having to pack all your belongings for a short move, but keeping the same hotel portfolio also means that you don’t have to pay for the resort fee or hotel lodging taxes as we have included it in our costs for you! ASK BENDER SUPPORT Our Bender support specialists have been hard at work answering your questions and enquiries. We asked our team leaders what was the most common request that came through the last month. If you have Bender questions, stop in at http://support.bigbluesbender.com and get answers! Music Schedule We know that you are eager to know who is performing when. We want to share that with you as soon as we know. We are still adding artists to the lineup and there are always last minute shuffles. We want to make the schedule and release it only one time. We plan to do this before the festival and will make sure we post it and email it out to everyone as soon as its finalized. Arrival / Departure details and package inclusions About a month before the event (after the final name change deadline) we plan to send out an email confirming the names and check-in and check-out dates. Our standard packages have check in on Thursday the 25th at 4PM and checkout is on Monday the 29th at 11AM. Standard Packages sold include 1 room, Event wristbands for 2 people and accommodation for 4 nights! We don’t have any rooms remaining that allow for more than 2 people and there are a limited number of “Single King Bee” rooms if you want a room entirely to yourself. BIG BLUES BENDER LINEUP B.B. King Buckwheat Zydeco Ana Popovic Walter Trout Walter Wolfman Washington Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers   Guitar Shorty* The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band* Karen Lovely George Thorogood and the Destroyers Charlie Musselwhite Coco Montoya Tommy Castro and the Painkillers* Trampled Under Foot* Golden State - Lone Star Review with Mark Hummel, Little Charlie Baty and Anson Funderburgh Popa Chubby The Record Company* Lisa Mann Blind Boys of Alabama Tab Benoit* Otis Taylor The Holmes Brothers Carolyn Wonderland Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials*   Rick Estrin & the Nightcats Bob Corritore & Lil'Ed The Bender Brass (featuring: Jimmy Carpenter) * Artists playing multiple days.

PACKAGES Ready to Attend? Big Blues Bender is sold as "Packages" that include your accommodations as well as your event pass. Please note that this is the only way to attend the Bender. We want to protect your vacation investment, and Bender security will ensure only ticketed guests will enter our venues. Do not attempt to book accommodations at another hotel nor directly via the Riviera's website, as any reservation made elsewhere is not transferable to Big Blues Bender. All rooms are double occupancy. Prices below are PER PERSON. Smokestack Lightning $599.50/pp $1199/room VIP Upgrade $200/pp (Limited quantities available.) Book Now Wang Dang Doodle VIP $949.50/pp $1,899.00/room Book Now Boom Boom Room $649.50/pp $1299/room VIP Upgrade $200/pp (Limited quantities available.) Book Now Backdoor Man VIP $1,099.50/pp $2,199.00/room Book Now Hoochie Coochie $699.50/pp $1399.00/room VIP Upgrade $200/pp (Limited quantities available.) Book Now BIG DADDY BALLER SOLD OUT SOLD OUT Book VIP

BIG DADDY BALLER PACKAGES ARE SOLD OUT! We are now SOLD OUT of BIG DADDY BALLER PACKAGES. There are also only limited numbers of VIP packages and upgrades. These will be gone before you know it and if you want premium seating, VIP check-in and more, grab yours today. Book Now SINGLE TRAVELERS & KING BEES We understand that not everyone’s friends can get out of work or swing a trip to Vegas. We also understand that sometimes friends come in odd numbers! We have begun two initiatives to help accommodate those single or odd numbered travelers. We now have a facebook group where people can connect, make new friends, and find roommates for the event. Click here and join the group! For those of you that want a room that can normally hold two Bendees, but you want it all to yourself - we've got a very limited quantity of rooms at a marginally reduced rate. Our "King Bee" package features a King bed in the Monaco tower complete with a VIP Bender band set for the King that you are! $1399/1 person Book Now LOCALS TICKETS Good news, Clark County Residents! You can still attend the Bender without purchasing a package. (Tho honestly, it would be nice not to drive home after the shows, right?) The locals ticket is strictly for Clark County residents, and upon pickup you will be required to show an ID with a valid Clark County Address. NO EXCEPTIONS and no refunds will be available for anyone who purchases a locals ticket, but can not produce a valid Clark County ID. $350.00/per person Book Now

Henrietta Records artist: Charlie Musselwhite - Juke Joint Chapel - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Juke Joint Chapel, from Charlie Musselwhite and it's a monster. I've been listening to Musselwhite for years and I can honestly say that this is my favorite release in some time. Opening with Eddie Taylor's Bad Boy, a super shuffle track, Musselwhite sets a firm groove. Musselwhite has a distinctive style and tone and it's strong here with Charlie on vocals and swinging guitar work from Matt Stubbs. On Shakey Jake track Roll Your Money Maker, Musselwhite and bassist Mike Phillips have a lot of fun with the vocals and Stubbs rips out some smoking hot riffs. On Tony Joe White's As The Crow Flies, Musselwhite really gets the Chicago groove going on harp. With some hot work by June Core on drums, Stubbs steps up with cool great riffs. On Billy Boy Arnold's Gone Too Long, Musselwhite takes a more melodic take on his solo with sounds of his work from the 70's. Very cool. Stubbs steps up again with some really nice riffs doubled up on the double stops. Little Walter's It Ain't Right is up next and Musselwhite has you hopping out of your shoes. Great harp work! On Strange Land Musselwhite keeps the basic track simple giving him a lot of breathing room to play some super harp. Stubbs and Musselwhite play in a tandem jam building to a hard driving crescendo. On original track, Blues Overtook Me, Musselwhite sets a really nice pace to accommodate his personal style. This is a nice long harp jam and Charlie doesn't waste a note. Stubbs also takes a cool opening on this track keeping the groove moving. Really nice. River Hip Mama is a boogie track with Musselwhite leading the way against the guitar vamp. This track like many of the others hits a high spot where Musselwhite and Stubbs trade riffs and the track is really cookin. Another original track, Blues Why Do You Worry Me, has a solid Chicago feel with Musselwhite playing a cool intro and singing lead. What differentiates this release from other "traditional Chicago" blues releases? These guy jam it out and have fun. most of these tracks are 4-6 minutes long and that gives the band a good opportunity to show their chops. Feel It In Your Heart is an unusual track with a Latin style rhythm and a bit of a western sounding arrangement. On Prince Conley's I'm Going Home, a jazzy blues number, the band plays a really cohesive rhythm for Musselwhite to sing and play harp. Stubbs also contributes a really nice solo on this track. Duke Pearson's Cristo Redentor is a somber instrumental ballad featuring Musselwhite and his signature tone. It's a really cool track to wrap up a great 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 favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

 

New Sugar Ray Norcia "Remembering Little Walter" video

NEW SUGAR RAY NORCIA VIDEO FROM LITTLE WALTER TRIBUTE - "UP THE LINE" Last December, five of the finest harmonica players on the current blues scene - Billy Boy Arnold, Charlie Musselwhite, Mark Hummel, Sugar Ray Norcia, and James Harman - gathered to pay tribute to harp virtuoso and innovator Little Walter Jacobs.  All are featured on the tribute recording entitled Remembering Little Walter. Blind Pig Records has released another in a series of videos from that memorable evening - Sugar Ray Norcia's performance of Little Walter's "Up The Line," which also features a sterling guitar solo by Little Charlie Baty.   To watch the video, please click HERE. In addition to Little Charlie, Sugar Ray is accompanied by Nathan James on guitar, June Core on drums and RW Grigsby on upright bass. To hear more from the album, or to learn more about it, please click HERE.

Stax Records and Concord Music Group thank you for supporting Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite

Get Up! - Ben Harper with Charlie Musselwhite - A True Musical Event    Get Up!, Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite's acclaimed collaboration, released in early 2013, has become an instant classic.    From the cover of Down Beat to the stages of Leno, Kimmel, Letterman and Fallon, this extraordinary collaboration has been widely recognized as one of the year's true musical events.     They've performed for NPR's World Café, and interviewed on Morning Edition and PBS' NewsHour. They even received an invitation from the President to play at the White House as part of the special celebration of Memphis soul.      The duo continues to stoke the fire with live shows and performances that have critics raving.

Check Out: The trailer for Get Up! Acoustic Tour Dates - 11/14 San Francisco, CA @ Davies Symphony Hall - 11/15 Santa Barbara, CA @ Granada Theater - 11/16 San Diego, CA @ Copley Symphony - 11/18 Los Angeles, CA @ Walt Disney Concert Hall Don't Miss:    Ben & Charlie's backstage interview on the White House: Memphis Soul    Ben & Charlie's interview on NPR's Morning Edition    Ben & Charlie's performance on PBS NewsHour    Ben & Charlie on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic    Ben & Charlie performance on The Late Show with David Letterman    Ben & Charlie on NPR's World Café Ben & Charlie's interview on Tavis Smiley  "In Musselwhite, Harper has found a kindred spirit: an understated virtuoso able to push past tradition without losing himself.  They've made a set that feels timeless and right on schedule."  3.5 STARS - Rolling Stone "Hot-blooded...a fortuitous jam session with moments of gospel elevation." - New York Times "They really do draw out the best in each other: Harper has never sounded so powerful, Musselwhite so free to showcase his full range of emotion while sounding consistently raw." - San Francisco Chronicle "Harper and the harmonicist make a righteously blues twosome, digging into roots originals that feel gritted up from decades of dirt and dust." - People "[Musselwhite's] tender harmonica beautifully counterpoints Harper's bruised, emotionally charged vocals."  4 STARS - Mojo "A beguiling mix of acoustic and electric blues, with harmonica legend Musselwhite weaving in and out like a roadhouse virtuoso."- Boston Globe "A blues pairing this good hasn't occurred since Johnny Winter made Muddy Waters 'hard again' back in the '70s." - Elmore "It's a marriage made in blues heaven." - Pop Matters "That'll have to be one heck of a record that tops this. Grade: A." - Tampa Bay Times "The first great album of 2013." - No Depression   "A successful combination of two talented veterans feeding off each other's dusky, creative spirit." 4 STARS-  All Music Guide

new Charlie Musselwhite video

NEW CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE VIDEO FROM LITTLE WALTER TRIBUTE - "JUST A FEELING" Last December five of the finest harmonica players on the current blues scene - Billy Boy Arnold, Charlie Musselwhite, Mark Hummel, Sugar Ray Norcia, and James Harman - gathered to pay tribute to harp virtuoso and innovator Little Walter Jacobs.  All are featured on the Blind Pig CD entitled Remembering Little Walter. Here's the next in a series of Blind Pig video release from that memorable evening - Charlie Musselwhite's performance of Walter's "Just A Feeling."  To watch the video, please click HERE. Charlie is accompanied by Little Charlie Baty on guitar, Nathan James on guitar, June Core on drums and RW Grigsby on upright bass. To hear more from the album, or to learn more about it, please click HERE.

For more information visit www.blindpigrecords.com.