Bman's Blues Report

Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown Born: Vinton, Louisiana April 18, 1924 - September 10, 1924 Genre Style: Blues, swing country Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown was a legendary, multi-talented American musician whose career spanned over half a century. Born in Vinton, Louisiana, in 1924 and raised in Orange, Texas, he was a virtuoso multi-instrumentalist who mastered the guitar, fiddle, mandolin, viola, drums, and harmonica . He earned his famous nickname "Gatemouth" during his teenage years due to his deep, resonant singing voice. Although frequently classified as a Texas blues performer, Brown famously rejected strict genre labels, preferring to describe his style as "American music, Texas-style". He spent his entire career intentionally breaking musical boundaries by seamlessly synthesizing elements of big band swing, country, jazz, Cajun, bluegrass, and rhythm and blues. Brown’s big break occurred in 1947 at Houston’s Bronze Pea...

Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (April 18, 1924 — September 10, 2005) was an American musician from Louisiana and Texas. He is best known for his work as a blues musician, but embraced other styles of music, having "spent his career fighting purism by synthesizing old blues, country, jazz, Cajun music and R&B styles" He was an acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, who played an array of musical instruments such as guitar, fiddle, mandolin, viola as well as harmonica and drums. He won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album in 1982 for his album, Alright Again! He is regarded as one of the most influential exponents of blues fiddle and has had enormous influence in American fiddle circles. Brown's two biggest musical influences were Louis Jordan and T-Bone Walker. In the 1980s, a series of releases on Rounder Records and Alligator Records revitalized his U.S. career, and he toured extensively and internationally, usually playing between 250 and 300 shows a year...

Albert Collins (October 1, 1932 – November 24, 1993) was an American electric blues guitarist and singer (and occasional harmonica player) whose recording career began in the 1960s in Houston and whose fame eventually took him to stages across the US, Europe, Japan and Australia. He had many nicknames, such as "The Ice Man", "The Master of the Telecaster" and "The Razor Blade". Born in Leona, Texas, Collins was a distant relative of Lightnin' Hopkins and grew up learning about music and playing guitar. His family moved to Houston, Texas when he was seven. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, he absorbed the blues sounds and styles from Texas, Mississippi and Chicago. His style would soon envelop these sounds. He regularly named John Lee Hooker and organist Jimmy McGriff, along with Hopkins, Guitar Slim and Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown as major influences on his playing. Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (April 18, 1924 — September 10, 2005) was an American...

Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (April 18, 1924 — September 10, 2005) was an American musician from Louisiana and Texas. He is best known for his work as a blues musician, but embraced other styles of music, having "spent his career fighting purism by synthesizing old blues, country, jazz, Cajun music and R&B styles" He was an acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, who played an array of musical instruments such as guitar, fiddle, mandolin, viola as well as harmonica and drums. He won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album in 1982 for his album, Alright Again! He is regarded as one of the most influential exponents of blues fiddle and has had enormous influence in American fiddle circles. Brown's two biggest musical influences were Louis Jordan and T-Bone Walker In the 1980s, a series of releases on Rounder Records and Alligator Records revitalized his U.S. career, and he toured extensively and internationally, usually playing between 250 and 300 shows a year....