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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 Colin Linden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Colin Linden. 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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Thursday, March 2, 2023

Suzie Vinnick - Fall Back Home - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Fall Back Home, by Suzie Vinnick and it has a nice groove. Opening with solid radio track, Lift You Up, with just the right country blues blend and a New Orleans like rhythm, Suzie Vinnick on lead vocal and acoustic guitar is backed by Davide Di Renzo on drums, Alec Fraser on bass, Colin Linden with some signature electric guitar riffs, Jesse O,Brien on organ and Samantha Martin and Delta Sugar on backing vocals. With a stronger country overtone and real nice guitar work by Linden, Salt & Pepper has a strong melody and Vinnick shines on lead vocal. I really like ballad, City & Skies with it's simple melody, straightforward vocals and nicely crafted steel guitar work by Steve Dawson. Another real nice ballad, Let Me Make It Up To You Tonight, is a bluesy ballad with jazz overtones, but retaining it's simple, country based theme, with excellent vocals by Vinnick, tasty harmonica soloing by Carlos Del Junco and inciteful guitar work by Kevin Breit. Wrapping the release is tex/mex flavored, Hurt By Luck with a tight drum beat by Di Renzo, and melodic accordion work by Mark Lalama. Working with Vinnick upfront on vocal is Breit who also plays guitar and Gwen Swick. With nice undertones by Danny Greenspoon on pedal steel, this is a real nice closer. 


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Wednesday, September 7, 2022

David Owen - Oh Suzana Blues - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Oh Suzana Blues, from David Owen and it's solid acoustic country blues. Opening with Soul of a Sullen Man, David Owen on vocal, harmonica and guitar is joined by Dominic Davis on bass and Fats Kaplin on violin. Very nice in a Rev Gary Davis style. On All Folks Get The Blues, Owen takes to a Piedmont style picking, complimenting his vocal with harmonica with special guest Colin Linden adding guitar as well. Very nice. Bankruptcy Blues is a cool, delta style blues with Owen on vocal, harmonica and guitar. This track has a real Mali undertone giving it a rich delta feel. Title track, Oh Suzana Blues is a real simple country folk blues with it's straightforward approach and vocal dominance. Wrapping the release is So Lonesome Without You, a cool folk track featuring Owen on vocal and harmonica and Colin Linden on dobro. Nicely crafted and presented, this is a solid closer for a cool acoustic release. 


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Friday, July 22, 2022

VizzTone Label Group artist: Gina Sicilia - Unchange - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Unchange, from Gina Sicilia and it's a nice blend of soul, R&B, gospel and blues. Opening with Healing Time with all of the richness of sweet soul music, Gina Sicilia on lead vocal sets a great table. Backed by Ann and Regina McCrary wou have the best vocal backing money can buy and Kevin McKendree on organ is a terrific addition as well to the basic band of Colin Linden on guitar, Johnny Dymond on bass and Bryan Owings on drums. Great opener. How Far Am I From Canaan is a light take on a full blown gospel track with Sicilia singing acapella over the electric guitar accompaniment and excellent vocal backing of Linden. This is an impressive showcase for Sicilia's vocal prowess and brilliant contemporary interpretation of a traditional style gospel tune. On Rev Gary Davis' classic track, Death Don't Have No Mercy, Linden really opens nicely with reverb saturated blues guitar riffs. Sicilia takes a more bluesy approach on this one with excellent results. Linden gets a chance to let his blues chops flow and with terrific results. Excellent track. Valentine is a real nice ballad with strong radio structure. The melody is well constructed and Linden's acoustic guitar accompaniment is a perfect foil to Sicilia on vocal. Very nice. Linden's, Don't Be Afraid To Be Wrong has the distinct, Gary Davis style rag feel that immediately perks my ears up. Sicilia's vocals float lightly on Linden's finger work making this one of my favorites. Wrapping the release is traditional ballad, There's A Bright Side Somewhere, and Sicilia handles it with great sensitivity and composure over the acoustic accompaniment and beautiful slide solo of Linden . This is a real nice closer for a strong release. 


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Monday, April 1, 2019

Stony Plain Records artist: Colin Linden & Luther Dickinson - Amour - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Amour, from Colin Linden & Luther Dickinson with the Tennessee Valentines and it's not only musically cool but a lot of fun. Opening with traditional instrumental, Careless Love, Linden on electric dobro and Dickinson on electric guitar, and only a minimal amount of percussion, a beautiful sound emerges with the thickness of a Mississippi swamp and the depth of morning fog. Excellent! On Jesse Stone's Don't Let Go, Rachael Davis and Ruby Amanfu join on vocal giving this popular track real spunk. Jimmy Reed's Honest I Do features Davis again on vocals, has a super blues swagger and reverb saturated guitar. Very cool. I really like the Sam Palladio lead/ Rachael Davis harmony on Ralph Mooney's Crazy Arms and Linden and Dickinson' guitar mix over Dominic Davis on bass, Bryan Owings on drums and Kevin McKendree on piano is pure gold. Billy Swan original, Lover Please, features Swan on lead vocal coupled with Davis making for a super country rocker with nice accordion work by Fats Kaplin. Ruby Amanfu takes center stage on Chuck Willis' What Am I Living For giving it a powerful rework. Luther and Colin add authentic country riffs and a tight structure over McKendree's organ work. Wrapping the release is  I Forgot To Remember To Forget featuring Jonathan Jackson on lead vocal and Luther and Colin playing ethereal electric guitar parts floating to the end of the release. Very nice.


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Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Guitarists Colin Linden and Luther Dickinson Join Forces on "Amour," a New Roots CD Featuring Songs of Sentimental, Romantic Love, Due February 8 on Stony Plain Records







Guitarists Colin Linden and Luther Dickinson Join Forces on Amour, a New Roots CD Featuring Songs of Sentimental, Romantic Love, Due February 8 on Stony Plain Records



WATERDOWN, ON - Stony Plain Records announces a February 8 release date for Amour, a new CD teaming the roots music guitar talents of Colin Linden and Luther Dickinson. The CD was produced by Colin Linden, recorded at Blackbird Studios in Nashville, and features a backing band dubbed “The Tennessee Valentines:” Dominic Davis – bass; Bryan Owings – drums; Fats Kaplin – violin and accordion; and Kevin McKendree – keyboards.



Linden and Dickinson recruited a host of Nashville talent as guest vocalists on the new disc, including the legendary Billy Swan, who sings lead on “Lover Please” (a song he wrote, which   was recorded and became a classic hit for Clyde McPhatter); as well as songbirds Rachael Davis and Ruby Amanfu; plus two of Linden’s “Nashville” TV series buddies - Sam Palladio (“Crazy Arms”) and Jonathan Jackson (“I Forgot to Remember to Forget”). 



Hear “Don’t Let Go” from the album:  Don’t Let Go Pak Shot Video 



“These are songs of sentimental, romantic love,” says Colin Linden about the music on the new disc. “They come from country (“Crazy Arms”), blues (“Honest I Do”), rock ‘n’ roll (“Lover Please”), rhythm and blues (“What Am I Living For”) and folk music (“Careless Love”). I think that is a pretty good read on what Americana really is. ‘Careless Love’ is the ‘id’ of the record—a traditional song of love, longing and regret. I view the entire album as a soundtrack for romance and romantics everywhere, bound together by melody and atmosphere.”



Amour is the first collaboration between Colin Linden (Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, ABC-TV show “Nashville)” and Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars, Black Crowes) and consists of classic love songs from the Americana world. Both Linden and Dickinson are true veterans of roots music, having played with and produced some of the biggest names in the business, while displaying the mantle of countless awards and accolades to reflect that.



“Most of these songs I have known my whole life, and they reached me in the same way,” says Colin Linden about the album’s origin. “I mentioned the idea of recording them as a collection to my friend Luther Dickinson, who said it was a good idea—and that it would be cool to work on it together. Luther is not only a master musician, but also an artist with a great vision and a soulful, wonderful human being.”



“Colin and I are fellow guitar-slinging, peace-loving, freedom-fighting romantics who jump at any and every opportunity to play guitars together,” adds Luther Dickinson. “Our only problem is not erupting into joyous laughter as the music unfolds. In the spirit of brotherly love and old-school ancient sonic explorations, Colin and I both plugged into a shared guitar amp that you can hear in the middle. Our individual amps are spread out, and though you can hear the different guitars popping thru here and there, it's hard to tell who is playing what, and that only adds to Colin and my Amour fest.” 



“As time and fate would have it, all of the mighty folks who joined us were also moved by these songs,” explains Linden. Blessed by one of our heroes—and the composer of one of these songs—Billy Swan, we felt like we were on the right road in doing this album. It was a band of angels we were joined by; Luther suggested we call it ‘The Tennessee Valentines,’ based on the beautiful song and these glorious spirits. But the real story is the love story in the songs.” 



Amour is Linden’s second album for the label since Stony Plain re-signed the nine-time Juno Award-winning singer/guitarist in 2015 and released his acclaimed Rich in Love CD that same year. Stony Plain was also the home of Colin’s first studio album, The Immortals, in 1986.



Colin Linden continues to be a very much in-demand musician, having played on Gregg Allman’s 2011 Grammy-nominated Low Country Blues, as well as Grammy-winner Rhiannon Giddens’ album, Tomorrow Is My Turn, and Diana Krall’s Glad Rag Doll. He’s also produced 125 albums, was the musical director on the hit TV show, “Nashville” and toured as guitarist for Bob Dylan, Bruce Cockburn, Emmylou Harris, Robert Plant and, among many others.



In addition, he was the featured guitar player on the PBS-TV special saluting gospel music, “In Performance at the White House,” backing such stars as Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Lyle Lovett and Shirley Caesar. In recent years, he’s also played on the soundtracks for a number of feature films, including Inside Llewyn Davis, The Hunger Games, R.I.P.D. and the acclaimed documentary, A Place at the Table, and in 2015 he was the music director for the special tribute to legendary Sun Records founder Sam Phillips at the Country Music Hall of Fame.



A genuine renaissance man of roots music, Colin is also a member of the highly successful trio, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, who released the highly acclaimed album, Kings & Queens, in 2011, which teamed the band up with such guests as Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, Lucinda Williams, Cassandra Wilson, Patti Scialfa and Holly Cole. That disc was followed by the Kings and Kings album in 2016.




Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Stony Plain artist: Colin Linden - Rich In Love - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Rich In Love, from Colin Linden and it's very entertaining. Opening with Knob & Tube, an easy paced blues pop track featuring Linden on mandolin and vocal and backed by Amy Helm on vocal, the release is off to a good start. R&B slanted, I Need Water has a slick, Boz Scaggs style. Linden delivers nicely on this track with quiet but really interesting slide riffs, backed by John Dymond on bass, Gary Craig on drums and Tim Laur on organ. Very nice! Delia Come For Me is a strong ballad with Linden on vocal accompanying himself on acoustic guitar and overdubbing a really sweet slide guitar track. Solid writing and performance. Harp master, Charlie Musselwhite adds his signature harp styling on The Hurt, a bluesy ballad. Linden opens the electric slide up a bit on this track giving it a nice contrast and Reese Wynans dances on piano giving the track a certain sparkle. Everybody Ought To Be Loved is a soulful ballad and one that should have solid radio appeal. Harmony vocals from Amy Helm and Wynans on keys gives the track added warmth but this track with it's strong melody and tight execution should see a lot of airplay. Title track, Rich In Love, has a really nice ambiance with Linden playing a lone guitar in what sounds like a cavernous void. His voice, teamed on melody is joined by Musselwhite on harp with clever accents and Helm on warm harmonies making this one of my favorite tracks on the release. Date With The Stars has a romantic 50's almost Hawaiian sound with a sweet melody and beautiful guitar tone backed by Lauer on organ. Lush! And Then You Begin has a definite country blues guitar picking style under Linden on vocal. No More Cheap Wine has a definite rock feel with Craig leading the way with a snappy drum beat. Linden sets a nice vocal groove and chases himself with spanky slide work. Wynans on organ gives the track depth and Dymond keeps a solid bass line going as Linden makes flashes of David Lindley tone. Very nice! Luck Of A Fool has a cool easy rock feel and Linden sings with solid emotion. A cool guitar rhythm and pointed organ accents by Wynans gives the track a toe tapping feel. I Made A Promise is a somber ballad with warm electric guitar accompaniment and well placed electric slide accents. Very nice! Wrapping the release is Paybacks Are Hell, a simple acoustic ballad with Linden on vocal and acoustic guitar. A sweet little tune and a nice closer for a solid release.


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Monday, July 27, 2015

Stony Plain Records Signs Acclaimed Singer/Guitarist Colin Linden & Will Release His Latest CD, "Rich in Love", on September 25




Stony Plain Records Signs Acclaimed Singer/Guitarist Colin Linden & Will Release His Latest CD, Rich in Love, on September 25

Special Guests Include Charlie Musselwhite, Reese Wynans, Amy Helm and Tim Lauer

EDMONTON, AB – Stony Plain Records announces the signing of acclaimed eight-time Juno Award-winning singer/guitarist Colin Linden and the September 25 release date for his latest CD, Rich in Love. The new CD marks a return to the same label that released Colin’s first studio album, The Immortals, in 1986, and also represents his first new studio recording since From the Water in 2009. Colin Linden’s last album was a live recording released in 2011. To stream an exclusive preview of the song, “No More Cheap Wine,” click here: http://bit.ly/nomorecheapwine

Sporting a beautiful cover designed by Jim Sherraden of Nashville’s famed Hatch Show Print, Rich in Love was produced, recorded and performed by Colin Linden (guitars, vocals, ukuleles and mandolins) and his band, affectionately known as The Rotting Matadors: John Dymond on bass and Gary Craig on drums. Special guests include multiple Blues Music Award-winner and six-time Grammy nominee Charlie Musselwhite on harmonica, legendary keyboardist Reese Wynans (Stevie Ray Vaughan), Amy Helm (Levon Helm, Ollabelle) on harmony vocals and organist Tim Lauer (Rodney Crowell, Keb’ Mo’, Allison Moorer, Lady Antebellum).

Linden, a long-time Nashville resident, and the two members of his band have been playing together for over 25 years, and it shows on Rich in Love, which sparkles with their seamless musicianship and collective talents. Colin Linden’s singing is fresh, emotional and engaging. The songs transport the listener through lustful encounters, remorse-laden retrospectives and forlorn longing, while the music takes influences from blues, country rock and roots. And then there is the playing, where every guitar pluck, bass note, subtle drum sweep or organ solo from this consummate musician and his band adds to the stories. It is a truly captivating package, a polished roots diamond, a treasure to reflect on and restore the soul.

The 12 all-original songs on Rich in Love were written by Linden, solo or in tandem with other writers such as his wife, Janice Powers (a published novelist), band member John Dymond and Grammy winners Gary Nicholson and Tom Hambridge.

About the songwriting process for the new CD, Linden says, “I felt like so much has changed since my last studio album in 2009. It was as if I was writing from a different place for these songs. At some point I even began to suffer from insomnia, and several of the songs were composed literally in the middle of the night, such as “Date with the Stars.’

“While the music on my new album covers a lot of influences, I still think of myself as a blues player, whatever I’m doing.”

According to Linden, “Delia Come for Me,” one of the songs from the new CD, had a particularly interesting genesis: “It was partially inspired by the 2011 execution in Georgia of Troy Davis for murder, whose subsequent investigation raised serious questions about his guilt; a case which reminded me of the old traditional country blues ballad, ‘Delia.’”

Rich in Love comes at a time when Colin Linden is a very much in-demand musician, having played on Gregg Allman’s Grammy-nominated Low Country Blues, as well as on Grammy-winner Rhiannon Giddens’ most-recent album, Tomorrow Is My Turn, and Diana Krall’s 2012 CD, Glad Rag Doll. In 2013, Linden was tabbed by Bob Dylan to play guitar in the music icon’s band for his summer tour. Recently, he was the featured guitar player on the PBS-TV special saluting gospel music, “In Performance at the White House,” backing such luminaries as Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, Lyle Lovett, Shirley Caesar and the aforementioned Rhiannon Giddens. In recent years, he’s also played on the soundtracks for a number of feature films, including Inside Llewyn Davis, The Hunger Games, R.I.P.D. and the acclaimed documentary, A Place at the Table. And on August 29, he’ll be the music director for the special tribute to legendary Sun Records founder Sam Phillips scheduled at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

The catalyst for all of these performances has been the celebrated producer extraordinaire T Bone Burnett, who has created some of the most lauded music performed on record, television and film over the last 15 years. It was Burnett who originally selected Colin Linden to work on the first season of the hit ABC-TV series, “Nashville.” Over the past three years, he’s been working in that same role with his close friend and the show’s executive music producer, Buddy Miller, as “Nashville” enters its fourth season of production. Officially credited as “Performance Consultant and Coach” on the show, Linden plays on almost 75% of the music heard on the program and supervises all of the music shoots that take place on the screen. He’s also been the bandleader for both national tours that the “Nashville” cast has taken on the road across the country.

One of Colin’s additional projects, the roots music trio known as Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, released the highly acclaimed album, Kings & Queens, in 2011 on the file Under Music label, which teamed the band up with such guests as Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, Lucinda Williams, Cassandra Wilson, Patti Scialfa and Holly Cole, among many others. The resultant North American tour, which saw the boys joined on the road by a few of the “Queens,” was hugely successful, showcasing the group in front of large audiences in major music venues.      



For more information, visit www.colinlinden.com and www.stonyplainrecords.com.   
 About Colin Linden 

Born in Toronto, Canada, and raised in White Plains, New York, Colin Linden returned to Canada in 1970. He was already a guitar prodigy at 11 years old, and when most kids that age are playing sports, Colin was meeting and being mentored by one of his musical heroes, the great bluesman Howlin’ Wolf, which helped set the youngster on a course to pursue the sounds of his dreams. That encounter helped fuel a career that has featured his work on literally hundreds of albums. At last count, the total of recordings on which he has played approaches 400, while over 100 albums bear the “Produced by Colin Linden” credit.

As a testament to his roots music acumen and early devotion to the idiom, Colin - at the tender age of 15 and accompanied by fellow Canadian musician Doc MacLean – embarked on a summer blues odyssey of the USA, working down from the border and hitting Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Atlanta, Memphis and other points south in the Mississippi Delta. Along the way, they met up with and performed on numerous occasions with a “who’s-who” of blues legends, including Sippie Wallace, Buddy Moss, Little Brother Montgomery, Sunnyland Slim, Tampa Red, Henry Townsend, Robert Wilkins, Sleepy John Estes, Son House and Sam Chatmon.

Colin Linden is a genuine renaissance man of roots music. He’s a singer and songwriter of great skill, an in-demand and prolific record producer (Bruce Cockburn, Tom Wilson, Colin James), a sideman to the stars as guitarist for the likes of Bruce Cockburn, Emmylou Harris, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, and, for the past decade-plus, a member of the highly successful trio, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings.
Colin’s songs have been covered by The Band, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Keb’ Mo’, and Colin James, and his well-stocked trophy case includes eight Juno Awards (the Canadian Grammy), multiple Maple Blues Awards, and a Toronto Arts Award.  He was nominated for a Grammy Award for the star-studded A Tribute to Howlin’ Wolf CDand was nominated in 2002 for Lucinda Williams’ track on the Timeless (Hank Williams tribute) album, which won for Country Album of The Year. That same year his involvement in the O Brother, Where Art Thou project was rewarded, as “O Brother” won for Best Album and the Down From The Mountain soundtrack won for Folk Album of The Year  (Linden and Chris Thomas King had a song credited together on that one). Linden has a well-deserved reputation as a slide guitar virtuoso of true originality and his riveting slide work can be heard both on albums from numerous artists as well as on his own sizeable solo catalogue.

His last studio album, From the Water, was viewed as an homage of sorts to his long-time musical collaborator and closest friend, legendary keyboardist Richard Bell, who passed away in 2007. Bell’s accomplishments included being a member of Janis Joplin’s Full Tilt Boogie Band. Linden and Bell played on over 100 albums together (more than 40 of them Linden productions), including records by The Band, Bruce Cockburn, Lucinda Williams, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings and Colin James.

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Black Hen Music artist: Big Dave McLean - Faded but Not Gone - New release review

I just received the newest release (March 3, 2015), Faded but Not Gone, by Big Dave McLean and it's gritty and solid. Opening with Tough Times, a 12 bar Chicago style blues track with Steve Dawson on National Steel guitar and Kevin McKendree on organ. On I Best Choose To Pick The Blues, McLean picks up the pace and Colin Linden contributes the smooth slide guitar. On Dead Cat On The Line with a bit of bluegrass influence and Piedmont style, McLean is joined on vocal by Dawson who also plays banjo. John Dymond adds bass, Gary Craig drums and Colin James some really tight mandolin work. On western style ballad, The Fallen, McClean takes the spotlight vocally backed by sweet electric and steel guitar work by Dawson. Very cool! Sittin' On A Fence has a light country 2 step feel. Double stop guitar riffs by Dawson are a really nice touch on this track. Don't Get Mad, Get Even is built over a 12 bar structure but has a much more contemporary feel and a catchy melody. The lyrics are certain to attract the crowds attention and McKendree rolls a nice piano solo to top things off. Devil's In The Jukebox has an easy country rock pace with slicing slide work from Dawson. McKendree never disappoints with his nimble organ solos rounding out this track. A Latin rhythm from Craig and hot slide work from Dawson, complimented by McKendree's tight piano work lead this track up to the bridge where McLean takes it to swing time and back. Tom Waits' Mr Siegal has a New Orleans blues feel with particularly effective drum work from Craig. The grittiness of McLeans vocals contrasted against Dawson on banjo and McKendree on organ make this one of my favorites on the release. Shades Of Grace is an easy country style folk tune with a nod to Amazing Grace. The McCrary sisters add some supple backing vocals on this track giving it extra warmth. Oh- Mr. Charlie - Oh has a number of the characteristics of an old gospel or slave song giving it an immediate bump up. I like this track a lot with it's rudimentary style, guitar work from Dawson and backing vocals from the McCrary sisters. McLean accompanies himself effectively on harp on this track as well. Wrapping the release is Skip James' Devil Got My Woman. Stripped down to only McLean on vocal and National steel guitar, this track maintains the feeling of the delta and a fitting conclusion to an adventurous 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”

 

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Terraplane Blues - Colin Linden

Colin Linden (born 16 April 1960) is a Canadian musician, songwriter and record producer. He has worked with a wide variety of artists including Bruce Cockburn, Lucinda Williams, T-Bone Burnett, Colin James, Leon Redbone, Rita Chiarelli, Chris Thomas King and The Band. Linden is primarily a electric blues guitarist, although he frequently collaborates with country and folk performers. He is also a member, with Stephen Fearing and Tom Wilson, of the group Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. Linden was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. When he was still an infant, his family moved to White Plains, New York. The ten-year old Linden heard rock performers in New York venues, such as Van Morrison, the Flying Burrito Brothers, James Taylor, John Mayall, Johnny Winter and Taj Mahal. When the family moved back to Toronto, Linden became interested in performers such as Taj Mahal, Mississippi Fred McDowell and Howlin’ Wolf. When Howlin’ Wolf played at Toronto’s Colonial Tavern, the then-11-year old Linden spent three hours talking with the elder bluesman. A young Linden began performing at a local coffee house, the Fiddler’s Green Coffee House, singing and strumming a guitar. By 1973, Linden began learning how to finger pick. When Linden met David Wilcox, Linden decided to learn how to play slide guitar. Wilcox gave 140 blues albums to young Linden, to help Linden to learn about blues styles. Paul Mills, the producer of Sylvia Tyson’s Touch the Earth show, at the Winnipeg Folk Festival and an outlet on CBC Radio for acoustic roots music, booked Linden in 1975 . At the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Colin met Mississippi bluesman Sam Chatmon, and later that year made a pilgrimage to US to meet South Detroit's Sippie Wallace. North Carolina's Peg Leg Sam, and Mississippi's Son House. In 1976 Wilcox had asked Linden to join his band, the Teddy Bears, which meant that Linden had to learn to play the electric guitar. In 1977, he played solo gigs and did his first western Canadian tour, which was booked by Holger Petersen. In Edmonton he met then 13-year old Colin James, also a budding blues performer. In the late 1970s, Linden formed his own group, the Group du Jour, which played a mix of covers and a few Linden originals. In 1979, Linden recorded the Sam Chatmon album. In 1981, Linden recorded his album Colin Linden Live!. As well, he played as a sideman for Joe Mendelson, Willie P. Bennett, Gwen Swick and Amos Garrett. Linden's second album, Colin Linden and the Immortals was released by the Stony Plain Records label in 1986. Linden has acknowledged the influence of The Band. In the early 1980s, Linden met three of the original members, Rick Danko, Garth Hudson and Levon Helm. Members of The Band contributed to Linden's recordings, and songs like "When the Spirit Comes" got radio airplay and "Miles Away from You" made the rock charts. When the Spirit Comes was released by A & M in 1987. Linden signed a publishing deal with Warner Chappell and did producing for Mendelson Joe, Morgan Davis, Jackson Delta and Hans Thessink. In 1991, Bruce Cockburn recruited Linden as a sideman, and for three-and-a-half years, Linden playing guitar. Subsequently, Linden became Cockburn's co-producer. Linden's blues album of 1993 titled South at Eight, North at Nine was distributed by Sony Music in Canada, and won a Juno Award in the Blues and Gospel category. Guests on the album included Bruce Cockburn as well as Rick Danko, Garth Hudson and Levon Helm of the Band. As Linden got more interested in gospel records, he began taking vocal lessons from Bourbon Tabernacle Choir singer Dave Wall, such as breathing and warm-up exercises. In 1996, Linden won a Juno in the Blues/Gospel category for his producing Lennie Gallant's The Open Window. Linden co-wrote Colin James' hit song "Real Stuff". As well, and, Linden joined with Tom Wilson of Junkhouse and Stephen Fearing to form Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. This band was a tribute to Canadian singer songwriter Willie P. Bennett. After the album High or Hurtin’ on True North Records, the second album Kings of Love won a Juno. In February 1998 Linden shared the Maple Blues Producer of the Year award with Colin James. A Tribute to Howlin’ Wolf was released by Telarc Records in 1998. In 1999, A Tribute to Howlin’ Wolf was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category Best Traditional Blues Album. In 1999, Linden received the Toronto Arts Award. In 2000 Linden won three Juno awards, of which the "Blues" category award was as the producer of Ray Bonneville's Gust of Wind. In the Roots and Traditional: Solo Artist category, Linden won as the producer of Bruce Cockburn's Breakfast in New Orleans, Dinner in Timbuktu. Finally,in the Roots and Traditional: Group category, Linden won as a member of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. In 2000, Linden produced Sue Foley's Love Comin' Down and Paul Reddick and the Sidemen's Rattle Bag. For the album Big Mouth, a more acoustic recording, Linden recruited Keb' Mo', Bruce Cockburn, and other musicians. In 2002 Big Mouth won a Juno for Best Blues Album. In 2002, an album Linden worked on, Timeless, won the Grammy for Country Album of the Year. In 2002, he co-produced Stephen Fearing's That's How I Walk and Bruce Cockburn's You've Never Seen Everything. In 2003, a third Blackie and the Rodeo Kings album, BARK, was released, and in 2006 they released Let's Frolic and Let's Frolic Again. “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson 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!

Monday, April 16, 2012

Terraplane Blues - Colin Linden


Of how many artists can it be said that they’re getting better, 33 years into their recording career? Colin Linden can certainly be considered a member of that select club based on From The Water, the 11th solo album in a storied career that has also featured his work on literally hundreds of other records. At last count, the total of albums on which he has played stood at over 300, while at least 70 albums bear the ‘Produced by Colin Linden’ credit.

Linden is a genuine renaissance man of roots music. He’s a singer and songwriter of great skill, an in-demand and prolific record producer ( Bruce Cockburn, Tom Wilson, Colin James), a sideman to the stars as guitarist for the likes of Bruce Cockburn, Emmylou Harris, and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, and, for the past decade, a member of the highly successful trio, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings.

Colin’s songs have been covered by The Band, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Keb’ Mo’, and Colin James, and his well-stocked trophy case includes seven Juno, multiple Maple Blues Awards, and a Toronto Arts Award. He was nominated for a Grammy Award for the star-studded A Tribute To Howlin’ Wolf CD, and was involved in the ground-breaking O Brother Where Art Thou phenomenon. Linden has a well-deserved reputation as a slide guitar virtuoso of real originality, and his riveting slide work can be heard both on albums from such artists as Cassandra Wilson, The Rankin Family, Whitey Johnson and on his own sizeable solo catalogue.

Colin’s multi-faceted talents coalesce in truly compelling fashion on From The Water. This is a stylistically more diverse work than his previous outing, 2007’s easin’ back to tennessee. That acclaimed disc served as an homage to the acoustic country blues style that was the crucial inspiration for the Toronto-born and raised, Nashville-based Linden in his musically formative years.
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