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Overton Music artist: Russ Green - Stone Cold - New Release Review

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 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Stone Cold , from Russ Green , and it's a driving blues rocker. Opening with Lint Redux , you are immediately in the middle of a swampy blues with modern effects. With a firm foot stomp by Felix Pollard on drums and Vic Jackson on bass Russ Green on harmonica and vocals really has the earthy feel. Giles Corey on slide gives the track great grease and Green's harp work is strong. Excellent opener. 12 Feet of Water opens with a terrific harmonica aria before grinding into a super drum driven romp. With the feel that I can only describe as Hill Country , Green delivers such soulful vocals, comforted by Joe Monroe on keys, this track just grabs you. Green's harmonica is like a shuddering wind blowing through you with the thumping bass of Vic Jackson and Vince Agwada on guitar. Excellent! Easy going shuffle, Nobody Knows has a smooth, supple melody with backing acoustic guitar, minimal drum work and melodic ha...
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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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Willow Brook Blues - Kid Thomas

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Kid Thomas, aka Tommy Louis, aka Tommy Lewis, was and is one of the great unsung heroes of that crazy kind of music that skirts the fine line between blues and straight-out rock & roll. Though success constantly eluded him throughout his career, it wasn't for lack of talent. With a powerful voice that could emit banshee wails and Little Richard howls with consummate ease, and a harmonica style that, at his best ("Rockin This Joint Tonight"), sounded like Little Walter powered by a vacuum cleaner, Kid Thomas was a man who knew how to rock the joint, indeed. He was born Louis Thomas Watts on June 20, 1934, in Sturgis, MS. About seven years later, his parents, Virgie and VT, moved the family up to Chicago. By the time young Louis reached street-wise, teenage manhood, he was taking harmonica lessons from Little Willie Smith, one of the many peripheral bluesmen on the Chicago scene, in exchange for giving Smith lessons on the drums, the Kid's original instrument. The l...

"The Wolf Pack" - Kid Thomas

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Louis Thomas Watts, commonly known as Kid Thomas (20 June 1934 - 5 April 1970) was a rock and roll and blues musician. Kid Thomas was born in Sturgis, Mississippi. As a child he moved to Chicago, Illinois and learned the harmonica. While he later switched to rock and roll, he initially played blues in Chicago. Through the 1940s he played with Muddy Waters, Elmore James and Bo Diddley. In 1959 Producer George Motola recorded the single "Rockin this Joint Tonight." While unsuccessful commercially, his music has been reissued, most recently on Rhino Records "Loud Fast and Out of Control" box set. Finding little commercial success, Kid Thomas worked as a lawn mowing man in Los Angeles in the latter half of the 1960s. On September 3, 1969, while driving his truck he struck a young boy and killed him. Arrested on a charge of manslaughter, the charge was later dismissed for lack of evidence. However, the boy's father waited outside the courthouse and shot him. Kid...

The Wolf Pack - Kid Thomas

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Kid Thomas wasn't just a Little Richard-clone, though his wild singing style and specially his incredible hairdo made him look like one. Actually he was a real blues man, a harmonica player, who named Little Walter (Jacobs) for his biggest influence and a teacher. Think 'bout that, unbelievers! .. Kid Thomas was born Louis Thomas Watts on June 20, 1934, in Sturgis, Mississippi (I guess it may be necessary to mention, that this Kid Thomas is NOT the same person as Kid Thomas Valentine, famous jazz musician from New Orleans). Louis, alongside his parents V.T. and Virgie moved to Chicago in 1941. There he learnt to play the harmonica from a guy called Little Walter Smith, while he - in exchange - teached him to play the drums (Thomas' original instrument)! At that time he also got his nickname ('cause of his young age and tendency to a vicious lifestyle...). ..At some point Kid founded an own group and they managed to get a recording session for King-Federal (which actuall...