Subterranean Homesick Blues - Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan , born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist. He has been an influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly reluctant figurehead of social unrest. A number of Dylan's early songs, such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'", became anthems for the US civil rights and anti-war movements. Leaving his initial base in the culture of folk music behind, Dylan's six-minute single "Like a Rolling Stone" has been described as radically altering the parameters of popular music in 1965. However, his recordings employing electric instruments attracted denunciation and criticism from others in the folk movement.

Dylan's lyrics incorporated a variety of political, social, philosophical, and literary influences. They defied existing pop music conventions and appealed hugely to the then burgeoning counterculture. Initially inspired by the songs of Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson, and Hank Williams, as well as the music and performance styles of Buddy Holly and Little Richard, Dylan has both amplified and personalized musical genres. His recording career, spanning fifty years, has explored numerous distinct traditions in American song—from folk, blues and country to gospel, rock and roll, and rockabilly to English, Scottish, and Irish folk music, embracing even jazz and swing.

Dylan performs with guitar, keyboards, and harmonica. Backed by a changing line-up of musicians, he has toured steadily since the late 1980s on what has been dubbed the Never Ending Tour. His accomplishments as a recording artist and performer have been central to his career, but his greatest contribution is generally considered to be his songwriting.

Since 1994, Dylan has published three books of drawings and paintings, and his work has been exhibited in major art galleries. As a songwriter and musician, Dylan has received numerous awards over the years including Grammy, Golden Globe, and Academy Awards; he has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Pulitzer Prize jury in 2008 awarded him a special citation for "his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power." In April 2012, President Barack Obama named Dylan as a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

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Delta Groove artist: RJ Mischo - Make It Good - New Release Review

Got a hot new release, Make It Good, from RJ Mischo. The CD is chocked full of 13 original tracks. Trouble Belt starts the romp with Mischo on vocals and Johnny Moeller and Nick Curran on guitars. The Frozen Pickle is up next with some terrific harp work from Mischo. Mischo apparently learned how to get his full-tone from Lynwood Slim. The indisputable Johnny Moeller throws down a great Texas style guitar solo on this track and with the assistance of Nick Curran, Ronnie James Weber, Nick Connolly and Wes Starr. Papa's S.T. Special is a harp whoop train type song and demonstrates Mischo's technique well. Minnesota Woman, a cool shuffle track, is a strait up Chicago style blues with Mischo back on vocal and harp and Moeller keeps the back of the track filled with intricate rhythm guitar as well as some nice straight guitar solo's. Not Your Good Man is a great slower blues track, again Chicago style, giving Moeller a great opportunity to shine and of course featuring the great tone of Mischo. I Got You Covered takes it up a notch to an almost blues rocker. The Biscuit Is back takes the jump route and sets the stage perfectly for great harp and guitar work by both men. Elevator Juice is a harmonica boogie and Mischo takes full advantage to show what he's packin'. Moeller throws down a great guitar solo as well. This is a cool driver. All Over Again is a great finish to a great CD letting the players including Nick Curran stretch out a bit. This is a really strong CD and one that if you like your traditional blues mixed in with some updated blues will likely really make you perk up. I personally think it's really strong!
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A track from the new Cd but different backing band.

Last Fair Deal Gone Down - Kent Duchaine

Kent DuChaine, (born 25 April 1951), is an American blues singer and guitarist. He currently lives in Fort Gaines, Georgia. DuChaine started in music when his father taught him to play the ukulele at six years old. At thirteen years old he got his first electric guitar and formed a band with his friends in his hometown of Wayzata, Minnesota, playing mainly popular music at private parties and school functions. After reading some liner notes of an Eric Clapton album, Kent started researching blues music. He discovered a Robert Johnson album and was astounded and fascinated at the banging sound as the bottle neck knocked against the frets as Johnson slid it up and down the neck of his guitar. Kent used a butter knife at first determined to recapture the wonderful sound. He immersed himself in blues music of Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Lightnin' Hopkins, T-Bone Walker, Bukka White and never looked back. Kent learned to play the slide guitar and soon developed his own ferocious wild style. In 1970 he opened a show for the slide guitar genius, Bukka White. From 1972 until 1975 Kent performed in a band with Kim Wilson from the present day Fabulous Thunderbirds. The band backed up blues greats such as Fenton Robinson, Boogie Woogie Red, Luther Tucker, Hubert Sumlin and Eddie "Guitar" Burns. The reputation of the band grew and Willie Dixon arranged a recording contract and a concert sharing the bill with Albert Collins, John Lee Hooker and Howling Wolf. In 1979 Kent met up with his beloved and ever faithful Leadbessie. She’s a beat up 1934 National Steel Guitar that wows and astounds audiences when the equally beat up case she travels in is opened and her extra heavy strings are furiously played. Kent discovered and looked up a legendary blues man with the name of Johnny Shines in 1989. They travelled together for three years and performed over 200 shows. In that time they recorded “Back To the Country” with harmonica great Snooky Pryor and were honoured with the coveted W.C. Handy Award for best country blues album but unfortunately they did not add Kent's name to the recording. In 1991 the Smithsonian Institution honoured the King of the Delta Blues, Robert Johnson. DuChaine and Shines were specially invited to perform and “Roots Of Rhythm & Blues: A Tribute to the Robert Johnson Era” was the result. This was recorded by Sony BMG and also Grammy nominated. DuChaine and Shines' partnership and friendship was cut short when Johnny Shines died on 20 April 1992. Since going solo in 1982 and firstly hitting the roads in the United States, Kent and Leadbessie have probably clocked up over two million miles together, including over 80 plus tours in Europe and the United Kingdom during the last 20 years, promoting the Delta blues and blues music in general. A small handful of wives have been picked up and lost along the way and many stories gained of friendships, loves, heartaches and the blues that he communicates to his audiences, most of which, leave folk laughing or scratching their heads in disbelief. Kent also speaks of the history of the blues music, the great men who developed it and his incredible involvement with some of them to audiences far and wide. Songs such as Shake Your Moneymaker and "Jitterbug Swing” have folk up dancing. Kent’s versions of Trouble in Mind and St James Infirmary Blues have been seen to bring tears to many eyes. The Times London newspaper has named him as one of the five best concerts in the United Kingdom. Kent and Leadbessie have dedicated fans all over the world who are asking all the time for him to add another album to the seven, plus one live DVD, that he has already released. These include his own recordings as well as songs that he keeps alive from the past, by the blues legends that we all know and love If you like what I’m doing, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

Rev. Gary Davis, Bozo Padunavac and American Primitivism - An Exclusive Interview with Peter Lang

I caught up the other day with legendary American Primitive guitar player Peter Lang. American Primitivism, also known as American Primitive Guitar, is the music genre started by John Fahey in the late 1950s. Fahey composed and recorded avant-garde/neo-classical compositions using traditional country blues fingerpicking techniques, which had previously been used primarily to accompany vocals. Other famous early proponents were Leo Kottke and Robbie Basho who all played at one time or another on Fahey's Takoma Records label. The style is derived from the country blues and string band music of the '20s and '30s.

Fahey referred to it as 'American Primitive' after the 'French Primitive' painters, meaning untutored.

Bman: Hi Peter. I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with me. First I want to mention that I have posted a number of your performances with your biography which have been some of my most read articles. You definitely have a lot of fans.

I remember first hearing you when I was in college. Your finger playing technique is incredible. How did you get started playing guitar?

Peter: As a child I came from a dysfunctional family. My father was a WWII/Korea veteran. Music was an important escape from my world. I started playing trumpet in grade school and I loved to practice. My father had boilermakers ears (essentially everything bothered his hearing and it sounded to him like noise in a can). He suggested that I stop playing trumpet and possibly play a guitar instead. It ended up being a Ukulele but ultimately I got a Kay student model and by 14 had worked my way up to a good Gibson J45 at 14. I was actually starting to progress and get rid of some of my bad habits and a friend of my brothers smashed it for fun. Fortunately dad was an insurance man and with the proceeds I got a ’63 Gibson Hummingbird. Most of my early recordings were made on this guitar. Guitar builder Ren Fergusen who was building banjo’s and doing guitar repairs (later in charge of Gibson’s custom shop) did some great custom inlays on that guitar. 

Bman: So how did you get hooked up with John Fahey and Leo Kottke?

Peter: I moved to LA in 1967 to get work. A number of players would work at the Troubadour and the Ash Grove. I ended up playing with Dave Van Ronk, Elizabeth Cotten and Brownie McGhee. The Ash Grove was only open about 15 years but the owner was involved in “radical politics’ and it was burned down a number of times. It was there and Mc Cabe’s that I met John Fahey as well as Bukka White and Robert Wilkins among others and as a result ended up atTakoma Records.

Bman: So it was a chance meeting?

Peter: I was playing a party and basically playing in the American Primitive style (self taught) and writing my own materials. I had trouble learning others music by ear so I developed my own style. I tried to learn “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright”. I could never really get it. It took my son to tell me “Dad. It’s 2 people playing guitar!”

I started recording in 1966 and someone dropped a tape to Takoma at Santa Monica College. I hear Leo’s (Kottke) first album and said, “Hey, That’s what I’m doing”. John’s (Fahey) wife was at UCLA staying with one of my roommates. She was always talking about her husband the nutcase guitar player. John and his wife owned Takoma Records. I signed in 1972. All of the Takoma guys had a spiritual leader. Robbie Basho had Majher Baba, Fahey had Satchadinanda, "The Woodstock Guru" ........ I mean Timothy Leary and Christopher Isherwood were there. I had Reverend Ike “The Cynic” Ikenhorder wearing a crown . They all had their little shrines and I would eat the candy left in the shrines. 

Bman: Quite the joker Peter!

Peter: I had never really heard Fahey before meeting him and then signing. Growing up in Minnesota I listened to what they had at Midwest Records. There was only one store where you could listen before you bought. They were the only store to carry any outsider music. Takoma was the first. I got compared to Leo a lot when I first recorded because he and I and Fahey came from the collective pool. Fahey and I both self taught and Leo learned through Fahey and Dick Rosenwiner, Davey Graham (Father of Modern Fingerstyle), Bert Jansch, John Reborn and Rev. Gary Davis. 

Bman: You, Leo and Rev. Gary Davis have more than just music style in common. Did you meet Davis.

Peter: Yes. I was at Ash Grove and Rev. Gary Davis walked in. 

Bman: I’ll bet that was cool. What was he like?

Peter: Very approachable. At the time I was playing a Guild F212 and I started to talk to him and then ended up playing for him. He then pulled out this outrageous 12 string made by Bozo Podunavac (pronounced: bo-zho pod oo nav ack). I had never heard anything like it. We chatted for a few hours. We had a few meetings after that. He was very gracious and funny. He inspired a lot of great players. He was one of the very best with that Piedmont Style in the company of Blind Blake, Lonnie Johnson and Billy Broonzy. He only used his thumb and one finger, (Leo and John Reborn use two fingers and a thumb). 

Bman: Most people don’t likely know it but Jeff Beck is a finger player too.

Peter: Yeah. Jeff uses mostly the thumb and index occasionally. He’s incredible!

Bman: Sorry, back to Gary Davis. So I know you ended up with a few Bozo’s. Did Gary have a part in that? 

Peter: Gary Davis died shortly after I met him in late 71-72. I found out that Bozo was in Chicago. I was in town and Leo wanted me to come by and say hi. Leo had a Bozo!
As life improved (business got better) I knew I was going to have one. Fahey had a ton of great guitars and he had one. Bozo was at Wooden Music in Chicago. I bought 2 there, a 6 string and a 12 string. The 6 string was really decked out and was used in a lot of advertisements. It was stolen in Duluth, Minnesota in 1979. I thought that I had forgotten it at home but then realized that my briefcase with a bunch of mic’s was gone as well. That guitar never turned back up. I used the 12 string a lot on the Lycurgus recording. Times were tough and I needed to sell that 12 string to a serviceman who was in the army. He was stationed in the Philippines and it was stolen while he was overseas. 

Bman: What do you think makes these guitars so special? I have a special love for them but I want an expert’s opinion.

Peter: Bozo has a really unique bracing pattern and as he trained building Cello’s and Contrabasses. They have a pretty thick top that is made of German Spruce with heavy bear claw from the lower part of the tree. It forces the sound to the corners of the face making the sound even richer. He used wood purfling and binding and preferred Indian Rosewood because it was more stable. His wood selections are great. His inlay work can be over the top beautiful. 

Bman: So was that it for your Bozo’s?

Peter: Oh no! I had one of the first Western Bell design (dreadnaught) 6 strings as well as a Western Bell 12. The 6 was stolen and I had to sell the 12 but I purchased a 2nd less ornate 12 in 1986 or 87 custom built for a friend. He bought matching 6 and 12 stringers and then sold me the 12 after a while. And then there was the “Owl Face” in ‘79! Bozo was always experimenting with new ideas and he came up with this concept for a double cut acoustic with two sound holes. He made 2 prototypes and Leo got one and I got one. He wanted our feedback. That was an incredible instrument.

It was stolen once and I got it back but I sold that one to a friend a few years back. 

Bman: Lucky Guy!!

Peter: Bozo also tried a plastic back on a guitar but it wasn’t my bag. Fahey and Denny Bruce each had them.

Twelve strings in general have a very unique sound. A 6 string has a purr. A 12 string can growl. A Bozo 12 string roars!! Not the deep thumping sound of a typical 12 string. And with slide they scream! The sixes have a lot more finesse. 

The Bozo 6 string is like a Lotus… his 12 string is a Mack Truck… but power in your face!! 

Bman: How’s Bozo to work with?

Peter: He’s a very nice guy really and gracious. He looks at building guitars very much as a craft and doesn’t much look for input from the buyer/artist. 

Bman: Well, he seems to know what he’s doing! So what’s going on with you now? 

Peter: Well, in 2008, 2 weeks after I released Testament, I had an auto accident. Injuries to my neck, back and right hand had made it difficult to perform for a year. I was playing about once a month. I still don’t have an insurance settlement.

Bman: That has to be tough. I know you were working in broadcast animation for a while.

Peter: Yes. I quit to work on my music again. I am fortunate to have a pretty good computer background and now do quite a bit of computer implementation and support. I keep up concerts regionally to enjoy the business but choose my gigs to suit my schedule. Right now I’m looking forward to playing “Camino Santiago”, a pilgrimage in Spain , playing religious blues and then off to Petaluma for the running of the bulls. A nice 2-3 weeks in Spain.

Bman: I have a few friends that have done that numerous times. They have had a blast.

I really appreciate you taking the time out from your schedule to bring us up to date with you and to share your stories about Bozo and Rev. Gary Davis. Is there anything else that you’d like to share with your fans?

Peter: On my first pass through, my perceptions were all wrong. I think that I was using music as an escape.It’s a way to deal with things that are different. It provides a start point and an end point. In music you can process your issues. There is something magical in music. I went to see Shakti with John McLaughlin and the experience made my hair stand up. 

Bman: John is an incredible player! 

Peter: Dogs howl and people play music or do art. They are the people who start the howl. When the artist and the others participate, that’s nerve central. As a younger artist I never really understood that. It’s a blessing to connect with some people and it makes you feel you’re contributing something important. There is a big difference between artists and performers. There’s a small difference between performers and the WWF. Too many people only enjoy the performance.

 If you like what I’m doing, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! - ”LIKE”

Crankshaft Update!

I hope you've been well! I'm just writing you a brief note to let you all know about what's been going on with Crankshaft lately.

Last weekend my song "327" was played on NPR's Car Talk as a bumper track! This is the second song from the album Junkyard Rhythm that they've played in the last three months!

In less then two weeks I'll be traveling down to the heart of the Mississippi Delta to a town called Clarksdale to preform as a one man band at their Juke Joint Festival! This is the town where the highways 61 and 59 meet to make the legendary "crossroads" where Robert Johnson apparently sold his soul to the devil in exchange for lightning fast guitar skills. To my knowledge I will be the only Minnesota musician booked down there, this is definitely an honor for me, and super exciting!

Locally, out of 16 bands, I've advanced to the final round of Famous Dave's Battle of the Blues Bands, which just happens to be the same weekend as the Juke Joint Festival! This has created some crazy logistics for me and my family. This is what we came up with: My dad agreed to drive down to Clarksdale, MS with me for the festival during Friday and Saturday. Then on Sunday morning he's going to drop me off at the Memphis airport, where I'm going to fly back to Minneapolis, and he's going to drive. When I arrive my Mom is going to pick me up at the airport and literally bring me straight to Dave's to compete at the final Battle! Yes, it will be a marathon, hopefully it will be a worthwhile one, I'm pretty confident that my band and I can win!

More good news! I've sold all 1000 copies of the first run of my latest studio album Junkyard Rhythm! (released - May, 2011) I've also set a plan in motion to record another full length album that will be titled When The Sun Goes Down. We'll be recording the guitar, upright bass, and drum tracks live during the first week of June in a early 1900's wood barn about 40 minutes north-west of Minneapolis, MN. This will be the first album that I'll be hiring a national publicist for! I'm aiming for a November or December release. Junkyard Rhythm was repressed so that I'll have something semi-fresh available for new fans until the next album has been released.

Thanks for your time and support folks, I hope you find this semi-interesting or somewhat entertaining! Until next time, turn it up and boogie down! Crankshaft OUT!

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Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan and Bernard Allison

Bernard Allison (born November 26, 1965, Chicago, Illinois) is a blues guitarist based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

His father, Luther Allison was a Chicago blues musician. Bernard Allison is the youngest of nine children, and had many different musical influences while growing up, including Albert King, Muddy Waters and Freddie King, and later, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Johnny Winter.
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Bman's Exclusive Interview: Alex "Crankshaft" Larson

Bman: Hi Crankshaft. Thanks for taking the time to talk with me. I stumbled on your music on Youtube a few months ago and I really dug your style. I have a particular love for guys who are willing put it all out there by themselves.

So when did you learn to play guitar?

Crankshaft: I learned how to play guitar in 1996 when I was 12. How I got my first guitar is a hilarious story. My uncle had a Squire Strat and Marshal amp that he didn't use. I wanted it really bad. He also was planning on building a shop to work on heavy equipment at on some property he purchased the year before. Right about the same time my step dad replaced the old combination wood/oil furnace (which you can burn used motor oil in from a shop) in our basement with a new natural gas one. He tried to sell it in the paper for a couple weeks and gave up. He told me if my dad or any of his friends would like to have it they were welcome to take it for free. So I jumped at the opportunity, I offered it to my uncle if he would give me his Squire! I think that pretty much sums it up. I was destined to become self employed!

Bman: I think you are on the right track. I really enjoy your deal. Your photos and videos that I have seen show you playing an old Silveretone. I love primitive gear as well. Is that what you have been recording with?

Crankshaft: Yep, I love the sound of that thing! I've recorded three CDs with that guitar now.

Bman: I have an old Bobcat with the gold foil pickups but want to get one with the Lipstick pickups. They have such a cool tone! What kind of amps are you using for gigs and recording?

Crankshaft: For both gigging and recording I use a Musicmaster Bass amp form the 70's, It has a 12" speaker and I think it's about 12 watts tube so it breaks up at a reasonable volume for gigging. Sound guys love it because it gives them all the control!

Bman: Johnny Winter is also a Musicmaster guy. Check my posting of his amp blowing up on stage.
Bman's Blues Report: Hideaway - Johnny Winter

Who are your primary musical influences? I can hear a lot of things going on but really cool as a solo player like Dr. Isaiah Ross. Gives you a lot of flexibility...but I'll bet taxing as well?

Crankshaft: Oddly enough I wasn't inspired by a one man band to start mine. I just thought it would be a cool thing to do street performing. After awhile of doing that it kinda snowballed on me, now I do music full time! Locally I do both the one man band and do shows with a backing band. Doing three one hour one man band sets I think is actually easier then leading a band! When I'm standing up leading a trio I get really active, I dance, stomp my foot, jump on top of stuff and wiggle the whole time. So when the night is through I'm wiped out. When I'm doing the one man band I get to sit the whole night so that is a bit easier! As far as my influences, for guitar I would say guys like Freddy King, Link Wray, Dale Hawkins, Hubert Sumlin, early Johnny Winter, Steve Cropper, and Elmore James. For song writing I would say hands down my biggest influence is Chuck Berry, a close second Robert Johnson, both of those guys write lyrics in a way that appeals to me.

Bman: Well, that's a great bunch of guys to start with!I also notice that a lot of the photos of you are strewn with debris and rotting "Man cave" metal. I really like that. I suits your sound. I particularly like the dichotomy of you in the brand new tight suit on the souped up bicycle.

Crankshaft: Ya, that's pretty much just my personality! I grew up around heavy equipment so I think it's cool to blend the sharped dressed blues front man look with the low brow junkyard aesthetic. It's ridiculous, but some how cool at the same time! I actually built that bike at my uncles shop when I was 18, it's got a 98cc masonry saw on the back above the rear wheel, and it's fast as hell! We clocked it at 35mph next to my buddy's Ford Ranger when I was in High School! I think people that meet me for the first time don't now what to think about my aesthetic, when I pull up to a gig in my '64 beater station wagon and get out wearing a tailored suit sometimes they laugh and sometimes they are confused! Really, in the end being a performer is just about entertaining people and.... I think I might be doing that?!

Bman: Well, it got my attention. I think it's greaT! So tell me about your new cd, "Lubricated, Loud and Live". I need to get a copy!

Crankshaft: I recorded it at my house gig at the River City Saloon in Anoka, MN. I love the crowd and the attitude of the place, it's a no nonsense biker bar on a busy bar strip in my home town. They have the "If you ain't here to have fun get the F*** out" approach to running a bar and I like that. Every Sunday in the month of June I recorded about an 1 1/2 of what I thought would be the most energetic part of the show onto four track tape. It turned out great, I'm really happy that it captured the energy of the place, the crowd noise is in there too, which I think is cool. On quieter songs you can even hear the bartenders chucking bottles into the trash!

Bman: Actually that's the kind of bars that I prefer. I see that it''s a limited pressing of 500! Are you kidding me? Those will be gone in 3 weeks! Are you going to have a second pressing?

Crankshaft: I don't think so, I like the idea of treating the fans of mine that support me on a regular basis to something that is special, I know that in June someone will ask me if I have anymore copies and they'll be bummed when I tell them they are all gone. I think that my more dedicated fans deserve something unique, because they've earned it. If it wasn't for them I would be out of a job that I love to have!

Bman: I have a copy of your current tour schedule. I'll post that. What else do you have cooking?


Tuesday, November 8th - 6pm - No Cover!
Hell's Kitchen
80 9th St S
Minneapolis, MN 55402
(612) 332-4700
Crankshaft w/Keith
Friday, November 11th - 8pm - No Cover!
River City Saloon
201 Jackson St.
Anoka, MN 55303
(763) 432-0840
Crankshaft w/Elmer
Saturday, November 12th - 3pm
Scott ONeil Benefit
The Friendly Buffalo Bar and Grill
16722 198th Ave NW
Big Lake, MN 55309
(763) 263-7766
Crankshaft (solo)
Saturday, November 12th - 9pm - No Cover!
Pub Monique
112 Main St N
Stillwater, MN 55082
(651) 342-1551
Crankshaft and the Gear Grinders
Sunday, November 13th - 6pm - No Cover!
River City Saloon
201 Jackson St.
Anoka, MN 55303
(763) 432-0840
Crankshaft Sundays 1 Year Anniversery!
Plus Live at the R.C.S. CD Release Party!
Thursday, November 17th - 8pm - No Cover!
Tanner's
13655 Martin Street NW
Andover, MN 55304-4654
(763) 767-1500
Crankshaft w/Keith
Friday, November 18th - 8pm - No Cover!
Route 65
18407 Highway 65 NE
Cedar, MN 55011-9558
(763) 413-3550
Crankshaft and the Gear Grinders
Sunday, November 20th - 6pm - No Cover!
River City Saloon
201 Jackson St.
Anoka, MN 55303
(763) 432-0840
Crankshaft and friends
Friday, November 25th - 8pm - No Cover!
River City Saloon
201 Jackson St.
Anoka, MN 55303
(763) 432-0840
Crankshaft w/Keith
Sunday, November 27th - 6pm - No Cover!
River City Saloon
201 Jackson St.
Anoka, MN 55303
(763) 432-0840
Crankshaft and friends
Saturday, December 3rd - 9pm - No Cover!
Tanner's
13655 Martin Street NW
Andover, MN 55304-4654
(763) 767-1500
Crankshaft and the Gear Grinders
Friday, December 9th - 8pm - No Cover!
River City Saloon
201 Jackson St.
Anoka, MN 55303
(763) 432-0840
Crankshaft w/Elmer
Saturday, December 10th - 8pm - No Cover!
Route 65
18407 Highway 65 NE
Cedar, MN 55011-9558
(763) 413-3550
Crankshaft and the Gear Grinders
Thursday, December 15th
Private Party
Crankshaft (solo)
Friday, December 16th - 8pm
Patricks Caberet
3010 Minnehaha Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55406
(612) 724-6273
Crankshaft (solo)
Saturday, December 17th - 9pm - No Cover!
Pub Monique
112 Main St N
Stillwater, MN 55082
(651) 342-1551
Crankshaft and the Gear Grinders
Friday, December 23rd - 8pm - No Cover!
River City Saloon
201 Jackson St.
Anoka, MN 55303
(763) 432-0840
Crankshaft w/TBA


Crankshaft: I'm planning on going out to the Juke Joint Festival in Clarksdale, MS to do some busking and make some connections in April. I'm really looking forward to that! I was able to stop there on my way from NOLA to St. Louis and I loved it there.

Bman: Is there anything else that you'd like to share with your fans?

Crankshaft: I'm working on recording a song called "Louisiana Bayou Santa" that I wrote on my way back home from New Orleans. The song should be finished for release on Black Friday, and will be FREE to download! To off set cost of recording and paying the rhythm section that will be featured in the recording I'm releasing a short run 12.5x19 screen printed poster inspired by the lyrics of the song, drawn by Minneapolis illustrator DWITT - www.dwitt.com. The posters will be $25 after shipping, or available at any of my shows. There will only be 25 released. This is a break even project for me, I decided to release it for free as a thanks to my fans for their support!

Bman: Thanks a lot for your time. Where can one get a copy of "Lubricated, Loud and Live"?


Crankshaft: It will only be available in physical format, you can buy it via PayPal at my website or I will have them at all of my shows until they are gone! Thanks for the interview! Alex.
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Alex Larson - Crankshaft

Forging his own brand of high-energy, low-brow Upper Mississippi blues, the one-man band powerhouse Crankshaft has been gigging around Minneapolis for nearly three years. Expanding his fanbase with every frenzied performance, Crankshaft earns his living as a musician and is taking his show on the road following the release of his new album, Junkyard Rhythm.
Born into this world from gas station cassette tape collecting semi-truck drivers, Alex “Crankshaft” Larson was introduced to blues, rock 'n' roll, and R&B as a pup. In 1996 he traded a combination oil/wood stove to his uncle for his first electric guitar and amp. In April 2008, while self-employed as a contractor, he started practicing as a one-man band and was playing shows two months later. Larson self-produced and released three albums during the next two years. In 2010, he decided to hang his hammer up for good and focus on his music. Larson's newest release, Junkyard Rhythm, features a backing band, "The Gear Grinders," which gives the album a more full sound than his previous recordings. He performs mainly as a one-man band, hiring on backing musicians whenever he can.
Give him a listen, and if you like what you hear, tell someone (or everyone) you know. Then come to a show! Crankshaft plays every Sunday from 6-10pm at The River City Saloon - 201 Jackson St. Anoka, MN.
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North Country Blues - Bob Dylan - Newport

Bob Dylan (play /ˈdɪlən/, born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly reluctant figurehead of social unrest. A number of his early songs such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'" became anthems for the US civil rights and anti-war movements. Leaving his initial base in the culture of folk music behind, Dylan proceeded to revolutionize perceptions of the limits of popular music in 1965 with the six-minute single "Like a Rolling Stone".

His lyrics incorporated a variety of political, social, philosophical, and literary influences. They defied existing pop music conventions and appealed hugely to the then burgeoning counterculture. Initially inspired by the songs of Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, and the performance styles of Buddy Holly and Little Richard, Dylan has both amplified and personalized musical genres. His recording career, spanning fifty years, has explored numerous distinct traditions in American song—from folk, blues and country to gospel, rock and roll, and rockabilly, to English, Scottish, and Irish folk music, embracing even jazz and swing.

Dylan performs with guitar, keyboards, and harmonica. Backed by a changing line-up of musicians, he has toured steadily since the late 1980s on what has been dubbed the Never Ending Tour. His accomplishments as a recording artist and performer have been central to his career, but his greatest contribution is generally considered to be his songwriting.

Since 1994, Dylan has published three books of drawings and paintings, and his work has been exhibited in major art galleries. As a songwriter and musician, Dylan has received numerous awards over the years including Grammy, Golden Globe, and Academy Awards; he has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2008, a road called the Bob Dylan Pathway was opened in the singer's honor in his birthplace of Duluth, Minnesota. The Pulitzer Prize jury in 2008 awarded him a special citation for "his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power.
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Hogkill Blues - Charlie Parr

Charlie Parr is a country blues musician from Austin, Minnesota. He started his music career in Duluth, Minnesota. His influences include Charlie Patton, Bukka White, Reverend Gary Davis, and Dave Van Ronk. He plays a National resonator guitar, a fretless open-back banjo, and a 12-string guitar in the piedmont blues style. He is married (to Emily Parr, who occasionally adds back vocals to Charlie's music) with two children.

As of May 2008, the song "1922" has been featured in an Australian and New Zealand Vodafone television ad. As a consequence Parr's album, 1922, was re-released in Australia on the Level 2 record label in Melbourne. In 2009, Parr toured Australia with Paul Kelly

Rollin and Tumblin/Medley Instrumental - Bernard Allison

Bernard Allison (born November 26, 1965, Chicago, Illinois) is a blues guitarist based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

His father, Luther Allison was a Chicago blues musician. Bernard Allison is the youngest of nine children, and had many different musical influences while growing up, including Albert King, Muddy Waters and Freddie King, and later, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Johnny Winter.
Allison accompanied his father to blues festivals in the early 1970s. There he was introduced to Muddy Waters, Hound Dog Taylor and Albert King, amongst others. After graduating from high school, Allison began playing with Koko Taylor in her touring band. He stayed with her until 1985, when he appeared at his own gigs as Bernard Allison and Back Talk. Allison spent time in Canada with his first band, but later rejoined Taylor and her Blues Machine for another two years in the late 1980s.

After joining his father in Europe for a live recording, Allison was asked to join his father's touring band and become his European bandleader. At Christmas, 1989, while both were living together in Paris, the elder Allison arranged studio time to allow Allison to record his debut album, The Next Generation. It was recorded for Mondo Records using musicians from his father's band. His other foreign record label releases include Hang On, No Mercy, and Funkifino.

Allison released his US debut, Keepin' the Blues Alive in early 1997, receiving critical acclaim. On his tour of clubs around the US in the latter half of 1997, Allison was joined by the drummer Ray "Killer" Allison (no relation) and Greg Rzab.Luther Allison died in August that year.

Times Are Changing followed a year later. In mid 2000, Across the Water was released.
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Subterranean Homesick Blues - Bob Dylan

Does Bob have the blues... I really like this song and video