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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 Mitch Ryder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mitch Ryder. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Ruf Records artist: Mitch Ryder - The Roof Is On Fire - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The Roof Is On Fire, from Mitch Ryder and it's a great rocker. Opening with Betty's Too Tight, recorded in Berlin in 2020, Mitch Ryder demonstrates without a doubt that his work is still vital. This track hits the gates hard and will have you head banging in no time. Featuring Mitch on lead vocal, Gisbert "Pitti" Piakowski and Heiner Witte on guitar, Manne Pokrandt on bass, Tobias Ridder on drums and Rene Decker on keys, this track will have you breathing hard. Excellent opener. Taking it up about 20 notches on All The Fools It Sees,  Ryder really does get your blood flowing on this one with the addition of Decker on harp and Piatkowski really rips a hot guitar solo making this one of my favorites on the release. Ain't Nobody White is another really strong track on the release with potent lyrics and vocals by Ryder, complimented by Witte on slide guitar. The Stones, Heart of Stone is always a pleasure and soulful vocals by Ryder and strong guitar work by Pitti and solid harp work by Decker really gets the crowd up. All The Fools It Sees is a great track featuring Ryder's soulful vocals and a real nice guitar solo by Pitti over a subdued background of keys and drums. Wrapping the release is a 16 plus minute take on The Doors, Soul Kitchen. With Decker on sax and Pitti on guitar, this track gets a subtle start, building slowly to a real boil.  Pitti improvises over the melody building a really nice tension and Decker loads in some real nice electric piano before blowing out a real nice sax solo of his own. Ryder revisits the chorus before the band hits the ending. Strong closer for a very strong set. 


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Thursday, July 2, 2020

Cleopatra Records artist: Joe louis Walker - Blues Comin' On - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Blues Comin' On, by Joe Louis Walker, and it's a great blend of Blues, Soul, R&B and Rock musical styles. Opening with Feed The Poor, a funky blues rocker, Walker joins with legendary Jorma Kaukonen on lead guitar who brings a ragged edge to this otherwise soulful track. With John Bradford on bass, Dorian Randolph on bass, Juma Sultan on percussion and Bruce Katz on organ this is a strong opener. Carla Cooke contributes lead vocal on Someday, Someway, a real nice soulful blues ballad. Her vocals, backed by Walker, on guitar and vocal, and with Lee Oskar on harmonica, Eric Finland on piano, Randolph on drums and John Bradford, this is definitely one of my favorites on the release. Keb' Mo on slide guitar and John Sebastian on harp join Walker on 12 string laying down a real nice shuffle, Old Time Used To Be. Backed by Katz on piano, Scott Petito on bass, Randolph on drums and Sultan on percussion this track has a great feel. I love the heavy bottom funk on Bowlegged Woman, Knock-Kneed Man featuring Bradford on bass and Randolph on drums. Walker has the lead vocal on this one and does a great job with Waddy Wachtel on guitar, Rick Estrin on harp and Katz on organ. Nice and funky. Another soulful ballad, Awake Me, Shake Me,  featuring Cooke and Walker on lead vocal has real power with Walker really digging in on guitar. Very nice. With a real James Brown "boogaloo" beat, Uptown In Harlem features solid drumming by Byron Case and Jellybean Johnson winding it out on lead guitar under Walkers lead vocal. Cool. Wrapping the release is 7&7 Is, an Arthur Lee track with an early rock feel, featuring Charlie Harper on lead vocal and Arlen Roth on lead guitar. Roth slows this hypnotic pace down with some of the nicest blues riffs on the release, making is a solid closer.


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Thursday, February 23, 2017

Yardbirds, Mitch Ryder, Lazy Lester, Joe-El Sonnier, Robby Krieger headline Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival, May 27-28





THE YARDBIRDS, MITCH RYDER, ROBBY KREIGER,
JO-EL SONNIER, BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY, LAZY LESTER,
DWAYNE DOPSIE,
BIG CHIEF MONK BOUDREAUX & THE GOLDEN EAGLES
DOUG KERSHAW AND MICHAEL DOUCET,

HEADLINE 28th ANNUAL
SIMI VALLEY CAJUN & BLUES MUSIC FESTIVAL,
SATURDAY-SUNDAY, MAY 27-28
Los Angeles area’s largest Cajun, Zydeco, Blues and Roots music festival, featuring two stages, a Mardi Gras parade, crafts and dozens of
food booths, takes place Memorial Day weekend.



The Yardbirds
Lazy Lester
Miitch Ryder



Dwayne Dopsie
Jo-El Sonnier
Doug Kershaw



SIMI VALLEY, Calif. — The 28th annual Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival will once again enliven Memorial Day weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 27 and 28, at Rancho Santa Susanna Community Park, 5005 Los Angeles Ave., in Simi Valley. The event features a full stage for each of its musical genres. The spirited music will go non-stop each day from 12 noon until 7:30 p.m. (or 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.).
Single Day tickets are $25 for adults (13 and over); $45 for a 2-day pass; children 12 and younger are free. New this year will be a limited number of SuperTicket passes. For $124 for a single day or $199 for both days, SuperTickets holders get a reserved seat, in the shade, directly in the front of the blues stage as well as private bar access (and two complimentary drinks) and other exclusive “backstage experiences.” Tickets are available on the festival’s website: http://www.simicajun.org/. (Note: the only tickets available at the gate are single-day, $30)
Headlining the blues stage this year will be the pioneering blues-rock band the Yardbirds, the Robby Krieger Band (celebrating 50 years of the Doors' music), Mitch Ryder, Lazy Lester and the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy; as well as L.A.-based roots-rockers the 44’s, soulful SoCal songstress Alex Nester and festival returnees Kelly’s Lot. Another festival favorite, Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers, returns for the fourth straight year and will be performing at both stages. 
On the Cajun and Zydeco stage will be the “original ragin’ Cajun” fiddler Doug Kershaw; Grammy-winning accordionist Jo-El Sonnier and the Cajun Trio featuring Michael Doucet, David Doucet and Mitch Reed. Performing on this stage too are Crawdaddio and the Bayou Brothers, who also will back Lazy Lester on the blues stage, while Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles will play on both the Cajun/Zydeco and Blues stages.
The annual Mardi Gras Parade will take place both days, and everyone is invited to join in with the marching bands, stilt walkers and other costumed characters. Also, during the breaks at the Cajun/Zydeco stage, dance instructor AJ Gibbs will lead the crowd in free dance lessons.
About the headliners:
The Yardbirds: In the mid-’60s, the Yardbirds revolutionized music as they pushed British blues rock into psychedelia and heavy metal. Godhead guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page all spent time in the band, playing alongside core members Jim McCarty (drums), Chris Dreja (rhythm guitar/bass) and the late Keith Relf (vocals/harmonica). McCarty recently assembled a new touring line-up that includes guitarist Johnny A (Peter Wolf), bassist Kenny Aaronson (Joan Jett, Hall & Oates), veteran harpist Myke Scavone and vocalist/guitarist John Idan, who has been a Yardbird since the Nineties. The group performs at the festival on Saturday, May 27.
The Robby Krieger Band: Regularly cited as one of rock’s all-time top guitarists, Krieger shot to fame in the Doors. The Los Angeles native wrote or co-wrote some of the band’s signature tunes, like “Light My Fire,” “Love Me Two Times,” “Touch Me” and “Love Her Madly.” The Robby Krieger Band will celebrate 50 years of the Doors’ music when then make their Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival debut on May 27.
Mitch Ryder: If you have ever heard Bruce Springsteen perform his “Detroit Medley,” you know Mitch Ryder’s impact on rock history. The medley’s main songs — “Devil With a Blue Dress,” “Jenny Take a Ride,” “Good Golly Miss Molly” and “C.C. Rider” — are all tunes Ryder popularized while fronting the Detroit Wheels in the mid-’60s. The powerhouse vocalist has remained a popular performer, especially in Europe. This year finds Ryder readying a new album and working on a stage musical based on his novel Hide Your Love Away. Experience Ryder’s dynamic rock & soul sound on the blues stage Sunday.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy: For nearly a quarter century, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy has been combining the old with the new. Folks can’t help but to dance to the band’s exhilarating blend of jazz, swing and Dixieland with rock ’n’ roll energy. Formed in Ventura, California, the band has recorded 10 albums and played over 2700 live shows, including playing for three U.S. presidents. Rather remarkably, the group remains composed of its core members: Scotty Morris (lead vocals and guitar), Kurt Sodergren (drums), Dirk Shumaker (bass), Andy Rowley (baritone saxophone), Glen "The Kid" Marhevka (trumpet), Karl Hunter (saxophones and clarinet) and Joshua Levy (piano). They’ll make their second Cajun & Blues Festival appearance when they hit the blues stage on Sunday.
Doug Kershaw: Known as the “original ragin’ Cajun,” Kershaw found crossover success during the late ’60s when his fierce fiddle playing and hippie-style appearance won favor with young rock audiences. His career started in the mid-’50s when he teamed with his brother Rusty to become a popular country duo, scoring hits with “Diggy Diggy Lo” and the autobiographical “Louisiana Man.” Kershaw, who was inducted in the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2009, will perform on the Cajun/Zydeco stage on May 27.
Lazy Lester: The story goes that, in the mid-’50s, Lazy Lester met Lightin’ Slim by chance on a bus. Slim needed a harmonica player for a recording and Lester could play the harp. He wound up playing on many of Slim’s Excello albums before making his own Excello debut in 1957. The Blues Hall of Famer’s best known tunes include “I’m a Lover Not a Fighter,” “I Hear You Knockin’,” and “I’m Gonna Leave You Baby.” After taking a hiatus, Lester returned to music in the late ’80s and he has made several albums since. Now in his 80s, Lester still blows a mean, swamp-bluesy harp. He’ll take the blues stage on May 27, backed by the Bayou Brothers.
Jo-El Sonnier: Hailed as the “King of Cajun Music” for the past 25 years, Sonnier is a wizard of the accordion. The much-in-demand musician has recorded with such stars as Johnny Cash, Alan Jackson, Robert Cray, Neil Diamond, Mark Knopfler, Elvis Costello, Merle Haggard and Dolly Parton. A multi-Grammy nominee himself, Sonnier won a Grammy for Best Regional Roots Music Album in 2015. He returns to Simi Valley for the second time, performing on the Cajun stage Saturday and Sunday.
The Cajun Trio: Michael Doucet, David Doucet & Mitch Reed: These three musicians were all founding members of BeauSoliel, the internationally renowned, multi-Grammy winning group that Garrison Keillor hailed as the "best Cajun band in the world." This trio, with Michael Doucet on fiddle, his brother David on guitar and Mitch Reed on various string instruments, showcases its virtuosity by slipping effortlessly among musical genres. They will play, along with a special surprise guest, both days of the festival.
Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles: A true ambassador of New Orleans, Joseph Pierre “Big Chief Monk” Boudreaux is the leader of the Golden Eagles, a New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian tribe. They are known for their elaborate attire, which includes handmade suits adorned with brightly colored feathers, intricate beadwork, rhinestones and ruffles, as well as their music, which combines folk traditions with funk and R&B. Boudreaux, a 2016 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Award, brings his Golden Eagles to the Cajun/Zydeco stage on Saturday and the blues stage on Sunday.
Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers: A Cajun & Blues Festival favorite, Dwayne “Dopsie” Rubin returns to Simi Valley for the fourth straight year. He also will be hard to miss since he will be performing on both the blues and Cajun/Zydeco stages on Saturday and back on the Cajun/Zydeco stage on Sunday. The son of Zydeco legend Rockin’ Dopsie Sr., Dwayne has carved out his own successful career. His highly energetic Zydeco style has earned him a Grammy nomination and the title of “America’s Hottest Accordion” player.
The blues stage once again was booked by Martin Fleischmann and his company, Rum & Humble. For more than 20 years Rum & Humble has played a key role in presenting some of the world’s great musical talent (Radiohead, King Sunny Ade, and the Rolling Stones, to name a few) to Los Angeles audiences, in venues like the Hollywood Bowl, the Orpheum Theatre and the Santa Monica Pier. They also have been a pioneer promoters in the field of Latin alternative music; Fleischmann is one of the co-founders of L.A.’s Congo Room. Additionally, Rum & Humble has collaborated closely with artists such as Jackson Browne and Paul Oakenfold as well as with a varied roster of corporate and non-profit clients, such as KJAZZ Radio and the National Geographic Society.
The Cajun & Blues Festival has received national press accolades: “Everywhere you turned, there was something exciting happening,” wrote Blue Revue editor Art Tipaldi, who travelled to L.A. from New England. After attending last year’s concert, Jazz Weekly’s George W. Harris proclaimed: “Forget the Playboy Jazz Festival, the Simi Valley Cajun & Blues fest beats the older and richer sister. This is coming from a jazzer, yet still, pound for pound and dollar for dollar, I have more fun here than in Hollywood … it “delivered music made to last … can’t wait until next year.”
Besides the great music, festival-goers can enjoy great food too. Southern BBQ and authentic Cajun-Creole cuisine, such as jambalaya and crawfish, are available at dozens of food booths, which will also feature a variety of other dining options. There will be rows of craft booths and retailers to check out as well.
To get to the Rancho Santa Susanna Community Park, take California Hwy. 118 (Ronald Reagan Freeway) north from L.A. Exit at Stearns Street and go a couple blocks south. Ample free parking is available, with the main lot at the Simi Valley High School; a free shuttle takes to you to the park. This year, the festival has added thousands of square feet of additional tenting for shade at no additional charge. Low back chairs are recommended; however, pop-ups will no longer be allowed in the festival grounds.
100% of the festival’s profits are donated to charitable, educational and humanitarian causes on a local, national and international level. A list of these organizations may be found at < http://www.simicajun.org/who-benefits/>.  
The Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival is a presentation of the Rotary Club of Simi Sunrise.

Schedule — subject to change:

SATURDAY MAY 27th
BLUES STAGE
Kelly’s Lot
Lazy Lester
The Yardbirds
The Robby Krieger Band
Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers
CAJUN/ZYDECO STAGE
Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers
Cajun Trio featuring Michael Doucet, David Doucet and Mitch Reed
Mardi Gras Parade
Jo-El Sonnier
Doug Kershaw  
SUNDAY MAY 28th
BLUES STAGE
Alex Nester
The 44’s
Mitch Ryder
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles
CAUN/ZYDECO STAGE
Bayou Brothers
Crawdaddio
Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers
Mardi Gras Parade
Cajun Trio featuring Michael Doucet, David Doucet and Mitch Reed
Jo-El Sonnier  


Thursday, February 2, 2012

New Release: Mitch Ryder - The Promise - Review


Yes. Mitch Ryder of the Detroit Wheels Mitch Ryder has a new release... his first in the US in nearly 30 years!! The recordings are all original tracks but one, a great remake of Motown hit What Becomes of The Broken Hearted ... 12 tracks in all.

The recording starts off with Thank You Mama, a straight forward Detroit style rocker. You can hear the Motown influence but it is a rocker. Track 2,the title track (The Promise) has a bit of that nawlans voodooo sound but again a strong soul background. Track 3, One Hair breaks out a little with the movement of the Tempt's or the Tops. This thing is groovin'! Track 4, Everybody Loses, has a real latin jazz flair that almost sounds like early Steely Dan. Track 5, My Heart Belongs To Me, has the soul rock fusion sound that had been so popular in the late 60's. Track 6, Crazy Beautiful is a real haunting ballad ... possibly my favorite (almost reminiscent of a Paul McCartney style). Track 7, Let's Keep Dancing another latin influenced number is certain to get you dancing around and has a very nice Latin guitar solo waiting. Track 8, If My Baby Don't Stop Dancin' returns to the traditional sound and I'm sure it will be the crowd favorite on the cd. Cool rock song! Track 9, Get Real is a driving rock song with Ryder leading the way with strong vocals and great guitar work to flavor the cd for us gear nuts. Track 10, recorded in front of a live audience, is the classic What Becomes of a Broken Hearted. Mitch does a great job on this song with the female background vocalists giving is it just the right amount of reality. Track 11, Junkie Love, is just a funky pack of fun. The recording wraps up with The Way We Were, a slower but dark funk that ties the entire ball of soul and blues together.

Mitch has been quiet for a while but I think a lot of people will be happy to hear that HE'S BACK!!

Though not a real bluesy recording...it's really enjoyable!

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