Keyesland Music artist: Dave Keyes - Right Here Right Now - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, , from Dave Keyes and it's a variety of good time, boogie, blues and R&B... I mean it's a literal party! Opening with Here She Comes Again, Keyes has a great band playing feel good blues music a la Elvin Bishop. This is such a great style blending horns and vocals featuring Keyes on vocal and keys, Frank Pagano on drums,Sue Williams on bass, Chris Eminizer on sax, Tim Ouimette on trumpet and Popa Chubby screaming away on guitars! You Think I Don't Know is a soul ballad remaining somewhat contained making it a prime radio track. Popa takes a few bars to add his personal signature to this track and it blends beautifully into the mix. Nothing Left To Lose has a bit of a Latin feel but with R&B style keys and vocals. With a little Louisiana piano roll keeping the track moving along, Eminizer and Ouimette add a great horn backing. Guitarist Dave Fields steps up for a flaming guitar solo on this track adding some additional spice to the gumbo. Shadow Boogie is a great piano rumble. You want to hear someone play traditional piano boogie without the modern added crap...here it is! Sit Right Here opens with a gospel style piano intro but develops quickly into a R&B infused Wet Willie style track again with Eminizer, Ouimette and Fields cooking the back as Keyes leads the way. Fields plays some outrageous slide work characteristically heard from the Lowell George camp. Excellent! A cool track, Who Stole The Baby Jesus features special guest Diane Cricchio on vocal duet with backing from Paul Smith, Jeanie Brower and Keshia Baldwin and a great sax solo from Eminizer. This track has such a great gospel vibe and delivery! Never Say Goodbye, the second ballad on the release features primarily Keyes on vocal and piano. Jeff Pevar takes a very warm resonator solo on this track adding substantial to an already supple cake. Now's My Time, a cool shuffle track features David J. keyes on bass, and Steve Rushton on drums while Keyes trades piano riffs with Popa Chubby on hot slide. Delta Queen has a rolling blues sound with a taste of early Allmans. Popa is back on guitars backed by George Naha on rhythm. Keyes vocals on this track are reminiscent of Jack Bruce. Wrapping the release is Wronged Man Blues, a lightly executed spiritual style track. Woody Mann plays guitar to Keyes piano in a very well balanced acoustic boogie. This is a release that you should definitely check out!  

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”

Although not on this release, this is a good representation of Keyes at work:

POPA CHUBBY PLANS EXTENSIVE U.S. TOUR UPON HIS RETURN FROM EUROPE IN SUPPORT OF UNIVERSAL BREAKDOWN BLUES

New York, NY --- Popa Chubby has announced plans to continue touring North America following a July European run.  Ted Horowitz, aka Popa Chubby, released Universal Breakdown Blues on May 28th via Provogue  / Mascot Label Group.  The album marks a premeditative return to the world of Blues, and it has received raves from media across the globe.  Vintage Guitar Magazine offered, "...if his tour-de-force rendition of 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' doesn't get him more attention, there is no justice.  He continues to create relevant blues in his own image, full of damaged relationships, dark humor, reefer, and balls-to-the-wall guitar."

Over the course of his career that dates back to 1994, his tempestuous, soulful playing has never been more powerful.  An imposing figure with a shaven head, tattooed arms, a goatee and a performance style he describes as “the Stooges meets Buddy Guy, Motörhead meets Muddy Waters, and Jimi Hendrix meets Robert Johnson," Popa Chubby is an endearing character who is one of the genre’s most popular figures.  His career has always been about moving forward and carving a place for himself in the imposing terrain of the music business, overcoming odds to continue growing and maturing as a creative force.  He has built a constantly increasing base of fans across the world, where in many territories he is a star.

Universal Breakdown Blues features a dozen compelling songs where searing guitar lines and heartfelt lyrics are the stars.  His offerings provide a parallel to the lament that inspired such blues icons as Howlin’ Wolf and Robert Johnson, digging deep and coming up with some of the most intense repertoire he has ever written.  His catchy, sublime slices of his fractured life are offered in a manner where the sentiments sung are relatable, and amongst the most universal of themes, he explores the passage of love, loss and having to find the path back.  Amongst the originals, Popa Chubby offers a mind-bending version of the classic "Over The Rainbow."  He wrings out every emotional nuance out of the song in an inventive manner.  He shares, "I started doing that song a couple of years ago, and crowds just go crazy for it.  There is so much emotion there.  I'm good at rearranging and I just went for it.  I'm all about going for the big moments and there are not many songs that are as big as that one.  So I thought, 'why not cover it?  I do what I want to do.'"   The complete track listing features the dozen songs, "I Don't Want Nobody," "I Ain't Giving Up," "Universal Breakdown Blues," "The Peoples Blues," "Rock Me Baby," "69 Dollars," "Over The Rainbow," "I Need A Lil' Mojo," "Danger Man," "Goin' Back To Amsterdam (Reefer Smokin' Man)," "The Finger Bangin' Boogie," and "Mind Bender."

Upcoming Appearances include:

7/30     Annapolis, MD                                   Ram's Head

7/31     New York, NY                                   B.B. King's

8/03     Londonderry, NH                               Tupelo Music Hall

8/08     North Truro, MA                                Payomet Performing Arts Center

8/09     Quincy, MA                                        South Shore Music Hall

8/10     Jermyn. PA                                         Mountain Sky Blues Festival

8/14     Bloomington, IL                                 The Castle Theatre

8/15     Milwaukee, WI                                   Shank Hall (w/ Chris Duarte)

8/16     Chicago, IL                                         House of Blues

8/17     Keokuk, IA                                         Rollin' On The River Festival

8/18     Sunrise Beach, MO                             Franky and Louie's

8/21     Auburn Hills, MI                                Callahan's

8/22     London, Ontario                                 Rumrunner's Music Hall

8/23     Kingston, Ontario                               Limestone Blues Festival

8/24     Trois Rivieres, Quebec City                Trois Rivieres En Blues Festival

8/25     Northampton, MA                              Iron Horse Music Hall

8/30     Woonsocket, RI                                  Chan's

8/31     Hamden, CT                                       Spaceland Ballroom

9/01     Westport, CT                                      Blues, Views & BBQ

9/06     Plains, PA                                           Rive Street Jazz Cafe

9/07     Wyomissing, PA                                 Building 24

9/20     Rogers, AR                                         Blues, Brews & BBQ

9/28     Junction City, KS                               Junction City Blues Festival

In October, Popa Chubby travels to North South Wales, Australia for the Great Southern Blues Festival. Upon his return, he heads to sea for the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise departing Ft. Lauderdale on October 18.  He will spend November touring Europe.

Provogue artist: Popa Chubby - Universal Breakdown Blues - New Release Review

I have just received the newest release, Universal Breakdown Blues, from Popa Chubby and it's on fire! I shamefully admit to having never actually heard a full recording by PC and now need to go to the CD store. This release is packed full of string ripping, fire snorting, rocking blues. Opening with I Don't Want Nobody, a loping Texas style blues rocker, PC unleashes the beast. This track is a real romper and traveling familiar waters with a lot of flair. I Ain't Giving Up, a soul style blues ballad, PC shows has ability to hold his own vocally and has a nice entourage of background singers helping out. I've expressed my feelings about the soul/blues tracks and my fondness for how well they set up to allow players to strut their stuff and PC really lays out a tasty solo on this one. I also want to comment on his "tone" on this track...it rules! The title track, Universal Breakdown Blues, has a bit of a laid back rock feel with a bit of complexity leaning toward Hendrix and Wah on the riffs. The People's Blues, a Stormy Monday like track gits down in the dirt and kicks mud everywhere. This dog is dirty! Clocking in at over 8 minutes, kick back and enjoy the show. I do love it when someone plays a slow blues with attitude...and this is it! Rock Me Baby has a new face stirring Crossroads, Voodoo Chile and Leslie West into a pot and feeding it to PC. This a really nice venue to see what PC has in his bag of tricks and he seems to flow like a river. Very cool. 69 Dollars is a radio style track with Latin feel. Nice to hear that contemporary players can play guitar on a Latin blues rock track and not sound like Santana. PC has a breadth of guitar styles that he feels comfortable in... all sounding like him. Nice job. Next up is the classic, Over The Rainbow. Jeff Beck started something here but PC isn't following suit. He takes a different approach altogether. Starting with a classical interlude, and then into a early 60's lead, PC takes this track places that it hasn't been before. I like the overdriven tone on his amp and rhythmic breaks which give the track new texture. His fingers literally dancing across the fretboard is pure magic. Playing off of the melody in a jazz like style is really sumptuous. I would never have expected this kind of interpretation from him (my lack of exposure). A nice interlude featuring volume swells at the end of the track is a cool treat as well before breaking into a short Texas style ripper ending. I Need A Lil' Mojo has a strongly New Orleans flavor with a stinging guitar for punctuation... yeah..second line with electric guitar. Don't let that dancing march beat stop you from thinking red hot guitar work... it's here. Danger Man is a blues rocker with nods to Willie Dixon and Elmore James. Modern metal like riffs mixed into a blues rocker sound right at home. Goin' Back To Amsterdam (Reefer Smokin' Man) has a distinctive Elmore James which due to the lyrical content and slide work is bound to be a crowd favorite. The Finger Bangin' Boogie, a nod to ZZ Top's Tube Snake Boogie is a trick little tune with catchy lyrics and sweet slide work. Wrapping up with Mindbender, PC does an overdriven boogie track with great guitar riffs along the lines of Goin' Down. Don't need to give me any excuses to just stand and play hot riffs over a boogie track...I'll take it all day. I really like this release and PC has a new fan here. If you don't know his work...this is a great place to start and if you do know his work... here's a great release to add to your collection. This recording will be formally released on May 28, 2013.

  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”

 

POPA CHUBBY TO RELEASE UNIVERSAL BREAKDOWN BLUES ON MAY 28 VIA PROVOGUE / MASCOT LABEL GROUP

New York, NY --- Mascot Label Group has announced a May 28 release date for Popa Chubby's Universal Breakdown Blues.  For the prolific Popa Chubby, who was born Ted Horowitz, the album marks a premeditative return to the world of Blues.  Over the course of his career that dates back to 1994, his tempestuous, soulful playing has never been more powerful.  An imposing figure with a shaven head, tattooed arms, a goatee and a performance style he describes as “the Stooges meets Buddy Guy, Motörhead meets Muddy Waters, and Jimi Hendrix meets Robert Johnson," Popa Chubby is an endearing character who is one of the genre’s most popular figures.

His career has always been about moving forward and carving a place for himself in the imposing terrain of the music business, overcoming odds to continue growing and maturing as a creative force.  He has built a constantly increasing base of fans across the world, where in many territories he is a star. A native New Yorker, Horowitz's first gigs were in the NYC punk scene as a guitarist for what he reflects was a "crazy Japanese special effects performance artist in a kimono called Screaming Mad George who had a horror-movie inspired show."  Right from the start he was immersed in rock ‘n’ roll as theater, and learned from George and others  playing CBGB’s at the time that included the Ramones, the Cramps, Richard Hell, whose band, the Voidoids he joined that rock ‘n’ roll should be dangerous. He reflects, "Musicians like the Ramones and the Sex Pistols weren’t just bands. They were a threat to society."

The Blues however was the foundation of his playing style.  He recalls, "Since I’d grown up on Hendrix, Cream and Led Zeppelin, when I started playing blues in New York clubs I understood that the blues should be dangerous, too.  It wasn’t just from playing in punk bands, as Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters were dangerous men. They’d cut or shoot you out of necessity if they had to, and Little Walter packed a gun and wouldn’t hesitate to use it. That danger is a real part of the Blues and I keep it alive in my music.”

Following two initial albums on his own Laughing Bear label, he was signed to Sony’s briefly revived O-Keh Records, the one-time imprint of Mamie Smith, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and other influential blues and jazz artists. His 1995 release Booty and The Beast was produced by the legendary Tom Dowd.  Popa Chubby came into his own as a songwriter with 2002’s The Good, The Bad & The Chubby  with the affectingly sincere post-9/11 testimonial “Somebody Let the Devil Out.” His next album, 2004’s inspired Peace, Love and Respect  upped the ante as an election year protest album with hard-cutting tunes about First Amendment rights (“Un-American Blues”) and corporate war-mongering (“Young Men”). After tipping his hat to Hendrix with the three-disc Electric Chubbyland  set and tour in 2006 and 2007, Popa Chubby’s subsequent three albums including 2010’s The Fight Is One have chronicled his desire to reconnect with his rock and blues roots while pushing both genres boldly into the future — a task expertly accomplished by an extraordinary blend of song craft, musicianship and personality.  His most recent release prior to Universal Breakdown Blues, the live disc Back To New York City wraps this dichotomy neatly in to a package that that is Popa Chubby.  He shares, "People look at me and expect a certain thing, and don’t realize there’s more behind the picture. They see a big, burly guy with tattoos, and they expect to get beat over the head. And you will get beat over the head, but you’ll also get rocked to sleep, and there’ll be poetry in there too.”

Universal Breakdown Blues features a dozen compelling songs where searing guitar lines and heartfelt lyrics are the stars.  His offerings provide a parallel to the lament that inspired such blues icons as Howlin’ Wolf and Robert Johnson, digging deep and coming up with some of the most intense repertoire he has ever written.  His catchy, sublime slices of his fractured life are offered in a manner where the sentiments sung are relatable, and amongst the most universal of themes, he explores the passage of love, loss and having to find the path back.  Amongst the originals, Popa Chubby offers a mind-bending version of the classic "Over The Rainbow."  He wrings out every emotional nuance out of the song in an inventive manner.  He shares, "I started doing that song a couple of years ago, and crowds just go crazy for it.  There is so much emotion there.  I'm good at rearranging and I just went for it.  I'm all about going for the big moments and there are not many songs that are as big as that one.  So I thought, 'why not cover it?  I do what I want to do.'"   The complete track listing features the dozen songs, "I Don't Want Nobody," "I Ain't Giving Up," "Universal Breakdown Blues," "The Peoples Blues," "Rock Me Baby," "69 Dollars," "Over The Rainbow," "I Need A Lil' Mojo," "Danger Man," "Goin' Back To Amsterdam (Reefer Smokin' Man)," "The Finger Bangin' Boogie," and "Mind Bender."

Popa Chubby is his own man for better or worse.  He reflects, "I’m living in a wild time, and that is where the inspiration is drawn from within Universal Breakdown Blues.   There are my issues, but the picture is much bigger than me and my situation. Everything is breaking down in the world. The lines are being redefined. We all need something.”

Guitar Shootout! - Walter Trout, Popa Chubby

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