Bman's Blues Report

Big Muddy Blues Festival Announces 2014 Artist Line-up   Local acts compliment regional and national touring artists   St. Louis, MO – The Big Muddy Blues Festival is St. Louis’ largest Blues festival, with 24 renowned acts + more to be announced from across the nation and around St. Louis, filling three stages on historic Laclede’s Landing, August 30 and 31, 2014. This year, Big Muddy not only has more national, regional and local artists, the festival also offers a wider variety of artists than recent years. Festival goers will experience a full range of Blues styles, from Louisiana, Chicago, St. Louis and more throughout the newly rebuilt cobblestone streets of the Landing. National, regional and local acts in 2014 will include: Saturday, August 30th Main Stage 4:30 p.m.         Steve Scorfina’s Soul Steel 6:30 p.m.         Nashville, TN artist Goodbye Ju...

At first glance, it might not seem all that odd that Minard Shattuck is building a growing blues following and carving out a niche for his favorite genre in an historic theater in downtown St. Louis. But Shattuck’s St. Louis isn’t that St. Louis. He’s in the middle of farm country, in St. Louis, Michigan, smack-dab in the center of the mitten. Melding his love of blues music with his entrepreneurial spirit drove Shattuck’s ambitious effort to transform a vacant movie theater into a popular nightspot back in 2007. Inspired by the greats, like B.B. King and Buddy Guy (the latter of whom just performed an excellent set for DirecTV’s Guitar Center Sessions ; more details are on his homepage ) Shattuck is perhaps not wildly unique, but he’s an inspiration to similar spirits across the country who love blues music but live far-removed from the hotbeds like Chicago and Detroit and that other St. Louis that have traditionally driven the genre. The fact that Shattuck...

Billy Gales, d April 8, 1993, drummer and singer with Ike Turner band. Not much more info on this guy. 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 favorite band!

Gene Sedric (June 17, 1907, St. Louis, Missouri – April 3, 1963, New York City) was an American jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist. He acquired the nickname "Honey Bear" in the 1930s because of his large camelhair coat. Sedric's father played ragtime piano. He played with Charlie Creath in his hometown and then with Fate Marable, Dewey Jackson, Ed Allen (1922), and Julian Arthur. He joined Sam Wooding's Orchestra in 1925, and toured Europe with him until 1931, when the unit dissolved; while in Europe he recorded with Alex Hyde. He returned to New York City and played with Fletcher Henderson and Alex Hill, then joined Fats Waller's Rhythm in 1934, remaining in Waller's employ until 1942. When Waller went on solo tours Sedric found work gigging alongside Mezz Mezzrow (1937) and Don Redman (1938-39). Sedric put together his own group in 1943, then played with Phil Moore in 1944 and Hazel Scott in 1945. He put together another ensemble from 1946-51, playing ...

EDWARD J. EARLEY, JR. - Ed is the "trombone player's" trombone player. He has played with just about everybody in the blues world from Albert King to John Lee Hooker. In addition to his own band, Ed is currently performing with Elvin Bishop, as well as teaching and writing music. With his charismatic stage presence, he is a true professional...   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 favorite band!

WHO IS “MS. SILKY SOL” If you love Etta James, Tina Turner, Chaka Kahn, Jill Scott, Aretha Franklin and Koko Taylor, “You’ve got to experience” Ms. Silky Sol the RED AFRO QUEEN After serving as a PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND SINGER for major recording labels, artist and producers for over 27 years, sharing the stage Head Lining with or as a Background Singer to name a few such artists as: The O Jays The Whispers Chrisette Michele Frankie Beverly & Maze, Tina Marie R-Kelly Narda Michael Walden India Arie, Pebo Bryson Jeffery Osborn The Mighty Clouds of Joy Andrea Couch Gladys Knight Barbara Mandrel Mary j Blige Death Row Records Epic Records Warner Brothers Records As an Independent Solo artist, her quest is to “Bridge the Gap” between traditional and new generational SOULFUL BLUES listeners with her “Bluesy/Gospel tones and Neo- Soul Funky Style that captures the ears and sights of both Young and Old while “KEEPING SOULFUL BLUES ALIVE”! TESTIMONIALS: • THE LATE GREAT SOLOMON BURK: (o...

Red McKenzie (William McKenzie) (Oct. 14, 1899, St. Louis, Missouri - Feb. 7, 1948, New York City) was an American jazz musician. He was the best-known, and one of the only, comb players in jazz history. McKenzie played the comb by placing tissue paper over the tines and blowing on it, which produced a sound similar to a kazoo. McKenzie also played the kazoo proper, and occasionally sang. He was a co-founder, with Jack Bland, of the Mound City Blue Blowers, who released a number of titles between 1924 and 1925 and were, for a time, a sensation. At the same time, McKenzie also recorded solo as Red McKenzie & the Candy Kids. In 1928, he fronted a group called McKenzie and Condon's Chicagoans for a few sides on Okeh Records. He returned to the Mound City name again in 1929, 1931, and 1935-36. Beginning in 1931 (no doubt due to the popularity of crooners like Bing Crosby and Russ Columbo), he started recording as a singer, processing a very warm crooner style as a solo for Col...

Jimmy Forrest (January 24, 1920 – August 26, 1980) was an African American jazz musician, who played tenor saxophone throughout his career. Forrest is famous for his first solo recording of "Night Train". It reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart in March 1952, and stayed at the top for seven weeks. "Hey Mrs. Jones" (#3 R&B) and "Bolo Blues" were his other major hits. All were made for United Records, which recorded Forrest between 1951 and 1953. He recorded frequently as both a sideman and a bandleader. Born Jimmy Robert Forrest Jr., in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, he played alongside Fate Marable as a young man. He was with Jay McShann in 1940-42 and with Andy Kirk from 1942–48, when he joined Duke Ellington. During the early 1950s, he led his own combos. He also played with Miles Davis, in early 1952 at The Barrel Club. After his solo career, he played in small combos with Harry "Sweets" Edison and Al Grey, as well as appe...

Hotter Than St. Louis BBQ! Larry "Fuzzy" Knight Presents...  Blowin' Smoke  - St. Louis-Style Rhythm & Blues Revue Saturday, February 2@Harvelle's/Long Beach                Larry "Fuzzy" Knight (pictured above, second from left; and below) fronts high-energy eleven-piece ensemble, Blowin' Smoke Rhythm & Blues Band, with hot, sultry and sassy, female singing trio, The Fabulous Smokettes. They're in concert Saturday, February 2 at Harvelle's in Long Beach.                              (LONG BEACH) - The Blowin Smoke Rhythm & Blues Band is hotter than St. Louis BBQ and twice as tasty! Catch the acclaimed longtime eleven-piece R&B/Blues/Soul ensemble in concert at Harvelle's Downtown Long Beach , 201 E. Broadway, Saturday, February 2. 9 p...

ART DWYER Born in 1946 and raised in St. Louis, Art Dwyer grew up on the city's north side. "Rufus, the Dells, T-Bone Walker, Otis Redding, and of course, Albert and B.B. King were my music. It fit in with everything my friends and me did. "Art drifted around for quite some time, working as a union organizer, a Maritime employee and a ditch digger, but he never lost the music. "There was always a dance party or jam session going on somewhere. That's how the Soulard Blues Band came together."Art has performed with the great Henry Townsend, J.B. Hutto, Little Johnny Taylor, Fernest Arceneaux and the Thunders, the Zydeco Farmers, Larry Davis, the legendary Billy Gayles, Chuck Berry, Doc Terry, Tommy Bankhead, Albert Collins and many others. In 1978, Art organized the Soulard Blues Band. Since 1987 Art has been a disc jockey on St. Louis' number one community radio station, KDHX 88.1 FM, hosting the weekly blues program, "Blues in the Night". ...

Doctor Clayton (April 19, 1898 - January 7, 1947) was an American blues singer and songwriter. Peter Joe Clayton was born in Georgia, though he later claimed he had been born in Africa, and moved to St. Louis as a child with his family. He had four children and worked in a factory in St. Louis, where he started his career as a singer (he could also play piano and ukelele, though he never did so on record). Clayton recorded six sides for Bluebird Records in 1935, but only two were ever issued. Clayton's entire family died in a house fire in 1937; following this Clayton became an alcoholic and began wearing outsized hats and glasses. Moving to Chicago with Robert Lockwood, he received attention from Decca Records but ultimately returned to Bluebird, recording with them again in 1941-42. He also recorded for Okeh Records at this time. Among the songs he wrote were "Cheating and Lying Blues", frequently covered by other blues artists; "Pearl Harbor Blues", writt...

Edith North Johnson (January 2, 1903 – February 28, 1988) was an American classic female blues singer, pianist and songwriter. Her most noted tracks were "Honey Dripper Blues", "Can't Make Another Day" and "Eight Hour Woman". She wrote another of her songs, "Nickel's Worth of Liver Blues". Born Edith North, in 1928 she married a local record producer, Jesse Johnson. She originally worked at her husband's Deluxe Music Store as a sales person. Although not a professional singer, between 1928 and 1929 Johnson recorded eighteen sides. She started on QRS Records in 1928, later switching to Paramount. Her output tally included those from a recording session in Grafton, Wisconsin, for the Paramount label with Charley Patton. Oddly, it is now reckoned that Patton did not play on any of her recordings. During World War II, Johnson managed a taxicab operation in St. Louis, as well as later running Johnson's Deluxe Cafė after her husband...

Eminently capable of serving up spot-on imitations of both Bobby "Blue" Bland and B.B. King, Andrew Odom was also a man of many interrelated nicknames: Voice, Big Voice, B.B., Little B.B., B.B. Junior. Perhaps his chameleonic talents held him back; Odom was a journeyman Chicago singer who recorded relatively sparingly. Like the majority of his peers, Odom started out singing spirituals but fell in with Albert King and Johnny O'Neal on the St. Louis blues scene of the mid-'50s and began plying his trade there. He made an unobtrusive recording debut in 1961, singing "East St. Louis" with the band of one Little Aaron for the highly obscure Marlo imprint. He arrived in Chicago around 1960, hooking up with Earl Hooker as the slide guitar wizard's vocalist. A single for Nation Records in 1967 (as Andre Odom) preceded his debut album for ABC-BluesWay (cut in 1969, it remained in the can for quite a while before the label finally issued it). A guest spot on ...

Hotter Than St. Louis BBQ! Larry "Fuzzy" Knight Presents...  Blowin' Smoke  - St. Louis-Style Rhythm & Blues Revue Saturday, December 22@Harvelle's                  Larry "Fuzzy" Knight (pictured below) fronts high-energy eleven-piece ensemble, Blowin' Smoke, along with the hot, sultry and sassy, Fabulous Smokettes. They're in concert this Saturday night, December 22 at long-renowned blues club Harvelle's in Santa Monica.                                (Santa Monica) -     Blowin' Smoke is hotter than St. Louis BBQ and twice as tasty! Catch the acclaimed eleven-piece R&B/Blues/Soul ensemble in concert this Saturday, December 22 at Harvelle's , 1432 4th St., Santa Monica. 9 p.m.-till? Info: (310) 395-1676 or https://www.fa...

Eminently capable of serving up spot-on imitations of both Bobby "Blue" Bland and B.B. King, Andrew Odom was also a man of many interrelated nicknames: Voice, Big Voice, B.B., Little B.B., B.B. Junior. Perhaps his chameleonic talents held him back; Odom was a journeyman Chicago singer who recorded relatively sparingly. Like the majority of his peers, Odom started out singing spirituals but fell in with Albert King and Johnny O'Neal on the St. Louis blues scene of the mid-'50s and began plying his trade there. He made an unobtrusive recording debut in 1961, singing "East St. Louis" with the band of one Little Aaron for the highly obscure Marlo imprint. He arrived in Chicago around 1960, hooking up with Earl Hooker as the slide guitar wizard's vocalist. A single for Nation Records in 1967 (as Andre Odom) preceded his debut album for ABC-BluesWay (cut in 1969, it remained in the can for quite a while before the label finally issued it). All for Business ...

Don’t be fooled by the baby boy good looks. With lyrics like “I was born in a tavern on the banks of the Mississippi” and a horn section that hammers the groove, Jeremiah Johnson is the new face of Mississippi River blues. Walk into a gin joint in St. Louis and you’ll likely hear the familiar “blues” sound that made the area famous. It’s lyrics about the struggles of daily living with the hallmark blues style guitar that rips at your soul and soothes the spirit.Johnson takes that rich heritage but also blends influences that shaped his rugged youth like Eric Clapton, Jimmy Hendrix, BB King, Albert Collins, Albert King, Johnny Winter, Alvin Lee from Ten Years After, Les Paul, Chet Atkins, and Hank Williams Sr. and Jr., to name just a few. On top of a rich gumbo of solid songwriting, Johnson kicks it up a notch with The Sliders, Jim Rosse (trumpet) and Stuart Williams (sax). In their 25-year tenure together, The Sliders have toured with Little Feat, Johnnie Johnson, Bob Weir of Rat ...

Only 16 years of age, he's already been a professional musician since the age of 13, and possesses a guitar style far beyond his years! His dad is a 35-year veteran of the Blues bands in St. Louis, and Aaron grew around all the great St. Louis Blues musicians, names like Arthur Williams, Boo Boo Davis and Tommy Bankhead. As he's developed his own style, he’s channeled all the Blues guitar greats into his playing. Albert Collins, Robert Cray, and the 3 Kings - Albert King, Freddy King and B.B. King - are just a few he pays tribute to. Currently a senior at Webster High School, it's no surprise he plays guitar AND also plays drums. Come witness the next generation of St. Louis Blues, as Aaron Griffin and the Mojo Risin band take the stage at the Saint Louis Art Fair presented by Sterling Bank! Aaron Griffin - Guitar, Vocals Larry Griffin - Guitar Eric McSpadden - Harmonica 15 year old Stephen Cole - Drums Derek Morgan - Bass If you support live Blues acts, up and comin...

Regarding Doug Suggs (b Dec 3, 1894) “… one of the most exhilarating discs of 50s blues piano you'll ever hear.” Kenneth Bays Blues Revue November 2003 “First released in 1957 on Tone Records, this small trove of St. Louis and Chicago boogie-woogie and blues piano stomped by house rent party favorites Speckled Red, James “The Bat” Robinson and Doug Suggs is now supplemented with rescued-from-cold storage performances highlighting the gifted 10 fingers of New Orleans eclectic Billie Pierce and Suggs again. Suggs also talks about comrades Jimmy Yancey and Albert Ammons on the interview track.” 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”

I just got Beyond The Blues Horizon , a hot release from The Blowin' Smoke Rhythm & Blues Band featuring the Fabulous Smokettes . This live concert recording opens with C.O.D. , a hot R&B track featuring Michael Murphy on Hammond and Jimmy Delgado rippin' a great lead guitar. This is a real foot stomper and Larry 'Fuzzy" Knight, lead vocalist and bass player delivers the goods. Willie Dixon's Built For Comfort is up next and is dropped into a smooth swingin' groove. Again with Knight on strong lead vocal this track is very cool. Delgado, shows he's been around the block a few times laying down riffs that would rival many of the prominent Texas blues players. Murphy, on this track adds significant electric piano riffs that really punctuate Knights guttural blues voice. Get Your Money Where You Spend Your Time is a cool R&B/jazz track along the lines of WW Washington. Tenor Sax player the "Count" Yates takes the lead vocal spot on t...

Personnel Albert King : Electric Guitar, Vocals Stevie Ray Vaughan : Electric Guitar, Vocals only on Song 3 Tony Llorens : Piano, Organ Gus Thornton : Bass Michael Llorens : Drums Bassist Gus Thornton has lived a blues musician's dream. In the last 40 years he has traveled around the world recording and touring with blues greats such as Albert King, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Katie Webster. He has shared the stage with, and earned the respect of, every St. Louis Blues Musician he has played with. Gus Thornton is the epitome of St. Louis Blues. Thornton, like many rhythm musicians, is over looked by listeners who tend to get wrapped up in screaming guitars, monster harps and raspy vocals. Musicians, however, will readily agree that the key to any blues band is the rhythm section. "Every time one of my fingers moves, someone taps their foot or nods their head. Yeah, people pay attention to the guitar players and singers, but I have the audience attached to my fingers," sai...