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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!
Johnny Main of the 44's has posted that Smokin Joe Kubek has suffered a heart attack in his room before his show. He is reportedly passed. I will provide more information as I have it. It is a sad day indeed.
Born in Grove City, Pennsylvania, Kubek grew up in the Dallas, Texas area. In the 1970s during his teen years, he played with the likes of Freddie King and in the 1980s began performing with Louisiana-born singer, Bnois King.
In 1985, Kubek released his first record on Bird Records, a 45 RPM single with the tracks "Driving Sideways" (written by Freddie King and Sonny Thompson) and "Other Side Of Love" (written by Doyle Bramhall, Sr.). The single was executively produced by Clint Birdwell and co-produced by Charley Wirz and Kubek. The two tracks reappeared on Kubek's 2012 album, Let That Right Hand Go, produced by Clint Birdwell and issued on Birdwell's label, Bird Records Texas. The album is a collection of mostly unreleased material recorded since the 1980s (with the 1985 single's track, "Other Side Of Love", entitled "The Other Side Of Love").
In 1991, Kubek released his first full-length album entitled Steppin' Out Texas Style (Bullseye Blues Records) and has since released over a dozen albums on various labels.
Wendell Holmes, vocalist,
guitarist, pianist and songwriter of the critically acclaimed soul/blues band
The
Holmes Brothers, died on Friday, June 19 at his home in Rosedale,
Maryland of complications due to pulmonary hypertension. Earlier this week,
Wendell addressed his fans and friends in an open letter as he moved into hospice care. He was 71.
Wendell retired from touring earlier this year when he was first diagnosed.
Holmes Brothers drummer Willie "Popsy" Dixon died on January 9,
2015 of complications from cancer. Brother and bassist Sherman Holmes
continues to carry on The Holmes Brothers legacy with The Sherman Holmes
Project featuring Brooks Long and Eric Kennedy.
Wendell, the man Entertainment Weekly has
called "a timeless original," was born in Christchurch, Virginia on
December 19, 1943. He and his older brother Sherman were raised by their
schoolteacher parents, who nurtured the boys’ early interest in music. As
youngsters they listened to traditional Baptist hymns, anthems and spirituals
as well as blues music by Jimmy Reed, Junior Parker and B.B. King. According
to Wendell, “It was a small town, and my brother and I were about the only
ones who could play anything. So we played around in all the area churches on
Sundays.” The night before, though, they would play blues, soul, country and
rock at their cousin’s local club, Herman Wate’s Juke Joint. “When he
couldn’t get any good groups to come from Norfolk or Richmond, he’d call us
in,” Wendell recalls. “That’s how we honed our sound. We used to say we’d
rock ‘em on Saturday and save ‘em on Sunday.”
Once Wendell finished high
school he joined Sherman, who had already begun playing professionally in New
York. The two brothers played in a few bands before forming The Sevilles in
1963. The group lasted only three years, but they often backed up touring
artists like The Impressions, John Lee Hooker and Jerry Butler, gaining a
wealth of experience. Sherman and Wendell met drummer Popsy Dixon, a fellow
Virginian, at a New York gig in 1967. Dixon sat in with the brothers and sang
two songs. “After that second song,” recalls Wendell, “Popsy was a brother.”
They continued to play in a variety of Top 40 bar bands until 1979, when the
three officially joined forces and formed The Holmes Brothers band.
The band toured the world,
releasing 12 albums starting with 1990's
In The Spirit on Rounder. Their most recent release is 2014's Brotherhood on
Alligator. The New York
Times calls The Holmes Brothers "deeply soulful, uplifting
and timeless."
In September 2014, The Holmes Brothers were honored with a National Endowment
For The Arts National Heritage Fellowship, the highest honor the United
States bestows upon its folk and traditional artists. They won two Blues
Music Awards including Blues Band Of The Year in 2005. The Holmes Brothers
are featured on the cover of the current issue of Living Blues magazine.
Wendell is survived by his wife, Barbara, daughters Felicia and Mia, brothers
Sherman and Milton, and three grandsons.
Memorial service arrangements
have not yet been announced.
Mighty Sam McClain (1943-2015)
Our hearts go out to Sam McClain’s family and friends. The world has lost a man that used his mighty voice to touch the hearts of fans around the world for nearly 60 years.
His family asks that condolence cards be sent to PO Box 322, Newmarket, NH 03857.
Today, we remember this wonderful man and all of the incredible music he gave us: http://tinyurl.com/MightySam-YouTube.
_________________
Mighty Sam McClain was born on April 15, 1943 in the Ouachita Parish
seat of Monroe, Louisiana. He began his lifelong love affair with music
at the age of five, singing in his mother’s Gospel Church. At thirteen,
seeking to escape an abusive stepfather, Sam left home and began his
life on the road. Following local guitarist “Little Melvin” Underwood
through the Chitlin Circuit, the name given to the Southern venues
friendly to black performers during segregation, he started as a valet
but worked his way up to his rightful home as a lead vocalist.
By 1963 Sam had become a regular at Abe’s 506 Club in Pensacola,
Florida. It was there he met DJ Papa Don Schroeder who would produce
Mighty Sam’s first hit in 1966 with Amy Records – “Sweet Dreams (of
You)”.
Later recordings at the famed Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in
Sheffield, Alabama, would produce popular singles including “Fannie Mae”
and “In the Same Old Way”. Sam would go on to perform at the Apollo
Theater, but his success proved to be short-lived.
The 1970s were some troubled times for Sam as he moved from Nashville
to New Orleans. He battled alcoholism and found himself homeless. He
lived on park benches, worked menial jobs, and even sold his plasma to
get by. Though this rough patch lasted the better part of fifteen years,
Sam never did stop singing.
Opportunity knocked when his friends in The Neville Brothers offered
him the chance to go on tour. In 1986 with a renewed career, Sam
recorded an EP, “Your Perfect Companion”, for Orleans Records and was
invited to perform and record a live album in Japan. The new attention
attracted Hammond Scott, who brought the now northeast-based McClain to
Black Top Records for “Hubert Sumlin’s Blues Party”. The record, which
featured him on four songs with Howlin’ Wolf’s guitar player, was
produced by guitarist and future AudioQuest Music label-mate Ronnie
Earl.
McClain moved to Boston in 1992 and began playing with Uptown
Revival. The band included a core that he would later go on to record
with – Bruce Katz (keyboards), Kevin Berry (guitar) and Lorne Entress
(drums). Entress helped Sam to send a demo to Joe Harley, founder of
AudioQuest Music. Mighty Sam inked a deal that would result in a series
of his most popular albums including “Give It Up To Love” and
“Sledgehammer Soul & Down Home Blues”. The latter would be
nominated for a W.C. Handy Award. “New Man in Town”, from his 1998
release “Journey” would go on to be prominently featured on Fox TV’s Ally McBeal.
Sam would next release albums on both CrossCut Records (“Joy and Pain:
Live in Europe”) and Telarc (“Blues for the Soul” and “Sweet Dreams” –
both Handy nominated). Sam released three new recordings throughout the
2000s under Mighty Music, a label of his own. Drawing great praise was
2003’s “One More Bridge to Cross” where McClain leaned more heavily on
the soul side of his musical tastes.
Sam recorded a duet with an unexpected partner for 2007’s “Give US
Your Poor”. The record, a benefit for a cause very close to McClain –
the homeless, included “Show Me the Way” with New Jersey rock star Jon
Bon Jovi. This would only be the start to Sam’s cross-genre exchange.
Following the sale of AudioQuest Music, and subsequent renaming to
Sledgehammer Blues – a name in honor of one of Sam’s songs, to New
York’s Valley Entertainment, Sam was asked to record an album of duets
with Iranian folk singer Mahsa Vahdat. As a co-release in 2010 with the
prestigious Norwegian label Kirkelig Kulturverksted, “Scent of Reunion:
Love Duets Across Civilizations” brought together the international
community through themes of love and freedom.
The success of the collaboration sparked a vintage feeling soul-blues
record with Norwegian blues guitarist Knut Reiersrud (“One Drop Is
Plenty”) and a reprise with Vahdat (“A Deeper Tone of Longing: Love
Duets Across Civilizations”).
Nicknamed “The Soul of America” to his fans in Europe, McClain was
nominated for 23 W.C. Handy Awards/Blues Music Awards throughout his
incredible career.
After facing health issues throughout the spring of 2015, his family confirmed his passing on June 16, 2015 via his official Facebook page.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — B.B. King, whose
scorching guitar licks and heartfelt vocals made him the idol of
generations of musicians and fans while earning him the nickname King of
the Blues, died late Thursday at home in Las Vegas. He as 89.
His attorney, Brent Bryson, told The Associated Press that King died peacefully in his sleep at 9:40 p.m. PDT.
Bryson said funeral arrangements were being made.
Although
he had continued to perform well into his 80s, the 15-time Grammy
winner suffered from diabetes and had been in declining health during
the past year. He collapsed during a concert in Chicago last October,
later blaming dehydration and exhaustion. He had been in hospice care at
his Las Vegas home.
For most of a career spanning nearly 70
years, Riley B. King was not only the undisputed king of the blues but a
mentor to scores of guitarists, who included Eric Clapton, Otis Rush,
Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix, John Mayall and Keith Richards. He recorded
more than 50 albums and toured the world well into his 80s, often
performing 250 or more concerts a year.
King played a Gibson
guitar he affectionately called Lucille with a style that included
beautifully crafted single-string runs punctuated by loud chords, subtle
vibratos and bent notes.
The result could bring chills to
an audience, no more so than when King used it to full effect on his
signature song, "The Thrill is Gone." He would make his guitar shout and
cry in anguish as he told the tale of forsaken love, then end with a
guttural shouting of the final lines: "Now that it's all over, all I can
do is wish you well."
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His
style was unusual. King didn't like to sing and play at the same time,
so he developed a call-and-response between him and Lucille.
"Sometimes
I just think that there are more things to be said, to make the
audience understand what I'm trying to do more," King told The
Associated Press in 2006. "When I'm singing, I don't want you to just
hear the melody. I want you to relive the story, because most of the
songs have pretty good storytelling."
A preacher uncle
taught him to play, and he honed his technique in abject poverty in the
Mississippi Delta, the birthplace of the blues.
"I've always
tried to defend the idea that the blues doesn't have to be sung by a
person who comes from Mississippi, as I did," he said in the 1988 book
"Off the Record: An Oral History of Popular Music."
"People all over the world have problems," he said. "And as long as people have problems, the blues can never die."
Fellow
travelers who took King up on that theory included Clapton, the
British-born blues-rocker who collaborated with him on "Riding With the
King," a best-seller that won a Grammy in 2000 for best traditional
blues album.
Still, the Delta's influence was undeniable.
King began picking cotton on tenant farms around Indianola, Mississippi,
before he was a teenager, being paid as little as 35 cents for every
100 pounds, and was still working off sharecropping debts after he got
out of the Army during World War Two.
"He goes back far
enough to remember the sound of field hollers and the cornerstone blues
figures, like Charley Patton and Robert Johnson," ZZ Top guitarist Billy
Gibbons once told Rolling Stone magazine.
King got his
start in radio with a gospel quartet in Mississippi, but soon moved to
Memphis, Tennessee, where a job as a disc jockey at WDIA gave him access
to a wide range of recordings. He studied the great blues and jazz
guitarists, including Django Reinhardt and T-Bone Walker, and played
live music a few minutes each day as the "Beale Street Blues Boy," later
shortened to B.B.
Through his broadcasts and live
performances, he quickly built up a following in the black community,
and recorded his first R&B hit, "Three O'Clock Blues," in 1951.
He
began to break through to white audiences, particularly young rock
fans, in the 1960s with albums like "Live at the Regal," which would
later be declared a historic sound recording worthy of preservation by
the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry.
He
further expanded his audience with a 1968 appearance at the Newport Folk
Festival and when he opened shows for the Rolling Stones in 1969.
King
was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1984, the Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and received the Songwriters Hall of Fame
Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990. He received the Presidential Medal
of Freedom from President George W. Bush, gave a guitar to Pope John
Paul II and had President Barack Obama sing along to his "Sweet Home
Chicago."
Other Grammys included best male rhythm 'n' blues
performance in 1971 for "The Thrill Is Gone," best ethnic or traditional
recording in 1982 for "There Must Be a Better World Somewhere" and best
traditional blues recording or album several times. His final Grammy
came in 2009 for best blues album for "One Kind Favor."
Through it all, King modestly insisted he was simply maintaining a tradition.
"I'm just one who carried the baton because it was started long before me," he told the AP in 2008.
Born
Riley B. King on Sept. 16, 1925, on a tenant farm near Itta Bena,
Mississippi, King was raised by his grandmother after his parents
separated and his mother died. He worked as a sharecropper for five
years in Kilmichael, an even smaller town, until his father found him
and took him back to Indianola.
"I was a regular hand when I
was 7. I picked cotton. I drove tractors. Children grew up not thinking
that this is what they must do. We thought this was the thing to do to
help your family," he said.
When the weather was bad and he
couldn't work in the cotton fields, he walked 10 miles to a one-room
school before dropping out in the 10th grade.
After he broke
through as a musician, it appeared King might never stop performing.
When he wasn't recording, he toured the world relentlessly, playing 342
one-nighters in 1956. In 1989, he spent 300 days on the road. After he
turned 80, he vowed he would cut back, and he did, somewhat, to about
100 shows a year.
He had 15 biological and adopted children. Family members say 11 survive.
———
Associated Press writer John Rogers in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
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”
Early this morning, May
12th, blues legend and musical pioneer Luther "Captain Luke" Mayer
passed away at age 87.
In the month since his health began declining, he
was so happy to receive an outpouring of love and support from so many of you.
He very much appreciated the calls, cards and well-wishes; he recently told us
all the love from fans made him truly realize how much his music has meant to
people.
We've posted a collection
of photos on our bloghere, and we invite you to
comment and share your memories of Captain Luke. He will be sorely
missed.
Randy Chortkoff, founder, president and CEO of Delta Groove
Productions, passed away today at 8:40am in Los Angeles at the age of
65.
A highly successful entrepreneur outside of the music
business, Chortkoff simultaneously followed his true passion as a music
producer, performer, and promoter for two decades before founding Delta
Groove Productions almost 15 years ago. Delta Groove was his labor of
love, a culmination of a lifelong devotion to traditional
blues and roots music. Through his vision and leadership, the company
quickly rose to its current position as an industry leader, encompassing
Delta Groove Records, Eclecto-Groove Records, No Respect Records,
Festivals Exclusive Booking Agency, independent artist and event
promotions and management, and more.
Ever the astute businessman, in recent months Randy oversaw the
planning and arrangements for Delta Groove Productions and its
affiliates to continue to flourish and carry his passion onward after
his passing, under the leadership of longtime associates Jeff Fleenor
and Tammie Barnum, and the rest of the talented and devoted Delta Groove
team.
Randy leaves behind children Jessica, Taylor and Joshua,
an extended family of Delta Groove musicians whose lives he touched, and
a worldwide network of music lovers who both shared and benefited from
his passion for music.
Randy was also was the leader of top blues band The Mannish Boys.
Few blues acts have perfected the tricky maneuver of honoring the
storied history of the Blues, while at the same time keeping the music
up-to-date, as well as Delta Groove’s The Mannish Boys. It’s a balancing
act that they’ve honed over the course of six highly-acclaimed CD
releases and countless nights gigging on concert stages around the
world. Conceived as an all-star showcase for the cream of the west coast
blues crop, The Mannish Boys have stayed true to that vision. They’ve
continually evolved through the years, seeking out and spotlighting the
talents of true Blues legends in a setting that stays true to the deep
roots of genre, providing them with the support required to excite
today’s blues audiences.
Their newest release on Delta Groove marks a number of firsts for The
Mannish Boys. “Double Dynamite”, as the title suggests, serves up a
double dose of The Mannish Boys on a two CD set, allowing them to really
stretch out and feature more special guests and sounds than on any of
their previous releases. Especially notable is new featured vocalist
Sugaray Rayford, a soulful, gospel-inflected singer, originally from
Texas, who has been little known outside of his current home base in
Southern California until now. Also along for the ride this time, and
adding variety and depth in the vocal department, are veterans James
“Icepick” Harman, Mike Finnigan (who in the ‘60s played keyboards on
Jimi Hendrix’s “Electric Ladyland” LP, among many other accomplishments
in his long career), and Jackie Payne, plus long-time Mannish Boys
frontman Finis Tasby. The band’s regular guitarists Kirk Fletcher and
Frank Goldwasser also take turns in front of the vocal mic, as does The
Mannish Boys harp playing honcho Randy Chortkoff. And as a special treat
this time out, Mud Morganfield, oldest son of the undisputed king of
Chicago blues, Muddy Waters, also contributes as a guest vocalist,
bringing a south side Chicago blues unrivaled by any living vocalist.
Other special guests on this amazing release include harmonica aces Rod
Piazza, Jason Ricci and Bob Corritore, and guitarists Elvin Bishop,
Junior Watson, Nathan James, and Kid Ramos, all backed by the
hard-swinging rhythm section of Jimi Bott and Willie J. Campbell, plus
an array of other very special musicians.
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”
Percy Sledge, who soared from part-time singer and hospital orderly to lasting fame with his aching, forlorn performance on the classic "When a Man Loves a Woman," died Tuesday in Louisiana. He was 74.
Dr. William "Beau" Clark, coroner for East Baton Rouge Parish, confirmed to The Associated Press that Sledge died early Tuesday morning, about an hour after midnight of natural causes in hospice care.
Percy Sledge (born November 25, 1941, Leighton, Alabama) is an American R&B and soul performer who recorded the hit "When a Man Loves a Woman" in 1966.
Percy Sledge worked in a series of blue-collar jobs in the fields in Leighton, Alabama before taking a job as an orderly at Colbert County Hospital in Sheffield, Alabama. Through the mid 1960s, he toured the Southeast with the Esquires Combo on weekends, while working at the hospital during the week. A former patient and mutual friend of Sledge and record producer Quin Ivy introduced the two. An audition followed, and Sledge was signed to a recording contract.
Sledge's soulful voice was perfect for the series of soul ballads produced by Ivy and Marlin Greene, which rock critic Dave Marsh called "emotional classics for romantics of all ages."
"When a Man Loves a Woman" was Sledge's first song recorded under the contract, and was released in March 1966. The song's inspiration came when Sledge's girlfriend left him for a modeling career after he was laid off from construction job in late 1965. Because bassist Calvin Lewis and organist Andrew Wright helped him with the song, he gave all the songwriting credits to them. It reached #1 in the U.S. and went on to become an international hit. "When A Man Loves A Woman" was a hit twice in the UK, reaching #6 in 1966 and, on reissue, peaked at #2 in 1987. The song was also the first gold record released by Atlantic Records. The soul anthem became the cornerstone of Sledge's career, and was followed by "Warm and Tender Love" (Covered by UK songstress Elkie Brooks in 1981), "It Tears Me Up", "Take Time to Know Her" (his second biggest U.S. hit, reaching #11 and written by Steve Davis), "Love Me Tender", and "Cover Me".
Sledge charted with "I'll Be Your Everything" and "Sunshine" during the 1970s, and has become an international concert favorite throughout the world, especially in the Netherlands, Germany, and on the African continent, and South Africa in particular.
Sledge's career enjoyed a renaissance in the 1980s once "When a Man Loves a Woman" re-entered the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at #2, behind the reissued Ben E King classic "Stand By Me", after being used in a Levi's commercial.
In 1994, Saul Davis and Barry Goldberg produced his new album, Blue Night, for Philippe Le Bras' Sky Ranch label and Virgin Records. It featured Bobby Womack, Steve Cropper, and Mick Taylor among others. Blue Night received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album, Vocal or Instrumental, and in 1996 it won the W.C. Handy Award for best soul or blues album.
In 2004, Davis and Goldberg also produced the Shining Through the Rain album which led to his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. Songs on the CD were written by Mikael Rickfors, Steve Earle, the Bee Gees, Carla Olson, Denny Freeman, Allan Clarke and Jackie Lomax.
In the late 1990s, Michael Bolton brought "When A Man Loves A Woman" back into the limelight again on his smash hit album "Time, Love, & Tenderness."
In December, 2010, Rhino Handmade issued a 4 CD retrospective "The Atlantic Recordings" which covers all of the issued Atlantic masters, as well as many of the tracks unissued in the US. What makes this limited edition release frustrating is that many of the mono tracks on discs 2, 3 and 4 have previously been issued in stereo (disc 1 comprises Sledge's first two LPs which were not recorded on stereo equipment).
In October 2011 Sledge featured on the Cliff Richard album Soulicious, also appearing live on stage in the tour of the same name, reprising his top hit "When A Man Loves A Woman" as well as dueting with Sir Cliff.
Sledge was an inaugural Rhythm and Blues Foundation Pioneer Award honoree in 1989. He won the W.C. Handy Blues Awards in 1996 for best Soul/Blues album of the year with his record Blue Night. In 2005, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In May 2007, Percy Sledge was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame for his contributions to the state's music. Sledge is also an inductee of the Delta Music Museum in Ferriday, Louisiana.
In November 2004, Percy Sledge was inducted into the Carolina Beach Music Hall Of Fame.
Among the many notable performances of Sledge's career was a cabaret appearance in 2005 alongside Liverpool's infamous "Steam Packet" at The Pumphouse, Albert Dock.
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!
British
folk guitarist John Renbourn, a founding member of Pentangle whose solo
career stretched for more than 50 years, was found dead at his home in
Hawick, Scotland, on March 25. He was 70.
Renbourn’s body was discovered after he failed to show up for a
concert at the Ferry in Glasgow on March 25. Renbourn’s agent Dave Smith
confirmed the news, but no cause of his death was given.
One of the finest folk musicians of the 1960s and ‘70s, Renbourn was
an active performer up until his death. He had already played nine shows
this month in the U.K. with guitarist Wizz Jones and was set to return
to Crete for a guitar workshop in May.
Renbourn, like many early British rock ‘n’ rollers and folk
musicians, got his start playing skiffle before studying folk music and
classical guitar. In London in 1964, he started performing in pubs in
Soho, accompanying singer Dorris Henderson, with whom he would
eventually record the albums There You Go and Watch the Stars.
During that time, Renbourn fell in with a folk crowd that included
Bert Jansch, Davey Graham and Paul Simon. Jansch (who died in October
2011) and Renbourn started performing together and after both secured
solo recording deals -- Renbourn was on Transatlantic == and teamed up
as Bert & John.
His first full-length solo album, Sir John Alot of Merrie Englandes Musyk Thynge & Ye Grene Knyghte, was released in 1968, and soon thereafter he and Jansch formed Pentangle with Jacqui McShee, Terry Cox
and Danny Thompson. The band’s first tour of the U.S. included performances at the Newport Folk Festival and
Fillmore West with the Grateful Dead.
The group made five albums for Transatlantic, which Reprise released
in the U.S., and signed Renbourn to the label as a solo artist as well.
All five the band’s albums reached the lower rungs of the Billboard 200,
1971’s Reflection charting the highest at No. 183 in 1971.
Twice Grammy-nominated in the 1980s, Renbourn made solo albums
throughout his tenure in Pentangle. Once the group disbanded, he worked
solo, in group settings and in duets with guitarist Stefan Grossman
His book of compositions and tablature, starting with Guitar Pieces
in 1972, were popular with budding guitarists interested in
fingerpicking. In the 1980s, Renbourn studied composition at Dartington
College and would later teach guitar at Dartington and at guitar
seminars elsewhere. He also wrote columns for the magazines Frets and
Guitar Player.
In 2007, Pentangle reunited to receive the BBC Folk Awards Lifetime Achievement honor. His final recording was Palermo Snow, released in 2011.
Andy Fraser, who co-wrote the rousing rock anthem "All Right Now"
when he was the teenage bassist for the British rock band Free, has died
in California at age 62.
Fraser had been living in the Southern California desert community of
Temecula, where he died Monday, the Riverside County coroner said in a
statement. The cause of death is not yet known and remains under
investigation.
Fraser's daughter Hannah sent a lengthy statement to FOX411 about her
father's passing on behalf of herself, her sister Jasmine, and her
mother Ri. Here it is in full: I'm so shocked and heartbroken by the loss of our amazing father
Andy, who was a true force of nature. His endless passion for music has
been an inspiration to the world for over half a decade. Using his
creative talents to bring positive change to the world with a fearless
commitment to honesty and justice has been a pivotal example for my
life. He worked tirelessly on humanitarian projects such as Rock Against
Trafficking, Gay Rights Issues, The Occupy Movement, Eco-activism, and
he was producing a documentary on Ocean Conservation with me. Andy never did things by halves. He was a mover and a shaker, and
had unfathomable depths of optimism, even when faced with the biggest
challenges. He saw everything as an opportunity to make a difference,
turning issues into art and uncovering layers of himself to share
bravely with the world.
Sad news in the blues world today. Mr. Robert
"Wolfman" Belfour — RIP. Arguably the deepest of the surviving, old-school,
Mississippi bluesmen was found deceased at his home in Memphis this morning by
relatives. He had been suffering from various health issues (mainly diabetes and
mobility related) for over a year but had recently been doing better. He had not
performed since last June but was slated to play at Juke Joint Festival in
April.
Mr. Belfour's family is in desperate need of money
for funeral services. The Memphis Blues Society is trying to raise money to help
the family with funeral costs. Those wishing to donate can do so through The
Memphis Blues Society Benefit link: Click here. For now… if you knew the blues
legend, tell your friends a story about him today… if you didn't know him, then
stop what you're doing and spend a little time on the web exploring his life and
music.
Read Roger Stolle's interview with Robert Belfour and
watch enjoy some great video: Click Here
It
is with great sorrow that we learn that the great James Wheeler has
passed away. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. We will
release more details as they become available. James will be greatly
missed at Rosa's Lounge,
in the Chicago blues community and throughout the world. He was one of
the sweetest human beings we have ever encountered and what a wonderful
singer and picker he was too. Rest in sweet peace our dear James.
Blues guitarist James Wheeler was born in Albany, GA, on August 28, 1937. His earliest musical influences were the big bands of the time, especially Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, and his first idol, Louis Jordan. Following his older brother Golden, Wheeler moved to Chicago in 1956. Golden had started playing harmonica in the clubs, becoming friends with many blues musicians, including Little Walter. It was after the move to Chicago that James Wheeler picked up the guitar and started jamming with local musicians. Wheeler's first big break came when he played guitar with Billy Boy Arnold, which lead to the formation of the Jaguars in 1963, backing up B.B. King, Millie Jackson, O.V. Wright, and Otis Clay. Clay was so impressed with Wheeler's playing that after the Jaguars broke up in 1972 he asked Wheeler to put together his touring band, which lasted three years. Following a brief tour with the Impressions, Wheeler took a non-music day job, picking up weekend gigs here and there for the next decade. In 1986, Wheeler received a call from Otis Rush asking him to play a weekend gig that turned full-time, lasting until 1993. After recording and touring stints with Mississippi Heat, Magic Slim, and Willie Kent, he released his much anticipated solo recording, Ready, in 1998 on Delmark Records. Featuring ten original tracks plus three covers, his band featured brother Big Golden Wheeler on harmonica and pianist Ken Saydak. Following a hectic tour schedule through Europe and South America, Wheeler's second release, Can't Take It, followed in 2000, again, on the Delmark label. Can't Take It spotlights all original compositions by Wheeler, fronting the same band, with the exception of Ron Sorin replacing Big Golden on harp.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Bobby
Keys, a saxophonist and lifelong rock 'n' roller who played on
recordings by Buddy Holly and John Lennon and performed one of the
all-time blowout solos on the Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar," has died at
his home in Franklin, Tennessee. He was 70 years old.
Michael Webb,
who played keyboard with Keys, said Keys died Tuesday after a lengthy
illness. Keys had been on tour with the Stones earlier this year before
his health prevented him from performing.
"The Rolling Stones are
devastated by the loss of their very dear friend and legendary saxophone
player, Bobby Keys," the band said in a statement. "Bobby made a unique
musical contribution to the band since the 1960s. He will be greatly
missed."
Known for his heavy
jowls and raw, raucous style, the Lubbock, Texas, native was born on the
same day as Keith Richards — Dec. 18, 1943 — and the Stones guitarist
would often cite Keys as a soul mate and favorite musician. Besides
"Brown Sugar," Keys also played memorable solos on such Stones favorites
as the 7-minute jam "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" and the country-styled
"Sweet Virginia." Other career highlights included John Lennon's
chart-topping "Whatever Gets You Through the Night" and albums by
Richards, George Harrison, Barbra Streisand and Eric Clapton.
"I
have lost the largest pal in the world, and I can't express the sense
of sadness I feel, although Bobby would tell me to cheer up," Richards
said in a statement.
Keys'
career dated back to the 1950s, when as a teenager he played with fellow
Lubbock native Holly and The Crickets. He met the Stones in the
mid-'60s while they were on the same bill at a state fair in San
Antonio, Texas, and was distraught that the British rockers had recorded
a cover of Holly's "Not Fade Away."
"I
said, 'Hey, that was Buddy's song,'" Keys recalled in Richards' memoir
"Life," published in 2010. "Who are these pasty-faced, funny-talking,
skinny-legged guys to come over here and cash in on Buddy's song?"
But
once Keys listened more closely, he decided the Stones were playing
"actual rock and roll," an opinion the Stones more than shared about
Keys. He first recorded with them in the late 1960s and toured and
recorded with them off and on over the following decades, his work
featured on three of the group's most acclaimed albums: "Let It Bleed,"
''Sticky Fingers" and "Exile on Main Street."
In
some ways, he was too close to Richards, developing a heroin addiction
that led to his temporary estrangement from the group. But he was with
them on every major tour over the past quarter century, dependably
stepping up for his solo on "Brown Sugar."
Keys'
memoir "Every Night's a Saturday Night" was published in 2012, with a
foreword by Richards. Keys recalled that he was first exposed to rock
'n' roll through Holly's music — not on the radio, but at the grand
opening of a Texas gas station near the home of Keys' grandparents. It
was the first time he had heard an electric guitar played live.
"And
right then and there I knew I wanted to have something to do with that
music," Keys explained. Holly "just kinda lit a fuse that started
burning then, and it's still burning now."
Joe
Sample, who became a jazz star in the 1960s as the pianist with the
Jazz Crusaders and an even bigger star a decade later when he began
playing electric keyboards and the group simplified its name to the
Crusaders, died on Friday in Houston. He was 75.
The cause was mesothelioma, said his manager, Patrick Rains.
The
Jazz Crusaders, who played the muscular, bluesy variation on bebop
known as hard bop, had their roots in Houston, where Mr. Sample, the
tenor saxophonist Wilton Felder and the drummer Nesbert Hooper (better
known by the self-explanatory first name Stix) began performing together
as the Swingsters while in high school.
Mr.
Sample met the trombonist Wayne Henderson at Texas Southern University
and added him, the bassist Henry Wilson and the flutist Hubert Laws —
who would soon achieve considerable fame on his own — to the group,
which changed its name to the Modern Jazz Sextet.
The
band worked in the Houston area for several years but did not have much
success until Mr. Sample, Mr. Felder, Mr. Hooper and Mr. Henderson
moved to Los Angeles and changed their name to the Jazz Crusaders, a
reference to the drummer Art Blakey’s seminal hard-bop ensemble, the
Jazz Messengers. Their first album, “Freedom Sound,” released on the
Pacific Jazz label in 1961, sold well, and they recorded prolifically
for the rest of the decade, with all four members contributing
compositions, while performing to enthusiastic audiences and critical
praise.
In
the early 1970s, as the audience for jazz declined, the band underwent
yet another name change, this one signifying a change in musical
direction. Augmenting their sound with electric guitar and electric
bass, with Mr. Sample playing mostly electric keyboards, the Jazz
Crusaders became the Crusaders. Their first album under that name,
“Crusaders 1,” featuring four compositions by Mr. Sample, was released
on the Blue Thumb label in 1972.
With
a funkier sound, a new emphasis on danceable rhythms and the addition
of pop songs by the Beatles and others to their repertoire, the
Crusaders displeased many critics but greatly expanded their audience.
For Mr. Sample, plugging in was not a big step. He had been fascinated by the electric piano since he saw Ray Charles playing one
on television in the mid-1950s, and he had owned one since 1963. Nor
did he have any problem crossing musical boundaries: Growing up in
Houston he had listened to and enjoyed all kinds of music, including
blues and country.
“Unfortunately,
in this country, there’s a lot of prejudice against the various forms
of music,” Mr. Sample told The Los Angeles Times in 1985. “The jazz
people hate the blues, the blues people hate rock, and the rock people
hate jazz. But how can anyone hate music? We tend to not hate any form
of music, so we blend it all together. And consequently, we’re always
finding ourselves in big trouble with everybody.”
They
didn’t find themselves in much trouble with the record-buying public.
The Crusaders had numerous hit albums and one Top 40 single, “Street Life,”
which reached No. 36 on the Billboard pop chart in 1979. Mr. Sample
wrote the music and Will Jennings wrote the lyrics, which were sung by
Randy Crawford.
By
the time “Street Life” was recorded, Mr. Henderson had left the
Crusaders to pursue a career as a producer. Mr. Hooper left in 1983. Mr.
Sample and Mr. Felder continued to work together for a while, but by
the late 1980s Mr. Sample was focusing on his solo career, which had
begun with the 1969 trio album “Fancy Dance” and included mellow
pop-jazz records like “Carmel” (1979).
His
later albums included the unaccompanied “Soul Shadows” (2008). His last
album, “Children of the Sun,” is to be released this fall.
He
also maintained a busy career as a studio musician. Among the albums on
which his keyboard work can be heard are Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going
On,” Joni Mitchell’s “Court and Spark” and “The Hissing of Summer
Lawns,” Tina Turner’s “Private Dancer,” Steely Dan’s “Aja” and “Gaucho,”
and several recordings by B. B. King.
His music has been sampled on numerous hip-hop records, most notably Tupac Shakur’s “Dear Mama.”
Joseph
Leslie Sample was born on Feb. 1, 1939, in Houston, the fourth of five
siblings, and began playing piano when he was 5. His survivors include
his wife, Yolanda; his son, Nicklas, a jazz bassist with whom he
occasionally performed; three stepsons, Jamerson III, Justin and Jordan
Berry; six grandchildren; and a sister, Julia Goolsby.
Mr. Sample’s fellow Crusader Mr. Henderson died in April.
In
recent years, Mr. Sample had worked with a reunited version of the
Crusaders and led an ensemble called the Creole Joe Band, whose music
was steeped in the lively Louisiana style known as zydeco. At his death
he had been collaborating with Jonatha Brooke and Marc Mantell on a
musical, “Quadroon,” which had a reading in July at the Ensemble Theater in Houston.
It has been reported that Johnny Winter, a young man of 70 and currently on tour has passed.
This was announced by Sugar Blue, a super harp player during his show at Rosa's Lounge this evening. I have not found any other specific references to this information or been able to substantiate this claim and at this point believe that it is not true. I will report back as soon as I have determined the facts but at this point I am with his fans around the world praying that he is "Still Alive and Well"!
Rock on Johnny!!
Johnny Winter releases perhaps his greatest album on September 2,
2014! Step Back features an amazing list of musical guests and takes
Johnny back to a more aggressive style of blues… one that helped shape
the musical icon. Produced by Paul Nelson. Buy it at Amazon.
Step Back Track Listing
1. Unchain My Heart – Johnny Winter
2. Can’t Hold Out (Talk To Me Baby) – Johnny Winter with Ben Harper
3. Don’t Want No Woman – Johnny Winter with Eric Clapton
4. Killing Floor – Johnny Winter with Paul Nelson
5. Who Do You Love – Johnny Winter
6. Okie Dokie Stomp – Johnny Winter with Brian Setzer
7. Where Can You Be – Johnny Winter with Billy Gibbons
8. Sweet Sixteen – Johnny Winter with Joe Bonamassa
9. Death Letter -Johnny Winter
10. My Babe – Johnny Winter with Jason Ricci
11. Long Tall Sally – Johnny Winter with Leslie West
12. Mojo Hand – Johnny Winter with Joe Perry
13. Blue Monday – Johnny Winter with Dr. John
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”
George Duke,
the master keyboardist who bridged the worlds of jazz, R&B, funk,
and Brazilian music, died Monday at St John’s Hospital in Los Angeles.
He was 67.
No cause was given.
Duke’s passing comes just over a year after the death of his wife,
Corine, from cancer last July. The keyboardist dedicated his
just-released album, “DreamWeaver,” to her memory. PHOTOS: STARS GONE TOO SOON
Tom Copi
Jazz keyboardist George Duke, pictured in 1960, died Monday at St John’s Hospital in Los Angeles.
In a career that spanned more than 40 years, Duke worked with stars
including Michael Jackson, on 1979’s “The Wall,” Miles Davis, producing
and composing tracks on several key albums of the ‘80s, and Frank Zappa, with whom he appeared on “Mothers of Invention” albums from 1970 through the early ‘90s.
Duke, who was born in San Rafael, Calif., studied trombone, contrabass
and composition at the San Francisco Conservatory, where he graduated in
1967. But his made his name expressing himself on a wide variety of
keyboards, from acoustic piano to clavinet to all manner of
synthesizers. He became a key player in the development of jazz-fusion
in the late ‘60s, particularly after collaborating with violinist
Jean-Luc Ponty. The release of their joint album, “The Jean-Luc Ponty
Experience with The George Duke Trio,” cemented his reputation in 1969.
Duke veered into the avant-garde through his work with Zappa, which
began with 1970’s “Chunga’s Revenge.” He also appeared in the Zappa
movie “200 Motels” in 1971 and played on important Mothers’ albums like
“Over-Nite Sensation” and “Apostrophe.” PHOTOS: IN MEMORIAM: STARS WE'VE LOST IN 2013
Gallo Images/Getty Images
George Duke performs on stage during the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz 2007 festival in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Duke made major waves in the R&B world by collaborating with
musicians from George Clinton to Anita Baker to Regina Belle. In the
‘70s, he established his deep connection to Brazilian music, recording
and performing with Milton Nascimento, Flora Purim, and Airto Moreira.
In the hip-hop world, the keyboarist’s songs have been sampled by acts from Daft Punk to Kanye West to Ice Cube.
Duke issued more than 40 albums under his own name, some in
collaboration with drummer Billy Cobham or bassist Stanley Clarke.
Throughout his career, Duke had the ability to make synthetic
instruments — like the ARP Odyssey and Prophet 5 — sound soulful. His
playing could be sensitive or disruptive, but in any guise, it showed
total command.
He is survived by two sons, Rasheed and John. Funeral services will be private.
Upon hearing the news of his passing, jazz flutist Bobi Humphrey posted
on her Facebook page, “George Duke! Forty years, my friend! Heaven! A
little bit funkier!”
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”
