I Wish My Mother Was On That Train - "Blind" Joe Taggart

Blind Joe Taggart was an American blind country blues musician, from the 1920s and 1930s. He was a great influence on folk singer, Josh White, whom he traveled with. According to White, Taggart was a mean-tempered man. He recorded a few duets with Emma Taggart, who is believed to have been his wife.
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Bending Like A Willow Tree - Black Dog Blues Band

Playing good blues for every one who like's it.
Since 1989 in São Paulo Brazil, playing the blues.
Black Dog Daniel, returns to is birth land Madeira Island in 2006, and restart the band with local and foreign musicians .

Band Members: Daniel Caires Henriques AKA black dog- vocals/harmonica;
Rodolfo Cró- guitar;
Paulo Aveiro- bass;
Eduardo Fernandes- drums;
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As the Years Go Passing By - Marshall Lawrence

Marshall Lawrence (born 1956) is a Canadian acid blues musician. Lawrence is often referred to as the "Doctor of the Blues.
Lawrence became interested in rock and roll at age 10 and asked his father for a guitar. Lawrence enjoyed his Echo semi-acoustic guitar and was determined to learn how to play it, inspired by Jimi Hendrix.

Lawrence played his first gig in 1969 at Windsor, Ontario, under a band named The Peanut Gallery, playing a 1969 Gibson SG through a Fender Dual Showman blew an amp on "Johnny B. Goode." As a teen, he spent most of 1970s and 1980s exploring guitar rock styles, while he was employed at a car factory in Windsor. Later on in his life, Lawrence moved east to Kingston to pursue a Ph.D in psychology.
Lawrence mixes many styles of blues to his music. Henceforth, he is given the nickname "The Doctor of Blues." His music can be described as a fierce, energetic blend of blues, rock, soul, and funk. Together he calls it "acid blues." Another way to describe his technique is a tribute to traditional blues, but mixed with an energetic style.
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Put Me Back - Amy Hart

Born and raised in the Chicago Area, Amy Hart got her start playing blues in festivals opening for such artists as Koko Taylor, Junior Welles and James Cotton. Putting her own stamp on the groove she migrated to LA and released a track on the Mercury Records Soundtrack for "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and from there hit the road as a singer/songwriter.
Decades, deals and several disks later she has returned to her blues roots, with the latest release, "Congratulations" on Painted Rock Records.

The new cd, available on itunes and all over the web on every digital download site, details the tribulations of her own personal journey from Chicago to Nashville, and to the Gulf coast where she witnessed the devastation from the Horizon Oil Spill to the Guif Coast way of life she enjoyed for a good part of the last 10 years.

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Slow Blues Instrumental - Gary Smith, David Barrett, Aki Kumar

Front man and harp player for the San Francisco Bay Area band Tip of the Top, Akarsha Aki Kumar is an ardent student of the blues and a master of the amplified Chicago blues sound.

Kumar derives his style mainly from American harp masters Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, Big Walter Horton and George Smith, among others. His own playing reflects elements of these players, blended in with a signature sound of his own.

Gary Smith has been a huge influence on numerous harmonica players in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has largely influenced harmonica players Mark Hummel, David Barrett, Byrde Hale, Andy Just, and untold others. He currently has two CD's and a new instruction video just released by Mountain Top Video. Being in the San Jose and San Francisco Area in the sixties he was present when Paul Butterfield made his imprint on the harmonica world.

David Barrett is the world's most published author of blues harmonica lesson material (over 60 book/CD sets and videos published through Mel Bay Publications). Having played saxophone and trumpet for many years, David already had a solid musical background before playing the harmonica at age fourteen. By age sixteen he was already performing in blues jam sessions and harmonica shows in the California Bay Area. By age eighteen he was studying music theory in college and started teaching harmonica at local music institutes. By age twenty he released Building Harmonica Technique (Mel Bay Publications), the first serious blues harmonica method to be released in the market.
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President Obama Hosts a celebration of Blues music in recognition of Black History Month

The evening will be filmed for a PBS special “In Performance at the White House: Red, White and Blues,” which will air as part of the Emmy Award-nominated PBS “In The White House” series on Monday, Feb. 27 on PBS stations nationwide. (Check local listings.) It's live now!!

JOIN THE LIVE CHAT

VISIT WHITEHOUSE.GOV

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Savoy Brown in Jim Thorpe, PA - Greg

I got a chance to see the band in the cool town of Jim Thorpe PA Saturday night. Another inspired show by this excellent band. I liked the version of 'Time Will Tell' that they did. There was some real interesting soloing by Kim that had a retro feel to it but seemed to be a new slant. I think that ability is what makes these shows so good. They update the classic stuff to mesh with the excellent new stuff they are playing now.The band is heading over to the UK this Spring. I asked Kim if he'd be calling any of his old mates there to join him and he said that it was possible that he would. I asked him to have a camera or at least a tape rolling if he did. Someone get Chris Youlden on the line!
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Devil Down Records artist: Turchi - Road Ends In Water - Review

I have had the opportunity to review the new recording Road Ends In Water by Turchi. It will be available for sale on March 1. This is a really interesting recording and one that should be well received by fans of the new primitive blues movement (like me). By the new primitive blues movement, I refer to bands such as the Black Keys, The White Stripes and so many other bands who have gone back to the roots of the blues and put their own spin on the style.

Turchi has done a masterful job of presenting his own music, not a copy of the aforementioned bands, and it is really cool. The recording features 10 tracks, but I am unsure as to how many are originals as the interpretations are fresh. The first track, Keep On Drinkin' is great to get the groove started with Turchi's field holler type voice over slide work and backing instrumentals. On Watchya Tryin he uses the effective technique of singing along with his resonator on the melody and then steps back to play lead on what sounds like an electric guitar tuned in an open tuning. Be Alright has the tempo of the early Chicago blues stuff when it was first becoming electrified and the slide tone of Hound Dog Taylor (not his style...but the raw tone). One of the things that I really like about the release aside from the raw guitar playing is the vocal delivery which is sometimes distorted and sometimes delayed and sometimes in the present. Overall it is very effective. Do For You again a Chicago style blues in that it has the sound of the early electrified blues. Really cool. Don't Let The Devil Ride is a little more modern sounding but still retaining the raw edge present throughout the recording as with the great slide playing. I Can't Be Satisfied, the old Muddy Waters song is done much at the tempo of the original with substantially altered vocals actually putting me in mind of some of the effects the the Stones used on early recordings. Had the artist not thought through all of these issues I don't believe that the song could have carried it's weight. Really great! Shake'em keeps the original tradition strong with the slide resonator and dual slide work throughout. The final song, Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning has a very fresh look at the song. I have 3 times seen the title and gone back to the recording to hear it. It's a great tune and one that most of us know well. It is almost like a Hot Tuna take on a blues song but in this case, Turchi stays much closer to the original than Hot Tuna did on this song 40 years ago. It retains it's spirituality and is a great cap to the end of the recording.

I highly recommend this recording to anyone who likes the pure blues in an unadulterated form done by modern musicians. I feel that Turchi has done an excellent job.

Releases 01 March 2012
Vocals: Reed Turchi
Guitar: Reed Turchi, Luther Dickinson, Chris Reali
Bass: Chris Reali
Drums: Cameron Weeks

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JON CLEARY READIES NEW ALBUM OCCAPELLA

JON CLEARY READIES NEW ALBUM OCCAPELLA

Delving into the songbook of Allen Toussaint,

New Orleans musician plans CD release celebration at JazzFest

NEW ORLEANS, La. – The seeds for Jon Cleary’s sixth solo CD were sown when the acclaimed songwriter, pianist and singer was asked the hypothetical question, “Would you ever do a record of somebody else’s tunes?” The English-born Cleary, who has made New Orleans his home for more than three decades, provides his emphatic answer with the utterly captivating Occapella (released April 17 on the artist’s own FHQ Records).

An exploration deep into the bountiful songbook of Cleary’s musical touchstone, Allen Toussaint, the new album is as inspired as it is sure-footed. On this labor of love, Cleary inventively reimagines the classics “Southern Nights” and “What Do You Want the Girl To Do,” while he presents less familiar pieces like “Poor Boy Got To Move,” “I’m Gone” and “When the Party’s Over” as newly unearthed treasures.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a tribute,” Cleary says of Occapella. “The term ‘tribute’ sounds rather corny, really. On the back of the album, I just put, ‘Having fun with the songs of Allen Toussaint,’ which sums up the vibe a bit better. Toussaint’s music was the soundtrack of my adolescence, I’ve played a lot of his songs with the guys who had the original hits with them, and we’ve crossed paths on numerous occasions. So this record was a logical thing for me to do.

“I’d actually been messing around with a song of his called ‘Occapella,’ which he wrote for Lee Dorsey in the ’70s,” Cleary says of the project’s genesis. “It’s always been one of my favorites, so I started to do an a cappella version of ‘Occapella,’ and then one thing led to another. The idea of flexing my various musical muscles using Allen Toussaint’s songs as the raw material seemed really appealing. The challenge was to take each song and do a flip on it in some respect.”

Cleary plays every instrument on the album — keyboards, guitar (his first instrument), bass and drums — with one notable exception. On the ecstatically soulful opening track “Let’s Get Low Down,” Bonnie Raitt and Dr. John, both longtime musical associates, join him on vocals. Dr. John also plays guitar on the track, while bassist James Singleton and drummer Terence Higgins, both part of the flexible lineup of the Philthy Phew, lay down the deep gut groove.

Additionally, Jeffrey “Jellybean” Alexander, Derwin “Big D” Perkins and Cornell Williams of Cleary’s Absolute Monster Gentlemen contribute backing vocals on “Popcorn Pop Pop,” “Wrong Number” and the title song, while Walter “Wolfman” Washington sings background vocals on “Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky.” Cleary self-produced Occapella in the well-appointed studio he’s installed in his home in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans. His neighbor, fellow expat John Porter — a veteran producer whose CV ranges from The Smiths and Ryan Adams to B.B. King, Buddy Guy and R.L. Burnside — received a co-producer credit for his expert assistance.

“My inclination at first was to pick the most obscure tunes I could find, because I’ve always been a bit of a funk detective,” Cleary explains. “Then one of my managers said, ‘It’s a great idea, but if you’re gonna do this, make sure there are some songs that people recognize.’ So I picked a couple of his better-known tunes, but I tried to take them in a different direction — to take an aspect of the melody or the chord progression, or perhaps his original arrangement, and present it in a different box, as it were.”

Cleary became aware of Toussaint as a youngster in the village of Cranbrook in Kent, England, when he noticed that three of his favorite songs — Frankie Miller’s rendition of “Brickyard Blues,” Robert Palmer’s “Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley” and LaBelle’s “Lady Marmalade” — were all credited to the New Orleans legend. When his uncle gave him a copy of Toussaint’s classic 1972 LP, Life, Love and Faith, Cleary was hooked for life. Soon after finishing school, he made a pilgrimage to the Crescent City and knew he’d found his spiritual home. He “got thrown in the deep end, landing a job digging up banana trees and pretty much moving into the Maple Leaf Bar,” where he sat transfixed night after night listening to the likes of James Booker and Roosevelt Sykes tickle the ivories on the house piano. Before long, he was mixing it up with Dr. John, Snooks Eaglin, Earl King and other staples of the scene on club stages and in local studios.

As his reputation spread, Cleary became a hired gun for NOLA-based musicians and visiting artists alike, from Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ to India Arie and Ryan Adams. He recorded and toured with renowned guitarist/bandleader John Scofield, and spent 10 years playing with Raitt, who recorded several of his songs, before regretfully taking his leave from that altogether gratifying situation in order to concentrate on his own music.

Though the new album is a departure from his previous recordings, which have focused all but exclusively on his own material, it has enabled him to come full circle in terms of his lifelong musical passion, exemplified by his sublime take on “Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky.” “That song will forever be associated with Lee Dorsey, who was Toussaint’s protégé,” Cleary points out. “Lots of other people have covered it as well, but I didn’t care — I just wanted to play it because it’s such a great song. The first time I heard it, I said to myself, ‘Yeah — everything I do is gonh be funky too.’”

To say that Jon Cleary has made good on that vow would amount to a gross understatement.
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Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood - Nina Simone

Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), better known by her stage name Nina Simone (/ˈniːnə sɨˈmoʊn/), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music. Simone aspired to become a classical pianist while working in a broad range of styles including classical, jazz, blues, folk, R&B, gospel, and pop.

Born the sixth child of a preacher's family in North Carolina, Simone aspired to be a concert pianist as a child. Her musical path changed direction after she was denied a scholarship to the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, despite a well-received audition. Simone was later told by someone working at Curtis that she was rejected because she was black. She then began playing in a small club in Philadelphia to fund her continuing musical education to become a classical pianist and was required to sing as well. She was approached for a recording by Bethlehem Records, and her rendition of "I Loves You Porgy" became a smash hit in the United States in 1958. Over the length of her career, Simone recorded more than 40 albums, mostly between 1958 — when she made her debut with Little Girl Blue — and 1974.

Her musical style arose from a fusion of gospel and pop songs with classical music, in particular with influences from her first inspiration, Johann Sebastian Bach, and accompanied with her expressive jazz-like singing in her characteristic low tenor. She injected as much of her classical background into her music as possible to give it more depth and quality, as she felt that pop music was inferior to classical. Her intuitive grasp on the audience-performer relationship was gained from a unique background of playing piano accompaniment for church revivals and sermons regularly from the early age of six years.

After 20 years of performing, she became involved in the civil rights movement and the direction of her life shifted once again. Simone's music was highly influential in the fight for equal rights in the US
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Danny Draher

Danny Draher, New York Blues & Jazz Society's Best Artist Winner- is a guitarist, singer, musical director, consultant and producer. Born in Indianapolis, he heard the fascinating sounds of Wes Montgomery, James Brown, Ray Charles, and Elvis. He started playing piano and bass at a young age, then switched to the guitar and soon moved to Chicago. By age fourteen, Danny was performing at parties with local bands and began his professional life as a guitarist with Otis Rush and Buddy Guy at the Checkerboard Lounge. He recorded his first album with the Bob Reidy Band on Flying Fish Records at the legendary Chess Studios. He left Chicago and toured nationally with many popular,'top 40', rock, rhythm and blues bands.

He moved to New York City and soon became the guitarist, singer and bandleader of choice. Through his reputation, he and his band have been hired by the who's who of the music industry. He has recorded and toured nationally and internationally with artists such as Dr. John, Etta James, Paul Butterfield and Allen Toussaint. He was the musical director for the 1992 Rhythm and Blues Foundation Awards with some of the award recipients being Aretha Franklin, Bobby Bland, Sam Moore, The Staples Singers, Rufus and Carla Thomas. The Danny Draher Band performed for the Radio America documentary, The Blues Story, An American Art Form, featuring B.B. King, Ruth Brown and Buddy Guy at the Whitney Museum. He and his band were also in the 1994 first annual VH-1 Awards with BonnieRaitt.
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Before I Grow Too Old - Bobby Charles

Bobby Charles (February 21, 1938 – January 14, 2010) was an American singer-songwriter.

An ethnic Cajun, Charles was born as Robert Charles Guidry in Abbeville, Louisiana and grew up listening to Cajun music and the country and western music of Hank Williams. At the age of 15, he heard a performance by Fats Domino, an event that "changed my life forever," he recalled.

Charles helped to pioneer the south Louisiana musical genre known as swamp pop. His compositions include the hits "See You Later, Alligator", which he initially recorded himself as "Later Alligator", but which is best known from the cover version by Bill Haley & His Comets; and "Walking to New Orleans", written for Fats Domino. His songwriting record in the UK charts reads 7 hits, 3 top tens with 75 weeks spent on the chart.

"(I Don't Know Why) But I Do" was a 1950s classic that Charles composed which Clarence "Frogman" Henry had a major hit with and which was on the soundtrack to the 1994 film Forrest Gump. His composition "Why Are People Like That?" was on the soundtrack to the 1998 film Home Fries.

Because of his south Louisiana-influenced rhythm and blues vocal style, Charles has often been thought to be black, when in fact he is white.

On November 26, 1976, Charles was invited to play with The Band at their farewell concert, The Last Waltz. Charles played "Down South in New Orleans", with the help of Dr. John and The Band. The performance was recorded and released as part of the triple-LP The Last Waltz boxed set. The performance was not captured on film however, and did not appear in the film based on the concert with Charles only appearing briefly in the concert's final song, "I Shall Be Released" (he is largely blocked from view during the song). That song, sung by Bob Dylan and pianist Richard Manuel, featured backup vocals from the entire ensemble, including Charles.

He co-wrote the song "Small Town Talk" with Rick Danko of The Band. "Promises, Promises (The Truth Will Set You Free)" was co-written with Willie Nelson.

Charles continued to compose and record (he was based out of Woodstock, New York for a time) and in the 1990s he recorded a duet of "Walking to New Orleans" with Domino.

In September 2007, The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame honored Charles for his contributions to Louisiana music with an induction.

Charles collapsed in his home near Abbeville and died on January 14, 2010
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Blues Before Sunrise - Scrapper Blackwell

Francis Hillman "Scrapper" Blackwell (February 21, 1903 – October 7, 1962) was an American blues guitarist and singer; best known as half of the guitar-piano duo he formed with Leroy Carr in the late 1920s and early 1930s, he was an acoustic single-note picker in the Chicago blues and Piedmont blues style, with some critics noting that he veered towards jazz.
Blackwell was born in Syracuse, North Carolina, United States as one of sixteen children of Payton and Elizabeth Blackwell. Part Cherokee, he grew up and spent most of his life in Indianapolis, Indiana. Blackwell was given the nickname, "Scrapper", by his grandmother, due to his fiery nature. His father played the fiddle, but Blackwell was a self-taught guitarist, building his first guitar out of cigar boxes, wood and wire. He also learned the piano, occasionally playing professionally. By his teens, Blackwell was a part-time musician, traveling as far as Chicago. Known for being withdrawn and hard to work with, Blackwell established a rapport with pianist Leroy Carr, whom he met in Indianapolis in the mid-1920s, creating a productive working relationship. Carr convinced Blackwell to record with him for the Vocalion label in 1928; the result was "How Long, How Long Blues", the biggest blues hit of that year.

Blackwell also made solo recordings for Vocalion, including "Kokomo Blues" which was transformed into "Old Kokomo Blues" by Kokomo Arnold before being redone as "Sweet Home Chicago" by Robert Johnson. Blackwell and Carr toured throughout the American Midwest and South between 1928 and 1935 as stars of the blues scene, recording over 100 sides. Well received numbers were "Prison Bound Blues" (1928), reportedly based on Carr's own stretch of time for bootlegging, "Mean Mistreater Mama" (1934) and "Blues Before Sunrise" (1934). The duo moved to St. Louis, Missouri in the early 1930s, but were back in Indianopolis when Carr died.

Blackwell made several solo excursions; a 1931 visit to Richmond, Indiana to record at Gennett studios is notable. Blackwell, dissatisfied with the lack of credit given his contributions with Carr, was remedied by Vocalion's Mayo Williams after his 1931 breakaway. In all future recordings, Blackwell received equal credit with Carr in terms of recording contracts and songwriting credits. Blackwell's last recording session with Carr was in February 1935 for the Bluebird label. The recording session ended bitterly, as both musicians left the studio mid-session and on bad terms, stemming from payment disputes. Two months later Blackwell received a phone call informing him of Carr's death due to heavy drinking and nephritis. Blackwell soon recorded a tribute to his musical partner of seven years ("My Old Pal Blues") before retiring from the music industry.

Blackwell returned to music in the late 1950s and was first recorded in June 1958 by Colin C. Pomroy (those recordings were released as late as 1967 on the Collector label). Soon afterwards he was recorded by Duncan P. Schiedt for Doug Dobell's 77 Records and Art Rosenbaum for the Prestige/Bluesville Records label.

He was ready to resume his blues career when he was shot and killed during a mugging in an Indianapolis alley. He was 59 years old. Although the crime remains unsolved, police arrested his neighbour at the time for the murder. Blackwell is buried in New Crown Cemetery, Indianapolis.
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Meet the New Members of the Nick Moss Band (shown with Jimmy Johnson)

Here's your chance to 'meet' the members of Nick Moss' versitile new band, as seen on the January 2012 Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise and fine venues across the country. (Look for them at festivals and many other dates in the U.S. and overseas this coming summer!) NICK MOSS / Guitar, vocals, harmonica Nick Moss has been in the business for well over 20 years now, first touring with Blues legends like Jimmy Dawkins, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, and Jimmy Rogers, among many others. He started out playing bass, but while in The Legendary Blues Band with Smith, switched over to guitar, opening him up to the spot in Rogers' band, where he stayed for almost four years. In 1998 he formed his own band and released his first 'solo' CD, First Offense. He's been on the road and recording ever since. After nine critically-acclaimed CDs, 15 Blues Music Award nominations, three Blues Blast Award wins, and a Second Place win in the Blues Category of the 2011 International Songwriting Competition (for "Georgia Redsnake," off of Privileged), Nick is still discovering where his music will take him. Nick Moss photo: McKinley Photography. Moss' latest release is bursting with personal growth and the kind of honesty fans have come to expect from him. Here I Am is the confident statement from Moss that the new path he forged on Privileged (2010, Nominated for 2011 Blues Music Award for "Best Rock Blues Album") was just the beginning. He gives guitar lovers plenty to sink their teeth into with extended songs and solos but there's more to Here I Am than just great lead playing. Moss and his band again use a foundation of blues, rock, and roots as starting points, but take new and unexpected turns on the all-original program. (Here I Am debuted at #2 on the Relix/Jamband Radio Chart! and #6 on the Living Blues Radio Chart! It also spent several weeks in the Top Ten on the Roots Music Report!) • • • • • • • T H E B A N D • • • • • • • MICHAEL LEDBETTER / Guitar, vocals, percussion A native of Chicago, IL, Michael Ledbetter came up with a rich selection of classic soul, R&B, and Blues on rotation in his home. Singers like Donny Hathaway, B.B. King, and Stevie Wonder set the foundation for his soulful vocal style at a very early age. At 15, he decided to take his voice to a new realm: Opera. He went on to enjoy a strong 8-year career in the Chicago Opera community. Following his exit from classical music, Michael realized that his heart truly lied in his roots, and he dove head-first into the Chicago Blues scene. It was the chance discovery of Ledbetter's voice by Kate Moss while sitting in with Blue Bella Records recording artists The Kilborn Alley Blues Band that lead to his tutelage under Nick and Joe Moss in what Ledbetter calls "REAL Chicago Blues 101." Michael was asked to join Nick Moss' cast of young up-and-comers in May 2011. In his short time with Nick, he has had the pleasure of singing for and backing some of the best in Blues music. Michael looks forward to a very bright future and gives many thanks to his family as well as the Moss family for their love and support. Michael Ledbetter photo: Kate Moss. TRAVIS REED / Piano, organ, vocals By the age of 15, Travis H.A. Reed was performing regularly in the children's choir in Syracuse, NY (where he moved to from Chicago when he was only 2). By 18, after being groomed into the advanced pace of the adult mass choir, Reed had come to be the main church organist. In 2010, Travis heard from his friend Byron Cage (now drummer for the Tommy Castro Band), who also was a regular on the Syracuse Gospel scene, that Nick Moss was looking for an organist to accompany the piano player in the band (who at that time was "Piano Willie" Owsianny). In February of that year, Reed traveled to Chicago, sat in with Nick and the band at a local gig, and the rest, as they say, is history. Travis has been with them ever since. He's toured the world, built a diverse vocabulary of chops, and is now an integral part of Moss' new, expanded sound of blues, blues-rock, and beyond. Reed now handles piano and organ duties, showcasing his versatility and incredible musicianship nightly. Travis Reed photo: McKinley Photography. MATTHEW WILSON / bass Born into a family of musicians, Matthew Wilson had learned to play his first drum beat by age 5. Five years later he received the family heirloom bass and started down the road of musical exploration. His father and uncle, both having backed up just about every blues musician passing through Chicago since the late '70s, placed the young musician in the situations that would demand his abilities from the very beginning. Learning from local luminaries like Stokes, Lee Gates, Madison Slim, Jim Liban and Billy Flynn, a strong foundation in the blues was laid. At 24, Matthew has played with and learned from the likes of Marc Ribot, John Medeski, Guitar Shorty, Curtis Salgado, Jimmy & Syl Johnson, Charlie Musselwhite, Clyde Stubblefield and Hubert Sumlin. Matthew joined with Nick Moss and his band in mid-2011 to round-out an already dynamic and powerful lineup of young musicians. Wilson photo: Chris Monaghan. PATRICK SEALS / Drums, percussion Chicago-area drummer Patrick Seals discovered his love of drums at an early age while still in middle school. By high school Patrick was playing in many local bands of varying styles. At 18 he was accepted into the prestigious Columbia College music program and recieved his degree in Jazz upon graduation. Shortly after leaving Columbia, Patrick found himself a place in the thriving Chicago blues community, playing regular gigs with local bands, and even securing a short stint with international blues recording & touring artist, Byther Smith. Based on his versatile skills, Patrick was recruited in 2010 to fill the drum chair in Nick Moss' new band. So far, in his short tenure in the band, Seals has gained the respect of many of his drumming colleagues in the blues community. Most notably, Tony Braunagle (Robert Cray Band, Phantom Blues Band), who asked Patrick to participate in his drum clinic on the 2012 Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise. Patrick Seals photo: McKinley Photography.

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On The Battfield - Hayes McMullan

Haynes McMullan from Tutwiler Mississippi. Hayes McMullen played extensively in the Tallahatchie County area in the 1920's and 1930's performing with Willie Brown who played second guitar behind Hayes singing.Associated with Willie Brown and Charlie Patton. Can't find anything else
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Weep and Moan - GRESS BARNETT

Caption in Wardlow book reads: "Gress Barnett of Quitmanknew both Sonny Scott , who recorded in 1934, and Salty Dog Sam (Collins) from the McComb area of South Mississippi. Wardlow collection." (Stefan Wirz)
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I Got Mud - RJ Howson

Fire branded in the Chicago blues circuit, roots rocker and bluesman RJ Howson picked up his skillful guitar chops performing and jamming with blues icons at Buddy Guy’s Legends club, Rosa’s Lounge, Kingston Mines, BLUES on Halstead and many other clubs in the Windy City and doing countless gigs all over the midwest. Since relocating to Bradenton Beach, he has been busy playing a steady stream of shows all over Florida including performes at the last Save the Gulf Festival on Anna Maria Island, at the Rock the Park festival in New Port Richey and he can be seen regularly playing Tuesday at Cork’s in Bradenton, FL. Catch one of many club shows at Ace’s, Ringside, Skipper’s Smokehouse, Cork’s, Ocean Blues, Evie’s, Gaspar’s Grotto, The Tap Room and many others. RJ is currently preparing to work on a new CD. Stay tuned for it’s release. Check the calendar for RJ’s current schedule. Come join the party !
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Little Red Rooster - Matt Woosey

Combining an explosive slap-and-pick right hand guitar technique and a big-range blues shout, this sort of charismatic performer stops chat in the noisiest bar. But his songwriting is sensitive and soulful. Steadily building a strong national following for very good reason is Matt Woosey.”
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Bourbon Street - DOVE AND BOWEEVIL

Think of the blues in the UK and some may argue that Norfolk could well be England's answer to the Delta. Where rivers and skies stretch as far east as the eye can see, it is these vast and lonely landscapes that influence the earth grit sound of Mark 'Boweevil' Howes and the soaring tones of Lauren Dove........................................................................................................
Dove and Boweevil feel the blues to the bone! Shake it up with a bit of soul and keep if sweet with some sultry folkiness and you might have what you're looking for...........................................................................................................
' Superb acoustic blues duo; Lauren Dove and Mark Howes weave a spell binding magic' Future Blues Project, Glastonbury........''Truly at home singing the blues' Essex County Standard.........'You guys are awesome' Ramon Goose ......"Great Blues duo, not to be missed" The Oli Brown Band
.......Anyone wondering, Mark was named Boweevil by the lead singer of Lynchburg Tenn and the name has managed to stick. You may also call him Bo' for short
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Catfish Blues - Tom Attah

Tom Attah is a strong and soulful performer of new and original acoustic blues material, based in the UK.

Combining the raw power of Son House with the dense hypnotic rhythms of Howlin’ Wolf and the barrel-chested roar of the old blues shouters, Tom’s live shows take audiences on a journey from the Delta to the Download with 21st century intensity.

Traditional and Transitional, Tom is the modern, living bluesman. Taking the music from the past and carrying it into the future, Tom has stories to tell and songs to play.
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