The Blues Has Got Me - 12 Bar Blues Band

en. Bovendien weet hij op z’n bluesharps de noten te benden als de groten.
Hij deelde in zijn carrière het podium met o.a. Junior Wells, Guus & Johnny Laporte (Barrelhouse) en Oscar Benton. In Memphis USA was hij speciale gast tijdens een concert van de bluesmuzikant Big Lucky Carter, pianist William 'Boogie Man' Hubbard (ex-Rufus Thomas) en bassist Melvin Lee (ex-Albert King). In de zeventiger en begin tachtiger jaren maakten J. J. deel uit van de legendarische Southern-rock-band: MOUNTBATTEN. Deze band was zeer geliefd bij de programmamakers van de VPRO en werd al gauw als de Nederlandse Allman Brothers Band beschouwd. Van 1985 tot eind 1998 was J. J. de frontman van Nederlands meest swingende jumpbluesband: THE BLAZING ACES. Met deze band bracht hij één LP en drie Cd’s uit op het Blue Shadow Label: “The Blazing Aces”, “Closer To The Blues” en “Let’s Go Jumpin”. In 1994 verleende The Blazing Aces ook hun medewerking aan het album "Blues For Bosnia" en In 1998 verscheen de band nog eenmaal op de verzamel CD: "Blues As Blues Can Get" op het Ace Music Label.
In 1997 besloten een paar topmuzikanten om een éénmalige tour door Nederland te houden onder de naam THE SUPER SESSION BLUESBAND, waar naast Jan J. Scherpenzeel (zang & harmonica) ook meester-gitarist Ted Oberg (ex- Livin’ Blues) en stergitarist Will Sophie (ex- Blues Power) deel van uitmaakten. Wegens groot succes besloten JJ en Ted in 1998 om onder de naam OBERG(1) verder te gaan. Met Frank Schaafsma (tevens acteur) op de basgitaar en Ramon Rambeaux (Wild Romance) op drums, soms afgewisseld met topdrummer Ronald Oor. Deze bezetting hield stand tot 2001. Van 2001 tot 2004 was het tijd voor JJ om alles eens even goed op een rijtje te zetten i.v.m. o.a. gezondheidsproblemen.
In 2005 steken Jan J. Scherpenzeel en Kees Dusink de koppen bij elkaar en de TWELVE BAR BLUES BAND was geboren. Dat dit een goede keuze was is inmiddels wel duidelijk geworden. Beide mannen werden in 2010 door de Dutch Blues Foundation genomineerd voor resp. Beste Nederlandse Blues Vocalist en Beste Nederlandse Blues Gitarist. In datzelfde jaar werd de TWELVE BAR BLUES BAND door de Dutch Blues Foundation uitgeroepen tot beste Nederlandse blues Band. De rest is geschiedenis …
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Sweet Patootie - Toby Walker

Toby’s passion for blues, rags, folk, and other traditional American music drove him to leave an apartment crammed full of recordings, books and instruments for the Mississippi Delta, Virginia and the Carolinas where he tracked down some of the more obscure - but immensely talented - music makers of an earlier era. He learned directly from Eugene Powell, James "Son" Thomas,Etta Baker, and R.L Burnside, among others.
The talent, passion, and soul of a Toby Walker performance reflects these travels. Whether it is telling the humorous and heartwarming tales of other masters, talking about his inspirations, or astounding you with his mastery, his performances are a feast for the senses. The audience is moved in ways that delight them long after the encores. You can catch a taste of these stories on his Web site in "The Masters" section. But make no mistake about it - he is to be experienced live. Those fortunate enough to attend one of his shows will vouch for that.
The love Toby has for his craft pushes him to share his history and experience where he has performed his Blues In The Schools program, allowing others to share the sounds, sights, and emotions of his unique abilities. His teaching credits include, among others, Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch in Ohio and a DVD release with the prestigious Homespun Tapes label called 'Blues Fingerpicking Freedom.' In 2006, Carnegie Hall acknowledged his rare talents and hired him to augment and teach in their "American Roots" program aimed at honor level middle school students. This one-of-a-kind series demonstrates the history of blues music and traditions, while teaching the history of African Americans as they migrated from the south into the north.
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Who Pumped The Wind In My Doughnut - Washboard Sam

Robert Brown (July 15, 1910 – November 6, 1966), known professionally as Washboard Sam, was an American blues singer and musician
Born in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, United States, and reputedly the half-brother of Big Bill Broonzy, Brown moved to Memphis, Tennessee in the 1920s, performing as a street musician with Sleepy John Estes and Hammie Nixon. He then moved to Chicago in 1932, performing regularly with Broonzy, and appearing with him and other musicians including Memphis Slim and Tampa Red on innumerable recording sessions for Lester Melrose of Bluebird Records.

In 1935 he began recording in his own right for both Bluebird and Vocalion Records, becoming one of the most popular Chicago blues performers of the late 1930s and 1940s, selling numerous records and playing to packed audiences. Between 1935 and 1949 he recorded over 160 sides, including such popular numbers as "Mama Don't Allow", "Back Door" and "Diggin' My Potatoes." His strong voice and talent for creating new songs overcame his stylistic limitations.

By the 1950s, his audience began to shrink, largely because he had difficulty adapting to the new electric blues. His final recording session for RCA Victor was held in 1949, he retired from music for several years, and became a Chicago police officer. He recorded a session in 1953 with Broonzy and Memphis Slim, and in 1959 Samuel Charters included his "I've Been Treated Wrong" on the compilation The Country Blues for Folkways Records. Brown made a modest but short-lived comeback as a live performer in the early 1960s. He died of heart disease in Chicago, in November 1966, and was buried in an unmarked grave at the Washington Memory Gardens Cemetery in Homewood, Illinois.

A September 18, 2009 concert held by executive producer, Steve Salter, of the Killer Blues organization raised monies to place a headstone on Washboard Sam's grave. The show was a success and a headstone was placed in October 2009. The concert was held at the Howmet Playhouse Theater in Whitehall, Michigan. It was recorded by Vinyl Wall Productions and filmed for television broadcast in the mid-Michigan area by a television crew from the Central Michigan University. The concert featured musical artists such as Washboard Jo, R.B. and Co. and was headlined by the Big House Blues Band.
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Luther "HOUSEROCKER" Johnson

The latest Luther Johnson (born July 15, 1939) to add his name to the blues directory is an adept singer/guitarist who is a current favorite on the Atlanta blues scene. Proficient in various shadings of the electric blues idiom, Johnson has recently extended his repertoire from covers of blues standards to his own material, performed with the same '50s/'60s flavor.
Johnson taught himself how to play guitar when he was a teenager in Atlanta by listening to records. Soon, he began playing guitar in pickup bands, which gave him the opportunity to support such touring musicians as Johnny Winter. After several years playing in bar bands, Johnson formed his own group, the Houserockers.
Takin' a Bite Outta the Blues
the Houserockers played bars and clubs around Georgia for several years, eventually landing a record contract with Ichiban in 1989. The next year Johnson released his debut album, Takin' A Bite Outta the Blues. Two years later, his second record, Houserockin' Daddy, appeared. Luther "Houserocker" Johnson continued to tour the U.S. throughout the '90s.
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You're Gonna Need Him - Brother Joe May & Jackie Verdell

Dubbed "The Thunderbolt of the Middle West" by his mentor, the legendary Willie Mae Ford Smith, Brother Joe May was arguably the greatest male soloist in the history of gospel music; a tenor whose dramatic sense of showmanship was surpassed only by his unparalleled command of vocal dynamics and projection, he possessed a voice of unimaginable range and power, moving from a whisper to a scream without the slightest suggestion of effort. May was born in Macon, MS on November 9, 1912; raised in the Church of God denomination -- where all men are called "Brother," hence his stage name -- he began singing at the age of nine, later joining the Little Church Out on the Hills' senior choir. His subsequent tenure as a soloist with the Church of God Quartet solidified his strong reputation throughout the Southern gospel circuit.
After graduating high school, May worked as a day laborer in Macon before he and his family relocated to East St. Louis, IL in 1941, at which time he hired on at a chemical plant. In the St. Louis area he became a protégé of the pioneering Smith, and with her aid honed his sense of phrasing, modeling his own vocal acrobatics on hers; their connection was so strong that May even copied her theatrical performing style. Smith was also the director of the Soloists' Bureau of songwriter Thomas A. Dorsey's National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses, at whose conventions May began to build a name for himself throughout the country. During one such convention in Los Angeles in 1949, he came to the attention of Specialty Records talent scout J.W. Alexander, and upon signing to the label, cut his first session later that same year, scoring a major hit with his debut release "Search Me Lord." May's initial success allowed him to quit his day job by 1950, and he began touring the nation, often performing alongside the likes of the Soul Stirrers and the Pilgrim Travelers. With his titanic voice and commanding stage presence, he was often called "the male Mahalia Jackson," a comparison suggested even by Jackson herself. However, despite his popularity -- both "Search Me Lord" and 1950's "Do You Know Him?" were estimated to have sold over one million copies each, making him Specialty's best-selling artist of the period -- May never crossed over to white audiences, the ultimate measure of commercial success at that time. Despite acknowledging Bessie Smith as a major early influence, May also refused to pursue a career as a secular blues singer, and his adamant rejection of all musical traditions but gospel likely played a role in his exit from Specialty in 1958.
Now a free agent, May quickly signed with the Nashboro label, where he also began recording many of his own original compositions. As a result of the Nashville-based company's regional focus, the majority of his subsequent live appearances were scheduled across the Deep South, where his fame continued to grow enormously in the years to follow. An extended stretch of the early '60s also found May starring in the musical Black Nativity in the company of Marion Williams, and after playing Broadway, the production toured the U.S. and Europe. After its run was completed, May returned to the South, where his health began to slowly fail; regardless, he maintained his strenuous touring pace, keeping his declining condition a secret even from family members. Finally, while en route to a performance in Thomasville, GA, May suffered a massive stroke and died on July 14, 1972 at the age of 60.
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I've got to find a Way (To Hide my Hurt) - Moses Dillard & The Tex Town Display

Moses Dillard had a dual career in music for more than 20 years, leading his own bands, and as a guitarist working out of Muscle Shoals. Born in Greenville, SC, he put together a touring band of his own, the Dynamic Showmen, before he was 20 and saw some local success. Dillard later teamed up with James Moore in a duo called Moses & Joshua, recording for Don Schroeder's Papa Don Productions out of Pensacola, FL; scoring hits with "My Elusive Dreams" and "Get Out of My Heart" on the Mala label in 1966-1967, and "Soul Symphony" for Coral in 1968. While working for Schroeder, Dillard's guitar virtuosity came to the fore, and he played sessions with most of the company's acts, including James and Bobby Purify during the tail end of their history, and Oscar Toney, Jr. and Mighty Sam. His playing can be heard throughout their respective late-'60s outputs, and recording and touring with these and other acts kept Dillard busy until the close of the decade.
Dillard returned to Greenville in 1970 to resume his own career and put together the group Tex-Town Display, with a lineup that included Peabo Bryson. Their 1970 recording of "I've Got to Find a Way" got serious local airplay, enough to get it (and their contract) picked up by Curtom Records for national distribution, selling 250,000 copies. Tex-Town Display earned a follow-up shot with "Our Love Is True," which didn't sell nearly as well, and by 1971 the group was recording for the much smaller Shout label of Atlanta, before it broke up after Bryson exited.
Dillard continued to be based in Atlanta with his next group, the Lovejoy Orchestra, who had an instrumental hit with a self-titled theme in 1975. The 1970s saw Dillard get an increasing number of opportunities with major labels; he kept busy recording under a multitude of names, including Moses, and Dillard & Johnson in partnership with Lorraine Johnson, the latter act signed to Epic Records. Dillard had success during the disco era with the Constellation Orchestra, and he later reunited with his one-time Dynamic Showmen bassist/singer Jesse Boyce as Dillard & Boyce, on the Mercury label in the early '80s.
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Let's Straighten It Out - Douglas Watson R&B Revue

Douglas grew up in Chicago and was surrounded by the blues. His father Lovie Lee (Eddie Watson) played piano from 1979 until 1983, in the last Muddy Waters Band. Carey Bell, Lurrie Bell and Eddie Clearwater were close relatives who often shared the same address. Koko Taylor, who Douglas refers to as his Godmother, was a friend of the family. Douglas played bass on several recording sessions in Chicago by artists like Lovie Lee, Blyther Smith and Vance Kelly. He is also featured along with Bonnie Raitt and Stevie Ray Vaughan on A. C. Reed’s recording, “I’m in the Wrong Business”.

When Douglas moved to London Ontario in 1989, he was known primarily as a funky bass player. His first steady gig was with the house band at the Other Side of Five. The gig lasted for 3 or 4 years. During this time Douglas began to sing and he started to get noticed as both a vocalist and as an entertainer. His singing was so impressive that he started getting gigs just to sing. He has a huge smile and an even bigger voice. His vocal style combines the power of Muddy Waters with the sweetness of Marvin Gaye.

After leaving the Other Side of Five he sang for a few years with the house band at the Old Chicago Speakeasy and Grill and then started his own band Douglas Watson and the Hot Flames. Later he toured with Jordan Patterson, Chicago Pete, Chris Murphy, Zoom and several others before he moved to Kitchener and started his current band, The Douglas Watson R & B Revue.
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Debo - SANTIAGO CUTINELLA

Santiago Cutinella is born in Montevideo Uruguay on March 3, 1985. He forms with the Artist and guitarist Pablo Traberzo who is going to be his mentor along his career and to share in many coaciones projects and shows together. Along his career it integrates several formations of blues and rock of the local ambience: Psychosis - Ayuí Blues band - Peace steals. edy blues - black market - 66 - BLOOD TRIO between others. Along with Pablo traberzo (his mentor) shares stages from the early age of 15 years in the shekels of blues in Coffee Dalí, there it appears with Pablo and Daniel frappola inserting the returns with Nicolas giancotti also Pablo's pupil. It is here dodne his first incurciones do in the circuit of blues place. He shared stage with artist of the height as Will Calhoun of living collor, king george. Inside the musical ambience of uruguay it has touched with Gonzalo farrugia, Mape bossio, fafa barbosa, gusman mendaro, cristian cari in what they were the duels of guitar in the jack BJ BAR, along with edy blues share stage with TRIPLE NELSON Y DINO in the festival of blues of 33. His presentations and more important collaborations one emphasizes that the participation of band should support along with 66 for the guitarist blues Argentine Don vilanova (botafogo), and recently the collaboration with Pablo Traberzo in the presentation of his last record work SEARCHLIGHT in room zitarrosa in which he shares stage with Fernando Cabrera as special guest, Leo Varga, Moyi figueira, Gonzalo Castro and Daniel frappola. At present it keeps on integrating the bands Bought Black, Blood Trio, 66, and projects together with Pablo Traberzo, and his project soloist at whom it is employed to extract it to the briefness. BLACK MARKET: Ernesto Toledo (Battery) _Federico " bear " (low) Ucha Santiago cutinella (guitar and voice) 66: Dark brown berocay (battery), Fernando "rengo" (low) Lopez, Gonzalo de Lizarsa (guitar), Fede Vaz (harmonica), Florencia Lanzaro (Voice)Santiago cutinella (guitar and voice) BLOOD TRIO: Fede vaz (harmonica) Gonzalo of lizarsa (guitar) Santiago cutinella (guitar and voice) Genre: BLUES City of origin: Montevideo URUGUAY
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Ventura Co. Blues Society Sunday Matinee II Benefits Moorpark Arts Foundation

Ventura County Blues Society

Presents Its....

"Sunday Blues Concert Matinee Series Event II" - Benefits

Moorpark Foundation For The Arts

AUGUST 5TH EVENT FEATURES A TRIO OF TOP BLUES GUITARISTS - HEADLINER JIMMY THACKERY - PLUS ALASTAIR GREENE AND MIKEY MO

(MOORPARK, CA) - If you love the guitar - and let's face it, who doesn't? - then this is a show that can't be missed, as the Ventura County Blues Society (VCBS) presents veteran blues guitar great Jimmy Thackery along with Socal/Ventura-based guitar aces Alastair Greene and Mikey Mo at their Sunday Blues Concert Matinee Series Event II, Sunday, August 5 at the High Street Arts Center, 45 East High Street, Moorpark. Doors open at 12 noon, music starts at 1 p.m. Tickets $20. (VCBS members), $25. (General Public). Purchase tickets in advance online at www.venturacountybluessociety.org. Great music plus tasty barbeque, beer, wine, cocktails, snacks, soft drinks and water available at the shows, plus a raffle between bands. Proceeds benefit the Moorpark Foundation For the Arts.

The first VCBS Sunday Blues Concert Matinee in July was a standing-room-only, high-energy affair featuring noted bluesman Chris Cain, female-fronted act Kellys Lot plus blues jam band Tommy Marsh & Bad Dog that drew a sellout crowd, and came on the heels of the Society's highly successful Simi Valley Blues Festival this past April. Read about the Sunday Matinee Concert series in articles from the Ventura County Star; Simi Valley Acorn; and Moorpark Patch (click on the links).

Jimmy Thackery

Veteran bluesman Jimmy Thackery is truly the definition of a 'road warrior,' performing nearly three-hundred nights a year and acting as a true inspiration to today's musicians half his age. Thackery has thrilled audiences worldwide fronting his own band since departing the popular Nighthawks (whom he recorded over twenty albums with) in 1987. Whether Jimmy Thackery headlines a festival in South Dakota or jams for hours in one of numerous blues bars that dot the musical landscape, he'll always unleash an intense volley of rockin' blues guitar guaranteed to leave crowds emotionally spent. His double-edged guitar dynamics allow him to fire off tracer missiles, bend a note so it will fit under a limbo bar, run off dive bomber riffs, and find space within the trembling of one stinging note. "I put all my senses on hold and find the zone and follow what's inside," Thackery says. "There's an electricity from your mind to your heart to your fingers. You just try and remember to breathe."

Alastair Greene Mikey Mo

Opening for Thackery and making this event a true guitar lovers nirvana: popular Ventura County blues-rock guitar maestro Alastair Greene, who, in addition to enjoying a decade-plus solid solo career with his Alastair Greene Band, is also the touring guitarist for prog-rock greats, the Alan Parsons Live Project (read a terrific recent L. A. Examiner review of Greene's latest acclaimed album "Through The Rain" here); ; and the Mikey Mo Band, fresh off their standout performance at the Simi Valley Blues Festival this April and featuring one of SoCal's up-and-comers, Mikey Mo, on lead guitar and vocals. Mikey Mo has toured with respected blues guitarist Coco Montoya and has been playing guitar since the age of five.

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El Hijo de Muddy Waters en Neuquén !!!!!

MUD MORGANFIELD

(el hijo del legendario Muddy Waters)

&

ThE JaCkPoT$

(Mud Patagonic Blues Band)

Damián Duflós : armónica

Rafo Grin: bajo

Alfredo "Negro" Lopez: guitarra

Emiliano Torres: piano

Mariano Iglesias: batería

--------puro Chicago Blues------

Sábado 28 de Julio - 22 Hs. - Academia Desafíos-

Brentana 46

Anticipadas en TODOMÚSICA

CUPOS LIMITADOS!!!!

El blues es una cuestión de supervivencia. Si escuchas con atención, la música te enseña a sobrevivir como un adulto en un mundo de adultos. Cómo enfrentar los desafíos y el dolor y cómo llegar a través de todo con la cabeza bien alta como para reinventarse en el otro lado de una tragedia y seguir adelante.

El género de blues en sí está en constante cambio, experimentando la pérdida y la búsqueda de una nueva voz para cantar las canciones que salve las heridas del mundo.

La historia de este tema de tapa ( Revista Living Blues - Mud Morganfield en la tapa )es sobre un hombre que conoce esta historia demasiado bien. Mud Morganfield es el hijo de McKinley Morganfield, más conocido como Muddy Waters. La madre de Mud era "la otra mujer " de Muddy en los mediados de 1950.

Mud sabía quién era su padre y en los primeros años de su vida Muddy estuvo en torno al niño un montón. Pero los tiempos cambiaron y Muddy siguío adelante y Mud se quedó para reflexionar sobre su legado...

Alguien me preguntó una vez si estaba seguro de que Mud era realmente el hijo de Muddy. Me reí y dije: "¿Has visto una foto de ese hombre?" Mud Morganfield es claramente el hijo de su papá con esa nariz ancha y fuerte, los pómulos altos y redondeados, y esa mirada chispeante, pícaro que puede conseguir en sus ojos. Y luego está la voz - esa voz . Mud no es sólo un cantante que copia a Muddy Waters y su sonido - él es el verdadero legado viviente de ese sonido. A medida que su voz envejece y madura suena cada vez más como su padre. Suficiente como para hacerte sentír escalofríos por la columna vertebral cuando se le oye cantar. No es un acto. Si te gusta el blues de Muddy te va a encantar el de Mud.

Un agradecimiento especial a la madre de Mud, Mildred McGhee, de 82 años, por compartir algunas fotos personales de ella y Muddy y su banda. Son maravillosas y nunca antes publicadas; fotos del legendario cantante de blues en 1956
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Talking Dustbowl Blues - Woody Guthrie

Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie (July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter and folk musician whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his guitar. His best-known song is "This Land Is Your Land." Many of his recorded songs are archived in the Library of Congress. Such songwriters as Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Pete Seeger, Joe Strummer, Billy Bragg, Jeff Tweedy and Tom Paxton have acknowledged Guthrie as a major influence.

Guthrie traveled with migrant workers from Oklahoma to California and learned traditional folk and blues songs. Many of his songs are about his experiences in the Dust Bowl era during the Great Depression, earning him the nickname the "Dust Bowl Troubadour." Throughout his life Guthrie was associated with United States communist groups, though he was seemingly not a member of any.

Guthrie was married three times and fathered eight children, including American folk musician Arlo Guthrie. Guthrie died from complications of Huntington's disease, a progressive genetic neurological disorder. During his later years, in spite of his illness, Guthrie served as a figurehead in the folk movement, providing inspiration to a generation of new folk musicians, including mentor relationships with Ramblin' Jack Elliott and Bob Dylan.

Woody Guthrie was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 1997.
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Sage Arts artist: Marley's Ghost - Jubilee - New Release Review

I just received a new release, Jubilee, by Marley's Ghost. This release has very little "blues" content but I gotta tell you...it's really great! This recording has a veritable who's who of music stars including Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Old Crow Medicine Show, Marty Stuart, Larry Campbell, Byron House and Don Heffington. Now I gotta admit, I'm a blues guy who listens to other stuff that's good. This is great!

The release is made up of 13 tracks, six which are originals. The band is Dan Wheetman, Jon Wilcox, Mike Phelan, Ed Littlefield Jr. and Jerry Fletcher. I guess that my job is to tell you what I like about this release... almost everything! The release opens with Rollin' which I would describe as a straight forward country song but I also got to tell you I hate country (by today's standards). I really like this track. It's clean, pure and interesting. The vocals, instrumentation and arrangement is superb. Second up is an uptempo "country" song called Wake Up Mama. This song is a real stomper again with a lot of fine playing and great vocals. The third original on the release is The Blues Are Calling, another traditional country style song. Now I get a little confused with labels because what I call country may be called Americana and what others call country I likely call pop but this is really strong. It's the kind of country music that should be called country music. It's got heart and soul... and no booty dancers. The first of the cover tacks is Kris Kristofferson's This Old Road with John Prine. A very traditional ballad. The band then covers Bobby Womack's It's All Over Now with Old Crow Medicine Show. Think soul music done by Jerry Garcia (Old And In The Way)... really nice. South For A Change gets into Bob Wills territory (Lets say Asleep At The Wheel) and it's a great country swing track. The vocals on this track are beautiful as are the instrumentation. Levon Helm's Growin' Trade is done very respectfully and retains the purity that it was conceived with. Tom Russell's Hank and Audrey is a track that I would expect to come out of a juke box in a funky little bar that I would like to frequent... pure, clean... cool! Butch Hancock's If You Were A Bluebird is a great little song especially featuring pure solid vocals and smooth musical base. Lonely Night has that pure 50-60's country sound that rarely sees the airwaves now. It is a great contribution to the release overall. Diamond Joe has the very traditional country sound that you might expect from even earlier cowboys. You should check this recording out. I like almost every track on the release (which is unusual for music of any type) and not only is the writing, instrumentation, vocals and music selection terrific, it appears that the the construction of the songs have been well thought through with no gratuitous riffs just to add riffs but beautiful short bursts of instrumental excellence like a painter adds just the right amount of color or texture to make the whole work beautifully.

Highly recommended.

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Friday The 13th@The House of Blues w/ "The Brooklyn Bluesman," Calvin B. Streets

"'He Ain't Done With Me Yet' is an eclectic batch of tunes with something for everyone...cool Rag-style Blues and very relaxing to listen to."
BMans Blues Report

Calvin B. Streets, a/k/a "The Brooklyn Bluesman," performs his eclectic blend of Ragtime, Piedmont, Delta, Chicago Roots-Blues at the House Of Blues/Crossroads in Hollywood tonight, Friday, July 13 and at the first Orange County Blues Society concert event Thursday, August 16. He also recently performed at the first annual KONGFEST. Street's new album "I'm Just Sayin'" is set to be released later this year.

(West Hollywood, Calif) - If there ever was anyone suited to play the House of Blues, it's "The Brooklyn Bluesman," acoustic blues guitar guru, Calvin B. Streets. Just a Man and his Guitar (in this case, a vintage Martin OM-28V he lovingly refers to as Ellie Mae) played by Streets - who, in his own words, "represents the Blues with class, dignity, and musicianship."

Calvin B. Streets performs live tonite (Friday, July 13) from 8-11 p.m. at House of Blues as part of the club's ongoing "Crossroads" Series. HOB is located at 8430 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. Info: (310) 848-5100 or http://www.houseofblues.com/venues/clubvenues/losangeles/. Streets also performs at the first-ever Orange County Blues Society concert taking place on Thursday, August 16 at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center, 1201 West Malvern Ave., Fullerton. 5-9 p.m. Info: (714) 328-9375 or www.orangecountybluessociety.com.

Here's a recent live performance by Streets on the popular Hollywood-based Actors E Chat program:

Video streaming by Ustream. "We really enjoyed him and his music!," raves Actors E Chat Producer, Pepper Jay.

The Brooklyn Bluesman has been interviewed by everyone from Mixalis Blues (in Greece) to Southern California-based All Access Magazine. Click on the hyperlinks to view.

Watch for big things to come in the days ahead from Calvin B. Streets. Like the true Blues Brother he is, he's a Man on a Mission.

BMans Blues Report - CD Review

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That Hypnotizin' Boogie - David Wilcox

David Wilcox (born July 13, 1949 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian rock musician.
Montreal native, David (Karl William) Wilcox drew inspiration from musician Elvis Presley at the early age of six. Wilcox soon picked up the guitar and began playing, having his first live performance (to a room of ex-convicts) at fourteen years old.

In 1970, Wilcox replaced Amos Garrett in Ian & Sylvia Tyson’s band, Great Speckled Bird, playing backup for acts such as Anne Murray, Carl Perkins, and Charlie Rich. In 1973, after two records, Wilcox left the band to go solo and never looked back.

Wilcox's first band, David Wilcox and the Teddy Bears, hit local stages as a flashy character with an oversized waxed moustache, a baggy suit and a flower in his lapel. His debut album, Out of the Woods came out in 1977. Out of the Woods produced his three top hits, "Do the Bearcat", "Bad Apple", and "That Hypnotizin’ Boogie". Wilcox signed with Capitol Records in 1982, re-releasing Out of the Woods, which became Wilcox’s first album to reach gold status.

Wilcox's second album My Eyes Keep Me in Trouble, released in 1983, featured "Downtown Came Uptown" and "Riverboat Fantasy". It was his second straight gold record and another series of tours followed.

Wilcox became popular among students on the college concert scene in the 1980s, for his guitar skill, humorous lyrics and quirky vocal styling.
Wilcox at a concert in Spencerville, Ontario in 2006

Motivated by the success of his tour and two gold records, Wilcox went back into the studio in 1984 to record Bad Reputation. A year later he released The Best of David Wilcox, his first compilation album, as a hit-inspired collection of his songs. It was also the debut album for "Blood Money" and "When You Mistreat Her".

Later that year, Wilcox was honoured with the COCA (the Canadian Organization of Campus Activities) for Entertainer of the Year award (1985) (Biography, 2007).

Wilcox’s next album to be released was yet another compilation of previously recorded successes and was part of Capitol Records' series Over 60 Minutes with...

In the late 1980s, Wilcox moved away from his past raw live-in-the-studio approach, to a more produced synthesizer and drum program modern rock sound. The album Breakfast at the Circus (1987) featured "Layin' Pipe","The Song He Never Wrote", sounding like a Wilcox tribute to his excessive side. After more tours, he returned with 1989's The Natural Edge. It featured the title track, "The Natural Edge", the sweet anthemic pop of "Lay Down in Your Arms", "Ivory Tower", "Pop Out World", and the leadoff track "Still Life".

It was not until some years later, in 1993, when Wilcox came out with his next album, a box set titled, The Collected Works 1977-1993. It featured live versions of "That Hypnotizin' Boogie" and "Trip Out Tonight". It also featured unreleased material such as "Needle in a Haystack" and "The Groove".

Thirteen Songs, released in 1996, featured acoustic-based music played with a small band, playing sax-and-organ jazz "Rainy Night Saloon", country storytelling "Shotgun City" and deep blues "Three Past Midnight". "God Is On a Bender" is considered one of Wilcox's best songs. Wilcox released Greatest Hits Too in 1997, with much of the album being produced by Wilcox.

Wilcox's record producer released him in 1997 due to slumping sales. In 2002 he was able to pick up a contract with Edmonton-based Stony Plain Records, and he produced the album Rhythm of Love which featured "Play That Guitar Rag", "Easy Like Rain" and "Rattlesnakin' Daddy". In 2003 Wilcox released Rockin' the Boogie: The Best of Blues and Boogie, featuring many of his best known work. In 2007, Wilcox released Boy in the Boat
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Long John Hunter

Long John Hunter (born July 13, 1931) is an American Texas blues and electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has released seven albums in his own name, and in his later years found critical acknowledgement outside of his homeland. Hunter's best known tracks are "El Paso Rock" and "Alligators Around My Door", the latter of which Hunter co-wrote with Bruce Iglauer.
John Thurman Hunter Jr. was born in Ringgold, Louisiana, United States.He was raised on a farm in Magnolia, Arkansas, but by his early twenties was working in a box factory in Beaumont, Texas. He bought his first guitar after attending a B. B. King concert, and then adopted the stage name of Long John Hunter in 1953. Hunter saw his first single, "She Used to Be My Woman" b/w "Crazy Girl", released by Duke Records in 1955. By 1957 he had relocated to El Paso, Texas, and found employment playing at the Lobby Club in Juárez, Mexico. He remained there for over thirteen years, seeing the release of several singles in the early 1960s on local record labels. These tracks included one of his most notable numbers, "El Paso Rock".

In 1988, his album, Texas Border Town Blues was released. In 1992, Ride with Me preceded a couple more albums for Alligator Records, Border Town Legend (1996) and Swinging from the Rafters (1997). In 1999, Hunter teamed up with Lonnie Brooks and Phillip Walker to release Lone Star Shootout.

Hunter appeared at the Long Beach Blues Festival in both 1996 and 2000. His most recent album release was Looking for a Party (2009).
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Living Blues Awards voting closes Sunday

Living Blues Music Awards voting closes on Sunday!

The 2012 Living Blues Awards voting closes in just a few days (on July 15th). Bob Corritore is nominated in the category of Best Harmonica Player! Also Bob's close associate Tail Dragger is up for both Best Vocalist and Best Entertainer!
Voting is availble to everyone online at www.livingblues.com. Just go to this website and press the "Vote" Icon! Many great people are nominated so make your choices carefully. Please vote!!!

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Loving You - Minnie Riperton

Minnie Julia Riperton (November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979) was an American singer-songwriter best known for her vocal range of five-and-a-half octaves, and her 1975 single "Lovin' You". She was married to songwriter and music producer Richard Rudolph from 1972 until her death in the summer of 1979. They had two children—music engineer Marc Rudolph and actress/comedienne Maya Rudolph.

Riperton grew up on Chicago's South Side. As a child, she studied music, drama, and dance at Chicago's Lincoln Center. In her teen years, she sang lead vocals for the Chicago-based girl group, The Gems. Her early affiliation with the legendary Chicago-based Chess Records afforded her the opportunity to sing backup for various established artists such as Etta James, Fontella Bass, Ramsey Lewis, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, and Muddy Waters. While at Chess, Riperton also sang lead for the experimental rock/soul group Rotary Connection, from 1967 to 1971. In 1969 Riperton, along with Rotary Connection, played in the first Catholic Rock Mass at the Liturgical Conference National Convention, Milwaukee Arena, Milwaukee, WI, produced by James F. Colaianni. Riperton reached the apex of her career with her number-one hit single, "Lovin' You," on April 4, 1975. The single was the last release from her 1974 gold album entitled Perfect Angel.

In January 1976, Riperton was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a radical mastectomy. By the time of diagnosis, the cancer had metastasized and she was given about six months to live. Despite the grim prognosis, she continued recording and touring. Riperton was one of the first celebrities to go public with her breast cancer diagnosis, but did not disclose she was terminally ill. In 1977, she became a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society. In 1978, Riperton also received the American Cancer Society's Courage Award which was presented to her at the White House by President Jimmy Carter. She died at age 31 on July 12, 1979
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Minnie Riperton

You Gotta Move - Carlos del Junco & Bill Kinnear

Bill Kinnear started playing guitar late in life - at age 35. He traveled to the Mississippi delta spending time there soaking up as much of the culture and music as he could. Although not a technician, he brought a wonderful immediacy to his simple but soulful playing. He met Carlos in 1991 and they recorded this one CD before Bill died in 1994. He was only 52 and died shortly after watching his 11 year old son die of a life debilitating disease. Although he loved life (he will be warmly remembered by all that knew him), he really died of a broken heart as he pretty much drank and smoked himself to death
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Iron Man: Americana/Roots Artist Jeffrey Halford Performs@Iron Springs Brewery

"Hemingway With A Blues-y Guitar" - Dirty Linen Magazine

"Halford's 'Broken Chord' shutters, shakes, and shimmies across the surface of your mind" - The Alternate Root

Jeffrey Halford (pictured) and his longtime band, The Healers, whose songs include topics such as the plight of Native Americans, Hurricane Katrina and Negro baseball legend Satchel Paige, perform at Iron Springs Brewery in Fairfax on July 18. Other upcoming show: Poor House Bistro in San Jose on July 20; and the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa July 29. More on Jeffrey Halford: www.jeffreyhalford.com.

Iron Man: Acclaimed Americana/Roots Troubadour

Jeffrey Halford & the Healers

Performs Live In Concert@Iron Springs Brewery in Fairfax - Wednesday, July 18

(Fairfax, Calif.) - Move over, Robert Downey Jr.: There's another 'Iron Man' in the person of Americana/Roots singer-songwriter-guitarist Jeffrey Halford, who along with his band The Healers, perform at Iron Springs Pub & Brewery, 765 Center Blvd., Fairfax, Wednesday, July 18. 8 p.m. Free. Info: (415) 485-1005 or log onto www.ironspringspub.com.
Other upcoming Halford shows: Poor House Bistro in San Jose, Friday, July 20; and the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa on Sunday, July 29 (1 p.m., $10.).

For over two decades, Bay Area resident Jeffrey Halford has sung with passion and conviction about important subjects ranging from the plight of Native Americans to the raging tragedy caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans not long ago - hence his very apropos monicker, "Americana Troubadour."

Halford delivers a uniquely American melting pot of roots, blues, rock, and kick-ass pop - take some Southern soul, add a heap of Texas storytelling, a dash of Bay Area's freewheeling liberal spirit/literary leanings/seedier side, throw in some desert sunshine and dirt, then stir together with an architect's eye for detail and durability and you've got yourself an idea why Paste magazine recently named him to their "Ten Most Influential Artists of the Decade."

A guy who doesn't play favorites when it comes to words and music, Jeffrey Halford knows how to get his point across subtly, and he also knows when to hammer it home. But most of all, he knows how to craft music that grabs your attention and keeps it - on record, but particularly on stage, where he and the band make you want to jump out of your seat..Jeffrey has shared the stage with Los Lobos, Taj Mahal, Guy Clark, Robert Earl Keen, and George Thorogood to name a few. Turns out the streets of San Francisco might have been the best teacher of all.

Watch a live acoustic Jeffrey Halford performance of his tune "Louisiana Man," about Hurricane Katrina:


Jeffrey Halford has been called "An Americana heavyweight" for his heartfelt songs about the conditions of the everyday man and woman in America. Among his most memorable: "Cry of Hope," about Americans' need to keep faith in America; and "Louisiana Man," about the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster and our government's slow response to it. As validation of Halford's writing prowess, he won "2009 Songwriter of the Year" at the 5th Annual South Bay Music Awards. BROKEN CHORD went as high as #8 on the Americana radio charts. Based in San Francisco over the last 15 years, Halford's original roots rock 'n roll songs etch a uniquely American, and specifically California, landscape.
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