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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!
Slide
guitar master, Roy Rogers, again breaks new ground with his latest and highly
anticipated solo album, Into the Wild Blue. Widely known for his work with The
Delta Rhythm Kings, John Lee Hooker and Ray Manzarek, Grammy Award-winning
Rogers blazes his own path with a solid collection of vocal and instrumental
jams and ballads that breaks free from the restraints of convention, unfurling
the genres of blues, rock and roots to exotic and exciting faraway places.
Into
the Wild Blue is Rogers' first solo effort in five years and is a distillation
of a lifetime of myriad musical knowledge and experience; its multiplicity of
styles are clearly steeped in tradition but reflect a broad musical sensibility.
Rogers' background as a producer, songwriter, singer and unparalleled slide
guitarist is extensive: a gifted guitar player by age 13 and influenced by
legendary blues icon Robert Johnson, Rogers spent
much of his youth hanging out in the vibrant San Francisco music scene during
the 60's, gigging solo and with various bands in and around his native Northern
California. In 1982, Rogers toured with John Lee Hooker, recording with him in
the 90's as well as with BB King and even Miles Davis - experiences that would
profoundly expand and mature his musical acumen - honing his exceptional
writing, producing and performance talents. It was during this time when Rogers
racked up eight Grammy nominations.
A year in
the making, Into the Wild Blue is a showcase for Rogers' considerable slide
guitar ability; clean and smooth licks executed with deft precision while
ranging in mood from Southern Roadhouse Rock & Blues to ethereal and
contemplative instrumentals and ballads. Into the Wild Blue kicks off with hard
driving guitar in "Last Go-Round" - a rollicking and highly-danceable piece -
that puts Rogers' searing slide-skills front and center.
Whether
through Rogers' thoughtful, poetic verse, driving rhythms or celestial
instrumentals, every song is a chapter in a book you can't put down. In "Got to
Believe" Rogers exquisitely arranges strings and slide with stirring female
backup vocals - delivering audio alchemy that weaves rock, blues and soul into a
bumping, full-bodied and tightly-produced arrangement. Tales of redemption,
release and rejoice are delicately arranged in "Song for Robert (A Brother's
Lament)". In this moving tribute to his brother, Rogers merges self-reflection,
hope and celebration into a sublime, heartfelt instrumental that paints a
picture and tells a story - all without saying a word.
According to Roy
Rogers, "I want to celebrate life through music." Into the Wild Blue achieves
that mission and presents an enticing offering that transcends time-tested
genres while putting Rogers' vast and ardent abilities on full
display.
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GRAMMY-NOMINATED
FUNK COLLECTIVE BLINDDOG SMOKIN’ MAKES HIGH-ENERGY ROOTS MUSIC WITH
HUMOR, DEPTH AND SOUL
High Steppin’ features wild-man raconteur Carl Gustafson’s epic
tales plus eclectic sounds; reunites band with producer Donny Markowitz; set
for July 17 release date on Silver Talon Records
exclusively distributed by City Hall Records in tandem with The
Orchard
LARAMIE, Wyo. — Blinddog
Smokin’s larger-than-life new album High Steppin’
is a kaleidoscopic romp through the wild side of roots music. The
disc’s nine songs ricochet from rock ’n’ roll to juke joint blues to New Orleans
jazz to raw Americana, all supported by the band’s twin pillars: hot ’n’ greasy
funk and frontman Carl Gustafson’s epic storytelling.
High
Steppin’ follows
2014’s Decisions, a collaboration with soul-blues legend
Bobby
Rush that earned a Grammy nomination for Best Blues Album.
Decisions includes the song “Another Murder in New Orleans,” which
enlisted another legend, Dr. John, to tell its tale of street
violence. The tune was widely played on Americana and blues radio, and was used
by the New Orleans Crimestoppers organization to raise
awareness. Blinddog Smokin’s imaginative video for “Another
Murder in New Orleans” mixes performance footage, cartoons and live action
actors, and has received more than 110,000 views on YouTube.
Blinddog
Smokin’s 11th release, High Steppin’ kicks off
with “Pimp Shoes,” an ebullient, percolating funk gem that displays the group’s
spectacular ensemble. “’Pimp Shoes’ is not about pimps or
shoes,” says Gustafson. “It’s about attitude. When a man becomes the captain of
his soul, and he’s mastered who he is, it comes out in his posture, in his pose,
in his walk. That’s what that song’s about.” On a more literal note, there’s
“Big Behind,” an ode to a lady’s posterior largess that straddles funky
soul-blues, rock and — with its sweeping pedal steel guitar — honky-tonk
country. High Steppin’ is set for a July 17th
release date on Silver Talon
Records exclusively distributed by City Hall
Records in tandem with The Orchard.
“I Caught Her
Lyin’” goes deeper into the country tradition to offer Blinddog
Smokin’s version of a mountain lament — surrounding
Gustafson’s heartbroken yarn with an Americana-perfect framework of crying
violin, grinding guitar and his appealing worn-leather voice. “Lady’s Playin’”
changes the locale to New Orleans. That song’s a Crescent City funk powerhouse,
with bold horns, a scalding six-string solo and chanting group vocals that
celebrate la difference. Similarly, “Don’t Put No Money on Me”
— a wickedly
funny loser’s lament — sounds like
a drunken Mardi Gras street parade, while “Tell ’em Shuffle” is a straight-up
Chicago blues.
Blinddog
Smokin’s marvelously eclectic sound and approach is the result of
Gustafson’s literal and musical world travels. He and the band have toured the
planet numerous times since 1994, putting more than a million road miles on
their vehicles — which
include Gustafson’s bicycle.
“When we get
to a new town, I like to take my bike off the bus and ride the backstreets,” he
says. “When you travel the alleys, you learn about people. The front yard is for
show; the backyard shows the way they live. And when I run into old-timers, I
stop and listen to their stories.”
Gustafson,
who describes himself as an adventurer and philosopher, has plenty of tales of
his own. And his book It Ain’t Just the Blues, It’s Showtime: Hard
Times, Heartache and Glory Along the Blue Highwaychronicles
Blinddog Smokin’s experiences on the road.
“I come from
a time before television, when telling stories was part of the fabric of life,”
he offers. “So I’m a songwriting machine. I’m constantly coming up with new
lyrics and our producer and friend, Donny Markowitz, has
provided much of the music based on his skills and his knowledge of how we think
and play as a band.”
That
knowledge is deep. Markowitz is the Oscar-, Grammy- and
Golden Globe-winning writer of the song “(I’ve Had) The Time of
My Life” and the composer of soundtracks for the hit Steve
Carell film Crazy, Stupid, Love and many
others. And High Steppin’ is the third album in a row
he’s produced for Blinddog Smokin’. “We didn’t hit our stride in the studio
until we started working with Donny,” Gustafson says.
The other
essential ingredient to Blinddog Smokin’s broad stylistic
mastery is the ability of its players. The core members of the group comprise
one of the finest modern bands in American roots music. Dynamic drummer and
vocalist Chuck Gullens started with the Blinddogs in 1994 in
Laramie, Wyoming, shortly after Gustafson and the band, then named
Bluestone, returned from traveling the Middle East and
Mediterranean, playing for troops on a 49 day DOD tour. Versatile
bassist Roland Pritzker joined in 2000, followed by keyboardist
and exceptional vocalist, Mo Beeks — whose own, earlier band,
Lock & Chain, gave R&B singer Chaka Kahn
her start back in 1972. In 2009 came back-up singer and bassist
Chris White, and virtuoso guitarist Chalo
Ortiz also entered the fold, followed quickly by backing vocalist
Linda Gustafson, who plays feminine yin to her husband’s
hot-dogging, high stepping yang in concert.
“I couldn’t
ask for a better group of performers to share the stage with,” says Gustafson.
“They can go anywhere at any time, and get along, and that’s a rare thing in
any style of music.”
Gustafson’s
own musical tale begins in Laramie, his hometown. “My first exposure to blues
was hearing Willie Dixon,” he recounts. “My parents went to a
little club outside Cheyenne, and my brother and I — we were six and eight years
old — stayed in the car. When we heard the music, we were absolutely fascinated
by it, so we peeked in the windows. Then I started sneaking around listening to
blues whenever I could. I had to sneak, because my father was a classical
pianist and said the blues was ‘Satan’s music’ and ‘not culturally acceptable.’
He’d only gone to the club to socialize with relatives.
“When I was
16 I ran away from home,” Gustafson continues. “There was a little after-hours
café down by the railroad tracks called the Pic-a-Rib. I went
down there and lived with a black boy I played football with, whose mother,
Miss Peggy, ran the café. I stayed with them, hiding from my
mom and dad, and I learned how to appreciate blues. I learned how to dance. I
learned how to sing. It was a really cool, isolated pocket, of black culture in
a completely white conservative environment.”
Gustafson
says that High Steppin’ reflects those early life
lessons and the myriad others he’s learned along the way. “This album shows me
as a philosopher; as somebody who analyzes life and adjusts from honest
vulnerability to establish a fun swagger. There’s a journey here that can only
happen to an introspective person who loves life, people, stories, and never
believes that you have to stay in the station where you are. And until the day I
die, I plan to grow as an artist and storyteller.”
BLINDDOG SMOKIN’ TOUR
DATES
Wed., June
24 PHOENIX, AZ The Rhythm Room
Thurs., June
25 NEW ORLEANS, LA Old U.S. Mint
Mon., June
29 CHICAGO, IL Martyr’s
Fri., July
3 OKLAHOMA CITY, OK Bourbon Street
Sat., July
4 MCPHERSON, KS
Fri., July
10 LARAMIE, WY Jubilee Days
Sat., July
11 LARAMEE, WY Jubilee Days
Tues., July
14 OVERLAND PARK, KS Kanza Hall
Thurs., July
16 JACKSON, MS Underground 119
Thurs., July
23 TORONTO, ON Hard Rock Café
Thurs., July
30 RAWLINS, WY Rawlins in the Park
Fri., July
31 LARAMIE, WY Alibi
Sat., Aug.
8 ROCK SPRINGS, WY Blues & Brews Festival
Thurs., Aug.
13 THEMOPOLIS, WY
Fri., Aug.
14 CASPER, WY The Attic
Sat., Aug.
15 SINCLAIR, WY Platte River Festival
Sun., Aug.
16 CENTINNIAL, WY Bear Tree
Sun., Sept.
6 LARAMIE, WY Snowy Range Music Festival
I just received the newest release, True & Blue, from Hans Theessink & Terry Evans and it handles the roots of blues with modern sophistication. Opening with Demons, an easy paced country blues, Theessink leads the way on vocal with light harmonies by Evans. Traditional, Mother Earth, has a more soulful delta feel with excellent acoustic guitar work. Both Theessink and Evans work the lead vocals as well as harmonies. Very smooth guitar solos on this track make it one of my favorites. Fast paced Glory of Love is a great finger picked number with smoothly blended vocals. Gotta Keep Movin' features nice acoustic slide work and Evans on lead vocals. Very nice! Vicksburg Is My Home, a slow 12 bar number, again features Evans on lead vocals. This is a very traditional style track and very effective. Ledbelly's Bourgeois Blues, done a long time ago again by Ry Cooder is another of my favorites. A great strut feel and aggressive slide work coupled by Theessink on harp make this track a standout! Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You is a story telling track with a lesson. Low key vocals and the contrast of finger picked guitar with harp and slide make this track a crowd favorite. Aggressive slide work opens Robert Johnson's Cross Road Blues featuring Evans on lead vocals. Solid almost rowdy vocals and diligent slide work are hot! Chuck Berry's Maybellene keeps it's original pace by delivered with a country acoustic flair. Theessink and Evans really get the crowd tuned up on this track with extensive guitar work. Very nice! Theessink opens Delta Time with a harp solo and his solid vocal work. Evans on rhythm guitar and backing vocal rounds out the track. Evans takes the lead on J.B. Lenoir's, Talk To Your Daughter and it has a nice boogie feel. Stinging guitar solos on this track and warm vocal blending give it a different feel altogether from other covers that I've heard. Quiet ballad, Shelter From The Storm featuring Theessink on lead vocal has an almost spiritual feel. Boogie track, I Need Money, opens with a rockin guitar rhythm and Theessink on harp. Evans and Theessink trade lead vocal parts as well as slick guitar riffs. back to a country blues for the closer, Tears Are Rolling has a great pace with hot finger picking and Evans trading lead vocals with Theessink. This performance was recorded live in Vienna and the crowd obviously loved it.
If you want to listen to the blues, but want to keep the level down and the intensity up, this could be your first choice.
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I just received two new EP releases, Live in Studio 101 and Heading Back To Memphis from JL Fulks and they are quite good. Live in Studio 101 opens with shuffle track, Before I Go Insane. With it's Freddie King feel and tight riffs, this is a nice opener. Joining Fulks who handily manages guitar and vocals, is Jim Kinder on drums, Chris Reynolds on rhythm guitar and Ron Calese on bass. Twang Thang is a breezy blues rocker instrumental. With just a pinch of country riffs this has style. On slow blues track, I Believe In Love, Fulks really shows his chops on guitar. Clocking in at over 9 minutes, Fulks does an excellent job of making the time fly with inventive riff after inventive riff. Very nice! On instrumental funky/jazz track, Watch Yourself, Fulks and crew get a nice groove going showing another facet of Fulks repertoire.
His second EP, Heading Back To Memphis, shows a bit more maturity with more fully crafted tracks. Opening with title track, Heading Back To Memphis, Fulks is joined by Rockin' Jake on harp, Ian Jones on drums and Ken Burgner on bass. A cool 12 bar number, this track has a nice bite of Chicago and some cool solo riffs from Fulks and Jake. Moonshine Blues has a swampy feel with Fulks on slide with reverb. A heavy overtone gives this track a hot texture. Possibly his best yet! Wrapping the release is Back To You, a rock n roller with a Chuck Berry/Alvin Lee feel. Another well written track, I'm looking forward to hear more from Fulks.
“Like” Bman’s Facebook page. I use Facebook to spread the word about my blog (Now with translation in over 50 languages). I will not hit you with 50 posts a day. I will not relay senseless nonsense. I use it only to draw attention to some of the key posts on my blog each day. In this way I can get out the word on new talent, venues and blues happenings! - click Here
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I caught wind that Jimbo Mathus was playing a show about 2 hours north of my home and I hightailed it to Prescott, AZ. I know that this doesn't seem like much of an effort but you got to know, I listen to new music every day, OK ...lets say 250-300 new releases yearly and for me to drive very far to see a show.... it better be damn good. Well, Jimbo Mathus never disappoints and yes, it was damn good! I arrived in Prescott just in time to get a seat and a beer before the Captain hit the stage to a standing crowd only performance. I was not one of the 500 million people who knew Mathus from his Squirrel Nut Zippers band and was delighted to find this guy through his association with Buddy Guy. The truth is I went to see Buddy Guy with a fellow guitar player and who watches the opening act . We were sitting there jawing away and waiting on Buddy Guy and I said to my buddy..."who is this guy?". Jimbo Mathus was the opening act and that day back in like 2001 was the day I found Mathus. He not only had the opening act, but he also played in Guys band. He knocked me out then and he knocks me out now. Jimbo's music is strongly rooted in the people, with heart. His passion for the music is genuine and his love and appreciation of his audience is obvious. Mathus played 3 sets beginning at around 8 and ending at Midnight. He did take 2 short breaks to catch his breath and sell a few t shirts, albums and CD's.
I'm not great at taking notes but I do have some recollection of detail. His first set was laden nicely with tracks from his newest release Blue Healer, which is terrific by the way. I know that he played the title track, Blue Healer (above), which is one of my 2 favorites from the release as well as Coyote (below- which is the other). He also played Old Earl which is one of his story telling tracks. If you don't know Mathus' story telling, you are missing the boat. Mathus, like all of the true great performers, not only can get around on his instrument (I think he plays about everything) but can captivate his audience with clever tales. Old Earl is the one from the Blue Healer release.
When I go to a concert, I really don't go as a reporter but as a part of the audience so forgive me for just enjoying the concert. I know that he played Shoot Out The Lights, a hot rocker, Tallatchie, a rural feeling song that I really love and one that I want to ask Mathus about later. It has one clever line that I will always remember... "Can't see you no more, newspapers say I sing". Excellent! Fire In The Canebreak, a swampy funk rocker along the lines of Little Feat, Tennessee Walker Mare, Aces and 8's, a tex mex track and Shine Like A Diamond.
His second set was really geared to audience participation with a Chuck Berry track, some R&B, Lowell Folsom's Tramp which was recorded by Mathus and Guy 15 years ago. Mathus played guitar with reckless abandon, something that I rarely see anyone but Buddy Guy do...superb! He also did real nice versions of Guitar Slim's, Things That I Used To Do and Hank Williams', Hey Good Looking. At my request he did one of my favorite country ballads, Fallen Angel. Mathus has a unique ability to take you somewhere that you want to be through his music. Another crowd favorite was John Fogerty's Stuck In Lodi. Whether it's blues, country, R&B, rock... this man has been there and he does it with intention. Raven Cafe employees were kind enough to clear a few tables for some tiny dancers near the stage and the crowd had a blast. I can't say that Mathus' music is for everyone. What I can say is, I don't get paid to do this. I do it because I love it. I go to see who I want to see, and when I see something terrific, I try to tell my friends. Well friends, this guy captures the soul of the blues in whatever he does. What does that mean? Listen to Skip James, early JL Hooker, Son House. These were men who believed in what they were doing. They liked to make a little money along the way, but they were playing real music, without the polish and all of the processing.
Jimbo Mathus is the real deal. Go see him without expectations that he will blow you away on guitar. He can, he may... but go there to see a real artist perform his craft. You can thank me later!
The Annunaki Playboys are Eric "Carlos San Pedro" Carlton - keys,
Stuart "StuBaby" Cole - bass,
Scott "Pako" Goolsby - guitar and
Alex "Youngblood" Holeman - drums.
“Like” Bman’s Facebook page. I use Facebook to spread the word about my blog (Now with translation in over 50 languages). I will not hit you with 50 posts a day. I will not relay senseless nonsense. I use it only to draw attention to some of the key posts on my blog each day. In this way I can get out the word on new talent, venues and blues happenings! - click Here
Get Facebook support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE
I just received the newest release, Midnight Mist, from Voo Davis and it's hitting on all 12 cylinders! Opening with When I Get Back To You, Davis is on track and laying down an easy to love melody along the lines of the early Doobies but with flashing hot guitar riffs poking from north, south, east and west. Nicely crafted, Davis' multiple guitar lines compliments themselves and the track nicely and his vocals are great as always. Title track Midnight Mist, is strongly melodic with clean articulate acoustic guitar work. Strong slide guitar work from Davis highlights this track with it's almost Marshall Tucker or John Mayer like warmth. My Love hammers it's way out of the gate with a driving guitar (Davis) and drum (Craig Borchers)combo topped with hot harp work from Calvin Conway. This is exactly what I liked about Voo Davis the first time I heard him. Strong, stripped down in your face blues rock. Excellent! Cajun Sun has an infectious guitar rhythm and Louisiana rhythm with hot slide riffs over the top. Very nice! Riverside Blues is a soothing track with a catchy melody. It's super how Davis can take a simple melody, sing his guts out and rip quietly behind the scene on his slide without making it overbearing... a very cool quality. Southern funk infused Low Hangin' Fruit has a great groove. Davis' vocals on this track are some of the best on the release teased along by Conway and Davis in addition to resonator work hits Lowell George flavored slide work on electric. Excellent! Howling Out Your Name is the most highly produced track on the release reminding me of some of the tracks done by Plant and Page in 1969 (without the hindrance of Plant's annoying vocals). Find Me A Backbone has a real raw country blues feel with wound out electric guitar sounds and rudimentary drum beats. This is a simple but possibly the coolest track on the release. Excellent! Nothing Changed At All is a nicely crafted track with a smooth sophistication. Music In The Streets has a quick funky tempo with a really slick guitar lead. You Gotta Wait has a strong R&B feel. A well structured track highlighting Davis' soulful vocals and tight drums by Borchers and B3 by Michael Burkart. Davis has great feel for lead guitar and adds just the right amount without making the track feel overburdened. Laughing Out Loud is a simple but nicely executed ballad. A quiet blend of slide guitar, acoustic guitar and vocals makes this a particularly nice track. Void has a feel of early country folk music. With acoustic guitar, piano and vocal accompaniment, this is a track that should see a bit of radio play. You Wanna Know Why almost has a cat Stevens like vocal and a familiar Clapton riff that is repeated throughout the track as garnish. Davis finally cuts loose on his electric guitar for an extended and adventurous guitar solo. A simple rocker this is another track that could easily see broad appeal.
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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”
Knight, a
longtime seminal figure in the blues/R&B/soul music scene with a career that
streches back several decades, proudly fronts the same eleven-piece ensemble he
firststarted in
southern California back in 1995 (the band just celebrated their 20th
anniversary in March).
BLOWIN' SMOKE RHYTHM & BLUES REVUE
AND LARRY "FUZZY" KNIGHT IN THE
NEWS
Bandleader
Larry "Fuzzy" Knight is interviewed by blues writer Monte Adkinson is an
impressive three-page spread in the May-June 2015 issue of Florida's Suncoast
News, viewable here.
Blowin' Smoke
was feted in the April 2015 issue of national publication, Music Connection
(above).
Blowin'
Smoke performing live at the California Strawberry
Festival
Do You
Remember Where You Were & What You Were Doing In 1995, The Year Blowin'
Smoke First Formed & Started Playing Live in
SoCal?
Two decades ago - 1995, to be exact - a gallon of
gasoline was $1.09, a dozen eggs were 87 cents, postage stamps were 32 cents
each, and the average cost of a new car was $15,500.00. Also that year, longtime
Southern California musician Larry "Fuzzy" Knight formed the Blowin' Smoke Rhythm & Blues Revue, a unique,
multi-instrumental band with a big lineup and an even larger sound, augmented by
three superb female vocalists collectively known as The Smokettes.
Their debut
album "Beyond The Blues Horizon" was hailed by the L.A. Times, L.A.
Weekly, Music Connection and more for it's smart blend of blues, R&B, and
soul, utilization of a rich-sounding horn ensemble and of course, those
ever-present Smokettes on vocals.
Two decades
later, much has changed (especially those aforementioned prices!). but one thing
has remained constant - Knight and Blowin' Smoke are still going strong,
entertaining audiences at festivals and better nightclubs throughout the
Southland, often accompanied onstage by renowned guest musicians. "Blowin' Smoke
conveys a welcome reminder to all people with a beating heart that putting a
full horn section in front of a smoking rhythm section, then layering three
charismatic and powerful vocalists on top of that - all live and at the same
time - is music at its most enriching," writes MUSIC CONNECTION. "Bandleader
Larry "Fuzzy" Knight reminds all of us in the modern technological era that real
people with real instruments and real personalities are playing music that hits
the gut and forces the knees to bend."
Knight
-whose
impressive musical resume' includes a decade-plus stint as bassist for one of
the great SoCal bands to emerge from the psychedelic era of the Sixties, Spirit
- recently
announced the addition
of a new member to the Blowin’ Smoke lineup, Don Preston.
Preston is a former original member of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention and
co-founder of the “GrandMothers”, of which he
recorded a total of thirty-plus albums.
Offers Fans A Toast With Songs From The Road DVD/CD
Out June 23rd on the Award-winning Ruf Records
Series
“…rocks like a rodeo bull on amphetamines and had my blood
pumping from the first few chords. “ - No Depression
Atlanta, GA – Ruf Records
recording artist Spin Doctors pay their old blues bar band tab with a June
23rd release called Songs From The Road, a live DVD/CD out on
the label’s award winning series. The ever-popular band from the 90s had radio
hits, million plus album sales and a Rolling Stone magazine cover but they
always focused on their live performances. Filmed live at Harmonie Club in Bonn,
Germany, this was a perfect setting to capture a dynamite set from a band that
has made it their business to blow off the roof.
“We get up onstage and we
turn it on,” says Spin Doctors vocalist Chris Barron. “We play our hearts
out.”
Stop the man on the street and he
might tell you the Spin Doctors are the million-selling legends behind hits like
“Two Princes” and “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong”. Ask a longer-term, harder-core
fan, though, and they’ll remind you that Chris Barron, Aaron Comess (drums),
Eric Schenkman (guitar) and Mark White (bass) came up playing for their lives on
the sharp-end of the New York blues circuit.
“Those blues clubs were our
bread and butter in the late-’80s,” says Aaron, “and people loved that we
stretched out and jammed out.” - Mark White
The NYC scene took no prisoners.
As such, when hysteria hit – around the time of 1991’s Pocket Full OfKryptonite album – the lineup was already a stingingly tight live
draw. Over the next quarter-century, fashion moved on, but the Docs’ talent for
rocket-fuelling killer original songs onstage has only grown with age. And with
2013’s restorative If The River Was Whiskey album giving their catalogue
a blues-flavored adrenalin shot, there’s never been a better time to catch them
live. “I think a lot of people might come out and see us based on the hits,”
says Aaron. “But then they get there and they’re like, ‘Holy shit, these guys
have a whole other thing that I didn’t know about.’”
“Christopher Barron proves to be a funny,
crowd-pleasing frontman…” -Allmusic.com
Ruf’s popular Songs For The
Road live series has always been driven by the concept of capturing a band
as they sound from the front row, and with this latest two-disc CD/DVD release,
all the stops were duly pulled out in terms of production. Recorded live at the
Harmonie club in Bonn, Germany, on October 17th, 2013, you can almost feel the
gust of the speakers, the hot bounce of the crowd and the buzz crackle through
the venue as much-loved studio material is twisted into bold new shapes. “Aaron,
Eric and Chris are the most amazing improvisers I’ve ever played with in my
life,” says Mark. “It’s almost like we’re four jet fighters, and we’ve all got
each other’s backs.”
"We just all had the same sense of
rhythm, and there was a feeling that it was more than four guys playing," he
said. "That always felt like magic.” – Chris Barron to
NY Times (2005)
More than production values,
though, Songs From The Road is about the songs with the Doctors chasing
through a set list that runs the gamut of genre and vintage. Naturally, there’s
a healthy slug of Kryptonite-era material (alongside the aforementioned
über-hits, look out for early fan favorites like “What Time Is It?” and
“Jimmy Olsen’s Blues”). But you’ll also find the track listing rooted
squarely in the here-and-now, with Whiskey cuts including “Some Other Man
Instead”, “About A Train”, “Scotch And Water Blues” – plus the song that Chris
deems the best he’s ever written, “Sweetest Portion”. “Our tunes are not a drag
to play live,” notes Eric. “It feels seamless from the stage, like any of the
new tunes can sit with any one of the Kryptonite songs. We can do any of
them.”
“Their sound hasn’t
aged a bit: it still reflects fondness for the honky-tonk lurch of
the Rolling Stones, the psychedelic reach of Jimi Hendrix and the
rubberized funk of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.” – New York
Times
So pull up a ringside seat at the
rebirth of the Spin Doctors. This is Songs From The Road; no
smoke, no mirrors. They come armed with their best material yet, they are still
playing for their lives. They are just an honest band; “Some bands, you go and
see 25 years later and they’re just up there going through the motions,” says
Aaron. “But I think because everybody is so serious about their craft, to me, we
sound better than ever. We sound world-class now, I think.”
I just received the newest release, Live At The Mayne Stage, from Amy Hart and it a soft and rocky blues performance. Opening with In The Zone, Amy plays guitar and performs lead vocals backed by Wally Hoffmann on bass, PT Gazell on harp, Gene Bush on dobro and Matt McDowell on drums. An easy 12 bar blues format gives Gazell a good format to lay in some real nice harp riffs, Hart to show she has taste and flair on guitar and Bush to slide through a few of his own. Nice opener. Blues At The Top Of The Word opens with some cool slide work from Bush and Hart sits down in the groove vocally. Get Ready has a light taste of back beat under the blues rock feel. Primarily a pop track with a good melody, this track has solid instrumentation with quick riffs from Gazell, Hart and Bush. Put Me Back digs a funkier beat but with a "Crossroads" backbone. An understated slide solo from Bush and a cool solo from Gazell as well are nice compliments to Hart's strongvocal performance. Eased down to a country stroll, Blue Eyed Blues has an easy country swing feel. Gazell and Bush add nicely to the overall cohesive feel of the track. Ribcage has a nice blend of Texas blues and pop. Hoffman's bass line adds nicely to this track with Bush and Gazell creating the icing on Hart's solid vocals. Red Dress Blues has a solid R&B style with an understated Buddy Guy feel. Get The Girls Dancin' has a funky rhythm with slide guitar call and response with Hart's vocals. Bluesy ballad, Even Country Gets The Blues opens with a really syrupy silde intro. Hart takes this opportunity to really showcase her vocals and does a nice job. I particularly like solos from both Gazell and Bush on this track which aren't flashy but fleshy. Congratulations, another track with it's feet in R&B, may be my favorite on the release with just the right amount of beat, bite and blues. Rich Ass Daddy is a country 2 stepper with a bluesy feel. With it's standard 12 bard setup, Bush and Gazell each get their turns up front. Wrapping the release is You Drive Me, a blues rocker. Bush takes a fat slide solo on this track and Hart steps up with a little guitar flash of her own.
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