Bman's Blues Report

Monday, February 27, 2012

The Rory Gallagher Guitar Collection LXXII

Specs

Make:: Ibanez
Model:: MC500DS
Year:: 1979

PHOTO BY SHU TOMIOKA

The Rory Gallagher Guitar Collection LXXI

Specs

Make:: Hofner
Model:: 500 Bass Re-Issue
Year:: 1990

PHOTO BY SHU TOMIOKA

The Rory Gallagher Guitar Collection LXX

Specs

Make:: Harmony
Model:: H1270 Sovereign 12 String Acoustic
Year:: 1960

PHOTO BY SHU TOMIOKA

The Rory Gallagher Guitar Collection LXIX

Specs

Make:: Harmony
Model:: H912 Stella 12 String Acoustic
Year:: 1960
Notes:: 12-String, Acoustic

PHOTO BY SHU TOMIOKA

The Rory Gallagher Guitar Collection LXIII

Specs

Make:: Harmony
Model:: H46 Stratotone Mars
Year:: 1960

PHOTO BY SHU TOMIOKA

The Rory Gallagher Guitar Collection LXII

Specs

Make:: Guyatone
Model:: Les Paul, Jr. Style
Year:: 1970

PHOTO BY SHU TOMIOKA

The Rory Gallagher Guitar Collection LXI

Specs

Make:: Guyatone
Model:: Rory Gallagher Model Hand Made
Year:: 1970
Notes:: Natural Gloss Finish, Dual Humbuckers, Rosewood Fretboard, Volume/Tone, 3-Way Switch

PHOTO BY SHU TOMIOKA

The Rory Gallagher Guitar Collection LX

Specs

Make:: Guyatone
Model:: Electric Guitar

PHOTO BY SHU TOMIOKA

The Rory Gallagher Guitar Collection LIX

Specs

Make:: Guyatone
Model:: LG60B
Year:: 1959

PHOTO BY SHU TOMIOKA

AUSTRALIAN BLUES/ROOTS GUITAR SENSATION GEOFF ACHISON SETS HIS SIGHTS ON THE U.S. WITH RELEASE OF LITTLE BIG MEN CD, OUT APRIL 10 ON JUPITER 2 RECORDS

GEOFF’S UPCOMING U.S. TOUR DATES INCLUDE SOLO ACOUSTIC SHOWS, PERFORMANCES WITH HIS SOULDIGGERS BAND & SOME SPECIAL SHOWS FEATURING RANDALL BRAMBLETT

ATLANTA, GA – Australian blues/roots guitar sensation Geoff Achison, whose sound combines elements of blues, funk and jam band music, will hit the American shores with a vengeance for an extensive tour starting in March and extending through June in support of his upcoming CD release, Little Big Men, due for release April 10 on Jupiter 2 Records. Little Big Men, which will be available for sale on Amazon.com, iTunes, CD Baby and at the artist’s website, contains a re-mastered version of 14 tracks originally released to great acclaim in Australia several years ago but had been in limited release in the U.S., augmented by three previously unavailable bonus tracks.

To celebrate the new CD release, Geoff Achison will embark on a series of shows showcasing his many talents as a guitarist and singer, including some solo acoustic dates, full-band shows backed by his Souldiggers group and some special shows featuring his good friend, the immensely talented Randall Bramblett (Sea Level, Gregg Allman, Steve Winwood). Kicking off the tour is a prime date in New York City at The Iridium on March 17 starting at 2pm as part of Hittin’ the Note magazine’s annual party during The Allman Brothers Band Beacon Theater concert series. Also joining in the fun for this performance will be the dynamic rhythm section of drummer Yonrico Scott (Derek Trucks Band, Royal Southern Brotherhood) and bassist Ted Pecchio (Susan Tedeschi Band).

The great Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna fame said of Achison, “Geoff is one of the finest blues guitarists that I know with a completely individual style. I have never seen anyone play quite like him.” Kaukonen is such a fan of Achison’s playing that he’s made him a charter guitar instructor at his celebrated Fur Peace Ranch in Ohio. Geoff will be celebrating his 15^th year as an instructor at the ranch with the upcoming session in late March.

Since first arriving to tour in the U.S. in the mid 1990s, Geoff Achison has garnered consistently strong reviews. Down Beat magazine lauded his music as, “Catchy, intelligent songwriting. Achison controls an expressive, individual singing voice and he spills out blues guitar phrases that shed further light on various emotional states.” Elmore Magazine said, “Achison seems more like a singer/songwriter’s soul in Jeff Beck’s body.” And perhaps the celebrated Times of London said it best when it called him, “Possibly one of the most gifted musicians to arrive on the scene ... his playing verges on the miraculous.”

One of the hallmarks of Geoff Achison’s mix is the incredible array of sounds he’s able to coax from his guitars and amplifiers – without benefit of any special effects. This evolved because of his upbringing in an isolated area of rural Australia. Unaware of how the sounds he was hearing on his limited record collection were produced, he invented some of his own techniques - without the aid of pedals or gadgets. Just watching him wrench a myriad of sounds from his simple set-up can be something of a spectacle. Having taught himself to play, he has developed a blues/funk style all his own that can be delicate one moment and explosive the next. He is also a very forceful vocalist with a gritty, soulful quality to his voice. Inspired by the classic blues and r & b music icons, Geoff’s live set features an infectious mix of gutsy original tunes, improvised jams and dynamic new arrangements of blues and soul classics.

At an early age, Geoff developed a passion for American blues music and taught himself to play on a beat up guitar he discovered under the stairs of the family home. In his early 20s, he became lead guitarist with Melbourne's top blues band; but after five relentless years of touring, he left to pursue his own musical ideas and formed the first incarnation of his own band, The Souldiggers.

“The idea was to have a name that described the music,” recalls Achison, “and I greatly admired the blues philosophy - tapping into one’s soul for honesty and truth. That’s what ‘Souldiggers’ is meant to convey.”

He formed his own Jupiter 2 Records in 1994 and released the first of many recordings of his original blues/funk/soul flavored material. These early recordings were well received by fans and critics alike and encouraged Geoff to take his music to other parts of the world.

Geoff started his worldwide explorations in 1995 with his first trip to the USA. He represented the Melbourne Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis and won the coveted Albert King Award for his guitar skills. He went on to accept an endorsement deal with the Gibson guitar company's acoustic division. In 1998, Geoff formed a U.S.-based Souldiggers group and while in the States recorded his third album, Gettin' Evil, in Portland, Oregon.

Geoff had moved to London in 1997 to establish a UK following, which led to appearances on BBC radio and the recording of a live album with his British Souldiggers group. The band was featured on a BBC radio special with host Paul Jones in 2007 and Geoff graced the cover of Blues in Britain magazine in July 2009.

In 2007, Geoff relocated to Atlanta, and during his two years in that city his annual tours extended throughout Australia, the UK and USA, playing either his immensely popular solo acoustic shows or hiring the best musicians available to form The Souldiggers as he goes.

He has won numerous awards over the years for writing, performing and recording. In 2007, Geoff & The Souldiggers picked up the Chain Blues Music Award in Australia for “Group Of The Year;” and a Guitar Player Magazine reader’s poll voted Geoff one of their “Top Ten Hot New Guitarists” in June 2008. In 2011, the folks at TrueFire.com put Geoff on the list of the “100+ Most Gifted Guitarists You Should Know.”

In 2009, his two years of living in the American southeast bore fruit by providing Geoff with an extensive network of top-level U.S. musicians. He released the critically-acclaimed One Ticket, One Ride, which boasted an enviable cast of ace band members for the project, including guitarist Oliver Wood, drummers Yonrico Scott and Tyler Greenwell, bassists Ted Pecchio and Charlie Wooton and sax player Marcus James Henderson. The CD charted on Living Blues and the Blues Chart as well as making several “Best Of 2009” CD lists.

In 2010, Geoff teamed up with Athens, Georgia legend Randall Bramblett and a new “super-group” was born. They released a live album, Jammin' in the Attic, featuring Geoff and Randall, with Yonrico Scott, Ted Pecchio and Oliver Wood. Captured live playing a red-hot show at the famous Eddie's Attic, located just outside Atlanta in Decatur, Georgia, the CD was officially released by Hittin' the Note magazine.

Since returning to Australia as his home base, Geoff’s relentless touring has continued with regular visits to the USA, UK and Europe. The tireless travel has kept fans enthused and gleaned several live CD releases from different corners of the world. He released Live at the Burrinja Cafe, an acoustic tour de force; and for fans of his electric jamming, he produced the smoking Live from Guitars Across the Bay in 2011.

Geoff Achison is managed and booked in the U.S. by Nancy Lewis-Pegel of Brilliant Productions (404) 373-2299 / npegel@mindspring.com. To arrange an interview with Geoff, contact Jill Kettles (770) 804-9555 / jill@markpuccimedia.com. To download a hi-res color photo, click on this link: Geoff Achison Photo. For more info, visit www.geoffachison.com.

GEOFF ACHISON TOUR ITINERARY

3/17 - The Iridium, New York, NY / Hittin' the Note Magazine Annual Party - 2pm

Randall Bramblett & Geoff Achison Band (with Yonrico Scott & Ted Pecchio)

3/23 - Suwannee Springfest, Live Oak, FL / Suwannee Music Park

Randall Bramblett & Geoff Achison Band (w/Yonrico Scott & Ted Pecchio)

3/24 - Suwannee Springfest, Live Oak, FL / Suwannee Music Park

Randall Bramblett & Geoff Achison Band

3/27 - Moondance Lounge, Suwanee, GA / Solo Acoustic Show - 7:30pm

3/28 - Joni's Artisanal Wine Shop, Saluda, NC - Solo Acoustic Show - 7:30pm

3/31 – Fur Peace Station Concert Hall, Pomeroy, OH

Randall Bramblett & Geoff Achison Band – 8pm

4/l 6 - The Crimson Moon, Dahlonega, GA / Solo Acoustic Show - 8pm

4/7 - Eddie's Attic, Decatur, GA / Geoff Achison & The Souldiggers

4/19 - Bamboo Room, Lake Worth, FL / Oliver Wood/Geoff Achison Acoustic Show - 9pm

May and June tour dates will be announced shortly.

New Release: Keepin' On , Rollin' Hard - The Cell - Review

I just received and had the opportunity to review the new release, Keepin' On, Rollin' Hard by the Czech band called The Cell. The Cell calls themselves a Southern-Fried Bohemian Blues Rock band. It's actually a pretty good description. The recording begins with Time Of My Life which sounds like a traditional field holler but slowly melds into a full blown southern rock style anthem. Find My Way Home is more uptempo with horns and would lend itself well to airplay. Late To Say I'm Sorry is a country infused bluesy tale. Someday is a modern country rock infused ballad with nice vocal harmonies. The Blues Never Stops is a hard driving blues rock song putting you in mind of Ted Nugent. Fall Into The Sky is a country ballad. Dreams Inside My Head is a straight forward blues rock song and well constructed. The final track Down gets into a pretty nice blues rock groove and is my favorite track on the release. Great job The Cell.

Bman
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STATEMENT FROM RUF RECORDS PRESIDENT TOM RUF ON THE PASSING OF LEGENDARY BLUES ARTIST LOUISIANA RED

ATLANTA, GA – Tom Ruf, president of Ruf Records, issued the following statement upon hearing of the death over the weekend of legendary bluesman Louisiana Red, who passed away February 25 at a hospital in Germany after a few days in a coma brought on by a thyroid imbalance. He was 79 years old.

(Left to right: Tom Ruf, Louisiana Red, Bob

Corritore at the 2010 Blues Music Awards – Photo: Amy Brat)

“I am very sad about my friend Red leaving us. He was the very first blues artist I got to meet in person and the first blues concert I ever promoted when I was 19. Louisiana Red was one of the last giants in blues that constantly and spontaneously spoke his mind with a new line, a new melody every day. On stage, as well as off stage, he was a permanent spring of pure blues and a very generous man. My thoughts are with his lovely wife Dora, who kept him together the last 30 years, as well as his children and family. If you are a lucky person who owns a record of this blues giant, this is a good time to play it and appreciate the man we just lost.”

Louisiana Red’s last two CD releases on Ruf Records were Back to the Black Bayou, in 2009, and Memphis Mojo, released September, 2011. Both CDs showcased Louisiana Red in a classic blues atmosphere, backed by producer Little Victor’s hand picked band, along with such special guests as Kim Wilson and Bob Corritore on harmonica and Dave Maxwell on piano. Memphis Mojo was recorded in Memphis right after Red was awarded for his achievements as “Acoustic Artist of the Year” at the Blues Music Awards in May, 2010.

Born Iverson Minter in Bessemer, Alabama on March 23, 1932, Louisiana Red had been living in Germany since 1981. His music was strongly influenced by Muddy Waters, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup. It was blues master Muddy Waters, himself, who picked him up at the Chicago station when Red first arrived in 1950 to record for Chess Records. That night, Muddy took him to the Zanzibar club to hear the Waters’ band play, which inspired the song, “At the Zanzibar” on his first Ruf CD.

In a career that spanned six decades, Louisiana Red also recorded for Atlantic, Roulette, Glover and Tomato Records, among many others. In 1983, he won the W.C. Handy (now Blues Music) Award as “Best Traditional Blues Artist,” and toured consistently until his recent illness.

“Louisiana Red was a powerful downhome blues artist who could channel his teachers into his own heartfelt musical conversation, delivered with such moving passion and honesty that it would leave his audiences indelibly touched,” said musician and friend Bob Corritore upon hearing of Red’s passing. “He was a fine singer with a distinctive voice, and an amazing guitarist who could play all of the traditional blues styles and excelled as one of the world’s greatest slide guitarists. He could create moods and textures, both musically and spiritually, and had the ability of falling so deep into his own songs that he would go to tears, making his audience cry with him. That was the gift of this great artist.”

Paul Thorn's 'What The Hell Is Going On' CD due out May 8

PAUL THORN’S WHAT THE HELL IS GOIN’ ON? DUE MAY 8

On new album, Thorn tries something fun and different —

covering songs he loves by other songwriters

TUPELO, Miss. — Paul Thorn took an unexpected detour on the road to recording a follow-up to his most successful release, 2010’s Pimps and Preachers. After writing many discs of semi-autobiographical tunes that have drawn comparisons to John Hiatt and John Prine, the critically acclaimed singer/songwriter — hailed as the “Mark Twain of Americana” — decided to do an album of covers. “I wanted to take a break from myself,” he reveals, “do something different, and just have fun.”

The collection, entitled What The Hell Is Goin’ On? (due May 8, on Perpetual Obscurity/Thirty Tigers), finds Thorn putting his own gritty rock stamp on some of his favorite songs. There are some names familiar to Americana fans (Buddy Miller, Ray Wylie Hubbard), some lesser-known (Foy Vance, Wild Bill Emerson) and some surprises. The Buckingham and Nicks tune “Don’t Let Me Down Again” originated on that duo’s debut, not during the Fleetwood Mac era, while the Paul Rogers/Free song that Thorn chose to cover is an obscure one, “Walk In My Shadow.”

The idea for a covers album grew as Thorn encountered tunes that meant something important to him. “I would hear them in the tour van or I’d be at a festival and see someone perform them live,” Thorn says, “and I'd say ‘That’s a great song, I wish I had written it!’” One thing all the writers of these songs have in common according to Thorn is that they are true artists. “They don’t just write songs in an effort to become popular or follow trends,” he explains. “At the risk of sounding corny, they write with their hearts. None of these songs are cookie-cutter tunes like you hear on the radio today. They all have real depth, which is very appealing to me.”

The set covers subjects that are familiar territory to Thorn, from the spiritual pull of Miller’s “Shelter Me Lord” to the spirited fun in Big Al Anderson’s “Jukin.’” Thorn, so skilled with his own character studies, plays storyteller with such lurid tales as Hubbard’s “Snake Farm” and Emerson’s “Bull Mountain Bridge.” Emerson (who has written for George Jones and Tammy Wynette) is someone, according to Thorn, who “can tell a story in a song like nobody else.”

What The Hell Is Goin’ On? also delivers songs of love and salvation. Vance’s “Shed A Little Light” and Eli “Paperboy” Reed’s “Take My Love With You” are emotionally powerful tunes. The latter particularly expresses Thorn’s feelings about being on the road and missing his family back home: “Being a touring musician is a blessing and a curse . . . and Eli put into words what I feel like sometimes.”

What The Hell’s centerpiece is the powerful title track, a blistering look at life in modern times that was penned by blues-rock icon Elvin Bishop. “We are living in a new world where people are very connected, but also at the same time are disconnected,” Thorn states. “I believe technology in moderation is good but too many folks are walking around wearing ear phones and some have forgotten the lost art of basic social skills.”

The song also is significant because he has developed a friendship with Bishop over the years. “I sometimes visit him at his house when I’m out in California and he always gives me a jar of his homemade jelly that he makes with fresh kiwis from his garden,” Thorn recalls. “He sang this song for me on his front porch one day and it blew me away.” It was also a treat to have Bishop perform a guitar solo on the tune — which Thorn describes as “wonderfully raw and dirty.” Other special guests on the album are Delbert McClinton (another Thorn idol) and the marvelous singing McCrary Sisters.

The heavy lifting on the album, however, was done by Thorn and, as usual, his touring band (guitarist Bill Hinds, keyboard player Michael Graham, bassist Ralph Friedrichsen and drummer Jeffrey Perkins). “The guys in this outfit are a tight unit and a well-oiled machine,” he proclaims. “I’ve had the same guys in my band for goin’ on 15 years and they are incredible musicians.” Another long-time collaborator is Billy Maddox, who steered the ship and also served as What The Hell’s producer. The sense of camaraderie among Thorn, his band and Maddox contributes to the disc’s loose, live performances. The lived-in quality is undoubted aided by the fact that Thorn and the band had already played these songs live and honed them into what he calls “crowd-pleasers.”

Thorn has been pleasing crowds for years with his muscular brand of roots music — bluesy, rocking and thoroughly Southern, yet also speaking universal truths. The Tupelo, MS native worked in a furniture factory, jumped out of airplanes, and was a professional boxer before sharing his experiences with the world as a singer-songwriter. Pimps and Preachers, which topped the Americana charts for three weeks and broke into the Billboard Top 100, perfectly exemplified the vivid scope of his songwriting — and illuminated his family background. While his father is a Church of God Pentecostal minster, his uncle (his father’s brother) spent time as a pimp — and Thorn was influenced by both of these men. Mining these “saint and sinner” scenarios, Thorn crafted a disc that All Music Guide lauded as “a great rock & roll album,” while The Nation labeled it “an incredible find.”

When Thorn and his band hit the road, he’ll be performing both his captivating originals and these favored covers, because, as he says, “there are so many great writers out there whose songs need to be heard.” Thorn also might slip in a new song or two as he already has started writing more songs of his own for the next album.

PAUL THORN ON THE ROAD AND

ON SOUL SALVATION TOUR WITH RUTHIE FOSTER

All shows are with Paul Thorn Band unless otherwise noted

Thurs., Feb. 23 SPRINGFIELD, MO, Nathan P. Murphy’s

Fri., Feb. 24 OKLAHOMA CITY, OK Oklahoma City Limits

Sat., Feb. 25 DALLAS, TX The Kessler Theater; sold out.

Soul Salvation Tour featuring Paul Thorn and Ruthie Foster

Tues., March 6 ANNAPOLIS, MD Rams Head

Wed., March 7 ALEXANDRIA, VA The Birchmere

Thurs., March 8 PHILADELPHIA, PA World Cafe Live

Fri., March 9 NEW YORK, NY City Winery

Sat., March 10 CHATHAM, NJ The Sanctuary Concerts

Wed., March 28 KANSAS CITY, MO Knuckleheads

Thurs., March 29 ST. LOUIS, MO Old Rock House

Fri., March 30 BLOOMINGTON, IL The Castle Theatre

Sat., March 31 SCHAUMBURG, IL Prairie Center for the Arts

Mon.-Tues., April 2-3 MINNEAPOLIS, MN Dakota

Paul Thorn tour

Thurs., April 12 GREEN BAY, WI Riverside Ballroom

Fri, April 13 IOWA, IA The Mill

Sat., April 14 GALESBURG, IL Fat Fish

Tues., April 17 THE WOODLANDS, TX Paul Thorn solo radio show taping, Dosey Doe

April 21 CLARKSDALE, MI Ground Zero Blues Club

April 29 CHARLESTON, WV Paul Thorn solo radio show taping, Mountain Stage

Soul Salvation Tour featuring Paul Thorn and Ruthie Foster

Wed., May 2 LAFAYETTE, LA Acadiana Center for the Arts

Thurs., May 3 NEW ORLEANS, LA House of Blues

Fri., May 4 BATON ROUGE, LA Manship Theatre

Sat., May 5 MERIDIAN, MS MSU Riley Center for the Performing Arts

Paul Thorn tour

Fri., May 11 BIRMINGHAM, AL WorkPlay Theatre

Sat., May 12 ATLANTA, GA Variety Playhouse

Sun., May 13 NASHVILLE, TN 3rd and Lindsley

Wed., May 16 AUSTIN, TX One World theatre

Thurs., May 17 CHEROKEE, TX Cherokee Creek Music Festival

Fri., May 18 DALLAS, TX Kessler Theater

Sat., May 19 SAN ANTONIO, TX Sam’s Burger Joint

May 20 THE WOODLANDS, TX Dosey Doe

Fri., May 25 TAMPA, FL Paul solo acoustic at Skipper’s Smokehouse

Sat., May 26 TAMPA, FL Skipper’s Smokehouse

Fri., June 1 TUPELO, MS Tupelo Elvis Festival

Sat., June 2 MEMPHIS, TN New Daisy Theatre

Fri., June 29 LOUISVILLE, KY Jim Porter's Good Time Emporium

June 30 MINFORD, OH Private Show

July 13 8 p.m. STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO Strings Music Festival

July 15 ALTA, WY Targhee Festival

July 21, MOSCOW, ID Rendezvous in the Park

August 3 SANTA CRUZ, CA Rio Theatre

Sat.-Sun., Aug. 4-5 NICASIO, CA Rancho Nicasio

I55 Artist : Fred Sanders New Release: Long Time Comin' - Review

I just received the new I55 Records release, Long Time Comin' by Fred Sanders. The release is made up of 12, 10 of which were composed by Sanders and the band. The first track out of the chute sets the standard for the entire release with "I Got A Feeling", a Texas/Gatemouth style swing blues. Daddy Cain is an off rhythm style track with a cool groove, breaking to a full swing. Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven, a track most often associated with Albert King but written by Don Nix of Goin' Down fame. Sanders feels Albert in his playing but keeps it as his own. House Is Not A Home gets the soul juices with the horns and all. Very effective breaker. Light Bulb is a cool uptempo blues giving Sanders the chance to stretch a little on guitar. He does have cool style. Hey Baby gets back to that Texas swing groove and Saunders settles into it really well again with tasty guitar soloing throughout. How I Feel has the rhythm tempo of "Let Me Love You" and is a good avenue for Saunders to show his own flair on guitar. Hello Baby finally gets down to T Bone walker dirty blues style. Saunders digs down and digs out some sweetness in this solid track. My favorite on the release. This is a very solid release and I think that most of you will enjoy it.
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Been To Kansas City -Big Joe Turner With Jay Mc Shann and Roy Montrell

Roy Montrell (27 February 1928, New Orleans, Louisiana - 16 March 1979, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) was a rhythm & blues guitarist who performed as a session musician for many famous artists, as well as performing some of his own songs. His original song "(Everytime I Hear) That Mellow Saxophone" has been widely covered by acts including The Stray Cats and Imelda May. It was chosen by Bob Dylan for the "Musical Instruments" episode of his Theme Time Radio Hour series and is featured on the 2-CD set of tracks from the show.
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Wine Headed Woman - Jimmy Burns

Singer, guitarist, and songwriter, Jimmy Burns is a contemporary bluesman who combines his Delta roots with R&B and soul to come up with a sound uniquely his own. Burns is a charismatic performer with an expressive, soulful, voice and a melodic guitar style to match.

With a keen sense of his musical heritage Burns has created an upbeat style that has won critical acclaim both at home and abroad. Born near Dublin, Mississippi in 1943, Burns was fascinated by music early on. He loved the sounds coming out of the church, and the blues he heard on the streets. Burns’ sang in church and taught himself how to play guitar while he was still in the Delta. One of his particular favorites was Lightnin’ Hopkins, His oldest brother, renowned Detroit bluesman Eddie Burns, is also a guitarist who played with John Lee Hooker for a number of years before striking out on his own.

Burns was 12 when his family moved to Chicago. Within a year he was singing with a gospel group called the Gay Lites. Secular music also beckoned. Living on the Near North Side, he was caught up in the music of The Impressions and Major Lance who would rehearse in a park near his home. In 1959, at the age of 16 he joined The Medallionaires, an established vocal group, and did some recording. Burns was also part of the folk scene in the early 60s. He sang and played guitar at The Fickle Pickle, (booked at that time by Mike Bloomfield), the Gate of Horn, and coffeehouses around town.

As R&B turned to soul in the 60s Burns cut a few soul singles for the USA, Minit, Tip Top and Erica labels. One of his Erica singles, I Really Love You, is a collector’s item in Great Britain. Burns traveled throughout the Midwest, with a band called the Fantastic Epics. They appeared at the Arie Crown Theatre in Chicago on a bill with Jeff Beck and the Yardbirds. He formed his own band in the late 60s called Jimmy Burns and the Gas Company. The reality of raising a family however, cut short Burns’ full-time musical career. Throughout the 70s and 80s he stayed close to home, continuing to play clubs and concert venues around town.

With the blues never far from his soul, Burns returned to playing full-time in the mid-nineties. He started out with a regular gig at Smokedaddy’s in Chicago, and it wasn’t long before Bob Koester of Delmark Records signed him
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Sunday, February 26, 2012

Tupelo Honey/Just Like A Woman - Richie Havens

Richard P. "Richie" Havens (born January 21, 1941) is an African American folk singer and guitarist. He is best known for his intense, rhythmic guitar style (often in open tunings), soulful covers of pop and folk songs, and his opening performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
Born in Brooklyn, Havens was the eldest of nine children. At an early age, he began organizing his neighborhood friends into street corner doo-wop groups and was performing with The McCrea Gospel Singers at 16. At age 20, Havens left Brooklyn, seeking artistic stimulation in Greenwich Village. "I saw the Village as a place to escape to, in order to express yourself," he recalls. "I had first gone there during the Beatnik days of the 1950s to perform poetry, then I drew portraits for two years and stayed up all night listening to folk music in the clubs. It took a while before I thought of picking up a guitar.
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Gettin' Old And Gray - Howlin Wolf w/ Willie Johnson

Willie Johnson (March 4, 1923 – February 26, 1995) was an American blues guitarist. He is best known as the principal guitarist in Howlin' Wolf's band from 1948 to 1953. His raucous, distorted guitar playing features on Howlin' Wolf's Memphis recordings of 1951-3, including the 1951 hit "How Many More Years". His early use of distortion marks him out as one of the pioneers of the electric guitar.
As the guitarist in the first band led by Howlin' Wolf, Johnson appeared on most of Wolf's recordings between 1951 and 1953, providing the slightly jazzy yet raucous guitar sound that was the signature of all of Wolf's Memphis recordings. Johnson also performed and recorded with other blues artists in the Memphis area, including pianist Willie Love, Willie Nix, Junior Parker, Roscoe Gordon, Bobby "Blue" Bland and others.

When Wolf moved to Chicago in around 1953, he could not convince Johnson to join him. Johnson stayed on in Memphis for several years, playing on a number of sessions for Sun Records, including a 1955 collaboration with vocalist Sammy Lewis, "I Feel So Worried", released under the name Sammy Lewis with Willie Johnson. By the time Johnson relocated to Chicago, Wolf had already hired guitarist Hubert Sumlin as a permanent replacement. James Cotton later recalled that Wolf replaced Johnson because of his heavy drinking.

Johnson occasionally performed and recorded with Howlin' Wolf after settling in Chicago, and also played briefly in the band of Muddy Waters, as well as a number of other local Chicago blues musicians, including J. T. Brown, in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He made his living mainly outside of music for the rest of his life, only occasionally sitting in with the bands of his old friends around Chicago.

His final recordings were made for Earwig Music in Chicago in the early 1990s.

Willie Johnson died in Chicago on February 26, 1995.
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Spanish Melody & Swing - Slim GAILLARD & His Trio

Bulee "Slim" Gaillard (January 4, 1916 – February 26, 1991) was an American jazz singer, songwriter, pianist, and guitarist, noted for his vocalese singing and word play in a language he called "Vout". (In addition to speaking 8 other languages, Gaillard wrote a dictionary for his own constructed language.)
Along with Gaillard's date of birth, his family lineage and place of birth are disputed. One account is that he was born in Santa Clara, Cuba of a Greek father and an Afro-Cuban mother; another is that he was born in Pensacola, Florida to a German father and an African-American mother. Adding to the confusion, the 1920 U.S. Census lists a 19-month-old boy named "Beuler Gillard" in Pensacola, but born in Alabama. He grew up in Detroit and moved to New York City in the 1930s.

According to the obituaries in leading newspapers, Gaillard's childhood in Cuba was spent cutting sugar-cane and picking bananas, as well as occasionally going to sea with his father. However, at the age of 12, he accompanied his father on a world voyage and was accidentally left behind on the island of Crete. After working on the island for a while, he made his home in Detroit. In America, Gaillard worked in an abattoir, trained as a mortician and also had been employed at Ford's Motor Works.
Gaillard first rose to prominence in the late 1930s as part of Slim & Slam, a jazz novelty act he formed with bassist Slam Stewart. Their hits included "Flat Foot Floogie (with a Floy Floy)", "Cement Mixer (Putti Putti)" and the hipster anthem, "The Groove Juice Special (Opera in Vout)". The duo performs in the 1941 movie Hellzapoppin'.

Gaillard's appeal was similar to Cab Calloway and Louis Jordan in that he presented a hip style with broad appeal (for example in his children's song "Down by the Station"). Unlike them, he was a master improviser whose stream of consciousness vocals ranged far afield from the original lyrics along with wild interpolations of nonsense syllables like MacVoutie O-reeney. One such performance is celebrated in the 1957 novel On the Road by Jack Kerouac.

Gaillard later teamed with bassist Bam Brown; Slim and Bam can be seen in a 1948 motion picture featurette—with the Gaillardese title O'Voutie O'Rooney -- filmed live at one of their nightclub performances.

In the late forties and early fifties, Gaillard frequently opened at Birdland for such greats as Charlie Parker, Flip Phillips, and Coleman Hawkins. His 1945 session with Parker and Dizzy Gillespie is notable, both musically and for its relaxed convivial air. Gaillard could play several instruments, and always managed to turn the performance from hip jazz to comedy: he would play the guitar with his left hand fretting from the top of the neck, or would play credible piano solos with his palms facing up.Gaillard also wrote the theme song introducing the Peter Potter radio show.
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County Jail - Big Maceo Merriweather

Big Maceo Merriweather (March 31, 1905 – February 23, 1953) was an American Chicago blues pianist and singer, active in Chicago in the 1940s.
Born Major Merriweather (or Merewether) in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, he was a self-taught pianist. In the 1920s he moved to Detroit, Michigan and began playing parties and clubs. In 1941, a desire to record led him to Chicago where he met and befriended Tampa Red. Red introduced him to Lester Melrose of Bluebird Records, who signed him to a recording contract.

His first record was "Worried Life Blues" (1941), which promptly became a blues hit and remained his signature piece. Other classic piano blues recordings such as "Chicago Breakdown", "Texas Stomp", and "Detroit Jump" followed. His piano style developed from players like Leroy Carr and Roosevelt Sykes, as well as from the Boogie-woogie style of Meade Lux Lewis and Albert Ammons. He in turn influenced other musicians like Henry Gray, who credits Merriweather to helping him launch his career as a blues pianist.

His style had an impact on practically every post World War II blues pianist of note. His most famous song, "Worried Life Blues" is a staple of the blues repertoire, with artists such as Eric Clapton featuring it regularly in concert. "Worried Life Blues" was in the first batch of songs inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame "Classic Blues Recordings - Singles or Albums Tracks" alongside "Stormy Monday," 'Sweet Home Chicago," "Dust My Broom," and "Hellhound On My Trail."

His career was cut short in 1946 by a stroke. Poor health and a lifetime of heavy drinking eventually led to a fatal heart attack. He died on February 23, 1953 in Chicago, and was interred at the Detroit Memorial Cemetery in Warren, Michigan.

His sparse recordings for Bluebird were released in a double album set as Chicago Breakdown, in 1975. They have since been reissued on a variety of labels.

In 2002 he was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.

On May 3, 2008 the White Lake Blues Festival took place at the Howmet Playhouse Theater in Whitehall, Michigan. The event was organized by executive producer, Steve Salter, of the nonprofit organization Killer Blues to raise monies to honor Merriweather's unmarked grave with a headstone. The concert was a success, and a headstone was placed in June, 2008.
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BABY, I'LL PLAY - The Thomas Oliver Band

Initially a 3-piece, The Thomas Oliver Band grew into it’s current form following the release of ‘Every Penny’ thanks to the lifelong friendships crafted while the five boys studied at the New Zealand School of Music. It is the fresh instrumentation of the 5-piece, including lap-slide guitar, double bass and baritone saxophone, which creates The Thomas Oliver Band's distinctive sound. The new album is “more organic, earthier and rich”, says Oliver, “and the step from 3-piece to 5-piece has completely opened up our sound, and allowed a lot more creative expression for us, and particularly for me as the writer.”

The Thomas Oliver Band have created a staunch following through their live performances. It was their stage show which saw them selected by the New Zealand Campus Arts Network as the Emerging Artist of the year to complete a full national tour in 2009. They have gone on to play at some of Aotearoa's renowned festivals and joined the bill with our country's top acts. 2011 follows this trend with The Thomas Oliver Band named in some of the best summer series including Wellington's Garden Magic, Auckland's Zoo Music, and A Day on the Green with legends Joe Cocker and George Thorogood.
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Ain't No Sunshine - Matt Andersen

The best performing songwriters, the ones who sound like they really mean what they’re singing about, tend to come from areas known for hard times and hard work. Like say, Perth-Andover, a rural blue-collar village in the Canadian Maritime province of New Brunswick—the home of acclaimed singer-songwriter and guitarist Matt Andersen.

“Perth-Andover’s a really small, family-oriented community,” says Matt. “Everybody knows everybody. My dad’s worked as a logger pretty much his whole life. But there’s always been music around: My grandfather played fiddle, my mom plays piano in church. Most of my cousins have had bands at some point. Whenever there’s a get-together there’s always about nine or ten fiddles or guitars in the room.”

Matt’s musical household got him interested playing early on and by junior high he was in the school band, first on tuba and later on trumpet. He took up guitar at 14, and before long was playing classic rock and Top 40 covers in pub bands while he studied studio engineering. Things changed dramatically, however, when he discovered the blues.

“Through Eric Clapton I got into B.B. King, which led me to the Chicago electric stuff and eventually back to the Mississippi Delta guys,” says the 30-year-old singer. “What really hit me most about the blues was its total honesty.”
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Black Guitar - Bex Marhshall

As a child at family gatherings her uncles would always play and stand her on the table to sing, at 11 years old she was given a 1963 Gibson Hummingbird by her Uncle David and started playing, she got hooked on instrumentals and classical guitar standards which stretched her fingers and gave her a great basis for her own music to develop, flamenco, ragtime, country chicken pickin, rock and on to blues, roots and slide/dobro which she now plays on an Ozark 3515E Electro Acoustic Biscuit resonator, wood body with a lipstick pickup and a cutaway through a Fender Frontman 25R.
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