Pieta Brown's "Flowers of Love"video premieres today at the Huffington Post

Pieta Brown  Pieta's new video for "Flowers of Love" premieres today at the Huffington Post here (featuring Justin Vernon on backing vocals) US and Australian tour dates with Iris Dement announced Just in time for Valentine's Day, Pieta Brown has released a new video for "Flowers of Love" from her recent Red House release,  Paradise Outlaw.  The track was recorded at Justin Vernon's April Base studio and features Vernon on backing vocals. The video is by artist Mei-Ling Shaw Williams and is premiering today at the Huffington Post.  Pieta will be touring through 2015, including US and Australian dates with Iris Dement (scroll down for tour details).     Produced by Pieta, with frequent collaborator and partner, Bo Ramsey, Paradise Outlaw was recorded in four days at Bon Iver mastermind Justin Vernon's April Base studio in Wisconsin with a supporting cast that includes Vernon, Amos Lee, Brown's troubadour father, Greg Brown and various members of an experimental group of players she calls the Sawdust Collective. Paradise Outlaw boasts some of Pieta's most emotionally resonant compositions, and some of her most expressive performances, to date.    Paradise Outlaw features 12 originals by Brown plus a co-write and duet with soulster Amos Lee ("Do You Know") and a cover of Mark Knopfler's "Before Gas And TV."  Such gently intoxicating tunes as "Do You Know," "Wondering How," "Ricochet" and "Flowers of Love" feature organically orchestrated arrangements that accentuate the insight and intimacy of Brown's lyrics, the understated craftsmanship of her tunes, and the alluring immediacy of her uniquely expressive voice.    The project was set into motion in mid-2012, when Brown met Justin Vernon while both were on tour in Australia.  As she recalls, "The initial spark for this quest was when the songs 'Painter's Hands' and 'Rise My Only Rose'—both of which I wrote before I ever made my first album—fell out of a notebook onto the floor in a hotel room and landed next to the copy of Howl by Allen Ginsberg that I'd happened to bring out on the road.  Later that night, I met Justin and he invited me to check out his studio, and it just rolled from there.  It was a fun track to follow, and one link running through it all was this spark that I caught from re-reading a lot of beat poetry, especially Ginsberg and Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and thinking about that feverish hunt for freedom, as a human."   The creative restlessness that drives Paradise Outlaw has been a constant in Pieta Brown's life.  Born in Iowa, she lived in at least 17 different residences in multiple states during her youth.  Her parents separated when she was two, but she grew up around many artists and musicians, absorbing all manner of bohemian artistic influences.  By the age of eight, she was writing poetry and instrumental music on the piano, eventually picking up the guitar and merging the two into songs.   With Paradise Outlaw documenting a compelling new chapter of her ongoing musical journey, Pieta Brown continues to seek out and conquer new creative challenges.     For tour dates and additional information, please visit www.pietabrown or www.redhouserecords.com   Pieta Brown FR 2/27      Denver, CO - Tuft Theater - 8pm SA 2/28      Ft Collins, CO - Avogadro’s Number TH 3/5        Cincinnati, OH - 20th Century Theater FR 3/6        Louisville, KY - KCD Theater SA 3/7        Bowling Green, KY - The Warehouse TH 3/26      Seattle, WA - The Triple Door - 7:30pm FR 3/27      Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater SA 3/28     Sisters, OR - The Belfry SU 3/29     Eugene, OR - Cozmic - 8pm FR 4/10     Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center TH 4/23     Winona, MN - Midwest Music Festival SU 6/21     Fairfield, IA - Fair Fest   Australian dates with Iris Dement FR 5/22      Adelaide, SA - The Gob SA 5/23      Newcastle, NSW - Lizottes SU 5/24      Brisbane, QLD - Old Museum TH 5/28      Melbourne, VIC - Thornbury Theater SA 5/29      Sydney, NSW - Factory Theate

Reference Recordings artist: Doug MacLeod - Exactly Like This - New Release review

I just received the newest release (March 10, 2015), Exactly Like This, from Doug MacLeod and it's quite good. Opening with piano boogie, Rock It Til The Cows Come Home, MacLeod on guitar and vocal is joined by Mike Thompson on piano, Jimi Bott on drums and Denny Croy on bass. This track has an acoustic basis but it really does rock. With a solid piano groove and acoustic guitar instrumentation MacLeod's vocals push the track. Too Many Misses For Me has more of a jazzy feel and an acoustic guitar lead. A strong track with nice articulation. Find Your Right Mind has more of a quiet Johnson ballad (Come Into My Kitchen) style but with a more urban twist. MacLeod plays the slide resonator sweetly on this track. Ain't It Rough? has a rag feel but is really more of a story telling track with rhythmic accompaniment. Vaneta, a cool guitar boogie is lead by MacLeod on acoustic guitar and with a real nice blues Hooker like guitar riff. The spirit of John lee lingers in this track with his basic attack and feel. Excellent! Serious Doin' Woman has a real cool swampy feel (think Poke Salad Annie) with tall tales and a simple beat. Ridge Runner opens with a march like drum beat and continues into train land. With finger chicken pickin and light snare work, this track has the feel of Orange Blossom Special or another similar bluegrass track but brought up to a more sophisticated level of execution (no fiddle). New Morning Road is the purest delta style blues track, vocal and acoustic guitar and possibly my favorite track on the release. Think early Skip James or Hooker, Muddy Waters. Very cool! Raylene is an easy flowing blues track with slide resonator backing MacLeod singing a basic 12 bar. In Johnson style but with a more modern flair, this track transcends the decades. Skillful slide techniques shine on this track. Heaven's The Only Place is a somber bluesy ballad with quiet instrumental accompaniment under MacLeod's soulful vocals. Again a strong sense of slide resonator use really makes this track shine. Wrapping the release is You Got It Good (And That Ain't Bad), a swing track with crisp piano drive. Thompson, Croy and Bott are really tight on this track making this a super final track on a strong release.

  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”

 

Real Gone Music: Apollo Saturday Night/Saturday Night At The Uptown - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Apollo Saturday Night/Saturday Night At The Uptown, from Real Gone Records and it's a real R&B party. Originally released on Atlantic in 1964, these two original LP's are combined onto a single Cd. Opening Apollo Saturday Night with I Found A Love and Alabama Bound by the Falcons, this is scorching hot and real. Otis Redding takes the stage with Pain In My Heart and These Arms Of Mine and in classic style. His voice is unmistakable and his dynamics with the horns impeccable. Doris Troy swings with Misty and gets a hot groove on Say Yeah. Great sax (King Curtis) backing really pushes this track. Rufus Thomas is down with Rockin' Chair and Walking The Dog gets that funky groove going with trumpets, trombones and sax with a Watusi kick. The Coasters deliver T'Ain't Nothin' To Me with their typically classic humor and Speedo's Back In Town with that hot R&B feel. Ben E King's set includes Groovin', Don't Play That Song, and Stand By Me... a hard set to follow! Finale featuring various artists hits hard. Spectacular set!

 Starting the second LP, Saturday Night At The Uptown and an introduction by Jimmy Bishop. The Drifters open with Under The Boardwalk, On Broadway and There Goes My Baby. These guys have the crowd firmly in their hands. The recording quality isn't perfect but the performance is top notch. Patty & the Emblems does Mixed Up, Shook Up, Girl and the recording is very clear and well balanced with classic 60's style. The Vibrations perform My Girl Sloopy and The Watusi, both with a much more pop feel and a lot of spunk. Next up is Wilson Pickett with strong soul ballad, If You Need Me and the hip shaking I'm Gonna Cry. Patti LaBelle & Her Bluebelles lays down an angelic soul ballad, Down The Aisle.... very powerful! The Carltons offer up Can't You Hear The Beat with an Isley's enthusiasm and bright horns. Wrapping the release is Barbara Lynn with (O Baby) We Got A Good Thing Going, a cool R&B track with a great feel. Lynn sings with all of the confidence of a closer and this makes for a great track to sum up a super release.

  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”

 

20 Years and Counting: Larry "Fuzzy" Knight's Blowin' Smoke Rhythm & Blues Revue

      

                                                

 

 

20 YEARS AND COUNTING: LARRY "FUZZY" KNIGHT'S BLOWIN' SMOKE RHYTHM & BLUES REVUE FEATURING THE FABULOUS SMOKETTES - STILL GOING STRONG AFTER TWO DECADES

 

 

 

 

Catch This Most Superb R&B/Blues/Soul/Party Band In Concert, Saturday, February 21 At Harvelle's Blues Club in Santa Monica

    

 

  (SANTA MONICA, CA) - 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.

 

  

                            www.blowinsmokeband.com

              https://www.facebook.com/blowinsmokeband

 

 

Larry "Fuzzy" Knight Interview - Orange County Blues Society

Beyond The Blues Horizon - CD Review (BMans Blues Report)

Live Show Review - Los Angeles Beat

Larry "Fuzzy" Knight Feature - The Argonaut

Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar - Send The Nightingale - New Release Review

I just received the newest release (February 17, 2014), Send The Nightingale, from Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar and it's powerful. Opening with country/gospel flavored Give Me Your Mercy, Samantha shows her take no prisoners approach vocally blowing the roof off with powerful backing by Sherie Marshall and Stacie Tabb. Jimmy Hill surrounds the vocal harmonies with spiritual sounding organ and Mike McCallum adds guitar styling. On Addicted, the twist is more R&B but still with a spiritual root. When You Walk Away has an almost Otis Redding feel with Martin singing over arpeggiated chords. Don't Shoot returns to a more folk county feel with rich vocal blending and electric guitar soloing from McCallum. One More Day has a finite country feel, hand claps and all. Chicken pickin by McCallum adds to the overall backwoods feel. Take Us Swiftly Home is a bit more grounded with a bluesy feel. Warm vocal harmonies throughout is the central theme. It's hard to deny that Martin's voice is anything less than excellent. Won't You Stay is an easy ballad with really super vocal blending. The simple instrumental accompaniment helps to really highlight the lush vocals of Martin, Marshall and Tabb. Mississippi Sun has an authentic "western or Americana" sound. Along the lines of Goodnight Irene or I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, this is my favorite track on the release and is simple and straight forward. A clean resonator solo by Martin on this track blends nicely into the overall feel. My Crown has a cool, soul feel and solid vocal work wrapped by Hill's organ work. Very nice. I Won't Justify has a strong early blues/gospel feel. Squeezing every drop of sweat from this track, Martin really elevates this release to a new level. keeping the guitar solo really simple but heartfelt gives the track an iridescence. A Capella, Tell The Heavens features Martin, Marshall and Tabb on vocal blending. A very nice conclusion to a truly rich vocal release.  

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”

 

Midnight Circus Records artist: JP Blues - Live At Darwins - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Live At Darwins, from JP Blues and it's a cool heavy blues rocker. Opening with Keep On Walking, JP sets a solid base with a steady blues form. This track reminds me a lot of Robin Trower with Shiloh Bloodworth on drums, Tony Hossri on bass and JP on vocal and guitars. He has a gritty guitar style and a gutsy voice. On Upset Me Baby, a cool boogie, Hossri sets up a great walking bass line and JP cuts loose with some voracious guitar riffs. Old Man Joe has a heavy driving beat with the hammer of Mahogany Rush. A nice rock groove ensues and the gang really hits it hard. JP on slide chokes the neck all the way to the top and Bloodworth and Hossri are solid. Meet Me Halfway has a light funky groove with nice drum work from Bloodworth. JP takes a nice opportunity to solo off and he rips a number of good ones. This really is quite a concert. American Boy takes a total departure in direction with a jazz overtone. An instrumental track with cool chording and even a hot bass solo from Hossri, no one has any doubts about the bands versatility after this track. Very nice. Reggae rhythms underlie Day By Day, a simple pop melody with strong bones. Building upon this concept the band lays out an extended jam led by JP on vocals. 99 Problems is a 7 minute plus blues based rocker with a strong sense of direction along the lines of early Mountain. Another Time Another Place is a quiet ballad based track with a really nice melody. With a perfect stage set, JP takes it to the house on this 8+ minute track. This is really an excellent jam and a must hear! Wrapping the concert and the release is Sonny Boy Williamson's Good Morning Little School Girl, but with a modern blues twist. My first recollection of this track was Ten Years After's amazing version and I'm happy to say that this track, with a more Frank Marino feel, is a lot of fun to listen to for the more than 9 minute stretch. Joined by Truett Lollis on guitar, this is a real nice blues rock jam with exceptional fluid runs. This is a really cool live release and a great example of the passion of JP Blues.

  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”

 

Soul Revelation artist: Mitchell Coleman Jr. - Soul Searching - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Soul Searching, from Mitchell Coleman Jr. and it's smooth! Opening with Flow, a groovin' funky slap bass track with Coleman laying it down and Michael Bolivar hitting the sax with sweet soul. Michael Norfleet and Hiroshi Upshuron on keys, James Gadson on drums, Tommy Organ on guitar and Dionyza Sutton, Brenda Sutton - Turner, Rodnie Sutton and Wendy Young on vocals gives this track a nice feel. Overload, again a strongly bass infused track has Clinton like vocal chanting and features Sal Avila on melodic sax over Hollywood Dawkins on keys and Kayta Matsuno on guitar. Cool! Deron Johnson takes a Ramsey Lewis like approach on piano to this cool jazz track with Dawkins providing the ambiance and Coleman providing the groove. Faster R&B style track, Just One More Hit features the warmth of Avila and Tim Anderson on lead sax with Sean Fabian steeping up with a blazing guitar solo and Coleman pounding out a great groove and nice key work from Dawkins. Excellent! Genesis has a particularly poppy bass line and features Avila and Anderson again on sax. I really like Fabian's attack and this track is no exception. Secrets is a quieter more romantic track featuring Johnson on piano and electric piano. If you want to hear some stiff bass work against a nice piano line... this is the track. Very cool! Pam Vincent takes the lead vocal spot on EW&F track That's The Way Of The World with nice backing vocals from Joyce Vincent and Jim Gilstrap. Kayta Matsuno lays out a real clean guitar line in contrast to the blended vocals making this a sure radio track. Abiye Tikisha takes the lead on keys on Ethiopia Love. This light jazz fusion track with Hiroshi Upshur on keys, James Gadson on drums and Organ and Gregory G-Moe Moore on guitars features a real nice open solo by Coleman. Deja Vu has an easy jazz groove with Dawkins taking the melodic lead and Coleman and Matsuno keeping the track tight. Coleman opens Passport with a real nice bass solo. I really like this track with it's progressive feel led by Dawkins. Avila and Anderson lay out some aggressive sax work on this track ... my favorite on the release. Joe Sample's When Your Life Was Low, featuring vocalist Dionyza Sutton is a very strong entry again with broad radio appeal. There is a really nice uncredited sax solo on this track as well. Pulling out the stops for the final track, Liberation, Coleman Dawkins and Matsuno lay down a real funky jam. A nice departure from what I typically hear. Very cool!

  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”

 

New West Records artist: Terraplane - Steve Earle & The Dukes - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Terraplane, from Steve Earle and its a cool mixture of blues, country and all Earle! Opening with easy shuffle track, Baby Baby Baby, Earle leads off with vocal and harp and Chris Masterson laying in some cool guitar riffs. You're The Best Lover I Ever Had has a real rural country blues feel with acoustic guitar and rudimentary percussion by Will Rigby. A cool pace, catchy melody and Eleanor Whitmore on fiddle makes for a great radio track. The Tennessee Kid opens with a storied talk but quickly emerges as a driving boogie. This is a real cool song with a lot of musical tension. Excellent! Ain't Nobody's Daddy Now is a free wheelin' blues track primarily featuring Earle on guitar and Whitmore on fiddle. Nice track. Better Off Alone is a somber ballad more fully orchestrated with Kelly Looney on bass and low cello like violin sound and Earle's vocals complimented by Masterson with a cool guitar solo. The Usual Time is a casual shuffle with Earle on vocal and harp, Whitmore and Rigby on drums driving the track. Real nice feel. Go Go Boots Are Back has more of a country flavor and only minimal discretionary instrumentation. Just a good solid track. Acquainted With The Wind actually puts me in mind of early British rock blues but stripped down and countrified. Very cool! Baby's Just As Mean As Me is an easy stepper with a feel of the 40's. Whitmore shares vocal lead with Earl and does a really nice job. Her fiddle playing is nicely featured on this track as well. Gamblin' Blues is a cool finger picked blues track with only light percussion and Earle on vocal. Very nice! Wrapping the release is King Of The Blues, a swampy blues track with heavy a single note bass line. Cool understated guitar soloing and a steady drum beat by Rigby makes this a great closure to a really cool release.

  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”

 

BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS--EASY SKANKING IN BOSTON ’78

BOB MARLEY’S 70TH BIRTHDAY WILL INCLUDE YEARLONG CELEBRATION OF RARE AND UNRELEASED MATERIAL FROM THE MARLEY FAMILY VAULTS AND PRIVATE COLLECTION

1ST COMMEMORATIVE RELEASE OUT ON FEBRUARY 17th WITH

BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS--EASY SKANKING IN BOSTON ’78

Historic June 8, 1978 recording at Music Hall captures band at their height

Feb 17 release on Blu-Ray/CD combo pack, dvd/cd and cd versions



Los Angeles, CA – January 6, 2015 – Bob Marley’s 70th birthday year (2015) will include a variety of releases and events to commemorate the legend, his work and iconic impact.  Over the course of the year, his legacy will be remembered by new releases of rare and unreleased material as well as fan favorite deluxe editions of his most memorable work.  The first release will be available on February 17.   BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS – EASY SKANKING IN BOSTON ’78, features two historic live shows from Boston’s Music Hall, June 8, 1978.  This new and unreleased performance  is from the Marley family giving unprecedented access for the first time to their  personal material from their private collections and their vaults. The album will be available on blu-ray/cd combo pack as well as dvd/cd and standalone cd versions.  Additional newly created animated material will also be a part of this release, marking the first time the family has incorporated this technology into any official Marley releases.

The video footage was shot with a hand-held camera by a fan that Marley allowed to sit right in front of the stage. The result is remarkable imagery that captures Marley from just a few feet away, allowing one to experience the intimacy of his set.  While the cinematographer was shooting with film and forced to change rolls of tape, the gaps in the live footage have been augmented with specially created animation over the existing audio. The animation video elements were produced and created by the animation team of S77 whose credits include recent projects for Bruno Mars, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Disney, ESPN and many others. The 46-minute video includes seven of the 13 songs in the full set.

Highlights of the performance include a lively “Jammin’” and “The Heathen,” a song Marley and the band didn’t perform during the second set. The show features them at their most comfortable, truly enjoying themselves in the spotlight, basking in the appreciation of the audience.

Marley, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, is notable not only as the man who put reggae on the global map, but, as a statesman in his native Jamaica, he famously brought together the country’s warring factions — symbolized by rival politicians Michael Manley and Edward Siega joining hands on-stage -- during his legendary “One Love Peace Concert” in Kingston, which took place on April 22, 1978, less than six weeks before this Music Hall performance in Boston. It was five years since Marley and the band arrived from Jamaica, with the 1977 release of EXODUS, recorded in London just after an assassination attempt on his life, turned into not just a socio-political statement, but one which included such hits as the title track, “Waiting In Vain” and “One Love,” paving the way for their next release Kaya and a world tour in ’78.  Together with his music’s theme of liberation, Marley’s own rags-to-riches story brought inspiration to subjugated people around the world, where he was revered as a larger-than-life leader.

Today, Bob Marley remains one of the 20th century’s most important and influential entertainment icons. Marley’s lifestyle and music continue to inspire new generations as his legacy lives on through his music. In the digital era, he has the second-highest social media following of any posthumous celebrity, with the official Bob Marley Facebook page drawing more than 74 million fans, ranking it among the Top 20 of all Facebook pages and Top 10 among celebrity pages. Marley’s music catalog has sold millions of albums worldwide.

Thirty years after its original release, Bob Marley & The Wailers’, LEGEND, shared the top of the charts, holding the No. 5 spot on Billboard’s 200 Album Chart among Maroon 5 (#1), Jeezy (#2), Guardians of the Galaxy Soundtrack (#3), and Ariana Grande (#4). LEGEND also holds the distinction of being the longest-charting album in the history of Billboard magazine’s Catalog Albums chart and remains the world’s best-selling reggae album. Marley’s accolades include inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1994) and ASCAP Songwriters Hall of Fame (2010), a GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award (2001), multiple entries in the GRAMMY® Hall Of Fame, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2001).  For more information visit: bobmarley.com and facebook.com/bobmarley.

The set listing for the BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS – EASY SKANKING IN BOSTON ’78 CD:

1. Slave Driver
2. Burnin' and Lootin
3. Them Belly Full
4. The Heathen
5. Rebel Music
6. I Shot the Sheriff
7. Easy Skanking
8. No Woman, No Cry
9. Lively Up Yourself
10. Jammin'
11. War/No More Trouble
12. Get Up Stand Up
13. Exodus

TRT: 1:15:17

The set listing for the BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS – EASY SKANKING IN BOSTON ’78 Blu-Ray/DVD:

1. Rebel Music
2. I Shot the Sheriff
3. No Woman, No Cry
4. Lively Up Yourself
5. Jamming
6. War/No More Trouble
7. Exodus

TRT approx. 46min

The complete list of the performers on BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS – EASY SKANKING IN BOSTON ‘78 :

Bob Marley - vocals, guitar
Carlton Barrett – drums
Aston Barrett – bass
Marcia Griffiths - backup vocals
Rita Marley - backup vocals
Judy Mowatt - backup vocals
Tyrone Downie – keyboards
Alvin Patterson – percussion
Julian Marvin - lead guitar

****

Robben Ford - INTO THE SUN - Coming March 31

 

GUITAR LEGEND ROBBEN FORD’S NEW ALBUM INTO THE SUN

 CAPTURES HIS CONTEMPORARY SONGWRITING MASTERY

To Be Released Via Mascot Label Group On March 31^st  

Guest Appearances By Blues Icon Keb’ Mo’, Vocalist ZZ Ward,  

And Fellow Guitar Heroes Warren Haynes, Sonny Landreth,  

Robert Randolph and Tyler Bryant 

February 5, 2015 - Guitar virtuoso Robben Ford’s forthcoming new album Into The Sun (Mascot Label Group) shines a bright light on his artful, contemporary songwriting and the stunning playing that’s made him a favorite foil of Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, George Harrison and other legends.

The five-time Grammy nominee describes the 11-song set as “one of the top recordings I’ve ever done” — a staggering observation considering his extensive discography, which embraces more than 35 albums under his own name and with his various bands. There’s also Ford’s session and sideman work, which includes hundreds of concert appearances and albums by Bonnie Raitt, Barbara Streisand, Charlie Musselwhite, KISS, Ruthie Foster, Jimmy Witherspoon and Rickie Lee Jones. 

Into The Sun, which follows last year’s critically acclaimed A Day In Nashville and 2013’s Bringing It Back Home, explores the breadth of Ford’s sophisticated, visionary writing and playing, creating a new chapter in his brilliant musical history. The album features a coterie of guests: Allman Brothers guitarist and Gov’t Mule frontman Warren Haynes on “High Heels And Throwing Things,” slide guitar guru Sonny Landreth on “So Long 4 U,” Americana and blues icon Keb’ Mo’ and pedal steel wizard Robert Randolph on “Justified,” vocal sensation ZZ Ward on “Breath Of Me," and along with gritty Southern rock newcomer Tyler Bryant on “Stone Cold Heaven.” Niko Bolas, whose credits include Neil Young, John Mayer and Keith Richards, engineered.

“The album is really upbeat,” Ford relates. “It has a positive vibe to it — a good time feel. There are a lot of different rhythms and colors and the way the instruments are used is really different on this. It makes me very happy to have something so diverse.”

Although Ford’s recent releases have been hailed as returns to his musical roots — which go back to his discovery of blues as a teenager in the 1960s – Into The Sun is a clear departure, using tradition as a springboard to incorporate his timeless vocabulary of jazz, pop, blues and rock into a modern framework for his poetic lyrics and the most graceful, emotionally nuanced and melodic vocal performances of his career. 

“This album is obviously of these times,” Ford says. “And the rule during the recording process was to have no lid on things. I’ve worked very hard to master my craft as a musician and a songwriter, but other than relying on my strengths in those areas, I made sure there was room for new ideas and everything my collaborators brought to the music. When you’re open to different concepts and approaches, the most beautiful things can happen.”

All of the music and most of the lyrics from Into The Sun came directly from Ford, but he also collaborated with ZZ Ward on “Breath Of Me” and enlisted the enigmatic Kyle Swan, whose own recordings liberally mix images and styles to build articulate modernist-pop tone poems. That quality reverberates in the four songs Ford co-wrote with Swan, married to the guitar giant’s own deep commitment to narrative. “Working with Kyle was part of my desire to toss up everything and see what might happen, to get a fresh perspective,” says Ford. 

“Justified” is a sheer gas with Keb’ Mo’ and Ford trading tongue-in-cheek vocal lines as Randolph adds soaring pedal steel punctuation over Jim Cox’s purposefully wobbly honky tonk piano. 

Into The Sun was recorded by Bolas, a collaborator of Ford’s since his all-instrumental 1997 album Tiger Walk. “Niko is simply the best tracking engineer I’ve ever encountered,” says Ford. “He gets great sounds instantly.” All the better to capture Ford’s glorious guitar tones, this time derived from four of his go-to instruments: a pair of Gibson SG’s from 1963 and 1964, his beloved 1960 Telecaster and his Gibson B-25 acoustic. As he’s done on every album he’s made since 1983, Ford used a Dumble Overdrive Special amplifier. 

“For me,” Ford says, “it’s all about the art. If you work hard at something you’re going to get better. I honestly think I reached a point with my writing on Into The Sun where I could just go with the flow and bring some of the best songs I’ve ever created to life.”

Ford already has an impressive number of shows lined up to support the album, both in America and overseas. In addition to a lengthy list of tour dates, another notable upcoming appearance will be Robben Ford’s Traveling Dojo Guitar Camp at the elegantly rustic Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, NY in the Catskill Forest Preserve (about 30 miles west of Woodstock) from August 31-September 4, 2015.  Ford will host guitar enthusiasts and guitarists of all skill levels for this once in a lifetime opportunity.

In addition to his robust profile as a world-class musician, Ford is a highly sought-after educator with a series of acclaimed and groundbreaking interactive videos presented on a variety of formats including disks, downloads and mobile apps.  This Traveling Dojo Guitar Camp will include master classes, one-on-one sessions, landmark live performances with sit-in opportunities, and all-inclusive meal options and lodging accommodations.  Ford will be joined by special guest guitar virtuoso John Jorgenson; as well as Ford’s ace rhythm section (Brian Allen on bass and Wes Little on drums), who will conduct master classes on groove, time, and pocket; and Ford’s friend and trusted guitar tech, Rick Wheeler, a jazz virtuoso, will also conduct sessions on jazz guitar.  One of the most thrilling aspects of the Traveling Dojo Guitar Camp will be hearing these complimentary talents make music together.  A 10% discount off camp registrations is available through February 14.  To get more details on the camp and/or to register, visit: http://www.robbenfordguitarcamp.com/

ROBBEN FORD - INTO THE SUN Track Listing

1. Rose Of Sharon

2. Day Of The Planets

3. Howlin’ At The Moon

4. Rainbow Cover

5. Justified (with Keb’ Mo’ & Robert Randolph)

6. Breath Of Me (with ZZ Ward)

7. High Heels And Throwing Things (with Warren Haynes)

8. Cause Of War

9. So Long 4 U (with Sonny Landreth)

10. Same Train

11. Stone Cold Heaven (with Tyler Bryant)

ROBBEN FORD - INTO THE SUN EPK:

http://youtu.be/9Ud7A8OrU4Q

ROBBEN FORD – TOUR DATES

Feb. 17-21 - Miami, FL / Key West, FL / Nassau, Bahamas - Keeping The Blues Alive Cruise

Feb. 22 - Clearwater, FL - Clearwater Sea Blues Festival - Coachman Park

March 13 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Stadttheater (with hr-Bigband)

March 14 - Rüsselsheim, Germany - Theater (with hr-Bigband)

ROBBEN FORD – INTO THE SUN - 2015 TOUR DATES

April 10 - Ft. Worth, TX - Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival

April 11 - Oklahoma City, OK - Academy of Contemporary Music

April 12 - Kansas City, MO - Knuckleheads Saloon

April 14 - Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center

April 15 - Milwaukee, WI - Shank Hall

April 16 - Evanston, IL - SPACE

April 17 - Columbus, OH - Woodlands Park Street Saloon

April 18 - Pittsburgh, PA - Rex Theater

April 19 - Sellersville, PA - Sellersville Theater

April 21 - Syracuse, NY - Wescott Theatre

April 22 - Londonderry, NH - Tupelo Music Hall

April 23 - Fall River, MA - Narrow Center For The Arts

April 24 - Beacon, NY - Towne Crier

April 25 - Norfolk, VA - Infinity Hall

April 26 - New York, NY - City Winery

April 29 - London, England - O2 Academy Islington

April 30 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - North Sea Jazz Club

May 1 - Breda, Netherlands - Mezz Concerts & Dance

May 2 - Groningen, Netherlands - Rhythm n Blues Night

May 5 - Leuven, Belgium - Het Depot

May 8 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Tollhaus

May 9 - Hamburg, Germany - Fabrik

May 10 - Cologne, Germany - Kantine

May 12 - Munich, Germany - Technikum

May 18 - Zvecan, Kosovo - North City Jazz and Blues Festival

               Kosovska Mitrovica - Cultural Centre “Trepca"

May 20 - Zurich, Switzerland - Kaufleuten Festival

May 30 & 31 - Oakland, CA - Yoshi’s at Jack London Square

June 2 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theatre

June 3 - Seattle, WA - The Triple Door

June 26 - Carpentras, France - Auzon Le Blues

Additional dates to be announced soon…

Leo "Bud" Welch, 82-year-old Mississippi bluesman, readies second-ever album for March 24 release.

82-YEAR-OLD MISSISSIPPI BLUESMAN LEO “BUD” WELCH RAISES SONIC HELL ON HIS RAUCOUS SECOND ALBUM FOR BIG LEGAL MESS RECORDS Garage-rock flavored I Don’t Prefer No Blues features guests Jimbo Mathus and Sharde Thomas, and production by Bruce Watson. Street date is March 24. BRUCE, Miss. — At age 82, bluesman Leo “Bud” Welch rocks on stage like a teenager — dancing and spinning as he beats out jagged chords and grimy solos on his pink, sparkle-covered guitar. That raw youthful energy and Welch’s old-school juke-joint jones blend full-throttle in the 10 songs on I Don’t Prefer No Blues, his second release for Fat Possum Records’ subsidiary Big Legal Mess. The album is a garage-blues manifesto that weds waves of prickly six-string distortion and gutbucket drums with Welch’s smoke-and-ash voice and mud-crusted guitar — and lives up to Fat Possum’s history of producing edgy but deeply rooted recordings by artists like Junior Kimbrough and R.L. Burnside. I Don’t Prefer No Blues, due out March 24, 2015 on Big Legal Mess, is the follow-up to last year’s Sabougla Voices, an all-gospel disc that marked Welch’s debut as both a recording artist and a songwriter. That album was heralded as a fresh breath of rust-bearing air — a throwback to an era of rural music free from outside influences and a reminder that blues-fueled primitivism is still personified by a handful of living Southern artists. I Don’t Prefer No Blues is what the preacher at Welch’s church said when he found out Welch was making a blues album. “Up until Sabougla Voices came out, I had only played spirituals in the church and in tents for about 50 years,” Welch explains. But these days Welch does prefer blues. Playing blues on stage since Sabougla Voices’ release has proven transformative for the octogenarian resident of Bruce, Mississippi. He’s toured parts of the U.S. and Europe, and played for audiences of all ages at international festivals and such prestigious events as the Americana Music Association Festival and Conference in Nashville. “I’m doing things I never thought I’d do,” Welch relates. “I never thought I’d get to play outside of Mississippi or travel to other countries. Now I’m playing for all kinds of people and seeing the world. Just so, the first time I had to go on a plane I thought they’d have to blindfold me, knock me out and tie me up to get me on board. I’m also keeping all my bills paid up to date, which I couldn’t before.” Getting on board for his first blues album was easier. Big Legal Mess owner and house producer Bruce Watson took the wheel, steering Welch into crunching, genre-blending sonic and creative territory. “The deal I made with Leo was the first record would be gospel and the second would be blues,” Watson says. “Honestly, I was just trying to do something different than your typical blues record — trying to f--k things up a bit. I think I succeeded.” That’s clear from the opening cut, a take on the traditional “Poor Boy.” The tune, which is the sole track produced by Mississippi neo-trad firebrand Jimbo Mathus, frames Welch’s scorched-oak singing with a rattling drum kit, upright bass, a choir and the angelic voice of Sharde Thomas — a doyenne of ancient Mississippi music who inherited the Rising Star Fife & Drum Band from her late grandfather Othar Turner. The contrast between the innocence in Thomas’ honeyed tones and the weathered experience in Welch’s woof antes up the drama that’s maintained throughout I Don’t Prefer No Blues. Mathus also added clangorous guitar to the album. “Girl in the Holler” thrives on his and Welch’s angular, dueling riffs. And Mathus provides psychedelic fuzz for the Watson-penned “I Don’t Know Her Name,” where Welch literally barks for his would-be lady like a lusty dog.   Welch’s “So Many Turnrows” is about his many years plowing behind a mule during his youth and young manhood. “I grew up on a farm and had to walk two miles to school in the rain and mud,” he recounts. “Most of the time we didn’t have no money from March to November, when the crops came in, but I made it through eighth grade and then I started plowing mule and hoeing cotton.” Welch worked as a logger for the 35 years before he retired in 1995. “I stood next to that chain saw all day, so that’s why I don’t hear too good.” Which explains the consistently raw, buzzing volume of Welch’s guitar, both live and on I Don’t Prefer No Blues, where his guitar colors even the blues classics “Sweet Black Angel” and “Cadillac Baby” with a patina of rock ’n’ roll overdrive. “Playing guitar is my favorite ‘like,’ ” Welch says. “I learned by hearing records by Jimmy Reed, B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters … and I saw them when they came through Bruce. I once even had a chance to audition for B.B. King’s band, but I didn’t have the bus fare to get to Memphis.” “Right now is a great point in my life,” Welch continues. “I’m doing things I’ve never been able to do before and I feel good doing them at an age when a lot of people are dead. So as long as I can I want to go around the world trying to send satisfaction to people. Doing that is a great feeling to me.” ###

RED HOUSE RECORDS - catch our artists at Folk Alliance International 2015

 

Albert Cummings Completes New Recording!

NOTED GUITARIST ALBERT CUMMINGS COMPLETES NEW ALBUM "He attacks his axe with unbridled ferocity and deep soulfulness; his depth and expression are matched only by his terrifying technique and tone." - Guitar One Guitarist Albert Cummings has wrapped recording in Los Angeles on his latest album for Blind Pig Records.  The as-yet-untitled CD by the popular guitar slinger from Massachusetts is scheduled to be released early this summer. The album was produced by Grammy-winner David Z (Buddy Guy, Prince, Jonny Lang, Gov't Mule) at Clear Lake Audio.  Said Z, “Albert Cummings writes, plays and sings the blues like nobody else.  What a blast to watch him jell in the studio with some of the best musicians in Los Angeles.” Standing, l. to r.: Jimmy Vivino, David Z, Mike Finnegan (keyboards), Reggie McBride (bass)  Seated, l. to r.: Tony Braunagel (drums), Albert Cummings One of those musicians was Blind Pig labelmate and leader of The Basic Cable Band on the Conan TV show, Jimmy Vivino.  Jimmy recalled first seeing Albert: “One Wednesday night I saw a flyer that said this guy Albert Cummings was coming on Saturday night to play with Tommy Shannon and George Raines .... If this Texas tornado of a rhythm section was playing, this guy must be the real deal ... So I went to see them.   Of course it was the real deal and undiluted and dripping with Soul and Blues.... Real Blues." "Albert and I became fast friends and have stayed in touch since. That was 5 years ago.   When I found out they were cutting a couple of blocks from my home I called David Z and said "Tell Albert I am there whenever he says!"   And he 'said' and I 'went' and it was great!!” This album marks Albert’s return to the Blind Pig label, which released three highly acclaimed albums by him beginning in 2004.   Billboard called Albert “a blues star who has arrived. Cummings' guitar work is sizzling."   His recordings are consistent Blind Pig best sellers in the digital realm, especially his 2008 live album, Feel So Good, which Music Connection called "one of the best live albums recorded in a long time."   One particular fan favorite has been his medley entitled “Hoochie Coochie Man/Dixie Chicken.” Guitar Edge said of the album, "The blues is best served up live, with an enthusiastic audience and a killin' band, and that's exactly what guitarist Albert Cummings does, driving his audience to frenzy in all the right places," while Blurt called it "the perfect showcase for the fiery guitarist's axe-handling skills and enormous onstage charisma." Cummings sounded very enthused about the new project and the L.A. recording process when he said, "I'm tremendously excited about this CD and the team of people that worked on this project. It was such a pleasure to also work with David Z and Jimmy Vivino and so exciting to share their excitement about the potential this record has."

Eliza Neals - Breaking And Entering - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Breaking and Entering, from Eliza Neals. Opening with Detroit Drive, a stripped down blues rocker featuring Neals on vocals and Howard Glazer on dobro and Eric Maluchnik on drums, Neals sets the tempo for this newest release. Title track, Breaking And Entering has a slow bluesy feel featuring Glazer laying down some heavy grinding electric guitar, Tim Grogan on drums, and Paul Randolph on bass. Neals' vocals are soulful and silky smooth, gritty and everything in between. Jekyll And A Hound is a radio style track featuring Neals on vocal and Rhodes piano with a catchy melody and some particularly cool guitar riffs from Mike Puwal. Goo Goo Glass has a cool rock groove and cool slide work from Glazer. Gabe Gonzales hits the drums and Paul Randolph lays down a nice bass line. Another strong radio track, You, features a particularly nice melody and lead guitar from Kenny Olson. Pretty Gritty is a snappy rocker featuring Neals on lead vocal, piano and B3. With a light power pop reference I want to say think Veruca Salt. Puwal rips a pretty nice guitar solo icing this one. Southern Comfort has a bit of a blended R&B country sound with angelic vocal backing and whirling guitar work from Olson. Windshield Wipers is another track with strong radio characteristics. I really like the guitar phrasing by Glazer and Neals' vocal blending. Sugar Daddy has an early R&B rock feel. With Tyrone Smith on organ and sax, Chris Vega on bass, Shane Visbal on guitar and Michael Galante on drums, this is my favorite track on the release. I'm The Girl is a straight forward pop rocker with some funky guitar work from Puwal. Spinning has a real nice heavy saturated guitar intro by Glazer and Neals vocals are gritty and solid. Wrapping the release is a radio edit version of the earlier 7 minute version of the title track. Nice conclusion to this release.

  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”

 

Big Chief Dollis has passed. Our thoughts are with his friends and family

Big Chief Theodore “Bo” Dollis, who led the Wild Magnolia tribe for several decades and whose gritty voice helped introduce Mardi Gras Indian music to a worldwide audience, has died. He was 71.
His death was announced Tuesday by the Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame.
“It is with profound sadness that I must inform you of our newest ancestor. Big Chief Theodore ‘Bo’ Dollis passed this morning,” reads a message posted to the Hall of Fame’s Facebook page. “His wife, Big Queen Laurita Dollis, has requested prayers for the family and his soul at this time. Please honor her request and refrain from calls and text messages as she prepares for his public life celebration.”
Dollis was born in New Orleans in 1944 and raised in Central City. He was fascinated by the Indian tribes in his neighborhood from a young age and masked for the first time at age 14. According to published reports, Dollis made his suit at a friend’s home because he didn’t want his family to know he had become involved with the Indians, who were often associated with violence at the time.
He became chief of the Wild Magnolias in 1964 and held the position until poor health led him to hand over the reins to his son, Gerard “Bo Jr.,” a few years ago.


Dollis’ elaborate costumes and energy brought throngs of admirers to watch his “gang” take to the streets on Super Sunday each March.
“When you saw him in his Indian suit, you saw a man truly in his glory. He would electrify people around him,” said Dow Edwards, a “spy boy” for the Mohawk Hunters tribe. “You could look at the eyes of the people who were waiting, and you knew the ones who had been there before because you could see the expectation that they had. There was something special about him.”


A musical pioneer, Dollis expanded the reach of the Mardi Gras Indian sound by recording traditional chants and blending them with funk and rhythm-and-blues music. The Wild Magnolias performed at the first New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 1970.
With Dollis as lead vocalist, the Wild Magnolias recorded several albums, including “The Wild Magnolias” in 1974 and “They Call Us Wild” in 1975.
“Bo Dollis created the soundtrack to Mardi Gras with the Mardi Gras Indian sound,” Big Chief Juan Pardo of the Gold Comanche tribe said.
Dollis may be best known for his raw vocals, exemplified in the Mardi Gras classic “Handa Wanda,” which opens with Dollis’ powerful shout.
Dollis and the Wild Magnolias are credited with bringing the unique sound of the Mardi Gras Indians to an international audience with performances in London, Berlin and Nice, France. Dollis also led the group in performances at Carnegie Hall in New York and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C.
“He was the first to take Mardi Gras Indian music around the world,” said Pardo, who now performs worldwide with an Indian band. “He awakened the world to what was happening here in New Orleans with the Mardi Gras Indian sound and basically laid a path. I could not do what I go around the world to do had he not done what he’s done.”
Dollis was named a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellow in 2011.
He is survived by his wife and son.

 Jaquetta White| jwhite@theadvocate.com

  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”