Eva Cassidy's Complete 1996 Blues Alley Concert--Arrives on December 11 from Blix Street Records

NIGHTBIRD-EVA CASSIDY'S 'COMPLETE BLUES ALLEY' 20TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION ARRIVES DECEMBER 11 IN THE U.S. FROM BLIX STREET RECORDS RE-MASTERED TWO-CD SET FEATURES 12 PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED RECORDINGS, INCLUDING 8 NEVER-BEFORE-HEARD SONGS PERFORMED BY THE LATE SINGER

ONE NIGHT, ONE TAKE (JANUARY 3, 1996)

"She possessed a silken soprano voice with a wide and seemingly effortless range, unerring pitch and a gift for phrasing that at times was heart-stoppingly eloquent."   --The New York Times

Eva Cassidy, the late singer whose signature version of "Over the Rainbow" underscored the In Memoriam portion of the 2015 Emmy broadcast, is remembered in NIGHTBIRD-a two-CD set that affords everyone the opportunity to experience Eva's tour de force performance at the Blues Alley jazz club in Washington, D.C. on January 3, 1996.  Arriving on December 11, the double CD version will be followed several weeks later by the release of a four-LP gatefold heavyweight vinyl album. The Blues Alley performances were recorded for what was to become the only solo Eva Cassidy album released during her lifetime. The original LIVE AT BLUES ALLEY album (first released locally in D.C. during the spring of 1996) only included 12 of the 31 songs recorded that night. 20 years later, the remastered NIGHTBIRD includes all 31 songs she performed that night, among them 12 previously unreleased recordings and 8 never-before-heard songs performed by the late singer. Eva's wide musical range is showcased in songs such as "Nightbird," "Blue Skies," "Son Of A Preacher Man," "Route 66," "Late In The Evening," "Baby I Love You" and "Caravan." Blix Street's UK label is releasing NIGHTBIRD as a limited edition 2-CD plus bonus DVD package, as well as a 4-LP gatefold heavyweight vinyl package that also includes the 2-CD and DVD package on November 13. The accompanying PAL-format DVD will contain 12 video performances recorded during the Blues Alley concert. Eva Cassidy outside the Blues Alley jazz club in the Georgetown section of Washington, DC After cashing in a small pension from her job at a tree nursery to pay for the recording of the Blues Alley appearance, Eva and her band-bassist Chris Biondo, pianist Lenny Williams, lead guitarist Keith Grimes and drummer Raice McLeod-took to the Blues Alley stage with modest hopes. "We thought we'd get airplay and sell a thousand copies so Eva could put some money toward a PA system," explains Biondo in the upcoming documentary, One Night That Changed Everything that celebrates the Blues Alley 20th anniversary. (NOTE: In the film by British television director Attracta McLaughlin, Eva's band revisits the Blues Alley venue to view performance videos from the night with then and now perspectives). Nobody imagined that the audio and video recordings captured that night would prove to be the foundation of Eva Cassidy's unparalleled posthumous international success.  Many of Eva's included signature interpretations recorded that night have become fan-favorites, including "Fields Of Gold," "People Get Ready," "Ain't No Sunshine," "What A Wonderful World" and "Autumn Leaves." Blues Alley footage of Eva performing "Over The Rainbow" propelled Eva's SONGBIRD album to the top of the UK album chart in 2001, after it was broadcast (and re-broadcast following a wave of phone calls, emails and letters from viewers) on Top of the Pops2 on BBC2. The UK chart-topper fueled a feeding frenzy within the U.S. media, including a half hour piece on ABC News Nightline that was rebroadcast three additional times in the ensuing years. By the end of 2001, SONGBIRD had been certified triple-platinum in England (for sales of more than 900,000) and Gold in the U.S. (more than 500,000 units); the album, now six times platinum in England and platinum in the U.S., eventually hit No. 1 on Billboard's Internet Albums chart and topped the publication's Pop Catalog survey for 32 weeks. Subsequent releases include: TIME AFTER TIME (2000); two additional U.K. chart toppers, IMAGINE(2002) and AMERICAN TUNE (2003)--in the U.S., the former climbed to No. 1 on Billboard's Independent Albums survey, the latter to No. 5--the 2004 compilation WONDERFUL WORLD; SOMEWHERE (2008); SIMPLY EVA (2011), an album of alternative Eva-only guitar and vocal performances; and THE BEST OF EVA CASSIDY, in 2012. Now comes NIGHTBIRD, the complete Blues Alley album, which includes all 31 songs recorded on the night of January 3, 1996. The NIGHTBIRD album concludes with Eva's studio recording of "Oh, Had I A Golden Thread," also a bonus track on the original LIVE AT BLUES ALLEY album. On first listen to the Blues Alley recordings Eva was disappointed. She had been suffering from a cold and thought her singing below par. Fortunately for music lovers everywhere, once she heard the final mixes, Eva was persuaded by her band-mates to allow the original LIVE AT BLUES ALLEY album to be released--with one condition--that the album end with "Oh, Had I A Golden Thread," a performance she was particularly proud of. The night of January 3, 1996 proved to be the high point of Eva Cassidy's tragically short career as a performer... and the beginning of her legendary posthumous career as a recording artist. Within 10 months of Blues Alley she was gone, having been diagnosed with melanoma by mid-year. Bill Straw, president of Eva's posthumous label, independent Blix Street Records, heard the original LIVE AT BLUES ALLEY album in late September of 1996, shortly before Eva died. "By the time I finished listening to the album, I had heard one of the best singers ever," he recalls. "I knew she was going to be famous, but also knew she would not live to enjoy it. I drove around listening to Eva's music for months before finally contacting her parents about marketing their daughter's music." A year following Cassidy's untimely passing, Blix Street (then in LA, now in the Seattle area) entered into an agreement with her parents Hugh and Barbara Cassidy to compile and market the singer's catalogue. In 1998, Blix Street initially released SONGBIRD (a collection of tracks from the original LIVE AT BLUES ALLEY and the EVA BY HEART studio albums, plus "Over the Rainbow" from the 1992 THE OTHER SIDE duet album with Chuck Brown).  Later that year, Blix Street re-issued LIVE AT BLUES ALLEY and EVA BY HEART, which had been released locally by Eva's parents in late 1997, a year following Eva's passing. SONGBIRD received immediate critical acclaim in various markets around the world.  Sales grew steadily in the U.S., U.K. and Australia, but it took almost three years to reach a tipping point. In December, 2000, NPR included an Eva Cassidy segment on the Morning Edition radio program in America (and within minutes five Eva Cassidy albums soared to the top 5 positions of the Amazon US Pop Chart) and the Top of the Pops2 television program in England aired Eva's "Over the Rainbow" performance video from Blues Alley, sending SONGBIRD to the top of the British album charts in March, 2001. Compiling the 31 Blues Alley performances into one NIGHTBIRD album was a daunting task for Straw. "I have had the privilege of compiling eight Eva Cassidy albums, beginning with SONGBIRD. In each instance, the luxury of Eva's considerable catalogue, from various sources, served the basic premise that less is more. The challenge of an album containing 31 tracks is the polar opposite...would more be less? Fortunately, more turned out to be much more. The first listening to all 31 tracks in one sitting was an inspiring experience. Beginning at Capitol Records in the late 60's, I had heard out-takes from the best of the best...but had never before heard anything that approached the sheer consistent vocal excellence of these 31 one-take, all on one night, performances." * * * * *

NIGHTBIRD, the 'Complete Blues Alley' 20th Anniversary Collection will be released on December 11 on Blix Street Records. The tracks are: Disc 1 1. Blue Skies 2. Ain't Doin' Too Bad 3. Ain't No Sunshine 4. Fields of Gold 5. Baby I Love You 6. Honeysuckle Rose 7. Route 66 8. Bridge Over Troubled Water 9. Eva introduces the band 10. Chain Of Fools 11. Fever 12. Autumn Leaves 13 Fine And Mellow 14. Cheek To Cheek 15. Don't Mean A Thing 16. Late In The Evening 17. Next Time You See Me 18. Waly Waly       Disc 2 19. Take Me To The River 20. Nightbird 21. People Get Ready 22. The Letter 23. Son Of A Preacher Man 24. Stormy Monday 25. Tall Trees In Georgia 26. Something's Got A Hold Of Me 27. Time After Time 28. Over The Rainbow 29. You're Welcome To The Club 30. Caravan 31. You've Changed 32. What a Wonderful World 33. Oh Had I A Golden Thread

Eva Cassidy performs "Nightbird," the title track of the new album, during the Blues Alley concert on January 3, 1996:

Pre-order at www.amazon.com  Visit: www.blixstreet.com           www.evacassidy.com For media information and music, contact:    Sharon Weisz, W3 Public Relations w3pr@yahoo.com   323-934-2700 www.w3publicrelations.com

Delta Groove Music artist: Andy Santana & the West Coast Playboys - Watch Your Step - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Watch Your Step, from Andy Santana & the West Coast Playboys and it's a mover! Opening with Fran and West 50's R&B track, Knock Knock,Santana delivers with a full New Orleans swing. Bob Welsh handles piano in fine form, joined by Anthony Paule on guitar, Kid Andersen bass, Robi Bean takes on the drums and Frankie Ramos hits a hot sax solo. Very nice! Bobby Parker's Watch Your Step has a cool Latin rhythm and Santana carries lead vocal and some really tasty lead guitar. Kid Andersen kits the sax on this track adding some key lines and Nate Ginsberg handles the keys. Dave Bartholomew's swing boogie, Playgirl is a really nice track to feature the fine harp work of Santana. He also takes a great lead guitar solo on this track backed by Kid Andersen as well as Mike McCurdy on bass and Robi Bean on drums. Hot track! ZZ Hills R&B track, One Way Love Affair had some real nice dynamics compliments of Eric Spaulding on sax, Jack Sanford on bari and Manny Angel on trumpet. Santana again takes center stage on guitar laying down some really gritty lead riffs backed by Rusty Zinn. Ginsberg is back on B3 and Mike Phillips lays down some real nice bass lines. Hi steppin R&B track, Love Sickness, penned by Bonny Rice features Bob Welsh on lead guitar Lorenzo Farrell on B3, Phillips on bass, and D'Mar on drums but it's the groove that pumps this track. Gill and Jones', up tempo jump boogie track, You May Not Know, features solid vocals by Santana and again he gets a fine opportunity to hit the harp. Welsh on piano and warm vocal backing by Lisa Leu Andersen add a solid middle as Paule hits it hard on lead guitar solo. Rick Estrin track, No Double Talk, has a 60's rock feel with wild guitar effects from Kid Andersen and keys by Welsh. Chuck Willis' super nice slow blues number, Can't You See, features Santana on some of his strongest vocals and Paule steps up on lead guitar. Farrell's B3 work compliments Paule's extremely tasty guitar riffs with B3 warmth, Welsh pulls out some strong piano lines, Phillips riding on bass and June Core keeps the drums low and tight. Phillips really drives rocker, Take Me Back,on bass and Santana shows his guitar flash once again with cool retro guitar riffs. Very cool! Funky Greaseland, is a cool instrumental with Santana, Paule, Mighty Mike Schermer and Welsh each taking turns at lead guitar. Santana even takes an interesting Moog interlude on this one. Phillips plays a pretty plucky bass line and Core holds down the bottom on drums. Very nice! One of my favorite tracks on the release, You Smell Like Cookies, a straight up Chicago style shuffle. Jammin the harp balanced against Welsh on piano and featuring Paule on lead guitar, this track is really sweet! What's Wrong? has some really interesting components over a basic blues rocker including some cool keyboard tones from Farrell and and surf machine gun guitar from Andersen. Wrapping the release is another Dave Bartholomew R&B track, Go On Fool. A country style guitar riff by Andersen and a hot sax solo by Ramos gives it flair and Spaulding, Sanford and Angel on horns and LL Andersen on percussion and shouts give it a bit of a New Orleans finish. Cool closer to a very enjoyable 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”

 

Eric Bibb & JJ Milteau Hit Paydirt on New "Lead Belly's Gold" CD, Coming November 6 on Stony Plain Records

Eric Bibb & JJ Milteau Hit Paydirt on New Lead Belly’s Gold CD, Coming November 6 on Stony Plain Records

New Album Includes Live Tracks Recorded at Famed Parisian Jazz Club, The Sunset, Plus New Studio Recordings

EDMONTON, AB – Stony Plain Records announces a November 6 release date for Lead Belly’s Gold, the new album tribute to the legendary blues and folk musician from award-winning roots musician Eric Bibb and acclaimed French harmonica player JJ Milteau. Lead Belly’s Gold features 11 live tracks recorded at famed Paris jazz club, The Sunset, as well as five new studio recordings.

“It’s hard to remember when I first heard Lead Belly’s music because, somehow, he’s always been around,” writes Eric Bibb’s in the album’s liner notes. “Most likely, I heard recordings of others (The Weavers and Woody Guthrie) singing songs from his huge repertoire before hearing his actual voice. In any case, I have an early memory from the mid-1950s of listening to a recording of Lead Belly singing a children’s song, ‘Ha Ha This-a-Way’. At that time, my dad, Leon, was beginning to make his name known in New York City folk music circles. He recently told me he remembered hearing Lead Belly perform at The Village Vanguard in the late 1940s.

So, the soundtrack of my childhood included more than a few of the great bard’s songs. The sound of his 12-string guitar is part of my DNA.

“What I hear now, when I listen to Lead Belly’s recordings and YouTube clips, and what I must have sensed when I was a boy, is the man’s personal power and independence. His sound made it clear that he was his own man. The fatalism and resignation that I heard later in the voices of many of my prewar blues heroes was missing in Lead Belly. He was way ahead of his time. The path he cut through a world that conspired to rob him of his humanity, dignity and manhood was a personal triumph that will inspire for generations to come,” adds Bibb.

Indeed, the music of Huddie Ledbetter (aka “Lead Belly”) that he either wrote or popularized from traditional songs, resonated with everyone from folk and blues musicians of the 1940s/1950s, to rock and roll artists starting in the 1960s/1970s and continuing to the present day. Songs like “Midnight Special” became a part of the set lists of such rock acts as Creedence Clearwater Revival and Johnny Rivers, to name a few; while classic tunes “Good Night Irene” and “Rock Island Line” were staples in the repertoire of folkies such as The Weavers and Woodie Guthrie, and blues performers still regularly record and perform songs associated with Lead Belly.

“Endowed with an uncommon talent, he generated around his person a sense of fraternity that awarded him the protective help of the Lomaxes, favored artistic collaborations with Pete Seeger and other liberals in the 1940s, and aroused the empathy of the young audiences he loved to entertain,” states JJ Milteau.

“Yet his main claim to fame is linked to his personal power and conviction as an interpreter. No one is left unscathed by Lead Belly’s voice, by the sound of his guitar, both distant and familiar. Only great artists showcase such timelessness while chronicling their times.

“Working with Eric on this project has been a real treat. Each and every song came to us in a natural and spontaneous way. The majority of titles present on this album were recorded live, with or without an audience, in order to preserve this freshness. I’m looking forward to more stage performances around this project,” Milteau says.

Lead Belly’s Gold features both material from the Lead Belly canon, as well as original songs written by Eric Bibb and JJ Milteau as a salute to their mentor. Additional musicians on the album include Larry Crockett - drums and percussion; Big Daddy Wilson and Michael Robinson - backing vocals; Gilles Michel – bass; Glen Scott - drums, bass and Wurlitzer; and Michael Jerome Browne - 12-string guitar and mandolin.

“Lead Belly was a human jukebox,” summarizes Eric Bibb. “He knew hundreds of songs that he’d either heard somewhere and adapted, or written himself. Authorship of many of the songs he sang has long been a controversial topic of heated debate in folk music circles. What is clear is this: if not for Lead Belly and the collectors who first recorded him, we might never have heard many of these timeless songs.

“Jean-Jacques and I chose songs from Lead Belly’s vast repertoire that we could make our own. We wanted to pay homage to not only a great musician, but to the rich tradition he embodied. Staying pretty close to his renditions, we had a lot of fun collaborating on these new arrangements.

“Lead Belly spread his music by performing live in front of mostly smaller audiences and recordings. We decided that the energy from a small, enthusiastic audience would help us dive deep into the songs. Fortunately, our good friend Stéphane at The Sunset, a famous Parisian jazz club, was happy to make his venue available. We also took a few songs from those club recordings and augmented them in the studio, as well as including some original, new studio tracks. The result is this album, Lead Belly’s Gold.”

Lead Belly’s Gold Album Track Listing

1.      Grey Goose - 5:30

2.      When That Train Comes Along / Swing Low, Sweet Chariot - 3:59

3.      On A Monday - 2:52

4.      The House Of The Rising Sun - 3:30

5.      Midnight Special - 3:58

6.      Bring A Little Water, Sylvie - 3:18

7.      Where Did You Sleep Last Night - 3:27

8.      When I Get To Dallas - 1:41

9.      Pick A Bale Of Cotton - 2:57

10.  Goodnight, Irene - 3:39

11.  Rock Island Line - 3:53

12.  Bourgeois Blues - 3:21

13.  Chauffeur Blues - 2:52

14.  Stewball - 3:29

15.  Titanic - 3:03

16.  Swimmin' In A River Of Songs - 3:23

1-11 Live Recording / 12-16 Studio Recording

www.ericbibb.net / www.jjmilteau.net / www.stonyplainrecords.com

Landslide Records artist: Webb Wilder - Mississippi Moderne - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Mississippi Moderne, from Webb Wilder and it's super! Opening with a short intro, Stones In My Pathway, is a super heavy, swampy, bluesy track. If this was recorded in the early times of Son House or Lightnin' it would still sound gritty and super honest. Excellent! Rough and Tumble Guy is up next, a boogie woogie rocker with a great rhythm track. Wilder takes the lead on some rowdy guitar backed by Jimmy Lester on drums, Tom Comet rompin the bass and Bob Williams on guitar. Excellent! If It Ain't Broke, (Don't Fix It) has a much more rural and laid back feel but with just a touch of funk...boogie if you will. Backing vocals by the McCrary Sisters, Williams and Comet give it a homey feel but Wilder's vocals keep it edgy. Very nice! Only A Fool has a euro pop sound with an easy hook. Not the voice but the style, think the kinks, Todd or E. Costello. The Kinks, I Gotta Move, maintains a real 60's rock sound but with a separate signature from the original. This is a quick paced rocker with wicked guitar rock and a straight ahead drumming. Too Much Sugar For A Nickel is a great pop rocker. If I just heard the track out of context and was asked who wrote it I'd Guess Frank Black...or is that Black Francis (Or Ray and Dave). In any case, I really like it. Very nice with clever guitar riffs surrounding a slick hook and a tight execution. Conway Twitty's Lonely Blue Boy is a super low slung blues rocker. Pushed with it's country honesty, and low keys but really nicely styled guitar riffs, this track is over the top. Mississippi garage band, The One Way Street penned, Yard Dog see's plenty of daylight here with solid delivery, raggedy vocals and tight drumming. Very smart! I'm Not Just Anybody's Fool is really a nice ballad. A strong melody, Micah Hulscher lays out warm organ backing and a melodic guitar work makes this one of the strongest statements on the release. Very nice! Otis Rush's It Takes Time, has a super walking bass line but uptempo from Rush's original. With an almost jazz feel, it has new life in it's sail. You've been waiting for me to say, and he cut's the guitar loose and here it is. Wilder doesn't go nuts but he does play some really crisp, Otis Rush/Peter Green inspired and nicely executed riffs. Super! Frankie Lee Sims' Lucy Mae Blues has a primitive feel but with some more modern sounds creating a eerie tension. Wilder's vocals in echo with basic jangly blues guitar riffs, hi hat and tamborine and snare make this stripped down blues rocker special! Charlie Rich's Who Will The Next Fool Be has an easy country swing feel. Wilder's vocals morph from track to track and continuously surprise me. In this case, rich not thin but an almost Willie Nelson feel. A super nice groove with Hulscher on piano and organ and cal and response guitar work compliments the vocal lead making it one of my favorites on the release. Jimmy Reed's I'm Gonna Get My Baby has a solid boogie feel with Bob Williams adding some slick slide work over a nice rhythm guitar and bass line from George Bradfute. Super groove. Wrapping the release is the return to the beginning and a full blown Stones In My Pathway. This is a powerful recording eliciting the gritty nature of original early blues musicians. It is an excellent conclusion to a strong release of blues based music.

   

  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”

 

Put Together Records artist: The Reverend Shawn Amos - The Reverend Shawn Amos Loves You - New Release Review

I just received the newest release (October 16, 2015), The Reverend Shawn Amos Loves You, from The Reverend Shawn Amos and it's funky blues time! Opening with gospel style track, Days of Depression, Amos, on lead vocal is joined by the Blind Boys of Alabama on an old school blues track with only primitive guitar and the sounds of their voices. Very nice! Brand New Man has a much more aggressive rock feel and Chris "Doctor" Roberts grunts out some pretty impressive guitar riffs. Driven by Brady Blade on drums, Lewis Smith on trumpet and Mindi Abair on sax, this track rocks! Slowing down with a little shuffle, Boogie, features Amos on harp and vocals joined by Missy Andersen. Brothers Keeper has a solid R&B feel and Amos lays in a nice blues line on harp. Roberts leads off You're Gonna Miss Me (When I Get Home), a funky track with a solid bottom provided by Chris Thomas. Roberts plays a nicely distorted guitar solo and Amos follows with a cool harp riff which seems to really get him wound up vocally. Cool! Rompin blues track, Joliet Bound has a rudimentary feel with only percussion, guitar and vocal. One of my favorite tracks on the release, this track is solid! Will You Be Mine has a swampy feel with a Mississippi feel enhanced by acoustic slide guitar vamping. Breaking out the harp again, Amos gives the track a heavier blues feel and Anthony Martinelli on keys adds texture. I particularly like Amos' vocals on this track. The Outlaw is a lumbering Chicago style blues with traditional horn and guitar clues. Amos handles lead vocals like a pro and Roberts adds a gritty guitar solo. Horn punctuation by Smith and Abair ride nicely over the bass line of Blade. On Jimmy Reed's Bright, Lights Big City, Abair joins Amos on lead vocal with light snare work and groovy guitar riffs. Amos' harp riffs are balanced by Abair on sax and Martinelli carries the middle on keys. Hollywood Blues opens with solid guitar/bass rhythm and B3 by Hassell Teekell. A shuffle track, Amos leads the way on vocal backed by warm horn work of Smith and Abair. Put Together is a funky track with Roberts reinforcing the rhythm. Amos is very comfortable in this slot and horn work by Abair and Martinelli really boosts the funk. I really like the guitar freedom exercised by Roberts and Amos joins in on harp adding to the improvisational nature but with solid horn lines keeping home base. Very cool! Wrapping the release is The Last Day I'm Loving You, a bluesy ballad with soft and comforting backing vocals by Forever James and Abair, and given a particularly somber feel by added B3 of Teekell. Very nice finish to a well done 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”

 

Chicago Blues Extravaganza This Friday at The Rhythm Room

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NOTED GUITARIST "SMOKIN'" JOE KUBEK PASSES AT AGE 58

NOTED GUITARIST "SMOKIN'" JOE KUBEK PASSES AT AGE 58

Acclaimed guitarist Smokin' Joe Kubek passed away yesterday while on tour in North Carolina.   He was 58.  There's no question why he was given the nickname "Smokin’."  He was one of the hottest electric guitar players on the blues scene, with the technique and the chops to burn up any stage.

Kubek was born in Grove City, Pennsylvania in 1956 but grew up in Irving, Texas. He was leading his own bands and gigging in clubs all around Dallas when he was a teenager.  By the time he was 19, he was backing many famous blues players in the area, including playing rhythm guitar behind legend Freddie King for a while, until King's death in December 1976.

Kubek next worked with R&B singer Al "TNT" Braggs and made a host of new friends, including Albert King, Stevie Ray Vaughan (with whom Kubek became close), B.B. King and many other blues icons.

Kubek didn't hit his stride, however, until he teamed up with jazz guitarist and singer Bnois King (no relation to Freddie) of Monroe, Louisiana, in 1989.  They developed into a dynamic musical tour de force, one of the most talented guitar tandems in any genre, who thrilled music fans all around the world with their red-hot Texas rockin' blues for twenty-six years.  Beginning in 1991 they released a number of highly-acclaimed recordings, their most recent being Fat Man's Shine Parlor, released earlier this year on Blind Pig Records.

Bnois said, "He loved the blues. He was always very serious about the music and the presentation of the music.  He had a modern style but he really studied those old cats.  And, he would literally give you the shirt off his back.  He was a great friend."

Label President Edward Chmelewski said, "Joe was truly one of the good guys, a humble, kind person and an immensely gifted musician. It's a great loss for all of us.  We feel privileged to have known him and documented his music."

Label co-founder Jerry Del Giudice added, "He was one of the best guitarists I ever worked with.  His playing was flawless and soulful.  I not only considered him an excellent guitarist, but also a friend. He will be sorely missed."

Blind Pig publicist Debra Regur, who's worked with Kubek since 2003, said, "It is with such great sorrow that I write these words for my dear friend. Joe was an amazing guitar player, producer, and more importantly - a great friend. Joe was an inspiration to all that met him. He always had a positive outlook on life. He played every note with passion - there will never be another like Joe."

To watch Debra's iPhone video of Joe playing guitar at Biscuits and Blues in San Francisco several months ago, please click HERE.

Jeff Fetterman - Bottle Full Of Blues - New release review

I just received the newest release, Bottle Full Of Blues, from Jeff Fetterman Band and it's quite good! Opening with Paradise, influences of Jimi Hendrix and Texas blues guitarists are readily apparent. Strong driving guitar riffs by Fetterman on the intro develop into a cool funky groove with John McGuire on drums, Ralph Reitinger III on bass and Anthony Brown on keys. This track has a lot of fluidity and Fetterman is definitely comfortable leading this groove. Very nice! On Out Of Time a Bo Diddley beat is twisted with a Texas blues funk. I particularly like the bass growl of Reitinger. Brown steps up with a blanketing keyboard solo and a nice opening for Fetterman to lay out his guitar chops and Judy Kessler, Amy Shallenberger and Bea Antonelli sing precise backing vocals. Southbound has a driving blues rock beat with riding harp work from Otis James. Strongly blended lead and backing vocals as well as a strong melody make this on the the prime radio style tracks on the release. Title track, Bottle Full Of Blues, has a smooth, sultry blues feel highlighting Fetterman's vocals. Nicely constructed and executed, Fetterman plays Gary Moore style, melodic guitar solo lines highlighting the tension of the track. Very nice! Funky Candy puts me in mind of old Isley Brothers with it's guitar intro. A nice blend of vocals with Fetterman, Shallenberger, Kessler and Antonelli, a Prestonesque organ solo from Brown and solid bass lines from Reitinger gives this track an extra spark. Devil's Shuffle is a slick and quick 12 bar number with just a pinch of country. Loosely based on Freddie King's Hideaway and with crisp harp work from James, a tight guitar solo from Fetterman, a rolling piano solo from Brown and a rumbling bass solo from Reitinger, this is a cool instrumental. Talk To Me is an easy rocker with a clever hook. With traces of the Doobie Brothers with it's devilish drumming and clean guitar solos paired with warm backing vocals this track has certain radio potential. The intro on Down & Out has a really cool sound with guitar drone notes and James on harp giving it a pure blues feel. Adding on a Skynyrd swagger, funky shoes and blues harp and the track has a whole different dimension. Fetterman plays one of his longer and more stinging guitar solo's on the release making it one of my favorites on the release. Wash My Blues Away is a warm friendly track with traces of Doobies with it's catchy hook. Brown and Fetterman blend nicely instrumentally and Fetterman's lead vocals, coupled with the smooth backing by Kessler, Shallenberger and Antonelli make for one of the strongest vocal tracks. Wrapping the release is T-Bone & The Ghost. This is a smokin' jam between Reitinger on bass and McGuire on drums...I love it!

   

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”

 

Smokin Joe Kubek has passed - My thoughts and prayers are with his family

Johnny Main of the 44's has posted that Smokin Joe Kubek has suffered a heart attack in his room before his show. He is reportedly passed. I will provide more information as I have it. It is a sad day indeed.


Born in Grove City, Pennsylvania, Kubek grew up in the Dallas, Texas area. In the 1970s during his teen years, he played with the likes of Freddie King and in the 1980s began performing with Louisiana-born singer, Bnois King. In 1985, Kubek released his first record on Bird Records, a 45 RPM single with the tracks "Driving Sideways" (written by Freddie King and Sonny Thompson) and "Other Side Of Love" (written by Doyle Bramhall, Sr.). The single was executively produced by Clint Birdwell and co-produced by Charley Wirz and Kubek. The two tracks reappeared on Kubek's 2012 album, Let That Right Hand Go, produced by Clint Birdwell and issued on Birdwell's label, Bird Records Texas. The album is a collection of mostly unreleased material recorded since the 1980s (with the 1985 single's track, "Other Side Of Love", entitled "The Other Side Of Love"). In 1991, Kubek released his first full-length album entitled Steppin' Out Texas Style (Bullseye Blues Records) and has since released over a dozen albums on various labels.