Eddie King
Eddie King (April 21, 1938 - March 14, 2012) was a Chicago blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. Living Blues once stated "King is a potent singer and player with a raw, gospel-tinged voice and an aggressive, thick-toned guitar sound". He was noted as creating a straight-forward style, in the vein of Freddie King and Little Milton. Eddie King with his engaging vocals and Freddie King-style guitar and sister Mae with her powerful gospelized-blues vocals are veteran West Siders who perform a kind of music that blends striking blues licks, soul emoting, and gospel testifying and make all these varying approaches seem like one marvelous blues tradition.
Credits:
Mae Bee Mae - Vocals
Eddie King - Guitar, Vocals
Sir Lucky King - Rhythm Guitar
Joe Roland - Bass
James Mason - Drums
Lendell Moore - Guitar
Golden Wheeler - Harmonica
Earl Crossley - Saxophone
Tracklist:
01. When You Find A Fool 04:45
02. The Blues Has Got Me 03:49
03. Love At First Sight 03:59
04. The Twelve Year Old Girl 03:47
05. 99 Pounds 03:39
06 Laundromat Blues 06:34
07. Able Mae Bee 04:02
08. He'll Drain on You 05:39
09. The Woman I Love 03:46
10. Buttermilk And Cornbread 07:52
11. Losin' Boy 04:47
12. Man-Sized Job 02:41
13. Eddie's Thing 04:32
Jerry Miller Band
Jerry Miller (born July 10, 1943 in Tacoma, Washington, United States) is an American songwriter, guitarist and vocalist. He performs as a solo artist and as a member of the Jerry Miller Band, and plays his beloved "Buelah", the classic Gibson cut-away hollow body. He is also a founding member of the 1960s San Francisco band Moby Grape, which continues to perform occasionally. Rolling Stone included Miller at number 68 on their list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time and Moby Grape's album Moby Grape at number 124 on their list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Credits:
Jerry Miller - Guitar, Vocals
Tiran Porter - Bass, Vocals
John "Fuzzy Furioso" Oxendine - Drums
Dale Ockerman - Keyboards
Merl Saunders - Keyboards
John Murphy - Pedal Steel Guitar
Michael Carabello - Percussion
Michael CurtinTenor - Saxophone
Ron Coolidge - Trumpet
Robert Hulten - Backing Vocals, Slide Guitar
Barbara Furnlund - Backing Vocals
Craig Juan - Backing Vocals
Mark Lashley - Backing Vocals
Tracklist:
01. Snake Rhythm Rock 05:02
02. Plastic Saddle 03:03
03. Life Is Like That 03:24
04. Sick And Tired 04:01
05. Now I See 07:18
06. Olds 98 Blues Medley 03:10
07. That's All Right 05:26
08. If You Still Got Love 02:25
09. In The Open 05:49
10. Cristina 04:11
11. Talkin' Bout You 04:57
J.J. Vicars
Six strings, five CDs, three countries, two continents, but only one J.J. Vicars - one red-hot rockin' guitarist and vocalist. From the USA to Japan and China and back, Double J's BluesRock guitar playing has thrilled audiences around the world. His five CDs showcase his musicianship and technique. He's also an in demand producer for artists who recognize the unique touch he brings to music.
Trscklist:
01. Maybe I'll Know You 03:15
02. Cutie Pie 04:31
03. Talk To Your Daughter 02:46
04. Ain't Waitin' Anymore 04:09
05. Solitude 02:28
06. Icebreakin' 04:45
07. Ballad Of The Bumbling Pygmies 01:20
08. John Hardy 03:31
09. Sleep Walk 03:17
10. Too Many Holes 03:45
11. Movie Queen 06:34
Lefthand Freddy
Lefthand Freddy has grown into a blues institute in the Netherlands, but also far beyond, witness the many praises in the (inter) national press. The band around guitarist / singer / entertainer Lefthand Freddy has been around for decades and played over the years at the Leberkusener Jazzfestival (Dtsl), the Gloucester Bluesfestival (GB), the Nuit de Blues (FR), the Sziget Festival (Hungary). ) and in the London 100 club.In the current composition with drum legend Hans Waterman (Cuby & The Blizzards, Solution, Pretty Things eva), son Berend Reining on guitar and Andre van der Werf on bass, the last CD SOUL STRINGS was released. : a masterpiece, one of the best CDs of 2014, eleven gems of their own songs, a must for other guitarists in the Netherlands….
Live the band is unbeatable; recently blues magazine reported:
An unparalleled band, what a joy to play: a jewel in the crown of Dutch blues music! Fred is a truly fabulous, virtuoso guitarist, entertainer and showman who plays the stars of heaven and turns the audience upside down in no time.
Credits:
Lefthand Freddy - Guitar, Vocals
Berend (boogie B) Reining - Guitar
André van der Werf - Bass, Vocals
Hans Waterman - Drums
Tracklist:
01. Grocery Blues 04:18
02. Down In St. Louis 04:23
03. Place To Call Home 05:08
04. Bad Shit, Now Shut Up 03:44
05. Keep On Talking To Me 05:27
06. That Train Is Gonna Take Me Yonder 08:09
07. Stop Your Complaining Woman 05:33
08. Just Wanna Boogie 05:00
09. Anny Mae 03:06
Koolaide's Exact Change Band
Koolaid and The Exact Change Band have been together for the past two years, bringing full energy and enthusiasm for the Blues. The group is made up of musicians with more than 70 plus years of experience. Sammie,"Koolaid" Johnson, the engineer driving this group, is a marvelous lead guitarist and blues singer with a huge following around the country. Ricky Dotson, keyboards, has played with many A-list performers around the world. His voice and his playing are an expression of all he has experienced. Terri Benson beautifully keeps the engine running on drums. Terri's infectious smile, voice, and beats will keep you grooving. Finally, Bea Gray, bass, holds up the foundation. She has played with various gospel, jazz, and blues groups.
Tracklist:
01. Wake Up Baby 05:36
02. I'm Stil Waiting 05:19
03. You Ain't Nothing but Dead Weight Baby 03:54
04. Monday Morning Blues 06:16
Lee Oskar
Here's why all serious music lovers still need a turntable: there are so many worthwhile LPs from the '60s and '70s that will probably never be reissued on CD. Before Avenue Records came into the picture, it seemed unlikely that Lee Oskar's solo albums of 1976-1980 would ever be reissued on CD -- labels usually reissue titles they think there is a heavy demand for, and Oskar's solo efforts weren't the mega-blockbusters that War's albums were. But Avenue pleasantly surprised listeners in the '90s by making Oskar's solo output available on CD, including 1978's Before the Rain. Did this album outsell War classics like Why Can't We Be Friends? and All Day Music? Hardly. Reissued in 1995, this mostly instrumental album deserved to come back into print simply because it is good. From a commercial standpoint, the problem with Before the Rain is that it's difficult to categorize -- is it funk, pop-jazz, quiet storm, or fusion? Arguably, Before the Rain is all of those things, and Oskar's harmonica playing is expressive whether he is getting mildly funky on "Steppin'" or being mellow and laid-back on "More Than Words Can Say" and the title track. "Steppin'" certainly isn't typical of funk instrumentals; the tune opens with bagpipes -- not exactly an instrument that one ordinarily associates with funk. But then, Oskar is no stranger to multiculturalism; how many harmonica players who were born in Copenhagen, Denmark, went on to play with one of the top soul/funk bands of the '70s? Before the Rain may not have set the world on fire when it was first released in 1978, but it was certainly nice to see the album making its CD debut in 1995.
Credits:
Lee Oskar - Harmonica, Lead Vocals
Stephen Kupka - Baritone Saxophone
Bobby Vega - Bass, Guitar
Jamie Faunt - Bass
Herman Eberitzsch - Clavinet
Terry Medeiros - Guitar
Pat Rizzo - Saxophone
Steve Beckmeier - Guitar
Greg Errico - Guitar, Drums
Paulinho Dacosta - Percussion
Herman Eberitzsch - Piano, Keyboards
Emilio Castillo - Tenor Saxophone
Charles Miller - Saxophone
William Lamb - Trombone, Trumpet
Mic Gillette - Trumpet
Bianca Thornton-Oden - Vocals
Joe Chambers - Vocals
George Chambers - Vocals
Willie Chambers - Vocals
Eloise Laws - Backing Vocals
Linda Creed - Backing Vocals
Tracklist:
01. Before the Rain 08:02
02. Steppin' 06:08
03. San Francisco Bay 07:20
04. Feelin' Happy 03:45
05. More Than Word Can Say 04:42
06. Sing Song 06:50
07. Haunted House 06:48
Big George Brock
Big George Brock is a man who does things big. Too fond of the good life to be a professional boxer, in a career break he made Sonny Liston tumble to the ground in the second round, the title of his second album on Cat Head. George loves children and it is no coincidence that he gave birth to 42 with 15 different ladies, however far from the Screamin 'record Jay Hawkins: 55 children with an unknown number of ladies. Manager of clubs for many years, including the legendary Club Caravan - another title of one of his discs - in St. Louis, Big George has kept a little aside as a musician while regularly meeting many other bluesmen including Muddy Waters, which it definitely resembles. This is the fundamental point of his music; how Muddy manages to sing into the rhythm while the two guitarists present here, Riley Coatie Sr. and Billy Abel innervate the melodies with a rhythmic work broken up and chipped solo parts. Riley Coatie Jr. bombards it all with frequent rolls in collaboration with bassist Barry Bays. It is a Blues as you no longer feel it: the initial "Cut you loose" refers to times gone by that we assumed could not return. Big George Brock launches with the harmonica in what is perhaps the topical moment of the CD, "M for Mississippi", with only the battery behind. Pure magic. Telling the beauty of art is not easy, nor correct so you are invited to familiarize yourself with the Blues of this genius, because it is such, and with the work of the Cat Head company, which not only makes music but also art objects originals from Mississippi and more. The boss without a tie and a hot blue shirt, Roger Stolle, risks going into the history of the Blues without hesitation. Difficult to find better around.
Credits:
Barry Bays - Bass
Riley Coatie Jr. - Drums
Bill Abel - Guitar
Riley Coatie Sr. - Guitar
Big George Brock - Vocals, Harmonica
Tracklist:
01. Intro by KFFA's Sonny Payne 00:35
02. Cut You Loose 04:56
03. M For Mississippi 05:05
04. Fourty-Four Blues 05:15
05. All Night Long 06:35
06. Everything's Gonna Be Alright 06:35
07. No No Baby 04:25
08. Short Dress Woman 06:35
09. Bring The Blues Back Home 04:42
10. Call Me A Lover/Down South 05:45
11. Jody 06:01
Dirty Ray
From the depths of the South Shropshire Hills emerges ‘Dirty Ray’. In a previous life Ray was known as Kevin Weatherill, singer & principal songwriter of British band Immaculate Fools, but that really is another man’s story, ‘Dirty Ray’ is who he was always waiting to be.
After disbanding Immaculate Fools in 1995, having released six albums over an eleven year period, Ray headed for Spain, returning to a people that had already taken his poetic song writing well and truly to their collective heart.
Ray spent several years immersing himself in Spain’s traditional music, the Flamenco of the south and further North, in Galicia, he wrestled with the complicated acoustic guitar rhythms of the chant based alalas songs, fusing these styles with his already deeply ingrained love of Delta Blues, (think; better dressed Seasick Steve with a passion for Tapas) until perfecting his now peculiarly individual style of treating the acoustic guitar.
On returning to his native UK in the early 2000’s Ray continued to further his odyssey to become the one-man-acoustic-firestorm that he has now achieved. Perpetually gigging, constantly writing, Ray has chronicled many of his life’s experiences with no sign of reticence. Just as Leonard Cohen once described poetry as being the language of women, Ray will shamelessly tell you that he is indeed a poet and he became such to get closer to the fairer sex, perhaps this is the origin of Dirty Ray’s change de nom?
In 2008 Ray met Miles Hunt, front man and songwriter of UK band The Wonder Stuff and producer of “Big World For A Little Man”, Hunt says of Ray’s live shows,
“Watching Dirty Ray perform is like being mauled by someone you really like! To begin with it’s a sensory attack, until you slowly realise that what this loud-mouthed little man is actually doing is opening his heart to you, beckoning you in to share what he has seen throughout his life, the man is beautiful.”
Ray and Hunt worked together in 2009 on Hunt’s ‘Shared’ project (an ongoing acoustic enterprise that seeks to introduce lesser known artists, showcasing them alongside established song writers and performers via a series of albums and gigs), Hunt producing three of Ray’s songs for the album, again Hunt,
“Working in the studio with Ray was inspirational, his devotion to song writing and his abilities as a performer is beyond anything I have ever experienced.”
The Mission’s Wayne Hussey, also a contributor to the ‘Shared’ project, described Ray’s approach to playing guitar as ‘choreographed violence’, add that depiction to Ray’s enormous and uncompromising voice, landing somewhere between Tom Waits and Kevin Coyne, and you begin to form some idea of what we’re dealing with here.
In January of 2010, Ray’s 60th year, Ray and Hunt began working on what has become “Big World For A Little Man”, Dirty Ray’s debut album. Enlisting the further talents of violinist/pianist, Erica Nockalls, New York based drummer Andres Karu and flautist Geoffrey Kelly of Canada’s Spirit of the West, they have created an album that has captured the full ambit of Dirty Ray’s artistry. From the elegant allure of ‘The Rain Song’ to the naked aggression of ‘Moon On A Stick’, the collection of songs perfectly captures where we find Ray today.
Tracklist:
01. Blood On My Hands 04:25
02. Bones 02:49
03. Too Much Love 04:51
04. 69 04:36
05. Young Man's Town 03:13
06. Cup 03:36
07. Anchovy 01:23
08. Taste Of Me 02:35
09. Brothel Creeper 02:56
10. Edge Of The World 05:29
11. The Other Me 04:39
12. Honest Man 04:00
13. Just Like Edith 03:09
Moving Blues
Moving Blues is a unique Austin based Blues band Led by frontman "El Michael" with Mark "SuitCase" Stedman on harp, Jason Lynn on lap steel and guitar, Ryan Randolph on Bass and Mark Nelipovich on Skins.
Tracklist:
01. Fine Day 04:03
02. Rapid Eye Movement Loving Machine 04:44
03. Walking on the Clouds 03:17
04. Double-Jointed Hips 03:17
05. You Know I Love You Babe 03:10
06. When You Get Off (Busdriver Blues) 03:44
07. You Don't Realize 04:37
08. Up in Love 03:19
09. Real Cowboy 03:00
10. The BBQ 05:23
Midnight Liedtke
Midnight Liedtke and The Witching Hours are a Milwaukee based group that gives a heavy dose of high energy blues and blues rock. Our material consists of original songs by Midnight Liedtke as well as a mix of classic blues songs. Our goal is to bring our brand of music to as many people who embrace the power of the blues and make our name synonymous with blues in Milwaukee and the midwest. As we say, "You can't get the blues if you already got 'em!'
Credits:
Jon Liedtke - Guitar
Spencer Powers - Percussion
Jacob Muchin - Bass
Christina Winters - Vocals
Tracklist:
01. Just A Ride 04:53
02. Grubn n' Scrubn 04:59
03. Midnight Groove 05:12
04. BluesYour Own Way 11:12
05. Street Corner Talking 05:28
06. Diving Duck Blues 03:02
07. Eyes Like Ice 06:34
08. You Can't Get The Blues If You've Already Got 'em 07:25
Mike Coston
Mike Coston is one of Texas' foremost blistering blues guitar players. Nailing the fast pace Texas style and a tasty mix of Chicago blues grit and west coast.
Tracklist:
01. Baby Let's Go 03:01
02. No Matter What I Do 02:59
03. Take One Step at a Time 02:40
04. Strat Brat 03:14
05. Evil Man 05:47
06. Hush Hush 03:17
07. Too Long 03:52
08. I Gotta Go 02:56
09. Just Playing 02:24
10. Azure 03:10
Big George Jackson
Vocalist/harmonicaplayer Big George Jackson was born November 16, 1949 and in the Twin Cities he is known as the Authentic big man of the blues. He sings with a distinctive bass-rich voice only a six-foot, six inch gentle giant could be blessed with. Add his fat harmonica playing, dead-on phrasing, commanding stage-presence and instant audience rapport and it’s easy to understand why the audience howl when he delivers his music.
The band features two great guitarists: Jeremy Johnson (formely with Mischo) and Phil Schmid (formely with Lynwood Slim) combine tough-as-nails interplay that can alternate between being greasy, swinging and raunchy The band writes its own music, with lyrics written by Big George and they also cover songs by Jimmy Reed, Walter Hornton, Muddy Waters and Big Leon Brooks. In 1998 the band released a CD Beggin Ain’t for Me on Black and Tan Records and in 2001 their second Black and Tan CD. The CD is titled Big Shot. Critics praised Big George’s CD for originality and welcome sense of humor. The Big George Jackson Band is considered to be a great up and coming band and is developing a fast growing following in spite of the incredibly competitive live music scene.
Big George has been working for Minnesgasco, the local gas company in Minneapolis. He has raised six children while pursuing his night-time career as a blues musician. His first european tour took place in November >99 and it was a huge success. Most of the venues had a large crowd and at the bluesfestivals in Luzern (Switzerland) and Unna (Germany) Big George proved to be one of the surprises of the event. During their european tour in April/May 2000 the band performed at he Moulin Blues Festival in Ospel (NL) and at the bluesfestivals of Silkeborg and Odense (DK). The band did two more succesfull european tours in March and November 2001. On the last tour they performed on the Lucerne Blues Festival (CH) and on the Blues Estafette (NL), two of the major blues events in Europe. They also did a live show on national Dutch tv.
Credits:
John Beach - Keyboards
Cleveland Gordon - Percussion
Big George Jackson - Harp, Vocals
Rick O'Dell - Horn
Tom Peterson - Bass
Paul Stueber - Drums
Jeremy Johnson - Guitar
Phil Schmid - Guitar
Tracklist:
01. Nothing Like The Rest 04:48
02. TV Mama 06:28
03. Special Love 04:40
04. Amtrak 04:53
05. Girl Of My Dreams 06:00
06. Tramp Without A Home 04:14
07. Kin Chuka Bobo 05:27
08. Too Many Babies 07:40
09. You Slicked Me 03:57
10. I Can't Stay 07:25
Lee Oskar
Born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1948, Oskar was six years old when a family friend gave him his first harmonica. "I came from an area where every kid on the block had a harmonica", he remembers. He grew up listening to Danish radio, enjoying all types of music and cites Ray Charles as the biggest influence from that period. When he was 17, Oskar decided that the United States was where a harmonica player should make his career. So he moved to New York at the age of 18 with little more than a harmonica in his pocket. With no money, Oskar played harmonica in the streets of New York. Eventually arriving in Los Angeles, via Toronto and San Francisco, Oskar soon met and joined forces with Eric Burdon who had recently disbanded The Animals and was searching for new collaborators. Together, the harmonica-playing Dane (born Lee Oskar Levitin) and the British blues-rock singer made the rounds of the L.A. clubs, eventually hooking up with the soon-to-be members of War. Burdon agreed to the novel idea of pairing up Oskar's harmonica with Charles Miller's saxophone to form a horn section. This team-up set War apart from the start, giving Oskar room to display the full spectrum of his improvisational prowess. Oskar's harmonica magic was always a vital element in War's music and performances. Oskar continued with War for 24 years non-stop. At the end of 1992, during the time of dispute over the WAR trademark, Oskar took a few years to continue his solo career and to focus on his Lee Oskar Harmonica manufacturing.
Credits:
Robert Vega - Bass, Guitar
Papa Dee Allen - Cowbell, Percussion, Bongos
Greg Errico - Drums, Wind Chimes, Horns, Vibraphone, Synthesizer, Piano, Bass, Guitar, Tambourine, Timbales
Steve Busfield - Guitar, Mandolin
Lee Oskar - Harmonica, Vocals
Lonnie Jordan - Keyboards, Timbales
Herman Eberitzsch - Piano
Charles Miller - Saxophone
Wendy Haas - Vocals
Chepito Areas - Congas
Nito Medina - Guitar
Terry Mederios - Guitar
Tracklist:
01.The Journey 08:05
02.The Immigrant 03:53
03.The Promised Land 03:59
04.Blisters 02:21
05.Blt 03:36
06.Sunshine Keri 04:06
07.Down The Nile 04:09
08.Starkite 07:02
Split Whiskers
Split Whiskers have their roots firmly planted in Chicago blues, crossing boundaries into rock,
americana and more than a hint of the Delta.
The band’s fame is spreading and they are becoming one of the busiest bands at blues
venues around the UK, in particular in great demand on the Festival circuit.
Their superb musicianship, along with their infectious humour on stage, promises a
great evening’s entertainment
Credits:
Gilby J. Fletcher - Vocals, Harmonica
Johnny "Magic Boy" Wright - Vocals, Electric, Acoustic & Resonator Guitars
Matt Willshaw - Keyboards
Robbie Stewart-Mathews - Bass
Rick Hudson - Drums
Tracklist:
01. Down in the Swamp 03:40
02. I Ain’t Got You 02:40
03. Mellow Down Easy 06:16
04. Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City 04:57
05. Days of Old 03:09
06. If You Can’t Be Good Be Gone 02:54
07. Split Whiskers Are Back in Town 02:40
08. Rolling Down the Highway 03:44
09. Money Ain’t Everything 05:10
10. Mean Ol’ Frisco 05:43
11. Up All Night 03:23
12. Little Did She Know 03:28
Sky Younger
Great blues rock, southern blues and country blues cd by this musician from Clarksville.
Tracklist:
01.Washington D.C. Blues 03:46
02.Crossroads 03:42
03.Old Black Dog 02:46
04.The Best of Me 04:40
05.Survivor 02:54
06.Pretty Baby 02:56
07.Guitar Blue 04:43
08.Good Morning 02:51
09.I See the Lord 04:42
10.Far Banks of Jordon 04:11
Fred Figueroa
Excellent debut CD and great selection by a talented musician. If you like rock, blues and others, this CD is a great choice.
Tracklist:
01.Home Is Where The Heart Is 04:11
02.Millennium Blues 05:11
03.Someone Knockin' At My Door 04:33
04.I've Tried To Live 03:34
05.Mr. Policeman 03:44
06.That's The Kind Of Thing 03:54
07.Love Is Blind 03:59
08.Old Millennium Blues 04:10
09.Lofty And Fine 04:2
10.Waitin' For The Rooster 03:56
11.Mabeline 04:30
12.Europa 05:08
Colin Perry
Colin Perry was born and raised in Whitley City, Kentucky. As a child growing up at the foothills of the Appalachian mountains, he absorbed the blues, jazz, bluegrass, and old-time music the region is famed for. The offspring of an American father, and Canadian mother, Colin has deep musical roots on both sides of his family. His paternal grandfather’s brother Charlie frequently performed with the legendary banjo and fiddle duo Burnett and Rutherford. Meanwhile in Toronto, his Maternal Grandfather’s brother Hugh was a first call jazz bassist who frequently performed and recorded with Moe Koffman and Ed Bickert.
Colin began his musical training on the piano. At the age of 10, inspired by Frank Schaap and Nick Stump of the Metro Blues All-Stars, he switched to guitar. He was drawn to the great solo acoustic bluesmen of the 1920’s and 30’s like Bo Carter, Tommy Johnson, and Lonnie Johnson. Hearing a duet record Lonnie Johnson made with Eddie Lang, opened Colin up to the great guitarists of the golden age of jazz who he has studied fanatically ever since.
Moving to Montreal at the age of 18, Perry immediately immersed himself in the local scene. Along with Pianist Peter Mika, he has held one of the longest running shows in Montreal. They have been performing every Wednesday night at Barfly under the name Blind, and for nearly 22 years
Colin has toured extensively across Quebec and Canada. He has shared the stage with many notable Canadian and American musicians over the course of his Career. These include Susie Arioli, Jordan Officer, Michael Jerome Browne, Stephen Barry, Diunna Greenleaf, Junior Watson, Bharath Rajakumar, Fred Kaplin, Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne, Barbara Morrison, Steve Marriner, Emily Estrella, Joe Murphy, The Polyjesters, Dan Livingstone, Jamie Wood, and Frank Schaap.
Colin’s deep knowledge of the roots of jazz and blues guitar make him an in demand musician for a variety of styles. Just like his idols Eddie Lang, Charlie Christian, Teddy Bunn, and Jim Hall, he is a sensitive accompanist to any style of early American music, be it Blues, Jazz, R&B, or Country. He brings a sophisticated restraint to his performances that always strives to elevate the song and the other performers.
Tracklist:
01. How I Feel 04:28
02. Preacher Man 03:59
03. Stranger 05:8
04. The House 07:27
05. Rain 05:06
Gary Clark Jr.
With his acclaimed debut Blak and Blu, Gary Clark, Jr. emerged at the dawn of the 2010s as the great hope for modern electric blues. He spent the rest of the decade fulfilling that promise, both by continuing the blues-rock tradition and expanding it to encompass contemporary funk, rock, and hip-hop. Initially, Clark played his cards relatively close to the vest, emphasizing the blues heritage of his hometown in Austin, Texas (and earning the endorsement of local legend Jimmie Vaughan). But Clark quickly took risks other contemporary blues guitarists didn't, collaborating with R&B singer Alicia Keys and modern rockers Foo Fighters, while branching out to political protest on the charged 2019 album This Land.
110Born and raised in Austin, Clark first picked up a guitar at the age of 12 and spent his teens playing whatever gig he could get in the Austin area. He eventually met Clifford Antone, promoter and owner of Antone's, the city's premier blues club, who began featuring Clark at his venue. An amazing live performer, Clark soon became one of the brightest players on Austin's blues and rock scene. He released an independent album, 2005's Tribute, followed by a pair of self-produced albums in 2008 for Hotwire Unlimited, 110 and Worry No More. An EP, Gary Clark, Jr., also appeared from Hotwire in 2010.
The Bright Lights EPBut Clark was far from just a one-trick-pony guitar gunslinger. He could also sing, write, and arrange. He wrote the original score for the film Full Count and appeared as an actor in John Sayles' 2007 film Honeydripper. In 2010, Clark was selected by Eric Clapton to perform at the Crossroads Guitar Festival, and a video release of the show featuring Clark led to a recording deal with Warner Bros. Clark was soon in the studio working on his major-label debut. An EP called Bright Lights was released in 2011 in advance of the album, Blak and Blu, which appeared in the fall of 2012. A Top Ten hit, it earned him a Grammy award in the Best Traditional R&B Performance category for "Please Come Home." Clark's next release was the impressive two-disc Live, recorded during an 18-month-long tour behind Blak and Blu; the album better represented his wild, impassioned, and often elegantly graceful live sets.
The Story of Sonny Boy SlimAfter more touring, including dates opening for the Rolling Stones and the Foo Fighters, Clark released his second major-label studio set, 2015's The Story of Sonny Boy Slim. The album debuted at number eight on the Billboard charts and Clark supported it with an extensive tour (documented on the 2017 album Live North America 2016). That same year, he notched his first chart entry with a cover of the Beatles' "Come Together," recorded for the Justice League film soundtrack.
The Atlas UndergroundIn 2018, Clark joined the all-star guest lineup on Tom Morello's collaborative project The Atlas Underground, lending vocals and guitar to the track "Where It's at Ain't What It Is." His fifth studio album, This Land, followed in March 2019, reflecting the political landscape of the time through the perspective of a black American living in Texas. It also picked up four Grammy nominations, including for Best Contemporary Blues Album.
Credits:
Drums - Jay Moeller
Gary Clark - Guitar, Vocals, Bass
Keyboards - Matt Farrell
Tracklist:
01. I Like The Way You Love Me 05:23
02. Find Somebody Else 05:48
03. Blazin' 04:32
04. When My Train Pulls In 06:57
05. Shotgun Man 03:04
06. Heavy Heart 04:51
07. Insecure 04:19
08. Up To No Good 05:41
09. Have To Let You Go 06:03
10. Drifting... 03:42
11. Worry No More 02:06
Shawn Pittman
Texas-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist Shawn Pittman attended the Albert King/Jimmie Vaughan school of blues guitar playing. He's not flashy, and he realizes the spaces between the notes are as important as the notes themselves. Tone and melody are just as important to Pittman's way of thinking, as fast and flashy runs up and down the guitar neck.
By the time he was 28, Pittman had recorded and released three albums that showcase mostly his own original material, occasionally reinvigorating the work of others, such as his cover of Bob Dylan's "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" on his 2001 release, Full Circle.
Pittman was born and raised in Oklahoma, where his earliest musical memories were listening to his father and grandfather's record collections, which included good people like Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry. His grandmother was a boogie-woogie piano player and his grandfather played country guitar. His earliest blues heroes were Jimmy Reed and Lightnin' Hopkins. Hearing both of them for the first time was a revelation for the young, impressionable Pittman. He began taking piano lessons at age eight and stuck with that until he was 15, playing around a bit with saxophone and drums before settling on guitar. Pittman arrived in Dallas in 1992 for his last year of high school and attended the Booker T. Washington High School for Performing and Visual Arts. Shortly after this, he jumped right into Dallas' still-bustling blues club scene, sitting in with and befriending musicians like Anson Funderburgh, Hash Brown, Mike Morgan, Tutu Jones, Mark Pollock, and Andrew "Jr. Boy" Jones. Being schooled by some of the best players around Dallas and Fort Worth, Pittman became a multi-dimensional guitarist who even today enjoys playing rhythm as well as lead guitar.
Pittman counts among his influences people like Lightnin' Hopkins, Hound Dog Taylor, Mike Morgan, and of course, Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan, who came out of the Dallas club scene before they moved to Austin, one at a time, in the late '70s. Pittman recorded two discs for the now-defunct Cannonball Records label, Burnin' Up in 1997, and the Jim Gaines-produced Something's Gotta Give in 1998.
After spending the next two years battling some personal and professional demons, including the premature closing of Minneapolis-based Cannonball Records, Pittman moved to Austin, got his act together with the aid of two bassists, Tommy Shannon and Preston Hubbard, and released the somewhat autobiographical Full Circle, a 2001 release on his own Shawn Pittman Music label out of Austin. Full Circle was also produced by Jim Gaines.
Of his three releases, Something's Gotta Give and Full Circle showcase a mature songwriter with something to say, deep, tone-conscious guitar playing, and a fine voice. On Full Circle, Pittman is backed by a short who's-who of Austin-area musicians, including Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton from Stevie Ray Vaughan's Double Trouble on bass and drums, as well as Riley Osborne on Hammond B-3 and keyboards.
Tracklist:
01. Made In The Shade 03:08
02. How Come It Is 03:40
03. Ain't Had But Two 04:02
04. Smart Phone (Pocket Dial) 05:19
05. Backslidin' Again 03:10
06. Real Mother For You 05:21
07. Hide Nor Hair 03:44
08. I Miss You So 03:06
09. Turn Me Aloose 05:29
10. Lucy Mae Blues 03:21
11. Together Kind Of Day 04:19
12. Trouble Comes Around 03:51
13. Fortune And Fame 04:44
JD Wilkes
I’ve been looking forward to the release of this new recording for some considerable time now, having loved their previous two albums and I’m delighted to say that, whilst different, this one is far from disappointing! It is certainly a departure from what we’ve come to expect from the Daubers but is actually not a surprise knowing J.D. Wilkes background as a founding member of the extraordinary ‘Legendary Shack Shakers’ who blend just about every roots music sub genre into their very own stylistic mix. On the previous two Dirt Daubers recordings the content was very much acoustic old timey or hillbilly music, whereas this new album is rooted in electric blues and early rock ‘n’ roll. Of course with this extraordinary band nothing ever quite allows you to affix a nice neat label to them!
The band consists of J.D. and his wife Jessica Wilkes plus the incredible electric guitar playing of Rod Hadallah (also a ‘Legendary Shack Shaker’) and drummer Preston Corn. It would be easy to say this is an album of blues and rock ‘n’roll, but again, it’s not that simple. Certainly the album includes those two genres, often blended, but with the idiosyncratic force of nature that is J.D there is a strange otherworldly atmosphere to much of the proceedings. Of course the other three members contribute massively to their overall sound with Corn’s drumming laying a foundation that is as solid as any and more solid than most! Guitarist Hadallah’s dexterity and fearsome drive on a variety of tones and tempos has to be heard to be believed and in many ways defines the attacking sound of the Daubers. J.D and Jessica share lead vocals on the twelve songs, with the opening track being a short but succinct instrumental with harmonica and guitar, that gives the listener a clue that what is to follow is not ‘easy listening,’ but is an incredibly pleasurable listen! Jessica’s lovely expressive vocals often have an almost indefinable jazzy feel to them and are chock full of character and versatility irrespective of genre and whilst very few can match J.D. for commitment and drive this pair seem to lift each other and the other two band members to even more extremes of fieriness and raw power.
We get underway with the already mentioned instrumental French Harp Hustle a combination of J.D’s harmonica and Rod Hadallah’s fiery slashing guitar going some way to preparing the listener for what is to follow.
On the excellent title track Wild Moon J.D leads the way with a vocal that is relatively restrained on a slightly
sinister swampy blues song on which he has the chiming guitar for company on a tale that often evokes a delta crossroads around midnight! Jessica takes lead vocal on No Rest For The Wicked a terrific punchy raw blues and what a lead vocal it is with her fiery expressive voice accompanied by J.D’s wailing harmonica and Rod’s incredible guitar dexterity all built on the powerful drum beat, a combination that drives the song on. This is followed by another lead vocal from Jessica on No More My Love a piano led bluesy jazzy song that starts off in quite a
restrained manner but gradually flows into a more sinister atmosphere with the help of the electric guitar. The storm after that relative calm is provided by J.D’s vocal and harmonica on Angel Crown a song that is part blues, part rock ‘n’ roll, but all power and passion, with the dirty swampy guitar, bass and drums. Hidey Hole again has J.D on lead vocals on a song that has more of a rock ‘n’ roll feel, although that swampy guitar sound that blends perfectly with harmonica leans more towards a dirty blues, all driven on by the excellent heavy foundation laid by bass and drums. Following this is another Jessica lead on Don’t Thrill Me No More, another powerful bluesy rock ‘n’ roll song with saxophone and that swampy guitar, plus piano, bass and drums, although the instrumentation never overwhelms Jessica’s powerful vocal.
There was a clue to this change of direction earlier in the year when I saw them play the ‘Live set of the year’ so far, during which they performed electric guitar driven music with a bluesy rock ‘n’ roll slant rather than the
acoustic‘hillbilly’ of old. Such is the enormous talent within the band that they can master pretty much any musical form within the ‘roots’ genre. Ultimately whatever they choose to play it is always recognizably the Dirt Daubers and as such well worth your listening time (and money!).
Tracklist:
01. French Harp Hustle 01:22
02. Apple And Oranges 04:01
03. Wild Moon 02:39
04. Drive 02:35
05. No Rest For The Wicked 03:24
06. No More My Love 03:37
07. Angel Crown 02:37
08. Let It Fly 02:01
09. You Know I Love You 02:47
10. Hidey Hole 02:51
11. Don't Thrill Me No More 03:08
12. River Song 03:08
13. God Fearing People 02:39
