The Raindogs Benno Rupp and Kurt Bislin met Aron Burton in 1985 at the club "Limmatquai 82" in Zurich. Burton had a three-week engagement there as bandleader and bass player, backing up a different solo artist each week.
Benno Rupp and Kurt Bislin knew of him, being one of the sought-after bass players in Chicago. Burton played with his brother-in-law, slide guitar master Johnny Littlejohn, Eddie Clearwater, and James Cotton, just to name a few. Aron Burton and his band, consisting of his brother Larry Burton on guitar, A.C. Reed on saxophone, Alan Batts on keyboards and Casey Jones on drums were picked by legendary Texas blues giant Albert Collins to play in his first recording session with Alligator Records. The musicians then became the original Icebreakers, and recorded several albums and acted as Collins' touring band for many years.
Aron Burton wasn't just one fine bass player, but a wonderful singer in his own right. He made a habit of spending about half of the year in Europe, mainly in Copenhagen. There he recorded his first solo album, "Usual Dangerous Guy”, with the Kenn Lending Blues Band and Champion Jack Dupree on piano. The album, with exclusively original songs, proves Burton’s strong abilities also as a songwriter.
The two young Swiss blues enthusiasts lived a good hour away from Zurich, but nonetheless went to "Limmatquai 82" as often as possible to listen to and talk to their newly found friend. Aron Burton then went back to Chicago and not much later, the two Swiss arrived in ‘the windy city’ too, for their first time. Aron Burton invited them to stay in his home, which was located out on the westside. He showed them Chicago and its vibrant blues scene and introduced the two to many of the legendary blues musicians alive and well back then, like Junior Wells, Sunnyland Slim, Moose Walker and Eddie Clearwater. It meant the world for the two ...
Kurt Bislin and Benno Rupp, together with their band "The Raindogs", planned the recording their first album with new inspiration. Knowing Aron Burton was coming back to Zurich again in fall of 1987 to perform at Limmatquai 82 for three weeks led to the idea of inviting him to sing a couple of songs on the album. Burton was all up for it and ended up recorded his two originals "Seven Day Blues" and “Spirit” with The Raindogs.
On this tour, Aron Burton had an up-and-coming singer in the band, the marvelous Zora Young. On piano was one of Germany's stellar New Orleans blues and boogie players, the wonderful Christian Willisohn from Munich. It didn't take much to convince the two to become part of The Raindogs’ recording session. Zora Young sang on two songs, her original "Bad Track Records” and Kokomo Arnold's "How Long" and, Christian Willisohn provided outstanding piano work throughout the entire album.
"Chicago Callin'" was released shortly after and got rave reviews from all over Switzerland. This led to several tours the following years. For instance "The Raindogs", featuring Aron Burton and Christian Willisohn (sans Zora Young, unfortunately) played such prestigious festivals like the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Paléo Festival in Nyon, and the Out In The Green in Frauenfeld, Switzerland.
Now, some 35 years later, it was time to dig up the old 1/4 inch master tape, and check if it still was firmly holding the music that was recorded such a long time ago. It was a very special moment when sound engineer Little Konzett put the old tape onto his Studer master machine and hit the play button. There it was…as fresh as decades ago! With some minor adjustments to meet modern sound expectations and today’s wider sonic range, the recording went into the digital world.
Aron Burton and Benno Rupp are sadly no longer with us. But the rest of the crew is still here, spread out all over the world. Zora Young is living in Chicago, drummer Ordy Somchai Sihaampai is back in his homeland of Thailand and Christian Willisohn is doing what he's always doing, playing his piano all over Europe. Kurt Bislin sings and plays the blues even more than ever, while René Mehrmann and Norman Marogg are flying a little under the radar these days.
320 kbps80 Megabytes
Credits:
René Mehrmann - Bass, Backing Vocals Ordy Somchai Sihaampai - Drums, Backing Vocals Normann Marogg - Guitar Benno Rupp - Guitar, Slide Guitar Christian Willison - Piano, Backing Vocals Aron Burton - Vocals, Backing VocalsZora Young - Vocals, Backing Vocals Kurt Bislin - Vocals, Harmonica, Backing Vocals
Tracklist:
01. Chicago Callin' 04:0402. Seven Day Blues 04:3003. How Long 04:2404. Do This Town (to "The Chief") 03:0405. North St. Louis 943 05:4306. Spirit 03:2607. Bad Track Record 04:1408. Louisiana Further (to "Red") 04:29
The Champ Jaxon Band Champ Jaxon is a 13 year-old aspiring blues-rock musician based out of Southwest Florida. Champ was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 2010 and his family relocated back to their hometown in Florida in 2013 when he was three years old.
Champ has performed over 120 gigs with The Champ Jaxon Band in nine different states. He first performed on Music Row in Nashville in 2021 when he was just ten years old and Beale Street in Memphis a year later, representing the Southwest Florida Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge. He appeared on “The Ellen Show” with guest host Brad Paisley in December of 2021 and made his acting debut on NBC’s “Ordinary Joe” a month later. Champ also performed at the 2022 Young Artist Academy Awards in Hollywood, California, where he took home the “Outstanding Instrumentalist” honors.
In May of 2021, a video of Champ performing The Marshall Tucker Band’s “Can’t You See” went viral and was seen by the band, which led to them inviting Champ to a show and calling him up to perform that song with them. Two months later, they asked him to fill in on lead guitar for an entire set in Birmingham, AL, opening for the band Alabama at Oak Mountain Ampitheatre.
Champ has also been called up to play alongside The Allman Betts Band, Eric Gales, Chris Andersen (Outlaws), Scott Sharrard (Gregg Allman Band, Little Feat), Damon Fowler, and Frank Bang, among others. Additionally, The Champ Jaxon Band has been a supporting act on bills that included Gov’t Mule, Blackberry Smoke, Old Crow Medicine Show, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, and more.
The Champ Jaxon Band’s debut album, “The Grove”, was released in December 2021 and includes six original songs and one cover. The album was recorded at Farmadelica Sound in Bokeelia, FL and includes two songs that have music videos. In addition to a organically grown following at live shows, Champ’s social media pages (Facebook, Instagram, Youtube) have over 85,000 combined followers and millions of views.
Champ’s signature guitar is a 1959 Les Paul Special he bought at Carter’s Vintage in Nashville. He also has a Gibson Flying V and Gibson SG, along with a Brad Paisley signature Telecaster gifted by Mr. Paisley himself on “The Ellen Show”, where they jammed together to end the episode. Champ also plays two custom-built Blind Armadillo guitars, Red Bear & Apollo, handmade for him locally in Venice, FL, by luthier Victor McGuire. Regardless of the guitar he decides to pick up, he plays them all through his Harry Joyce Custom 30W amplifier and speaker cabinet.
Champ is an honor student and citizen, having performed at various local charity events, including benefits for the community free health clinic and Hurricane Ian recovery. He also donated his earnings (along with a venue match) from a show last summer to his school’s music program, which resulted in $3,500 being spent on new recording equipment for the students to enjoy. Champ wanted the funds to go to something besides just instruments so that students who may not be musically inclined could be included.
The Champ Jaxon Band also includes Champ’s father, Nate Winkler, (manager/rhythm guitar), Brent Adam (drums), and Nick Rosado (bass). Champ has been a student at The Rock Box Music School & Stage in North Port, FL, since 2019 and has also studied under Scott Sharrard. When he’s not performing, Champ is a normal kid who enjoys video games, Legos, Star Wars and Marvel movies, and spending time outdoors.
Live recording of The Champ Jaxon Band performing original songs along with some of their favorite covers. Recorded on 3/25 & 3/26, 2023 at Troll Music in Venice, FL
320 kbps226 Megabytes
Tracklist:
01. Hurricane 06:4402. Born in the Grove 04:22 03. Midnight Rider 05:2804. Defend the Sacred 04:5605. Call Me the Breeze > One Way Out 07:2306. Gas Station Tie Dye 03:50 07. Voodoo Child 04:5708. Almost Cut My Hair 05:0409. Hide Away 01:5910. Homework Blues 05:12 11. Can't You See 07:4712. Idol 02:5013. Fire on the Mountain 10:1514. Snowed in, in Nashville 05:2915. Five Years on the River 04:3116. Sympathy for the Devil 08:2917. Whipping Post 08:46
Chad Rupp Portland-based multi-instrumentalist Chad Rupp releases what I believe is his third record (Devil ‘Won’t Get You’ was released in 2023, ‘The Sugar Roots: Savage’s Life’ in 2021).
I must say, this record is a nice surprise. The Portland blues scene is a lively one and Chad apparently is a central figure in it. He surrounds himself with fine musicians and even started a record label (Lightning In A Bottle Records) to support musical growth in other musicians. He himself was 17 when he knew he wanted to play the blues.
Mannish Boy by Muddy Waters hit him and when his brother introduced him to SRV, it was done. Before that, it was hair metal he wanted to get into (oeps!).
Eight originals on this record he wrote in two weeks and three covers that mean a lot to him (14 Dollars In The Bank by Paul Delay, Blind Crippled & Crazy by O.V. Wright and She Is The One by Roland Stone).
The originals are all autobiographical, good material. For example, the title song (Gate C23) is about a nice woman (Carla!) getting him on a plane to Memphis in time.
Chad knows how to write a song one can relate to. He and his band are currently doing their thing on a semi-professional basis meaning that after a day’s work the music business starts. “Challenge is money”, he says. But he’s been in music for over 30 years and still loves doing it. “When you are a musician, you are my family” he says.
Chad is a strong supporter of live music and a fierce player and singer. His approach to the blues is modern; it is soul-infused, funky, personal and danceable. Go see him when he is around!
Text: Pascal Wilhelm
320 kbps117 Megabytes
Credits:
Chad Rupp - Vocals, GuitarsJason "JT" Thomas - GuitarsTimmer Blakely - BassSam Gendler - KeyboardsChandler Bowerman - Drums
Tracklist:
01. Fresh Suits 05:3402. She Is The One 03:3203. She Got That Business Handled 04:0204. Gate C23 05:5205. 14 Dollars In The Bank 04:3806. Blues City Cafe 04:0007. Do Whatcha Daddy Say 03:4608. You'll Be Singing My Songs 05:0709. 2 Inches Shy A Foot 02:2210. Fat Kid Boogie 03:1311. Blind, Crippled, And Crazy 08:44
Lenny Smith The songs on Lenny Smith & Friends: Featuring Chicago Bob showcase the high energy and extraordinarily fierce fretwork that is Lenny's trademark. The chemistry between vocalist/harp player Chicago Bob Nelson and Lenny Smith fuses the energies of Lenny's aggressive Detroit edged guitar with Chicago Bob's smooth Southern swamp blues feel.The first release from Lenny Smith was produced by Kevin Russell and features : Mike Vanderhule on the drums, Brad Russell on bass and Jimmy Pugh on keyboards.
Together, Lenny and Chicago Bob have created a unique sound with Southern roots and a Detroit edge that "really knocks you out"!
320 kbps50 Megabytes
Credits:
Brad Russell - Bass Mike Vanderhule - Drums Lenny Smith - Guitar Jimmy Pugh - Keyboards Chicago Bob Nelson - Vocals, Harp
Tracklist:
01. Strut Your Stuff 04:22 02. Movin' Too Fast 03:2503. Louisiana Mojo Man 05:1004. Last Chance 04:0005. Waitin' On My Woman 03:47 06. Mojo Man (Reprise) 01:17
Rolf Wikstrom Rolf Julius "Roffe" Wikström, born April 5, 1949 in Stockholm, is a Swedish blues singer, guitarist and songwriter. He has a Bachelor of Philosophy degree in cultural geography, national economy and economic history.
Wikström grew up in simple conditions in Stockholm where five family members shared a flat near Hammarby IP. The first time he heard the blues was when he saw a TV program in 1961 with the American pianist and singer Champion Jack Dupree. Around the same time, Wikström borrowed a guitar from an uncle and began to practice the solos he had heard on the radio. When the family had a TV repairman at home, he pointed out that the guitar Wikström was playing was out of tune. Wikström had thus learned the instrument incorrectly, which was possible because at this time he only played melodies and no chords. After the guitar was tuned, he learned chords and notes from a music textbook he was given at school. Some time later, he bought his first own guitar, a Fenton Veil, and then a semi-acoustic Levin 325. He plugged it into a battery-powered radio, which thus became an amplifier.
In 1970, Wikström played guitar on The Underground Failure's debut album. Wikström had a first breakthrough in the group Slim's Blues Gang, which was led by Per "Slim" Notini. In 1971, the group released the album The Blues Ain't Strange on Sonet Records. He also played on John Holm's single Svarte kungen/Nales bås. Under the name Cool Hambone, Wikström made his single debut in 1972 with I'm So Tired of It/Supervisor Blues, released on the smaller label Tibet-46. Despite having only two songs, the disc had a playing time of over fourteen minutes, which was unusual for a single. In 1972 he played on Ola Magnell's single Påtalåten and John Holm's album Sordin, in 1973 he appeared on Risken Finn's self-titled album Risken Finns and the following year on Kjell Höglund's Baskervilles hund and Göran Persson's Hundliv.
He was also in the group Löpande banden from 1972, where he joined as a repeater and guitarist. Wikström had been asked to compose lyrics for the political singing group that later became Löpande Bandet. The group released the album Nån gån man must landa... in 1974 but had already split because Wikström was dissatisfied with the time the group took to scratch new songs. During the first half of 1975, Wikström worked at the County Board's regional economic unit, but when the work stopped, he devoted himself full-time to music. The debut album as a solo artist, Sjung svenska folk, was released in February 1975 on the record company Ljudspår. He also played guitar on Kjell Höglund's Hjärtat sits on the left.
In 1976 he formed the band Rolf Wikströms Hjärtslag, which would serve as Wikström's backing band. Together they released the records Hjärtslag (1977), Jävla måndag (1978) and The Eighth Day (1979) before the seventies were over. In 1979, Wikström also participated as guitarist and producer on Lasse Tennander's Längst därinne es helen stil red.
In 1980, two albums were released, Digitalis and Känndet det again. Wikström also appeared on Turid's album Thistles from the Tundra (1980) and Charles Brown's live album I'm Gonna Push On. Then followed the albums Magaza Stomp (1981), Bluesman (1983), Bortom sind och skam (1984), Blow out my moonlight (1986), This is my life (1988) and My heart is yours (1989).[10] On the latter, he interpreted texts by the poet Nils Ferlin and the record became a sales success.
1990 saw the release of As a flickering light, followed by Blues is all I have (1992), the compilation album As the water flows in the river 1972–1992 (1993), Mississippi (1994) and ...your longing's blue anemone in 1996. [10] The latter was similar to 1989's Mitt hjärta is yours an album where Wikström interpreted Nils Ferlin songs and just like the first the album ...your blue anemone of longing became a sales success. The album was followed by Himlen er blau (1996) and Starka band (1998).
The first album to be released in the 2000s was 2001's Everything Changes, which was followed by the compilation album Allt är gyort av plåt (2002), the live album 2 vällar på Fasching (2002), Blues (2003), The Broken Heart (2005) and another live album, Live 2005.
After several years without a record release, 2011 saw Instead of silence. The record reached nineteenth place on the Swedish album chart.
In the late 70s, Rolf Wikström's backing band Hjärtslag was used as a touring band in Scandinavia for visiting American blues artists, including Albert Collins, Charles Brown and Roy Brown. In the years 2002-2006 he was backed by Blue Hammer. The current backing band (2010) consists of Jonatan Stenson (guitar), Niklas Medin (keyboards), Tommy Cassemar (bass), and Peter "Korre" Korhonen (drums).
Live 2005 is the Swedish blues musician Rolf Wikström's second live album, released on the label Black Light Records in 2005. The album was Wikström's first for the label since he left MNW.
320 kbps280 Megabytes
Credits:
Tommy Cassemar - Bass Mikael Johansson - Drums Thomas Hammarlund - Guitar Erik Mossnelid - Keyboards Niklas Medin - Keyboards Erik Häusler - Saxophone Kai Sundqvist - Saxophone Magnus Thorell - Trumpet Stefan Sjöström - Trumpet
Tracklist:
CD 0101. Bluesen Läker Våra Sår 06:1202. Inte En Spänn På Fickan 04:1803. Lyckan Kommer, Lyckan Går 04:5904. Du Säjer Du Ska Lämna Mig 04:0905. Vi Ska Bygga Upp En Kyrka 08:1206. Kom Till Mig Kvinna 08:4507. Intro Till Allt För Många Gånger 00:3108. Allt För Många Gånger 06:2309. Du Kramar Musten Ur Mej 04:0810. Jag Tror Du Ljuger Nu 04:4911. Jävla Måndag 05:42
CD 0201. Har Kommit För Långt 05:2302. Intro Till Jag Älskar Dej Ändå 00:3703. Jag Älskat Dej Ändå 07:4504. Bädda Med Rena Lakan 06:3305. Gud På Tunnelbanan 03:4306. Över Tusen Hav 02:3607. I Samhällets Utkant 07:1308. Blues Är Allt Jag Har 09:5209. Roffes Stomp 05:1310. Inklappning 00:5211. Som Vattnet Flyter I Floden 14:51
Gugun Blues Shelter Gugun Blues Shelter (GBS), or Gugun Power Trio (for the American and European market), is an Indonesian blues band, formed in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2004. The current members are Gugun on guitar, Fajar Adi Nugroho on bass and Bowie on drums. They have released nine albums.
320 kbps98 Megabytes
Tracklist:
01. Coming Out 03:1302. Don't Cry For Me 03:5303. Heart Breaker 04:0104. Bad Politician 03:3505. Keep Stronger 04:3906. Without You 04:2507. Stay With Me Tonight 04:2008. Learn To Love Myself 06:0109. Delusional 04:1710. Born To Be Free 04:14
Blues Floor Hungary Blues Rock Band.
320 kbps130 Megabytes
Credits:
Rajkai József - Bass Guitar Szabolcs Szolcsányi - Drums, Percussion Árvai Edina - Guest (Backing Vocals)Sásdi Tamás - Guitar Horváth Gabriella - Vocals
Tracklist:
01. Vennék 04:11 02. Múlik Az Ido 04:23 03. Még Egyszer Vissza 05:12 04. Blues Ez Nem Kardigán 05:11 05. Te Vagy A Seb Magadon 04:36 06. Ennyi Volt... 04:04 07. Karrierkirálynem 03:58 08. Oh, Little Girl 04:12 09. Egyedül Vagyok Lány 04:25 10. Veled Kelet Felé 04:36
Jason Craig Wilkins Jason Craig Wilkins is an acclaimed guitarist with a long history of having a powerful, blues-based virtuosic soloing style that’s been interjected into many bands of diverse genres. Through the years, he has been a member of blues, rock, pop, punk, prog rock, new wave, soul and funk bands in a career spanning 50 years.
Originally from St. Louis Missouri and now having lived in New York City for 45 years, his background is deeply rooted in his love for the blues. He has honed his chops with his admiration of B B King, Abert King, Hubert Sumlin, T-bone Walker, Robert Johnson and many more. The thread of blues runs through all the music he has made.
When Jason was a teenager, he was able to see live performances by some of the great Blues masters such as Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, and when he approached Albert King, his favorite, in 1970, he asked “I love the way you play guitar, what can I do to learn to play like you?” Albert responded, “Just listen to the records on your hi-fi and play along.” That’s what he did.
For his first ever solo album, Jason has chosen a blues format that makes him feel at home. His album, “Find Me Now”, contains original songs and a few blues classics from Howlin Wolf, Bukka White and Albert King. His dynamic live performances will grab you and take you on an emotional ride, with touching original songs filled with heartfelt solos that will leave you transformed. When he sings and plays, he wears his heart on his sleeve.
Jason Craig Wilkins offers the listener music from a lifetime of musical efforts that are diverse and complex. He lives in a place where the experience of music is something that is transformable. It is his belief that the musical experience is something that transports us to another place. It is something that touches us deeply inside. “People think of the blues as an old-time music from the past. But…this is in every way music of today and always will be.”
Are you ready for a great musical experience? You’re in the right place.
320 kbps85 Megabytes
Credits:
Jason Craig Wilkins - Guitars, VocalsCharly Roth - Bass, KeyboardsTom Curiano - DrumsMike LaPorta - Harmonica
Tracklist:
01. Shake 'Em On Down 02:3602. Other Side Of Loneliness 04:5403. Wrapped Up In Love Again 02:3604. Know To Say No 02:5405. Is That What It Is 03:1306. Down In The Bottom 03:0407. Find Me Now 04:5008. Little Blue 04:0709. Promises 03:0010. Drowning On Dry Land 03:0911. Green Light For Trouble 02:36
Jimmy Vivino Some magic was bound to surround this, as Jimmy Vivino reunited with long-time former collaborators for the first time in years. But doing so in Levon Helm’s old-barn studio, where Vivino had made so many memories, only heightened the date’s sense of emotional reminiscence. The results on 13 Live, due May 7, 2013 from Blind Pig, play out like the very best of reunions — with no small amount of joy, but also some memorable twinges of sadness.
The Black Italians — a fiery group including Catherine Russell, Felix Cabrera, Danny Louis, Mike Merritt and James Wormworth that just makes a beautiful racket here — first gathered more than 20 years ago for a residency at New York’s Downtown Bar. Since, Vivino has gone on to a memorable stint with Al Kooper, become a stalwart member of Conan O’Brien’s studio band, and developed a lasting musical bond at a series of appearances with the late Helm, drummer and key voice with the Band.
Yet something, some spark, some lasting connection, clearly remained despite the Black Italians’ lengthy time apart. 13 Live, in fact, picks up like a conversation once interrupted amongst old friends — right where it left off. “Fat Man,” the opener, rumbles to life with a shambolic beauty and 13 Lives begins chugging along with a soulful determination.
An early take on Johnny Winters’ “Fast Life Rider,” powered by a scorching guitar turn by Vivino, unfolds like a boisterous, happy-go-lucky late-night blues jam, while the original “Heaven in a Pontiac” scuffs things up with a rockabilly attitude. “Miss Mona” has a conversational, Little Feat vibe that perfectly suits this group’s easy sense of camaraderie. In keeping with the sessions’ locale outside of Woodstock, N.Y., Vivino and Co. make passes at a pair of Bob Dylan tracks — the stamping, propulsive “From a Buick 6” and the loose, rocking “Maggie’s Farm.”
Though Vivino handles many of the vocals, Russell — a versatile performer, emotive and then confidential — simply sets “Soulful Dress” aflame, then reaches the very bottom of a brown bottle on the devastating “Fool’s Gold.” Later, she gives James Brown a run for his money on “What Do I Have to Do (to Prove My Love to You),” even as Cabrera and then Louis add locomotive turns on the harp and trombone, respectively.
Everything seems to be leading, both literally and figuratively, toward the album’s final two tracks, one a tribute to Helm and the other a signature track from the Band. Vivino’s “Song for Levon” opens with a line that brings it all home: “Something just came over me,” Vivino sings, sounding at times like the always deeply expressive Richard Manuel. The Rick Danko vehicle “The Shape I’m In” is then given an appropriately raucous reading, complete with a series of Garth Hudson-esque keyboard flourishes.
13 Live comes to a heartfelt conclusion, with a few smiles and a few tears. Just as it should be.Nick DeRiso.
320 kbps
Credits:
Mike Merritt - Bass Mike Jacobson - Congas, Bass Drum (track: 04)James Wormworth - Drums – Jimmy Vivino - Guitar, Vocals, Piano (track: 04) Felix Cabrera - Harmonica, Vocals Danny Louis - Keyboards, Trombone, Snare (track: 04)Fred Walcott - Timbales, Percussion Catherine Russell - Vocals Danny Louis - Vocals
Tracklist:
01. Fat Man 05:2502. Soulful Dress 04:0403. From a Buick 6 03:0104. Fast Life Rider 04:5805. Fool's Gold 05:5106. Heaven In A Pontiac 03:3007. Animalism 04:2108. Light Up Or Leave Me Alone 04:3609. What Do I Have To Do (To Prove My Love To You) 03:27
Mario Garcia Garcia Mario Garcia Garcia is a blues composer and guitarist of Peruvian Spanish origin.
320 kbps149 Megabytes
Tracklist
01. Muévete 04:1102. Volverte Loca 03:0203. Sudakas Blue 03:2104. No Más Blues 03:5905. Slide Blues 03:0606. Todo Tu Amor 04:0307. Lágrimas Blues 03:4108. Balada Blues 04:1409. Actitud 04:3910. Bohemio 04:5911. Mar Y Sol 05:1812. Drogo 04:2813. Sola 04:3814. Está De Moda 03:5615. Peruano Televidente 03:2616. Donde El Mar Se Une Con El Sur 03:17
Kid Ramos “I think that everybody approaches music how their personality is. It’s your personality you know. I’m an intense person, I’m a passionate person so when I play the guitar I attack the guitar because that’s just my personality. The music comes out of what’s in your soul. That’s what music is, it transcends everything. It transcends language and cultures and everything. It’s that language that speaks to people in a place that you can’t describe. That people hear somethin’ and they just react to it and it’s almost primal the way people react to it. It touches somethin’ in people that goes way back. And it’s hard to describe it but when you hear it you go ‘oh man.’ For me I heard music and I heard guitar and I went ‘that’s me that’s what I want to do, I can identify with that.’ So my personality comes out in it. I just like that approach of just attacking it and being passionate about it, have emotion in it. It doesn’t have to be all the perfect notes, it just has to have something that grabs you. That’s what music has to do for me, it has to move me, it has to say something. It has to touch that level where the words don’t do it. The right notes will come later, but you can’t teach the feeling.”
Kid Ramos is the raw, passionate guitar “id” of West Coast Blues. The “kid with the guitar,” as a teenager Ramos jumped with both feet into a creative artistic life that for his 62 years on the planet has led him with grit and determination to express his inner self through the beautiful ritual that is Blues music. Whether early on in the James Harman Band or the Fabulous Thunderbirds to more recent collaborations with the 44’s or the Proven Ones, Kid Ramos’ guitar is always a distinct unique voice adding gravity, spontaneity and heart to any music. A thoughtful and deeply reflective man, Kid is just as engaging in conversation as he is in guitar playing. Warm, funny but also deadly serious about his art, Kid has laser focus on his music, his relationships and most importantly his family. Famously taking almost a decade off from national touring, Ramos talks often about the family he took that time off to raise and bursts with pride as he talks about the musical bond he has with his son. In this his second Blues Blast interview, Kid generously spoke at length about his conception of music, the modern West Coast Blues scene that he helped to create and the powerful and joyful music he produces.
Kid Ramos is a Californian through and through. Ramos came up at just the right time to be influenced by and help shape the 70’s/80’s resurgence of the Blues.
“For me it’s a pilgrimage of discovery. For me as a teenager in Southern California I would go buy records. I’d go to the record store and look through the Blues bins and look through the Salvation Army and the thrift store and see what I could find record-wise. And then I had this place that was 15-20 miles from my house called the Golden Bear where I got to go see these guys. In a small club I got to see Freddie King, you know I got to see Albert King, Muddy Waters, Junior Wells and Buddy Guy, I got to see all these guys, Mike Bloomfield. Anything that interests me I’d go see it, and I’d see it live. You didn’t have all these tapes to learn how to play guitar or videos or go online, learn how to do this, I mean you had to figure it out yourself, you know. So I would listen to the records and try to find it on the neck of the guitar. When I finally got to go see these guys then I went okay I can see now where that’s comin’ from.”
Barely just out of high school Kid became the guitar player in the premier Blues band in the Golden State, James Harman’s outfit. This band and the people on the scene at the time, including the legendary Hollywood Fats, created the modern West Coast Blues sound. As one of the founding fathers of this modern sound, Kid breaks down its origins and humbly his place in it.
“All the guys that came out here to the West Coast, to California, that had bands and stuff that came here, most of them came from Texas. T-Bone Walker is the definitive thing for the West Coast sound. The West Coast sound to me, is not like Chicago in those Jimmy Reed type shuffles with harmonica and stuff, it’s more slick and uptown with horns and maybe upright bass. The guitarist is playing some 9th chords and 13th chords, a little more sophisticated. Country Blues is where Chicago is related to, all the Delta stuff went to Chicago. Muddy Waters on Stovall’s Plantation he’s like the lineage of Robert Johnson or Son House you know. Then he comes to Chicago and discovers electricity. He puts that band together with Little Walter on harmonica, Jimmy Rogers, Otis Spann, they all had their own bands. They took and made that music and there isn’t anything like it. I got to see Muddy Waters in the 70’s and see it up close and personal and listen to that, and that’s a specific thing. But when the guys like T-Bone came they were influenced by Big Band music. And then they come out here to California and put together these bands. And a lot of these records, even the early B.B. King records are Jump Blues using Maxwell Davis’ band, you know it’s a horn band.
imageWhen I got on the James Harman band I was the only guitar player in the band when I got on that band. I was a kid I was like 21-22 years old. A few years into it he goes ‘hey Hollywood Fats wants to join this band but you’re the guitar player and if you don’t want him to we won’t have him.’ And I was just like ‘wow Hollywood Fats man of course,’ how cool is that, I was in awe of the guy. And Fats, he really brought that into the next level because he had that Swing Jump Blues thing down better than anybody I ever heard really. Fats, you know, he would be at James Harman’s house and that was the nucleus of all this stuff that we started to do. And Junior Watson rented a room from Harman, so he lived there to. So I would go over there almost every day and we’d listen to records man. We’d listen to records and eat, have BBQ, drink beer and just have these great record parties and listen to music. So for me the formative years of that kind of a thing. You know Junior was playing in Rod’s band (Rod Piazza) at the time. And Rod’s band was very Chicago, Little Walter oriented, they played like almost all of his repertoire. But Watson would do a Swing Blues, you know like a Tiny Grimes instrumental and it would be just killer. So I think all that kind of sound was based around Rod, James Harman Band, William Clarke had a lot of really good guitar players in his band. And so it kind of developed that people started calling it the West Coast sound. I think it really has a lot of elements of different stuff in it. But, kind of that flavor of a Jump Blues stuff with other things, you know.”
Kid Ramos is not your average traditional Bluesman. Yes, Kid can swing as hard as anyone. He mostly plays a traditional style of Blues often associated with clean, jazzy guitarists. But, Kid’s passion and attack come through always and plays out in the raw thick sound of his guitar. Kid Ramos IS the music and he is not to fussy about the vessels he uses to punch that music out of himself. Defying convention and uniformity, Kid doesn’t like the thinner, string-y-er sound of the standard Fender amplifier which is the Blues standard. Committing guitar snob sacrilege, Kid Ramos often plays a solid state amplifier. For those of you who don’t know or don’t care (which you really shouldn’t) most guitar snobs will say you have to use amplifiers with vacuum tubes in them to get a warm sound. A solid state amplifier uses only circuitry and is seen as less than.
“(I use a) solid state Vox Pathfinder it’s got one 8’ speaker. People hear it and they go ‘what is that man?’ It’s a solid state amp with an 8’ speaker man. To me the sound comes from your hands, you know. You can get stuff and enhance stuff or find something that inspires you when you hear it. You know if, like, you are playing a guitar and you’re diggin’ the vibe of the guitar and you plug it into the right amp, that makes you play a certain way. Cause the sound comin’ out of there is like oh man gettin’ the tone you want. But, I try to get the tone I want in whatever I play through, you can find a way to do it somehow.”
Vox amplifiers are the sound of the British Invasion. A British company, Vox was the alternative to the Fender/Marshall amplifier battles. Vox amps, with and without tubes, get a thick mid-range sound. When on tour with the Fabulous Thunderbirds, which was the dream gig Ramos landed after his touring hiatus, Kid traded a vintage Fender Bassman for his first Vox AC30 (the Vox standard workhorse).
“I’m not like a big gear guy particularly. You know whatever works. I love Vox amps. I have an old AC30 that I used in the Thunderbirds and I used it for a lot of stuff actually. It’s that class A amp, it’s different then a Fender amp. To me I never like Fender amps with Fender guitars, they always sound to treble-y to me. It’s like a treble bomb, you can’t get away, no matter what you do you can’t get that treble out. I like playing hollow bodies and different stuff, but, I end up always going’ back to a Stratocaster just because it’s the easiest guitar to travel with. And if you got one guitar you can get every sound you need to get out of a Stratocaster. To me it’s like a crescent wrench, if you have one tool and you had to work on a car, you need a crescent wrench, that’s what the Stratocaster is (chuckles). I had all those Fender amps, back then you could get ‘em for nothing you know. I never liked the way they sound with a Stratocaster, they just sound treble-y. But when I stumbled onto that AC30 I go well this is something else, this is a different thing altogether.”
Kid plays the big hollow body “jazz boxes” often used in Jump Blues too. His main hollow body ax is a big 2 tone Harmony, often played through that solid state Vox. In the early days Kid had a serious vintage instrument a 1951 Gibson ES 5 Switchmaster hollow body guitar, a guitar worth quite a lot of money especially now a days. Like many artists who is striving and developing, Kid moved off the big hollow sound and ended up selling his old ES 5. But, fate had other ideas.
“I used an ES 5 on some of those Evidence recordings that I had that actually came back to me. I sold that guitar to a friend of mine. And about a couple years ago I was playing at this club and he comes and he goes ‘you know what that guitar belongs with you man, it’s just sittin’ in my house.’ And I go ‘well you’ve had a few drinks tonight bro.’ He goes ‘no, I’m bringing it over your house tomorrow.’ I go ‘no worries, man’ I didn’t believe him. The next day he calls me he goes ‘I’m standing in your driveway.’ I go downstairs and he’s got this 1951 ES 5 in the brown case that I sold him like I don’t know 10-15 years ago. He goes ‘here man this belongs with you.’ I open the case, man, and I literally teared up, I almost started cryin’. It was like seeing a friend you hadn’t seen in years, you know. And it had the same strings on it (haha).”
imageCOVID has hit Kid Ramos just like every other artist who makes their living physically bringing the Blues to people all over the world. “I’m pretty much stuck here in Southern CA, I haven’t done much. I’ve played some gigs with my son cause my son has his own band he has CDs out and stuff too.” But, when the the pandemic hit and the world shut its doors, Kid and his bandmates in the journeymen conglomerate The Proven Ones, were on the cusp of really maximizing on the incredibly creative and popular success of their project. The band along with Kid consists of Willie J Campbell on bass, drummer Jimi Bott, keyboardist Anthony Geraci, and Brian Tempelton singing with his gravely croon. Kid tells the story of how The Proven Ones started and how they worked through their 2 preleases:
“The bass player, Willie J Campbell who has been one of my closest friends for 40 years. I played with him in the Fabulous Thunderbirds, but I met him in the James Harmon Band, we’ve always just had a good friendship through all the years. He put together a New Year’s Eve gig in Missouri where he lives. We had Sugaray Rayford, me, Anthony Geraci, Jimi Bott and that was the band you know. He flew everybody out there and we’re in the van picked up from the airport driving back going ‘you know this gonna be a great time, we need to make a record with this band.’ Because at this time Randy Chortkoff (founder and executive of Delta Groove Productions a major independent Blues label) had passed away, nobody knew what was going to be the future for Delta Groove. So we go ‘let’s do a recording, let’s get together and make a record man, with this band you know, it’s a killer band.’ So Jimi Bott has a great studio, he’s a fantastic engineer, he has a studio in his house you know. So he goes ‘let’s put together a few gigs in Portland,’ he lives in Oregon. ‘Everybody fly out let’s figure out everybody’s schedule and when we can do it, and let’s make a record.’ That’s what we did. Played the New Year’s Eve gig (in Missouri) and had a great time, we hung out at Willie’s house, rehearsed and kind of just reacquainted everybody what we wanted to do material wise. The gig went off great and everything so we kept the fire going you know so to speak. We basically went out to Portland and we played a couple of gigs. And in-between the gigs we recorded during the day and that was the first The Proven Ones record, Wild Again. Well Ray, he did some scratch vocals but he just really wasn’t focused on doing that. He had his own thing going by then really strong and I think he just realized he was spread too thin. So enter Brian Templeton. You know we just fell in love with Brian man. He was the perfect fit. The guy’s so down to earth, just a talented musician all the way around a great singer. The guy came in and just nailed all this stuff. So of course everybody lives in different states.
So our first gig (after the first record came out) we played the Waterfront Festival in Portland, whatever that is 30 thousand people or somethin’. The first record comes out we haven’t played since we made the record. I didn’t even meet Brian, cause he flew in to Jimi’s and did the vocals after the fact. We come out a couple days early, we go to Jimi’s house, we rehearse the record and we go out and play the first show in front of all these people. Everything fell into place you know.
The second record (You Ain’t Done), Mike Zito approached us and said I’m starting this small label. I’d love to sign you guys and have you guys come out to Louisiana to this studio and do a record. We can all live there, it’s like an old, big property it used to be a plantation or something years and years ago. The guy who bought this property, he put all this money into it. Dr. John recorded there, just a host of people have recorded there. There’s like two houses and there’s like a huge barn where the studio is, I mean it was just great. So we all went down there. We stayed there for 4 days. Cooked food, had a great time, recorded all day into the night and we made the next record. Then you know we put it out and of course the pandemic hit so we haven’t really had a chance to go out and prompt that record.
Between the two The Proven Ones records, Wild Again and You Ain’t Done, there is a significant shift in artistic vision.
“Well the first record we picked material and we had a couple original things we had worked on for the Thunderbirds that never came together. You know that I’d worked with Kim, and a couple of songs we thought well you know, and Kim was like I’m fine with whatever, so he never used them so we finished them and kind of made them kind of our own. But, the rest were kind of like covers, we do our versions of you know ‘Loan Me a Dime,’ pretty much a Blues record for the most part. So the second record we all started writin’ songs. It’s all originals, everything on there is originals. So that’s how that came to be the way it is and everybody’s kind-a coming from a different place with their influences and stuff. Anthony, you know Anthony’s been writing songs for years, I wrote songs with James Harman back in those days. Brian’s got all these ideas and stuff to. We pretty much just started writing songs and they all you know came together in the studio. We pretty much made them what they are in the studio. So it is a different kind of record. I don’t think it’s a Blues record either, but it’s definitely got some flavors from us. So who knows what the next record is gonna be, you know. Everybody is kind of open and that’s cool, because I’m not hung up on any Kind of particular thing about what kind of music it is. As long it’s telling a story and people are playing from their heart, I’m good about it, you know.”
imageAs modern and rocking as Kid plays in The Proven Ones, he is at heart a traditionalist. Like so many legit artists creating within a traditional frame, Kid pays homage to his forefathers. A crowning achievement was the live Floyd Dixon record Time Brings About A Change that Kid produced, arranged and played on in 2006. Dixon, a contemporary of Charles Brown and T-Bone Walker, sadly died just a few months after the release of the album.
“Oh man, Bob Auerbach (CEO of HighJohn Records), he’s the one that approached me and I had never met him before. He said ‘I’d like to talk to you and have a meeting with you, see if you would be interested in producing a Floyd Dixon record.’ And I went ‘Floyd Dixon are you serious? Of Course.’ So I went to his house and Floyd was there. The first thing I told him was, what you need to do, it’s like baking a cake, you need all the right ingredients. So if I put together the rhythm section and I get the right music backing up Floyd. Floyd’s gonna become Floyd again and do what Floyd does best. I guess they liked what I said because he hired me to do the record. We rehearsed it I don’t know 2 or 3 times at Bob’s house with Floyd. And the first rehearsal, I bring this band in and we start playing and about half way into the first song Floyd jumps up from the piano bench and he goes ‘you guys know how to play.’ He was so blown away that we knew his music and we understood what he was trying to do. I mean Larry Taylor on upright bass and Richard Innis on drums, that’s the rhythm section right there, you know the Hollywood Fats Band rhythm section. I put together these great great horn players – baritone and tenor. You know I had a big hollow body guitar. I had those records, I know what Floyd Dixon records are. It just came together so well.
And meeting the guy, he was just a warm wonderful guy too, man. He came to my house, I cooked dinner for him, my wife and I, we had him over. He told me he used to go to Joe Lewis’ house and date his daughter. So I knew he liked boxing. He used to play cards with Sugar Ray Robinson, one of the great boxers of all time. I’m a big boxing guy, a big time boxing fan. I invited him over for the fights, we sat at my house and we ate dinner and watched the fights. We had him over here a couple of times. It was so cool.
We went to LA to pick up the recordings from the live 2 nights and we were listening to ‘em in my car. Floyd was sittin’ in the passenger seat and I’m driving back from LA. And we’re listening to ‘Cold, Cold Feeling’ the T-Bone Walker song and I’m playing guitar. And Floyd just looks over at me and goes ‘You know what Kid? If T-Bone was alive right now we’d go over to his house and he would be so tickled to hear this.’ And I was just like you know, man, that was the greatest compliment anybody could ever pay me in my entire life.”
Kid’s relationship with Auerbach has continued to be warm and mutually beneficial, affording Kid more opportunities to play with the old guard such as Johnny Tucker.
“Well this guy (Auerbach) is just a really wonderful guy and he wanted me to record Johnny Tucker. I put together some musicians, you know we went into the studio, we cut 32 tracks in 2 days. Yeah, I mean it was a crack band, the band was just perfect man. I just called out different grooves, different things, and we just started lettin’ it roll. So we have a record that’s all done, it’s gettin’ mastered now. Yeah and it’s gonna come out Johnny Tucker and Kid Ramos probably in August. I got Jason Lozano on drums, who played with the 44’s, Carl Sonny Leyland on piano, and Johnny Bazz from the Blasters on bass, and me on guitar. And then my son was in the studio with us too and he sang some tracks. So I have another whole record after this one comes out with Carl Sonny Leyland singin’ and my son singin’. So I have enough for 2 records there so.
Most serious Blues guitar students site Hubert Sumlin as a major influence. The enigmatic guitarist who propelled Howlin’ Wolf’s music, Sumlin was a unique talent without peer and near impossible to emulate. Kid sites Hubert amongst B.B. King, T-Bone Walker and Magic Sam as an important touchstone.
“The thing is, the way he (Sumlin) played, there was no way he could explain it to anybody. I backed him up a couple times, the sweetest guy you’d ever want to meet, very child like really. His approach to the guitar, he just played what he felt, he didn’t have any technical training, nothin’. I don’t know anybody that can play that stuff that he played on those Howlin’ Wolf records, like if you could get that tone and try to play like that. You know Duke Robillard, he can play like almost anybody. You know he can play like Guitar Slim, he can play like T-Bone. I’ve never heard anybody play like Hubert Sumlin. He had his own approach man. “
Kid Ramos is one of the great instrumentalists of the Blues. His distinctive style is a clear and unfiltered expression of his life, his passions and his soul. A true survivor, Kid has done what has been necessary to provide for his family while also feeding his heart’s cry for music. No stranger to hard times, Kid persevere with humor, grace and passion.
“You know you got to just roll with. We got sick, my wife and my son, yeah we caught it (COVID) right during the holidays. We were sick during Christmas and New Years. Yeah, it wasn’t bad, for me it wasn’t bad really at all. I’ve been much sicker, man. I went through a year and half of chemo man. I was in the hospital for 5 days at a time, 7 hours of chemo at a day. So it’s pretty hard to kill me man, you know what I mean, I’ve been way sicker than the COVID. For me I’ve been shot at, stabbed, beat cancer, beat COVID, I’m like whatever man, I’m gonna keep going. Nobody knows about tomorrow, I’m gonna take it one day at a time. (haha)
So I’ve been fortunate, man, in my career some 40 years of doin’ this that I’ve been able to meet the right people at the right time. I’ve got to play with some of my heroes. I’ve got to travel all over the world. Still people want to hear me and they don’t throw rocks at me, I’ll keep doing it.”
320 kbps141 Megabytes
Tracklist:
01. Strange Things Happening (Feat. Brian Templeton) 04:38 02. How I Got Over (Feat. Brian Templeton) 05:39 03. I'm Working On A Building (Feat. Brian Templeton) 03:49 04. Oh, What A Meeting (Feat. Johnny Ramos) 07:09 05. Jesus Dropped The Charges (Feat. Brian Templeton) 05:39 06. An Answer For Issac (Feat. Brian Templeton) 04:56 07. God Walks The Dark Hills (Feat. Johnny Ramos) 05:10 08. Satan's Jeweled Crown (Feat. Brian Templeton & Johnny Ramos) 04:10 09. Nobody But The Lord (Feat. Brian Templeton) 03:28 10. Every Grain Of Sand (Feat. Brian Templeton) 06:20 11. More Love, More Power (Feat. Johnny Ramos & Brian Templeton) 04:54 12. I'm A Pilgrim (Feat. Brian Templeton) 05:43
Buddy Ray Buddy Ray and Done With Trouble was a Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute band out of Massachusetts from 2000-2001 that played throughout New England. The band featured the late and amazing Henry "Buddy Ray" Goff on Vocals & Guitar accompanied by Mike Koziel on Keyboards, Marc Ross on Bass, and Brandon Duarte on Drums.
Buddy Ray was the lead guitarist and singer for the band. Buddy began playing the guitar at the age of seven. At the age of 21 he heard his first Stevie Ray Vaughan song and hasn't been the same since. His passion for playing Stevie's music can be heard with every perfect solo and bent string. It is unbelievable how close Buddy came to the real thing. Everything from his stage presence to the small inflections in his vocals are what makes him a superstar in the eyes and ears of SRV fans everywhere. Visit the music page and you make the call. A Boston native, buddy was a veteran musician versed in many styles who logged time in Nashville, Los Angeles and New Orleans. Buddy passed away too soon in June of 2014 but the passion for his music lives on.
Mike "Koz" Koziel was the keyboardist for the band. Blistering organ solos and honky tonk piano are his specialty and he plays it like it was going out of style. Originally from the rural country-side of Pennsylvania, his talents far surpass his cow tipping abilities. Koz has achieved recognition as a concert pianist, won awards as a musical director, and has inspired music lovers whenever he performs. He brought an unparalleled dynamic to the band that simply adds an exclamation point to the already "AWESOME!" sound.
Marc Ross was the bass guitarist for the band. His knack for playing in the pocket is what it's all about. Moreover, Marc could also play solos that will leave you wishing you could play lead guitar as good as he plays the bass. His background is wide and varied having played with regional big bands, jazz trios, rock ensembles, and pit orchestras. While playing in the band, Marc was also on scholarship to Berkelee School of Music. Bottom Line...His infectious groove was the heart and soul of this band...PERIOD!
Brandon "Groove" Duarte was the drummer for the band. At only 20 years old at the time, this guy could lay it all out...and then some. Some drummers take their entire lives finding a texas shuffle, Brandon played it like he invented it. The young virtuoso has an incredible sense of history of his instrument having experienced everything from fusion jazz to hard rock and funk. Brandon's participation at the Berklee School of Music has turned him into a well-tuned percussion monster. His unrelenting, in your face, drumming is what makes Stevie Ray Vaughan's music the heart-pounding music that it is.
192 kbps111 Megabytes
Tracklist:
01. Rockin' Intro 02:2102. House Is Rockin' 02:2803. Look At Little Sister 02:4104. Come On (Part III) 03:1005. Hawaiian Interlude 01:2806. Willie The Wimp 04:4707. Lenny 05:0808. Cold Shot 04:3609. Weather Prelude 00:2710. Pride & Joy 03:2911. Couldn't Stand The Weather 04:4612. Funky Interlude 03:2813. 'Tightrope 05:2714. Crossfire 04:33
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