Michael Osborn & the Drivers

Michael Osborn & the Drivers - The Glamorous Life - 2010 - Checkerboard Records

Michael is a very gifted guitarist who know that less often really means more. His playing is imaginative, and his technique is precise. He can play terrific blues guitar without overwhelming the song and never showing off. He can play with a tone and craft without hands flying across the frets trying to play as many notes as possible in as short a time as possible. This album is a tasteful example of playing great blues guitar by stretching notes and adding clever little fills in all the right places. Mike mainly plays traditional blues but always adds something new to the old classics. If you like biting, aggressive and inventive blues guitar in the style of great players like B.B. & Freddy King, you may like this album. See if you can find Mike's 1988 "Cold Hearted Girl" album. Check out Mike's "What Goes Around", "Touch Tone", and "A Case For The Blues" albums on this blog [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 68.8 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Why Get Up - B.Carter, R.Ellsworth
2. Here She Comes - K.G. Jackson
3. The Glamorous Life - Michael Osborn
4. Needles And Pins - K.G. Jackson
5. Lollipop Mama - Roy Brown, Clarence Samuels, William Clarke
6. Bright Lights Big City - Jimmy Reed
7. Little Suzanne - Michael Osborn, KG Jackson, Dave Mathis, KG Jackson, John Moore, Stu Kinzel

MUSICIANS

Michael Osborn - Guitar, Vocals
K.G. Jackson - Bass Guitar, Vocals
John Moore - Drums
Dave Mathis - Harmonica, Vocals

REVIEWS

Michael Osborn was John Lee Hooker’s lead guitarist for 13 years. After his stint with Mr. Hooker, one of Michael’s songs, “Spellbound”, was featured on John Lee’s 1998 Grammy Award winner for Best Traditional Blues recording, “Don’t Look Back”! Michael has also backed such musical luminaries as Robben Ford (Michael has a song credit on Robben’s “Blue Moon” release), Mark Ford, The Charles Ford Band, Charlie Musselwhite, James Cotton, Brownie McGee, Bill Rhoades, Sista Monica, Annie Sampson and so many others. Mike presently resides in the Portland, Oregon area and has been nominated three times by the Cascade Blues Association for best blues guitarist and once for blues best recording for his CD release of “Touch Tone.” As a member of Bill Rhoades and the Party Kings, he taken home 7 awards for best traditional blues band and was inducted into the CBA Hall of Fame as a member of that band! “Michael Osborn is one of the most authentic blues guitarists around today. His style goes straight to the heart of the blues and he’ll steal your show if you don’t watch out!” ~ Robben Ford

Michael Osborn was John Lee Hooker’s guitarist for 13 years (I do remember seeing him with The Boogie Man at London’s Hammersmith Odeon) and he has a respectable discography himself, with three albums for Blue Rock’It between 1988 and 1996, and now releases on his own Checkerboard label. It certainly shows on this release, which is definitely modern blues but without any of the vacant posturing that term sometimes implies. He began his blues career working with the Ford Brothers and in 1970 was a founding member of the famed Charles Ford Band (who recorded for Arhoolie). That he has got the chops is in no doubt from this straightforward blues set. There are echoes of Hooker’s spikey guitar style (most notably on ‘Needles And Pins’), but for the most part the playing recalls the likes of BB King and Alberts King and Collins, though usually with a little more down-home ambience, thanks to the stripped-down accompaniment of just bass, drums and harp. Lead vocals are shared between Dave Jackson on four songs, KG Jackson on three numbers, and Michael himself on just one, and the occasional use of harmonised lead vocals adds a fine individual sound. Most of the songs are originals but there are a couple of nice surprises. Whilst the opener is best-known from The Fabulous Thunderbirds and is a fine, slightly New Orleans-ish rocking piece, ‘Lollipop Mama’ is an excellent cover of Clarence Samuels’ 1947 Aristocrat recording. I enjoyed this CD a lot – it is pleasing and unpretentious. Mike recalls in his notes that Hooker told him: “You can play a lot of notes and think you’re dazzling them… give them melody and feeling…” On this evidence Mike took note. - Norman Darwen, Blues and Rhythm Magazine, UK

Boy, this CD was a long time in coming. After Michael Osborn put together The Drivers more than a year ago with such a talented line-up, I was heavy in anticipation awaiting the release of new material. Well, I have to say the wait was well worth it. Osborn’s third disc on his own Checkerboard label, The Glamorous Life proves that the band’s name is aptly titled. Because this album just drives the blues home. The Drivers of course are made up of Osborn’s searing guitar work, local harp great Dave Mathis doing his usual blowing the tin off the instrument, K.G. Jackson handling bass superbly and John Moore hitting the skins with the perfect rhythm. Michael, K.G. and Dave alternate between one another on vocals. It’s a traditional blues gem, as they work from covers to originals, all with equal attention that rings true every time. K.G. Jackson has long been an overlooked talent in the Northwest. We’ve seen him front bands of his own in the past, most often playing guitar. But he relents the guitar duties to Michael, rightly so considering Osborn’s past work with such people as Charlie Musselwhite, Sista Monica, The Ford Blues Band and more than a decade leading one John Lee Hooker’s band. But Jackson is more than capable at bass and what’s even more his forte, he’s a great songwriter, contributing three tracks to the album. The only other original being Osborn’s title track. The CD opens with a very nice cover of the song “Why Get Up,” best known for The Fabulous Thunderbirds’ take and this new version holds up well compared to theirs. Also familiar tunes include “Lollipop Mama,” a staple of William Clarke’s songbook that has become an outstanding piece yet again in the hands of Dave Mathis, and the Jimmy Reed classic “Bright Lights, Big City” with the unmistakable harmonica riff handled nicely by Mathis while Osborn provides some tasty guitar additions. The Glamorous Life is a very satisfying CD, with only one problem I can note. At just under 31 minutes in length, it leaves you wishing for more. But what a fantastic 31 minutes it is. Bravo to Michael Osborn & The Drivers on delivering the goods in a big way! - Greg Johnson, Cascade Blues Association, Portland, OR

My secret weight loss program? “Sleep Your Weight Away.” It is based on the fact that even a sleeping person is burning calories, and, most importantly, one is not eating while asleep. Feeling hungry? Take a nap instead of having a snack! “I went to the doctor he said lose some weight / And, if you don’t do it quick we got to operate …. Why Get Up?,” sings Dave Mathis, harmonicist and vocalist for Michael Osborn and the Drivers on Osborn’s latest CD. In the opening track, Mathis makes a convincing case for just sleeping the troubles away as he nails the vocals on this cover of the memorable Fabulous Thunderbirds song, written by Bill Carter and wife Ruth Ellsworth. Mathis, in addition to listing six more reasons to just stay in bed, adds a killer harmonica solo at mid song just after Osborn’s tasty guitar-break licks. And, thus, we have the beginning of another standout set of Blues from Michael Osborn and crew. Thirty minutes is way too short for this CD, but I love the stripped down, real-deal approach of this veteran Bluesman’s quartet: guitar, bass, harp, drums — and no horns! Osborn’s guitar playing is a real highlight. With pleasing tone, he is tasteful in his note spacing, stretching, fills, and runs. Anything but over the top, he is, thankfully, not a string shredder. Osborn’s sixth release is purist pleasing electric Blues across four originals and three covers. My favorite original, “Needles and Pins,” is written by bassist and vocalist K.G. Jackson. This mid-tempo shuffle opens with ear catching single notes from Osborn’s guitar. The rhythm joins, founded by John Moore’s pocket drumming, and then three part harmony vocals cement this song enjoyable and memorable. Melody is what makes this song joyously swing, a trait of the classics one remembers most. I also liked Osborn’s multi-tracked rhythm guitar alongside his lead guitar punctuations at the end of each vocal line. “The Glamorous Life” is a humorous shuffle giving us our first listen to Osborn’s serviceable vocals. After listing a litany of road woes for a touring musician, Osborn sardonically sings, but “…it’s the glamorous life.” This song was also included in Osborn’s previous release, 2008’s “What Goes Around.” Michael Osborn is well known and respected, especially in his home, the West Coast. Michael grew up in Ukiah CA with the Ford brothers, including the great Robben Ford. In 1970, he was one of the founding members of the Charles Ford Band. In 1981, Michael became the lead guitarist and band leader for Blues legend John Lee Hooker. For the next 13 years, Michael toured the world with John Lee. Since then, Osborn has played with Sista Monica, toured Europe with his own band, recorded three CDs on the Blue Rock’it label and three more on his own Checkerboard label. For seven years he’s been an outstanding contribution to Bill Rhoades and the Party Kings in his current home near Portland OR. These four cats are just killer: three part harmonies plus all but Moore take a turn at lead vocals, Mathis deft on diatonic and chromatic harps, Jackson writing in classic style, Osborn playing ripping guitar (even channeling Albert King at one point), and John Moore’s veteran stick work being the band’s heartbeat. Electric Blues fans – this one is a delight! - James “Skyy Dobro” Walker, Blues Blast, IL

Bright juicy album by blues singer and guitar player Michael Osborn and The Drivers. Michael’s first album is a collaboration of four high class musicians, intense, passionate, colorful and in love with the most classic genuine blues, who are Dave Mathis on vocals and harmonica, KG Jackson on bass and vocals and John Moore on drums. Three excellent singers who take leading turns along the album, as they are gifted with a great powerful voice which make them shine like twinkling stars. But as instrumentalist they are also impressive and all them have a fine tasteful technique, which makes them give a personal intense feeling to all songs included. The four musicians have individually won some Cascade Blues Association Muddy Awards in different categories. Michael was also the right hand of the great John Lee Hooker and the rest of musicians were also members of the bands of artists like Albert Collins, William Clarke, Willie Dixon and Robben Ford, among others. Welcome to this big blues party where these musicians are the best possible hosts and actors. GREAT. - Vincente Zumel,” La Hora del Blues”, Barcelona, Spain

ABOUT MIKE OSBORN

Michael Osborn (Guitar/Vocals/Songwriter) was John Lee Hooker’s lead guitarist for 13 years. After his stint with Mr. Hooker, one of Michael’s songs, Spellbound, was featured on John Lee’s 1997 Grammy Award winning “Don’t Look Back”! Michael has also backed such musical luminaries as Robben Ford, Charlie Musselwhite, Bill Rhoades and so many others. Mike presently resides in the Portland, Oregon area and has been nominated three times by the CBA for best blues guitarist and once for blues best recording for his CD release of “Touch Tone.” As a member of Bill Rhoades and the Party Kings, he taken home 7 awards for best traditional blues band and was inducted into the CBA Hall of Fame as a member of that band! K.G. Jackson (Bass Guitar/Vocals/Songwriter) has 25 years of professional experience and has been playing music in the NW since 1990. In 1997 his band “K.G. Jackson and Shakin’ Ground” was a CBA Muddy Award nominee for Best New Act. In 2006 he did a short stint in the band “Double Deuces” which was then nominated for Best New Act. He was also nominated in 2006 by the CBA for Best Vocalist. K.G. is also a prolific songwriter and writes many of the songs the band performs. Dave Mathis (Harmonica and Vocals) has long been a Portland mainstay of the blues with 30 years of professional experience. He had a long stint playing with Kelly Jo Phelps and is featured on Kelly’s recording entitled “Traditional Blues” as well as one cut on “Shine Eyed Mister Zen”. Dave is also a two-time CBA Muddy Award Winner in the Traditional Blues Act category with the band “Sheila and Backwater Blues” for the years of 1996 & 1997. Dave can blaze on the harmonica or play sweet and low with the best of them, and he is also a heartfelt true blues singer. John Moore (Drums/Percussion) has been a mainstay of the Portland/Eugene Blues scene for more than 20 years. He has backed Albert Collins, William Clarke, Bill Rhoades and even George Harrison! He is the heartbeat of the band! © http://www.reverbnation.com/michaelosbornandthedrivers

MORE

During the mid-60's Michael Osborn was introduced to blues music through his friendship with Robben and Patrick Ford. Out of this association, Michael began playing bass guitar with the Ford brothers in various blues, rhythm & blues bands over a three-year period, from 1967 thiough 1969. In 1970, Michael (having switched to playing rhythm guitar, joined the first incarnation of the Charles Ford Band featuring Gary Smith on harmonica and Lou Bottoni on bass guitar. After many months of club dates, Pat and Robben left the band to join Charlie Musselwhite. (The Charles Ford Band disbanded until Pat and Robben reformed the following year as a quartet with Mark Ford on Harmonica and Stan Poplin on bass.) In the early 1970's, Michael recorded wlth the Charles Ford Band and Charlie Musselwhite. He also continued to build his guitar chops through the 70's while performing in various blues bands with Gary Smith, Mark Ford, Mixed Nuts (featuring Bonnie Raitt's brother, David Raitt) and an occasional Charles Ford Band reunion. In June of 1981 Michael became lead guitarist for the great John Lee Hooker. He toured all over North America, Europe, Japan and Brazil with John Lee for the next 13 years. During this same period, he backed such people as Robert Cray, Elvin Bishop, Brownie McGee, Willie Dixon, Jarnes Cotton and Charlie Musselwhite. He has also played on stage with such notables as Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Johnson, Albert Collins, Ry Cooder, Carlos Santana, John Hammond, Etta James, Curtis Salgado, and The Nighthawks. Michael has performed at many prestigious venues in the United States and Europe such as Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, The Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, The North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland, The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, Newport Folk Festival, The Hammersmith Odeon in London, The Monterey blues Festival,etc. Since he left John Lee Hooker's Coast to Coast Blues Band, Michael fronts his own band and also performs with blues singing sensation Sista Monica. He was one of the headliners at the Mountain Winery Summer Series blues Festival '94, and has toured Europe several times, playing festivals and clubs throughout, including Djurs Bluesland Festival in Denmark. He has toured Western Canada, the Pacific Northwest and various Northern California venues (including the Monterey Jazz Festival and the Sacramento Blues Festival) with great success. © Blue Rock'It Records 2001-2007

Seth Walker

Seth Walker - Seth Walker - 2006 - Pacific Blues

The driving delivery and infectious down-home style of Seth Walker’s voice and songs resonate with Blues and Roots music. Although he is heavily influenced by guitar players--B.B. King, T-Bone Walker and Snooks Eaglin to name just a few, Seth also has a great gift for songwriting in the blues idiom. “These songs sound like classics-- matter of fact, they are!” says Chris Tomlin, Gold Record recording artist. Growing up in rural North Carolina surrounded by a musical, artistic family has lent itself to Seth’s natural ability to entertain audiences with his music and the ease with which he performs. W.C. Clark, considered The Godfather of Austin’s blues scene, is featured on Seth’s second album Meet Me in the Middle and believes the music is in his blood. “Seth is from a long line of great players and singers. He’s rich with soul, a tasteful player and a warrior in the field.” Seth has honed his skills for the last ten years in Austin, TX, playing among the best blues musicians in the world. Having shared the stage with icons such as Ray Charles, B.B. King and Jimmie Vaughan, Walker has established himself in the music world as a unique and compelling performer. His eclectic blend of outstanding guitar talent and rootsy, soul filled vocals will thrill any music fan.Seth impressed Taj Mahal when he opened up for the blues legend in 2005. “He’s playing some hip music, with changes and soul,” he commented. “A little, white Ray Charles!” © http://www.sethwalker.com/bio.html

Seth Walker helps to revitalize the blues on this enjoyable disc. The songs, which are blues ballads rather than in most cases being technically blues, feature catchy and intelligent lyrics, melodic hooks, and fine singing and guitar playing from Walker. A few of the originals could catch on as future standards if they receive enough exposure. There are some guest appearances that augment the basic quartet, but Seth Walker is in the spotlight nearly all of the time and he really excels. Despite the LP-length playing time, this CD is well worth checking out by fans of modern blues. © Scott Yanow © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/seth-walker-r845700

This s/t album hit the top twenty of the Americana and Living Blues charts, receiving great acclaim from publications like Maverick UK Magazine, No Depression, and Blues Revue. Creative Loafing wrote, "Seth Walker is a splendid mix of roots styles: blues, soul and Americana, featuring deep-fried guitar licks, churchy organ and crisp horns, mostly delivered over spot-on shuffles." Westword declared, "Seth Walker serves Southern roots guit-pickin' and blues songcraft with ease and grace. Echoing a variety of artists, from Jimmy Reed to Ray Charles, he slips expertly from loose-jointed shuffles to organ-inflected feel-good fare and a whole lot more. An old soul with new fingers, Walker cooks from start to finish." The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Seth's "Leap of Faith" album can be found on this blog. Buy his "On the Outside" album, and support good modern blues rock [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 82.2 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Change My Way - Powell, Walker 3:44
2 Kick It Around - Hunter 2:29
3 Steady - Hays, Walker 4:38
4 Miss Ann - Walker 3:21
5 By the Water - Bartholomew 3:49
6 2' Left to the Ceiling - Hays, Walker 3:44
7 I Know It's a Sin - Reed 2:30
8 Gone Before I Knew It - Hays, Walker 3:10
9 Sun Down - Walker 4:00
10 So Far Gone - Walker 3:16
11 Picture in a Frame - Waits 4:51

MUSICIANS

Seth Walker - Guitar, Lead, Vocals
Mike Keller - Guitar on "I Know It's a Sin"
Lindsay Greene - Acoustic & Electric Bass, Vocals, Vocal Harmony
Stefano Intelisano - Piano, Electric Piano, Hammond B3, Wurlitzer
Floyd Domino - Piano on "By the Water" and "So Far Gone"
Mark Hays - Drums
Ephraim Owens - Trumpet on "2' Left to the Ceiling"
Kim Wilson - Harmonica on "I Know It's a Sin"
Rayvon Foster - Background Vocals on "Steady" and "Sun Down"

BIO

Music audiences around the world were first introduced to Seth Walker with the release of his eponymous long-player on Hyena Records in 2007. It would hit the top twenty of the Americana and Living Blues charts, while receiving praise from publications like No Depression, Blues Revue and Maverick UK Magazine. Creative Loafing wrote, "Seth Walker is a splendid mix of roots styles: blues, soul and Americana, featuring deep-fried guitar licks, churchy organ and crisp horns, mostly delivered over spot-on shuffles." Westword declared, "Seth Walker serves Southern roots guit-pickin' and blues songcraft with ease and grace. Echoing a variety of artists, from Jimmy Reed to Ray Charles, he slips expertly from loose-jointed shuffles to organ-inflected feel-good fare and a whole lot more. An old soul with new fingers, Walker cooks from start to finish." The Austin-based artist hit the road extensively throughout '08, performing at world-renowned festivals like Flat Rock in North Carolina, Springfest in Florida, Rawa Blues Festival in Poland and Moulin Blues in Holland. He headlined shows across the U.S., often playing to sold-out rooms, while joining the likes of Johnny Winter, Marcia Ball and Robert Cray for opening appearances. It would seem to those previously unfamiliar with Seth Walker that he emerged practically overnight as one of the fastest rising stars in blues and roots' music. Yet, the 35-year old songwriter, singer and guitarist has been plying his craft in Austin, Texas for upwards of a decade. Growing up on a commune in rural North Carolina, the son of classically trained musicians, Seth played cello before discovering the guitar in his late teens. His introduction to the blues came via his Uncle Landon Walker who was both a musician and disc jockey. Before long Seth was looking to artists like T-Bone Walker, Snooks Eaglin and B.B. King as a wellspring of endless inspiration. During a brief stint in Jacksonville, Florida trying to figure out his life's calling, Seth made a definitive decision "to sing for his supper," reasoning there was no better place on earth to cut his teeth in such a trade than "the greatest music city on earth" ...Austin. "I'm pushing 14 years now having resided in the Austin city limits," says Walker. "Through it's multi-cultural, competitive, and free spirited vibe, I have grown a much deeper understanding of my music and myself. Not to mention, Austin has definitely kept the grease in my musical recipes." Skip forward to 2009 when Seth Walker returns with his sixth and unquestionably finest record to date, Leap Of Faith. There couldn't, in fact, be a more apropos title. Intent on stepping up his game and exploring new musical territory, Seth took his hard earned Austin cred to Nashville; challenging himself to keep the grit of his Texas home, but spit-shine his songs just enough to reach wider audiences. He hooked up with Grammy Award-winning producer and songwriter Gary Nicholson, a veteran at achieving exactly Seth's goals with artists like Chris Knight, Jimmy Thackery and Delbert McClinton. The resulting 12-track collection hits the nail squarely on the head, presenting the stunning range for which Seth has built his reputation, but refining it to a diamond shimmer. "Previously, I had always recorded albums my way, on my turf. This was different from the get go due to the fact that we recorded in Nashville with a new team of musicians, a new engineer and a new feeling," explains Seth. "I was out of my comfort zone, and it made me reach for something unknown to me." From the opening barnburner "Can't Come With You," Seth Walker is off to the races. A swaggering downtown groove is juxtaposed against the sophistication of uptown horns. "Rewind" calls to mind many a Brill Building classic. It would have been hit single in days when the requisite for topping the charts was a great song. "I Got A Song" is unlike anything Seth has recorded in his career--a pure ballad with a soaring string section and staccato guitar wrapped around an exquisite vocal: "How I love and lost and I paid the cost, always knowing it was all my fault, 'cause I knew all along, it was gonna go wrong, but at least I got a song." Although Seth had a hand in writing nine of the 12 songs on Leap Of Faith, he proves himself equally as capable interpreting the material of other songwriters. A snarling rendition of the Percy Mayfield chestnut "Memory Pain" highlights how deep his rhythm and blues' roots run. Conversely, his take on Nick Lowe's "Lately I've Let Things Slide," illustrates the wide realm of musical influences from which he draws. One of his finest moments yet captured on "wax," Seth, wistful and confessionary, sings like a man who knows the feeling all too well: "There's a cut upon my brow, must have banged myself somehow, but I don't remember now, and the front door's open wide, lately I've let things slide." "Lay Down (River of Faith)" continues to build on the record's underlying theme of faith. A gorgeous gospel lullaby, the vocal is entwined around a sanctified slide guitar capable of offering conviction to even the most skeptical. A trio of back to back scorchers found on the record's second half: "I Don't Dance," "Something Fast" and "In The Dark," are surefire roof-raisers in Seth's live performances, but here they also serve to contrast the beauty of the closing number "Falling Out Of Love." More than empathy for regret, the remorse in both lyric and performance is nothing short of Seth mining the saddest corners of his own first hand experiences. "This album was made during a time in my life when I was caught up in some shadows," Walker concludes. "The idea of a leap of faith actually does reflect where I was at personally and making this record was the light for me." © http://www.artistexclusive.com/sethwalker.html

Duke Robillard

Duke Robillard - World Full Of Blues - 2007 - Stony Plain

Duke's World Full Of Blues is an enjoyable, eclectic, romp through a world colored by several shades of blue. - Living Blues #191 August 2007

Hats off to Stony Plain for letting Robillard and friends stretch out. All killer, no filler. - Sing Out! Vol. 51 #3 — Autumn 2007

Duke's World Full Of Blues is an enjoyable, eclectic, romp through a world colored by several shades of blue. Duke Robillard, whose career has included stints fronting Roomful of Blues and the Fabulous Thunderbirds, has honed a reputation as one of today's premier swing-style bluesmen. His latest effort, Duke's World Full Of Blues, is a double-CD showcase of originals and covers, all delivered with Robillard's signature touch. A four-time W.C. Handy Award winner in the "Best Blues Guitarist" category, Robillard was given the green light by Canada's Stony Plain Records to record a set that spans many of his influences. While swing and jazz are Robillard's clearest influences, on Duke's World Full Of Blues he also tips his hat to artists from Bob Dylan to Memphis Slim to labelmate Eric Bibb, allowing him to stretch much further musically than on previous outings. The first disc finds Robillard in familiar territory, as evidenced by his cover of T-Bone Walker's Treat Me So Lowdown. Few can work a T-Bone riff with as much ease and fluidity as Robillard. But this is not simply another Duke Robillard swing outing. He covers Bob Dylan's Everything Is Broken masterfully, replete with down-to-earth slide riffs. Even James Cotton's Slam Hammer gets the Robillard treatment with solid harp work by Sugar Ray Norcia and rollicking piano from Bruce Bears. Disc two allows Robillard to stretch even more as Duke gets down and dirty on Tom Waits' Low Side Of The Road with the help of Doug James on harp. Robillard also delivers covers of Bo Diddley's Who Do You Love and Jimmy Reed's Bright Lights, Big City but in his own swing-influenced, almost breezy style. Robillard shows he knows how to get funky too, covering Eric Bibb's paean to excess Too Much Stuff. But this release is not just about Duke covering other artists. From the dark and foreboding instrumental Blues Nightmare to Bounce For Billy, Robillard's tribute to guitarist Billy Butler, the original material here shows off his songwriting skills. By & © Dave Ruthenberg Living Blues #191 August 2007

Hats off to Stony Plain for letting Robillard and friends stretch out. All killer, no filler. Celebrated blues and roots music guitarist Duke Robillard's extensive discography includes recording with contemporaries like Bob Dylan, Roomful of Blues (which he founded in 1967 at the age of 17), the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Tom Waits and Herb Ellis as well as icons such as Ruth Brown, Jay McShann, Billy Boy Arnold, Jimmy Witherspoon and the Blind Boys of Alabama. Here he follows last year's Grammy-nominated Guitar Groove-A-Rama release with a two-hour, twin-CD set of blues, jump, swing, funk and original material that traverses the wide cross-section of blues styles he's become familiar with over the years. Most of the titles also allow plenty of room for long time band-mates like Mark Teixeira on drums, John Parker on electric or acoustic bass, saxophonist Doug James and keyboard marvel Bruce Bears to shine as well. Guest shots by harmonica aces "Sugar" Ray Norcia (on a rocking cover of James Cotton's instrumental "Slam Hammer" and Tim Taylor, Gordon Beadle (great gritty baritone sax on the T-Bone Walker tribute "Treat Me So Low Down"), Al Basile, Marty Ballou and guitarists Fred Bates and Paul Kolesnikow among others provide a colorful climate and provide a sense of adventurous exploration to Robillard's musical syllabus of the blues. In addition to a number of resilient originals like the topical "World of Blues," the B.B. King-themed "Gonna Get You Told" and an organ-brushed "Anything It Takes," Robillard stamps his idea-filled imprint on songs by Memphis Slim (his classic instrumental "Steppin' Out"), Buddy Johnson, Bo Diddley (a gospel-cued "Who Do You Love"), Wardell Gray, Booker T. Jones and Jimmy Reed, with a jazzy version of his early hit "Bright Lights, Big City." By & © Gvon T Sing Out! Vol. 51 #3 — Autumn 2007

If there's such a thing as narrow-focus versatility, this set's a prime example. Duke Robillard has cut jazz, swing, rock, and instrumental albums, and he was Tom Waits's 2006 tour guitarist. Now the virtuoso returns to his true love--the music that first brought him acclaim as founder of Roomful of Blues--with two CDs that explore all aspects of the style. Dirty Chicago grinds like "You're Killin' Me Baby" tumble into gentle swingers like Robillard's take on T-Bone Walker's "Treat Me So Lowdown" and the hushed Wes Montgomery-influenced "Stoned." He conjures a raw Mississippi-juke-joint sound to interpret "Everything Is Broken," a tune penned by another former employer, Bob Dylan. And electric and acoustic guitars, plus some lute-like sax, are used to magnify the hoodoo vibe of Waits's "Low Side of the Road." Robillard also experiments with his voice, dropping to his lowest register to echo Bo Diddley's brawny growl as he covers the rock godfather's "Who Do You Love." These 23 numbers culminate with "Stretchin'," a nine-minute guitar-and-organ showcase that evokes the soul-jazz style invented by Jimmy Smith, concluding a "World" tour that'll please blues guitar lovers. © Ted Drozdowski (Editorial Review) http://www.amazon.com/Duke-Robillards-World-Full-Blues/dp/B000PFU8GG

A great 23 track double CD from the great Rhode Island vocalist and guitar stylist, Duke Robillard, ex-Fab Thunderbird and founder of Roomful of Blues. Duke has covered every musical genre and this album is a perfect mix of originals and classics covering blues, rockabilly, jazz, and rock & roll. Buy his great "Swing" album or his outstanding "Stretchin' Out Live" album. Duke's "Duke's Blues" album is @ DUKROB/DBLS His "Turn it Around" album is @ DUKROB/TIA and Joe Beard Featuring Duke Robillard & Friends' "For Real" album is @ JBRD/DUKROB/FR Listen to some of The Fabulous Thunderbirds' albums, some of which feature Duke Robillard, and for music in a similar vein, check out the late, great T-Bone Walker's brilliant "T-Bone Blues" album. [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: CD ONE = 119 MB, & CD TWO = 137 MB]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

CD ONE

1. Jump the Blues For You - Duke Robillard
2. Everything Is Broken - Bob Dylan
3. Treat Me So Lowdown - T-Bone Walker
4. Slam Hammer - Johnny Young
5. You're Killin' Me Baby - Duke Robillard
6. Slim Jenkins Joint - Booker T. Jones, Stephen Lee Crooper, Donald V. Dunn, Al Jr. Jackson
7. Sweet Thing - Duke Robillard
8. You Won't Let Me Go - Buddy Johnson
9. Six Inch Heels - Duke Robillard
10. World of Blues - Duke Robillard, Al Basile
11. Look Out - Duke Robillard
12. Stoned - Wardell Grey

CD TWO

1. Gonna's Get You Told - Duke Robillard
2. Monkey Arms - Duke Robillard
3. Who Do You Love - Bo Diddley (Elias McDaniel)
4. Low Side of the Road - Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan
5. Too Much Stuff - Eric Bibb, David Eric Bronze
6. Blues Nightmare - Duke Robillard
7. Bounce For Billy - Duke Robillard
8. Bright Lights, Big City - Jimmy Reed
9. Steppin' Out - Peter Chatman
10. Anything It Takes - Duke Robillard
11. Stretchin' - Duke Robillard

MUSICIANS

Duke Robillard (vocals, guitar, saz)
Paul Kolesnikow, Fred Bates (guitar)
John Packer (acoustic bass, electric bass)
Marty Ballou (electric bass)
Bruce Bears (piano, electric piano, organ)
Lonnie Gasperini (organ)
Mark Teixeira (drums)
Doug James (baritone, harmonica, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone)
Gordon "Sax" Beadle (tenor saxophone)
Scott Aruda (trumpet)
Al Basile (cornet)
Sugar Ray Norcia, Tim Taylor (harmonica)

SHORT BIO

Duke Robillard is one of the founding members of Roomful of Blues, as well as one of the guitarists who replaced Jimmie Vaughan in the Fabulous Thunderbirds in 1990. Between that time, Robillard pursued a solo career that found him exploring more musically adventurous territory than either Roomful of Blues or the T-Birds. On his solo recordings, the guitarist dips into blues, rockabilly, jazz, and rock & roll, creating a unique fusion of American roots musics. In 1967, Duke Robillard formed Roomful of Blues in Westerly, RI. For the next decade, he led the band through numerous lineup changes before he decided that he had grown tired of the group. Robillard left the band in 1979, initially signing on as rockabilly singer Robert Gordon's lead guitarist. After his stint with Gordon, Robillard joined the Legendary Blues Band. In 1981, the guitarist formed a new group, the Duke Robillard Band, which soon evolved into Duke Robillard & the Pleasure Kings. After a few years of touring, Duke Robillard & the Pleasure Kings landed a contract with Rounder Records, releasing their eponymous debut album in 1984. For the rest of the decade, the band toured America and released a series of albums on Rounder Records. Occasionally, the guitarist would release a jazz-oriented solo album. In 1990, Robillard joined the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Even though he had become a member of the Austin group, the guitarist continued to record and tour as a solo artist, signing with the major label Point Blank/Virgin in 1994 for Temptation. Duke's Blues followed two years later, and after one more album for Virgin, 1997's Dangerous Place, Robillard signed to Shanachie for 1999's New Blues for Modern Man. Conversations in Swing Guitar followed later that year, and the prolific guitarist returned in mid-2000 with Explorer. Robillard switched to the Stony Plain label with 2002's Living with the Blues, and began a steady run of releases for the imprint, including a second pairing with jazz guitarist Herb Ellis for More Conversations in Swing Guitar (2003). Exalted Lover followed later that same year. Blue Mood, a tribute to T-Bone Walker, and New Guitar Summit (which teamed Robillard with guitarists J. Geils and Gerry Beaudoin) both appeared in 2004. Guitar Groove-A-Rama was released in 2006. Robillard continued to explore the jazz and jump blues path with 2008's A Swingin Session with Duke Robillard. He returned to his early R&B influences for 2009's Stomp! The Blues Tonight. His next album for Stony Plain, Passport to the Blues, saw him returning to the blues in all its gritty glory. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/duke-robillard-p5288/biography

Jay Gordon & Phillip Walker

Jay Gordon  & Phillip Walker - Jaywalkin - 2000 - Blue Ace Records

This CD is a summit meeting between the fiery guitarist/singer Jay Gordon and veteran Phillip Walker. Walker's guitar playing and vocalizing, though a bit more traditional, holds its own with Gordon, who is properly respectful but far from restrained. They perform eight Gordon originals, and their collaboration "Jaywalkin" with either Jimmy Thomas or Russ Greene on bass and piano, and Butch Azevedo or Joey E. Covington on drums. The lyrics are often witty, the interplay between the guitarists display their contrasting styles, and high points include "Whiskey, Women & Fast Cars," "You Should Have Married a Priest," and "Strings Talkin'." © Scott Yanow © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/jaywalkin-r490856

Buy Jay's great "Blues Infested" album. and listen to Phillip Walker's "Bottom of the Top" album.

TRACKS

1 Whiskey Women & Fast Cars 3:40
2 You Should Have Married a Priest 3:37
3 Blacktop Alley 5:28
4 Shade Tree Mechanic 4:46
5 Strings Talkin 6:33
6 Rub Some Good Luck on Me 3:56
7 Farm Dog 3:02
8 Pure Grain Alcohol 5:02
9 Jaywalkin 6:21

All songs composed by Jay Gordon except "Jaywalkin" by Jay Gordon & Phillip Walker

MUSICIANS

Jay Gordon - Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Slide Guitar, Vocals
Phillip Walker - Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Butch Azevedo, Joey E. Covington - Drums
Jimmy Thomas, Russ Greene - Bass Guitar, Piano

SHORT BIO (JAY GORDON)

Electric blues guitarist Jay Gordon recorded a series of albums for Blue Ace that inspired comparisons to such legendary guitarists as Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Beginning with Blues Infested (1994), Gordon won much praise from the blues community. Each successive album became increasingly successful -- Broadcasting the Blues Live (1996), Electric Redemption (1998), and so on -- and the guitarist soon found himself being compared to some of the most legendary guitarists to ever play electric blues. In 2000, Gordon collaborated with Phillip Walker on the Jaywalkin album for Blue Ace, yet another accomplishment for the celebrated guitarist. Furthermore, in addition to his guitar playing, Gordon also produces and sings on many of his own recordings. © Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide

MORE ABOUT JAY GORDON

Texas enjoys a reputation for putting out more top notch contemporary blues and blues-rock guitar players than any other state in the US, and considering the rich history of players coming out of that state, few can argue. One state that may have a legitimate contention for equal rights however is California. While many of the top players from the West Coast may not be as well known, there are quite a number of them non the less. Jay Gordon is among those making a strong case for the capabilities of guitar players from California. As electric blues has migrated into the contemporary music scene, it's been broken down into several sub-categories, including Chicago blues, Texas blues, blues-rock, and what I had considered to be the last frontier and farthest reaching boundries of the blues, Heavy-blues. But Jay's style necessitates a new classification, at least one I haven't considered before. Shred-blues is the best description I can come up with that aptly describes Jay's style of play. Even though I'm a major league fan of seriously guitar oriented blues, I recognize that as the boundries are move outward there's the risk that emphisis on speed and technique will undue the passion. However, Jay plays with fiery passion that matches the power and ferocity of his style. Jay's guitar playing talents are amazing to say the least. His picking attack is fast and furious, and he's also very capable on slide guitar. His axe has a piercingly crisp, heavily over-driven tone with tons of sustain and bite. Vocals are on the hard side and a bit harsh at times, but for the most part they're solid and a good match for his style of blues. The band is a minimal three piece arrangement of guitar, bass & drums. © Herm, © ElectricBlues

PHILLIP WALKER BIO (WIKIPEDIA)

Phillip Walker (February 11, 1937 – July 22, 2010, was an American contemporary blues guitarist, most noted for his 1959 hit single, "Hello My Darling", produced by J. R. Fulbright. Although Walker continued playing throughout his life, he recorded more sparsely. Walker grew up on the Texas Gulf Coast, and by his mid-teens was playing guitar in Houston. He worked with Lonesome Sundown (and would do so again in the 1970s) and Lonnie Brooks. In the mid 1950s he had a spell in Clifton Chenier's band. He spent the 1960s in Los Angeles, California leading a band that played a catholic repertoire of the R&B chart music, joined by his singing wife Ina, alias Bea Bopp. Singles furnished his album Bottom of the Top (Playboy, 1973), succeeded by sets for Joliet, Rounder, Hightone, JSP and Black Top. Walker was also known for his variety of styles and the changes he would often make for each album. Not until 1969 did he begin to record more regularly when he joined with producer Bruce Bromberg. Since then, fans had a more steady supply of Walker's music. He appeared on show 237 of the WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour in 2002 when Live at Biscuits & Blues had just been released. Walker's final studio release is Going Back Home (2007) on Delta Groove Productions. On July 22, 2010, Delta Groove Productions issued an email statement regarding Walker's death: "It is with deepest sorrow that we report on the sudden and unexpected passing of legendary blues guitarist Phillip Walker. He died of apparent heart failure at 4:30 AM, early Thursday morning, July 22, 2010. He was 73 years old." Another article was posted on All About Jazz.

MORE ABOUT PHILLIP WALKER

Despite recording somewhat sparingly since debuting as a leader in 1959 on Elko Records with the storming rocker "Hello My Darling," Louisiana-born guitarist Phillip Walker enjoys a sterling reputation as a contemporary blues guitarist with a distinctive sound honed along the Gulf Coast during the 1950s. A teenaged Walker picked up his early licks around Port Arthur, TX, from the likes of Gatemouth Brown, Long John Hunter, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Lonnie "Guitar Junior" Brooks. Zydeco king Clifton Chenier hired Walker in 1953 as his guitarist, a post he held for three and a half years. In 1959, Walker moved to Los Angeles, waxing "Hello My Darling" for producer J.R. Fulbright (a song he's revived several times since, most effectively for the short-lived Playboy logo). Scattered 45s emerged during the '60s, but it wasn't until he joined forces with young producer Bruce Bromberg in 1969 that Walker began to get a studio foothold. Their impressive work together resulted in a 1973 album for Playboy (reissued by HighTone in 1989), The Bottom of the Top, that remains Walker's finest to date. Walker cut a fine follow-up set for Bromberg's Joliet label, Someday You'll Have These Blues, that showcased his tough Texas guitar style (it was later reissued by Alligator). Sets for Rounder and HighTone were high points of the 1980s for the guitarist, and 1994's Big Blues from Texas (reissued in 1999) continued his string of worthy material. His 1995 set for Black Top, Working Girl Blues, shows Walker at peak operating power, combining attractively contrasting tracks waxed in New Orleans and Los Angeles. I Got a Sweet Tooth followed in 1998, and displayed no letdown in quality or power. Walker got together with fellow blues legends Lonnie Brooks and Long John Hunter in 1999 to record Lone Star Shootout for Alligator. Walker is featured as lead vocalist on four tracks and backs the others on the rest of the record. In the fall of 2002, a live recording of a spring concert was released on M.C. Records. © Bill Dahl © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:kzfoxqrgldae~T1

Robin Rogers

Robin Rogers - Crazy Cryin' Blues - 2004 - Robin Rogers

Unlike the worlds of pop and rock, the blues music community is a small one, with artists supporting and collaborating with each other on a regular basis. When one of their community gets sick, blues artists and fans alike gather together to help out; this closeness makes it all the more tragic when blues music loses one of its own. Sadly, we have to report that blues singer Robin Rogers passed away on Friday, December 17, 2010 at her Gastonia, North Carolina home at the too-young age of 55 years. Rogers had been fighting liver cancer for the past few months, even as her critically-acclaimed 2010 album Back In The Fire was making her a star in the blues world. This week Rogers received a well-deserved Blues Music Award nomination as "Contemporary Female Artist of the Year." Rogers admittedly experienced a rough life. She abused drugs and alcohol, and eked out a hardscrabble existence singing Top 40, country, and even funk music in cover bands before discovering the blues. She found sustenance in the emotional resonance of the blues, kicked her additions and moved to North Carolina in 1989. Rogers and her husband Tony, the guitarist in her band, paid their dues with years of performances in smoky clubs and hotel bars. Wherever she performed, Rogers' incredible voice and dynamic stage presence would stop audiences in their tracks. Rogers hit the national stage with the 2008 release of Treat Me Right by Blind Pig Records. The album earned the singer a coveted Blues Music Award nomination but, more importantly, it introduced her talents to a blues community that instantly fell in love with her voice, her sincerity, and her charisma. More than just her music, Rogers connected with fans through her warmth and engaging personality, which is apparent when listening to both Treat Me Right and Back In The Fire. By blues music standards, where artists regularly perform and record into their 80s and 90s, Rogers was a mere babe in the woods. Rogers had accomplished a lot in a relatively short time, and she leaves behind a strong musical legacy. Her death is a major loss for the blues community at large, and Robin Rogers will be greatly missed by her family, her friends, and her many fans around the world. [from Blues Singer Robin Rogers, R.I.P. By & © Reverend Keith A. Gordon, About.com Guide December 19, 2010 © 2011 About.com. All rights reserved http://blues.about.com/b/2010/12/19/blues-singer-robin-rogers-r-i-p.htm]

The late Charlotte-area blues singer Robin Rogers was only beginning her career as a major performer on the national scene, when she died in December 2010. She'd made a living singing country, Top 40, and funk in cover bands before turning to the blues which came naturally to the self-proclaimed "child of Woodstock" who ran away at age 13, did time in a reform school, and sang on street corners for change. She once said that "I don't recommend anyone having a hard life to help them sing, but there's something to be said for it. It's from my gut." She and husband, guitarist Tony Rogers worked as fulltime musicians, playing bars and restaurants and clubs like The Double Door in Charlotte and Longitude 81 in Fort Mill, where "her incredible voice stopped customers in their tracks". Her "Treat Me Right" album release in 2008 brought her national accolades. She toured nationally and in 2009 was nominated for a Blues Music Award. A true lady of the blues who never achieved her full potential. "Crazy Cryin' Blues" is a good roots/trad. blues album sung and played in a style seldom heard nowadays. Buy her "Back in the Fire" and/or "Treat Me Right" album, and support great blues music. N.B: This is the original 12 track, 2004 release which includes the tracks, "Alma's Romance" (a 17 second sound snippet of Memphis Minnie), and "Crazy Cryin' Blues" but excludes the tracks "He May Be Your Man", "Bossman's Son", "Long John Blues", and "Savannah Poppa" on later CD issues. [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 78.6 MB]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Hesitation Blues - Davis
2 Come on in This House - London
3 It's a Blessing - Trad.
4 Travelin' Blues - Delaney, Johnson
5 Hip Shakin' Mama - Thomas
6 Alma's Romance - Memphis Minnie
7 Wild About That Thing - Williams
8 Crazy Cryin' Blues - Memphis Minnie / McCoy
9 Me and My Chauffeur Blues - Memphis Minnie
10 Black-Eyed Blues - Haenschen / O'Keefe
11 Conjur Man - Douglas
12 Yola My Blues Away - James

MUSICIANS

Robin Rogers (vocals, harmonica)
Tony Rogers (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, resonator guitar)
Max Drake (electric guitar, mandolin)
Kerry Brooks, Ron Brendle (acoustic bass)
Mark Stallings (piano)
Jim Brock (drums, percussion)
Tim Gordon, Ziad Rabie (tenor saxophone)
Jon Thornton (trumpet)

BIO (RIP)

Guitarist, singer, and harmonica ace Robin Rogers' life has been full of hard knocks, sad turns, and delightful coincidences, and she has earned the right to sing the blues the tough, old-fashioned way. As a runaway teen in the late '60s she scratched out an existence however she could, sometimes sleeping in parks and abandoned cars as she bummed around the country to places like Richmond, VA, Atlanta, GA, Ann Arbor, MI, and Coconut Grove, FL, eventually being picked up by the authorities and placed in reform school. When she was released at the age of 15, she went back to her nomadic ways, and soon had developed serious addictions to drugs and alcohol. She also started singing, taught herself guitar, and began performing at house parties, on street corners, and in coffeehouses. In 1979 Rogers relocated to South Florida and recorded for the Sal Soul imprint, settling in Ft. Lauderdale for ten years and eventually kicking her addictions in 1989. A year later in 1990 she moved to North Carolina, where she met her husband, guitarist Tony Rogers. The two began performing as an acoustic blues duo with Rogers turning more and more attention to her harp playing. Producer and drummer Jim Brock heard the duo and recorded a debut album, 2001's Time for Myself, with them. Now working with a full band, which included her husband on guitar, Rogers signed with the 95North label and released 2004's Crazy Cryin' Blues, which was again produced by Brock. She signed with Blind Pig Records in 2008. Her first album for the label, Treat Me Right, appeared later that year. © Steve Leggett © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/robin-rogers-p770441/biography

MORE

Music has been Robin Rogers' consuming passion ever since her days as a teenaged street singer. Possessing a deeply expressive and soulful voice and an infectious enthusiasm for the blues, her Blind Pig debut, "Treat Me Right", opened a lot of eyes and ears to Robin's expansive talents. Among other accolades, Robin was the recipient of the Blues Blast Award for "Best Female Artist" of 2009. In the late sixties when America's youth was "rediscovering the Blues," Robin Rogers was "living the Blues." As a runaway teen trying to escape a troubled home, she made her way to cities like Richmond, Virginia; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Atlanta, Georgia; and Coconut Grove, Florida. Robin lived the hippie lifestyle of the times, even sharing residence in a commune in Love Valley, North Carolina for one summer, sometimes sleeping in parks, under picnic tables and in abandoned cars. After serving time as a juvenile in reform school for truancy and being out of parental control, she was released at age 15 to begin life on her own. It was a hard life for a young girl, and it wasn't long until Robin was addicted to drugs and alcohol and, thank goodness, to singing! She eventually learned to play guitar and began accompanying herself. Robin performed on the streets, at parties and coffee houses for food and tips, setting the stage for the emergence of an independent, strong-willed spirit and charismatic singer. After hearing the applause of strangers, she knew she was hooked! Her goal was to make a living performing music, and this she has done for over 30 years. Moving to South Florida in 1979 to record for the Sal Soul Label, a subsidiary of RCA, Robin recorded at the well-known Miami Sound Studios and lived in Ft. Lauderdale for the next ten years performing on a full-time basis. As fate would have it, Robin became drug and alcohol free in 1989 and began to turn her life around. She moved to North Carolina in 1990, performing in the Southeast area for the next ten years, recording, writing and enjoying music clean and sober for the first time in many years. Robin got involved with the Charlotte Blues Society in the mid-nineties. Shortly after that, she met and married fellow musician and Blues lover, Tony Rogers. They performed as an acoustic duo, with Tony playing guitar/dobro and Robin on harmonica and percussion. It wasn't too long before she was heard by producer/musician, Jim Brock and was asked to do a CD which was released in 2001 entitled "Time For Myself," a contemporary Blues record which contains six originals penned by Robin and Tony. They put together a band in support of that release and went on to win the 2003 Charlotte Blues Society's Blues Challenge, winning the right to represent Charlotte, North Carolina in Memphis, Tennessee in January 2004. They competed against 98 acts from all over the world in the International Blues Challenge, sponsored by the Blues Foundation. After three nights of tough competition, Robin Rogers and Her Hot Band emerged as one of only nine finalists in the 2004 International Blues Challenge, which was judged by the industry heavyweights including Bruce Iglauer of Alligator Records and Blues recording artist Kenny Neal. Robin and Tony recorded their long-awaited second release, entitled "Crazy, Cryin' Blues," which was released in 2004 and won the "Best Self-Produced CD" award from the Blues Foundation as part of the International Blues Challenge 2005. Robin signed with 95North Records in February 2005 and her self-penned "Caddy Daddy" was included on "Fins, Chrome and the Open Road," a Cadillac Tribute CD released in conjunction with 95North and General Motors Corp. Other artists on the disc include Little Milton, Rory Block, Charlie Musselwhite and Maria Muldaur. Robin has shared the stage with greats like Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, Robert Cray, Carey Bell, Bob Margolin, Shemekia Copeland, Tommy Castro, Guitar Shorty, Jimmy Thackery & the Drivers, Cephas and Wiggins, Ann Rabson, Roy Bookbinder, Paul Geremia and Sharrie Williams. She joined the roster of Piedmont Talent in February 2006 and performed in Europe in April 2006. Robin signed with Blind Pig in 2008, and her debut release for the label, "Treat Me Right", was issued in June of that year to a universally favorable and enthusiastic reception from fans and critics alike. All Music Guide said "Her husky voice falls between Maria Muldaur's sexy croon and Susan Tedeschi's controlled rasp as she commands attention without oversinging or upstaging the songs. The combination of excellent material and Rogers' compelling voice is what makes this a winner." Hittin' the Note called it "The album that should make Rogers a household name among blues fans." Postscript: Robin passed away on December 17, 2010, succumbing to liver cancer at age 55. © 2006 Blind Pig Records, a division of Whole Hog, Inc. - All Rights Reserved http://www.blindpigrecords.com/index.cfm?section=artists&artistid=86

John Ussery

John Ussery - Cryin’ and Screamin’ - 2000 - Full Tilt Records

This disc presents a strong case that John Ussery is among the very best of today's crop of Texas bluesmen. © Bob Cianci, Blues Access Magazine, Spring, 2000

Ussery's decision to pick up the guitar in 1990 after putting it down 15 years began one of the blues world's remarkable modern comebacks. © Michael Cote, Blues Revue Magazine, April, 2000

Ussery's in fine form, playing some excellent guitar in arrangements that are not as guitar-heavy as might be expected. © Rooster Pick's, Blues Access, Spring, 2000

Right up front I give this CD a (6) Harp Salute. These fellows get down and dig in the dirt. If you like your bluz and boogie raunchy, done with feeling and from fellas that are the real thing, then you have a full course menu with this band. This is the first time I have ever changed my rating on a CD in the review itself. I now give John Ussery's new CD "Cryin' and Screamin'" a (6 1/2) Harp Salute. My Highest rating. This is a must have effort, full of grit and very infectious music that moves ya mentally and physically. © Steve "Big Daddy Bluzharp" Harvell

John Ussery has become one of my favorite Texas blues guitarists, and this is his second CD released in the space of a year. Cryin' and Screamin' contains healthy doses of Ussery's blazing blues guitar and soulful vocals, both untouched by rock influences. His originals tunes brim with enthusiasm and the true spirit of the blues and the effective horn arrangements push the music to greater heights. John Ussery deserves a much wider audience, and with this superlative offering, he just might get it. Five stars! © Bob Cianci, Blues Access

This has become one of my favorite CDs - after repeated listenings I still enjoy listening to it regularly -- all the time! (was released in 1999). There is no wasted space here, every song is good - good music, good words, and excellent instrumental tracks that have one of the best mixes I have ever heard, ever. If you listen closely you can observe how well the vocal and instrumental tracks blend superbly -- one of the most professionally crafted mixes I've heard. John is a seasoned professional (I didn't know this until I read his bio) and it really shows here. This is a quality recording. John's songs will appeal to a larger audience than just "the Blues" or even "Texas Blues". The same goes for his other recent CD, "Gettin' Lucky". You can't go wrong buying this CD. You'll be humming the tunes in your head the next day. This is good music, good Blues. Well done. - Posted by & © Anonymous, on 2001-03-25, © http://www.music-city.org/John-Ussery/Cryin&039;-and-Screamin&039;-360172/

In 1998, after a 15 year lay off, Ussery made a comeback with his stand out release "Gettin' Lucky". His follow up "Cryin' and Screamin'" is every bit as good, if not better. This is texas blues with a soulful feel added by an air tight rhythm band complete with tenor sax. Check out the James Brown flavored "I've Been Pickin' Em' Up" or the foot tapping "I'm Your Man". It is apparent from his guitar playing that he has learned alot from the three Kings (Freddie, Albert and BB) over the years. A CD this good makes you ask, what if he had continued to make music over the last 15 years? Hopefully, he's back for a long time. Highly recommended! Posted by & © Anonymous, on 2001-04-11, © http://www.music-city.org/John-Ussery/Cryin&039;-and-Screamin&039;-360172/

Great, unpretentitious, laid back, guitar based, contemporary Texas blues. Mark Goodwin plays terrific Hammond, and the great horn section is often reminiscent of the horn arrangements used by artists like T- Bone Walker, and even Blood Sweat & Tears. John's career started at the age of 14 playing in honkytonks, juke joints, and and blues bars. He played with many of the blues greats, including Delaney Bramlett, B.B. King, Albert Collins, Eric Burdon and the Animals, Jimmy Witherspoon, and John Lee Hooker. There are many great musicians who have played in the shadow of the artists mentioned and many other artists. This can lead to some terrific musicians remaining in relative obscurity. Not everybody reads the credits on albums! Guys like John Ussery have been playing the blues for many years, keeping the great blues tradition alive, and deserve much greater credit for their work. Buy John's "Ussery" album, and support real blues music. "Cryin’ and Screamin’" is HR by A.O.O.F.C

TRACKS

1 Ain’t You Too Cruel
2 Cryin’ and Screamin’
3 Did You Ever Love a Woman
4 I Been Pickin’ Em Up
5 I’m Your Man
6 Life Is a Bitch
7 My, My Baby, Bye, Bye
8 One More Shot of Tears
9 Somebody’s Lovin’ My Woman
10 You Lose

All songs composed by John Ussery

MUSICIANS

John Ussery - Guitar, Electric Guitar, Vocals
Kelly Donnelly - Bass
Mark Goodwin - Hammond Organ, Keyboards
Arthur "Bam-Bam" Latin - Drums, Snare Drums
John Mills - Tenor Sax, Horn Arrangements
Keith Winking - Trumpet
Stan Ruffo - Harmonica

SHORT BIO

John Ussery began playing guitar in the mid-fifties. Between then and 1974 he played and/or recorded for John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Witherspoon, Eric Burdon and the Animals, Delaney and Bonnie, and numerous others. Ussery's been around awhile and his latest CD "Cryin' and Screamin'" shows a player comfortable with his playing (as well he should be), and who's comfortable with the blues. Ussery did some recordings with his band Locomotive back in '69 (MGM Records), and cut a solo LP, "USSERY" (Mercury Records) in '74. Shortly after, he left the music business before returning in 1991. John's been playing in and around the Austin, TX area while working on his own and others' projects. His return to playing and writing music "Blues" is marked with a vengence with the 1998 release of (Real Blues) Award-winning title "Gettin' Lucky" and the 2000 release of "Cryin' and Screamin'" (Living Blues) Top 25 two months running. Ussery is a wonderful and imaginative soloist. Listen to the double-stop string-bending heaven on a horn-driven "My, My Baby, Bye, Bye" to the very imaginative soloing on the slow blues of "Did You Ever Love A Woman". In fact, if you'd like to add some licks to your arsenal that aren't cliches heard from every other blues player, the last cut on the CD will help. - John Heidt, Vintage Guitar Magazine. Ussery is a no-nonsense blues player that has a great feel for pretty much any kind of blues as well as writing, arranging, and playing. John was glad to be invited to Heritage Guitars as an Artist and absolutely loves his H150-cm. Having played and owned many fine guitars in his life Ussery has this to say about his Heritage: John Ussery: My H150 has that sound you look for .. absolutely incredible! And the guys at Heritage really take pride in getting it right. I can't even begin to recall all the people that have picked up and played my 150 and they all say the same thing.."Is it for sale?" Or "listen to the tone and man what a feel!" You play this guitar un-plugged and just marvel at the sound and sustain. What a great guitar! I just love it. In the past few years, Ussery has been writing Blues and Christian songs while playing at his church in Georgetown, TX. He has just recently been asked to join a Bluegrass Christian band called Sealed and Armored and is looking forward to contributing all he can. In the new song department, John just recently co-wrote a song with Blind Pig recording artist "Hamilton Loomis" from Houston, TX. John is a Heritage artist and endorses Heritage Guitars © http://www.johnussery.com/index.php?pr=Biography

Carlos Santana

Carlos Santana - Plays Blues at Montreux 2004 - 2008 - Montreux Sounds

The Montreux Jazz Festival returns to its roots with this special blues concert. Recorded in 2004, the show features some of the finest blues guitar playing around from four of the world's greatest players: Carlos Santana, Bobby Parker, Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown, and Buddy Guy. The disc features eleven great tracks on which Carlos plays with Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Bobby Parker, and Buddy Guy, backed by a stellar cast of back-up musicians. The concert brings a touch of America's Deep South to the shores of Lake Geneva. Carlos contributes to all of these tracks, but to credit the entire album to him is perhaps slightly misleading. Other guitarists on the album include Nile Rodgers and Ric Hall. Eagle Vision released a 3 DVD set of the whole night but this post is a legit single disc version which features Carlos' best performances from the festival. The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C.

TRACKS

I've Got My Mojo Working *
The Drifter *
Grape Jelly *
Okie Dokie Stomp *
Chill Out #
Mellow Down Easy #
Watch Your Step #
Stormy Monday ~
Jam Session 1 ~
So Many Roads, So Many Trains ~
Jam Session 2 ~

* With Clarence Gatemouth Brown
# With Bobby Parker
~ With Buddy Guy

MUSICIANS [ CLARENCE GATEMOUTH BROWN LINE-UP ]

Clarence Gatemouth Brown - Guitar, Violin, Vocals
Buddy Guy - Guitar
Carlos Santana - Guitar
Nile Rodgers - Guitar
Myron Dove - Bass
Harold Floyd - Bass
Eric Demmer - Sax
Joe Krown - Keyboards
David Peters - Drums
Jeff Cressman - Trombone
Barbara Morrison - Vocals

MUSICIANS [ BOBBY PARKER LINE-UP ]

Bobby Parker - Guitar, Lead Vocal
Carlos Santana - Guitar
Andrew Padula - Bass
Steve Cecil - Keyboards
Chester Thompson - Keyboards
Dion Clay - Drums
Ken Wenzel - Sax
Dane Paul Russel - Harmonica
Andy Vargas - Vocals

MUSICIANS [ BUDDY GUY LINE-UP ]

Buddy Guy - Guitar, Vocals
Carlos Santana - Guitar
Bobby Parker - Guitar
Nile Rodgers - Guitar
Ric Hall - Guitar
Orlando Wright - Bass
Marty Sammon - Keyboards
Tim Austin - Drums
Jason Moynihan - Sax
Eric Demmer - Sax
Barbara Morrison - Vocals

John Primer

John Primer - All Original - 2008 - Blues House

To tell you who John Primer is, would be useless, because I am sure you already know all about him but, if there are people who still are not familiar with him, let me give you a very short details about this contemporary Chicago blues star. Singer and guitar player John Primer was born in 1946. He became popular among wide blues audiences because he replaced Alabama Jr. in Magic Slim’s band, The Teardrops. At that time Primer had already got a wide experience, because he had been playing with Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters, and Sammy Lawhorn among others. In fact Sammy was one of his main influences in his sound, technique and style conception. John Primer has done a good number of recordings during the last years, as sideman for other musicians or under his own name as well. He has also participated in different projects, the most recent one a world-wide tour and an additional recording with The Chicago Blues “A Living History” together with Billy Branch, Billy Boy Arnold, Kenny Smith and Lurrie Bell among others amazing musicians, we could see in Spain last summer. This new piece of work includes twelve terrific pure Chicago songs, I dare say, will completely impress you because you will be moved, shocked, speechless and will not certainly get out of these blues alive. Deep feeling, lively emotions, heartbreaking passion along John Primer’s guitar and vocals, Harmonica Hinds harp, David Ross piano and organ, Michael Morrison bass and Vernon Rodgers drums. They joined forces to produce a high quality record you cannot leave out, on pain of doing a big mistake. GREAT © Dusty & Val Scott Copyright © 2002-2010 DustyBlues © All Rights Reserved http://www.dustyblues.com/cdreviews2010/april2010.html

John Primer has mellowed, but his harmonic and rhythmic technique is still up to par. His stark slide technique is great, and his characteristic single-string leads are complemented by a simple but impressive boogie shuffle style by his backing band. "All Original" is not as "gritty" as some of his earlier recordings like "Stuff You Got to Watch", but is still a good album in the postwar Chicago Delta style blues tradition. Listen to his "The Real Deal" album

TRACKS

1) ADD A LITTLE TOUCH
2) GOING BACK TO MISSISSIPPI
3) I CALLED MY BABY
4) EVERYDAY BRINGS BY A CHANGE
5) BLUE EYED WOMAN
6) OTHER MAN
7) THE WOMAN THAT I'M LOVIN
8) BAD CHILD
9) KEEP ON LOVIN THE BLUES
10) AT HOME ALONE
11) SAY YES, DON'T SAY NO
12) LOVE IN MY HEART FOR YOU

All songs composed by John Primer

MUSICIANS

JOHN PRIMER - LEAD GUITAR/VOCALS
MICHAEL MORRISON - BASS
DAVID ROSS - PIANO/ORGAN
VERNON RODGERS - DRUMS
MELVIN "HARMONICA" HINDS - HARMONICA

BIO

By any yardstick, Chicago guitarist John Primer has paid his dues. Prior to making The Real Deal for Mike Vernon's Atlantic-distributed Code Blue label, Primer spent 13 years as the ever-reliable rhythm guitarist with Magic Slim & the Teardrops. Before that, he filled the same role behind Chicago immortals Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon. All that grounding has paid off handsomely for Primer. His sound is rooted in the classic Windy City blues sound of decades past: rough-edged and uncompromising and satisfying in the extreme. He's one of the last real traditionalists in town. By the time he came to Chicago in 1963, Primer was thoroughly familiar with the lowdown sounds of Waters, Wolf, Jimmy Reed, B.B. and Albert King, and Elmore James. He fronted a West Side outfit for a while called the Maintainers, dishing out a mix of soul and blues before joining the house band at the Southside blues mecca Theresa's Lounge for what ended up being a nine-year run. Elegant guitarist Sammy Lawhorn proved quite influential on Primer's maturing guitar approach during this period. Always on the lookout for aspiring talent, Willie Dixon spirited him away for a 1979 gig in Mexico City. After a year or so as one of Dixon's All-Stars, Primer was recruited to join the last band of Muddy Waters, playing with the Chicago blues king until his 1983 death. Right after that, Primer joined forces with Magic Slim; their styles interlocked so seamlessly that their partnership seemed like an eternal bond. But Primer deserved his own share of the spotlight. In 1993, Michael Frank's Chicago-based Earwig logo issued Primer's debut domestic disc, Stuff You Got to Watch. It was a glorious return to the classic '50s Chicago sound, powered by Primer's uncommonly concise guitar work and gruff, no-nonsense vocals. With the 1995 emergence of The Real Deal -- produced by Vernon and featuring all-star backing by harpist Billy Branch, pianist David Maxwell, and bassist Johnny B. Gayden, Primer's star appeared ready to ascend. He soon transferred back to the Wolf label for sets such as 1997's Cold Blooded Blues Man, 1998's Blues Behind Closed Doors, and 2000's It's a Blues Life. © Bill Dahl © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-primer-p33475/biography

Wentus Blues Band feat. Phil Guy

Wentus Blues Band feat. Phil Guy - The Last of The Big Time Spenders - 2005 - Wentus

"THESE GUYS PLAY THE KIND OF RHYTHM & BLUES THAT WOULD MAKE AMERICA PROUD"- KIM WILSON (The Fabulous Thunderbirds)

When the late, legendary Chicago bluesman Phil Guy came to Finland to tour, he recorded this album with The Wentus Blues Band on November 2nd, 2002 at Cantina West, Helsinki. The songs are all played in a good Chicago blues style. At times Phil Guy's voice sounds weak, but this is a minor quibble. The guitar and harmonica work is great, and overall the album is a good example of the late bluesman's great guitar style. The Ventus Blues Band are a very experienced blues band and back Phil with great energy, dynamics, and top notch musicianship. Try and listen to The Wentus Blues Band's "Agriculture" album, and Phil Guy's great "Bad Luck Boy" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Help Me - Ralph Bass, Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson
2. Oh, Darling - Unknown
3.Texas Flood - Larry Davis
4.Killing Floor - Howlin' Wolf
5.Don't Even Know My Name - Unknown
6.Good Time Charlie - Bobby "Blue" Bland
7. Five Long Years - Eddie Boyd
8. Can´t Stand It ( When You Touch Me ) - Eddie Boyd

MUSICIANS

Phil Guy - Guitar, Vocals
Niko Riipa - Guitar
Robban Hagnas - Bass, Backing Vocals
Mikael Axelqvist - Drums
Pepe Ahlqvist - Harmonica, Vocals

PHIL GUY BIO

Phil Guy didn't eclipse his older brother Buddy's status as a blues superstar, and in reality, Phil's funky brand of blues was not captured correctly for posterity. But he remained an active attraction on the Chicago circuit, following in his sibling's footsteps and patiently waiting for his own star to rise up until his death. Like his sibling, Phil Guy played with harpist Raful Neal (for a decade) before leaving the Baton Rouge scene for Chicago in 1969. There he played with his brother's high-energy organization as well as behind harpist Junior Wells (Phil handled guitar duties with Sammy Lawhorn on Wells' underrated mid-'70s Delmark album On Tap). Phil Guy cut albums of his own for JSP; they were generally lacking in originality if not spirit. Phil Guy lost his battle with liver and kidney cancer in August of 2008. © Bill Dahl © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:kzfixq95ldje~T1

ABOUT THE WENTUS BLUES BAND

While most people associate the blues with the steamy bayous of Louisiana and the cotton fields of Mississippi, lovers of the devil´s music may be surprised to hear that there is also a thriving scene in Scandinavia.At the heart of this Nordic blues explosion are the WENTUS BLUES BAND, who hail from Kokkola in central Finland. And while the pinestudded wilderness of their homeland is about as far as you can get from the jukejoints of the Deep South, there´s no doubting their musical credentials. Established in 1986, the band have acquired a reputation as the hardest working in Scandinavia and play around 150 gigs a year. The Wentus Blues Band has toured in 15 different countries, released 7 albums, done several TV-shows, headlined festivals and toured with many great bluesmen. Expect explosive blues and frantic rhythm and blues, played with laid back stylishness. At the 2008 edition of the NXNE, Wentus Blues Band was in Toronto not only for a couple of gigs but also for the North American debut of Family Meeting, a documentary about the band’s 20th anniversary concert. Family meeting mixes concert footage with candid backstage moments and commentary from fellow musicians. It was nominated for the Finnish national film award, the JUSSI, in the feature documentary category and is doing the rounds at film festivals in Scandinavia gathering speed, followed by plenty of great reviews. The title is about the special bond developed over the years with Wentus Blues Band and musicians they have played with. It is like the Thanksgiving dinner where everything is possible, especially when the guest list includes legends like ex-Rolling Stone Mick Taylor, Kim Wilson from the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Omar Dykes of Omar & The Howlers, Eric Bibb, Louisiana Red, Eddie Kirkland to mention a few. On the topic of name dropping, these guys are the Wentus Blues Band: Juho Kinaret; voc, Niko Riippa; gt, Kim Wikman; gt, Robban Hagnäs; b, Mikael Axelqvist; dr, Pekka Gröhn; piano, Hammond. From the potatofields of Kokkola to the cottonfields of Mississippi, blues rules!-The new Agriculture CD shows again that the Wentus Blues Band deserves greater attention © Tom Hyslop, Blues Revue [ from http://www.wentusbluesband.com/Biography.html ]

Joe Beard

Joe Beard - Dealin' - 2000 - Audioquest Records

In the blues world it's OK to be a late bloomer, and when it came to recording, Joe Beard was exactly that. The charismatic singer/guitarist, whose influences range from Jimmy Reed to Lightnin' Hopkins, worked "day gigs" when his kids were growing up and didn't start to build a catalog until he was in his fifties. Blues lovers who heard Beard's AudioQuest dates of the '90s found themselves saying, "Hey, this guy is very talented; why haven't I heard of him until now?" And, of course, the answer to that question is that his nine-to-fives and family life had kept him from being a full-time bluesman. But when his kids reached adulthood, the Mississippi native turned Rochester, NY, resident had more time to devote to music. Recorded in April 2000 (when he was 62), Dealin' is Beard's third CD for AudioQuest and underscores his ability to handle a variety of electric blues styles. Beard's appreciation of Reed and the Chicago blues is evident on gutsy, rough-and-tumble tracks like "Give Me Up and Let Me Go," "My Eyes Keep Me in Trouble," and "The Bitter Seed," a Jimmy Reed classic. Like Reed, Beard favors a gentle and laid-back style of singing but still has plenty of grit and doesn't mind having a tough, hard-driving band behind him. Meanwhile, "Holding a Losing Hand" and "If I Get Lucky" (both Beard originals) go for the sort of moody, shadowy, haunting ambiance that often worked so well for Hopkins and John Lee Hooker. This isn't to say that Beard is going out of his way to emulate Reed, Hopkins, Hooker, or anyone else. Dealin' shows who some of his influences are, but it also reminds you that Beard is an appealing bluesman in his own right. © Alex Henderson © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wjfexqwkldje

Fundamentally this is a Mississippi blues roots style album with many electric blues styles. Joe Beard may not be a great vocalist, but his voice is full of soul. Joe's Delta-style guitar turns are impressive, and his great backing band includes Duke Robillard, Bruce Katz, and Jerry Portnoy. Listen to Joe Beard's "Blues Union" with Ronnie Earl and his Broadcasters
TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 The Bitter Seed - Jimmy Reed 3:00
2 You Don't Love Me Anymore - Willie Cobbs 4:51
3 Just Like a Fish - Pearl Woods 3:07
4 Life Without Parole - Joe Beard 7:40
5 My Eyes (Keep Me in Trouble) - Walter Hap 2:55
6 Holding a Losing Hand - Joe Beard 3:06
7 Give up and Let Me Go - Al Smith 5:12
8 Three Day Love Affair - Joe Beard 5:00
9 Making a Fool Out of Me - Joe Beard 2:40
10 Long Tall Shorty - Herb Abramson, Don Covay 3:05
11 That "So-Called" Friend of Mine - Joe Beard 6:45
12 You'd Better Be Sure - Ricky Allen 2:51
13 If I Get Lucky - Joe Beard 4:09

MUSICIANS

Joe Beard - Guitar, Vocals
Duke Robillard - Guitar
Rod Carey - Bass
Bruce Katz - Piano, B-3
Per Hanson - Drums
Jerry Portnoy - Harp

BIO

Born and raised in Ashland, Mississippi, guitarist Joe Beard grew up with the Murphy brothers, one of whom later found an international following as Matt "Guitar" Murphy. Guitarist Nathan Beauregard lived with Beard's cousin, so he was surrounded by aspiring and veteran blues musicians while growing up, and he began singing at an early age. Beard became interested in playing guitar via the Murphy brothers, who sat in with a young B.B. King when he played at the Roosevelt Lake Club. Beard began to learn guitar at age 17 from Ernest Scruggs, a neighbor, before heading to Chicago. Beard moved to Rochester, N.Y., and from time to time would visit one of his brothers in Chicago. He quickly became enamored of the blues being played in clubs there by people like Jimmy Reed and Sonny Boy Williamson. Beard sat in with John Lee Hooker one night and received encouraging words from Hooker, and also later sat in with his idol, Muddy Waters. While in Rochester, he formed the Soul Brothers Six, playing bass and singing, but he didn't perform in public on guitar until 1965. Beard befriended classic blues guitarist Son House, who was a neighbor in Rochester, and played a concert for students at the University of Rochester in 1968. Beard worked as an electrician by day and would occasionally play out at night and on weekends for most of the 1960s on through to the '80s. He has a reputation as one of the best local players around Rochester, and though he may not be a household name in other parts of the U.S., he toured Europe in 1983 and did studio and stage work that same year with Buster Benton, Lafayette Leake and Memphis Slim. At the famed BK Lounge, Beard and his backing bands opened for Bobby Bland, Albert King and others. More recently, Beard performed at President George H.W. Bush's inaugural gala. In 1990, he recorded an album for Kingsnake Records, No More Cherry Rose, which was well received by the blues radio community. Beard recorded an album with Ronnie Earl's band for the California-based AudioQuest label, Blues Union (1996). Accompanying him are Hammond B-3 organist Bruce Katz and tenor saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman. The album was a critical success, winning Offbeat Magazine's Blues Album of the Year award. He followed it up with 1998's For Real and 2000's Dealin', both records featuring Duke Robilard. © Richard Skelly © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:fpfrxqy5ldde~T1

Eddie Martin

Eddie Martin - Play The Blues With Feeling - 2005 - Blue Blood

Martin's command of blues guitar styles, acoustic and electric, is unparalleled in this country – and he will give anyone round the world a good run for their money. As confident and eloquent with intricate finger-style national steel playing as he is with incendiary electric soloing, the most amazing thing is that he is also one of our top harmonica players. These instrumental skills sprinkle this album like gold dust and are all the more amazing for the fact that guitar and harmonica are played simultaneously on this live-to-tape album with no overdubs. Of the 10 tracks, 9 are original – including the International Songwriting Competition finalist "Someone's Making Money", 2 solo acoustic, 7 raw electric trio arrangements with slide guitar to the fore, and a big band ska-like swing tune "Bubble Blues". With nine albums almost in as many years, Eddie Martin is one of the most prolific blues performers on the international circuit. With this cd he has come up with another winner which is bound to consolidate his position at the top of the blues hierarchy. © 1996-2010, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates http://www.amazon.co.uk/Play-Blues-Eddie-Martin/dp/B0007ZB3D6

London bluesman, Eddie Martin condenses the rural pre-war blues of Robert Johnson with contemporary artists like Taj Mahal, or even the Texas grooves of Freddie King and Albert Collins. This guy is an incredibly talented blues guitarist and harmonica player, and is really keeping the traditional blues styles alive. "Play The Blues With Feeling" is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Buy Eddie's brilliant"Ice Cream" album, and promote this great blues artist

TRACKS

1 Someone's Making Money
2 Selfish Guy
3 My Black Mama
4 Bubble Blues
5 Bristol Shakedown
6 Play the Blues With Feeling
7 Tell Me Why
8 One-Man-Band Rag
9 Barbed Wire
10 Bone Shaker

All songs composed by Eddie Martin except Track 3 by Eddie James

MUSICIANS

Eddie Martin - Guitar, Harmonica, Foot Percussion
Tony Caddle - Bass
Marion Dolton - Bass, Double Bass
Paddy Milner - Piano
Gary Baldwin - Hammond B3
Michael Wiedrich, Mike Hoddinott - Drums
Little Big Horns - Horn
Steve Trigg, Andy Gilliams, Patsy Gamble - Horn

BIO

Born in London in the 60's British Blues Boom, Eddie Martin turned professional after being nominated for Best British Blues Guitarist, Band and Album between 1996 and 1998. Since then he has played or recorded with many greats from both sides of the Atlantic, including John Mayall, Peter Green, Buddy Guy, and Taj Mahal. His prolific recording and touring schedule takes him from his native UK all round the world to major events - first touring the USA to some acclaim in 1999. 2005, for example, saw his big band headline the Colne International Rhythm and Blues Festival in the UK, his trio perform at the prestigious Cahors Blues Festival in France, and brought him to the World Harmonica Festival in Germany where he performed solo, held a harmonica masterclass and judged the world blues harmonica competition. He has recorded numerous live sessions for national radio programmes (BBC Radio 2 in the UK). His songs have found their way to the finals of the International Songwriting Competition and to the song stable of Alligator Records. And his live performances. whether as his unique one-man-band or fronting his trio or big band, have always attracted accolades. "a live act not to be missed" said Blues Revue USA. He continues to tour in all three guises. The trio features top drawer rhythm section Bill Banwell on Bass and Tim Price (ex Gary Moore) on drums. His songwriting seamlessly updates blues tradition to the modern world and his solo and band performances fill even hardened blues audiences with new enthusiasm for the expressiveness and power of this genre. His acoustic style has developed into a percussive blend of traditional blues slide and fingerpicking blues styles with flamenco rasguerdo techniques. These he combines with rack harmonica playing and foot percussion in the style of the one-man-blues bands such as Duster Bennett, Joe Hill Louis and Dr Ross. On the electric, his forbears are Freddy King, Albert King and Buddy Guy, as, for example, "the Times" has noted. His guitar-playing alone has seen his cd work commended by the Guitar Press around Europe, receiving "excellent" tags from "Guitar" in the UK and "Guitar and Bass" in Germany. Most strikingly innovative is the simultaneous rack harmonica and guitar style that he has developed and which caused the International Harmonica Federation to single him out as one of the innovators on the instrument at the World Harmonica Festival in Germany. A master acoustic and electric guitarist, harmonica player, songwriter and powerful singer, Eddie Martin has been described as "the most remarkable blues man of his generation" by Blues in Britain. ©2003-2010 MySpace, Inc. All Rights Reserved http://www.myspace.com/eddiemartinblues

Kim Simmonds

Kim Simmonds - Blues Like Midnight - 2001 - Blue Wave

Savoy Brown's founding leader unplugs once again for his second solo outing. Considering that his band has released some lackluster, highly derivative, and plain plodding boogie material, especially in the '80s and '90s, this subtle set is remarkably affecting in its low-key, moody intensity. Simmonds doesn't have a great voice, but it works well in this stripped-down setting dominated by originals that sound like classic covers. A nearly eight-minute version of Jimmie Rodgers' title track is the album's centerpiece, yet the entire disc is an emotionally stirring showcase for a style of music seldom associated with the traditionally spotlight-stealing leads of Simmonds' electric blues band. Piedmont, folk, and Delta approaches are all evident, with an Indian feel heightened by simmering congas on the appropriately titled instrumental "Rag Ah." Drums and bass make an appearance on two tunes, one a cover of J.J. Cale's "Hold on Baby" that takes the already greasy song into the Mississippi swamps. The closing "Blues for Lonesome" instrumental (the entire CD is dedicated to his old bandmate and later Foghat founder Lonesome Dave Peverett) shows Simmonds' exceptional slide prowess and is a touching coda to an extraordinarily moving and introspective acoustic blues album. It proves that Kim Simmonds is talented enough to be in the top ranks of '60s British blues guitar legends, a category where he's often considered an also-ran. © Hal Horowitz, All Music Guide © 2010 Answers Corporation http://www.answers.com/topic/blues-like-midnight

The brilliant blues guitarist from Savoy Brown plays an unplugged set of 13 songs covering many blues styles. Kim penned 11 of the tracks, and the album sounds like it was recorded 50 years ago. This is the real authentic blues deal played with passion and style by one of Britains most underrated blues guitarists. Check out Kim's "Struck By Lightning" album @ KIMSIM/SBL and search this blog for Savoy Brown releases

TRACKS

Cry Before She Goes
Morning Light
Tell the World
Move to a Country Town
Hold on Baby
My Woman Blues
Rag Ah
Sometimes You Gamble
Long Ways from Heaven
Blues Like Midnight
Baby Says She's Leaving
Crying the Blues All Night
Blues for Lonesome

MUSICIANS

Kim Simmonds (vocals, acoustic guitar)
Dave Malachowski (guitar)
Pat DeSalvo (bass)
Bob Hall (piano)
Garnet Grimm (drums)
Dave DeSiro (percussion)
Dan Atkins (mandolin)
Kevin Curry (violin)

All songs composed by Kim Simmonds, except "Hold on Baby" by J.J Cale, and "Blues Like Midnight" by Jimmy Rogers

BIO

Kim Simmonds, born in Newbridge, Wales, in 1947, is considered a legendary blues guitarist by almost any musical standard. He has even been called one of the founding fathers of British blues by some. Besides his mastery with the guitar, he can hold his own with vocals, piano, harmonica, and even Dobro. The strength of his talent and his willingness to hang tough when weaker men would toss in the towel have carried him through more than three decades in the survive-if-you-can music business. Thanks to an older brother, Simmonds heard plenty of music when he was growing up. He favored everything from the Beatles to James Brown. In 1966, when Simmonds was still in his teens, he formed a rock and blues group called Savoy Brown. Other members were bassist Ray Chappell, keyboardist Bob Hall, singer Bruce Portius, drummer Leo Manning, and guitarist Martin Stone. The band got its start performing in small pubs throughout London. In a year's time there was a Savoy Brown debut album, Shake Down. The list of members changed often around Simmonds, but he persisted, and the group released album after album. In 1995 the PolyGram Records label put together a two-piece box set of many of the recordings, titled simply Savoy Brown. Taking a chance at a solo career, Simmonds recorded a debut solo offering, appropriately called Solitaire. It was released in 1997 by Blue Wave Records. Some of the acoustic blues numbers that fans can sample on this release are "I Keep Calling My Baby," "Bad Morning," "Depression Blues," and "Blues Vibration." Blues Like Midnight followed in spring 2001. © Charlotte Dillon, All Music Guide © 2010 Answers Corporation http://www.answers.com/topic/kim-simmonds

MORE ABOUT KIM SIMMONDS

For over 30 years Kim Simmonds has been synonymous with 'legendary British blues guitar', being mentioned in the same breath as Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor in the hierarchy of England's best guitar slingers from the 60s golden era of British blues. Kim started his career in London, England in 1966 by forming the group Savoy Brown and has since enjoyed international fame. He's been featured on the front cover of Guitar Magazine, made over 3 dozen records and performed around the world. He has an international fan club based in Wales and a web site at www.savoybrown.com. Kim's records with Savoy Brown (many produced by himself) have sold millions, with albums such as Looking In and Hellbound Train reaching the Billboard Top 40 charts. Many of his songs have been covered by such diverse artists as Rare Earth, Hugo Montenegro and Great White. In 1995, a two CD boxed set, The Savoy Brown Collection released by Polygram Records, chronicled his and the band's astonishing career. As a solo artist and in the acoustic field Kim has released three CDs - Savoy Brown's 1986 Slow Train, his own 1997 Solitaire, and the 2001 release Blues Like Midnight. Born in Wales in 1947 and playing the pubs of London with Savoy Brown at the very tender age of 18, Kim Simmonds recorded albums that helped start the 60s blues boom. While others have strayed from their roots, Simmonds has stayed the course .... a true journeyman and road warrior, who's comfortably settled into an elder statesman role at the same time as burning up the fretboard on the concert stage while remaining at the top of his game. © The British Blues All Stars 2004, www.thebritishbluesallstars.co.uk/kim_simmonds.htm