Georgie Fame

Georgie Fame - Cool Cat Blues - 1991 - Go Jazz

An anonymous donor sent me this cd recently, its title having agonisingly lingered on my wish list for some time. I can only proffer my apologies to Mr Fame for having taken so long to discover this album's excellence and to my generous benefactor a humble and most appreciative thank you. Mr Fame is a legend in his own right, with a career spanning some forty years, he needs no introduction. Originally a blues aficionado his skills began to lend to the jazz genre in the early eighties. Mr Fame is indeed a talented man and has that rare pleasure of being not only a first class vocalist but a talented musician too. I'm blessed too have his title "Name Droppin" (Live) and I didn't really think it could be beat. But of course Mr Fame pulls off excellence with frightening ease time and time again and this album exudes the essence of an album that was a joy to produce. A self-contained and extraordinary album, it flows effortlessly in its excellence from track one to track thirteen all too disappointingly soon. I normally like to quote my favourite track but dam, aint it so hard to do. Maybe its Moondance but then maybe its Yeah, Yeah .... no its definitely It Should Have Been Me ... no wait its Georgia ..... all wonderful classics in their own right and if my humble opinion is worth anything you should stop reading this and go press the purchase button. – from ***** SPLENDIFEROUS !!!, June 26, 2002 By & © H. J. Sandford "jazzyjaney" (Yorkshire, England) © 1996-2013, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates http://www.amazon.com/Cool-Cat-Blues-Georgie-Fame/product-reviews/B00005AQI8/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt/187-6829984-0203647?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

“The hardest part of making this album was chosing the material - the musicians kind of chose themselves (anybody you called to perform on a Georgie Fame session immediately said yes). Because Georgie is equally adept at blues, R&B and bebop, we narrowed the repertoire down to our favorites from the books of Louis Jordan, Ray Charles, Mose Allison, Hoagy Carmichael, Van Morrison (Georgie's band-mate at the time) and of course several of his sophisticated originals”. – Ben sidran from Go Jazz, 1989

Ben Sidran assembled some of the best jazz players in the business to record “Cool Cat Blues” with the celebrated Georgie Fame. Some of the great musicians on this album include the late Hugh McCracken, Van Morrison, Boz Scaggs, Steve Gadd, and Robben Ford, and these guys don’t appear on any old rubbish. Apart from the great vocal standards, there is a great reworking of Georgie’s "Yeah Yeah" and a dynamic version of Van Morrison's classic "Moondance". The legendary vocalist, songwriter, and keyboardist Georgie Fame remains one of the great British jazz and R&B musicians. This album is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. The "Shorty featuring Georgie Fame" album is @ http://overdoseoffingalcocoa.blogspot.com/2009/06/georgie-fame.html Try and listen to the Georgie Fame & Alan Price “Together” album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 158 Mb]

TRACKS/ COMPOSERS

1 Cool Cat Blues - Georgie Fame & Alexander Ryan 4:05
2 Every Knock Is a Boost - Georgie Fame, Louis Jordan, B. Waters 5:15
3 Moondance - Van Morrison 6:44
4 It Should Have Been Me - Memphis Curtis 5:02
5 Yeah Yeah - Rodgers Grant & Jon Hendricks 5:05
6 I Love the Life I Live, I Live the Life I Love - Willie Dixon 3:17
7 Big Brother - Mose Allison 4:58
8 Georgia on My Mind - Hoagy Carmichael & Stuart Gorrell 5:11
9 Cat's Eyes - Georgie Fame 6:17
10 You Came a Long Way from St. Louis - John Benson Brooks & Bob Russell 4:30
11 Survival - Georgie Fame & Alexander Ryan 9:00
12 Little Pony - Neal Hefti & Jon Hendricks 2:40
13 Rocking Chair - Hoagy Carmichael 3:58

MUSICIANS

Robben Ford, Hugh McCracken - Guitar
Dennis Irwin, Will Lee - Bass
Georgie Fame - Organ, Piano, Horn Arrangements, Vocals
Richard Tee - Organ, Piano, Acoustic & Electric Piano
Michael Weiss - Piano
Steve Gadd - Drums
Ralph MacDonald - Percussion
Ben Sidran - Tambourine, Vocals
Ronnie Cuber, Lawrence Feldman - Saxophone
Bob Malach - Saxophone, Horn Arrangements
Boz Scaggs, Jon Hendricks - Vocals
Van Morrison - Vocals, Vocal Ad-Libs

BIO

Georgie Fame's swinging, surprisingly credible blend of jazz and American R&B earned him a substantial following in his native U.K., where he scored three number one singles during the '60s. Fame played piano and organ in addition to singing, and was influenced by the likes of Mose Allison, Booker T. & the MG's, and Louis Jordan. Early in his career, he also peppered his repertoire with Jamaican ska and bluebeat tunes, helping to popularize that genre in England; during his later years, he was one of the few jazz singers of any stripe to take an interest in the vanishing art of vocalese, and earned much general respect from jazz critics on both sides of the Atlantic.
Fame was born Clive Powell on June 26, 1943, in Leigh, Lancashire (near Manchester, England). He began playing piano at a young age, and performed with several groups around Manchester as a teenager, when he was particularly fond of Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis. In 1959, his family moved to London, where the 16 year old was discovered by songwriter Lionel Bart (best known for the musical Oliver). Bart took Powell to talent manager Larry Parnes, who promoted British rockers like Billy Fury, Marty Wilde, Johnny Gentle, and Vince Eager. Powell naturally had to be renamed as well, and as Georgie Fame, he played piano behind Wilde and Eager before officially joining Fury's backing band, the Blue Flames, in the summer of 1961. (the Blue Flames also included guitarist Colin Green, saxophonist Mick Eve, bassist Tony Makins, and drummer Red Reece.) When Fury let the band go at the end of the year, Fame became their lead singer, and they hit the London club circuit playing a distinctive blend of rock, pop, R&B, jazz, and ska. Their budding reputation landed them a residency at the West End jazz club the Flamingo, and thanks to the American servicemen who frequented the club and lent Fame their records, he discovered the Hammond B-3 organ, becoming one of the very few British musicians to adopt the instrument in late 1962. From there, the Blue Flames became one of the most popular live bands in London. In 1963, they signed with EMI Columbia, and in early 1964 released their acclaimed debut LP, Rhythm and Blues at the Flamingo. It wasn't a hot seller at first, and likewise their first three singles all flopped, but word of the group was spreading. Finally, in early 1965, Fame hit the charts with "Yeh Yeh," a swinging tune recorded by Latin jazz legend Mongo Santamaria and given lyrics by vocalese virtuoso Jon Hendricks of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. "Yeh Yeh" went all the way to number one on the British charts, and Fame started living up to his stage name (although the song barely missed the Top 20 in America). His 1965 LP Fame at Last reached the British Top 20, and after several more minor hits, he had another British number one with "Getaway" in 1966. After one more LP with the original Blue Flames, 1966's Sweet Thing, Fame broke up the band and recorded solo; over the next few years, his backing bands included drummer Mitch Mitchell (later of the Jimi Hendrix Experience) and the young guitarist John McLaughlin (Miles Davis, Mahavishnu Orchestra). At the outset, Fame's solo career was just as productive as before, kicking off with the Top Ten big-band LP Sound Venture (recorded with Harry South's orchestra); thanks to its success, he toured with the legendary Count Basie the following year. Several hit singles followed over the next few years, including "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde," which became his third British chart-topper in late 1967 and, the following year, his only Top Ten hit in America. But by 1969, his success was beginning to tail off; hoping to make inroads into the more adult-oriented cabaret circuit, Fame was moving more and more into straight-up pop and away from his roots. In 1971, he teamed up with onetime Animals organist Alan Price and recorded an album of critically reviled MOR pop, Fame & Price; the partnership produced a near-Top Ten hit in "Rosetta," but ended in 1973. Fame re-formed the Blue Flames with original guitarist Colin Green in 1974 and attempted to return to R&B, but his records for Island attracted little attention. He spent much of the '70s and '80s making ends meet by performing on TV and the cabaret circuit, as well as writing advertising jingles; he also continued to make records, to little fanfare. In 1989, Fame played organ on Van Morrison's Avalon Sunset album, which grew into a fruitful collaboration over the course of the '90s; Fame played on all of Morrison's albums through 1997's The Healing Game, received co-billing on Morrison's 1996 jazz album How Long Has This Been Going On, and even served a stint as Morrison's musical director. Meanwhile, Fame's own solo work during the '90s received some of his best reviews since the '60s, starting with 1991's jazzy Cool Cat Blues, which featured a duet with Morrison on "Moondance." 1995's Three Line Whip featured his sons Tristan and James Powell on guitar and drums, respectively, and 1996's The Blues and Me further enhanced his growing jazz credibility. In 1998, Fame split with Morrison to record and tour with former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman's new group the Rhythm Kings, contributing organ and vocals to several albums. In 2000, now signed to Ben Sidran's Go Jazz label, Fame released the acclaimed Poet in New York, which established him as an impressive student of jazz's vocalese. © Steve Huey © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/georgie-fame-mn0000543055

Sammy Mayfield

Sammy Mayfield - Blues By The Bushel - 1996 - OPM Records

Rhythm and Blues guitarist/vocalist, Sammy Mayfield is better known as being the musical director of the legendary soul and Gospel singer Solomon Burke for many years. "Blues By The Bushel" is a rare solo album from Sammy where he showcases his own musical talents. Nothing too flashy or extraordinary here, but nevertheless a wonderful album of R&B, soul and blues by a great musician, and HR by A.O.O.F.C

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Blues by the Bushel - Sammy Mayfield, Bob Jones
2. Since I Fell for You - Buddy Johnson
3. Don't Deceive Me - Chuck Willis
4. I Can't Get Over You - Sammy Mayfield, Bob Jones
5. Happy Birthday Song - Solomon Burke
6. Dancin' My Blues Away - Sammy Mayfield, Bob Jones
7. Wooh Me Baby - Sammy Mayfield, Bob Jones
8. Standing by My Window - Sammy Mayfield, Bob Jones
9. King Without a Throne - Sammy Mayfield, Bob Jones
10. Thrill Me to the Bone - Sammy Mayfield, Johnny Long
11. I Can't Get Over You [Instrumental] - Sammy Mayfield, Bob Jones

MUSICIANS

Sammy Mayfield - Guitar, Vocals
Nathan Wright - Bass, Vocals (Background)
Tom Worrell, Jim Ayers, Arn Jackson, Marc Jackson - Keyboards
Holly Holverson - Keyboards, Horn
Dexter Wiggins, Tony Black - Drums
Henry Hudson - Saxophone, Vocals (Background)
Jon Stubbs - Trombone, Vocals (Background)
Kevin Dawkins - Trumpet
Wes Mackey - Trumpet, Vocals (Background)
Chris Lang, King James Fisher - Harmonica
Ed Wingfield, Bob Jones - Vocals (Background)

BIO

From the "Chitlin Circuit to the Grammys," Colorado blues guitarist Sam Mayfield, 57, has played guitar in many a venue while leading his own band and as King Solomon Burke’s musical director. King Solomon Burke wrote 32 singles, including six top-ten R&B hits and four songs which made the top 40 in the pop charts. Burke is best known for his song, "Got to Get You Off of My Mind," and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall in 2001. Mayfield started working for the musical legend in 1973 after his band backed Burke at Margies Lounge in Denver. "Because he was late we didn’t get a chance to rehearse," Sam says. "He was impressed that we knew all his music, of course we grew up on his music. After that I started playing with him full time." Mayfield was born in Denver and raised in the Curtis Park area. He started playing guitar in 1957, when he was seven years old. His first instrument was the saxophone, which he played in school. "I couldn’t feel the horn the way I could play the guitar," Sam said. "I knew from the time I was seven what I wanted to do for the rest of my life." Mayfield grew up around music. His uncle Clarence Mayfield played guitar and Sam picked it from him. He also said his mother took him to church, "Every day of the week and twice on Sundays," He said there was a lot of singing and preaching. His mother encouraged him to keep busy with music because she believed it kept him out of trouble. She bought him his first guitar from a local pawn shop. "We grew up with cheap stuff," Sam said. "That was all we could afford. The tone is in your hands, not the guitar or amp. We bought our strings at the drug store. The G string was coated, so I would scrape it with a knife, made it easier to bend, tricks of the trade." Sam said his second cousin Percy Mayfield was a successful hit song writer until he was involved in a car accident. Percy Mayfield wrote "Hit the Road Jack," a song made famous by the late great Ray Charles. "I always liked the blues," Sam said. "My family all listened to the blues, BB King, T-Bone Walker, Gate Mouth Brown, Muddy Waters, all them cats." Mayfield said growing up in a segregated era kept black people together and made them want to break out and music was one way to break out of the projects. "Black people weren’t allowed past York," Sam said. "At theaters we had to sit upstairs. We had our own stores right down in the Points. Things didn’t change until 63-64 when Kennedy was president." One of the people wanting to break out of the projects with Mayfield was Nathan Wright, Sam’s life long friend and bass player. They met when they went to Cole Jr. High School together, where they both played saxophone in the school band. "Sam always has been a guitar player. I played sax all the way through school," Wright said, "But I always wanted to play bass. When I graduated I bought a bass." Wright said through high school he didn’t see Mayfield all that much, because Sam was busy honing his craft, and honing his craft he was. When he was a teenager, Mayfield cut his teeth playing guitar at the black nightclubs located in the Five Points area in Denver. He would go to school during the day, then play all night at such clubs as The Savoy, KC Lounge, Bowlers Club and The Rosanna Lounge. "They partied all night back in those days," Mayfield said. "The Protocrest started at 2:30 in the morning and went to 6:00 in the morning. The cops would come in and they would hide me." Wright said soon after he started on bass, Mayfield heard him and asked him to play bass in his band. He said it was Mayfield who taught him how to play bass, how to approach it and put the feeling behind the groove he was laying down. He said when they weren’t playing a club they were rehearsing and he remembers putting a lot of miles on the road. "We broke a lot of bread together on the road," Wright said, "And Murphy’s Law hit musicians harder than anybody. We learned to work around it, so when it happens now, been there, done that." Wright said at times there were as many as six band members crammed into two vehicles along with all the equipment. He said both vehicles and equipment broke down a lot on the road. He also said there were times club owners didn’t want to pay them, and of course the racism and segregation they had to endure on the road. Mayfield said though he grew up with segregation in Colorado and it changed in the 60s, segregation didn’t change much in the South. Mayfield said at times the only place they could wash up was in train stations. This made playing the blues mean more, because he witnessed first hand what down-and-out could really mean. "I saw a lot of prejudice," Mayfield said. "When you were playing down in the South you understood you were Black. You stayed at different people’s houses because you couldn’t stay in a hotel." Yet, Wright says it was all worth it and he feels blessed for the musical experience and friendship he has had with Mayfield and other musicians. "I’m not bitter about the racism," Wright said. "Because playing music has always been a wonderful thing and still is. We met a lot of great players and people on the road." Mayfield said he learned on the road, and that is where he developed his style of guitar playing. He said that the secret to being a successful guitar player is to have your own voice. One element that led to him developing his own style early on was that he and other players in the projects were too poor to afford good equipment, but everyone had a guitar. A guitar player had to have something that was unique to set him apart from everyone else. His drive and experience gained him a reputation as a top guitar player and band leader. He soon was a top attraction, not only to the local club scene, but also to black national acts in need of a guitar player or opening or backing band. When black national musical acts came into town, they played at the clubs located in the Five Points area. Mayfield soon had the opportunity to play guitar with his guitar heroes like Big Joe Turner, Gate Mouth Brown, Little Lester, Vernon Garret and Solomon Burke. When Carlos Landos, current program director for 89.3 KUVO, moved to Denver in the 80s to work at radio station KDKO, he would go looking for live soul, funk, jazz or blues bands that he could listen to. He quickly became a fan of Mayfield’s band, and he and Mayfield became great friends. He would often go see Mayfield’s band back up many of the national acts that played at the Casino night club located in the Five Points area. "One week it would be Lowell Folsom, then the next week Ruth Brown, and then Ester Phillips and he would introduce me to these artists. We started to hang out and we became close friends." Landos said Landos remembers a blues concert he MC’d at McNichols Sports Arena in the 80s and blues legend Big Mama Thornton was on the bill. The promoter had hired a local band to back her and she didn’t like the lead guitarist. A call was made for local guitarist to audition for the show and Mayfield was among them. Big Mama heard Mayfield play a few notes and said, "That’s it." Landos said after the show she told him what a great musician Mayfield was, and that he was the glue that had held it together for her. When the opportunity came, Landos hired Mayfield to be the main host for the "All Blues" program on KUVO. Not because he’s a close friend, but because of what he brings to the program. "He’s a cat that knows the music," Landos said. "I wanted to bring a musician who had a following. That knew the music selection and the knowledge to comment on it. I wanted to bring some legitimacy to the program." Mayfield has been doing the program for about five years now. The only time Mayfield doesn’t do the show is when he’s playing on the road, which he said he has to do in order to make money. Mayfield said now all the black clubs that played live music in Denver have disappeared. He said all you find are DJs and it makes it hard for a working musician to survive. In order to make a living you have to do it on the road. "I’ve been on the road for over 40 years," Mayfield said. "All over the states, and in Europe, which seems to appreciate and encourage blues musicians more." Mayfield said the one European gig that stands out for him was in Berlin. He was playing guitar for Solomon Burke when the Berlin Wall came down in 1989. He said it was a great experience and that Burke’s song "A Change is Going to Come," was used as the theme song for the historical event. Speaking of historical events, Mayfield has witnessed and played through some of the history of how modern music has been shaped and formed, and is a living historian of the early Denver R&B, soul, and blues music scene. Landos said Mayfield was there when it was a very special time for music through the 60s and into the 70s. "He learned from the masters while being on the road," Landos said. "Sam was always and still is the consummate band leader, a legitimate R and B player." Carlos feels Sam is one of the last links in Denver representative to that era of R&B, soul and blues that came up in the 60s and 70s. By & © Jerry Roys Published: May 20, 2007 © 2011 Colorado Local Legends. All rights reserved http://www.coloradolocallegends.com/index.php?p=200705_01&PHPSESSID=ceb7dd3020ebfad16a9ac761aee21565

Chris Farlowe & Roy Herrington featuring The Rhythm 'N' Blues Train

Chris Farlowe & Roy Herrington featuring The Rhythm 'N' Blues Train - Live in Berlin - 1991 - Backyard Records

Chris Farlowe (born in Essex, England, on 13/10/1940) remains one of the great underrated and underappreciated British soul & blues influenced singers. Chris' musical career started in the early '60's with the "Lonnie Donegan" style John Henry Skiffle Group. In the early 1960s, under the pseudonym Little Joe Cook, Chris released a R&B single "Stormy Monday Blues" which led people to believe he was a black singer. Around 1963 or 1964 'The Thunderbirds' were formed which included Chris Farlowe, plus the great guitarist Albert Lee, and keyboardist Dave Greenslade. The band's five singles on the UK Columbia label met with no success. When Andrew Loog Oldham, the Rolling Stones' manager established the famous Immediate label, he signed Chris Farlowe. Chris recorded many Jagger/Richards songs and some of his records were produced by Jagger. Out of 11 singles five had covers of the Jagger/Richards songs on them. The third single, "Out Of Time" made it to number one. Many people regard Chris'version of "Stormy Monday Blues (parts 1 and 2)", featuring Albert Lee on guitar, as one of the most distinguished, pre-eminent British blues recordings. Chris was also part of the great British jazz rock band, Colosseum, and the 1971 "Colosseum Live" album is a great example of early '70's British jazz rock. "Live in Berlin" was recorded at Berlin/Franz Club, Germany on 17th & 18th of October 1991. The album is is a great blues/R&B album from the lesser known blues guitarist Roy Herrington from the small former coalmining town of Featherstone, Yorkshire, England. ("they say the blues is black"). Roy has been on the road for over 20 years with various R&B artists including Spencer Davis, Gene Conners and the Route 66 Allstars, as well as his own band. Roy´s guitar style was influenced by artists like Pat Martino, Link Wray, Barney Kessel and Buddy Guy. Roy penned two songs, Chris one. The remaining seven tracks are covers of blues/R&B standards by artists including Willie Dixon, T-Bone Walker, and Michael Price and Dan Walsh. "Born in West Yorkshire" is a nine minute long guitar virtuoso piece by Roy but his guitar work throughout the album is terrific. The album also includes a great version of Chris singing "Stormy Monday Blues". This album has been called "The best blues album ever made by a Yorkshireman." Try and listen to the Roy Herrington Band's 2003 "Hip Bone" album, and Chris Farlowe's "Out of the Blue" album. Search this blog for more related releases

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. BORN IN WEST YORKSHIRE - Herrington
2. CROSSCUT SAW - Ford, Ingram, Moss (Music): Peterson, Sanders, Walker (Lyrics)
3. THRILL IS GONE - Benson (Music): Petite (Lyrics)
4. SHAKEY GROUND - Bowen (Music): Hazel & Boyd (Lyrics)
5. CHRIS`SHUFFLE - Farlowe
6. AIN´T NO LOVE - Price (Music): Walsh (Lyrics)
7. CLOSER TO YOU - Herrington
8. SUPERSTITIOUS - Dixon
9. STORMY MONDAY - Walker
10. GIVIN`T UP FOR YOUR LOVE - Williams (Music): Mason (Lyrics)

MUSICIANS

Rhythm'n'Blues Train:-
Roy 'The Boy' Herrington - guitar & vocals
Bernd Rosenmeier - guitar
Christoph Neher - bass
Martin Scholz - keyboards, vocals
Mickey Neher - drums, vocals
with
Chris Farlowe - vocals

CHRIS FARLOWE BIO (WIKIPEDIA)

Chris Farlowe (born John Henry Deighton, 13 October 1940, Islington, North London, England) is a successful English pop, R&B and soul singer. Farlowe's musical career began with a skiffle group, The John Henry Skiffle Group in 1957, then The Johnny Burns Rhythm and Blues Quartet in 1958. He met lead guitarist Bob Taylor (born Robert Taylor, 6 June 1942, London) in 1959 and he joined the band Taylor was in (The Thunderbirds), recording five singles for the Columbia label, without much success. He then moved to Andrew Loog Oldham's Immediate label and recorded another eleven singles, five of them cover versions of Rolling Stones songs; ("Paint It, Black", "Think", "Ride On, Baby", "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", "Out of Time"). His most successful was "Out of Time" which was number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in 1966. His next four singles were also well received. The most famous was "Handbags and Gladrags" (which was written by Mike d'Abo), later covered by Rod Stewart and more recently by the Stereophonics). As an English R&B star of the early 1960s, Farlowe released one single, "Stormy Monday Blues", under the pseudonym, 'Little Joe Cook', which helped perpetrate the myth that he was black. His association with jazz rock group Colosseum began in the 1970s, recording a live album and three studio albums Daughter of Time, Bread and Circuses and Tomorrow's Blues (2006). Farlowe continues to tour extensively throughout the UK and Europe with band Colosseum, and also with his own band. Farlowe also deals in antiques and has a showroom in Islington. In 1972 he joined Atomic Rooster and is featured on the albums Made in England and Nice and Greasy. He also sang on three tracks of Jimmy Page's Death Wish II soundtrack 1982 and Outrider album in 1988. In the beginning, Farlowe was backed by the band 'The Thunderbirds', which featured guitarist Albert Lee and Dave Greenslade, (later with him again in Colosseum), Bugs Waddell (bass), Ian Hague (drums) Bernie Greenwood (sax) and Jerry Temple (percussion).

Frank Biner

Frank Biner - Time To Move On - 1996 - Acoustic Music Records

"Time To Move On" is an original old school blues and R&B album with guests that include the great Chicago blues vocalist, Angela Brown, Keith Dunn on Harmonica, Jan Hirte on guitar, Ollie Gee on bass, and Christian Rannenberg on piano. There is also great hornwork from The O-Tone Horns, and terrific Hammond B-3 from Achim Lahrmann and Joachim Luhrmann. Originally from Milwaukee, the late Frank Biner began his career in Chicago in 1966 working with the The Little Boy Blues. He headed down to the SF Bay Area in the late sixties and met the late blues legend, Mike Bloomfield. In 1971 Mike described Frank in a letter of recommendation as "REAL GOOD; funky voice, real presence, charisma, call it what you may, but he's got it, no jive." Frank recorded lead vocals on his song "Maudie" on Mike's "Living In The Fast Lane" album. He firmly established himself in the SF/East Bay blues and R&B club scene, and wrote many songs covered by artists including Huey Lewis & the News and the great Tower of Power band for which he sang backing vocals. "Time To Move On" also demonstrates Frank's guitar skills which are often overlooked. Try and hear his "Mr. Frank Biner" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

Time To Move On - Frank Biner 2:31
She's Evil (Bad News) - Frank Biner 5:30
Footloose and Fancyfree - Frank Biner 3:51
Booze Breath Woman - Frank Biner 3:28
Keepin' Bad Company - Frank Biner/J. Biner 5:15
E'Nuff is E'Nuff - Frank Biner 4:00
Jump This Morning - Frank Biner 2:34
Cologne Blues - Frank Biner 3:28
Thanks Just Happen That Way - Frank Biner 4:24
Slenda Brenda - Frank Biner 4:17
It's Easy To Get The Blues - Frank Biner 3:38
19 Years Old - Muddy Waters 4:56
Call My Brother - Frank Biner 3:48
Let Tommy Blow - Frank Biner/T. Schneller/C. Rannenberg,O. Geselbracht, J. Hirte, T. Harris 1:01

MUSICIANS

Frank Biner: vocals, guitar
Jan Hirte: guitar
Ollie Gee: bass
Christian Rannenberg: piano
Achim Lahrmann: Hammond B-3 organ
Joachim Luhrmann: Hammond B-3 organ, percussion
Tommie Harris: drums
The O-Tone Horns: Tommy Schneller: tenor sax - Volker Winck: tenor and alto sax - Uwe Nolopp: trumpet
Keith Dunn: harmonica
Angela Brown: vocals

BIO

Frank Biner, blues & soul singer, guitar player and songwriter - who was a vital part of (not only) the Oakland music scene - died of a heart attack May 30, 2001. Far too early for a man at the age of 50. Frank, who was born in Milwaukie, Winsconsin, started his career in Chicago with the band The Little Boy Blues in the middle of the 60s. With this band he recorded one single "Great Train Robbery/Season Of The Witch" (Ronko 6996) in 1967. He sang lead vocals and played guitar. This is also true for "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" another song by The Little Boy Blues, which was released on the compilation "Early Chicago" (Happy Tiger HT 107) in 1971. All of these tracks can be found on the The Little Boy Blues' re-released 1968 album "In The Woodland Of Weir" (Acid Symposium, 2001), featuring all their early singles. Frank Biner left The Little Boy Blues sometime before they recorded their first and only album. In the late 60s Frank migrated to San Francisco and became a member of the growing East Bay Funk Scene - sharing many bookings with bands like Tower Of Power or even Clover. In the middle of the 70s Frank was not only singing background vocals on Tower of Power's albums "In The Slot" and "Ain't Nothin' Stoppin' Us Now" - he also co-wrote five songs featured on these albums with Steve 'Doc' Kupka and Emillio Castillo. One being "You're So Wonderful, So Marvelous". Another song written at that time was "Simple As That" which - although recorded several times - never made it on one of Tower Of Power's albums during the 70s. The song was later released on Tower Of Power's best of compilation "What Is Hip?", though. It was also recorded by Huey Lewis and the News for their 1986 hit album "Fore!" and released as a single in 1987. During his Chicago days Frank became close friends with Mike Bloomfield and in 1981 he sang lead vocals on the song "Maudie" on Bloomfield's "Life In The Fast Lane" album. Mike Bloomfield strongly believed in Frank's outstanding talent. Ten years earlier in 1971, Bloomfield even wrote a letter of recommendation to help Frank find a recording label (the letter can be found on Frank Biner's web site - www.frankbiner.com ). Frank continued to play the local club circuit with his band the Nightshift (or the Soul Patrol) when he finally got 'discovered' by Christian Rannenberg a member of Germany's First Class Blues Band - leading straight to a record deal with the German Acoustic Music label. The liner notes of his first album "Mr. Frank Biner" give more detail: "The vocals of white blues artists are mostly not up to the standard of their playing. Muddy Waters has often been quoted as saying that a lot of whites can play the blues on their instruments real well, but will never be good blues singers. Well, for the most part, Muddy was right, but there are notable exceptions, especially on today's white blues scene. I am thinking of very capable blues vocalists such as Lou-Ann Barton, Curtis Salgado, Darrel Nulish or Kim Wilson. Or Frank Biner, who is not as well known as the others, but has an exceptional blues voice, in addition to his excellent guitar playing. He was spotted by Christian Rannenberg, the renowned German blues pianist, in a blues club in Oakland, and Chris immediately knew that this artist just had to be featured with his band. Frank Biner's success in the Californian music clubs is the result of long years of scuffling and "paying dues." He started out singing and playing in the late 60's, performing a variety of soul and r&b styles. In 1971 Michael Bloomfield described him in a letter of recommendation as "REAL GOOD; funky voice, real presence, charisma, call it what you may, but he's got it, no jive." (Biner later sang lead on Bloomfield's "Living In The Fast Lane" album.) During the 70's, the name Frank Biner frequently appeared among the composer credits of Tower Of Power's albums, for whom he also supplied backing vocals. The song "Simple As That", co-written with Tower Of Power's Steve Kupka and Emilio Castillo, was later succesfully covered by Huey Lewis & The News on their album "Fore" (1986). The 1980's found Frank pursuing a solo career as a soul singer. Besides numerous club gigs, one of his singles even found its way into Billboard's "Top Singles Picks" - in the category "Black Music"! But Frank Biner's love for the blues never faltered, and within the last couple of years he has again been able to earn a living by playing his favorite music. And Frank's blues are not soft or souly, as one might expect from his past career. No, he sings'em dynamic, down and dirty. He shouts his mostly self-written lyrics out with the fervor of a TV preacher, and when the lights turn low, his voice still has the raspiness of years of tears ...... Michael Bloomfield's words are still true: "Frank is the Real Thang!" - Klaus Kilian. Frank Biner managed to record four solo albums before he died and all of them are showing his true talent. Three of them were recorded in Germany with the help of the First Class Blues Band and friends like Angela Brown. Only his third album was recorded in his hometown San Francisco, featuring many known Bay Area musicians. In addition to his solo albums Frank sang lead vocals on Steve 'Doc' Kupka's Stokeland Superband album "Kick It Up A Step!" (1999) and on Francis Rocco Prestia's solo album "Everybody On The Bus" (1999). Frank will be missed! "You can take the boy out of Oakland, as everybody knows, but that's about as far as it goes!" ('Let's Do Funk') © 2002-2009 bay-area-bands.com http://www.bay-area-bands.com/bab00038.htm

Blues 'n' Trouble

Blues 'n' Trouble - Bag Full Of Boogie Live - 1994 - Barkin' Mad Records

Blues'n'Trouble's first single, "Mystery Train" quickly established them as the new force on the R&B circuits. From their earliest days playing pubs and clubs in Scotland where they have a large and devoted following, they have always been crowd pleasers. They have travelled a long way in the intervening years, gaining recognition throughout Europe and Scandinavia, as well as appearing at the Memphis Blues Festival. They recently formed their own company Barkin' Mad. Their first offering on the new label "Poor Moon" captured the energy and spirit of Blues'n'Trouble better than any of their previous recordings - praise indeed when you consider that "Down To The Shuffle" was voted TOP BRITISH ALBUM OF THE YEAR by the British Blues Connection. It would be easy to state that the strength of the band lies in the harp playing, vocals and dynamic personality of leader Tim Elliott or in the powerhouse rhythm section. Then again it could be the edge - the edge that's only acquired from hard work. Back in the old days it was a quiet week if they only played four or five gigs. That kind of experience could not be bought, it had to be painfully acquired over the years, with over 3,000 gigs behind them. © http://www.marcmarnie.com/music/mgall04/bnt.htm

Influenced by artists like Canned Heat, Captain Beefheart, the Butterfield Blues Band, Jeff Beck’s Yardbirds, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, Rory Gallagher, and Howling Wolf among others this is a great live album of country rock, boogie, swamp rock, rock and roll, R&B, and Memphis/Texas/Chicago blues played "Scottish style". The album was recorded live in Scotland in December 1993 at Cafe Noir, Falkirk, The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen, King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow, and The Preservation Hall, Edinburgh. Buy the band's great "Down To The Shuffle" album and promote real blues and R&B.

TRACKS

01. Bag Full Of Boogie
02. Riding In My Cadillac
03. Deep Blue Feeling
04. You Got Me Spinnin'
05. Blue Because Of You
06. Breakin' The Ice
07. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl
08. Serenade For A Wealthy Widow
09. Slim's Chance
10. Drugstore Woman
11. Looking For My Baby
12. Lowdown
13. Down In Dallas

BAND

Tim Elliott - vocals, harmonica, guitar
Mike Park - guitar
Alan Scott - bass
Lou Martin - piano, organ
Lox Lovell - drums

LINER NOTES

"The culmination of a years work is represented accurately on this our latest live recording. Last year's "Poor Moon" was a wide exploration into this multi-faceted music which we love. The arrival of Mike Park in the line-up, succeeding John Bruce (guitarist, writer and founder-member), while not radically changing the traditional hard-hitting band sound, has in fact refined it to standard endorsed by our loyal audience in Europe. These four Scottish gigs supplied the vital enthusiasm and feedback for an album of this style. The sounds themselves range through the Texas swing of "Riding In My Cadillac", brand new items such as "You Got Me Spinnin'" and "Serenade For A Wealthy Widow". The bluesy "Drugstore Woman", Tim's tribute to Sonny Boy and our own "Blue Because Of You", reflect our own approach to these classic styles. So much more here. An R&B workout of "Bag Full Of Boogie", country blues in "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl", a Chicago "Slim's Chance" and the Memphis style "Down In Dallas". So sit back, pour yourself a large one, turn the sound up and enjoy it". © Lou Martin - January 1994

SHORT BIO

BLUES ‘N’ TROUBLE is a five-piece Scottish act formed in the early 80‘s by Tim Elliott & John Bruce. Constant personnel changes were to eventually lead to a permanent line-up, which encouraged the band to turn professional & saw the release of their debut album in 1985. During the next ten years Blues ‘n’ Trouble toured & guested with many blues greats including B.B. King, Robert Cray, Pinetop Perkins, Charlie Musselwhite, Buddy Guy & Junior Wells. Blues ‘n’ Trouble supported the likes of B.B. King and Robert Cray on their live dates in London. Live, Blues ‘n’ Trouble were a hot and tight blues act that enjoyed a cult status. They recorded with “sixth Stone” Ian Stewart, enjoying indie chart success and also with Lazy Lester for which a W.C. Handy award was won! Blues ‘n’ Trouble have released 10 albums, not including re-issues & compilations. “Honey Pot” is a storming ragtime original (and tribute to oral sex) that became a live favorite, not just with BN’T but also with other bands who used to cover it. “Sloppy Drunk” and “Beautiful City” are harmonica and foot stomping classics in the style of Sonny Boy Williamson, whilst “Tearstains On My Pillow” and “Double Trouble” are beautiful searing guitar workouts. Others such as “Madison Blues”, “Cadillac” and “Let it Rock” are upbeat rock n’ roll numbers led by the dynamic “telecaster” Dave on rhythm guitar. Also of note is the honky-tonk piano on a number of the “No Minor Keys” numbers, by none other than Ian Stewart, long time pianist to the Rolling Stones. Ian Stewart recorded here for the last time before his untimely death in 1986. Their third album, “Hat Trick”, recorded by vintage blues producer Mike Vernon re-launched his “Blue Horizon” label. Chart success with “No Minor Keys” & “Hat Trick”, along with a British Blues Connection award for “Down to the Shuffle”, helped keep the band in high demand for many years, often playing around 250 shows a year all over the U.K., Scandinavia & Europe. They appeared at festivals throughout the world including the prestigious “Memphis Blues Festival”. The year 2000 saw the release of a brand new studio album “Blues Graffiti” featuring all new tracks from the line up of Timmy Boy Elliot on vocals & harp, Mike Park on guitars, Scotty Scott on bass & Lucky Lox Lovell on drums. The album reflects the band’s live-sound, no nonsense mix of hard hitting rockin’ Blues and Boogie. This double CD includes selected tracks from their 1987 “Hat Trick” album & the same year’s live album recorded in Germany, all re-mastered & some previously unreleased tracks from the band’s sold out “festival” shows in Edinburgh, again in 1987. The year 2000 also saw the return of founder member John Bruce to the band, and along with Tim, Scotty, Mike and Lox, the revitalized quintet look forward to continue success. The band’s 10th album, “Devil’s Tricks” is a new approach but the same old Blues ‘n’ Trouble. © 2011 Last.fm Ltd. All rights reserved http://www.last.fm/music/Blues+'n'+Trouble/+wiki/diff?&a=1&b=2

Doctor Feelgood

Doctor Feelgood - Live In London - 1990 - Grand/Sonet

Live in London was the first Dr. Feelgood album to be recorded following the departure of guitarist Gordon Russell -- although nobody knew that at the time. New member Steve Walwyn had played just a handful of shows with the band when they headlined London's Town and Country Club, a sold-out show that was being filmed for a television special; it was only when the group listened to the tapes after the show that they decided there could be no better way of introducing the new recruit to the record-buying public. The set was classic late-'80s Feelgoods, ranging across the band's entire career and drawing the wildest crowd-pleasers from every era. Even among the old-old-timers, who in the audience could resist powerhouse renditions of "Milk and Alcohol," "Down at the Doctors," and "Route 66," pumped out with the Maxim gun intensity that had always been the Doctor's calling card? "Baby Jane" is a savage surprise, taking a song that had grown somewhat tired and disheveled and giving it an absolute facelift; "She Does It Right" sounds dirtier than it has since Wilco's day. And one track from the misguided Classic album, the apt "Quit While You're Behind," proves that, whatever else was wrong with the record, it wasn't the material. Live in London is not a new Stupidity -- time, place, and flavor have all changed irrevocably since the days when this material wasn't simply exciting, it was fresh as well. But anybody ever sitting down to chart the Feelgoods' musical course by live recordings alone would be hard-pressed to find even the hint of a decline. The Doctor is always on duty. © Dave Thompson, All Music Guide © 2010 Answers Corporation http://www.answers.com/topic/live-in-london-rock-album-6

Recorded live at the Town & Country Club, London on June 21,1989, this is a great album of straight up, no messin' Rock'N'Roll/Blues/R&B from a band who played for the pure love of music. The music is in the same style of most Dr. Feelgood albums, using the band's winning formula in their approach to good old fashioned Rock'N'Roll. "Live In London" doesn't deviate from the norm. The late Lee Brilleaux sings and plays harmonica on the album. Great stuff from one of the world's greatest ever "pub rock" bands, and VHR by A.O.O.F.C. The band's "A Case Of The Shakes" is @ DRFG/ACOTS Their "Finely Tuned" album is @ DRFG/FT and their "Primo" album can be found @ DRFG/PRIMO Listen to Dr.F's great "Stupidity" album.

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

A1 King For A Day - Lee Brilleaux, John Mayo, John B. Sparks, Larry Wallis, John Martin 2:12
A2 You Upset Me - B.B. King 4:16
A3 As Long As The Price Is Right - Larry Wallis 3:45
A4 Mad Man Blues - John Lee Hooker 2:45
A5 She Does It Right - Wilko Johnson 2:53
A6 Baby Jane - Alan Wilson 2:44
A7 Quit While You're Behind - Will Birch 4:18

B1 Back In The Night - Wilko Johnson 3:40
B2 Milk & Alcohol - Nick Lowe, John Mayo 2:41
B3 See You Later Alligator - Robert Guidry 3:11
B4 Down At The Doctors - Mickey Jupp 3:31
B5 Route 66 - Bobby Troup 3.32
B6 Going Back Home - Wilko Johnson, Mick Green 3:06
B7 Bony Maroine/Tequila - Larry Williams 4:42 [N.B: If you are having problems unzipping this track, check comments for link]
BAND

Steve Walwyn - Guitar
Phil Mitchell - Bass
Kevin Morris - Drums
Lee Brilleaux RIP - Vocals, Harmonica

BIO

Dr. Feelgood was the ultimate working band. From their formation in 1971 to lead vocalist Lee Brilleaux's untimely death in 1994, the band never left the road, playing hundreds of gigs every year. Throughout their entire career, Dr. Feelgood never left simple, hard-driving rock & roll behind, and their devotion to the blues and R&B earned them a devoted fan base. That following first emerged in the mid-'70s, when Dr. Feelgood became the leader of the second wave of pub-rockers. Unlike Brinsley Schwarz, the laidback leaders of the pub-rock scene, Dr. Feelgood was devoted to edgy, Stonesy rock & roll, and their sweaty live shows -- powered by Brilleaux's intense singing and guitarist Wilko Johnson's muscular leads -- became legendary. While the group's stripped-down, energetic sound paved the way for English punk rock in the late '70s, their back-to-basics style was overshadowed by the dominance of punk and new wave, and the group had retreated to cult status by the early '80s. Brilleaux (vocals, harmonica), Johnson (guitar) and John B. Sparks (bass) had all played in several blues-based bar bands around Canvey Island, England before forming Dr. Feelgood in 1971. Taking their name from a Johnny Kidd & the Pirates song, the group was dedicated to playing old-fashioned R&B and rock & roll, including both covers and originals by Johnson. John Martin (drums), a former member of Finian's Rainbow, was added to the lineup, and the group began playing the pub-rock circuit. By the end of 1973, Dr. Feelgood's dynamic live act had made them the most popular group on the pub-rock circuit, and several labels were interested in signing them. They settled for United Artists, and they released their debut album, Down by the Jetty, in 1974. According to legend, Down By the Jetty was recorded in mono and consisted almost entirely of first takes. While it was in fact recorded in stereo, the rumor added significantly to Dr. Feelgood's purist image, and the album became a cult hit. The following year, the group released Malpractice -- also their first U.S. release -- which climbed into the U.K. Top 20 on the strength of the band's live performances and positive reviews. In 1976, the band released the live album Stupidity, which became a smash hit in Britain, topping the album charts. Despite its thriving British success, Dr. Feelgood was unable to find an audience in the States. One other American album, Sneakin' Suspicion, followed in 1977 before the band gave up on the States; they never released another record in the U.S. Sneakin' Suspicion didn't replicate the success of Stupidity, partially because of its slick production, but mainly because the flourishing punk rock movement overshadowed Dr. Feelgood's edgy roots-rock. Wilko Johnson left the band at the end of 1977 to form the Solid Senders; he later joined Ian Dury's Blockheads. Henry McCullough played on Feelgood's '77 tour before John "Gypie" Mayo became the group's full-time lead guitarist. Nick Lowe produced 1978's Be Seeing You, Mayo's full-length debut with Dr. Feelgood. The album generated the 1979 Top Ten hit "Milk and Alcohol," as well as the Top 40 hit "As Long As The Price Is Right." Two albums, As It Happens and Let It Roll, followed in 1979, and Mayo left the band in 1980. He was replaced by Johnny Guitar in 1980, who debuted on A Case of the Shakes, which was also produced by Nick Lowe. During their first decade together, Dr. Feelgood never left the road, which was part of the reason founding members John Martin and John Sparks left the band in 1982. Lee Brilleaux replaced them with Buzz Barwell and Pat McMullen, and continued touring. Throughout the '80s, Brilleaux continued to lead various incarnations of Dr. Feelgood, settling on the rhythm section of bassist Phil Mitchell and drummer Kevin Morris in the mid-'80s. The band occasionally made records -- including Brilleaux, one of the last albums on Stiff Records, in 1976 -- but concentrated primarily on live performances. Dr. Feelgood continued to perform to large audiences into the early '90s, when Brilleaux was struck by cancer. He died in April of 1994, three months after he recorded the band's final album, Down at the Doctor's. The remaining members of Dr. Feelgood hired vocalist Pete Gage and continued to tour under the band's name. Former Feelgoods Gypie Mayo, John Sparks and John Martin formed the Practice in the mid-'80s, and they occasionally performed under the name Dr. Feelgood's Practice. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Beverly "Guitar" Watkins

Beverly "Guitar" Watkins - Back in Business - 1999 - Music Maker

Beverly "Guitar" Watkins, best known for performing with Piano Red in his outfit Doctor Feelgood and the Interns during the early '60s, returns to active recording with Back in Business, a collection of tracks that finds her comfortably covering electric blues, R&B, and old-fashioned rock & roll. Subtle gospel and jazz shadings appear from time to time, but Watkins generally concentrates on rocking the house, revisiting Piano Red-era classics (including "Right String but the Wrong Yo-Yo"), and introducing some eminently likable new compositions. All in all, a successful return. © Steve Huey © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:0xfrxqwkld0e

Beverly "Guitar" Watkins describes her style as "real Lightnin' Hopkins lowdown blues... I would call that hard classic blues, hard stompin' blues, you know... railroad smokin' blues!" (quoted from Wikipedia.org). "Back in Business" is a 12-track showcase of Watkins' adept blend of roadhouse blues, rockabilly, and boogie, and earned her a W. C. Handy Award nomination in 2000. Check out her "Don't Mess with Miss Watkins" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Miz Dr. Feelgood - Watkins 4:21
2 I'm Gonna Rock Some More - Biggs/Thomas 2:55
3 Tell Me Daddy - Ross/Vernon/Watkins 3:46
4 My Baby Left Town - Watkins 3:22
5 The Right String But the Wrong Yo-Yo - Finnell 2:30
6 Impeach Me Baby - Brown 4:09
7 Red Mama Blues - Vernon/Watkins 6:31
8 You Make Me Feel So Good - Ross/Vernon/Watkins 3:51
9 Too Many Times - Vernon 3:37
10 Blue in the Night - Leyland/Vernon/Watkins 4:13
11 What About Me - Vernon/Wingfield 3:36
12 Back in Business - Vernon/Watkins 4:49

MUSICIANS

Beverly "Guitar" Watkins - guitar, vocals
Danny "Mudcat" Dudeck - guitar [1,2,3,8,11,12]
Sammy Blue - guitar [6,7,12]
Doug Jones - guitar [9]
Albert White - guitar [5,6,10,12], vocals [2,10]
Curtis Smith - guitar [5,12], vocals [2,6,7]
John Schwenke - bass
Carl Sonny Layland - piano
Ardie Dean - drums
Jason Reichert - drums [1,4]
Chris Uhler - percussion [1,4]
Mike Vernon - tambourine [6,10,11], shaker [6]
Eddie Boyd - tenor sax [2,3,8,11,12]
Sam Anderson - tenor sax [8]

BIO (WIKIPEDIA)

Beverly "Guitar" Watkins (born c. 1940, Atlanta, Georgia) is an American is an American black female blues guitarist. Sandra Pointer-Jones writes, "Beverly Watkins is a pyrotechnic guitar maven whose searing, ballistic attacks on the guitar have become allegorical tales within the blues community."George Varga, reviewing her debut CD, observed that Watkins “sings and plays with enough poise and verve to make musicians half her age or younger consider alternative means of employment.” When Watkins was approximately 12, her family moved to Commerce, Georgia. She began playing music as a schoolchild, and then in high school played bass for a band called Billy West Stone and the Down Beats. In approximately 1959, her junior year of high school, she was introduced to Piano Red, who had a daily radio show on WAOK, and she subsequently joined Piano Red and the Meter-tones, who played in a number of towns in the Atlanta area, and then Atlanta clubs such as the Magnolia Ballroom and the Casino, before starting to tour throughout the southeast, primarily at colleges. About the time the group renamed itself Piano Red and the Houserockers, they started touring nationally. The group had two successful singles: "Dr. Feelgood" and "Right String But The Wrong Yo-Yo". After recording "Dr. Feelgood" the group was known variously as Piano Red & The Interns, Dr. Feelgood & The Interns, and Dr. Feelgood, The Interns, and The Nurse. The group also included Roy Lee Johnson (composer of "Mr. Moonlight", later recorded by The Beatles). After the breakup of the band in approximately 1965, Watkins played with Eddie Tigner and the Ink Spots, Joseph Smith and the Fendales, and then with Leroy Redding and the Houserockers until the late 1980s. Subsequently she has been based in Atlanta, a well-known fixture at the Underground Atlanta. Watkins, who not only had a long and continuous musical career, but worked with artists like James Brown, B.B. King and Ray Charles, was well-known for years within the blues community. However, like many roots musicians both black and white, she found it difficult to crack the airwaves, and achieved renown late in her career, after the advent of the Internet made it possible for musicians not backed by major labels to be heard by a wider audience. She was re-discovered by Music Maker Relief Foundation founder Tim Duffy, who started booking her in package shows, and in 1998, with Koko Taylor and Rory Block, was part of the all-star Women of the Blues “Hot Mamas” tour. Her 1999 CD debut, Back in Business, earned a W. C. Handy Award nomination in 2000. Watkins was playing internationally (e.g., the Main Stage at the Ottawa Blues Fest in 2004) as well as in her hometown Atlanta until temporarily sidelined by surgery in 2005, but is recovered and taking bookings. She performed a set at the 2008 Cognac Blue Festival.

MORE

Georgia-based guitarist, singer, and songwriter Beverly "Guitar" Watkins is one part soul singer, one part rockin' roadhouse mama, and one part gifted songwriter. She's also been chronically under-recorded for a woman with her résumé: she spent the early '60s playing rhythm guitar with Piano Red & the Interns. She recorded with Piano Red from 1959 until the mid-'60s, and can be heard on his popular singles "Doctor Feelgood" and "Right String But the Wrong Yo Yo." Watkins learned guitar and got her earliest musical sensibilities from several of her aunts, who had a quartet named the Hayes Family. She also had a banjo playing grandfather, Luke Hayes. On holidays and at family get-togethers, these musicians would assemble and the blues and gospel were passed on in a true folk process to the young Watkins. Her earliest influences included Rosetta Tharpe, Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, and Memphis Minnie, and she was exposed to the music because of her grandmother, who would play their recordings on the family Gramophone. She began playing guitar as an eight-year-old, learning by listening to the records her mother would play for her. Later, she was exposed to the records of touring bands, including Louis Jordan's and Count Basie's. She began to model her playing after Charlie Byrd and Basie's rhythm guitarist, Freddie Green. Throughout high school, she participated in a variety of talent shows and played trumpet in the school band. Her high school band master helped broaden her knowledge of jazz and blues guitar, and piano. After a succession of bands in high school, she settled in with playing with Piano Red, who later changed their name and found their widest appeal, as Piano Red & the Houserockers, which led to bookings outside Atlanta and northern Florida in cities like Chicago, Detroit, and Washington, D.C. In 1965, the band broke up, but not before going through several more name changes. Watkins then hooked up with Eddie Tigner and the Ink Spots and toured extensively with that group, playing for nearly a year with him before he was felled by a stroke. Watkins came off the road and took a break from the brutal touring she had done for much of the '60s. She worked a procession of day jobs as a domestic and in car washes before joining Leroy Redding & the Houserockers. Watkins worked on and off with Redding until the late '80s before striking out on her own and creating a residency for herself at Underground Atlanta, an Atlanta nightclub, often accompanied by a drummer and her son on bass. Here she developed her singing and harmonica-playing skills. Back in Business, her solo debut album, was released in 2001 as part of the Music Maker Series distributed by Sire Records Group/ Warner Bros. The album showcases Watkins' flexibility and prowess in a wide range of styles: roadhouse blues, jazz-inflected blues, and rockabilly-blues. Now in her sixties, Watkins continues to perform in Atlanta-area blues clubs and at major festivals around the U.S.. She put in a particularly compelling, energetic performance at the 2000 Chicago Blues Festival. © Richard Skelly © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:hvfyxqegldhe~T1

Pete York

Pete York - Superblues - 1994 - Koch

"Superblues" was recorded live on tour at the Zelt Music Festival in Freiburg, Germany on June 19th 1991. It contains a cover of John Lee Hooker's "Dimples" which was the first single released by The Spencer Davis Group in 1964, and a great cover of Ashton, Gardner and Dyke's brilliant 1971 hit, "Resurrection Shuffle". "Lover Man" was a 1941 hit especially composed for Billie Holiday. Musicians include Tony Ashton on vocals and keyboards, Chris Farlowe on vocals, and Miller Anderson and Spencer Davis on guitar and vocals. The album covers many different music styles, including jazz, rock, R&B, and soul. A great album and HR by A.O.O.F.C. Check out Pete York's "Wireless" album, "Hardin & New York", and "The Best Of The Spencer Davis Group"

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

"High Heel Sneakers" (Higginbottam)
"Flip, Flop And Fly" (Calhoun/Turner)
"Parchman Farm" (Mose Allison)
"Lover Man" (Davis/Ramirez/Sherman)
"Dimples" (Hooker/Bracken)
"Born Again"/"Get Back" (Davis/Dean + Lennon/McCartney)
"Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City" (Price/Walsh)
"Never Too Old To Rock" (Jupp/East)
"Resurrection Shuffle" (Ashton)
"Out Of Time" (Jagger/Richards)
"Johnny B. Goode" (Chuck Berry)

MUSICIANS

Miller Anderson, Spencer Davis (g, voc)
Gary Twigg, Harvey Weston (b)
Wolfgang Dahlheimer (keyb)
Eddie Hardin, Tony Ashton (keyb, voc)
Pete York (dr, lead vocals on "Flip, Flop And Fly")
Dick Morrissey (sax)
Roy Williams (tromb)
Chris Farlowe (voc)
Bea Gebauer (lead vocals on "Lover Man")

BIO

PETE was born in Middlesbrough, England on 15th August 1942. The Second World War was raging but he had nothing to do with it. 1950 - He began to play on a toy drum and his mother's cooking pots while listening to American jazz on the radio; probably his first exposure to drum legend, Gene Krupa. Pete played drums throughout his school years and joined the Trent College Jazz Club, School Orchestra and Army Cadet Force Band. On leaving school in 1960 he had acquired some rudimentary technique on the drums and his enthusiasm was growing fast for a life in music. He went to Birmingham and soon got involved in the music scene there, playing everything from Dixieland to modern jazz. In 1962 came his first TV appearance with an award-winning new jazz group. Pete had also begun to play blues and R & B with Spencer Davis, Steve and Muff. Eventually the Spencer Davis Group would record in 1964. The record releases that followed resulted in critical acclaim in many countries and ever-increasing chart success. "Keep On Running" reached Number One in 1965 to be followed in the next year by "Somebody Help Me", "When I Come Home", Gimme Some Lovin'" and "I'm A Man". Pete appeared with the SDG in several films, countless TV shows around the world and is heard on all the million selling singles and albums. But there always comes that time to move on and Steve and Muff had already left. In 1969 Pete left Spencer on friendly terms to form a unique duo with Eddie Hardin. Hardin & York were sometimes dubbed "the World's Smallest Big Band" and released several albums with great success, especially in Europe. The duo often played as opening act for bands like Deep Purple and it is from this time that Pete's friendship with Jon Lord and Ian Paice stems. The 70´s - By 1972 Pete York's Percussion Band had hit the road. It featured a brass section and three drummers as well as guitarist/singer Miller Anderson. Occasional guest drummers in this adventure were Ian Paice, Keef Hartley, Roy Dyke and Keith Moon. Klaus Doldinger was a much acclaimed saxophonist bandleader from Germany and in 1973 he put together a package including his own Passport group plus guests, Alexis Korner, Brian Auger, Johnny Griffin and Pete York. It was a mixture of stylists and it worked beautifully. The next year came a call from Jon Lord for Pete to play with "Rock Meets Classic" an experimental mix of rock group and orchestra which Jon had pioneered with Deep Purple a couple of years earlier. This year of 1974 also included a revival of the Spencer Davis Group for American and European tours. Six weeks in Bali with Eberhard Schoener and a German film crew resulted in the album and TV special "Bali Agung" in 1975. In the same year Klaus Doldinger invited Pete to tour again with Johnny Griffin, Les McCann and Buddy Guy. The recording of Jon Lord's "Sarabande" also took place during this year. In 1976 Pete could not resist Chris Barber's invitation to play "Echoes of Ellington" with his band and Russell Procope and Wild Bill Davis from the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Pete stayed happily with the band to tour Africa and Australia and accompany exciting guests. In spite of playing more than 250 shows a year Pete took time to marry Mecky on 16 June 1977 and their village wedding was a star-studded event with everyone from the Purples to the Barbers showing up. Trummy Young from the Louis Armstrong All Stars and John Lewis from the Modern Jazz Quartet joined the Barber Band for "Swing Is Here" in 1978. The 80´s - The formation of Pete York's New York took Pete away on tour a lot . Daughter Stephanie was born on 3 May 1979. The responsibility of keeping a regular band on the road as Chris Barber had always done was not easy but Pete kept it going until 1983 and produced several recordings of their jazz-rock music. There were many other sideman gigs for Pete, such as with Dr John and Charlie Watts Rocket 88. The Rock and Blues Circus made its first tours with Chris Farlowe, Jon Lord and Colin Hodgkinson and there were Direct to Disc albums produced. In 1984 Pete moved to Germany with Mecky and Stephanie and a new phase of life began for them. Pete decided to invite some of his old colleagues to tour under the motto "Pete York Presents...." Spencer, Chris Farlowe and Brian Auger all came on the road with Pete and frequent rhythm partner Colin Hodgkinson. A chance meeting with TV director Michael Maschke led to discussions about various TV projects and the idea for " Superdrumming" was born. Brian, Colin and Pete continued touring and made TV shows which included their comic lunacy as well as some great music. In 1986 a cartoon film scripted by Pete and called "Dracula Junior" was completed involving their music and voice talents. By now the group had been christened "Daddy and the Steamers" by Stephanie. Pete had long wanted to play some straight swinging jazz with some of his old friends and the opportunity came in 1987. The TV series "Villa Fantastica" was written by Pete and directed by Michael Maschke. Every show featured a live number played by a swinging quintet, Roy Williams, Dick Morrissey, Brian Auger, Harvey Weston and Pete. Pete was writing and performing in the series "Vorhang Auf" and the first series of "Superdrumming" featuring Ian Paice, Louie Bellson, Cozy Powell, Gerry Brown and Simon Phillips was filmed in a church during a snowy February. The next year, 1988, the production of the second series of "Superdrumming" featured Billy Cobham, Bill Bruford, Dave Mattacks, Zak Starkey, Nicko McBrain, Jon Lord and Eddie Hardin. In 1989 there were tours with Chris Farlowe, Zoot Money, Tony Ashton, Jon Lord, Miller Anderson, Colin Hodgkinson and Pete in an All Star group. The "Superdrumming" TV show won a Silver Award in America and a third series was planned. By now the location was a disused steelworks and the guests included Jon Hiseman, Steve Ferrone, Mark Brzezicki, Trilok Gurtu and the return of Ian Paice. The band on this series featured Miller, Colin, Brian, Jon and Barbara Thompson. There were also more TV tapings of "Villa Fantastica" with the Swing band plus singers Maria Muldaur and Zoot Money. The success of live gigs with the Swingers encouraged Pete to take a jazz group on the road. The 90´s - "Superdrumming" was now well-known in Germany and in 1990 an invitation came to present it live in Freiburg. The drummers were Ian Paice, Jon Hiseman, Cozy Powell and Pete together with the All Star band. The show was sold out in a couple of hours. Daddy and the Steamers continued to tour and Pete played in a duo with Brian Auger. January of 1991 saw the first extended jazz tour "Hollywood Swing" featuring the musicians from "Villa Fantastica" and the tours would go out every January for the next ten years. The Freiburg Festival invited Pete to organise a week of events involving around forty of his musical friends. There were concerts of "Superblues", "Wind In The Willows", "Lady Sings The Blues" and "Hollywood Swing" which featured many of the stars from Pete's life in music. Pete's Fiftieth Birthday was celebrated with a big open-air bash in Switzerland in August 1992. Musicians from all Pete's bands and projects came together to play for a crowd of 8000. On a TV Award show Pete's Sixties All Stars with Jon Lord, Spencer Davis, Eddie Hardin and Paul Jones had the celebrity audience dancing in the aisles with a medley of their hits. The revival of interest in Sixties music led to more offers for the Spencer Davis Group and they played to 10,000 people at a festival in Scotland and 15,000 in Amsterdam. The old hits like "Gimme Some Lovin" were being used in Hollywood movies. In August Pete took a five piece band into Europe's biggest Variety theatre in Berlin for a three month run. There were more jazz gigs, more Spencer Davis gigs in 1994 but the highspots were concerts with Jon Lord and Orchestra. By the following year this project was known as Jon Lord and the Gemini Band. 1995 was the debut year of the Pete York Big Band playing a programme of swing classics. All the old Spencer Davis Group recordings were now available in a CD box set and, during a sell-out week in Birmingham, Steve and Muff Winwood both came along to hear the band. The Birmingham International Jazz Festival invited Pete to play for a week and at the same time rehearse and premiere the Tribute to Gene Krupa "Drummin' Man" which Pete had devised. The swing band was now called the Blue Jive Five and the first CD "Listen here" was released. "Drummin' Man" was booked onto jazz festivals from Finland to Cork. Pete performed with the Big Band and the Steamers under the sponsorship of a cooking pot company who constructed a drum set made of kitchen equipment. It was back to his beginnings on Mum's pans and created great public interest. Amongst the many projects Pete had been involved in the Krupa Tribute was dear to his heart and in 1998 he was invited on a similar show for the Hundredth Birthday of George Gershwin. But this time with a string orchestra and he had to play drums and percussion on "Rhapsody in Blue" as well as playing and singing the Gershwin standards. The Centenary year of Duke Ellington was 1999 and this was irresistible to Pete. Once again the strings swung with the jazz combo as Pete sang some of his favourite items of Ellingtonia. As in any other year there were tours with the perennial colleagues but new friends were made such as the original Duke Ellington bass player, Jimmy Woode. He would join the Pete York All Star Jazz Band for concerts in 2000 to honour the Centenary of jazz great, Louis Armstrong. Today - Pete's old friendship with Eddie Hardin continued and, when Eddie announced himself ready to return to the road after many years running his own studio in the South of France, a revival of Hardin and York pleased the many fans. In early 2001 it was possible to tour England with "Drummin' Man" featuring the cream of the British jazz scene. Another happy re-union with Jon Lord in Zermatt resulted in them performing Jon's chamber music for an international symposium of Nobel prize winners. And the SDG made its annual trip around Europe with Eddie Hardin back on the organ. A major tour of the UK was a highlight of early 2002 with the SDG headlining for the Troggs and the Yardbirds in a package presentation such as they had not appeared on since the Sixties. 53 days on the road performing 46 shows in 43 cities and towns. The last night was at the Royal Albert Hall and the SDG segment of the show was released on DVD. Hardin & Yorks "Wind In The Willows" and "Pete York's Super Drumming", both filmed some years before, also appeared on DVD. These releases were a satisfying way for Pete to celebrate his 60th birthday in this year, as well his 25th wedding anniversary with Mecky. In September Pete staged a sell-out concert with an all-star cast in Starnberg playing swing and R&B. A trio with Helge Schneider and Jimmy Woode had already proved a success and Helge produced a film "Jazz Club" in which the trio played a central part. This would arrive in German cinemas in 2004. © 2007 www.drumsoloartist.com http://www.drumsoloartist.com/Site/Drummers3/Pete_York.html

Mary Ann Redmond

Mary Ann Redmond - Live aka "Live At Blues Alley" - 1997 - Spellbound

Singer/songwriter Mary Ann Redmond was described as "an exciting vocal talent" in a Billboard magazine article that also said that "Redmond is wowing club audiences as a completely formed stylist, who sings heartfelt ballads and funky tunes with equal ease and enthusiasm in an alto voice that soars effortlessly to soprano range." Dave Nuttycombe of the Washington City Paper said ”If Aretha is the Queen of Soul, Redmond must be considered an official Lady in Waiting.” Mike Ryan, of the Boston Herald said “Virginia's Mary Ann Redmond falls somewhere between Dusty Springfield and Aretha Franklin. Yes, her voice is that good.” Taped at Blues Alley in Georgetown, Washington DC, this is a great album of rock, jazz, blues and R&B. There are 12 wonderful tracks of both covers and originals. This lady has an outstanding voice, and should be heard by all lovers of good rock, jazz, blues and R&B. Live aka "Live At Blues Alley" is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Mary Ann founded an independent music company, Spellbound Music, to handle both her albums and her original songs. All of her material except "Here I Am" has been released on the Spellbound label. Buy her "Here I Am" album, and keep the blues alive!

TRACKS

1. Whispering Your Name
2. Too Many Cooks
3. Crossroads
4. Georgia (Intro)
5. Georgia
6. Yellow Moon
7. Footprints on the Ceiling
8. Tell Me What It Feels Like
9. I Can't Stand the Rain
10. Over the Hills and Far Away
11. (He'll Call) Right About Now
12. Many Rivers to Cross

MUSICIANS

Mary Ann Redmond - vocals, guitar
Mike Ault - guitar
Steve Taylor - bass
Benjie Porecki - Keyboards
Deren Blessman - Drums

BIO (WIKIPEDIA)

Mary Ann Redmond (born 1959) is an American singer known for her soulful and wide-ranging vocal style in popular and jazz music. She is based in the greater metropolitan Washington, D.C. area, but has performed in several locations in the United States and in other countries. Both her live performances and her four CDs to date have earned her acclaim from audiences and recognition from the music industry, although she has never achieved national fame on a par with many of the performers she has worked with, such as Mary Chapin Carpenter. She is primarily a regional artist and has won 16 Washington Area Music Awards (Wammies). Redmond was born in Richmond, Virginia, the youngest of three children. As a child she attended St. Elizabeth's Parochial School, where at the age of 6 she performed the song "Dominique," made famous by The Singing Nun. Later, she joined up with her brothers in a band singing pop tunes. Redmond eventually attended Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) where she studied opera and voice while playing gigs at nights with the Jack Diamond band. As her career progressed, Redmond left VCU to sing with a series of bands and casino lounge acts during the 1980s. In addition to pop music, she performed jazz and blues tunes as well, developing a broad repertoire. In the mid 1990s, Redmond began singing with a band led by saxophone artist Al Williams. Tired of the road life, she settled in the Washington, DC area and with the Williams band recorded her first album, Prisoner of the Heart, first released in 1994 (a remixed version was re-released in 2002). It was around this time that the major recording company Motown signed Mary Ann Redmond to a development deal. However, before she had the opportunity to record or release any product, a change in personnel at the label resulted in her being dropped from Motown. Rather than seek another major label, Redmond founded an independent music company, Spellbound Music, to handle both her albums and her original songs. With the exception of her third album Here I Am, all of Redmond's material has been released on the Spellbound label. In 1995, Mary Ann Redmond formed her own supporting band and went out as a solo act, performing at Washington-area clubs and private parties. One of her first major shows was at the famed jazz club Blues Alley. This performance was recorded and released as Mary Ann's second CD, Live At Blues Alley. Redmond became increasingly well known, earning awards and positive reviews in major trade publications such as Billboard. Other artists began to seek her out, and she occasional worked with other performers in duos for specific shows. One of her friends was another upcoming artist of the period, Eva Cassidy. Redmond and Cassidy had different vocal styles but they performed together one night at "Fleetwoods," and when Cassidy was stricken with cancer, Redmond sang at a Georgetown benefit to raise funds for her. Following Cassidy's death in 1996, Redmond added her vocals to a version of Cassidy's song, "Hear," creating a recorded duet that is now considered a special track by fans of both women. After meeting fellow performer Jon Carroll, a member of Mary Chapin Carpenter's band, Carroll produced Redmond's 2000 CD, Here I Am. The album includes a song written by Mary Chapin Carpenter for Redmond, "Alone but Not Lonely." Another band member, John Jennings, later produced Redmond's 2005 release Send the Moon. Redmond also joined the others to perform during a USO show for the U.S. Armed Forces in Bosnia in 1999. The lineup of the Mary Ann Redmond Band is subject to change over the years and as of 2007 she is working with guitarist Dan Hovey (and sometimes Michael Ault), bassist Anthony Setola and drummer Derren Blessman. The Mary Ann Redmond Band performs every Sunday night (well almost every Sunday night) at Flanagan's Harp & Fiddle in Bethesda, Maryland. Since 1992, Mary Ann has won 16 Wammies (Washington Area Music Awards) with the latest award presented to her for the year 2007.

MORE

Had singer Mary Ann Redmond started recording in the ‘60s or ‘70s instead of the ‘90s, it's quite possible that she would have gone down in history as one of the major soul stars of the Baby Boomer era. A gritty, rugged, big-voiced belter whose primary influences range from Ike & Tina Turner to Etta James and Aretha Franklin, Redmond would have been perfect for the gospel-influenced soul climate of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Perhaps she could appeal to the urban contemporary market of the 21st century if she had more of a hip-hop-ish neo-soul approach à la Mary J. Blige, Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott, or Jaguar Wright, but Redmond's R&B is untouched by the high-tech, hip-hop-influenced urban contemporary sounds of the ‘80s, ‘90s, and 2000s — she is, for the most part, a gutsy, hard-edged soul singer in the classic sense (although with a definite rock edge most of the time), and Redmond's fans love the fact that she is unapologetically retro in her outlook. Some have described Redmond as a blues singer, which often happens when artists favor classic soul over urban contemporary; these days, the blues bins are full of CDs that are really more soul than blues. But even though Redmond can easily handle 12-bar blues (as well as rock and jazz), soul is really her main focus, at least on her CDs. Born and raised in Richmond, VA, Redmond grew up listening to a variety of R&B, rock, and pop. Redmond's interest in music was encouraged by her mother (who sang, although not professionally) and her two brothers (one of whom taught her to play the guitar). As a teenager, she learned to play "House of the Rising Sun" on the guitar, but singing — not guitar playing — would become Redmond's primary focus. After graduating from high school, Redmond majored in voice at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and studied operatic classical singing. But at night, she performed in various rock and jazz bands on and around the VCU campus. Although the faculty at VCU felt that Redmond had great potential as a classical singer, she decided that a classical career wasn't for her and opted to concentrate on rock, R&B, and jazz instead. After moving to the Washington, DC area in the early ‘90s, Redmond was hired as a featured vocalist for the soul/funk-oriented band that saxman/flutist Al Williams led in DC and its suburbs. Eventually, the singer left Williams' employ and formed her own band, which performed a combination of covers and Redmond originals. As a solo artist, Redmond developed a small but enthusiastic following in the Washington DC area, and along the way, she won quite a few Wammie awards. Held by the Washington Area Music Association (WAMA), the Wammies are the local DC equivalent of the Grammies, and in the ‘90s and early 2000s, Redmond won a total of 14 Wammies (including awards for "Best Rock-Pop Vocalist," "Best Female Jazz Singer," "Best Roots Rock/Traditional R&B Vocalist," "Best Urban Contemporary Vocalist," and "Best Female Blues Vocalist"). Locally, Redmond created enough of a buzz to open for major soul veterans when they passed through DC, including the O'Jays, the Pointer Sisters, Smokey Robinson, Ashford & Simpson, and the Neville Brothers. Also in the DC area, one of Redmond's strongest supporters has been singer/songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter, who invited Redmond to go on tour with her in 1999 as a background vocalist. Another DC resident who was an enthusiastic Redmond supporter was her friend Eva Cassidy, an eclectic, hard-to-categorize singer who was only 33 when she died of cancer in 1996. Redmond's solo albums have included, Prisoner of the Heart, 1997's Live!, and 2000's Here I Am, all of which she released on her own Spellbound label. In 2002, Prisoner of the Heart was re-released by the independent Q&W Music Group. © Alex Henderson © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:axfpxqqkldse~T1

Lloyd Jones

Lloyd Jones - Trouble Monkey - 1995 - Audioquest Records

This monkey means trouble! Bluesman Lloyd Jones and his excellent 9-piece band record a set of (mostly) Jones originals live to analog two-track in the studio. The result is super crisp, funky rhythm-and-blues with a horn section so tight it hurts. Terry Evans and Ray Williams finish it all off with superb backing vocals. If I were Delbert McClinton, I'd give Jones a call and tell him to back off if he knows what's good for him. © Jason Staczek, © 1996 Peppercorn Press. All rights reserved

Lively and danceable R&B, in the vein of James Brown. Jones' and his musicians, especially the horn section, would be ideal as a house band for a late-night talk show host. Exceptions are "Long, Long Way to Go," a solo acoustic giving a back porch feeling, and a slow sobber, "I Broke My Baby's Heart." The ending tune, Sleepy John Estes' "Drop Down Mama," is a treat with Jones on guitar accompanied by drummer Reinhardt Melz. © Char Ham, allmusic.com

In the early 70's, Seattle born Lloyd Jones was the leader of Portland's great Brown Sugar blues band, for about six years. The band toured with greats like Charlie Musselwhite, George "Harmonica" Smith, the Johnny Otis Show, Big Mama Thornton and Big Walter Horton. Lloyd learnt to hone his guitar skills from some of these artists, and later on performed with Albert Collins, Robert Gray, Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, B.B. King, Dr. John, John Hammond, Etta James, Junior Wells and Buddy Guy. In the 80's Jones played with Curtis Salgado, the ex-Robert Cray singer/harp player in a band called In Yo' Face. Curtis encouraged Lloyd's guitar playing, and by 1985, Lloyd was confident enough to display his guitar skills in a wider capacity. He was already a competent drummer, and acoustic guitarist, familiar with the folk songs of players like Charlie Musselwhite, but he had yet to become the great lead guitarist he is today. Lloyd released a few albums in the late eighties, and early nineties, some to critical acclaim. However, "Trouble Monkey" released in 1995, was Lloyd's most admired album to date. Blues Revue named it, "not only one of the best albums of 1995, it is one of the best albums of the 1990's,". Robert Cray called it "the best damn record I've heard in a long time!" Vintage Guitar Magazine said, "Jones offers vocals that would make Sam and Dave smile and guitar work Steve Cropper would be proud of" and referred to his affecting vocals as "gritty as a dirt road and smooth as melting butter." Lloyd Jones is a great songwriter, and the album is full of jazzy, funky, "New Orleans" style "swamp" blues, and R&B, all played with great skill and panache by Lloyd and his brilliant back up band. Lloyd Jones' guitar work is terrific, and the man also can sing with real Soul. The horn section, in particular adds real "punch" to this album. "Trouble Monkey" is a great album. Not quite "big band" music, and definitely not orthodox or traditonal "blues" music, but well worth your while listening to it. It's a very enjoyable album to get you movin' ! Buy Lloyd Jones' outstanding "Struggle" album for more of the same

TRACKS

Can't Get You Off of My Mind
Broke My Baby's Heart
Trouble Monkey
Old Friends - Larry Pindar
I'll Be Laughing (When He Makes You Cry)
Bust up a Love, (Just About to)
Don't Call Me Today
No More Crying
Long, Long Way to Go
Rosemary - Fats Domino
When I Get Back Home
Drop Down Mama - Sleepy John Estes

All songs written by Lloyd Jones except where stated

MUSICIANS

Lloyd Jones (vocals, guitar)
Victor Little (bass)
Glenn Holstrom (keyboards)
Reinhardt Melz (drums)
Bobby Torres (percussion)
Warren Rand (alto saxophone)
Bob "Housewine" Roden (tenor saxophone)
Rudy Draco (tenor & baritone saxophones)
Steve Cannon (trumpet)



BIO

For more than 30 years now, Lloyd Jones has consistently been among the top names on the Portland music scene. Raised in a musical family, it was almost as if the life he leads was destined to be. This is an artist who has taken what was placed before him in life and made the most of it, much to the delight of long-time fans locally and to those who are beginning to awaken to his musical talents globally. Lloyd grew up in Portland in a household surrounded by music. It was just something he believed every child experienced. You played baseball and you played music. It wasn't until he was older that he discovered this was not the case. His older brothers were working musicians and often they would take Lloyd with them to their gigs. By the time he was six, they had already begun teaching him how to play the drums, and at the age of 12, they were also giving him the chance to sit in on some of their shows. But besides taking him along to their own performances, they also took him to see the national artists who came through Portland, too. This was something that played a major role in the development of Lloyd's own personal sound in the years to come. By 1968, he had already witnessed shows by renowned bluesmen such as Buddy Guy at the Crystal Ballroom and Muddy Waters at Lewis & Clark College. Yet it was the appearance of Soul master James Brown in 1964 at the Portland Armory that left the greatest impression in his young mind. James Brown in 1964 was at the peak of his powers. In the eyes of a 14 year-old, he was accomplishing inhuman feats onstage, such as standing on one leg and sliding across the floor. And, he was also overwhelmed by the fact that Brown had two drummers and played the instrument himself during the show. Plus the dimensions of a new musical sound the band was playing: Funk. Another aspect of this James Brown appearance which caught his eye was the family atmosphere that encompassed it. Along with his brother and the person who purchased the tickets for them, they were the only three white members in the audience. Lloyd was not aware of racism at the time and when he went to the show he looked around and noticed that the police were black, the promoter, the audience, and found himself thinking, "Now where are all these people every day that they're not in my life?" He was seeing how whole families were turning out for a show, dancing and just letting their emotions flow. It was fun and it hit him that it was okay to turn yourself loose like that. As a teenager, Lloyd also took an interest in the guitar. Folk Blues was another focus on his upbringing and he found that he was able to play the songs he liked without the need to have a large band. A local acoustic guitarist taught him the basics of guitar, along with songs by Jimmy Reed. The songs, especially their lyrics and groove, were his motivation to learn and still are today. He caught a performance by Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee in San Francisco in 1970 that pressed this home to him. Their one-on-one interaction with the audience spoke to him and he found it relaxing, giving him the desire to learn the tunes once he returned home. In the late 1960s, his brother was drumming in a band called Moxy that also included guitarist Jim Mesi and bass player Al Kuzens. When his brother was going into the service, he decided to turn his position over to Lloyd. They soon recruited the talents of harmonica player and vocalist Rick Aldrich. Aldrich was the natural leader for the band and he had a specific direction that he was aiming for and would keep the band on track. He also decided to rename the group Brown Sugar. But, after six months, Aldrich decided that he had enough of trying to work in the rough business of playing music and left it altogether. And Lloyd found himself the group's new leader. Brown Sugar enlisted the services of a keyboard player and they developed a boogie-woogie feel. But the keyboardist soon left the band too and they worked as a trio for awhile. After another six months, Jim Mesi felt they needed at least one more instrument to really make the group come together. Lloyd had recently seen a 17 year-old kid named Paul deLay playing harmonica at a jam who had a killer tone and could solo endlessly. The addition of deLay to Brown Sugar brought an instant intensity and the quartet would get together and play for hours on end. All day and all night, 20 hours at a time. "You'd just say, 'Go!' and you'd keep going until somebody would say, 'Stop!,'" Lloyd recalls. "When you're that age you just go nuts. We were full of energy and nothing else was on our mind but playing." That intensity paid off for the band and they found steady work in the local club scene, often playing with some of the well-known national performers as they came through town. During this period, it was the norm for traveling musicians to be booked in a club for a week at a time. And in many instances, they could not afford to stay in hotels and were put up by different people in the city. One such time found Big Walter Horton and S.P. Leary staying at Lloyd's home, giving him the chance to interact with the elder bluesmen. Horton and Leary were approaching the end of their lives and the two loved the idea of the younger white performers being influenced by their music and caring so much about it. They also saw the talent within Brown Sugar and offered the band encouraging words, "We're really glad you're into this. You've got to keep it alive. Give credit to those who did it before and don't let it die." There are many fond memories Lloyd recalls of those encounters with the touring bluesmen. Many offered not only favorable words, but people like Charlie Musselwhite also taught the younger players about the history of the music and its different forms. And, they learned about work ethic, too, from powerful onstage performances from the likes of George "Harmonica" Smith and Albert Collins. "It's a tough business," Lloyd offers. "Whenever it gets really tough, I think, 'Well, what would B.B. King do?' He'd roll up his sleeves and play another hour. Those guys were so strong, they could outwork anybody today." Brown Sugar lasted for six years and held the Portland Blues scene captivated in the 1970s. So much that they're still fondly remembered today, nearly 30 years after they went their separate ways. But, it isn't easy trying to be the leader of a band, no matter how successful. And, after six years, Lloyd wasn't having as much fun anymore in the position and decided it was best to disband the group while they were all still friends. Lloyd decided that he wanted to just sit back and play the drums again, without all the troubles of being the leader. He joined a Top 40 band named Slice of Life, led by guitarist Todd Carver. Slice of Life was a band filled with good players, made decent money and had gigs scheduled almost every night of the week. It was an appealing situation and kept Lloyd busy. But after a short time, he was invited to go on the road with The Drifters. The band traveled into Canada, and it didn't take Lloyd long to see that everything about the tour was disjointed and out of control. It became apparent that the only way he was going to regain any control of his career was to step back into a leadership role. Toward the end of Brown Sugar's existence, Lloyd had taken on the role of the band's second guitarist. He recalled the Folk Blues that had relaxed him when he was younger and also the great traditional songs he'd been introduced to by Charlie Musselwhite. So he decided that he would just play drums for money and would play guitar for himself. He took on a steady gig on Tuesday nights at Key Largo, playing guitar in a trio. He had no intentions for a direction or momentum with these performances, it was simply a hobby to amuse himself. One Tuesday night, Robert Cray Band vocalist and harp player Curtis Salgado walked into Key Largo during Lloyd's gig. He explained how he and Robert would often see Brown Sugar perform and he remembered how much he had enjoyed Lloyd's work. Salgado also stated that he had left the Cray Band and thought that the two of them should play together. The idea of working as partners was appealing; Lloyd would not have to carry the load on his own. Lloyd received the chance to take on a New Year's Eve gig, so he decided to take Curtis up on his offer. He called him and told him about the gig and asked if he could put together a band. Salgado brought up a couple of friends from Eugene and without any rehearsal, they went into the performance blind. In order to garner a larger crowd for the night, the venue's manager had set up for the show's first set to be simulcast over the radio. They didn't have the heart to inform the promoter that they'd never played together before. To open, Salgado called out a B.B. King shuffle, looked at Lloyd and said, "Take it." Lloyd just started grooving to the song and Curtis glanced over and grinned, "Yeah, that's what I'm talking about." Next Lloyd called out a Jimmy Reed number and Curtis dug in, working his harmonica at the high end. Every song that they would call out seemed as if they were reading each other's minds. "It was like a bucket of goose bumps and always has been playing with Curtis. It was much more of a team than I'd ever experienced. You'd start playing stuff that you never heard come out of you before, because you're setting up the other guy." The pair decided to make this a regular partnership and called themselves In Yo' Face. Everybody in the band was set in the same direction and owned similar record collections. It was simply for enjoyment. During its six-year run, the band never made any recordings for themselves in an effort to promote or sell the band. Yet they worked all the time. "It was as fun as a band should be," remarks Lloyd. "I have no idea why, other than it was the right time and place for that thing to happen." Then one Sunday night while performing a show at Cisco & Poncho's, Curtis told the band he had received a phone call, "Oh, by the way, I got this call to sing with Roomful of Blues and I fly out Tuesday." "Do you mean you're going to play a weekend with them or something?" No, he had joined the band and was gone as of Tuesday. In Yo' Face no longer existed. During the last six months of In Yo' Face, Lloyd had also started working in a solo grouping on Monday nights at the Dandelion, performing material that was more on the funkier side. As a drummer, he felt that Blues music could do a lot more rhythmically. He saw the type of music that was taking place in New Orleans and the influence of its sound that wasn't happening in Portland. He felt that the stories, the simplicity and the depth; the whole combination of ingredients, was something that nobody else was doing. Again, he recalled the musicians who had inspired him in the early years of his career. People like Albert Collins, Albert King and B.B. King, who had created their own style and were easily identified as soon as they would start to play. This was an important piece of the puzzle for Lloyd. He wanted his own sound, something that would distinguish himself from anybody else. So, with that in mind, he took on a new funkier Blues rhythm pattern and told himself, "It's me. If it works, then I work out okay. You have to bring your own thing to the table, come what may." And, thus he put together The Struggle, once again taking on the frightening position of bandleader. With a sound that nobody was familiar with. But The Struggle has endured. Seventeen years later, Lloyd has released five albums and received glowing reviews from critics, fans and fellow musicians alike. His songwriting has also grown through the years, with people like Joe Louis Walker, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, and most recently, Coco Montoya covering his material. "Having people like Joe Louis do that is about the nicest thing anybody can do," says Lloyd. "And, players that you respect saying kind words about you and supporting you means a lot. Robert Cray and Bonnie Raitt have said and done such ridiculously nice things for me. That's what I think in the light of reality keeps you going." Over the years, Lloyd Jones has definitely made his mark on Portland and the Northwest Blues communities. He has received multiple awards for his efforts, including an unprecedented 23 Muddy Awards from the Cascade Blues Association. Lloyd's last two recordings, 1995's "Trouble Monkey", on Audioquest and 1999's "Love Gotcha!" on Blind Pig, have opened the path for higher profile exposure and he now finds himself being asked to participate in Blues festivals around the world. He has made appearances in Australia and most recently at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and the Western Maryland Blues Festival. The success of these albums has also allowed him to be a participant the past four years on Delbert McClinton's yearly musical cruises in the Caribbean, where he has been able to interact with some of the nation's best songwriters and to develop friendships with musicians like McClinton and Marcia Ball. But of all the festivals he has performed at, Portland's own Waterfront Blues Festival holds a special place in his heart. The fact that it takes place in his hometown is a partial reason, but the cause for which it takes place, The Oregon Food Bank's quest to feed the hungry, means so much. "It is such a unique thing," Lloyd states. "It's inexpensive enough for everybody to come to and it provides a service for the community. I'd like to see more festivals provide for fund-raising for education and that kind of thing. I've gone to festivals that I've heard about for years and thought were big deals. But, once I've gotten there, I find myself thinking, 'Well, the Waterfront's 10 times this.' It's a rare and wonderful thing." Since its inception as the Rose City Blues Festival in 1987, Lloyd has appeared at the Waterfront Blues Festival every year but one, due to a tour that found him out of town. This summer will find him at the Waterfront once again, as well as many other locations throughout the country. The future for Lloyd Jones is shining brightly. Burnside Records recently re-released the "Small Potatoes" album, giving many people from outside of the Pacific Northwest the chance to hear his earlier material for the first time and it has enjoyed glowing reviews. There will also be a new release eventually coming from Blind Pig and he intends to continue to expand on his sound. Lloyd finds himself intrigued as of late by up-and-coming performers such as pianist Jon Cleary, Delta-based rhythms from Corey Harris, and acoustic guitarist Jon Fohl (former member of Oregon's Cherry Poppin' Daddies, now laying down the Blues in New Orleans). "There's a lot of good stuff out there," he says. "I'm open to all those new ideas and I love the traditional stuff, too. I think they can work together well. And, that's what I look for. Somebody that's saying something and putting all the ingredients together in a new way." This can easily be used as the definition of Lloyd Jones' career. He has consistently brought a uniqueness of his own to the sound of the Blues. © 2002 Cascade Blues Association