Brian Stoltz

Brian Stoltz - East of Rampart Street - 2002 - Long Overdue Recordings

Brian Stoltz has more to offer than just the funk. East Of Rampart Street succeeds because of Stoltz’s versatility as a songwriter.” - Jason Songe, Where Y’at Magazine, New Orleans, LA

East Of Rampart Street is a fundamentally funky CD with smart, catchy songs that will last, a groovy disc that will sound good today, tomorrow and ten years from now.” - H. Andrew Schwartz, Offbeat Magazine, New Orleans, La

Brian Stoltz is known to many of his fans around the world as the "New Orleans' premiere King of Funk Guitar". For ten years, Brian toured and recorded with the renowned "First Family of Funk," the Neville Brothers. He has a unique raw, blistering, funky signature guitar style. As well as being an in demand session guitarist famous for his awesome virtuosity and unmistakable sound, His skill as a songwriter has caught the attention of people like film director John Sayles, blues artist Coco Montoya, and zydeco artist Zachary Richard. His performances have been featured on recordings by artists as diverse as Bob Dylan, Edie Brickell, Linda Ronstadt, and Dr. John, to name a few. “East of Rampart Street” is a great album of funky, New Orleans style soul & R&B and HR by A.O.O.F.C. All his solo albums are worth a listen. Try and check out Brian's "Up All Night Live" album, and read a great interview with him @ www.jambands.com/features/2003/04/26/brian-stoltz-digs-in-east-of-rampart-street [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 145 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Jungle Funk 00:41
2 Hoodoo Thing 3:45
3 Seven Desires 5:43
4 Down 4:30
5 Funky Forever 4:09
6 I Been Up All Night 4:34
7 Norma's House 4:37
8 My Debbie Lou 3:42
9 This Old World 5:49
10 Fearless 5:56
11 Tangled, Twisted and Tossed 4:08
12 Our Own Tears 6:16
13 Take Your Heart Away 7:17

All tracks composed by Brian Stoltz except Tracks 3 & 10 by B. Stoltz, G.Nicholson, W.Wilson

MUSICIANS

Brian Stoltz – Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Moog Bass, Drum Loops, Sequencing, Hand Drums, Tambourine, Vocals
Ian Neville – Guitar
Dave Easley – Pedal Steel
Peter V, Dennis Cedeno, George Porter Jr. – Bass
John Gros – Hammond Organ, Wurlitzer Piano
Ivan Neville – Hammond Organ, Clavinet
Mark Dillon – Hammond Organ
George Cureau - Piano
Eddie Perret, Doug Belote – Drums
Art Neville, Irene Sage – Vocals

BIO

Brian Stoltz has toured and recorded with Rock ‘n Roll Royalty and has performed on a string of recordings – playing, producing or writing for various artists. Basing his art on street virtuosity, raw emotion and a stinging signature style, he is becoming known as New Orleans’ premiere guitarist and songwriter extraordinaire. While touring, writing and recording throughout the 80′s with the world-renowned Neville Brothers Band and for fourteen years with The funky Meters, Brian has created unique, original bodies of work. In addition to being in demand as a phenomenal guitarist, his skill as a songwriter has caught the attention of artists like Aaron Neville, The Neville Brothers, Coco Montoya, The Wild Magnolias, Zydeco artist Zachary Richard and writer/film director’s John Sayles and Alex Lemay. Never satisfied with the stereotype of a funk guitarist, and being a chameleon by nature, Brian’s unmistakable sound has been featured on recordings by artists as diverse as Dylan, Edie Brickell, Linda Ronstadt, the Neville Brothers, Dr. John, The funky Meters and Aaron Neville. His panoramic career also includes the release of four solo albums including Up All Night/Live (2007), God, Guns & Money (2005) and East Of Rampart Street (2003) and the now out-of-print Starving Buddha (1999). His television appearances include The Tonight Show (with Jay Leno & Johnny Carson), Saturday Night Live, Late Night with David Letterman, Austin City Limits, Cinemax and Showtime specials, and concerts with the Grateful Dead. Ever socially conscious, Brian toured, along with the Neville Brothers, U2, Peter Gabriel, the Police and Lou Reed as the torch bearers of the first Amnesty International Tour in 1986 to raise consciousness of the fate of political prisoners around the world. Stoltz has received awards from CMJ (College Music Journal) and the New Music Corporation for Lifetime Achievement. His co-written Healing Chant, performed by the Neville Brothers, won a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental in 1991. Brian was nominated for a 2004 Grammy in the Best Traditional Blues category for his solo rendition of You Gotta Move on Telarc Records’ Preachin’ The Blues: The Music Of Mississippi Fred McDowell. He has performed in numerous music videos and his songs and performances have found their way to film soundtracks such as John Sayles’ City of Hope, Alex Lemay’s Desert Bayou, nominated for the 2008 Image Award (theatrical and television) and the film, The Mighty Quinn. © 2013 Brian Stoltz http://brianstoltz.com/biography/

Steve Winwood

Steve Winwood - Nine Lives - 2008 - Columbia

Steve Winwood's Nine Lives marks a more organic return to recording. This will be good news for those who live for any resurrection of rock heroes from days of yore, and bad for those who loved his hit singles in the 1980s and '90s. Seven of these nine cuts resemble (at least partially) those found on his last album, the brilliant About Time issued in 2003. The latter was a barnstormer of a rhythm and rock album (feels like Traffic meets Santana) that never got its proper due. Winwood produced this set for his debut on Columbia. He plays loads of Hammond B-3 and guitar, but also has a small core band that includes Jose Pires de Almeida on guitar, drummer Richard Bailey, Karl Van Den Bossche on percussion, and Paul Booth on reeds and woodwinds. Those seeking an album that resembles the surprise radio hit "Dirty City" (featuring Eric Clapton as a guest) aren't quite getting that. For the most part, Nine Lives begins as an introspective and reflective album that eventually cooks its way through restrained but inventive Afro-Latin grooves, bluesy, funky B-3, and acoustic and electric rock guitars. Just as often, however, that same blend of rhythmic invention graces lithe, deeply reflective tunes that address some very adult issues: separation, loss, reunion, spiritual redemption, and epiphany. The opening cut is the stripped-to-the-bone acoustic blues "I'm Not Drowning" with Winwood playing all the instruments. It's a gentle but effective blues moaner. Its 12-bar structure, hosts a memorable acoustic guitar lick that's ready-made for sampling. It's followed by "Fly," a nearly eight-minute tome that wouldn't have been out of place on Arc of a Diver if it'd had an unplugged element. Think of Robbie Robertson's solo material, or even the Blue Nile's sparse elegance on its debut album, and you can find a place for this gorgeous midtempo ballad with a sweet soprano saxophone line that leads into the melody. Winwood's voice is so rich here, it's capable of breaking your heart with its unsullied, beaten, and broken but unbowed spirit. The lyrics are almost holy in their expression of hope (more so than optimism) -- a hope that leads to a love that cannot be defeated. The album's single, "Dirty City," offers Clapton's most emotionally involved guitar playing in well over a decade; too bad he didn't play like this for the slumber-worthy Cream reunion. His sense of economy makes possible his actual feel for the guitar entering into the tune, and he basically makes it happen. But he has some real help from Van Den Bossche's djembes and congas, and a five-note, two-chord organ vamp from Winwood. When Mr. Slowhand takes his solo about six minutes in, its nasty sting is startling and raises the tension and release of the song as it eventually goes to fade about two minute later (it also makes the listener wonder where the hell he's been all these years and why his own records don't reflect this much invention and heat). The next track, the deeply spiritual "We're All Looking," is a funky, jazzed-up rocker with searching lyrics and a tremendously soulful presence in Winwood's voice; his singing is beautiful and powerful on Nine Lives -- time has not had its way with the thin yet authoritative and yearning luster in the grain of it. Winwood is singing his ass off, with plenty of deep soul. Here again it's important to note that Van Den Bossche's percussion in this ensemble, and on these songs in particular, cannot be overstated. It lends a certain flight-worthy expansiveness to Winwood's organ playing, and frees Bailey's drums to explore in many of these highly nuanced, nocturnal, funky cuts (check "Hungry Man," where the doubled-up polyrhythms between the two drummers create a vibe Winwood can dig deep into and then soar with, on both the Hammond and in his vocals). Those percussion elements are what make these often lyrically introspective tunes jump to life. Van Den Bossche is also one of the reasons that About Time was such a killer. Carlos Santana might gnash his teeth over not getting to play on this recording -- his influence is all over it. The flute break blended with bubbling congas, djembes, and funky guitars on "Secrets" will make it desirable to beat hunters everywhere. Think of Herbie Mann and Wes Montgomery with Mongo Santamaria playing on Traffic's Low Spark of High Heeled Boys album, and you get the picture. The final two tracks, and the other bookend, as it were, include one of the jauntiest, funkiest numbers on the set in "Sometimes We Do Forget," with a groove that is simply infectious with a bumping guitar and bassline. The closer, "Other Shore," is the only cut that recalls Winwood's early solo records, but it's sparse despite its beautiful, easy R&B lilt. Again, redemption for oneself, for others, for a love that has endured the goodbyes, and the letting go that ushers in a new "hello." This is pop music with soul, with grit and the grains of revealed truth pouring from Winwood's mouth, not as a survivor but as a man who has seen enough of life to know that the sun really does rise in the morning. Nine Lives is deeper, heartier, and braver lyrically than anything he's ever done. Musically, its only rival is About Time, but it's more reflective and gentler, without giving up any of the hunger which that album evidenced. This is not a comeback; it's instead a rediscovery from one of our most gifted singers, songwriters, and truth-tellers. © Thom Jurek © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/nine-lives-mw0000783315

Steve Winwood has been an excellent keyboardist, vocalist, band member and in-demand session musician for most of his career. Stevie recently guested with Steely Dan (Who?!) on some of their shows to great acclaim. It would be wrong to think of Steve Winwood as only being a big star in the blue-eyed soul-pop scene in the ‘80’s when he recorded a lot of stuff which was often slick, highly polished, using a viable winning commercial formula which was fine for AOR and mainstream radio and the commercial charts, but definitely did not appeal to many of his real fans, and certainly did not stretch Stevie’s great talents as a musician who had been an established and highly respected songwriter, musician and vocalist in the fields of jazz, psychedelia, blues-rock, and progressive rock in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s. That musical background has not always been evident on some of Stevie’s solo albums. “Nine Lives” was a return to form for the ex- member of many great bands including the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, and Blind Faith. The album is predominantly a R&B/soul album with some great gospel, funk and jazz influences. Steve's vocals are uninhibited and soulful, and his musicianship is wonderful. The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Stevie’s great “Back in the High Life” album, Traffic's "John Barleycorn Must Die" album, and Blind Faith's s/t album...Real music [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 152 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 I'm Not Drowning (Steve Winwood, Peter Godwin) 3:32
2 Fly (Winwood, Godwin, José Pires de Almeida Neto) 7:49
3 Raging Sea (Winwood, Godwin, Neto) 6:17
4 Dirty City (Winwood, Godwin) 7:44
5 We're All Looking (Winwood, Godwin) 5:25
6 Hungry Man (Winwood, Godwin, Neto) 7:07
7 Secrets (Winwood, Godwin, Neto) 6:41
8 At Times We Do Forget (Winwood, Godwin, Neto) 5:57
9 Other Shore (Winwood, Godwin, Neto) 6:41

MUSICIANS

Steve Winwood - Guitar, Hammond Organ, Organ, Vocals
José Pires de Almeida Neto - Guitar on Tracks 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9
Tim Cansfield - Guitar on Track 6
Eric Clapton - Guitar Solo on Track 4
Richard Bailey - Drums
Karl Van Den Bossche - Percussion
Paul Booth - Saxophone, Flute, Human Whistle

BIO

As a solo artist, Steve Winwood is primarily associated with the highly polished blue-eyed soul-pop that made him a star in the '80s. Yet his turn as a slick, upscale mainstay of adult contemporary radio was simply the latest phase of a long and varied career, one that's seen the former teenage R&B shouter move through jazz, psychedelia, blues-rock, and progressive rock. Possessed of a powerful, utterly distinctive voice, Winwood was also an excellent keyboardist who remained an in-demand session musician for most of his career, even while busy with high-profile projects. That background wasn't necessarily apparent on his solo records, which established a viable commercial formula that was tremendously effective as long as it was executed with commitment. Stephen Lawrence Winwood was born May 12, 1948, in the Handsworth area of Birmingham, England. First interested in swing and Dixieland jazz, he began playing drums, guitar, and piano as a child, and first performed with his father and older brother Muff in the Ron Atkinson Band at the age of eight. During the early '60s, Muff led a locally popular group called the Muff Woody Jazz Band, and allowed young Steve to join; eventually they began to add R&B numbers to their repertoire, and in 1963 the brothers chose to pursue that music full-time, joining guitarist Spencer Davis to form the Spencer Davis Group. Although he was only 15, Steve's vocals were astoundingly soulful and mature, and his skills at the piano were also advanced beyond his years. Within a year, he'd played with numerous American blues legends both in concert and in the studio; in 1965, he also recorded the solo single "Incense" as the Anglos, crediting himself as Stevie Anglo. Meanwhile, the Spencer Davis Group released a handful of classic R&B-styled singles, including "Keep on Running," "I'm a Man," and the monumental "Gimme Some Lovin'," which stood with any of the gritty hardcore soul music coming out of the American South. Winwood eventually tired of the tight pop-single format; by the mid-'60s, the cutting edge of rock & roll often involved stretching out instrumentally, and with his roots in jazz, Winwood wanted the same opportunity. Accordingly, he left the Spencer Davis Group in 1967 to form Traffic with guitarist Dave Mason, horn player Chris Wood, and drummer Jim Capaldi, all of whom had played on "Gimme Some Lovin'." The quartet retired to a small cottage in the Berkshire countryside, where they could work out their sound -- a unique blend of R&B, Beatlesque pop, psychedelia, jazz, and British folk -- and jam long into the night without angering neighbors. Traffic debuted in the U.K. with the single "Paper Sun" in May 1967, and soon issued their debut album Mr. Fantasy (retitled Heaven Is in Your Mind in the U.S.); it was followed by the jazzy psychedelic classic Traffic in 1968. However, conflicts had arisen between Winwood and Mason over the latter's tightly constructed folk-pop songs, which didn't fit into Winwood's expansive, jam-oriented conception of the band. Mason left, returned, and was fired again, and Winwood broke up the band at the beginning of 1969. Even so, by that time, he had become the unofficial in-house keyboardist for Traffic's label Island, playing at numerous recording sessions. Winwood subsequently hooked up with old friend Eric Clapton, who'd recently parted ways with Cream. The two began jamming and found that they enjoyed working together, and rumors of their collaboration spread like wildfire; the enormous anticipation only grew when ex-Cream drummer Ginger Baker signed on, despite Clapton's misgivings over the expectations that would create. Concert promoters rushed to book the band before any material had been completed (hence the band's eventual name, Blind Faith), and offered too much money for them to refuse, despite their lack of rehearsal time. Their self-titled debut, released in the summer of 1969, was a hit, but the extreme pressure on the group led to their breakup even before the end of the year. Winwood joined Baker in a large, eclectic new supergroup called Ginger Baker's Air Force, but Winwood still had contract obligations to Island, and he left not long after Air Force's debut performance at the Royal Albert Hall in early 1970. Winwood began work on what was slated to be his first solo LP, but he gradually brought in more ex-Traffic members to help him out, to the point where the album simply became a band reunion. John Barleycorn Must Die was released later in 1970, showcasing the sort of jam-happy jazz-rock sound that Winwood had in mind for the group from the start. Several more albums in that vein followed, including 1971's The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys, which brought Traffic to the peak of their commercial popularity in America. The run was briefly interrupted by Winwood's bout with peritonitis around 1972, but he'd recovered enough to play a major role in Eric Clapton's early-1973 comeback concerts at the Rainbow Theatre. Traffic broke up in 1974, but instead of going solo right away, an exhausted Winwood spent the next few years as a session musician, relaxing on his Gloucestershire farm during his spare time. He also featured prominently as a collaborator with Japanese percussionist Stomu Yamash'ta, appearing on his hit jazz fusion LP, Go, in 1976. When Winwood finally returned with his self-titled solo debut in 1977, Britain was in the midst of the punk revolution, and the music itself was somewhat disappointing even to Winwood himself. Dismayed, he returned to Gloucestershire and all but disappeared from music. He returned in late 1980 with the little-heralded Arc of a Diver, a much stronger effort on which he played every instrument himself. Modernizing Winwood's sound with more synthesizers and electronic percussion, Arc of a Diver was a platinum-selling hit in the U.S., helped by the hit single "While You See a Chance"; it received highly positive reviews as well, most hailing the freshness of Winwood's newly contemporary sound. The extremely similar 1982 follow-up Talking Back to the Night sounded rushed to some reviewers, and it wasn't nearly as big a hit, with none of its singles reaching the Top 40. Unhappy with the record, Winwood even considered retiring to become a producer (though his brother talked him out of it). Taking more time to craft his next album, Winwood didn't return until 1986, with an album of slickly crafted, sophisticated pop called Back in the High Life, which was his first '80s album to feature outside session musicians. It was a smash hit, selling over three-million copies and producing Winwood's first number one single in "Higher Love," which also won a Grammy for Record of the Year. In 1987, Virgin offered Winwood a substantial sum of money and successfully pried him away from Island; a remixed version of Talking Back to the Night's "Valerie," featured on the Island-greatest-hits compilation Chronicles, became a Top Ten hit later that year. Winwood's hot streak continued with his first album for Virgin, 1988's Roll With It. The title track became his second number one and his biggest hit ever, and the album topped the charts as well; plus, the smoky ballad "Don't You Know What the Night Can Do?" was featured in a prominent TV ad campaign. Winwood had by now established a large, mostly adult fan base, but that support began to slip with his next album, 1990's Refugees of the Heart. Refugees repeated the slick blue-eyed soul updates of its predecessor, but according to most reviewers it simply wasn't performed with the same passion, save for the lead single "One and Only Man," a collaboration with Traffic mate Jim Capaldi. Afterward, Winwood continued his pattern of following disappointments with periods of inactivity; he next resurfaced in 1994 as part of a Traffic reunion with Capaldi. Together they released the new album, Far From Home, and toured the world. Winwood subsequently returned to his solo career and spent two years working on Junction Seven, which finally appeared in 1997 and was co-produced by Narada Michael Walden. However, his momentum had stalled, and the album -- which received mixed reviews -- failed to sell well. The following year, Winwood toured with his new project Latin Crossings, a jazz group that also featured Tito Puente and Arturo Sandoval (though they never recorded). He subsequently parted ways with Virgin. The brilliant About Time appeared in 2003, followed in 2008 by Nine Lives. © Steve Huey © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/steve-winwood-mn0000045313

Barry Goldberg

Barry Goldberg - Barry Goldberg's Soul Riot! - 2009 - Meroke Sky

Out in L.A., the Meroke Sky label has been releasing a bunch of interesting releases and high on the list is the 2009 CD from R&B / pop great Barry Goldberg entitled Barry Goldberg’s Soul Riot! More a music fest than a soul riot, the emphasis is on pop R&B stylings but a few tracks stand out as future classics including a classic pop-rock barnstormer called “Cold Blank Stare” that is quite reminiscent of Goldberg’s work on Gerry Goffin’s great mid ‘90s comeback. Produced by Mike Giangreco, the Soul Riot! CD features Goldberg’s keyboards backed up by contributions from a wide range of players including guitarists Jack Sherman and Greg Leisz along with drummer Gary Malabar, singer Melanie Herrold who comes across like a modern day Janis Joplin disciple. With the first six cuts recorded in the studio, the second side so to speak features tracks recorded at L.A.’s Cabana Club and I guess that’s where the riot part kicks in. Also live here is a new cover of “I’ve Got To Use My Imagination,” written by childhood hero Goffin and Goldberg way back when. With his past credits including work with Dylan, Hendrix, Janis, Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters and more, Goldberg continues to live up to his credo—born and raised in Chicago, born and raised to play the blues. www.MerokeSkyRecords.com © 1999 - 2010 MWE3.com, Inc. http://mwe3.com/archive/pastfeature/featureMusicRevWinter2010.htm
All Rights Reserved

Great album from the legendary Chicago R&B, pop, blues, soul and jazz keyboardist, Barry Goldberg and dedicated to Michael Bloomfield and Jerry Colonna. Producer Mike Giangreco said, "I have been a fan of Barry's for many years, and had the good fortune to start working with him and Mick Taylor in the early '90s. We have worked together on various projects since then, but actually started recording together when he came into the studio to do some tracks on Joe Hajek's album. The collaboration worked so well that, when the opportunity to record a live set presented itself, we jumped at it. The finished project is 'Barry Goldberg's Soul Riot!' The album took about eight months to complete, with both of our busy schedules, but the finished product - the live show [recorded at Hollywood's Cabana Club] along with some songs Barry had from previous sessions - was well worth the wait. The level of professionalism and craftsmanship Barry displayed while we worked on this showed me just what a master musician and songwriter he is. I am not only proud to be associated with him, but also anxious to start the next project!" Try and listen to the 1972 "Barry Goldberg & Friends" album [Tracks @ 315-320 Kbps: File size = 101 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Middle of the Night
2. Like a River
3. Cold Blank Stare
4. Soul Shine
5. Gone
6. Why Not Tonight
7. Buried Alive In the Blues
8. I've Got To Use My Imagination
9. Burning Fire
10. Breakaway
11. Higher
12. Nut Bush City Limits

MUSICIANS

Barry Goldberg - Keyboards
Jack Sherman, Greg Leisz, Dave Williams - Guitar
Gerald Johnson - Bass
Alex Del Zoppo - Synths
Gary Malabar - Drums
Melanie Herrold - Vocals

BIO (WIKI)

Barry Joseph Goldberg (born December 25, 1942, Chicago, Illinois) is a blues and rock keyboardist, songwriter and record producer. As a teenager in Chicago, Goldberg sat in with Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, and Howlin' Wolf. He played keyboards in the band supporting Bob Dylan during his 1965 'electrified' appearance at the Newport Folk Festival. He formed The Electric Flag with Mike Bloomfield in 1967, and later formed the Barry Goldberg Reunion in 1968. Goldberg's songs (some of which co-written with Gerry Goffin) have been recorded by many musicians including Rod Stewart, Gladys Knight, Percy Sledge, Joe Cocker, Steve Miller, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Gram Parsons and B. J. Thomas. Goldberg's first professional recording session was "Devil With The Blue Dress On" / "Good Golly Miss Molly" by Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels. Among the albums he contributed to are Leonard Cohen's Death of a Ladies' Man, The Ramones' End of the Century, Gram Parson's The Gilded Palace of Sin, and Super Session which featured Michael Bloomfield, Stephen Stills, and Al Kooper.Goldberg also has produced albums by Percy Sledge including Blue Night (Grammy nominated and WC Handy soul album of the year) as well as Shining Through the Rain, Charlie Musselwhite, James Cotton, The Textones plus Bob Dylan's version of Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready". 1992: He played keyboards with the Carla Olson & Mick Taylor band, which resulted in the live CD "Too Hot for Snakes" and also featured the players Ian McLagan, Jesse Sublett (who also wrote the lead track, "Who Put the Sting on the Honey Bee,"), George Callins, Rick Hemmert, Joe Sublett, and Juke Logan. 1994: Blue Night by Percy Sledge produced by Barry Goldberg & Saul Davis and featured Bobby Womack, Steve Cropper, Mick Taylor, Greg Leisz, Bob Glaub, Ed Greene, Mikael Rickfors, the Waters... and songs written by Rickfors, Gregg Sutton, Pat Robinson, Carla Olson, the Bee Gees, Quinton Claunch, Fats Domino, Ois Redding... 1999: He wrote and performed the theme to the Disney Channel original movie Smart House, entitled "The House is Jumpin'," with Phil Shenale and Sterling Smith, with vocals by Chan André. He wrote the song with Jill Wisoff and Joel Diamond. 2004: Shining Through The Rain by Percy also co-produced by Saul & Barry and featuring Larry Byrom, Denny Freeman, Clayton Ivey, Ed Greene, Phil Upchurch, Bob Glaub, the waters, Jakob Dylan... and songs by the Bee Gees, Mikael Rickfors, Carla Olson, Jackie Lomax, Earl Carson, Bobby Moore. In 2002, he was featured on the Bo Diddley tribute album Hey Bo Diddley - A Tribute!, playing piano on the songs "Pills", "I'm A Man" and "Before You Accuse Me". (produced by Carla Olson.) In 2005-6, he toured with the Chicago Blues Reunion featuring Nick Gravenites, Harvey Mandel, and Corky Siegel. Their debut CD reached #2 on the Billboard Blues Chart and received a four star review from Rolling Stone's David Fricke. On July 7, 2009 Goldberg's self-titled 1974 album was reissued with never before released tracks and a restored sound. The album was produced by Bob Dylan and Jerry Wexler! Barry is currently producing a documentary, "White, Black & Blues," detailing the rock-blues explosion of the 1960s. The film is set to be released in the spring of 2012. Goldberg's uncle was Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg.

Ben Blake

Ben Blake - Blues Deluxe - 2000 - BB Music

Ben Blake came to national attention at age 22 with the "Bosstown Sound" © band Phluph (Verve/M.G.M. Records) making Newsweek magazine in the psychedelic 1960's. He was a persistent figure on the Boston music scene through the mid-1970's, and then in Hollywood, California through he 1980's, returning the East Coast in the 1990's. Ben Blake/Guitarist says it all. Yes, he is a singer, songwriter, keyboardist, and producer - but primarily he is a guitarist. Ben Blake says, 'The guitar is the vessel into which I pour the waters of my soul," be if Blues, Rock, R&B, Soul, Jazz or Fusion. From Classical training in piano to over 40 years playing guitar, Ben Blake's roots are deep and his experience is wide-ranging. He has backed up The Coasters, The Drifters and Bobby Lewis - opened for Bo Didley and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band - and jammed with Lowell George (little Feat), Boz Scaggs, Bonnie Raiff, and Joe Sample, (The Crusaders), and sessioned for Ornette Coleman and Harry Neilsen. Ben Blake has worked clubs, colleges, and concerts for 35 years. A published (BMI) singer/songwriter since 1968, recognized by The American Songwriters Festival in the 1970's, today he administers BB Music with several hundred compositions of varied description in his catalogue. Soundtracked in Austria, on the radio in Germany, and reissued in Italy, BB Music has reached beyond these American shores. © http://benblakemusic.com/index.htm

Phluph were a psychedelic folk/pop rock band from Cambridge, Massachusetts who released one s/t album in 1968 on the jazz based label, Verve. Ben Blake (credited on the album as Benson Blake IV) penned six of the album's tracks and contributed guitar and vocals. 32 years later, Ben Blake released this album which was called ". . . cool . . . and classy" by Blues Revue Magazine 6/2000. "The album is an effort to build on tradition, but move the sound and form forward, and to reflect the breadth and depth of his blues influences". A very enjoyable and laid back album of all original soul blues, and R&B tracks with a jazz/funk influence. An overlooked album, with some great guitar from Ben. Listen to Ben's "In the Beginning" album, and Phluph's 1968 s/t album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 113 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Midnight (Part 2) 3:49
2 Prime Time Love 4:40
3 It Should Have Been Me 4:09
4 Confusion 3:39
5 New York Shuffle 3:49
6 Snow Blind 6:05
7 Tongue Tied 5:13
8 Ms. Strange 3:57
9 Bakersfield Blues 3:31
10 Late Night Lament 4:36
11 Rasta Pasta 3:40

All songs composed by Ben Blake

BAND

Ben Blake - Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals
Eric Winter - Bass
Papa John Molé - Drums

The J. Derrickson Project

The J. Derrickson Project - The Blues In Me - 2010 - The J Derrickson Project

Known for playing a broad mixture of styles during his live performances, James Derrickson (aka: The J. Derrickson Project) realized that he had a fast growing love for the Blues, in particular. While playing bass in a three piece Blues band for 3 years back around 2000, he took his first stab at composing Blues tunes, and quickly recognized that it came fairly easy for him. After releasing two R&B CD's in 2003 and 2007, James decided the time was right to fulfill a dream of composing and recording an all-original Blues album. A year-and-a-half making, “The Blues In Me" was recently released and has garnered tremendous critical acclaim and airplay. “The Blues In Me" is a collection of various bluesy feels that lyrically, cover an emotional range from happy, sad, sarcastic, and uplifting, to just plain old fun! The opening song. “That Ain't Enough" is a rhythm guitar-driven R&B/Blues groove, that at live shows, has instantly provoked head-bobbing from the first note. “Let Me Be" is the CD's “down and dirty “ blues track. It boasts an emotionally charged guitar, supported by a tasty piano and heavy bass line, featuring Allen Oliver on keys. The title tune “ Blues In Me" musically conjures thoughts of New Orleans and featured Lee Thornton and Rick Berandini on keys and harmonica, respectively. Lyrically, along with “A Little Time" , it goes to explain the emotions that James experiences when playing, as well as listening to the Blues. “Ain't That A Shame" and “After 'While" feature the unbelievably talented 19 year old saxophonist Jacob Veloo who, as a testament to his skills, is currently a student at Berklee College Of Music in Boston. “Cab, Bartender," jokingly hailed as his “public service song" originally appeared on James' first CD, “Strange Mood." It has been Derrickson's most popular song to play live. Thus, wanting to make it more bluesy, to improve the overall track, and to give it more exposure, James decided to re-record it for this project. Born in Danville, Illinois, Jim began playing music at the age of eight, playing violin in school and bass with neighborhood musician friends. After graduating high school, he would spend the next twelve years performing with numerous local cover bands, all over the central United States. But, needing to take another step forward, Jim decided to take some time off of the stage and concentrate on writing some of his own material. After moving to Salt Lake City in 1990, the urge to perform again was too strong. So he did some duo work, and joined a six piece dance band. But, not feeling totally satisfied, Jim decided solo would be the way to do all the things he wanted, musically. And with today's technology (drum machines, sequencers, etc.) he knew that he could cover most of the missing elements of a full band. The results; a sound that is enjoyable to listen to, very danceable, and appealing to those with a wide variety of musical taste. Don't forget to check www.jimmysongs.com for “The Blues In Me" fall/winter tour from the J. Derrickson Project. - FROM & © SOURCE: CREATIVITY IN MUSIC, Published: 2010-09-07 © 2011 All About Jazz and/or contributing writer/visual artist. All rights reserved http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=64692

"From east coast to west coast, and parts in between", this is a very good all original traditional style soul blues/R&B album from James Derrickson, and very enjoyable. An album full of class with musicianship of the highest standard, and HR by A.O.O.F.C. Buy The J. Derrickson Project's great "Strange Mood" album [All tracks @ 160 Kbps: File size = 68.6 Mb]

TRACKS

1. That Ain't Enough
2. Let Me Be
3. I Should've Known
4. The Blues In Me
5. Ain't That a Shame
6. You're Gonna Miss Me
7. These Times
8. A Little Time
9. Can't Let the Blues Get Me Down
10. After 'While
11. I've Got To Know
12. Chi-Town Blues
13. Cab, Bartender [Reprise]

All songs composed by James Derrickson

MUSICIANS

James Derrickson - Guitar, Bass, Drum Machines, Sequencer, Vocals
Allen Oliver - Keyboards on Tracks 2 & 6
Lee Thornton - Keyboards on Tracks 4 & 12
Roger Bird - Keyboards on Track 9
Jacob Veloo - Alto Saxophone on Tracks 5 & 10
Kristi Davis - Street Corner Cab Whistle on Track 13
Rick Berardini - Harmonica on Track 4

ABOUT JAMES DERRICKSON

James Derrickson [Vocals ~ Guitar ~ Bass] Born : Danville, Illinois: Current Home : Salt Lake City, Utah: Soul, blues, jazz, gospel, country, rock, classical: At some point within his 35 year musical career, Jim has touched on, and gained an appreciation for all of these different styles. And that tends to bring on one of his biggest compliments. Jim’s audiences always enjoy the fact that he is able to perform such a diverse song list, with an honest enjoyment for each and every song, no matter what the style. And, regardless of how many different types are played, his own added “personal touch” tends to bring a certain continuity to a song list of many different feelings. Born in Danville, Illinois, Jim began playing music at the age of eight, playing violin in school and bass with neighborhood musician friends. After graduating high school, he would spend the next twelve years performing with numerous local cover bands, all over the central United States. But, needing to take another step forward, Jim decided to take some time off of the stage and concentrate on writing some of his own material. After moving to Salt Lake City in 1990, the urge to perform again was too strong. So he did some duo work, and joined a six piece dance band. But, not feeling totally satisfied, Jim decided solo would be the way to do all the things he wanted, musically. And with today’s technology (drum machines, sequencers, etc.) he knew that he could cover most of the missing elements of a full band. The results; a sound that is enjoyable to listen to, very danceable, and appealing to those with a wide variety of musical taste. © http://www.jimmysongs.com/bio.html

Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse - I Told You I Was Trouble: Live In London - 2007 - Universal

Recorded live @ 02 Shepherds Bush Empire, London, England on May 28th, 2007. On March, 19th, 2007 not long before this concert, she gave a wonderful concert at The Roxy, on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and on Oct 15, 2007, at Tempodrom, Berlin, Germany, she also gave a great, no-holds-barred performance. Here, in London, she sang her usual eclectic mix of jazz, pop, funk and reggae, and when she got her wonderful bluesy soul jazz voice into gear, she sang like the star she really was. Amy was to sing better in later concerts. With her erratic and troubled personal problems, she never truly achieved her full potential. For most of Amy's short career, the media concentrated more on her erratic lifestyle than her music. "They tried to make me go to rehab I won't go go go, I'd rather be at home with Ray"- (Charles, that is)! Her "Frank" and "Back to Black" were good albums, and had she overcome her health and mental issues, she could have been one of the greats. Maybe, even another Elkie Brooks. Who knows? "There but for the grace of God go I". Condolences to everybody that loved her. RIP

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Intro/Addicted - Amy Winehouse
2 Just Friends - Amy Winehouse
3 Cherry - Amy Winehouse, Salaam Remi
4 Back to Black - Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson
5 Wake Up Alone - Amy Winehouse, Paul O'Duffy
6 Tears Dry on Their Own - Amy Winehouse, Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson
7 He Can Only Hold Her/Doo Wop (That Thing) - Amy Winehouse, Laurence Hill, Richard Poindexter, Robert Poindexter
8 F**k Me Pumps - Amy Winehouse, Salaam Remi
9 Some Unholy War - Amy Winehouse
10 Love Is a Losing Game - Amy Winehouse
11 Valerie - Boyan Chowdhury, Abi Harding, Dave McCabe, Sean Payne, Russell Pritchard
12 Hey Little Rich Girl - Rod Byers, Terry Hall
13 Rehab - Amy Winehouse
14 You Know I'm No Good - Amy Winehouse
15 Me & Mr. Jones - Amy Winehouse
16 Monkey Man - Toots Hibbert
17 Outro - Amy Winehouse

N.B: Track 7 is broken into two separate songs, "He Can Only Hold Her", and "Doo Wop (That Thing)" making an 18 track album. Sound @ 160 Kbps is fair - good. Read more about Amy @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Winehouse

MUSICIANS

Amy Winehouse - Vocals
Robin Banerjee - Guitar
Dale Davis - Bass
Xantone Blacq - Keyboards
James A. Hunt - Sax (Alto)
Frank Walden - Sax (Baritone)
Zalon & Ade - Vocals on "Hey Little Rich Girl"

India.Arie

India.Arie - Acoustic Soul [UK Bonus Tracks] - 2001 - Motown

As one of the most promising neo-soul artists yet to emerge in the past few years, India.Arie casts her lot with the best artists of her label's storied history, playing deeply introspective songs laced with glistening acoustic guitar, churchy organ, and smooth, supple beats. When she name-checks those artists no longer with us that she claims as influences (Ma Rainey, Miles Davis, Karen Carpenter, Charley Patton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Donny Hathaway, etc.) in three separate interludes, you have no doubt she is looking back as well as forward, even going so far as to invoke Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come." But Acoustic Soul is at its best when the arrangements are deliberately modern. And despite the uniqueness of being a guitar-based R&B album, it is Arie's thick, sandy voice that shares star billing with her exceptional lyrics. Betraying youthful vulnerability while at the same time projecting strength, confidence, and uncanny insight for a 25-year-old singer/songwriter, Arie wraps herself effortlessly around the deep, funky sensuality of "Brown Skin," and stands tall in defiance of pop-fashion expectations on the irresistibly catchy "Video." The uplifting "Faith, Courage, Wisdom" rides along on a euphoric chorus, and the plainly autobiographical "Back to the Middle" recounts an emotional and spiritual coming of age. Without the many concrete references to the great R&B music of the past, Acoustic Soul would be a purely modern gem, but as Arie is determined to pay her debts up front, it's much more, and that is admirable. © John Duffy © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/acoustic-soul-r525268/review

On the surface, one could easiy assume that this album was just another slick, overly commercial "hyped up" X-Factor style recording. However, the album is an exception to the rule. India.Arie wrote or co-wrote 17 of the albums 18 tracks. She is a talented vocalist and songwriter, and although the album has been classifed as "neo-soul", it also leans heavily towards guitar orientated R&B with strong, intelligent lyrics and great melodies. The album debuted @ No.10 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and @ No. 3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Within months, without the incessant radio airplay that normally drives pop and rap albums, the album was certified double platinum, selling over two million units in the U.S. and three million copies worldwide. Arie and the album were nominated for seven Grammy awards in 2002, but won none, losing in five of seven categories to Alicia Keys. There are several versions of this album which include bonus remixed tracks. The version here is the 18 track UK Motown Bonus Tracks issue, and is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to India.Arie's wonderful "Voyage to India" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Intro - India.Arie 0:50
2 Video - India.Arie, C. Broady, S. Sanders 4:09
3 Promises - India.Arie, P. Lackee 4:37
4 Brown Skin - India.Arie, Mark Batson, S. Sanders 4:56
5 Strength, Courage, & Wisdom - India.Arie 4:57
6 Nature - India.Arie, Mark Batson 4:24
7 Back to the Middle - India.Arie, Blue Miller 5:11
8 Ready for Love - India.Arie, Blue Miller 4:28
9 Interlude - India.Arie 1:24
10 Always in My Head - India.Arie, Blue Miller 4:40
11 I See God in You - India.Arie 3:17
12 Simple - India.Arie, Mark Batson, Unit 3:26
13 Part of My Life - T. Harrington 4:03
14 Beautiful - India.Arie, K. Hicks, Blue Miller 4:05
15 Outro - India.Arie 1:20
16 Wonderful (Stevie Wonder Dedication) - India.Arie, C. Barnes, Mark Batson 5:31 [Bonus]
17 Strength, Courage & Wisdom recorded live at Paradiso, Amsterdam, on May 7, 2001. Recorded by Radio 3FM, NPS) - India.Arie 5:56 [Bonus]
18 Brown Skin (Bedroom Rockers Remix) - India.Arie, Mark Batson, S. Sanders 3:35 [Bonus]

MUSICIANS

India.Arie - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Blue Miller - Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals, Background Vocals
Bob Power - Guitar, Bass
Mark Batson - Bass, Drums, Fender Rhodes, Keyboards, Mellotron, Organ, Percussion, Synthesizer
Doug Kahan, Avery Johnson - Bass
Larry Goldings - Organ, String Contractor, Wurlitzer
Tony Harrell - Keyboards
Steve Grossman - Drums, Percussion
Ralph Rolle - Drums
Terry MacMillan, David Spak, Bashiri Johnson - Percussion
Nioka Workman, John Catchings - Cello
Judeth Insel - Viola
Marlene Rice - Violin
Duane Covert, Kerisha Hicks, Laurnea Wilkerson, Joyce Simpson - Background Vocals

SHORT BIO

One of a handful of neo-classic soul artists to emerge following the late-'90s success of artists like D'Angelo and Lauryn Hill, Atlanta's India.Arie stood poised at the beginning of 2001 to make a major impact. A studied songwriter and guitar player rooted in the R&B, soul, Motown, and blues of the past, but grounded in the post-hip-hop urban world of today, Arie's debut, Acoustic Soul, was rich with textured songs, hooks, and impressively mature lyrics, considering the artist had only been writing songs for five years. Born in Denver, CO, to parents from Memphis and Detroit, music was always in Arie's life. The family moved to Atlanta when India was 13 and after high school she began playing guitar at the encouragement of her mother. Involvement in the fertile Atlanta urban music scene led to the formation of an artist's collective called Groovement and an independent label, EarthShare, which released a compilation CD featuring Arie's first songs. A second-stage slot on the 1998 Lilith Fair tour garnered major-label interest, but Arie eventually signed with Motown after being assured of having full artistic control. Work on Acoustic Soul dragged out over nearly two years, but Arie's relentless pursuit of perfection and musical integrity yielded very pleasing results: as successful a graft of classic soul and modern hip-hop-style productions yet attempted. The album's first single, "Video," received strong radio and club play early in the year, and the full-length followed in March. Just over a year later, Arie had completed her second record, Voyage to India, and it appeared in September 2002. Four years later the singer hit number one on the Billboard charts for the first time with Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship, which also netted her three Grammy nominations. Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics was released in February 2009. © John Duffy © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/indiaarie-p475170/biography

Boz Scaggs

Boz Scaggs - Dig - 2001 - Virgin

Boz Scaggs returns to the arena in the thoroughly modern Dig, four years after his much-acclaimed return to traditional R&B on Come on Home. This takes no small bit of courage for an artist like Scaggs, who has reveled in obscurity for most of the '80s and '90s. Come on Home won the man all sorts of critical platitudes for making unfashionable roots music in a highly unlikely time. It showed, of course, in that the record sold barely respectably. Dig is, if anything, a hyper-modern take on R&B. Scaggs and co-producers David Paich (who co-wrote virtually all the material here) and guitarist Danny Kortchmar have embraced modern production, recording, and mixing techniques in the same way Scaggs did on Silk Degrees (whose part two this is definitely not). The result is simply a very fine adult contemporary take on rhythm & blues that showcases Scaggs in the finest voice he's given us in decades, a solid batch of tunes, and very few irritating elements. Scaggs' use of hip-hop methodologies in tracks like "Desire," with Michael Rodriguez's programming, is subtle enough to add atmosphere to an already beautiful song. The tune is a ballad so smooth and streetwise, so late-night in feel and sentiment, the timberline drum program just underlines the spooky guitars and Scaggs' sweet crooning; in fact, his voice here sounds better than it ever has. There are other modernisms that Scaggs employs here that would have been better left on the cutting room floor, such as his insistence on rapping on "Just Go," where he sounds like a Wal-Mart cross between Frank Zappa on "Dina Moe Hum" and Tom Waits from Bone Machine. But there are only a couple of moments like that; his blues roots manifest themselves well on "King of El Paso" and his embrace of Latin-tinged pop suits him well on "Call That Love." While it's a slick record in typical Scaggs fashion, it's a slim cast of characters who pull it all off -- mainly Scaggs, Paich, and Kortchmar (who is as fine a guitarist as ever), with guests like Ray Parker, Jr., pedal steel god Steve Lukather, and jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove Jr. lending their hands in various spots. For a guy everybody said was in the hallmark of memory, Boz Scaggs is making remarkably refreshing and compelling music. Dig is mature enough to resonate well with his aging audience, and it's slick and polished enough to catch the ear of pop radio programmers. With precious few rough spots, Dig is a pop triumph by a sleight-of-sound master. © Thom Jurek © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/dig-r547557/review

You can call this commercial "pop" music or modern day R&B/Soul. Whatever the description, Boz Scaggs recorded a brilliant album. A.O.O.F.C is normally averse to overly "commercial" music. Boz Scaggs is one of the few artists who can release this kind of music while retaining his natural soul sound, and always putting his unique stamp on his music. Boz was involved in writing all eleven songs. Some of the musical giants on the album include Danny Kortchmar, Steve Lukather, and the brilliant pianist, Greg Phillinganes. This album is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Check this blog for more Boz releases, and read his bio at www.bozscaggs.com

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1."Payday" (David Paich, Boz Scaggs) – 4:43
2."Sarah" (Danny Kortchmar, Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe, Scaggs) – 4:45
3."Miss Riddle" (Paich, Michael Rodriguez, Scaggs) – 6:27
4."I Just Go" (Scaggs) – 4:50
5."Get on the Natch" (Bond, Johnson, Danny Kortchmar, Greg Perry, Scaggs) – 4:50
6."Desire" (Paich, Greg Phillinganes, Scaggs) – 5:32
7."Call That Love" (Steven Jordan, Danny Kortchmar, Paich, Scaggs, Applejack Walroth) – 4:18
8."King of El Paso" (Scaggs, Walroth) – 5:16
9."You're Not" (Kortchmar, Scaggs) – 4:19
10."Vanishing Point" (Dominique Gioia, Paich, Scaggs) – 4:48
11."Thanks to You" (Paich, Scaggs)– 6:00

MUSICIANS

Boz Scaggs - guitar, vocals
Ray Parker, Jr., Danny Kortchmar - guitar
Steve Lukather - guitar, pedal steel guitar
Steve Jordan, Nathan East - bass
David Paich - keyboards, bass
Greg Phillinganes - piano
Michael Rodriguez - keyboards
Robin DiMaggio - drums
Joe Bonadio - percussion
Martin Tillman - cello

Billy Price & Fred Chapellier

Billy Price & Fred Chapellier - Night Work - 2009 - DixieFrog

The partnership of veteran U.S. soul singer Billy Price and French blues guitarist Fred Chapellier might seem like an unlikely pairing, but the results -- chronicled in the song "Champagne Blues and Pittsburgh Soul" -- are an impressive, occasionally explosive meeting of the minds. Price with his strong tenor voice, similar to Robert Cray's at times, first found popular acclaim as Roy Buchanan's singer for a short while back in the mid-‘70s. While guitarist Chapellier isn't in Buchanan's league, his deft touch and alternately snaking/scorching leads fit well with this set of predominantly original R&B. The guitarist gets his own showcase on the closing jam of "Skunk Shuffle" but it's on the rest of the album, dominated by tight arrangements, terrific soul-blues songs, and crisp but never forced production, that his playing makes the most impact. A three-piece horn section is along for additional punch, bringing an old-school yet never musty vibe to the peppy proceedings. The Nighthawks' frontman Mark Wenner brings his always incisive harp playing to three tracks, and Otis Clay swings by to sing lead on a spirited but somewhat unnecessary cover of Al Green's "Love and Happiness" that sticks pretty close to the original. Price and Chapellier hit their stride on the swampy grind of "Night Work," an autobiographical tune about the life of a working blues musician that manages to avoid the clichés of that shopworn topic. The midtempo "When the Lights Come On" sizzles with a memorable melody, committed singing, snappy horns, and piercing guitar work that displays Chapellier's tough chops while still servicing the song. Like Cray, Price and Chapellier are clearly inspired by the great, rather unsung soul-bluesman O.V. Wright, as they make clear on the song that bears his name and the following "All the Love in the World," which borrows from Wright's gospel influences. Price and Chapellier feed off each other's strengths throughout, yielding one of the finest -- and unfortunately most overlooked -- contemporary roots R&B albums of 2009. Hopefully they will continue their collaboration, because this is a mighty impressive start. © Hal Horowitz © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/night-work-r2049264/review

Night Work, by Pittsburgh-based blue-eyed soul singer Billy Price and French blues guitarist Fred Chapellier, was released in Europe in March 2009 on DixieFrog Records. Fans of Price's work in the 1970s with guitarist Roy Buchanan are going to love Night Work. Roy is one of Fred's biggest influences as a guitarist; in fact, Fred's last CD for DixieFrog was titled A Tribute to Roy Buchanan, and Billy Price appeared on that CD as a guest vocalist. Mark Wenner, harmonica player of the Nighthawks, plays on three songs--the title song, written by our friend Mike Sweeney from Pittsburgh; a new version of "Who You're Working For," which Price recorded with Billy Price and the Keystone Rhythm Band on the Free at Last CD in 1988; and a new song written by Price, Sweeney, Sally Tiven, and Jon Tiven titled "The Wrong Woman." Also making a guest appearance on the new CD, singing Al Green's "Love and Happiness," is Otis Clay. Price and Chapellier wrote six songs for the new CD, BP Band keyboard player Jimmy Britton and Price wrote one, and Sweeney contributed a great tribute to O.V. Wright. Speaking of O.V. Wright, no Billy Price CD would be complete without at least one O.V. Wright cover. This time, it's "Don't Let My Baby Ride." The CD is a true international collaboration. The Billy Price Band play on most of the tracks, but Fred's great band--Abder Benachour on bass, Pat Machenaud on drums, and Damien Cornelis on keyboards--play on three songs, with horns overdubbed by the Billy Price Band horn section. © 2011 Woodstock.com. All Rights Reserved http://www.woodstock.com/music-item/B001Q4N7Q8/billy-price-and-fred-chapellier-night-work/

A terrific Soul and R&B album by U.S. soul singer Billy Price and French blues guitarist Fred Chapellier. This album's got everything: Great songs, great musicianship, wonderful guitar by Fred Chapellier, and tremendous vocals by Billy Price. The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Buy Billy Price and Fred Chapellier's "Live On Stage" album. Listen to Billy Price's "East End Avenue" album. Fred Chapellier & Friends' "A Tribute To Roy Buchanan" album can be found @ FCHPELL&FS/ATRIB2ROYBUCH

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

Smart Money - Price &/or Chapellier
My Love Comes Tumbling Down - Price &/or Chapellier
Night Work - Mike Sweeney
Don't Let My Baby Ride - O.V. Wright
When the Lights Came On - Price &/or Chapellier
Love and Happiness - Al Green
Who You're Working For - Price &/or Chapellier
Under the Influence - Price &/or Chapellier
The Wrong Woman - Price, Sweeney, Sally Tiven, Jon Tiven
O.V. Wright - Price &/or Chapellier
All the Love in the World - Price &/or Chapellier
Champagne Blues and Pittsburgh Soul - Price &/or Chapellier
Skunk Shuffle - Price &/or Chapellier

MUSICIANS

Billy Price - vocals
Fred Chapellier - guitar
Steve Delach - guitar
Abder Benachour - bass
Paul Thompson - bass
Jimmy Britton - keyboards
Damien Cornelis - keyboards
Dave Dodd - drums
Pat Machenaud - drums
Rick Matt - baritone and tenor sax
Eric DeFade - tenor sax
Joe Herndon - trumpet
Mark Wenner - harmonica
Otis Clay - vocals

BILLY PRICE BIO (WIKI)

Billy Price is the stage name of soul singer William Pollak. Born in Fair Lawn, New Jersey in 1949, he has lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA since the mid 1970s. Price attracted national attention in the mid-1970s during his three-year collaboration with blues guitarist Roy Buchanan. The pair toured the U.S. and Canada, playing Carnegie Hall in New York, the Newport Jazz Festival, the Roxy and Troubadour in Los Angeles, and the Spectrum in Philadelphia. After leaving Buchanan, Price formed the Keystone Rhythm Band, which toured the Eastern US on a circuit that stretched from Boston to Atlanta with large followings in Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, DC and North Carolina. Sustaining several personnel changes, the band performed until 1990. He then formed The Billy Price Band, which currently consists of Steve Delach (guitar), Paul Thompson (bass), Dave Dodd (drums), Jimmy Britton (keyboards), Joe Herndon (trumpet), Eric DeFade (tenor sax) and Rick Matt (baritone and tenor sax). Though he works full-time in corporate communications at the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, he continues to perform regularly in Pittsburgh, the eastern United States, and occasionally in Europe.

ABOUT FRED CHAPELLIER

Fred was born in 1966 in Metz, France . He started playing drums he was 12 years old until 1981... Then, at the tender age of 15, he started playing guitar. "EUREKA" - the revelation! Immediately, he felt the call of the blues and along the years, found himself accompanying the likes of: Don Ray Johnson, Boney Fields, Audrey Madison, Tom Principato, Neal Black and many other "blues" giants (in Fred's eyes). In his search for more creative freedom, he formed his own band, "The Fred Chapellier Blues Band" with Pat Machenaud on drums, Abder Benachour on bass & Damien Cornelis on keyboards, and they recorded two albums for MOSAIC RECORDS - "Blues Devil" (2003) and "l'Oeil du Blues" (2005) ! In 2004, Fred was acclaimed "Best New Blues Artist of The Year" and "Best Guitar Player of The Year" by "Les Trophées France Blues" ... In January 2007 Fred called upon his friend - producer, arranger, composer & keyboard Maestro Jean Alain Roussel, with whom he had struck up a solid friendship while playing on different albums to produce his "tribute to Roy Buchanan" album. Jean had produced Buchanan's "you're not alone" album in 1976- Fred's main "guitar hero/reference"...Terms agreed, and songs chosen, Fred proceeded to record & engineer the basic tracks at his "Blue house Studio" in Châlons en Champagne, calling upon several long-time friends & guests, including Tom Principato, Billy Price, Neal Black, Miguel M, as well as members of Fred's own "Blues Band", to perform, with Jean assuming the "Producer" role (Jean had produced & composed for Roy Buchanan, & recorded with Cat Stevens, Bob Marley, The Police, 10cc & Thin Lizzy etc)... Then, off Fred went to Jean's "Shakti Studios" near Paris to complete the production under the guidance of Jean behind the recording console. ... The finished product was immediately picked up for France, by "DIXIEFROG RECORDS"... The album, "Fred Chapellier & friends - A Tribute to Roy Buchanan" is available now everywhere in Europe and also on I Tunes. Fred and Billy Price who sang with Roy Buchanan from 1972 to 1975 (www.billyprice.com) became good friends and, after two years of hard work, Fred's new album with his friend Billy Price "Night Work" will be out in march 2009 on DIXIEFROG RECORDS again. You wanna know what the blues is all about? Then - go to see Fred on stage! You WILL be AMAZED ! ! !..... © http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/FREDCHAPELLIER

David Raitt & Jimmy Thackery

David Raitt & Jimmy Thackery - That's It! - 2000 - Blue Rock'it Records

"What a killer combo! Reunited for the first time since their high school blues band, Jimmy and my brother David notch each other up and have a blast doing it on this slammin' new record. Jimmy's always been one of the greatest blues guitarists and my brother David's right up there with him on those kickin' vocals." - Bonnie Raitt

"Jimmy Thackery has the tonal control, musical thought, expressive sincerity, velocity and discipline to rank near the top of the blues rock heavyweight division." - CD Review

3 stars out of 5 - ...Raitt sings lyrics with confidence and an engaging sense of relaxation....Thackery's guitar provides the exhilaration of jumping through hoops of fire...Down Beat (10/01/2000)

Childhood friends David Raitt and Jimmy Thackery got together in the studio to produce a great album of pure, modern blues/r&b. David is a great vocalist and Jimmy's guitar work is dynamic. The rhythm and horn sections can't be faulted. David's sister Bonnie Raitt sings background vocals on two tracks. Listen to Jimmy Thackery's "Empty Arms Motel" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 I'd Rather Be Blind, Crippled and Crazy - Hodges-Malone-Carter 3:44
2 Tell Me - Hopkins, Hopkins, Raitt, Thackery 3:48
3 Me - Bloomfield, Gravenites 4:54
4 Same Thing - Ford, Raitt 4:32
5 How Many More Years - Howlin' Wolf 4:54
6 Seven Days - Malone, Parker 3:19
7 Watch Your Back - Thackery 5:42
8 It Takes Time - Albet, Rush 3:48
9 Cheaper to Keep Her - Rice 3:47
10 That's It - Ford 5:47
11 Driving Wheel - Sykes 3:35
12 Dirty and in Love - D.Raitt 3:32
13 Cold Heart - D. Raitt 5:07

MUSICIANS

David Raitt - Vocals
Jimmy Thackery - Guitar, Vocal on "How Many More Years"
Dewayne Pate - Bass
David Matthews - Keyboards
Ron Beck - Drums
Mic Gillette - Trumpet,Trombone
John Lee Saunders - Saxophones & Horn Arrangements
Bonnie Raitt - Background Vocals on "Same Thing", & "I'd Rather Be Blind, Crippled and Crazy"
Mz.Dee - Background Vocals on "Cheaper to Keep Her"

DAVID RAITT BIO

One look at blues multi-instrumentalist David Raitt's last name will instantly indicate his pedigree: brother of bottleneck slide guitar legend Bonnie Raitt, son of Broadway actor John Raitt. Raitt played in a variety of local bands while growing up in Burbank, and later accompanied his sister to New York, serving as her stand-up bass player when she began her career playing coffeehouses in 1970. He moved back to California in 1972, this time in the northern county of Mendocino, where he quickly became involved in the local music scene, playing numerous clubs and events with a variety of area bands. Apart from an occasional tour with his sister (usually as her harmonica player), Raitt was largely content to remain local, running a successful yurt-building business. (Yurts are portable dwellings made with wood and canvas, which originated in Mongolia.) However, local connections with blues-rockers like Mark and Patrick Ford helped lead to a handful of recording sessions in the late '80s. In 1994, Raitt assembled an ecological benefit album called Edge of the Forest, which featured his band the New Mendocino All-Stars, as well as his sister. Raitt's first solo album, Take a Chance, was released in 1996. In 2000, Raitt recorded a classic-style electric blues album with childhood friend Jimmy Thackery, formerly of the Nighthawks; titled That's It, their collaboration was released on Patrick Ford's Blue Rock'it label. © Steve Huey © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved

JIMMY THACKERY BIO

Singer, songwriter, and guitar virtuoso Jimmy Thackery carved an enviable niche for himself in the world of electric blues. Known for his gritty, blue-collar approach and marathon live shows, Thackery was for many years part of the Nighthawks, one of the hardest-working blues bar bands in North America. By the late '80s, he was touring and recording under his own name, and finding widespread acceptance on the festival circuit. His hard-edged, tough-as-nails approach to guitar playing and his trio's driving rhythm section holds appeal for fans of both the straight-ahead blues of Muddy Waters and the roots rock of Bruce Springsteen and Joe Grushecky. Like the Nighthawks and Grushecky's Houserockers, much of the material Thackery performs can safely be called blues or blues-rock. Hardcore blues like "It's My Own Fault" and popular blues-rock chestnuts like "Red House" from Jimi Hendrix are fair game for Thackery & His Drivers, which included Michael Patrick on bass and Mark Stutso on drums and vocals. Born in Pittsburgh, Thackery was raised in Washington, D.C. In high school, he played in a band with Bonnie Raitt's brother, David, who exposed him to the music of Buddy Guy; Thackery saw both Guy and Jimi Hendrix perform in Washington, D.C. Thackery joined the Nighthawks in 1974, after being introduced to harmonica man Mark Wenner by fellow guitarist Bobby Radcliff, who was then based in D.C. Thackery recorded more than 20 albums with the Nighthawks and toured the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Japan. He left the band in 1987 and struck out on his own, needing a break from the Nighthawks' 300-nights-a-year tour schedule. He formed a new band, Jimmy Thackery & the Assassins, and toured the East Coast heavily with that band until they split up in 1991. Thackery then formed a trio, Jimmy Thackery & the Drivers, quickly forging a name for himself on the blues festival and club circuit through a prolific recording pace and a lot of roadwork. His albums for the San Francisco-based Blind Pig label included Empty Arms Motel (1992), Sideways in Paradise (Jimmy Thackery and John Mooney, 1993), Trouble Man (1994), Wild Night Out! (1995), Drive to Survive (1996), Switching Gears (1998), and Sinner Street (2000). The latter added saxophone player Jimmy Carpenter. In 2002, Thackery signed on with the blues division of Telarc Records, releasing We Got It in 2002 followed by True Stories in 2003, Live in 2004, and Healin' Ground in 2005. Switching to Rykodisc, he released In the Natural State in 2006, followed by Solid Ice on Telarc Records in 2007. Inside Tracks appeared a year later in 2008, also from Telarc Records. His 1998 album includes guest performances by Joe Louis Walker, Lonnie Brooks, Chubby Carrier, and Francine Reed, but any of Thackery's albums will delight fans of tough, heavy, driving guitar playing. For a taste of his thorough mastery of several styles, Drive to Survive touches on rockabilly, jazz, bebop, and surf music. Most of Thackery's albums include at least a few covers mixed in with his batch of self-penned songs. © Richard Skelly © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jimmy-thackery-p34667/biography

Lydia Pense & Cold Blood

Lydia Pense & Cold Blood - Transfusion - 2005 - Dig Music

Review: It's been a long, long time! Lydia Pense and Cold Blood return with some cool new material and a couple of oldies. Baby Boomers will recall this fine Bay Area funk-rock-blues outfit. Signed by legendary producer Bill Graham in 1969, Cold Blood cranked out several good chunks of vinyl until 1974. Those albums included Sisyphus1969, First Taste Of Sin1972, Thriller1973, Vintage Blood: Live 1973 and Lydia 1974. Cold Blood rocked the Fillmore with Lydia Pense's powerful chops and a strong horn section during those vintage years. Not unlike Blood, Sweat & Tears, Chicago and others, Cold Blood featured jazz oriented reeds and brass. The years have been very kind to Lydia Pense. With a voice that reflects Janis Joplin's in power and quality, the singer matured like a vintage wine. Pense and guest keyboardist Raul Matute are the only original members of Cold Blood but many others from Tower Of Power, another Bill Graham discovery, show up on Transfusion. Tower of Power's featured singer was Lenny Williams, who later launched a brilliant solo career, joins Lydia Pense for a soulful rendition of "It Could Be Me, It Must Be You." Produced by veterans Steve Dunne and Skip Mesquite, the Transfusion CD remains true to Cold Blood's traditional burning delivery of good tunes. The pair penned many of the songs on the album. Lydia Pense's enviable chops do justice to such tunes as "Cool Drink," "You Make Me Sweat" and "Face The Music." Pense and Cold Blood make every effort to impress with their knockout reading of the band's early hit "Down To The Bone." Look for fine solo work by Steve Dunne on guitar. It's vintage stuff and worth a listen! Reviewed by & © Richard Bourcier © 1997 - 2011. All Rights Reserved © jazzreview.com http://www.jazzreview.com/cd/review-17215.html
Lydia Pense and Cold Blood work in close coordination on Transfusion, bringing forth a big, soulful sound. Pense, who handles most of the lead vocals, is a powerful, full-throated singer, reminding one of Bonnie Raitt and Toni Price. It makes sense, then, to put a fairly large group like Cold Blood behind her. The trumpet, saxophone, keyboards, bass, electric guitar, percussion, and background vocals work well with Pense's extroverted style, providing her ample cushioning for emotive flights of fancy. Transfusion gets a funky start with "Face the Music," the first of two pieces written by Steve Dunne. Interestingly, "Face the Music" runs over five minutes, but -- thanks to the perfect blending of vocals, instrumental work, and performance -- the song never feels long. With songs like "It Could Be Me It Must Be You," featuring guest vocalists Lenny Williams, Pense and Cold Blood glance back toward the '70s, capturing a groove somewhere between soul and pop. There's also an interesting guest vocal by Michelle Shocked on the last track, "Down to the Bone." Shocked and Pense concoct a fun, freewheeling duet here that's kicked into overdrive by Steve Dunne's guitar work. Filled with lots of funky instrumental work, lively vocals, and good material, Transfusion's soulful groove is easy to enjoy. © Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/transfusion-r793248/review
Between 1967 and 1977 Lydia Pense was a well known vocalist in the San Francisco/Oakland area. She has been called "the female voice of San Francisco" and was one of the best rock'n blues singer of her day. She was once produced by Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, guitarist with the legendary Booker T. & The MG's. She temporarily retired from the music scene in the '80s and early '90s, to rear a daughter, but returned with a bang to reform the great soul/jazz rock band Cold Blood, with a new line-up of some talented local Bay Area musicians. In 2005 Lydia and Cold Blood released "Transfusion" which received many positive reviews. The album featured ex-members of Cold Blood as well as members of the brilliant East Bay Grease champs Tower of Power. If you like BS&T, early Chicago and Tower of Power you may like "Transfusion" which is full of terrific jazz and soul funk grooves. Hornwork is brilliant and Lydia's vocals are special. "It Could Be Me It Must Be You" with guest vocals by Lenny Williams is perhaps too "lovey-dovey", sugary and commercial sounding and detracts slightly from the overall power of the album, but that's a minor quibble. Try and listen to Lydia Pense's 1974 "Lydia" album, and Cold Blood's 1971 "Sisyphus" album. Cold Blood's 1969 S/T album can be found on this blog

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Face the Music - Steve Dunne
2. It's the Man That Makes the Clothes - Skip Mesquite
3. It Could Be Me It Must Be You - Skip Mesquite
4. Coming Back - Steve Dunne
5. Wait for You - Garth Webber
6. Guide Me Home - Skip Mesquite
7. Hooked on You - David Dessner
8. Down to My Last Heartache - Skip Mesquite
9. Cool Drink - Skip Mesquite
10. You Make Me Sweat - Skip Mesquite
11. Will This Saga Ever End - Skip Mesquite, Lydia Pense
12. Down to the Bone - Hull, Stoltie

MUSICIANS

Lydia Pense (vocals)
Steve Dunne (guitar)
Jeff Tamelier (rhythm guitar)
Bobby Vega, Evan Palmerston (bass)
David Kessner, Roger Smith, Steve Salinas (keyboards)
Raul Matute (piano)
Donny Baldwin (drums, percussion, background vocals)
David Garibaldi (drums)
Mike Morgan (percussion)
Michael Carrabello (conga, percussion)
Rob Zuckerman (alto, tenor, baritone saxes)
Skip Mesquite (saxophone, background vocals)
Joel Behrman (trumpet, trombone)
Dennis Cruzan, Mike Rose, Mic Gillette (trumpet)
Richard Armstrong (trumpet, percussion, background vocals)
Michelle Shocked (guest vocals on "Down to the Bone")
Lenny Williams (guest vocals on "It Could Be Me It Must Be You")
Lisa Battle, Leah Tysse (background vocals)

ABOUT LYDIA PENSE (WIKIPEDIA)

Lydia Pense (born Lydia Jane Pense in San Francisco, California on December 14, 1947) is an American rock-soul-jazz singer who since 1969 has performed with the band Cold Blood. Her style has been compared to powerful singers including Janis Joplin (who recommended the band to Bill Graham for their first audition), Aretha Franklin and Teena Marie. Pense's mother, the former is Miss Ramos, was born in Madrid, Spain, while her father came from Nebraska, United States. While attending Sequoia High School in Redwood City, California at the age of 16, Pense started singing with a band called The Dimensions, With Guitarist Paul C Saenz. They initially played Big Band songs, but she soon was attracted to the music of Ray Charles and Chuck Berry. Lydia joined Cold Blood in 1968. Their initial four albums, Cold Blood, Sisyphus, First Taste of Sin (produced by Donny Hathaway), and Thriller remain their best known work. The band continues to record and perform today. The band separated in the late 1970s and Pense suspended her career in the 1980s to raise her daughter before re-forming the group.

COLD BLOOD BIO (WIKIPEDIA)

Cold Blood is a long-standing soul-rock-jazz band founded by Larry Field in 1968 and originally based in the San Francisco East Bay area. They have also gone by the name "Lydia Pense and Cold Blood" due to the popularity of their lead singer, Lydia Pense. The band first came to prominence in 1969 when rock impresario Bill Graham signed them after an audition and they played the Fillmore West in San Francisco. Pense has been compared to Janis Joplin, and it was Joplin who recommended the audition to Graham. The band has often been compared to another long-standing popular Northern California group, Tower of Power, and like Tower of Power they were rare in that they featured a horn section in addition to guitar, bass and drums. The Tower of Power horn players have performed with Cold Blood on a regular basis since the early 1970s. Skip Mesquite and Mic Gillette have been members of both Tower Of Power and Cold Blood. Their fan base also overlaps with the Sons of Champlin, although their musical styles are quite different. Their initial four albums, Cold Blood, Sisyphus, First Taste of Sin (produced by Donny Hathaway), and Thriller remain their best known work. The band disbanded in the late 1970s, reformed in the 1980s and stabilized with its current membership in the 1990s. Cold Blood continues to record and perform today, and some former band members such as Raul Matute (and some from Tower of Power) appear on its most recent album. Original band members were founder Larry Field (lead guitar), Lydia Pense (vocals), Danny Hull (tenor saxophone and songwriter), Larry Jonutz (trumpet), Raul Matute (Hammond organ, piano, arranger and songwriter), Jerry Jonutz (Baritone, alto and tenor saxophone), David Padron (trumpet), Rod Ellicott (bass), Paul C Saenz (Guitar), and Frank Davis, who was replaced on drums by the legendary Sandy McKee during the Sisyphus sessions. Narada Michael Walden and Jonathan "Sugarfoot" Moffett both mention McKee on their short list of drummers most influential in their stylistic development. Over the years there have been various incarnations of the band including singer/trumpet player Max Haskett, Tower Of Power horn player Mic Gillette, Journey keyboardist Stevie "Keys" Roseman on Hammond B-3 organ, Sons Of Champlin drummer Jim Preston, guitar player Michael Sasaki, Tower Of Power guitarist Jeff Tamelier, Boz Scaggs horn player Tom Poole, Elvin Bishop sax player Bill Slais, bass player Michael White & others. Current personnel are Lydia Pense (vocals), Steve Salinas (keyboards), Steve Dunne (guitar), Mike Morgan (percussion), Evan Palmerston (bass), Rich Armstrong (trumpet, percussion), Rob Zuckerman (alto, tenor, baritone saxes) and Donny Baldwin (drums). Cold Blood is featured playing live in Fillmore, a documentary of the last concerts at The Fillmore auditorium.

Eric Guitar Davis and the Troublemakers

Eric Guitar Davis and the Troublemakers - Here Comes Trouble - 2007 - Young Blues Records

Here Comes Trouble demonstrates the dynamic energy of Eric Guitar Davis. The nine originals on this album are a good example of Eric's unique and personal brand of "21st Century Blues", Chicago style. The album has also soul and R&B elements. He is a good blues vocalist, and has some of the fastest finger picking hands in Chicago. There are some great guitar solos on this abum. This is by no means an innovative or groundbreaking album, and the song material could be stronger. However it still shows the great talented bands and guitarists out there who are seldom or never heard on mainstream media.

TRACKS

1 Here Comes Trouble 4:44
2 Put Me Down 3:32
3 She's Alright 3:22
4 Young Boy Wit Da Blues 3:16
5 Goin' Home 3:37
6 I Can't Chance The Pain 4:31
7 Bill N' Jean 5:51
8 They Call Me Mista Fixit Man 4:39
9 I'll Make Mincemeat Outa U 4:23

All tracks composed by Eric Davis

BAND

Eric “Guitar” Davis - Lead Guitar, Vocals
Lee “Mookie” Cain - Bass, Vocals
Ron “Da Volcano” Molten - Keyboards,Vocals
Chris “Rock” Robertson - Drums,Vocals

ABOUT ERIC DAVIS

Eric Davis was born in the seventies to Dorothy Walker and world renowned drummer Bobby Davis. Davis initially followed in his father's footsteps, learning to play drums at the age of five. Bobby Davis was a regular on the Chicago scene, regularly backing Otis Rush, Eddie Boyd, and Matt "Guitar" Murphy. He occasionally worked with the Muddy Waters Blues Band, and made a famous appearance alongside Ray Charles in the 1980 film Blues Brothers. By the age of ten, Davis had become a young regular in his own right, working in Chicago's blues scene, playing drums with the late Jr. Wells, Lefty Dizz, Buddy Guy, BB King and many others. It was while playing drums on the blues circuit that young Davis found himself hanging out at the legendary Checkerboard Lounge, on South 43rd street. Davis was conversing with a local blues bass man named Flash, and had asked him for bass lessons, when Buddy Guy overheard this conversation from behind the bar. Buddy jumped into the conversation, telling Davis that "in order to get all the girls you've got to play this." Buddy demonstrated the open G chord, handed over his old beat up Fender guitar, and Eric "Guitar" Davis was born. Nearly 30 years later, Eric "Guitar" Davis is a powerful force in the blues scene, known for his fiery guitar picking, electrifying solos, and emotional blues vocals. "Guitar" Davis' band, "The Troublemakers," plays frequently in Chicago's hottest blues clubs, and makes frequent trips to Southern Illinois, where he is becoming a regional phenomenon. One of Chicago's most sought out guitar players, Eric "Guitar" Davis has played with Jimmy Burns, Big James and the Chicago Playboys, and Cadillac Dave and his Redhots. "Guitar" Davis has also shared the stage with a who's who of Blues legends, including Tyrone Davis, BB King, Buddy Guy, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues, Shirley King, and Linsey Alexander, to name a few. Eric "Guitar" Davis is also the CEO of Young Blues Records, a label developed to cater to young, up and coming blues artists. Here Comes Trouble, Eric "Guitar" Davis' much anticipated album, hit stores in 2007. The album captures the youthfulness and energy of his live sets, and documents his personal brand of "21st Century Blues." For "Guitar" Davis, music is an "escape from everyday life." He writes "from the heart. And from experience." His songs are about things "he's lived through: wife troubles, girlfriend troubles, everyday experiences." These are the experiences that make us human, and a big part of his connection with his audiences. "Guitar" Davis takes his time with his guitar work, defining each note, rather than simply picking. His live work is a dynamic search for the true "21st Century Blues" sound, "something new, something that keeps coming back to the word 'raw.'" The sounds filter through him, and "Guitar" Davis channels those sounds to create his signature sound. His live act is heavy on interaction with his audiences, and displays the aggressive personality that has defined Chicago Blues, separating the Chicago Sound from other other regionalized Blues sounds. It is a raw sound, an awesome live show, and a musician breaking new ground and revitalizing a genre that many people foolishly think is dead. Bringing the Blues around is "Guitar" Davis' goal, and he's doing it well. When Eric "Guitar" Davis steps on stage, when his album is in your player, when his music is in your ears, the Blues is definitely alive. And that's exactly how it should be. © http://www.myspace.com/ericguitardavis 2008 © Gera Muzika Gyvai. All rights reserved http://www.gmgyvai.lt/en/Concerts/;id:77;

Band Bio [Eric Guitar Davis and the Troublemakers - South Side Chicago Blues at it's Best.]

Eric “Guitar” Davis
Eric Davis was born to Dorothy Walker and world renowned drummer Bobby Davis. At age fine, Eric began to follow in his Dad’s footsteps as a drummer. By the age of ten young Eric Davis could be found playing the Chicago’s blues scene, along with the likes of late Jr. Wells, Lefty Dizz, Buddy Guy, BB King and many more. One day when Eric “da Drummer” Davis was hanging out at the legendary Checkerboard lounge on 43rd street he asked a local blues bass man, “Flash” to teach him how to play bass. Buddy Guy, overhearing the conversation from behind the bar told Eric that “in order to get all the girls” you have to play this, and handed Eric his old beat up Fender guitar. Then Buddy Guy then showed him how to play his first chord, an open “G”. The game was on and since then Eric has been refining his guitar style to bring the Chicago style Blues boldly into the future.
Eric was also voted the Best New Regional Act of 2009 in which he has became a fan favorite in Ohio,Indiana,Michigan,Tennessee,Missouri Iowa, Kansas, and Illinois
Chris “Rock” Robertson
Clearly the “pretty boy” of the “Troublemakers”, but he has chops when it comes to drums. It is reported that Chris started drumming with his mother’s wooden spoons on the floor was 3 and since has become an accomplished drummer! You can see Chris laying down a tight back beat with so much authority that even if you do have three left feet, you can dance wherever you find the band paying. Chris, like Eric, is a south side native of Chicago, makes a mean bowl of greens and wears boxers.
Lee “Mookie” Cain
The quiet guy, shy you typically find on the right side of the stage, is Lee, the “Master of Thump” and bass player extrodinare. His bass licks are known all over the south side of Chicago. He turned down an lucrative contract with a big name band to remain in Chicago to play the music he loves. Although he is pretty quiet on stage, he loves to sing opera when cooking on our tour bus. Not only can he whip up a delicious bass rhythm, but his signature meal, smoked ribs, homemade greens and spaghetti is just as tasty.
Ron “Da Volcano” Molten
Another south side Chicago musical talent, “Da Volcano” brings the sizzling keys to keep the joint jumping. Ron is always adding a new riff while keeping the melody sexy with his keyboards and synths. He is an avid golfer, one hitting two holes in one at the local mini-golf course during a charity tournament. His “Molten Hot” keys layer in the soulful sounds you expect to hear in a high energy Blues band. © 2010 ericguitardavis.com - All Rights Reserved http://ericguitardavis.com/band-bio/

Jeff Chaz

Jeff Chaz - Tired of Being Lonely - 2001 - Jeff Chaz Prod.

Operating from the New Orleans's French Quarter, "Bourbon St. Bluesman" Jeff Chaz creates some truly nice guitar playing and vocalizing on his CD Tired of Being Lonely. Right out of the gate, Chaz sizzles with "I Can't Wait No More," laying down the spirit of what's to follow. Highlights include "Bourbon St. Bluesman," where we get a hefty helping of horns coupled with Chaz's pile-driving guitar play, the slow blues of "Child Support," and the grungy gutbucket blues of "Everybody Knows." Nicely rendered soul is the feature of "A Chill in the Air." Chaz's creative outlet as a songwriter (all songs are written by him) is his strong suit. The only fault with this recording are the New Orleans references in songs like "Seafood Dept. Blues" that will probably not appeal to anyone outside the "Crescent City." For interested blues aficionados check out Chaz's website: www.jeffchaz.com to find out more info on his current CD and his own indie label Jeff Chaz Productions (JCP). © Bruce Coen Copyright © 2001, Blue Night Productions. All rights reserved http://www.bluenight.com/BluesBytes/wn0401.html

He burns on the Albert King-ish “Everybody Knows” and admits, “Working with Albert greatly influenced my style, especially my string bending. He was the wildest at that I’ve seen and terrific vocalist.” About Jerry Lee Lewis, he says, “Jerry Lee taught me not to be afraid to do anything!” That attitude shines throughout on this CD. Chaz’s ability to find the humor and pathos in his day-to-day dealings and build his experience into sturdy works of blues through strong storytelling and playing takes this CD several notches above the norm. [ from review of “Tired Of Being Lonely” © Kathleen A. Rippey © offBEAT Magazine

Jeff Chaz blends Memphis soul with New Orleans rhythms, and creates a very different sound. Jeff has said his music is "Memphis barbecue meeting up with New Orleans gumbo." All of the songs on "Tired of Being Lonely" are Jeff Chaz originals. Even though these songs are not classic songs, the music and lyrics is good, and every track is enjoyable. Jeff is a fine vocalist and guitarist , and this kind of music will always be a crowd pleaser. Listen to Jeff's "In Exile" album

TRACKS

1 I Can't Wait No More 3:34
2 Don't Shave Your Legs Tonight 2:35
3 Bourbon St. Blues Man 3:09
4 Child Support 6:34
5 Tired of Being Lonely 3:52
6 A Chill in the Air 5:05
7 Breaktime 4:19
8 Seafood Dept. Blues 5:36
9 Lie to Me Baby 4:01
10 Talk to Me Baby 4:01
11 Ain't Smellin' Too Good 3:55
12 Sounds Like the Blues to Me 3:25
13 Everybody Knows 7:13

All songs composed by Jeff Chaz

MUSICIANS

Jeff Chaz - Guitar, Vocals (Background),Handclapping, Vocals
Doug Potter, Doug Therrien - Bass
John Autin - Keyboards
A.J. Pittman - Trumpet

BIO

Jeff Chaz is an electrifying blues guitarist based in New Orleans. Ironically, at one time the guitar bored him and he turned to other instruments like the trombone. Before he discovered that his true talent lay in the blues, he even made an attempt to play country music and found the genre to be a challenge for him. A native of Lake Charles, LA, Chaz was raised in Creole, LA. His father was a practicing physician who sometimes visited his patients by a type of canoe called a pirogue rather than by car, and they paid his fees with ducks and other foodstuffs. Despite this simple way of life, there was nothing provincial about the backwoods healer's taste in music. Thanks to him, Chaz grew up surrounded by the sounds of Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Jack Teagarden, and Duke Ellington. As a youngster, Chaz played the jazz trombone and later moved over to the trumpet. He also played in the school band and spent his high school years in California with his family. His grades suffered due to the extensive amount of time he devoted to playing local dances and weddings. Upon graduation, he played trombone with a traveling band and when the band's guitar-playing vocalist unexpectedly dropped out, the other group members tapped Chaz to take his place. When he went home to California, he enrolled as a music student in San Bernardino College. After an attempt to play country music, he realized that his desire rested with the blues and he took off for Memphis. There he played back road blues joints and even played some gospel. Since then, he has played guitar with Cab Calloway, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Albert King. He has taken home a Beale Street Blues Award during the awards' inaugural year, and has sung at the National Civil Rights Museum. By 1996, he was back in New Orleans and working at the Famous Door on Bourbon Street. © Linda Seida © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:3bftxqrkldse~T1