October 2015 - Blues in the South

BLUES IN
F r e e
BiTS
World HQ
THE SOUTH
e v e r y
www.bluesinthesouth.com
m o n t h
s i n c e
1 9 8 7
SPONSORED BY
Mandala
CONTACT:
[email protected]
D BY
SORE
SPON
associates
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Feel the power!
OCTOBER 2015
JAZZ
JAZZ
--
BLUES
BLUES
--
ROCK
ROCK &
& ROLL
ROLL
-- ZYDECO
ZYDECO
--
GOSPEL
GOSPEL
--
BLUES
BLUES ROCK
ROCK
BRITISH BLUES AWARDS 2015
Winners and Runners Up
Male Vocals Sponsored by Blues in
the South
1 Alan Nimmo
2 Aynsley Lister
3 Marcus Bonfanti
Female Vocals Sponsored by Digital
Blues
1 Dani Wilde ®
2 Katie Bradley
3 Zoe Schwarz
Band Sponsored
by Tuesday Night
Music Club
1 The Nimmo
Brothers
2 The Hoax
3 Zoe Schwarz Blue
Commotion
Acoustic Sponsored by The Half
Moon, Putney
1 Ian Siegal ®
2 Marcus Bonfanti
3= Joel Fisk and
Jon Amor
3= Matt Woosey
Guitar Sponsored
by New
Crawdaddy Club
1 Aynsley Lister
2 Alan Nimmo
3 Chantel McGregor
Harmonica Sponsored by Wall to
Wall Blues
1 Paul Lamb
2 Will Wilde
3 Trevor Steger
Keyboards
Sponsored by
Sarah's Sussex
Blues
1 Paddy Milner ®
2 Steve Watts
3 Lee Spreadbury
Bass Sponsored by
The Blues and Soul Show
1 Norman Watt Roy
2 Lindsay Coulson
3 Roger Inniss
Drums Sponsored by The Blues and
Soul Show
1 Wayne Proctor
2 Sam Kely
3 Mark Barrett
Instrumentalist
Sponsored by Raven
and the Blues
1 Becky Tate ®
2 Sarah Skinner
3 Kyla Brox
Young Artist
Sponsored by Pablo and the
Blues
1 Laurence Jones
2 Alex Butler
3 Lucy Zirins
Festival Sponsored by Blues
and Roots Radio
1 Upton Blues Festival
2 Blues on the Farm
3 Great British
Rhythm and Blues
Festival Colne
Overseas
Artist
Sponsored by
Sunday Morning
Soul
1 Walter Trout ®
2 Kenny Wayne Shepherd
3 The Billy Walton Band
Independent Blues Broadcaster
Sponsored by The Blues Session
1 Dave Raven ®
2 Gary Grainger
3 Kevin Beale
Album Sponsored by
Sedgefield Rock and Blues
Club
1 Going Back Home - Wilko
Johnson and Roger Daltrey
2 Man and Guitar - Ian Siegal
3 Temperature Rising - Danny
Bryant
Song Sponsored by GMH
Promotions
1 Mud Honey - Joanne Shaw Taylor
2 Bitter Moon - Malaya Blue
3 Long Way To Heaven - Wily Bo
Walker and Kareña K
Barry Middleton Memorial Award
for Emerging Artist Sponsored by
Blues in Britain
1 Kaz Hawkins
2 Red Butler
3 Catfish
Kevin Thorpe Memorial
Award for Songwriter
Sponsored by Worthing
Pier
1 Katie Bradley and Dudley
Ross
(Jeff Daly/Invision/AP)
2 Matt Woosey (Jeff Daly/Invision/AP)
3 Trevor Sewell
Lifetime Achievement Award
Sponsored by Friday Night Blues with
Hugh Fee
Paul Dean New Crawdaddy Club
British Blues Great
Sponsored by Blues and
Roots PR
John Mayall
British Blues Great
Sponsored by Ian
McKenzie Presents
Chris Barber
Since 2010, the inaugural year
of the British Blues Awards,
Blues In The South has been the
proud sponsor of the Male
Vocalist category. This year, the
editor of BiTS, Ian McKenzie,
through the Facebook page Ian
McKenzie Presents, which
supports his blues radio shows
and BiTS, has sponsored one of
the
two
‘Blues
Greats’
categories and is delighted to say
that the award has been given to
Chris Barber OBE, a pioneer in
the introduction of jazz, blues
and gospel musicians to British
audiences,
For an outline of of Chris
Barber’s achievements see below
Page 3
BLUES GIGS: FROM EXMOUTH TO EASTBOURNE AND A BIT MORE BESIDES - OCTOBER
2015
01 PAPA GEORGE BAND AT THE FARNHAM MALTINGS
01 - 04 SWANAGE BLUES FESTIVAL - SWANAGE, DORSET - 18 INDOORS VENUES, 70 GIGS, JAMS AND OPEN MICS 02 CHICAGO 9 RHYTHM & BLUES BAND @ THE RAILWAY INN STATION HILL BOTLEY SOUTHAMPTON SO30 2DN. FROM 9PM
02 RIVERSIDE BLUES BAND @ THE ANCHOR, 30 HIGH ST,SWANAGE BLUES FESTIVAL BH19 2NU (9.45PM - LATE)
02 PETE HARRIS R&B ALL STARS @ THE LEGION, HIGH ST. SWANAGE 8.30
02 ZOE SCHWARZ BLUE COMMOTION AT THE GRAND HOTEL, SWANAGE BLUES FEST 8:30PM
03 STAN'S BLUES JAMBOREE @ THE LEGION, 152 HIGH ST, SWANAGE BLUES FESTIVAL BH19 2PA 1PM - 7PM
03 PETE HARRIS R&B ALL STARS @ EAST BAR, HIGH ST. SWANAGE 12.30PM
04 RIVERSIDE BLUES BAND @ THE CROW'S NEST, 11 ULWELL RD, SWANAGE BLUES FESTIVAL BH191LE 4.30PM - 6.30PM
04 PETE HARRIS R&B ALL STARS @ THE GRAND HOTEL, SWANAGE 2.30PM
05 BOOGIE WOOGIE CLUB @ STURMINSTER NEWTON, ROYAL BRITISH LEGION, DT10 1DU
05 AYNSLEY LISTER (DUO) @ SOUTH HILL PARK ARTS CENTRE
06 BOB HALL AND HILLARY BLYTHE @
THE MINERS ARMS, 6 MYTCHETT ROAD, MYTCHETT, CAMBERLEY,
SURREY. GU16 6EZ
06 STAN'S BLUES JAM @ THE THOMAS TRIPP, 10 WICK LANE, CHRISTCHURCH BH23 1HX
08 JOSIE LLOYD @ MARITIME INN, KING STREET, BRIXHAM, TQ5 9AH
BLUES
08 JOHN EMIL @ PLATFORM TAVERN SOUTHAMPTON
R A D IO
08 ROBIN BIBI BAND AT THE FARNHAM MALTINGS
LISTIN
08 THE BRIXHAM BLUES SECOND THURSDAY (BBT2) @ MARITIME INN, KING STREET, BRIXHAM,
GS
09 JOHN EMIL @ THE BELLE VUE HIGH WYCOMBE
09 STEAMER @ THE STAG HOTEL, 69 HIGH STREET, LYNDHURST
09 BOOGALOO PROMOTIONS IOW BLUES WEEKEND - NORTON GRANGE
10 CATFISH BLUES BAND @ BASINGSTOKE BLUES CLUB
10 PETE HARRIS, JERADINE HUME, JON VAUGHAN @ THE RISING SUN, BRIDGE ST. WINCHESTER SO23 0HL
10 - 11 BEER BLUES FESTIVAL, BEER, DEVON
10 - 12 BOOGALOO
PROMOTIONS IOW BLUES WEEKEND - NORTON GRANGE
11 JOHN EMIL @ WINCHESTER GATE, SALISBURY
12 BLUES AT THE BRIDGE @ THE BRIDGE INN, TOPSHAM, OPEN MIC: ACOUSTIC ONLY. START 8.15 CLOSE 10:30. FREE FOR ALL
13 RAG MAMA RAG @ RINGWOOD FOLK CLUB, THE ELM TREE INN HIGHTOWN, RINGWOOD,HANTS, BH243DY.
14 BILL KIRCHEN BAND @ THE GLOBE HOTEL TOPSHAM £14 01392
14 RAG MAMA RAG , COUNTRY BLUES DUO, CHEESE AND GRAIN CAFE, FROME, BA11 1BE
15 CHICAGO 9 RHYTHM & BLUES BAND @
THE PLATFORM TAVERN TOWN QUAY SOUTHAMPTON SO14 2NY. 9PM
15 PETE HARRIS, JERADINE HUME, JON VAUGHAN @ THE RISING SUN, WARSASH SO31 9FT
15 ZOE SCHWARZ BLUE COMMOTION AT THE FARNHAM MALTINGS
16 THIRD FRIDAY BLUES @ SOUTH STREET ARTS CENTRE READING RG1 4QU PRESENTS: THE BLUES DUO SUPPORTED BY LEWIS COHEN
- DOORS @ 8PM BOX OFFICE 0118 9606060
16 THE PETE HARRIS R&B ALL STARS @ THE HORSE AND JOCKEY, BOTLEY RD. CURBRIDGE SO30 2HB
16 JUNKYARD ANGELS @ THE SHIP AGROUND MINEHEAD
17 PETE HARRIS, JERADINE HUME, JON VAUGHAN @ THE SHAKESPEARE, HENRY ST. TOTTERDOWN, BRISTOL BS3 4UD
17 RAG MAMA RAG @
THE SWAN, WEDMORE, CHEDDAR RD, WEDMORE, SOMERSET BS28 4EQ.TEL:01934 710334
18 FROME, FROME BLUES FESTIVAL
18 PETE HARRIS, JERADINE HUME, JON VAUGHAN @ THE STAR AND DOVE, 75-78 SAINT LUKE'S RD. BRISTOL BS3 4RY
4-6.30 PM
18 RAG MAMA RAG COUNTRY BLUES DUO. FEATURED ON PAUL JONES BBC RADIO 2 PROGRAMME @ THE BELL, WALCOT ST., BATH,
21 STAN'S BLUES JAM @ THE WATERFRONT, SHAMROCK QUAY, SOUTHAMPTON SO14 5QL
22 PETE HARRIS, JERADINE HUME @ THE PLATFORM TAVERN, TOWN QUAY, SOUTHAMPTON.
22 THE BLUES 'SUPER GROUP' AT THE FARNHAM MALTINGS
23 PETE HARRIS AND JERADINE HUME @ THE DANCING MAN, TOWN QUAY, SOUTHAMPTON 6-8PM
23 RIVERSIDE BLUES BAND @ THE NETLEY VICTORIA, NETLEY ABBEY, NR SOUTHAMPTON SO31 5DG 8.30PM - 11.00PM
25 PETE HARRIS AND JERADINE HUME @ THE MONKEY HOUSE, SOUTHAMPTON RD. LYMINGTON
27 RAG MAMA RAG COUNTRY BLUES DUO. @ DARTFORD FOLK CLUB, DARTFORD WORKING MENS CLUB, ESSEX RD. DARTFORD
28 JOE BONNAMASSA @ BOURNEMOUTH BIC
28 STAN'S BLUES JAM 2 @ THE OWL'S NEST, 196 CHRISTCHURCH ROAD, WEST PARLEY, FERNDOWN, BOURNEMOUTH BH22 8SS FREE
ENTRY
29 CHRIS SMITHER @ THE MATTHEWS HALL TOPSHAM £17 A/A
29 STEVIE NIMMO TRIO AT THE FARNHAM MALTINGS
30 JOE BONAMASSA @ BRIGHTON CENTRE
30 PETE HARRIS. JERADINE HUME, JON VAUGHAN @ WOOLSTON COMMUNITY CENTRE, CHURCH RD. WOOLSTON, SOUTHAMPTON SO19 9FU
30 RAG MAMA RAG COUNTRY BLUES DUO. @ BILLINGSHURST COMMUNITY CENTRE, ROMAN WAY, BILLINGSHURST, WEST SUSSEX, RH14 9QW
31 CATFISH BLUES BAND @ THE RANELAGH, BRIGHTON
31 JOE BONAMASSA @ BRIGHTON CENTRE
31 PETE HARRIS, JERADINE HUME, JON VAUGHAN @ THE ROEBUCK INN DROXFORD RD. WICKHAM PO17 5AY
Listings are provided as a guide only. Don’t forget to check the venue before you leave home to ensure that the gig is still on. The listing here is far from complete, so
check out www.bluesinthesouth.com too as that is updated all the time: LAST DATE FOR NOVEMBER 2015 is 10th OCTOBER 2015
Chris Barber:
Blues Great - BBA 201i5
Donald Christopher "Chris" Barber was born in Welwyn Garden City on 17 April 1930. By his
twenties he was an accomplished trombone player, following his love of New Orleans based
'Dixieland' jazz. Barber also doubled on string bass. For all of his professional life Chris has sought
to promote not only his jazz, but also blues and gospel music both of which he sees as an integral
part of the American jazz tradition. As well as scoring a UK top twenty jazz hit, he helped the
careers of many musicians, notably the blues singer Ottilie Patterson, who was at one time his wife,
and vocalist/banjoist Lonnie Donegan, whose appearances with Barber triggered the skiffle craze of
the mid-1950s . The group had a transatlantic hit with a tune based on a Lead Belly song, "Rock
Island Line", with Beryl Bryden on washboard..
Barber played bass (which he had studied alongside the trombone at the Guild Hall School Of
Music) in the skiffle group which was fronted by Donegan. The group started a movement which
took hundreds of thousands of young people by the ears and saw hundreds of skiffle groups spring
up all over the nation, performing blues songs by artists such as Lead Belly, Leroy Carr, and Josh
White, gospel songs by the likes of Rosetta Tharpe and Thomas A. Dorsey and blues tinged country
music. The movement was largely amateur but did see a number of professional bands such as The
Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group, Johnny Duncan and the Bluegrass Boys and The Vipers with Wally
Whyton,
Many British musicians began their careers playing skiffle in this period, and some became
leading figures in their respective fields. These include leading
Northern Irish musician Sir Van Morrison and British blues
pioneer Alexis Korner, as well as Ronnie Wood, Alex
Harvey, and Mick Jagger; folk musicians Martin Carthy,
John Renbourn, and Ashley Hutchings; rock musicians
Roger Daltrey, Jimmy Page, Ritchie Blackmore, Robin
Trower, and David Gilmour. The Beatles developed from
John Lennon's skiffle group The Quarrymen. Barber
provided an audience for Donegan and, later, for Alexis
Korner making Chris a significant figure in the British
rhythm and blues and "beat boom" of the 1960s. But
more was to come.
The late 1950s and early 1960s saw Barber
as the principal organiser of the first UK tours
of blues artists Big Bill Broonzy, Sonny Terry
& Brownie McGhee and Muddy Waters with
Otis Spann. This, with the encouragement of
local enthusiasts such as Alexis Korner and
John Mayall, sparked young musicians such
as Peter Green, Eric Clapton and the Rolling
Stones into playing blues music for
themselves.. Barber was instrumental
in introducing to British audiences, Brother
John Sellars, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sonny Boy
Williamson II (Rice Miller), Howling Wolf
with Hubert Sumlin. and Jesse Fuller.
Barber took British jazz and blues (in the form of Ottilie Patterson's remarkable ‘authentic’
delivery), to the USA, wowing audiences at Muddy Waters’ club in Chicago and appearing on the
Ed Sullivan Show.
With Harold Pendleton, Chris Barber was the founder of The Marquee in London, one of the
leading music venues in the country. Barber’s recent autobiography, in which he describes
meetings and musical experiences with dozens of top-flight musicians in the fields of jazz, blues and
gospel music, is titled “Jazz Me Blues’. He continues to play regularly in the Big Chris Barber
Band. Over the years he has amassed a prodigious collection of original 78 rpm blues and jazz
records. In 1991 he was awarded the OBE. He is also an honorary citizen of New Orleans.
mith
The BiTS INTERVIEW: Erja Lyytinen
Spo
n so r
ed
en
by W
dy S
Erja Lyytinen lives in Helsinki with her husband Davide Floreno, who is the rhythm guitarist in her band. She
is the mother of twins born in 2014. She is about to start another major tour of the UK and northern Europe,
Ian McKenzie spoke to her in her home
First of all how did you get into music in the first place? I gather you were about 15 when you started playing the
guitar.
Yes – well I grew up in a musical family. Both of my parents are musicians, and for me it was very natural that both
women and men do the music. My mother was a bass player – and still can
play the bass and my father plays guitar and they both sang in the band they had
together. So for me it was always like – there was always music around me.
My father was always playing the guitar. And I remember I was something like
three years old and he was doing this melody – I mean the harmony – playing
chords with the guitar and suddenly I just started to sing on top of that. I made
my own lyrics and my own melody. I remember there was this deep emotion I
felt then and I remember that I really, really enjoyed doing that. I was already
hooked into music. There was a kind of chord in my body.
So at three or four years old you were making up your own lyrics. Is that
right?
Yes, that's it. But I guess children are like that. They want to come up with
new things all the time.
So how did you get into the Blues then eventually, Erja?
Well – I was around eighteen or nineteen and I really felt 'blue' – something
going on in my life back then. And I had this urge to do something with the
music. I'd been operating in the music field – like you said – since I was 15.
But maybe it was something about growing up and something with relationships and everything going on – and Blues
kind of found me in a way.
I remember, I saw this Ray Charles music video – back then we watched VHS (laughs) and so I saw him doing the
'Georgia on My Mind' film and my skin went all goose-bumps – and I was like 'Wow – this is it. I wanna play the
Blues!' I felt free.
Erja Lyytinen
And then what got you into playing slide stuff and the Elmore James bits and pieces?
Well, that came little by little, actually. I got fascinated with slide play – and I remember I saw somebody playing
with a coffee mug, when I was sixteen years old and I was outside his High School. And I thought 'Wow – he makes
nice sounds on the guitar.' You know it was a very bohemian High School, back in Kuopio where I was born.
Actually I was fifteen then. I had just got interested in playing the guitar and I saw these guys doing the slide thing
and I thought 'Wow – that's kinda cool!'
It took me a couple of years and then I was playing in this music room –a classroom and I saw a slide tube lying
there on the table. I didn't know who it belonged to – so I was kind of drawn. I tried it out. I was 'Ooh – I'm gonna
try this thing.' I had a teacher back then and he was kind enough to say to me – he was very honest. He said 'OK, I
don't know how to play the slide, but I can give you some instructions.' You know – the programme teacher giving
me some instructions how to move the strings to get the tone out, but that was it, actually.
So later on I started research on the slide, so to speak, and I started to hear different artists. And one of the biggest
artists for myself has been a lady called Bonnie Raitt. She plays the slide guitar and one of my friends brought her
cassette to me and said 'You should hear this lady do this thing' I was like 'Wow – this is amazing!' So I was covering
some of her songs and I started to listen later on to some of these old Blues slide guitar players, like Elmore James and
Muddy Waters.
I guess I was already about 23 – 22, something like that. Then little by little I started to play more slide.
And sometime around then you did a degree of some kind in music. Is that right?
Yes, yes – yes. My band makes fun of me, saying that I'm probably the most educated Blues musician in Europe!
(Both laugh)
There's nothing wrong with that, believe me.
No, no – I know, but usually in the Blues field people aren't educated. It's even considered as a bad mark – in a way.
But for me it was always like that. I thought about – when I was 18, 'OK now what do I want to do in my life? I
wanna play. I wanna learn playing different music styles and I want to learn to play guitar as best as I can.'
So then I thought about 'OK – I'm gonna apply to school. The government will give me student money. It will
help me to do my thing and at the same time I'm able to do my thing.' You know – if I go to another school or go to
work, I'm not attached. I might have to do something else instead of music. So I thought it was better to do music
100%. And back then I didn't have a chance to go just for touring for 200 gigs per year. That wasn't an option. We
had some gigs back there in the 90s – but no Blues gigs. There weren't so many Blues gigs happening back then.
(Laughs) Nowadays I think the circuit is so much bigger and so much wider and
interested
in helping a lot.
So yes – I went to different schools. First I was studying in my home city.
Then I got bored and I moved to Sweden. I met a lot of nice people there, and
had great teachers there. Then I was studying a little bit in Helsinki. For
three years I went to Sibelius Akademin. Then I had a chance to do a student
deal in Los Angeles Musicians Institute. Then I also studied in Copenhagen
Rytmic Musikkonservatorium. So I've been around in those places and I
would say I've been studying maybe more than a decade in the schools. I
finally got my Masters – Music Masters Degree in 2010 and I wrote a musical
thesis on Son House's music, so I was already - oh I was always concentrating
on what I really wanted to do in the schools. So I didn't really listen to what
familiarises music. You know – which composer (laughs) I had to listen to this
stuff of course, but for me it was always Son House and Blues and guitar playing.
I guess the work you did on Son House is in Finnish. Is that right? I'm sure it must be.
It is in Finnish. I'm sorry! But I've thought that maybe someday I will try to translate it into English. That would be
fun, and go back to my studies. No, no (both laugh). Maybe I will just take it and give it somebody who can translate
it for me. You are not the first one who has asked to be able to read it. But you know – it's a thesis, and I'm pretty sure
there are lots of mistakes in it ... but that was the last thing I needed to do to get my Degree – and I'm really happy
that I did it, because nowadays I have an academic education , but I'm also very educated on 'The Road School', so to
speak. I've been touring a lot in different places, all over the world.
I haven't been to Australia yet. I need to go to Australia and Japan. (Both laugh) I want to go to those places –
please! (Laughs)
Talking of places that you visited, can I take you back to the album that you did
with Aynsley Lister and Ian Parker. When you went to Mississippi and you did
some work with Junior Kimbrough's sons, I believe, and some other stuff there.
What was that like?
To be in Mississippi and do some music! Well back then – actually that was
exactly ten years ago – when I met Thomas Ruf from Ruf Records and he took
me to New Orleans with these British gentlemen and we had a chance to record
in Memphis Ardent Studios – with Jim Gaines, who had been producing albums
for Albert Collins and Stevie Ray Vaughan.. Then we did some stuff in
Mississippi with Jimbo Mathus.
It was a huge experience for me. I had been hanging in a clean classroom in
Helsinki in Sibelius Akademin – and then suddenly I was there in Mississippi in
an old rotten hotel – which was due to be demolished very soon. And there I was
in a very ugly – in a toilet, sitting there, seeing those cockroaches everywhere.
And you know – aagh! It was a different experience, which particularly opened
my eyes in many ways – for I didn't realise it until I had the experience – how
poor it was there in Mississippi. In Clarksdale - I'm talking about Clarksdale –
really, really poor. Poorest places we saw. But then again, I saw a lot of legendary places like Ground Zero. And we
went to this Blues Museum to see Muddy Waters' old shack (laughs).
I do know Clarksdale. I have friends that live in Clarksdale and I've visited there a couple of times. Nice – I like it
very much round there. Let me ask you – was the experience for you like it was for me the first time I went to
Mississippi? I've been a lover of the Blues since I was about thirteen or fourteen and – it was like coming home!
It was unbelievable, seeing – actually visiting some of these places that had just been names in books and that sort of
thing.
I know – it was kind of a thing that you'd been just reading about and for me – I'd always been listening to American
music. I'd been listening to American black music – so for me it was a really big thing. I couldn't understand that I
was standing there where - We stayed at the Hopson Plantation, which is an old - nowadays it's like a hotel – a kind
of a motel. You have your own share-croppers' house where you can stay, and there's Blues playing.
So there were all these tape recorders playing Blues music and for me it was – I can still remember that feeling in
there – that heat, and the silence – kind of the pressure of the heat. And then all these little boxes making the noise
everywhere, and then the Blues playing everywhere. So – just living a huge experience.
And I remember, one of the mornings we woke up really early to get some promotional photos. We went to the
cotton fields and we stood there in the cotton fields – and you know cotton, when you pick it, it's rough on the hands.
So I could just imagine all the work that was going on there. Hundreds of years and the slaves were – they had to do
this – they had to work for white people.
There's a fabulous photograph of the three of you on the front of the album with a bottle-tree in the background!
Yes – that's right. That was on the Hopson Plantation.
I
believe you're coming back on tour to the UK at the end of the year. Is that right – October or
thereabouts?
Yes that's it. We're going to come there. We have the first show on 2nd October in Darlington
Blues Club. And the last one – if I recall right - is Frome Blues Festival? The 18th. So it's almost
3 weeks of touring UK.
How did you enjoy your recent tour of the UK? Mostly, I think, around London – but how did it
go?
We did some shows in June – we had some Summer Festivals, and that
brilliant,
really nice. We played Lincoln and then a couple of other
festif
festivals up North and they were very great… in England in the
summer time. It's nice – and I really enjoy coming to the UK
year after year.
Last year we recorded 'Live in
London' DVD at the 100 Club in
Oxford Street and that was a really
nice night. We got this great DVD
out of it and it's been going really
well. We were actually Chart
Number 1 at the IBBA charts in June.
I have to tell you before you go any further that I'm the honorary secretary of the IBBA and I was one of the people
who voted for your record.
Thank you Ian! I am very happy to know that – that is lovely. And I'm so, so, so honoured to be Number 1 in the
monthly playlist. That's amazing. That really feels great.
I'm sure it won't be for the last time.
I hope so. You know, I'm already planning my next CD.
I was about to say that to you. Are you planning to go back into the studio again?
Yes – we're actually going to do that in August. I have a lot of songs already written down, and I have some of the
songs I've already tried and played on the tour during this year. They've been going down very well. So I'm going to
try those songs also in the UK in October. So there's going to be a lot of new stuff. And some of the older stuff as
well.
IM:Does it have a title yet – the album?
(Laughs) No. But there's quite a lot of nice catchy titles in the songs, so I might use some of them.
Do you tend to go into the studio with the songs already written? There are any number of people that I've talked to
over the years who tend to go into the studio with nothing and do it whilst they're there.
It depends. I usually have more than a dozen songs I've written down and I have a good production demo out of it. I
like to make demos with music software. Then usually we do a band demo with my own band as well – and then we
go in the studio and cut the songs. And now we have a benefit that we've been playing the songs beforehand in the
shows as well. I think it always makes the song – in a way it makes it a bit stronger.
But sometimes you go to the studio and you think 'OK – this just doesn't work. Let's change this song.' We did
some of these things with 'The Sky is Crying'. That was released last year – the trip with Elmore James. There's a
song which kind of suits very well with this moment I'm doing right now – moving the house. There's a song called
'Got To Move' (Said with feeling – Ian laughs.) And my previous band – Roger Innis and Miri Miettinen – they were
doing this groove in the studio and I thought 'Oh – that sounds pretty cool.' And I started to sing on top of that – and
made the lyrics of 'Got to Move.'
Well I shall look forward to that.
Yes – I know and the lyric is quite - it's like (with feeling) 'OK – I can't BE with you anymore. You have to GET
OUT of here.' I think it's good. It suits so well nowadays. There's a lot of Elmore James's songs that really work
brilliantly for today. There's this song called 'Person to Person' which is – it just nails it. You know – nowadays
we're just talking on the phones and – I mean we're using the i-phones and we use the Messengers and Facebook and
everything. But we should be present when we want to be with somebody.
Wonderful. Can we talk guitars for a minute? How many guitars do you own?
Errr….Twenty? (Ian laughs) Something like twenty? Quite a lot! (Laughs).
And do you have a favourite amongst them?
Well – there is one guitar of above all of them, and that's my Blue Metal
Flake G & L guitar.
Yes – the one I've seen in many photographs.
Yes – that's my slide guitar and I play in open tunings
with that one.
Have you had any thoughts of doing some acoustic stuff
on the new album?
I have some songs that might work great acoustically –
so why not?
That seems like a good point to stop. Thanks so much.
Thank you Ian, Bye…
Erja is a young lady on a mission, a mission to
educate her fans and anyone who will listen in the
wonders of classic slide playing. Her fire is infectious
and where ever she goes she impresses with her skill, knowledge and enthusiasm. BiTS wishes her
the very best of luck in her endeavours.
BiTS SPECIAL: INTRODUCING AL GRIGG:
American Troubador
In August Al Grigg completed a 28 day tour in the UK and Ireland presenting his one man show “All Roads
Lead From Memphis” a work in words and song, seeking to provide an insight to listeners, of the pervasive
influence of music from that key city in the development of popular music of all kinds. Al is returning to the
UK in January mostly to new venues to deliver his outstanding show which includes some of his own songs.
Among other places he is booked to appear at the Platform Tavern in Southampton on JANUARY 14, 2016.
Ian McKenzie spoke to him about his show and his music.
One of your own songs is called 'I Ain't Gonna be Your Meal Ticket No More' It’s my favourite on your CD, Blues
And Other Things. How did you come to write it?
I was listening a lot to B.B. King and I wanted to write a song
in a B.B. King style. So I started experimenting with the
chords and then one day I was on the telephone talking to
somebody and I just got the thought 'I'm not going to be your
meal ticket any more.' And then – the whole song just kind of
wrote itself after that (laughs).
I write songs all the time. I have a large catalogue and
several other CDs that I put out with my other bands and
things. Yeah – I write a lot.
Quite a lot of what you do for yourself is kind of riff-based.
Do you find the guitar part first and then add the words, or do
the words come to you first?
It depends. It just depends upon the song. If I have a specific
genre in mind like - I wrote a song in a Chuck Berry style and
so there, I work on the music sometimes first – and then the
words come along afterwards. It just depends upon the song.
How did you get into music in the first place? When did you
start playing the guitar, for example?
Well – actually I've been playing music since I was six years
old. My parents started me taking piano lessons when I was
six, and I've been playing music ever since. I played trumpet –
I started playing guitar when I was about twelve, because I
realised that the piano was too hard to bring to the beach, and
the trumpet was never going to get me to be in a band.
(Laughing) So the guitar and singing was going to make me be more mobile and have more of a chance of some
success in playing, so that's why I started playing guitar.
So where were you born and bred, then?
I was born in New Jersey and kind of raised in the North East New York City area and kind of grew up with that – I
lived in Pennsylvania for a while, but basically the North East area is where I'm from.
How old were you when you started playing in a band?
In a band? I started when I was twelve years old. We were in 7th Grade – in Junior High School and, interestingly
when I started playing – there were three other guys that I played with - we had a four-piece band. But back then the
schools had school dances and they actually paid musicians. So the first time – this was 1966 – my band, four of us,
we played a Junior High dance. We made 60 dollars! That was a lot of money back then for a bunch of twelve and
thirteen year olds! So I started a long time ago, and I realised that – Hmm! This is a lot of fun (laughing) actually!
So you've been playing for a long time now, but how long ago is it that you turned professional musician?
I started playing, probably 100 shows a year consistently, starting about 1973 or so – after I got out of High School.
I was in Music School – I went to University for music – but they weren't teaching me what I wanted. I wanted more
performance based and there they were teaching chorale writing and things like that. Which was nice, but it wasn't
what I wanted, so I left – and started playing almost 100 shows a year after that.
At the moment you're on a tour in the UK. Tell me about the background to the tour and the rationale for the show
that you present.
Well the tour – I just had an opportunity to get out. I had a CD – a brand new CD that I put out and distributed to a
number of Radio Stations in Europe, and I started
getting a lot of interest in hearing me play. So I started
booking a tour and the show kind of gelled because the
CD – the Blues part of the CD, was themed around
Memphis. And again – I wrote a song in an Albert King
style, I wrote one in B.B. King style, so it was just
obvious to extend and put a whole show together about
Memphis and the influences. I researched it and it was a
lot of fun, actually.
And what sort of things do you do during the course of the show?
Well I do what I consider to be the background music that would have been heard in Memphis. A lot of the R & B and
Country music from the late 1940s that would have been heard in Memphis and would have inspired the initial round
of the Memphis artists – such as Ike Turner and Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash. And then I go into what I call the roots
of the Memphis – the first wave of the Memphis sound, where they started really gelling in Rock-a-billy. And B.B.
King's first Number 1 came out in 1952, so they all started gelling around the early 50s. And then I just morph into
the second – what I call the second wave, which started with Stax Records. I researched it and the show just kind of
all fell together after that.
When you play, you play in a number of different styles. How do you go about learning different styles?
(Laughing) A lot of practice! You know, one thing that made it relatively easy to learn different styles is – you know
when I play Luther Perkins for example, I spend a lot of time learning to play exactly as Luther Perkins played. So
I'm not making things up – I'm learning. But then you have to learn the technique – you know, Luther Perkins used
his hand a lot to deaden strings and stuff so it's just a matter of time and listening to and playing it over and over and
over and over again. I play 24 hours a day! (Laughs) I play all the time – right? I will take my guitar out – even on
this tour, if I have some time off, I'm driving around ... I'm in Lands End, for example, I'm just walking around, so I
get my guitar out and I sit on a bench by the beach – just get inspired looking at the Scilly Islands, and I just play for
an hour or so. I'm always working.
Do you attract crowds when you do that?
Sure I do. Sometimes people give me money – they think I'm busking. I'm just sitting rehearsing. I had a Starbucks
cup. I was drinking Starbucks and a lady came by and dropped two pounds in my Starbucks cup. (Laughing) There
was coffee in there still! I did fish it out though – and I drank the coffee.
Over the years you've been performing in public for a long time. What's the best thing that's ever happened to you
performing?
That I still can perform. That I'm still out playing in front of people. That's still – every show I go to, even places that
I play on a regular basis – it's always new to me. There's always new people. It's always fresh. That's the best thing
that's ever happened to me. I'm still fresh and I still love it and it's never boring.
What about an event that's happened to you – some event that you would put in the 'terrific' class?
Well I guess in the 'terrific' class is – I played in the early 80s in a Doo-wop band – a very good Doo-wop band, and
one day we got very lucky and we met this promoter who ran all these shows. We got very lucky and he invited us to
play one of his shows – to open for the Platters and the Drifters. And he liked us so much he booked us for all of his
shows. So we had a whole string in the early 80s of – I mean I played with everybody – Johnny Maestro and the
Brooklyn Bridge, the Platters, the Five Satins, the Drifters, the Del-Vikings. You name it – I played with all the
greats. And meeting all these people who were just legends – and playing on stage with them and having Tony
Williams come back to us after we played at Asbury Park Convention Hall and said 'You know, you guys are really
good.' That was really special!
OK – following that then – what's the worst thing that's
ever happened to you as a professional musician?
The worst thing that's happened to me is – oh – this is
a funny story! I learned a lot from this too. We had an
agent one time – this is when I played in the Doo-wop
band. We were Italians, and we had an agent who
booked us as a five-piece Irish band – on St Patrick's
Day – in a Polish Moose Club in Hackensack New
Jersey. And we started playing and they kept asking
for Irish songs. We told them 'We don't know any Irish
music.' And we didn't! And this lady comes up to us
after the first break and says, 'You know you're the
worst fucking Irish band I've ever heard!'
But the funny thing about that – and what I learned about that was – people in the crowd said 'Can we come up
and play?' So we said 'Sure!' We let them play our instruments – they played the rest of the night. We sat and drank
beer and ate all their corned beef and cabbage. They loved us. They had us back the next year! So it was really a
disaster, but we turned it into a fun thing.
That's terrific! So – what are your plans for the immediate future?
Well – I'm finishing up here in the UK – today I drive up to Cardiff. This tour – and then I go to Paris and I finish on
August 14th, fly back to the States and then for my US-based band, August 15th we have shows. We start our Fall
season, and I play four or five nights a week, starting August 15th in the US – all the way until the end of November
and then I head to Korea and Japan.
You are coming back to the UK next year. Tell me something about the plans for that.
Yes I'm already booking January, so I'll be here – I already have dates in January in the UK. I'm playing up in
Yorkshire. I'll be back along the coast in Cornwall and Dorset. And somewhere around January 15th/16th I'll be
back in Ireland again – and that's a little small window in between my Spring season for my US band which starts in
February.
Yeah – I'm definitely coming back. I played with a great band here too, called The Darwins, in Wimborne
Minster. They were really good, and I'm thinking of finding some other local bands to open for and to play with also.
I really like doing that. It's really a lot of fun.
Where do expect to be in, say, five years time, Al?
Five years time? – I expect to still be playing 200 days a year, wherever anybody wants to hear me play. Simple as
that. If I get lucky and move up to a higher range venue, that would be great, but if not I'm really happy as a
working-man musician too, so I'm happy.
Al Grigg is a solid professional singer and guitarist with lots of experience on stages big and small, in clubs,
and at private events and weddings. He is an excellent front man leading all kinds of bands from cover bands
to completely original music. He plays and sings all styles. Check out his current band’s website
www.thefinelineband.com The Fine Line already plays 120+ shows a year.
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JIM SINGLETON
8 O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON
Self Produced
A genuinely cool ten-track debut from PA-based guitarist Jim Singleton featuring some of his old buddies
in support roles and a mighty fine grasp of purpose, pace and variety.
Singleton clearly understands the need to move the music along while
also retaining a listener's interest by steadily varying both tempo and
pitch.
Kicking off with the wonderful peaen to self-indulgence, Peter Green's
'Rattlesnake Shake', he rips through two tracks by the late, great Irish
blueshound Rory Gallaher - 'What's Going On'; 'A Million Miles Away' and includes a couple of titles from modern master craftsman Bernie
Marsden, (Place In My Heart' & 'Here I Go Again') who also guests with
backing guitar and vocals on the album.
To give a feel for the surprising quality on this first-release, howling
Harp is provided by Grammy-winner and simply superb soul-searcher,
Charlie Musselwhite while Australia's Fiona Boyes provides vocals and fine fretwork along the way.
Include Gary Clark Jnr's thumping 'Don't Owe You A Thang' to the mix and the overall result is a
surprisingly mature debut release positively worth catching.
Iain Patience
RAB NOAKES
I'M WALKIN' HERE
Neon Records: CD0017
A wonderful double album from one of Scotland's true treasures and unsung musical heroes. Noakes
traces his musical pedigree way back into the heady sixties and as a
member of Stealers Wheel in the seventies worked alongside the late
Gerry Rafferty (Baker Street, with that fabulous Sax solo) and frequently
recorded and played with Rod Clements of Lindisfarne. With his feet
firmly rooted in the acoustic folk-roots tradition, he moves effortlessly
between genres, never rushing but always tastefully slip-sliding along.
'I'm Walkin' Here' is simply another of his excellently crafted releases, full
of pith and purpose.
With 26 tracks to choose from over two discs it's hard to single out any
one number. Noakes covers unexpected old movie standards like
'Buttons & Bows', moves through 'Bye, Bye Blackbird' and Cliff and the
Shadows' old chestnut 'Travelling Light' then also squeezes in some
wonderful John Hurt-style fretwork plus a cracking version of Elizabeth
Cotton's 'Freight Train', here played with sumptuous sensitivity and style.
For me, at least, Disc 2 is the better of the pair, though that's probably because of its slightly more bluesy
undertones rather than any genuine qualitative difference. Most of the material is written by Noakes who is
amply supported by Barbara Dickson and a host of other Scottish worthies.
What comes across most evidently with this release is that Noakes seems to be genuinely enjoying
himself; a relaxed, beautiful album that truly captures the spirit of roots music with a modern twist at times
and an artist at the very top of his form. Highly recommended.
www.rabnoakes.com
Iain Patience
BOB McCARTHY
TROUBLE IN MIND
Wandra Music/Records
A wonderful seven track disc from one of the USA's sadly lesser-known acoustic guitar pickers and
singer/songwriters. McCarthy has sure paid his dues as a pro-musician for
many decades, gigging and working with countless major figures including
Jorma Kaukonen, Pentangle, Tom Paxton, Roy Book Binder and many
more.
'Trouble In Mind' is a release featuring his strong fretwork and vocals with
some top-notch Harp-work from James Montgomery on the opening four
tracks which all originally figured on McCarthy's superb blues release of a
few years ago, 'Satisfied Mind' - one of my own personal favourite albums
and one I never tire of. The remaining three tracks are instrumentals from
his later equally excellent album 'Star Of The Sea'.
The title track gives way to Fred McDowell's 'You Gotta Move', slips into
WC Handy's old 'Atlanta Blues' before a delicious take on 'Sittin' On Top
Of The World' moves the disc onto McCarthy's three instrumentals, all
self-written, and echoing slide-work with pace and some light jazzy
chording at times. This is an album of positively top-quality acoustic blues from a sure-fired and sure-footed
master. Highly recommended without doubt.
www.bobmccarthy.net
Iain Patience
VARIOUS ARTISTS:
Motor City
Fantastic Voyage FVTD224)
Now it used to be that with the exception of Luther Allison’s albums and maybe one or two of saxman
Junior Walker’s tracks, the Tamla Motown label and its subsidiaries was
anathema for the average blues lover – and here’s this three CD set
subtitled “The Motown Vocal Group Sound”. Mind you, it does concentrate
on the early years (1959 to 1962) , and for me at least, it is something of
an eye-opener. You might be familiar with Barrett Strong (of ‘Money
(That’s What I Want)’ fame – it was Motown’s first hit, back in 1960, and
was often performed by John Lee Hooker) and much of this material is in a
similar vein, pounding rhythm and blues, with hints of the previous
decade’s doo-wop and rock and roll sounds still evident at times, though
the company was savvy enough to keep things modern as the occasional
traces of the likes of Sam Cooke and Ben E. King demonstrate. Listen
carefully and you can easily imagine the sharp suits and equally sharply
choreographed dancing and hand movements that you might expect from
names like The Miracles (yes, Smokey Robinson’s group), The Spinners
and The Temptations, though if you only know them from their music of the mid-60s onwards, you may not
recognise them here! And to Luther Allison and Junior Walker we can now add Alabama’s Singing Sammy
Ward, whose ‘Everybody Knew It But Me’ is a fine, raw blues performance.
Norman Darwen
BRAD WILSON
Blues Thunder
Cali Bee Music
California based singer and guitarist Brad had a fine and well-received album entitled "Hands On The
Wheel" a couple of years back for the European label Music Avenue/
Blues Boulevard - so I was certainly looking forward to this release. For
this CD he mixes some strong blues - try the fine shuffle of 'Step By Step
(which features some very appropriate harp work by Tumbleweed
Mooney), the Bo Diddley-styled 'Let's Go Barefootin' It', or 'Sugar Sweet',
a very original blues - with the laid-back California rock sound of the 70s
(surprisingly successfully – I wasn’t actually expecting it to work at all) or
he occasionally adds a hint of an Americana flavour. Then again,
sometimes he just goes for a good old vintage rock and roll approach, as
on 'Black Coffee At Sunrise'. It all makes for an album that is rather more
than a run of the mill blues-rock release, and one that is worth checking out, as long as you’re not a blues
purist!
Norman Darwen
(www.bradwilsonlive.com)
JAZZ ON A SUMMER’S DAY (DVD and CD)
Charly X 686
This film, recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1958, brought jazz out of smoky bars into the light, and in
colour too, as Fred Dellar’s very useful notes to this DVD and CD set
inform us. It is indeed a historic document and there is some relevant
content for this publication too: Chuck Berry’s presence may have been
controversial back then, but jazz festivals routinely present blues, R&B
and gospel acts these days, and it is good to see Chuck in his prime,
even if he is backed by jazzers such as Jack Teagarden and Buck
Clayton. It is strange to think that at the time of this performance,
‘Sweet Little Sixteen’ was itself a recent chart hit (and of course, two
years later Muddy Waters was to make his ground-breaking
appearance at the festival). Dinah Washington, sometimes known as
“the Queen Of The Blues” - a title she gave herself, though there is
some justification - was known primarily as a jazz artist, and she is in
that role here (even briefly playing vibes), unlike the mighty Big
Maybelle, whose massive, gritty roar is perfect for the R&B of ‘I Ain’t
Mad At You’ leading into Chuck Berry’s performance, which garners
rather more than polite applause. After further numbers from the Chico Hamilton Quintet and Louis Armstrong,
the film concludes with three items by Mahalia Jackson, the undisputed Queen Of Gospel, making for a
stunning final sequence. The film itself runs to 77 minutes and the extras on this DVD include biographies of
the artists and a documentary on the Festival and the making of the film itself. The CD contains the music
from the film and is worth a listen, particularly if your tastes stretch to all forms of jazz.
Norman Darwen
EUGENE HIDEAWAY BRIDGES
Hold On A Little Bit Longer
Armadillo ARMD 00036
New Orleans born Eugene “Hideaway” Bridges is always welcome, whether for his frequent UK gigs or his
excellent Armadillo CDs – here’s another, maintaining the high standard
we have come to expect from this amiable singer and guitarist. It is a fine
mixture of straight blues – listen to Eugene’s lovely BB King inflected
vocals on the up tempo ‘Love You In Every Way’ or especially the slower
‘Change Your Name’ - and vintage soul. Lend an ear to the opening track
‘One More Time’, where Eugene once again evokes the spirit and sound
of the late, great Sam Cooke. Then there is the excellent rocking
southern blues of ‘V8 Ford’ or the jumping blues of ‘Yesteryear Today
Tomorrow’, virtually an instrumental workout, followed by the Little
Johnny Taylor-ish ‘I Can’t Stand It. ‘Hold On A Little Bit Longer’ has UK
guitarist Mickey Moody adding some fine slide work to this wonderful
rocker. Eugene’s own guitar work is well in evidence throughout the set,
even on the 70s soul flavoured ‘Special Lady’ - he is an economical and
very effective player. And here’s my own guilty secrets confession, I’ve loved ‘Along The Navajo Trail’ ever
since my older brother had it on a HMV 45, way back when, the flip-side of Sam Cooke’s ‘Wonderful
World’; yes, I am aware that it wasn’t a critic’s favourite but I don’t care – I was into playing Cowboys and
Indians at the time! Eugene treats it as a rollicking big band blues… ‘Lost And Lookin’’ is a virtually a
cappella performance and a wonderful showcase for Eugene’s vocal prowess again – think of his work on
his album “Roots & Vines”. In fact, there isn’t a poor track on this richly varied album. At one time I was
afraid we might fall into the habit of taking Eugene for granted, but as long as he keeps making records like
this, that certainly won’t happen.
Norman Darwen
LEADFOOT RIVET
Southern Echos
Dixiferog
Alain ‘Leadfoot’ Rivet (pronounced REE Vay) is a French bluesman with many years of experience under
his belt. Over the years he has collaborated as a songwriter with Larry
Garner, Tom Principato, Neal Black, Fred Chapellier, the Mercy Band
and he has had as special guests on some of his past albums the likes
of Tommy Castro, Roy Rogers, Amos Garrett, Popa Chubby, Tom
Principato, John Mooney, Larry Garner, and many more. On this one the
special guest is Anson Funderburg adding some tasty guitar work to
“Highly Educated Fool”.
Monsieur Leadfoot sings in English without any discernable trace of a
French accent and has a voice that constantly reminds me of Waylon
Jennings. He is an accomplished harmonica player. He plays some very
nice resonator guitar and here has a fabulous band; Slim Batteux : organ
/ piano, Stan Noubard-Pacha : electric guitar, Jean-Paul Avellaneda :
acoustic & electric guitars,Stéphane Avellaneda : drums & percussion
Thomas Weirich : bass guitar / acoustic & electric guitars / mandolins /
slide guitar/ guitar sitar / mandocaster. Fifteen tracks here, of which the opener “The Bullfrog” is a stomper
with a catchy resonator riff (and solo) and a heavy, foot-banging beat. The structure of the song reminds
me of the ace songwriting of Gary Nicholson. There is an excellent cover of “He Ain’t Heavy (He’s My
Brother)”, “Damned Tourist” is a funky track, while “The Game of Love” is a countrified ballad with a nice
vocal backing. This album is strongly recommended!
Ian McKenzie
JOE LOUIS WALKER
Live in Istanbul
MVD Ent. Group MVD 75050
Audio: English PCM Stereo
Video: 16×9 color
This live concert DVD captures a legendary live performance (recorded in 1995) by Joe Louis Walker and
the Boss Talkers, The band consists of Joe Louis Walker – guitar, vocals;
Tom Rose – rhythm guitar; Mike Eppley – organ, electric piano; Tony
Saunders – bass; and Chris Nutall – drums.
Walker is an excellent guitar player, as all the best do, making some
technically difficult licks look simple. The band is seriously funky and quite
clearly enjoyed themselves a great deal. The opener “Can’t Get You Out
of My Mind” sees Walker delivering a vocal that shows his roots in soul
and gospel and an comes with an outstanding guitar solo. There follow
nine more tunes, with the band taking some occasional vocal duties too.
The outstanding track is “Bluesifyin’” which opens with some stunningly
good, effect laden, slide work. All in all, the music and the sound is
excellent, the problem is with the quality of the DVD image. Remember
that this gig was recorded 20 years ago. It is surprising how quickly we
have got used to HD quality in our screen displays. This one is about as
far away from HD is it is possible to go. The camera work is fine but the
image is fuzzy and of very poor quality, which is a shame! ‘Cause the
music is great.
Ian McKenzie
C
CLARE FREE
Sniper Fire
Single (itunes , CD Baby and all major download sites)
This is the first time ever, that BiTS has reviewed a single and the reason for that will become clear as you
read on. Clare Free is best known for fronting her own band, featured on
three albums including the excellent ‘Dust And Bones’, and for being the
power behind own PR company Outlaw PR. Clare is an accomplished
guitar player and songwriter. At the moment she is “working at home” as
she is expecting a baby in December. She has not been wasting her
time, for she has settled down with some electronic gizmos and, with a
bit ‘sampling’ and a lot of clever manipulation, has put together a
delightful melange of sounds and music. With clips of audio taken from
various NASA launches, samples of bass and rhythm manipulated in
loops, with her own vocals and axe work mixed in on top, Clare has
produced a piece of contemporary mix of music (a song about ‘putting
the ‘other woman’ in her place’) that is IMHO a match for MC Hammer or
Dr Dre and many others. Why is this important?
Well, for some time now I have been hearing voices complaining that
some new direction in blues music is required. Some, only partly successful efforts, like the mixing of blues
and rap by Guy Davis and by Chris Thomas King were pretty much ignored by the ‘blues community’. I
think the sort of thing that Clare has done here could be the future direction. I am really looking forward to
hearing more from, ‘MC Free’. Now that does have a nice ring to it, doesn’t it!
Ian McKenzie
ESSENTIALS: ALL THE STUFF YOU NEED TO KNOW
The poster above reflects the result of the UK Blues selection process to find a band or artist to
represent the UK in the next European Blues Challenge.
A selection panel created by UKBlues formed of nearly 200 musicians, writers, promoters, venues, festivals,
radio presenters, PR/promotions, agents, record labels, and fans, including all UK Active Members of the
European Blues Union (EBU) and representatives of the UK’s previous European Blues Challenge (EBC)
contestants has chosen four artists to compete in the latest UK Blues Challenge.
The top four acts available to compete have been invited to take part in the UK Blues Challenge, which is
being jointly promoted by EBU Active Member Pete Feenstra and UKBlues and which will take place on
Saturday 24th October 2015 at the Boom Boom Club in Sutton in front of a panel of judges drawn from within
the blues community, but who, for obvious reasons, will remain confidential until after the Challenge.
The acts are:
·
·
·
·
Malaya Blue
Red Butler
The Brothers Groove
The Katie Bradley Band
BiTS congratulates the acts on their selection to take part in the UK Blues Challenge.
The panel of judges will be selected by UKBlues and Pete Feenstra, the co-promoter, and they will use the
same criteria to award points to the contestants as is used at the EBC.
The winner of the UK Blues challenge will represent the UK at the 6th European Blues Challenge, organised
by the EBU, and which will take place in Torrita di Siena, Italy on 7-8-9th April 2016.
Solid Entertainments and John Fowler Holidays are looking forward to welcoming music lovers to the second Blues, Rhythm &
Rock Festival in Ilfracombe, on the 13th 14th and 15th November 2015.
With Corky Laing, Connie Lush & Blues Shouter and The Blockheads headlining and an awesome mix of 16 other renowned and
cutting edge artists, its going to be a knockout weekend of great music, good times and fond memories!
With accommodation for the weekend included in the price and being just a short walk away from the music, no one need worry
about booking a taxi for the trip home or to a hotel at the end of each night. With free car parking for the weekend, there is no hassle
about where the leave the car.................so whether you’re local to North Devon, travelling from the other side of the country or
overseas to be at the festival, you’ll only have to focus on the music and rocking the nights away!
There is still time to plan, book and enjoy a weekend break in a beautiful part of the country, with three days of live music and three
night accommodation for just £119 per person!
Tickets can be purchased by calling 01472 349 222 or going online at http://www.ilfracombebluesfestival.co.uk/tickets.html
To find out more about the festival and artists, please visit http://www.ilfracombebluesfestival.co.uk/index.html
The following guitar artists and bands will be touring the UK from August 2015 until January 201
CHANTEL McGREGOR
Birmingham, The Institute
Thursday Oct 1
Ruislip, The Tropic
Friday Oct 2
Halifax, Playhouse
Friday Oct 9
Southport, Atkinson Blues Festival
Saturday Oct 10
Doncaster, The Dome
Friday Oct 16
Retford, The Elms
Saturday Oct 17
Sheffield, Greystones
Wednesday Oct 21
Edinburgh, The Caves
Thursday Oct 22
Glasgow, Nice N Sleazy
Friday Oct 23
Carlisle, The Venue
Saturday Oct 24
Salisbury, Arts Centre
Monday Oct 26
Exeter, Phoenix
Tuesday Oct 27
Bridport, Arts Centre
Wednesday Oct 28
Brighton, Komedia
Thursday Oct 29
Lincoln, Engine Shed
Saturday Oct 31
JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR - SPECIAL GUEST FEDERAL CHARM
Warwick Arts Centre
Saturday 26 Sep
York, Fibbers
Monday Sep 28
Glasgow Oran-Mor
Tuesday Sep 29
Liverpool Epstein Theatre
Thursday Oct 1
Sale Waterside Arts Centre
Friday Oct 2
Kendal Brewery Arts
Saturday Oct 3
Clitheroe Grand
Sunday Oct 4
Durham Gala
Wednesday Oct 7
Lincoln Drill Hall
Thursday Oct 8
Shorham Ropetackle
Saturday Oct 10
Bromsgrove Artrix
Monday 12 Oct
Gloucester Guildhall
Wednesday Oct 14
Frome Cheese And Grain
Thursday Oct 15
Milton Keynes Stables
Monday Oct 19
Norwich Waterfront
Tuesday Oct 20
Hertford Corn Exchange
Thursday Oct 22
Newbury Arlington Arts
Friday Oct 23
Southampton, Talking Heads
Saturday Oct 24
London, Jazz Café
Monday Oct 26
London Jazz Café
Tuesday Oct 27
ERJA LYYTINEN
Darlington, Darlington Blues Club
Friday Oct 2
Sheffield, The Greystones
Saturday Oct 3
Barnes, Bull's Head
Monday Oct 5
Wolverhampton, Robin 2
Wednesday Oct 7
Edinburgh, Voodoo Rooms
Thursday Oct 8
Keighley, Keighley Blues Club
Friday Oct 9
Oxford, Haven Music Club
Monday Oct 12
Evesham, Iron Door
Wednesday Oct 14
Chislehurst, Beaverwood Club
Thursday Oct 15
Sutton, Boom Boom Club
Friday Oct 16
Chester, Chester Blues Festival
Saturday Oct 17
Frome, Frome Blues Festival
Sunday Oct 18
GLENN HUGHES ­ SPECIAL GUEST JARED JAMES NICHOLS Southampton, Engine Rooms
Saturday Oct 17
Norwich, Waterfront
Monday Oct 19
WANNA WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS
(WORTH A TOTAL OF £50)
FOR THE FROME BLUES
FESTIVAL
ON
SUNDAY
OCTOBER 18????????
THEN ANSWER THE SIMPLE QUESTION BELOW AND SEND THE ANSWER BY
EMAIL TO [email protected], ANSWERS MUST BE
RECEIVED BY MIDNIGHT ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 11. IN THE EVENT OF MORE
THAN ONE CORRECT ANSWER BEING RECEIVED, A DRAW WILL TAKE PLACE
TO SELECT THE WINNER. THE EDITOR’S DECISION IS FINAL
QUESTION
WHAT COUNTRY DOES ERJA LYYTINEN COME FROM?
Below is the IBBA air-play chart for AUGUST 2015 produced by Dave
Raven for the Independent Blues Broadcasters Association and which
is based on the air-play choices of the albums by members on their
shows. Congratulations to all the artists who have ‘charted’ ths month
with special mention for MIKE VERNON for his successful assault on
the blues charts, and to Swiss guitar ace Phillipp Fankhauser who ties
with BUDDY GUY in fourth position
12346789-
14 -
18 20 21 -
32 -
BLUES ENGINE - THE QUICK AND THE DIRTY
MIKE VERNON Y LOS GRACIA - JUST A LITTLE BIT
THE MENTULLS - REFLECTIONS
PHILLIPP FANKHAUSER - HOME
BUDDY GUY - BORN TO PLAY GUITAR
JON CLEARY - GOGO JUICE
ANDY BROAD - EVERY PENNY OF THE DEAL
THE MIGHTY BOSSCATS - BOSSMAN
RONNIE EARLE - FATHER'S DAY
JESSE DAVY - BIG BLUES
JON CEE STANNARD & BLUES HORIZON - STONE COLD SOBER
MARTIN HARLEY & DANIEL KIMBRO - LIVE AT SOUTHERN GROUND
WILY BO WALKER - MOON OVER INDIGO
CATFISH - SO MANY ROADS
BOB MALONE - MOJO DELUXE
JOEL ZOSS - FLORIDA BLUES
TREVOR SEWELL - HOLLOW
SHEMEKIA COPELAND - OUTSKIRTS OF LOVE THE DOVE AND BOWEEVIL BAND - THIS LIFE ALBERT CUMMINGS - SOMEONE LIKE YOU
CHRIS CORCORAN TRIO W/ KATIE BRADLEY - LISTEN UP!
GUY TORTORA - BLUESMAN IN A BONEYARD
HALF DEAF CLATCH - THE BLUES CONTINUUM
JACK J HUTCHINSON - GET IT BACK
LITTLE DEVILS - THE STORM INSIDE
MALAYA BLUE - BOURBON STREET
MARTIN MCNEILL - LATELY I'VE LET THINGS SLIDE
RED BUTLER - FREEDOM BOUND
SAM LEWIS - WAITING ON YOU
THE BLUES OVERDRIVE - CLINCH
VARIOUS - MUDDY WATERS 100
ANDREA MARR BAND - LIVE BLUES PARTY AT THE MBAS HOUSE OF BLUES
CLAYTON DOLEY - BAYOU BILLABONG
DAVE HUNT - WHISKEY AND DEMONS
HEART - DREAMBOAT ANNIE
JO HARMAN - FOUND A PLACE
The IBBA Picks for
October 2015 are:
HALF DEAF CLATCH: THE
LIFE AND DEATH OF AJ RAIL
JESSE DAVEY: BIG BLUES
TREVOR SEWELL: HOLLOW
BOB MALONE: MOJO DELUX
ANGELA LEE BROWN: SET
ME FREE
James Burton. Working Man Blues - Jam Live Performance - All Star Guitar Night
Jo-Ann Kelly at The Albert Hole Bristol 5th May 1989 w. Paul Godden
CLICK ANY OF THE PICS
ON THE LEFT AND YOU
WILL BE TAKEN TO
YOUTUBE FOR A GREAT
VIDEO TREAT.
SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON II: NINE BELOW ZERO (WITH MATT MURPHY - GUITAR)
Blues in the South
Is proud to support
Kansas City Online Radio
(KCOR)
Blues Radio 24/7/365
Blues Rock And Cool Talk
Check out
The Acoustic Blues Club
on
Monday at 10pm UK time
Blues music the way it should be
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