I know Buddy Guy week is over but I can't resist posting this old video with him. In it there is a much younger Buddy Guy and the two white guys are Keith Richards and Ron Wood (of the Rolling Stones for the uneducated.)

Here is a cool article on Roomful of Blues from the Czech Republic. How do I find these things?

Well I managed to be the second person in line at the Birchmere !!!!!! Sure I had to get there 2 hours an 30 minutes before the place even opened but I was there. All of this was a great omen for the rest of the night. Lets recap though: I am a huge Buddy Guy fan, he is one of the first bluesmen I ever listened to, I first saw him (at the Birchmere) a year ago next month, the second time I saw him was at the Chesapeake Blues last summer (he was rained out after 8 minutes....dang). Needless to say I do not miss a chance to see him live and later this summer he will be at Wolftrap so I'll see him again. Well I was pumped up for him being once again at Birchmere, so I dropped my cash on some tickets (a lot of cash).

Again as I said I was the second person in line thus I was the second person in and man I did I have close seats. The closest seats just left of center and Buddy would be standing roughly five feet away. But first of was Matt Higgins an up an coming blues piano player. He was really great and had a mastery of the piano that was captivating. Did I mention he was 13 years old? No; well he was. He started playing when he was four so he's been playing longer than I've been playing any of my instruments. Watch for this kid in a couple of years, he'll do well considering the resurgence of piano players in popular music.

But honestly I really went there for Buddy and when they started tuning up his guitar and I saw him waiting in the wings, I was ready. Man did he storm out there too! Cheers and blazing guitars like you have never seen. Unfortunately(not really I might be on a DVD) they were filming the show and were making a big effort to crack down on cameras and cellphones but I managed a couple of hip shots with my phone.

Well I'm heading to Alexandria to see Buddy Guy for the third time in less than a year. (which even I admit is a bit much, but I'll still see him again this summer). I'll be back with photos and a report tomorrow, and Friday I'll wrap everything up with a review of my favorite Buddy Guy album. Till then take it easy.

Here is a cool video interview of Buddy Guy talking about some of his influences and beginnings.

Well yesterday I stumbled upon a real treat in my backyard (on campus) there was quite an awesome blues show going on that night. I quickly bought a ticket and watched them set up; then I helped them set up. They were so grateful the gave me an all access pass, so I called everyone that I thought would enjoy the show and tried to give away my extra ticket. Well in the end I got no takers but being a benefit I really couldn't return them so I just enjoyed the show.

I got to see two people I had been wanting to see for awhile now Cephas and Wiggins and their Piedmont blues.

Well this week I'm heading back to the Birchmere once again to see the legendary Buddy Guy so to kick this week off here is a chance to see him yourself (inInternet video form)

Today I have a special deal for you'll. A mid 60's Teisco Del Ray ET-300 available on eBay for the low buy it now price of 399 here. Now you might be thinking "I can get a new Mexican Fender for that price." But why get a fender when you can get a classic Japanese made dime a dozen groove machine? You see back in the day this was the bottom line cheapest guitar you can get originally selling for less then $50. Why should you get a really cheap old guitar (beside vintage cool), well this guitar was made famous by the cheapest blues man that ever lived, Hound Dog Taylor. He was cheap and not really that good but he changed the blues recording industry for the better; he was the very first artist on our beloved Alligator Records. In fact Alli wouldn't even have gotten started if it wasn't for it's founder Bruce Iglauer's express intent of doing just that.

I've been working on getting one of guitar for a while now and there a usually a few available on EBay but right now it is school before guitars so it'll have to wait. But though I can't get I'm letting you guys have at it, because there is just something cool about them. Don't believe me still? Watch and learn.



Auction available here

Album of the Week 3/21

This week's album is an joint album which won a Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album. The two artists on the album are both considered the best of their respective generations, one born in 1925 the king of the blues BB King and the other 20 years his younger "slowhand" Eric Clapton.

The album sounds great, the song are spectacularly played and the album cover even looks cool; but none of these things are what makes this album really fun. It's common knowledge that that Clapton's technique is heavily based on BB King's, but in this album it leaves the area of being "based on" and actually becomes BB King. In many of the songs anyone would be hard pressed to tell Eric and BB apart. There are further problems later on when you can defiantly here a strat but chances are it's the secret star on the album Jimmie Vaughan. On this album other than maybe two songs is a complete mystery who is actually playing. Remember that Lucille has the varitone circuity that makes it sound so strat-like and eric has the active midboost for tone control so sound wise they are on equal guitar-wise. Some may be thinking that I have bad ears, but I might take offense to that. But if you don't believe me, you can just listen the album for yourself.

1. "Riding with the King"
   
2. "Ten Long Years"
   
3. "Key to the Highway"
   
4. "Marry You"
   
5. "Three O'Clock Blues"
   
6. "Help the Poor"
   
7. "I Wanna Be"
   
8. "Worried Life Blues"
   
9. "Days of Old"
   
10. "When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer"
    
11. "Hold On! I'm Comin'"
    
12. "Come Rain or Come Shine"
    

Other than being my home state and the home state of the awesome band The Rounders Oklahoma doesn't have much going for it; until now. It turns out there is one very cool dude David Berntson running around giving harmonicas to school children. For spreading the glory that is the harp David Berntson hereby added to Blues For Life's Hall of Heroes. Pending till I make some cool page for it so until then enjoy this article.

Turning harmonicas to harmony
via the Tulsa World

Tulsan David Berntson is spreading the gospel of the blues one harmonica at a time.

He estimates he has given away thousands of them over the last 25 years or so. On Saturday, he was at Harmonica Summit 2008 at the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame Jazz Depot in downtown Tulsa teaching a roomful of kids how to play "the tin sandwich."

Full article available here.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080316_1_A19_spanc05357

Well it turns out there is going to be a new blues movie coming out and it's called "Cadillac Records" here is the plot outline form IMDB "A period piece that chronicles the rise and fall of influential R&B record label Chess Records". At first that sounds ok but then problems arise namely that make no mistake about it Chess Records is a blues label and should not be lumped in with the general term "R&B" but this might just be someone miss quoting the plot so I'll let it slide. More importantly who is playing who?

First up is the person who started it all Leonard Chess, whether you like him or hate him he is probably the most important character. Leonard Chess is to be played by Adrien Brody. This is one thing thing I'm still unsure about, ok so he is a good actor but his Oscar for the Pianist was really just stolen from Daniel Day-Lewis's "Bill the Butcher" from Gangs of New York. And lets not forget the travesty that was King Kong (but that was Peter Jackson's fault.) I'm just going to reserve judgement on this.

Did you know that Fleetwood Mac was once a awesome blues rock band? Neither did I till I accidentally read something about them. It turns out that Peter Green (formally of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, pre schizophrenia) was one of the founding members with Mick Fleetwood. They later added awesome slide player Jeremy Spencer (pre cult insanity) and Bob Burnning who was only till John McVie joined (pre alcoholism). This band was an awesome blues machine and their first self title album is a testament to how great they really were. Eventually though the album was renamed Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac after the more familiar anit-Fleetwood Mac group appeared. Their next album Mr. Wonder full was also straight blues and they were one of the last groups to record at Chess before it went under. Well as with most great things it eventually fell apart but just in case you don't believe me here is a link to the original Fleetwood Mac album.

Hey everyone likes free music right? Well there are plenty of ways for getting free music without illegally downloading it. It turns out there is plently of free music available from the blues labels themselves. The songs availible are usually songs from new releases on the label. Currently Blind Pig has some pretty awesome tacks up for download and my favorite of which is a cut from Magic Slim off his most recent album The Essential Magic Slim (9/25/2007)

Here is really jumpin' song from an awesome Austin group, Michael Holt and the Trophy 500’s. I particularly love the shuffle and the harp playing. This is my kind of a Monday song.

Neat article on a pinoneer blues music recorder form the Boston Globe

Taking note of a man who catalogued black music

Chance discovery helps spur exhibit on John Work III

NASHVILLE - When people say John Work III had "big ears," they're not being unkind.

Work, who died in 1967 at age 65, had a gift for finding and collecting black folk music. He traveled the South recording blues singers, work songs, ballads, church choirs, dance tunes, whatever struck him as showing the evolution of black music.

Yet what might be his greatest achievement went unnoticed for 60 years, stashed in a file cabinet at Hunter College in New York.

Now, with the opening of a new exhibit on Work's life at Fisk University and a companion CD, some say Work is finally getting his due.

Full article available here

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2008/03/15/taking_note_of_a_man_who_catalogued_black_music/

Tony Steidler-Dennison has got us another episode of the Roadhouse so download and enjoy.

The Roadhouse 161

Hey here is a really cool Buddy Guy interview for a New Zealand publication.

From Stuff.co.nz

Legend Buddy Guy still has the blues

Friday, 07 March 2008

As Whitianga prepares for its inaugural blues festival, Belinda McCammon talks to one of the headline acts, Buddy Guy.

Kiwi stars prepare for Bluesfest

American guitarist and singer George "Buddy" Guy isn't sure when it happened but sometime in the 1960s he was branded a blues player.

The five-time Grammy award-winning performer had until then considered himself a musician; he still struggles to define what the blues actually is.

"It's not how I define it, it's what people have made of it," Guy, 71, said from his home in Chicago.

"In the beginning it was all music. Ray Charles was a rhythm and blues player, same with BB King."

Full article available here http://www.stuff.co.nz/4429837a1860.html

In honor of this being the first Album of the Week it seems appropriate that it be the first album of one of the blue's living legends "The Progressive Blues Experiment" by Johnny Winter. Released by Imperial in May 1969 the album is a precursor to his self titled CBS release later that summer. When listening to the album it also helps to remember that this is a glimpse in time only mere months before Johnny plays Woodstock (Along notable blues bands with Canned Heat and The Paulbutterfield Blues Band and Ten Years After). The album was later released on CD, which has some excellent liner notes.

The album itself in a testament to how raw and powerfully the blues can be. Each song shows Johnny's amazing ability to completely harness the guitar, whether he is fingering licks or running a blazing slide up and down the instrument. Every track is also backed by his superb due of Uncle John Turner and Tommy Shannon; another example of how great a tight power trio can be. It all starts off with the classic "Rollin' andTumblin '" called out by some haunting cool slide playing. Next is "Tribute To Muddy" and "I got love if you want it." and at this point you start to realizing that his guy can really sing. But as expected rest of the album is awesome; an edgy and righteous experience that I recommend whenever you really want to just get up and move around.

1. Rollin' And Tumblin' (McKinley Morganfield) - 3:12
2. Tribute To Muddy (Johnny Winter) - 6:21
3. I Got Love If You Want It (James Moore) - 3:54
4. Bad Luck And Trouble (Johnny Winter) - 6:21
5. Help Me (Ralph Bass, Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson) - 3:49
6. Mean Town Blues (Johnny Winter) - 4:28
7. Broke Down Engine (Andy Fernbach) - 2:49
8. Black Cat Bone (Johnny Winter) - 3:48
9. It's My Own Fault (B.B. King, Jules Taub) - 7:21
10. Forty-Four (Chester Burnett) - 3:30

The Progressive Blues Experiment by Johnny Winter
Available today thanks to Capital records.

Well two Tuesdays ago (March 4th) I got to see the king of the blues again. He was playing at the Strathmore performing arts center in Bethesda, Maryland (link). Needless to say the tickets were not cheap. But the Strathmore is an amazing concert hall for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and I showed up in jeans. Now the food wasn't very good and everything was overpriced but I wasn't there for that stuff. This is a classy joint and it didn't take me long to realize I was bumping elbows with the Washington elite (they didn't care they were busy on their Blackberries). I spied a couple of sweater vest (see article on sweater vest at blues concerts)

Come 7:30 and they are finally letting us get our seats. By this time I had been there two hours and was ready for the show, but at least the seats were good. They were slightly off center some 30 rows back but there was plenty of leg room.Up first was the opening act which I was slightly apprehensive about because the last time I saw BB I didn't care much for the opening act. Lets just say that this time the opening act more than made up for last time. Opening for BB this time was the phenomenal Henry Butler (his website). He sauntered up to his piano and though down they best New Orleans piano I ave ever seen. It's been over ten years since the last time I had been to the big easy (and I'm sure I didn't appreciate it as much as I would now) but regardless I sure felt I was there when Henry played. It was nonstop hand clapping and foot tapping form then on out. By the end of his set I was sad to see him go, but I did know who was up next.

Now I had seen the king before at an outdoor venue, so I had in idea of what to expect. But still when the band comes out and starts with their rip roaring opener it doesn't mater if you've seen it before. Well the band has us going and I'm standing even before BB's sax player even announces his name, and sure enough "Ladies and Gentlemen here he is the king of the blues BB King!" Well all hell broke loose. Everyone is standing and cheering as BB walks on stage. Now I'm not saying he took his time be he certainly walked like and 82 year-old with with bad knees (which is fitting because he is one). He sits down and the band cuts off; and after a brief introduction hes off running though "Let the Good Times Roll". Every song was top knotch, sounding as good if not better than some of my albums of him from over 40 years ago.

One thing that impressed me about BB the first time I saw him was how personal he is with the audience. He talk to us and I'd swear we're all sitting at a picnic table with a heap of BBQ being passed around. Well last time he told a story of Mississippi and he did this time as well, though this one was a bit unnerving at his predominately white audience. I talked about going into town and watchin' girls walk by; his also talked about sneaking over the railroad tracks to steal a sip form the "white" water fountain. He said something around the lines of "I don't know what the fuss was about the white water didn't taste no different than the black water". He wasn't just talking about Jim Crow though. BB later went on to talk about how is girl watchin led to him seeing his first television but he added that he's always been better at girl watchin.

After a solid hour he changed things up though. He slowed everything down and the horn section left the stage. This was new to me. For the next 40 minutes it was a marathon of some of his slower some played by a smaller group. They played the most powerful version of "The Thrill is Gone" I've ever heard, every knot sung so powerfully it resonated into the core of my being. After a time though he got ready for the closing and the horn section came back out. They all finally went into into "Every Day I have the Blues." before going into their final ending tune where BB goes around passing out guitar picks and key chains. I still have no idea how long they continue to play that song because I've always left before it ended (After all I did have class the morning next morning)
Over all I came away as amazed as ever. There is truly nothing like seeing him in person, if you can ever make it to one of his shows before he retires do so. Next time I'll try and get close enough to watch his technique (and go broke in the process)

Back on March 3rd I got to see Robert Cray live for the second time. I had previously seen him last summer at the Wolftrap Filene Center (link) and I got to say he was amazing at thirty feet, so imagine how amazing he was ten feet away. Now sure I may seem to be obsessed with distance but it's not my fault I swear. You see it's just that I've been spoiled; spoiled rotten by the Birchmere (link). Right in Alexandria, Virginia just outside Washington DC lies the coolest (and only) roadhouse I've ever seen, the Birchmere. I first found out about it last year when I was hunting down Buddy Guy tickets, well it turns out he wasn't got going to be at the Brichmere. So it turns out just a jump up I-95 and I can catch some really awesome acts coming through an old fashion roadhouse.

Well about now you can guess where I saw Robert Cray right? I was maybe the twentieth person in line out of a sold out house of over two hundred people. Needless to say I had some really nice seats at one of the closest tables to the stage, slightly offset to the left. I need to get my camera phone working so I can really give you'll an idea just how close I was. From estimation though I'd say it was about ten feet away; a really great view.

Honestly I think Robert Cray is the most intense player I have ever seen. He is completely focus on every note and every line; yet at the same time never forgets the audience. I've seen phenomenal players forget that they are playing for people, but every time I've seen Robert (even when I was far away) he never forgets the audience. He played his usual stuff, straddling R&B and the Blues with tunes like "I'm Walkin'" "Bad Influence" and "Smoking Gun." He also played my favorite song of his "I was Warned"; so that was really sweet.

Over all it was an incredible show as expected and I can't wait to see him again. Also I can wait to go back to the Brichmere, which will be sooner rather than later as I again have Buddy Guy tickets for March 26th, and Bobby Bland in May.