Sunday, September 7, 2008
Healey...makes me feel the years go passing by...
Copied from Wikipedia...
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Healey was raised in the city's west end. He was adopted as an infant; his adoptive father was a firefighter. Healey lost his sight when he was eight months old to retinoblastoma, a rare cancer of the eyes. His eyes had to be surgically removed, and he was given artificial replacements. After living cancer-free for 38 years, he subsequently developed sarcoma in his legs; despite surgery for this, the sarcoma spread to his lungs and ultimately was the cause of his death. He began playing guitar when he was three, developing his unique style of playing the instrument flat on his lap.
When he was 17 he formed the band Blue Direction, a four-piece band which primarily played bar-band cover tunes. Among the other musicians were bassist Jeremy Littler, drummer Graydon Chapman, and a schoolmate, Rob Quail on second guitar. This band played various local clubs in Toronto, including the Colonial Tavern.
Shortly thereafter he was introduced to two musicians, bassist Joe Rockman and drummer Tom Stephen, with whom he formed a trio and made their first public appearance at The Birds Nest, located upstairs at Chicago's Diner on Queen Street West in Toronto. The new band received a write-up in Toronto's NOW magazine, and quickly were playing almost nightly in local clubs such as Grossman's Tavern and the famed blues club Albert's Hall (where Jeff Healey was discovered by guitar virtuosos Stevie Ray Vaughan and Albert Collins).
After being signed to Arista Records in 1988, the band released the album See The Light, featuring the hit single "Angel Eyes" and the song "Hideaway", which was nominated for a "Best Instrumental" Grammy Award. While the band was recording See The Light, they were also filming (and recording for the soundtrack of) the Patrick Swayze film Road House. In 1990 the band won the "Entertainer of the Year" Juno Award. Other hits have included "How Long Can a Man Be Strong" and a cover of The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (which also featured George Harrison and Jeff Lynne on backing vocals and acoustic guitar).
By the release of the 2000 album,Get Me Some Healey had grown weary of the world of rock music, and began to concentrate his considerable talents in a direction closer to his heart, hot jazz.
He went on to release three CDs of music from this true passion, traditional American jazz from the 1920s and 1930s. He was an avid record collector and amassed a collection of well over 30,000 78 rpm records and he had been sitting in with traditional jazz bands around Toronto since the beginning of his music career. Though known primarily as a guitarist, Healey also played trumpet during live performances.
Healey had, from time to time, hosted a CBC Radio program entitled My Kind of Jazz, in which he played records from his vast vintage jazz collection. He hosted a program with a similar name on Toronto jazz station CJRT-FM, also known as JAZZ.FM91.
He had also been touring with his other group, 'The Jazz Wizards', playing the aforementioned American 'hot' jazz. At the time of his death, they had been planning to perform a series of shows in Britain, Germany and Holland in April 2008.
For many years Healey performed at his club, Healey's on Bathurst Street in Toronto, where he played with a rock band on Thursday nights, and with his jazz group, on Saturday afternoons. The club moved to a bigger location at 56 Blue Jays Way and it was rechristened Jeff Healey's Roadhouse. (Though he had lent his name and often played there, Jeff Healey did not own or manage the bar.)
Over the years he toured and sat-in with many legendary performers, including, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, BB King, ZZ Top, Steve Lukather, Eric Clapton and many, many more. In 2006, Healey appeared on Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan's CD/DVD Gillan's Inn.
Healey discovered and helped develop the careers of other artists, including Amanda Marshall and Terra Hazelton.
On January 11, 2007, Healey underwent surgery to remove metastatic tissue from both lungs. In the previous eighteen months he had two sarcomas removed from his legs.
Death
On March 2, 2008 Healey died of cancer at St. Joseph's Health Centre in his home town of Toronto; he was 41. His death came a month before the release of his new album, Mess of Blues, which was his first rock album in 8 years.
Healey is survived by his wife and two children.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Rory Gallagher
Rory Gallagher (2 March 1948–14 June 1995) was an Irish blues/rock guitarist, born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster. However, he grew up in Cork City in the south of Ireland. He is best known for his solo work on several albums, and for his tenure in Taste during the late 60s. Rory Gallagher's albums sold in excess of 30 million copies worldwide... Wiki
Friday, August 15, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
Today's Recipe...Humble Pie
There are some things in the past that are best left forgotten...Humble Pie is not one of them...
from Wiki...
Humble Pie were a rock, rhythm and blues band from England and were one of the first supergroups of the 1970s.
The original band line-up featured Steve Marriott (former lead singer, songwriter and lead guitarist of Small Faces), Peter Frampton (former lead singer and guitarist of The Herd), Greg Ridley (former bass guitarist of Spooky Tooth) and seventeen-year-old drummer Jerry Shirley.
Although successful in America, as a band, they remained much loved in Britain, They are best remembered for their dynamic live concert performances in the early 1970s and songs such as "30 Days in the Hole" and "I Don't Need No Doctor".
...and from 1970, an acoustic version of For Your Love, and yes that is a young Frampton on one of those guitars...
There is a lot more on YouTube...
from Wiki...
Humble Pie were a rock, rhythm and blues band from England and were one of the first supergroups of the 1970s.
The original band line-up featured Steve Marriott (former lead singer, songwriter and lead guitarist of Small Faces), Peter Frampton (former lead singer and guitarist of The Herd), Greg Ridley (former bass guitarist of Spooky Tooth) and seventeen-year-old drummer Jerry Shirley.
Although successful in America, as a band, they remained much loved in Britain, They are best remembered for their dynamic live concert performances in the early 1970s and songs such as "30 Days in the Hole" and "I Don't Need No Doctor".
...and from 1970, an acoustic version of For Your Love, and yes that is a young Frampton on one of those guitars...
There is a lot more on YouTube...
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Where the hell is Joan Osborne?????
She was known for that other song..you know the one...then she disappeared...this one KICKS ASS...where is she now???
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Ultimate Cheesecake...My Ultimate Weakness...
This is soooo good!!!
The Ultimate Cheesecake
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
Crust:
2 cups finely ground graham crackers (about 30 squares)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
1 pound cream cheese, 2 (8-ounce) blocks, softened
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 pint sour cream
1 lemon, zested
1 dash vanilla extract
Warm Lemon Blueberry Topping, recipe follows
For the Crust:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, combine the ingredients with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Pour the crumbs into the pan and, using the bottom of a measuring cup or the smooth bottom of a glass, press the crumbs down into the base and 1-inch up the sides. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.
For the Filling:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and free of any lumps. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy, for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. The batter should be well-mixed but not overbeaten. Pour the filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Set the cheesecake pan on a large piece of aluminum foil and fold up the sides around it. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan; the foil will keep the water from seeping into the cheesecake. Bake for 45 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle (it will firm up after chilling), so be careful not to overcook. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Unmold and transfer to a cake plate. Using a spatula spread a layer of Warm Lemon Blueberry topping over the surface.
Slice the cheesecake with a thin, non-serrated knife that has been dipped in hot water. Wipe dry after each cut.
Warm Lemon Blueberries:
1 pint blueberries
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons sugar
In a small saucepan add all the ingredients and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes or so until the fruit begins to break down slightly. Leave to cool before spreading on cheesecake.
Yield: 6 servings
Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Intermediate
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
User Rating: 5 Stars
Episode#: TU1A12
Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Frittata...tastes as good as it looks
Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Frittata
From Food Network Kitchens
6 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped chives
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 ounces smoked salmon, chopped
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Serving suggestion: Crispy potatoes and mesclun salad
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.
Whisk the eggs, milk, dill, salt, pepper, and chives together in a bowl. Using two spoons or your fingers, separate the cream cheese into small clumps. Fold the cream cheese and salmon into the egg mixture.
Heat the oil in a medium non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, and stir lightly to make sure the fillings are evenly arranged in the pan. Cook until the bottom is set, but not brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the top is set, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover, and set aside for 5 minutes.
Invert the frittata onto a large plate. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.
Copyright 2002 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved
Paul Butterfield...all you have to do is listen once, and everything's gonna be alright...
I cannot express how much this man, his bands, and his music have played a part in my love for the Blues.
All I can really say is listen man. just listen...
Butter at Wiki
In his prime at Woodstock...
All I can really say is listen man. just listen...
Butter at Wiki
In his prime at Woodstock...
Mavis Staples...one of the best voices..EVER!!!
read it all at Wiki... Mavis at Wiki
Mavis Staples began her career with her family group in 1950. Initially singing locally at churches and appearing on a weekly radio show, the Staples scored a hit in 1956 with "Uncloudy Day" for the Vee-Jay label. When Mavis graduated high school in 1957, The Staple Singers took their music on the road. Led by family patriarch Roebuck "Pops" Staples on guitar and including the voices of Mavis and her siblings Cleo, Yvonne, and Pervis, the Staples were called "God's Greatest Hitmakers."
Mavis Staples began her career with her family group in 1950. Initially singing locally at churches and appearing on a weekly radio show, the Staples scored a hit in 1956 with "Uncloudy Day" for the Vee-Jay label. When Mavis graduated high school in 1957, The Staple Singers took their music on the road. Led by family patriarch Roebuck "Pops" Staples on guitar and including the voices of Mavis and her siblings Cleo, Yvonne, and Pervis, the Staples were called "God's Greatest Hitmakers."
Son House...from God, to Son, to you...his voice was known to shake walls and rattle windows
You know I didn't feel so bad, 'til the good ol' sun went down
I didn't have a soul to throw my arms around
I didn't feel so bad, 'til the good ol' sun went down
You know, I didn't have nobody to throw my arms around
Describing House's 1967 appearance at the De Montfort Hall in Leicester, England, Bob Groom wrote in Blues World magazine:
It is difficult to describe the transformation that took place as this smiling, friendly man hunched over his guitar and launched himself, bodily it seemed, into his music. The blues possessed him like a 'lowdown shaking chill' and the spellbound audience saw the very incarnation of the blues as, head thrown back, he hollered and groaned the disturbing lyrics and flailed the guitar, snapping the strings back against the fingerboard to accentuate the agonized rhythm. Son's music is the centre of the blues experience and when he performs it is a corporeal thing, audience and singer become as one.
Yeah.
I didn't have a soul to throw my arms around
I didn't feel so bad, 'til the good ol' sun went down
You know, I didn't have nobody to throw my arms around
Describing House's 1967 appearance at the De Montfort Hall in Leicester, England, Bob Groom wrote in Blues World magazine:
It is difficult to describe the transformation that took place as this smiling, friendly man hunched over his guitar and launched himself, bodily it seemed, into his music. The blues possessed him like a 'lowdown shaking chill' and the spellbound audience saw the very incarnation of the blues as, head thrown back, he hollered and groaned the disturbing lyrics and flailed the guitar, snapping the strings back against the fingerboard to accentuate the agonized rhythm. Son's music is the centre of the blues experience and when he performs it is a corporeal thing, audience and singer become as one.
Yeah.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tab Benoit---Home Grown Louisiana Swamp Blues
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tab Benoit (born November 17, 1967 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States) is a blues guitarist, musician and singer. He plays a style that is a combination of Swamp blues, Soul blues and Chicago blues. He plays Fender guitars and writes his own music compositions. Benoit graduated from Vandebilt Catholic High School in Houma, Louisiana in May, 1985. In 2003, he formed an organization promoting awareness of coastal wetlands preservation known as "Voice of the Wetlands."
A guitar player since his teenage years, he hung out at the Blues Box, a music club and cultural center in Baton Rouge run by guitarist Tabby Thomas. Playing guitar alongside Thomas, Raful Neal, Henry Gray and other high-profile regulars at the club, Benoit learned the blues first-hand from a faculty of living blues legends. He formed a trio in 1987 and began playing clubs in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. He began touring other parts of the south two years later and started touring more of the United States in 1991- and he continues to this day.
He is an avid fan of the New Orleans Saints.
Tab is also featured in the current IMAX film, Hurricane on the Bayou.
I am posting this video only because it is the best one I could find, wanted to find him doing an original tune...but...
Tab Benoit (born November 17, 1967 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States) is a blues guitarist, musician and singer. He plays a style that is a combination of Swamp blues, Soul blues and Chicago blues. He plays Fender guitars and writes his own music compositions. Benoit graduated from Vandebilt Catholic High School in Houma, Louisiana in May, 1985. In 2003, he formed an organization promoting awareness of coastal wetlands preservation known as "Voice of the Wetlands."
A guitar player since his teenage years, he hung out at the Blues Box, a music club and cultural center in Baton Rouge run by guitarist Tabby Thomas. Playing guitar alongside Thomas, Raful Neal, Henry Gray and other high-profile regulars at the club, Benoit learned the blues first-hand from a faculty of living blues legends. He formed a trio in 1987 and began playing clubs in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. He began touring other parts of the south two years later and started touring more of the United States in 1991- and he continues to this day.
He is an avid fan of the New Orleans Saints.
Tab is also featured in the current IMAX film, Hurricane on the Bayou.
I am posting this video only because it is the best one I could find, wanted to find him doing an original tune...but...
Monday, February 25, 2008
Dennis Gruenling...The greatest harmonica player alive today...
Dennis Gruenling...harp dude
Check out his web site, listen to some tunes...you will not be disappointed.
http://www.dennisgruenling.com/
Check out his web site, listen to some tunes...you will not be disappointed.
http://www.dennisgruenling.com/
Todays Recipe...Crock Pot Chili
This will warm you up on a cold day...easy Crock pot chili...
The Recipe
"New Flavors from your Crockery Cooker" by Better Homes and Gardens
1 29-ounce can tomatoes, cut up
1 10 ounce can chopped tomatoes and green chili peppers
2 c. vegetable juice or tomato juice
1-2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs. beef or pork stew meat, cut into 1" cubes
1lb ground chuck or sirloin (browned and drained)--[B]original recipe did not call for this[/B][I][/I]
2 c. chopped onion
1 1/2 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped green pepper
2 15-ounce cans black, kidney, and/or garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
[B](season this recipe to your own taste with whatever seasonings you like)[/B]
Toppers such as shredded Mexican cheese or cheddar cheese, dairy sour cream, thinly sliced green onion, snipped cilantro, thinly sliced jalapeno peppers, and/or sliced pitted ripe olives (optional)
I suggest fresh snipped cilantro and grated cheddar cheese.
In a 6 quart crockery cooker combine both cans of undrained tomatoes, vegetables or tomato juice, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and garlic. Stir in the meat, onion, celery, and sweet pepper.
Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high heat setting for 4 to 5 hours. If using low heat setting, turn to high heat setting. Stir in the beans; cook 15 minutes more. Spoon into bowls. If desired, serve with toppers.
Makes 10 servings* Prep time: 20 min.
The Recipe
"New Flavors from your Crockery Cooker" by Better Homes and Gardens
1 29-ounce can tomatoes, cut up
1 10 ounce can chopped tomatoes and green chili peppers
2 c. vegetable juice or tomato juice
1-2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs. beef or pork stew meat, cut into 1" cubes
1lb ground chuck or sirloin (browned and drained)--[B]original recipe did not call for this[/B][I][/I]
2 c. chopped onion
1 1/2 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped green pepper
2 15-ounce cans black, kidney, and/or garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
[B](season this recipe to your own taste with whatever seasonings you like)[/B]
Toppers such as shredded Mexican cheese or cheddar cheese, dairy sour cream, thinly sliced green onion, snipped cilantro, thinly sliced jalapeno peppers, and/or sliced pitted ripe olives (optional)
I suggest fresh snipped cilantro and grated cheddar cheese.
In a 6 quart crockery cooker combine both cans of undrained tomatoes, vegetables or tomato juice, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and garlic. Stir in the meat, onion, celery, and sweet pepper.
Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high heat setting for 4 to 5 hours. If using low heat setting, turn to high heat setting. Stir in the beans; cook 15 minutes more. Spoon into bowls. If desired, serve with toppers.
Makes 10 servings* Prep time: 20 min.
Luther Allison
I once read a poll in a Blues magazine asking some staff writers 10 things they wanted for Christmas..one of the answers I will always remember, a writer said, "I want Luther back"...yeah me too...
Luther at WIKI
Check out this guys photos of Blues greats... Dunas
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Anne Mccue...Machine Gun Aussie Guitar Chick...
From Wiki...
McCue's first band was known as Vertigo.
In 1988, McCue moved to Melbourne, Australia and took guitar lessons from Bruce Clarke. Answering an ad in the local press, she joined all-female rock band Girl Monstar as lead guitarist (1988-1993). The band eventually received an ARIA nomination for best independent act.
Following her stint with Girl Monstar, she played acoustically around Melbourne, later performing in Vietnam for a year before returning to Melbourne to record her Laughing EP (1996). She then joined Australian female trio Eden AKA, who signed to Columbia Records in the USA. They released a self-titled album and performed in Canada and the USA at the Lilith Fair in 1998 and 1999.
McCue's first solo album, Amazing Ordinary Things, was released in 1999 in Canada and Japan, and she toured with a number of well-known musicians, including an international tour with Lucinda Williams, who would often introduce McCue as "my new favorite artist... and an amazing guitarist". Williams later included McCue on an 'Artist's Choice' compilation alongside Paul Westerberg and Leonard Cohen.
McCue's success on the Lucinda Williams tour prompted the release of a live album, Live: Ballad of an Outlaw Woman, recorded at The Fillmore in San Francisco, California, and her first Messenger Records release, Roll.
Roll also received numerous critical accollades, with Los Angeles Weekly stating that the Australian performer had more "all-American authenticity than a dozen Martina McBrides" and Entertainment Weekly drawing comparisons to Lucinda Williams and Canadian alt-country singer Kathleen Edwards. Bob Harris from the BBC went as far as to call it his album of the year, and she toured internationally to promote the album.
McCue released her album Koala Motel on Messenger Records in 2006. She is completed an international tour to promote the album. She relocated from Los Angeles to Nashville and in August of 2007, took part in the Broad Festival which toured major Australian cities.
Ruthie Foster...
If you asked me today what my definition of true joy was...I would say listening to Ruthie Foster...
Here she does an old Son House tune...
Here she does an old Son House tune...
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Salty Dog Blues and Roots Podcast...maybe my favorite
GEEZ I hate the way this guy talks, but he sure has some good tunes on his podcast...and he has a great website too... Click for Salty Dog Blues and Roots
Click below for podcast and page...
he even mentioned this post on his last podcast lol...
Click below for podcast and page...
he even mentioned this post on his last podcast lol...
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Big Mama Thornton...she looked like a prize fighter, but damn she could sing..
from Wiki...
Willie Mae ("Big Mama") Thornton (December 11, 1926 – July 25, 1984) was an American Texas blues, R&B singer, and songwriter. She was the original singer to record the hit song "Hound Dog" in 1952. The song was #1 on the Billboard R&B charts for seven weeks. The B-side was "They Call Me Big Mama," and the single sold almost two million copies. Three years later, Elvis Presley recorded the Rock 'n' roll version of the song. In a similar occurrence, she wrote and recorded "Ball n' Chain," which became a hit for her. Janis Joplin later recorded "Ball and Chain," and it became a huge success in the late 1960s.
As an influence over the music and musicians which followed her, her importance cannot be overstated. Her name and legacy will forever remain among the very greatest of blues legends. Thornton's mighty voice, take-no-guff attitude, and incendiary stage performances influenced generations of blues and rock singers and carried on the tradition of tough "blues mamas" like Bessie Smith, Memphis Minnie, and Ma Rainey.
Willie Mae ("Big Mama") Thornton (December 11, 1926 – July 25, 1984) was an American Texas blues, R&B singer, and songwriter. She was the original singer to record the hit song "Hound Dog" in 1952. The song was #1 on the Billboard R&B charts for seven weeks. The B-side was "They Call Me Big Mama," and the single sold almost two million copies. Three years later, Elvis Presley recorded the Rock 'n' roll version of the song. In a similar occurrence, she wrote and recorded "Ball n' Chain," which became a hit for her. Janis Joplin later recorded "Ball and Chain," and it became a huge success in the late 1960s.
As an influence over the music and musicians which followed her, her importance cannot be overstated. Her name and legacy will forever remain among the very greatest of blues legends. Thornton's mighty voice, take-no-guff attitude, and incendiary stage performances influenced generations of blues and rock singers and carried on the tradition of tough "blues mamas" like Bessie Smith, Memphis Minnie, and Ma Rainey.
Ronnie Earl...Guitar from the soul
from Wiki...(where else?)
Ronnie Earl (born Ronald Horvath, March 10, 1953, New York) is an American blues guitarist and music teacher.
Earl collected blues, jazz, rock and soul records while growing up. He studied music composition in college, and moved to Boston in 1975 to pursue a Master's Degree in Special Education, and teaching handicapped children. It was at this time that he attended a Muddy Waters concert at the now-defunct "Speakeasy". After seeing Waters perform in a close setting, Earl took up the guitar. He quickly began playing in the Boston blues scene. His break came in 1981 when he replaced Duke Robillard as lead guitarist for the Providence, Rhode Island band, Roomful of Blues. It was also around this time that he adopted the last name of "Earl". As he put it, "Muddy Waters would invite me onstage, but he could never say my last name. So because I liked Earl Hooker, I took the last name of "Earl".
Both Earl and Robillard were based in Providence at this time. The technically deft and musically encyclopedic Robillard took Earl under his wing.[citation needed] The result was a jazzy, soulful blues style, as well as his slow burn style which fans found both mesmerizing and exhilarating.[citation needed] He began performing solo in 1986, in addition to playing with Roomful of Blues, and he released his first solo album on the Black Top Records label with a quartet that focused on blues instrumentals. After leaving Roomful of Blues, he began collaborations with contemporaries Ron Levy and Jerry Portnoy, Earl King, Jimmy Rogers, and Jimmy Witherspoon. It was also around this time that Earl got treatment for a substance-addiction.
Earl began teaching guitar at Berklee College of Music in 1992, and has released instructional videos. He also was the blues instructor at the 'National Guitar Summer Workshop'. In the early 1990s he resumed touring and recording several more albums on the Black Top label. His albums primarily consist of strong instrumental compositions and traditional covers.[citation needed] Playing in a bars became a burden for someone who worked hard to maintain his sobriety, and an increasingly demanding touring schedule added to the stress.[citation needed] In the late 1990s, Earl was diagnosed with depression, forcing him to cut back on his performances. He continued to work actively as a teacher and instructor, and also performed at facilities for the mentally ill.
Ronnie Earl is a modern master of the blues guitar, his instrumental work helps keep the blues alive. This is a great feat for a blues man that does not choose to sing.
OK I have to ask you to do the math here now, look at the year he was born, 1953, then look at the year he took up guitar, 1975, the math tells me he didnt start learning guitar till he was 22 years old, AMAZING, below I will post two songs and you can hear what I mean...
Click here to listen to Ronnie Earl and Kim Wilson on I Smell Trouble
Click here to listen to Ronnie Earl and Sugar Ray on My Home is a Prison
The above photo came from here
you really should look at this guy's photo collection.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Songbird is here...
Wanna replace Itunes with something better? cleaner? faster? Check out Songbird...Made by the same team that brought you Firefox...
Friday, February 15, 2008
Baby It's You...
Just watched Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof, it had this killer song in it I had to find, was a song called Baby It's You by the Smiths in the late 60's...damn fine song...
Get the story here at Wiki...
Have a look...
Get the story here at Wiki...
Have a look...
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Otis Rush...West Side Chicago Blues guitar
Listen to... It's My Own Fault
I saw Otis Rush from the balcony at the House of Blues New Orleans...was a great show...
from WIki...
Otis Rush (born April 29, 1934 in Philadelphia, Mississippi) is a blues musician, singer and guitarist. His distinctive guitar style features a slow burning sound, jazz-style arpeggios and long bent notes. With similar qualities to Luther Allison, Magic Sam, Buddy Guy and Albert King, his sound became known as West Side Chicago blues and became an influence on Michael Bloomfield, Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
(OH MAN I love YouTube) Check this out...
Read it all at Wiki
I saw Otis Rush from the balcony at the House of Blues New Orleans...was a great show...
from WIki...
Otis Rush (born April 29, 1934 in Philadelphia, Mississippi) is a blues musician, singer and guitarist. His distinctive guitar style features a slow burning sound, jazz-style arpeggios and long bent notes. With similar qualities to Luther Allison, Magic Sam, Buddy Guy and Albert King, his sound became known as West Side Chicago blues and became an influence on Michael Bloomfield, Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
(OH MAN I love YouTube) Check this out...
Read it all at Wiki
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Lester Butler
from Wiki... Lester Butler (1959-May 10, 1998) was an American blues harmonica player and singer. He achieved fame as the singer/harp player for the Los Angeles-based blues-roots band The Red Devils, which released one album, 1992's King King (produced by Rick Rubin on his Def American label).
The group featured several standout musicians, include drummer Bill Bateman (The Blasters), Paul "The Kid" Size on lead guitar and pianist Gene Taylor.
The Red Devils were known for backing Mick Jagger on the Rubin-produced sessions for the album Wandering Spirit, though those tracks were not used (they have since cropped up on various bootlegs). The band also backed actor and sometime musician Bruce Willis when the action star performed at his Planet Hollywood clubs. The Devils also backed Johnny Cash on music that wasn't released until the country singer's death, on the boxed set Unearthed.
Butler also fronted the band 13 featuring Lester Butler, releasing one self-titled record on Hightone Records in 1997.
He achieved his greatest fame in Europe, where the Lester Butler Tribute Band still performs.
Butler died on May 10, 1998, as the result of an accidental drug overdose.
I consider the Red Devils King King Cd one of the best in my collection.
T-Bone Walker...
from Wiki...
Aaron Thibeaux Walker or T-Bone Walker or Oak Cliff T-Bone (May 28, 1910 – March 16, 1975) was an American blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter who was one of the most important pioneers of electric guitar.
His distinctive sound didn't develop until 1942 , when Walker recorded "Mean Old World" for Capitol Records. His electric guitar solos were among the first heard on modern blues recordings and set a standard that is still followed. [Some music historians site Ernest Tubb's 1940 honky tonk classic, "Walking the Floor over You" as the first "hit" recording to feature and highlight a solo by a standard electric guitar--though earlier hits featured electric lap steel guitars. The blues master Lonnie Johnson had also recorded at least once on electric guitar, but his innovation was neither much noted nor influential.]
Much of Walker's output was recorded from 1946–48 on Black & White Records, including 1947's "Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just As Bad)", with its famous opening line, "They call it stormy Monday, but Tuesday's just as bad". He followed up with his "T-Bone Shuffle": "Let your hair down, baby, let's have a natural ball". Both are considered blues classics. B. B. King says "Stormy Monday" first inspired him to take up the guitar. The song is also a favorite live number for The Allman Brothers Band.
Throughout his career he worked with top quality musicians, including Teddy Buckner (trumpet), Lloyd Glenn (piano), Billy Hadnott (bass), and Jack McVea (tenor sax).
Following his work with Black & White, he recorded from 1950–54 for Imperial Records (backed by Dave Bartholomew). Walker's only record in the next five years was T-Bone Blues, recorded over three widely separated sessions in 1955, 1956, and 1959, and finally released by Atlantic Records in 1960.
By the early 1960s, Walker's career had slowed down, in spite of a much-hyped appearance at the American Folk Blues Festival in 1962 with Memphis Slim, among others. A few critically acclaimed albums followed, such as I Want a Little Girl, and he won a Grammy Award in 1971 for Good Feelin' (Polydor).
(Did you see Clark Terry play solo on nothing but a mouthpiece?)
And the one that made him famous...
Aaron Thibeaux Walker or T-Bone Walker or Oak Cliff T-Bone (May 28, 1910 – March 16, 1975) was an American blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter who was one of the most important pioneers of electric guitar.
His distinctive sound didn't develop until 1942 , when Walker recorded "Mean Old World" for Capitol Records. His electric guitar solos were among the first heard on modern blues recordings and set a standard that is still followed. [Some music historians site Ernest Tubb's 1940 honky tonk classic, "Walking the Floor over You" as the first "hit" recording to feature and highlight a solo by a standard electric guitar--though earlier hits featured electric lap steel guitars. The blues master Lonnie Johnson had also recorded at least once on electric guitar, but his innovation was neither much noted nor influential.]
Much of Walker's output was recorded from 1946–48 on Black & White Records, including 1947's "Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just As Bad)", with its famous opening line, "They call it stormy Monday, but Tuesday's just as bad". He followed up with his "T-Bone Shuffle": "Let your hair down, baby, let's have a natural ball". Both are considered blues classics. B. B. King says "Stormy Monday" first inspired him to take up the guitar. The song is also a favorite live number for The Allman Brothers Band.
Throughout his career he worked with top quality musicians, including Teddy Buckner (trumpet), Lloyd Glenn (piano), Billy Hadnott (bass), and Jack McVea (tenor sax).
Following his work with Black & White, he recorded from 1950–54 for Imperial Records (backed by Dave Bartholomew). Walker's only record in the next five years was T-Bone Blues, recorded over three widely separated sessions in 1955, 1956, and 1959, and finally released by Atlantic Records in 1960.
By the early 1960s, Walker's career had slowed down, in spite of a much-hyped appearance at the American Folk Blues Festival in 1962 with Memphis Slim, among others. A few critically acclaimed albums followed, such as I Want a Little Girl, and he won a Grammy Award in 1971 for Good Feelin' (Polydor).
(Did you see Clark Terry play solo on nothing but a mouthpiece?)
And the one that made him famous...
'One of my favorite songs...
One of my favorite songs is by the great Blues band, Rod Piazza and the Mighty Fliers, the song is
'A Tribute to George Smith', it is Rod's version of his mentor's song Telephone Blues. I like this song because it turned me on to the great George Smith..the true King of the West Coast Blues...
Listen to "A Tribute to George Smith"
And here is the original by George Smith
Best Damn Beef Short Ribs Ever...guaranteed!!
These are the best beef ribs you will ever eat...I am not too fond of the potato salad he paired it with, but the damn ribs are SUPER...
Click here for the recipe from FoodTV
Click here for the recipe from FoodTV
Robert Randolph & the Family Band---The brutha can damn sure play that lap steel...
Robert Randolph & the Family Band
from Wiki... Robert Randolph & The Family Band is a multicultural American funk and soul band composed of Robert Randolph, Marcus Randolph (drums), Danyel Morgan (bass), Jason Crosby (keyboards & fiddle), Lenesha Randolph (vocals and rhythm), as well as three rotating rhythm guitarists, Joey Williams of Blind Boys of Alabama, "Shmeeans", and Cousin Ray-Ray. Frontman Robert Randolph was trained as a pedal steel guitarist in the House of God Church, Keith Dominion, and makes prominent use of the instrument in the band's music. Randolph, a native of Irvington, New Jersey,[1] began playing the steel guitar in the House of God Church, which used steel guitars in worship services. The instrument is referred to in many African American Pentecostal style churches as Sacred Steel. Randolph was discovered while playing at a sacred steel convention in Florida. Randolph himself cites the late Stevie Ray Vaughan as a primary influence in his own technique and style. The group's sound is inspired by successful 1970s funk bands such as Earth, Wind & Fire and Sly & the Family Stone, another multicultural band comprised of former members of the Church of God in Christ. Randolph himself has explained that in his adolescent years before his discovery by the secular community, he was almost completely unaware of non-religious music, saying "I never heard of the Allman Brothers, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, none of them. I wasn’t into that music, only the church thing."
from Wiki... Robert Randolph & The Family Band is a multicultural American funk and soul band composed of Robert Randolph, Marcus Randolph (drums), Danyel Morgan (bass), Jason Crosby (keyboards & fiddle), Lenesha Randolph (vocals and rhythm), as well as three rotating rhythm guitarists, Joey Williams of Blind Boys of Alabama, "Shmeeans", and Cousin Ray-Ray. Frontman Robert Randolph was trained as a pedal steel guitarist in the House of God Church, Keith Dominion, and makes prominent use of the instrument in the band's music. Randolph, a native of Irvington, New Jersey,[1] began playing the steel guitar in the House of God Church, which used steel guitars in worship services. The instrument is referred to in many African American Pentecostal style churches as Sacred Steel. Randolph was discovered while playing at a sacred steel convention in Florida. Randolph himself cites the late Stevie Ray Vaughan as a primary influence in his own technique and style. The group's sound is inspired by successful 1970s funk bands such as Earth, Wind & Fire and Sly & the Family Stone, another multicultural band comprised of former members of the Church of God in Christ. Randolph himself has explained that in his adolescent years before his discovery by the secular community, he was almost completely unaware of non-religious music, saying "I never heard of the Allman Brothers, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, none of them. I wasn’t into that music, only the church thing."
Life gives us the strangest gifts...I give you John Young, the best appliance repair man in the world, AND...
AND one of the best god-damn acoustic guitar players on the planet...
I met this man at a local computer club in the mid to late 80's, found out he was an appliance repair man, asked him to fix some stuff, we talked computers and then lost touch for a few years. Well you guessed it, my dryer broke so I called him and while we were talking he told me to visit his YouTube site...You could have knocked me over with a feather when I heard him play guitar, we had never discussed my love for the Blues, and for fate to drop this heavenly sounding Vintage Martin guitar on my ears was well, one of Life's strange gifts...
http://www.youtube.com/user/sosauto
I met this man at a local computer club in the mid to late 80's, found out he was an appliance repair man, asked him to fix some stuff, we talked computers and then lost touch for a few years. Well you guessed it, my dryer broke so I called him and while we were talking he told me to visit his YouTube site...You could have knocked me over with a feather when I heard him play guitar, we had never discussed my love for the Blues, and for fate to drop this heavenly sounding Vintage Martin guitar on my ears was well, one of Life's strange gifts...
http://www.youtube.com/user/sosauto
Indigenous---Native American Blues Rock
Read it all at Wiki... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_%28band%29
Indigenous is an American blues-rock group that came to prominence in the late 1990s. The band originally consisted of two brothers, Mato Nanji (vocals and guitar, b. 1974), Pte (bass guitar), along with their sister, Wanbdi (drums, vocals), and their cousin, Horse (percussion).
Their music is heavily influenced by guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, as well as Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana. Mato Nanji's style and skill has drawn comparisons to each of these guitarists. The band has also shared the stage with artists of varying musical genres such as B.B. King, Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, the Indigo Girls, Jackson Browne, Dave Matthews Band, and Los Lonely Boys. The band has headlined its own tours several times.
The Nakota Nation members grew up on South Dakota's Yankton Indian Reservation, where their father, Greg Zephier became a spokesperson for Native American rights. A musician in his own right during the 60s and '70s, Zephier provided his children with records from blues musicians such as B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and Freddie King, and taught them to play their respective instruments. The family started touring together, and soon the children were performing on their own.
Indigenous is an American blues-rock group that came to prominence in the late 1990s. The band originally consisted of two brothers, Mato Nanji (vocals and guitar, b. 1974), Pte (bass guitar), along with their sister, Wanbdi (drums, vocals), and their cousin, Horse (percussion).
Their music is heavily influenced by guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, as well as Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana. Mato Nanji's style and skill has drawn comparisons to each of these guitarists. The band has also shared the stage with artists of varying musical genres such as B.B. King, Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, the Indigo Girls, Jackson Browne, Dave Matthews Band, and Los Lonely Boys. The band has headlined its own tours several times.
The Nakota Nation members grew up on South Dakota's Yankton Indian Reservation, where their father, Greg Zephier became a spokesperson for Native American rights. A musician in his own right during the 60s and '70s, Zephier provided his children with records from blues musicians such as B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and Freddie King, and taught them to play their respective instruments. The family started touring together, and soon the children were performing on their own.
Karen Lawrence---have LOVED this voice since the first time I heard her...
I bought a CD years ago by a group called Blue by Nature...Oh my GOD this voice melts me...
Karen Lawrence is an American singer and songwriter who has worked with The LA Jets, 1994:, Karen Lawrence and the Pinz and Blue by Nature. She sang backup vocals on Get it up from Draw the Line by Aerosmith.
Karen Lawrence also sang on a Jeff Beck album.
Karen Lawrence, Blue By Nature’s driving force, is a dynamic singer and prolific songwriter. A charismatic performer with a spirited stage presence, Lawrence has enjoyed a challenging and diverse career. A stage performer continually since the age of 9, she fronted her first band, a blues outfit, at the age of 13. As front woman for the A&M band 1994: (produced by Jack Douglas), Lawrence’s distinctive and emotive vocal stylings frequently put her on international critics’ "Best Female Singer" lists. Wrote "Kerrang!"... "it was 1994:’s Karen Lawrence who gave the others the choice of being second best or giving up." In addition to lead vocal and writing credits on Jeff Beck’s Epic/Legacy release "Beckology," Lawrence’s most notable coup was composing "Prisoner," the theme song for the film "The Eyes of Laura Mars," which was immortalized by Barbra Streisand. (Over 4 times platinum, the song has been identified in songbooks as one of the one hundred best love songs.)
Blue By Nature was formed in March 1993 when Lawrence and her collaborator of 14 years, rhythm guitarist Fred Hostetler, joined up with longtime friend Rick Dufay. Dufay, the former Aerosmith axeman, delivered an explosive and provocative guitar sound to the band. Four years and three critically acclaimed CD’s later, Dufay left to pursue a solo career and the torch was passed to young Brad Ayers. Ayers crisp Buddy Guy like riffs appear on the Hard Daze release. Shortly after the CD was finished, his promising career ended when he died of natural causes.
http://bluebynature.com/
and yeah..she's hot too...
Have a listen...
No Matter What I Do
Goodbye Mr. Jones
Monday, February 11, 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
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