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NOT SO NEW BLUES NEWS
October, 2003
December, 2001
September 2001
June 24 2001
May 2001
March 2001
January 2000
December 10 2000
December 1 2000
August 13 2000
October 29 2000
September 1 2000
July 24 2000
July 1 2000
June 7 2000
May 7 2000
April 9 2000
March 2000
December 1999
September 16 1999
March 15 1999 Friday - 05/16/2003
12:47 PM - Etta James On A Roll
Friday - 05/16/2003
Etta James On A Roll - Storman Norman @ 12:47 PM PST
ETTA’S ON A ROLL: PRIVATE MUSIC TO RELEASE LET’S ROLL MAY 6 LEGENDARY SINGER ETTA JAMES TO RECEIVE NARAS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AND HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME STAR One of the most influential and enduring artists in American popular music, Etta James will release Let’s Roll, her long awaited album of newly recorded studio tracks, May 6 on Private Music. Featuring twelve songs written by a host of established and emerging blues and rock composers, Let’s Roll is produced by James. Standouts tracks include “Wayward Saints of Memphis” and “Somebody To Love,” both co-written by Delbert McClinton; “Strongest Weakness,” co-written by Bekka Bramlett and “Stacked Deck,” a 1951 hit for proto rock ‘n’ roller Billy Wright.
Among the other writers contributing to the Let’s Roll tune stack are Gary Nicholson and Kevin Bowe. Let’s Roll features the distinctive vocalist backed by members of her long time touring ensemble, The Roots Band, which includes guitarist Josh Sklair and Etta’s sons Donto and Sametto James on drums and bass respectively. All three additionally served as co-producers on the album, which was recorded last year at her Fort Athens Studios in Riverside, California. The exuberant, high energy sound of the album reflects Etta’s return to her rock ‘n’ roll roots, stretching back to her breakthrough 1954 hit, “Roll With Me Henry.”
“Over the years, I’ve sung jazz and blues and pop but I’m really a rock and roller at heart,” the Grammy-winning vocalist explains. “I was comfortable producing the album because I come from rock ‘n’ roll and once you get that groove you never forget it.”
Let’s Roll, with a title partly inspired by the words of Flight 93 passenger Todd Beamer on September 11th, follows the 2001 release of Etta’s acclaimed collection of jazz standards Blue Gardenia and last year’s incendiary live recording Burnin’ Down The House. The artist, who garnered a Grammy in 1994 for her album Mystery Lady, has once again been nominated for the prestigious music award, this time in the Best Contemporary Blues category for the above-mentioned Burnin’ Down The House. It is only one of several notable honors to be bestowed on the legendary singer this year. She will receive a NARAS Lifetime Achievement award from the Recording Academy’s National Trustees, in recognition of her outstanding creative contributions. Previous honorees have included such iconic artists Elvis Presley, Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday and Sam Cooke. The Lifetime Achievement and Grammy Awards ceremonies take place February 22nd and 23rd respectively. Additionally, Etta James will receive a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame commemorating her extraordinary recording career in a special ceremony to be held April 18th. Capping this season of honors, Etta James has also been named as a nominee for The Blues Foundations’ 24th Annual W.C. Handy Awards, set for May 22nd in Memphis. Once again, Burnin’ Down The House has received a nomination, this time for Soul Blues Album of the Year, while the artist herself has been named in the Soul Female Artist of the Year category. An extensive U.S. tour, set for this spring and summer, will follow the release of Let’s Roll. # # # # # For e-mail updates and additional information regarding Etta James, please contact Vera Sheps @ Two Sheps That Pass… at 646-613-1101 or twoshepsthatpass@aol.com.
December 2001 -
Legendary Texas bluesman Lightnin' Hopkins will have a statue dedicated in his honor in Crockett, Texas. The dedication, scheduled for January 30, 2002, will be attended by Hopkins' daughter and three generations of his family.
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In honor of its upcoming 35th anniversary as a group, Roomful of Blues plan to record a new studio album featuring a number of former band members as guests. In a press release, Roomful's label, Rounder Records, has called for the public to help decide which players should be invited to participate. The statement reads as follows: "The band wants to mark [its 35th anniversary] with a special album to be released in 2003 that would include guests from earlier editions of Roomful of Blues. As many of you know, the band has seen a bunch of musicians come and go over the years; pretty much all of them are still in the business in one way or another. At last count there are around 43 folks that are ex-Roomies. As much fun as it might be to get all those musicians as special guests on this project, logistically it would be impossible due to touring schedules.We can't include everyone. So whom should we include? We'd like you, the fans, to write and tell us whom you'd like to see as special guests on this record. Please write roomful@roomful.com and let us know the six or seven previous members you would like to see appear with the current band on this landmark recording."
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Less than two years after opening her "Celebrity" nightclub, legendary blueswoman Koko Taylor has announced her intention to auction off the Chicago establishment. Taylor's decision is reportedly based on the fact that her daughter, who serves as the club's manager, has asthma and is adversely affected by the club's smoky atmosphere. The auction will take place December 19 in Chicago.
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Sandy Beaches Cruise Lineup Set The artist roster for the eighth edition of the Delbert McClinton & Friends Sandy Beaches Cruise has been announced, and blues-related participants are scheduled to include Marcia Ball, the Tommy Castro Band, and Wayne Toups & Zydecajun. The weeklong tour, which sets sail from Tampa, Fla., January 12 (2002) and travels to the Bahamas and back, will also feature such roots-based acts as Stephen Bruton, Bonnie Bramlett, and the Del McCoury Band. For more information, go to McClinton's official Web site.
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Burnside, Payton Featured on Upcoming Soundtrack Two artists known for their recordings on the Mississippi-based blues label Fat Possum will be showcased on the soundtrack to the feature film Big Bad Love, set to hit theaters in February 2002. Prolific hill-country bluesman R.L. Burnside will appear with his cover of Bob Dylan's "Everything Is Broken," while late guitarist Asie Payton will be represented by his song "I Love You." The tracks will sit alongside new material from artists such as Tom Waits on an album to be released by Nonesuch Records.
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Eric Bibb Single Raises Funds for Red CrossEarthBeat! Records has announced it will donate proceeds from the sale of Eric Bibb's new single to the American Red Cross in an effort to assist those affected by the September 11 terrorist attacks. The single, "Hope in a Hopeless World," is taken from Bibb's new album Painting Signs and was released October 16.
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BMA Issues Blues Sampler CD The Blues Music Association, in conjunction with the National Association of Recording Merchandisers, has released a various-artists CD designed to increase public awareness of the blues genre. The CD, priced at $1.98, includes tracks by superstars such as Stevie Ray Vaughan and Robert Cray in addition to artists who are not yet household names, such as Lucky Peterson and Otis Taylor. The disc is distributed by Ryko and is available at major music stores and online retailers nationwide.
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Peavine Awards Pay Tribute to Delta Acts The 4th Annual Peavine Awards ceremony, celebrating the most influential Mississippi Delta blues artists, took place Sept. 25 at Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss. This year's honorees were Robert Nighthawk, Houston Stackhouse, and Joe Willie Wilkins.
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New Robert Johnson Headstone Placed A new grave site has been deemed the likeliest location of Delta blues guitarist Robert Johnson's burial. On Aug. 16, Johnson's heir, Claude Johnson, joined several blues historians in the unveiling of a headstone in Greenwood, Miss., at Little Zion Baptist Church. The Greenwood site is thought to be the correct location of Johnson's grave based on the testimony of Greenwood octogenarian Rosie Eskridge, who claimed to have been present at Johnson's burial.
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Alligator Records Celebrates 30 Years. Alligator Records has issued a two-CD compilation marking the label's 30th anniversary. Like Alligator's previous anniversary sets, the new release features a sampling of artists who record for the label, including tracks by Shemekia Copeland, Koko Taylor, Corey Harris, Dave Hole, Coco Montoya, and many others. Unlike the previous collections, however, the set includes a full disc of live performances, highlighted by previously unavailable recordings by Albert Collins, Son Seals, C.J. Chenier, Little Charlie & the Nightcats, and Lil' Ed Williams. The disc also features a multimedia portion consisting of a four-minute video of a 1973 performance by the late Hound Dog Taylor, Alligator's first signee.
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Help Get The Handys Aired In Your Area. This year's W.C. Handy Blues Awards, like last year's, were taped for television broadcast. The program is available to public television stations worldwide. While some PBS stations plan to air the ceremony, others may be convinced to carry the hour-and-a-half program if it's requested by viewers. The Blues Foundation has placed on its Web site a notecard that can be filled out and mailed to your local PBS station to express your interest in seeing the program.
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The North Mississippi Allstars received two honors at the 16th Annual Premier Player Awards held in Memphis. The electric blues-rock band, who issued their national debut, Shake Hands With Shorty, last year, took home awards for Best Band and Outstanding Achievement. Premier Player award winners are chosen by 750 members of the Memphis chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences.
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Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater's Chicago restaurant and club "Reservation Blues" has announced its opening. The new venue, open Wednesdays through Sundays, is located at 1566 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago's Wicker Park, and serves a full menu in addition to offering performances from live bands. Reservation Blues' Grand Opening celebration will continue through the month of April 2001, with a series of performances by Clearwater alone (April 6) and joined by special guests Lonnie Brooks (April 7), Carey Bell (April 13 and 14), Jimmy Johnson (April 20 and 21) and Sandra Hall (April 27 and 28).
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Jimmy Rogers, the Chicago blues legend who died in 1997, now has a permanent Windy City landmark in his honor. The City of Chicago recently paid tribute to the guitarist by renaming a section of South Honore "Jimmy Rogers Street." Wilson, Perkins Join Big Jack In Studio
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M.C. Records has announced that Big Jack Johnson has begun work on his next album, scheduled to include special appearances by guests Kim Wilson (of The Fabulous Thunderbirds) and Pinetop Perkins. The disc, to be released in early 2002, is being produced by Mark Carpentieri.
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Jerry Wexler Immortalized In Film Jerry Wexler, the pioneering producer who recorded such blues and R&B kegends as Ray Charles, Ruth Brown, Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin, is the subject of a new documentary. Immaculate Funk, by filmmaker Tom Thurman, premiered in Sarasota, Fla., where Wexler currently resides. Following the screening, Wexler and Thurman presented a discussion about the film and about Wexler's role in music history.
Sept.2001
The National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) Classical/Jazz Issue Forum and the Blues Music Association (BMA) will release their first blues CD sampler, Get The Blues!, on September 18. Priced at $1.98, this 18-track, 70-minute sampler includes tracks from some of the biggest names on today's blues scene (Keb' Mo', Robert Cray, Shemekia Copeland, R.L. Burnside, Koko Taylor), as well as great names of the blues tradition (Sunnyland Slim, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Honeyboy Edwards). "With a suggested retail price of $1.98, it's easy for consumers to try Get The Blues!," says Holly Rosum, NARM's Director of Membership & Public Affairs, and head of the Classical/Jazz Issue Forum. "Because the sampler features a variety of artists, our goal is to whet the appetite of consumers so they come back and buy more of what they like." Ryko Distribution Partners will distribute the sampler. As with other NARM Classical/Jazz Issue Forum samplers, the wholesale price of Get The Blues! will be $1.10, again offering an extraordinary profit margin to retailers. Proceeds from sales of the sampler will benefit the NARM Scholarship Foundation and future Classical/Jazz Issue Forum promotions. EarthBeat Records, an independent label based in California, will release Eric Bibb's poignant single, "Hope In A Hopeless World" from his latest album, Painting Signs (EarthBeat!)on October 16th. Earthbeat's proceeds from the sale of this single will go directly to the American Red Cross to assist in meeting the emergency needs of those affected by the tragedy of Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001. A direct link to the organization will be available on EarthBeat!'s web site (www.earthbeatrecords.com) Blues guitar master Ronnie Earl gets by with the help of a few friends,featuring: James Cotton, Levon Helm, Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson, and others. Ronnie Earl and Friends is the guitarist's first all-blues (and nearly all-vocal) album in nearly 10 years. Meet some of Earl's old friends on this new recording, and get an earful of good blues while you're making their acquaintance.
June 24
John Lee Hooker dies at 83 John Lee Hooker, whose foot stompin' and gravelly voice on songs like
Boom Boom and Boogie Chillen electrified audiences and inspired
generations of musicians, died Thursday. He was 83. Hooker died of natural causes as he slept at his home in Los Altos, south of San Francisco, said his agent, Mike Kappus. The veteran blues singer from the Mississippi Delta estimated he recorded more than 100 albums over nearly seven decades. He won a Grammy Award for a version of I'm In The Mood, and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. Through it all, Hooker's music remained hypnotic and unchanged - his rich and sonorous voice, full of ancient hurt, coupled with a brooding, rhythmic guitar. He sang of loneliness and confusion. Neither polished nor urbane, his music was raw, primal emotion.His distinctive sound influenced rock 'n' rollers as well as rhythm and blues musicians. Among those whose music drew heavily on Hooker's style are Van Morrison, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt and ZZ Top. In 1961, the then-unknown Rolling Stones opened for him on a European tour; he also shared a bill that year with Bob Dylan at a club in New York. Even in the '90s, when his fame was sealed and he was widely recognized as one of the grandfathers of pop music, Hooker remained a little in awe of his own success, telling The Times of London, "People say I'm a genius, but I don't know about that." Like many postwar bluesmen, Hooker got cheated by one fly-by-night record producer after another, who demanded exclusivity or didn't pay. Hooker fought back by recording with rival producers under a slew of different names: Texas Slim, John Lee Booker, John Lee Cocker, Delta John, Birmingham Sam and the Boogie Man, among others. Hooker's popularity grew steadily as he rode the wave of rock in the '50s into the folk boom of the '60s. In 1980, he played a street musician in The Blues Brothers movie. In 1985, his songs were used in Steven Spielberg's film The Color Purple. Hooker hit it big again in 1990 with his album The Healer, featuring duets with Carlos Santana, Raitt and Robert Cray. It sold 1.5 million copies and won him his first Grammy Award, for a duet with Raitt on I'm in the Mood. Several more albums followed, including one recorded to celebrate his 75th birthday, titled Chill Out. Born in Clarksdale, Miss., Hooker was one of 11 children born to a Baptist minister and sharecropper who discouraged his son's musical bent. His stepfather taught him to play guitar. By the time Hooker was a teenager, he was performing at local fish fries, dances and other occasions. Hooker hit the road to perform by age 14. He worked odd jobs by day and played small bars at night in Memphis, then Cincinnati and finally Detroit in 1943. In Detroit, he was discovered and recorded his first hit, Boogie Chillen, in 1948. "I don't know what a genius is," he told the London newspaper. "I know there ain't no one ever sound like me, except maybe my stepfather. You hear all the kids trying to play like B.B. (King), and they ain't going to because, ooh, he's such a fine player and a very great man. But you neverhear them even try and sound like John Lee Hooker."All these years, I ain't done nothin' different," he said. "I been doing the same things as in my younger days, when I was coming up, and now here I am, an old man, up there in the charts. And I say, well, what happened? Have they just thought up the real John Lee Hooker, is that it? And I think, well, I won't tell nobody else! I can't help but wonder what happened." In his later years, Hooker laid back and enjoyed his success. He recordedonly occasionally; he posed for blue jeans and hard-liquor ads. He played benefits from time to time, but mostly he performed in small clubs,dropping in unannounced. Mostly, though, he hung out with friends and family at his homes in Los Altos and Long Beach, watching baseball and enjoying a fleet of expensive cars.
May/01
BUDDY GUY - SWEET TEA in Stores May 15th
Join The Sunday Blues for a CD listening Party at The Yale - Details soon...
June 30th - Orpheum
SUE FOLEY CELEBRATES JUNO WIN !
Hamilton, ON----Ottawa blues/roots guitarist Sue Foley continued her
winning ways at the 30th Anniversary edition of the Juno Awards, taking
home top honors for "Best Blues Album" with her latest release "Love Comin'
Down" (Shanachie/Koch Canada). Foley was unable to attend the awards celebration as she was performing at
the Sun Theatre in Anaheim, CA with Jennifer Warnes. The two have become
friends over the past year through numerous telephone conversations and
finally had the opportunity to meet in person on a tour stopover in Los
Angeles, CA. Foley was pleased to provide support in Anaheim and was
delited to join Warnes on stage for the finale, a Leonard Cohen penned
track "First We Take Manhattan" from her top selling album "Famous Blue
Raincoat." Foley is wrapping up an extremely successful three week U.S. west coast
tour that included sold out performances with Jonny Lang, The Neville
Brothers, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker and Jennifer Warnes as well as her own
headline dates. Foley's stunning performances on this tour have created
quite a stir, leading to a feature in both the LA Times and the Long Beach
Daily-Telegram on February 28th and March 2nd, respectively. Her future became even brighter when it was announced that agent Frank
Riley had signed on to represent her in the U.S. Riley, one of the top
agents in North America, recently started his own boutique agency - High
Road Touring, after eight very successful years with Monterey Peninsula
Artists in California. Foley will be part of this new agency, being
showcased alongside Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams and The Jayhawks. This past month, Foley sweeped the Maple Blues Awards winning all five
categories she was nominated for including "Entertainer of The Year" and
"Album of The Year" for "Love Comin' Down." Producer Colin Linden also won
for his outstanding work on this her landmark album. Foley will return to Ottawa this week to catch her breath and for a
hometown performance at Tucson's (March 9th & 10th) before heading back to
the U.S. for further touring that will take her from Pittsburgh, PA to
upstate New York. The summer festival season kicks off in May when Foley
makes her UK debut at the acclaimed Bishopstock Festival alongside Ray
Charles, Johnny Winter and Taj Mahal. Excitement in the UK is high as
prestigious MOJO Magazine selected her latest album as one of the top ten
blues releases in 2000. For Further Information on Sue Foley, check out http://www.suefoley.com Hellhound on My Trail:
There's no denying the astounding music that Robert Johnson madeómusic
that has influenced everyone from Bob Dylan to Eric Clapton. More than an
entry-level collection of his best, this album captures the essence of the
man known as "The King of the Delta Blues." Top blues artists pay tribute
to the Mississippi-born bluesman, including Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown,
James Cotton, Alvin "Youngblood" Hart, Robert Lockwood Jr., Taj Mahal,
Robert Palmer, Pinetop Perkins, Lucky Peterson, Susan Tedeschi, Joe Louis
Walker and others. Click here for more details:
http://www.telarc.com/Blues/title.asp?gsku=83521 Find out where our blues artists are touring:
http://www.telarc.com/Blues/tour.asp Two-time Juno Nominee
MICHAEL PICKETT WINS 2001 CANADIAN INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS
*Blues Album of the Year* 'Conversation With The Blues' The awards ceremony was held at The Church at Berkeley on Queen St. East
in Toronto last night. The nominees in the Blues category were
'sampled' on the big screen immediately following Fathead's performance
and the winner was announced. Michael graciously accepted the award by thanking the Canadian
Independent Music awards, all you fans out there who have been
consistently showing your support, and especially all the musicians who
worked on the cd. Conversation With The Blues is a product worthy of special
attention. (kudos to producer Doug Romanow). Congratulations to all the nominees...Fathead, Hot Toddy, Krisi Johnston, Carson Downey Band http://www.michaelpickett.com
March/01
John Hammond Sets 'Wicked' Tour March 25: Vancouver (The Yale) John Hammond will on March 17 kickoff a tour in support of "Wicked Grin," his forthcoming Pointblank/Virgin album. As previously reported, the album -- dueMarch 13 -- was produced by Tom Waits, The band, dubbed John Hammond's Wicked Grin, includes several musicians who appear on the album -- keyboardist Augie Meyers, bassist Larry Taylor, drummer/percussionist Stephen Hodges -- with the addition of guitarist Frank Carillo. Others who guested on the album, including blues harmonica great Charlie Musselwhite and Waits, will not be on
the tour. The tour will open in Austin, Texas, as part of the annual South By Southwest music festival, which, incidentally, is where Waits reintroduced himself as a live performer prior to the release of 1999's "Mule Variations" (Epitaph). Hammond's tour will wrap with an April 7 show at Philadelphia's Theatre Of Living Arts. Hammond has been on the road on an acoustic tour that plays VirginiaBeach, Va., tomorrow (Feb. 17) and Shirley, Mass., on March 3.
Following the tour with Wicked Grin, he's also scheduled to appear June 3 at the Western Maryland Blues Festival in Hagerstown,
John Hammond's Wicked Grin: March 25: Vancouver (the Yale)
Grammy Awards Nominees Traditional Blues Album: "Superharps," James Cotton, Billy Branch, Charlie Musselwhite and Sugar Ray Norcia; "Riding with the King," B.B. King and Eric Clapton; "Let the Good Times Roll," B.B. King; "Delta Crossroads," Robert
Lockwood Jr.; "Milk Cow Blues," Willie Nelson. Winner: B.B. King and Eric Clapton; Riding With The King
Best Pop Duo Perf. - B.B. King & DR.John (Is You Is ...) from
Let The Good Times Roll Contemporary Blues Album: "Wicked," Shemekia Copeland; "Shoutin' in Key," Taj Mahal and the Phantom Blues Band; "Shake Hands With Shorty," North Mississippi
Allstars; "Hoochie Man," Bobby Rush; "Royal Blue," Koko Taylor. Winner : "Shoutin' in Key," Taj Mahal and the Phantom Blues Band
Bishop's Blues
After years of paying his blues dues, semi-retirement suits guitarist Elvin Bishop By MIKE BELL -- Calgary Sun The mind churns with all sorts of seamy thoughts as to what kind of trouble a semi-retired bluesman could get into. So it's a very welcome thing indeed when good ol' boy electric blues guitarist Elvin Bishop asks early in the interview, "You now what I've been doing today?" Cock fights? Shooting craps? Running moonshine? Hardly. "Planting stuff in my garden," he says cordially, with nothingin his voice to indicate that he's been cultivating anything other than azaleas or ferns. But that should have been expected after listening to his latest studio album, The Skin I'm In, which features songs with titleslike Middle Aged Man and Slow Down, and lyrics like, "Better get off the alcohol, better get on that Geritol/Better get off thatcocaine, better get on that Rogaine."
No, other than a handful of weekend gigs throughout the course of the year, including a date tonight at the U of C's MacEwan Hall Ballroom, Bishop's life these days is the picture of suburban bliss."I'm not the road dog I used to be, that's for sure," the 58-year-old Bishop says. "I have a nice family and I enjoy
spending time with them, so basically what it amounts to is I buzz out on the weekends and come back and spend the week with them. ... "I'm a lucky guy. I've done the other thing, the 300 gigs a year. I've put in way enough time on that -- I've paid my dues." Paid in full. The Chicago-schooled musician has a history inthe blues that would make most axemen more than a littleIn the '60s he and pal Paul Butterfield jammed with legends such as Buddy Guy and Otis Rush before forming the influential Paul Butterfield Blues Band. In the late '60s, Bishop left Chicago and relocated to SanFrancisco where he again stood alongside greatness, sharingthe stage with everyone from Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton tohit Fooled Around And Fell In Love. Then came the '80s, a time when, if you're to believe any ofthe press on the guitarist, Bishop fell off the Earth. According to man himself, the truth is a little closer to the seaminess alluded to earlier."Well, I didn't make any records for eight years but I was playing probably more gigs than at any point in my career during that time, and I had a good band," Bishop says. "But basically it was a matter of having too much fun, somebad habits that I had for quite a while catching up with me, andjust not giving a damn about taking care of the business enough to make a record -- doing what I was doing at the moment which was not something totally admirable. "Drugs and drinking -- it's the same old story that's been heard a thousand times. And I was lucky that I was one of the people that came out of it." Judging from his output in the past decade-and-a-half -- which includes four studio albums and a recent live disc with friend and mentor Little Smokey Smothers -- he came out the other side more than a little refreshed and rejuvenated. And he sounds like it, too. Musically, Bishop sounds cool-handed and loose, like he's having the time of his life and finally enjoying the fruits of labouring in the blues trenches for decades while honing his craft and making a name for himself. "Oh yeah, there's just nothing not to like about it," he says. "It's just such a great stroke of luck to be able to do something
you love and get paid real well for it and get a lot more "It's a great thing and it's not like football or hockey or whatever when you're 40 and you're over the hill. You can do this until you get to be Duke Ellington's or John Lee Hooker's age, if you can hold up that long. I've enjoyed the whole trip and I'm enjoying it more now. Like I say, I'm a lucky guy -- what can I say?" Jan./00 THE HOLMES BROTHERS RETURN TO STONY PLAIN
The Holmes Brothers will return to Stony Plain with a new release, titled Speaking in Tongues (SPCD-1272), due January 30, 2001. Produced by multi-platinum selling superstar Joan Osborne, it features the group's patented gospel-inflected three-part harmonies, no-nonsense R&B chops, and a down-home musical sensibility that blends
blues, soul, country and gospel.
There are four new original songs by Wendell and Sherman Holmes, as well as new revelations from songs by Bob Dylan, Ben Harper and Gamble & Huff. Joan Osborne also sings on most tracks as one of the trio of back-up singers, The Precious Three.
Stony Plain's freindship with the Holmes' goes back many years; the trio's 1995 movie sound track, Lotto Land (SPCD-1223) is still in the Stony Plain catalogue. That movie, almost impossible to find on video, was a film festival favourite that never made it to commercial cinemas, but had a wonderful lead acting performance from Wendell.
Speaking in Tongues will be available in Canada on Stony Plain; it's being released in the United States by our good friends at Alligator Records. COMING UP ON STONY PLAIN IN 2001
* Maria Muldaur's new release on Stony Plain - a return to her roots with an acoustic blues album with Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Angela Strehli, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Tracy Nelson, John Sebastian and more - including her old colleague from hter Midnight at the Oasis days, Amos Garrett. Richland Women Blues is due in March,
* Billy Boy Arnold with Duke Robillard - Duke weighs in with yet another great production effort and some blazing guitar work in support of one of the great blues harmonica players. Boogie 'n' Shuffle will be out in March.
* Long John Baldry - the successor to his recent live album is this tribute to the work of one of John's major influences, the legendary Leadbelly. It'll be his fifth album for the label. Tribute to Leadbelly will be released in March. For the second year in a row, Guy Davis
has been nominated for three Handy Awards !!! He was nominated for: "Acoustic Blues- Artist of the Year", "Acoustic Blues Album of the Year", and "Blues Song of the Year". Eric Bibb has also been nominated for "Best Acoustic Blues Album" For all the latest information on the Handy Awards and Handy Weekend visit http://www.handyawards.com or http://www.blues.org.
You can as link to the Blues Foundation's gneral website from there and get info on joining. Very worthy organization whether you vote or not ! Harmonica enthusiast will want to look for the new release on Telarc
Superharps II is a celebration of the blues and one of its most glorified instruments. This follow up to the Grammy-nominated Superharps is a harmonica master class featuring four modern day giants: Cary Bell, Lazy Lester, Raful Neal and Snooky Pryor.
Introducing...THE SLIDIN' TIMES
The Official Newsletter of Award Winning Singer/Songwriter Slide Guitarist-John Campbelljohn Issue#1, Vol.#1 FEATURED ARTICLES - Blues Debut Is A Best Seller, Blues Goes To Hollywood, John Signs Columbia Tri-Star TV Deal, New CD "Nerves Of Steel" Released In Europe. To read the debut issue of THE SLIDIN' TIMES or any one of it's articles just go to http://www.campbelljohn.ca
Dec.10/00
Here are some cool Christmas Blues CDs you might want to check out... Blue Yule - Rhino
Alligator Christmas - Alligator
Roomfull of Christmas - Bullseye
Bullseye Blues - Bullseye
Even Santa Gets The Blues - Pointblank
Blues, Miseltoe and Santas Little Helper - Black Top
Stony Plain's Christmas - Stony Plain
Charles Brown & Frieinds - Merry Christmas Baby - True North
Charles Brown - Cool Christmas Blues Bullseye
Various - Merry Christmas Kingsnake
Etta James - 12 Songs of Christmas Private Music
An Austin R&B Christmas For more details see my playlists page for Dec.24/00 - already posted
Dec.1/00
Bluesman Keb' Mo'
has scheduled an extensive fall itinerary in support of his forthcoming Okeh/Epic album "The Door," The tour began Thursday (Oct. 5) in Shreveport, La., and will wind its way through the U.S. before wrapping up Dec.3 in San Diego. "The Door" is the follow-up to the artist's 1998 album "Slow Down," which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Blues Albums chart and won a Grammy for best contemporary blues recording. Mo's official Web site reports that the artist has also completed a "wholesome family/children type album" of covers and three originals, set for a January release on the Sony Wonder label. Keb Mo plays Vancouver's Commodore Ballroom - Jan.26/01
Double Trouble Signs with Tone-Cool Records;
True North and Tone-Cool Records are extremely pleased to announce the signing of Double Trouble, who will release their debut cd, Been A Long Time, on February 6, 2001.
Chris Layton & Tommy Shannon, aka Double Trouble, are without question the world's premiere blues/rock/r&b rhythm section Over the past two decades they have stood shoulder to shoulder with Stevie Ray Vaughan, spearheaded the groundbreaking bands Arc Angels and Storyville, garnered Grammy's, Handy's and every imaginable award, and moved millions of music fans across the generations.
Now Chris & Tommy have taken the next step in their remarkable career with Been A Long Time, the very first Double Trouble album,featuring guest appearances by some of the greatest blues and r&b players and singers today. Included on the album are appearances by Austin,Texas guitar greats Jimmie Vaughan, Doyle Bramhall II, Eric Johnson and Charlie Sexton (who co-produced the album), plus such well-respected youngbloods as Kenny Wayne Sheppard and Jonny Lang. There's even a Canadian connection, with Big Sugar's Gordie Johnson adding guitar to Double Trouble's cover of his own Groundhog Day. Other guests include label-mate Susan Tedeschi, vocalists Malford Milligan and Lou-Ann Barton, and musical icons Dr. John and Willie Nelson. Aside from groove-ulating prowess, Been A Long Time also showcases the duo's formidable talent as songwriters. Bringing together an amazing community of friends, Double Trouble draws on their years of experience and inspiration to produce music of undying vision and timeless emotion. http://www.doubletroublemusic.com
The Tony D Band was recently nominated for two Maple Blues Awards
for "Entertainer of The Year" and "Electric Act of The Year" The deadline to receive ballots from the TBS is Monday, December 11th. Call 1-866-871-9457 to get your ballots. There's a two-ballot per household limit. If the voice message box is full, try e-mailing the TBS with your full contact address at bi@interlog.com and request your two ballots.
Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony at the Phoenix
Concert Club in Toronto on February 6, 2001. For tickets contact the TBS.
Tony D is heading down to New Orleans in early December to do some writing with acclaimed songwriter and performer, Anders Osborne, who has written
the last two singles for Keb Mo' and has a song on the new Jonny Lang record.
Musicfest Announces Name Change
The dates for this year's Musicfest have been decided! Musicfest 2001 will take place July 13-15th at The Courtenay Exhibition Grounds under the new name, The Vancouver Island Musicfest. " We decided to change the name of our festival because we are doing more and more advertising away from this area," explains Musicfest Artistic Director, Doug Cox. " Once you get into Seattle, the interior of BC, and the rest of Canada, many people have never heard of The Comox Valley. We want to make sure people can pin a location on us as
soon as they glance at our advertising." Last year's Musicfest attracted approximately 10,000 people throughout theweekend.
http://www.islandmusicfest.com
SUE FOLEY
Sue Foley was recently in Charleston, WV to perform on the popular radio program Mountain Stage, alongside Chuck Prophet, Tracy Nelson, Chris Smither and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.
Mountain Stage is a two hour radio program that features performances by today's hottest musicians, recorded live. The program is hosted by Larry Groce and each week brings radio listeners around the world live performances of music from all genres.
Foley performed four songs, including "Two Trains" from her new album on Shanachie "Love Comin' Down." Although the performance was short, Foley packed quite a punch, as she received a standing ovation in the middle of her second number.
Mountain Stage also provided the chance for Foley to reunite with one of her all-time heroes, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. Foley was recently quoted in the New York Times as saying "I want to be the female Clarence (Gatemouth) Brown, 75, a wicked guitarist and ornery as hell." Well, Gate read the quote and loved it. He approached Foley on arrival to Mountain Stage and they shared a laugh about it and later shared the stage for the grand finale.
The performance goes to satellite on November 17th, and will air
throughout the week following on NPR. Check local listings for an air time and date near you. In Europe, the performance can be heard on Voice of America.
Look for Sue Foley's acclaimed Shanachie release, "Love Comin' Down", as well as her brand new Antone's record "Back To The Blues", a selection of previously unreleased songs from her days in Austin, Texas. The album contains some stellar material, including a unique rendition of Bob Dylan's "Positively 4th Street", a likely radio single. "Back To The Blues" was released on November 7th in the U.S. only, on Antone's Records/Ryko Distribution. Look for an international release in early February.
For those who don't get a chance to read the New York Times,
here's a piece that features blues guitarist, Sue Foley. For further information check out http://www.suefoley.com They Have a Right to Sing the Blues, and a Reason August 13, 2000
By DANA JENNINGS WHY do white women sing the blues? It's grueling work to peer over the broad shoulders of old
masters like Son House, Robert Johnson and Howlin' Wolf. It's
anonymous work, too, to play an African-American music that
evolved in the Mississippi Delta and then hoboed the Illinois
Central north to Chicago, where it got electrified and citified.
The blues were the birthright of a tribe of wronged, restless
black men. They belonged to a dirt-road world of mule work and
shotgun shacks, to sharecroppers who in their bosses' eyes were
still just a commodity, the Emancipation Proclamation be damned. How can a white, middle-class woman in the year 2000 inhabit --
and be inhabited by -- a music forged in that hateful crucible?
Yet it happens, enriching the culture. Women, for all their apparent gains, still grapple with the
prospect of marginal lives, with the commodification of their
spirit, their bodies. Isn't Britney Spears just a singing toy
marketed by jaded and cynical men? It's one of our culture's deep
secrets, but women are still second-class citizens, more readily
accepted when heeled to pornographic submission and so often
vilified at any hint of ambition. Consider the persistent attacks
on Hillary Clinton's image. Every move a black man makes in our society is still freighted
with levels of meaning. Every move a woman makes carries freight,
too. To get along in our white-male-dominated culture (I'll
confess: I'm a 42-year-old white man) blacks and women must be
subtler, be quick studies -- and that's a blues attitude. Women,
too, must know how to work from the fringes, where the blues were
born -- born not just on the margins of culture, but on the
margins of black culture. As the Mississippi bluesman R. L. Burnside said in an interview
last year: "The way people was treated back in those olden days,
that's what the blues is all about. Working for the man, you
couldn't say nothing, but you could sing about it, you know?" There's no shortage of white women searching for Robert Johnson:
the singers Angela Strehli and Lou Ann Barton; the boogie piano
players Marcia Ball and Deanna Bogart; the singer-guitarists Rory
Block, Joanna Connor, Debbie Davies, Sue Foley and Susan
Tedeschi; and blowing harp, Annie Raines. The question why is uncomfortable because often what the
questioner means is: "What are you doing singing the blues?
You're not black." Ms. Block says, "It's not your skin, it's your soul." Popular music offers hard lessons in exploitation. The music industry has
always been racist and sexist, with a history of taking advantage
of blacks and women. And the current tone of popular music, oozing
over-the-top sex and violence, feels more and more like pro
wrestling with a soundtrack. So, a white woman singing the blues -- who won't sell her body
(or her soul) to MTV -- is a defiant, admirable figure. But the
blues have always been opposition music, singing the blues a
celebration of outlaw culture. Squeaky-voiced pseudo-vixens with
hyperactive breasts need not apply. There's no doubt that white women have a right to the blues, but
some stumble at the roadblock between the blues and the merely
bluesy. (Sorry, but Bonnie Raitt is only bluesy.) It's the
difference between the fire and the firefly, between Little
Richard and Pat Boone. As the late Muddy Waters once said, "Ain't
too many left that play the real deep blues." Still, there are juke joints of the soul where the would-be
blueswoman must work hard and honest to get past the spiritual
bouncer. Rory Block, Sue Foley and Susan Tedeschi are three who've
done that. Ms. Block, born in Princeton, N.J., and raised in New York City,
says that as a young woman "I thought about nothing but blues,
dreamed, loved, breathed and ate blues." On her two most recent albums, "Confessions of a Blues Singer" and
"Gone Woman Blues," Ms. Block covers bluesmen like Robert
Johnson, Son House (whom she knew), Charley Patton and Blind
Willie McTell. Her playing is perfect, her singing otherworldly
as she wrestles with ghosts, shadows and legends. "I still don't
think there is anything as glorious and beautiful as an old blues
or country song," Ms. Block writes in the liner notes to
"Confessions." Her wrestling with these 78 r.p.m. blues is almost as beautiful. As America's rural past vanishes, becomes varnished by theme-park
revisionism, the blues face the same questions of authenticity as
modern country music. (Most current country singers are just SUV's
wearing cowboy hats.) But to play the deep blues, does a player
need to be born to fish fries and knife-on-the-frets Saturday
nights? Ms. Tedeschi doesn't think so. "You can relate the blues to anything that hurts you deeply," she
said in an interview. "I don't think you have to go out in the
cotton fields anymore." The blues have always reserved the right to change, to meet the
player's needs, the culture's. The Texas blues differ from
Mississippi's. As do the blues from Chicago, New Orleans, the
Piedmont. There are spiritual geographies, too; there's plenty of
room for the white woman's blues. But if on some gray days those middle-class blues don't feel
quite right, there's still new, raw blues by old black men from
Mississippi like R. L. Burnside, T-Model Ford and Robert Belfour.
These men and their brethren still play true blues so stripped
down that you can see the bondo between the notes. When T-Model
Ford rasps, "I've been shot, and I've been cut," the hair bristles
on the neck of the listener, who doesn't doubt Mr. Ford for a
moment. Unlike Mr. Ford, too many performers, black and white, male and
female, want to slick up the music, to snip the barbwire of the
blues. For Sue Foley, the blues are very much alive. At 16, she sang
Memphis Minnie moaners in Ottawa bars. That was a year after
hearing James Cotton blow his harp live. "I never had experienced
something so real and human," Ms. Foley said in a recent
interview on the "It's a Girl Thang" Web site. "So down to earth,
my entire soul was lifted." On her latest album, "Love Comin'
Down," Ms. Foley's got that blues feeling to complement her
strong guitar. No question, she has those old Ottawa Delta
blues on this fine, swampy album. And Ms. Tedeschi, currently touring with B. B. King and Buddy Guy,
devoured her father's Lightnin' Hopkins and Mississippi John Hurt
records growing up in Norwell, Mass., and never shook the blues
after that. Ms. Tedeschi learned a few lessons. The opening of "Rock Me Right," the
first song on her 1998 album "Just Won't Burn," is one of the most
riveting moments in recent recorded blues. When she howls, "You say you
haven't been rocked in a long, long time,"it's the vocal equivalent of a
hopped-up '64 Chevy Impala peeling out on a dirt road, spitting rocks and
gravel. Someone paid attention, because she was nominated for a Grammy
for best new artist, shocking Ms. Tedeschi, who didn't seem to fit
in with the other nominees: Britney Spears, Christine Aguilera,
Macy Gray and that legendary bluesman Kid Rock. So, why do white women sing the blues? "I want to be the female Clarence(Gatemouth)Brown," Ms. Foley says,
explaining that she wants to be 75, a wicked guitarist "and ornery as hell." T-Model Ford would understand. Dana Jennings, a novelist and editor at The New York Times, writes
frequently about popular music. The New York Times on the Web
http://www.nytimes.com Copyright 2000 The New York Times Company
Oct.29/00
Johnny Winter Surgery Cancels November Tour Dates A late-night accident will keep Johnny Winter off "Highway 61" for the
foreseeable future. Winter fell down a flight of stairs at his Connecticut home late last Friday night (October 20), injuring one of his hips. The damage was severe enough that Winter had to undergo surgery on Tuesday (October 24) to correct the problem, and the prognosis for a complete recovery is excellent. The guitar legend is expected to stay in the hospital for another few days, after which he'll begin several weeks' worth of rehabilitation. Unfortunately, the injury has forced Winter to put off his planned November tour of the Midwestern and Northwestern U.S. and Western Canada (including his Nov.15 date at The Commodore) Winter plans to use his unplanned downtime working on the songs for his next album, and he expects to be back on the road early next year, with a spring run through Europe already on the agenda. There's no word on when the postponed shows will be made up. Anyone wishing to send a get-well card should address it to: Johnny Winter
c/o Slatus Management
35 Hayward Avenue
Colchester, CT 06514 Keb' Mo' Bluesman Keb' Mo' has scheduled an extensive fall itinerary in support of his
forthcoming Okeh/Epic album "The Door," due Oct. 10. The tour began Oct. 5 in Shreveport, La., and will wind its way through the U.S. before wrapping up Dec. 3 in San Diego. "The Door" is the follow-up to his 1998 album "Slow Down," which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Blues Albums chart and won a Grammy for best contemporary blues recording. Mo's has also completed a "wholesome family/children type album" of covers and three originals, set for a January release on the Sony Wonder label.
Sept.1/00
B.B. Says Another King Is Partly Responsible For 'Riding With The King' Guitar legends Eric Clapton and B.B. King are celebrating the platinum
certification of Riding With The King, their collaborative effort that debuted at Number Three on the Billboard charts when it was released earlier this summer. In fact, it's the first platinum album of King's nearly 50-year career. He told reporters that he's long wanted to do an album project with his old friend Clapton, but that it came together only after he saw Clapton on a TV program: ["Well, I was watching Larry King, and I heard Eric say he'd like to do a CD with me, and I'd been wanting to hear that for years. He had did a, a track with me on the CD we called Deuces Wild; he did 'Rock Me Baby' on that with me, so that's been some time. And I wanted to -- from that time on -- to do a CD with him. He's such a good guy -- he's always doing things for people -- so being a friend I didn't want to push it, but I was glad when I heard him say he'd like to do it."] King is currently leading his annual summer blues package, with Buddy Guy and Susan Tedeschi also on the bill. Hendrix Sidemen Join Buddy Guy's Guitarist With the release of the upcoming box set The Jimi Hendrix Experience,
fans will have plenty of opportunity to hear the vintage work of sidemen such as drummer Mitch Mitchell and bassist Billy Cox. But the famed rhythm section, which backed Hendrix at Woodstock, can also be heard on a more current project -- guitarist Scott Holt's new album, Dark Of The Night. Holt, who's been the second guitarist in blues great Buddy Guy's band for the past decade or so, uses Mitchell and Cox on three of the album's 11 numbers -- covers of Prince's "Five Women," the Stax chestnut "Breakin' Up Somebody's Home," and Bob Dylan's "You Gotta Serve Somebody." Ironically, Holt uses his own band on the album's Hendrix cover, "Crosstown Traffic." Also guesting on Holt's album -- which is on the EMC/Mystic Music label -- are Guy and the members of the late Stevie Ray Vaughan's Double Trouble. Nelson Gets Bluesy On 'Milk Cow' Willie Nelson's fans will be able to take a cue from the lyrics to the artist's "Night Life" and "listen to the blues they're playin' " when Island Records releases the veteran country singer/songwriter's Nelson is joined by veterans B.B. King, Dr. John, and Francine Reed, and young luminaries Susan Tedeschi, Jonny Lang,Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Keb' Mo' for an all-blues program that includes reinterpretations of Nelson's own classics and versions of several blues standards.
With his blues set finally completed, Nelson plans to return to work on his reggae album. According to the artist, he has finished covers of Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Come" and"Sitting In Limbo" and some reggae versions of his own tunes. He says, "It's been decided now that we'd like to do a little more to it and go to Jamaica, Don Was and I, maybe go down there and hang out with some of those guys and work on it a little bit more, fine-tune it, and make sure we're doin' it right." Legendary R&B songwriter Don Covay will release "Adlib," his first recorded work in 25 years, Sept. 18via Chanhassen, Minn.-based blues label Cannonball Records. Billed as Don Covay & Friends, the album will feature the artist performing with a long list of cohorts, including Paul Rodgers, Wilson Pickett, Ann Peebles, Paul Shaffer, Anton Fig, Huey Lewis, Dan Penn, and Simon Kirke.
The cover artwork of the release is a signed portrait of Covay painted by Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood, while the liner notes featurecomments by Van Morrison, Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and Bonnie Raitt. The album was produced by Jon Tiven (B.B. King, Nick Lowe, Frank Black), who contributed liner notes for the 1994 Mercury compilation "Checkin' In With Don Covay," and features primarily new songs, along with a handful of his classics, including "Mercy Mercy" (with Rodgers) and "Three Time Loser" (with Pickett) Aaron Neville's first album of gospel-inspired music, "Devotion," will be released Sept. 26 on Tell It Records/EMI Gospel. The 12-track set combines original songs with hymns and new arrangements ofsuch classics as Simon & Garfunkel's"Bridge Over Troubled Water," Cat Stevens'"Morning Has Broken," and Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released." The album also includes"Singing You A Prayer," a duet with theartist's son, Ivan.
SAN FRANCISCO--A bizarre Marin County murder mystery involving the family of blues guitarist Elvin Bishop took a grisly turn Wednesday August 2/00 as authorities identified one of three dismembered bodies pulled from a Sacramento County river as that of Bishop's missing 22-year-old daughter.
Since Monday, police divers have recovered eight gym bags containing what authorities say are the remains of Selina Bishop and an elderly Bay Area couple reported missing last week. Selina Bishop's stockbroker boyfriend was identified Wednesday as the lead suspect in a total of five slayings. The victims include Selina's mother and her mother's boyfriend, who were found shot to death in the daughter's apartment Aug. 3. That was the same day the young waitress vanished after telling friends she was going to Yosemite National Park with her boyfriend. The case involving the family of the popular blues singer has captured the Bay Area's attention for days as police have followed a trail of body bags, fingerprints and other clues that detectives say link the killings to Glenn Helzer.
"This is a terrible, unsettling thing," said Sacramento County Sheriff's Sgt. Dennis Arnal as he stood Wednesday afternoon alongside the Mokelumne River, where body parts were still being recovered. Marin County authorities arrested Helzer, 30, Monday at his Concord home on suspicion of robbery, burglary and other charges. Also arrested were Helzer's 28-year-old brother, Justin, and friend Dawn Godman, 26. Investigators said all three are now suspects in the five slayings. Police divers scouring the murky bottom of the Mokelumne in Sacramento County have recovered eight nylon utility bags whose contents include a head and at least one torso. As 10 police divers and two search boats continued the hunt near isolated Brannan Island, coroners Wednesday identified the remains of Selina Bishop, along with those of Ivan Stineman, 85, of Concord and his wife, Annette, 78.
The Stinemans were former neighbors of Helzer, and he once worked for them, authorities said. The three victims suffered blunt trauma before being dismembered, according to police. When asked about a motive, Harold Jewett, a deputy district attorney in Contra Costa County, where Concord is located, responded: "Money." He did not elaborate. The Stinemans were reported missing Aug. 3, and three days later their Chevrolet minivan was found abandoned in Oakland with the keys inside. Police said palm prints belonging to Helzer and his brother were later found in the van.
Also on Aug. 3, authorities discovered the bodies of Selina Bishop's mother, Jennifer Villarin, 45, and Joseph Gamble, 54. They apparently had been shot to death in Selina's studio apartment in the rustic Woodacre section of wealthy Marin County. Villarin and Gamble, who were apparently shot repeatedly in their sleep, had been house-sitting while Selina was on the trip to Yosemite with her boyfriend, authorities said. Selina was reported missing the day the bodies were discovered.
Elvin Bishop, who lives in the Marin County community of Lagunitas, was summoned home from a concert tour after his former wife's body was discovered.
The guitarist is best known for his 1976 hit, "Fooled Around and Fell in Love." Selina was his only child with Villarin. "All of us in the Bay Area music scene are really, really upset by this," said Tom Mazzolini, producer of the San Francisco Blues Festival, at which Elvin Bishop is scheduled to perform next month.
The case began to unravel Monday when the California Department of Fish and Game received a report about a bag containing body parts along a remote section of the Mokelumne, about 50 miles south of Sacramento.
A team of divers eventually turned up seven more bags, some of which were weighted with rocks and other debris, Sgt. Arnal said. "The bags just kept floating to the surface; that's how we were able to find them," Arnal said. "Many were weighted with rocks. They're sport-utility nylon bags, the kind you can buy at a Kmart or a Wal-Mart." Arnal said the discovery was one of the most troubling experiences of his 28-year career. "It ranks right up there," he said. "You might find one body, but rarely do you find so many body parts strewn all over a river." .
July 24, 2000
Diesel Management is proud to announce the signing of Shanachie Recording Artist, Sue Foley, to an exclusive agency deal, for the world outside North America, with London, UK based Helter Skelter.
Foley will be represented by senior agent, Ian Sales, who has been
instrumental in the career development of artists like Sheryl Crow. Sales will directly handle Sue Foley alongside Crow, Jonny Lang and Susan Tedeschi.
Immediate plans for Foley include a November visit to Europe with
anticipation of a return for the festival season next summer.
As one of the premier female blues/roots guitarists in the world, Foley is touring in support of her acclaimed sixth release, "Love Comin' Down" on Shanachie Records.
For further information on Sue Foley www.suefoley.com
July 1/00
Clapton and B.B. King Ride in at No. 3
B.B. King has more to celebrate this week than the grand opening of his posh blues club in New York. According to the new SoundScan chart, the seventy-four-year-old blues icon's collaboration with Eric Clapton, Riding With the King, is the third best-selling album in America at the moment, having moved 193,377 copies its first week in stores.
It was also the highest debut in a week loaded with high-profile comebacks (Bon Jovi, Sinead O'Connor) and blockbuster film soundtracks (Shaft and Gone in 60 Seconds).
Johnson Royalties
Bluesman Robert Johnson's royalties will go to a retired gravel truck driver whose mother had a fling with the musician in 1931, the Mississippi Supreme Court has ruled. Claud Johnson's paternity case was bolstered by a witness to one of his mother's sexual encounters with Robert Johnson, As the sole heir, the Crystal Springs man is entitled to about $1 million from royalties from record sales. ``Mr. Claud is happy that he's finally been vindicated about what he has known all his life, that he is the son of Robert Johnson,'' said his lawyer, Jeffrey Ellis. Robert Johnson died a pauper at age 27 in 1938 in Greenwood and left no will. Claud Johnson's mother, the late Virgie Jane Smith Cain, had identified the singer as his father in a 1992 deposition. Her childhood friend, Eula Mae Williams, testified in a 1998 non-jury trial that
she watched the couple have sex in 1931. Claud Johnson was born nine months later.
The court dismissed complaints about the lack of DNA evidence by two other distant Johnson relatives. The proof ``would be nigh impossible to obtain since Johnson's grave site is unknown. As far as we know, Johnson is buried down by the highway side, so 'his old evil spirit can get a Greyhound bus and ride,''' Supreme Court Justice Mike Mills wrote, quoting a line about the blues guitarist. Seeking a share of Johnson's royalties were retired school teacher Annye Anderson of Amherst, Mass., and Robert Harris, a musician from Annapolis, Md. They are the half-sister and grandson of Robert Johnson's late half-sister, Carrie Harris Thompson. They had questioned the validity of Claud Johnson's birth certificate, which lists laborer R.L. Johnson as his father, and whether the musician died of syphilis, as indicated on his death certificate. The disease can affect fertility.
Martin Scorsese and Jody Patton to Executive Produce Mini-series "The Blues"
Clear Blue Sky Productions, OFFLINE Entertainment Group and Cappa Productions are joining forces to produce a six-part documentary mini-series on blues music to be directed by a premiere group of feature film directors with documentary experience including Michael Apted, Charles Burnett, Marc Levin and Wim Wenders. In addition to serving as executive producer with Jody Patton, Scorsese may direct one episode. Scorsese commented, ``I've always felt an affinity for blues music -- the culture of storytelling through music is incredibly fascinating and appealing to me. The blues have great emotional resonance and are the foundation for
American popular music.'' ``From Howling Wolf to Muddy Waters to B.B. King, this seminal music genre is a rich part of our cultural landscape,''said Jody Patton, president of Clear Blue Sky Productions. ``We're excited to be working with this range of directors and feel that the series dovetails perfectly with the mission and vision of Experience Music Project.'' Experience MusicProject is the 140,000 square foot interactive music museum opening later this month in Seattle. Patton serves as its executive director, and renowned architect Frank O. Gehry designed the museum. New York-based OFFLINE Entertainment Group and Scorsese's Cappa Productions will produce the series. The series producer will be Alex Gibney, an Emmy® Award-winning producer and the president of OFFLINE TV. Cappa Productions' Margaret Bodde, associate producer of Scorsese's 1995 Emmy-nominated documentary ``Eric Clapton:
Nothing But the Blues,'' will share producing duties with Gibney. ``We've created a truly unique way to explore the blues -- from its African origins through its current worldwide appeal,''
W.C. Handy Blues Awards
The 21st Annual W.C. Handy Blues Awards were held May 25 in Memphis,
Tenn. Winners are as follows: Blues Entertainer - B.B. King
Blues Band - Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers
Blues Album - Albert King/Stevie Ray Vaughan - In Session
Soul/Blues Female Artist - Etta James
Soul/Blues Male Artist - Wilson Pickett
Contemporary Blues - Male Artist - Keb' Mo'
Contemporary Blues - Female Artist - Susan Tedeschi
Soul/Blues Album - Wilson Pickett - It's Harder Now
Contemporary Blues Album - Albert King/Stevie Ray Vaughan - In Session
Best New Blues Artist - Big Bill Morganfield
Comeback Blues Album - Wilson Pickett - It's Harder Now
Acoustic Blues Album - Paul Rishell & Annie Raines - Moving to the
Country
Acoustic Blues Artist - Keb' Mo'
Traditional Blues Album - Muddy Waters - The Lost Tapes of Muddy
Waters
Traditional Blues Male Artist - R.L. Burnside
Traditional Blues Female Artist - Koko Taylor
Reissue - Hound Dog Taylor-Deluxe Addition - Alligator Records
Blues Song - "Change in My Pocket" - Sam Myers, Anson Funderburgh,
Renee Funderburgh, J.P. Whitefield
Blues Instumentalist - Other - Clarence Gatemouth Brown
Blues Instumentalist - Drums - Chris Layton
Blues Instumentalist - Bass - Willie Kent
Blues Instumentalist - Keyboards - Pinetop Perkins
Blues Instumentalist - Harmonica - Charlie Musselwhite
Blues Instumentalist - Guitar - Duke Robillard
John Lee Hooker Cancels Tour Dates
Blues legend John Lee Hooker has been diagnosed with a "vascular condition
that may require surgery," according to Pollstar. As a result, the 82-year-old
performer has canceled upcoming European tour stops through June. Hooker
is awaiting advice from doctors to determine whether further dates will be
canceled as well.
Dave Myers in Recovery
Chicago blues veteran Dave Myers is in recovery following the amputation of
a leg due to complications from diabetes. American Legends Music said
Myers is "looking forward to returning to performing after he has fully
recovered and has adapted to his current condition." The guitarist is expected
to appear at the Chicago Blues Festival in June. Myers' history in the blues is long and varied. In 1945, he formed The Aces
with Junior Wells, Fred Below and Louis Myers, and he later recorded with
Little Walter for Chess Records. His most recent album, 1998's You Can't
Do That, features a guest harp appearance by Kim Wilson and is available on
Black Top Records. Blues Foundation News The Blues Foundation has recently redesigned and expanded its Web site.
Among the many additions are a section called "Women in Blues History,"
celebrating Women's History Month with profiles of blueswomen such as Big
Mama Thornton, Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey, and an area called "Up Close
and Personal," featuring question-and-answer pieces with some of today's top
blues performers. Check out the Foundation's site at
http://www.blues.org. Delta Blues Education Program Gets Bravo
Grant The Delta Blues Education Program -- spearheaded by Johnnie "Mr. Johnnie"
Billington, whose class recently received national exposure on CNN -- has
been awarded a $5,000 grant by television's Bravo network. The presentation
took place March 15 in Billington's Lambert, Miss., classroom. Bravo took more than 650 applications for its National Arts Education
Awards. The Delta Blues Education Program was one of only four winning
organizations.
The highly anticipated B.B. King and Eric Clapton collaboration "Riding With The King" is in stores June 13 on Warner. Five of the songs are King classics and the title track is a John Hiatt song. The CD was produced by Eric clapton and Simon Climie. Keyboardist Joe s Sample, Bassist Nathan East, Drummer Steve Gadd played on the album and Jimmie Vaughan and Doyle Bramhall make guest appearances. Look for the video to go with the title track. B.B. King recently won his 9th Grammy award for his '99 CD "Blues On The Bayou" and has also just released his new one "Makin Love Is Good For You"
Sue Foley's new release, "Love Comin' Down" is now available at retail outlets worldwide on Shanachie Records.
"Love Comin'Down" features nine of twelve Sue Foley originals on a recording that critics are already calling a career album. Her sixth release was recorded at The Tragically Hip's Bath House studio, mixed at Daniel Lanois' Kingsway Studio in New Orleans and was produced by Grammy Nominated, Juno Award Winning producer, Colin Linden. A clear return to the blues with several blues-tinged numbers including, a haunting version of the Willie Dixon/Muddy Water's classic "Same Thing". As always, Foley finds a way to explore the boundaries and expand on tradition with rootsy numbers like "Empty Cup" (featuring Lucinda Williams), "Two Trains" and the soulful title track "Love Comin'Down". Montreal's Ray Bonneville help with the songwriting and guests include Richard Bell of The Band/ Janis Joplin fame.
Sue Foley will be hitting the road to showcase "Love Comin'Down" with CD Release Parties taking place from coast to coast. Watch for Sue on Tour in Canada with Johnny Lang this summer. ( July 1 The Orpheum - Vancouver)
Jack de Keyzer's Down in the Groove CD has recently won "Blues Album of the Year" through international music magazine, "The Jazz Report." the CD, also has won Maple Blues "Album of the Year" and the Juno nomination for "Blues Album of the Year"
On June 2, 2000 Piano wizard Michael Kaeshammer will head to the war torn country of Bosnia to perform at the Canadian Peace Keeping bases across the country. After being orientated about the ever-present danger of land mines and receiving a protective helmet and flack jacket, Michael will begin his tour across the country. The Rock-It to Bosnia Tour will take Michael to Camp Bison in Tomislavgrad, Camp Drvar in Drvar, Camp Maple Leaf in Zgon, Camp Holopina in Coralici, and Camp Black Bear in Velika Kladusa. In a variety style showcase, Michael will be featured along with other artists including Sue Medley, Stephanie Thomson, The Johner Brothers and comedian Sheldon Bergstrom. Visit Michael's website www.kaeshammer.com while he is in Bosnia to receive regular up dates directly from Michael on the road.
The 23 year-old Boogie-Woogie pianist-composer-bandleader recently returned from his fourth successful tour of Europe and upon returning from Bosnia will go in the studio to record his third album. He has already released a pair of big-selling, critically acclaimed CDs, Blue Keys (1996) and Tell You How I Feel (1998). Throughout the summer months Michael will perform at key festivals and shows across Canada. In September he will embark on an extensive tour of the West Coast of the United States. The year will close with a national tour to support the release of Michael's new album.
May 7th/2000
This year, B.B. King celebrates his 75th birthday (Sept.25) and 50 years as The King of The Blues and MCA has just released his new album "Makin' Love Is Good For You". Following up where his very succesful album "Blues On The Bayou" left off B.B. King once again uses his stellar live band and produces himself. B.B. wrote 5 new songs including Peace Of Mind, Ain't Nobody Like My Baby and Actions Speak Louder Than Words. Kings Last two albums have sold over a million copies combined in the US alone.
He is currently working on yet another project, a new album with Eric Clapton to be released later this year.This week The Blues Note will open a major new club on New York's Times Square called B.B. King's Blues Club, with B.B. performing on the opening night.
B.B. King will also be amoung the guests on 66 year old Willie Nelson's first ever Blues Album "Milk Cow Blues" (Aug.29) Other guests include Johnny Lang, Susan Tedeschi sings on Kansas City and a version of Nelson's own "Crazy", Dr. John joins in on "Black Night" and "Fool's Paradise" , Kenny Wayne Shepherd appears on "Texas Flood"
Son Seals is back in full force with his first studio album in over 5 years. Telarc has just released "Lettin Go" featuring Al Kooper (Hammond B-3), Jimmy Vivino and members of the Late Night With Conan O'Brien Band and guitarist Trey Anastasio of Phish. A true Blues survivor Seals has now recovered from Jaw reconstruction in 1997 after his (now former) wife shot him in the face and last year he lost part of his leg to diabetes, which you can clearly notice on the CD cover. Liner notes include a short story from Child attorney and crime fiction novelist and long time blues purveyor Andrew Vachss, who co-wrote two songs on the album. At 13, Son Seals was playing drums behind Robert Nighthawk and picked up a guitar soon afterwards, moving to Chicago in 1971 developing into one of Blues' leading performers.
Pop star DJ Moby says he's living in a state of disbelief. His album "Play," with the single"Bodyrock," earned him Grammy nominations for best rock instrumental performance and best alternative music performance. The 34-year-old house music impresario had an unusual recipe for making that CD. He took field recordings that a folklorist made some 65 years agoin the deep South and built new songs around them in his home studio. The song "Natural Blues," for"Trouble So Hard" by Vera Hall. That folklorist, Alan Lomax, is said to have trekked 16,000 miles (25,600 kilometers) through the documenting music he found on back roads and in work camps.
John Hammond's new album is produced by Tom Waits and features a number of unheard Waits tunes. Hammond has known Waits since the seventies and recorded some harmonica on Waits' last album "Mule Variations" It's not the first time Hammond has borrowed a song from the growly troubadour, in 1992 he recorded "No one Can Forgive Me But My Baby" which Waits has never officially released himself.
April 9th/2000
Nobody seems to be saying much about why, but another long time member of Canad's Downchild Blues band is dead. TONY FLAIM will be remembered and hounoured May 7th at The Horshoe Tavern in Toronto by performances from Fathead, Big Daddy G, Downchild and many others. You may recall Downchild co founder Hock Walsh was also found dead in his apartment New Years day.
PETER GREEN Fans will be delighted to hear of the new release schedueled for release on April 17 on Snapper Records. The CD is titled Hot Foot Powder and further explores Green's fasination with Robert Johnson. Some pretty amazing guests join The Splinter group whose experience virtually spans the whole history of the blues: David 'Honeyboy' Edwards who actually played at the same gigs as Robert Johnson and at 84 is a living musical link to the Delta legend. Hubert Sumlin who at 69 was part of the generation who established the blues of Chicago in the 1950's (notably in Howlin' Wolf's band) Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, Joe Louis Walker and Dr John round out the lineup.
Green's 1998 release "The Robert Johnson Songbook" was awarded the '99 W.C. Handy award for best comeback album and reports indicate the new collection will be even better.
On top of that John Mayall and Peter Green, true legends of the British blues scene, are to share a stage again for the first time in over 30 years.These two hugely influential musicians first played together in the 60's. Now, some three decades later, they are to embark on a major tour of the UK.
The UK tour licks off on May 1st in Birmingham and climaxes at the Royal Albert Hall on June 2nd.
TINSLEY ELLIS has a new one out on Capricorn titles "Kingpin". The CD was produced by David Z (Prince, Johnny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd) and features guests Richie Hayward (Little Feat) and keyboardist Reese Wynans (Bonnie Raitt, Delbert McClinton, Stevie Ray Vaughan) Atlanta Magazine called Ellis "the most significant blues artist to emerge from Atlanta since Blind Willie McTell."
The MAXWELL STREET Preservation Coalition is still working to save Chicago's famous blues neighborhood from demolition: The group has submitted a nomination requesting that Maxwell Street be included in the National Register of Historic Places.
More than 40 buildings still stand on Maxwell Street, and half house functioning businesses. Structures in the area have long been targeted for demolition as a result of expansion of the University of Illinois at Chicago. Maxwell Street represents the Chicago neighborhood in which blues first flourished; such legends as Muddy Waters got their start there.
THE BLUES FOUNDATION has announced the winners of this year's W.C. Handy Blues Awards in the Instrumentalist categories. Awards are as follows:
- Guitar: Duke Robillard
- Harmonica: Charlie Musselwhite
- Keyboards: Pinetop Perkins
- Bass: Willie Kent
- Drums: Chris Layton
- Other: Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (fiddle)
The remaining award winners will be announced at the annual Handy ceremony, scheduled this year for May 25 at the Orpheum Theater in Memphis, Tenn. Instrumentalist winners have been made known so that they can prepare to perform as the "All-Star Blues Band" during the event.
Chicago blues veteran DAVE MYERS is in recovery following the amputation of a leg due to complications from diabetes. American Legends Music said Myers is "looking forward to returning to performing after he has fully recovered and has adapted to his current condition." The guitarist is expected to appear at the Chicago Blues Festival in June.
Myers' history in the blues is long and varied. In 1945, he formed The Aces with Junior Wells, Fred Below and Louis Myers, and he later recorded with Little Walter for Chess Records. His most recent album, 1998's You Can't Do That, features a guest harp appearance by Kim Wilson and is available on Black Top Records.
ROBERT LOCKWOOD JR. recently celebrated his 85th birthday (March 25th) at the Hothouse in Chicago with an alstar lineup including Billy Boy Arnold, Ted Harvey, Sugar Blue, John Brim and many others.
Toronto's harmonica wizard CARLOS DEL JUNCO will be amoung those featured at the 2000 Harmonica Summit, June 21-24 at the Cedar Cuktural Center in Mineapolis. The event is billed as "the world's preimier gathering of harmonica professionals and aficionados" and will also feture Toots Thielmans, Howard Levy, Brendon Power, Sandy Weltman, Joe Filisko and R.J. Mischo.
March/2000
1999 Grammy Award Winners (Feb. 23/00)
B.B. King best Traditional Blues Album - Blues On The Bayou
Robert Cray - Best Contemporary Blues Album - Take Your Shoes Off
Screamin' Jay Hawkins Dead at 70
R&B wild man Screamin' Jay Hawkins, The Cleveland native best known for his much-covered song "I Put a Spell on You," passed away February 12 after complications from emergency surgery at a hospital near his home town of Paris. He was 70.
Hawkins' voodoo-themed live act was legendary for its over-the-top theatricality. He would often enter the stage by leaping from a coffin (a stunt for which he was once paid $300 by legendary Cleveland DJ Allan Freed) and he embellished his frenzied blues and R&B songs through the use of onstage props such as a cane topped with a smoking skull or special effects that let him shoot sparks from his fingertips. His four-decade-plus career gave the world hit songs as "The Whammy," "Hong Kong" and the infamous "Constipation Blues." "Yellow Coat," and "Alligator Wine," (written for him by the songwriting team of Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller) and spanned a wide range of R&B-oriented labels including Wing Records, Evidence Records and Columbia's Okeh imprint.
"I Put A Spell On You" has been recorded and performed by countless artists, including Pete Townshend, Nina Simone, and Creedence Clearwater Revival, who scored a No. 58 hit on the Billboard pop singles chart with it in 1968.
Although he performed consistently in the U.S. and Europe throughout the years, Hawkins would go long periods of time without recording an album. In the '80s, he did release albums for the Charly and Edsel labels and collaborated with rapper Slick Rick on the 1991 Rhino album "Black Music For White People." In 1998, Hawkins released the album "At Last," featuring a cover of Bob Marley's "I Shot The Sheriff," for the Last Call label; last year, he issued the concert disc "Live At The Olympia, Paris" for the same label. Hawkins also appeared in the movies "Mystery Train," "Dance With The Devil," "Two Moon Junction," and "A Rage In Harlem."
Susan Tedeschi Gets Grammy Nod
29 year old New England native Susan Tedeschi, whose 1998 album Just Won't Burn has been one of the biggest-selling blues albums of the decade, may be gearing up for even more attention since recieving a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.
The Best New Artist category is intended to honor musicians in all musicalgenres. Tedeschi was competing in the category with winner Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Kid Rock and Macy Gray. Her nomination marked the first time in years that a blues-oriented musician has been named a potential Best New Artist.
Tedeschi has been trying to spend her time in the studio working on a new CD but has put sessions on stand by while she takes care of a new round of press including interviews with CNN, Guitar Player, E Entertainment and a bunch of web related sites.
In the past couple years she's appeared on Letterman and Conan O'Brien and toued with so many amazing people like The Allman Brothers, B.B.King and Buddy Guy and play with people who are more famous such as Sarah McLachlan, The Dixie Chicks and Sheryl Crow. She even got to sing with Phil Lesh (of The Grateful Dead) on her birthday.
In an interview with Blues Revue's Michael Cote,l Susan cites some good advise B.B.King once gave her. "If you don't love it, don't do it. If you love it, do it. Don't do it if you're not having fun. If it gets to the point that you're not happy, quit. And he's right.
Richard "Hock" Walsh 1948-1999
Richard (Hock) Walsh, a blues singer and co-founder of The Downchild Blues Band, has died of an apparent heart attack in Toronto. He was 51.
He was found in his apartment on New Years Day, in his easy chair, with a television remote control in his hand and the TV on. He had missed a New Year's Eve engagement at a club in Peterborough, Ont., with another Toronto singer, Rita Chiarelli.
To mark a celebration of the blues singer's life and his music, a who's-who of the Toronto blues community gathered at a special concert at the Horseshoe In Toronto, on Sunday Feb. 6.including Big Daddy, Gordie Johnson of Big Sugar, The Rockin' Highliners, The Sidemen, Tyler Yarema and His Rhythm, and Downchild Blues Band - with whom he began his performing career.
A long time member of Toronto's Blues community, Hock Walsh co-founded Downchild in 1969 with his brother Donnie. He left the band in 1974 to form his own group (and later gave Gordie Johnson hisfirst gig), but rejoined Downchild for a single album, Gone Fishing in 1979. He left in 1989 to front his own group again.
When Dan Aykroyd joined the cast of Saturday Night Live and met John Belushi, the Blues Brothers - obviously modeled on Downchild - became the pair's trademark.The Blues Brothers' debut album, which went on to sell five million copies included two Downchild covers. Everything I need Almost and Shotgun Blues. Throughout the 1990s, Hock Walsh performed with a wide variety of Toronto musicians - including guitarist Dave (Big Daddy G) Glover
Muddy Waters, Gary Davis Web Sites Established
Those looking for info on the late, great Muddy Waters now have a new place to go: http://www.muddywaters.com . The Web site, which was developed by the Chicago blues legend's estate, features a Waters biography, a comprehensive list of songs composed by the artist, a discography, footage of Waters in concert, and much more. Blues Revue senior writer Bob Margolin, a former guitarist in Waters' band, was a contributor to the site.
Another master of the blues is featured on the Web as well: The Rev. Gary Davis home page, located at http://www.revgarydavis.com/ , honors the famed country blues guitarist.
Katie Webster Book Available
Blue Suit Records has published Katie Webster: From Witness to the Blues, a volume of photos (and accompanying text) by John Rockwood. Webster, known as the "swamp boogie queen," was a piano-playing blueswoman who passed away Sept. 5, 1999.
Frank Frost Dies
Frank Frost, the legendary blues harmonica player who first gained renown as Sonny Boy Williamson's guitarist, died October 12. He was 63. Frost had been been in and out of the hopsital in recent years, but the player still managed to release material on labels such as Evidence Records and to perform live with his partner, drummer Sam Carr. At the 1999 King Biscuit Blues Festival, held the weekend of October 9, Frost made an appearance onstage but did not perform.
Maple Blues Winners
The Toronto Blues Society sponsored Maple Blues Awards were handerd out Feb. 23, recognizing Canadian Blues artists. Winners included Toronto's Fathead as Electric Act of the Year, Rick Fines (Accoustic Act) Vocalists Rita Chiarelli and Chuck Jackson, Jack Dekeyzer for recording of the Year (Down In The Groove, also Juno nominated) and harmonica ace Michael Pickett.
December 1999
Sir Doug: Doug Sahm, leader of the Sir Douglas Quintet and one of the principals ofthe Grammy-winning Texas Tornados, was found dead Thursday in Taos, N.M.reports Associated Press. He was 58. Sahm, a native of San Antonio, was discovered Thursday afternoon in a room at the Kachina Lodge, said a Taos police spokesman, who said he apparently died of natural causes. An autopsy was ordered. A regular performer on San Antonio radio stations before he was 10 years old, he was a steel guitar prodigy who also was proficient on fiddle, mandolin and guitar. His music went in many different directions, mixing 60s pop with psychedelia, swing, country, blues and Mexican conjunto. ``Musically speaking, this is the end of an era,'' Sahm's oldest son, Shawn, 34, told the San Antonio Express-News. ``He went from sitting on Hank Williams' knee to being an English rock star to doing the Texas Tornados. From T-Bone Walker to Roky Erickson, he played it all.''
Sir Douglas Quintet started charting hits in 1965 with the song ``She's About A Mover.'' He later recorded with Bob Dylan and Dr. John. The Texas Tornados were formed in 1989 with Sahm, Augie Meyers, vocalist and guitarist Freddy Fender and accordionist Flaco Jimenez. They won a 1991 Grammy for their first album. ``He left his mark in the world,'' said Meyers, Sahm's musical partner for 35 years. ``The good Lord wanted to hear some Quintet and they weren't playing enough on the radio, I guess.'' Sahm is survived by three children and two grandchildren.
Acclaimed New Orleans pianist Dr. John will release "Duke Elegant," his debut album for Blue Note Records, on Jan. 25. The set features 12 renditions of Duke Ellington favorites, including "Mood Indigo," "Satin Doll," and "It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing."
John -- whose real name is Mac Rebennack --will preview tracks from the set at a spate of upcoming concert appearances, including a four-night stand at Yoshi's in Oakland,Calif., and a New Year's Eve show at the Jazz Aspen Festival in Aspen, Colo. He will also perform Dec. 28 and 29 at the House Of Blues in his native New Orleans. Consistently in demand as a sideman since his early days, John contributed to Spiritualized's 1997 opus "Ladies And Gentleman We Are Floating In Space" (Dedicated/Arista) and G. Love And Special Sauce's "Yeah, It's That Easy" (OKeh/Epic). John's last album, "Anutha Zone," which featured guest appearances by Spiritualized front man Jason Pierce and former Jam member Paul Weller, was issued on Virgin in 1998.
Blues songstress Susan Tedeschi, who just snagged a gig opening for Bob Dylan (allstar, Nov. 19), recently hopped into an Austin, Texas studio to record a couple of tracks for Double Trouble's first post-Stevie Ray Vaughan album.
Tedeschi will be singing on at least two tracks with the possibility of a third on the band's upcoming album, scheduled for release sometime next year on an as-yet-undecided label. Tedeschi and the boys have already laid down vocals on a cover of "Let the Good Times Roll," another track Tedeschi wrote with bassist Tommy Shannon, and a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll" is on the cards as well.
In addition to Tedeschi, the as-yet-untitled album will also include guest spots by Johnny Lang, Dr. John, Charlie Sexton, Jimmy Vaughan, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Doyle Bramhall II, among others. Drummer Chris Layton's early '90s side-project with Sexton and Bramhall, will play a benefit gig for the Texas Fine Arts Commission at La Zona Rosa in Austin, Texas on Nov. 27.
DOUBLE TROUBLE drummer CHRIS LAYTON and bassist TOMMY SHANNON are putting out their first album since the tragic helicopter death of their compatriot STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN in 1990. They've already enlisted long-time friends and supporters like JONNY LANG, KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD, DR. JOHN, DOYLE BRAMHALL II, CHARLIE SEXTON and JIMMY VAUGHAN for the disc, which they are producing themselves . . .
Hooker, Belafonte Among Recording Academy Honorees The Recording Academy will honor John Lee Hooker, Harry Belafonte, Woody Guthrie, and Willie Nelson with Lifetime AchievementAwards, as well as present Trustee Awards to Arista founder Clive Davis, Columbia veteran/musician/conductor Mitch Miller, and producer Phil Spector. The honors will be bestowed at a ceremony in conjunction with the 42nd annual Grammy Awards, to be held Feb. 23 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
The Lifetime Achievement and Trustees Awards are decided by vote of the Recording Academy's National Trustees. Lifetime achievement honorees include Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Bo Diddley, Louis Armstrong, Irving Berlin, Elvis Presley, and Frank Sinatra. Trustee Award recipients include Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, Les Paul, Dick Clark, Count Basie, George & Ira Gershwin, Sir George Martin, and Jerry Wexler.
Teen guitar virtuoso Jonny Lang traveled to the White House this summer to perform alongside fabled bluesman B.B. King as part of a special program, "Tradition and Legends of the Blues Performance," staged on the South Lawn. As part of the concert, which also featured pianist Marcia Ball and the duo of John Cephas and Phil Wiggins, Lang presented President Clinton and the First Lady with an autographed Fender guitar (Lang's axe of choice). The event was taped by PBS, Last week, Lang played in front of rock royalty, as he was personally invited to perform at Mick Jagger's 56th birthday at the Stones frontman's estate on the South of France. While there, Lang jammed with Jagger and guests Bono, Elton John, and Ron Wood.
September 16th, 1999
Blues and Boogie Woogie Singer and Piano player Katie Webster died Sunday Sept.5/99 from heart failure. She was 63.
Katie Webster recorded in the 50's and 60's for Excello and Goldband and was a member of Otis Reddings band in the late 60's. Her recordings in the 80's and 90's were outstanding, featuring her pounding Boogie Woogie, R&B, Blues and Souther fried Soul.
She suffered a stroke in 1993 but continued perform afterwards. Services were held Sept.14th in Houston. The Swamp Boogie Queen was at home in Texas at the time of her death.
March 15th, 1999
The Internet's largest book and music retailer, Amazon.com, has named Shemekia Copeland "Blues Artist of the Year" for 1998. Shemekia (Sh-mee-ka) Copeland, the powerful-voiced 19-year-old daughter of the late blues legend Johnny Copeland, released her critically acclaimed debut album in 1998 and was the subject of a September cover story in Blues Revue. Copeland's Turn the Heat Up on Alligator Records took 19th place on the Web-based company's year-end "100 Best CDs" list, charting above even successful non-blues acts such as The Beastie Boys, Elvis Costello and Beck. (Several other blues-related albums made the Top 100 as well, including B.B. King'sBlues on the Bayou, at No. 67; Etta James' Life, Love and the Blues, at No.70; Joe Louis Walker's Preacher and the President, at No. 78, Alvin Youngblood Hart's Territory, at No. 84; and Junior Kimbrough's God Knows I Tried, at No. 94)
Turn The Heat up is a raucious, juke joint, rompin stomp of powerhouse blues and R&B. An outstanding band featuring Jimmy Vivino and Michael Merrit of Conan OBrien's Late Night Band and special guests Joe Lewis Walker, Michael Hill, Monster Mike Welch and the Uptown Horns delivers the goods on original songs like "Your Mama's Talkin", "Salt in My Wounds" and the title track "Turn The Heat Up" as well as very classy versions of "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" and her fathers "Ghetto Child"
Schooled in Texas Blues by her father, Copeland was raised in the shadows of the tough streets of Harlem. She's always being compared to Koko Taylor, Etta James, Ruth Brown and even Aretha Franklin, and takes a little from each, but knows the importance of being original.
"I never knew I wanted to be a singer until I Got Older, But my Daddy knew ever since I was a baby".
Her father encouraged her to sing around the house when she was a kid and even took her onstage at Harlem's famous Cotton Club when she was eight but when she was fifteen and her father's health began to fail she recieved her calling.
"It was like a switch went off in my head and I wanted to sing. It became a want and a need to do it, I had to do it"
Soon enough she was opening shows for her father and sometimes stealing the show with her powerful, poised and intense singing voice.
" Dad wanted me to think I was helping him out by opening his shows when he was sick, but really, he was doing it so i would get known. He went out of his way to get me that exposure"
She has 4 W.C. Handy Award nominations for 1998 ( often referred to as the Grammy of the Blues, handed out May 27 at The Orpheum Theatre in Memphis) Last year she appeared on Good Morning America with her father and has since shared the stage with the likes of Gatemouth Brown, Johnnie Johnson, James Cotton, Bobby Rush, Joe Lewis Walker and many more. She was a highlight of last years Chicago Blues Festival and continues to blow 'em away on the finest to the smallest stages around the world. She played for a packed house at The Yale in Vancouver last month and showed everybody just what all the fuss was about !
Watch for Shemikia Copeland in the new movie "Three to Tango" starring Mathew Perry and Nevee Campbell (April 1) where she'll perform her hit "Salt In My Wounds"
Bluesman, guitarist, singer and songwriter Lowell Fulson lost his long fight March 7/99 . His body was ravaged by kidney disease,diabetes and congestive heart failure, and his mind was gradually disintegrating from the effects of the slow death of Alzheimer's Disease. He was 77. Lowell Fulson's was best known for his songs "Reconsider Baby" and "3 O Clock Blues", which was later a big hit for B.B. King. He is remembered as an originator of the California Blues sound and wrote many other blues standards recorded by everyone from The King himself, Elvis, who took Fulson's vocal phrasing and recorded what many consider one of Presley's best records ("Reconsider Baby"), to artists as diverse as Merle Travis ("Trouble, Trouble") and Lou Rawls ("Room With A View"). Rufus Thomas, Foghat, Freddie King and Eric Clapton are just a few of the wide ranging performers who have recorded, and continue to record, the great worksof this California blues man. One of Folson's earliest bands included a young Ray Charles. Fulson recorded in the nineties for Rounder Records and Bullseye. One of his most recent releases was a 1981 recording with Vancouver's Powder Blues Band (Stony Plain) A few years ago he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and was nominated for a Grammy a year ago for Best Traditional Blues Album. A Memorial Service was held March 12th, in Los Angeles
Lowell Fulson lived in Los Angeles and, found his influences in the Chicago blues men as well as the Delta giants, shaping his own original style. His musical upbringing was in the Southwestern blues school pioneered by T-Bone Walker, a tradition where the guitar periodically stepped out to solo in front of a rollicking piano and scaled-down big band horn section that carried healthy portions of the melodic load. Rather than the standard Mississippi to Chicago blues migration pattern, Fulson hopped on the West Coast train that funneled Texas and Louisiana folk to California during World War II. That plugged him right into the West Coast jump blues style being formulated by the likes of Roy Milton, Roy Brown, Jimmy McCracklin and Johnny Otis. Born in Oklahoma, Fulson replaced one Chester Burnett -- better known as Howlin' Wolf -- in the band of a regional bluesman named Texas Alexander around 1939. After the war, Fulson moved out to California and achieved enough success to put together a band of his own, one which included a certain "Ray Charles" for a period of time. He recorded for the first time around 1946, but a hot 1948 take of "3 O'Clock Blues" was his first taste of long-term success. Recording for the long-gone Swingtime label, he waxed the record, "Lonely Christmas," a song that still slows people down at Christmas parties, fifty years later. Fulson was picked up by the Chess' "Checker" label in 1954, and soon afterward had a giant hit in "Reconsider Baby," still covered by bands today, followed by, "I'm Glad You Reconsidered,". Fulson stayed on Chess until 1963. Fulson had a couple of big records in California in the mid-1960s on the Kent label, started by the Bihari family, who also owned Modern Records. One big one, Jimmy McCracklin's "Tramp," was covered later by Otis Redding.
Susan Tedeschi, who appeared on the cover of the March 1998 issue of Blues Revue, appears to be destined for stardom outside the blues world. Tedeschi's 1998 album Just Won't Burn has sold 100,000 copies, according to Soundscan, and Rolling Stone is publishing a feature on the singer/guitarist in February. Billboard published a column by Timothy White about Tedeschi in the magazine's January 30 issue.
Tedeschi's Tone-Cool labelmate and fellow BR cover musician Rod Piazza is also garnering mainstream attention: The Mighty Flyers frontman was interviewed by Billboard regarding the band's upcoming release Here and Now. Look for a review of The Mighty Flyers' new album in BR's April issue.
Ottawa's Tony D is heading to France in April were he will do some opening dates for Johnny Lang. Tony spent two and a half month in Europe last Oct, Nov, December were he worked with harmonica player Andy J. Forrest. Management was excited about a new deal in the works and a forthcoming live album.
Sue Foley is getting ready to begin work on a new project. Now that her deal with Shanichie is over she may be recording a little close to home. Early indications are she may be using the Tragically Hip's studio and was talking about working with Geordie Johnson of Big Sugar. Sue has been taking singing lessons.
Grammys were awarded for 1998's finest on Feb. 28. Winner in the contemporary catagory was Keb Mo for his CD "Slow Down" ( Okeh). Other Nominees were B.B. King's "Dueces Wild" (MCA), Etta James for "Life , Love and The Blues" (Private), Buddy Guy for "Heavy Love" (Silvertone) and Marcia Ball, Irma Thomas and Tracey Nelson for "Sing It" ( Rounder)
The winner in the Traditional Blues catagory was Otis Rush for "Any Place I'm Going". (H.O.B.) Other nominees were Robert Lockwood Jr. for I Got To Find Me A Woman" (Verve), Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson for Got TO Find A Way" (Telarc) , John Hammond's " Long As I Have You" (Pointblank) and the "Tribute To Howlin Wolf" (Telarc) which was produced, in part , by Colin Linden and features former Wolf sidemen like Sam Lay, Calvin Jones and Eddie Shaw and featurees special guests including Taj Mahall, James Cotton, Ronnie Hawkins and Colin James.
Juno Awards.. . Toronto's "Fathead" were given the nod in the Blues Catagory Feb. 28th. Other nominees were Vancouver's Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne for "Blues Boss Boogie", Carlos Del Junco for "Big Boy" Michael Pickett for "Blue Money" and Colin James for his "Little Big Band 2" Colin James didn't win in the best Blues catagory but did pick up a Juno for best Producer....go fiqure?
One of the biggest selling CDs of '98 was the "City Of Angels" Soundtrack. Ya' sure it's loaded with Goo Goo Dolls, Alanis Morissette and U2 but the coolest tracks include John Lee Hooker's "Mama, You Got A Daughter" Jimi's "Red House" and Eric Clapton's "Further on Up The Road" That's at least three million people who got a little unexpected cool blues when they bought the CD.
IF MULDER AND SCULLY EVER RETURN TO CANADA, THE YUKON MIGHT BE THE PLACE TO GO. U-F-O SIGHTINGS WERE DOWN IN CANADA LAST YEAR -- EXCEPT IN THE YUKON. A REPORT SAYS THERE WERE 194 SIGHTINGS NATIONWIDE LAST YEAR, INCLUDING 22 THAT COULD NOT BE EXPLAINED. THE BULK OF LAST YEAR'S SIGHTINGS WERE IN ONTARIO, WITH 59, AND BRITISH COLUMBIA, WITH 58.
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