Happened to be down in the music Capital of The World…Austin TX last week and was happy to catch Tommy Shannon (Johnny Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Arc Angels, and the list goes on), David Holt (long time axe man including Storyville with Double Trouble) and Tommy Taylor (drummer Christopher Cross, Eric Johnson) at Anotone’s
They played the early show and the crowd was thin (Wed night at 6:30 is not exactly prime blues concert time), but the music was SWEET!
Here’s a little clip, guys sounded great…couldn’t help think that they were a little miffed at the poor turnout, maybe doing a better job at engaging the people who WERE there would have been a good second option as Antone’s builds it’s clientele once again after moving to a 6th location on East 5’th street across from the tall Hilton Hotel (a little off the East 6th street music row, but easily walkable from most locations downtown)
Get out and support Antone’s, get out to see Tommy and the boys – they really are super talented…lots of fun!
Filed under blues guitar, Blues Legends by on May 1st, 2016. Comment. 
Absolutely stunning performance by Joe Bonamassa of the Tim Curry (1978) song Sloe Gin (albeit with some cleaned up lyrics).
By the way – how did Bowie miss this one…tell me this wouldn’t have been an awesome David Bowie + Joe Bonamassa collaboration?
Anyway – Joe has shown many times before he can master slow blues…what I really like about this version is that he hangs onto the notes as he sometimes has a tendency to blast his wicked speed running through the scales. He still manages to show his flash, but also holds back and really hangs on to the notes as only true bluesmen will do.
Weird background to this song too…Tim Curry is perhaps better known as an actor, but had this song written and had a version that may surprise you under Joe’s version (for those of you who like to go back into the wayback machine)
By the way – the lineup for Red Rocks was terrific including David Letterman’s House Band drummer Anton Fig and Stevie Ray Vaughan Double Trouble keyboard aficionado Reese Wynans (now a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of Double Trouble)
And Now The Tim Curry version
Filed under blues guitar, Joe Bonamassa by on Feb 4th, 2016. Comment.
Local Memphis TV station reports on the incredible local support for BB King’s final return to Memphis –
Stars including Keb Mo, Tony Coleman (BB’s drummer for the last 37 years), Bobby Rush and Rodd Bland (son of late, great Bobby Blue Bland) payed personal tribute to the King of the Blues in a very heartfelt, small town way.
Particularly moving was the return of BB’s Lucille Gibson guitar down Beale Street one final time.
Wonderful tribute indeed. The funeral will be held this Saturday.
Filed under bb king by on May 28th, 2015. Comment.
Today is a sad day for sure given that news has broken about the death of beloved blues guitar great BB King…certainly one of the top most influential blues guitar players of all time. Today is also bittersweet as we truly reflect on the influence BB has had on music and musicians well beyond Blues living and breathing fire inside the heart and souls of professional and amateur musicians alike.
The blues is about staying true to timing, feeling and evoking emotion above all else including your instrument, effects, scales, location, song choice, etc… like this performance at Sing Sing BB calls one of his best –
The measure of a great musician is when you instantly know who they are within 5s or less of hearing them play – and with BB there was no doubt having invented the soft sweet piercing sound of Lucille, the amazing string bending and vibrato that was vintage BB King.
Today we are seeing the massive influence this one man has had on the musician and fan community – there is no doubt as to his influence and impact.
It’s worth noting as well that BB is one of the last links to the original blues music in the United States – with one leg back in the days of T-Bone Walker (melody and string bending), Blind Lemon, Muddy Waters and a host of other original blues and gospel musicians and the other leg in modern day music creating a “time warp” tunnel that helped keep us all rooted in the revolution that was blues music in the 1940’s and beyond.
Here’s a great lesson from BB for those who want to hear how his influences and how they were put together as ingredients into his sound:
What always amazed me about BB was how he used his first finger to bend strings and then back-ended with his third, this is a “part” of what makes his sound.
I’ve watched BB King live, I’ve studied his various techniques and he is one of the guitarists that I always have in the back of my mind when I’m playing striving for the best note at any given time…that will be with me always as I’m sure it will be with you.
BB King lived his life to the fullest, was lucky enough to tap into a blessed gift having the courage to pursue that gift to its fullest until the very end…the message to us all should be to live up to that standard. R.I.P Riley (aka BB) King – god willing, will see you in the next life in that all-star Jam!
Filed under bb king, Blues Legends by on May 15th, 2015. Comment.
If you are like me, I’ve heard Philip Sayce’s name in passing, but for whatever reason I never really paid enough attention to appreciate the amazing talent of this 39-year old Welsh born, Canadian guitar player who is just about to release his first solo album some 24-years after he started his first band at 15.
Not that he hasn’t had peaks in his career – playing in the Jeff Healey Band, playing on tour with Melissa Etheridge and supported Texas Blues Rockers ZZtop as well as Deep Purple on different tours.
From Toronto Canada and frequenting Los Angeles – this blues guitar journeyman has been out paying his dues for more than 20-years, the way true blues guitar men do it.
I have recently caught him on some local TV and radio shows as he ramps up his appearances ahead of his new CD titled “Influence“.  He has just wrapped up several Canadian club dates and heads to California for the Topanga Blues Festival on May 2 of this year.
As you watch Sayce you will no doubt notice his heavy influence from Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Healey and you even hear signs of Lenny Kravitz in there. Â His voice is terrific in the range of a soulful moving to frantic much like Jack White.
My sense is you will be hearing much more about Philip Sayce in 2015 – with some hard work and an online push this could indeed be another breakout year for Sayce, the trick of course is to sustain the frantic pace demanded of today’s musicians – some collaborations could indeed help here allowing him to tap into new audiences and new distribution channels.
We’ll certainly do our part, I’m sure you will agree this guy deserves to be heard!
Filed under blues guitar, Blues Legends by on Apr 3rd, 2015. Comment.
There’s a reason legends become legends…yes, he is a master Blues Guitar Player and yes he has played with pretty much anyone who is anyone in music, but can you guess what puts it over the top, earns him so much respect from his peers and turns him into a living legend?
Watch the video, guess and comment if you have an idea:
Make sure you check Buddy Guy out at his club in Chicago during January – great club and who better to see at Buddy Buy’s than the man himself.
Filed under Blues Legends by on Dec 19th, 2014. Comment.
How time flies…the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan would have been 60 October 3, 2014…changed the world of music forever – as all the great ones do, his music lives on in every guitarist who has come since.
Here’s a great Jazzfest performance near the end of Stevie’s performances…with his brother Jimmie, great show
Great to see that tomorrow (Oct 4) will be the airing of the 40th anniversary of Austin City Limits with a huge tribute to SRV and an appearance by all original members of Double Trouble (including Tommy Shannon, Chris Layton and Reese Wynans)
Awesome!
Filed under jimmie vaughan, stevie ray vaughan by on Oct 3rd, 2014. Comment.
Gary Clark Jr is one of those rare, charismatic blues guitar players that you just know has some deep down connection with the universe and at times it comes out in his playing.
Just like Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King, Buddy Guy and all of the greats that take their place at the top of the blues guitar podium, there is a special connection with the universe that touches us all much more than just notes on a fretboard can do.
I felt that same connection watching this Farm Aid 2014 performance from Gary Clark Jr. – my sense with Gary is that even he doesn’t realize what power he has when he connects truthfully through his instrument…but we do, don’t you agree?
Filed under Blog by on Oct 2nd, 2014. Comment.
One of the best parts about being a blues guitar fan are the guitar “duels” that really bring out the best in the players.
This first one is 3 Texas blues guitar greats…Albert Collins, Stevie Ray Vaughan and his brother Jimmie Vaughan. All 3 players are FINE on this rendition of Albert’s Frosty…have to give it to Jimmie though, he surprised me with this one!
Now for an oldie, but a goodie…can’t think of two more powerful onstage blues guitar players than Buddy Guy and Albert Collins…can you?
Comment it up folks – let us know you love Blues Music!
Filed under Blues Legends by on Sep 5th, 2014. Comment.
Watch Gary masterfully re-create the wonderful Albert Collins slow blues “If Trouble Was Money”
While he doesn’t have the “Iceman’s” attack (as you can see from video clips below), he brings his own passion and style to the song.
What makes a blues artist stand out is when you know they are giving 110% – we can safely say that of both Albert Collins and Gary don’t you think?
By the way, this song finds its way onto a new Live Double CD from Gary Clark Jr that has some really cool tunes on it, check it out here.
Now here is the Iceman, Albert Collins (Man I gets so pissed that I never was able to see AC live!)
Votes?
Filed under Blues Legends by on Sep 4th, 2014. Comment.
