Music Maker Foundation: Listener's Circle Volume 50 - Waiting For A Train - New Release Review

 

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Listener's Circle Vol. 50 Waiting For A Train, from Music Maker Foundation and it's very cool. Opening with Railroad Blues, J.W. Warren accompanies his own vocal on acoustic guitar. This is a very classic style blues performance and great opener. Another terrific performance from Carl Rutherford playing guitar and vocal on Shasta Daylight with it's Bluegrass styling gives the release another dimension. Very nice. Two Trains Runnin' is done to perfection by John Dee Holeman with his soulful vocals and just the right amount of echo on his electric guitar. Taj Mahal performs Spike Driver Blues in classic Mahal style with piedmont finger picking and story telling pace. Very nice. George Higgs on harmonica and vocal performs Ruby, totally unaccompanied. Excellent! Playing banjo along with his vocals, Samuel Turner Stevens lays down Railroading and Gambling. With it's jangle and symmetry, it adds real texture to this set. My favorite track on the release is surprise addition, Night Train To Glory by Pat Wilder with it's Steve Marriott / Humble Pie approach. Very cool. Contemporary blues track, Riding The Blues Train, features Delta Blues Hog on guitar and vocal. A really solid track with organ, bass and drums, the most orchestrated track on the release and another of my favorites. Wrapping the release is Captain Luke on Freight Train Boogie with his mouth harp. Cool closer for a real solid release.

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Music Maker Relief Foundation artist: John Dee Holeman - Last Pair Of Shoes - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Last Pair of Shoes, from John Dee Holeman and it's super. Opening with Chapel Hill Boogie, Holeman shows you that age is no obstacle at 90 years. This is a pure boogie with a great attitude. Accompanied by Tad Walters on harmonica this track is gold. Digging in on Muddy Water's She Moves Me, Holeman hunkers down and grinds it out with terrific highlights by Walters on harp. Excellent! On Lightnin' Hopkins' classic, Shotgun Blues, Holeman really has it stripped down to a basic electric guitar, kick drum and harmonica and it's as real as it gets. Holeman's expressive vocals feel like real pain … real blues. Hound Dog Taylor's masterpiece, (Give Me Back My) Wig gets my vote for favorite track with a relaxed (rather than HDT's high energy) attack. This is a great track and with Holeman's vocals and Walter's harp work, with solid supporting electric guitar and light cymbals. Wrapping the release is Muddy Waters' Two Trains Runnin' (Still A Fool). This is a gritty take on the track with cool Hammond work and scattered electric guitar soloing over Holeman's vocals. Solid finish for a really cool release. 

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

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Title- Pop Ferguson Blues Heritage Festival in Lenoir, N.C. - Line Up Announced

Blues with No Apologies
Phil Wiggins John Dee Holman  Vonna  Pop Ferguson		If you are a blues lover, then this is the place to be -- June 14, 2014 at the Pop Ferguson Blues Heritage Festival, in historic downtown Lenoir,N.C. USA   Meet blues legends. Hear their stories. Attend a music workshop.   See how other genres came from blues through our theme, “Roots, Branches and Stems” Phil Wiggins, John D. Holman and Pop Ferguson (Roots) Country, Swing, Jazz, R&B, Rock (Branches) Hip-Hop and Funk Fusion (Stems)   Learn how to play the blues harmonica with harmonica great Phil Wiggins. Play along with him on your own instrument, or be one of the first 100 attendees and get your own free Hohner -harmonica!   Learn about the blues violin from world famous violin maker Bob Kogut  by attending his demonstration. Once you hear Bob's violin you will think PaPa John Creech came to play!   www.popfergusonbluesheritagefestival.com Visit us on Facebook     June 13th- SPECIAL VIP Kick Off Party Featuring Phil Wiggins & John Dee Holman TIXS still available call - 828-221-5022        Come Join Us For the Festival on SATURDAY, June 14, 2014, In Historic Downtown Lenoir, NC     9AM to 11PM     popfergusonbluesfestival.blogspot.com crfergjr.wix.com/popfergusonbluesinc www.facebook.com/PopFergusonBluesFestival crfergjr@gmail.com

Kids learn Blues from John Dee Holeman

Diggin': "Sweet Home Chicago"  Will Dawson, John Dee, Tim Duffy I took John Dee Holeman to play for the Elementary and Middle School students at Orange County Charter School yesterday. It was wonderful to see the kids fascinated with the John Dee's Piedmont Blues, accompanied by Tim Duffy and Will Dawson, the school's elementary music teacher. The younger students wildly clapped during songs, mouths open in awe, absorbing the music. When Tim asked John Dee to explain the Blues, he said "Well, the blues, it's a feelin' you have. When I was young, the work was hard, and the pay was low... you might be upset, but you couldn't get real mad, you know. The blues, it's a feelin'." One of the things I love most about working at Music Maker is helping people discover our artists, and the music they play. This was one of those great times - however, what I don't see as often is a giant group of kids ages six to ten playing "Sweet Home Chicago" as a tribute to John Dee. One group played ukeleles, another group played xylophones, and the first and second graders sang and danced. John Dee played along, took a guitar solo, and smiled at the enthusiasm of the whole group. It was really a great morning, and I hope we can see that again sometime! Here's John Dee's version of "Sweet Home Chicago," for your enjoyment. -- Corinne  Listen:  John Dee Holeman -  Sweet Home Chicago  Ironing Board Sam heads to the high seas! Ironing Board Sam is heading out on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise next week to play alongside a lineup that includes MMRF Board Members the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Advisory Board Members Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks and more! This is a busy month for Sam - he's just back from the Southern Mississippi Roots Festival and the Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival - speaking of which, did you see this piece in the Times-Picayune? - and then he's got Capitol Blues Night and the Cruise to finish out October. Music Maker's Musical Development Program helps Sam and other artists by booking these gigs, coordinating travel, and making sure all details are taken care of. Sam is thrilled to be working so much, and as he told the Times-Picayune, "I'm going to be around for a long, long time." We're looking forward to see Sam play for a long, long time! Keep up with Music Maker!      Support Music Maker, and help keep the music alive!     Whitney, John Dee Holeman & Joan Go to Richmond! The moment we walked into the hotel's large hospitality room, John Dee Holeman was recognized and approached by who I would later learn was Phil Wiggins, a musician who would be playing the harmonica alongside John Dee at the Richmond Folk Festival all weekend. At the time, I was just sure that John Dee was a huge celebrity and suddenly, now that I was out in the world with him, I was seeing it. This happened several more times over the course of the weekend -- whether he was approached by musicians who knew him from way-back-when or just enthusiastic festival-goers--even culminating in what felt like a press scrum (but was in reality a couple of festival volunteers and a couple of enthusiastic fans) slowing us down as we tried to get from one stage to another. John Dee played four short sets during the festival, all with Phil and Music Maker artist Algia Mae Hinton's son, Williete, who demonstrated buck dance for the audience. His sets were full of soulful blues songs and easily danceable John Dee originals like "Chapel Hill Boogie." At his last set of the weekend, he and the guys were joined by blues artist Super Chikan and Nathan Williams of Nathan and the Zydeco Cha-chas for a "Blues House Party," which packed the field stage with at least a couple thousand audience members (out of an estimated 200,000 in attendance for the whole festival) and had the air and energy of a rock concert. As we were walking out the door Sunday evening to start our drive back to North Carolina, John Dee was stopped by another enthusiastic fan who wanted to buy some CDs and have them signed. It was rewarding for the festival weekend to be bookended by these little moments of satisfaction, the type of interactions with people that lets you know yes, people are listening and yes, they care. -- Whitney Next Generation Artists Cary Morin and Leyla McCalla Photo of the Week by Tim Duffy Don't have tickets yet? Get them now for the new Capitol Blues Night!   Cool John Ferguson, Captain Luke, Ironing Board Sam, Big Ron Hunter and Sol perform with the Music Maker Blues Revue! Tickets on sale now for October 24th! Get them here! Upcoming Shows: Click here for more info on upcoming events  10/19-10/21 - Robert Lee Coleman, Ironing Board Sam, Nashid Abdul Khaaliq, Big Ron Hunter, Ardie Dean- Blues at the Crossroads, Salina, KS 10/25 - Ironing Board Sam - The Crunkleton, Chapel Hill, NC 10/27- 11/2- Ironing Board Sam, Carolina Chocolate Drops - Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise 11/02 - John Dee Holeman - They Eddy Pub, Saxapahaw, NC 11/02 - Albert White - Northside Tavern, Atlanta, GA 11/08 - Ironing Board Sam - The Crunkelton, Chapel Hill, NC 11/09 - Ironing Board Sam - The Depot, Hillsborough, NC 11/11 - George Higgs -  Pinecone Music of the Carolinas, NCMoH, Raleigh, NC 11/15 - Ironing Board Sam - The Crunkleton, Chapel Hill, NC 11/17 - Lakota John and Kin - American Indian Heritage Festival, NCMo, Raleigh, NC 11/22 - Ironing Board Sam - The Crunkleton, Chapel Hill, NC 11/29 - Ironing Board Sam - The Crunkleton, Chapel Hill, NC   Music Maker Relief Foundation, Inc. helps the true pioneers and forgotten heroes of Southern music gain  recognition and meet their day to day needs. We present these musical traditions to the world so American culture will flourish and be preserved for future generations.

One Black Rat - John Dee Holeman

John Dee Holeman was born in Orange County, North Carolina in 1929. He is a storyteller, dancer and a blues artist that played with musicians who had learned directly from Blind Boy Fuller. He possesses an expressive blues voice and is a wonderful guitarist incorporating both Piedmont and Texas guitar styles. A recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage fellowship and a North Carolina Folk Heritage award, John Dee has toured the U.S, Europe and Asia. John recently retired from a career as a heavy machine operator and continues to tour both in the states and abroad.
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