JULY 24 rel-MUDDY WATERS 100 w/Johnny Winter, John Primer, Gary Clark Jr., Keb' Mo', Derek Trucks

                                                                                                                                                
 MUDDY WATERS 100 featuring
 JOHN PRIMER, GARY CLARK, JR., JOHNNY WINTER, JAMES COTTON, KEB' MO', DEREK TRUCKS, SHEMEKIA COPELAND, BOB MARGOLIN
                                                                                                                                                    

"Primer is a terrific singer; strong, strutting and just enough like his mentor Muddy to make these songs authentic but not a mirror image. The performances are spirited without a dud in all 15. And, perhaps most impressively, the sumptuous hardcover package with 48 heavy stock pages of rare photos and a beautifully penned essay from veteran music writer Robert Gordon is the definition of classy." (American Songwriter)

"a worthy tribute and a must for anyone who’s ever appreciated Waters’ sweeping influence. Meaning everybody." (Gatehouse Newspapers)

Chicago, IL - Raisin' Music Records proudly announces the release of "MUDDY WATERS 100" on JULY 24, 2015.

This officially authorized centennial tribute to Muddy Waters, "MUDDY WATERS 100" is a once-in-a-lifetime CD that celebrates, commemorates and contributes to the musical legacy of this American icon. Produced by 2X Grammy nominated producer Larry Skoller ("Heritage Blues Orchestra"/ "Chicago Blues: A Living History"), the CD is contained in a collectible CD-sized hard-cover book with 48 pages illustrated with black and white photography by some of the greatest photographers of Muddy's time. Also included is an original essay by Robert Gordon, Grammy-winning author of the definitive Muddy Waters biography "Can't Be Satisfied - The Life and Times of Muddy Waters".

"MUDDY WATERS 100" includes 15 newly recorded tracks featuring Muddy Waters Band alumni and many of today's most preeminent American blues and roots artists including JOHN PRIMER, GARY CLARK JR., JAMES COTTON, KEB' MO', JOHNNY WINTER, DEREK TRUCKS, BOB MARGOLIN, BILLY BRANCH and SHEMEKIA COPELAND backed by some of the greatest musicians on the Chicago blues scene including The Living History Band featuring Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith (drums -- son of longtime Muddy drummer Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith), Johnny Iguana (keyboards), Felton Crews (bass) and Billy Flynn (guitar).



Vocalist/guitarist JOHN PRIMER, who played with Muddy until his death in 1983, is recognized as one of today's most crucial keepers of the Chicago blues flame. For "MUDDY WATERS 100", Primer gives a deeply personal tribute to the man he knew so very well. Other distinguished Muddy Waters alumni on this recording include harmonica legend JAMES COTTON and guitarist BOB MARGOLIN (who played alongside Muddy for 7 years and was very close to the man and his music. The late great blues guitarist/producer JOHNNY WINTER played on the song "I'm Ready" for this album just a few weeks before he passed away in July 2014. ("I'm Ready" is the title track from Muddy's Grammy-winning album produced by Winter back in 1978 -- one of two albums that Winter produced for Muddy in the late '70s. Cotton & Margolin also played on the Winter-produced "I'm Ready" album). Along with Muddy alumni, this gathering of some of the most preeminent blues and roots artists of today makes this tribute truly a landmark celebration. Billy Branch, Gary Clark, Jr., Shemekia Copeland, Keb Mo' and Derek Trucks embody the spirit of this project: that for a tradition to survive, it must be passed on through generations and must remain in a constant state of evolution by redefining itself in a contemporary context. By pushing the boundaries of this music, as Muddy did in his time, and with their own original voices and stories, these artists are helping to give the blues its future.

It could be argued that Muddy Waters has had more influence on the sound of American popular music than any other single artist of the 20th century. "MUDDY WATERS 100" is a centennial celebration of his musical legacy, his iconic sound and his immeasurable contribution to and influence on American music. Driven by a deep respect for this master of the blues and for the blues traditions that spawned his talent, "MUDDY WATERS 100" tributes the past, embraces the present and recognizes the bright future of the blues for which Muddy paved the way. In the spirit of his legacy, "MUDDY WATERS 100" puts the spotlight on the inextricable mix of old and new school that Muddy left in his wake. The newly recorded songs on this album represent the various periods and styles of Muddy's musical path, from his 1941 recordings on Stovall plantation in Mississippi to his arrival in Chicago and subsequent evolution during the 1940s and 1950s, including his pioneering electric guitar sound at the Chess Records studios. By design, this album has not taken a strictly archival approach in its treatments of Muddy's songs. Some tracks are handled traditionally; there are also contemporary treatments and new arrangements that focus on today's sounds. Whether it be rock, pop, rap, hip-hop, the tube electronics of the earliest five-watt amplifiers or digital samples, drum loops and electronica -- in one way or another these sounds all lead back to Muddy Waters.

"Muddy Waters would be a hundred years old today…The whole story of the blues can be heard, felt, and learned in the life of Muddy Waters…Born April 4, 1915…in the soggy part of Rolling Fork, Mississippi, this mannish boy would soon move north in the delta with his grandmother to Stovall Farms, near where the train lines crossed in Clarksdale, and from there to Chicago. He absorbed the rhythm and feel of the south until it was part of his bones, electrifying that sound in the industrial north. His 1958 trip to England planted ideas there that would awaken America to its indigenous sounds. Muddy's music ignited a cultural revolution...from the brutal and fertile fields of Mississippi, he changed the world. The tiller of the soil became the definer of a nation, the symbol of freedom. Muddy's achievement is emblematic of American democracy, the ultimate triumph of the dirt farmer, bringing respect to the disrespected. He did it with his guitar and with his voice, touching emotions that touched traditions. A century has passed, but we are still building on the foundation that Muddy Waters established, his sound and style still going strong. His influence is everywhere around us." (from Robert Gordon's liner notes essay)

www.muddywaters100.com

BOBBY BARE, JR. TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM, UNDEFEATED, ON APRIL 15

BOBBY BARE, JR. TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM, UNDEFEATED, ON APRIL 15

*EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE OF LEAD SINGLE “NORTH OF ALABAMA BY MORNIN’” LAUNCHED BY SPIN

*NEW TOUR DATES

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Bobby Bare, Jr. (https://www.bloodshotrecords.com/artist/bobby-bare-jr) is releasing a new album Undefeated on April 15 via Bloodshot Records (pre-order available here). This is Bobby’s first record since 2010, and his first back with the label since 2006’s The Longest Meow.

http://www.spin.com/articles/bobby-bare-jr-north-alabama-by-mornin-stream/

SPIN announced the album details, and is currently premiering the lead single, “North of Alabama By Mornin’” (which the publication describes as: “throbs of distortion, a martial stomp-along beat, and ominously squalling guitars”).

Listen to the lead track here: https://soundcloud.com/bshq/north-of-alabama-by-mornin-by/s-PWWJg

Undefeated features the Hayes Carll co-written “My Baby Took My Baby Away”, and the backing efforts of the Young Criminals’ Starvation League, which includes Jordan Caress on bass/vocals, Doni Schroader (formerly of ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead) on drums, Van Campbell (Black Diamond Heavies) on drums, Matt Rowland on keys, Carey Kotsionis on background vocals, Richie Kirkpatrick on guitars/bass, David Vandervelde on guitars/bass, and Michael "Grimey" Grimes on bass.

In support of the new release, Bobby Bare, Jr. and the Young Criminals’ Starvation League will be on the road, beginning with the following run of newly announced dates:

March 12 – Austin, TX – The Continental Club (Bloodshot Records SXSW Showcase)

March 13 – Houston, TX – The Mucky Duck

March 14 – Austin, TX – Yard Dog (Bloodshot Records SXSW day party)

March 15 – San Antonio, TX – Sam’s Burger Joint

April 15 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl

April 16 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle

April 17 – Arlington, VA – IOTA Club & Café

April 18 – Philadelphia, PA – Boot & Saddle

April 19 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge

April 20 – Cambridge, MA – Atwood's Tavern

April 22 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom

April 23 – Chicago, IL – Schuba's Tavern

April 24 – Maumee, OH – The Village Idiot

Some of my Best Friends Are The Blues - Sam Taylor, Jr.

Sam Taylor (October 25, 1934 – January 4, 2009) was an American jump blues musician and songwriter. Taylor's more popular recordings included "Funny", "Drinking Straight Tequila" and "Voice of the Blues". He variously worked with Joey Dee and the Starliters, Otis Redding, B.T. Express, The Drifters, Big Joe Turner, T-Bone Walker, Sam & Dave, Tracy Nelson, Mother Earth and The Isley Brothers. Taylor was inducted to the Long Island Music Hall of Fame Born Sam Willis Taylor Jr. in Crichton, a suburb of Mobile, Alabama,Taylor began singing gospel at the age of three. His Long Island connection began in 1957, during his service in the United States Air Force. He was stationed at the Westhampton Beach Air Force Base, which was a short distance from the Blue Bird Inn. After leaving the service in 1959, Taylor lived in Riverhead. His first major professional gig was as Maxine Brown's bandleader at the Apollo Theater and his first #1 R&B hit single was "Funny". Taylor himself, often going using his fuller name of Sammy Taylor, recorded for various labels including Capitol, Enjoy and Atlantic Records. The songwriter of hundreds of songs, many of them hits such as "Peace Pipe", performed by the B.T. Express, Taylor's efforts were recorded by Freddie King, Chubby Checker, Son Seals, Jimmy Witherspoon, Brook Benton, Jay and the Americans, Joey Dee, Maxine Brown and Joe Tex. Taylor also was the bandleader and/or guitarist for Big Joe Turner, The Isley Brothers, Tracy Nelson, Otis Redding and Sam & Dave. Taylor and his songwriting partner, Bennie Earl, mentored young Florida duo Sam & Dave wrote two of their early hits "People in Love" and "Listening For My Name", when the duo recorded for Roulette Records, predating their later success with Stax/Volt. Taylor was also an original member and guitarist/songwriter for Joey Dee and the Starliters. With fellow Starliter Dave Brigatti, Taylor had a strong influence on The Rascals, which included Brigatti's younger brother Eddie. He also wrote some of the first songs for The Vagrants which included Leslie West who would later go on to form Mountain. After recording and appearing in two films with the Starliters including Two Tickets to Paris, Taylor took his friend Jimi Hendrix with him to tell Joey Dee and Morris Levy to let the young upstart take his place in the group. At the start of the 1970s, Taylor and Earl were hired as staff songwriters for The Beach Boys record label, Brother Records, until Brian Wilson burned the studio with Taylor and Earl's demos for the group going up in flames. At that time, Taylor released his first solo album Tunnels Of My Mind on the GRT Corporation label. He was later hired by Roadshow Records as an A&R/songwriter for the acts they were signing. He was told by the record producer Jeff Lane that, in exchange for helping them build up the company, he would be granted a solo deal for three albums. The most notable of these artists was King David House Rockers who became B.T. Express. Taylor played rhythm guitar on all tracks of the group's first five albums, with the first three being million sellers, "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)", "Non-Stop" and "Energy to Burn". He also played the organ on the group's million seller, "Do It Your Satisfied". Taylor's song "Peace Pipe" became one of the group's biggest hits. Taylor also produced and wrote songs for Norma Jenkins debut album, Patience is a Virtue. By the late 1970s, he moved to Santa Monica, California, where at Venice Beach he attracted fellow artists such as Rickie Lee Jones and Tom Waites, but drug addiction and medical problems Threatened to dull his musical edge. Taylor moved to Tucson, Arizona to get cleaned and became a prime figure in Arizona's heavy music scene, where he hosted his own television program, Down To Earth & popular radio show called "The Blues According To Sam" On KXCI. It was also in Arizona that Taylor began a modest acting career appearing movies & TV with Lou Gossett Jr, Mario Van Peebles and Barbara Eden. He also appeared in the film, Tape Heads, with two of his compositions used in the film. Taylor's music has been heavily sampled by rap artists. The sole composition her wrote for B.T Express which was "Everything That's Good To Ya (Aint Always Good For Ya)" became an extremely popular hip hop sample used by EPMD, Beanie Sigel, Mase & more notably DMX's first #1 Platinum hit "Get at Me Dog". His prominent vicious rhythm guitar licks from those B.T Express songs can be heard sampled in SWV "Use Your Heart" & EPMD "So Wat Cha Sayin" Upon his son Bobby's death, Taylor returned to New York. He was a resident of Central Islip until his own demise. There Taylor released five albums including Blue Tears, Voice of the Blues, Bluzman Back Homewhich is a critically acclaimed live recording from his 2004 Riverhead Blues Festival set and Portrait: The Funky Side Of Sam which features the song "Freaks" duet which is a duet with his grandson L*A*W who is a Grammy Nominated Singer/Songwriter/Musician known for his work with Amy Winehouse & George Clinton/P-Funk who also is the A&R for the album. Taylor also hosted WUSB (FM)'s Blues With A Feeling radio show. Along with Joan Jett, Billy Joel, Vanilla Fudge, KISS, Mountain, Shadow Morton, Run–D.M.C. and Twisted Sister, Taylor was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2006, and the Arizona Blues Hall Of Fame in 1997. Just before his death, he released his autobiography, Caught in the Jaws of the Blues. Taylor died on January 4, 2009, at his home in Islandia, New York, of complications associated with heart disease.He was aged 74 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”

Rory Gallagher Guitar Collection XXII

Specs

Make:

Gibson

Model:

Les Paul, Jr., White

Year:

1981

PHOTO BY SHU TOMIOKA

Rory Gallagher Guitar Collection XVII

Specs

Make:

Gibson

Model:

Les Paul, Jr.

Year:

1958

PHOTO BY SHU TOMIOKA