Provogue artist: Walter Trout - Survivor Blues - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Survivor Blues, from Walter Trout and it's his most mature and cohesive release to date. Opening with powerful slow blues number, Me, My Guitar and the Blues Trout is back locked and loaded. I love his command of the volume swell, using it like an old master, making his guitar cry like a baby and his prasing is magical. With Michael Leasure on drums, Johnny Griparic on bass and Skip Edwards on keys, this is a terrific opener. On Woman Don't Lie, it's a slink funky beat that gives this track traction.Trading lead vocal with Sugaray Rayford and adding Teddy Andreadis on Wurlitzer really sets this one up or a guitar slam and Trout is all over it. Gone are the days of cramming every note into one measure and real feel and biting riffs carry this track high. Shuffle track, Please Love Me has great feel and tension with relaxed riffs with excellent punctuation work on a heavily pumped up BB King like style. Red Sun is a drum driven blues rocker with excellent bass lines by Griparic and relentless guitar soloing by Trout. very strong. Elmore James' Something Inside Of Me is one of my favorite tracks on the release with both sensuous blues attack and explosive note full barrages giving the track really nice dynamics. Very nice. Otis Rush's It Takes Time has super pace and allows Trout space to lay down some really nice solo lines. There's no question that he's laying it all out here. Robbie Krieger (The Doors) is featured on slide on Mississippi Fred McDowell's Goin' Down To The River and lays down smooth, mellow and cohesive blues riffs. Very nice. Wrapping the release is J.B. Lenoir's God's Word and Trout sings the words like he wrote them. Sounding very personal and focused while singing the lyrics he puts his shoulder into the guitar solo, driving hard and soaring with reckless abandon. Excellent closer for a very strong release. 

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Yardbirds, Mitch Ryder, Lazy Lester, Joe-El Sonnier, Robby Krieger headline Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival, May 27-28

THE YARDBIRDS, MITCH RYDER, ROBBY KREIGER, JO-EL SONNIER, BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY, LAZY LESTER, DWAYNE DOPSIE, BIG CHIEF MONK BOUDREAUX & THE GOLDEN EAGLES DOUG KERSHAW AND MICHAEL DOUCET, HEADLINE 28th ANNUAL SIMI VALLEY CAJUN & BLUES MUSIC FESTIVAL, SATURDAY-SUNDAY, MAY 27-28 Los Angeles area’s largest Cajun, Zydeco, Blues and Roots music festival, featuring two stages, a Mardi Gras parade, crafts and dozens of food booths, takes place Memorial Day weekend.

The Yardbirds Lazy Lester Miitch Ryder

Dwayne Dopsie Jo-El Sonnier Doug Kershaw

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. — The 28th annual Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival will once again enliven Memorial Day weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 27 and 28, at Rancho Santa Susanna Community Park, 5005 Los Angeles Ave., in Simi Valley. The event features a full stage for each of its musical genres. The spirited music will go non-stop each day from 12 noon until 7:30 p.m. (or 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.). Single Day tickets are $25 for adults (13 and over); $45 for a 2-day pass; children 12 and younger are free. New this year will be a limited number of SuperTicket passes. For $124 for a single day or $199 for both days, SuperTickets holders get a reserved seat, in the shade, directly in the front of the blues stage as well as private bar access (and two complimentary drinks) and other exclusive “backstage experiences.” Tickets are available on the festival’s website: http://www.simicajun.org/. (Note: the only tickets available at the gate are single-day, $30) Headlining the blues stage this year will be the pioneering blues-rock band the Yardbirds, the Robby Krieger Band (celebrating 50 years of the Doors' music), Mitch Ryder, Lazy Lester and the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy; as well as L.A.-based roots-rockers the 44’s, soulful SoCal songstress Alex Nester and festival returnees Kelly’s Lot. Another festival favorite, Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers, returns for the fourth straight year and will be performing at both stages.  On the Cajun and Zydeco stage will be the “original ragin’ Cajun” fiddler Doug Kershaw; Grammy-winning accordionist Jo-El Sonnier and the Cajun Trio featuring Michael Doucet, David Doucet and Mitch Reed. Performing on this stage too are Crawdaddio and the Bayou Brothers, who also will back Lazy Lester on the blues stage, while Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles will play on both the Cajun/Zydeco and Blues stages. The annual Mardi Gras Parade will take place both days, and everyone is invited to join in with the marching bands, stilt walkers and other costumed characters. Also, during the breaks at the Cajun/Zydeco stage, dance instructor AJ Gibbs will lead the crowd in free dance lessons. About the headliners: The Yardbirds: In the mid-’60s, the Yardbirds revolutionized music as they pushed British blues rock into psychedelia and heavy metal. Godhead guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page all spent time in the band, playing alongside core members Jim McCarty (drums), Chris Dreja (rhythm guitar/bass) and the late Keith Relf (vocals/harmonica). McCarty recently assembled a new touring line-up that includes guitarist Johnny A (Peter Wolf), bassist Kenny Aaronson (Joan Jett, Hall & Oates), veteran harpist Myke Scavone and vocalist/guitarist John Idan, who has been a Yardbird since the Nineties. The group performs at the festival on Saturday, May 27. The Robby Krieger Band: Regularly cited as one of rock’s all-time top guitarists, Krieger shot to fame in the Doors. The Los Angeles native wrote or co-wrote some of the band’s signature tunes, like “Light My Fire,” “Love Me Two Times,” “Touch Me” and “Love Her Madly.” The Robby Krieger Band will celebrate 50 years of the Doors’ music when then make their Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival debut on May 27. Mitch Ryder: If you have ever heard Bruce Springsteen perform his “Detroit Medley,” you know Mitch Ryder’s impact on rock history. The medley’s main songs — “Devil With a Blue Dress,” “Jenny Take a Ride,” “Good Golly Miss Molly” and “C.C. Rider” — are all tunes Ryder popularized while fronting the Detroit Wheels in the mid-’60s. The powerhouse vocalist has remained a popular performer, especially in Europe. This year finds Ryder readying a new album and working on a stage musical based on his novel Hide Your Love Away. Experience Ryder’s dynamic rock & soul sound on the blues stage Sunday. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy: For nearly a quarter century, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy has been combining the old with the new. Folks can’t help but to dance to the band’s exhilarating blend of jazz, swing and Dixieland with rock ’n’ roll energy. Formed in Ventura, California, the band has recorded 10 albums and played over 2700 live shows, including playing for three U.S. presidents. Rather remarkably, the group remains composed of its core members: Scotty Morris (lead vocals and guitar), Kurt Sodergren (drums), Dirk Shumaker (bass), Andy Rowley (baritone saxophone), Glen "The Kid" Marhevka (trumpet), Karl Hunter (saxophones and clarinet) and Joshua Levy (piano). They’ll make their second Cajun & Blues Festival appearance when they hit the blues stage on Sunday. Doug Kershaw: Known as the “original ragin’ Cajun,” Kershaw found crossover success during the late ’60s when his fierce fiddle playing and hippie-style appearance won favor with young rock audiences. His career started in the mid-’50s when he teamed with his brother Rusty to become a popular country duo, scoring hits with “Diggy Diggy Lo” and the autobiographical “Louisiana Man.” Kershaw, who was inducted in the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2009, will perform on the Cajun/Zydeco stage on May 27. Lazy Lester: The story goes that, in the mid-’50s, Lazy Lester met Lightin’ Slim by chance on a bus. Slim needed a harmonica player for a recording and Lester could play the harp. He wound up playing on many of Slim’s Excello albums before making his own Excello debut in 1957. The Blues Hall of Famer’s best known tunes include “I’m a Lover Not a Fighter,” “I Hear You Knockin’,” and “I’m Gonna Leave You Baby.” After taking a hiatus, Lester returned to music in the late ’80s and he has made several albums since. Now in his 80s, Lester still blows a mean, swamp-bluesy harp. He’ll take the blues stage on May 27, backed by the Bayou Brothers. Jo-El Sonnier: Hailed as the “King of Cajun Music” for the past 25 years, Sonnier is a wizard of the accordion. The much-in-demand musician has recorded with such stars as Johnny Cash, Alan Jackson, Robert Cray, Neil Diamond, Mark Knopfler, Elvis Costello, Merle Haggard and Dolly Parton. A multi-Grammy nominee himself, Sonnier won a Grammy for Best Regional Roots Music Album in 2015. He returns to Simi Valley for the second time, performing on the Cajun stage Saturday and Sunday. The Cajun Trio: Michael Doucet, David Doucet & Mitch Reed: These three musicians were all founding members of BeauSoliel, the internationally renowned, multi-Grammy winning group that Garrison Keillor hailed as the "best Cajun band in the world." This trio, with Michael Doucet on fiddle, his brother David on guitar and Mitch Reed on various string instruments, showcases its virtuosity by slipping effortlessly among musical genres. They will play, along with a special surprise guest, both days of the festival. Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles: A true ambassador of New Orleans, Joseph Pierre “Big Chief Monk” Boudreaux is the leader of the Golden Eagles, a New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian tribe. They are known for their elaborate attire, which includes handmade suits adorned with brightly colored feathers, intricate beadwork, rhinestones and ruffles, as well as their music, which combines folk traditions with funk and R&B. Boudreaux, a 2016 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Award, brings his Golden Eagles to the Cajun/Zydeco stage on Saturday and the blues stage on Sunday. Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers: A Cajun & Blues Festival favorite, Dwayne “Dopsie” Rubin returns to Simi Valley for the fourth straight year. He also will be hard to miss since he will be performing on both the blues and Cajun/Zydeco stages on Saturday and back on the Cajun/Zydeco stage on Sunday. The son of Zydeco legend Rockin’ Dopsie Sr., Dwayne has carved out his own successful career. His highly energetic Zydeco style has earned him a Grammy nomination and the title of “America’s Hottest Accordion” player. The blues stage once again was booked by Martin Fleischmann and his company, Rum & Humble. For more than 20 years Rum & Humble has played a key role in presenting some of the world’s great musical talent (Radiohead, King Sunny Ade, and the Rolling Stones, to name a few) to Los Angeles audiences, in venues like the Hollywood Bowl, the Orpheum Theatre and the Santa Monica Pier. They also have been a pioneer promoters in the field of Latin alternative music; Fleischmann is one of the co-founders of L.A.’s Congo Room. Additionally, Rum & Humble has collaborated closely with artists such as Jackson Browne and Paul Oakenfold as well as with a varied roster of corporate and non-profit clients, such as KJAZZ Radio and the National Geographic Society. The Cajun & Blues Festival has received national press accolades: “Everywhere you turned, there was something exciting happening,” wrote Blue Revue editor Art Tipaldi, who travelled to L.A. from New England. After attending last year’s concert, Jazz Weekly’s George W. Harris proclaimed: “Forget the Playboy Jazz Festival, the Simi Valley Cajun & Blues fest beats the older and richer sister. This is coming from a jazzer, yet still, pound for pound and dollar for dollar, I have more fun here than in Hollywood … it “delivered music made to last … can’t wait until next year.” Besides the great music, festival-goers can enjoy great food too. Southern BBQ and authentic Cajun-Creole cuisine, such as jambalaya and crawfish, are available at dozens of food booths, which will also feature a variety of other dining options. There will be rows of craft booths and retailers to check out as well. To get to the Rancho Santa Susanna Community Park, take California Hwy. 118 (Ronald Reagan Freeway) north from L.A. Exit at Stearns Street and go a couple blocks south. Ample free parking is available, with the main lot at the Simi Valley High School; a free shuttle takes to you to the park. This year, the festival has added thousands of square feet of additional tenting for shade at no additional charge. Low back chairs are recommended; however, pop-ups will no longer be allowed in the festival grounds. 100% of the festival’s profits are donated to charitable, educational and humanitarian causes on a local, national and international level. A list of these organizations may be found at < http://www.simicajun.org/who-benefits/>.   The Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival is a presentation of the Rotary Club of Simi Sunrise. Schedule — subject to change: SATURDAY MAY 27th BLUES STAGE Kelly’s Lot Lazy Lester The Yardbirds The Robby Krieger Band Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers CAJUN/ZYDECO STAGE Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers Cajun Trio featuring Michael Doucet, David Doucet and Mitch Reed Mardi Gras Parade Jo-El Sonnier Doug Kershaw   SUNDAY MAY 28th BLUES STAGE Alex Nester The 44’s Mitch Ryder Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles CAUN/ZYDECO STAGE Bayou Brothers Crawdaddio Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers Mardi Gras Parade Cajun Trio featuring Michael Doucet, David Doucet and Mitch Reed Jo-El Sonnier

Robbie Krieger

Robert Alan "Robby" Krieger (born January 8, 1946) is an American rock guitarist and songwriter. He was the guitarist in The Doors, and wrote some of the band's best known songs, including "Light My Fire", "Love Me Two Times", "Touch Me", and "Love Her Madly". He is listed as number 91 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time Robby Krieger was born in Los Angeles, California, to a Jewish family. His first exposure to music was mostly classical, as his father was a big fan of marching music, until he heard Peter and the Wolf, which was the first music that really caught him. When he was seven, Krieger accidentally broke his record player, but the radio began to reach his ears playing the likes of Fats Domino, Elvis Presley, and the Platters. At 10, he tried the trumpet, but found it was not for him. He began playing the blues on his parents' piano with much more success than the trumpet. While Krieger was attending a private school, there was study time at night that allowed him to teach himself to play the guitar. He began by learning flamenco, borrowing a friend's guitar. When Krieger was 18, he got his own flamenco guitar and took lessons for a few months. He bounced around genres, including flamenco, folk, blues, and jazz. After high school, Krieger attended the University of California, Santa Barbara. Krieger listed guitarists Wes Montgomery, Albert King, and Larry Carlton among the biggest influences of his style. Krieger was a member of The Doors along with keyboard player Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore and vocalist Jim Morrison. At an early Doors rehearsal Morrison heard Krieger playing bottleneck guitar and initially wanted the technique featured on every song on the first album. Krieger's fingerstyle approach to the electric guitar, eclectic musical tastes, and songwriting helped establish The Doors as a successful rock band in the 1960s. His only singing with the early Doors can be heard on the album The Soft Parade, on the song "Runnin' Blue". After Morrison's death in 1971, The Doors continued as a trio and released two albums, Other Voices and Full Circle. Krieger shared lead vocal duties with Manzarek. After The Doors disbanded in 1973, Krieger formed The Butts Band with Densmore. He enjoyed some success as a jazz-fusion guitarist, recording a handful of albums in the 1970s and 1980s, including Versions (1982), Robby Krieger (1985), and No Habla (1989). For his first solo release in 1977, Robbie Krieger & Friends, Krieger worked with rock artist Jim Evans to create a painting that became the album package. In 1982, Krieger made an album with the Los Angeles group Acid Casualties. Their album, Panic Station, was released by Rhino Records and included a new version of the rare 1968 Pink Floyd single "Point Me at the Sky." In the early 90s, Krieger formed a trio called the 'Robby Krieger Organization' featuring Skip Van Winkle (electric organ,organ pedal bass) and Dale Alexander (drums, backing vocals).[citation needed] In 1996, Krieger formed a new band simply known as the 'Robby Krieger Band' which featured his son Waylon Krieger (guitar), Barry Oakley Jr. (bass, backing vocals), Dale Alexander (keyboards) and Ray Mehlbaum (drums).[citation needed] The band performed shows in North America and Europe between 1996-1998. In 2000, Krieger released Cinematix, an entirely instrumental fusion album, with guest appearances from Billy Cobham and Edgar Winter. Krieger and Manzarek reformed as the Doors of the 21st Century in 2002 with vocalist Ian Astbury of The Cult. Following a dispute with Densmore over The Doors name, the band is now known as "Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger of The Doors". For a brief period, the reformed band also included Police drummer Stewart Copeland. Krieger played guitar on a few tracks by Blue Öyster Cult and has worked on a number of tribute projects organized by Billy Sherwood. Krieger has made some guest appearances with the band Particle and appears on the album Transformations Live. In June 2008, ZYX Studio released his concert with Eric Burdon, called Live at the Ventura Beach California. They also played "Back Door Man" and "Roadhouse Blues". In April 2009, Krieger and Ray Manzarek appeared as special guests for Daryl Hall's monthly concert webcast "Live From Daryl's House". They performed several Doors tunes ("People Are Strange", "The Crystal Ship", "Roadhouse Blues" and "Break On Through"), with Hall providing lead vocals. Krieger has participated in the "Experience Hendrix" series of concerts over the last two years (2008–09), joining a number of high profile guitar players paying tribute to the musicianship and songwriting of Jimi Hendrix 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”