QUENTIN TARANTINO HAND-PICKS BROTHER DEGE'S SONG "TOO OLD TO DIE YOUNG" FOR HIS NEW FILM "DJANGO UNCHAINED"

 

BROTHER DEGE'S SONG "TOO OLD TO DIE YOUNG" HAND-CHOSEN BY QUENTIN TARANTINO FOR THE SOUNDTRACK OF HIS NEW FILM "DJANGO UNCHAINED" (OUT CHRISTMAS DAY)

 

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO BROTHER DEGE'S "TOO OLD TO DIE YOUNG"

Brother Dege ("deej") (aka Dege Legg) is one of the best-kept secrets in the Deep South. A musician, writer and Southern enigma, Dege is the haunted face of 21st century Delta blues. Like the possessed offspring of Faulkner and Son House, he plays slide guitar in the age-old tradition of the blues greats, yet manages to breathe new life into this revered Delta idiom.

Well, make that… was one of the best-kepts secrets… as the reclusive Louisiana Cajun's song "Too Old To Die Young" was personally selected by Quentin Tarantino to appear in the soundtrack of his new film Django Unchained, starring Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson.

Tarantino describes his method of utilizing music (old and new) into the soundtrack of Django Unchained [from the director's press release]: "I want to thank all the artists who contributed original songs (a first for me) to the picture. Most of these contributions came out of the artists' own inspiration and their illustration of the film's soul is invaluable. In addition to the new original songs I am also using a lot of older recordings on the soundtrack - many of which came from my personal vinyl collection. Instead of having the record companies give me new digitally cleaned up versions of these recordings from the '60s and '70s, I wanted to use the vinyl I've been listening to for years - complete with all the pops and cracks. I even kept the sound of the needle being put down on the record. Basically because I wanted people's experience to be the same as mine when they hear this soundtrack for the first time."

The soundtrack for Django Unchained will be released on December 18th before the movie opens on Christmas Day.

 

"DJANGO UNCHAINED" SOUNDTRACK LISTING:

1. Winged
2. Django (Main Theme) - Luis Bacalov, Rocky Roberts
3. The Braying Mule - Ennio Morricone
4. In That Case, Django, After You...
5. Lo Chiamavano King (His Name Is King) - Luis Bacalov, Edda Dell'orso
6. Freedom - Anthony Hamilton & Elayna Boynton
7. Five-Thousand-Dollar Nigga's And Gummy Mouth Bitches
8. La Corsa (2nd Version) - Luis Bacalov
9. Sneaky Schultz and the Demise of Sharp
10. I Got a Name - Jim Croce
11. I Giorni Dell'ira - Riz Ortolani
12. 100 Black Coffins - Rick Ross
13. Nicaragua - Jerry Goldsmith featuring Pat Metheny
14. Hildi's Hot Box
15. Sister Sara's Theme - Ennio Morricone
16. Ancora Qui - Ennio Morricone and Elsa
17. Unchained (The Payback/Untouchable) - James Brown and 2Pac
18. Who Did That To You? - John Legend
19. Too Old to Die Young - Brother Dege
20. Stephen The Poker Player
21. Un Monumento - Ennio Morricone
22. Six Shots Two Guns
23. Trinity (Titoli) - Annibale E i Cantori Moderni

“Too Old To Die Young” is from Brother Dege’s critically acclaimed album Folk Songs of the American Longhair, which in 10 smoking, original tracks, recharges the cannon of the Delta Blues for the next century. Recorded in a shed in southern Louisiana, the album bursts with barn-burning slide and Dobro drenched tunes that reel, rip and scream like a master class in backwoods songwriting, while taking epic swings into the ambient darkness with Paris, Texas-like passages into the great unknown. It’s haunted, it’s harrowing, and it rocks.

Avoiding traditional DIY, indie career moves and following his own quirky southern sensibilities, Dege is known for playing guerilla shows in gigs in the swamps, open fields, low rent motel rooms and even public bathrooms. In addition, he has supported himself at various times by driving a cab, working in auto shops and, more recently, homeless shelters.

Brother Dege is also putting the finishing touches on his second album How to Kill a Horse (due early in 2013) which promises to push the slide and the traditions of the Delta blues far into the darkness of the millennium.  

 

HERE'S WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SAYING ABOUT BROTHER DEGE:

 

“Fans of slide guitar, Southern gothic, or plain old rock & roll attitude need to run, not walk, and check out Brother Dege ASAP. Brother Dege is a case study in how one guy with a steel guitar and minimal accompaniment can out-rock a roomful of electric bombast, given the right songs, the right skills, and the right voice. Brother Dege has‘em all.” – POPMATTERS

“[Four Stars] In lesser hands all this might easily sound contrived, but instead it’s genuinely powerful and compelling stuff. 'The Girl Who Wept Stones' and 'Dead & Gone' might have been ripped from the Son House songbook, though the seven-minute epic 'House of the Dying Sun' is the real keeper.” – UNCUT

“Both ancient and modern, like an indie rock cover of something Lomax may have recorded a hundred years ago.” – BLOGCRITICS

“Brother Dege brings the ghosts of kudzu-covered swamp rats to life in your speakers.  Find the darkest spot in your backyard, light some candles and turn it up.” – THE BIG TAKEOVER

“Those willing to step into the Brother Dege abyss will likely reap its rewards.” – OFFBEAT MAGAZINE

 

FOR MORE INFO ON BROTHER DEGE:
http://degeleggnews.blogspot.com

FOR MORE INFO ON THE "DJANGO UNCHAINED" SOUNDTRACK:

http://www.unchainedsoundtrack.com/

Me And Mrs Jones - Billy Paul

Billy Paul (born Paul Williams on December 1, 1934 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a well known soul singer, famous for his Grammy-winning vocals on “Me and Mrs. Jones”. He is sometimes known as a one-hit wonder, because while “Me and Mrs. Jones” was a No. 1 hit for the last three weeks of 1972, it was his only chart topper on the pop and soul music listings. Paul has been a frequent member and hit maker for the soul music scene in the years before and after his Grammy Award, especially with the use of the consistently popular Philadelphia soul style as his backing. He has, however, recorded much other material of note, including “Am I Black Enough For You?”, “Let’s Make A Baby” and an alternate version of “Let’s Stay Together”. Jones was on the Neptune Records label for many years. Other songs he recorded include “Thanks For Saving My Life”, “Let ‘Em In”, “Your Song”, “Only The Strong Survive” and “Bring The Family Back”. Paul is married, and continues to tour around the world extensively. 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 favorite band!

Stop Breakin' Down - RockyHill

John Rockford "Rocky" Hill (1 December 1946–10 April 2009) was a blues guitarist, singer, and bassist from Dallas, Texas in the United States. Hill was the older brother of ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill. Hill was a member of the 1960s acid rock/blues group American Blues with his brother Dusty and drummer Frank Beard. Before the formation of ZZ Top, Rocky left the trio and subsequently played in blues bands for John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins (for whom he played bass), Freddie King, and Jimmy Reed. In 1982, Hill released his first solo album, Texas Shuffle (reissued in 2005) which featured Johnny Winter and Dr. John. In 1988, Virgin Records released Hill's eponymous album produced by ZZ Top's manager and producer Bill Ham. Hill, a self-styled "anti-Clapton", was called "a monster on guitar" and "perhaps the wildest and scariest — both on stage and off — of all the white-boy Texas blues guitarists" and was noted in particular for his "metal-melting tone and whistling, artillery-shell harmonics" 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 favorite band!

Back Door Man - The Doors - John Densmore

John Paul Densmore (born December 1, 1944) is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the drummer of the rock group The Doors Born in Los Angeles, Densmore attended Santa Monica City College and Cal State Northridge; at the latter he studied ethnic music under jazz cellist Fred Katz. He joined The Doors in 1965 and remained a member until the band's dissolution in 1973. Densmore met keyboardist Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger at a Transcendental Meditation lecture. Densmore says, "There wouldn't be any Doors without Maharishi." According to Densmore's own book, he quit the band on one occasion in reaction to Morrison's increasingly self-destructive behavior, although he returned the next day. He repeatedly suggested that the band stop touring, but Krieger and Manzarek were resistant to this notion. After the Doors' last performance with Morrison in New Orleans in 1970, the band agreed to discontinue performing live. Densmore allowed "Riders on the Storm" to be used to sell Pirelli Tires, in England only. Densmore later stated that he "heard Jim's voice" in his ears and ended up donating the money earned to charity. In 2002, Densmore vetoed an offer by Cadillac for $15 million for "Break on Through (To the Other Side)" because of his strong views to conserve the environment. Densmore formed a band with fellow ex-Doors Robby Krieger in 1973 called The Butts Band but disbanded after two albums in 1975. Densmore left rock-and-roll in the 1980s, moving to the world of dance as he performed with Bess Snyder and Co., touring the United States for two years. In 1984, at La Mama Theatre in New York, he made his stage acting debut in Skins, a one-act play he had written. In 1985, he won the LA Weekly Theater Award for music with Methusalem, directed by Tim Robbins. The play Rounds, which he co-produced, won the NAACP award for theatre in 1987. In 1988, he played a feature role in Band Dreams and Bebop at the Gene Dynarski Theatre. He developed and performed a one-man piece from the short story, The King of Jazz, at the Wallenboyd Theatre in 1989. With Adam Ant, he co-produced Be Bop A Lula at Theatre Theatre in 1992. He has acted in numerous TV shows, most memorably as himself in the show Square Pegs, working as a drummer for Johnny Slash's band Open 24 Hours. His film credits include: Get Crazy with Malcolm McDowell, Dudes directed by Penelope Spheeris, and The Doors directed by Oliver Stone. Densmore wrote his best-selling autobiography, Riders On The Storm (1990), about his life and the time he spent with Morrison and The Doors. In the first chapter Densmore describes the solemn day on which he and the band finally visited Morrison's grave around three years after he had died. As the drummer and an influential member of The Doors, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He worked as a technical adviser on the 1991 film, The Doors, and was very impressed with Val Kilmer's performance as Morrison and overall was quite happy with the film.[citation needed] In 2006, his band, Tribaljazz, released their first album of original work.[citation needed] Densmore appears alongside Krieger and Manzarek in 2012's RE:GENERATION, a documentary directed by Amir Bar-Lev. It features Densmore collaborating on a new song with Skrillex. 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 favorite band!

Shuggie Otis

Shuggie Otis (born Johnny Alexander Veliotes, Jr.; November 30, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter, recording artist, and multi-instrumentalist. Otis' composition "Strawberry Letter 23" (as recorded by The Brothers Johnson) topped the Billboard R&B chart and reached #5 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1977. He also achieved commercial success with his 1974 single "Inspiration Information" (from the album of the same name), reaching #56 on the R&B chart Born in Los Angeles, California, Otis is the son of rhythm and blues pioneer, musician, bandleader, and impresario Johnny Otis and wife Phyllis. The name "Shuggie" (short for "sugar", according to his mother) was coined by Phyllis when he was a newborn. Otis began playing guitar when he was two years old and performing professionally with his father's band at the age of twelve, often disguising himself with dark glasses and a false mustache so that he could play with his father's band in after-hours nightclubs. Otis, primarily known as a guitarist, also sings and plays a multitude of other instruments. While growing up with and being heavily influenced by many blues, jazz and R&B musicians in his father Johnny's immediate circle, Otis began to gravitate towards the popular music of his generation such as Sly Stone, Jimi Hendrix, and Arthur Lee of the band Love. In 1969, Al Kooper asked Otis to be the featured guest on the second installment of the Super Session album series that had previously included Stephen Stills and Mike Bloomfield. Kooper and the then-fifteen-year-old Otis recorded the whole album over one weekend in New York. Immediately returning to Los Angeles, Otis, along with his father and singer Delmar "Mighty Mouth" Evans, performed on the album Cold Shot, released in 1969 on the Los Angeles-based Kent label. Another obscure album this three-man team recorded was the extremely rare and risque Snatch & The Poontangs (rated X due to its explicit lyrical content)[citation needed], on which Otis recorded tracks under the pseudonym "Prince Wunnerful". Otis then released his first solo album later that year entitled Here Comes Shuggie Otis on Epic Records. Countless musicians were his guests on that debut attempt, including Johnny, Leon Haywood, Al McKibbon, Wilton Felder. This further established his reputation and catapulted him to the attention of B. B. King, who was quoted in a 1970 issue of Guitar Player magazine saying Otis was "his favorite new guitarist". Some of the artists Otis performed and recorded with during that time include Frank Zappa (having played electric bass on "Peaches en Regalia" on the 1969 album Hot Rats), Etta James, Eddie Vinson, Richard Berry, Louis Jordan, and Bobby 'Blue' Bland, among many others. The album Otis received the most notoriety for was his second Epic Records release in 1971, Freedom Flight, which featured his hit "Strawberry Letter 23". Both the album and single reached the Billboard Top 200 and caught the attention of Brothers Johnson guitarist George Johnson, who then played it for producer Quincy Jones. They covered the song and it instantly became a smash hit. Even though Otis played most of his own parts in the studio, the lineup on this album was quite extensive, including keyboardist George Duke and Aynsley Dunbar of Frank Zappa, Journey, and Whitesnake fame. In 1974, Otis released Inspiration Information, his third and final album for Epic Records. The album had taken almost three years to finish. All the songs were written and arranged by Otis himself, who played almost exclusively every musical instrument on the album (except for horns and various stringed instruments). However, despite its long-awaited impact, Inspiration Information had but one single (the title track) reach the Billboard Top 200. After the album's release, Otis was approached by Billy Preston on behalf of The Rolling Stones, asking him to join the band for their upcoming world tour. He declined the offer, along with the chance to work with Quincy Jones in helping produce Otis's next album. After a series of similar refusals, Otis gained the reputation of "taking his time", and his recording contract with Epic Records was nullified. Otis's only credited works throughout the mid-1970s were done as a session musician for his father's recording projects. Inspiration Information gained a huge cult following during the 1990s with the emergence of rare groove and acid jazz.[citation needed] It was lauded by such musicians as Prince and Lenny Kravitz. Due in part to this regained interest, the album was re-released on April 3, 2001, by David Byrne's independent label Luaka Bop Records. This CD re-issue includes all nine original album tracks plus four songs taken from Otis' 1971 album Freedom Flight, and features new cover art, liner notes, and exclusive never-seen-before photos. Otis is featured in every one of his father Johnny's books, as well as Alligator Records Presents West Coast Blues, issued in August 1998. Otis and Sony Music Entertainment have made a deal for a double CD which will be released on April 20, 2013. It will be a re-release of Inspiration/Information. Added to the album will be several bonus tracks, including an accompanying album entitled Wings of Love. Wings of Love is an album of previously unreleased material, all of which was written from 1975 to the present, including live material from some of his rare performances. It will be available on Shugiterius records (Shuggie's new company) and Sony records, through Sony Music Entertainment. Little is known of Otis' private affairs, as he is considered by most who know him to have always been somewhat reclusive.[citation needed] While still a teenager, he had a son with Judith Peters, Johnny III (who goes by Lucky). A few years later, he then married Lillian Wilson, daughter of trumpeter, bandleader, and Latin jazz pioneer Gerald Wilson, and they (Shuggie and Lillian, a/k/a Teri) had a son, Eric (whom Lillian named after her father Gerald's close friend and bandmate Eric Dolphy. In spring 1991, Otis Sr. and his family relocated to Sonoma County. Since moving back to Southern California in 2006, Otis has made but a handful of sporadic public appearances. Both of Shuggie's sons, Lucky Otis and Eric Otis, who are also musicians and based in the Los Angeles area, are producing their own music as well, Shuggie has a new band now (2012) and is currently on a: "Never Ending World Wide Tour". It will start in Europe of November 2012. 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 favorite band!

Robert Nighthawk interviewed by Mike Bloomfield

Robert Lee McCollum (30 November 1909–5 November 1967) was an American bluesman who played and recorded under the names Robert Lee McCoy and Robert Nighthawk. Born in Helena, Arkansas, he left home at an early age to become a busking musician, and after a period wandering through southern Mississippi settled for a time in Memphis, Tennessee. There he played with local orchestras and musicians, such as the Memphis Jug Band. A particular influence was Houston Stackhouse, from whom he learnt to play slide guitar, and with whom he appeared on the radio in Jackson, Mississippi. After further travels through Mississippi, he found it advisable to take his mother’s name, and as Robert Lee McCoy he moved to St. Louis, Missouri. Local musicians with whom he played included Henry Townsend, Big Joe Williams, and Sonny Boy Williamson. This led to two recording dates in 1937, the four musicians recording together at the Victor Records studio in Aurora, Illinois, as well as recordings under his own name, including “Prowling Night-Hawk” (recorded 5 May 1937), from which he was take his later pseudonym. These sessions led to Chicago careers for the other musicians, but not for McCoy, who simply continued his rambling life, playing and recording (for Victor/Bluebird and Decca) solo and with various musicians, under various names. He also became a familiar voice on local radio stations. Then Robert Lee McCoy disappeared. Within a few years he reappeared as the electric slide-guitarist Robert Nighthawk, and began recording for Chess Records. This was also Muddy Waters’ label; the two men’s styles were close enough that they were in competition for promotional activity — and as Waters was the more saleable commodity, being more reliable and a more confident stage communicator, he received the attention. Though Nighthawk continued to perform and to record, he failed to achieve any great commercial success. In 1963, some ten years later, Nighthawk was discovered busking in Chicago, and this led to further recording sessions and club dates, and to his return to Arkansas, where he appeared on the King Biscuit Time radio programme. He had a stroke, followed by a heart attack, and died at his home in Helena. Recordings Robert Nighthawk: Prowling with the Nighthawk (Document) — twenty-six sides (1937–1952) recorded for Bluebird, Decca, Aristocrat, and United. Ramblin’ Bob (Saga) — twenty-four sides (1937–1952) recorded for Victor, Decca, Chess, and United. 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 favorite band!

Mike Morgan & The Crawl

Mike Morgan (born November 30, 1959, Dallas, Texas) is an American Texas and electric blues musician. He has released thirteen albums to date, on various record labels including Rounder, Black Top and Severn Records. The majority of his releases have featured his long standing backing band, The Crawl. Morgan has played alongside Darrell Nulisch, Lee McBee, Gary Primich, and Randy McAllister. Morgan was born in Dallas, but grew up in Hillsboro, Texas. He received his first guitar at an early age, and initially concentrated on playing rock music. In 1985 he converted to blues and blues-rock, before relocating back to Dallas in 1986. There he met Darrell Nulisch, who both were founding members of The Crawl. The group was named for a Lonnie Brooks song. Mike Morgan and the Crawl earned a reputation playing around Dallas and the Fort Worth area, before Nulisch left them in 1989, to be replaced by the singer and harmonica player, Lee McBee. Following a performance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, their debut 1990 album, Raw & Ready, saw them undertake national and international tours. Further albums including Full Moon Over Dallas, and Ain't Worried No More ensued, before Morgan recorded without his backing group on Let The Dogs Run (1994) with Jim Suhler. In 1994 Mike Morgan and the Crawl appeared on the bill at the Notodden Blues Festival. Later group releases included their Black Top swansong, I Like the Way You Work It, but at the end of the 1990s McBee left the band. Buoyed by the experience of playing behind Nulisch, Keith Dunn, and Chris Whynaught, 2000's Texas Man saw Morgan's vocalist debut. Live in Dallas (2004) followed before Morgan's latest effort, Stronger Every Day, released in March 2008, included further accompaniment from McBee and Randy McAllister. Recent activity has seen a reduction in touring, and Morgan working as a sales manager in a Mesquite, Texas, motorcycle dealership. 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 favorite band!

Good Morning Blues - Brownie McGhee

Walter Brown ("Brownie") McGhee (November 30, 1915 - February 16, 1996) was a Piedmont blues singer and guitarist, best known for his collaborations with the harmonica player Sonny Terry Brownie McGhee was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and grew up in Kingsport, Tennessee. As a child he had polio, which incapacitated his leg. His brother Granville "Sticks" or "Stick" McGhee was nicknamed for pushing young Brownie around in a cart. His father, George McGhee, was a factory worker known around University Avenue for playing guitar and singing. Brownie's uncle made him a guitar from a tin marshmallow box and a piece of board. McGhee spent much of his youth immersed in music, singing with local harmony group the Golden Voices Gospel Quartet and teaching himself to play guitar. A March of Dimes-funded leg operation enabled McGhee to walk. At age 22, Brownie McGhee became a traveling musician, working in the Rabbit Foot Minstrels and befriending Blind Boy Fuller, whose guitar playing influenced him greatly. After Fuller's death in 1941, J. B. Long of Columbia Records had McGhee adopt his mentor's name, branding him "Blind Boy Fuller No. 2." By that time, McGhee was recording for Columbia's subsidiary Okeh Records in Chicago, but his real success came after he moved to New York in 1942, when he teamed up with Sonny Terry, whom he had known since 1939 when Sonny was Blind Boy Fuller's harmonica player. The pairing was an overnight success; as well as recording, they toured together until around 1980. As a duo, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee did most of their work from 1958 until 1980, spending 11 months of each year touring, and recording dozens of albums. Despite their later fame as "pure" folk artists playing for white audiences, in the 1940s Terry and McGhee also attempted to be successful black recording performers, fronting a jump blues combo with honking saxophone and rolling piano, variously calling themselves "Brownie McGhee and his Jook House Rockers" or "Sonny Terry and his Buckshot Five," often with Champion Jack Dupree and Big Chief Ellis. They also appeared in the original Broadway productions of Finian's Rainbow and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. During the blues revival of the 1960s, Terry and McGhee were very popular on the concert and music festival circuits, occasionally adding new material but usually remaining faithful to their roots and their audience. With Sonny Terry, he appeared in the 1979 Steve Martin comedy The Jerk. In 1987, McGhee gave a small but memorable performance as ill-fated blues singer Toots Sweet in the supernatural thriller movie, Angel Heart. He appeared in a 1988 episode of "Family Ties" titled "The Blues Brother" in which he played fictional blues musician Eddie Dupre, as well as a 1989 episode of Matlock entitled "The Blues Singer." Happy Traum, a former guitar student of Brownie's, edited a blues guitar instruction guide and songbook for him. Using a tape recorder, Traum had McGhee instruct and, between lessons, talk about his life and the blues. Guitar Styles of Brownie McGhee was published in New York in 1971. The autobiographical section features Brownie talking about growing up, his musical beginnings, and a history of the early blues period (1930s onward). One of McGhee's final concert appearances was at the 1995 Chicago Blues Festival.[3] McGhee died from stomach cancer in February 1996 in Oakland, California at age 80; he missed his planned return trip to Australia 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 favorite band!

Bad Scene - Ten Years After w/ Leo Lyons

Everyone knows that TYA is on of my all tile favorite blues rock bands and Alvin Lee one of my favorite all time contemporary guitar players but then there's Leo who's off the charts! Leo Lyons (born David William Lyons, 30 November 1943) is an English rock musician, who was also the bassist of the British late 1960s to 1970s rock group Ten Years After. Lyons was born in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. He first played with lead guitarist Alvin Lee in The Jaybirds. In 1967 there was a name change to Ten Years After. With this group, Lyons played at major rock festivals including Woodstock in 1969 and the Isle of Wight Festival on 29 August 1970. Ten Years After disbanded in 1976, although they later reformed several times in the 1980s and 1990s with all original members. In 1975, he was hired as a studio manager by Chrysalis Records to re-equip and run Wessex Studios in London. He then produced UFO from 1974 to 1976. Later he started two commercial recording studios himself. Lyons moved to Nashville, Tennessee in the mid 1990s, and was a staff songwriter for Hayes Street Music. He currently plays in a reformed Ten Years After, with new frontman Joe Gooch. and also with Joe Gooch in new blues rock power trio "Hundred Seventy Split". 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 favorite band!

Gateway Music artists: The Blues Overdrive - New Release Review

I just received a new self titled release from The Blues Overdrive, on of Denmark's most talented blues bands. The release is made up of 10 original tracks and one never released track by JJ Cale. The opening track, Death On The Highway, is a jazzy boogie style track with head boppin' guitar riffs. Out In The Country has a lot of the musical characteristics of a Jim Morrison composition. Dual lead guitar players Martin Olsen and Andreas Andersen share the space rather than vying for it. I Was Wrong is a really uptempo shuffle track and gives the band great opportunities to riff away. bassist Thomas Birck and Drummer Lars Heiberg lay down a solid bottom for strong lead guitar slinging. Ball and Chain is a stripped down slow blues very reminiscent of early British blues including vibrato enhanced guitar effects over a solitary vocal track and chorded rhythm guitar with simple guitar leads. I really like this track. Puts me in mind of some of the early creative work by Kim Simmonds and Peter Green. Mr. 16 Tons (Blues For Thorup) is a tribute to Danish blues legend Peter Thorup who was a pioneer on the Danish blues scene and lead guitar player for Alexis Korner. This is a cool track along the creative lines of "Help Me" but at a different tempo and with musical changes in the melody creating a whole new feel. Oh yeah, there are some familiar licks in there but this is a cool track. One of the things that I like best as I listen to this recording is the "real" quality of the music as opposed to the hyper fidelity that I hear so often that sounds plastic. Too Blind To See is a simple blues rocker with a straight forward vocal track and a solid instrumental return. I Need Your Lovin' is a real European style rock/blues track which has it's roots in Seattle. Immediately I like the "Stone Free" echo and the band keeps the track together with crisp guitar riffs over solid unpretentious rhythm. Keep it simple! JJ Cale track I Got Myself A Woman retains the simplicity of Cale from his earliest period and the band builds on the theme musically as is often customary in boogie bands. I like this technique and I'm glad to see bands doing it again. Big Fat Woman is a strong Texas 12 bar blues with a serious swagger. Thomas Foldberg adds some complimentary harp work on this track which makes for a cool compliment. Done Tryin' again has that sound that was so prevalent in Europe at the beginning of the blues reemergence (60's). I'm glad that Blues Overdrive has maintained this sound. Feelin' Kind Of Blue is the final track on the recording and has a noticeably more modern sound. It's almost like taking away the screen door to clarity. It has a bit more of a sophisticated sound but still retains that euroblues quality that I like with the rest of the recording.
 Nice job!  

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”

How 5 Gallons of Kerosene Saved Willa Mae

Gift Yourself! Get a Free Record Club Membership! With the Holiday Season upon us, we're excited to offer Music Maker members the opportunity to spread the love and earn a special reward for encouraging friends to become Music Maker members! When your friends are making their gift through our online store, make sure they designate your name in the COMMENTS section of the order form. Once three new members designate that you referred them, receive either (1) FREE enrollment in our Givin' It Back Record Club or (1) Flash drive loaded with the past year's new releases, with our thanks! So, spread the word and gift yourself! We thank you so much for all your support! Listen:  Willa Mae Buckner-  Peter Rumpkin Meet our interns from abroad! Raphael and Simon came from Toulouse, France to intern with Music Maker for nine months; their university requires that students intern or study abroad in their third year, and when Simon found Music Maker on the Internet, he thought it would be a perfect fit. "The spirit and the music - the mission is very beautiful. We are not social guys, but if we can help in a way we like with musicians and music and the blues. " Since last month they have been working on digitizing the photo and audio archives, general office duties and starting and maintaining a French-language blog, which they hope to update at least once a day with their experiences, interesting tracks or photos they find and reflections on Blues music. Take a look here:  musicmaker.org/bleublancblues  Homebrew Hootenanny in Atlanta Supports Music Maker! We at Music Maker want to give a big thank-you to the organizers of the Homebrew Hootenanny, an Atlanta event that just wrapped up. Not only did they hire Music Maker artist Beverly "Guitar" Watkins to perform, they used the event to raise money for Music Maker's mission! According to Cullen "Slim" Brown, the event's coordinator, "This was the most successful Homebrew Hootenanny by far as we were able to directly support a local Music Maker artist AND the organization with one fundraiser. Miss Beverly Watkins KILLED it." We want to thank Cullen and everyone who made the event happen, including Chef Diana Presson, Henry Studdard, Malcolm Todd, Brewmaster Julian Travis, and Kyle Swick! The kerosene that saved Willa Mae (and her snakes) In the winter of 1995, I discovered how a simple gift can be the difference between life and death for our elderly artists. In that year, there was a terrible ice storm in Winston-Salem, NC and many parts of town were without electricity. The first day after the storm MM artist Willa Mae Buckner, who lived in an old drafty house, was struggling to keep herself and her two giant pythons alive with blankets. The news reported that there might be outages for some days yet, and I knew we had to do something for our artists.  I called my friend John Creech, an early supporter of Music Maker. Driving was very hazardous, so with John along one of us could push the car when we got stuck. We headed down to the hardware store and got Willa Mae and another artist, Mr. Q, kerosene heaters and 5 gallons of kerosene. When we arrived at Mr. Q's after some difficulty navigating the icy roads, we found he had been trying to drag an old wood stove into the house, and was happy to see we had brought him a safe source of heat. Willa Mae was also happy to see us, though she was more concerned about keeping her pet snakes warm.   That night the temperature dropped severely and power was still not restored. The next afternoon while checking on Willa Mae, I noticed an ambulance parked in front of her neighbor's house. Willa Mae was noticeably shaken, she told me the woman next door also had not heat and had frozen to death. The realization that the simple gift of a heater and kerosene might have saved Willa Mae's life gave me the inspiration to formally create Music Maker's Sustenance Program, to help artists in need, who often have nowhere else to turn. This Holiday Season, we are hoping to raise $25,000 in support of our Emergency Relief Fund, part of our Sustenance Program that steps in when artists have a sudden need, such as during a natural disaster. Please help us ensure elderly artists have what they need to live in safety and comfort this winter. -- Tim Duffy Albert White's Birthday Bash at the Northside Tavern! In Atlanta? Don't miss Albert White's Birthday Bash at the Northside Tavern this Saturday, December 1st! He's turning 70 and it's going to be a big party, with great performances from Albert of course. Go celebrate with Albert! For more info - northsidetavern.com. Shelton Powe at the Oyster Riot in DC Photo of the Week by Aaron Greenhood Keep up with Music Maker!    Support Music Maker, and help keep the music alive!     Upcoming Shows: Click here for more info on upcoming events  12/01 - Albert White - Northside Tavern, Atlanta, GA 12/05 - Beverly "Guitar" Watkins - Sweet Georgia's Juke Joint, Atlanta, GA 12/07 - Shelton Powe - The Eddy Pub, Saxapahaw, NC 12/09 - Beverly "Guitar" Watkins - Blind Willie's, Atlanta, GA 12/14 - Ironing Board Sam - The Depot, Hillsborough, NC 12/15 - Beverly "Guitar" Watkins - Northside Tavern, Atlanta, GA 12/27 - Beverly "Guitar" Watkins - Steve's Live Music, Sandy Springs, GA 12/31 - Beverly "Guitar" Watkins - Fatt Matt's Rib Shack, Atlanta, GA 1/04 - Boo Hanks - The Eddy Pub, Saxapahaw, NC 1/13 - Ironing Board Sam - NC Museum of History, Raleigh, NC 2/01 - Ironing Board Sam - The Eddy Pub, Saxapahaw, 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.

Texas Cadillac - SMOKIN' JOE KUBEK BAND

Joe Kubek was raised in Irving, Texas, and while still a teenager was playing guitar in the band of the original Texas Cannonball, Freddie King. Kubek went on to forge his aggressive guitar style fronting his own band, and backing many legendary blues artists throughout the '70s and '80s, including Al "TNT" Braggs, Little Joe Blue, and others. Influenced by the hard-rocking blues of the '60s and '70s, Kubek's guitar playing smolders with the same fire that burned in the styles of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Johnny Winter, earning him the well-deserved nickname "Smokin' Joe." 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”

If Lovin You Is Wrong I Don't Wanna Be Right - Luther Ingram

Luther Ingram (November 30, 1937 – March 19, 2007) was an American R&B and soul singer and songwriter. His most successful record, "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right", reached no. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and no. 3 on the Hot 100 in 1972. Born Luther Thomas Ingram in Jackson, Tennessee, his early interest in music led to him making his first record in 1965 at the age of 28. His first three recordings failed to chart but that changed when he signed for KoKo Records in the late 1960s, and his first hit "My Honey And Me" peaked at #55 on the Hot 100 on 14 February 1970. Many of his songs appeared in the pop and R&B charts, even though Koko was only a small label, owned by his manager and record producer, Johnny Baylor. Koko and Baylor were closely associated with the Memphis based Stax Records label during the height of its commercial success. Ingram is best known for the hit, "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right", written by Homer Banks, Carl Hampton and Raymond Jackson. The song reached number one on Billboard 's R&B chart and peaked at number three on that publication's Hot 100 chart in the summer of 1972. The track stayed in the Hot 100 for 18 weeks, ultimately selling a reported four million copies. The song was later successfully covered by Millie Jackson and Barbara Mandrell; it has also been recorded by Bobby "Blue" Bland, Rod Stewart and Isaac Hayes. Other popular tracks for Ingram included "Ain't That Loving You (For More Reasons Than One)", "Let's Steal Away To The Hideaway" and "I'll Be Your Shelter." He also co-authored "Respect Yourself", a million seller for the Staples Singers in 1971.The acetate demo version of Ingram's, "Exus Trek", became a sought after Northern soul track. With the Stax connections, Ingram recorded at the Memphis label's studios, as well as other southern-based studios such as Muscle Shoals. He was opening act for Isaac Hayes for some years, and often used Hayes' Movement band and female backing group for his 1970s recordings. He recorded into the 1980s, and whilst only managing lower R&B chart hits, he remained a popular stage draw. Ingram died on March 19, 2007, at a Belleville, Illinois, hospital of heart failure. According to his wife Jacqui Ingram, he had suffered for years from diabetes, kidney disease and partial blindness. 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”

Chicken House Shorty - Shorty Gilbert

Shorty moved to Chicago in 1969 at the age of 18. He started gigging on bass with Homesick James, Eddie Clearwater and Kansas City Red. He's also backed up Little Johnny Taylor and Jimmy Reed. But by far the biggest feather in his cap is when Shorty was asked to join Howlin Wolf's band by the Wolf himself in 1974. He held that position until 1976 when the Wolf passed away. After that he joined Eddie Shaw's Wolfgang who he's played with for over 35 years, touring all over the world. 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”

Our Love Is In The Pocket - J.J. Barnes

J. J. Barnes (born James Jay Barnes, November 30, 1943, Detroit, Michigan) is an American R&B singer. He first recorded in 1960. His early releases including "Just One More Time" and "Please Let Me In", on the record labels Mickay and Ric-Tic, had relatively little success, but were subsequently picked up as Northern soul favorites. He also covered The Beatles' "Day Tripper"”, before moving for a short period to Motown. His biggest hit single came in 1967 with "Baby Please Come Back Home", which, like many of his records, he co-wrote. The song reached #9 on the US Billboard R&B chart. However, subsequent singles on a variety of labels, including covers of "Black Ivory" at Today/Perception Records, failed to repeat the success. On the recommendation of his friend, Edwin Starr moved to England in the 1970s becoming very popular. Starr had arranged for Barnes to appear on a series of shows which led to him signing a deal with Contempo. He became a favorite artist of the UK Northern soul scene, and performed frequently in the UK. Early recordings from Barnes, such as "Please Let Me In" and "Real Humdinger", were re-released in the UK on the Tamla Motown label to cater for the buyers of Northern soul records.[4] In the 1970s Contempo records released seven singles and an album, Sara Smile, from Barnes, all without chart success. In the 1980s he released five more records including a version of the Northern soul favorite by Frank Wilson, "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)" 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”

So Many Roads - John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

John Mayall, OBE (born 29 November 1933) is an English blues singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, whose musical career spans over fifty years. In the 1960s, he was the founder of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, a band which has included Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Peter Green, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Mick Taylor, Don "Sugarcane" Harris, Harvey Mandel, Larry Taylor, Aynsley Dunbar, Hughie Flint, Jon Hiseman, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Andy Fraser, Dave Navarro, Johnny Almond, Walter Trout, Coco Montoya and Buddy Whittington. Mayall's father was Murray Mayall, a guitarist and jazz music enthusiast. From an early age, John was drawn to the sounds of American blues players such as Leadbelly, Albert Ammons, Pinetop Smith, and Eddie Lang, and taught himself to play the piano, guitars, and harmonica. Mayall spent three years in Korea for national service and, during a period of leave, he bought his first electric guitar. Back in Manchester, he enrolled at Manchester College of Art (now part of Manchester Metropolitan University) and started playing with semi-professional bands. After graduation, he obtained a job as an art designer but continued to play with local musicians. In 1963, he opted for a full time musical career and moved to London. His previous craft would be put to good use in the designing of covers for many of his coming albums. Since the end of the 1960s Mayall has been living in the U.S. A brush fire destroyed his house in Laurel Canyon in 1979, seriously damaging his musical collections and archives. Mayall married twice and has six grand-children. Maggie Mayall is an American blues performer and has, since the early 1980s, taken an active part in the management of her husband's career. Maggie and John divorced in the 2011 summer. In 2005 Mayall was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Honours List. In 1956, with college fellow Peter Ward, Mayall had formed the Powerhouse Four, which consisted of both men plus other local musicians, with whom they played at local dances. In 1962, Mayall became a member of the Blues Syndicate. The band was formed by trumpeter John Rowlands and alto saxophonist Jack Massarik, who had seen the Alexis Korner band at a Manchester club and wanted to try a similar blend of Jazz and Blues. It also included rhythm guitarist Ray Cummings and drummer Hughie Flint, whom Mayall already knew. It was Alexis Korner who persuaded Mayall to opt for a full time musical career and move to London. There, Korner introduced him to many other musicians and helped them to find gigs. In late 1963, with his band which was now called the Bluesbreakers, Mayall started playing at the Marquee Club. The lineup was Mayall, Ward, John McVie on bass and guitarist Bernie Watson, formerly of Cyril Davies and the R&B All-Stars. The next spring Mayall, obtained his first recording date with producer Ian Samwell. The band, with Martin Hart at the drums, recorded two tracks : "Crawling Up a Hill" as well as "Mr. James."[2] Shortly after, Hughie Flint replaced Hart, and Roger Dean took the guitar from Bernie Watson. This lineup backed John Lee Hooker on his British tour in 1964. Mayall was offered a recording contract by Decca and, on 7 December 1964, a live performance of the band was recorded at the Klooks Kleek. A single, "Crocodile Walk", was recorded later in studio and released along with the album, but both failed to achieve any success and the contract was terminated. In April 1965, former Yardbirds guitarist Eric Clapton replaced Roger Dean and John Mayall's career entered a decisive phase. In 1982 Mayall was reunited with Mick Taylor, John McVie and Colin Allen, three musicians of his sixties lineups, for a two year world tour from which a live album would emerge a decade later. In 1984 Mayall restored the name Bluesbreakers for a lineup comprising the two lead guitars of Walter Trout and Coco Montoya, bassist Bobby Haynes and drummer Joe Yuele. The mythic name did perhaps something to enhance the interest in a band which by all standards was already remarkable. A successful world tour and live recordings achieved the rest. In the early 1990s most of the excitement was already spent and Buddy Whittington became the sole lead guitarist in a formation which included then organist Tom Canning. On the occasion of the 40th year of his career Mayall received carte blanche to invite fellow musicians for the recording of a celebratory album. Along for the Ride appeared in 2001, credited to John Mayall and Friends with twenty names listed on the cover, including some Bluesbreakers, old and new, and also Gary Moore, Jonny Lang, Steve Cropper, Steve Miller, Otis Rush, Billy Gibbons, Chris Rea, Jeff Healey, Shannon Curfman and a few others. To celebrate his 70th birthday Mayall reunited with special guests Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor and Chris Barber during a fundraiser show. This "Unite for Unicef" concert took place on 19 July 2003 at the Kings Dock Arena in Liverpool and was captured on film for a DVD release. In 2005, Mayall was awarded an OBE in the Honours List. "It's the only major award I've ever received. I've never had a hit record or a Grammy or been in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame." commented Mayall. In November 2008, Mayall announced on his website he was disbanding the Bluesbreakers, to cut back on his heavy workload and give himself freedom to work with other musicians. Three months later a solo world tour was announced, with: Rocky Athas on guitar, Greg Rzab on bass, and Jay Davenport on drums. Tom Canning, on organ, joined the band for the tour which started in March 2009. An album was released in September 2009. Since then, Mayall has continued to tour with the same backing band, minus Canning, who left due to other priorities 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 favorite band!

Duke Levine

Duke Levine (born November 29, 1961 in Worcester, Massachusetts) is an American guitarist known primarily for his rock and country music playing as a session musician. He has recorded and performed with Shawn Colvin, Peter Wolf, Lucy Kaplansky, Bill Morrissey, Jonatha Brooke, John Gorka, Jeanie Stahl, Ellis Paul, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Slaid Cleaves and many others. Since 2011 he has been touring guitarist for The J Geils Band. He frequently performs live with The Duke Levine Band and Slaid Cleaves. 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 favorite band!

Ronny Jordan

One of the acid jazz movement's most prominent guitarists, London-born Ronny Jordan is widely credited with returning the instrument to its rightful place as a major force in modern-day jazz; despite outcries from purists, few other artists of his era proved more pivotal in knocking down the long-immutable boundaries of contemporary black music. The son of a preacher, Jordan's early musical history was rooted in gospel; his first public performances were with gospel groups, but the outbreak of Brit-funk during the early '80s led him to begin exploring other avenues of music, culminating in a fascination with jazz. A self-taught guitarist, his early influences included Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery, and Grant Green, and when hip-hop began to take off, Jordan started exploring ways to fuse jazz and rap together. The first fruit of his endeavors was the single "After Hours," a primitive foray into what would eventually become known as acid jazz. Record companies initially wanted no part of Jordan's music, but when his distinctive cover of the Miles Davis classic "So What" became a hit, it was clear something was afoot. He soon released his debut LP, 1992's Antidote, but it was rapper Guru's breakthrough 1993 album, Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1, on which Jordan's guitar work was prominently featured, that made acid jazz a viable proposition. He subsequently issued such albums as 1993's Quiet Revolution, 1996's Light to Dark, and 2000's Brighter Day. More to come.... As a bonus I see that Ronnie plays a custom built by my friend Woody Phifer Phifer Designs 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 favorite band!

Busted Flat Records artists: Tippy Agogo and Bill Bourne - Amoeba Collective - New Release Review

I just received a new recording, The Amoeba Collective, that is quite out of the box. Songwriters Tippy Agogo and Bill Bourne complimented by Madagascar Slim on guitar and Michelle Josef on drums have put together something new. The first track, Yo Mojo, is a loose jam track with a funky slack beat and a twist of reggae creating a unique sound. I like it. Mud Bears Park is a modern interpretation of an 8 bar blues...say Canned Heat but with extraneous guitar soloing during the melody as opposed to after ... it is self defined and interesting. Marketplace has a definite world sound with warm vocal harmonies and African rhythms. MS plays some very intricate guitar riffs throughout this track. Bobby Johnson is a hip hop style track but without the harsh street lyrics. Black Banks is a different mix of R&B and Louisiana country blues. Cool track with cool guitar riffs. Old Crow has the distinct sound of early country music. Very authentic and very cool. Oh, How Beautiful has a lot of free space and ethereal sounds with traces to the original San Francisco sound. Ascending/Descending is a mixture again or world music to my ears sounding a lot like the middle east. It is a simple melodic track with a straight forward rhythm. Tin Metal is a strong rock like track with machine movements. I really like this track, drawing it's creativity from the modern industrial age. Free form instrumental inclusions and strong rhythms are supplemented with occasional lyric chants. The release is completed with Scarecrow Murders, another track with ethereal basis but more of a folk root. This is a pretty cool cd but one which takes a free thinker and someone who will open their mind and listen to something different.

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”

Regretfully... I could find no video of this group. There are some interesting videos by the independent artists which I urge you to check out!