 |
|
|
Bernard
Allison
True to form for this
chip off the old block, Bernard Allison injects every bit as
much energy into his live shows as his late father, the legendary
blues guitarist Luther Allsion, did.
Guitar-slinging, singing
and songwriting are in his genes, and Luther certainly fanned
the flames of that desire in his son. As a child, Bernard accompanied
his father to blues festivals and was introduced to a who's who
of Chicago blues stars: Muddy Waters, Hound Dog Taylor and Albert
King, among others.
Firmly established
abroad as a high-powered bluesman, Bernard calls Paris home and
only in the last few years has ventured back to America. His
U.S. debut, "Keepin' the Blues Alive," was released
to critical acclaim in 1997, and since then he has continued
to incite audiences with a unique style that reflects a dynamic
mix of traditional and contemporary influences.
Back to top
|
|
Lonnie
Brooks
From his early days
backing zydeco pioneer Clifton Chenier to his years as a hit-producing
Gulf Coast rock and rolling R&B singer to his emergence in Chicago
as an innovative bluesman in his own right, Lonnie Brooks has
always defied simple classification. His massive voice and blistering
guitar playing, along with his joyful love of the blues, have
been infecting audiences all over the world for more than 40
years.
The Louisiana native
has held his own next to legendary musical greecome an increasingly
important part of the band, and the electricity between father
and son as they trade guitar leads has become an international
audience favorite.
Making his debut at
the Santa Cruz Blues Festival, Brooks brings with him a musical
world that combines rock and roll, rhythm and blues, Cajun boogie,
and hard Chicago blues. Fresh from a European tour and hot on
the heels of his newest release, "Roadhouse Rules,"
Brooks is ready to show us what his fans elsewhere have come
to expect - a groove-filled, scorching good time.
Back to top
|
|
Chris
Cain
When the rest of us
were squirreling away decoder rings and rabbit foot key chains,
you might have found guitar picks and the expressive musical
ideas they coax in the pockets of Chris Cain. My childhood trinkets
are now long gone, but let's be glad that Chris never lost custody
of his.
In the mid 80's, Chris
and his buddies went looking for a paying gig. If they could
get one with a bar tab included, it would be even better. Booking
a show in the bay area without a demo tape or album was a sure
way to get the bum's rush.
That being the challenge,
Cain's freshman album "Late Night City Blues" shook
the blues world. This outstanding debut project-financed on a
shoestring-garnered no less than 4 "W.C. Handy" nominations
and immediate international exposure. Equal parts magician and
musician, Chris pulls rabbits from deep within his musical top
hat. At any given moment he will masterfully reincarnate legendary
licks from the blues masters like as an homage to their importance,
all while making it appear as simple as a effortless stroll down
memory lane. That's when a live Chris Cain performance transitions
into an almost nether-world blues seance. This celebration of
American blues artistry is-in a way-more like Rich Little than
Little Richard.
While in college studying-and
later teaching-Chris found that jazz, often unlike blues, is
a progressive art form where simply playing the guitar is no
substitute for playing around with music itself. Throughout his
career he has carefully set the table for a family reunion between
those American cousins-blues and jazz. Cain has evolved into
a player of such magnitude that Robben Ford-a legendary musician
in his own right-regularly uses Chris as his opening act. He's
shared musical moments with the best in the business and has
thrilled an untold number of music lovers. But most of all what
defines a musical evening with Chris Cain is one very important
word: FUN! Next time I run into him, I plan to ask him, "Chris,
you didn't find that rabbits foot I lost as a kid, did you?"
Back to top
|
|
Tommy
Castro
According to all the
press and hype and hoopla, Tommy Castro is pegged as the next
big star of the blues. Long a favorite among Bay Area music fans,
Castro has taken his music around the world and back again with
a sheaf of praise from critics and old-time blues musicians alike.
His music is a combination
of soul-inflected rock with the occasional slow blues or shuffle
thrown into the mix. Castro's vocals are laid back and showcase
his early influences - Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett
and James Brown - while his scorching guitar tone is Stevie Ray
Stratocaster-approved. Throw in a riveting stage presence, Castro's
innate charisma and strong songwriting, and you get the picture.
Currently working
as the house band on NBC's Comedy Showcase, he continues to play
headline slots at major festivals as well as opening for such
artists as Robert Cray and John Lee Hooker. His newest recording,
"Live at the Fillmore" was released earlier this year.
With everyone from
industry insiders to B.B. King singing his praises, Castro appears
to be headed for bigger and better things. Regulars at the Santa
Cruz Blues Festival know that Tommy Castro and his band put on
a show that's not to be missed - a mesmerizing blend of rock,
blues, and Memphis soul.
Back to top
|
|
Clarence
"Gatemouth" Brown
After a distinguished
50-year journey through American musical history, Clarence "Gatemouth"
Brown has come full circle to the original source of his popularity:
a swinging hybrid of blues and jazz liberally seasoned with other
influences from the Texas-Louisiana border country. Firmly established
as a legendary performer of breathtaking diversity and virtuosity,
Brown is equally at home on vocals, guitar, mandolin or fiddle,
as with a composer's pen in hand.
Early on, Brown was
entranced by the big bands of Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, and
Duke Ellington, and to this day, a torrid arrangement of "Take
the 'A' Train" remains a centerpiece of his repertoire.
But his blazing instrumentals, horn-enriched rockers and lowdown
Lone Star blues are a major component of the rich Texas postwar
blues legacy he's also well-known for. It's impossible to label
him - the eclectic musical master's interests encompass virtually
every roots genre imaginable: blues, jazz, swing, cajun and country.
He has received seven Grammy nominations, multiple W.C. Handy
Awards, and in 1999 was indicted into the Blues Foundation's
Blues Hall of Fame.
Tagged with the "Gatemouth"
handle by a high school instructor who accused him of having
a "voice like a gate," Brown has used it to his advantage
throughout his illustrious career. Never afraid to break new
ground, Brown remains a steadfastly unclassifiable American original.
The Santa Cruz Blues Festival is proud to welcome this legend
of American music, Texas style, to the stage.
Back to top
|
|
Shannon
Curfman
Listen to her play
guitar, a sizzling combination of grace and fire. Then hear her
voice, a stunningly mature instrument that growls and purrs and
soars with the best of them. Then try to picture Shannon Curfman
in front of her birthday cake earlier this year, blowing out
the candles - all 14 of 'em.
Straight out of Fargo,
North Dakota, but recently relocated to Minneapolis the teenage
sensation is turning heads across the country with her music
- a potent mix of rock, blues, and funky R&B that may seem out
of place in the Great White North. Still, it comes quite naturally
to the determined young artist, who has only been playing for
three years, but has always bad her ears open.
"My heroes am
people like Stevie Wonder, Santana, the Artist Formerly Known
As Prince, Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Rory Block, Robert Johnson,
Dwight Yoakam, John Prine, Chaka Khan - I could go on,"
Shannon says with a laugh. "My goal is to be like Sheryl
Crow, who is such a big part of her music - she writes, sings,
plays a lot of the instruments produces. It's cool going in the
studio and just observing seeing what's happening, but I'm definitely
a hands-on person. I like doing stuff myself."
Strong and self-determined
in spite of her years, Shannon co-wrote 7 of the 11 songs on
her debut album, LOUD GUITARS, BIG SUSPICIONS. The album boasts
such notable writing cohorts as guitarist David Grissom (ex-John
Mellencamp, Joe Ely, Storyville), Twin Citians Kevin Bow and
Bruce McCabe, and the Grammy-winning writing team of Tommy Sims,
Wayne Kirkpatrick, and Gordon Kennedy. Curfman renders her world
in vivid colors on the rockin' first single "True Friends,"
the tough-minded "Few and Far Between," the bluesy
"No Riders," and "Never Enough," a yearning
ballad. "I love all the songs on the record, but especially
the ones I had a chance to write," Shannon says. "They're
not photographs of my life at that time, but I'd like to think
they're about subjects and experiences that people can relate
to."
Shannon also go this
chance to work with her long-time friend and inspiration (and
fellow Fargo native) Jonny Lang, few years her elder. Lang co-wrote
the bold "Love Me Like That," and plays guitar on 3
songs on the album. Shannon has enjoyed following his progress
up the charts. "We wound up going to one of his concerts
once, bought his CD, brought all his posters and hung them up
on the wall. I was just mesmerized by him."
With the release of
LOUD GUITARS, BIG SUSPICION Shannon can finally take Lang off
that pedestal. Now she can take her place along side him in the
growing list of young artists who are rejecting the heavily produced
videocentric fluff being made by many teen groups these days,
in favor of music with a classic sound and a respect for the
history of rock, blues, and R&B. "A lot of my friends
listen to the other kind of stuff, and that's fine," she
says. "But a lot of them are also getting into blues and
rock and Jimi Hendrix, and I think that's really great."
Shannon describes
herself as a "natural ham" who was always putting an
shows for her parents and her friends. She made her stage debut
singing at a local talent show at age 7 and by age 10 was singing
in local coffeehouses. Treated to guitar lessons by her grandmother,
Shannon took to the instrument obsessively and practiced for
hours on end. At the Fargo Blues Festival she met and jammed
with blues-rock virtuoso Jeff Healy. I played with him an his
bus for several hours, and then told my mom and dad, 'Uh, I want
to start a band, okay?'"
She did just that
and became such a regional hit that a move to Minneapolis was
necessary. It helped her secure wider access to gigs as well
as the indie release of LOUD GUITARS, BIG SUSPICIONS. Shannon's
dad, an engineer for the Burlington Northern Railroad secured
a transfer. "My mom," Shannon says with a prideful
laugh. "works for me."
Through it all Shannon
has retained a hold on what most of us would think of as a normal
life. She's been home-schooled, but says she lobbied for that
long before her career look off. "I always thought they
wasted a lot of time in school, where you finish you assignment
in 10 minutes and then have to sit ther for another half hour,"
she says. "At home, I can get a day's work done in four
to six hours. I love home schooling, so I continue to go right
through the summers. I'm guessing I'll graduate a year, maybe
two years early."
Despite her knowing
lyrics, which detail adult relationships with startling clarity
Shannon has yet to begin dating. "I can't until I'm sixteen,"
she says. "Then my parents say they'll consider it. What'll
probably happen is that, if they like the boy, they'll say okay,
you're mature enough, and then a week later they'll change their
minds. I don't really care right now. I have other things to
do."
That she does. Shannon
spends hours on her laptop computer, which she describes as her
lifeline to family and friends while she's on the road. While
she continues to pursue her music, she figures the rest of life
will work itself out. "What's more fun than this?"
she says. "This is what I want to do with my life. It's
cool being young and knowing what you want in life. I still have
time to go to college if I want. I love every put of this - traveling,
meeting people, and playing music, of course. Just as long as
I'm playing music, I'm happy."
Back to top
|
|
Debbie
Davies
The secret of great
guitar playing is the three "T" 's: taste, tone and
technique. Debbie Davies displays an absolute command of them
all on her new Tales from the Austin Motel, which pairs Davies
with the powerhouse rhythm team from the late Stevie Ray Vaughan's
band Double Trouble: bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris
Layton.
From the album's opener
"Just Stepped in the Blues," with a solo full of singing
bent strings, to her deft acoustic rendition of the classic shuffle
"Walking By Myself" that closes the CD, Davies plays
with the power and authority that's made her an important figure
in contemporary blues.
"I am primarily
a guitar player," Davies explains. "But I'm also a
singer-songwriter, and for me all these things need to be satisfied."
Indeed, the potent doses of rock and soul on her last Shanachie
CD, 1998's 'Round Every Corner, displayed her diversity as a
writer and performer. Yet this time, Davies says, "I felt
like I wanted to just play the blues, because that's my first
love."
It's Davies' guitar
on Tales from the Austin Motel - charged with effortless vibrato
and solos that unfold like short stories, brimming with all manner
of subtle six-string heroics - that will also make blues fans
think of a fourth "T": Texas.
"I really wanted
to go back to Texas to record, just to get the vibe. Texas has
given us a lot of great blues guitarists over the years. Chris
and Tommy were an important part of getting back to that Texas
vibe for me. We have the same kind of roots, and they have such
a great groove. For a guitar player, having that gives you so
much freedom.
"For me, Texas
and its musicians were also an important part of cutting my teeth
on the road. Most of my roots in flat-out electric blues playing
are from Texas blues musicians. I spent so much time with Albert
Collins - who was from Houston. And there were so many bills
we shared with Jimmie Vaughan and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Those guys
were all part of my coming up and being accepted in the blues
world."
Now, of course, the
talented Davies is a fixture on the international blues circuit
with five solo albums and 200 performances a year on her resume.
In 1997 she won the W.C. Handy Award for female contemporary
blues artist of the year.
Debbie's parents were
musicians (her father was an arranger and session leader for
Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra and Pearl Bailey), and she grew up
playing blues and rock 'n' roll on the West Coast. In 1985 she
joined the L.A.-based Maggie Mayall and the Cadillacs, an all-woman
band led by British blues legend John Mayall's wife. That's where
Texas Telecaster master Collins first saw her play. Collins asked
Debbie to join his band, the Icebreakers, in
1988. She toured with
Collins for four years, leaving to play lead guitar for Jimmy
Buffett's harmonica man Finger Taylor in 1991. Collins and Davies
played together again in 1993 on her solo debut for Blind Fig
Records, Picture This. Later that year Collins died of cancer
at age 61.
"There will never
be another Albert," Davies says of her mentor. "He
had such a specific style. What I learned from him is that everything
that comes out has to be totally wired to your soul no matter
what. I saw how much Albert could go through on the road - the
headaches, the setbacks, the breakdowns and still reach inside
his soul at night and just ... give."
I Debbie puts that
same kind of deep, soulful resonance into Tales from the Austin
Motel - named after the place she stayed while recording in that
famed Texas musical mecca. You can hear it in the way her vocals
blend sass, sadness and sugar in numbers like her "I'm a
Woman" and "Bald Headed Baby," and in her version
of Albert King's beatific chestnut "As the Years Go Passing
By." That feeling absolutely fuels her guitar playing, whether
she's building an inspired solo in "When You Were Gone,"
making her Stratocaster speak sustain-soaked tongues in "Percolatin'
" or diving head first into the Latin-jazz feel of her "Atras
de tus Ojos (Behind Your Eyes)."
"At this point,
it all just comes out of my fingers and ears; it's natural,"
Debbie says of her expressive fretwork.
On tour Debbie will
be reunited with her own trio, performing with her drummer and
frequent songwriting collaborator Don Castagno and bassist Alan
Hager. "The do such a great job of keeping me inspired on
the road," she says. "I love those guys. They help
me make the connection with the audience every night. That's
why I got into playing the blues. It's very direct.
"Right now, my
goal is to just keep playing live," she continues. "In
the last 12 months I've done so much writing and recording. I
made four albums - my two, Homesick for the Road with Tab Benoit
and Kenny Neal, and (the Europe-only] Grand Union, with Otis
Grand and Anson Funderburgh. Now I'm ready to just play and play
my own new tunes."
So wherever Davies
travels, she'll be taking her Tales from the Austin Motel - and
the glorious legacy of Texas blues - along.
Back to top
|
|
The
Delgado Brothers
Though they came out
of the same East L.A. scene as Los Lobos, the Delgado Brothers
- frontman and guitarist Joe, bassist Bob and drummer/lead vocalist
Steve, with percussionist the "Right Reverend Righteous"
Ray Solis - mix their Hispanic musical heritage with a heavy
dose of blues, R&B and sweet vocal harmonies.
The band's unique
and fiery instrumentals, coupled with a heavy dose of Delta-style
grease and lifelong musical relationships, creates an overall
musical savvy that's hard to resist and almost impossible to
forget. This is a band that knows where the groove lives and
are only too happy to give it up. Get ready to jump up and dance
as soon as they take the stage.
Back to top
|
|
Lloyd
Jones
The stage was set
for Lloyd Jones when he was born into a musical family. By the
age of five, Lloyd's father, an avid Dixieland jazz fan, was
encouraging him to play trumpet. LLoyd's older brother, who played
drums in local bands, let his sibling tag along to band rehearsals.
A quick study, Lloyd was playing drums at professional gigs by
the time he was thirteen.
Jones credits his
big brother with introducing him to the blues and they often
went to concerts together. James Brown, BB King, Buddy Guy, Sonny
Terry and Brownie McGhee - were just some of the acts that he'd
seen before he was even out of high school.
In the 70's Lloyd
formed a blues band called Brown Sugar, that included harmonica
wizard Paul deLay. The hottest band in the Pacific Northwest,
Brown Sugar was the support act of choice for Charlie Musselwhite,
George "Harmonica" Smith, the Johnny Otis Show, Big
Mama Thornton, and Big Walter. Lloyd recalls, "A lot of
these people would stay in our homes, and teach us music and
history. That's how we learned, and that's really when I picked
up the guitar. Alot of those people have passed on, and I cherish
those memories." On one occasion, S.P. Leary (Big Walter's
drummer) told Lloyd "Man, I'm getting old. You gotta keep
it alive. It's a struggle sometimes, but if you love it, you
keep on struggling"
The Lloyd Jones Strugle
began in 1985 when Jones found his niche as a singer/songwriter/guitarlst.
"I was in a band with Curtis Salgado (Roomful/Cray/Santana).
Curtis really pushed me as a guitar player and helped me find
my voice." When Curtis left to join Roomful, Jones knew
what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it. "I love
a good story. This is story-telling with a Memphis groove, kind
of swamp-a-fide."
One of Portland Oregon's
most prized possessions, this six piece powerhouse specializes
in tight knit R&B, funk and soul. The Lloyd Jones Struggle
has toured with Robert Cray, BB King, and shared the stage with
everyone from James Cotton and George "Harmonica" Smith
to Bonnie Raltt and Taj Mahal.
Jones' current release
"Trouble Monkey" (Audioquest) has captured the attention
of music critics and media alike with its refreshing lyrics and
unique arrangements. The process of recording "live"
to 2 track, with no overdubs, gives the listener a taste of what
the band sounds like in concert. The results are astonishing.
This is Jones' 4th
recording and is the culmination of 30 plus years of struggling
to keep the music that he loves alive. Lloyd Jones' blue-eyed
soulful sound, and gravely Delbert McClinton-ish vocals reveal
that this is a man that has paid his dues-but is no worse for
the wear. "Trouble Monkey" could signal the end of
Lloyd Jones' struggling.
Back to top
|
|
Coco
Montoya
Regulars to the Santa
Cruz Blues Festival know what happens when Coco Montoya takes
the stage: an unbridled blast of the blues. With his icy-hot
guitar playing and soulful, unaffected vocals, Montoya propels
every song with deep feeling and ferocious energy, and here,
his home away from home, Montoya knows he can really let his
hair down.
Averaging more than
200 tour dates a year, Montoya packs clubs, theaters and festivals
around the world. Guitar World magazine ranks him at the forefront
o guitar licks and impassioned vocals.
A decade of touring
with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, and five years of gigging
with Albert Collins, the legendary "Master of the Telecaster,"
ensured that Montoya's dues were paid in full. In 1995 he struck
out on his own, and a year later won a W.C. Handy Award for Best
New Blues Artist.
Since then, it's been
nothin' but up for Coco Montoya, who's using the blues as a blasting
off point for his rock-solid, groove-laden, hip-shaking music.
Back to top
|
|
Lil'
Ed & The Blues Imperials
From smokin' slide
guitar runs to raw-boned Chicago shuffles to the deepest gut-bucket
blues, the five-foot one-inch Lil' Ed and his blistering, road-tested
band, the Blues Imperials, get wild and crazy every time they
hit the stage. Between the band's wonderfully raucous music and
Ed's flying leaps, his duck-walking through the audience and
his sliding across the stage on his knees, it's no wonder The
Boston Globe called Lil' Ed and The Blues Imperials "the
world's #1 houserocking band...the hottest purveyors of bottleneck
boogie to come out of Chicago since Hound Dog Taylor." And
100,000 fans can't be wrong.
Lil' Ed's raw, husky
vocals and romping, sizzling guitar-playing, his half-brother
James "Pookie" Young's snapping bass, Mike Garrett's
feral guitar workouts and Kelly Littleton's foot-pounding drumming
are guaranteed to have you on your feet from the git-go, as they
deliver a hellfire, rockin' blues firestorm steeped in tradition.
Back to top
|
|
Lucky
Peterson
Child-prodigy status
is sometimes difficult to overcome upon reaching maturity. Not
so for Lucky Peterson - he's far bigger (in more ways than one)
on the contemporary blues circuit than he was at the precocious
age of six, when he scored a national R&B hit with the Willie
Dixon-produced "1-2-3-4."
Growing up surrounded
and inspired by the musicians passing through his father's popular
nightclub in Buffalo, New York, Lucky literally rubbed elbows
with blues greats, including Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters, and Little
Milton, who signed him on at age 17 as his keyboardist. Since
then, Lucky's name has rung true, and over the years he's played
with everyone from Bobby Blue Bland to Etta James.
The versatile guitarist,
singer and keyboardist is equally at home with old school R&B,
burning guitar riffs or slow simmering blues. Lucky's fire and
feeling comes from a lifetime of musical wisdom, whether he's
dishing up blues, soul or gospel grit
Back to top
|
|
Roy
Rogers
He's the other Roy
Rogers: a twice Grammy-nominated musician whose voice, songwriting,
and slide guitar have fueled a slew of acclaimed albums -- both
as a solo artist and as a featured performer. Moreover, his resume
includes extensive work as a producer and
Well-deserved reputation
as a powerful live performer.
If you're still not
familiar with him, don't worry: one listen to Rhythm & Groove
will convince you that Roy Rogers ain't just another singing
cowboy. Throughout his latest album (and Pointblank Records debut)
the San Francisco-based musician explores a diverse blues palette
with the type of zeal usually found onstage in a packed nightclub.
"It's a very elusive thing to try to capture energy in a
studio," he smiles, 'so on this album we cut the tracks
as live as possible.
Energy is the buzzword
in describing Rhythm & Groove; its opening track "Vida's
Place" kicks off an album full of brash, unrepentant rhythm
& blues. Boasting a dozen examples of strong songwriting (Rogers'
personal trademark), the tracks range from the aggressive backbeat
stomper "My Heart's Desire" and hook laden "Feel
My Care," to the expansive, reverb-swept mood piece "Shaking
Hands With The Devil."
A pair of cover tunes
are added for good measure: a rousing version of Willie Dixon's
"Built For Comfort," and a sassy/cool treatment of
Mose Allison's "Your Mind Is On Vacation" fit snugly
amid Rogers' powerful originals.
Joining in the festivities
are some notable friends. Charlie Musselwhite weighs in with
brawny harmonica on "My Heart's Desire" and again on
the eerie, churning instrumental, "Blues For Brazil"
(of the latter he says "I love the texture created by having
the harmonica and slide doing the double melody"). And singer
Maria Muldaur duets with Rogers on the acoustic gem "For
The Love Of A Woman," with mandolin master David Grisman
adding a distinctive instrumental touch.
The eclecticism of
Rhythm & Groove typifies Rogers' stance. "I can't remember
who came up with the notion," he laughs, "but there's
two kinds of music: good music and bad music. I really hope that
I can be around good music, regardless of the genre, and as long
as it's good, I'm not going to try labeling it. This has taken
me in a lot of different directions. You just have to keep yourself
open. 0
An open mind and a
good sense of humor have characterized Rogers ever since his
childhood years in
California. "I was born in 1950 at the height of Roy Rogers'
[the TV cowboy] popularity, and I was actually named after him.
I run with it -- I enjoy being named after a famous person, and
I enjoy the humor in it. Besides, it has actually helped me not
take myself too seriously."
Although he refuses
to take himself too seriously, Rogers' accomplishments merit
serious attention. A longtime mainstay of the west coast blues
community, he has worked and recorded with a virtual who's who
of blues, folk and rock, including Keith Richards, Van Morrison,
Bonnie Raitt, Carlos Santana, Los Lobos, Albert Collins, and
Charles Brown, to name a few. Notably, Rogers received a Grammy
nomination for playing with Taj Mahal, Miles Davis, and John
Lee Hooker on the 1990 soundtrack album for Dennis Hopper's film
"Hot Spot."
Moreover, Rogers has
compiled an impressive list of credits as a producer, including
two acclaimed albums with harmonica wiz Norton Buffalo and the
four most recent albums by John Lee Hooker - all four of which
have been nominated for Grammies.
His studio work with
Hooker follows four years as a key member of Hooker's touring
band, and during the past decade the two men have become close
friends. "John Lee is a very special person,' says Rogers.
*His life, his music -- it's all of the moment, all so immediate
He knows how to read people, and above all he knows how to reach
out and communicate in an unbelievably direct manner. We all
want to be able to do what John does: he speaks straight from
his soul, and is instantly in touch with what he's trying to
say. It's a great joy to be such close friends with him.'
"Music is such
a personal and spiritual thing," adds Rogers. "It should
be able to capture a lot of different moods, because we're complex
creatures."
In the end, it's the
confidence and sheer directness of Rhythm & Groove that makes
Rogers' music so seductive. "I love songs where you don't
even have to think about what you're doing. You just get the
sound, get the lyrics, and the song takes on its own life. If
you have to thrink too hard about something, you're never going
to get it."
Roy Rogers performances
are posted weekly on his web site at
www.roy-rogers.com
Back to top
|
|
Nina
Storey
Blues fans who attended
last year's Santa Cruz Blues Festival remember Nina Storey's
electrifying performance before a crowd that was immediately
on its feet. Lines formed at the CD signing booth hours before
she was due to appear, inspired by her sold-out show the night
before at Moe's Alley. And appear she did - staying until every
CD was signed, every hand shook, every compliment graciously
received.
Storey's powerful
voice contains a rare kind of depth and passion that flows easily
between muscular funk grooves, textured melodies and gritty a
capella blues. With the soul of a blues diva, the heart of a
folkie, the attitude of a rock 'n' roller, the pipes of a soul
queen, and the spirit of gospel, 26-year-old Storey has been
taking the music world by storm. Singing before audiences as
diverse as the Lilith Fair, the Telluride Blues Festival, Woodstock
'99, and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, her popularity
continues to grow.
Hot on the heels of
the February 2000 release of "Shades" on a new label,
another successful year of touring and with a music video set
to be released, Storey returns to Santa Cruz this year for a
triumphant comeback.
Back to top
|
|
Eric
Sardinas
"If Satan had
a blues band, this would be it. Think blues, only harder, faster
and meaner... Unpredictable, edgy and intense."
- Music Connection Magazine
Black leather. Long
black hair. Tattoos. O.K., so he looks like a rocker, but he
plays like he cut the same deal as Robert Johnson down at the
crossroads. A bluesman possessed.
On February 23, Philadelphia-based
Evidence Music issued the debut recording by the explosive Eric
Sardinas, entitled Treat Me Right (ECD 26102). Eric Studious,
as well as this CD, embodies that crossroads where traditional
blues meets the energy of rock.
The repertoire on
the CD is representative of a typically torrid Eric Sardinas
club set. Even without the literal pyrotechnics of his live show
(he has been known to jump on a bar-top, douse it with alcohol,
ignite it, and manhandle his guitar while dancing amidst the
flames), Treat Me Right is a fiery blend of authentic Delta blues
feeling and modern electric intensity. Illustrating this approach,
Eric uses Hubert Sumlin on this recording to reprise his original
role as rhythm guitarist on Howlin' Wolf's Down In The Bottom,
first recorded in 1961. Johnny Winter, with whom Eric and band
toured for part of last year, adds vocals and guitar to his own
composition, Tired Of Tryin'.
Eric Sardinas is a
full-time slide-playing virtuoso, playing exclusively on custom
electrified Dobro guitars, using a piece of brass pipe for his
slide. (The Dobro is a hollow-bodied "resonator" guitar
that looks like a guitar with a shiny metallic hubcap tacked
onto the front.) "I want to do with the Dobro what a Stratocaster
has done with the blues," Eric states.
Having played the
guitar since the age of six, Sardinas always favored the Delta
blues, "The reason I was drawn toward Delta blues was the
thrill of hearing one person playing the guitar and generating
the energy of five - I loved the sheer strength and heart of
a single player."
Eric favored the slide
at an early age, not only because of the prominent role it plays
in the Delta blues, but because as a left-hander who learned
to play right-handed, it felt very comfortable.
Eric's earliest inspirations
were Charlie Patton and Bukka White, whose music eventually led
him to the entire gamut of blues, particularly Big Bill Broonzy,
Elmore James and Muddy Waters.
Born in Fort Lauderdale,
Florida, in 1970, Eric moved frequently around the country, finally
settling in L.A. in 1990, Eric played acoustic guitar on street
corners until he met bassplayer Paul Loranger at a jam session
in a small club eight years ago. Loranger was playing upright
bass, which fit in with Eric's vision of a bandmate: "Although
the upright bass is seemingly out of character in a blues-rock
situation, I wanted a guy who could do both." They formed
a band and two years and many drummers later, they found their
man in Scott Palacios, who provided the solid beat they were
seeking.
The trio has been
together six years, playing close to 300 shows a year, establishing
Eric as one of the busiest performers in Southern California.
The band frequently outdraws more established artists. In L.A.,
they are regular attractions at B.B. King's, the House of Blues,
Blue Cafe, The Mint and The Roxy.
Even as an unsigned
and unrecorded act, Eric and the band's stature as players and
performers won them a multitude of prestigious instrument and
equipment endorsement deals from companies anticipating future
success. These companies have sent the band to play showcase
concerts not just in the U.S., but in England and Germany as
well.
When asked to describe
his music, Eric says, "I love traditional blues, but that's
not what I do. I play more aggressively; that's just the way
it comes out.
Back to top
|
|
Corby
Yates
Blues was the original alternative music. And since
rock and roll’s rebellious beginnings, much of the best in rock
music has evolved from those seminal blues roots.
Enter 24-year-old guitar virtuoso/singer/songwriter,
Corby Yates. While physically living near Santa Cruz, CA, Corby
dwells musically in a soul-stirring and mind-bending space – a world
where the influences of past musical giants deeply merge with his
own unique Presence. His band’s all-original live shows explore
these deep and varied heavy rock and blues roots.
Corby won the prestigious National Jimi Hendrix
Electric Guitar Competition in Seattle, WA, in the 18-and-under
division when he was 17. He started playing guitar at six. Since 14,
he’s played 50 to 125 shows a year, mainly at clubs, theaters and
festivals throughout California. His old-school roots include Jimi
Hendrix, John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Cream,
Led Zeppelin, Chris Cain, Robin Trower, Howling Wolf, Buddy Guy,
Albert King, and Eric Dolphy. Modern-day bands also influence his
playing and writing, including Queens of the Stone Age and
Masters of Reality.
Corby Yates Band is a power trio. The band plays
original heavy blues/rock music - tunes written to stimulate your
neurons and hopefully bring you Joy. They have enjoyed the
opportunity of performing with many great artists and bands
including Robin Trower, Johnny Winter, Indigenous, John Lee Hooker,
Cheap Trick, The Mermen, The Tubes, Chris Cain, Robben Ford, Tinsley
Ellis, Joe Louis Walker, and Jimmie Vaughan.
Corby’s latest CD, Back from Yesterday, is
available at live shows or at his website,
www.corbyyates.com. And you really should have it clutched in
your sweaty palms, or hot little hands – whichever description fits
you best.
Corby is helping create the future of blues/rock.
Catch a show. Experience the new music. Can you say psycho-active
blues/rock?
Back to top
|
|
|
