The following is an interview with John Hammond, as he was getting ready for his induction into the Blues Hall of Fame. John had yet to find out that he would be the awardee for BMA’s Acoustic Artist of the Year. On stage John Hammond can rip up a Blues song with the best of [...]
Archive for Category: "Journalist"
BMAs – The Rich Soil
I have always equated the rhythm section to the soil in the ground. If you have rich soil, the plants and flowers (vocalists, guitarists, and keyboardists) grow bigger and lusher.
Pinetop Perkins’ Heaven, CD Review
Pinetop Perkins Continues to Inspire. (New York, NY) About a year ago, the world lost one of the last original Mississippi Delta bluesmen, Joseph William Perkins…a.k.a. Pinetop Perkins. Just a little over a month before his passing, the 97 year-old music legend became the oldest Grammy award winner ever, with a victory in the category [...]
Thomas Ruf: Songs from the Road featuring Luther Allison
“It was his personality, his humanity – the ease he had in his music. He was pouring out happiness every minute. That was a great inspiration and a path I wanted to follow- his work ethic of being happy with what you do rather than complaining all day long about your life existence -regardless of what you do in life.”
Bob Corritore, BMA Winner Historical Album of the Year
I had the privilege of speaking with Bob Corritore and our conversation ran the gamut from his early days in Chicago to the producing he has done over the years, to his album, Bob Corritore & Friends – Harmonica Blues, which won a Blues Music Award in the Historical Category. His career is one where musical dreams are [...]
Memphis Horns’ Andrew Love Passes
(Memphis, Tennessee) The great Andrew Love of the legendary Memphis Horns has passed this week. Andrew had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s several years ago although this was not divulged to the public. Mr. Love, who was black, and Wayne Jackson, who is white, played together on 52 No. 1 records and 83 gold and [...]
News on BMA 2011 Winner, Mark Wenner of the Nighthawks
THENIGHTHAWKS LEADER, MARK WENNER, UNDERGOES SUCCESSFUL HEART BYPASS SURGERY & EXPECTED TO MAKE A COMPLETE RECOVERY BANDPOSTPONES A SERIES OF DATES FOR NEXT SIX WEEKS, BUT NIGHTHAWKS EXPECTED BACKOUT ON THE ROAD END OF MAY WASHINGTON, DC – Seminal American roots music band The Nighthawkshave announced that their founding leader, Mark Wenner, has undergonesuccessful heart [...]
Dr. John’s Locked Down, CD & Concert Review
For his latest release, LOCKED DOWN, Dr. John teamed up with producer Dan Auerbach (singer/guitarist for The Black Keys).
Rick Estrin…Dressed to Kill; Armed with a Killer Harp
The music was in full swing when Rick Estrin took center stage. Dressed in a finely tailored suit, Rick’s only accessory was ….a killer harp. He stood for a moment, looking intently into the crowd. Then… with a mischievous smile, that consummate showman started playing his harp. The wailing and energy of his romping harp [...]
Mac Arnold’s Blues Revival – Live At The Grey Eagle CD Review
Mac Arnold is a veteran musician and the music is in his blood. Mac’s first band back in South Carolina featured a then unknown James Brown on piano. He spent much of the latter half of the 1960’s playing with many of the Chicago Blues legends, most notably Muddy Waters. In the 1970’s he was [...]
Taylor Hicks at City Winery
Taylor Hicks at City Winery, NY, May 2011 http://www.taylorhicks.com/ Welcome back my fellow Blues lovers! For my post this week I am featuring some photos of 2006 American Idol winner Taylor Hicks. The photos are from a show at City Winery in New York. This was my first time at this venue and I have [...]
Remembering Johnnie: An Interview with Mrs. Frances Johnson
“On April 13, 2005, Johnnie Johnson played his final note – an unexpected and quiet coda to his rock and roll life. Recognized by musicians as half of the team that created rock and roll, Johnnie Johnson was also the half of another team, a team as enduring as his legacy – his marriage to Frances Johnson…”
Johnny Winter Documentary In the Works!
Johnny Winter Film Being Filmed in 2012! Proud to be a part of this. I mean, not actually ‘in’ it. Texas Blues Legend Johnny Winter Confirms Documentary Filming throughout 2012 with ‘Lemmy’ Filmmaker Greg Olliver The definitive Johnny Winter documentary is finally in production! Filmmaker Greg Olliver, whose credits include co-directing and producing the critically [...]
B.B. King’s Live at the Royal Albert Hall 2011, Blu-ray, DVD, CD Review
LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL 2011, captures the 86 year-old icon once again performing on one of the world’s most celebrated stages.
Sankofa: Modern Jug Band Music
Modern Jug Band Music – that’s Sankofa. A throwback to pre-technological instrumentation, Sankofa takes this delightfully dated music and hurls it forward with incredible precision and passion. “Visually represented by an Adinkra symbol of a bird with its head turned backwards taking an egg off its back, Sankofa symbolizes one taking from the past what [...]
