I have a very interesting story and CD review to tell  you about. Bruno Yxenholyt, Master Mariner Merchant Marine Officer and Sea Captain, spent 40 years of his life being at out to sea for 6 months and on land  for the other 6 month of the year. Bruno has been recently inducted into The  Blues Hall of Fame as a Master Blues Artist and The Blues Hall of Fame  Ambassador to Sweden, an International Organization. I spoke with him on the  telephone to bring you as much information as I can about this interesting  man.  I was able to get a copy of  his CD, liked it, and needed more information as Bruno doesn’t have his web page  up yet.  He is now retired and  devoting the rest of his life to Blues and is in the process of putting together  a band and his greatest dream is to play in America.

His on land time was spent hunting down every jam and  gig that he could get. Bruno has the Bluesman’s blood in him and he tried to soak up  every moment that he could before going back out to sea. He’s jammed with some of the greats such as Ritchie Blackmore and R. L. Burnside. His port of calls  included Canada, England, and Japan, just to name a few. He has sat in with Big Joe Turner, the bass player for Muddy Waters, at one of the largest Blues Festivals  in Sweden

Born in Copenhagen, this sea captain would bring his  harmonicas on board the ship.  It  was during these times that Yxenholyt developed into a Bluesman extraordinaire.  Playing his  instruments during his quiet times, he created fabulous songs and music, with the sea and the stars above as his audience. Some these songs are on his are on his  latest CD.

Bruno started playing harp at 9, listening to the Stones,  Route 66, Willie Dixon, John Mayall, and Little Walter.  He self taught himself and started  playing Blues when he was 16 or 17 years old, copying John Mayall’s style.  Bruno also played the flute - Jethro Tull style. His first experience was listening to rock and roll  records which his grandfather would play; Bruno remembers listening to Billy Haley over and over again.

Yxenholt then picked up the guitar and mastered that within 2 ½ years.  This CD, Recession Blues, is made up of 6 songs, his voice sounding like Tom Waits.  “Snow covered cabins in the winter, smoke slowly sending fire, the noise from the night let you know it’s cold”  (The Cold) is chuck full of solos that gets  you movin’ and groovin’ right away.  Bruno told me that me that this is his favorite on this CD…preserving a live  feeling in the record, keeping the mistakes on it.  It must be a secret that only he knows  because I didn’t pick up on any mistakes.

I hope all you enjoyed this review.  When you hear the name, Bruno Yxenholt,  you won’t be saying “who”?  His  music is unique and great. Bruno Yxenholt Rocks!!!!!

You can get a hold of Bruno at the following email  address. Shaker_yxenholt@hotmail.com Order this CD, you won’t be  disappointed.

There is a field at Moorpark College in southern California where bluesman Michael John, super celebrity Mickey Jones and the Ventura County Blues Society come together once a year to have one heck of a show.  All as a benefit for curing diabetes.  Formerly known as the Write4Hope and the Simi Valley blues Fest, this was their eighth annual event and I am certainly glad I made the trip.

Last year they brought Charlie Musselwhite, and we’ll get a chance to see him in October for the San Diego Festival.  This year the lineup was stellar as well.

Mickey Jones was the drummer on the original recording of “Secret Agent Man” by show headliner Johnny Rivers.  He left River’s band in 1966 to tour with Bob Dylan on his first electric tour.

“Johnny Rivers likes to tell people: ‘Bob Dylan stole my drummer’,” he told me Saturday.  But I could tell while talking to him that some of his fondest music memories came from the ten years he played with Kenny Rogers and The First Edition.

“Jimi Hendrix said his favourite record at the time was ‘Just Dropped in to See What Condition My Condition Was In’ and often got on stage and jammed with the band.”

Mickey has played on 17 Gold and Platinum records, but is probably most recognized for his appearance in over 80 films, 500 television shows and more than 500 commercials.

Michael John and the Bottom Line opened the show and he is certainly a band leader extraordinaire.  With a strong voice and presence, his band is a collection of blues craftsmen and features a very hot young guitarist named Mickey Mo.  Who also happens to be Michael John’s son.

“Mo played with his dad and uncle from when he was this big.” J.D. Smith from Moonpie Entertainment told me motioning, around his knees.  “Except for a time during adolescence when, like all kids, he didn’t want to hang out with his father, he’s been highlighting the band ever since.”

Mo’s chops are clear and tight, and he has that important skill of working in the arrangement of the song rather than looking to show boat. All while shining through as an impressive soloist.

Dave Widow  joined the Bottom Line for a couple songs, and what a remarkable talent he is. Tommy Marsh also played with the guys, doing an awesome version of Robert Cray’s “Smoking Gun.”

Preston Smith and the Crocodiles came out next, and this guy is a character and a half.  I can honestly say I’ve never seen so many bells, whistles and shakers hanging from one microphone stand.  He manages to play some awesome guitar, with a shaker in his right hand and a harmonica with a microphone wrapped around his neck.  At one point he swung his guitar around on his back and picked up another.He would be entertaining even if he wasn’t an awesome blues guitarist and singer.  With New Yorker Adam Levy on upright bass and Michael Leisure on drums they pulled off very cool versions of “Fulsom Prison Blues” and Hendrix’s “Star Spangled Banner / Fire.”

Then came a real treat.

Dona (pronounced do – nya) Oxford was introduced by Mickey Jones as the heir apparent to Johnny Johnson.  Her blazing boogie woogie piano style certainly lived up to the top spin.  The late leader of the Johnny Johnson Trio and long time keyboardist for Chuck Berry was her mentor and friend.

“You Can Only Be Wrong For So Long” – ” Shame On Me For Loving You” – “We may Not Have It All Together, But Together We Have It All”  Song after song she had the crowd dancing and wailing.  Then a ten minute Boogie Woogie instrumental really showed the mastery she has of the Genre.

Savoy Brown flew in from New York for their only southern California performance on their current tour.  These guys have been touring and recording together since the Englishmen first assembled in 1965.  With Pat DeSalvo on bass, Garnett Grimm on drums and guest rhythm guitarist Phil Petroff, the band provides a strong canvas for the truly astounding guitar work of founder and leader Kim Simmonds.

Kim brought his acoustic out first, doing some Charles Brown and ending the first half of the set with their late sixties hit “Feeling All Right With My Needle and Spoon.”

When he slipped on the electric, he really showed why he has been able to last so long in this tough business.  “Going Into the Delta” from his soon to be released album of the same name, “Train To Nowhere” from 1969, “Poor Girl” from the 1970 release Lookin’ In, “Street Corner Talking”, the title track from his 1971 release.  An impressive instrumental of blues in C gave Kim a chance to show what a master guitarist he is.

When asked where the name Savoy Brown came from, Kim explained that so many of the great blues artists in the mid sixties were named Brown.  James Brown, Charles Brown, Gatemouth Brown.  It seemed obvious the bands surname should be Brown.   The band touts themselves as one of the longest running blues bands, but their real notoriety comes from Kim’s propensity for completely re-vamping the line up on a regular basis.  Close to a hundred musicians have been part of the group over the past42 years.

At seventy years old, Johnny Rivers’  voice is as strong as ever.  He opened with “Midnight Special” and followed with one hit after another.    ”Down the Road I Go” ,  ”Down at the House of Blues” , “Barefootin’ ” , “The Rooster Blues.”

Then something truly amazing happened.

Michael John had mentioned to me earlier that there was going to be an unscheduled appearance by someone I was not going to want to miss.  As the band prepared to play “Seventh Son,” Rivers told us he hoped we didn’t mind if his next door neighbor came out and played.

The one and only George Thorogood.

George ducked backstage while they did “Tracks of My Tears,” but then came back out wearing one of Kim Simmond’s guitars for “High On a Mountain of Love.”

After “All Summer Long,” Johnny did three acoustic song off his Greatest Hits and More album.  The “and more” songs included “New Home” , “House of the Rising Sun” , and his story about the 2009 financial meltdown: “The American Dream”

George came out again to sing and rabble rouse on “Johnny B. Goode,” then Johnny continued the hit parade.  “Poor Side of Town” , “”Rockin’ Pneumonia & the Boogie Woogie Flu” , “Baby I Need Your Lovin’ ” , “Memphis.”  They encored with “Maybelline” and, of course, “Secret Agent Man.”

The excited crowd was left exhausted.

And the winners of the 34th Annual Blues Music Awards are….

Acoustic Album Not Alone – Ann Rabson w/ Bob Margolin

Acoustic Artist- Eric Bibb

Album of the Year- Show of Strength – Michael Burks

B.B. King Entertainer - Curtis Salgado

Band – Tedeschi Trucks Band

Best New Artist Debut They Call Me Big Llou – Big LLou Johnson

Contemporary Blues Album Show of Strength – Michael Burks

Contemporary Blues Female Artist -Janiva Magness

Contemporary Blues Male Artist -Tab Benoit

DVD – Eagle Rock Entertainment Muddy Waters & Rolling Stones, Live at Checkerboard Lounge

Gibson Guitar Award- Derek Trucks

Instrumentalist-Bass- Bob Stroger

Instrumentalist-Drums- Cedric Burnside

Instrumentalist-Harmonica- Rick Estrin

Instrumentalist-Horn Eddie Shaw

Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female)- Ruthie Foster

Pinetop Perkins Piano Player- Victor Wainwright

Rock Blues Album Everybody’s Talkin’ – Tedeschi Trucks Band

Song  -“I Wont Cry” written by Janiva Magness & Dave Darling – Stronger For It (Janiva Magness)

Soul Blues Album Soul Shot – Curtis Salgado

Soul Blues Female Artist- Irma Thomas

Soul Blues Male Artist -Curtis Salgado

Traditional Blues Album -Double Dynamite – The Mannish Boys

Traditional Blues Male Artist- Magic Slim

American Blues News spoke with BMA Best New Artist Nominee Brad Hatfield about his CD “Uphill from Anywhere,” what it means to be a BMA nominee and what it is about those Blues…

“Uphill from Anywhere” – can you tell me about how you came up with that title – and what it means to you?

The blues often has to do with struggle. The title “Uphill from Anywhere” depicts that struggle. Sometimes when life is holding you down, it can be uphill from anywhere you are.

What inspires you?

I guess life experiences inspire me in songwriting. I find it incredibly hard to write a good song about something I’ve never experienced. Many times I don’t even know if something is going to inspire me until I start exploring an idea. I think it helps to have a broad pallet of influences. I’m inspired by everything from Ozzy Osbourne to Elton John to Son House to George Jones and everything in between.

What is it about the Blues that really speaks to people?

Musically, I think the blues appeals to the primitive brain in its simplicity. Lyrically, it speaks of the ups and downs of life that anyone can relate to.

 Do you recall the first time you heard the Blues? Can you tell us about that moment?

I grew up on mostly R&B and some blues. My dad, who plays in my band, has been a musician since the 60′s. I didn’t really grab hold of blues until my early 30′s. I can’t say there was really one moment in which pulled me in. It was more of a process. When I began playing harmonica is when I really took interest in it.

What does it mean to you to have received the Best New Artist nomination?

It’s one of the best things that has ever happened to me. When Jon Justice (producer) and I started putting this together we didn’t realize it could be something special until halfway through the recording process. The path to this point has been so unpredictable. When I bought a harmonica 8 or 9 years ago, I just wanted to learn to play a little for my own enjoyment. What a ride!

One more… what do you hope your music does for people?

I hope it comes across to them as honest and earthy as it feels to me.

Paula Harris

BMA  Best New Artist Nominee Paula Harris spoke with American Blues News about her music, her inspiration and the difference between making a living and having a career…

On your website it is suggested that you had a “late start” musically… how do you feel that has impacted your journey either positively or negatively – or both?

Well I have been singing for more than 20 years- but there is a difference between “making a living” and having a “career”  -or at least there has been for me. I sang at music theaters, dinner shows and for corporate bands, even a couple of symphony orchestras and made a great “Living” but it wasn’t until I stopped working “for other people”, decided to go with Blues as I interpreted them, put my own band together and began branding myself as “me” rather than a “Cover band” that I can honestly say I began a career. And when I DID decide to do that -90% of the people who knew me said I was crazy. They believed if I couldn’t make it when I was young, thin and beautiful I had no right to expect that a mid 40′s woman would have any better success. So to answer your question it has impacted it both ways. I had LOTS of training on stage and performing and strengthening my voice, learning how to sing for hours each evening and interacting with both a band and an audience. But at the same time it IS late to decide you want to do something as physically grueling as touring and singing long hours on a regular basis. It has been an eye opening experience to have to wear the hats of singer, band leader, writer,  publicist, promoter and manager. But the bottom line is – you have to decide how bad you want something- then have the fortitude to stick it out while using everything that has influenced you, positive or negative, as a learning experience.

What inspires you?

EVERYTHING! Sometime I’ll hear a word or a phrase that will make me sit down and write an entire song. Sometimes I get a melody going in my head and have to put words to it. Other times, I’ll have a melody and lyric in my head- then when I actually get with the band it morphs into something different. Other artists are always inspiring me….books…television. My mind is always open and I keep a little notebook near me to jot down anything I feel could be usable. You never know when or where inspiration will hit. But as you know if you listen to my music- I love funny or naughty lyrics and great hooks.

What is your recollection of the first time you heard the Blues?

 Well technically I’d say as a toddler. My Dad was into what we in the Southeastern US call “Beach Music”.Beach music is made up of Blues, R&B, Soul, Swing,Jazz, Funk and sometimes even country. I grew up listening to Etta James, Little Milton, Albert Collins, the Coasters, Lou Rawls , the 4 tops, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Della Reese, William Bell etc. So my education in the “Blues” was much more towards the soulful end than the traditional end. And I didn’t even know that “the Blues” was different from “Rhythm and Blues” until High school or so. But those 1-4-5 change 12 bar formats were drilled into me without me even being aware of it. The earliest blues song I remember hearing was “Dr Feelgood” by Aretha Franklin from the ” I never loved a man” album I also remember “Today I sing the blues” and ” Pitiful” from the ” Soul 69″ album. “Tell Mama” and “At Last” by Etta James, “Tobacco Road” and “Your Good Thing is About to End” by Lou Rawls, and “Hit the road Jack” and “Georgia on my mind” by Ray Charles were also the soundtrack of my childhood. But like I said- I  didn’t know it was “Blues”…to me it was all just* great *music.

What do you believe it is about the Blues that really speaks to people?

WOW that is a hard question and I can’t answer for everyone, I can only answer how it is they speak to ME. To me they offer a tongue in cheek view of life and some of the things that happen in it. A lot of blues songs are sad and because of that, many people believe the Blues are a depressing lament. I prefer to see them as a cathartic outpouring that cleanses the soul of the performer. Like a good cry, the Blues can help me get over negativity by offering an outlet for frustration. They are my form of venting, sometimes they are my passive aggressive revenge at someone who hurt me years ago (and yeah they know who they are when they hear “their” song. One even wrote me on Facebook and asked if one of my songs was about him- I laughed and said “What do YOU think?” but I never gave him the satisfaction of knowing for sure evil gal that I am) They can also be a humorous look at things and they often offer a sly wink and innuendo that allows me and through me- an audience- to be “Naughty” without being bad. Take the title track of the Album “Turning on The Naughty” or “I Play  Dirty”. The Blues also give me a chance to use experiences in my life that were hard at the time- to laugh at myself from lessons learned now. When I write songs the first thing I ask myself is ” how many other people have experienced this” if the answer is ” A LOT” then you have a song that people will relate to. Most people deal with “Love songs” but I like to  find humor in embarrassing moments or double entendre themes. I love being able to be “Just a little bit bad without being raunchy” I think the harmless kind of forthrightness speaks to both men and women. Come On!! What’s not to like about songs called “Turning on the Naughty”, “I just Don’t look Good Naked Anymore Blues” and ” A Little One Slipped Out”? the  First one is sexy and honest, the next is a rueful laugh at the facts of aging, and the last is about the embarrassment suffered when you “break wind” accidentally. You have to be able to laugh at yourself and to not take everything so seriously…while dealing with everyday adversity in a way that helps heal any hurts. The blues are a deeper kind of music- you don’t hear about bubblegum fluff like so much pop music offers. Blues are about real life situations and how people deal with them- and they help us to get through the bad times with a dose of humor. Everyone relates to them- that’s why they have endured so long.

From what I’ve read, you came to the Blues via Jazz – can you tell us about that journey and how that influences your music now?

Well.. like I said- I came from “beach music” and that included lots of different genres. The Blues were JUST as influential to my musical growth as Jazz and the two are natural partners to me. Jazz is just a more musically sophisticated child of the blues. The melodies are often more complex as are the chordal structures. The phrasing is also less “Gospel” in feel and more musically free and creative, But the root of Jazz IS the blues. Both are emotionally honest genres. The last song on my album “You Don’t Know What Love is”, is considered a jazz standard, and we stripped it down, let the somber feel of the lyrics shine through. We made no attempt to make it a “blues song” because the mood and lyrics, to me, ARE the heart of “Blues”. Hell- the first line of the song is ” You don’t know what love is until you learn the meaning of the blues” So my definition of the two genres is probably intertwined. I know I have been told by several “blues” people that my phrasing is more ” Jazz” than blues.(and they didn’t mean it in a complimentary way).  But – I learned my phrasing through an entire life of singing… it works for me no matter what you call it. I don’t want to be ” Cookie cutter blues”. My entire band has a mission to create a new kind of blues that incorporates the heart and soul of “blues” with my jazz styles vocals, retro hip elements and a LOT of booty shaking funk thrown in. One of our reviewers said we were “Big, Bold, Brassy, Boisterous and then went on to call us “Blues with Balls” and we are OK with that. We wanted something that would appeal to existing blues fans-  while also being appealing to a younger generation. I have asked many people who say they don’t like blues…”WHY”?? Their answer is almost ALWAYS ” Blues are too repetitive” or “They all sound the something along those lines. We addressed that. Listen to the album- it’s a more complex and sophisticated style of blues. Even the 12 bar shuffles are done in such a way that you couldn’t “Jam” them without preparation. It really ticks me off when I hear people say “It the BLUES!!!! How hard can  it be?” We are out to change that viewpoint- the blues can be VERY complex. It just depends on how much effort you’re willing to put into it. Jam sessions are fun and a great way for musicians to be creative…but when it comes to an actual show, I believe our fans deserve more preparation than that. For me and the Beasts- there is a WORLD of difference between our shows…and a Jam session. That difference is due to thinking outside the box, a refusal to just “jam the blues”, and the influence of Jazz and other genres in the creative process.

 What does being nominated as a Best New Artist mean to you?

It means that the blues community is open to what we  are trying to do…and that we are doing something right! It also means that all those people who told me I was crazy to start a career in the Blues at my age were wrong (grinning!) Can I say “neener neener neener”??? LOL Seriously…it proves my motto: “The only limit to what I can do is the one I place on myself” and it proves that I had a lot of people who DID believe in me that helped me to fulfill my aspirations. I’d love to thank my Band members, the additional musicians who played on the album, the producer and sound engineers, the golden gate blues society, The folks at the Blues Foundation, the DJ’s and reviewers, and all my family, friends, and fans that have made something like this possible. I know it sounds cheesy- but for something like this to happen to someone like me…it’s just proof you should ALWAYS follow your dreams no matter how unrealistic they may seem at the time.

Andrea Zucker Photography

(New York, NY)

On April 12th and 13th Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival returned to the site where it all began. It seems like only yesterday, but it was almost 14 years ago that Clapton held the first Crossroads Benefit concert at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. The night was June 30th, 1999 and was billed as Eric Clapton & Friends In Concert: A benefit for the Crossroads Centre at Antigua and featured special guests Sheryl Crow, Mary J. Blige, Bob Dylan and David Sanborn. It was a far cry from what the Crossroads guitar festivals would eventually become, but it was an excellent night of music that this reporter was fortunate enough to witness live and in person.

Flash forward almost a full decade and a half and Clapton has brought his now fully realized guitar and music extravaganza back to his home away from home and once again this lucky reporter was there to see and hear it.

The festival consisted of two star-studded nights of music that started promptly at 7:30pm, went past midnight and were hosted by “Elwood Blues” himself, Dan Aykroyd.

With a little help from one of NYC’s most prolific live music photographers, James Belmont, we here at the American Blues News are able to bring you pictures capturing some of the festival’s most memorable highlights.

April 12th – Night 1 Highlights:

On both nights, some of the blues’ greatest guitars were on display on the Terrace Level of Madison Square Garden.

Clapton opened the festival with a laidback acoustic set that featured beloved songs like “Tears in Heaven,” “Lay Down Sally” and “Wonderful Tonight;” with guests Andy Fairweather Low and Vince Gill (not pictured).

Booker T and Steve Cropper brought some of that ol’ Stack sound to NYC with (not pictured) guests Blake Mills, Matt “Guitar” Murphy and Keb Mo.

Robert Cray hit the stage and finished his set with an all-star jam on “Everyday I Have the Blues” that featured B.B. King, Jimmie Vaughan and Eric Clapton.

Clapton joined Kurt Rosenwinkel on stage for “If I Should Lose You” and “Way Down that Lonesome Road.”

Keith Urban joined John Mayer for a crowd-pleasing cover of The Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down.”

Buddy Guy and his band, joined by Robert Randolph and 14 year-old Quinn Sullivan brought down the house with a set that included “Damn Right I’ve Got the Blues,” “Let the Door Knob Hit Ya” and “Slippin’ In.”

The Allman Brothers Band closed the night with breathtaking versions of “Don’t Want You No More,” “It’s Not My Cross to Bear,” “Statesboro Blues” (featuring Taj Mahal, Cesar Rosas & David Hidalgo), “Black Hearted Woman,” “Why Does Love Have to be so Sad?” (featuring Eric Clapton [pictured]) and “Whipping Post.”

April 13th – Night 2 Highlights:

John Mayer joined Doyle Bramhall II for “Change It.”

Jimmy Vaughan played a memorable version “Six Strings Down.”

Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks and Gregg Allman brought down the house with a short acoustic set that included “Midnight Rider” and a cover of Neil Young’s “Needle and the Damage Done.”

Keb Mo & Taj Mahal brought some acoustic blues flavor to the party with versions of “Walking Blues,” “Diving Duck Blues” and “That’s Alright.”

Gary Clark Jr. performed “When My Train Pulls In,” “Please Come Home” and “Bright Lights.”

Jeff Beck and band were joined by Beth Hart for “Ain’t Superstitious” and “Goin’ Down.”

Buddy Guy gave the audience acoustic versions of “74 Years Young” and “I’m in the Mood.”

Clapton and band closed the festival with a little help from a couple of surprise guests.

Keith Richards joined Clapton for “Key to the Highway” and “Sweet Little Rock and Roller.”

Robbie Robertson joined Clapton for “He Don’t Live Here No More” and “I Shall Be Released.”

The night ended with just about everyone joining in for a finale of Joe Cocker’s “High Time We Went.”

If you enjoyed this article, checkout The American Blues News’ review for Eric Clapton’s OLD SOCK.

NYC blues fans, check out J. Blake at www.jblakeblues.com.

Copyright © 2013 – J. Blake. All Rights Reserved.

Night 1 Pictures
Copyright © 2013 – J. Blake. All Rights Reserved.

Night 2 Pictures
Copyright © 2013 – James K. Belmont. All Rights Reserved.