Carlos Johnson, one of the most passionate and intense players in the Chicago blues scene, in 1989, made his first tour to Japan with Valerie Wellington, and caught attention of the Japanese blues fans. He revisited the country in 2004 as a supporting guitarist for Otis Rush who became unable to play the guitar due to the stroke he suffered earlier that year. These concerts helped him build a fan base in Japan.
He is left-handed, but plays a right-handed instrument upside-down like players such as Otis Rush, Albert King, and Jimi Hendrix. Johnson is known for his aggressive playing which has attracted audiences in the Chicago blue scene since the 1970s. He has played on recordings of notable musicians including Billy Branch & The Sons of Blues and Son Seals.
Johnson was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States. In 1989, he made his first tour to Japan with Valerie Wellington, and caught the attention of the Japanese blues fans. He revisited the country in 2004 as a supporting guitarist for Otis Rush who became unable to play the guitar due to the stroke he suffered earlier that year. These concerts helped him build a fan base in Japan.
Though he has been active since the 1970s, he had to wait until 2000 to release an album under his own name. That year saw the release of his debut CD My Name Is Carlos Johnson recorded in Buenos Aires, Argentina from local Blues Special label. He was featured on Billy Branch 's CD Billy Branch & The Sons of Blues featuring Carlos Johnson released in 2002. Johnson also made an album as a duo with Branch titled Don't Mess with the Bluesmen in 2004. Another CD In and Out from Mr. Kelly's Records followed the same year. In 2007, he released a live album Live At B.L.U.E.S. on Halsted recorded in Chicago. He toured Japan as a solo artist in 2007 and 2009.
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NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — Alabama Slim was born Milton Frazier in Vance, Alabama on March 29, 1939. His father built trains at the Pullman plant and his mother did domestic work to make ends meet. In their home they had an old Victrola turntable and a boxful of 78s. Slim fell in love with the blues of Bill Broonzy and Lightnin’ Hopkins and that’s where the journey began for the always dapper-dressed Bluesman who was poised for a late-in-life breakout in 2020 with a scheduled appearance at the New Orleans Jazz.& Heritage Festival..
“I met Alabama Slim in New Orleans while visiting bluesman Little Freddie King,” remembers Music Maker Relief Foundation Founder and President, Tim Duffy. “Slim is a towering man, close to seven feet tall. He was well spoken and dressed in an impeccable tailored suit. He told me he was a cousin of Freddie’s and was originally from Vance, Alabama.”
When Duffy asked Slim how he honed his craft, his response was a vibrant timeline of decades past all wrapped into a few sentences. “I grew up listening to the old blues since I was a child. I spent summers with my grandparents who had a farm. Them old folks would get to moanin' while they worked, and I just started moanin' with them. That's where I learned to sing. When I got grown I formed a band and we played little juke joints in the ‘50s and ‘60s. In 65, I came to New Orleans after hurricane Betsy. Got me a job with a moving company and then one making cooking oil. My cousin Freddie King was drinking hard in those days, and I was too. We jammed every once in a while. By the time the ‘80s rolled around I was not doing much but Freddie always checked on me. By the ‘90s I got myself together and we have been best of friends ever since, tighter than brothers really, there is not a day that goes by when we do not speak or see each other.”
You can hear this in the way the two play together. Bobbing and weaving guitars like a middle-weight title fight, one shakes the trees while the other rakes the leaves. It’s an other-worldly connection really, one rooted in song and making a joyful noise, much deeper than blood or a familial line. The two lived and played music daily in New Orleans up until Katrina’s landfall. In fact, during the storm, Slim rescued his cousin, King, with the two evacuating together.
Slim and Freddie settled into a Dallas apartment complex and spent most of their days working up old and new songs post-Katrina. Freddie's guitar work followed Slim wherever he went vocally. They visited Music Maker in Hillsborough, NC that December and together along with some fellow New Orleans musicians they cut The Mighty Flood, released in 2007 on the Music Maker imprint. Slim is also featured in the 2019 Music Maker Relief Foundation book “Blue Muse” and the compilation album of the same name, both of which were critically acclaimed and garnered national media attention.
Now back in New Orleans the pair have been touring the globe with the Music Maker Relief Foundation’s all-star band, playing Telluride Blues and Brew Festival, Roots N Blues N BBQ, Outdoors at Lincoln Center, even landing a prime slot on the lineup of their hometown’s Jazz and Heritage Festival that was sadly cancelled due to the current pandemic.
On June 7th, 2019, when the world was still like we remember it, Slim, Little Freddie King, and drummer Ardie Dean entered a recording studio called The Parlor in their hometown of New Orleans. The session took merely four hours with Reginald Nicholas at the board and Dean in the producer’s chair. What was tracked is a master class on deep soulful blues. Slim and King’s guitars interweave between Dean’s mastery of the drum kit to create a driving boogie with Slim’s soothing vocals sprawled out on top, reminiscent of John Lee Hooker. And yes, he sings as well as he dresses…impeccably.
Cornelius Chapel Records teamed up with the Music Maker Relief Foundation for this record, lovingly titled “The Parlor” to immortalize where it was initially captured. The album was tracked in one-take for a straight-to-tape feel but was captured digitally. Cornelius Chapel brought in Dial Back Sound’s Matt Patton of the Drive-By Truckers and the Dexateens for post-production. He and Jimbo Mathus (Squirrel Nut Zippers, Mississippi Blues Legend) sequenced the record and added the perfect amount of bass, organ, and piano so that the other half of DBS, Bronson Tew, could work his audio magic.
The final product is an instant classic with Little Freddie King even taking over lead vocals on “Freddie’s VooDoo Boogie.” This is a lesson of perseverance and true grit. One never knows when the proper team can come together to leave their cumulative mark on an age-old genre. Pearl Rachinsky Moreland (Pearl JR) provided the album artwork.
There’s even a politically charged, poetic masterpiece titled “Forty Jive” that paints the perfect picture of the past year. The name pretty much says it all. That opening salvo was premiered by American Blues Scene fittingly just before Election Day. Slim’s writing is inspired and stands among the pillars that’ve come before him. His delivery drips in soul, Slim was meant to sing. From opening track “Hot Foot” to the superior low-end sanctum of “Rock Me Baby” his vocal prowess is on full display whether retooling old classics or stomping out new masterpieces, Slim and company deliver the goods.
“Who knows how many incredible unrecorded blues artists are out there,” says Tim Duffy. “It is clear that the blues will never die within the community from which it was born, as there are artists that embrace the older musical traditions and are determined to scuffle and hold dear to their blues even if it takes them 50 years to get into a studio.” We couldn’t agree with him more.
The Parlor will be available on January 29th, 2021 on vinyl, CD, and all your favorite streaming and digital platforms.
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Jeremiah Johnson
Singer - Songwriter - Guitarist
WHO IS JEREMIAH JOHNSON?
“𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒆.”
— 𝑹𝑶𝑪𝑲 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑩𝑳𝑼𝑬𝑺 𝑴𝑼𝑺𝑬
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𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐍𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭, 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 & 𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐉𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐀𝐇 𝐉𝐎𝐇𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐫. Emotionally charged southern rock, powered by the common man’s passion for life and all the struggles in-between, Jeremiah presents songs with meaning, a powerfully persuasive voice and master class musicianship.
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𝐉𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐚𝐡 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠. Boasting six Top 10 Billboard Blues-Charting Albums, Johnson can deliver all night long. Johnsons' world class band is well known for being one of the tightest live acts on any stage and will put on a show that you won't soon forget.
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𝐉𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐚𝐡 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐍𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 "𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐀𝐥𝐛𝐮𝐦" ('𝐔𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝').
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“𝑱𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒂𝒉 𝑱𝒐𝒉𝒏𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒔 𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒌 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒓 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒃𝒐𝒍𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒑𝒊𝒑𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒅...𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆 ‘𝑨’ 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒇𝒇.”
— 𝑩𝑳𝑼𝑬𝑺 𝑩𝑳𝑨𝑺𝑻 𝑴𝑨𝑮𝑨𝒁𝑰𝑵𝑬
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“𝑱𝒐𝒉𝒏𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒎𝒔 𝒂𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚’𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒔...”
— 𝑨𝑴𝑬𝑹𝑰𝑪𝑨𝑵 𝑩𝑳𝑼𝑬𝑺 𝑺𝑪𝑬𝑵𝑬
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Johnson's new release named:
Top 20 Albums of 2022, by Blues Rock Review. (12/12/2022)
Top 25 Albums of 2022, by Rock & Blues Muse (12/19/2022)
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Nominated for the 2023 Independent Blues Awards:
Modern Roots CD - HI-FI DRIVE BY
Modern Roots Song - SWEET MISERY
Best Music Video - HOT DIGGITY DOG
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Wily Bo Walker is an award-winning solo artist, songwriter, composer and performer noted for his swaggering ‘live’ performances
He is regarded not only as one of the top rock & blues vocalists in Europe, but also one of the foremost independent Americana Singer/Songwriters, working across all styles and genres
As an independent Scottish artist, selling into 120+ countries, he has a huge global following and, on streaming sites like Spotify & Apple Music, over half a million listeners and over 6 million streams in the past couple of years
His album releases ‘Ain’t No Man a Good Man’ (July 2020), ‘Moon Over Indigo’ (Sept 2015) and ‘Wily Bo Walker & The Danny Flam Big Band‘ (Nov 2013) were all considered for Grammy nominations (Danny Flam is a Grammy Award winner for his work with Kanye West etc)
‘Ain’t No Man a Good Man’ (Jul 2020) and it’s sister album ‘Tales of the Mescal Canyon Troubadours’ (Feb 2021) explore the genre-twists that have come to be expected of Wily Bo productions. ‘Ain’t No Man a Good Man’ reached No 1 for 7 weeks in the Roots Music Reports UK Album Charts and No 4 for 2 weeks in the U.S. Blues Album Charts
His 2018 album, ‘Almost Transparent Blues’ received accolades worldwide and reached No 1 for 5 weeks in the Roots Music Report UK Album Charts and Top 30 in the coveted U.S. Blues Album Charts
Working with multi-instrumentalist E. D. Brayshaw, the double album ‘The Roads We Ride’ (Mar 2019) also charted worldwide. They received spectacular reviews, with the track ‘The Ballad of Johnny & Louise’ also reaching No 1 in the prestigious Netherlands’ Hit-Tracks Top 100
In 2023, Wily has started to premiere his next collection of songs with E D Brayshaw with the release of three tracks, ‘Live With Me’, ‘Montgomery’ and ‘Men Without Shadows’, taken from their ‘Letters from the Blue Moon Motel’ album. They are also working on a separate, and very different, ‘sister’ album ‘Some People Kill for Passion’
As part of his ‘VoodooVille’ collection of stories and albums, Wily Bo is also producing ‘The Rattlin Bone Theatre Show’. He is currently recording the music across associated albums (‘The Life & Death of Rattlin Bone’ and ‘It’s Been a Wonderful Life’), as well as the Official Soundtrack album for the show
All roads lead to VoodooVille…
#rock #americana #blues #gospel #country #acoustic #soul #classicR&B #jazz #AAA #swamp’n’stomp #southerngothic #cinematic #filmnoir #voodoo #burlesque
Recent Achievements:
Wily Bo Walker is nominated in the 2021 Radio Wigwam Awards ‘Classic Rock Act’ Category
‘Tales of the Mescal Canyon Troubadours’ nominated in the Best Album Category in the ‘2021 WRC Awards’
‘Ain’t No Man a Good Man’ listed in the ‘Scottish Album of the Year Awards’ in 2021
‘I Want to Know’ from ‘Tales of the Mescal Canyon Troubadours’ nominated for ‘Song of the Year’ in the Jazz & Blues category of Josie’s Music Awards 2021
‘Ain’t No Man a Good Man’ nominated in the ‘Best Blues-Rock CD’ category the Independent Blues Awards, 2021
Two songs nominated for ‘Song of the Year, one in the Rock category and one in the Jazz & Blues category, in the Josie’s Music Awards, 2020
No 1 in the Roots Music Report UK Album Charts for 7 weeks with ‘Ain’t No Man a Good Man’, Aug – Oct 2020
No 4 in the Roots Music Report US Blues Album Charts for 2 weeks with ‘Ain’t No Man a Good Man’, Aug 2020
No 1 in the Roots Music Report US Contemporary Blues Album Charts for ‘Ain’t No Man a Good Man’, Aug 2020
‘Ain’t No Man a Good Man’, ‘The Roads We Ride’, ‘Almost Transparent Blues’, ‘Moon Over Indigo’ and ‘Stone Cold Beautiful’ all achieved ‘CD of the Week’ status in the prestigious European based Hit-Tracks Top 100
Finalist in the ‘Best Male Vocalist’ category in the European Blues Awards, 2019
No 1 with ‘The Ballad of Johnny & Louise’ from ‘The Roads We Ride’ in the Netherlands’ Hit-Tracks Top 100 charts, August 2019
Three songs synced to Award Winning U.S. TV Show ‘Bail Out’ Episode 6, ‘I Am Lorenzo Lamas’, 2019
Finalist in the ‘Best Contemporary Blues Band’ category in the Independent Blues Awards, 2019
Finalist in the ‘Best Blues (Traditional) Artist’ category in the LA Critic Awards, Dec 2018
Finalist in the European Blues Awards ‘2018 Album of the Year’ category with ‘Almost Transparent Blues’
No 1 Album in the Roots Music Report UK Album Charts for 5 weeks with ‘Almost Transparent Blues’, July 2018
Top 30 Album in the Roots Music Report U.S. Blues Album Charts, July 2018
Inducted in to the U.S. ‘Blues Hall of Fame’ as a ‘Master Blues Artist’ in Dec 2016
Finalist and Runner-up in the 2016 Banks Radio Australia Awards’ ‘Producer of the Year’ category for ‘Long Way to Heaven (Chicago Gospel Mix)’
Finalist and Runner-Up in the 2016 British Blues Awards in the ‘Kevin Thorpe Award for Songwriter’ category
No 1 for Christmas 2015 with ‘Who Do You Love (NY Chiller Mix)’ in the Netherlands’ Hit-Tracks Top 100 charts
Runner-Up in the 2015 British Blues awards in the ‘Blues Song’ category for ‘Long Way to Heaven’
Runner-Up in the 2015 Blues awards on Severn FM in the ‘Best Studio Album of 2015’ category for ‘A Long Way from Heaven…’
7th most played Blues Artist in 2015 across all of the UK Independent Blues Association Radio shows
‘The Roads We Ride’, ‘Moon Over Indigo’ and ‘Stone Cold Beautiful’ all achieved ‘CD of the Week’ status in the prestigious European based Hit-Tracks Top 100
Nominated for Best Male Vocals in the 2014 British Blues Awards
‘Chattahoochee Coochee Man’, a Wily Bo Walker & The Mescal Canyon Troubadours track, featured on the Covermount CD: Issue 18 (Dec 2014) of ‘The Blues’ mag
No 1 Blues, Jazz & Classic Rock artist in the US and Worldwide MySpace charts (Jan 2013)
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Los Angeles-based guitarist Adrian Galysh is an on-demand solo artist, session guitarist, published author, and educator with an illustrious career spanning five studio albums – including his upcoming release Into The Blue, due May 25.
With Into The Blue, Galysh departs from his usual progressive/instrumental style, diving deep into gritty blues-rock tracks accompanied by his own vocals, and also those of vocal powerhouse Kacee Clanton (Joe Cocker, Luis Miguel), who lends her sultry voice to the album as a guest artist and co-writer.
And while Into The Blue is an all-vocal blues-rock affair, fans of Galysh’s guitar-centric style will enjoy this very guitar-driven record. The album also features special guest performances by studio session ace Carl Verheyen (Supertramp), who plays on Galysh’s energetic version of the Junior Wells classic “Messin’ With The Kid,” and chicken picker Johnny Hiland, who takes a string- and mind-bending guest solo on Bobby Blue Bland’s “Further On Up The Road.”
The album’s rhythm section is rounded out by the stellar and authentic blues talents of drummer Joey Heredia (Stevie Wonder, Tribal Tech), and bassist Paul Loranger (Eric Sardinas).
“Playing blues guitar needs to be a concise statement, and requires simple, good tone,” said Galysh. “Into The Blue offers just that – blues-inspired songs that are straightforward in their arrangement, sound, and instrumentation. I didn’t want to waste a single phrase, and wanted to ensure that every solo reflects the song’s feel and intent.”
Praised by artists like Jennifer Batten and outlets like Power Play Magazine, Galysh has a successful trajectory that includes numerous collaborations and performances with industry giants like Uli Jon Roth, Yngwie Malmsteen, Robben Ford, Mike Keneally, George Lynch, Warren DeMartini, and many more.
Galysh is also a Guitar World Magazine online lesson columnist and Education Coordinator for Guitar Center Lessons. He's the author of the book Progressive Guitar Warm-Ups and Exercises. He uses SIT Strings, Seymour Duncan pickups and effects, Voodoo Lab and Morley pedals, and has a Brian Moore
signature guitar.
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Paul Gabriel is a Blues Music Award nominee,
Lifetime Achievement Award ecipient,
Blues Hall of Fame inductee and New England Music Hall Of Fame inductee.
Paul Gabriel is a Blues Music Award nominated guitarist, singer and songwriter. In March 2018 Paul Gabriel was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Connecticut Blues Society for excellence in guitar playing, singing and songwriting; also for outstanding bandleader and entertainer.
In July 2018 he was inducted into the CT Blues Hall Of Fame
as a Master Blues Artist, in 2020 he was inducted into the New England Music Hall Of Fame for his musical contributions to the music business over fifty years.
He has shared the stage with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Muddy Waters Band, Mick Taylor, James Cotton, Robert Cray, Jaimoe, Gatemouth Brown, Buckwheat Zydeco, Matt Murphy, Johnny Winter, Delbert McClinton, Duke Robillard, Ronnie Earl, Toy Caldwell, Roomful Of Blues, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, The Band, Lonnie Mack, Sugar Ray and The Bluetones, Mark Naftalin, Arthur Neilson, Shemikia Copeland, Bonnie Bramlett, Susan Tedeschi, Christine Ohlman, Sue Foley, Debbie Davies, Candye Kane, Tommy Castro, Joe Bonamassa, James Montgomery, Gov'T Mule, Orleans, Tower Of Power, Rick Derringer, Issac Hayes and many, many more.
He has appeared on three Harry Chapin albums, played slide guitar on Rory Block’s Grammy nominated album, ‘Mama’s Blues’ and toured with Michael Bolotin (Bolton). His latest release, ‘Paul Gabriel- What’s The Chance’ was produced by Duke Robillard for Shining Stone Records and was nominated for a Blues Music Award in 2014. It charted for 22 weeks on The Roots Music Report, Living Blues Chart, Blues Debut Chart and Cashbox Charts, reaching #8 nationally and #1 in Connecticut.
While almost always performing with a Blues band under his own name, he has been a member of quite a few groups that always made the difference; most notably Blue In The Face, The Mojomatics and HooDoo Band.
The new album 'Paul Gabriel- Man Of Many Blues' produced by Duke Robillard for Smoke Ring Records was released on August 27th, 2019 and is available in a variety of formats. The record is a culmination of 13 new original songs covering some not so typical Blues, a little Jazz ( featuring Duke , of course), some 60's style Rhythm and Blues infused with the incredible soulful backing vocals of Christine Ohlman( Saturday Night Live), and a rarely heard rocker right out of the twilight zone !
► www.paulgabriel.net/
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GRANADA BLUES BAND Hometown Granada
First period: 1986-1993
The group was initially made up, in 1986, of the singer of Franco-German origin Pecos Beck, the guitarist Joaquín Sánchez, Pepe Chamorro on electric bass and Antonio Valero on drums. After various performances and establishing themselves in the local circuit, Pepe Visedo (sax and flute), Ignacio Sánchez (guitar) and Estanis Peinado (piano and organ) joined. With this formation, and already in 1989, they recorded their first demo, which had a certain impact in specialized media and, especially, on Radio 3. As a result, the Malaga record company Cambayá Records released their first album, titled "El mejor blues of the city" (1990), which was followed by various concerts at Jazz Festivals and its presentation in Madrid.
After some substitutions (Jose Luis Pizarro and Carlos Sánchez took over the guitars, and the North American David Lenker replaced Peinado on the keyboards) the band published what would be, to this day, their most recognized album, "Negro en tierra de blanco" ", for the Big Bang label, received with true praise by critics, "for its naturalness, its apparent lack of effort in mastering the language, for its lack of pretensions and for the high level achieved, which make it one of the best blues albums recorded in Spain".2
The album included classics from the band, such as Drinking and walking, Black in whiteland or Some of my best friends are on Welfare, with lyrics of clear social content.
Second period: 1994-1998
The loss of Beck, Lenker, Martín and Chamorro, in 1994, totally modified the image of the band. The Swiss Connie Resch takes charge of the voice, Joaquín Caballero of the bass, and Javier Avilés of the other lead guitar and keyboards. After a tour, which included Espárrago Rock, Visedo also left the band before entering the recording studio again.
It is with the remaining line-up that they recorded what would be their third album, "Life is not easy" (Big Bang, 1995), which was released in 1996. This album would move away from the purism of the first period and experiment in other sounds and tempos. Despite the fact that its level was artistically and technically inferior to the previous installment, it obtained critical recognition, being selected as the best national blues album of the year.
In 1998, Resch and Caballero left the band due to disagreements with the rest; The voice is assumed by the jazz singer Celia Mur and the position of bassist falls to Pepe Castro, returning again to the group Estanis Peinado.
Third period: 1999-2009
With this formation (J. L. Pizarro, Javier Avilés, Estanislao Peinado, Pepe Castro, Antonio Valero and Celia Mur), and with the return of Pecos Beck, the group reactivates its presence on the national circuits and in the media, after publishing its album "Cuatro" (Ambar, 2000), undoubtedly the band's most popular (according to references to public acceptance, sales and awards it received, such as Best Jazz and Blues album, at the Music Awards of Andalusia in the year 2000). The new sound, while moving away from R&B roots, gains experience and recovers images associated with historic Jazz Rock bands, such as Blood, Sweat & Tears, while bringing a new and more pop line from its composers. These new ideas, the forceful rhythmic base, the skill of its guitarists, the presence of its vocalists and the strengthening of the sound provided by a powerful wind section, made up of Nardy Castellini (saxes), Eric Sánchez and Gregorio Buendía (trumpets) and Rafa Martínez (trombone), made this one of the most powerful groups on the Spanish music scene.
A practically unchanged formation, they will record their next album, "Llamando a tu puerta" (Ambar, 2002), where the band develops their personal versions of R&B and Soul classics.
A transition disc.
The following years, the group performs various tours and special works, such as didactic concerts for schoolchildren, in collaboration with the City of Granada Orchestra. Among the tours, the one they did in 2005 together with the singer, Rosa López (something that their most purist fans do not forgive them), with 17 concerts and a surprise among critics, stood out due to the influx of public and media projection. A year later, in 2006, the band celebrated its 20th anniversary on the scene, with a concert in which the British guitarist Otis Grand performed as a special guest, with whom a relationship began (and a long series of concerts).
In 2007, the band intervenes in the soundtrack of the film by Alex Quiroga, "Buscando a Enma", composed by Estanis Peinado. A year later, in 2008, they published a compilation box with three CDs and one DVD, under the title "20 years are nothing" (El Perro Andaluz, 2008), collecting all their recordings, as a celebration of those two decades of life, an almost unusual fact, given the transience with which the groups appear and disappear without leaving a trace.5 Finally, the relationship with the English guitarist bears fruit in the recording of an album by the band with Otis Grand, who produces the musical and adds his guitar. The album is published in 2009 (The Grand Sessions, Riff-Duradisc), after carrying out the sessions and mixing in London.6
Discography
• The best blues in the city (Cambayá, 1991)
• Black in white land (Big Bang, 1992)
• Life is not easy (Big Bang, 1995)
• Four (Amber, 2000)
• Knocking at your door (Ambar, 2002)
• 20 years are nothing (Perro Andaluz-Duradisc, 2008)
• The Grand Sessions, with Otis Grand (Riff Productions-Duradisc, 2009)
The Blues Band of Granada is a legendary group that celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2016 practicing the best blues against all odds. For more visit on site: bitly.ws/B9hB
- Pecos Beck (Vocals and Harmonica)
-J.L. Pizarro (Guitar)
- Estanis Peinado (Piano)
- Pepe Castro (Bass)
- Antonio Valero (Drums)
- Agustin Sanchez (sax)
- Gregorio Buendía (Trumpet)
- Rafa Martinez (Trombone)
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BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO
Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural [was] a zydeco trailblazer with soulful bayou-steeped originals and covers. —USA Today
American musical legend Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural Jr. (November 14, 1947 – September 24, 2016) —along with his band, Buckwheat Zydeco—was the preeminent ambassador of Louisiana zydeco music. The New York Times said, “Stanley ‘Buckwheat’ Dural leads one of the best bands in America…a down-home and high-powered celebration, meaty and muscular with a fine-tuned sense of dynamics…propulsive rhythms, incendiary performances.”
Over the course of his five-decade career, Dural had over 25 albums to his credit, five Grammy Award nominations and one Grammy victory. He and his band performed non-stop all over the world, playing with everyone from Eric Clapton and U2 to Robert Plant and The Boston Pops. The band played at the closing ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympics and entertained President Clinton twice, celebrating both of his inaugurations. They appeared on The Late Show With David Letterman, CNN, The Today Show, MTV, NBC News, CBS Morning News and many other programs. They also played the final episode of The Late Show With Jimmy Fallon.
In 2009, Buckwheat Zydeco marked the band’s 30th anniversary with the release of their Grammy Award-winning, Steve Berlin-produced CD, Lay Your Burden Down on Alligator Records. Living Blues said, "The entire work is a vibrant testament to Buckwheat Zydeco's spirit, reminding us that Louisiana's musical heritage has taken all the hurricanes could give. This is an album that can introduce a new generation of music fans to the world of zydeco music and serve as a wonderful reminder about what a great zydeco band can do."
After hearing Lay Your Burdon Down, Scott Simon, on National Public Radio's Weekend Edition Saturday, called Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural, Jr., "the go-to guy for zydeco music…a master of accordion and organ," and described his music as "feel good, get-up-and-dance music, slow R&B grooves and brooding blues."
Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural, Jr. was born in Lafayette, Louisiana. He acquired his nickname because, as a child with his braided hair, he looked like Buckwheat from The Little Rascals. His father was an accomplished, non-professional traditional Creole accordion player, but young Buckwheat preferred listening to and playing R&B. He became proficient at the organ, and by the late 1950s was backing Joe Tex, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown and many others. In 1971, he formed Buckwheat and The Hitchhikers, a 15-piece funk and soul band. They were a local sensation and found success with the single, “It’s Hard To Get,” recorded for a local Louisiana-based label. Never a traditional zydeco fan when growing up, Buckwheat nonetheless accepted an invitation in 1976 to join legendary zydeco master Clifton Chenier’s Red Hot Louisiana Band as organist. He quickly discovered the joy and power of zydeco music, and marveled at the effect the music had on the audience. “Everywhere, people young and old just loved zydeco music,” Buckwheat said. “I had so much fun playing that first night with Clifton. We played for four hours and I wasn’t ready to quit.”
Buckwheat’s relationship with the legendary Chenier led him to take up the accordion in 1978. After woodshedding for a year, he felt ready to start his own band under the name Buckwheat Zydeco, and began his recording career with the small Blues Unlimited label. By the mid-1980s there were more offers to perform than he could possibly accept. Recordings for Black Top and Rounder followed before Buckwheat befriended New York-based journalist Ted Fox, who championed Buckwheat to Chris Blackwell at Island Records in 1986. Buckwheat Zydeco signed a five-record deal and Fox became and remained his manager and frequent producer. The success of these records kept Buckwheat Zydeco on the road and in constant demand.
In 1988, Eric Clapton invited the band to open his North American tour as well as his 12-night stand at London’s Royal Albert Hall. As even more doors opened, Buckwheat found himself sharing stages and/or recording with Keith Richards, Robert Plant, Willie Nelson, Mavis Staples, David Hidalgo, Dwight Yoakam, Paul Simon, Ry Cooder and many others, including indie music stalwarts Yo La Tengo on the soundtrack to the Bob Dylan bio-pic I’m Not There. His music was featured in films ranging from The Waterboy and The Big Easy to Fletch Lives and Hard Target. BET’s Comic View used his live version of “What You Gonna Do?” as theme music for the program’s 10th anniversary “Pardi Gras” season. He co-wrote and performed the theme song for the PBS television series Pierre Franey’s Cooking In America. Buckwheat won an Emmy for his music in the CBS TV movie, Pistol Pete: The Life And Times Of Pete Maravich. During the 1990s and 2000s Buckwheat recorded for his own Tomorrow Recordings label and maintained an extensive touring schedule. Along with his remarkably talented band, he brought his joyful Louisiana music to fans all over the world for over 40 years. It’s no wonder People magazine said Buckwheat’s music was “a propulsive, rollicking, swamp-boogie joy ride.”
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Felix Pappalardi was most famous as the producer of Cream and the bassist for one of the first American hard rock acts, Mountain; sadly, he's also remembered for the tragic shooting that claimed his life at age 43. Pappalardi was born December 20, 1939, in the Bronx and studied classical music at the University of Michigan; upon returning to New York, he was unable to find work as a conductor and soon drifted into the Greenwich Village folk scene. He soon made a name for himself as a skilled arranger, and from there moved into record production, initially concentrating on folk and folk-rock acts like Tim Hardin, the Youngbloods, Joan Baez, Richard & Mimi Farina, Ian & Sylvia, and Fred Neil. However, it was Pappalardi's late-'60s work with the psychedelic blues-rock outfit Cream -- beginning with their second album, Disraeli Gears -- that really established his reputation; Pappalardi sometimes contributed additional instrumentation for his imaginative studio arrangements and he and wife, Gail Collins, co-wrote "Strange Brew" with Eric Clapton.
In 1968, Pappalardi was asked to produce an Atlantic Records band called the Vagrants, which featured a young guitarist named Leslie West. The following year, he produced West's solo album Mountain; after Cream disbanded, Pappalardi and West formed the hard rock band Mountain, whose hit single "Mississippi Queen" remains a staple of classic rock radio. Mountain broke up in 1972, reunited in 1974, and disbanded again in 1975; afterwards, Pappalardi was forced to, for the most part, retire from performing due to partial hearing loss caused by Mountain's extreme volume. However, he was able to return to production, and also recorded an album with the Japanese hard rock outfit Creation, who had opened for Mountain on their Japanese tours; Felix Pappalardi & Creation was released on A&M in 1976. In 1979, Pappalardi released his first proper solo album, Don't Worry, Ma, which reflected his growing interest in funk, jazz fusion, and reggae, and featured a large supporting cast, including bassist Chuck Rainey and drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie.
On the night of April 17, 1983, tragedy struck: Pappalardi was shot once in the neck by his wife, Gail Collins, and killed. He had been involved in a long-standing affair with a younger woman, of which Collins had knowledge; however, a jury supported Collins' claim that the shooting was accidental, occurring while Pappalardi was showing her how to use the gun. She was convicted of criminally negligent homicide rather than the far more serious charge of second-degree murder; sentenced to four years, Collins quietly disappeared afterward.
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Singer-songwriter, guitar player and producer Epi K. Paradox, originally from Chania, Crete, an island in Greece, traded the sun-soaked Mediterranean to pursue his music career in London, UK. Taking inspiration from the British Blues Explosion of the late 60s and early 70s, Epi K. Paradox creates his own brand of contemporary Blues music, while remaining faithful to Rhythm and Blues tradition.
His music influences reminisce the roaring guitar riffs of Buddy Guy, Mike Bloomfield, Jimmy Page and Roy Buchanan, while his songwriting skills reflect on the revival sound of the Blues era. After graduating from BIMM London and London College of Music in 2017 and 2018 respectively, Epi K. Paradox has performed in various venues in London, including the O2 Academy, The Monarch, St Moritz Club and Fiddler's Elbow, just to name a few.
The release of his powerful debut digital single Find My Baby in late October, 2018 set high expectations, while Epi K. Paradox released his debut album I'll Take The Long Road in September 27th, 2019 and his EP Out Of The Blue in December 17th, 2021. ➥ www.epikparadox.com/
Album ''A Gentle Storm'' t.ly/9LB5
42 - 0
Welcome to ᖇᗴᗪ ᘜᖇᗴ Y ᗰᗩ TTᗴᖇ Club!
For the last years I’ve collaborated with many famous and relatively unknown blues & Rock artists and labels and helped them reach new audiences through my Red Grey Matter YouTube channel dedicated to promoting only quality music. Slowly growing, the channel has become one of the most popular places for fans of blues & Rock on the web.
If you’re a musician/band or music label and want to be featured on Red Grey Matter and the website here is what to do
Red Grey Matter is about the music. My mission is to promote lesser known blues & Rock artists and bring you a selection of tunes with real grit and emotion.
If you’re a music fan, you can enjoy my playlists on YouTube.
The tracks and the content is used in agreement with the artists.
All videos are created by me, do not re-upload.
If you’re an artist or label and want to be featured on the website and the channel, visit my website: redgreymatter.blogspot.com/ or write to ioaninio@hotmail.com
6 November 2014