Thumbrella - Words To A Void

Blues Show 141 playlist & stream

2012-01-28T20:48:00.000Z

Show first broadcast Sunday Jan. 22nd 2012 on 105.9BishopFM and BishopFM.com

Rest In Peace Etta James

Etta James - I Would Rather Go Blind
Etta James - Something's Got A Hold On Me
Son Henry - First Thing Smoking
Johnny Otis - Barrelhouse Blues
Lincoln Durham - Living This Hard
Sean Chambers - Too Much Blues
Martin Simpson - Little Liza Jane
Etta James - Dreamer
Joel De Silva - Hard Time
Cherry Lee Mewis - Man Overboard
Clare Free - Dust & Bones
Etta James - Tell Mama
Miss Lissy - Mountain Mama Blues
Jo Harmon & Company - Move Over
Lee Bates & Billy Newton - You'd Better Hush Your Mouth
Half Deaf Clatch - Trainwreck Girl
How Askew - Law Dog
Groovamatics feat. Johnny Whitehill - Love's A Misdemeanour
Sheikh Your Mojo - Chillin'
Greg Wilson & The Big Caffeine Fix - Queen of Hearts
MFUS - Never
Virgil & The Accelerators - Backstabber
Little Feat - Ain't Had Enough Fun
Sleepy Eyes Nelson - Joker Man
Etta James - I Just Want To Make Love To You
Son Henry - Granite City Shuffle

Half Deaf Clatch and his Butcher's Block Stomp Box

2012-01-28T16:20:00.000Z

Half Deaf Clatch gave a very good performance at last night's Newcastle heat of The New Brunswick Battle of the Blues, even though he didn't get through to the final or the runner up video vote.
Many folks were impressed by his performance and his stompbox (pictured above) was the subject of much discussion. It is a butcher's block about 20 years old. The mics are tuned tom mics to cut out high frequencies and they go through a shark DSP DI box with a compressor and gate setting and notched out feedback frequency filters. And there's two because it looks cooler! (and you don't have to turn the gain right up for big volume).
Go check out Half Deaf's music at bandcamp - for free - and tell him i sent ya!
I've asked Half Deaf to be a guest on the Blues Show too.

Chris James - winner at New Brunswick Battle of Blues heat

2012-01-26T17:38:00.000Z

I was a judge at the True Blues Club in Newton-le-Willows for the first heat of this year's New Brunswick Battle of The Blues. And let me tell you - what a tough job it was! 6 excellent acts performed on the night and gave us judges a difficult task. Eventually a winner was announced - the excellent Chris James. Chris from Carlisle got through to the final last year too, and judging by his performance at the heat, the other finalists (and the judges!) will have a tough job!

Here's Chris from the heat with his own song, Salty Water. Sit back and relax and enjoy this!

Thikwater Cigar Box Guitars - Yolanda

2012-01-26T14:13:00.000Z

Cigar Box Guitars (CBG) are generally enjoying a rush of popularity around the world, and there are great websites around to tell you all about them, and give you instructions to build your own, as well as lots of CDs of people playing them, and videos on youtube.

Closer to home (for me at least), local builder Thikwater has a range of CBGs available. He first started building CBG's around 2003 after seeing them on a visit to the US. He currently builds approximately 1 a month which he fits around general guitar repair and setup work.
He doesn't need to advertise as he already has a healthy waiting list by word of mouth.

For 2012 he plans to start building up to 2 a month to get on top of the waiting list and reduce the guitar repair work.
When he started in 2003 most people wanted 3 stringers, but the current trend is for 4 stringers. he also intends ti setup an internet forum for CBG players in the near future.
He names all of his guitars as they are easier to remember that way - the pics above are of Yolanda, bought by my friend Bad Bob Bates of The Bandits and OCC.

Thikwater also builds number plate guitars - see below for a picture of one made for ZZ Top tribute band The ZZTops - and a video review too.

Pocket Strings

2012-01-25T22:41:00.000Z

Here's another great idea for us guitar players who like to practice or play as much as possible. I've featured similar products before, but I like the look of this one!

Blues Show 140 playlist & stream

2012-01-22T13:28:00.000Z

Ndidi Onukwulu - Things About Comin' My Way
Chris James - Angel In the Mirror
Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Yer Blues
Vince Gill - When the Lady Sings The Blues
Shaun Murphy - That's What Love Will Make
Colin James - Keep On Tryin'
.44 Pistol - Old Time Country Blues
Jimmy Thackeray & The Drivers - I'll Be Your Driver
Monkey Paw Finger - Chicken Shack Shakin'
Victor Wainwright & The Wild Roots - Ting Tang Bang
Phil Manning - Can't Stop
Cisco Herzhaft - I Feel Like A Warrior
Gary Clark Jr. - Bright Lights
Brownie McGhee & Sonny Terry - Blues All Around My Bed
Frank Brown - Miss Maybelle
Moondog Gypsy Blues Band - Freedom Day
Rail Fan - Hard Road To Hoe
Richard Townend - My Baby Left Me
The King Cobras - The Boogie
Will Johns - On My Back
The Motives feat. Matt Taylor - Gone Before
The Mighty Boss Cats - Plenty Of Time
Hat Fitz and Cara Robinson - Deliah
Toby Walker - Hideaway

Blues Show 139 playlist & stream

2012-01-12T12:36:00.000Z

Brother Duke & The Deltas in the Blues Show studio

Blues Show 139 broadcast 6-8pm Sunday 8th Jan on 105.9BishopFM and BishopFM.com

Dicky James & The Blue Flames - A Real Good Blues
Bill Johnson - Worked To Death
Tommy Lee Cook - A Certified Fool
Hillbilly Burlesque - Me & My Chauffeur Blues
Ramon Goose - Delta Moon
Brother Duke & the Deltas live in the studio:
Crossroads
Father On Up The Road
Sweet Home Chicago
Blues Boy
Chris Murphy - Something Else
Devil's Creek - Kokomo Train
Matt Andersen - I Work Hard For The Luxury
The Rhythm Lords - Java Headed Woman
Bill Johnson - Half The Man
Jim Suhler - Devil In Me
The Motives feat. Matt Taylor - Baby Don't Lose My Number
Son Roberts - 90 Years Old
The Elgins - Sad Sad Day
Tommy Lee Cook - Move A Little Closer
Matt Andersen - Coal Miner's Blues
Scotty McKnight - It's The Blues
Clare Free - Dust and Bones
Jim Suhler - Tijuana Bible
Chris Murphy - Hotwired

Bill Johnson's Gear Page

2012-01-09T23:25:00.000Z

I was sent Canadian Bill Johnson's CD "Still Blue" to play on the Blues Show on BishopFM (I played 2 tracks on Blues Show 139, playlist to follow). Bill kindly sent me an email after I'd commented about how much I enjoyed the CD. The CD is very very good, Bill is a great guitar player with wonderful technique and tone. More than that, though, his own songs stand up well in the company of some well chosen covers, and his voice was designed for one thing only - to sing the blues. Check the album out, you owe it to yourself.

Guild Starfire IV

Bill had dropped by Thumbrella and noted my interest in guitars too. He gave me a link to his own gear page, where he lists his current equipment - guitars and amps. And very nice they are too. Check them out. And while you're there - buy a copy of Bill's CD - you won't be sorry - didn't I tell you how good it is?

Bill's Telecaster signed by Otis Rush & Danny Gatton

Bill's Toneliner Amp

Dark Walk

2012-01-07T22:06:00.000Z

here's a piece of electronica I did a few months ago. I hope to be putting some more together soon - I'll probably come up with some arty/obscure name for this project!

Dark Walk

The 2 new guitars together

2011-12-24T18:18:00.001Z

At last they are reunited, Strat and Tele, some of the best guitars I've ever played. And definitely the best guitars I've ever been GIVEN!
I am still dumbfounded by the generosity of Simon Raw of the Raw Guitar Company. I wish him every luck with his trip to Frankfurt next year!

Blues Show 138 playlist & stream

2011-12-24T16:06:00.000Z

Show broadcast Sunday 18th December 2011 on 105.9BishopFM and BishopFM.com

Album Of The Week

G. Love - Fixin' To Die
The Broken Arrow Blues Band - The River Is Rising
The Maggie Ross Band - Ain't Got The Blues No More - Album of The Week - Don't Mess With Me
The Son Of Dave - It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues
The Dave Thomas Blues Band - It Must Have Been the Devil
Floyd McDaniel w. Dave Spector & The Bluebirds - West Side Baby
Hip Shakin' Mama - Rooster Stew
The Maggie Ross Band - Don't Mess With Me - Album of The Week - Don't Mess With Me
Jon Lord Blues Project - Walkin' Blues
K.K. Martin - Rattlesnake Shake
The Lyndon Anderson Band - Ain't No More
Peter Golding _ Crucify Me
The Maggie Ross Band - Givin' Up On You - Album of The Week - Don't Mess With Me
Ramon Goose - Delta Moon
Roxy Perry - Back in Bluesville
Sean Costello - Doin' My Own Thing
The Groundhogs - Groundhog Blues
Todd Park Mohr - Hubert Sumlin Memorial Tribute
The Mighty Boss Cats - You Were My Angel
The Mighty Mojo Prophets - Night Train
The Maggie Ross Band - Lover Man - Album of The Week - Don't Mess With Me

A new strat - for me!

2011-12-20T19:47:00.000Z

My good friend Simon Raw, of The Raw Guitar Company, having already gifted me the wonderful Telecaster here, surprised me even more last weekend. I'd taken the Tele for some minor adjustments to my local guitar shop Ron's Music. Simon told me he had a strat at home "gathering dust" and he'd rather I looked after it. I presumed that he meant simply as a loan until I got my Telecaster back. But, no. When my wife & I met Simon & his son in our usual rendezvous point, Starbucks, he handed me the guitar and said something like: "this is your guitar now, I only want to see it when you're playing it at a gig." Once more, I was totally gobsmacked by Simon's generosity - and I still am.

Fender Texas Special pickups - and cherry- topped scratchplate.

The guitar has had several styles in its short life - active EMGs, a standard strat neck, a telecaster neck, and more, But it has now found its true form as a blues baby - the pickups and the woods combine to give a superb Texas Blues sound - even in my fumbling digits. I can't wait to try this out in anger!

Texas Swamp Ash body - bought in Texas - and Wilkinson/Gotoh tremelo bridge

Revese headstock with Grover machines, maple neck & fretboard

Beautiful!

The battery box is a hangover from the days when tis guitar was fitted with Active EMG pickups.

Blues Show 137 Playlist & Stream

2011-12-15T11:13:00.002Z

Show first broadcast Sunday 11th December 105.9 BishopFM and BishopFM.com

Howlin' Wolf - Killin' Floor
Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, Jimmie Vaughan - Six Strings Down
Joel De Silva - Hard Time
Billy Thompson - Are You Ready?
Bare Bones Boogie Band - Hand Me Down
Howlin' Wolf - Wang Dang Doodle
Moreland & Arbuckle - Purgatory
Bob Malone - Why Not Me?
Devil's Creek - Poor Boy
- Workin' The Chains
- Prove Me Wrong
Bare Bones Boogie Band - Sittin' Here Sewin'
Billy Thompson - Downside Up
Joel De Silva - Boogie Real Low
Eric Johnson - Texas
Mama Paula & The Kasper Jensen Blues Band - What You Gonna Do?
Gaelle Buswell - Yesterday's Shadow
Storyville - Good Day For The Blues
Woody & The Blupackers - Porch/If My Baby Quit Me
Hubert Sumlin - Iodine in My Coffee
Bob Malone - Ain't What You Know
Joel `De Silva - Nitro's Grease

Tambo Toe - a tambourine - for your toes!

2011-12-13T19:52:00.001Z

I haven't quite got to grips with my stompboard that I posted about a while ago - but here is another twist on the same idea, for those folks who are rhythmically better coordinated than I am!

As the name implies, the Tambo Toe is a tambourine for your, er, toes!
It certainly seems pretty effective in adding a little something else to an acoustic guitar performance.

It isn't too expensive either - I wouldn't mind giving one a shot!

tambotoe

24 Pesos - Sedgefield Blues Club - I Don't Need No Doctor - video

2011-12-09T23:12:00.000Z

There's 9 or 10 more videos from this great gig by 24 Pesos over at my YouTube Channel

Tom Attah - Crossroads - Sedgefield Blues Club - Video

2011-12-09T20:03:00.000Z

Tom is a great performer and a very nice guy too.
He was very well received by the knowledgeable crowd at the club, where he supported 24 Pesos.
There are 3 more videos of Tom's set at my YouTube channel.

Blues Show 136 playlist & stream

2011-12-08T22:08:00.000Z

Jeff Beck Group - Ain't Superstitious
Low Society - Dead Man's Shoes
Jay Tamkin - You've Changed
Russ Tippins Electric Band - Electrickery
Lincoln Durham - Drifting Wood
Devil's Creek - Kokomo Train
Wild Rock Doves - Operator
Howlin' Smurf - 6 below 9 below Zero
Tom Attah interview at Sedgefield Blues Club
Tom Attah - Long Time
Paul Barrere & Fred Tackett - Ain't Had Enough Fun
24 Pesos interview at Sedgefield Blues Club
24 Pesos - Session Blues (Live at Sedgefield)
Sean Costello - All Your Love
Stan "The Man" Hedges - I Can Hear The Delta
Buddy & The Juniors - Hoochie Coochie Man
Michael Hurley - Move It On Over
Richard Carr - Hard Times To Play The Blues
Marcus Bonfanti - Sugar Baby
Jon Amor Blues Band - Make It Your Trouble
JJ Grey & Mofro - Tupelo Honey
Jimmy Thackeray - Bluphoria

New Hybrid Telecaster - mine!

2011-12-07T20:10:00.000Z

I've been meeting up with guitar designer Simon Raw for almost 2 months now, I guess. We share 3 common interests: The Blues, Guitars & Coffee. We regularly meet in Starbucks in Darlington while Simon shows me his latest guitar designs and I try not to drool on his laptop! Last week I tweeted randomly - "Could do with a new guitar" or some such thing. Imagine my surprise when Simon responded that he had a guitar that might just be for me. He went on to decribe a wonderful guitar - Les Paul shaped and hybrid (acoustic pickup and a humbucker) He sent me pictures and I dreamed of owning that guitar. Then, after some clarification, Simon said that he wanted me to have the guitar. Have the guitar. For Free!

I was gobsmacked and we arranged a meet up at our regular haunt. I could barely contain myself as the hour approached and my wife and I settled in some comfy seats at Starbucks. I was in the queue ordering Simon a coffee when he came in, so I beckoned him to sit with my wife. I could see that he had a guitar with him, but couldn't see any details. As I returned to our seats, Simon said "I hope you won't feel too disappointed, but when I went to collect the guitar I was going to give you, I was told that somebody wanted to buy it. So I've brought you this one instead" and revealed the Telecaster you see here. I was even more gobsmacked, as Simon had remembered from a previous conversation that I was really a Tele lover, and mourned the sale of my last guitar, an ESP Tele. So, I repeat - Simon gave me the guitar! As a gift! I was speechless in Starbucks! We gathered a small crowd of youngsters as I lost myself in the beauty of the beast and picked a few chords and riffs. The guitar is wonderful, and I am in deep gratitude to Simon.

The body is made from Basswood with book matched Flame Maple top and was made by Neil Shoemark who works near Glastonbury - Neil makes fantastic guitar bodies to order.
The neck and fretboard is made from Ebony and is fitted with Gotoh 510 tuners and was bought direct from US licensed Fender dealer, Musikraft, who are based in New Jersey and Jim Fleeting did the techie bits. The acoustic bridge has a Fishman piezo ceramic pickup underneath it, for acoustic sounds, and the humbucker is a Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck model. The controls are concentric volume and tone for each pickup. At the moment the Fishman isn't working and I suspect a wiring fault, which I'll get sorted very soon. But the guitar feels great, a nice action to allow me to fingerpick when I get the pickup working, but also low enough for the small amount of bending that I do when playing electric. The humbucker sounds wonderful - beefy , singing and glorious. When both pickups are working I'll post some audio files. I can't wait to try this out with a band - I guess I'll need to sit in on a few gigs!

The Raw Guitar Company

2011-12-05T20:17:00.000Z

The '63 Carousel

Introduction
Last month I invited onto my Blues Show guitar designer, Simon Raw, who apart from choosing some great blues tracks spoke at length about his passion for guitar design & the blues in general. You can hear that show here. Simon is based in Ripon & earlier this year he created a company called The Raw Guitar Company in order to showcase his talent as a designer.

Background
Simon’s story started twenty years ago while he was attending De Montfort University in Leicester. Simon first became interested in guitar design while completing his higher degree in product design engineering, but his guitar ideas were put on hold while he earned a living. After graduating from De Montfort he undertook a M.Sc. at Loughborough University where he studied ergonomics & went straight into ergonomics consultancy, specialising in helping power tool manufacturers reduce noise & vibration in their products. Over the next 18 years Simon steadily built his reputation as one of the United Kingdom’s leading experts in noise & vibration attenuation, & started his own consultancy, Ergonomically Yours Ltd. in 2001. This move meant that he could set his own agenda, & allowed him to follow his wish to move into automotive design & offer potential clients product design engineering and ergonomics expertise. Consequently, his clients have included Bentley Motorcars, Caterpillar, Cummins Engine Group, Rolls-Royce Motorcars, and Triumph Motorcycles.

Simon has stated many times that Triumph Motorcycles provided him with the catalyst for forming The Raw Guitar Co. because he greatly admires how their motorcycles are designed, & how they incorporate state-of-the-art technology, yet reflect styling cues from days gone bye. He also admires how their motorcycles are built using well designed components.

To bring our story up to date, in January 2008 Simon, while rummaging through his office stationery cupboard, stumbled upon a file which contained sketches & scribbles from his student days, & one sketch illustrated a design for an electric guitar that had an acoustic style bridge and a single humbucking magnetic pickup. Simon happily took it home to show his son, Ben, who, as a budding guitar player, was immediately impressed. He consequently showed the drawing to his friends which quickly brought feedback that if the guitar was commercially available then they would all like one. This unexpected response got Simon thinking, so he started to detail his idea further - in the twenty years from his initial sketch, guitar technology had moved on, especially in pickup design.

The '69 Hound Dog

His next step was to make the guitar and have it reviewed by guitar players & industry movers and shakers. Billy Penn from 300guitars.com described the guitar as “awesome, really, really nice” and Gavin Wilson from guitarz.blogspot.com said simply “ it looks fantastic, job well done”.
This is a great guitar. I know it’s a great guitar because I now own it! (Post to come soon!). Thrilled with the response the guitar was having he decided to experiment, design & create further guitars. So, over the next eighteen months & with help from local luthier & friend, Jim Fleeting, Simon drew upon his experience and knowledge in design, ergonomics, noise & vibration, to formulate ideas for creating further guitars that would appeal to guitarists who require that little bit more from their instruments.

Something Old, New, Borrowed & Blue

Rather than simply designing & creating one-off instruments Simon wanted to create a range of guitars that had a particular theme running through them. He greatly admires how Chris Rea utilises creative platforms other than his music for expressing his talent, for example, film, writing and painting. Back in 2006 Rea released his stunning “Blue Guitars” multi media box set documenting his love of the Blues & the Bluesmen that have inspired him over the years. For those of you who are not familiar with this work, Rea wrote & recorded various CDs that “painted” & “documented” the Blues in all it’s colours, for example, Chicago Blues, Electric Memphis Blues, Texas Blues, Louisiana & New Orleans Blues where each album is a piece of work in its own right. Inspired by Rea’s ability to write musical stories that historically documents the development of the Blues from the early beginnings to the '60s and ‘70s Simon thought why not try & do the same with guitar design. Therefore, over the past year he has designed a “Back Catalogue” that starts in 1938 with “The Hellhound”, a guitar Simon “designed” for Robert Johnson & concludes in 1975 with the design of “The Blues Imperial”, a guitar that simply has “Chicago Electric Blues” stamped all over it. In between there are guitars called “The ’48 Broom Duster”, “The ’55 Revelator”, "The ’57 Nighthawk”, "The ’63 Carousel”, “The ’66 Thunderstick” and more besides.
I have had the pleasure of seeing how Simon’s designs have developed over the past few months. He has produced a collection that any guitarist would love to own. His designs don’t just look fantastic, they sound fantastic too because he uses Jason Lollar pickups including his very own custom pickup that Jason designed and built specifically for Simon’s mid 1950s to late 1960s guitar designs. I had the chance to play this guitar on the Blues Show when Simon visited the studio.

For his 1930s guitars Simon commissioned Bob G. Harrison to create a pickup that not only captures the sound of the late 1930s but aesthetically, and in words of Bob himself, “Will have a flavour of something that a good old southern farm boy hand made in his shop”.

The '39 Mississippi Bo Weavil

I am delighted to announce that Simon will officially be launching his company & unveiling three of his guitars at Musikmesse 2012 in Frankfurt next March, namely: “The ’48 Broom Duster”, ”The ’57 Nighthawk” & “The ’71 Skinny”, a guitar that he has designed and built for Ian Siegal. If you would like to see these guitars you will have to wait until they are unveiled at Frankfurt. If you can’t wait until March, just to give you a flavour of what Simon has designed he has very kindly allowed me to unveil for the first time “The ‘39 Mississippi Boweavil”, a guitar Simon has “designed” for Charlie Patton, “The ’63 Carousel”, a guitar that he has dedicated to Sid Watkins and Henry Weill and “The ’69 Hound Dog”, a tribute guitar that he has dedicated to Hound Dog Taylor and The Tokyo Electric Instrument & Sound Company. If you would like to know a little more about Simon’s work and his debut at Musikmesse 2012 go to Simon's website or visit his Facebook page.

I wish Simon every success with his venture and look forward to setting sight on these guitars.

Blues Show 135 playlist & stream

2011-11-30T18:25:00.000Z

Coco Robicheaux - Crossroads
Jimi Hendrix - Red House
Groovamatics - Misdemeanour
The Mustangs - Crackin' Up
24 Pesos - Standin' At The Station
Tom Attah - Long Time
Oil City Connection - Don't Point Your Finger
Lincoln Durham - Living This Hard
Earl Seratte & The Blues Kings - Complicated
Hill Country Revue - Highway Blues
The Suitcase Brothers - Motherless Children
John Alex Mason - Cypress Grove
The Motives feat. Matt Taylor - Leap of Faith
Sharrie Williams & The Wise Guys - Gotta Go Through Hell
Magic Slim & The Teardrops - Treat Me The Way You Do
John Lee Hooker - Big Road
Chris Duarte Group - Another Man
Chris Adams - Fire
Charley Patton - Pony Blues
Preacher - Listening For Trains
Nick Moss - Turn Around
Omar & The Howlers - Muddy Springs Road
Lance Lopez - Black Cat Moan
Jimmy Warren - Nothin But Blue

Two Rubber Souls - debut novel by local writer

2011-11-29T19:07:00.000Z

"Pete...was going to remain ensnared within a seemingly eternal chasm of torment, being neither a child nor an adult, tethered by heavy, binding chains that refused to break."

The idea of this book appeals to me a lot - though I'm from an older generation, the story of a thoughtful, music loving boy from the North East of England, struggling to grow up a little in the 80s, resonates deeply with me.
I'll write a review once I've read the book. In the meantime, visit Paul's site and read a few extracts, find out more about Paul, or order a copy.

New Brunswick Battle Of The Blues - Blues Show interview with Lee George

2011-11-28T19:12:00.000Z

In 2010 we held the first ‘New Brunswick Battle of the Blues’ to find an up and coming UK blues act to appear live in front of an international audience at next years Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival as part of an all expenses* paid trip. It was so successful, and the winner was so well received we decided to do it all over again.

If you think you’re good enough, or know of someone else who is good enough to fly the flag for Britain at next years festival then this is what you need to know and do.

The competition is open to all unsigned Blues acts residing in Britain.

You can be a soloist, a duo or a band, but you must have original material to play both in the heats and in the final, as well of course at the festival in New Brunswick next year.

There will be 4 regional heats around the UK, one each in Bristol, Newton le Willows, Billericay and Newcastle, all of these will be held during January.
Because we expect to get a large number of entries, and because there will only be 6 places available at each heat, in the first instance you’ll need to upload a video of you playing one song to You Tube and then enter the URL of your video on this website here.
Entries will be accepted from 15^th October until 15^th December 2011, and shortly before Christmas all on-line entries will be reviewed and the successful acts for each venue heat will be notified.
At each heat you’ll be expected to play for 15-20 minutes, which can be a mixture of original music and covers..
There will be a judging panel at all of the heats and one act from each heat will be chosen to go through to the final.
In addition at each heat all the acts will be videoed, and the two runners-up from each regional heat will have one track put on-line on the ww.tourismnewbrunswick.co.uk website for the public to choose the ‘best’ runner-up, who will also be invited to participate in the final in London.
Voting for the runners up finalist place will run from 01 February – 28^th February 2012.
The final will be held in London in March 2012, each act will again be expected to play for 15-20 minutes, most of which should be original music.
The judging panel in London will be made up of the Harvest Jazz and Blues organisers who will fly in specially for the final from Canada.
The winning act will be announced on that night, and will travel to Fredericton in mid-September 2012 to appear at the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival 2012.
All finalists will receive £250 towards their travel costs to London, plus will be accommodated in or near London on the night of the final.
The final winning act, in addition to travelling to Canada, will receive a cheque for £1000.

So what are you waiting for? Get your video ready (it doesn’t have to be professional quality) and from 11th October enter here, Who knows, this time next year you could be an international star!

Blues Show 134 playlist & stream

2011-11-24T20:59:00.000Z

Oil City Connection

Show broadcast Sunday 20th November on 105.9BishopFM and BishopFM.com
Studio Guests Oil City Connection playing demo tracks & phone interview with Lee George about New Brunswick Battle Of The Blues

The Allman Brothers - Statesboro' Blues
Greg Nagy - For The Love of A Woman
Marcus Bonfanti - Medicine Man
Trevor Sewell - Where The Wild Ones Go
Oil City Connection - Down By The Jetty
Milk 'n' Alcohol
Keep It Outta Sight
Don't Point Your Finger
Going Back Home
Martin Simpson - Little Liza Jane
Sons Of The Delta - Change My Clothes
The Park Royal Blues Band - Crocodile Tears
The Nimmo Brothers - Be My Friend
Tom Principato - Don't Want To Do It
24 Pesos - Maxwell Street
Interview: The New Brunswick Battle Of The Blues with Lee George
Sean Chambers - Full Moon On Main Street
Jackie Leven - Desolation Blues
Tim Elliott & The Troublemakers - Hard Work Ain't Easy
Peter Parcek - Rollin With Zah

Review: Gary Grainger & Virgil & The Accelerators

2011-11-22T19:35:00.000Z

I played a support slot for Virgil & The Accelerators on Saturday Night. I had a great time, hanging out and shooting the breeze with the guys and Martin, their manager. The audience were very receptive, listening to my almost hour long set, which was great. I then had the pleasure of introducing Virgil, Gabriel and Jack for their storming set.
Here's a review from Mike Craggs, a big fan of the band:

Mainsforth Community Centre and, my 10th VATA show. What a show it was: going in and chatting to the guys beforehand, the glint they had in their eyes, I knew something special was on the cards. Mainsforth is a 1920’s dancehall come theatre, so the guys were let loose on a big stage in a big, booming room; maybe not for the first time, but tonight, they weren’t backing and they weren’t supporting, it was THEIRS and they were going to make the most of it. Mustachioed Gary Grainger from Bishop FM did an opening set for the lads, some well picked (and chosen) acoustic Americana; ZZ Top, Grateful Dead, Little Feat, Janis Joplin, Steve Miller were among the selection. Good listening to get the “new meat” audience in the mood. Wow, VATA didn’t hold back. Gabriel’s drumming messed with everyone’s heart rhythm while Jack’s bass was fluttering the diaphragms , the Virgil kicked-off and the “Working Man” opening riff sounded more like the Jurassic Park T-Rex than the previous night’s wounded bear. From then on, it was “business as usual” in terms of the set list, but Virgil had a stage to own, and he set about it in fine style – not running about like he was on fire, but prowling to the edge to check out this strange phenomenon – people dancing!!! It wasn’t just Virgil and the good folk of Ferryhill enjoying themselves, Gabe and Jack were having a high ol’ time too. Then came “The Strorm” and “Voodoo Chile”; I know Virgil is good, damn good to be precise, but this night, he went right through the zone and took everyone with him. “Silver Giver” set closer and a great encore left the crowd wanting more right until curfew time. There aren’t many bands come to Ferryhill, Mainsforth, which is a shame as it’s a cracking venue, but there’s even fewer make such a mark as VATA did. Bill made a bold decision inviting the band, so hats off to him, and a big show of appreciation to the guys on the sound desk for letting VATA roar.

Blues Show Guest Trevor Sewell Wins Hollywood "Music in Media" Award at the HMMA in Los Angeles.

2011-11-20T10:24:00.000Z

Trevor Sewell is a triple nominated British Guitarist who has just won a major award in the prestigious Hollywood Music in Media Awards, held at the Kodak Complex in Los Angeles on November 17th 2011.

Online PR News – 19-November-2011 –British musician Trevor Sewell has won the Best Blues Award in the prestigious Awards ceremony in the U.S.A. Other nominated acts included Linkin Park with the lifetime Achievement Award going to Smokey Robinson at the ‘Red Carpet‘ Ceremony, which took place on Thursday evening in Los Angeles.
The advisory board of Judges include such luminaries as Dave Mason, Nile Rogers and co-organizer Jim DeCicco who also votes on the Grammys.
Trevor Sewell who initially received 3 separate nominations successfully claimed the No 1 spot for his song ‘Where the Wild Ones Go!’ in the Category for ‘Best Blues. The song is featured on his current album ‘Calling Your Name’ which is available Worldwide through iTunes Amazon CdBaby etc.
‘Calling Your Name’ continues to attract widespread radio play in the U.S.A. and the awards have recently escalated interest in his music seeing Sewell continuing to ride the current New Wave of British Blues in America.

Sewell commented “To be accepted by the Blues fraternity at this level in such an American dominated genre is really fantastic and it has been very encouraging to see the support from the Blues community in the U.S. The HMMA are providing a great platform for Indie artists and I am really pleased to have received this award."
Sewell has also been invited to submit tracks to the worldsongnet, an invitation only music library in Hollywood which serves, Major Studios such as Universal and Disney and includes other artist collections as diverse as Aerosmith, Snoop Dogg, Jimi Hendrix, Ray Charles and Sarah Vaughan.
Sewell who has only recently embarked on a solo career after many years of playing sessions and touring with other artists said:
“Just to be nominated for such a prestigious event was great but to go on and win it, really is amazing. I’m just letting it sink in for now and investigating any opportunities that may arise from it. I’m already working on the next album and am currently focusing on demoing songs for possible inclusion. I’m amazed at how far its been possible to go in such a short time as it was only 12 months almost to the day from my first release to actually winning the award in Hollywood.”

Blues Show 133 playlist & stream

2011-11-16T23:08:00.000Z

Colin Hodgkinson - .38 Special
Tweed Funk - Black Coffee
Binsness Bluesboys - Drunk
Stan "The Man" Hedges - Waitin' For The Sky To Fall
Taj Mahal - Dirty Oil
Chris Rea - Electric Guitar
Simon Raw interview with:
Robert Nighthawk - Six Three O
Ian Siegal & The Youngest Sons - The Skinny
Ry Cooder - John Lee Hooker For President
Howlin' Wolf - Smokestack Lightnin'
T-Bone Walker - Mean Old World
Hound Dog Taylor & The Houserockers - Give Me Back My Wig
Elmore James - Dust My Broom
Southside Johnny w. La Bamba's Big Band - Down Down Down
George Thorogood - Dynaflow Blues
Virgil & The Accelerators - Backstabber
Blues n Trouble - The Dark Street
Blues n Trouble Interview
Maggie Bell - No Mean City
Mulebone - Untitled

Sons Of The Delta interview

2011-11-16T18:51:00.000Z

Here's another interview from my friend Jamie Hailstone, this time it is Sons Of The Delta

It might be a cliché, but they say the best players don’t choose the music they play. The music chooses them. It’s certainly true of Sons Of The Delta, who have seen their love of the blues take them from the south west of England to the Mississippi Delta and back again as global ambassadors for the genre.

The duo of Mark Cole (vocals, harmonica, guitar and mandolin) and Rick Edwards (guitar and vocals) have established themselves as one of the south of England’s top blues draws and played a host of dates this autumn, including the Swanage Blues Festival in October, as they prepare to record their eagerly-awaited new album.

“You’ve got to love the blues to play it,” Mark says. “You’re picked by the blues to represent it. People say I didn’t choose the blues, the blues choose me. From my point of view, that’s definitely true.”

The band began almost 10 years ago when Mark, who also regularly plays with other bands, put an advertisement in the local newspaper.

“I was looking for a guitarist and listed all the usual suspects, like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf,” he explains. “I was trying to find someone else who was also into this stuff.”

Guitarist and singer Rick Edwards, who had also spent years playing with various blues bands in the Gloucestershire area, answered Mark’s advertisement and the Sons Of The Delta were quickly born.

“Rick’s a great technical player, but he had a lot of soul as well,” adds Mark. “Our styles really complement each other.

“Our first gig was at a local blues festival, which we have in Gloucester,” he says, “We just hit the ground running.

“We started as a duo and we pretty much kept it as that until our second album – MADE IN MISSISSIPPI – which we recorded in the US,” says Mark.

“We decided it would be great fun to go into a studio while we were there and do some stuff as a classic blues combo.”

While they were out in Clarksdale, which is universally regarded as the birthplace of the blues, the two men recruited a couple of bona fide legends – Sam Carr and Pinetop Perkins – to play on their album.

The duo also found time to play a gig at Clarksdale’s Ground Zero blues club, which is co-owned by the Hollywood actor, Morgan Freeman.

“He was not there the night we played,” says Mark. “But sometime after that, we did meet him at the club and had a good chat. It was nice to have a talk with him.”

Since then, the band has made regular trips to the Deep South and earlier this year they played the 2011 Juke Joint Festival in Clarksdale.

“There’s a lot of poverty out there,” says Mark. “But in terms of community spirit, they are very rich. There’s a very tight-knit blues community over there. “Everyone helps everyone out. You see the same rhythm sections going out with six or seven guys.

“For me, it feels like a home from home in terms of the friendships we have out there,” adds Mark.

Since their first trip to the US, Mark and Rick have also recruited Adrian Deane on bass and Martin Fitzgibbon on drums for some of the UK shows to help expand their sound.

And the Sons Of The Delta have been steadily building up their reputation in other countries, which are not automatically thought as hotbeds for blues music.

“We’re lucky to have a good agent in Spain,” says Mark. “We get over there two or three times a year. We’re hoping to be back over there in November for a weekend. It’s all good. We found you get a wider age range coming to your gigs in Spain. The kids are less blinkered about they listen to.

“There’s certainly a good live music audience there,” he adds. “I think they tend to pigeonhole their music less. Half of them are blues fans and half are just there because they enjoy going out, socializing and live music.”

The band also experienced a flurry of interest from Columbia last year, after a local radio station began playing their material.

Earlier this year, the Sons Of The Delta released a four track EP, entitled LIVE AND BOOTLEGGED, for free via their website.

“This was in part to keep the fans happy,” says Mark. “We’ve been promising a new album for a while. It’s just taken us a bit longer then we would have liked.”

The songs on the EP were all recorded by fans at various gigs and Mark says they have already attracted a lot of interest from radio stations.

They are now busy working on the new album, although Mark will also be travelling to Canada in the autumn to play some dates with the Myers Brothers Blues Band.

As 2012 and their 10^th anniversary fast approaches, the Sons Of The Delta are still taking the blues out there, wherever it needs to be played!

Jamie Hailstone

Every Time You Shave A Moustache Dies - Dead Cat Bounce - video

2011-11-16T12:13:00.000Z

Wise words indeed! Thanks for the heads up Neil.

Blues Man - The Life & Times of Sean Costello

2011-11-14T18:53:00.000Z

Here's a great idea - Sean was a great singer and guitar player and his life and music should be remembered. I love his voice and his guitar playing too.
For more information about this project please visit Sarah Baker’s website –www.sarahbaker.org or follow updates on Facebook - CLICK HERE

Author and documentary filmmaker Sarah Baker, along with her partner producer/editor Elaina Archer, are currently in pre-production on a documentary film about the life and times of blues guitarist and vocalist Sean Costello. A short 10-minute promotional trailer has been developed to help raise funds for the project in order to make it possible to go into production. Once the film is completed, plans are to debut it at the Sundance Film Festival in the hopes of getting theatrical or broadcast distribution.

Petition for an International Blues Day!

2011-11-12T14:18:00.002Z

Blues Show 132 playlist & stream

2011-11-08T19:22:00.000Z

Deadstring Brothers - Smile
Larry Miller - Cruel Old World
24 Pesos - Make A Man
Blues n Trouble - Bring It On Home
Marcus Malone - One More Time
Chris James - Life's Too Short
Romi Mayes - Tire Marks
Eugene Hideaway Bridges - BB
King King - Lose Control
Gary Fletcher Band - I'll Never Leave You
Johnny Childs Band - I Walk The Floor
Earl Thomas w. Paddy Milner & The Big Sounds - See It My Way
Jim Suhler & Monkey Beat - Under The Gun
John Brim - Ice Cream Man
Paul Lamb & The Kingsnakes - No Matter What You Do
Skip James - Devil Got My Woman
Dale Storr - Sick and Tired/BigChief
Patrick Sweany - The Same Thing
Gregg Wright - Livin' For Real
Jay Tamkin - You've Changed
The Revolutionaires - Honey Hush
Toby Walker - The Entertainer

The Healing Power of Music

2011-11-08T17:39:00.001Z

We all know that music makes you feel good, right? You can read the whole article here

The Great Mustaches of Rock

2011-11-04T19:39:00.000Z

This is over at Guitar Squid in honour of Movember.

Some of these I've seen before, some I haven't.

L.R. Phoenix and Andres Roots - Death Letter - Video

2011-11-04T13:17:00.000Z

I've featured the music of these guys quite a bit on The Blues Show. I love this video!

The video, which has been aired on Estonian national TV, was directed by Asko-Romé Altsoo, the music performed by L.R.Phoenix & Andres Roots, and the song is "Death Letter" by the great Son House, with a bit of Willie Brown's "Future Blues" thrown in for good measure.

Winebox Guitars

2011-11-02T19:51:00.000Z

Trevor Steger of BabaJack

Most of us will, by now, have heard of Cigar Box guitars, and I know that guitars are made from all kinds of materials, but I've never seen a Winebox guitar - until now.

Chris Thomas King's guitars

2011-11-02T18:47:00.000Z

Gibson ES137

1929 Gibson Lap Steel

There isn't a lot of information here, but it is interesting, to me at least, and to you too I hope.

Hokie Joint interview

2011-11-02T12:53:00.000Z

I saw Hokie Joint in Hartlepool a few weeks ago - and I really really enjoyed the gig. I did a brief audio interview with the guys which I played out on The Blues Show too. Here's an unpublished interview from earlier this year that my friend Jamie Hailstone did with the guys. Thanks for sharing Jamie!

In the early 1970s, an unknown band from Essex by the name of Doctor Feelgood gave the blues a much-needed kick up the backside and took the British music scene by storm.

Now 40 years on, history looks set to repeat itself with the emergence of another band from that self-same county – Hokie Joint – who combine the swagger of the Rolling Stones, the theatricality of Tom Waits and the gothic melodrama of the southern states of America.

If you like your blues safe and cosy, then you’ve probably come to the wrong place, but if you want something with an edge, which takes the blues into new and slightly more dangerous territory, then Hokie Joint might just be the band for you.

The five-piece have just released their second album, THE MUSIC STARTS TO PLAY, which will cement their reputation, both in this country and on the continent – as one of the most gripping and unique bands on the scene.

“We’re five different blokes, of five different ages,” explains lead singer, JoJo Burgess. “We all have our own individual tastes and influences. When they are amalgamated together, it gives us the Hokie Joint sound.”

Burgess and guitarist, Joel Fisk, who had both been part of another group, Jelly Roll, for several years, formed Hokie Joint in late 2007.

“We just had enough and wanted to do something more bluesy and rootsy,” explains Burgess.

After putting the call out for like-minded musicians, the two men were joined by drummer, Stephen Cutmore, who after rehearsing with them in deepest, darkest Colchester, suggested they enlist the services of bass player, Fergie Fulton, and harmonica player, Giles King.

“The way Giles and Joel play together is not like your usual lead guitar or lead harmonica,” says Burgess. “They both play together as lead instruments. It’s the same way the Rolling Stones weave Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards together. It’s not about the guitar solo or the harmonica solo. It’s about how it all sounds together.”

The band also have a very distinctive “Hokie Joint” look, which sets them apart from other groups.

“One of the things that I’ve always tried to do is be an entertainer,” says Burgess. “And go out there and give people a show. On the blues scene, there are so many people, who go out there with a guitar, and can play wonders on the guitar, but in terms of being interesting to look at, they are lacking.”

The band’s unique sound and look brought them to the attention of film director Drew Cullingham, who used their music in his vampire western movie, Umbrage.

“He had Doug Bradley, from Hellraiser, as the big name in the movie,” explains Burgess. “They approached us, asking if they could use a couple of tracks. We did a bit of a deal and said they could use them if they made a music video for us!”

Cullingham duly obliged and shot a video for the title track of the their first album, THE WAY IT GOES…SOMETIMES, which included footage from the film.

“It was a fantastic experience,” says Burgess. “We had a couple of make-up girls, powdering our noses and moping our brows. We’re pretty pleased with the results and it portrays the band really well.”

Since 2008, the band has been signed to Dutch record label Coolbuzz, which has allowed them to build up a following in the Netherlands and on the rest of the continent.

“It’s a thriving scene out there, and to be honest, the money abroad is a lot better than at home,” admits Burgess. “You get fed and watered, which is a rarity in a lot of UK venues!”

While touring the rest of Europe and playing the festival circuit, Hokie Joint have shared the bill with many of the top names in music, including Joe Bonamassa, Steve Winwood and Booker T.

Regarding the British blues scene, which is undergoing something of a renaissance at the moment, Burgess says there are several really good bands out there, including Ian Siegal, Dave Arcari and 24 Pesos.

“Ian Siegal was a big influence on us starting the band,” the singer adds. “He’s a blues musician, doing song-based material. In my opinion, there are far too many people out there for whom it’s all about the guitar solos, and nothing to do with the actual song, lyric or melody.

“If you look at the Dutch blues scene,” he says. “There’s a band called the Rhythm Chiefs on the Coolbuzz label and they have a guitarist called Dusty Ciggarr, who is a mind-bogglingly good guitarist. You can hear influences from Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix, but he has his own sound.

“That’s the important thing! It’s about finding your sound and not following every band before you. That was part of our problem, trying to break into the UK scene. It took some time for people to figure us out.

“I think people who see us will either love it or hate it,” says Burgess. “But I’d rather have that, as opposed to being just another mediocre band that has no originality.”

Jamie Hailstone

Blues Show 131 playlist & stream

2011-11-02T09:36:00.000Z

Show broadcast Sunday 30th October, 6-8pm 105.9BishopFM and BishopFM.com

Album Of The Week - Blues Leaf - Leaflets Vol. 2

Paul Oscher - All Night
Storm Warning - Parallel Lives
Mainsqueeze - Born In Chicago
Skylark Song - Underneath The Roots
Devil's Creek - Give Me Your Love
Howlin' Smurf - Eating Peanut Butter From A Playing Card
Jo Harmon & Company - Better Woman
George Friend - A Whole Lot Of Trouble
The Mustangs - Any Road Will Do
Stringbean & The Stalkers - On That Horse
Muddy Waters & Johnny Winter - The Blues Had A baby & They Called It Rock n Roll
Bad Influence - Mailbox Blues
Albert Castiglia - Big Toe
Janiva Magness - Stormy Blues
NavaCross - Don't Shout
Enter Shikari (Johnny & The Snipers) - Destabilise
The Hoax - 20 Ton Weight
Jon Amor Blues Group - Juggernaut
Sandy Mack - Keep Holdin' On Baby
Stringbean & The Stalkers - I Wish You Would
Seth Walker - I Know It's A Sin
Stevey Hay - Loosin' With The Boozin'
Trampled Underfoot - Get It Straight
Bad Influence - Rockin My Boogie

Sticklebacks on the Blues Show - videos

2011-10-30T11:49:00.000Z

More at my YouTube channel

Blues Show 130 playlist & stream

2011-10-30T11:32:00.000Z

Show broadcast Sunday 23rd October 6-8pm on 105.9BishopFM and BishopFM.com

Studio Guests: The Sticklebacks

John Alex Mason - Bury My Boots
Brunning Sunflower Blues Band - Shout Your Name & Call It
Floyd McDaniel w. Dave Specter & The Bluebirds - Mean Old World
Chrissie O'Dell - You Lied To Me
The Sticklebacks Live In The Studio:
Ain't It Funny How Time Slips Away
Meet Me In The Morning
Memphis In The Meantime
Mark Butcher - Is It You?
The Motives featuring Matt Taylor w. Ian Siegal - The Rules Don't Apply
The Sticklebacks Live In The Studio:
Willin'
She Belongs To Me
Call Me The Breeze
Dave O'Grady - Bones
Something Blue - Cornbread, Peas n Black Molasses
Al Stone - Walkin' Cane
Half Deaf Clatch - Slow Death Shuffle
Jake's Blues - Pass Me My Pain
Keith Patterson - Keep The Blues Alive
Lucy Hammond - Talk To Me
Darwin & The Electric Rebels - Dead Man's Blues
Frank Latorre & The King Bees - Liar
Jeff Healey - Me & My Crazy Self
Something Blue - Baby, You Gotta Change Your Mind
Sonny Landreth - Key To The Highway
Jason Ricci - Done With The Devil

Video: Gary Grainger - Me & My Uncle

2011-10-29T17:14:00.000+01:00

Vintage Guitars at VintageandRare.com

2011-10-26T20:07:00.001+01:00

Vintage and Rare Guitars - a pretty good description of the kind of guitars that I and most other guitar players would like to own. But also the very apt name of a website showcasing both vintage and rare guitars. The site has details of thousands of guitars available for sale from all around the world - some without prices (the rarest, I guess!)

Here are a few of the gems amongst the many treasures there:
Jeff Buckley's telecaster - yes, that one:

A 1966 Martin semi-acoustic guitar:

and a 1960 Gibson ES345:

I've literally spent hours today drooling over the guitars on this site - and I haven't seen anywhere near all of them. If you love guitars, you've got a few hours to spare (and maybe a lot of money!) take a look - but don't blame me if your keyboard fills up with drool and your bank balance empties pretty quickly!

Jake's Blues

2011-10-23T11:28:00.000+01:00

I get sent quite a few CDs these days, as well as downloads of mp3 tracks.

I listen to everything I'm sent, several times, and will always aim to give airtime on The Blues Show too. I figure, if a band or an artist or a PR company has taken the time and effort (and expense too) to send me some music, I at least need to give the music some of my time in return.

Last week I got an email to BishopFM about an artist called Jake's Blues. Over the past few days I've been sent some tracks, and a CD is on the way too. Jake's Blues (the band of Jake Banta) from Erie, Pennsylvania has been playing the blues circuit now for over twenty years.

He has opened the stage for some of America's biggest and hottest stars, and has recorded with Stevie Ray's rhythm section Double Trouble.

Jake's Blues, the band, play a great mix of blues and blues rock, with the odd bit of funk thrown in for good measure.

The CD "Living at the Crossroads" contains, as mentioned earlier, tracks recorded with world famous Double Trouble, the late Stevie Ray's personal band.

Jake has an easy to listen to voice that can lay back when it needs too - "I Need Your Love So Bad", - "Pass Me My Pain"; but can also step it up a notch too when required. And Jake is a very tasty guitar player too – he says: “ I like home made beer, farming and choking a guitar neck”.

Jake has been voted North-western PA's Number 1 blues artist by local audiences, and has won 6 of Erie PA's prestigious music awards for regional favourite.

You can find out more about Jake on his website at www.jakesblues.net.

Back Porch Stomp Box

2011-10-22T17:21:00.001+01:00

I've been toying with the idea of one of these for ages, but many of them cost up to £50 - or more. I had a few spare quid in Paypal last week, and an idle ebay search brought me to this - just over a tenner, made from driftwood and fitted with a drum trigger (under the sticker). I though it was worth a shot, and short term in-house tests through my Peavey combo (bass all the way up, treble down, mid quite low, a touch of reverb) were enough for my family to say "What the hell are you doing?!"
I'll be using it at my gig next Friday night - I'm doing an acoustic spot before playing bass with Sheik Your Mojo.

I got the Back Porch Stomp Box from Alan Deane at New Grain Music - he kindly included a CD of some of his busking songs too.

Blues Show 129 playlist & stream

2011-10-19T12:37:00.001+01:00

R.I.P. George "Mojo" Buford

Show broadcast 6-8pm Sunday 16th October on 105.9BishopFM and online at BishopFM.com, repeated Wednesday 11pm.
Also syndicated on Kansas City Online Radio every Monday at 6pm CST

George "Mojo" Buford - I'm A Bluesman
Johnny Winter - Done Somebody Wrong
The Producers - Preservation Blues
L.R. Phoenix - Morning Train from the Album Of The Week "The Hollow Log of Capt. Richard Wolfe"
Contact L.R.: Leighton.Phoenix@gmail.com
Hokie Joint - Tom Rushen Blues
Hokie Joint - Interview at Cameron's Club, Hartlepool
Hokie Joint - Bang Bang
Stevey Hay - Treason
Bad Influence - Dressing Like You Don't Dress For Me
Granna Louise - Where You Been?
L.R. Phoenix - Crying
Black Sheep - Wrong Tree, Baby
Mark Butcher - Leave If You Want To
Paddy Milner - As She Walked Away
Savoy Brown - Can't Let You Go
L.R. Phoenix - Down South
Stevey Hay - Sleep A Little Longer
Devil's Creek - Give Me Your Love
Wily Bo Walker - Drive
C. J. Tozer - Searchin'
Paddy Milner - Come On In My Kitchen
L.R. Phoenix - Hobo
Savoy Brown - Can't Take It With You
Mulebone - Untitled

New Brunswick Battle Of The Blues - entries open now

2011-10-17T19:44:00.001+01:00

You may (or may not) remember that last year I was a judge at the Glasgow heat of this great contest. I was also invited to the final at the 100 Club in London, for a night of great music.

24 Pesos were the well deserved winners that night, and they recently returned from their gigs in New Brunswick at The Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival.

Says Julian Burdock from the band; ‘The competition is a fantastic opportunity for emerging or established British blues artists to raise their profile, play on a world stage – and experience the wonders of the Canadian maritime province that is New Brunswick!’

Entries are open from October 15th to December 15th for this year's contest. All of the entry details are here and I'm certainly going to go to the heat that is local to me, at St. Peter's Club in Byker, Newcastle.

I'll be bringing you updates as the contest progresses.

Details of heats:

13th January, True Blues Club, Newton Le Willows

18^th January, The Thunderbolt, Bristol

19th January, New Crawdaddy Blues Club, Billericay

27th January, Byker & St Peters Social Club, Newcastle

New Blues Gig

2011-10-17T17:32:00.001+01:00

We had such a good time at the Jack Drum fundraiser that we played earlier this year, and so did the organisers. Such a good time, in fact, that they have decided to run a monthly music night on the last Friday of every month - hence Last Friday presents.. And they enjoyed us so much that we're opening the inaugural Last Friday event!
I'll be trying a couple of new songs in my acoustic set, and we've got 4 or 5 new tunes in the Sheik Your Mojo setlist too. Should be a good night!

AMERICAN BLUES BLOG.com: BEHIND THE U.K. BLUES SCENE – The Unsung Heroes

2011-10-16T09:04:00.001+01:00

I've been called many things, but never a Knight in Shining Armour before!

AMERICAN BLUES BLOG.com: BEHIND THE U.K. BLUES SCENE – The Unsung Heroes: In the U.K radio-play and blues are terms that rarely hang together or at least that’s how it used to be in the pre–internet days. Althou...

Blues Show 128 playlist, stream

2011-10-13T12:41:00.000+01:00

Show broadcast 6-8pm Sunday 9th Oct 2012, repeated Wed. 12th Oct, 11pm

R.I.P. Bert Jansch

Bert Jansch - Come Back Baby
Rabbit Foot - Smokestack
Guy Tortora - That's Against The Law
Stevie Hay - 29 Ways To My Baby's Door
Moneymaker - My Little Sister
Bettye Lavette - Just Checked In To See What Condition My Condition Was In
Live In The Studio: The Maggie Ross Band - Voodoo Woman
The Maggie Ross Band - Keep Control
The Maggie Ross Band - Blues Is My Business
NuBlues -
Jeff Beck - Ain't Superstitious
Diunna Greenleaf - Be Foe Me
L.R. Phoenix - Death
Hokie Joint - The Music Starts To Play
Smokin' Mat Harrison - Just Got Paid (from the live Blues Show archives)
Live In The Studio: The Maggie Ross Band - Hittin' On Me
  The Maggie Ross Band - Built For Comfort
The Maggie Ross Band - Can't Hold Out
Lee Bates & Billy Newton - Hush Your Mouth - (from the live Blues Show archives)
Tim Hain & Sunny Side Up - One Man Went To Mojo
Dove & Boweevil - Bourbon Street
Live In The Studio: The Maggie Ross Band - Goin' Down
  The Maggie Ross Band - Love Me Like A Man
  The Maggie Ross Band - Hoochie Coochie Woman
Stevie Hay - Orange Moon

Blues Club Contacts - details needed!

2011-10-09T13:08:00.000+01:00

I know there are lots of sites that list blues clubs, but we're trying to rejuvenate the blues scene in the UK, by making it easy for fans to go to clubs and see bands, and also for blues acts to contact clubs either in their local region, or elsewhere around the country. Please take a look at the currently blank page Blues Club Contacts up there ^^^, and send me your info! http://thumbrella.blogspot.com/p/blues-club-contacts.html

Blues Show 127 playlist & stream

2011-10-05T20:54:00.000+01:00

Guy Tortora

Show broadcast Sunday 2nd October 6-8pm, repeated Wed 5th October 11pm

Albert Collins - The Iceman
The Wiyos - Stomp
Philip Sayce - The King of New Mexico
The Duke Robillard Band - The Train Fare Home
Guy Tortora - Willie Dixon
Tim Aves & Wolfpack - 300lbs of Heavenly Joy
Willie Dixon - Hoochie Coochie Man
Frank Latorre & The King Bees - Mellow Down Easy
Shaun Murphy - That's What Love Will Make You Do
Mike Wilgar - Down Today
Fabrizzio Poggi & Chicken Mambo - King Biscuit Time
Paul Butterfield Blues Band - Look Over Yonder's Wall
ZZ Top - La Grange
Dr. Truth - Naughty Night Nurse
Mick Jagger - Memo From Turner
Cassandra Wilson - Hellhound On My Trail
Rabbit Foot - Howlin'
Guy Tortora - Viola Lee Blues
Dixie Fried - Red Light Dreamin'

Lee Bates & Billy Newton - I've Been To School
Maggie Ross Band - Fuel To Burn
Dr. Truth - If I Was Twenty Minutes Younger
Vintage Trouble - Blue Hand Me Down
Will Wilde - No, No, No

God Bless Thee Jackie Maddison

2011-10-05T20:48:00.000+01:00

In 1972 & 1973, as I've discussed previously here, I was a professional musician in a 5 piece band called March Hare. As we had some auditions for TV talent shows, (Opportunity Knocks, New Faces), we needed to join either Equity (The Actors' Union) or The Musician's Union. Derrick Rowbotham (on the left) and I (yes, that's me on the right!) joined Equity which meant that we got called for some extras roles in local TV shows. This still is from a TV play written by northern playwright Tom Haddaway called God Bless Thee Jackie Maddison. I remember we got paid £7.50 for going up and having a costume fitting and another £15 for the day's work. Pretty good money in 1973!

Blues Show 126 playlist & stream

2011-09-29T14:36:00.000+01:00

Show broadcast Sunday 24th September, with The Boneshakers in the studio talking about their new album.

NuBlues - Swamp Thang
Hillfolk Noir - Dyin' Bed Blues
Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa - Sinner's Prayer
Leslie West feat. Joe Bonamassa - Third Degree
The Boneshakers In The Studio: Interview and tracks from Shaken & Stirred:
Rock Me Baby
Loved Another Woman
Help Me
Long Gone
How Blue Can You Get?
Walkin' Blues
Hipshake
Dave Jackson Band - Born Again Bluesman
Little Toby Walker - I've Got To Love Somebody
Big Shot Reub & The Reloaders - Big Shot Roll
The Bushwackers - Bushwacked
Rabbit Foot - Catfish Blues
Howlin Smurf - 6 Below 9 Below Zero
Virgil & The Accelerators - Bad Girl
K.K. Martin - Your Darkest Hour
The Jon Amor Blues Band - Make It Your Trouble

The Bloozeburn AllStars - Love That Burns - video

2011-09-26T19:54:00.000+01:00

From last Saturday night's Bloozeball Gig at Shildon Civic Hall - lovely vocals and guitar from Michael and harp from Martin Fletcher - yes, that's me on bass.

Gansey Choir

2011-09-25T20:18:00.001+01:00

My brother Paul does sterling work running the Grainger Family yahoo group which is all about our family history and heritage, and there are lots of members who make great contributions.. Recently there's been some discussion of Ganseys and group member Roy Storm posted this picture of a recent Gansey Choir. Great stuff!

Blues Show 125 playlist & stream

2011-09-22T20:04:00.000+01:00

Willie "Big Eyes" Smith - Hoodoo Man
B.B. King - See That My Grave is Kept Clean
Eric Sardinas - County Line
Dave O'Grady - Bones
Bloozeburn Live In the Studio:
Smokin' Mat Harrison & Ron Blair - 3 Magpies
Smokin' Mat Harrison & Ron Blair - Fool For Your Stockings
Breadbelly & Smokin' Mat Harrison - Ain't No Sunshine
  Breadbelly & Smokin' Mat Harrison - Change It
Ollabelle - You're Gonna Miss Me
Tim Aves & Wolfpack - 300 Pounds of Heavenly Joy
Taylor Dixon Band - Crosscut Saw
Bloozeburn Live In the Studio:
Spanish Battery - Walkin' Blues
Spanish Battery - She's Dangerous
Michael Littlefield, Jeff Grant & Ron Blair - I Loved Another Woman
  Michael Littlefield, Jeff Grant & Ron Blair - Love That Burns
Kris Dollimore - Where I Belong
K.K. Martin - Rattlesnake Shake
Bloozeburn Live In the Studio:
Jeff Grant, Smokin' Mat Harrison, Michael Littlefield, Ron Blair - Without You
  Jeff Grant, Smokin' Mat Harrison, Michael Littlefield, Ron Blair - Red House
Nine Below Zero - Nine Below Zero
Bloozeburn Live In the Studio:
Trevor Sewell Band - A Hundred Years
  Trevor Sewell Band - No Future Round Here
Little Toby Walker - Crazy 'Bout An Automobile
The Jensen Interceptors - Tribute To Little Walter

Gravity Picks

2011-09-22T19:13:00.000+01:00

I was sent a couple of picks from Gravity Picks a few weeks ago, and haven't had the chance to use them yet. The picks are handmade out of sheets of cast acrylic. They are then laser engraved and cut out into the individual picks. Next is to grind and polish each pick one by one.

The picks are available in lots of sizes, thicknesses, shapes and colours so there is plenty of choice. Then there is the Wave pick - different again. They are certainly very well made, feel pretty good in the hand, and I'll try the thicker of the two I was sent when I play bass in a blues band on Saturday night. I've already learned that I pick quite heavily on bass, even though I haven't been playing for long, so the gig will give the pick a great workout.

Gary Chaplin - Grow Fins

2011-09-19T18:59:00.000+01:00

Friend, musician and movie maker Gary Chaplin made this great film to accompany his great version of Capt. Beefheart's Grow Fins.

Blues Show 124 playlist & stream

2011-09-15T19:18:00.000+01:00

Cal Williams Jr.

This is the pre-recorded show that would have been broadcast on BishopFM on Sunday 11th Sept, if I'd been able to master the technology!
It was broadcast, though, on Kansas City Online Radio on monday at midnight CST, and will be repeated twice more this week

Samantha Grey - Memphis Groove

Candye Kane - Sweet Nothin's

Jon Allen - Lucky I Guess

LR Phoenix & Andres Roots - Comin' Home

Eric Clapton & Wynton Marsalis - Fourty-Four

Idle Hands - Weep And Moan

Cal Williams Jr. - Death Don't Have No Mercy

Sean Chambers - Full Moon On Main Street

Back Door - Linin' Track

Moreland & Arbuckle - Just A Dream

Rory Block-Mississippi Man

Fred McDowell & Johnny Woods - Going Down To The River

Sonny Terry - I Don't Worry

Randy Joe Galloway - Are You Still Loving Me

Fleetwood Mac w. Paul Butterfield - I Loved Another Woman

Johnny Mars - Mellow Down Easy

Low Society - Dead Mans Shoes

Cal Williams Jr. - Brownsville

Bowden & Williamson - Be Still

Trampled Under Foot - Evil Train

Henrik Freischlader -Come On My Love

Andres Roots - Spider Jam

Newark Blues Festival - Tim Aves & Wolfpack video

2011-09-14T21:11:00.000+01:00

I enjoyed all 4 bands that I saw at Newark Blues Festival on Sunday, but the highlight was Tim Aves & Wolfpack - playing tracks from their great new album The Wolfpack Burnham Sessions. They ended the evening with 2 special guests (Giles King & Ian Siegal) and a huge Howlin Wolf jam!

More at my youtube channel

British Blues Awards 2011 results

2011-09-13T19:34:00.000+01:00

Giles King of Hokie Joint guesting with Tim Aves & Wolfpack

I was at Newark Blues Festival in the grounds of Newark Castle on Sunday, for the announcement of the British Blues Awards. I had a great day meeting friends old and new and watching 4 great bands (videos to follow).

I particularly enjoyed the bit where I was announced Runner Up in the Best British Blues Broadcaster category! Considering the winner was Paul Jones from BBC Radio 2, and I'm a volunteer on BishopFM, a community radio station, I feel quite proud of my achievement. Thanks to everybody who voted for me!

Well done too to all of the winners!

The results in full:

Blues Broadcaster of the Year - Paul Jones at Radio Two.
Runner-Up GARY GRAINGER and The Blues Show at BishopFM
3rd,Tim Aves ‘The Blues Is Back’ on SaintFM,

Male Vocalist: – 1st Ian Siegal, 2nd Oli Brown, 3rd Marcus Bonfanti

Female Vocal – 1st Joanne Shaw Taylor, 2nd Sandi Thom, 3rd Connie Lush

Band – 1st Oli Brown Band, 2nd Ian Siegal Band, 3rd Matt Schofield Band

Guitar – 1st Matt Schofield, 2nd Robin Trower, 3rd Oli Brown

Harmonica – 1st Paul Jones, 2nd Giles King, 3rd Paul Lamb

Keyboard – 1st Jonny Henderson, 2nd Paddy Milner 3rd Bennett Holland

Bass – 1st Andy Graham, 2nd Fergie Fulton, 3rd Silas Maitland

Drums – 1st Wayne Proctor, 2nd Alan Taylor, 3rd Paul Hamilton

Instrument Other – 1st Son Henry, 2nd Patsy Gamble, 3rd Kyla Brox

Young Artist – 1st Chantel McGregor, 2nd Oli Brown, 3rd Ben Poole

Blues Festival – 1st Colne, 2nd Blues On The Farm, 3rd Maryport

Overseas Artist – 1st Joe Bonamassa, 2nd Walter Trout, 3rd Buddy Whittington

Album -
1st Heads I Win Tails You Lose – Oli Brown
2nd Merchants and Thieves – Sandi Thom
3rd Porchlight – Todd Sharpville

Kevin Thorpe Songwriter Award –
1st Same As It Never Was – Joanne Shaw Taylor
2nd Lousy Husband – Todd Sharpville
3rd Everything I Want – Ben Poole

The Bushwackers on the Blues Show - Bushwacked - video

2011-09-08T17:58:00.001+01:00

Last week's studio guests The Bushwackers play their theme tune in session on last week's Blues Show. We had a great time!
More at my YouTube channel

Late Summertime Blues - Bishop Auckland - The Ragpickers - video

2011-09-08T14:55:00.000+01:00

The third week of Bishop Town Council's great initiative to provide some blues music at Theatre Corner, Bishop Auckland. Last Saturday was the turn of previous Blues show guests The Ragpickers. They put on quite a show, aided in part by their use of a portable PA system, but aided mainly by their great playing. More at my YouTube channel

Blues Show 123 playlist, stream

2011-09-07T16:41:00.000+01:00

Show broadcast Sunday 4th Sept. 6-8pm UK time, 105.9BishopFM and BishopFM.com
Syndicated to Kansas City Online Radio Mondays, 6-8pm CST

David "Honeyboy" Edwards - Catfish Blues
Idle Hands - Mississippi
Ged McMahon - Much Too Cool For Me
Low Society - Long Black Limousine
David Bromberg - Digging in The Deep Blue Sea
The Bushwackers Live in The Studio - King Bee
Little Red Rooster
Don't Phone Frank
Buddy Whittington - Texas Trios
Tommy Allen Band - Read Me My Rights
David "Honeyboy" Edwards - Talking The Blues
David "Honeyboy" Edwards - Crawling Kingsnake
Ry Cooder - John Lee Hooker for President
John Lee Hooker - Boogie Chillun
The Bushwackers Live in The Studio - Bushwacked
Who's Foolin' Who?
Mississippi Heat - I Got Some News Today
Hazmat Modine - So Glad
The Bushwackers Live in The Studio - Live It Up
Gonna Boogie
J.B. Lenoir - Mama Talk To Your Daughter
Joe Bonamassa - Lonesome Road Blues
Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa - Well, Well
Little Toby Walker - Whipping Post

Ikea Gorm pedalboard build

2011-09-06T20:37:00.000+01:00

There have been many articles about using Ikea's Gorm shelf to make a pedalboard. Local musician Kneale (I've blogged about his bass project here) had a need for a board for his vocal processors and decided to give it a go.

Kneale says:

Heres what i started with

A few points to start:

1. Specs: It must be light, durable, compact and professional looking.
2. The wood looks deceptively good, its cheap (but light) crap. Hence the need to add additional support here and there. 3. I needed it done in a day at minimum expense (I'm skint)

£6 outlay for the shelf, all other materials i had from earlier DIY music projects.Next step, measure to fit. I decided to replace the nails already in with screws (countersunk for the pro touch)

Added cable entry and exit channels with a file.

Measuring the wings for the 25 degree side elevation and securing them with screws

Trying everything for size

After a quick sanding and 3 coats of black spray paint

My Upcoming Gigs

2011-09-02T13:51:00.000+01:00

Gigs:
2nd Sept Red Lion, North Bitchburn - Sheik Your Mojo & Gary Grainger, acoustic & electric blues

24th Sept Bloozeburn, Shildon Civic Hall - solo acoustic

28th Oct Jack Drum Last Friday Music Club, Crook - Sheik Your Mojo & Gary Grainger acoustic & electric roots & blues

6th Nov Blyth & Tyne, Blyth - MacMillan fundraiser - solo acoustic

26th Nov Cameron's Club, Hartlepool - MacMillan fundraiser - solo acoustic

Also a couple of support slots pencilled in for local blues clubs, and the Sheik Your Mojo/Gary Grainger roadshow will be taking more bookings too

Blues Show 122 playlist & stream

2011-09-01T12:49:00.000+01:00

Show broadcast on Sunday 28th August, 105.9BishopFM, 6-8pm

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Honey Bee
Low Society - Black Pelican
Hollow Body - Lovin' In My Baby's Arms
Colin Hodgkinson - Blue Monday
Zakk Knight - In This World
James O'Hara Band - Please Try To See It My Way
Matt Schofield - One Look And I'm Hooked
Armadillo Blues - Shake Your Hips
Ramon Goose - Delta Moon
Buddy Whittington - Ain't Got The Scratch
Colin Hodgkinson - Crossroads
Steve Dawson - Torn & Frayed
Maria Muldaur - Why Are People Like That?
The Mighty Mojo Prophets - Night Train
Low Society - Three Time Loser
Armadillo Blues - No More
Roy Mette - Gallows Pole
Hazmat Modine - Yesterday Morning
Andres Roots - Lemon Days
Johnny Whitehill Band - Ain't Nobody's Business
The Bushwackers - Bushwacked
Armadillo Blues - Chickenfoot
Colin Hodgkinson - .38 Special
Hazmat Modine - Lost Fox Train

Dark Walk

2011-08-31T20:41:00.002+01:00

Dark Walk by gary-grainger

Late Summertime Blues in Bishop Auckland week 2 - video

2011-08-29T16:53:00.000+01:00

I posted previously about this initiative to bring some street corner blues to Bishop Auckland's Theatre Corner. This week it was the turn of the Richard Sutton Trio - 3 young guys (2 guitars, percussion), and I met up with them at their last session of the day. I shot some video (more here) and will be arranging for the guys to come into the Blues Show studio soon. Richard has a great voice and between the three of them, they make a great sound. Here's their take on Elvin Bishop's "Fooled Around & Fell In Love".

Blues Show 121 playlist, stream

2011-08-24T15:42:00.000+01:00

Blues Show 121
Broadcast 6-8pm Sunday 21st August 105.9 BishopFM and BishopFM.com

Michelle Shocked - If Love Was A Train
Mulebone - Drop Down Mama
Gypsy Dave Smith - Milwaukee Blues
Wilson T. King - Vigilante Man
Gary Grainger & Anthony Turner Live in The Studio:
I Know You Rider
Nobody's Fault But Mine
New Delhi Freight Train
Katy Webster - Two Fisted Mama
Red Devils - I'm Ready
B.B. King - Sittin' On Top Of The World
Delta Generators - Hard River To Row
Jo Ann Kelly - Walking The Dog
Slim Harpo - I'm A King Bee
Wood Brothers - Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor
Gary Grainger & Anthony Turner Live in The Studio:
Jesus Just Left Chicago
One Meatball
Big Boss Man
Moby - Natural Blues
Gare du Nord - Pablo's Blues
Trevor Sewell - Condemned
Gary Grainger & Anthony Turner Live in The Studio:
My Old Friend The Blues
Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
Demon In Disguise
North Mississippi All Stars - Shake Em On Down
Lucky Peterson & Tommy McCoy - '56 Chevy

Ray Renteurs - Scroller Guitars

2011-08-24T12:46:00.001+01:00

Ray Renteurs (Snr.) doesn't live too far from me, and in a previous life, when I played in a Country and Western band, he did a great job fixing a hole in the side of my acoustic guitar. When I was at his house he showed me some of the precursors of these guitars - yes, they are different, and I guess you'll either love or hate the look of them. There's no doubt, though, that they are very well made. The video is of Ray's son, Ray (Jr.) playing "Nivram" on the guitars.

Here's the spec:

Solid Sycamore head / neck and top
Ebony fingerboard
American Black Walnut back / sides / ribs
Mahogany "hand carved / scrolled bridge design"
Proprietary design solid Mahogany "sound-post / block" arrangement
Custom made / wound P-90 style pickups
Schaller ASD piezo / preamp
Gold fittings / hardware
Gold (9 carat) corner protectors

Website with sounds here

Late Summertime Blues in Bishop Auckland - video

2011-08-21T10:22:00.001+01:00

This is Gypsy Dave Smith, filmed yesterday at Theatre Corner, Bishop Auckland, as part of a series of Late Summertime Blues events, promoted by Durham County Council. There's more Gypsy Dave videos from the event at my YouTube channel here.

Over the next 3 weeks there'll be music from Richard Sinclair Trio, and previous Blues Show guests The Ragpickers and The Hokum Hotshots. The gigs start at 11.30am. I'll try and get there for each gig and shoot some video.

Very classy guitar shirt

2011-08-19T20:05:00.000+01:00

Now here is a shirt I would love to wear!

There are a whole load of guitar related t-shirts, as well as band shirts - yes, Grateful Dead, of course!

Blues Show 120 playlist & stream

2011-08-16T17:55:00.000+01:00

Show broadcast Sunday 14th August on 105.9 BishopFM and BishopFM.com

Greg Nagy - Pack It Up
Rick Vito - Little Sheeba
Zakk Knight - Things To Live By
Balham Alligators - Sugar Bee
Mulebone - Spider's Web
Nige, Bob & Ned (from The Poorboys) - Live In The Studio:
Ridin' In The Moonlight
Jockey Full Of Bourbon
Can't Be Satisfied
The Roy Mette Band - Head In The Boneyard
Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa - Well, Well
Mulebone - Come Back Baby
Stevey Hay - 29 Ways
Terry Evans - Get Your Lies Straight
Nige, Bob & Ned - Live In The Studio:
Blind Willie
Someday The Sun Won't Shine For You
Shake Your Moneymaker
Wild Rock Doves - Bright Lights, Big City
Karen Carroll - Do You Ever Think About Me
Nige, Bob & Ned - Live In The Studio:
6 Strings Down
Come On In My Kitchen
Shake Em On Down
Zakk Knight - Earthquake
Richard Black Project - City Burns
Grinderswitch - Pickin' The Blues

Light-operated Theremin - I Want One!

2011-08-16T15:52:00.000+01:00

Very cheap, very fun, very desirable, WANT!

There's a great video on the website here

via

Blues Show 119 playlist, stream

2011-08-11T20:16:00.000+01:00

Show broadcast Sunday August 5th on 105.9 BishopFM and BishopFM.com

Studio Guests: Presence (l. to r.)- Tom, Andrew, Martin, Ani

Michelle Malone - Tighten Up The Springs
Earl Serrate & The Blues Kings - Why Don't You Love me?
Memphis Slim - Grinderman Blues
The F&G Band feat. Edlene Hart - You Don't Sing The Blues - They Sing You
Aaron Williams & The Hoodoo - 10:49
Balham Alligators - Johnny B. Goode
Presence Live in The Studio:
Superstition
Whipping Post
Breakaway - Driving Into Bayville
David Rotundo - Stranger
Etta James - I'd Rather Go Blind
Mike Pachelli - How Come I Always Get The Blues?
Presence Live in The Studio:
Hard to Handle
No Quarter
Collard, Greens & Gravy - Streamline Train
Joko Trio - Rock With Me
Tom Principato - Slipped, Tripped & Fell In Live
Presence Live in The Studio:
Take Me To The River
Thank You
Rusty Wright Band - Messin' Round
Moneymaker - The Thrill is Gone
Tom Principato - Blue Groove

Free Spencer Park Music Sampler Album

2011-08-07T10:58:00.000+01:00

I've been following Matt Stevens' music career for a few years, and have bought some CDs and downloads, and got others for free, too. He's released this free sampler of a variety of music he's involved in, and it is a great introduction to his style of acoustic guitar instrumental driven music - though on some of his work (The Fierce & The Dead) there are some lovely electric guitar tones too.
Matt is also something of an evangelist on the use of social media to promote, perform and sell music. If you like this free sampler you can go to his website here to find out more, and go to his bandcamp page here to buy downloads and CDs.

By listening to Matt I've not only discovered a whole lot more interesting music from Matt and his friends, but I've also been thinking about my own acoustic guitar playing, and where I'm going with it.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://mattstevens.bandcamp.com/album/spencer-park-music-album-sampler"&amp;gt;Spencer Park Music Album Sampler by Matt Stevens&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Sheikh Your Mojo - Got My Mojo Working - Video

2011-08-06T16:08:00.000+01:00

The Northern Jukes - St. James Infirmary - Blues Show - video

2011-08-03T13:19:00.000+01:00

Sean (gtr, vox) & Douggie (harp) give us a great version of this well known blues song.

Blues Show 118 playlist & stream - British Blues Awards special

2011-08-02T13:53:00.000+01:00

The Northern Jukes - Live In Session

Show broadcast Sunday 31st July 6-8pm on 105.9 BishopFM and BishopFM.com

Sandi Thom - Runaway Train
Joanne Shaw-Taylor - Same As It Never Was
Marcus Bonfanti - Will Not Play Your Game
24 Pesos - Maxwell Street
The Northern Jukes Live In Session - Superstition
   Key To The Highway
   On the Road Again
Ben Poole Band - Everything I Want
Chantel McGregor - I'm No Good For You
Hokie Joint - Aeroplane
Simon McBride - Dead Man Walking
Connie Lush - Nobody's Fault But Mine
The Northern Jukes Live In Session - Juke Joint
   Another Brick In The Wall
   Cut My Wings/Poorboy
Ian Siegal & TheYoungest Sons - The Skinny
Dani Wilde - Miss You
The Northern Jukes Live In Session - Dust My Broom
   St. James' Infirmary
   Steakhouse Swing
Todd Sharpeville - A Lousy Husband (But A Real Good Dad)
Clare Free - Funky Mama's Kitchen Blues
Giles Robson & The Dirty Aces - Solidor

Bigsby Steel Guitar restored to triple neck

2011-07-30T14:22:00.000+01:00

Tom Grey has had a 2-necked Bigsby pedal steel for some time but eventually it was restored to full triple necked glory. Read the great story here

No Parking at Park Inn Car Park, on Park Road

2011-07-30T11:04:00.000+01:00

This sign appears outside of the Park Inn in Park Road, Hartlepool. I used to live in Park Road, and used to frequent the Park Inn too. It seems they should change the name to "The No-Park Inn"

Blues Show 117 playlist, stream

2011-07-26T19:42:00.000+01:00

Album Of The Week

Show broadcast Sunday July 24th 6-8pm 105.9 BishopFM and on BishopFM.com

Barry Levenson - Whole Lotta Blues
Scott Ramminger - Give A Pencil To A Fish
Virgil & The Accelerators from Album of The Week - Backstabber
Skyla Burrell - Real Love
Mississippi John Hurt - Candy Man
Virgil & The Accelerators from Album of The Week - Low Down & Dirty
The 44s - So Low Down
Lucy Zirins - Live at Morpeth Roots n Blues Club - Feel Like Going Home
Franc Roberts - Cotee River Blues
Virgil & The Accelerators from Album of The Week - 88
Randy Stephens - Tickets and Taxes
The Hokum Hotshots - Everybody Ought To Make A Change
Lucy Zirins - Live at Morpeth Roots n Blues Club:
   - Wayfarin' Stranger
   - Feelin' Good
   - Fumblin' With The Blues
Virgil & The Accelerators from Album of The Week - Working Man
Romi Mayes - Achin' In Your Bones
Philip Sayce - Powerful Thing
Lucy Zirins - Live at Morpeth Roots n Blues Club:
   - Hours To Waste
   - Summertime
   - 'Nother Woman On his Mind
The Robert Ross Band - '69 Chevy
Virgil & The Accelerators from Album of The Week - Bad Girl
George Thorogood & The Destroyers - 2120 South Michigan Avenue

I'm in the press

2011-07-25T14:44:00.000+01:00

This appeared in our internal staff magazine:

Don't forget there is still time to vote for me here

"This Ain't Your Grandad's Blues" CD Review - Virgil & The Accelerators - "The Radium"

2011-07-23T19:39:00.003+01:00

I've seen Virgil and The Accelerators 2 or 3 times now, and interviewed Virgil twice for the Blues Show. (The title of this piece is a quote from an interview I did with Virgil in March, talking about this album. You can hear that interview here.) The last time I saw them, just a few months ago at Hartlepool, they were right in the middle of recording this album. They previewed some of the songs from their recording sessions at that gig, and it was obvious to me that this was going to be an album which would make people sit up and take notice of this young trio - their new, self-penned songs were showing a maturity which, despite their youth, simply reflected the depth of their experience.

From the resonating introduction to "Working Man" to the delicate closing notes of the final, instrumental, "Silver Giver" this is an album which pushes hard at the rock end of the blues-rock spectrum, but which references the blues throughout; in its songwriting, its ensemble & individual playing and particularly in Virgil's maturing voice - his roots add a pleasing accent to his deep tenor voice which is well suited to these songs.

As mentioned, "Working Man" opens the CD - a very confident opener; the sound is very "big", here and throughout the album, with brother Gabriel and Jack Timmis driving this track along. Virgil tells us he is just a working man "working to get free" after some heartbreak. The track is also our introduction to Virgil's impressive guitar skills - building on all he has heard, all he has learned, his solos are in his own voice, combining melodic bluesy runs with split second rock solid riffing.

"Refuse to Believe" is an up tempo rocker, betraying some older rock influences, which wouldn't sound out of place on one of the many rock video channels on satellite TV.

In under 3 minutes "Backstabber", with its dropped tuning and even more solid riffs, paints a precise picture of the song's subject, a "backstabbing bitch" with that "evil eye twitch"; and apparently "she steals money where she gets her honey". Now, who hasn't heard that tale in many blues songs?

With its blues-influenced guitar intro, the slower "88" tells us that Virgil is looking for a way to get back to "88", away from his current situation - "I can't go on much longer, living day by day". This moody piece features 2 excellent solos from Virgil, as well as the rock solid rhythm section of Gabriel and Jack.

This whole album sounds as if it is just that - a coherent collection of songs captured at a specific place and time, reflecting the growing confidence of this band not only in their playing but in their songwriting. Manager Martin Lewis tells me: "They wrote this album with frightening ease, it just fell out of them".

Atmospheric instrumental interlude "The Storm" propels us into "Low Down and Dirty"; with Virgil telling us that is how he feels - "being made to believe ain't nothing good enough for me". There's more of the tasty guitar work that I've now become accustomed to hearing, and cracking support from Gabriel and Jack.

Virgil tells us exactly what kind of girl he likes in "Bad Girl" - "she's my type" with a "dirty reputation all over town". There's mention in this riffing rock song of Las Vegas - I know the band had a vacation there earlier this year. If this album gets the exposure it deserves, they'll soon be going back to Vegas, and beyond, to play some serious gigs.

A slow rock ballad, "Fell To The Floor", gives Virgil the chance to let us see that his voice is versatile enough to handle different song styles - his heartbreak here is palpable. The guitar solo in this song is, for me, one of the best on the album, starting with bluesy emotion and moving towards a wah wah workout before finishing with more melodic playing.

"Cold Hearted Woman" tells me that Virgil is either a red-blooded young man, or just has a great imagination when it comes to writing stories of unrequited love and broken hearts. Maybe it is both! The solo here moves towards shredding territory which should see this whole album accepted by not only by open minded blues fans but also rock fans who have got their ears wide open.

Instrumental "Silver Giver" ends the album perfectly - after the previous 40 minutes of driving riffs, solos and heart rending stories, we are given the chance to relax, and to wonder not only at the sensitivity of Virgil's playing on this gentle tune, accompanied by some tasty Hammond from bass player Jack Timmis; but also to wonder at what we have just heard - a very confident debut album which sounds huge, 11 original songs pushing the boundaries of blues rock, great playing from all 3 musicians, and an album which sounds like it was made by a 10 year veteran of the blues rock scene - not a debut album from a power trio whose combined age is still much less than mine!

I've listened to this album 5 times in the 24 hours since I've had it - and I'm off to listen to it again. I urge you to do the same when the album is released on Mystic Records on September 1st.

(I'll be featuring this CD as Album Of The Week on the Blues Show on BishopFM.com 6-8pm UK time, July 24th.)

Upcoming gig

2011-07-22T13:34:00.000+01:00

Blues Show 116 stream, playlist

2011-07-20T19:03:00.000+01:00

Show broadcast on 6-8pm Sunday 17th July 2011 on BishopFM.com and 105.9 BishopFM

Earl Grey & The Loose Leaves - Bank On The Devil
The Reclamators - Bullet Blues
Sherman Robertson - Long Way From Home
Billy C. Farlow - Good Rockin' Mama
Red House Live In The Studio:
Ramblin' On My Mind
Crossroads
Stormy Monday
Randy Stephens - Keepin' It Real
Burton Gaar - Hurricane Trouble
Diesel - I'm A Ram
Red House Live In The Studio:
Hoochie Coochie Man
Rock Me Baby
Thrill Has Gone
Jools Holland RnB Orchestra - Got My Mojo Working
Richard Madden - Cannonball
Red House Live In The Studio:
Red House
The Hunter
Steven Foster & Howler - Tied Up In The Blues
Retro Deluxe - 3 Piece Boogie

Steampunk guitar to make yourself

2011-07-20T17:31:00.000+01:00

My guitar building skills are non-existent, though I could probably assemble a guitar from a set of pre-made parts. I like this because:

a) it is a telecaster - and telecasters are cool

b) it is see through - and see through guitars are always cool aren't they?

Here

How to play the congas

2011-07-17T12:40:00.001+01:00

I've played the congas a few times at gigs, many years ago. Nothing extravagant, just straightforward stuff, though there was that featured break in that Billy Cobham tune with Lard King that night at The Longscar Hall in Seaton! Anyway, here's a pretty decent introduction to some of the sounds you can get from congas - 3 videos in total.

Blues Show 115 playlist & stream

2011-07-13T14:38:00.000+01:00

Show broadcast Sunday 10th July 2011, 6-8pm 105.9 BishopFM and BishopFm.com

The Motives feat. Matt Taylor w. Ian Siegal - The Rules Don't Apply
The Mentulls - I Got The Blues (from The Album Of The Week)
Philip Sayce - Powerful Thing
Shawn Pittman - Feast or Famine
Richard Madden - One Way Out
The Mentulls - Can't Slow Down
The Maggie Ross Band - I Can't Stand It
The Hadden Sayers Band - Ain't Coming Round No More
Ruthie Foster - Nickel and A Nail
The Warren Haynes Band - The River's Gonna Rise Up
The Mentulls - I Gotta Tell Ya
Dana Fuchs - Superman
Lonnie Johnson - Backwater Blues
John Campbell - Ain't Afraid Of Midnight
The Mentulls - The Long Road To Home
Skip James - Devil Got My Woman
Marcus James - Dream After Dream (for Skip James)
The Russ Tippins Electric Band - Little Josephine
Samantha Fish - Push Comes To Shove
Mike Zito - Judgement Day
Gary Moore - Key To Love
The Rick Fowler Band - Hellhound
Tom McDermott - New Orleans Blues

TurboHarp - a new concept

2011-07-10T12:43:00.001+01:00

A very interesting concept, and some great sounds coming from these harps. The instructional section is very good, too. The prices aren't too bad, either.

TurboHarp, Harmonicas of the Future, Electronic Harmonica

Blues Show 114 playlist, stream

2011-07-07T12:42:00.000+01:00

Blues Show 114 playlist
Show broadcast Sunday July 3rd on 105.9 BishopFm and BishopFM.com

Jimbo Ross - Messin' With The Kid
The Mentulls Live In The Studio: So It's Like That
                                                Long Road To Home
Bushwackers - Bushwacked
Poplar Jake Live In The Studio: Poplar Workhouse Blues
                                              Alcohol Blues
Rev Gary Davis - Cocaine
The Mentulls Live In The Studio: Red House
                                                Can't Slow Down
Stan Webb Interview and Poor Boy
Paul Wassif - Southbound Train
Poplar Jake Live In The Studio: Baby Let Me Lay It On You
                                               Lord I Look On Down The Road
The Motives feat. Matt Taylor - Leap of Faith
The Mentulls Live In The Studio: Instrumental 1
                                                Just Got Paid
                                              I Got The Blues
Michelle Malone - Tighten Up The Springs
Poplar Jake Live In The Studio: I Can't Be Satisfied
                                              Big Leg Woman
Giles Robson and The Dirty Aces - Solidor

King King - One Love at Darlington - video

2011-07-03T15:19:00.000+01:00

I hadn't seen King King before, but I'd heard great things about them and their new album "Take My Hand" was Album of the Week on the Blues Show too.
I was highly impressed by the guys - a great band, and Alan Nimmo is a great guitar player who also has a strong voice. If you get the chance, do go and check these guys out - I'll certainly be looking forward to seeing them again when they tour in the autumn.
Also important is to continue supporting live music in your local area - wherever you are. This gig was at Darlington Arts Centre R'n'B Club, and was very well supported - not all local gigs are, and if we don't support live music by going to gigs, we'll lose the chance when venues close down.

Rock Stars and their Mustaches

2011-07-01T12:55:00.002+01:00

Not just theCap'n and Frank, but many more - I'm noticeable by my absence.

Dangerous Minds | Rock Stars and their Mustaches

Walter Trout interview - audio

2011-06-29T19:10:00.000+01:00

Here's the interview I did with Walter Trout after his great set at the Durham Blues Festival on Sat. June 25th

Blues Show 113 playlist, stream

2011-06-28T13:58:00.000+01:00

Show broadcast Sunday June 26th 6-8pm 105.9 BishopFM and BishopFM.com

Trevor Sewell has kindly given Blues Show listeners the opportunity to download 3 free tracks from his new album - go here

David Jacobs-Strain - Kokomo Me Baby
King King featuring Alan Nimmo - Broken Heal
Poplar Jake - Gonna Carry Me Down
Chris James - Angel In The Mirror
Trevor Sewell - Where The Wild Ones Go
The Sugar Bs - Live In the studio:
   On The Road Again
   Checkin' Up On My Baby
   Red House
J Edwards - Still the King
Danni Stefanetti - Let You Off & interview at Durham Blues Festival
Monkey Junk - Mother's Crying
Walter Trout - interview at Durham Blues Festival (full interview here)
Walter Trout - Walking In The Rain
The Sugar Bs - Live In the studio:
   Black Magic Woman
   Not Fade Away
   High Heel Sneakers
Trevor Sewell - A Hundred Years
The Sugar Bs - Live In the studio:
   Baby Please Don't Go
   Crossroads
   Johnny B. Goode
Trevor Sewell - Don't Need Nobody
Adrian Legg - The Gospel According to O. Henry

Great colour for Fender bass

2011-06-24T22:18:00.000+01:00

From quite a well known online music retailer:

FENDER 59 P BASS RELIC WB

Fender 59 P Bass Relic WB, e-bass, 4-string, 2-piece ash body, one-piece quatersawn maple neck (oval C-shape), long scale, maple fretboard, 20 frets, 7,25" fretboard radius, Micarta face and side dots, vintage thomann tuning machines,
colour: shite blond, incl. Fender Customshop Tweed case

Hokum Hotshots on The Blues Show - video

2011-06-23T21:06:00.000+01:00

More Hokum on my YouTube channel

Fender Musicmaster restoration project

2011-06-23T14:16:00.002+01:00

Local musician Steve picked up this 1977 Fender Musicmaster -a little worse for wear - but could see the potential it had.

He said " - all original parts except for someone had routed if for a ' bucker at the bridge.the guitar had obviously been refinished as the white finish was of poor quality and was very flakey and loose but luckily the neck was in awesome condition including original tuners and the original bridge and the neck pickup are intact."

His original plan was to take it back to the wood, but "after taking some of the finish off I have discovered somebody has refinished it in a green stain at some point - very Francis Rossi. I then decided to refinish it in sonic blue and convert it to a DuoSonic style guitar with the chrome control plate. I picked up a few parts for the upgrade:

-Fender Custom Shop 69 pickup (abigail ybarra)
-black smooth top covers
-Cts 250k pots
-.47 sprague cap
-phase switches
-switchcraft jack
-mustang knobs
-mij control plate (going to need to ream the holes)

The actual parts used were:

"- as many period correct parts as i could get.
-70s Fender Mustang Pickguard
-70s Fender hole-less pickup cover
-70s Fender Bronco Knobs
-Fender Custom 69 Abigail Ybarra bridge pickup(new)
-Fender Mustang plate(new)

Everything else on the guitar was original."

The end result:

Steve's verdict?

"on all pickup positions this thing sounded great. I was surprised by how different it was to my Strat
it was much punchier and warmer and cut through nicely - I'm particularly fond of the both pickups selection as it has a nice balanced sound to it - played mostly clean with it today with a hint of crunch and it sounded perfect throughout."

Well done Steve and thanks for sharing.

Ganjeaux

2011-06-22T19:18:00.001+01:00

Ganjeaux, originally uploaded by termokurt.

Made from a drumhead and a French wine box!