1895 Elizabeth Cotten*
1905 Roosevelt Holts*
1929 Tabby Thomas*
1932 Johnny Adams*
1944 Jo Ann Kelly*
1944 Wiley Reed*
1953 Jim Roberts*
1958 Michelle Willson*
1960 Frank Goldwasser* 1)
2003 King Biscuit Boy+
2015 Pino Daniele+
Happy Birthday
Jo Ann Kelly *05.01.1944
Jo Ann Kelly (* 5. Januar 1944 in Streatham, London, England; † 21. Oktober 1990) war eine britische Blues-Sängerin und Gitarristin. Sie wurde als "die unbestrittene Königin der britischen Country-Blues-Sänger" bezeichnet.
Leben
Die musikalische Laufbahn von Jo Ann Kelly begann in der britischen Blues-Szene der frühen 1960er. Mit ihrer außerordentlichen Stimme und dem von Memphis Minnie und Charley Patton beeinflussten Gitarrenstil beeindruckte sie 1964 das Publikum in den Londoner Clubs. Mit Tony McPhee machte sie erste Aufnahmen.
Meist trat sie alleine auf, gelegentlich jedoch auch mit anderen Musikern wie der John Dummer Blues Band. 1969 erschien ihr erstes Album. Sie trat mit Canned Heat auf, die ihr eine längerfristige Zusammenarbeit anboten, ebenso wie später Johnny Winter. Beide Angebote lehnte Jo Ann Kelly ab.
In den 1970ern trat sie weiterhin solo auf, ab und zu auch mit befreundeten Bands, wie etwa Tramp. 1979 half sie bei der Gründung der Blues Band, mit der sie Anfang der 1980er die Show "Ladies and the Blues" aufführte, einen Tribut an die großen Sängerinnen des Blues.
1988 wurde bei ihr ein Hirntumor diagnostiziert und entfernt. An den Folgen starb Jo Ann Kelly am 21. Oktober 1990.
Jo Ann Kelly (5 January 1944 — 21 October 1990)[1] was an English blues singer and guitarist. "To many American performers", an obituarist wrote, "Jo Ann Kelly was the only British singer to earn their respect for her development of what they would be justified in thinking as 'their' genre".[2]
Life and career
Kelly was born in Streatham, South London. She and her brother, Dave Kelly, are both musicians.[2]
Kelly appeared on two albums with Tony McPhee. Me and the Devil (1968) and I Asked for Water, She Gave Me Gasoline (1969) were both released on Liberty Records. She also appeared on two John Dummer Band albums: John Dummer Blues Band (1969) and Oobleedoobleejubilee (1973). She was the featured artist on 1972s Jo Ann Kelly: with John Fahey Woody Mann John Miller Alan Seidler (Blue Goose Records, catalog #2009).
Canned Heat and Johnny Winter both tried to recruit Kelly, but she preferred to stay in the United Kingdom. She also expanded to the European club circuit, where she worked with guitarist Pete Emery and with other bands.[2] In the early 1980s, she was a member of the Terry Smith Blues Band.[citation needed]
In 1988, Kelly began to suffer from headaches.[1] In 1989 she had an operation to remove a malignant brain tumour.[3] She died in October 1990, at the age of 46.
The latest Kelly compilation album, Blues and Gospel, is available on Blues Matters! Records.
Life and career
Kelly was born in Streatham, South London. She and her brother, Dave Kelly, are both musicians.[2]
Kelly appeared on two albums with Tony McPhee. Me and the Devil (1968) and I Asked for Water, She Gave Me Gasoline (1969) were both released on Liberty Records. She also appeared on two John Dummer Band albums: John Dummer Blues Band (1969) and Oobleedoobleejubilee (1973). She was the featured artist on 1972s Jo Ann Kelly: with John Fahey Woody Mann John Miller Alan Seidler (Blue Goose Records, catalog #2009).
Canned Heat and Johnny Winter both tried to recruit Kelly, but she preferred to stay in the United Kingdom. She also expanded to the European club circuit, where she worked with guitarist Pete Emery and with other bands.[2] In the early 1980s, she was a member of the Terry Smith Blues Band.[citation needed]
In 1988, Kelly began to suffer from headaches.[1] In 1989 she had an operation to remove a malignant brain tumour.[3] She died in October 1990, at the age of 46.
The latest Kelly compilation album, Blues and Gospel, is available on Blues Matters! Records.
Elizabeth Cotten *05.01.1895
Elizabeth „Libba“ Cotten (* 5. Januar 1895 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina; † 29. Juni 1987 in Syracuse, New York) war eine einflussreiche US-amerikanische Folk- und Blues-Musikerin. Einem weiteren Publikum bekannt wurde sie erst im Alter von weit über 60 Jahren. Die Songs der Grammy-Gewinnerin wurden von so bekannten Bands und Musikern, wie Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul and Mary und Grateful Dead, aufgenommen. Ihr Stück Ain't Got No Honey Baby Now wurde 1940 von Blind Boy Fuller als Lost Lover Blues eingespielt.
Leben
Geburtsjahr und Datum sind umstritten, manche Quellen geben 1892 oder 1893 an oder einen anderen Tag im Januar.[1] Als Kind brachte sich Elizabeth Cotten zunächst das Spielen auf dem Banjo, dann auf der Gitarre selbst bei. Dabei hielt sie als Linkshänderin die Instrumente „verkehrt“ herum. Hieraus resultierte ihre einzigartige Gitarrentechnik, bei der sie beim Fingerpicking die Melodie auf den hohen Saiten mit dem Daumen und den Wechselbass auf den tiefen Saiten mit dem Zeigefinger spielte.
Elizabeth Cotten wird nachgesagt, dass sie Lieder nachspielen konnte, nachdem sie diese einmal gehört hatte. Ihr bekanntestes Stück, Freight Train, soll sie im Alter von 12 Jahren geschrieben haben.
Mit 11 verließ sie die Schule, um als Hausmädchen zu arbeiten. Vom selbstverdienten Geld kaufte sie ihre erste eigene Gitarre. Sie musizierte auf Partys und Festen. Mit 15 heiratete sie Frank Cotten und bekam bald eine Tochter.
Elizabeth Cotten gab die Musik fast vollständig auf. Die Familie zog mehrfach um, u. a. nach New York und Washington, D.C. Die Ehe mit ihrem Mann wurde 1940 geschieden, und sie zog zur Familie ihrer Tochter Lillie.
Mitte der 1940er lernte sie Ruth Crawford Seeger kennen, als sie deren Tochter zurückbrachte, die sich verlaufen hatte. Elizabeth arbeitete schließlich bei den Seegers, einer sehr musikalischen Familie, wo sie sich um die Kinder Mike, Pete und Peggy kümmerte.
Durch Zufall wurde Elizabeths musikalisches Talent entdeckt. 1957 produzierte Mike Seeger ihr erstes Album, Negro Folk Songs and Tunes, das später als Freight Train and other North Carolina Folk Songs neu veröffentlicht wurde. Ab 1960 trat sie vor Publikum auf, meist mit Mike Seeger. Mittlerweile war sie 65 bis 68 Jahre alt, je nach Geburtsjahr.
Elizabeth Cotten profitierte vom Folk- und Blues-Revival der 1960er. 1963 spielte sie auf dem ersten Philadelphia Folk Festival, 1964 auf dem Newport Folk Festival. Sie trat mit Blues-Größen, wie Mississippi John Hurt, John Lee Hooker und Muddy Waters, auf, gab aber auch eigene Konzerte.
1967 erschien ihr zweites Album, Shake Sugaree. 1984 gewann sie einen Grammy für das Album Elizabeth Cotten Live!. Sie wurde auch mit einer National Heritage Fellowship ausgezeichnet. 1989 wurde sie zu den 75 einflussreichsten afroamerikanischen Frauen gezählt, denen die Fotodokumentation „I Dream a World“ gewidmet war.
Inzwischen wohnte Elizabeth Cotten in Syracuse im Bundesstaat New York, wo sie 1987 verstarb, vermutlich 92 Jahre alt. Sie war bis zuletzt aufgetreten.
Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten (January 5, 1893 – June 29, 1987) was an American blues and folk musician, singer, and songwriter.
A self-taught left-handed guitarist, Cotten developed her own original style. Her approach involved using a right-handed guitar (usually in standard tuning), not re-strung for left-handed playing, essentially, holding a right-handed guitar upside down. This position required her to play the bass lines with her fingers and the melody with her thumb. Her signature alternating bass style has become known as "Cotten picking".
Early life
Elizabeth Nevills was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina,[1] to a musical family. Her parents were George Nevill (also spelled Nevills) and Louisa (or Louise) Price Nevill. Elizabeth was the youngest of five children. At age seven, Cotten began to play her older brother's banjo. By eight years old, she was playing songs. At the age of 11, after scraping together some money as a domestic helper, she bought her own guitar. Although self-taught, she became very good at playing the instrument.[2] By her early teens she was writing her own songs, one of which, Freight Train, became one of her most recognized. Cotten wrote Freight Train in remembrance of the nearby train that she could hear from her childhood home.
Around the age of 13, Cotten began working as a maid along with her mother. On November 7, 1910, at the age of 17, she married Frank Cotten.[3] The couple had a daughter named Lillie, and soon after young Elizabeth gave up guitar playing for family and church. Elizabeth, Frank and their daughter Lillie moved around the eastern United States for a number of years between North Carolina, New York, and Washington, D.C., finally settling in the D.C. area. When Lillie married, Elizabeth divorced Frank and moved in with her daughter and her family.
Re-discovery
Cotten had retired from the guitar for 25 years, except for occasional church performances. She didn't begin performing publicly and recording until she was in her 60s. She was discovered by the folk-singing Seeger family while she was working for them as a housekeeper.
While working briefly in a department store, Cotten helped a child wandering through the aisles find her mother. The child was Penny Seeger, and the mother was composer Ruth Crawford Seeger. Soon after this, Elizabeth again began working as a maid, caring for Ruth Crawford Seeger and Charles Seeger's children, Mike, Peggy, Barbara, and Penny. While working with the Seegers (a voraciously musical family) she remembered her own guitar playing from 40 years prior and picked up the instrument again to relearn almost from scratch.
Later career and recordings
In the later half of the 1950s, Mike Seeger began making bedroom reel to reel recordings of Cotten's songs in her house.[4] These recordings later became the album Folksongs and Instrumentals with Guitar, which was released on Folkways Records. Since that album, her songs, especially her signature track, Freight Train—which she wrote when she was 11—have been covered by Peter, Paul, and Mary, Jerry Garcia, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Devendra Banhart, Laura Gibson, Laura Veirs, His Name Is Alive, Doc Watson, Taj Mahal and Geoff Farina. Shortly after that first album, she began playing concerts with Mike Seeger, the first of which was in 1960 at Swarthmore College.[4]
In the early 1960s, Cotten went on to play concerts with some of the big names in the burgeoning folk revival. Some of these included Mississippi John Hurt, John Lee Hooker, and Muddy Waters at venues such as the Newport Folk Festival and the Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife.
The new-found interest in her work inspired her to write more material to play, and in 1967 she released a record created with her grandchildren, which took its name from one of her songs, Shake Sugaree.
Using profits from her touring, record releases, and from the many awards given to her for her own contributions to the folk arts, Elizabeth was able to move with her daughter and grandchildren from Washington, D.C., and buy a house in Syracuse, New York. She was also able to continue touring and releasing records well into her 80s. In 1984, she won the Grammy Award for "Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording" for the album on Arhoolie Records, Elizabeth Cotten Live. When accepting the award in Los Angeles, her comment was, "Thank you. I only wish I had my guitar so I could play a song for you all." In 1989, Cotten was one of 75 influential African-American women included in the photo documentary, I Dream a World.
Elizabeth Cotten died in June 1987, at Crouse-Irving Hospital in Syracuse, New York, at the age of 94.
Unique style
Elizabeth Cotten began writing music while toying around with her older brother's banjo. She was left-handed so she played the banjo in reverse position. Later, when she transferred her songs to the guitar, she formed a unique style, since on the banjo the uppermost string is not a bass string, but a short high pitched string called a drone string. This required her to adopt a unique style for the guitar. She first played with the "all finger down strokes" like a banjo. Later, she evolved into a unique style of finger picking. Her signature, alternating bass style is now known as Cotten picking. Her finger picking techniques influenced many other musicians.
A self-taught left-handed guitarist, Cotten developed her own original style. Her approach involved using a right-handed guitar (usually in standard tuning), not re-strung for left-handed playing, essentially, holding a right-handed guitar upside down. This position required her to play the bass lines with her fingers and the melody with her thumb. Her signature alternating bass style has become known as "Cotten picking".
Early life
Elizabeth Nevills was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina,[1] to a musical family. Her parents were George Nevill (also spelled Nevills) and Louisa (or Louise) Price Nevill. Elizabeth was the youngest of five children. At age seven, Cotten began to play her older brother's banjo. By eight years old, she was playing songs. At the age of 11, after scraping together some money as a domestic helper, she bought her own guitar. Although self-taught, she became very good at playing the instrument.[2] By her early teens she was writing her own songs, one of which, Freight Train, became one of her most recognized. Cotten wrote Freight Train in remembrance of the nearby train that she could hear from her childhood home.
Around the age of 13, Cotten began working as a maid along with her mother. On November 7, 1910, at the age of 17, she married Frank Cotten.[3] The couple had a daughter named Lillie, and soon after young Elizabeth gave up guitar playing for family and church. Elizabeth, Frank and their daughter Lillie moved around the eastern United States for a number of years between North Carolina, New York, and Washington, D.C., finally settling in the D.C. area. When Lillie married, Elizabeth divorced Frank and moved in with her daughter and her family.
Re-discovery
Cotten had retired from the guitar for 25 years, except for occasional church performances. She didn't begin performing publicly and recording until she was in her 60s. She was discovered by the folk-singing Seeger family while she was working for them as a housekeeper.
While working briefly in a department store, Cotten helped a child wandering through the aisles find her mother. The child was Penny Seeger, and the mother was composer Ruth Crawford Seeger. Soon after this, Elizabeth again began working as a maid, caring for Ruth Crawford Seeger and Charles Seeger's children, Mike, Peggy, Barbara, and Penny. While working with the Seegers (a voraciously musical family) she remembered her own guitar playing from 40 years prior and picked up the instrument again to relearn almost from scratch.
Later career and recordings
In the later half of the 1950s, Mike Seeger began making bedroom reel to reel recordings of Cotten's songs in her house.[4] These recordings later became the album Folksongs and Instrumentals with Guitar, which was released on Folkways Records. Since that album, her songs, especially her signature track, Freight Train—which she wrote when she was 11—have been covered by Peter, Paul, and Mary, Jerry Garcia, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Devendra Banhart, Laura Gibson, Laura Veirs, His Name Is Alive, Doc Watson, Taj Mahal and Geoff Farina. Shortly after that first album, she began playing concerts with Mike Seeger, the first of which was in 1960 at Swarthmore College.[4]
In the early 1960s, Cotten went on to play concerts with some of the big names in the burgeoning folk revival. Some of these included Mississippi John Hurt, John Lee Hooker, and Muddy Waters at venues such as the Newport Folk Festival and the Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife.
The new-found interest in her work inspired her to write more material to play, and in 1967 she released a record created with her grandchildren, which took its name from one of her songs, Shake Sugaree.
Using profits from her touring, record releases, and from the many awards given to her for her own contributions to the folk arts, Elizabeth was able to move with her daughter and grandchildren from Washington, D.C., and buy a house in Syracuse, New York. She was also able to continue touring and releasing records well into her 80s. In 1984, she won the Grammy Award for "Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording" for the album on Arhoolie Records, Elizabeth Cotten Live. When accepting the award in Los Angeles, her comment was, "Thank you. I only wish I had my guitar so I could play a song for you all." In 1989, Cotten was one of 75 influential African-American women included in the photo documentary, I Dream a World.
Elizabeth Cotten died in June 1987, at Crouse-Irving Hospital in Syracuse, New York, at the age of 94.
Unique style
Elizabeth Cotten began writing music while toying around with her older brother's banjo. She was left-handed so she played the banjo in reverse position. Later, when she transferred her songs to the guitar, she formed a unique style, since on the banjo the uppermost string is not a bass string, but a short high pitched string called a drone string. This required her to adopt a unique style for the guitar. She first played with the "all finger down strokes" like a banjo. Later, she evolved into a unique style of finger picking. Her signature, alternating bass style is now known as Cotten picking. Her finger picking techniques influenced many other musicians.
Tabby Thomas *05.01.1929
Ernest „Rockin’ Tabby“ Thomas (* 5. Januar 1929 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; † 1. Januar 2014 ebenda[1]) war ein US-amerikanischer Gitarrist und Sänger des Swamp Blues.
Thomas begann seine Karriere als Musiker während der Ableistung des Militärdienstes bei der US-Luftwaffe. Während der 1950er Jahre sang er in einer R&B-Band und nahm erste Schallplatten auf, beeinflusst von Roy Brown. Ab 1954 begann seine Zusammenarbeit mit dem Produzenten Jay Miller, am erfolgreichsten war der Song Hoodoo Party, der 1962 auf Excello Records erschien. 1981 eröffnete Thomas in Baton Rouge den Veranstaltungsort Tabby's Blues Box, der bis 2004 bestand. Tabby Thomas ist der Vater des Musikers und Schauspielers Chris Thomas King.[2]
Tabby Thomas verstarb kurz vor seinem 85. Geburtstag am Neujahrstag 2014 in seinem Haus in Baton Rouge eines natürlichen Todes.
Ernest Joseph "Tabby" Thomas, (January 5, 1929 – January 1, 2014), also known as Rockin' Tabby Thomas, was an American blues musician.[1] He sang and played the piano and guitar, and specialized in a substyle of blues indigenous to southern Louisiana called swamp blues.[2]
Life and career
Thomas was born and grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After graduating he served in the U.S. Air Force, and while serving won a talent contest on KSAN radio in San Francisco in 1959. After making a few unsuccessful recordings for Hollywood Records,[3] he returned to Baton Rouge. He recorded for several small local labels, before he became more successful with Excello Records in Crowley, for whom his records included "Hoodo Party" in 1961.[4] He also worked in various jobs, including a time with Ciba Geigy where he was a union steward.[2]
He became one of the best known blues musicians in Baton Rouge with his band the Mellow, Mellow Men, but briefly retired from performing in the late 1960s to set up his own record label, Blue Beat, which released his own recordings and those of other local musicians.[3] In 1978, with other members of his family including his son Chris Thomas King,[5] he reopened a rundown building on North Boulevard. He ran the venue as an authentic blues club, Tabby's Blues Box and Heritage Hall. The club moved in 2000 and finally closed in November 2004. Thomas also became a popular performer in the UK and Europe, where he made regular appearances.[2]
Thomas had a serious automobile accident in 2002 and a stroke in 2004, which affected his playing but not his singing. He later hosted the radio show, Tabby's Blues Box, on Baton Rouge stations WBRH-FM and KBRH-AM. He died in the early hours of January 1, 2014.
Life and career
Thomas was born and grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After graduating he served in the U.S. Air Force, and while serving won a talent contest on KSAN radio in San Francisco in 1959. After making a few unsuccessful recordings for Hollywood Records,[3] he returned to Baton Rouge. He recorded for several small local labels, before he became more successful with Excello Records in Crowley, for whom his records included "Hoodo Party" in 1961.[4] He also worked in various jobs, including a time with Ciba Geigy where he was a union steward.[2]
He became one of the best known blues musicians in Baton Rouge with his band the Mellow, Mellow Men, but briefly retired from performing in the late 1960s to set up his own record label, Blue Beat, which released his own recordings and those of other local musicians.[3] In 1978, with other members of his family including his son Chris Thomas King,[5] he reopened a rundown building on North Boulevard. He ran the venue as an authentic blues club, Tabby's Blues Box and Heritage Hall. The club moved in 2000 and finally closed in November 2004. Thomas also became a popular performer in the UK and Europe, where he made regular appearances.[2]
Thomas had a serious automobile accident in 2002 and a stroke in 2004, which affected his playing but not his singing. He later hosted the radio show, Tabby's Blues Box, on Baton Rouge stations WBRH-FM and KBRH-AM. He died in the early hours of January 1, 2014.
Rockin' Tabby Thomas - Junkie Blues
Johnny Adams *05.01.1932
Laten Johnny Adams (* 5. Januar 1932 in New Orleans; † 14. September 1998 in Baton Rouge) war ein US-amerikanischer Blues-Sänger. Wegen der erstaunlichen Bandbreite seiner Stimme trug er den Spitznamen „Tan Canary“ („brauner Kanarienvogel“). Sein Stil war von der Gospel-Musik beeinflusst, mit der er seine Karriere begann, doch wechselte er 1959 zu weltlicher Musik und landete mit Dorothy La Bostries Komposition I Won’t Cry einen internationalen Hit. In 1968 und 1969 folgten weitere Erfolge mit Release Me und Reconsider Me.[1]
In den 1980er und 1990er Jahren nahm Johnny Adams mehrere preisgekrönte Alben bei Rounder Records auf, die in Deutschland zum größten Teil auf Zensor erschienen. Noch 1997 war er Gaststar für das Album R + B = Ruth Brown. Nach einem langen Krebsleiden starb er 1998 in Baton Rouge.
Laten John Adams (January 5, 1932 – September 14, 1998), known as Johnny Adams, was an American blues, jazz and gospel singer, known as "The Tan Canary" for the multi-octave range of his singing voice, his swooping vocal mannerisms and falsetto. His biggest hits were his versions of "Release Me" and "Reconsider Me" in the late 1960s.
Life and career
He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the oldest of 10 children, and became a professional musician on leaving school. He began his career singing gospel with the Soul Revivers and Bessie Griffin's Consolators, but crossed over to secular music in 1959.[1] His neighbor, songwriter Dorothy LaBostrie, supposedly persuaded him to start performing secular music after hearing him sing in the bathtub, and he recorded LaBostrie's ballad "I Won't Cry" for Joe Ruffino's local Ric label. Produced by teenager Mac Rebennack (later known as Dr. John), the record became a local hit, and he recorded several more singles for the label over the next three years, mostly produced either by Rebennack or Eddie Bo. His first national hit came in 1962, when "A Losing Battle", written by Rebennack, reached #27 on the Billboard R&B chart.[2][3]
After Ruffino's death in 1963, Adams left Ric and recorded for a succession of labels, including Eddie Bo's Gone Records, the Los Angeles-based Modern Records, and Wardell Quezergue's Watch label. However, his records had limited success until he signed with Shelby Singleton's Nashville-based SSS International Records in 1968. A reissue of his recording of "Release Me", originally released on Watch, reached Number 34 on the R&B chart and #82 on the pop chart. Its follow-up, "Reconsider Me", a country song produced by Singleton, became his biggest hit, reaching Number 8 on the R&B chart and Number 28 on the pop chart in 1969. Two more singles, "I Can't Be All Bad" and "I Won't Cry" (a reissue of the Ric recording) were lesser hits later the same year, and the label released an album, Heart and Soul. However, he left SSS International in 1971, and recorded unsuccessfully for several labels, including Atlantic and Ariola, over the next few years.[3] At the same time, he began performing regularly at Dorothy's Medallion Lounge in New Orleans as well as touring nightclubs in the south.[4]
In 1983, he signed with Rounder Records, and began recording a series of nine critically acclaimed albums with producer Scott Billington. Beginning with From the Heart in 1984, the records encompassed a wide range of jazz, blues and R&B styles while highlighting Adams' voice. The albums included tributes to songwriters Percy Mayfield and Doc Pomus, as well as the jazz-influenced Good Morning Heartache which included the work of composers like George Gershwin and Harold Arlen. The albums, which also included Room With A View Of The Blues (1988), Walking On A Tightrope (1989), and The Real Me (1991), brought him a number of awards, including a W.C. Handy Award. He also toured internationally, including frequent trips to Europe, and worked and recorded with such musicians as Aaron Neville, Harry Connick Jr., Lonnie Smith, and Dr. John.[1][3]
He died in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1998 after a long battle with prostate cancer.
Life and career
He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the oldest of 10 children, and became a professional musician on leaving school. He began his career singing gospel with the Soul Revivers and Bessie Griffin's Consolators, but crossed over to secular music in 1959.[1] His neighbor, songwriter Dorothy LaBostrie, supposedly persuaded him to start performing secular music after hearing him sing in the bathtub, and he recorded LaBostrie's ballad "I Won't Cry" for Joe Ruffino's local Ric label. Produced by teenager Mac Rebennack (later known as Dr. John), the record became a local hit, and he recorded several more singles for the label over the next three years, mostly produced either by Rebennack or Eddie Bo. His first national hit came in 1962, when "A Losing Battle", written by Rebennack, reached #27 on the Billboard R&B chart.[2][3]
After Ruffino's death in 1963, Adams left Ric and recorded for a succession of labels, including Eddie Bo's Gone Records, the Los Angeles-based Modern Records, and Wardell Quezergue's Watch label. However, his records had limited success until he signed with Shelby Singleton's Nashville-based SSS International Records in 1968. A reissue of his recording of "Release Me", originally released on Watch, reached Number 34 on the R&B chart and #82 on the pop chart. Its follow-up, "Reconsider Me", a country song produced by Singleton, became his biggest hit, reaching Number 8 on the R&B chart and Number 28 on the pop chart in 1969. Two more singles, "I Can't Be All Bad" and "I Won't Cry" (a reissue of the Ric recording) were lesser hits later the same year, and the label released an album, Heart and Soul. However, he left SSS International in 1971, and recorded unsuccessfully for several labels, including Atlantic and Ariola, over the next few years.[3] At the same time, he began performing regularly at Dorothy's Medallion Lounge in New Orleans as well as touring nightclubs in the south.[4]
In 1983, he signed with Rounder Records, and began recording a series of nine critically acclaimed albums with producer Scott Billington. Beginning with From the Heart in 1984, the records encompassed a wide range of jazz, blues and R&B styles while highlighting Adams' voice. The albums included tributes to songwriters Percy Mayfield and Doc Pomus, as well as the jazz-influenced Good Morning Heartache which included the work of composers like George Gershwin and Harold Arlen. The albums, which also included Room With A View Of The Blues (1988), Walking On A Tightrope (1989), and The Real Me (1991), brought him a number of awards, including a W.C. Handy Award. He also toured internationally, including frequent trips to Europe, and worked and recorded with such musicians as Aaron Neville, Harry Connick Jr., Lonnie Smith, and Dr. John.[1][3]
He died in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1998 after a long battle with prostate cancer.
Johnny Adams I Won't Cry
Frank Goldwasser alias Paris Slim *1960*
* Das genaue Geburtsdatum ist dem Autor nicht bekannt
Frank Goldwasser
"One of the most talented blues guitarist of his generation"
Frank Goldwasser has been playing music professionally since his first gig with San Francisco Bay Area bluesman Sonny Rhodes in 1981. Impressed with the 21-year old's skills, Rhodes invited his young protegé to join him in Oakland, California. Having dropped out of art school in his native Paris, Goldwasser arrives in Oakland the following summer, and soon lands a steady job with Troyce Key's Big Blues Band. Key, a singer-guitarist and owner of Oakland's notorious “home of the West Coast blues” ELI'S MILE HIGH CLUB, takes Frank under his wing and christens him "Paris Slim". Soon after, Omar Shariff (the piano virtuoso who, under the name of Dave Alexander, had recorded two magnificent albums for the Arhoolie record label) hires the aspiring bluesman for his Sunday afternoon gig at Eli’s.
For over a year, Goldwasser occupies the chair of guitarist in Key's band, backing-up a virtual who's who of post-war West Coast Blues luminaries: Percy Mayfield, Jimmy McCracklin, Pee Wee Crayton, Lowell Fulson, Sugar Pie De Santo and Big Mama Thornton among others. Rapidly developing a following of his own, Goldwasser forms the Paris Slim Blues Band to take over for Key who decides to take a break from performing. Now leader of the Eli's Mile High Club house-band, Goldwasser provides backing for Fulson, McCracklin as well as a plethora of seminal Bay Area Blues artists, including Dr. Wild Willie Moore, Lady Bianca, Dottie Ivory, JJ Malone, Eddie Ray, Cool Poppa, Maurice McKinnies, Frankie Lee and Mississippi Johnny Waters. Jimmy McCracklin notices the young man's abilities and deep knowledge of his repertoire; he hires him to be his guitarist and musical director. For the next three years, "Paris Slim" tours with the blues legend, while appearing on his own at various Bay Area night clubs, including the SALOON and MAJOR PONDS (San Francisco), YOUR PLACE (Oakland) and JJ'S LOUNGE (San Jose).
In december 1984, Frank Goldwasser records a single at San Francisco's Dave Wellhausen Studios. The 45, featuring a driving rendition of Lowell Fulson's "Guitar Shuffle", quickly finds itself spinning in numerous juke-boxes in Oakland's and San Francisco's blues bars. Feature stories appear in the SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, the BAY GUARDIAN and other papers. In the EAST BAY EXPRESS, music critic Lee Hildebrand writes: "...one of the most impressive young guitarists to have come along in some time... Paris Slim has the most consistently interesting repertoire of any Bay Area blues performer".
At Berkeley's LARRY BLAKE'S, Frank meets guitarist Tim Kaihatsu who hosts the popular Blue Monday Party. Frank takes part in numerous sessions, until eventually he takes Kaihatsu’s place who leaves to join the Robert Cray Band. There, he works with Luther Tucker, Freddie Roulette, Elvin Bishop, Norton Buffalo, Ron Thompson, Mark Hummel and Linda Tillery. In 1985, a recommendation from Kaihatsu lands Goldwasser a job with harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite. The following year, he hires on with Mitch Woods and the Rocket 88's, replacing Danny Caron who has been recruited by blues star Charles Brown. In 1986, Goldwasser appears twice on the SAN FRANCISCO BLUES FESTIVAL: The Paris Slim Blues Band is part of the Saturday line-up, while the Woods’ band is on the next day! A US tour with Mitch includes gigs with Omar and the Howlers at ANTONE'S (Austin) and with the Neville Brothers at TIPITINA'S (New Orleans). Returning to the Bay Area, Goldwasser forms a new band and plays shows with Buddy Guy and Junior Wells (the Cotati Cabaret), Roomful Of Blues (Wolfgang’s) and Delbert McClinton (Slim’s) while free-lancing with Sunnyland Slim (Wolfgang’s), Brownie McGhee, Byther Smith, James Harman and AC Reed (JJ’s Lounge). Stints with the Gary Smith Band and Nick Gravenites follow.
Filling-in for the late great Michael Bloomfield In august 1989, he joins Gravenites for an historical reunion of the pioneering rock-blues fusion band the Electric Flag, alongside original members Barry Goldberg and Harvey Brooks, Blues Project drummer/co-founder Roy Blumenfeld and keyboardist Merle Saunders. September sees the release of Paris Slim’s first album, "Blues For Esther" (on the Belgian label Blue Sting), which receives a nomination for the prestigious WC. Handy Awards. Its personel includes such prominent Bay Area musicians as alto sax legend Earl "Good Rockin'" Brown, Bobby Murray (of Etta James's band), Rick Estrin (of Little Charlie and the Nightcats), Tim Kaihatsu, Jimmy Pugh and Karl Sevareid (of the Robert Cray Band).
After a stint with Monterey-based Terry Hanck and the Soul Rockers in the early 90's, Paris Slim tours the Pacific Northwest, creating a stir at the ROSE CITY BLUES FESTIVAL (Portland). Local music critic Art Bukovich writes in the Oregonian:" With commanding stage presence and a deep feel for the blues, Paris Slim delivered the goods... “. Paris Slim then headlines the FESTIVAL AT THE LAKE in Oakland before touring Europe, where he fronts his own band and backs up Los Angeles blues colossus Phillip Walker and saxophonist Joe Houston. In 1994, Goldwasser returns to Paris to appear at the BAGNEUX BLUES NIGHT festival on a bill with Chick Willis, Luther Johnson and Jerry McCain. While in Paris, he records with his friend French Blues innovator Benoît Blue Boy. Back in California, he backs Phillip Walker at the SACRAMENTO BLUES FESTIVAL. In september 1995, Goldwasser teams up with Chicago Blues guitar-hero Steve Freund for a unique performance at the SAN FRANCISCO BLUES FESTIVAL.
A second album, "Bleedin' Heart", is released in 1996 on the Globe Records label. Produced by his long-time friend Joe Louis Walker and featuring guest appearances by Walker and Sonny Rhodes, the album is received with enthusiasm. Joseph Jordan, writing in BLUES ACCESS, says: "...One of the best CDs I've listened to in a year or two, major or independant... An absolute corker... There's no filler on this platter of power and pain. Slim is a natural, an accomplished vocalist, superb guitarist and splendid songwriter". IN VINTAGE GUITAR MAGAZINE, David Hussong writes: " Slim's playing is forceful and soulful... Goldwasser has that (Texas master Johnny Winter's) level of intensity in his delivery".
In the mid 90's, Goldwasser frequently jams with the Tommy Castro Band at the GRANT AND GREen saloon in San Francisco. When double-booked, Castro invites his "alter ego" to take his place fronting his band at the GRANT AND GREEN and LOU'S. The two play double-bills at SLIM’S in San Francisco and ASHKENAZ in Berkeley.
Following the production of an instructional blues guitar video, “Trippin’ On The Blues”, for the San Mateo-based company Mountain Top, a recording session is scheduled, featuring Paris Slim with Gary Smith and Bay Area blues veterans Johnny Ace and the Dynatone’s Big Walter Shufflesworth. The album, “Moutain Top West Coast Blues Summit --- Be Careful What You Wish For ”, released on the Mountain Top label in 1997, receives rave reviews from the press. Mick Rainsford, writing in Britain’s BLUES AND RHYTHM, calls Goldwasser a “talented and soulful singer”. Andy Grigg, in REAL BLUES, writes: “The epitomy of West Coast Blues in all its glory… This will probably cop “Best West Coast Blues CD of 1998”… Paris Slim will scare the pants off you with his chops”. In 1998 a new Paris Slim album is recorded for Mountain Top. Featuring Rusty Zinn on second guitar, “Going Back To Paris” remains unfortunately unreleased to this day. The following year, Goldwasser supervises the reissue of the Clarence “Guitar” Sims (a.k.a. Fillmore Slim) album, “Born To Sing The Blues”, originally recorded by Troyce Key and released on his own Eli Mile High record label. Two more Fillmore Slim albums are recorded under Goldwasser’s direction but remain unreleased.
In 1998, Frank moves to the Los Angeles area. Joining forces with Fedora Records producer-drummer-A&R man Chris Millar, Goldwasser contributes to numerous Fedora releases, including albums by Fillmore Slim, Tommy Bankhead, Hosea Leavy and Harmonica Slim, J.J. Malone, Willie Kent and Iceman Robinson. The same year, Frank is honored by France’s TROPHÉE FRANCE BLUES association with the “Best Guitarist of the Year” award.
Having dropped the moniker “Paris Slim”, Goldwasser tours Europe frequently for the next four years. He appears on some of the old continent’s most prestigious venues and music festivals, fronting his band and backing Homesick James, Clay Hammond, John “So Blue” Weston, Arthur Williams and others at the LUCERNE BLUES FESTIVAL (Switzerland), THE BLUES ESTAFETTE in Utrecht (Netherlands) and Ecaussine's SPRING BLUES FESTIVAL (Belgium). For a performance at the BOWLFUL OF BLUES festival in Ojai, California in the fall of 1999, Los Angeles record producer Rand Chortkoff hires Goldwasser to back up Finis Tasby and Chicago harp legend Billy Boy Arnold. Impressed by Frank’s own opening set, Chortkoff decides to take him into the studio to record a new album. Aided by a cast of world-class sidemen including Alex Schultz (formerly of Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers) and Kirk Fletcher (of Fabulous Thunderbird Kim Wilson’s band) on guitars, Gerald Johnson on bass, and guests Philip Walker and JJ Malone, Frank goes into the studio in Los Angeles in October 2000 to record mostly original compositions. From his new home-base in Southern California, Goldwasser free-lances with the likes of Kim Wilson (Cozy’s in Sherman Oaks), Mitch Kashmar (Soho in Santa Barbara), R.J. Mischo and Rusty Zinn. A trip to Seattle, Washington in August 2000 finds Goldwasser backing up Chicago Blues Icons Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin and Willie “Big Eyes” Smith.
In october 2001, Goldwasser has recorded an album with Chicago Blues guitar master Jimmy Dawkins. With drummer Chris Millar, he formed the trio Blisterstring early in January 2002 and put out the CD “The Highway Is Like A Woman…” on Millar’s own Under Siege label. A European tour followed in the spring with Dawkins and Dave Riley.
Michelle Willson *05.01.1958
A gifted swing and jump blues vocalist, Michelle Willson -- a native of the Boston area -- began singing as a teenager, often fronting bands quixotically named after nonexistent members (for example, Mimi Jones and Alex Clayton). As a solo performer, she organized a well-received tribute to her singing idols Dinah Washington and Ruth Brown, then joined the band Evil Gal; again working solo in 1994, Willson issued her debut LP, Evil Gal Blues, followed in 1996 by So Emotional. Wake Up Call marked her first release in the new millennium.
Michelle Willson - Parker Wheelers Blues Party - 06-29-08
Wiley Reed *05.01.1944
Wiley Dean Reed (5 January 1944 – 7 October 2012) was an Australian-based African-American blues musician and songwriter, who sang and accompanied himself on the piano. He was a multi-award winning artist[1] who played with some of the genre's biggest artists.
Born in Jacksonville, Florida on 5 January 1944, Reed began singing in the local church choir at the age of nine, and was already an accomplished musician in his native United States before he arrived in Australia in 1967. He toured extensively throughout the United States, Australia and Europe, and made three trips to Vietnam (1967, 68, 69) to entertain troops.
Reed began his career in Australia at the Two Eyes Club where he performed with fellow blues artists Billy Thorpe, Phil Manning, Doug Parkinson and Jeff St John.
He became well known for his deep soulful style and his generosity, helping many musicians over the years in the style of great mentors such as Miles Davis.
In 1996, he was personally selected by Michael Jackson for a private welcoming concert during his History tour.
His last recording titled 'Straight from the heart' (2003) won several awards including three 'Sunnie' awards for Best Male Vocalist, Best Blues Album and Best Male Vocalist at the Gold Coast International Jazz and Blues Festival.
Recent Activity
In November 2010, Reed collaborated with a new lineup of Brisbane musicians to create and record original material under the pseudonym Moses 'Turkey Slap' Washington, a fictional Delta Bluesman who sings blues-rock with comedic lyrics. This was slated for release in 2011.
In 2012 Wiley Reed and his band opened the 2012 Broadbeach Blues Festival with Bob Malone, Chris Jagger, Phil Emmanuel and other international acts and was a highlight act on the main stage at the 2012 Noosa Jazz Festival.
Reed died in hospital due to complications from an earlier fall on 7 October 2012 in Brisbane, Australia.[2] At the time of his death, he had a large following in Queensland and other states where he had played in festivals.
WILEY REED AWESOME BLUES SINGER LIVE @LEGENDS
WILEY REED (BRISBANE)
SINGS THE SKY IS CRYING
GUITAR LEFT STEVE LOTT (USA)
GUITAR RIGHT PAUL CHEESEMAN(AUS)
DRUMS DON LEBBLER (AUS)
BASS?
SINGS THE SKY IS CRYING
GUITAR LEFT STEVE LOTT (USA)
GUITAR RIGHT PAUL CHEESEMAN(AUS)
DRUMS DON LEBBLER (AUS)
BASS?
Roosevelt Holts *05.01.1905
Roosevelt Holts was a country bluesman of considerable skill who in a small way was caught up in the blues boom of the 1960's, finally getting the opportunity to record scattered sides and a couple of LP's in the 1960's and 1970's. Holts, who was born in 1905, likely would have achieved greater recognition if he had gotten the chance to make records in the 1920's and 1930's as David Evans emphasizes in his liner notes: "If he had been able to get to a record studio in the 1930's, his records would now be highly prized collector's items, reissued on albums and talked about by blues fans everywhere. He might have even been "rediscovered" and brought north to the cities for concerts and coffee house engagements before an audience of young whites who were not even born when he recorded his famous numbers." None of this happened of course and Holts toiled in relative obscurity while those who did make records in the early days were rediscovered and achieved adulation among those "young whites." These were men like Son House, Bukka White, Skip James and Mississippi John Hurt to name the bigger stars. There were several artists from the same era who, like Holts, never got that early break but were swept up in the blues revival net and went on to achieve a measure of success such as Mississippi Fred McDowell and Robert Pete Williams.
Why Holts never achieved equitable recognition is unclear but we owe a debt to his patron, folklorist David Evans, who is responsible for just about all of Holts' recordings. It was Evans' investigation into Tommy Johnson in the late 1960’s that brought Holts to light. Evans uncovered and recorded a slew of still active musicians who learned directly from Johnson including Boogie Bill Webb, Arzo Youngblood, Isaac Youngblood, Bubba Brown, Babe Stovall, Houston Stackhouse, Tommy’s brother Mager Johnson and Roosevelt Holts. K.C. Douglas, Shirley Griffith and Jim Brewer were others who learned directly from Johnson but were recorded by others. As Evans recalled in an interview to Rob Hutten "I followed a trail of musicians connected with Tommy Johnson. Babe had known Tommy slightly and Roosevelt knew him a lot better, and that led to two of Tommy's brothers and any number of other singers that had been associated with Tommy Johnson."
Holts was born in 1905 near Tylertown, Mississippi, and he took up the guitar when he was in his mid-twenties. He started to get serious about music in the late 1930's when he encountered Tommy Johnson. Johnson had married Holts' cousin Rosa Youngblood and moved to Tylertown with her. Around 1937 both men moved to Jackson playing all around town and surrounding towns. During this period he also played with Ishmon Bracey, Johnnie Temple, Bubba Brown, and One Legged Sam Norwood. Holts eventually settled in Bogalusa, Louisiana where Evans recorded him.
Evans began recording Holts in 1965 resulting in two LP's (both out of print): Presenting The Country Blues (Blue Horizon,1966) and Roosevelt Holts and Friends (Arhoolie, 1969-1970) plus the collection The Franklinton Muscatel Society featuring his earliest sides through 1969 which is` available on CD. In addition selections recorded by Evans appeared on the following anthologies (all out of print): Goin' Up The Country (Decca, 1968), The Legacy of Tommy Johnson (Matchbox, 1972), South Mississippi Blues (Rounder, 1974 ?), Way Back Yonder …Original Country Blues Volume 3 (Albatros, 1979 ?), Giants Of Country Blues Vol. 3 (Wolf, 199?) and a very scarce 45 ("Down The Big Road" b/w "Blues On Mind") cut for the Bluesman label in 1969.
Roosevelt Holts I've heard most of these recordings and I think Presenting The Country Blues is among his best although I know a couple of folks who prefer Roosevelt Holts and Friends which features him on electric guitar. Holts is a fine singer, possessing a strong burnished voice and a rhythmic, delicate guitar style as Evans describes: "Roosevelt's guitar style is one of the most subtle to be found on records, with its delicate touch and rhythmic shifts. He often extends his guitar lines beyond the expected standard patterns to produce greater variety." Lyrically Holts draws on songs he learned as a younger man as well as the vast storehouse of floating blues verses. Among the covers are Leroy Carr's 1928 classic "Prison Bound Blues" and Memphis Minnie's 1930 number "She Put Me Outdoors" although Holts takes it at a much slower tempo. "Prison Bound Blues" was likely picked up from Tommy Johnson who was known to play the number. As for the latter number he may have picked it up through Minnie's husband Joe McCoy who was active on the Jackson scene before he moved to Memphis. Johnnie Temple was also part of the rich Jackson scene and Holts covers his celebrated "Lead Pencil Blues" which Temple cut at his first session in 1935. Of this song Evans writes "this style of guitar playing with its subtle rhythm shifts between duple and triple patterns, is a splendid example of the type of music then current in Jackson." Holts picked up a number of songs from Tommy Johnson and on this album turns in superb readings of "Big Road Blues" and "Maggie Campbell Blues." Holts also recorded Johnson's "Big Fat Mamma Blues" on a compilation. A couple of Holts' friend appear on this record including Babe Stovall from Tylertown who was the one who introduced Evans to Holts. His second guitar on "Feelin' Sad And Blue" adds some extra rhythmic push to the song with the two complementing each other superbly. Harmonica blower L.H. Lane plays on "The Good Book Teach You" as Holts lays down some fine bottleneck. Apparently the two had known each other for some time and he just popped into the studio for this one song before leaving minutes later. Holts is a good bottleneck player as he also demonstrates on the moving gospel number "I'm Going To Build Right On That Shore" and "Another Mule Kickin' In My Stall."
Why Holts never achieved equitable recognition is unclear but we owe a debt to his patron, folklorist David Evans, who is responsible for just about all of Holts' recordings. It was Evans' investigation into Tommy Johnson in the late 1960’s that brought Holts to light. Evans uncovered and recorded a slew of still active musicians who learned directly from Johnson including Boogie Bill Webb, Arzo Youngblood, Isaac Youngblood, Bubba Brown, Babe Stovall, Houston Stackhouse, Tommy’s brother Mager Johnson and Roosevelt Holts. K.C. Douglas, Shirley Griffith and Jim Brewer were others who learned directly from Johnson but were recorded by others. As Evans recalled in an interview to Rob Hutten "I followed a trail of musicians connected with Tommy Johnson. Babe had known Tommy slightly and Roosevelt knew him a lot better, and that led to two of Tommy's brothers and any number of other singers that had been associated with Tommy Johnson."
Holts was born in 1905 near Tylertown, Mississippi, and he took up the guitar when he was in his mid-twenties. He started to get serious about music in the late 1930's when he encountered Tommy Johnson. Johnson had married Holts' cousin Rosa Youngblood and moved to Tylertown with her. Around 1937 both men moved to Jackson playing all around town and surrounding towns. During this period he also played with Ishmon Bracey, Johnnie Temple, Bubba Brown, and One Legged Sam Norwood. Holts eventually settled in Bogalusa, Louisiana where Evans recorded him.
Evans began recording Holts in 1965 resulting in two LP's (both out of print): Presenting The Country Blues (Blue Horizon,1966) and Roosevelt Holts and Friends (Arhoolie, 1969-1970) plus the collection The Franklinton Muscatel Society featuring his earliest sides through 1969 which is` available on CD. In addition selections recorded by Evans appeared on the following anthologies (all out of print): Goin' Up The Country (Decca, 1968), The Legacy of Tommy Johnson (Matchbox, 1972), South Mississippi Blues (Rounder, 1974 ?), Way Back Yonder …Original Country Blues Volume 3 (Albatros, 1979 ?), Giants Of Country Blues Vol. 3 (Wolf, 199?) and a very scarce 45 ("Down The Big Road" b/w "Blues On Mind") cut for the Bluesman label in 1969.
Roosevelt Holts I've heard most of these recordings and I think Presenting The Country Blues is among his best although I know a couple of folks who prefer Roosevelt Holts and Friends which features him on electric guitar. Holts is a fine singer, possessing a strong burnished voice and a rhythmic, delicate guitar style as Evans describes: "Roosevelt's guitar style is one of the most subtle to be found on records, with its delicate touch and rhythmic shifts. He often extends his guitar lines beyond the expected standard patterns to produce greater variety." Lyrically Holts draws on songs he learned as a younger man as well as the vast storehouse of floating blues verses. Among the covers are Leroy Carr's 1928 classic "Prison Bound Blues" and Memphis Minnie's 1930 number "She Put Me Outdoors" although Holts takes it at a much slower tempo. "Prison Bound Blues" was likely picked up from Tommy Johnson who was known to play the number. As for the latter number he may have picked it up through Minnie's husband Joe McCoy who was active on the Jackson scene before he moved to Memphis. Johnnie Temple was also part of the rich Jackson scene and Holts covers his celebrated "Lead Pencil Blues" which Temple cut at his first session in 1935. Of this song Evans writes "this style of guitar playing with its subtle rhythm shifts between duple and triple patterns, is a splendid example of the type of music then current in Jackson." Holts picked up a number of songs from Tommy Johnson and on this album turns in superb readings of "Big Road Blues" and "Maggie Campbell Blues." Holts also recorded Johnson's "Big Fat Mamma Blues" on a compilation. A couple of Holts' friend appear on this record including Babe Stovall from Tylertown who was the one who introduced Evans to Holts. His second guitar on "Feelin' Sad And Blue" adds some extra rhythmic push to the song with the two complementing each other superbly. Harmonica blower L.H. Lane plays on "The Good Book Teach You" as Holts lays down some fine bottleneck. Apparently the two had known each other for some time and he just popped into the studio for this one song before leaving minutes later. Holts is a good bottleneck player as he also demonstrates on the moving gospel number "I'm Going To Build Right On That Shore" and "Another Mule Kickin' In My Stall."
Encyclopedia of the Blues by Edward Komara
Roosevelt Holts Mean Conductor Blues (1965)
Jim Roberts *05.01.1953
Jim Roberts ~ guitar & vocals
Jim was born in Chicago and raised in the Midwest, where at an early age he was exposed to local blues musicians. He began singing at age 13 and one year later took up the guitar. He was introduced to slide guitar at an early age and was captivated by the vocal-like sound of the instrument. It remains a focal point of his playing today. His vocal style is polished and ranges from smooth to powerful. Over the years, he has performed as a solo artist, as well as fronting numerous bands. Jim has written songs for, and performed with, Seals and Crofts and Arista recording artist Danny Deardorff. He has also opened for Danny O’Keefe, Della Reese, and Ricky Nelson, to name a few. Jim has appeared on numerous television shows including The Mike Douglas Show, The Jerry Lewis and the March of Dimes Telethons, as well as regional television shows in the Midwest and West. He has performed in Europe, Japan and the Philippines.
Jim was born in Chicago and raised in the Midwest, where at an early age he was exposed to local blues musicians. He began singing at age 13 and one year later took up the guitar. He was introduced to slide guitar at an early age and was captivated by the vocal-like sound of the instrument. It remains a focal point of his playing today. His vocal style is polished and ranges from smooth to powerful. Over the years, he has performed as a solo artist, as well as fronting numerous bands. Jim has written songs for, and performed with, Seals and Crofts and Arista recording artist Danny Deardorff. He has also opened for Danny O’Keefe, Della Reese, and Ricky Nelson, to name a few. Jim has appeared on numerous television shows including The Mike Douglas Show, The Jerry Lewis and the March of Dimes Telethons, as well as regional television shows in the Midwest and West. He has performed in Europe, Japan and the Philippines.
Alligator Shoe ~ Jack Roberts Harvey Band
Oscar Klein *05.01.1930
Oscar
Klein (* 5. Januar 1930 in Graz; † 12. Dezember 2006 in Plüderhausen,
Deutschland) war ein österreichischer Musiker des Oldtime und Mainstream
Jazz. Er spielte Trompete und Gitarre, aber auch Banjo, Klarinette und
Mundharmonika. „Überzeugend wie kaum ein anderer europäischer Trompeter“
beherrschte er das traditionelle Ausdrucksspektrum dieses Instruments,
während er als Gitarrist auf Einflüssen von Eddie Condon, Freddie Green
und Toots Thielemans eine eigene Stilistik aufbaute.[1]
Leben und Wirken
Aufgrund der jüdischen Herkunft musste Kleins Familie vor den Nazis fliehen. Klein erhielt 1943, als er dort während des Faschismus mit seiner Familie in einem kleinen italienischen Bergdorf interniert war, Mandolinen-Unterricht beim Dorflehrer.[2] Während der Ausbildung an der Basler Kunstgewerbeschule ab 1944 entdeckte er im Hot Club Basel den Jazz. Bei den „Feetwarmers“ um den Trompeter Freddie Höhn und den Klarinettisten Otto Flückiger machte er erste Erfahrungen als Gitarrist. 1948 trat Klein in Florenz eine Stelle als Zeichen- und Handarbeitslehrer an und versuchte dort, gleichgesinnte Musiker zu finden. Für die geplante Original Florence New Orleans Band fehlte allerdings der Trompeter, und so kam er zu seinem zweiten Instrument. Bei einem Ferienbesuch in Innsbruck begegnete er dem Klarinettisten Fatty George; 1952 wurde er Mitglied von dessen Band. Diese Band war eine der wichtigsten der Wiener Jazz-Szene der 1950er Jahre, mit Musikern wie Bill Grah, Karl Drewo und Joe Zawinul. 1958 wechselte Klein zur Schweizer Chicago-Stil-Band Tremble Kids.
Er heiratete die Jazzsängerin Miriam Klein und gründete in Basel eine Familie. Von den vier gemeinsamen Kindern ist der 1961 geborene David Klein ebenfalls als Musiker und Komponist bekannt geworden.
Ab Ende 1959 arbeitete er mehrere Jahre in der Dutch Swing College Band.[3] Seit 1963 war er vor allem als Bandleader mit verschiedenen eigenen Formationen unterwegs. Zuerst in einem Trio mit Miriam Klein und Isla Eckinger, später vor allem mit Oscar Klein's Jazzshow. Daneben arbeitete er mit Gastsolisten, wie Albert Nicholas, Joe Turner, Cootie Williams und Joe Venuti und erwarb sich internationale Anerkennung. Seit 1973 legte er einen Reigen von Alben unter eigenem Namen vor, trat aber auch wieder mit den Tremble Kids auf und – bis zu dessen Tod im Jahre 1982 – mit Fatty George. 1981 gründete er „Big Four“, eine italienisch-schweizerische Gruppe des Chicago Jazz. Anfang der 1990er tourte er mit wechselnd besetzten „European Dixieland All Stars“ und trat auch mit seinen „European Alls Stars“ auf, zu denen Charly Antolini und Barbara Dennerlein gehörten. Er arbeitete auch mit Romano Mussolini, dem Sohn des faschistischen „Duce“, zusammen.
In einer Schweizer Fernsehserie „History of Jazz” wirkte er als Moderator. Er gab außerdem viele Jahre lang erzieherische Konzerte in Schulen, zuerst zusammen mit Jerry Ricks, später mit Thomas Moeckel. Er glaubte fest, dass eine Jazzdarbietung sowohl musikalisch hochstehend als auch unterhaltend sein kann.
Er war nicht nur einer der bedeutendsten Musiker des europäischen „Trad-Jazz“, sondern auch ein hervorragender Entertainer, mit (schon fast legendären) humoristischen Ansagen und der Kapitänsmütze als optischem Markenzeichen.
Oscar Klein hat weiterhin mit folgenden Musikern Aufnahmen gemacht: Lionel Hampton, Roy Eldridge, Earl Hines, Bud Freeman, Wild Bill Davison, Peanuts Hucko, Sammy Price, Ralph Sutton, Emil Mangelsdorff, Dexter Gordon, Slide Hampton, Wallace Bishop, Fritz Pauer, Lino Patruno, Jan Jankeje, Ludwig Stimmler, Hans Rettenbacher, Henri Chaix, Jimmy Woode, Gus Backus und Michael Pewny.
Insgesamt hat er mehr als 50 CDs und 130 LPs eingespielt.
Zusätzlich unterrichtete er Gitarre und veröffentlichte zusammen mit dem Schüler Caesar Perrig Pickin’ the blues. Ein Lehrbuch für Finger-Stil Gitarre,[4] zu dem auch zwei LPs gehören.
Oscar Klein starb in seiner Wahlheimat Plüderhausen in Baden-Württemberg, wo er zuletzt mit seiner zweiten Frau Karin lebte.
Leben und Wirken
Aufgrund der jüdischen Herkunft musste Kleins Familie vor den Nazis fliehen. Klein erhielt 1943, als er dort während des Faschismus mit seiner Familie in einem kleinen italienischen Bergdorf interniert war, Mandolinen-Unterricht beim Dorflehrer.[2] Während der Ausbildung an der Basler Kunstgewerbeschule ab 1944 entdeckte er im Hot Club Basel den Jazz. Bei den „Feetwarmers“ um den Trompeter Freddie Höhn und den Klarinettisten Otto Flückiger machte er erste Erfahrungen als Gitarrist. 1948 trat Klein in Florenz eine Stelle als Zeichen- und Handarbeitslehrer an und versuchte dort, gleichgesinnte Musiker zu finden. Für die geplante Original Florence New Orleans Band fehlte allerdings der Trompeter, und so kam er zu seinem zweiten Instrument. Bei einem Ferienbesuch in Innsbruck begegnete er dem Klarinettisten Fatty George; 1952 wurde er Mitglied von dessen Band. Diese Band war eine der wichtigsten der Wiener Jazz-Szene der 1950er Jahre, mit Musikern wie Bill Grah, Karl Drewo und Joe Zawinul. 1958 wechselte Klein zur Schweizer Chicago-Stil-Band Tremble Kids.
Er heiratete die Jazzsängerin Miriam Klein und gründete in Basel eine Familie. Von den vier gemeinsamen Kindern ist der 1961 geborene David Klein ebenfalls als Musiker und Komponist bekannt geworden.
Ab Ende 1959 arbeitete er mehrere Jahre in der Dutch Swing College Band.[3] Seit 1963 war er vor allem als Bandleader mit verschiedenen eigenen Formationen unterwegs. Zuerst in einem Trio mit Miriam Klein und Isla Eckinger, später vor allem mit Oscar Klein's Jazzshow. Daneben arbeitete er mit Gastsolisten, wie Albert Nicholas, Joe Turner, Cootie Williams und Joe Venuti und erwarb sich internationale Anerkennung. Seit 1973 legte er einen Reigen von Alben unter eigenem Namen vor, trat aber auch wieder mit den Tremble Kids auf und – bis zu dessen Tod im Jahre 1982 – mit Fatty George. 1981 gründete er „Big Four“, eine italienisch-schweizerische Gruppe des Chicago Jazz. Anfang der 1990er tourte er mit wechselnd besetzten „European Dixieland All Stars“ und trat auch mit seinen „European Alls Stars“ auf, zu denen Charly Antolini und Barbara Dennerlein gehörten. Er arbeitete auch mit Romano Mussolini, dem Sohn des faschistischen „Duce“, zusammen.
In einer Schweizer Fernsehserie „History of Jazz” wirkte er als Moderator. Er gab außerdem viele Jahre lang erzieherische Konzerte in Schulen, zuerst zusammen mit Jerry Ricks, später mit Thomas Moeckel. Er glaubte fest, dass eine Jazzdarbietung sowohl musikalisch hochstehend als auch unterhaltend sein kann.
Er war nicht nur einer der bedeutendsten Musiker des europäischen „Trad-Jazz“, sondern auch ein hervorragender Entertainer, mit (schon fast legendären) humoristischen Ansagen und der Kapitänsmütze als optischem Markenzeichen.
Oscar Klein hat weiterhin mit folgenden Musikern Aufnahmen gemacht: Lionel Hampton, Roy Eldridge, Earl Hines, Bud Freeman, Wild Bill Davison, Peanuts Hucko, Sammy Price, Ralph Sutton, Emil Mangelsdorff, Dexter Gordon, Slide Hampton, Wallace Bishop, Fritz Pauer, Lino Patruno, Jan Jankeje, Ludwig Stimmler, Hans Rettenbacher, Henri Chaix, Jimmy Woode, Gus Backus und Michael Pewny.
Insgesamt hat er mehr als 50 CDs und 130 LPs eingespielt.
Zusätzlich unterrichtete er Gitarre und veröffentlichte zusammen mit dem Schüler Caesar Perrig Pickin’ the blues. Ein Lehrbuch für Finger-Stil Gitarre,[4] zu dem auch zwei LPs gehören.
Oscar Klein starb in seiner Wahlheimat Plüderhausen in Baden-Württemberg, wo er zuletzt mit seiner zweiten Frau Karin lebte.
Bemerkenswert sind auch seine Darbietungen auf der Bluesharp zusammen mit Jerry Ricks (guitar).
Oscar
Klein (5 January 1930 in Graz, Austria – 12 December 2006 in
Baden-Württemberg) was an Austrian born jazz trumpeter who also played
clarinet, harmonica, and swing guitar. His family fled the Nazis when he
was young. He became known for "older jazz" like swing and Dixieland.
In the early sixties he joined the famous Dutch Swing College Band in
the Netherlands as first trumpeter and he is to be found on several of
their recordings. He played with Lionel Hampton, Joe Zawinul, and
others. In 1996 he was honored by then President Thomas Klestil.
Also noteworthy are his performances on the blues harp along with Jerry Ricks (guitar).
Oscar Klein & Philadelphia Jerry Ricks 'China Blues'
Country Farm – Oscar Klein & Philadelphia Jerry Ricks
Blues for Louis – Oscar Klein & Philadelphia Jerry Ricks
R.I.P.
King Biscuit Boy +05.01.2003
Richard Alfred Newell (March 9, 1944 – January 5, 2003), better known by his stage name King Biscuit Boy, was a Canadian blues musician. He was the first Canadian blues artist to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S..
King Biscuit Boy played with artists such as Muddy Waters, Joe Cocker, and Janis Joplin.
Career
Newell was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and played guitar and sang, but was most noted for his harmonica playing. His stage name was taken from the King Biscuit Time, an early American blues broadcast. He was given the name by Ronald "Ronnie" Hawkins, a pioneering rock and roll musician, while he was part of Hawkins' back-up band.
Newell reportedly started his career by stealing his first harmonica (Marine Band, key of B) from a joke shop near his home on Hamilton Mountain, Hamilton, Ontario.[1]
Newell played with The Barons (later renamed Son Richard and the Chessmen) from 1961 to 1965, followed by a stint with The Midknights and in the summer of 1969 helped to form And Many Others, which was Ronnie Hawkins' backing band at that time. After one LP and several US appearances, Hawkins fired the entire band in early 1970,[2] upon which the members, including Newell, formed themselves into their own band, which they named Crowbar. Newell recorded an album with Crowbar, then embarked on a solo career, although he played with Crowbar off and on throughout his career.
After leaving Crowbar, he signed a major American deal with Paramount/Epic. Seven solo albums followed, along with two Juno nominations (the Juno Awards are the Canadian equivalent of the U.S. Grammy Awards).[1]
Newell released his last album in early 2003 at Race Records, an independent record label in Hamilton, Ontario. It was a collaboration with saxophonist Sonny Del-Rio (a former Crowbar bandmate and long-standing friend) entitled Two Hound Blues. The album was a combination of six lost tracks from the 1981 King Biscuit Boy album, Biscuits 'n' Gravy, and the 1991 Sonny Del-Rio effort, 40 Years of Rock & Roll and All I Got's the Blues, which was recorded in 2002.[1]
Blake 'Kelly Jay' Fordham (a former Crowbar bandmate and friend) recalled that Newell had a soft spot in his heart for 1950s doo-wop music. "We'd do a medley, four chords in F, and see how many songs we could fit into it; stuff by Johnnie & Joe - ""Over the Mountain, Across the Sea," and "You Belong to Me", or "Talk to Me", by Little Willie John. Each week we'd try to best ourselves, see who could come up with more. He would always find the most obscure stuff."[3]
Newell preferred Hohner Special 20 (diatonic) harmonicas, and was using a Danelectro amplifier late in his career. He rarely played a chromatic, either on stage or in the studio.
Health and death
Newell fought repeated battles with alcohol abuse throughout his life. Poor health due to alcoholism stunted his career through the 1990s. The bright spot in this time period was his release of the album Urban Blues Re: Newell in 1995. Newell succumbed to the disease at his home in Hamilton, Ontario, in 2003, just two months short of his fifty-ninth birthday.[4]
Legacy
A couple of months after his death, friends of Newell held a benefit show at a downtown Hamilton, Ontario club, to create a trust fund in his name. More than 100 musicians from across the country showed up to play at Club 77 at the first annual "Blues With A Feeling" benefit show. The show was successful and "The Friends of Richard Newell" have held one every year since, with the money raised going to a music scholarship fund at Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology in Hamilton, Ontario.
King Biscuit Boy "Hoy Hoy Hoy"
Pino Daniele +05.01.2015
Pino Daniele (* 19. März 1955 in Neapel; † 5. Januar 2015 in der Toskana) war ein italienischer Sänger, Musiker und Songtexter.
Leben
Als Sohn eines Hafenarbeiters aus einfachen Verhältnissen stammend, brachte sich der Autodidakt Pino Daniele das Gitarrenspiel selbst bei.
Schon seine erste Veröffentlichung Terra mia war eine gelungene Verschmelzung aus Blues und Elementen der traditionellen neapolitanischen Volksmusik. Dieser Linie der Fusion von regionaler Folklore, Blues und anderen musikalischen Stilen, wie Rock und Jazz sowie den musikalischen Strukturen anderer Ethnien, blieb er im Laufe seiner weiteren Karriere stets treu. Dabei beschritt er auch unkonventionelle Wege, fand jedoch immer zu einem eingängigen Sound. Folglich wurden seine Werke nicht nur von Kritikern und Kennern gewürdigt, sondern verkauften sich auch national wie international überaus erfolgreich. Alleine sein 1995 veröffentlichtes Album Non calpestare i fiori nel deserto erreichte eine Auflage von 800.000 Exemplaren.
Die oft sozialkritischen, zuweilen aber auch persönlich-melancholischen Texte trägt er sowohl in neapolitanischem Dialekt wie auch in italienischer und englischer Sprache vor.
Im Laufe seiner langen Karriere kam es zu zahlreichen gemeinsamen Projekten mit anderen namhaften italienischen und internationalen Künstlern. Zum Beispiel trat er 1995 live mit Eros Ramazzotti und Pat Metheny auf,[2] wirkte 1983 auf Richie Havens' Album Common Ground und auf Al di Meolas Album The Infinite Desire[3] mit. Später arbeitete er unter anderem mit Chick Corea und den Simple Minds zusammen und trat bei dem Konzert Pavarotti & Friends for the children of Liberia auf. Bei allen Erfolgen, Kooperationen und von ihm beschrittenen neuen Wegen blieb er seinen neapolitanischen Wurzeln persönlich wie musikalisch stets verbunden.
Pino Daniele (19 March 1955 – 5 January 2015) was an Italian singer-songwriter, and guitarist,[1] whose influences covered a wide number of genres, including pop, blues, jazz, and Italian and Middle Eastern music.
Biography
Daniele was born to a working-class family in Naples, his father being a port worker. A self-taught guitarist, he began his career as a musician playing for other successful singers of the 1970s.
His striking debut in the Italian music world was in 1977 with the album Terra mia, which proved to be a successful mix of Neapolitan tradition and Blues sounds. Daniele defined his music with the term "taramblu", which indicated a mix of tarantella, blues and rumba. His lyrics also attracted critical praise: written and sung in an intense Neapolitan, they contained strong though bitter accusations against the social injustices of Naples, as well as Italian society in general, and included melancholic personal themes. Several of the later songs are characterized by a free intermingling of English, Italian and Neapolitan passages.[citation needed]
Daniele's talent was confirmed on the following album Pino Daniele (1979). He scored his greatest success in 1980, with Nero a metà ("Half-Black Skinned"), which was noted by some authorities as the hallmark of the rebirth of Neapolitan song. In that year Daniele opened the Bob Marley concert at the San Siro stadium in Milan. In 1981 Vai Mo was released. The presence of some of the most renowned musicians of the Neapolitan musical milieu, including James Senese, Enzo Avitabile, Tullio De Piscopo and Tony Esposito, as session men on his albums has also been widely praised.
In 1982 Daniele gradually shifted to a personal and early version of world music: in Bella 'mbriana musicians such as Alphonso Johnson and Wayne Shorter appeared as guest players. In the following year Daniele held a concert in Havana, and later formed a Latin-American band featuring Juan Pablo Torres, Adalberto Lara and Nanà Vasconcelos. In (1984), the former King Crimson member Mel Collins played on Daniele's album Musicante. Daniele's skills in creating well-balanced blends of Mediterranean, Blues, rock, music, salsa and Neapolitan melodies are well shown in his first live work, Live Sciò of 1984.[citation needed]
Later Daniele collaborated with the American singer/guitarist Richie Havens on Common Ground[disambiguation needed], an album written and played together. His interest in Arabic music is emphasized on Bonne Soirée (1987), while the subsequent Schizzechea With Love (1988) was more Mediterranean-oriented. In the same year he started a collaboration with the Italian actor and director Massimo Troisi: Daniele completed the soundtracks for Troisi's films Le vie del Signore sono finite and Pensavo fosse amore invece era un calesse.
A certain loss of inspiration and a move to a more pop-oriented songwriting can be detected in his greatest commercial success, Mascalzone Latino (1989), a success confirmed by the following albums Un uomo in Blues (1991) and Che Dio ti benedica (1993). The latter contains two songs produced by Chick Corea.
Non calpestare i fiori nel deserto, released in Spring 1995, is an attempt to revive inspiration through African and Ethnic influences, and sold more than 800,000 copies. The subsequent tour ended with a double date with Jazz guitarist Pat Metheny.[citation needed]
In 2002, after a collaboration with Eros Ramazzotti, Daniele sang and toured with two other famous Italian singers, Francesco De Gregori and Fiorella Mannoia. His latest album containing previously unpublished songs is Passi d'autore of 2004.
On January 05 2015, it was announced via Instragram by Daniele's longtime friend Eros Ramazzotti that he had passed away from a heart attack between January 4th and 5th. Pino Daniele is considered one of the best singer-songwriters in Italian history.
Pino Daniele - live 83 - a me me piace o blues
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