1897 Henry Stuckey*
1913 John Lee Granderson*
1939 Luther Johnson*
1958 Martin Piorecki*
1974 Ryan Hartt*
1977 'Little Frank' Krakowski*
2011 Lacy Gibson+
Happy Birthday
Luther Johnson (Guitar Junior) *11.04.1939
Luther Johnson (* 11. April 1939 in Itta Bena, Mississippi) ist ein US-amerikanischer Bluessänger und -gitarrist, der unter dem Bühnennamen Luther „Guitar Junior“ Johnson auftritt, um sich von zwei anderen Gitarristen gleichen Namens zu unterscheiden.
In seinen jungen Jahren in Mississippi waren Blues und Gospel seine prägenden musikalischen Einflüsse.[1] Er hörte schon in dieser Zeit Bluesgrößen wie Sonny Boy Williamson, Robert Nighthawk und Muddy Waters. Seine erste Gitarre kaufte ihm seine Mutter, sein Cousin brachte ihm das Spielen bei.[2]
Johnson kam Mitte der 1950er-Jahre nach Chicago, zu einer Zeit als der West Side Gitarrestil von Magic Sam und Otis Rush entwickelt wurde.[3] Hier entschied er sich für den Blues. In den 1960er-Jahren spielte er in der Band von Magic Sam und trat gemeinsam mit verschiedenen Bluesgrößen wie Sunnyland Slim, Bobby Rush, Little Addison, Willie Kent und Jimmy Dawkins auf.[4] Von 1972 bis 1980 war er Mitglied der Band von Muddy Waters, was ihm auch seinen Durchbruch brachte. Während einer der Tourneen mit Waters entstand auch sein erstes Soloalbum Luther’s Blues.
1980 verließ er Waters Band und gründete eine eigene, „The Magic Rockers“. Auch Chicago verließ er und siedelte sich in der Nähe von Boston an, blieb aber dem Westsidestil treu, auch wenn er sein Repertoire in Richtung Jumpblues erweiterte. Seit 1980 ist er der Frontmann der Magic Rockers, nahm Platten für Telarc, Alligator Records und Bullseye Blues auf und hat unternimmt umfangreiche Tourneen.
Luther Johnson (born April 11, 1939, Itta Bena, Mississippi, United States) is an American Chicago blues singer and guitarist, who performs under the name Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson.
Johnson moved to Chicago with his family in 1955.[1] During the 1960s, he performed with Magic Sam.[2] He also performed in Muddy Waters's band from 1972 to 1980.[2] In 1980, four of his songs were included on an anthology by Alligator Records.[1] That same year he appeared as a member of The Legendary Blues Band backing John Lee Hooker in the movie The Blues Brothers.
Johnson moved to the East Coast and began fronting his own band, the Magic Rockers.[2] His "Walkin' The Dog," was recorded live at the Montreux Festival's Blues Night. Johnson won a Grammy Award in 1985 for Best Traditional Blues Album for his part in Blues Explosion. Johnson released a number of albums for Telarc Records, which included Slammin’ on the West Side (1996), Got to Find a Way (1998), and Talkin' About Soul (2001).[1]
Johnson appeared on three albums by The Nighthawks. He now lives in New Hampshire.
Luther 'Snakeboy' Johnson - Woman Don't Lie
John Lee Granderson *11.04.1913
b. 11 April 1913, Ellendale, Tennessee, USA, d. 22 August 1979, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Granderson left home when he was in his teens, moving to Chicago, Illinois, in 1928. Although not a professional musician, he did work with John Lee ‘Sonny Boy’ Williamson, among others. He turned to music full-time in the 60s and was featured as sideman and leader on many anthologies, although he never made a full album in his own right. Granderson sang and played guitar close to the style of the Memphis musicians of his youth. He stopped performing in public in 1975 and died of cancer in 1979.
Ryan Hartt *11.04.1974
“You got to live it to give it”, states the first line from Ryan Hartt & the Blue Hearts’ latest CD, “Call My Name”. From Los Angeles to the Northeast and beyond, Ryan Hartt has, indeed, lived it. At 24 Ryan drove across the country to absorb the West Coast harmonica style he became enamored of as a teenager. He spent two years learning from Rod Piazza, Lynwood Slim and other Blues legends. Upon returning home to Connecticut in 2000 Ryan Hartt & the Blue Hearts were formed. The band has since become one of the leading Blues bands in New England and Ryan is considered one of the premier harmonica players in the region.
Though he will always be rooted in the traditional West Coast Blues he learned in California, Ryan expands his sound with soul, proto-rock & roll and even ska. Songwriting is something he takes as seriously as his harmonica playing. Over the three Ryan Hartt & the Blue Hearts releases Ryan’s songwriting has progressed and his recent release “Call My Name” demonstrates a huge leap forward, with topics ranging from depression to choosing music over a relationship to the grind of a gigging blues band all punctuated by his “modern traditional” approach to the harmonica.
Though he will always be rooted in the traditional West Coast Blues he learned in California, Ryan expands his sound with soul, proto-rock & roll and even ska. Songwriting is something he takes as seriously as his harmonica playing. Over the three Ryan Hartt & the Blue Hearts releases Ryan’s songwriting has progressed and his recent release “Call My Name” demonstrates a huge leap forward, with topics ranging from depression to choosing music over a relationship to the grind of a gigging blues band all punctuated by his “modern traditional” approach to the harmonica.
Ryan Hartt & the Blue Hearts "True Love"
'Little Frank' Krakowski *11.04.1977
"In a time where more common rock-based music is passing for contemporary blues;
Little Frank and the Premiers are out there keeping the traditional roots music torch
aglow. By making the blues & rockabilly styles of Chess and Sun records sound
fresh and vital, they have been taking the Midwest by storm. Since forming in the late
1990s, they have been performing on some of the finest festivals and concert venues in
the country.
While still in his mid teens, bandleader 'Little Frank' Krakowski, began seeking out
the traditional '50 & '60 s style blues that he heard from Chicago’s South and West
sides, and delving deep into the big guitar sounds from the Southwest and California.
Frequenting such local Chicago clubs as the Checkerboard and the 5105 Club in
search of the old-timers still performing.
This was where it was at. Before he knew it he was gigging and touring with the likes of
Pinetop Perkins, Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith, Hubert Sumlin, Lazy Lester and 'Little Arthur' Duncan to
name a few. These experiences helped to shape his guitar style into one that has been sought
after by some of the great traditionalists out there today.
Fronting the Premiers is Tom Moore, who cut his teeth on the Southern California
blues scene in the early 1980s. As bandleader for the San Diego based band, The Five Careless
Lovers, he backed up legends such as 'Big Mama' Thornton, 'Smokey' Wilson and Lowell Fulson.
Moore provides the strong vocals and primary songwriting responsibilities for the Premiers.
With nearly 25 years of experience, his dignified stage presence can disintegrate unpredictably
into leg shakin’ madness at any time. His harmonica playing is strong, emotional, but
never frantic or overdone.
The glue of the Premiers has been Brian Cook on upright and electric bass, and the legendary
Robert Carter on drums and vocals. Cook, a long-time partner in crime, is a much sought after
bass player hailing from the Midwest. He has toured and appeared with a variety of artists
through the years who have cited time and again that his feel and drive have been the
backbone of many a gig.
Robert Carter is highly regarded in Chicago blues and jazz circles. He has recorded many
sessions for Delmark Records, with artists such as Sunnyland Slim, Otis Rush and others. Carter,
a Chicago native, was a founding member of the immensely popular Mighty Blue Kings, with
whom he recorded 2 CDs. His powerful vocals and clever original tunes are a highlight of the
Premiers’ shows.
Little Frank and the Premiers play American roots music with no jive gimmicks………..
With a wide variety of Blues, Swing, Rockabilly, ‘60s Soul and New Orleans R&B, they may be a
throw back to some, but to many they preserve forms of American music that never needed to
be changed in the first place."
Little Frank and the Premiers are out there keeping the traditional roots music torch
aglow. By making the blues & rockabilly styles of Chess and Sun records sound
fresh and vital, they have been taking the Midwest by storm. Since forming in the late
1990s, they have been performing on some of the finest festivals and concert venues in
the country.
While still in his mid teens, bandleader 'Little Frank' Krakowski, began seeking out
the traditional '50 & '60 s style blues that he heard from Chicago’s South and West
sides, and delving deep into the big guitar sounds from the Southwest and California.
Frequenting such local Chicago clubs as the Checkerboard and the 5105 Club in
search of the old-timers still performing.
This was where it was at. Before he knew it he was gigging and touring with the likes of
Pinetop Perkins, Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith, Hubert Sumlin, Lazy Lester and 'Little Arthur' Duncan to
name a few. These experiences helped to shape his guitar style into one that has been sought
after by some of the great traditionalists out there today.
Fronting the Premiers is Tom Moore, who cut his teeth on the Southern California
blues scene in the early 1980s. As bandleader for the San Diego based band, The Five Careless
Lovers, he backed up legends such as 'Big Mama' Thornton, 'Smokey' Wilson and Lowell Fulson.
Moore provides the strong vocals and primary songwriting responsibilities for the Premiers.
With nearly 25 years of experience, his dignified stage presence can disintegrate unpredictably
into leg shakin’ madness at any time. His harmonica playing is strong, emotional, but
never frantic or overdone.
The glue of the Premiers has been Brian Cook on upright and electric bass, and the legendary
Robert Carter on drums and vocals. Cook, a long-time partner in crime, is a much sought after
bass player hailing from the Midwest. He has toured and appeared with a variety of artists
through the years who have cited time and again that his feel and drive have been the
backbone of many a gig.
Robert Carter is highly regarded in Chicago blues and jazz circles. He has recorded many
sessions for Delmark Records, with artists such as Sunnyland Slim, Otis Rush and others. Carter,
a Chicago native, was a founding member of the immensely popular Mighty Blue Kings, with
whom he recorded 2 CDs. His powerful vocals and clever original tunes are a highlight of the
Premiers’ shows.
Little Frank and the Premiers play American roots music with no jive gimmicks………..
With a wide variety of Blues, Swing, Rockabilly, ‘60s Soul and New Orleans R&B, they may be a
throw back to some, but to many they preserve forms of American music that never needed to
be changed in the first place."
My Starter Won't Start by Oscar Wlson & Frank Krakowski @ Colony Ballroom June 7 2014
Martin Piorecki *11.04.1958
Captain Crap
http://www.reverbnation.com/captaincrap
Captain Crap live bei Speiche - "Broke Man´s Blues"
Henry Stuckey *11.04.1897
Henry Stuckey was the accidental founder of the so-called Bentonia tradition of country blues. Born in 1897 in Bentonia, MS, Stuckey learned an open E minor guitar tuning from black Bahamian soldiers while serving in France during World War I, and upon returning home in 1919, incorporated the tuning into his playing, eventually teaching it to a younger guitar player, Skip James, around 1924. James featured the tuning on several of the 18 sides he recorded for Paramount in 1931, recordings that became treasured by blues scholars, historians, and collectors for their distinctive plaintive and eerie sound. A handful of guitarists in the Bentonia region took up the tuning, including Jack Owens and Cornelius Bright, as well as Stuckey and James, and songs like "Hard Times," "Cherry Ball," "Devil Blues," and the eight-bar fiddle tune "Drunken Spree" formed the repertoire of a distinct local blues tradition. Stuckey, unfortunately, was never recorded, although he was interviewed by blues researchers in the mid-'60s, at which time he described teaching the tuning and picking style to James and others. Henry Stuckey died of cancer in 1966.
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