1889 Clarence M. Jones*
1911 Buster Brown*
1930 Jackie Brenston*
1942 Pete York*
1955 R.L. Boyce*
1957 Hawk Levy*
1958 Big Bill Broonzy+
1959 Paul Cox*
1961 Stick McGhee+
1995 Jesse Thomas+
1995 Erbie Bowser+
2009 Jim Dickinson+
2010 John Slaughter+
Jon Amor*
1911 Buster Brown*
1930 Jackie Brenston*
1942 Pete York*
1955 R.L. Boyce*
1957 Hawk Levy*
1958 Big Bill Broonzy+
1959 Paul Cox*
1961 Stick McGhee+
1995 Jesse Thomas+
1995 Erbie Bowser+
2009 Jim Dickinson+
2010 John Slaughter+
Jon Amor*
Clarence M. Jones *15.08.1889
Clarence
M. Jones (* 15. August 1889 in Wilmington (Ohio); † 1. Juni 1949 in New
York City[1]) war ein US-amerikanischer Ragtime-, Novelty- und
Jazzpianist sowie Arrangeur, Komponist, Orchesterleiter und
Musikpädagoge[2], der auch The Sultan of Syncopation genannt wurde und
im Chicago der 1910er- und 1920er-Jahre populär war.
Leben und Wirken
Jones hatte Klavierunterricht bei seiner Mutter und begann seine Karriere Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts, nachdem er seine Heimatstadt Wilmington verlassen hatte, zunächst in Ohio, arbeitete dann in Cincinnati und schließlich ab ca. 1911 in Chicago.[3] Dort trat er Mitte der 1910er-Jahre im Owl Theater mit seinem Wonder Orchestra auf. Ted T. Wards Song „Hula Lou“ war in dieser Zeit ein populärer Novelty Song, mit dem er in der Stadt bekannt wurde.
Daneben schrieb er zahlreiche Songs, die als Sheet Music veröffentlicht wurden. Frühe Songs Jones’ waren „Lightning (A Striking Rag)“ (1908), „The Candy (Ragged Two Step)“ (1909) und „Wild Grapes Rag“ (1910).[4] Bei Frank K. Root & Co. erschienen 1913/14 „Pauline Waltz“, „One Wonderful Night“, „Thanks for the Lobster“[5] und „In Search Of a Husband“, ferner „That Baseball Rag“ (1913), „Only You“ (1915, mit Arthur J. Lamb), „La Danza Appassionata“ (1916),[6] „The Dirty Dozen“ (1917)[7] und „Modulations“ (1923).
Jones unterrichtete den jungen Jimmy Blythe, als dieser 1916 nach Chicago kam.[8] Um 1916 arbeitete Jones als Komponist und Arrangeur für die McKinley Music Company. Seine Songs wurden von Plattenlabel wie Crescent und Medallion veröffentlicht. Daneben begann er Notenrollen für Firmen wie die Imperial Roll Company aufzunehmen und arbeitete mit den Bands von Charley Straight und Roy Bargy („Mid the Pyramids“). Neben Charles Luckyeth Roberts, Eubie Blake, Maceo Pinkard und James P. Johnson gehörte Jones zu den wenigen Musikern, die schon vor 1921 Bluessongs aufnahmen.[9]
In den frühen 1920er-Jahren verkehrte Jones häufig in Clarence Williams’ Musikgeschäft in Chicagos South State Street. 1922 nahm er Richard M. Jones’ „Jazzin’ Baby Blues“ für Columbia Rolls (Columbia 457) auf. Außerdem hatte er mit J. Mayo „Ink“ Williams zu tun, der in dieser Zeit begann, als Produzent für Paramount Records zu arbeiten. 1922 nahm er als Pianist und musikalischer Leiter mit eigenem Orchester (Clarence M. Jones and His ‘Wonder’ Orchestra) auf; erfolgreiche Titel waren „Wabash Blues“, „Fate“ und „Love Days“ (Paramount). Clarence Jones’ Wonder Orchestra war 1922 die erste afroamerikanische Tanzband, deren Musik im amerikanischen Rundfunk übertragen wurde.[4] „Die Theaterbands von Erskine Tate und Clarence Jones, die Tanzbands von Doc Cooke und Charles Elgar und die Kabarettbands von King Oliver, Manuel Perez und Freddie Keppard gehörten um 1923 zu erfolgreichsten Jazzgruppen der Stadt.“[10]
Jones’ Komposition „Trot Along“ wurde erfolgreich 1923 vom Benson Orchestra of Chicago für Victor Records (Vi 19044) aufgenommen. Außerdem begleitete er Monette Moore („Gulf Coast Blues“, „I Just Want a Daddy“, Paramount, 1923), z. T. im Trio (Clarence Jones and His Paramount Trio), mit Tommy Ladnier, Kornett und Jimmy O’Bryant, Klarinette (“I’ll Go to My Grave With the Blues”, Paramount 12046).
In dieser Zeit nahm Jones auch für Orlando Marsh’s Laboratories auf und begleitete Fannie Wise, Schooler & Potter und The Harmony Girls, die eine Version seines Songs “Trot Along” einspielten. Erst 1926 hatte er erneut Gelegenheit zu weiteren Plattenaufnahmen, als er für Okeh Records mit seinem Wonder Orchestra den Titel „The Arm Breaker“ (OK 8404) einspielte. 1927 begleitete Jones die Sängerin Laura Smith in Chicago bei einer Aufnahmesitzung für Victor („The Mississippi Blues“, # 20775);[11] 1928 entstanden erneut Aufnahmen für Paramount, darunter seine Komposition „’Mid the Pyramids“ (veröffentlicht als Clarence Jones and His Sock Four, Pm 12716).[12] Nach Tom Lord war er zwischen 1920 und 1928 an 17 Aufnahmesessions beteiligt.[13]
In den folgenden Jahren arbeitete Jones erfolgreich für die Chicagoer Radiostation WBCN, dem Sender von The Southtown Economist. Als sein Vertrag mit dem Sender 1927 endete, ließ seine Popularität nach; 1932 zog er mit seiner Familie nach New York, wo er ab 1933 als Arrangeur, Komponist und Pianist für das Vokalensemble Southernaires arbeitete.[14] Er schrieb u. a. 1936 deren Erkennungsmelodie „My Old Swanee Home“. Jones, der 1949 starb, ist auf dem Sugar Grove Cemetery in Wilmington begraben.
Leben und Wirken
Jones hatte Klavierunterricht bei seiner Mutter und begann seine Karriere Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts, nachdem er seine Heimatstadt Wilmington verlassen hatte, zunächst in Ohio, arbeitete dann in Cincinnati und schließlich ab ca. 1911 in Chicago.[3] Dort trat er Mitte der 1910er-Jahre im Owl Theater mit seinem Wonder Orchestra auf. Ted T. Wards Song „Hula Lou“ war in dieser Zeit ein populärer Novelty Song, mit dem er in der Stadt bekannt wurde.
Daneben schrieb er zahlreiche Songs, die als Sheet Music veröffentlicht wurden. Frühe Songs Jones’ waren „Lightning (A Striking Rag)“ (1908), „The Candy (Ragged Two Step)“ (1909) und „Wild Grapes Rag“ (1910).[4] Bei Frank K. Root & Co. erschienen 1913/14 „Pauline Waltz“, „One Wonderful Night“, „Thanks for the Lobster“[5] und „In Search Of a Husband“, ferner „That Baseball Rag“ (1913), „Only You“ (1915, mit Arthur J. Lamb), „La Danza Appassionata“ (1916),[6] „The Dirty Dozen“ (1917)[7] und „Modulations“ (1923).
Jones unterrichtete den jungen Jimmy Blythe, als dieser 1916 nach Chicago kam.[8] Um 1916 arbeitete Jones als Komponist und Arrangeur für die McKinley Music Company. Seine Songs wurden von Plattenlabel wie Crescent und Medallion veröffentlicht. Daneben begann er Notenrollen für Firmen wie die Imperial Roll Company aufzunehmen und arbeitete mit den Bands von Charley Straight und Roy Bargy („Mid the Pyramids“). Neben Charles Luckyeth Roberts, Eubie Blake, Maceo Pinkard und James P. Johnson gehörte Jones zu den wenigen Musikern, die schon vor 1921 Bluessongs aufnahmen.[9]
In den frühen 1920er-Jahren verkehrte Jones häufig in Clarence Williams’ Musikgeschäft in Chicagos South State Street. 1922 nahm er Richard M. Jones’ „Jazzin’ Baby Blues“ für Columbia Rolls (Columbia 457) auf. Außerdem hatte er mit J. Mayo „Ink“ Williams zu tun, der in dieser Zeit begann, als Produzent für Paramount Records zu arbeiten. 1922 nahm er als Pianist und musikalischer Leiter mit eigenem Orchester (Clarence M. Jones and His ‘Wonder’ Orchestra) auf; erfolgreiche Titel waren „Wabash Blues“, „Fate“ und „Love Days“ (Paramount). Clarence Jones’ Wonder Orchestra war 1922 die erste afroamerikanische Tanzband, deren Musik im amerikanischen Rundfunk übertragen wurde.[4] „Die Theaterbands von Erskine Tate und Clarence Jones, die Tanzbands von Doc Cooke und Charles Elgar und die Kabarettbands von King Oliver, Manuel Perez und Freddie Keppard gehörten um 1923 zu erfolgreichsten Jazzgruppen der Stadt.“[10]
Jones’ Komposition „Trot Along“ wurde erfolgreich 1923 vom Benson Orchestra of Chicago für Victor Records (Vi 19044) aufgenommen. Außerdem begleitete er Monette Moore („Gulf Coast Blues“, „I Just Want a Daddy“, Paramount, 1923), z. T. im Trio (Clarence Jones and His Paramount Trio), mit Tommy Ladnier, Kornett und Jimmy O’Bryant, Klarinette (“I’ll Go to My Grave With the Blues”, Paramount 12046).
In dieser Zeit nahm Jones auch für Orlando Marsh’s Laboratories auf und begleitete Fannie Wise, Schooler & Potter und The Harmony Girls, die eine Version seines Songs “Trot Along” einspielten. Erst 1926 hatte er erneut Gelegenheit zu weiteren Plattenaufnahmen, als er für Okeh Records mit seinem Wonder Orchestra den Titel „The Arm Breaker“ (OK 8404) einspielte. 1927 begleitete Jones die Sängerin Laura Smith in Chicago bei einer Aufnahmesitzung für Victor („The Mississippi Blues“, # 20775);[11] 1928 entstanden erneut Aufnahmen für Paramount, darunter seine Komposition „’Mid the Pyramids“ (veröffentlicht als Clarence Jones and His Sock Four, Pm 12716).[12] Nach Tom Lord war er zwischen 1920 und 1928 an 17 Aufnahmesessions beteiligt.[13]
In den folgenden Jahren arbeitete Jones erfolgreich für die Chicagoer Radiostation WBCN, dem Sender von The Southtown Economist. Als sein Vertrag mit dem Sender 1927 endete, ließ seine Popularität nach; 1932 zog er mit seiner Familie nach New York, wo er ab 1933 als Arrangeur, Komponist und Pianist für das Vokalensemble Southernaires arbeitete.[14] Er schrieb u. a. 1936 deren Erkennungsmelodie „My Old Swanee Home“. Jones, der 1949 starb, ist auf dem Sugar Grove Cemetery in Wilmington begraben.
Pianist,
songwriter, orchestra leader and piano teacher Clarence M. Jones
(1889-1949) had a prolific career, which started in the first decade of
the 20th century, but began to eclipse in the 1910s and 1920s, after he
had left his hometown of Wilmington, Ohio and came, via Cincinnati, to
Chicago. Here, in the mid 1910s he began to operate the Owl Theater with
his Wonder Orchestra. At this time, record companies were still
considered juvenile. This did not stop Jones from writing songs, which
he saw published on sheet music. Some of his early songs were published
via Frank K. Root & Co., including “Pauline Waltz”, “One Wonderful
Night”, “Thanks For The Lobster” and “In Search Of a Husband”, around
1913-1914.
By 1916, Jones, of African-American origin, was a composer and arranger for the McKinley Music Company.
Many of his songs were recorded by others and for a variety of record companies: “Thanks For The Lobster” and “In Search Of A Husband” appeared on Crescent; “Mid The Pyramids”, by The Imperial Three, appeared on Medallion 8151.
Besides composing songs, he also started working for companies which produced piano rolls, including the Imperial Roll Company, where he got in touch with orchestra leaders Charley Straight and Roy Bargy. According to Mark Berresford’s liner notes for Jazz Oracle BDW 8010 “[Charley] Straight found lucrative work cutting piano rolls for the Imperial Roll Company of Chicago, of which he eventually became a director, and which brought him into contact with pianists of the calibre of Roy Bargy and Clarence M. Jones. The connection between these three pianists extended into the disc record field, when in late 1919 Straight replaced Arnold Johnson as pianist with Paul Biese’s Orchestra, and in early 1920 a trio of Biese on tenor sax and Straight and Bargy on pianos, billed as ‘The Imperial Trio’ recorded Jones’s ‘Mid the Pyramids’ for Emerson”. Jones cut a version of his own “‘Mid The Pyramids” for Paramount in November 1928, but it remained unissued. In December he made another cut of the song, which was issued on Pm 12716 as “Clarence Jones and His Sock Four”.
During the early 1920s Jones was hanging around in Clarence Williams’ music store on Chicago’s South State Street. As one of the many composers Jones, like Thomas A. Dorsey, tried to find an entry for his composed material. In 1922 Jones recorded Richard M. Jones’s “Jazzin’ Baby Blues” for Columbia Rolls (Columbia 457), which was issued in December of that same year. By then he got in touch with J. Mayo “Ink” Williams, who had just started as recording director for Paramount records.
The Chicago Defender of 16 December 1922 (page 3) lists a Conn Chicago Co. advertisement for “Clarence M. Jones and His ‘Wonder’ Orchestra”, including band members: J. Wright Smith-violin; R. Emerson Brown-saxophone; Harry Johnson-cornet; Arthur Hill-trombone; Archie Walls [sic: Wald]-tuba; William [sic: Elliot] Washington-banjo; Frank Briggs [sic: Biggs]-drummer and Jones as director and pianist. The advertisement continues: “They are brilliant examples of the wealth and fame which may be in store for you in the realm of music. When Clarence Jones and his aggregation of artists played ‘Wabash Blues’ they set Chicago agog and put a tingling in its toes. They made a big hit with ‘Fate’ and then with ‘Love Days’, composed by ‘Jonesie’ himself. Now they have become so popular they are playing for Paramount Records. And take this tip: Their records of ‘Downhearted Blues’ and ‘Trot Along’ will make history.”
The record indeed made history, as no copy of such a record under Jones’s name was ever found. However, Jones’ composition “Trot Along” must have been successful, as by January 30, 1923 the Benson Orchestra of Chicago recorded the song for Victor (Vi 19044) in Camden, New Jersey. That same orchestra recorded Jones’ “Wabash Blues” in 1921 for Victor (Vi 18820). By then the orchestra was still under the direction of fellow pianist Roy Bargy, whom Jones knew from his days with the Imperial Roll Company of Chicago.
By 1916, Jones, of African-American origin, was a composer and arranger for the McKinley Music Company.
Many of his songs were recorded by others and for a variety of record companies: “Thanks For The Lobster” and “In Search Of A Husband” appeared on Crescent; “Mid The Pyramids”, by The Imperial Three, appeared on Medallion 8151.
Besides composing songs, he also started working for companies which produced piano rolls, including the Imperial Roll Company, where he got in touch with orchestra leaders Charley Straight and Roy Bargy. According to Mark Berresford’s liner notes for Jazz Oracle BDW 8010 “[Charley] Straight found lucrative work cutting piano rolls for the Imperial Roll Company of Chicago, of which he eventually became a director, and which brought him into contact with pianists of the calibre of Roy Bargy and Clarence M. Jones. The connection between these three pianists extended into the disc record field, when in late 1919 Straight replaced Arnold Johnson as pianist with Paul Biese’s Orchestra, and in early 1920 a trio of Biese on tenor sax and Straight and Bargy on pianos, billed as ‘The Imperial Trio’ recorded Jones’s ‘Mid the Pyramids’ for Emerson”. Jones cut a version of his own “‘Mid The Pyramids” for Paramount in November 1928, but it remained unissued. In December he made another cut of the song, which was issued on Pm 12716 as “Clarence Jones and His Sock Four”.
During the early 1920s Jones was hanging around in Clarence Williams’ music store on Chicago’s South State Street. As one of the many composers Jones, like Thomas A. Dorsey, tried to find an entry for his composed material. In 1922 Jones recorded Richard M. Jones’s “Jazzin’ Baby Blues” for Columbia Rolls (Columbia 457), which was issued in December of that same year. By then he got in touch with J. Mayo “Ink” Williams, who had just started as recording director for Paramount records.
The Chicago Defender of 16 December 1922 (page 3) lists a Conn Chicago Co. advertisement for “Clarence M. Jones and His ‘Wonder’ Orchestra”, including band members: J. Wright Smith-violin; R. Emerson Brown-saxophone; Harry Johnson-cornet; Arthur Hill-trombone; Archie Walls [sic: Wald]-tuba; William [sic: Elliot] Washington-banjo; Frank Briggs [sic: Biggs]-drummer and Jones as director and pianist. The advertisement continues: “They are brilliant examples of the wealth and fame which may be in store for you in the realm of music. When Clarence Jones and his aggregation of artists played ‘Wabash Blues’ they set Chicago agog and put a tingling in its toes. They made a big hit with ‘Fate’ and then with ‘Love Days’, composed by ‘Jonesie’ himself. Now they have become so popular they are playing for Paramount Records. And take this tip: Their records of ‘Downhearted Blues’ and ‘Trot Along’ will make history.”
The record indeed made history, as no copy of such a record under Jones’s name was ever found. However, Jones’ composition “Trot Along” must have been successful, as by January 30, 1923 the Benson Orchestra of Chicago recorded the song for Victor (Vi 19044) in Camden, New Jersey. That same orchestra recorded Jones’ “Wabash Blues” in 1921 for Victor (Vi 18820). By then the orchestra was still under the direction of fellow pianist Roy Bargy, whom Jones knew from his days with the Imperial Roll Company of Chicago.
Clarence M. Jones plays Modulation's (Novelty Piano Solo)
R.L. Boyce *15.08.1955
RL Boyce was born on August 15, 1955, in Como, Mississippi, where he still resides. It is a community with enduring blues, fife-and-drum, and gospel traditions. Boyce picked up music as a teenager, starting out singing in the church choir and playing percussion in fife-and-drum bands. Regarding his evolution on the drums, he says, “I learned from a foot tub. Back then we didn’t have a bathtub – a foot tub is what you bathed in, what you had your water in.” His earliest issued recording [“Late at Midnight, Just a Little Before Day,” on Traveling Through the Jungle: Negro Fife and Drum Band Music from the Deep South] was made on his 15th birthday, accompanying his uncle Otha Turner. Boyce later adjusted that percussion style to a blues context on a more expanded drum kit, as heard on Jessie Mae Hemphill’s classic Feelin’ Good album. His singular, bursting-at-the-seams drumming on the first side of that record is a benchmark of loose-limbed groove.
Perhaps it isn’t surprising that such a vibrant musician would want to branch out from solely being a sideman to establish himself as a solo artist and leader of his own groups. Inspired by his neighbors Mississippi Fred McDowell and RL Burnside, he took up the guitar: “Oh man, I loved it. I always wanted to do what they did, so I got along with it.” He was coached by a couple local musicians including Joe Townsend (whose sole 45 for Designer Records is spellbinding, live-in-the-church gospel blues [It is unclear who plays guitar on Townsend’s 45. Bengt Olsson’s research states it was Johnnie Mays, while Boyce has consistently asserted that it sounds like Townsend accompanied himself. Of course, it is also possible that both guitarists shared a similar approach.]) and over time he developed an individual style that draws upon songs from the local repertoire and interprets them with considerable enthusiasm and spontaneity.
RL comes from a stream of the folk tradition that is less concerned with “getting it right” than getting it going, and with developing a distinct, individual sound. While regionally popular tunes and lyrics often serve as the bedrock of Boyce’s material, he takes them to places that no one else would, often peppering them with lyrics he makes up on the spot, as well as shout outs to his collaborators, his longtime companion Sheila Birge and their daughter Shanquisha, and anyone else who might happen to be in the vicinity. At other times, his songs are fully improvised. As Boyce puts it, “Most of it, when somethin’ hits my mind, I just start. You know, like if I’m around you and I think about you a lot, I could sit at home in the yard, if you hit my mind, I play one right there, right then. I’m playin’ this for Adam, a friend of mine in New York. It’d hit me like that and I’d just go right on. I don’t do no rehearsin’ with nobody. I don’t do nothin’ like that. Whatever hits me, I jump in on it.” If he is in one of these more talkative moods, his stream of consciousness delivery is reminiscent of Lightnin’ Hopkins, John Lee Hooker, and even the jokester side of Furry Lewis. When he really gets going, there is a deeply infectious sense of release, and of letting loose. At such times, laughter comes easy and often from RL and those around him.
Although Boyce occasionally takes gigs in faraway locales, most of the time he seems content to play at clubs and parties closer to home, often in his own front yard. His music developed within this informal environment where he plays largely for friends and family, which is perhaps one reason why his songs have such an open-ended, spontaneous, freewheeling quality. His performances are very social and he welcomes an unpredictable, interactive relationship with his fellow performers as well as the audience. Other musicians may be invited to join in, but they shouldn’t expect much guidance. An inquiry regarding what key Boyce is playing in will likely elicit an instruction along the lines of “follow me.” This is not always a straightforward task. They need to be ready to respond to sudden shifts, make adjustments on the fly, or play for hours while making subtle variations on a few grooves.
This record, Boyce’s long-awaited full-length debut, includes a rotating cast of collaborators who are accustomed to operating in this framework while also adding their personalities to the proceedings. In his earlier years, Luther Dickinson played extensively with RL [Most notably on Otha Turner’s Everybody Hollerin’ Goat, which Dickinson produced], and here both men take a clear delight in renewing their partnership, at times calling to mind the sparks that flew when Mississippi Fred McDowell and Eli Green performed together. Guitarist Lightnin’ Malcolm and RL sit in on one another’s sets quite often, each seemingly with an open invitation to join the other (As documented on the M for Mississippi film and soundtrack). And it is always a treat to hear drummer Calvin Jackson’s instantly recognizable rolling and tumbling style, sometimes done in tandem with his son, Cedric Burnside, on a second drum kit. Like all the other participants, they sound as if they’re having a ball.
Though RL is now one of the elders among the traditional musicians in Como, his songs still retain the quality of when he was an exuberant youngster who was thrilled to be learning to play music with his role models. Hear a couple clips: Gonna Boogie & Going Away.
R.L. Boyce - Poor Black Mattie & Child of God - Shaker Steps
The nephew of Fife and Drum Blues Master Otha Turner and Como
Mississippi native, R.L. Boyce is steeped in North Mississippi Blues
music and culture. He grew up listening to and learning from Mississippi
Fred McDowell and of course playing on a number of records with his
Uncle Otha Turner. R.L.'s music is raw and moving. Take it all in and
let it soothe your soul.
R.L. Boyce performs "Poor Black Mattie" and "Child of God" while at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill for its annual Well Crafted Bands and Brews Festival.
R.L. Boyce performs "Poor Black Mattie" and "Child of God" while at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill for its annual Well Crafted Bands and Brews Festival.
R L BOYCE "AIN'T IT ALRIGHT" AT JUKE JOINT FESTIVAL 2013
Jon Amor *15.08.
Exklusiv aus England war die neue Band des englischen Bluesrock-Gitarristen und -Songwriters Jon Amor angereist. Amor hatte sich bereits in den neunziger Jahren als Mitglied der Power-Blues-Formation "The Hoax" einen erstklassigen Ruf erspielt. Es folgte ein Trio unter dem schlichten Namen "Amor". Für das aktuelle Quartett, das in diesen Tagen sein Debütalbum veröffentlicht, holte sich der hoch aufgeschossene Frontmann drei Kollegen der jungen britischen Bluesrock-Generation an seine Seite.
Jon Amor is surely one of the finest song writing talents not to break into the mainstream of British music. Having already won much critical praise for his soulful, literate electric guitar work in the past, Amor’s talent for penning honest, well-crafted songs is reaching new heights as he steps out as a solo artist.
Jon ruled the British Blues scene in the late nineties as guitarist in ‘The Hoax’, a band that released four critically acclaimed albums, won numerous awards and toured extensively in the UK, Europe and North America before disbanding in 1999, with Amor keen to expand his horizons and create a fresh sound.
Re-inventing himself as a vocalist and front-man, Amor ushered in the new millennium with a new project. Shunning the Texas blues and long guitar breaks that he was known for, Jon penned a new batch of highly original songs, embraced modern sounds, samples and loops and formed the band ‘AMOR’, whose eponymous debut album set a fresh tone for the British blues/rock scene and inspired a whole new generation of bands.
The subsequent four years saw the band make appearances at Glastonbury festival, Montreux Jazz Festival and on the European ‘Rockpalast’ TV show. A second album followed, along with extensive UK and European tours, establishing Amor as a dynamic live performer in his own right, as well as enhancing his growing reputation as a skilled songwriter.Jon Amor’s new “Ball & Chain” EP sees another refocussing of musical emphasis. It’s to his immense credit that Amor has managed to transfer the intensity and power of his acclaimed electric guitar style to more semi acoustic musical frameworks, with similarly thrilling results.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/20227615″]
Robert Plant gives his endorsement of Amor’s work with some trenchant harmonica work on the title track, and drummer Clive Deamer drives each song along in the same fashion he did with Portishead and Roni Size, among others. The EP bears Amor’s hallmarks of freshness and originality, which is a pleasing omen for the full album which Jon is currently close to completing (working title ‘Unknown Soldier’).“Rocks with an edgy energy…. With a rangy voice that slips into an easy falsetto” The Times
“Amor should be ruling the British rootsy rock roost”
Mojo Magazine
Jon ruled the British Blues scene in the late nineties as guitarist in ‘The Hoax’, a band that released four critically acclaimed albums, won numerous awards and toured extensively in the UK, Europe and North America before disbanding in 1999, with Amor keen to expand his horizons and create a fresh sound.
Re-inventing himself as a vocalist and front-man, Amor ushered in the new millennium with a new project. Shunning the Texas blues and long guitar breaks that he was known for, Jon penned a new batch of highly original songs, embraced modern sounds, samples and loops and formed the band ‘AMOR’, whose eponymous debut album set a fresh tone for the British blues/rock scene and inspired a whole new generation of bands.
The subsequent four years saw the band make appearances at Glastonbury festival, Montreux Jazz Festival and on the European ‘Rockpalast’ TV show. A second album followed, along with extensive UK and European tours, establishing Amor as a dynamic live performer in his own right, as well as enhancing his growing reputation as a skilled songwriter.Jon Amor’s new “Ball & Chain” EP sees another refocussing of musical emphasis. It’s to his immense credit that Amor has managed to transfer the intensity and power of his acclaimed electric guitar style to more semi acoustic musical frameworks, with similarly thrilling results.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/20227615″]
Robert Plant gives his endorsement of Amor’s work with some trenchant harmonica work on the title track, and drummer Clive Deamer drives each song along in the same fashion he did with Portishead and Roni Size, among others. The EP bears Amor’s hallmarks of freshness and originality, which is a pleasing omen for the full album which Jon is currently close to completing (working title ‘Unknown Soldier’).“Rocks with an edgy energy…. With a rangy voice that slips into an easy falsetto” The Times
“Amor should be ruling the British rootsy rock roost”
Mojo Magazine
Jon Amor Blues Group - 'Holy Water' - Radio 2 Live Session BBC Maida Vale, London
Jon Amor & Joel Fisk - Rooster Blues - Soundboard Audio
R.I.P.
John Slaughter +15.10.2010
John Slaughter: Electric guitar
We have sadly to announce that John Slaughter passed away on August 15, 2010. We all have lost a very good friend and a fantastic musician. Rip, dear John - we all will miss you very much - your music lives on!
Chris Barber’s bands have almost always had a guitarist (as opposed to a banjoist) since Alexis Korner was a band member in 1949. In the 1950s American stars such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Muddy Waters, and Brownie McGhee (of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee) all played guitar with the band, as did Lonnie Donegan, Johnny Duncan, and Dick Bishop in the Skiffle Group. By the early 1960s, however, Chris realised he needed a permanent blues guitarist, and set about finding one.
At about the same time a young musician was starting out on his hoped-for career, first playing five-string banjo, as his brother wanted a banjo player in his own traditional jazz band. A year later John Slaughter switched to guitar, and started to learn to play in a friend’s front room. The group's drummer knew John Mayall (of Bluesbreakers fame) and John was asked to deputise in Mayall’s band one night, when the regular guitarist was ill. John remembers that he was not very well that night, but…
Chris telephoned John Mayall shortly afterwards, asking if he knew of any good blues guitarists; John gave Chris John Slaughter’s name. In August 1964, John joined The Chris Barber Band and, except for a break between 1978 and 1986, has been with the band ever since.
In the beginning, Chris used John only on certain numbers, but gradually John was absorbed into the band for all numbers, becoming an excellent rhythm guitarist, as well as having solo spots playing the blues. John’s first recording sessions with Chris were for the Good Morning Blues album, with guests such as Ronnie Scott, and another young musician starting out on organ, Brian Auger.
John tells one story about an early gig in Switzerland when, on one of his first visits to that country, he was booed when he stated to play! The audience thought Chris should just play traditional jazz, and that blues guitar should not be part of his music! Chris was not going to stand for this, and informed them that the blues was an integral part of his music, and that John was an integral part of his band.
During his time with Chris, John has played with guests such as Howling Wolf, Hubert Sumlin, Ray Nance, Alex Bradford, Lonnie Donegan, and Brian May, and very recently Van Morrison and Andy Fairweather Low.
John also has his own Blues Band but does not have much, if any, time nowadays to actually get together with his fellow band members. He has made two very good albums, one in 1990-91, and the other in 1994. Both are available on Timeless Records (click on the links below). The band has a regular lineup, including Nick Payne (saxes), who now plays regularly with Bill Wyman, Andy Hamilton (saxes), John Beacham (trombone), Richard Simmons (keyboards; he played with Chris at the Marlborough Jazz Festival in the summer of 2005), Jim Rodford (bass), Steve Dixon (drums), and Paul Cox (vocals). The John Slaughter Blues Band has made radio appearances and has played live gigs at venues such as the 100 Club and on different Festivals. In 1992 the John Slaughter Blues Band made a remarkable apperance at the well-known Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland).
We have sadly to announce that John Slaughter passed away on August 15, 2010. We all have lost a very good friend and a fantastic musician. Rip, dear John - we all will miss you very much - your music lives on!
Chris Barber’s bands have almost always had a guitarist (as opposed to a banjoist) since Alexis Korner was a band member in 1949. In the 1950s American stars such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Muddy Waters, and Brownie McGhee (of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee) all played guitar with the band, as did Lonnie Donegan, Johnny Duncan, and Dick Bishop in the Skiffle Group. By the early 1960s, however, Chris realised he needed a permanent blues guitarist, and set about finding one.
At about the same time a young musician was starting out on his hoped-for career, first playing five-string banjo, as his brother wanted a banjo player in his own traditional jazz band. A year later John Slaughter switched to guitar, and started to learn to play in a friend’s front room. The group's drummer knew John Mayall (of Bluesbreakers fame) and John was asked to deputise in Mayall’s band one night, when the regular guitarist was ill. John remembers that he was not very well that night, but…
Chris telephoned John Mayall shortly afterwards, asking if he knew of any good blues guitarists; John gave Chris John Slaughter’s name. In August 1964, John joined The Chris Barber Band and, except for a break between 1978 and 1986, has been with the band ever since.
The CD reissue of Good Morning Blues
In the beginning, Chris used John only on certain numbers, but gradually John was absorbed into the band for all numbers, becoming an excellent rhythm guitarist, as well as having solo spots playing the blues. John’s first recording sessions with Chris were for the Good Morning Blues album, with guests such as Ronnie Scott, and another young musician starting out on organ, Brian Auger.
John tells one story about an early gig in Switzerland when, on one of his first visits to that country, he was booed when he stated to play! The audience thought Chris should just play traditional jazz, and that blues guitar should not be part of his music! Chris was not going to stand for this, and informed them that the blues was an integral part of his music, and that John was an integral part of his band.
During his time with Chris, John has played with guests such as Howling Wolf, Hubert Sumlin, Ray Nance, Alex Bradford, Lonnie Donegan, and Brian May, and very recently Van Morrison and Andy Fairweather Low.
John also has his own Blues Band but does not have much, if any, time nowadays to actually get together with his fellow band members. He has made two very good albums, one in 1990-91, and the other in 1994. Both are available on Timeless Records (click on the links below). The band has a regular lineup, including Nick Payne (saxes), who now plays regularly with Bill Wyman, Andy Hamilton (saxes), John Beacham (trombone), Richard Simmons (keyboards; he played with Chris at the Marlborough Jazz Festival in the summer of 2005), Jim Rodford (bass), Steve Dixon (drums), and Paul Cox (vocals). The John Slaughter Blues Band has made radio appearances and has played live gigs at venues such as the 100 Club and on different Festivals. In 1992 the John Slaughter Blues Band made a remarkable apperance at the well-known Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland).
John Slaughter & Lonnie Donegan at Swinging Hannover 1997
The Big Chris Barber Band - Jazzwoche Burghausen 2005
● Tracklist:
01. Bourbon Street Parade
02. Rent Party Blues
03. Jungle Nights in Harlem
04. The Spell Of The Blues
05. Jubilee Stomp
06. All Blues
07. Cornbread Peas & Black Molasses
08. Devaluation Blues
09. Whatcha Gonna Do?
10. Big Noise From Winnetka / Pitt's Extract
11. Sing Sing Sing
12. Lead Me On
13. Wild Cat Blues
14. When The Saints
15. Ice Cream
● Personnel:
Chris Barber - trombone, bass, vocals
Pat Halcox - trumpet
Mike "Magic" Henry - trumpet
Richard Exall - clarinet, saxes
Tony Carter - clarinet, saxes, flute
John Defferary - horn, saxes
Bob Hunt - trombone
John Slaughter - guitar
Andrew Kuc - guitar, banjo
Vic Pitt - bass
John Sutton - drums
● The Big Chris Barber Band - Jazzwoche Burghausen 2005
Live at 36. Internationale Jazzwoche Burghausen, Wackerhalle, Germany, April 16, 2005
01. Bourbon Street Parade
02. Rent Party Blues
03. Jungle Nights in Harlem
04. The Spell Of The Blues
05. Jubilee Stomp
06. All Blues
07. Cornbread Peas & Black Molasses
08. Devaluation Blues
09. Whatcha Gonna Do?
10. Big Noise From Winnetka / Pitt's Extract
11. Sing Sing Sing
12. Lead Me On
13. Wild Cat Blues
14. When The Saints
15. Ice Cream
● Personnel:
Chris Barber - trombone, bass, vocals
Pat Halcox - trumpet
Mike "Magic" Henry - trumpet
Richard Exall - clarinet, saxes
Tony Carter - clarinet, saxes, flute
John Defferary - horn, saxes
Bob Hunt - trombone
John Slaughter - guitar
Andrew Kuc - guitar, banjo
Vic Pitt - bass
John Sutton - drums
● The Big Chris Barber Band - Jazzwoche Burghausen 2005
Live at 36. Internationale Jazzwoche Burghausen, Wackerhalle, Germany, April 16, 2005
Chris Barber - St. Louis Blues
Chris Barber - Live in Sesjun 1997
Chris Barber: trombone, vocals
John Crocker: clarinet
Pat Halcox: trumpet, vocals
Vic Pitt: upright bass
Paul Sealey: guitar, banjo
John Slaughter: guitar
Alan 'Stickey' Wickett: drums
Ian Wheeler: clarinet, saxophone, harmonica
Chris Barber: trombone, vocals
John Crocker: clarinet
Pat Halcox: trumpet, vocals
Vic Pitt: upright bass
Paul Sealey: guitar, banjo
John Slaughter: guitar
Alan 'Stickey' Wickett: drums
Ian Wheeler: clarinet, saxophone, harmonica
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