zzwj | Asser Bluesdagen 25-26-27 mrt 2022

door Jon Editor

Programma:

Kick off 

Op vrijdag 25 maart is de opening van de 35e Asser Bluesdagen in het Drents Museum met als thema Blues meets Frida. 

Circa 200 genodigden zijn van harte welkom om de opening bij te wonen. Tijdens de opening zijn er sprekers en er is live muziek van AJ Plug Trio. 

Lunch en Instore

Op zaterdag 26 maart wordt er in een aantal lunch cafés, een 5- tal winkels en in de winkelcentra livemuziek aangeboden. De Lunchmuziek is vanaf 12.00 uur, het Instore gebeuren vindt plaats tussen 14.00-16.00 uur. 

Early Blues 

Op zaterdag 26 maart wordt er in een 3-tal horecagelegenheden tijdens de borrel tussen 16.30-20.00 uur bluesmuziek ten gehore gebracht.  

Blues Diner 

Op zaterdagavond 26 maart wordt er in samenwerking met een 13-tal restaurants een speciaal Bluesmenu gereserveerd, ‘gelardeerd’ met livemuziek. Het Blues Diner vindt plaats tussen 18.00 uur en 21.00 uur. 

Bluesroute 

Op 15 locaties in het centrum van Assen spelen op zaterdagavond 26 maart verschillende Bluesbands. Het programma-aanbod is zeer gevarieerd De Bluesroute vindt plaats tussen 21.00 uur en 24.00 uur 

Afterblues 

Op zondag 27 maart wordt traditiegetrouw een Afterblues Party gehouden in Café de Witte Bal. 

Voor 2022 hebben we gekozen voor de Engelse Bluesgitarist Connor Selby

De Afterblues Party vindt plaats tussen 18.00 uur en 20.00 uur.  Kaarten a € 10,00 zijn in de 

voorverkoop verkrijgbaar in Café de Witte Bal.

zzwl | Greyhound Blues Band | Live in Germany 1999-Mastering 2021

door Jon Editor
NIEUW in 2022! Officiele bootleg editie van een live-optreden in Bluesclub Heimathaus in Twist (D) op 15 oktober 1999. De onbewerkte opnames laten horen met welke energie en passie de Greyhound Blues Band toen hun repertoire konden brengen. --- Zang en gitaar, Johan Meijer Gitaar, Martin Hartsteen Bas, Martin van der Velde Drums, George Snijder --- V-tone Records Informatie over de CD: vtone@live.nl Martin van der Velde

zzwp | 15 augustus Camping Graswijk Muller and Meyerjon | Review Gerrit Kuik (BluesAlert)

door Jon Editor

Blues foundation ASSEN organizes
LIVE blues music in a unique and intimate location with
LARS MÜLLER & JON MEYERJON

Photo Jan Giezen

Review Gerrit Kuik (BluesAlert)

After another weekend of no live music at all, we were finally allowed to go to 'Camping Graswijk' near Assen again on August 15th for a concert by the duo Jon Meyerjon & Lars Müller.
Oh well, I could have gone to football last week to socialize (because yes – there and in car racing – anything is allowed), but that hasn't been my thing since the last century. That aggression sometimes next to that drinking (although I like them myself) are quite against me. In the past, … I can still remember that at halftime we walked from behind one goal to the other on the Wageningse Berg and encountered the supporters of the opposing team along the way. A lot of screaming and laughing and all yelling at each other with a beer in hand (that is) until you were back in your place and the second half could start. Oh well, ... everything used to be better ... But not really!
Okay, so we finally go to Graswijk. A Groninger and an Enschede in Drenthe, where they both live.

I had heard and seen this duo before and every time I was amazed that two very different guitarists and personalities can still make such a wonderful concert together.
They also play their instrument in different ways. I have absolutely no idea about making music, but I do hear and see that Lars picks up the high tones more while Jon makes his guitar growl and growl more. Jon also plays slide quite often.
Furthermore, these men are completely different. Lars plays with a guitar pick and Jon has reinforced nails. Jon uses a whole arsenal of buttons for his feet, while his companion only occasionally twists a button on that big box behind him.
Lars looks much freer on stage while Jon has also been frontman with Greyhound Bluesband. Jon dives under his cap while playing, looking for the right notes very seriously. I guess just not to be distracted from the crazy antics Lars sometimes has. He is free to look around and in between also draws the public's attention to a caterpillar crawling over the cables of the equipment. He therefore has contact with the audience and sometimes also seeks this with Jon, who, however, is bent over, probably playing with his eyes closed. Yet you can conclude that, if Lars pulls a musical joke again, Jon can certainly appreciate it with a smile.
It is a concert with a lot of variation and that is not only due to the different playing of the two gentlemen, but also because both gentlemen have such a different voice.

Bright Red Mustang 73

The songs are also well chosen. The two gentlemen sing alternately a few songs.
Starting by Lars with first 'One finger is not enough' followed by one of my favorites 'Crossroads'. Despite the fact that that song is played by almost every band, soloist or duo, I still really like it. I will make a folder on the PC with all those different covers and run them one after the other. Still, I don't think it would bore me.
Then it was Jon's turn and he started with a beautiful, I think own work, 'Bright Red Mustang'. That song is just a beautiful story, which is also delivered by Jon.
A few gems followed in that first set, such as: 'I've had it with you' (Lars) and 'Ease off mama' (Jon).
The second set started with 'Insurance man Blues' (Jon), followed by an amazing 'Walking Blues' (Lars). Oh well, in the second set there was so much beauty to listen to and see. At my request, the concert was concluded with a beautiful version of 'The thrill is gone' by Lars. Actually, they secretly didn't want to play it. Yes…. dew!
All in all, this afternoon was great groovin' and swingin'. Luckily we didn't have a roof over our heads, otherwise we would have left too!
This beautiful day thanks to Asser Bluesdagen, Jan Postma and Camping Graswijk.
Gerrit Kuik.

zzwn | Dion Releases New Single -I’ve Got To Get To You- featuring Boz Scaggs, Mike and Joe Menza

door Jon Editor

Dion is releasing “I’ve Got To Get To You,” a brand-new track today!  Dion's energy level has never been higher and to underscore that fact, he’s been hard at work over the past few months recording the follow up album to 2020’s hugely successful Blues With Friends. The new album -- details to come -- will be out this fall on Joe Bonamassa’s independent label KTBA Records but we’re trusting that “I’ve Got To Get To You” will scratch your Dion itch in the interim.

The song features vocals from the great Boz Scaggs as well participation from the father and son guitar team of Mike and Joe Menza. You may recall that Mike was one of the “Friends” on Blues With Friends.
“I’ve Got To Get To You” was written by Dion with long-time collaborator Mike Aquilina.  As far as the song’s lyric is concerned, Dion remarked, “I tried to get every form of transportation imaginable in this one” and that’s certainly the case with mention of elevators and Concord jets among many means of transport referenced.

He notes, “Boz Scaggs is one of my wife Susan's favourite singers, and I'm right there with her. For decades I’ve wanted to record a song with this guy. There's no mistaking his voice for anyone else's — and here it is, as pure and clear as ever, on ‘I’ve Got To Get To You.’

I was inspired to write this song after a conversation with Roy Orbison more than fifty years ago. Now that Boz has sung on it, it's finally done. It doesn't get any better than this.”

Boz Scaggs was equivalently effusive. He remarked, “Dion is one of my favourite singers. With a single phrase he can open up a wide range of musical experiences. His early rock foundation and doo-wop sets me free. His style -- in words and music -- is timeless and beautiful to me.”  Boz went on to call ‘I’ve Got To Get To You’ “a fun track… rockin' guitars and Dion’s lyrics are wild. Our voices are a natural blend.”

Dion sums up his recent creative efforts most succinctly, “To make music with friends, and make friends through music: I can’t imagine a better life than this.”

zzwo | About St.James Infirmary and Dying Crapshooter Blues

door Jon Editor

sayings_kwibus

St. James Infirmary and Crapshooters Blues

In this column: history of the songs "St. James Infirmary" and "Crapshooters Blues", added "Pneumonia Blues"

Louis Armstrong

St. James Infirmary

"St. James Infirmary" and "Dying Crapshooter Blues" have the same origin: an old English folk song, which tells the story of a dying soldier, in which he instructs his friend to arrange funeral affairs. The song is called "The Unfortunate Rake" (also known as "The Unfortunate Lad" or "The Young Man Cut Down in His Prime") is about a soldier who uses his money on prostitutes and then dies of venereal disease. St. James refers to London's St. James Hospital.

St. James Infirmary - Louis Armstrong

I went down to the St. James Infirmary
Saw my baby there
Stretched out on a long white table
So sweet, so cold, so fair

Let her go, let her go, God bless her
Wherever she may be
She can look this wide world over
She'll never find a sweet man like me

When I die, want you to dress me in straight-lace shoes
Box-back coat and a Stetson hat
Put a twenty-dollar gold piece on my watch chain
he boys'll know that I died standin' pat

Notes

Box-back suit: a style of men's suit, a somewhat dated fashion
Louis Armstrong recounted that in 1922, when he stepped off the train in Chicago after being summoned North by King Oliver and looking out of place: 
"I never seen a city that big...  I said, no, this is the wrong city. I was just fixing to go back home — standing there in my box-back suit, padded shoulders, wide-legged pants — when a redcap Joe left word with, came up to me."
Standing pat: stick stubbornly to one's opinion or decision, (in poker and blackjack) retain one's hand as dealt, without drawing other cards
Back-box suit
Straight-lace shoes
Stetson hat (Homburg)

Also used in the lyrics:

straight-leg britches
Doubles breated: having one half of the front lapped over the other and usually a double row of buttons and a single row of buttonholes; is seen as elegant clothing
Blind Willie McTell

Dying Crapshooter’s Blues - Blind Willie McTell
McTell's version, which he claims to have made up "out of three different marches of tunes," is one of the most involved and elaborate. Here, the vice that lead to venereal disease in the "Unfortunate Rake" has been exchanged for an addiction to gambling.

Little Jesse was a gambler, night and day
He used crooked cards and dice
Sinful guy, good hearted but had no soul
Heart was hard and cold like ice

Jesse was a wild reckless gambler
Won a gang of change
Altho' a many gambler's heart he led in pain
Began to spend a-loose his money
Began to be blue, sad and all alone
His heart had even turned to stone

What broke Jesse's heart while he was blue and all alone
Sweet Lorena packed up and gone
Police walked up and shot my friend Jesse down
Boys i got to die today

He had a gang of crapshooters and gamblers at his bedside
Here are the words he had to say

Guess I ought to know
Exactly how I wants to go
(How you wanna go, Jesse?)

Eight crapshooters to be my pallbearers
Let 'em be veiled down in black
I want nine men going to the graveyard, bubba
And eight men comin back

I want a gang of gamblers gathered 'round my coffin-side
Crooked card printed on my hearse
Don't say the crapshooters'll never grieve over me
My life been a doggone curse

Send poker players to the graveyard
Dig my grave with the ace of spades
I want twelve polices in my funeral march
High sheriff playin' blackjack, lead the parade

I want the judge and solic'ter who jailed me 14 times
Put a pair of dice in my shoes (then what?)
Let a deck of cards be my tombstone
I got the dyin' crapshooter's blues

Sixteen real good crapshooters
Sixteen bootleggers to sing a song
Sixteen bug(gy) riders gambling with a coupla tens, boys
while i'm rollin' along

He wanted 22 womens outta the Hampton Hotel
26 off-a South Bell
29 women outta North Atlanta 
Know that little Jesse didn’t pass out so swell

His head was achin’, heart was thumpin’
Little Jesse went down bouncin’ and jumpin’
Folks don’t be standin’ around ole Jesse cryin’
He wants everybody to do the Charleston whilst he dyin’

One foot up, a toenail dragging
Throw my buddy Jesse in the hoodoo wagon
Come here mama with that can of booze
He’s got the dyin’ crapshooter’s, passin’ out
Well the dyin’ crapshooter’s blues

Notes

Crapshooters: men playing a gambling game with two dice

Pallbearers: persons who help to carry the coffin at a funeral

Dig my grave with the ace of spades: the ace of spades is traditionally the highest and most valued card in the deck of playing cards, in Latin, the word spatha, the root of the modern English word spade, refers to a "broad, flat weapon or tool” and is associated with killing and death therefore that way the ace of spades became the death card

Bootleggers: persons who make or sell alcoholic liquor illegally

Bug riders: name denoting the reduced weight allowance permitted an apprentice jockey (bug boy). When this weight concession is allowed the program denotes the weight in the program with an asterisk "*" (which looks like a bug)

The Charleston: the Charleston was a very popular dance of the "Roaring '20s" generation, the Charleston involves the fast-paced swinging of the legs and big arm movements

Kentucky Derby's Black Jockey Jimmy Winkfield

Gambling with a coupla tens: in blackjack, two tens are worth 20 points while 21 is the highest score you can get

Throw my buddy Jesse in the hoodoo wagon: blues singers sing in veiled terms the wish to have someone on their side, who will reserve a place for them in heaven. Examples are: "Mr. Undertaker, please fry your ham an' eggs slow" an "Throw my buddy Jesse in the hoodoo wagon". The Hoodoo Wagon was an early version of a present day vending trailer to cook and serve food.

1908: an English Hoodoo Wagon

 

More clothing referenced in the blues

Black (the wearing of…)
"Now when your good girl leaves you, papa don't wear no black."
Meaning: dressing in black is done to denote a time of grief, indicates in this case that the absence of the woman in question probably isn’t worth grieving over

BVD's
"You buy these fair brown's everything they need
Find the wintertime'll catch you wearin' your BVD's"
Meaning: long underwear, BVD stands for "Bradley, Voorhees & Day," the Baltimore firm that initially manufactured the garment, in this case the singer speculates that he will have eventually spent all his resources on his girlfriend and have nothing left but his underwear

Pneumonia Blues - Blind Lemon Jefferson

Achin's all over, believe I've got the pneumonia this time.
I'm achin' all over, believe I've got the pneumonia this time.
And it's all on account of that low-down gal of mine.

Sneakin' 'round the corners, runnin' up alleys, too.
I say, I'm sneakin' 'round corners and runnin' up alleys, too.
Watchin' my woman, tryin' to see what she gon' do.

Stood out in the street one cold, dark stormy night
I stood out in the street one dark and stormy night.
Try and see if my good gal gon' make it home all right.

I believe she's found something, that probably made her fall.
She must've found something, and I believe it's made her fall.
I've stood out in the cold all night and she didn't come home at all.

Wearin' BVDs in the winter, prowlin' round in the rain.
Wearin' BVDs in the winter and prowlin' round in the rain.
Runnin' down my baby give me this pneumonia pain.

Now, when I die, bury me in a Stetson hat.
I say, when I die, bury me in a Stetson hat.
Tell my good gal I'm gone, but I'm still a-standin' pat.

Sources: southerngothicbible.com, Thomas Moon: The Verdict Of Big Joe Williams, weeniecampbell.com, BBC news, Talkin' to myself: Blues lyrics, Michael Taft, digitalcitizen.ca, federalcigarjugband.com, pancocojams.blogspot.nl, americanbluesscene.com, YouTube, Wikipedia, Hudson Motors Compagny, Archive Minneapolis, The Cruel Plains, M.H.Price a.o., truewestmagazine.com, The Austin Chronicle, Cambridge Free English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary, TheSaurus.com, dragonjazz.com/grablue/blues_travel, Encyclopedia of African American Popular Culture, Blues by Paul Breman, Blues by David Harrison, Quora.com, urbandictionary.com, Blogs.loc.gov, The Ballad Hunter by Alan Lomax, Black Pearls: Blues Queens of the 1920th by Daphne Duval Harrison, jopiepopie.blogspot.nl, redhotjazz.com, The Blues Lyrics Formula by Michael Taft, American Ballads and Folk Songs by Alan Lomax and John Avery Lomax, The Past Is Not Dead: Essays from the  Southern Quarterly by Douglas B. Chambers, EarlyBlues.com, railroad-line.com,  Jason Lee Davis' RailFan Pages , centertruthjustice.org

zzwq | Joe Bonamassa’s new album “NOTCHES”

door Jon Editor

JOE BONAMASSA'S SOUND IS RAW & VITAL WITH HIS EPIC NEW ROCK ANTHEM
"NOTCHES"
BLUES JOURNEYMAN TAKES THE ROADS LESS TRAVELLED WITH NEW SINGLE FROM HIGHLY ANTICIPATED UPCOMING STUDIO ALBUM
BONAMASSA LIVES UP TO HIS BLUES ROCK CREDENTIALS
JOE BONAMASSA'S SOUND IS RAW & VITAL WITH HIS EPIC NEW ROCK ANTHEM
"NOTCHES"
BLUES JOURNEYMAN TAKES THE ROADS LESS TRAVELLED WITH NEW SINGLE FROM HIGHLY ANTICIPATED UPCOMING STUDIO ALBUM

BONAMASSA LIVES UP TO HIS BLUES ROCK CREDENTIALS

Photo of Joe Bonamassa by Eleanor Jane

Blues rock artist Joe Bonamassa is back with a brand-new single from his highly anticipated upcoming album, due out later this year. “Notches” exemplifies the unwavering journey Joe has experienced while taking the road less travelled leading him to ultimately find success. A bit older in years, but wiser in knowledge earned, his new sound has a raw and vital flavour, combined with a resolute skill that can only be gained through years of perseverance and unyielding dedication. The first single arrives today as a foot-stomping, fist-pounding dose of rock mastermind that pays homage to the artist’s resilient history, with an eye on the future as he continues to bend genres, break down walls and defy the odds of the music industry.

Joe belts out the Blues-tinged lyrics in “Notches” with a vocal range that gets even better with each release, diving deeper into his rock capabilities as he croons the resounding chorus, “I got miles under my wheels. Notches in my walkin’ cane.” He takes no prisoners with his hard-hitting anthem and holds nothing back, delivering a fresh unchartered sound that is not like anything he’s done before. The cinematically excellent official music video was directed by Paul van Kan.

For recording “Notches,” Bonamassa hit the studio with long-time collaborators Kevin Shirley as producer and manager/business partner Roy Weisman as executive producer. The track was mixed by Bob Clearmountain (Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Toto, Bon Jovi) and was co-written with Charlie Starr (Blackberry Smoke). Recorded in New York City at Germano Studios/The Hit Factory the band includes Steve Mackey (bass), Lachy Doley (piano), Bunna Lawrie (didgeridoo), Bobby Summerfield (percussion), and Late Night with David Letterman's Anton Fig (drums and percussion), along with Mahalia Barnes, Juanita Tippins, and Prinnie Stevens on backing vocals. The fantastic artwork on this single was created by famous graphic artist Hugh Syme (Rush, Aerosmith, Whitesnake).

The lyrics allude to Joe’s tenured uphill battle with the music industry. Looking back, he reflects, “Twenty years ago, I recorded a record of covers that eventually was called ‘Blues Deluxe.’ It was recorded at Bobby Nathan's studio in Manhattan. It captured an energy and purpose that always stuck with me as an artist…The music business is tough, very tough. Especially back in those days when major labels pulled all the strings and, in my case, all the punches.”
Now, maybe more than ever, Bonamassa holds the power of controlling both his artistry and his business in both hands. With 24 #1 albums, yearly sold-out tours worldwide and custom annual cruises, he’s a hard act to beat. Joe knows his worth, and albeit humble, he has no plans to back down now. “Notches” is a testament to his credentials. It’s Joe Bonamassa at his finest, ready to rock.

“Notches” is a song that begs to be heard live in an audience, banging loud from the speakers. Luckily for fans, this month Joe heads back out on tour for 42 shows, starting on the West Coast in the US at the end of this month, then traveling around the rest of the country throughout the fall season before taking the stage at sea for his sold out Keeping The Blues Alive At Sea VII cruise, sailing from Miami, FL to Ocho Rios, Jamaica on February 21-25, 2022, by way of the
Norwegian Pearl. For tickets and full tour dates, visit https://jbonamassa.com/tour-dates/.

ABOUT JOE BONAMASSA:

As a professional musician for over 30 years, Joe Bonamassa continues to blaze a remarkably versatile artistic trail, and amass an authentic, innovative, and soulful body of work. Bonamassa's career began onstage opening for B.B. King in 1989 when he was only 12 years old. Today, he is hailed worldwide as one of the greatest guitar players of his generation and is an ever-evolving singer-songwriter with over 40 albums to date all under his own label, J&R Adventures.

Joe’s most recent album, “Now Serving: Royal Tea Live From The Ryman” is available now for streaming, CD, DVD and Blu-Ray. The DVD includes a film introduction narrated by actor Jeff Daniels. To order, visit shop.jbonamassa.com. The stellar performance from one of the world’s most legendary venues includes 12 incredible live tracks, featuring the best from his latest studio release Royal Tea, Joe’s 24th #1 record on the Billboard Blues chart, which was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London. It also includes 3 electrifying tracks from his 20th anniversary album A New Day Now. Joe is set to return to Ryman this October for two special nights kicking off his Fall US tour.

In addition to his music and shows, Joe continues to crank out weekly programming for his radio show “Different Shades Of Blue” for Sirius XM’s Bluesville channel. Last year, he kicked off a new at-home weekly video interview series “Live From Nerdville” which currently has over 50 episodes aired on his Facebook, YouTube, and podcast outlets. With a new episode each week, Joe has featured conversations with Neal Schon of Journey, John Oates of Hall & Oates, Glenn Hughes, Paul Stanley of Kiss, Warren Haynes, Keb’ Mo’, Walter Trout, Steve Lukather of Toto, Todd Rundgren, comedian Jeff Garlin, esteemed singer-songwriter Dion, Peter Frampton, Fantastic Negrito, and is currently booking new guests for his 3rd season.

Last summer, Bonamassa and his manager Roy Weisman debuted their new record label Keeping The Blues Alive Records by releasing music icon Dion’s critically acclaimed latest album Blues With Friends. In February 2021, KTBA Records released Chicago’s reigning Queen of Blues Guitar, Joanna Connor’s new album "4801 South Indiana Avenue", which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues chart. Earlier this month KTBA Records released the new single “If That Ain’t A Reason” from Joanne Shaw Taylor’s upcoming new studio album. Stay tuned for future releases at ktbarecords.com

CONNECT WITH JOE BONAMASSA:

Website: jbonamassa.com
YouTube: /JoeBonamassaTV
Facebook: @JoeBonamassa
Twitter: @JBONAMASSA
Instagram: @joebonamassa

zzwu | Communication in blues

door Jon Editor

sayings_kwibus

Communication

In this column: hand signals and keywords for tempo and progressions

Archie Lee Hooker

In my career as a guitarist I have accompanied a lot of blues musicians/artists and there is never room to practice the songs together. Usually we prepare a set list before the concert or the artist calls out the songs while playing. We use keywords and gestures to communicate with each other, with which we can quickly indicate at what tempo a song is, where there are breaks, which progression we follow or how we end the song.

Below is a list of our means of communication.

Tempo

  • Slow
  • Up Slow
  • 6/8
  • 4/4
  • Shuffle medium (Classic Chicago Blues)
  • Shuffle up
  • Shuffle Up Town (referring to the bass line)
  • Shuffle Down Town (bass line)
  • Humpty dumpty (Shuffle; short and energetic)
  • Lumpty Dumpty (Shuffle; lazy, laid back)
  • Laid Back
  • Boogie
  • Boogaloo
  • Jungle Beat
  • Street Beat / New Orleans / Louisiana
  • Funky
  • Swing
  • Up Swing
  • Up Tempo

Signs

  • The chords are indicated by the fingers: 1 finger, 4 or 5
  • A nod of the head, that means "yes" as you are used to do it
  • The musician shouts "watch me", which means that an unusual passage is coming and the others must follow him/her
  • Tapping the top of the head with the flat of your hand means "From The Top)
  • Raising a hand means "watch out, the end of the song or there's a break coming"
  • Moving the flat hand down means "turn the volume down"
  • The artist points to the musician, who is going to solo. That is usually two rounds (24 bars). If the soloist takes an extra round, he will indicate this
  • If the last line is repeated at the end, it is always repeated three times
  • If the song ends on a break, the musicians continue counting and fall back on the one. Never leave the singer hanging there
  • Through experience, the musicians know where the cues in the song are, where you can give a sign for, for example: a break, a bridge, the end, a quick change, to change the chord, repeating the ending

To count down a number

  • 1 - - 2 - -
  • 1 n 2 n 3 n 4
  • 1 2 3 4
  • 1 2 3, 1n 2n 3n
  • 1 - 2 you know what to do
  • The artist starts alone, the band joins in at 4 or after a round

Progression

  • Minor / major
  • 1 - 4 - 5 (Standard)
  • 1 - 5 - 4
  • 1 - 5 - #
  • 2 - 5 - 1
  • 1 - 4, 1 - 5
  • Stay in 1
  • Long 1 (referring to a long 8-line verse, usually ending with a break)
  • Turn Around (T.A., intermezzo between verses: 1 - 4 - 1 - 5)
  • Quick Change (1 - 4 - 1, 4 - 1 - 5 - 4 -1, T.A.)
  • Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Break
  • From The Top
  • Vamp (improvise on the theme or first chord)

Referring to well-known classic blues songs

  • Sweet Home Chicago
  • Dust My Broom
  • Going Down Slow
  • Hoochie Coochie Man
  • Woke Uo This Morning
  • Big Boss Man
  • Every Day I Have The Blues / T-Bone Shuffle
  • Stormy Monday (progression)
  • Mojo Working
  • …

Sources: Thomas Moon: The Verdict Of Big Joe Williams, weeniecampbell.com, BBC news, Talkin' to myself: Blues lyrics, Michael Taft, digitalcitizen.ca, federalcigarjugband.com, pancocojams.blogspot.nl, americanbluesscene.com, YouTube, Wikipedia, Hudson Motors Compagny, Archive Minneapolis, The Cruel Plains, M.H.Price a.o., truewestmagazine.com, The Austin Chronicle, Cambridge Free English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary, TheSaurus.com, dragonjazz.com/grablue/blues_travel, Encyclopedia of African American Popular Culture, Blues by Paul Breman, Blues by David Harrison, Quora.com, urbandictionary.com, Blogs.loc.gov, The Ballad Hunter by Alan Lomax, Black Pearls: Blues Queens of the 1920th by Daphne Duval Harrison, jopiepopie.blogspot.nl, redhotjazz.com, The Blues Lyrics Formula by Michael Taft, American Ballads and Folk Songs by Alan Lomax and John Avery Lomax, The Past Is Not Dead: Essays from the  Southern Quarterly by Douglas B. Chambers, EarlyBlues.com, railroad-line.com,  Jason Lee Davis' RailFan Pages , centertruthjustice.org

zzwr | Rory Gallagher’s 1971 Eponymous Debut Album 50th Anniversary Edition Box Set

door Jon Editor

RORY GALLAGHER

1971 EPONYMOUS DEBUT ALBUM 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION BOX SET (1971-2021)
4CD+1DVD DELUXE BOX SET, 2CD, LIMITED EDITION 3LP, LIMITED EDITION 1LP NEON ORANGE VINYL SUPER DELUXE DIGITAL, DELUXE DIGITAL HD AND DELUXE DIGITAL STANDARD

Five-disc Deluxe Box Set includes a new mix of the original album, 30 previously unreleased outtakes and alternate takes, a six-song 1971 BBC Radio John Peel Sunday concert, four BBC Radio session tracks, plus previously unreleased 50-minute DVD of Rory's first-ever solo concert which was filmed in Paris for the “Pop Deux” television show.

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Rory Gallagher's eponymous 1971 debut solo album, UMC/UMe is pleased to announce the September 3 release of a five-disc deluxe box set of the album. Rory Gallagher 50th Anniversary Edition will include a brand-new mix of the original album, 30 previously unreleased outtakes and alternate takes, a six-song 1971 BBC Radio John Peel Sunday Concert, plus four 1971 BBC Radio Sounds of the Seventies session tracks, all mastered at Abbey Road Studios.
Also included is a previously unreleased 50-minute DVD of Rory's first-ever solo concert which was filmed in Paris for the “Pop Deux” television show.
The extensive box set package will also contain a 32-page hardback book with many rare and previously unseen photographs from British rock photographer Barrie Wentzell, essays and memorabilia from the album recording including hand-written song lyrics by Rory, and an exclusive limited-edition poster.
The 2CD and 3LP editions of the album will be cut-down versions from the deluxe box set. There will also be a special limited-edition Neon Orange (transparent) 1LP featuring the John Peel Sunday Concert exclusively available via UMG’s online stores uDiscover and Sound of Vinyl.

The box set will also include exclusive liner notes written by his brother and manager Donal Gallagher, his long-time bass guitarist Gerry McAvoy (1970-1991) and photographer Barrie Wentzell, plus a full 1971 interview with Rory by journalist Roy Eldridge.

The debut album features some of the most beloved Rory songs such as “I Fall Apart” (Rory’s second most streamed song), “Laundromat” and “Just The Smile.” While reviewing numerous tapes during the 2021 mixing sessions, two songs were added to the collection: the previously unreleased “At The Bottom,” a track Rory ended up re-recording for his 1975 Against The Grain album, plus “Advision Jam,” a rocking instrumental. The recording saw Rory Gallagher on guitar and lead vocals as well as alto sax, harmonica and mandolin, Gerry McAvoy on bass and Wilgar Campbell on drums. Atomic Rooster’s Vincent Crane plays piano on two out of the 10 songs on the album “Wave Myself Goodbye” and “I’m Not Surprised.”
Rory had not played live since his previous band Taste disbanded on October 24, 1970.  When Rory’s eponymous solo album was released in May 1971, he embarked on a 16-date UK tour that included 10 days touring Ireland and a short jaunt in Switzerland.  
Recorded at the legendary Advision Studios in Fitzrovia, London, Rory’s eponymous debut album showcases the Irish guitarist as a multi-faceted interpreter of the blues with a cross-section of the blues from acoustic to heavy blues soul. Advision was one of the hottest recording studios in the 60s and 70s and home of classic albums recorded by The Yardbirds, The Who, The Move, T. Rex, David Bowie, Kate Bush, Elton John, Slade, Gentle Giant, Gerry Rafferty, and many more.

If ever there was a “musician’s musician” then that accolade belongs to Rory Gallagher. Renowned for his blistering live performances and highly respected for his dedication to his craft, he died in 1995, aged just 47.
Rory’s timeless reputation has continued to flourish in the years since. Indeed, some of rock’s most seminal figures, from Jimi Hendrix to Eric Clapton, Joe Satriani to Joe Bonamassa, Queen’s Brian May to The Smiths’ Johnny Marr, Slash of Guns N Roses to the Edge of U2, have cited him as an influence. Rory remains a touchstone for all would-be guitar heroes in the 21st Century.

FORMATS AND TRACKLISTING

4CD + 1 DVD Deluxe Set / Super Deluxe Digital
CD1
Laundromat - 50th Anniversary Edition
Just The Smile - 50th Anniversary Edition
I Fall Apart - 50th Anniversary Edition
Wave Myself Goodbye - 50th Anniversary Edition
Hands Up - 50th Anniversary Edition
Sinner Boy - 50th Anniversary Edition
For The Last Time - 50th Anniversary Edition
It's You - 50th Anniversary Edition
I'm Not Surprised - 50th Anniversary Edition
Can't Believe It's True - 50th Anniversary Edition

CD2
Gypsy Woman - Tangerine Studio Session
It Takes Time - Tangerine Studio Session
I Fall Apart - Tangerine Studio Session
Wave Myself Goodbye - Tangerine Studio Session
At The Bottom - Alternate Take 1
At The Bottom - Alternate Take 2
At The Bottom - Alternate Take 3
At The Bottom - Alternate Take 4
Advision Jam
Laundromat - Alternate Take 1
Just The Smile - Alternate Take 1
Just The Smile - Alternate Take 2
I Fall Apart - Alternate Take 1
Wave Myself Goodbye - Alternate Take 1
Wave Myself Goodbye - Alternate Take 2

CD3
Hands Up - Alternate Take 1
Hands Up - Alternate Take 2
Hands Up - Alternate Take 3
Hands Up - Alternate Take 4
Hands Up - Alternate Take 5
Hands Up - Alternate Take 6
Sinner Boy - Alternate Take 1
Sinner Boy - Alternate Take 2
Sinner Boy - Alternate Take 3
For The Last Time - Alternate Take 1
For The Last Time - Alternate Take 2
For The Last Time - Alternate Take 3
It's You - Alternate Take 1
It's You - Alternate Take 2
I'm Not Surprised - Alternate Take 1
I'm Not Surprised - Alternate Take 2
Can't Believe It's True - Alternate Take 1

CD4

For The Last Time - Live On BBC "Sounds Of The Seventies" / 1971*
Laundromat - Live On BBC "Sounds Of The Seventies" / 1971*
It Takes Time - Live On BBC "Sounds Of The Seventies" / 1971*
I Fall Apart - Live On BBC "Sounds Of The Seventies" / 1971*
Hands Up - Live On BBC "John Peel Sunday Concert" / 1971
For The Last Time - Live On BBC "John Peel Sunday Concert" / 1971
In Your Town - Live On BBC "John Peel Sunday Concert" / 1971
Just The Smile - Live On BBC "John Peel Sunday Concert" / 1971
Laundromat - Live On BBC "John Peel Sunday Concert" / 1971
It Takes Time - Live On BBC "John Peel Sunday Concert" / 1971
* Off air recording

DVD
Interview
Hands Up
Wave Myself Goodbye
It Takes Time
Sinner Boy
For the Last Time
The Same Thing
I Fall Apart

2CD

CD1
Laundromat - 50th Anniversary Edition
Just The Smile - 50th Anniversary Edition
I Fall Apart - 50th Anniversary Edition
Wave Myself Goodbye - 50th Anniversary Edition
Hands Up - 50th Anniversary Edition
Sinner Boy - 50th Anniversary Edition
For The Last Time - 50th Anniversary Edition
It's You - 50th Anniversary Edition
I'm Not Surprised - 50th Anniversary Edition
Can't Believe It's True - 50th Anniversary Edition

CD2
Gypsy Woman - Tangerine Studio Session
It Takes Time - Tangerine Studio Session
I Fall Apart - Tangerine Studio Session
At The Bottom - Alternate Take 3
At The Bottom - Alternate Take 4
Advision Jam
Laundromat - Alternate Take 1
Just The Smile - Alternate Take 1
Wave Myself Goodbye - Alternate Take 2
Hands Up - Alternate Take 2
Sinner Boy - Alternate Take 3
For The Last Time - Alternate Take 1
It's You - Alternate Take 2
I'm Not Surprised - Alternate Take 1
For The Last Time - Live On BBC "Sounds Of The Seventies" / 1971*
Laundromat - Live On BBC "Sounds Of The Seventies" / 1971*
It Takes Time - Live On BBC "Sounds Of The Seventies" / 1971*
I Fall Apart - Live On BBC "Sounds Of The Seventies" / 1971*
* Off air recording

3LP
SIDE A
Laundromat - 50th Anniversary Edition
Just The Smile - 50th Anniversary Edition
I Fall Apart - 50th Anniversary Edition
Wave Myself Goodbye - 50th Anniversary Edition
Hands Up - 50th Anniversary Edition

SIDE B
Sinner Boy - 50th Anniversary Edition
For The Last Time - 50th Anniversary Edition
It's You - 50th Anniversary Edition
I'm Not Surprised - 50th Anniversary Edition
Can't Believe It's True - 50th Anniversary Edition

SIDE C
Gypsy Woman - Tangerine Studio Session
It Takes Time - Tangerine Studio Session
I Fall Apart - Tangerine Studio Session
At The Bottom - Alternate Take 3
At The Bottom - Alternate Take 4
Advision Jam

SIDE D
Laundromat - Alternate Take 1
Just The Smile - Alternate Take 1
Wave Myself Goodbye - Alternate Take 2
Hands Up - Alternate Take 2

SIDE E
Sinner Boy - Alternate Take 3
For The Last Time - Alternate Take 1
It's You - Alternate Take 2
I'm Not Surprised - Alternate Take 1

SIDE F
For The Last Time - Live On BBC "Sounds Of The Seventies" / 1971*
Laundromat - Live On BBC "Sounds Of The Seventies" / 1971*
It Takes Time - Live On BBC "Sounds Of The Seventies" / 1971*
I Fall Apart - Live On BBC "Sounds Of The Seventies" / 1971*
* Off air recording

1LP Neon Orange (transparent) Vinyl -

John Peel Sunday Concert 28/08/1971

SIDE A
Hands Up - Live On BBC "John Peel Sunday Concert" / 1971
For The Last Time - Live On BBC "John Peel Sunday Concert" / 1971
In Your Town - Live On BBC "John Peel Sunday Concert" / 1971

SIDE B

Just The Smile - Live On BBC "John Peel Sunday Concert" / 1971
Laundromat - Live On BBC "John Peel Sunday Concert" / 1971
It Takes Time - Live On BBC "John Peel Sunday Concert" / 1971

Deluxe Digital HD / Deluxe Digital Standard

Laundromat - 50th Anniversary Edition
Just The Smile - 50th Anniversary Edition
I Fall Apart - 50th Anniversary Edition
Wave Myself Goodbye - 50th Anniversary Edition
Hands Up - 50th Anniversary Edition
Sinner Boy - 50th Anniversary Edition
For The Last Time - 50th Anniversary Edition
It's You - 50th Anniversary Edition
I'm Not Surprised - 50th Anniversary Edition
Can't Believe It's True - 50th Anniversary Edition
Gypsy Woman - Tangerine Studio Session
It Takes Time - Tangerine Studio Session
I Fall Apart - Tangerine Studio Session
At The Bottom - Alternate Take 3
At The Bottom - Alternate Take 4
Advision Jam
Laundromat - Alternate Take 1
Just The Smile - Alternate Take 1
Wave Myself Goodbye - Alternate Take 2
Hands Up - Alternate Take 2
Sinner Boy - Alternate Take 3
For The Last Time - Alternate Take 1
It's You - Alternate Take 2

For further information, artwork and photos, please visit:  HERE

www.noblepr.co.uk/

zzwv | Guitarists: Every Day I Have the Blues

door Jon Editor

sayings_kwibus

#4 Guitarists

In this column: every day i have the blues, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Albert King, Elmore James, T-Bone Walker, Buddy Guy, Jack Pearson with Josh Smith & Kirk Fletcher, Robert J. Lockwood, Peter Greens Fleetwood Mac, Memphis Slim with Matt “Guitar” Murphy, Jimmy Burns, Matt Schofield & Henrik Freischlader, Luther Allison with Otis Rush & Eric Clapton, Johnny Winter & B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Witherspoon & Robben Ford

How different guitarists tackle the classic blues song "Every Day I Have The Blues".

Sources: thegearpage, Thomas Moon: The Verdict Of Big Joe Williams, weeniecampbell.com, BBC news, Talkin' to myself: Blues lyrics, Michael Taft, digitalcitizen.ca, federalcigarjugband.com, pancocojams.blogspot.nl, americanbluesscene.com, YouTube, Wikipedia, Hudson Motors Compagny, Archive Minneapolis, The Cruel Plains, M.H.Price a.o., truewestmagazine.com, The Austin Chronicle, Cambridge Free English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary, TheSaurus.com, dragonjazz.com/grablue/blues_travel, Encyclopedia of African American Popular Culture, Blues by Paul Breman, Blues by David Harrison, Quora.com, urbandictionary.com, Blogs.loc.gov, The Ballad Hunter by Alan Lomax, Black Pearls: Blues Queens of the 1920th by Daphne Duval Harrison, jopiepopie.blogspot.nl, redhotjazz.com, The Blues Lyrics Formula by Michael Taft, American Ballads and Folk Songs by Alan Lomax and John Avery Lomax, The Past Is Not Dead: Essays from the  Southern Quarterly by Douglas B. Chambers, EarlyBlues.com, railroad-line.com,  Jason Lee Davis' RailFan Pages , centertruthjustice.org

zzws | Ambedo new ALBUM Ellis Mano Band

door Jon Editor

Swiss-based four-piece blues rock band Ellis Mano Band release their third single Ambedo Mind on Friday 9th July. The single is taken from the band’s sophomore album Ambedo that was released on Friday June 25th by Jazzhaus Records.

The band's critically acclaimed new album went to #2 in the Official Swiss Album Chart.

Ellis Mano Band describe their trademark well-produced sound as “a sort of rock n’ soul, rooted deep down in the blues.”
“Smooth, sexy, and horn-section-soulful, this song is a nod to the soul and R&B greats,” is how the band's guitarist, Edis Mano, describes the Ambedo Mind single.“During the pandemic, I taught myself filmmaking which is something I have wanted to do that for years," says Edis about the making of the Ambedo Mind music video.
“Keep It Simple and The Question were the first two music videos I made,” continues Edis. “With Ambedo Mind I wanted to have a cinematographic reference to the subject of Ambedo. That's why we took the macro recordings with a special lens. This optic makes the smallest objects appear gigantic. This is exactly how we behave during the process of creating an album. The smallest details are often discussed very intensively. There are many parallels.”
In Switzerland, Ellis Mano Band are not unlike the Wrecking Crew or the Funk Brothers. They are top-flight studio musicians and elites in the Swiss music scene. Although they spent years recording with other artists, they never had much time to make music of their own until now.
"Ambedo Mind unleashes a smooth, soulful horn section. Chris’ voice rises effortlessly to the challenge of reproducing the 60’s R&B Greats. Underneath is a wonderful looping bassline, for someone who doesnt like soul, this is very impressive!"

- Velvet Thunder

"Crisp clean guitar licks flow effortlessly in the intro of Ambedo Mind, as the snare drum snaps along with a cool cymbal tap that just gets this track beaming with awesome tones and musicality. Bass chords, funky groove beats, soulful vocals gives you goosebumps." - Jace Media

“We chose the album title Ambedo because it reflects the state of the process of recording an album,” says guitarist Edis Mano. Ambedo refers to the tendency both to reflect and to absorb. As musicians, we do its all the time, especially when we write new songs and create an album.”
Every track on the new album is rich with perfectly chosen detail including Chris Ellis’s rough voice, Edis Mano’s vintage sounding guitar playing, and the tight rhythm section of drummer Nico Looser and Severin Graf (bass). The album also features Hammond B3 organ, and horns that reflect the blazing summer heat during which they were recorded. The harmonious backing vocals are reminiscent of something you would hear from Muscle Shoals Studios. 
“We would get together with just a few ideas, fill it out, let it grow, work on it, with a great passion,” says Chris. “For session musicians, it was not about having just another project to play on, but it was an opportunity for us to play as a real band again. It was a great feeling to see the guys together and getting emotional from time to time playing the music.”
The album was recorded at Edis Mano’s Studio E10 with a lot of vintage gear and instruments, resulting in a contemporary sound. The songs were recorded live with a few  overdubs, including backing vocals and horns.
The album is nothing short of brilliant. With Ambedo, the Ellis Mano Band presents a rich tapestry of universal joy and sorrow; the awkward moment after a one-night stand in Breakfast, the desperation and grief in Long Road and the loud, social criticism in The Horrible Truth.
The songs are saturated in a deep respect and understanding of American roots music, from the early blues of the American South through to the blues rock revolution of 1960s Britain.
Influenced by Led Zeppelin, J.J. Cale, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Jimi Hendrix and more recently John Mayer, the Ellis Mano Band have put their own unique stamp on the blues which, in recent years, has become a shared global phenomenon.
“Making this music was fascinating, it was really easy to create the music and take it further,” said Chris. “It was a beautiful experience and I hope we can repeat it time and time again.”

AMBEDO - TRACK LISTING

THE HORRIBLE TRUTH (3:31)
SWEET SIN (3:12)
AMBEDO MIND (3:34)
THE FIGHT FOR PEACE (5:45)
JOHNNY & SUSIE (4:04)
LONG ROAD (3:49)
THE QUESTION (3:36)
BREAKFAST (5:44)
KEEP IT SIMPLE (4:16)
HEART ‘N MIND (4:07)

 

Band Line-Up

Chris Ellis – Vocals
Edis Mano – Guitars
Severin Graf – Bass
Nico Looser – Drums

Production Credits

Music by Edis Mano & Chris Ellis
Lyrics by Shane Brady
Recorded by Edis Mano
Arranged by Ellis Mano Band
Mixed by Oli Boesch
Mastered by Oli Boesch
Produced by Edis Mano
Recorded at Studio E10
Additional Musicians
Manuel Halter – Keyboards on all Tracks except Track 7
Lachy Doley – Hammond Organ (Track 7)
Cathryn Lehmann – Backing Vocals
Lesley Bogaert – Backing Vocals
Dave Blaser – Trumpet
Flo Egli – Saxophone
Lukas Wyss – Trombone
Benjamin Hartwig – Violin (Track 6)
Roberto Hacaturyan – Percussion

For interviews with Ellis Mano Band, and to download images, visit: 

www.noblepr.co.uk/press-releases/ellis-mano-band/ambedo.htm

zzwx | Guitarists (4): slides (2)

door Jon Editor

sayings_kwibus

#4 Guitarists: slides (2)

In this column:

Little finger

Bottleneck on the little finger

Different ways to hold the slide

The sleeve slide is held in three different ways: with the little finger, the ring finger and the middle finger. The other fingers are used to steer and hold the slide. With the slide on the pinky position you still have three fingers, which can make chords in between. Guitarists who play a lot of notes use the ring finger because it gives them more grip. Playing slide with the little finger takes more practice.

Below are some guitarists who play with their pinkies.

Muddy Waters
Sonny Landreth
Elmore James
J.B. Hutto
Lil' Ed (and the Imperials)
Keb Mo

Ring finger

A guitarist playing slide with his ring finger and using a thumb, index and middle finger pick for a powerful tone

Some guitarists who play with their ring finger.

Derek Trucks
Derek Trucks Dunlop bottle slide
Duane Allman
Rory Gallagher

Middle finger

Middle finger
Bonnie Raitt
Joe Walsh

Different ways to hold the slide (lap)

Slide guitarists, who hold the guitar in lap position, where the slide is not put on the finger but is slid back and forth over the strings from above.

Steel Lap Tonebar

John Hiatt & Jerry Douglas

Robert Randolph & Steve Ray Ladson

Sources: happy bluesman, tdpri.com, Thomas Moon: The Verdict Of Big Joe Williams, weeniecampbell.com, BBC news, Talkin' to myself: Blues lyrics, Michael Taft, digitalcitizen.ca, federalcigarjugband.com, pancocojams.blogspot.nl, americanbluesscene.com, YouTube, Wikipedia, Hudson Motors Compagny, Archive Minneapolis, The Cruel Plains, M.H.Price a.o., truewestmagazine.com, The Austin Chronicle, Cambridge Free English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary, TheSaurus.com, dragonjazz.com/grablue/blues_travel, Encyclopedia of African American Popular Culture, Blues by Paul Breman, Blues by David Harrison, Quora.com, urbandictionary.com, Blogs.loc.gov, The Ballad Hunter by Alan Lomax, Black Pearls: Blues Queens of the 1920th by Daphne Duval Harrison, jopiepopie.blogspot.nl, redhotjazz.com, The Blues Lyrics Formula by Michael Taft, American Ballads and Folk Songs by Alan Lomax and John Avery Lomax, The Past Is Not Dead: Essays from the  Southern Quarterly by Douglas B. Chambers, EarlyBlues.com, railroad-line.com,  Jason Lee Davis' RailFan Pages , centertruthjustice.org

zzwt | Troy Redfern releases new album The Fire Cosmic ( Ghosts free download)

door Jon Editor

TROY REDFERN RELEASES "GHOSTS" AS FREE DOWNLOAD FROM UPCOMING ALBUM "THE FIRE COSMIC"

DOWNLOAD "GHOSTS" FROM www.troyredfern.com

 

Hailed as the King of British slide guitar, Troy Redfern, has today released a free download of a new song Ghosts taken from his upcoming album The Fire Cosmic released August 6th.
Ghosts opens with an atmospheric Appalachian style motif played on Troy’s trademark sound performed with heavily-worn 1929 National Triolian resonator guitar which sets the stylistic tone of his new studio album
Against the backdrop of Darby Todd’s ‘train beat’ drum shuffle, Ghosts gradually builds with subtly-layered acoustic textures, as it builds it's way towards a massive chorus.
Dave Marks' understated "country feel" bassline underpins the verses, and creates a sonic wave in the solo section. Troy’s resonator guitar, surfs, ducks, weaves, and reaches it’s final climax before hitting the chorus in high gear.
The new album follows five unprecedented albums Troy released in 2020. It was recorded at the legendary Rockfield Studios in North Wales, the same studio where Queen recorded all their early albums including Sheer Heart Attack (1974) followed by A Night At The Opera (1975).
For the new album, Troy enlisted one of the best rhythm sections in the UK, including the legendary Darby Todd on drums (The Darkness, Martin Barre, Paul Gilbert), and virtuoso bass guitarist Dave Marks (Hans Zimmer).
Guitarist Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal (Guns ‘N Roses, Asia, Sons of Apollo), plays guitar on the song On Fire.

Troy describes the contributors on the album as “the ultimate dream team” on what is arguably the British guitarist’s most distinctive and powerful release to date.
“I chose Rockfield Studios because so much of the music I grew up listening to was recorded at this legendary studio (Queen, Black Sabbath)," says Troy. "The studio has a timeless reputation for all the iconic, classic albums that have been produced there.”
“It was important for me to capture the raw energy of three guys playing live in the same place, at the same time. That’s something that you just can't get if you’re sending files from different locations, it doesn't have the same vibe or feel if you do it that way.”
As soon as we arrived at Rockfield, everyone, including Darby and Dave who’ve recorded all over the world, were excited to be there,” continues Troy. “It’s that kind of place. It has that effect on every musician who records there. Even before we started recording, the energy and vibe was there, which definitely set the tone for the entire album.”
Troy cut his teeth and refined his style over the last few years, playing festival main stages and blazing a trail across Europe, Scandinavia, and Russia. He’s also become a well-known draw on the UK Blues Rock festival circuit, playing alongside rock luminaries including Robert Plant.

The forthcoming studio album is a culmination everything Troy has learnt so far on his musical journey, and, more importantly, brings into sharp focus a much tighter song-writing and more visceral, muscular production style.
For production duties, Troy enlisted the Brighton- based producer Paul ‘Win’ Winstanley, best known for his epic rock production style, and whom Troy met and had worked with previously on the 2019 RHR album, Hotel Toledo. Troy and Win bonded immediately, and shared the same musical aesthetic, no nonsense work ethic and dry sense of humour.
Rockfield’s vintage mics, mixing desk, and analogue outboard gear gave Win options to capture the dynamic performances on the album. “It was like being a kid in a candy store,” says Win.
“It was important for the album to sound massive,” says Troy. “It was a much bigger sound than anything that I’ve released before. As soon as we heard the first takes in the control, we were blown away. We knew that we captured something special. It sounded fantastic.”
“For the session, Darby Todd brought his vintage Ludwig Vistalite acrylic drums of John Bonham fame. The drums are renowned for sounding massive. Hearing them in one of the best drum rooms in the world, they sounded out of this world! Roger Taylor’s drums recorded for Queen’s Sheer Heart Attack album at Rockfield are some of my favourite drum sounds ever."
Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal states, “It all starts with the drums, if you’ve got a great drummer, great sounding room, great board, it’s going to sound phenomenal, and it does!”
“I met Ron at a festival in Poland that we were both playing at, we immediately hit it off,” recalls Troy. “He let me use his signature double neck guitar to play on Anthony Gomes encore set at the festival, that was an absolute blast. He’s such a cool, generous guy. When I returned to the UK, I emailed him to ask if he’d like to play on my new album. He was totally fired up to do it.”
Troy continues, “The album really is a step up. It’s the best album I’ve made. Hiring Rockfield, getting the best players, the best producer – it was a risk, but it paid off tenfold. I’ve made an album I really couldn't be happier with.”
“With all the hard work that went into getting this album to sound as great as possible, there was only one option when it came to mastering. I decided to hire Frank Arkwright (Biffy Clyro, Oasis, Iggy Pop, Paul Weller, System of a Down). Frank is the senior mastering engineer at Abbey Road Studios. The mastering at Abbey Road added that final sheen. Frank did an absolutely amazing job in bringing out every nuance of the recording.”
“When it came to the album artwork, I was originally going to get an artist from Brazil to do it for me, however, I started working on some artwork of my own in the silver age Marvel comics style, based on the four guys that were on the album. I posted a few visuals on the socials and was overwhelmed by the response.

It was a huge kick getting responses from Joe Satriani, Richie Kotzen and my slide guitar hero Denny Walley of Frank Zappa fame. As a result, I created my own comic-style illustrations to package the album.”

MUSICIANS

TROY REDFERN – VOCALS, GUITARS

RON ‘BUMBLEFOOT’ THAL – GUITARS (TRACK 5)
DARBY TODD – DRUMS
DAVE MARKS - BASS, PIANO, KEYS, PERCUSSION
RECORDED & MIXED AT ROCKFIELD STUDIOS BY PAUL ‘WIN’ WINSTANLEY
ASSISTANT ENGINEER – JOE JONES
MASTERED BY FRANK ARKWRIGHT AT ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS

TRACK LISTING
1. SCORPIO (4:50)
2. WAITING FOR YOUR LOVE (3:34)
3. ONE WAY TICKET (3:50)
4. LOVE & WAR (4:37)
5. ON FIRE (4:09)
6. LAY THAT LOVE DOWN (3:23)
7. GHOSTS (4:02)
8. SAVING GRACE (4:07)
9. SANCTIFY (3:46)
10. STONE (5:50)

The Fire Cosmic

TROY REDFERN
ON TOUR WITH 'ROBERT JON & THE WRECK'

SEPTEMBER 2021 UK TOUR
Tickets: www.altticket.com, www.planetrocktickets.co.uk

Cardiff, The Globe
Thursday 16 September 2021

Sittingbourne, The Bourne Music Club
Friday 17 September 2021

Chester, Live Rooms
Saturday 18 September 2021

Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
Sunday 19 September 2021

Newcastle, The Cluny
Monday 20 September 2021

Manchester, Night & Day
Tuesday 21 September 2021

Nottingham, The Bodega
Wednesday 22 September 2021

London, The 100 Club
Thursday 23 September 2021

Edinburgh, Voodoo Rooms
Friday 24 September 2021

Aberdeen, Cafe Drummond
Saturday 25 September 2021

Hartlepool, South Durham Steel Works Club
Sunday 26 September 2021

# # #

TROY REDFERN
ON TOUR WITH 'WILLE & THE BANDITS'

March/April 2022 UK Tour
Tickets: www.willeandthebandits.com

Palladium, Bideford
Friday 4 March 2022

Old Bakery, Truro
Saturday 5 March 2022

Phoenix, Exeter
Sunday 6 March 2022

The Musician, Leicester
Wednesday 9 March 2022

The Flowerpot, Derby
Thursday 10 March 2022

The Bullingdon, Oxford
Friday 11 March 2022

Philharmonic, Liverpool
Saturday 12 March 2022

Continental, Preston
Wednesday 16 March 2022

Bodega, Nottingham
Thursday 17 March 2022

Hug & Pint, Glasgow
Friday 18 March 2022

The Cluny, Newcastle
Saturday 19 March 2022

Elsewhere, Margate
Wednesday 23 March 2022

Junction, Cambridge
Thursday 24 March 2022

The 100 Club, London
Friday 25 March 2022

Thekla, Bristol
Saturday 26 March 2022

Guildhall, Gloucester
Wednesday 30 March 2022

The Greystones, Sheffield
Thursday 31 March 2022

Town Hall, Selby
Friday 1 April 2022

The Tivoli, Buckley
Saturday 2 April 2022

The Star, Guildford
Wednesday 6 April 2022

The Robin, Bilston
Thursday 7 April 2022

Arts Centre, Bridgwater
Friday 8 April 2022

Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon
Saturday 9 April 2022

Nightrain, Bradford
Thursday 21 April 2022

The Tivoli, Wimborne
Friday 22 April 2022

Ropetackle, Brighton
Saturday 23 April 2022

INFO: NOBLEPR UK

zzwy | Guitarists (3): slides (1)

door Jon Editor

sayings_kwibus

#2 Gitarists: slides (1)

In this column: slides, Robert Johnson, Elmore James, Earl Hooker

William Christopher Handy

Slides are objects that allow the guitarist to create a violin-like tone. He/she slides the object over the snare and makes a note just above the fret. Different objects are used for sliding. W.C. Handy, the man who brought the blues to the general public in the early 1900s, saw a man on the station platform playing a blues song, accompanying himself on guitar and making notes with a knife. For example Robert Johnson used a brass sleeve, others used small medicine bottles or the bottlenecks that a finger would fit into.

CeDell Davis
Brass sleeve/slide
Bottleneck

The form of expression in blues is one of question and answer, statement and approval or disapproval. As the chords are plucked and in turn the slide plays a very expressive tone, the guitarist seems to be in a dialogue with his inner self or with an imaginary other person.
Besides the fact that the slide requires a special technique, the guitarist also has to provide a convincing tone. One of the first to do so was Elmore “The King of The Slide” James whose 'Dust My Broom' is still part of the classical repertoire today. Robert Johnson taught him to play slide with a metal sleeve on his finger. After the second world war, he created a specific electric sound in his brother's electric shop with parts from the shop and unusual placement of two DeArmond pickups. He also “hot-wired” his amp to give it more power and distortion. It gave his guitar a unique edge that roused the dancing audience. Elmore often tuned his guitar in open D and E tuning.

Elmore James

Earl Hooker

Earl Hooker (according to B.B. King the best slide player he knew) played with a standard tuning and used a short steel slide, which made it easy for him to switch from chord to slide. His slide sound comes from his light touch on the strings, a technique he learned from Robert Nighthawk: instead of full-chord glissando effects, he prefers single-note runs. Later he played on double-neck Gibson guitar, first a 6 and 4-string bass combination, later a 12- and 6-string combination (for solo and rhythm accompaniment). For the tone, he experimented with the amplification and used an echo and tape delay to simultaneously play two solos in harmony. He also enriched the slide sound with the use of a wah-wah pedal.

A wah-wah works on the same principle, the effect comes just after you have created the tone. You have to let it happen organically, I sometimes compare it to breathing, look for the breathing support as a foothold to slide through the slide part.

60th Clyde McCoy Wah-Wah pedal

Nowadays there is a suitable slide for everyone: cloned to bottlenecks and pill bottles, glass tubes in different thicknesses, metal, copper and porcelain pipes (large and small). Acoustically, a resonator guitar is used because it produces more volume, giving you a better and more controllable tone. Electrically, the amplifier sound is overdriven or a fuzz or distortion is introduced.

Steel slide (Jon's)

I started with a glass slide from Dunlop (no 201), because I play with a medium action and with a standard tuning. This slide is thin and light so I can create slide notes with a light touch. The downside is that they are fragile and don't produce much volume. The thicker no 203 doesn't give me much grip on the strings and is just a bit too narrow for my little finger. In the end I've been playing with the cheapest steel slide out there for years and it's indestructible, has the right weight for vibrato and fits my little finger perfectly.

Sources: happy bluesman, tdpri.com, Thomas Moon: The Verdict Of Big Joe Williams, weeniecampbell.com, BBC news, Talkin' to myself: Blues lyrics, Michael Taft, digitalcitizen.ca, federalcigarjugband.com, pancocojams.blogspot.nl, americanbluesscene.com, YouTube, Wikipedia, Hudson Motors Compagny, Archive Minneapolis, The Cruel Plains, M.H.Price a.o., truewestmagazine.com, The Austin Chronicle, Cambridge Free English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary, TheSaurus.com, dragonjazz.com/grablue/blues_travel, Encyclopedia of African American Popular Culture, Blues by Paul Breman, Blues by David Harrison, Quora.com, urbandictionary.com, Blogs.loc.gov, The Ballad Hunter by Alan Lomax, Black Pearls: Blues Queens of the 1920th by Daphne Duval Harrison, jopiepopie.blogspot.nl, redhotjazz.com, The Blues Lyrics Formula by Michael Taft, American Ballads and Folk Songs by Alan Lomax and John Avery Lomax, The Past Is Not Dead: Essays from the  Southern Quarterly by Douglas B. Chambers, EarlyBlues.com, railroad-line.com,  Jason Lee Davis' RailFan Pages , centertruthjustice.org