Chris Duarte . .Guitar Slinger Extraordinaire.

Date: 11/31/2013
Place: Holy Smokes / Orlando Florida

When Chris Duarte comes to town, I go. Simple as that. The Texas Journeyman never disappoints with a performance and always delivers non-stop with a couple hours of nothing but the best in guitar charged blues/rock. Lets face the facts, three piece is not easy to master..That is why I respect it.  A magic combination of  near perfect musicianship and impeccable timing, with everyone in the trio pulling their weight. Chris Duarte Group did all of the above. A variety of his works to date were preformed, all eleven recordings or so. Durarte does homage to Hendrix with the layering of his tones aka feedback and just the right sprinkling of effects. Then he turns on a dime and delivers twelve bar blues down and dirty. Afterwards, he can do his rendition of a classic 50's Hank Ballard and the Midnighters song. That is what you call diversified. At any rate, the show was worth double what I paid and I do not say that about many shows I go to. I am already anticipating his next visit to Orlando. As usual, I captured a few images of  the show and will post them. "My Soul Alone" is the latest recording  for Chris Duarte and available on Amazom.com
Check out a few videos!  http://www.thechrisduartegroup.com/socialnetworks.html

  

Blues Scrapbook

Through the years I have had the privilege of seeing some great blues men and women as they pay their dues in the small clubs, music halls and festivals in various cities here in the USA. Nine times out of ten I take one of my cameras to the shows and make an attempt at capturing the spontaneous raw energy that these artists evoke. Here is just a sampling of my Blues Scrapbook. Perhaps you have one of your own. We have in order: Albert Castiglia, The late Ann Rabson, Anson Funderburgh, The Paladins Bass Player: Thomas Yearsley. Bryan Lee the Braille Blues Daddy, BB King, Blind Pig Recording Artist Damon Fowler, Smokin' Joe Kubek, Indigenous front man; Mato Nunji, Jimmy Thackery, King Muddfish, Duke Robillard, Tab Benoit, Studebaker John and Joanne Shaw Taylor.

Further On Down The Road

  The much anticipated Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013 Audio CD's and Blue ray video will be released next month: November 19, 2013. This huge annual event took place this year inside New York City's Madison Square Gardens this past spring. Eric assembled another great line up this year as he continues to up the ante with this season's festival.   The usual suspects were preforming: BB King, Buddy Guy, Jimmy Vaughan, Sonny Landreth, Keb Mo', Jeff Beck, Vince Gill, Doyle Bramhall II, Robert Cray and Steve Cropper. This years additions: Taj Mahal, The Allman Brothers Band and Booker T.  90 minutes of video should satisfy everyone that wasn't able to attend. So hold onto your hats until November and your eyes and ears will be rewarded with some of the best in blues. To wet your appetite I have linked some available video via You Tube today 10/22 at the bottom of this post! Check it out!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=efFo-Clq844

The Rides

I can remember in 1967 via the Ed Sullivan Show, seeing Buffalo Springfield sing: "For What It's Worth" like it was yesterday. That song along with Fogarty's "Fortunate Son," marked a time when music and lyrics protested war and everything that stood for it. Singer/ Songwriter Stephen Stills has been at it along time, he cut his teeth with Buffalo Springfield, followed that gig with another group called; Crosby, Stills and Nash. Neil Young followed and the rest is history. Stills is the first person to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice in one night -Buffalo Springfield / Crosby Stills Nash and Young.
Which brings us to the present where the veteran has helped form another interesting approach to Blues/Rock with The Rides. The Rides are; five time Grammy nominated singer, guitarist, songwriter: Kenny Wayne Shepherd,  famed Chicago Rock/Blues keyboard player: Barry Goldberg and the aforementioned Stephen Stills. I am always skeptical about so called super groups, much like great athletes where their larger than life egos and emotions create friction and disaster in sports teams. However, I am here to tell you that this musical chemistry works and works well. The Rides; Can't Get Enough is a solid album. Great songwriting, extraordinary playing and a stellar recording/mix. It's the perfect blending of generations. What a variety pack of songs you get here; Muddy Waters "Honey Bee",  Elmore James: "Talk To Me Baby." and Neil Young's anthem: "Rockin' In The Free World." Originals include the bluesy: "Can't Get Enough Of Loving You", "Roadhouse" and "Only Teardrops Fall"- All Three feature Still's haunting vocals and Kenny Wayne's clean and powerful riffs. Don't forget that holding down the back beat is drummer extraordinaire Chris "Whipper" Layton , formerly with Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, but now with Kenny Wayne Shepherd.  Everything comes together here, the musicians, the songs, vocals, I can't deny the Rides Can't Get Enough may be the best blues/rock album of the year!

Murali Coryell

He is the son of Jazz-Rock Fusion guitar legend Larry Coryell. However, Murali Coryell has been making a steady name for himself in the blues for several years. He first caught my attention in 1999 with the  Marshall Chess CZYZ Records release of  2120. Very bluesy, but at the same time you can hear soul, funk and jazz intertwined in the various songs of that great recording. You can sense Murali had been around great musicians all his young life and has been influenced by some of the best - Hendrix, Santana and Miles Davis whom his father played with.  In particular,his father also opened his eyes to BB Kings legendary recording: Live At The Regal, so all those complex, tangible  factors help develop Murali's style today. Several albums followed: Strong As I Need To Be, The Future Of The Blues and Sugar Lips.
Which brings us to his latest: Murali Coryell Live. The highlight of the session is a song in reference to a true story: In The Room With Jimi. Catchy, bluesy, Wind Cries Mary type riffs, just a wonderful song. Infact the entire live set is great and I highly recommend it for your listening pleasure. On a personal note, I will be waiting patiently to see Murali Coryell the first opportunity I get. In the meantime, check out the link below and see his fabulous live preformance of the afore mentioned song: I Was In The Room With Jimi. You will be glad you did.

http://youtu.be/KNcZs2qFM-E

Buddy Guy - Rhythm & Blues

http://bg.buddyguy.com/buddy-guy-to-release-new-album-rhythm-blues-on-july-30th/

Mike Zito . . . Gone To Texas

Mike Zito is a man that writes, sings and plays from deep within his soul. Real guy, real life. All about the stuff that happens to most of us -the ups and downs, good times and bad, moving on and not staying still in one place very long.. That is what the blues is all about. In his latest recording for Ruf Records, Zito hits the mark with a solid effort and it culminates with the help of some world class musicians -Delbert McCinton and Sonny Landreth.- contributing vocals, harmonica and guitar. The opening blues ballad; Gone to Texas, sets the mood and the underlying  theme of this record. Very catchy and well written, reminiscent of the Allman Brothers/Eagles type arrangements of the past. I Never Knew A Hurricane continues with the same approach. A couple of acoustic blues numbers are also on this recording adding to the flavor of this fine catalog of songs. -Death Row and Let Your Light Shine On Me.  Mike & Sonny's slide guitar and Delbert's vocals and harp shine on The Road Never Ends. In conclusion, one of the most anticipated recordings of the year lives up to the hype and I personally give it the four star treatment. You will not be disappointed either.

Thirty Years To The Day

Man, where did the time go? What were you doing in 1983? . . . If you appreciated good music you were glad Disco was finally dying and Glam Rock was being phased out as well. I looked at MTV with my kids in disgust hoping to see signs of the next Hendrix, Cream, or The Doors, only to be disappointed by Pop and more and more Pop music. However something was happening out in the western USA I was totally unaware of! A Texas Flood was coming. Yes in between Boy George and Duran Duran , the Blues was alive and well in the form of a guitar slinger, a young man from Austin Texas; Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Thanks to Jackson Browne, David Bowie and the late John Hammond we were graced to get about seven years of the best Guitar driven blues we ever had! Hindsight is 20/20, and I don't know about you, but I didn't realize at the time (1983) what I was hearing and seeing  with SRV and Double Trouble, but I sure do now and millions more have listened to the legend. After it is said and done, there is no doubt in my mind that Stevie Ray and Jimi Hendrix are blood brothers that transcend nearly all other players.
So, here we are 30 years later and the Legacy Edition of Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble's debut album: Texas Flood is released as a double CD set full of extras only a SRV fan will appreciate. The original album is on the first CD along with bonus track: Tin Pan Alley. The second CD is a previously unreleased live performance of SRV and Double Trouble at Ripley's Music Hall in Philadelphia PA. Good stuff!
Recently I re -read the 1993 best selling book: Stevie Ray Vaughan: Caught In The Crossfire by Joe Nick Patuski and Bill Crawford. I thoroughly enjoyed it the first time and appreciated it even more this time around, as it is a great read, giving you the candid look into the good and bad times Stevie Ray endured only to loose his life in the tragic helicopter crash in 1990. I recommend reading the book then listening to Texas Flood with a nice set of headphones as soon as you get the chance.  

 

The Motherload of Blues is Coming!

 

 

http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/chicago_blues_festival.html
 

Texas Legend Sam Lightnin' Hopkins

Texas Blues has always had my undivided attention for several reasons. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all Roots Music, but it is the Texas Style that gets my foot tapping' and the juices flowing, if you know what I mean. Texas Blues is synonymous with Lightnin' Hopkins. Born in Centerville Texas (near Houston) in 1912, this man was the total package. Great finger style guitar picking and the King of spontaneous story -telling vocals, Sam Hopkins made many more records than his contemporaries, recording between 800 -1000 songs. He honed his skills from another Texas master: Blind Lemon Jefferson. In October of 1960 Hopkins debuted Carnegie Hall, and in 1964 overcame his fear of flying to tour with the American Folk / Blues Festival overseas in London and Germany. Although Sam Hopkins died in 1982 his legend lives on. There is a life size statue of Lightnin' in Crocket, Texas. There is also a documentary made about him in 1967: The Blues According to Lightnin' Hopkins and a current one being produced as we speak entitled; When Lightnin' Strikes.
 http://www.wherelightninstrikes.com/ - check it out. Enjoy the videos and the music of a Texas Legend: Lightnin; Hopkins.

 

Born Under A Bad Sign -Albert King's Classic Album Reissued by Stax

Great news for blues aficionados the world over! April 2 will mark the reissue day of Albert King's Stax Record debut of "Born Under A Bad Sign"  Originally released in 1967, this was one of the most popular and influential blues albums in music history. Forty-Six years later, most blues artists will gladly tell you they cut their teeth on the standards of Albert King. The late Stevie Ray Vaughan was in awe of Albert's presence as he passed the torch to the Texas guitar slinger, recognizing the abilities of young Stevie. Albert made the album great with the help of Stax in house studio musicians;Booker T & The MG's. Personnel for the recording listed below. What a lineup!

Albert King – lead guitar and vocals
Steve Cropper – rhythm guitar
Booker T. Jones – organ, piano
Isaac Hayes – piano
Donald "Duck" Dunn – bass guitar
Al Jackson, Jr. – drums
Wayne Jackson – trumpet
Andrew Love – tenor saxophone
Joe Arnold - saxophone, flute

Besides being re-mastered, several unreleased bonus tracks and new liner notes will be included. I am looking forward with anticipation to April 2nd, as I know you will.

 

JP Soars & The Red Hots

The word is spreading like wildfire about JP Soars and The Red Hots! The winner of the International Blues Challenge is not awarded just because you have a cool name for your band. These guys earned that prestigious notification in 2009 because they got the chops and the desire to deliver the goods!
John Paul Soars from Arkansas has been around the block. A veteran guitarist possessing the ability to play many genres and styles, JP composes a good bit of his music, provides the vocals along with stellar guitar work peppered into just the right nooks and crannies of a song. The other two thirds of this tight three piece ensemble is; Chris Peets on Drums and percussion and Don "The Cougar" Gottleib on the bass. - both veteran musicians themselves.
So "Razorback Blues" invaded Orlando south of downtown at McWells -rapidly becoming the home of the blues in Central Florida. JP & The Red Hots dazzled the locals with material off their two recording sessions and some great renditions of blues standards thrown in as well. JP then whipped out his secret weapon; the two stringed  fretless Cigar Box Guitar, homemade by him and his brother back in Arkansas. Wow! Talk about lightning in a bottle, what a gut wrenching raw sound as he alternates finger picking and bottleneck slide throughout his cover of Johnny Guitar Watson's: Gangster of Love -a crowd favorite.  I had my trusty Nikon with me and managed to get some photographs during the two sets. I give JP Soars and the Red Hots five stars and encourage you to see them as they tour around 300 days out of the year! Go catch some Razorback Blues!

 

Eden Brent - Boogie Woogie Mississippi Blues

Some people are born to entertain. It is in their blood, their DNA or their genes. Eden Brent is one of these special musicians. Born in Mississippi, this lady from the south is one of the most talented musicians and singer songwriters I have ever come across. She strikes me as one of those very hospitable people that would say: Come on in, stay a while, I'll make some ice tea (or whatever) and we can sit at the kitchen table and catch up on life. However, sit her in front of a piano and she is in her comfort zone! Eden can belt out the blues with the throwback style of Bessie Smith,  Ma Rainey with a little bit of Janis Joplin peppered in. One of those people you could listen to all night long.
Her first recording was Mississippi Number One on Yellow Dog Records. In a word: Great. The latest recording is aptly named: Ain't Got No Troubles? It definitely has a New Orleans flavor to it, just lots of great music and vocals. Her piano chops are first rate. The sultry voice is icing on the cake. I urge you to listen to Eden. She will bring a smile to your face and a hop in your step.