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.