blues news – blues reviews – blues gig guide
Here’s an exerpt from the spring press release from the Citadel in St. Helens.
Danny Bryant’s Redeye Band, The Animals and Friends, Mark Radcliffe’s The Big Figures with support from Citadel favourite Tom Doughty and a return visit from Wilko Johnson.
For further information or to book tickets call the Citadel box office on 01744 735436 or visit www.citadel.org.uk
John and Lorraine Welsh have put together a magnificent programme of Liverpool-based gigs for 2010, which will see the return of a number of top class internationally acclaimed performers and the first appearance of the highly talented Mark Flanagan, best known as the guitarist in Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. Details of the fabulous line-up are as follows:
Friday, 12th March – The Hamilton Loomis Band (at Garston Royal British Legion) – the young man from Galveston, Texas, combines supreme artistry with a spell-binding stage presence. He presents funky-edged good-time blues at its very best.
Friday, 23rd April – The Mark Flanagan Trio (at Garston Royal British Legion) –out of the shadow of the Jools Holland Orchestra, Mark Flanagan delivered a brilliant set on the main stage at last year’s Burnley Blues Festival where he matched his undisputed mastery of the guitar with equally fine vocals.
Thursday, 20th May – The Backbones (at Liverpool Marina) – fronted by singer and supreme harmonica player, Big Pete van der Pluijm, The Backbones are one of the very best blues bands in Europe, who provide a stunning programme of Chicago-style blues infused with the powerful influences of Junior Wells and Lester Butler.
Wednesday, 23rd June – The Geoff Achison Band (at Liverpool Marina) – now resident back in his native Australia, after a triumphant two-year stint in the USA, Geoff Achison guarantees a vibrant, unforgettable show, with his exceptional guitar playing and distinctive, gritty vocals.
Friday, 17th September – Hans Theesink (at Garston Royal British Legion) – on his previous visit to Liverpool (at the Marina), the Dutch master charmed the very appreciative audience with his warmth, his rich voice and his consummate skills on acoustic guitar. A class act.
October (date to be confirmed) – Toby Walker – another prize import from across the Pond, Toby has become one of the firm favourites at the Marina with his combination of scintillating finger-picking guitar work, fine vocals and fascinating reminiscences.
Thursday, 4th November – Doug MacLeod – our third guest from the USA will be welcomed back with open arms. He complements his fabulous vocals with highly accomplished guitar work, while humour is never far from the surface in his lyrics and his wonderful anecdotes.
Tickets are available from John Welsh by telephone (0151-428 2855) or by email (johnswelsh@hotmail.com)
Lionel Ross
Nick Curran Competition
To coincide with the release and bluesinthenorthwest.com review of Nick’s excellent CD “Reform School Girl” on Eclecto Groove Records we have a competition.
We have three copies of the CD to give away to three randomly drawn winners who correctly answer the following question.
There is a link between Nick’s CD “Reform School Girl” and another bluesinthenorthwest favourite - Johnny Moellers CD from 2001 “Johnny’s Blues Aggregation”. What is the link?
Please email your answers to nwblues@gmail.com using Curran Comp as the subject line.
NICK CURRAN & THE LOWLIFES
“Reform School Girl”
(Eclecto Groove Records: EGRCD509)
From the superb West Coast-based Eclecto Groove Records, comes the latest offering from retro-rocker Nick Curran. The Maine-born, Austin, Texas-based Curran, once again delivers an exciting mix of rockabilly, r&b, blues and rock ‘n’ roll, with mainly original tunes highlighting his rip-roaring guitar work and amazing vocals – sounding again like a genuine 50s rocker!
After a couple of more modern sounding records for Blind Pig Records, he turns back to the feel of his early releases on the Texas Jamboree label, with “Reform School Girl” again recorded at Billy Horton’s studio, Fort Horton, in Wyldwood, Texas, with the vintage equipment giving his work that authentic 50s feel. Horton hold down the bass duties here and co-produces with Curran.
The rest of the band comprise of Derek Bossanova (piano), Jon Doyle (tenor saxophone), Dan Torosian (tenor and baritone saxophone) and Nikki K (drums), together with several background vocalists. A couple of special guests are fellow Eclecto Groove artiste Jason Ricci on harmonica, and Phil Alvin on vocals and guitar.
Curran blasts off with the opening “Tough Lover” – a classic 50s r&b stormer, with honking saxophones and a Little Richard edge to the vocal; followed by the rockabilly rave-up “Reel Rock Party”, with the afore-mentioned Jason Ricci on harmonica. He takes somewhat of a swerve on the title cut, his own “Reform School Girl”, recalling the girl groups of the early 60s, such as The Ronettes and The Shangri-Las.
The sinister “Kill My Baby” is again sax-driven, and leads into the short-but-sweet tear-up that is “Psycho” . . . . 1.57 of pure dynamite with Curran letting loose with a killer guitar solo. “Baby You Crazy” dips back to Little Richard territory and is another energetic romp, with the rockabilly tune “Ain’t No Good” fairly rattling along, as does the rocking “The Lowlife”.
The pace is taken down on “Dream Girl”, with impassioned vocal and some sparkling guitar; “Flying Blind” is a great song, co-written with The Blasters mainman Phil Alvin, who shares the vocals and guitar duties – definitely an album highlight. A thoroughly enjoyable 14 tracks end with a 1.28 romp through AC/DCs “Rocker”, time enough for more honking saxophones and another customary Nick Curran guitar solo . . . great stuff.
Curran has packed a lot into his 32 years . . . from being out on the road with Ronnie Dawson, then a stint in Kim Lenz’s band, The Jaguars, before a high profile three years as co-guitarist in The Fabulous Thunderbirds . . . but here he is doing the material he loves best and simply having a ball!
GRAHAME RHODES
(At the time of writing Nick is currently in Austin being treated for a cancer – we wish him all the best)
There is a great atmosphere at the monthly blues jam at the Red Lion in Malpas. The Tommy Allen band provide great backing to a great night. The atmosphere is lovely with good playing and no monster egos.
This month we were graced by a regular visitor – one of the finest blues musicians in the country Johny Hewitt from Runcorn whose great playing and monster tone is an aspiration to all us harp players. There was also a great slide guitarist hailing all the way from Leicester – my apologies though, I don’t remember the name.
Second Thursday of every month. The next session is Thu 08 April.
A couple more pictures on the bluesinthenorthwest.com Flickr page.
Geoff Achison
Toby Walker
Two highly regarded blues artists will be playing dates in the region this autumn. Little Toby Walker is playing Liverpool on 28 Oct and Geoff Achison is playing Warrington on 08 Oct.
There are gaps in the schedules of these two excellent performers and agent John Adams is looking for dates around the dates above to fill the schedule and to make the tours more viable.
If you have any leads or you are a theatre or club owner with available dates then please contact John at john.adams@mail.com.
http://www.littletobywalker.com
I have never seen Geoff Achison, but I have heard some great reports. I was lucky enough to see Toby Walker at a brilliant gig in Worthenbury last year.
The Citadel Arts Centre, St.Helens
Animals & Friends
Saturday 20th March 2010
Doors Open at 8pm
Tickets £14 / £12
On Saturday 20th March, 60’s legends The Animals & Friends make their debut performance at the Citadel.
Animals & Friends will be performing songs from the animals catalogue such as ‘We Gotta Get Out Of This Place’, ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’, ‘Baby, Let Me Take You Home,’ and the bands’ multi-million selling anthem and Number One hit across the world – ‘House of The Rising Sun’.
Be sure that the Citadel will turn into the swinging sixties by these fantastic musicians recreating the sounds note for note that will no doubt send a shiver down your spine! With original members John Steel and Micky Gallagher who are joined by John Williamson and Peter Barton. Animals & Friends are still very popular internationally and they stop off in St.Helens for an exclusive North West show.
Animals & Friends will be performing at The Citadel on Saturday 20th March. Tickets are £14 / £12. Doors open at 8pm.
For further information or to book tickets call the Citadel box office on 01744 735436 or visit www.citadel.org.uk
BUDDY GUY TO RECEIVE
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
FROM THE BLUES FOUNDATION AT
2010 BLUES MUSIC AWARDS
[For Immediate Release: March 8, 2010] On May 6th, 2010 at the 31st annual Blues Music Awards, The Blues Foundation will publicly honor blues legend Buddy Guy with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The Foundation has commissioned for this special occasion a one-of-a-kind award from Patterson & Barnes, who also created the original artwork that serves as the basis for the 2010 poster. There will also be an oral and video presentation, as well as a special musical tribute, all in the legend’s honor. Buddy Guy will be at the ceremony to receive this honor.
In speaking about this great honor, The Blues Foundation’s Executive Director Jay Sieleman said “Buddy Guy has been a mentor and inspiration to five generations of musicians in multiple genres while he has continued to innovate. He has greatly expanded the blues definition while maintaining the anchor characteristics that first defined the genre, and with this distinction, we are proud to present him with this honor and tribute.”
Buddy Guy’s strikingly unique guitar style enervated his elder Muddy Waters’ Folk Singer album in the early ’60s, expanded on the vision of his contemporary Junior Wells on Hoodoo Man Blues in the mid-’60s, and was a beacon to the British Invasion rockers Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck in the late ’60s.
Soldiering on through the ’70s and ’80s, his visibility and stature refocused through the ’90s and into the 21st century with a series of recordings that underlined to the commercial pop world that he not only was the inspiration for countless musical icons from Jimi Hendrix psychedelics to John Mayer pop, but was still transforming while many of his disciples were reprising decades-old hits.
He obliterated the perceived chasm between blues and rock, leaving the term “crossover” to awkwardly define the efforts of lesser artists in both camps trying to bridge the racial, generational and stylistic borders of each. And he did it with a sense of dynamics and bravado that are rare in artists of any age, but which have been consistent for him throughout his career. You knew you were experiencing a Buddy Guy lick in the first few lines of any number he did in 1960, and the same can be said today. Buddy has been nominated for 41 Blues Music Awards and has received 28 such Awards.
Past recipients of this prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award include Bobby “Blue” Bland, Ruth Brown, Ray Charles, Ahmet Ertegun, John Lee Hooker, Etta James, B.B. King, Sam Phillips, Koko Taylor and Jerry Wexler.
The Blues Music Awards are universally recognized as the highest honor given to Blues artists. The presenting sponsor is The Gibson Foundation and the sustaining sponsor is BMI. Additional 2010 BMA sponsors include ArtsMemphis, band Village, Casey Family Programs, Eagle Rock Entertainment, FedEx, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company,
I55 Productions, and the Tennessee Arts Commission. For tickets, please visit www.blues.org or call (901) 527-2583.”
Dani will be at Warrington Blues Club on 27 Mar 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QY1MOxcvtM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRdSR2uTVoY
The excellent blues jam is on again this week at the Red Lion in Malpas. Hosted by the talented Tommy Allen Band, there is often a mixture of players from well known local bands and an array of lesser known musicians.
The atmosphere is great and more importantly the quality is very good indeed.
Free entry, plenty of parking, good beer, 9pm start.
See you there……
Band: The Producers plus support from ‘Feed me’
Venue: The Brickyard
Date: Saturday 27th March
Time: Doors open 8.00 – support start 8.30
Cost: £10 in advance £12 on the door
Award winning Blues band ‘The Producers’ return to play in Carlisle on the 27th March following a top notch performance at the excellent Blues festival last November.
Dave Saunders and Harry Skinner formed The Producers in 1990. They went on to be one the most popular blues outfit in the country at that time winning the ‘Blues Band of the Year’ award an incredible Four times, releasing 7 CD albums one of which ‘Ain’t No Love in the World’ was nominated for the ‘Best Blues Album’ award.
Throughout the 90’s the Producers regularly sold out venues around the country and appeared at countless major festivals including Colne, Burnley, Stanley Blues, Dublin Templebar, Cork, Farnham, North Wales Blues Festival. Belgium, Ireland, Holland and France played host to Producers tours and a month long tour of New Zealand in 1998 was also undertaken. In fact the Producers became the first band since the Rolling Stones to be banned from New Zealand in 1999 when the musician union refused them entry because it would take work from local artists. They certainly would have done as the history of the band testifies to their raw talent and unmistakeable professionalism that few bands could hope to meet.
They were featured in session on the Paul Jones Blues Show on BBC Radio 2 and have been praised by both Johnnie Walker and Bob Harris. Playing at the Alexis Korner Memorial Concert at Buxton Opera House they were spotted by Peter Greens management during Peters first major gig and asked to support the Fleetwood Mac guitar legend on his first national tour for 25 years, The Producers also featured on the BBC documentary of the Buxton concert.
The Producers gave their last concert on New Years Eve 2001/2 after undertaking a 6 month farewell tour of the UK, needless to say it was a complete sell out.
They returned in 2009 and are touring to sell out crowds yet again. Harry and Dave still front the band ably assisted by Ray Drury on Organ and Piano and Biff Smith on the sticks and percussion. New songs have been written and loyal fans will recognise some reworked stage favourites as they move on from but definitely not forget the past musical history of the band.
The Carlisle gig is being held at the excellent live music venue – The Brickyard – on Fisher Street with support being provided by exciting young Cumbrian band ‘Feed Me’. Doors open 8.00 with Feed Me starting at 8.30. Tickets are £10 in advance from Ticketweb, £12 on the door or ring Chris on 077930 19958.
This gig was booked six months ago before Carlisle football club reached a final at Wembley which is being held the next day! Bad news for Chris – good news for the 20,000 plus who will be going to London so please support the gig and keep music live!
Just two of the great guitarists who played with the legendary William Clarke back in the day.
John Markowski first. Man has he got ‘verb going on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP3i2sLJJbE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP3i2sLJJbE
Next is Steve Samuels
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXUit-dhxWc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXUit-dhxWc
**NOTE DIFFERENT VENUE**
Warrington Blues Club
Saturday March 27th
Dani Wilde Band With
Will ( Harmonic ) Wilde
At Grappenhall Cricket Club
Broad Lane
Grappenhall
WA4 3ER
Doors Open 8pm
£10 On The Door
01925 444332
http://www.myspace.com/daniwildemusic
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