blues news – blues reviews – blues gig guide
My old mate from way back Neil Partington is doing a couple of gigs with top Liverpool drummer Lance Donnelly, the son of Supercharge’s Albie Donnelly.
You can see the collective band that they have assembled on Thu 04 Mar at The Swinging Arm, Birkenhead. Expect a night of rock, blues, funk and soul.
Free Admission.
You can have a Bluesy New Year celebration with Liverpool slide guitar/bass guitar blues duo Blue C and harmonica player Dylan on New Year’s Eve, Thursday, December 31st.
It’s at the Royal Hotel, Birkenhead/Oxton. More details nearer the time – meanwhile, put the date in your 2009 diary!
Blue C are Raphael Callaghan, vocal, slide guitar and harmonica, and Christine Purnell, bass guitar.
www.myspace.com/bluecblues or 0151 709 5484.
Gary Murphy Solo
11 Nov 2009
An acoustic performance at Williamson Art Gallery Gary Murphy returns to the International Guitar Festival after his sell out performance of his hit show Guitar Legends last year. Returning as an ambassador of The International Guitar Festival, Gary returns to the Williamson Art Gallery for a very special solo acoustic performance, stripping down to his roots. Expect Gary to show his diverse style and techniques flowing through blues, country, jazz, rock and various other styles in what should be a night to remember! Tickets are £10 (£8 concessions) and are available from www.pacificroad.co.uk or from The Floral Pavilion Box Office TEL: 0151 666 0000 For more details on the show please visit www.myspace.com/garymurphyband or www.bestguitarfest.com
A mammoth tour as ever for Catfish Keith. Here are the ones in Northwest England and North Wales.
October 28th – Bluefunk, Poynton
October 31st – Community Hall, Poulton-le-Fylde, nr. Blackpool
2nd November – Victoria Hotel, Menai Bridge, Anglesea
3rd November – Guitar workshop, Menai Bridge, Anglesea
4th November – Theatr Harlech, Harlech
5th November – The Ironworks, Oswestry
17th November – Pacific Road, Birkenhead (part of the International Guitar Festival of Great Britain)
21st November – Powis Hall, Bangor University, Bangor
Full details at www.catfishkeith.com
The 21st International Guitar Festival of Great Britain is being held at various venues in Wirral for three weeks in November.
As usual there are blues and rhythm and blues performers, including Woody Man, Catfish Keith, Tom Doughty, Peter Price and Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings with Georgie Fame and Albert Lee.
The opening concert is on Tuesday November 3rd at Pacific Road Arts Centre, Birkenhead. It’s the Brendan McCormack Celebration Concert in memory of Brendan, Merseyside guitar, lute and bass virtuoso whose idea the guitar festival was back in 1988. Brendan died early this year and his daughters, Frith and Ana, have organised with the help of the festival staff a memorial concert in his honour.
Appearing are Blue C, John Harper & Les Bolger, Anne Jackson Quintet, Modjango, Capo Fiasco (featuring Carl Chase, Ches & Al Cherry, Brian ‘Saxophone’ Jones) and Ricki & The Redstreaks.
Raphael Callaghan of blues duo Blue C says:
“Brendan and I were friends since school days – he was a prefect and he remembers taking my name when I was a first year for being late! “Years later, in 1991, he gave me my first break on the guitar festival with a solo concert at Birkenhead Town Hall. This was also the beginning of Blue C, as Christine joined me on bass for the encore.
“We were so pleased to be asked to play the celebration concert and we’ll be doing a number specially composed for the event.
“But we are really looking forward to Ricki & The Redstreaks – this was Brendan’s group in the Merseybeat days and John Lennon is on record as saying they were his favourite band and, by default, Brendan his favourite guitar player.”
Tickets are £10, box office 0151 666 0000 or book online at www.bestguitarfest.com
Woody Mann – UK Tour 2009
We have a handful of dates in the region for the renowned guitarist and performer Woody Mann.
| 16-Oct | - | Theatre Clywd, Mold |
| 06-Nov | - | Worthenbury |
| 11-Nov | - | Bluefunk, Poynton |
| 13-Nov | - | Grand Theatre Studio, Blackpool |
| 21-Nov | - | Guitar Festival, Birkenhead |
| 22-Nov | - | Guitar Festival, Birkenhead |
Not only was Woody taught by the peerless guitar picker the Rev Gary Davis, but Mann has played with Son House, Bukka White and John Fahey and has studied jazz under the great Lennie Tristano…. don’t miss a chance to see him; you are unlikely to hear anything – or anyone – better..” – The Times
He is one of the world’s most renowned guitar masters and song story tellers – updating the past with his own unique contemporary improvisational style. He’s a teacher, producer, and writer who also taught Paul Simon to play guitar !! He’s been a faculty member at the New School in New York City, conducted master workshops, founded International Guitar Seminars and Acoustic Sessions Inc, and schooled countless guitarists through his acclaimed books and DVDs including the series “The Art of Acoustic Blues Guitar,” “The Complete Robert Johnson,” “The Blues Fakebook,” and the recently published “Lisboa – the Guitar Of Woody Mann” a collection of original compositions.
Larry Carlton Trio – Tuesday, 31st March, Pacific Road Arts Centre, Birkenhead
Tickets £25 – Box office 0151 666 0000 or book online at www.pacificroad.co.uk
Shertila was at the recent Hamsters gig in Birkenhead and he has posted some pictures to his Flickr site.
ANDY FAIRWEATHER LOW & THE LOW RIDERS
Pacific Road Arts Centre, Birkenhead: 15.11.08
This was another splendid gig as part of the 20th International Guitar Festival of Great Britain, attracting a packed house to Pacific Road to see one of British rock music’s most enduring and in-demand musicians, the Cardiff-born Andy Fairweather Low, and his top calibre band, comprising Dave Bronze (bass and vocals), Richard Dunn (Hammond organ) and Paul Beavis (drums).
A marvellous two hour, two set show comprised songs from Fairweather Low’s pop star days in the 1960s’ up to his more recent work, with all bases covered – from blues to country, to gospel and rock – all highlighting his tremendous guitar playing and distinctive voice.
It’s easy to see how he has always been in demand – 11 years in Eric Clapton’s band, regularly touring with Roger Waters and Bill Wyman, and a prominent role in the George Harrison memorial concert – as he is a great guitar player in many styles, with seemingly a different guitar for each one as well!
First set treats were topped with a rip-roaring romp through Junior Parker’s Sun Records classic, “Mystery Train” – complete with afore-mentioned guitar work; the lovely “Hymn For My Soul”, recently recorded by Joe Cocker; and the big hit, “La Booga Rooga”. The set ending timeless gospel tune, “I Shall Not Be Moved”, saw another switch to a most unusual shaped guitar, but producing a great, dirty tone – top stuff indeed!
A couple of nice acoustic blues opened the second set, including “Rolling And Tumbling, before a dip back into gospel for “Will The Circle Be Unbroken?”, before a nice, laid back take on some Jimmy Reed blues, “Peeping And Hiding”. He then twanged it up on a Lightning Hopkins instrumental, “Lightning Boogie”, donning a rather large and oversized stetson for some reason?
A major chunk of the last half hour of the show centred on his golden days with Amen Corner – from “Natural Sinner” to a great version of the band’s first single, “Gin House Blues” – featuring some tremendous playing from fellow Welshman Richard Dunn, whose keyboard work was stunning all evening – he is another with a most impressive CV, including work with Van Morrison.
His biggest solo hit “Wide Eyed And Legless” brought a great show to an end, before returning for a brace of encores – the two big hits, “Bend Me, Shape Me” and “(If Paradise Is) Half As Nice” – still sounding great 40 years on, just like Mr. Fairweather Low himself!
A special mention must go to his great band – the experienced rhythm section of Dave Bronze – great vocals as well - and Paul Beavis were on the button all night – with, as mentioned, Richard Dunn’s Hammond playing superb!
GRAHAME RHODES
Note from Ken – I could not find a picture of Andy Fairweather Low from this tour so I relied on a regular source for bluesinthenorthwest.com pictures. So many thanks to Paul Webster for the picture.
Here’s Charlie Musselwhite from earlier this week at Pacific Road, Birkenhead.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=sYwf7lCcdac
One of three from the excellent collections of Groundhog56.
CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE & DAVE PEABODY
Pacific Road Arts Centre, Birkenhead: 11.11.08
It may have seemed strange as part of the 20th International Guitar Festival of Great Britain to feature a gig by one of the greatest blues harmonica players of all time, but maybe here a brief history lesson is needed. Charlie Musselwhite was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, but moved to Memphis as a youngster and learnt guitar from the likes of Will Shade (who was actually a harmonica player!) and Furry Lewis, and the instrument has featured ever since in his long career.
He then moved on to Chicago where he honed his harmonica skills, eventually sitting in with such legends as Howling Wolf, Muddy Waters and Little Walter, before relocating again to San Francisco, working in the city’s rock boom – eventually becoming a top draw live act again in the Eighties and Nineties – and releasing a string of fine albums on many labels such as Alligator, Blind Pig and Pointblank.
Accompanying Musselwhite, was British blues stalwart, Dave Peabody, on a second visit to Pacific Road this year, after playing with David ‘Honeyboy’ Edwards, and he started the show with a most entertaining 40-minute set, featuring his fine acoustic guitar work and strong voice. Highlights were the lovely opening traditional tune “Crow Jane”; Junior Wells “Early In The Morning”; and some audience participation on little known bluesman Oscar ‘Buddy’ Woods “Don’t Sell It, Don’t Give It Away”.
After a short break Charlie Musselwhite took to the stage alone, starting on electric guitar for some stripped-down blues with a distinctly Delta feel, including the ‘road’ song “Town To Town”, and with Memphis being a ‘river town’ the fine “Blues Up The River”. Introducing a rack harmonica holder he featured a couple of his best known songs, the brooding “In The Darkest Hour and “Stingaree”, and the great “My Road Lies In Darkness”.
We were also treated to a mini-harmonica masterclass as Musselwhite discussed different keys on various harmonicas with a brief demonstration with a cracking little instrumental piece thrown in for good measure.
Dave Peabody then returned and accompanied Musselwhite, with the rest of the show featuring his trademark amplified harmonica, which to be honest is why everybody was there – a very unique and instantly recognisable style and tone, from a friend of mine who knows these things! As a duo they kicked off with a rollicking “Blues Overtook Me”, followed by “Wild, Wild Woman” and a nice “As The Crow Flies”, with some top guitar work from Peabody, and Musselwhite’s vocals, that still contain a ‘Southern’ edge, despite all those years away.
A smashing hour ended with a much-demanded encore – blues legend Eddie Taylor’s “Bad Boy” – a great tune that has been often covered over the years, rounding off a most enjoyable evening in the company of two master musicians and all-round nice guys – yet another great gig at a top festival.
GRAHAME RHODES
A couple other pics at http://flickr.com/photos/kenpeace/sets/1574382/
I recently posted about the forthcoming Tom Doughty gig at Fort Perch, New Brighton. The full Tom Doughty gig list follows.
7 Nov : supporting Michael Roach, Southport Arts Centre
9 Nov : 1pm – 4pm Fort Perch Rock, New Brighton
15 Nov : Wirral Guitar Festival, with Woody Mann, Birkenhead Town Hall 8pm
All promoting the new CD “Have a taste of this”
Tom is also promoting a gig for Peter Price.
22 Nov : Peter Price at Harlequins Theatre, Northwich. Tickets £7.00 from 01606 891988
Press Release
20th International Guitar Festival of Great Britain
4th to 28th November 2008
Alongside a line-up of world class guitarists of all genres and styles, such as 60s pop hero Andy Fareweather Low, local legend Gary Murphy and James Burton, guitarist to the king of rock ‘n’ roll himself – Elvis Presley, this year we have recruited honorary ambassadors from all 5 continents, proving that 20 years on, the festival has truly become an international event.
The ambassadors are:
John Williams Classical, Australia
John Etheridge Jazz, UK & Europe
Woody Mann Blues, USA
Galina Vale Classical, Eastern Europe
Lucky Ranku Jazz/World Music, South Africa
And the timing for such a world-class event couldn’t be better – this years International Guitar Festival will be one of the last major events under the Liverpool Capital of Culture 2008 banner, providing a fitting close to what’s been a brilliant year for arts and music in Liverpool.
Keep up to date on the latest festival news, events, and even audience-member reviews at www.bestguitarfest.com. We look forward to seeing you there.
THE 20TH INTERNATIONAL GUITAR FESTIVAL OF GREAT BRITAIN appears at various venues in Wirral from 4th – 28th November 2008. For tickets contact Box Office 0151 647 0752. Book on-line at www.pacificroad.co.uk.
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