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There is a strong blues presence at the latest Cellar Club event at Aigburth Peoples Centre, Aigburth Vale, Liverpool, on Friday, July 10th.
Among the performers are Lucy Zirins, the young slide guitar-totin’ lass from Lancashire who is getting rave notices, plus Liverpool’s favourite blues duo Blue C.
Also on the bill are the Tom Cartledge Band and Aprentis.
Doors 8pm, admission £3.50.
Ry Cooder is playing at The Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on Saturday, 11th July. If you want tickets to see be quick because it will be a sell-out.
This was the third appearance of the John O’Leary Band at Liverpool Marina, which speaks volumes for their popularity at the city’s premier blues venue. There were a couple of changes to the previous line-up of the band: Wayne Proctor replaced Joachim Greve on drums and singer/guitarist Dave Day was added to the core membership. However, the basic elements were still in place: John O’Leary on vocals and harp, Jules Fothergill on guitar, Jools Grudgings on keyboard and Roger Inniss on bass guitar.
The band opened with “Born In Chicago”, which afforded an immediate opportunity for Day, O’Leary, Grudgings and Fothergill to set down their markers as highly skilled soloists, while a splendid rendition of Junior Wells’s “Snatch It Back And Hold It” featured a cameo solo from Roger Inniss on bass guitar. O’Leary conjured up some mean harp on “Early In The Morning”, which was also blessed with a fabulous solo from Fothergill, before newcomer, Dave Day, delivered excellent lead vocals and tasty guitar on “Need Your Love So Bad” and Steely Dan’s ”Do It Again”. The first set was completed with “Little By Little”, on which Grudgings was the major magician, closely followed by a marvellous interplay between the two guitarists.
The second set began with “Don’t Let My Baby Ride”, for which Jules Fothergill produced a phenomenal solo, enhanced by superb underpinning by Wayne Proctor. Dave Day then resumed lead vocals on the slow blues, “Double Trouble”, which featured some great harp playing from O’Leary, and his own “I Only Want To Have Some Fun” before the highlight of the evening – a fantastic version of “Black Cat Bone”, on which all members of the band excelled, including the superb rhythm section. The loudly demanded encore comprised four numbers sharing a common beat: “Yonder’s Wall”, Elmore James’s “One Way Out”, the original “Roadhouse Man” and everybody’s favourite, “Help Me”. The standing ovation that erupted at the close was completely unanimous and thoroughly warranted by the truly magnificent show.
Lionel Ross
Gary Fletcher Band (feat Bernie Marsden)
Southport Arts Centre
4 July 2009
There is a late, and rather exciting, change to the date with Michael Roach, at the Southport Arts Centre on Saturday 4 July…
Rock Legends Step Into the Breach
A last minute hitch, followed by frantic round of phone calls, has created an unexpected treat for Blues and Classic Rock fans at Southport Arts Centre.
Internationally acclaimed Blues star Michael Roach will head back to Southport in July on a star-studded double-bill also featuring The Gary Fletcher Band, with a one-off line-up including former and current members of The Blues Band, Dire Straits and Whitesnake.
The Michael Roach Band wowed the audience at a gig at Southport Arts Centre last year and the full band were due to return until ex-Wizzard star Roy Wood poached Michael’s horn section. So the frontman is coming to perform a solo set, on Saturday, July 4, at 8pm, and Arts Centre Programme Manager John Sprackland has pulled a rabbit out of the hat by adding Gary Fletcher’s band, with special guest Bernie Marsden, to the bill.
Roach, originally from Washington DC, is an internationally acclaimed blues artist, with a soulful voice and fantastic personality and will play a solo set at the Arts Centre before making way for the fantastic Gary Fletcher Band.
Gary Fletcher recently played with The Blues Band to a packed out Crosby Civic Hall, so his fans are in for a treat when he returns this time to Southport Arts Centre with his other band.
The Gary Fletcher Band line up will feature Pick Withers (Dire Straits) on drums, Jack Fletcher on bass, Bernie Marsden (Whitesnake) on lead guitar and Gary Fletcher (Blues Band) on guitar and vocals.
John Sprackland, Performing Arts Programme Manager at Southport Arts Centre, says: “They say every cloud has a silver lining and the circumstances that brought this amazing line up together proves it! When Michael Roach found out at short notice that his band were not going to be able to make the date I jumped at the chance to put the Gary Fletcher Band on, only to find that Gary’s regular guitarist was unavailable. Then, a few phone calls later, Gary told me that he’d persuaded Whitesnake legend Bernie Marsden to join him for one night only! So, there you have it * a genuinely unique not-to-be-missed event.”
Tickets are £10 or £8 for concessions, available by calling Southport Arts Centre box office on 01704-540011 or by logging onto www.seftonarts.co.uk
Bernie Marsden picture from Stellacart
Steve James is playing Mojos in West Kirby on 24th June 2009as part of his UK tour. All welcome to this free gig.
Described by the Houston Chronicle as an “underground legend”, Steve’s finger-picking and slide guitar playing coupled with his exuberant stage persona have won over audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.
A well known name for devotees of American folk and blues Steve has a lifetime’s experience of playing gigs alongside such luminaries as John Hammond, Bo Diddley and Buddy Guy. His recording credits include slots with James McMurtry,Maria Muldaur and Jesse “Baby face” Thomas.
STOP PRESS Eugene “Hideaway” Bridges is appearing at Jalons Restaurant on Smithdown Road this Sunday, 21st June.
Photo by Dave Arcari.
The third acoustic blues gig arranged by John and Lorraine Welsh at the Allerton Manor Club was graced by Eddie Martin. At a previous gig, the highly popular blues man had appeared in band mode at the Liverpool Marina, but on this occasion he performed alone, following his presentation of a musical workshop earlier in the day at a school in the West Derby district of Liverpool.
Eddie opened the show with the self-penned upbeat shuffle, “Someone’s Making Money But I Know It’s Not Me”, which he dedicated to the notorious, retired chairman of a failed British bank. Robert Johnson’s “Little Queen Of Spades” briefly slowed the pace before “Toy Ballerina” rolled and tumbled, followed by a rousing delivery of Slim Harpo’s “Shake Your Hips”. A harmonica instrumental in the style of Sonny Terry then demonstrated Eddie’s versatility. That led to a confession that his “One Man Band Rag” was based on a Paul Rishell riff, his guilt over which had subsided when he learned that Rishell had himself borrowed it from Blind Blake. For his own blues ballad, “Rebound Juliet”, Eddie switched for the only time all evening to his second guitar. Other than that, he played his recently acquired 1936 National, Old Goldie, supplemented by rack harp and amplified suitcase.
During the interval, the audience was fascinated by Colin Hall, the Custodian of Mendips, the house that John Lennon had lived in with his Aunt Mimi. Colin described a recent visit to the house by the Beatles tour bus. To his amazement and delight, he recognised one of the visitors as being none other than Bob Dylan, who was performing at the city’s Echo Arena. Colin also confided that the legendary songsmith was unpretentiously melting into the crowd and was both approachable and courteous, contrary to his popular reputation.
After the upbeat rocker, “The Devil’s Joker”, which described the subliminal criminality of a plausible jester, the second set proceeded with a string of numbers that encouraged audience participation. They started with the boogie, “Bundle Up And Go”, Muddy Waters’s “Close To You” and “Flowers To The Desert”. Eddie then explained that he had written the next song, “Ingolstadt (We’re Coming Back)”, in a fit of pique provoked by the last-minute cancellation of a gig in southern Louisiana at the end of a prodigiously long and tiring journey. The set was completed with another touch of whimsy underpinned by a boogie-woogie beat, followed by two encore deliveries: a train-journey harmonica instrumental and Elmore James’s “Talk To Me, Baby”.
The cosy atmosphere of the Allerton Manor Club was ideal for a typically entertaining performance by Eddie Martin, which combined excellent vocals, versatile musicianship and warm personality in equal measure. Marvellous.
Lionel Ross
The John O’Leary Band
at Liverpool Marina
Thursday, 25 June 2009 (doors at 8pm: show starts at 8.45pm)
John O’Leary boasts a tremendous pedigree in British blues music. In the sixties, he was a founder member, with guitarist Kim Simmonds, of the highly acclaimed Savoy Brown Blues Band. Other bands enhanced by John’s involvement featured many stalwarts of the British blues scene including pianist Bob Hall, guitarist Tony McPhee, saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith and the multi-talented Victor Brox. He also recorded an album with the legendary New Orleans pianist and singer Champion Jack Dupree.
In recent years John O’Leary has fronted his own band, supplementing his excellent harp playing and vocals with an array of superb musicians. The band currently includes the exceptional young guitarist Jules Fothergill, who will be making his final appearance with the band at the Marina gig. The other band members are guitarist Dave Day (who has been appointed to replace Jules), talented keyboard player Jools Grudgings and a splendid rhythm section that combines the considerable skills of bass guitarist Roger Inniss and drummer Wayne Proctor. Together they present a wonderfully authentic programme of Chicago-style blues that always hits the spot. It is guaranteed to be another night to savour.
Liverpool Marina is situated at Coburg Wharf, Sefton Street, Liverpool L3 4BP.
Tickets for the concert (£11 each in advance and £12 on the door) are obtainable from John Welsh on 0151 428 2855 or email: johnswelsh@hotmail.com.
Blues On The Rock, Friday June 12th, 7.30pm
Blue C and Joey Shields & The Wheels
The successful monthly Blues On The Rock blues gig at Fort Perch Rock, New Brighton, Wirral, has a radical change of day and time this month only!
Instead of a Sunday afternoon, the next one is on Friday, June 12th, from 7.30pm-10.30pm. And the special guests of host duo Blue C are Joey Shields & The Wheels, who are back by demand.
Last time Joey & The Wheels played the fort, Liverpool’s most down-home blues band drew a capacity crowd so the message is to get there on time for a seat!
Blues memorabilia will be on display, plus a chance to win blues CDs. Cafe/bottle bar open as usual. Admission £4.
More details, www.myspace.com/bluecblues or 0151 709 5484.
Stacey Kent
Sunday, 21 June 2009 7.30pm
Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
Tickets: £18, £23
Direct from her US dates, Grammy Award nominee, Stacey Kent, brings her award winning style and jazz prowess to the Phil.
‘Stacey Kent is an excellent singer… classy and highly recommendable’ - THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
‘Full marks’ - SUNDAY TIME
‘Delightful’ - MOJO * * * *
Multi-Award winning US jazz singer, Stacey Kent, comes to the Phil, fresh on the back of global success with her latest album Breakfast On the Morning Tram.
A recent addition to the Blue Note roster, Kent boasts six best-selling albums and a string of awards, including the British Jazz Award, The BBC Jazz Award for ‘Best Vocalist,’ and Album of the Year (for The Lyric).
Breakfast On the Morning Tram has gone gold in France and Germany, and was nominated for a 2009 Grammy. It is a mixture of classic standards and new songs written by husband and saxophonist, Jim Tomlinson, in collaboration with award winning novelist, and now lyricist, Kazuo Ishiguro.
A CELEBRITY FAVOURITE
Clint Eastwood invited Stacey to sing at his 70th birthday party, Michael Parkinson invited Stacey to sing on his television show, as did Sir David Frost, who asked her to join him one Sunday morning, to sing a song and review the morning papers with him on Breakast with Frost and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, in a recent interview, listed Stacey, alongside Willie Nelson, as being among his favourite singers.
EXCLUSIVE NORTH-WEST DATE
Performing limited UK dates, Stacey is excited to be playing Liverpool Philharmonic Hall as her only regional date.
To purchase tickets, please call the box office on 0151 709 3789 or order online at www.liverpoolphil.com
Saturday 30th May the Citadel gives you the only opportunity in the region to witness The Nimmo Brothers during their current tour.
Hailed as one of Scotland’s finest young bands you will not want to miss out on this great night of energetic, exciting and modern blues music.
Tickets are on sale now priced just £10/£8, doors open at 8pm.
If you require further information, or would like to book tickets please contact the Citadel Box Office on 01744 735436 or visit www.citadel.org.uk
Eddie Martin
at Allerton Manor Club
Thursday, 4th June 2009
(doors open: 8pm/show starts: 8.45pm)
Eddie Martin is a master acoustic & electric guitarist, harmonica player, and powerful singer. Blues in Britain described him as “the most remarkable blues man of his generation”.
He has recorded and performed with many great artistes from both side of the Atlantic, including John Mayall, Peter Green, Buddy Guy, and Taj Mahal.
He last visited Liverpool with his trio in November, 2007. Now is the chance to hear his great acoustic set in the intimate surroundings of Allerton Manor Club.
Links: www.eddiemartin.com
The Allerton Manor Club is situated at Allerton Golf Course, Allerton Road, Liverpool, L18 3JT.
Tickets for the concert (£6 each) are obtainable from John Welsh on 0151 428 2855 or email: johnswelsh@hotmail.com
Please visit http://www.bluesinthenorthwest.com for a fund of information on the region’s excellent blues scene.
Several artistes have made a massive impact at the excellent blues gigs at Liverpool Marina but none more than Galveston-raised Hamilton Loomis. The extent to which he had transfixed the audience at his first appearance in Liverpool in 2008 was amply demonstrated by the venue’s first full house.
The singer/guitarist from Texas was backed by a fabulous band that comprised two sons of Louisiana, Stratton Doyle on tenor sax and Kent Beatty on bass guitar, and drummer Jamie Little from Birmingham – England, that is, not Alabama. They opened their account with an upbeat, funky instrumental, followed by the heavier beating “Whatever You Want” and the slow and funky “Legendary”. They then upped the tempo with “Working Real Hard”, which features on the Blues In Britain 2009 album.
A taste of New Orleans-style funk and a slow blues made way for a superb bass guitar solo from Kent Beatty before “The Best Worst day Of My Life” led into a heart-felt tribute to the sadly departed Bo Diddley, who had been a major influence on Hamilton Loomis’s development. The tribute was played on a red, box-shaped guitar presented to Loomis by Bo Diddley and suitably signed by ‘The Man’. Jamie Little played a blinder on a terrific version of “Roadrunner”, on which Hamilton used a selection of unlikely slides on his guitar including a mic stand, drums sticks and even Stratton’s sax. The set was concluded with “Take A Number And Stand In Line”, complete with another phenomenal bass guitar cameo.
The harmonica entered the mix on the opening number of the second set, with the main man showing that his instrumental prowess is not limited to the guitar. “In the States,” he declared, “this is known as a Mississippi sax.” “We call it a gob iron”, came the instant riposte from one of the punters. Credit is also due to the other band members for their versatility, as Stratton Doyle switched effortlessly between magnificent sax and keyboard all evening and the backing vocals provided by Doyle and Jamie Little were consistently excellent.
Favourite numbers, “No No No”, “What It Is” and “Bow Wow” were particularly well-received, with enthusiastic and impressive participation by the enthralled audience. “Bow Wow” also featured a peregrination around the room by Hamilton Loomis while “Voodoo Doll” set the scene for an entertaining instrumental shoot-out between Loomis and Doyle. “Slow Lover” delivered a fabulous harp solo before drifting in and out of an urgent boogie beat and ending with a heavy-rocking glimpse of “American Woman”. Wonderful stuff.
The wildly demanded encore came in the form of some Texas blues funk to complete a truly memorable evening. Hamilton Loomis is undoubtedly one of the brightest stars of the current blues scene, combining fine vocals and superb instrumental artistry with the priceless ability to work an audience. He is surely destined for a place on the blues top table.
Lionel Ross
Flickr photo from the always excellent Paul Webster.
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The enigmatic Z Z Birmingham is the special guest of resident duo Blue C at Blues On The Rock on Sunday afternoon, May 10.
Z Z is travelling up from the south-west of England for an exclusive date at the blues club at Fort Perch Rock, New Brighton. But he is no stranger to the Wirral. He was actually brought up there and made his performing debut at the old Black Horse Folk Club in West Kirby in the early 60s.
He lived in Derby for many years, from where he and his band made regular forays to the Burnley and Colne blues festivals where they became firm favourites.
Blueprint magazine wrote: “Possibly the most pleasant gig of the entire Burnley Blues Festival . . . Z Z Birmingham has an engaging stage prersence which immediately communicates itself to an audience.”
And Folk Roots said: “Z Z rattles and moans like a freight train with its cow catcher come loose.”
With guitar and harmonica as his main instruments, expect songs, ballads, harmonica breakdowns, stories and chat from the highly-regarded travelling bluesman.
And in the popular Talkin’ Blues segment, Z Z may reveal his true identity and more of his Wirral roots.
That’s Blue C present Z Z Birmingham, Fort Perch Rock, New Brighton, 1pm-4pm, Sunday, May 10, admission £4 which includes entry to the fort’s fascinating museum.
As usual, the message is to get there on time if you want a seat as seating is limited.
More details, www.myspace.com/bluecblues or 0151 709 5484.
http://www.zzbirminghamband.co.uk/
Flickr photo Max Molyneaux
Mick Taylor has been all over the TV this last week with the Blues series on the BBC. Don’t forget that you have a chance to see him tonight in Liverpool with Stephen Dale Petit.
Check out our original post for details.
Paul Webster has uploaded some Hamilton Loomis pictures up to Flickr. Of course, Hamilton is also the star at Liverpool Marina this Thursday. See you there.
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