I miss Willie Dixon. I had the tremendous good fortune to sit and talk with him on several occasions during the 1980's, and he never failed to amaze, entertain and enlighten me. During those years you couldn't go into a Southern California club, blues venue or attend a music festival without seeing the man surrounded by an entourage of adoring friends and fans.
Alex Woodson comes from a family of musicians, so it only seemed natural for him to become…an athlete? “I grew up playing sports.” Woodson says. “But I was surrounded by music.” And that would make a lasting difference.
The Alexis P. Suter Band has just hit the streets with their seventh album entitled, ‘Be Love’ on Hipbone Records. From the outset you realize this project was a communal labor of love. Loaded with original music and a few well-chosen covers, ‘Be Love’ takes the listener on a journey through betrayal, self-doubt, reflection and ‘Empty Promises.’
Bluesmen have been lacing up their walking shoes and relocating to Europe for generations. The list is extensive; Memphis Slim made his home in Paris the latter part of his life, and Champion Jack DuPree lived in Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, England and Germany. Harp player Hook Herrera still lives in Scandanavia and the late Frank Frost once said he loved being in Italy.
‘MOZ LIVE’ is the title of a new compact disc from the Chris Fast Band. As the name suggests, the project was captured ‘in the moment’ at the Mozambique Steakhouse in Laguna Beach. The end result; Fast has produced ten tracks that exemplify a night out with his band along with a couple hundred of his new best friends.
You know it’s going to be a good day when your mailman delivers a big fat CD right to your front door. And it’s extra special when it comes from the reigning Queen of Boogie, Sue Palmer. Sue has put together a collection of 20 songs that she says are “particular favorites” from an immense archive that dates back almost 40 years.
A spectacular trumpet section anchored by John Fick is flying high, the tightly knit harmony electrifying a room packed with music aficionados and the timeless and earthy ambience of a hard-swingin’ 18-piece big band. Cherished sidemen, who should each have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, sit elbow to elbow, each with a tale to tell. Johnny Vana’s …
How does a person earn the nickname, Tomcat? The story goes that a girlfriend of Courtney’s in Waco, TX, who ran a little house out on the range, had just bought him a Cadillac. One day she got angry with him and chased him through the house with an axe! Yes, I said Axe! He jumped out one of the …
If someone even mentions Russia in conversations these days I find myself looking for the nearest exit and a way out. But not Sue Palmer. Sue has chosen to look beyond the socio-political posturing in order to find a way IN… keyboard first! Known the world over for her prowess on the 88’s, Palmer has long been ordained as royalty …
Chemistry by its very definition is the spontaneous reaction of two people to each other, especially that sense of mutual attraction and understanding. This month John January and Linda Berry release their new project, Chemistry 101 and together they explore a range and depth of musical styles on both organic and physical levels. As a joint labor of love, January …