About Blues

Coco Montoya Takes It To The Road

2009-11-20T06:37:23Z

Blues-rock guitarist Coco Montoya lives mostly on the road, chalking up close to, or better than 200 nights a year performing somewhere in the world. It comes as no surprise, then, that Montoya has a healthy tour schedule on his plate, live dates running through the end of the year and well into 2010, with shows in the United States as well as Canada and Europe.

Montoya has been touring behind his 2007 Alligator Records release Dirty Deal, and with the recent release of The Essential Coco Montoya, a collection of material from his first three albums for Blind Pig Records, he has more music to choose from for his onstage performances than you can shake a stick at! While many of Montoya's November tour dates feature the guitarist performing with fellow bluesman Tommy Castro, the remainder of his schedule has him taking the stage with his band and delivering the sort of six-string pyrotechnics that a true guitar-blues fan would salivate over. Be sure to check out Coco Montoya and his crew when they come through your town.

Coco Montoya Tour Dates

Nov 20 @ Mexicali Live, Teaneck NJ *
Nov 21 @ YMCA Boulton Center, Bay Shore NY *
Nov 22 @ Keswick Theatre, Glenside PA *
Nov 23 @ B.B. King Blues Club, New York NY *
Nov 25 @ The Birchmere, Alexandria VA *
Nov 27 @ Ramshead Tavern, Annapolis MD *
Nov 28 @ Stephen Talkhouse, Amagansett NY
Nov 29 @ Infinity Hall, Norfolk CT
Nov 30 @ Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton MA
Dec 02 @ L'Astral, Montreal, Quebec CANADA
Dec 03 @ Tucson's Roadhouse, Ottawa, Ontario CANADA
Dec 04 @ Peter's Place Live, Gravenhurst, Ontario CANADA
Dec 05 @ London Music Hall, London, Ontario CANADA
Dec 08 @ Zoo Bar, Lincoln NE
Dec 10 @ Boulder Outlook Hotel, Boulder CO
Dec 11 @ Little Bear Saloon, Evergreen CO
Dec 12 @ Crystola Roadhouse, Woodland Park CO
Dec 13 @ Evangelo's Cocktail Lounge, Santa Fe NM
Jan 09, 2010 @ Coach House, San Juan Capistrano CA
Jan 10 @ BriXton, Redondo Beach CA
March 09 @ The Pigalle Club, London ENGLAND
March 11 @ Witte Bal, Assen NETHERLANDS
March 12 @ De Kade, Zaandam NETHERLANDS
March 13 @ De Noot, Hoogland NETHERLANDS
March 14 @ Bosuil, Weert NETHERLANDS
March 15 @ Spirit, Verviers BELGIUM
March 27 @ Berks Jazz Festival, Wyomissing PA
June 05 @ Coloma Blues Live!, Lotus CA

* with Tommy Castro

Photo by Frank Vigil, courtesy Alligator Records

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Coco Montoya Takes It To The Road originally appeared on About.com Blues on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 06:37:23.

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Feds Raid Gibson Guitar!

2009-11-19T11:14:25Z

Agents of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service dropped by the Gibson Guitar manufacturing plant in Nashville, Tennessee on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 as part of an ongoing investigation into the illegal sale and use of exotic imported woods. The feds served a search warrant on the factory, which produces Gibson-branded electric and acoustic guitars, but nobody is saying anything about what they might have been looking for, or if they removed anything from the premises.

At issue is the importing of hardwoods like rosewood and ebony from the rain forests of Madagascar and Brazil. Under the U.S. Lacey Act, the trade in exotic woods is a federal offense, punishable by civil and criminal penalties and/or the seizure of property. Here's where it all gets a bit dicey, however...although Gibson has led the industry in pushing for the use of sustainable wood products in the manufacture of musical instruments, the people on the other side of the supply chain aren't always following the same principles. Guitar manufacturers have not stopped using rosewood, ebony and other woods, but have been sourcing the wood from certified renewable suppliers.

By all accounts, Gibson has been extremely aware of environmental concerns in their use of exotic hardwoods. Along with fellow instrument manufacturers like Martin and Taylor, the company is a member of the MusicWood Coalition, formed by Greenpeace to combat the destructive harvest of hardwoods. Until the recent raid, Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz sat on the board of the Rainforest Alliance (he has taken a "leave of absence" in the wake of the investigation). Gibson is a "chain of custody certified buyer," meaning that the wood products they're buying are supposed to be tracked from harvest to arrival in their factory. But unscrupulous suppliers could slip illegally-harvested wood into a shipment, and Gibson would be the one holding the bag and forced to forfeit the wood.

Gibson guitars have long been a staple of blues music, and a veritable "who's who" of blues and blues-rock musicians, from B.B. King, Albert King, and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown to Eric Clapton and Duane Allman, have favored the company's instruments for their rich tone and playability.

Photo courtesy Gibson Guitar

Feds Raid Gibson Guitar! originally appeared on About.com Blues on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 11:14:25.

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The Bluesmasters w/Mickey Thomas CD Preview

2009-11-18T06:35:09Z

Mickey Thomas has enjoyed an illustrious career dating back some 34 years, his rich vocals gracing better than two dozen albums during that span. Although he is best-known, perhaps, as the singer of such 1980s-era Jefferson Starship hits as "We Built This City" and "Sara," Thomas spent several years at the front of guitarist Elvin Bishop's band; it's his voice you hear on Bishop's #3 charting 1976 hit "Fooled Around And Fell In Love." Thomas has also recorded with such blues-n-roots artists as Delbert McClinton, Bonnie Bramlett, Al Kooper, and Dickey Betts and Great Southern.

With the Bluesmasters, Thomas has returned to his roots, the singer dusting off his soul pipes for The Bluesmasters with Mickey Thomas album. Scheduled as the inaugural release by the Direct Music Distribution (DMD) label, The Bluesmasters with Mickey Thomas will be released in as both a physical CD and digital download on March 10, 2010. The band will also launch an international tour in support of the album.

The Bluesmasters were formed in 2007 by guitarist Tim Tucker and pianist Sean Benjamin, who is no longer a full-time member of the band, but performs on two tracks on the album. Bassist Danny Miranda, keyboardist Ric Ulsky, harpist Doug Lynn, and former John Mayall's Bluesbreakers drummer Aynsley Dunbar round out the Bluesmasters behind Thomas.

The album features inspired covers of a number of great blues, soul, and R&B songs by artists like B.B. King ("Rock Me Baby"), Etta James ("I'd Rather Go Blind"), and Albert Collins ("Get Your Business Straight" ), among others. Thomas even revisits his signature song, "Fooled Around And Fell In Love." Watch for The Bluesmasters with Mickey Thomas on a record store shelf in March.

Photo courtesy DMD Records

The Bluesmasters w/Mickey Thomas CD Preview originally appeared on About.com Blues on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 06:35:09.

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Robert Johnson's Birthplace To Be Restored

2009-11-16T14:46:11Z

There are a lot of little mysteries that surround the life of Delta blues legend Robert Johnson. The bluesman's final resting place, for instance, is claimed by three different gravesites with markers. The manner of Johnson's death provides another enigma; the generally-accepted story of his demise has the guitarist poisoned by a jealous girlfriend in 1938. Then there's that whole "meeting with the Devil at the crossroads" mythology that has kept blues music chooglin' along like a freight train since the 1930s.

One thing that is certain about Robert Johnson is his birthplace in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. Johnson was born in a house built by his stepfather Charles Dodds, a furniture maker that was relatively prosperous for an African-American in the early 1900s. The house had a double-parlor, a long front porch, and a pump that allowed water to flow into the kitchen, a convenience unheard in most Southern homes of the era.

Copiah County, Mississippi officials are attempting to raise $250,000 to restore the 1500-square foot house, which had fallen into disrepair before coming into the county's ownership. They would like to create a museum in honor of Johnson as a way to attract tourist dollars to the area. Benefit concerts, including one featuring Grammy Award-winning pianist George Winston, have been scheduled to help raise funds for the restoration.

The wisdom of a Robert Johnson museum has to be questioned, however. Few artifacts from the musician's short life are known to exist, and only two photos of the blues legend have been unearthed: the first, known as the "studio portrait," was shot by Hooks Brothers Studios in Memphis, while the second is known as the "photo booth self-portrait," and was taken by Johnson himself. A third photo purporting to be Johnson has yet to be historically verified.

Still, Johnson's musical legacy remains one of the most important in the blues. As a singer, songwriter, and guitarist Johnson's music has influenced everybody from Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix to Muddy Waters and Elmore James. Screenwriter Jimmy White, who wrote the Academy Award-winning film Ray, has been shopping a script on Johnson's life, and his songbook continues to remain among the most covered in modern music. Some 71 years after his mysterious death, the legend of Robert Johnson remains alive and well.

Related content: Robert Johnson Profile

Photo courtesy Legacy Recordings

Robert Johnson's Birthplace To Be Restored originally appeared on About.com Blues on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 14:46:11.

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B.B. King Tour Dates Announced

2009-11-13T07:42:29Z

Whew, I'll tell you what...blues guitarist B.B. King, at 84 years old, keeps up with an ambitious tour schedule that would exhaust an artist a quarter of his age. King has announced new tour dates that will take he and his band well into 2010, the blues legend still touring in support of his award-winning 2008 album, One Kind Favor.

Fellow blues giant Buddy Guy, a guitarist of no little talent himself, will join King in February 2010 for a month of sure-to-be-sold-out dates. While King, performing by himself and backed by his top-notch band, is worth catching every time he blows through your town, the rare opportunity to witness King and Guy performing together is a night that nobody should pass up when they get a chance!

B.B. King Tour Dates

Nov. 13 @ Peppermill Wendover Casino, Wendover NV
Nov. 14 @ Silver Legacy Resort Casino, Reno NV
Nov. 15 @ Heritage Theater, Campbell CA
Nov. 17 @ Cal State Chico, Chico CA
Nov. 19 @ Coussoulis Arena, San Bernardino CA
Nov. 20 @ Centennial Hall, Tucson AZ
Nov. 21 @ Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix AZ
Nov. 22 @ Belly Up Tavern, Solana Beach CA
Dec. 26 @ Star of the Desert Arena, Primm NV
Dec. 28 @ Belly Up Aspen, Aspen CO
Dec. 31 @ Mabee Center Arena, Tulsa OK
Jan. 3, 2010 @ Nokia Theatre, Grand Prairie TX
Feb. 4 @ King Center for the Performing ArtsMelbourne FL *
Feb. 5 @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater FL *
Feb. 6 @ Fox Theatre, Atlanta GA *
Feb. 9 @ Ryman Auditorium, Nashville TN *
Feb. 11 @ DAR Constitution Hall, Washington D.C. *
Feb. 12 @ United Palace, New York NY *
Feb. 13 @ Caesars Circus Maximus Theatre, Atlantic City NJ *
Feb. 14 @ MGM Grand at Foxwoods, Mashantucket CT *
Feb. 16 @ Fox Theatre, Detroit MI *
Feb. 18 @ Family Arena, Saint Charles MO *
Feb. 19 @ The Midland by AMC, Kansas City MO *
Feb. 20 @ The Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis MN *
Feb. 22 @ Mid America Center, Council Bluffs IA *

* with Buddy Guy

Photo courtesy Geffen Records

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B.B. King Tour Dates Announced originally appeared on About.com Blues on Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 07:42:29.

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Happy Birthday Bukka White!

2009-11-12T06:32:46Z

On this day in 1909, Booker T. "Bukka" White was born in Houston, Mississippi, a small farming town south of Tupelo in the Hill Country. White learned to play the fiddle from his dad, a part-time musician, later picking up the guitar. At the age of fourteen, White went to Clarksdale, in the Mississippi Delta, to live with an Uncle.

While living in Clarksdale, White is said to have met blues legend Charley Patton, who "smartened him" in the ways of the blues. While working as a farm hand, White would play juke-joints and parties, but he would soon leave the Delta to travel the South and play his blues for spare change. Realizing that he wouldn't be able to make a living with his music, White worked in a number of fields; he played ball in the Negro Leagues and tried his hand at boxing for a while.

Although White's career sputtered out by the end of the 1930s, he was "rediscovered" during the folk-blues explosion of the 1960s. White would subsequently make a splash on the college coffeehouse and folk festival circuit, playing the Newport Folk Festival in 1966 and touring with the American Folk Blues Festival in Europe the following year. A sharp dresser and an entertaining and charismatic performer, White would continue to tour and record until his death from cancer in 1977.

Join us today in celebrating the life and career of blues great Booker T. White!

Related Content: Bukka White Profile

Photo courtesy Legacy Recordings

Happy Birthday Bukka White! originally appeared on About.com Blues on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 06:32:46.

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Eric Bibb CD Preview

2009-11-11T11:40:59Z

It's a story worthy of blues mythology...one night, a few years ago, noted blues guitarist Eric Bibb was approached by a fan after a London performance. Carrying a guitar case, the fan opened it up to reveal a vintage, 1930s-era Resophonic National steel guitar that once belonged to Mississippi Delta blues legend Booker T. "Bukka" White. Holding the famed instrument inspired a song, which Bibb later expanded into an entire album.

On January 26, 2010 Telarc Records will be releasing Booker's Guitar, the album inspired by Bibb's chance meeting with the fan in London. A fifteen-song collection that represents Bibb's deep connection with the Delta blues, the album-opening title track was recorded in England, Bibb using White's powerful guitar. The remainder of Booker's Guitar was recorded in rural Ohio, with Bibb using his own personal instruments, but the other songs fuse perfectly with the English recording to create a masterful updating of the Mississippi Delta blues legacy.

"Holding the guitar that Booker White had played for so many years," Bibb recalls in a press release for the album, "seeing his actual handwriting on a set list that had been taped to the side of the guitar - it all made me feel like the time was finally upon me to make a statement about my relationship with the Delta blues tradition. It was like a rite of passage, an initiation. I felt like this guitar finding its way to me was a signal that I had journeyed far enough to be able to make an honest tribute to the music of my heroes."

I've heard this incredible album, and let me tell you, with Booker's Guitar, Eric Bibb has released the first great blues album of 2010. Mark January 26th on your calendar, 'cause you're going to want this one in your blues library!

Photo courtesy Telarc Records

Eric Bibb CD Preview originally appeared on About.com Blues on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 11:40:59.

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Peter Lang Needs Our Help!

2009-11-10T07:40:08Z

Guitarist Peter Lang is in trouble and he needs our help. One of the world's foremost six-and-twelve-string fingerstyle guitarists, Lang has enjoyed a lengthy career, some 40 years, playing traditional music in the blues and folk vein. Influenced by artists like Mississippi John Hurt and Blind Boy Fuller, Lang originally recorded for John Fahey's Takoma Records label (also home to Leo Kottke and Michael Bloomfield during the 1970s). Through the years, Lang has performed or recorded with heavyweights like Freddie King, John Hammond, the Butterfield Blues Band, and many others.

In May 2008, Lang was involved in an automobile accident that resulted in injuries requiring several surgeries, and has suffered a nerve impingement that may prevent him from playing his guitar again. Caught in a bureaucratic "catch 22," Lang's auto insurance company refuses to pay his medical expenses, considering his injuries to be "pre-existing," while his health insurance company won't pay, terming his injuries the result of the accident. Either way, Lang's medical bills keep piling up, and Lang is unable to perform and thus support his family.

A fund has been set up to collect donations to help Lang's short-term medical and living expenses, an attempt to get him back up on his feet and making a living. You can donate via the Lang Fund website, and in turn the guitarist has made six of his albums available for digital download as a way of saying "thanks." It's a win-win situation by any measure - your donation helps Lang and his family, and you'll get to hear some great music.

Photo courtesy Peter Lang

Peter Lang Needs Our Help! originally appeared on About.com Blues on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 07:40:08.

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Blues Images 2010 Calendar

2009-11-09T10:38:15Z

The Blues Images 2010 calendar is now available for purchase, and blues fans should be lining up with their hard-earned coin to grab a copy of this year's edition. For those of you still in the dark about this super-cool and useful wall decoration, here's the scoop - each month in the Blues Images calendar is accompanied by rare vintage advertising art from the 1920s that features a single blues artist and song.

For instance, January features long-forgotten art for Robert Wilkins' "That's No Way To Get Along" record, originally released by Brunswick Records in 1929. February is graced by art for Delta blues legend Charley Patton's "High Water Everywhere," and so on. The period art was created by the labels to advertise their "race records," what they called blues music back in the 1920s, and much of it hasn't been seen for almost 80 years until it was rescued by record collector and blues aficionado John Tefteller.

The Blues Images calendar includes important dates in blues history, such as artist's birthdays and the date of their death, and also includes well-written commentary on each song represented by the accompanying artwork, as well as additional, smaller pictures of blues art in the date section of each month. If that wasn't enough value for you cheapskates to cough up $19.95 for a calendar, Blues Images has included a free CD as well, with a booklet and tray card - you only need to supply a jewel case. The 2010 CD features a pair of rare songs from Blind Blake as well as stuff from Patton, Skip James, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and others. Eighteen songs total, one matching each month on the calendar, and six bonus tracks.

The story behind how this blues artwork was rescued and landed on an annual calendar is pretty interesting, and you can read all about it in my interview with publisher John Tefteller. And after you read that, support Blues Images and buy a calendar, will ya? It will make a fine addition to the wall of your favorite listening room, office, garage...or wherever you get your blues fix.

Photo courtesy Blues Images

Blues Images 2010 Calendar originally appeared on About.com Blues on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 10:38:15.

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John Mayall's Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton

2009-11-06T12:16:06Z

Eric Clapton fans rejoice! On December 8, 2009 Universal Music will be reissuing John Mayall's classic British blues-rock album Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton in a deluxe edition, two-disc set. Much like Universal's previous "deluxe edition" archival releases, Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton is filled to the brim with rare and unreleased material.

The first disc of this deluxe edition features the original twelve-song mono release of the album from 1966, along with the same songs in a stereo mix which was originally released in 1969. This is the same 24-track version of Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton that was released on a remastered CD on Universal's Decca imprint in 1998.

For Clapton fans, the attraction of this umpteenth reissue of Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton will be the second disc, comprised of a mix of rare studio tracks, live radio broadcasts, and club performances that showcase Clapton's raw, but still maturing blues guitar style. Disc two offers 19 songs, including eight from sessions for BBC Radio that were broadcast in late 1965 and early 1966, a handful of singles and studio tracks, and six songs from two Flamingo Club performances in London circa March and April 1966. Some of this stuff has been released before, but much of it has been long out-of-print, and nine tracks on disc two have never been previously released.

Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton is the album that established both the guitarist's reputation and the cult of personality that followed him around both the U.K. and the United States well into the 1980s. The album is a classic of British blues-rock, innovative and influential, helping to launch dozens of blues-rock bands on both sides of the ocean. If you haven't heard it, you've missed an essential piece of blues music history.

Photo courtesy Universal Music

John Mayall's Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton originally appeared on About.com Blues on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 12:16:06.

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