So on this Friday(now Saturday) that is going to be the third long day this week as I have another Target work day to couple with, Tuesday’s 8:30 am to 11:30 pm, Wednesday’s-7 am to 6pm. (damn I’m too old for this stuff) let’s kickstart the day with on of my favorite songs from Louisiana’s Tab Benoit “Nighttrain”!
So Buddy Guy’s latest album Rhythm and Blues has been on various music charts for about a month now, but the official release date of the album was set for today to coincide with Buddy’s 77 birthday! Yes on this date in 1936, Buddy Guy was born. For those of you non-blues fans here some background on Buddy from Wikipedia:
So yesterday would have been the 70th birthday of one of my guitar heroes, the great Michael Bloomfield. From Wikipedia:
Michael Bernard “Mike” Bloomfield (July 28, 1943 – February 15, 1981) was an American musician, guitarist, and composer, born in Chicago, Illinois, who became one of the first popular music superstars of the 1960s to earn his reputation almost entirely on his instrumental prowess, since he rarely sang before 1969–70. Respected for his fluid guitar playing, Bloomfield knew and played with many of Chicago’s blues legends even before he achieved his own fame, and was one of the primary influences on the mid-to-late 1960s revival of classic Chicago and other styles of blues music. In 2003 he was ranked at number 22 on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”. Full Biography
So there once was a group of musicians that lived back in the woods, and they played traditional American roots music, with story songs about, hangings, murder, and moonshine running, with titles like “Hillbilly Hick”, and Sons O’Dixie. After the release of their début album, they will be touring throughout the country playing dates in Rougham Suffolk, Cambridge, Wisbech, Cambs and in October they will be playing sets both days at the Prickwillow ploughing festival and country fair near Ely, Cambs. Not sure what part of the south they’re from – well you should be because this terrific new band is from jolly old England!!
Rattleshack is their name and playing great American roots music is their game!! Their début album is self-titled and great. According to the band they were:
Oh, to be seventeen years old and as talented as Austin Young. The young Colorado Blues musician has a long and stellar career ahead of him if his 2013 release, Blue as Blue Can Be is any kind of indicator!! I’m not exactly sure where I came across his name, hum, it may have been last weeks, New Releases Now newsletter, but wherever I saw it I’m glad I did because the album is flat-out terrific as are Young’s guitar playing and his vocals.
So this yesterday the album, Folksongs of the American Longhair, by Brother Dege was listed on my Just For You on Mog. It was listed because I recently listened to US Rails. Since the cover looked interesting, mostly because brother was holding a dobro , I gave it a listen and I really liked it. After the album finished, a mix of similar artist came, as I listened I thought I like that track and that one after a few tracks I looked to see the artists. The list included bands I never heard of including: Mile Train, Devil’s Hollow and Cashbox. After a few more tracks, I switched to the full albums for each of these artists, and I think I’ll be adding some new artists to my library.
Today we celebrate the birthdays of two of the most influential blues artists of all time, one for his artistry with his instrument and the other, while a good musician, for his influential songwriting! The first is blues harpist James Cotton born on this date in 1935 and the second the legendary Willie Dixon (July 1, 1915 – January 29, 1992)! Now some of you may not remember or know Willie Dixon, but he was an unbelievably good songwriter and his compositions include: “Little Red Rooster”, “Hoochie Coochie Man”, “Spoonful”, “Back Door Man”, “I Just Want to Make Love to You”, “My Babe”, “Wang Dang Doodle”, and “I Can’t Quit You Baby”…a few of the artist who recorded his music includes: Bob Dylan, Cream, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and The Rolling Stones not bad, eh? From Wikipedia:
