The Blues Blogger

“This album wasn’t what it was intended to be at all. It’s actually better than it was meant to be because, in a way, I just let it happen. It’s an eclectic collection of songs that weren’t really on the map… If it’s a surprise to the fans, that’s only because it’s a surprise to me, as well.” ~Eric Clapton

Worldwide CD Giveaway – THIS CD GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED –

(Congratulations to Ron Grande & Tim Null who’ve both won a copy of the disc. Your new Clapton CD is now on the way to you… You’re gonna love it!!!)

Next month it’s The Blues Blogger’s 3rd Anniversary. However, to coincide with Eric Clapton’s upcoming 19th solo album “Clapton” later this month, I thought it might be fun to give away 2 copies of the CD and announce the winners on the day of the release… Your opportunity to win could not be simpler. In fact many of you reading this are already entered. I will explain shortly…

First

I Have a Question for You

If somebody asked you, “what song in your past acts likes a soundtrack to your youth?” Would you know right away? If you had to think about it, what song would play in your mind? I know what song that would be for me. And I’ve mentioned it many times from my very first post Electric Blues Masters, to Joe Bonamassa Live at The Royal Albert Hall and of course Freddie King I Am a Blues Master. That song is John Mayall & The Blues Breakers featuring Eric Clapton’s version of Freddie King’s Hideaway. It’s the first audible groove I vividly recall my brother playing along to on his guitar on the bunk bed below in the room we shared while growing up.

For Eric Clapton

some of the tunes that make him reminisce about his childhood, he got the opportunity to record on his upcoming album. These selections are gems which were passed down to Eric from his grandparents. It’s an assortment of songs by such noted composers as Irving Berlin, Fats Waller, Johnny Mercer and Hoagy Carmichael. Clapton covers everything from old brass bands to obscure country blues, in addition to brand-new originals. The result is tranquil, reflective, and quite different from anything he’s done in the past.

Working with guitarist and producer Doyle Bramhall II, Clapton brings together an impressive range of talent to back him on this self-titled release. Musicians and guests include drummer Jim Keltner, bassist Willie Weeks, and keyboardist Walt Richmond. Also featured on this eclectic offering is JJ Cale, Wynton Marsalis, Sheryl Crow, Steve Winwood, Allen Toussaint and Derek Trucks.

You can preview four complete songs, including the new single “Diamonds Made From Rain” from the Clapton album here on the widget below:

Clapton has also announced several live dates in 2011 including 4 nights at The Royal Albert Hall. And has assembled a remarkable band for the 2011 tour which will consist of long-time touring partners: Steve Gadd (drums), Willie Weeks (bass), Chris Stainton (keyboards) along with Michelle John and Sharon White as backing vocalists…

For more details you can go to Eric Clapton’s site by clicking here

While many of my long time readers are familiar with my posts, what many of you may not know was how Clapton inadvertently influenced the idea for me to create this blog three years ago.

Time has passed quickly since I succeeded in freaking my entire family out with the news of my heart attack 36 months ago. It forced me into a situation where I had a lot of time to think. When my brother heard the news and realized I would be alright, he told my wife TBBW on the phone to get me Clapton’s recently released autobiography. A hard cover copy of the book would be at my bedside when I opened my eyes one morning in the hospital. While reading that book and recovering at home, I got the idea of creating a music blog where I could combine my appreciation for music and my long time desire to write.

That desire to write started when I first heard Hideaway when I was a kid, but I never really concentrated too much on it until after I read Eric’s biography three years ago. The book made me reminisce about my own life and the music that surrounded me when I was young. The blog then became a therapeutic canvas for me. It would also be a place where lovers of blues, jazz, and fans of some good old rock n roll could come together and share their thoughts; past and present.

For these past three years The Blues Blogger site has grown in an extremely profound way, and as a result so have I. I’m truly very humbled by all your kind words and overwhelming support…

And Now…

Do You Want To Win a Copy of Eric Clapton’s Upcoming CD?

The Rules Are Simple – THIS CD GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED -

All email subscribers of The Blues Blogger anywhere in the world will get the opportunity to win 2 possible copies of Eric’s 19th solo album “Clapton” in a random draw giveaway.

(All current Blues Blogger subscribers are automatically entered.)

You will need to subscribe to my e-mail list at the top of the page where it says “Receive Updates by Email.” Enter your email address and press click here. When you submit the form, you will receive a verification message in your e-mail in-box. Once you respond to this message you are subscribed. That’s it! I promise no spam and you can always unsubscribe at anytime…

This random prize giveaway will end September 26th, 2010 at 11:00 pm eastern time in the U.S. When the winners are notified, they’ll have 12 hours to respond or a new name will be drawn.

But now if I could, I’d like to get back to my original question - Do you have a favorite tune that plays in your mind from the past? Are there any songs or performances from Eric Clapton from your youth that you’d like to share?

As an extra added bonus, if you comment on this post as well as being an active subscriber, I will put an additional ballot in the draw to increase your chances of winning. You have absolutely nothing to lose, and a terrific memorable record to gain.

I’d love to hear from you.

Good luck,

The Blues Blogger

Tags: blues, Blues News, Blues Reflections, Classic Rock, Jazz, New Releases, Prize Giveaway, Reflections, Reviews, Rock, TBBW, The Sixties by The Blues Blogger
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One of my first audible memories is of my brother practicing his guitar to the song “Hideaway” from John Mayall and the Blues Breaker’s famous “Beano” record with Eric Clapton. It’s a melody that would be embedded into my early psyche and was my first introduction to blues at 6 years old. Way too young to be aware of the song’s history. ~TBB

The first time I heard Freddie King (known also as “The Texas Cannonball”) was when my brother brought home his record Freddie King Is a Blues Master back in 1969. Hearing King’s funky revision of his song “Hideaway” on that album caught me by surprise. It was the first time I heard anybody else play it…

As I got a bit older, I developed a keen interest in learning more about music and the history of the artists who created these wonderful treasures. I usually got my answers from reading album liner notes and asking my brother and his musician friends lots of questions. I would eventually learn that the song rooted in my head was credited to Freddie King and was originally recorded in 1960. And a year later would reach number 5 on the Billboard R&B charts and 29 on their Hot 100. The song was named after Mel’s Hide Away Lounge, a Chicago blues club frequented by many blues musicians of the era and adapted from a Hound Dog Taylor instrumental… Knowing that information, even back then helped my creative thought processes and heightened my appreciation for the music.

In Our Basement Back in 1969

My brother and his friends were rehearsing some songs from that particular album. The staging area in our house was crammed as they now added two sax players for a total of seven guys… It changed everything. The band was funkier, more soulful and the sound was bigger and bluesier than ever. They choose songs like “It’s Too Late, She’s Gone”, “Play It Cool” and of course “Hideaway.” If I didn’t know it already, I certainly knew it then; music was going to be a part of my life. But being so young, I still had plenty of time to figure things out.

That was the atmosphere I was raised in for the first nine years of my life; a youthful observer just taking in all the creative energy of the time. I still find it challenging to put those feelings into words. One thing for certain, they will always remain great memories indeed! So how much did Freddie King play an influence on us? Well there’s only one word for that question… HUGE!

Freddie King

was born in Gilmer Texas on September 3rd 1934. Freddie’s mother recognized her son’s early interest in music. At 6 years old Freddie began to learn rural country blues and his interests developed from there. His early music heroes were artists like Sam Lightnin’ Hopkins and Louis Jordan. King would play Jordan’s records continuously until he got the horn parts down note for note. In no time at all Freddie was finding his groove.

After finishing high school the family moved to Chicago. Freddie was ecstatic! He was now living on the Southside of Chicago, the musical turf for Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, T-Bone Walker, Elmore James, Sonny Boy Williamson and so many blues greats.

On dares from friends, a teenage Freddie sneaked into the clubs to catch these guys perform. He even won a bet with his friends one night that he would sit in with the band. As the story goes, one of the club owners found out Freddie’s age, and as the bouncers were about to escort him out, Howlin Wolf intervened. So impressed with the way Freddie played, he told the owner that he was with him. Afterward Wolf replied, “Young man you pick that guitar like an old soul… The lord sure enough put you here to play the blues.”

Howlin Wolf took King under his wing and taught him street smarts. Along with Muddy Waters and his side men Eddie Taylor, Jimmy Rogers, Robert Lockwood Jr. and Little Walter, Freddie was accepted into their inner circle…

King would audition unsuccessfully for Chess Records. However it was a blessing as it forced King to continue finding his own unique style… Syd Nathan signed him to Federal in 1960 and his first session resulted in three hits “Have You Ever Loved a Woman,” “See See Baby” and the instrumental “Hide Away.” As I mentioned before, King’s career really took off in the early sixties, and in the process inspired several British blues artists that would later show their respect by having him open for many of their shows, or cover his songs on their records. Artists such as Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, and Jeff Beck are just a few examples. Shortly after Freddie King was sharing the spotlight in a serious way.

The album Freddie King Is a Blues Master didn’t exactly sell great numbers, but it was a memorable album and a starting point for future discovery for me. Whenever I reflect on my personal relationship with the blues, I realize that King was responsible for that initial impression… He continued to tour even through health concerns and played at The New York Ballroom in Dallas just three days before passing away of heart failure on December 28th 1976. He was only 42 years old.

Freddie King was a serious influence on many musicians of our time, including my older brother and his friends who would practice their craft inspired by his genius.

(It’s interesting to note that the 1961 version of “Hideaway” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999… And in 2003 Freddie King was placed 25th in Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time)

It’s impossible to write one post covering King’s amazing and influential career. Perhaps that’s where you can help… Are you a Freddie King fan? Did any of his music inspire you? Were you aware that King would have turned 76 this September 3rd, 2010? Please add your comments below. Together we can discuss his wonderful legacy and perhaps share in some cool moments.

The Blues Blogger

Tags: 1969, blues, Blues Reflections, Classic Rock, Reflections, The Sixties by The Blues Blogger
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Today (July 30th, 2010) music legend Buddy Guy turns 74. To mark the occasion, here’s an article I wrote last summer with some updated tour information. I hope you enjoy it. ~tbb

In the Summer of 2008

I was asked to write a piece on Buddy Guy’s album Skin Deep, which at the time was close to being released. In the article I mentioned how I warmheartedly remembered the music legend’s work from the sixties… I listened to Skin Deep, and immediately loved what I heard, but for some reason it made me drift back to an album Guy came out with forty years earlier.

A Man & the Blues was released in 1968, and today I can still visualize the album cover in my mind… I associate that particular LP to the upbeat atmosphere I was surrounded by at the time… In last year’s article I had to restrain from drifting too much. So I thought it might be cool to take the reflective trip I wasn’t able to make last year…

Church Gig 1968

Now I never normally go to church. That’s because I was more familiar with the synagogue further down the road. I remember thinking even at eight years old, how the Cantor when he sang sounded like Jack Bruce from the band Cream. That’s where my imagination led me even at that young age. A wild association I still get a kick out of telling today… Yes, I fondly recall those times being very buoyant indeed. So you could imagine how anxious I was going to church for the first time.

I helped my brother’s friend and roadie The Big F load the gear out of the basement of our house (where they usually rehearsed) to the church hall. The guys were playing one their first live gigs that night and I was helping them set up. I remember they even brought in a horn section to back them up. The gig was going to be more of a family evening of entertainment; a moment in time where friends, music lovers and neighbors would get together and just have a blast.

My brother’s band eventually got a reputation as a great blues party band. In 1968 my brother and his friends were all teenagers looking for an outlet to express themselves through the love of the music that inspired them. Their enthusiasm and musicianship was well received. The guys loved what they did and it showed.

Several of the songs that my brother and his musician friends rehearsed leading up to that gig were from the album A Man & The Blues. The tunes the guys played were “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” “One Room Country Shack” and they opened with the classic Berry Gordy tune “Money.” Many of those songs were versions Buddy covered on the album.

Back then I was too young to express how the music made me feel. All I knew was how important it felt to be around for some reason. And even though I knew deep down I wasn’t going to be a musician, I did know one thing: I needed to experience more of what was going on. I knew right then that music was going to play a big part in my life. It was just a matter of when.

Buddy Guy

was born in July 30th,1936 to a sharecropper’s family, and was one of five children raised on a plantation near the small town of Lettsworth, Louisiana. He learned to play guitar on a self made diddley bow and eventually began performing in the fifties with local acts in Baton Rouge.

Shorty after arriving in Chicago in 1957, Guy entered guitar battle contests on Sundays and Mondays against west side guitarists Magic Sam and Otis Rush. With help from Muddy Waters, he eventually got a recording contract. Some of his early influences were T-Bone Walker and Lightnin’ Hopkins. Guy also learned a thing or two from Guitar Slim (a.k.a. Eddie Jones)

“The first guitar player I saw putting on a show was Guitar Slim—I must’ve been 13 years old—he came out riding that guitar, wearing a bright red suit. I thought; ‘I wanna sound like B.B. King, but I wanna play guitar like that.”

In 1960 Guy worked at Chess Records and recorded “First Time I Met The Blues.” Later that same year he started working the first of what would be many projects with Junior Wells. As the sixties progressed, Buddy left Chess and soon got on a serious roll. He entered Billboard’s R&B charts, toured all over the world and shared the stage with many of the best musicians around at the time.

A Man and & The Blues is Buddy Guy’s first full length solo LP. It featured Otis Spann on piano, bassist Jack Myers and drummer Fred Below. This recording is essential listening for any fan of the blues old or new. Hearing the music once again certainly reminded me of the impact it played in my life.

As the sixties closed, so did a chapter in many of our lives. My brother and several of his friend’s would leave home and head out to the bigger cities in hopes of that one gig which would get them the attention they deserved… Buddy Guy continued to record throughout the seventies and eighties, but as the blues scene softened, so did the high profile gigs. It would take close to 20 years of perseverance, until new opportunities would flourish for Guy. And when it did, they would be huge! But that’s a story for another post.

You definitely don’t miss the opportunity to see this true blues music legend as he continues his tour throughout this summer and into the fall… Dates and show times are subject to change, so make sure you double check. If you want more information on Buddy Guy you can go to his web site by clicking here….

Buddy Guy Tour Schedule 2010

Latest Dates Announced

09/03/10 Naperville Last Fling Naperville, IL
09/04/10 American Music Festival Daytona Beach, FL
10/01/10 House Of Blues Boston, MA
10/14/10 Rothschild Pavillion Rothschild, WI
10/19-20/10 Birchmere Alexandria, VA
10/22/10 Count Basie Theatre Red Bank, NJ
10/26/10 The Grand Opera House Wilmington, DE
10/27/10 Pullo Center @ Penn State York, PA
10/28/10 Maya Center for the Perf. Arts Morristown, NJ
10/30/10 Westhampton Beach P.A.C. Westhampton, NY
11/05/10 Silverton Casino Las Vegas, NV
02/06/11 Mahindra Blues Festival Mumbai, India

With Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

07/28/10 Madison Square Garden Arena New York, NY
07/30/10 Birchmere Alexandria, Virginia
07/31-08-01 Wachovia Center Philadelphia, PA

With B.B. King

08/11/10 Hollywood Bowl Los Angeles, CA
08/12/10 San Miguel Indian Bingo/Casino Highland, CA
08/13/10 Chumash Casino Santa Ynez, CA
08/14/10 Harrah’s Rincon Pavilion Valley Center, CA

With The Robert Cray Band

08/17/10 Tulalip Amphitheatre Tulalip, WA
08/18/10 Rogue Theatre Grants Pass, OR

With B.B. King

08/20/10 Ironstone Vineyards Theater Murphys, CA
08/21/10 Mountain Winery Saratoga, CA
08/24/10 Deer Valley Outdoor Theater Park City, UT
08/25/10 Red Rocks Amphitheater Morrison, CO
08/27/10 Zoo Amphitheatre Oklahoma City, OK
08/28/10 Black Oak Amphitheatre Lampe, MO
08/29/10 Allen Event Center Allen, TX
09/11/10 Bull Durham Blues Festival Durham, NC
09/18/10 Sandia Amphitheatre San Diego, CA
10/01/10 House of Blues Boston, MA

With Jonny Lang

10/7-10/8 Northern Lights Theater Milwaukee, WI
10/09/10 Horseshoe Southern Indiana Elizabeth, IN
10/10/10 Sangamon Auditorium Springfield, IL
10/15/10 Historic Surf Ballroom Clear Lake, IA
10/16/10 State Theater Minneapolis, MN
10/23/10 Patriots Theatre Trenton, NJ
10/24/10 The Ridgefield Playhouse Ridgefield, CT
10/29/10 Ulster Performing Arts Center Kingston, NY

Have you seen Buddy Guy in concert before? Anyone checking out the shows listed above? Where were you when Buddy Guy’s 1968 release A Man & The Blues came out? Your comments are always welcome.

The Blues Blogger

Tags: Blues Music Awards, Blues Reflections, Reflections, The Sixties by The Blues Blogger
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