_Van 29 april tot 5 augustus zet Kamagurka in Brugge als curator een bijzonder kunstproject neer: 'KAMARAMA'. Op verschillende locaties brengt hij werk van eigen hand en van anderen die hem inspireren en fascineren. JOHNNY DOWD is alvast zo'n artiest.
JOHNNY DOWD debuteerde op zijn vijftigste met gemuteerde country noir en roestige rootsrock. Zijn experimentele country en americana dreigt elk moment te ontsporen in hels rumoer. 'No Regrets', het nieuwe album dat DOWD uitbracht op zijn eigen label Mother Jinx Records, noemt hij 'dansbaar'. 'Tenminste, als je kan dansen en denken tegelijk.' De songs op de plaat zijn voornamelijk duetten en zijn stuk voor stuk genoemd naar de belangrijke vrouwen uit zijn leven. 'Schuilnamen, uiteraard, om de schuldigen en onschuldigen te beschermen.'
Johnny Dowd (born March 29, 1948 in Fort Worth, Texas) is an American alternative country musician from Ithaca, New York. Typical of his style are experimental, noisy breaks in his songs and strong gothic (in the sense of dark and gloomy) elements in the lyrics as well as in the music. There is also a strong undercurrent of black humor and the absurd in his work.
Although his early albums were most celebrated in the alternative country community, he has never quite fit into any particular genre. As a singer-songwriter, his music is more often compared to that of Tom Waits, Nick Cave and Captain Beefheart.
Born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1948, Dowd's family moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1950, and then to his father's hometown of Pauls Valley, Oklahoma in 1953. He received a record player for Christmas in 1956 and began buying records at a local appliance store. Although the first LP he owned was by the Ray Conniff Singers, it was the music of Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles and James Brown that changed his life. He cites James Brown's Live at the Apollo as his lifelong favorite album.
In 1965, along with his mother and sisters, Johnny returned to Memphis after his parents' divorce. After serving in the U.S. Army and living in California he drove across the United States in the early 1970s with longtime friend Dave Hinkle and settled permanently in Ithaca, New York where his mother and sisters had also relocated. Dowd and Hinkle began moving furniture for a living, later naming their business the Zolar Moving Company.
Dowd formed a band in the 1970s named The Jokers, which included Johnny (guitar), his sister Jennifer Edmondson (drums) and Dave Hinkle (bass). By 1988 the band had become Neon Baptist, whose members included Johnny Dowd, Cally Arthur, Dave Hinkle, Mike Edmondson and Jennifer Edmondson. Max Ormond and Kim Sherwood-Caso were in later lineups. Neon Baptist was one of the founding acts of the GrassRoots Festival, where Dowd has performed annually since 1991.
By the time Neon Baptist disbanded in 1995, Dowd was recording songs alone in the office of his moving company. These songs first appeared in 1995 on a home-made demo cassette as Wrong Side of Memphis, credited to Johnny Dowd as a solo artist. Kim Sherwood-Caso contributed background vocals on two songs. Most of these tracks were either re-mixed or completely re-recorded for the CD version of the same album, which was initially pressed as a self-released CD and then officially released on Chicago's Checkered Past label in 1997. The album was also released on Koch Records in early 1998 and then in Europe on Munich Records. Favorable reviews led to some of his first European appearances in 1998.
In the wake of widespread critical acclaim to Wrong Side of Memphis Dowd released his second album, Pictures From Life's Other Side, in 1999, also to strong reviews. This year also saw the first of Dowd's US and European tours. After the self-released (and very experimental) Down In The Valley in 2000 came Temporary Shelter later that year. A Dutch TV documentary on Johnny Dowd was filmed in 2000, and in early 2001, the New York Times highlighted Dowd as one of four "Country Singers Who Still Display a Country Heart".
The Pawnbroker's Wife album was released in 2002, followed by Wire Flowers: More Songs from the Wrong Side of Memphis in 2003. The same year, Dowd was handpicked by The Simpsons' creator Matt Groening (a self-described fan of Johnny's music) to perform in the All Tomorrow's Parties festival. 2003 also saw Dowd's first major film appearance with the release of Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus. The album Cemetery Shoes was released in 2004; in 2006 Cruel Words was released and went on to win the Album/Alt.Country award in the 7th Annual Independent Music Awards the following year. Johnny also went on to be a judge for the 8th annual Independent Music Awards.
In 2006 Johnny Dowd, drummer Brian Wilson (aka Willie B) and Jim White formed a band called "Hellwood". Their album, Chainsaw of Life was recorded in a cabin in New York, the walls of which were covered in musician obituaries. Hellwood toured the album in Europe. Johnny has also incorporated some of the songs from Hellwood into his own live setlist.
In April 2007 Johnny joined Beukorkest (/Punch- or batteringOrchestra/), a collaboration of various Dutch musicians and artist like André Manuel and Def P. fronted by Stuurbaard Bakkebaard en Rik van Iersel. They did a tour in the Netherlands consisting of 9 shows. In 2008 an album was released of tracks from various gigs. Beukorkest formed again in 2008 with a new team of musicians this time without Johnny.
The album "A Drunkard's Masterpiece" was released in Spring 2008 in America, Canada and Europe, followed by a European tour in April and May. Due to touring with Jamie Lidell, Willie B did not accompany the band.
In October 2008 Johnny announced a trio called Black Elastic. Kim Sherwood-Caso played guitar in addition to singing, Mike Edmondson, who played with Johnny some years ago, played guitar. This lineup played several shows in the Ithaca, NY area until an expanded Johnny Dowd band formed, composed of Kim Sherwood-Caso (guitar, vocals), Mike Stark (keyboards), Matt Saccuccimorano (drums) and Willie B (baritone guitar).
A new album titled "Wake Up The Snakes" will be released in Europe in March through Munich Records. A European tour is planned for May 2010.
Dowd and Billy Cote (formerly with Madder Rose) recorded a song, Bound For Hell, for a Love and Rockets tribute album, "New Tales To Tell: A Tribute To Love and Rockets," released in the fall of 2009. The track did not appear on the physical CD but as a download-only.
_In 2012 bestaan The Dubliners maar liefst 50 jaar! En dat vieren ze met een uitgebreide Europese tournee, een nieuwe dvd en een gloednieuwe cd. Meer info over de dvd en cd volgt weldra, maar de Ierse folkband maakte al wel bekend dat ze op 30 september in België halt zullen houden in het Paleis voor Schone Kunsten!
Er zijn maar weinig groepen die al zo lang meedraaien als de Ierse folkgroep The Dubliners. Op Belgische bodem speelde de folkgroep keer op keer voor een uitverkochte zaal. De groep ontstond in 1962 in Dublin. Aanvankelijk traden ze op als “The Ronnie Drew Group”, maar deze groepsnaam werd gewijzigd toen één van de groepsleden zich verdiepte in “The Dubliners” van James Joyce.
Vijf jaar later haalden de Ieren de eerste plaats van de hitlijsten met het nummer “Seven Drunken Nights” en dat was een doorbraak waar de groep nog steeds de vruchten van plukt.
Aan dit succes lijkt voorlopig geen eind te komen, want de vraag naar muziek van de Ieren is nog steeds groot. Tientallen albums (waaronder mooie samenwerkingen met oa. The Pogues) en vele jubileums later blijven The Dubliners meer dan de moeite waard om live aan het werk te zien. De groep kende behoorlijk wat personeelswissels over de jaren heen maar de kwaliteit van hun muziek heeft daar nooit onder moeten lijden. De vaste kern van de groep wordt gevormd door banjospeler Barney McKenna, zanger/gitarist Sean Cannon, violist John Sheahan, zanger/gitarist Patsy Watchorn en gitarist Eamonn Campbell.
Nearly five decades since they first came together during informal sessions at O'Donoghue's Pub in Dublin, the Dubliners remain one of the most influential of Ireland's traditional folk bands. Unlike their counterparts the Clancy Brothers, the Dubliners have never strayed from the raw looseness of the pub scene. According to Dirty Linen, "Whereas the Clancys were well-scrubbed returned Yanks from rural Tipperary, decked out in matching white Arab sweaters, the Dubliners were hard-drinking backstreet Dublin scrappers with unkempt hair and bushy beards, whose gigs seemed to happen by accident in between fist fights".
Initially known as the Ronnie Drew Folk group, the Dubliners have gone through several personnel changes since they were formed in 1962. The original group featured Ronnie Drew on vocals and guitar, Luke Kelly on vocals and five-string banjo, Barney McKenna on tenor banjo, mandolin, melodeon, and vocals and Ciaren Bourke on vocals, guitar, tin whistle, and harmonica.The first change occurred in 1964 when Kelly left temporarily and Bobby Lynch (vocals and guitar) and John Sheahan (fiddle, tin whistle, mandolin, concertina, guitar, and vocals) were added. The following year, Kelly returned and Lynch departed.
The Dubliners' earliest recordings included appearances on multi-artist compilations The Hoot'nanny Show and Folk Festival: Festival Folk, released in 1964. Their first break came when they met Nathan Joseph, owner of Transatlantic Records, at the Edinburgh Festival in 1963. Signing with Joseph's label, the group released their debut full-length album, The Dubliners, later the same year.
In 1967, the Dubliners recorded their breakthrough single, "Seven Drunken Nights," based on Child Ballad number 273. Although its risque lyrics caused it to be banned from officially sanctioned radio stations, it became a Top Five hit after being aired by pirate radio station, RTE. With the song's success, the band began touring throughout the world. In the early '70s, the Dubliners toured in a production of Brendan Behan's Cork Leg.
A second phase of personnel changes began in 1974 when Bourke suffered a brain hemorrhage during a show. Although he subsequently appeared to have recuperated and rejoined the group, he collapsed again on the stage and left for good. He died on May 10, 1988 at the age of 53. Following Bourke's first departure, Ronnie Drew left to pursue a solo career and was replaced by Jim McCann. With Drew's return five years later, McCann departed. The group's problems, however, were not over. In the same year, Kelly collapsed from a brain tumor during a concert and was required to undergo several surgical operations. He died on January 30, 1984, at the age of 44. Seán Cannon was drafted into the line-up at this time.
In 1987, the Dubliners regained their earlier popularity when Eamonn Campbell, who had often been a guest musician on their albums, produced an album, Celebration, featuring a collaboration with the Pogues on an updated version of the traditional folk song "The Irish Rover." Released as a single, the tune reached number seven on the British music charts. Campbell subsequently joined the band as a regular member. In 1990, the Dubliners and the Pogues reunited for a single, "Jack's Heroes"/"Whiskey in the Jar," that celebrated Ireland's winning the world cup. Two years later, the Dubliners joined with Hothouse Flowers to record a single, "The Rose," that reached number two on the British music charts. 30 Years A'Greying, released the same year, featured collaborations with Rory Gallagher, Billy Connolly, and De Danaan. In December 1995, Drew left the band for the second time and was replaced by Paddy Reilly. Despite the changes in the band's lineup, they continue to perform and record their gutsy style of Irish music.
_José Fernández Torres groeide op te midden van grote flamencogitaristen waaronder zijn vader en grootvader, beiden Tomate genoemd. Al op jonge leeftijd was Tomatito (letterlijk: ‘tomaatje’) een sensatie.
Het was de beroemde gitarist Paco de Lucía die Tomatito ontdekte en hem introduceerde bij de legendarische flamencozanger Camarón de la Isla. Hij werd jarenlang zijn vaste begeleider en speelde daarnaast ook samen met andere grootheden zoals Frank Sinatra, Elton John, John McLaughlin en Neneh Cherry.
Tomatito verbaast door zijn enorme beheersing van metriek en ritmiek. Hij ontwikkelde gaandeweg een eigen smaak en persoonlijke stijl, versmolten met zigeunerinvloeden waarin het hart van Andalusië duidelijk blijft kloppen.
Voor dit unieke concert in België krijgt hij het gezelschap van El Cristi (gitaar), José Maya (dans, palmas), Simon Roman (zang), Morenito De Illora (zang) en Lucky Losada (percussie).
José Fernández Torres "Tomatito" was born in Almería on August 20th 1958 into a family of flamenco guitarists. He grew up to the sounds of his guitarist father, also called Tomate, and his grandfather Miguel Tomate. He is also a nephew of the legendary guitarist Niño Miguel. At the age of twelve his family moved from Almería to Málaga, where he began his musical career performing in flamenco clubs such as the Taberna Gitana. There he had Paco de Lucía among his audience, and there he first met Camarón de la Isla.
Soon his performances in the principal flamenco festivals in Andalucía were capturing the attention of critics and aficionados , thanks to his unusual talent. From an early age he was making a name for himself as an accompanist for the very best singers, including Enrique Morente, La Susi, José Menese and Pansequito.
Without a doubt the most important role that Tomatito has played is that of accompanist for the late Camarón de la Isla during the last eighteen years of his life. Their combined discography is extensive, and their performances took them not just to all the festivals and flamenco recitals in Spain but also to the most important musical capitals of the world such as Montreux and New York.
Among his performances in his early years as soloist, some are particularly worthy of note: the competition El Giraldillo del Toque de la III Bienal de Arte Flamenco de la Ciudad de Sevilla (1984), various presentations during the Cumbre Flamenca festivals in the Teatro Alcalá Palace (1985), the V Festival de Jazz de Madrid (1986) and Veranos de la Villa del Ayuntamiento de Madrid (1991). He has maintained a close collaboration with the Peña Flamenca "El Taranto de Almería", where he has performed with an untold number of great flamenco singers and where in 1985 he was awarded the Taranto de Oro and the Lucas López prize in 1988.
After the demise of Camarón de la Isla came a short professional silence. Then Tomatito began a dazzling new career as concert guitarist, particularly after his performances in the first Festival Flamenco de Madrid and the IV Homenaje al Taranto in Madrid in 1993. Since then he has performed with his group to unanimous acclaim in the most hallowed venues of the Spanish music circuit: the Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid, Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, Palacio de Congresos in Granada, Universidad Complutense, Festival de la Guitarra de Córdoba and countless others.
He has played at numerous flamenco festivals and musical events across Spain, either accompanying top singers or leading his own group in large venues, from bullrings to opera theatres. Overseas he has received rave reviews at the Istambul International Music Festival and the VI International Guitar Festival in Lyon and has toured extensively in Japan, Switzerland, Holland, South America, France and Germany. In Spain he has played to massive crowds with artists as revered as Frank Sinatra or Elton John during their respective tours in Spain.
After a plethora of recordings as accompanist for the likes of Camarón, Enrique Morente, Pansequito, Duquende, La Susi and Potito, his first solo album Rosas del Amor was released in 1987 to an eager audience. After four years of uninterrupted work he returned to the studio to record Barrio Negro (1991), a truly inspired album with collaborators including Camarón de la Isla.
During 1996 and 1997 Tomatito presented his most recent solo album Guitarra Gitana in venues including the Plaza de Cataluña and the Auditorio de Palma de Mallorca. Later he recorded Palabra de Guitarra Latina with Joan Bibiloni, Larry Coryell, Birelli Lagrene and six other legends of the Latin guitar. His playing gave a flamenco feel to Neneh Cherry's Spanish version of her number one hit Woman and to the film The Devil's Advocate (dir. Taylor Hackford), in which he shared a scene with Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves.
Upon his return to Spain he was awarded the Medalla de Plata de Andalucía. 1997 also saw the composition of his first work for the theatre in the form of the complete soundtrack for Antonio Onetti's Madre Caballo (based on Berthold Brecht's Mother Courage), produced by the Compañía Andaluza de Teatro and directed by Emilio Hernández. Onetti affirmed that he "always envisaged the play with this music" and the play's leading lady Terele Pávez stated that "...when you appear on stage that music takes your breath away. The whole cast is in awe of it...".
In the same year, Tomatito commenced his hugely successful collaboration with the pianist Michel Camilo. The reaction from press and public was such that the pair began to tour together, performing at the Barcelona Jazz Festival and later year in the "Palau de la Música" in Valencia, the "Gran Teatro" in Córdoba and the Sardinia Jazz Festival.
In 1998 he composed and recorded the soundtrack for the film Bin ich Schöen? for the famous German director Doris Doërrie, and has performed in the festival Esparrago Rock 98 in Granada, sharing the bill with musicians of every musical genre and every country under the sun. He embarked then on a European tour, which included dates at the Festival de Mont-de-Marsan (France), Tampere Flamenco Festival (Finland) and IX Nuits de la Guitare de Patrimonio (Corsica) where he shared the bill with the likes of Chick Corea, John McLaughlin and Irakere.
In September 1998, at the X Bienal de Arte Flamenco de Sevilla he directed and presented Tomate & Friends, one of the biggest successes of the month-long flamenco event. Throughout 1999 Tomatito continued his international tour with concerts in theatres and festivals in Poland, Japan, Cuba, Germany, Italy and France. His ongoing collaboration with Michel Camilo took him to Switzerland for the Basle Jazz Festival and to Japan for a month in the "Blue Note" jazz clubs in Tokyo and Osaka. By the summer of 2000, "Spain" was released on Lola Records distributed by Universal. As a result of its phenomenal success, the duo performed at Carnegie Hall during the JVC Jazz Festival and received a Grammy award for the best Latin-Jazz recording that year.
Tomatito also received a Grammy for his work with Camarón de la Isla on the live recording "París 1987" (Universal) and is thus the first flamenco Grammy-winner in history. After the presentation of his show "Bajandí" at the XI Bienal de Arte Flamenco in Seville, he performed in Rio de Janeiro, Nimes and Santo Domingo among other important events worldwide.
After winning a César prize as co-writer of the soundtrack of the movie "Vengo" (dir. Tony Gatlif) and being nominated for the Premio de la Música prize, Tomatito released "Paseo de los Castaños" (Universal Music/Polydor) on which he features a number with George Benson. The presentation concert tour was a sellout at major Spanish theatres and concert halls.
He was also featured with Michel Camilo at the North Sea, Perugia, Montreal and Montreux Jazz Festivals before participating with his Sextet at other Swiss events such as In Guitar in Dubendorf and La Batie de Geneve. At this last concert he is invited back to perform in Geneva's homage to Camarón de la Isla this spring, after closing the Internationales Jazzfestival in Basle in May.
He began 2002 with a sellout concert at the Palais de Beaux Arts, Brussels, going on to participate in the Basel International Jazz Festival. Other events this year include Flamenco à Biarritz, Nuits de la Mediterranée, Tangier and Fiesta des Suds, Marseille. Special projects include composition of the score for Aida Gómez production of Salomé directed by Carlos Saura and also for the Centro Andaluz de Teatro’s new work Romeo & Juliet for which he has received the 2004 Max Prize for Scenic Arts for Best Musical Director.
Joining forces with his close friend Raimundo Amador he toured Spain with Raimundo & Tomate throughout the summer. The, alongside his great friend the classical guitarist Carles Trepat he ventured into the musical world of Astor Piazzolla which culminated in a debut concert during the XII Bienal de Flamenco at thel Teatro de la Maestranza, Seville and later at thel Festival de la Guitarra de Barcelona, in the Palau de la Musica Catalana as web as other important Spanish and international venues..
2003 began with the opening of the play Romeo y Julieta (dir. Emilio Hernández) for which TOMATITO created the sountrack, again for the Compañía Andaluza de Teatro. Critics highlighted the original perspective not only of the mise-en-scène but also the soundtrack itself.
During the Spring TOMATITO toured in Japan and Switzerland and presented his own band for the first time in the US in early February 2003, visiting among other cities, New York, Chicago and Washington D.C. in early 2003. Throughout the summer he was invited to France’s Festival de Jazz de Sète and the Internationales de la Guitare, Montpellier. On October 6th, 2003, TOMATITO played London’s Royal Albert Hall thereby becoming the first solo flamenco guitarist to perform on this historic stage .
He has collaborated on Paco de Lucía’s album “Cositas Buenas”, specifically on the Bulerías dedicated to Camarón de la Isla. He then began preparing SONANTA SUITE, in which his music is orchestrated for the first time ever under the baton of maestro Juan Albert Amargós. This work premièred at L’Auditori in Barcelona in June 2004 and toured Spain’s most prestigious music festivals. The popular television programme “Las 1001 Noches” (RTVA) recently paid homage to his outstanding career in a two hour live interview.
The album “Aguadulce”, released on Verve in June 2004 reflects TOMATITO’s intention to return “home”. Named after the town he lives in, it is hailed as one of this years best flamenco recordings. With this new repertoire he has visited throughout 2004, Japan, Austria’s Glatt & Verkehrt Festival, Prague’s Smetana Hall, Montpellier’s Palais de Rois de Majorque and Dublin’s National Concert Hall. He is invited to perform at the Carrefour de la Guitare, Martinique and the Festival des Andalousies Atlantiques, Essaouira, Morocco.
2005 begins for TOMATITO with a sell-out concert at Carnegie Hall alongside Enrique Morente. Among the events and venues he is to play at throughout the year, after inaugurating the Barcelona Guitar Festival and the XV Mediterranean Games, Almería, are Copenhagen’s Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, North Sea Jazz Festival, London’s Barbican Centre, Nuits de la Guitare de Patrimonio, the Rivierenhof in Antwerp and the Peace Festival 2005 – Beyond DMZ in Korea in August 2005.
This year starts in New York, for the recording of SPAIN AGAIN with Michel Camilo. After a sell-out concert at the Palau de la Música Catalana during the Festival Mil.leni, TOMATITO presents Aguadulce at the Cirque D’Hiver, Paris and later tours France visiting Bordeaux, Lyon, Le Havre and other major cities. SPAIN AGAIN is released mid-May and the duo plans concerts at Europe’s principal Jazz festivals and theatres, The International Guitar Festival in Cordoba, the Mar de Músicas Festival in Cartagena , The Grec Festival Barcelona among others.
_Aanvang: 17:00 !! – reserveren aub!!
VVK: 12 €
Kassa: 15 €
De opnames die Pieter van der Pluijm aka Big Pete in de States heeft gemaakt zullen op 18 oktober bij ons het levenslicht zien. De titel van het album is: “Big Pete Choice Cuts”.
Op het album spelen o.a. mee: Kim Wilson; Paul Oscher; Frank Goldwasser aka ‘Paris Slim’; Alex Schultz; Rusty Zinn; Kid Ramos en nog vele anderen mee. Wil je een voorproefje van enkele van zijn nieuwe songs beluisteren surf dan naar Big Pete’s Myspace-pagina en geniet van het mooie en supervette nieuwe werk. Big Pete’s naam is inmiddels gevestigd als een van de meest vooraanstaande blues artiesten in de Benelux en daarbuiten. Sindsdien heeft Pete enkele succesvolle projecten gedaan zoals: de band The Strikes waarmee hij de goed ontvangen cd “Bathroom Acoustics” heeft uitgebracht. Daarna volgde de periode met The Backbones. Hiermee maakte hij succesvolle optredens als begeleidingsband van onder meer: Alex Schultz; Mitch Kashmar; Hook Herrera; Monster Mike Welch; Matt Schofield en Ian Siegal. Met deze laatste deed hij op het Moulin Blues festival van 2011 een zeer sterk, akoestisch optreden.
Zijn meest recente album “Look At The Time”, met zijn band MOCT (Men Of Considerable Taste) mag gezien worden als een van de beste blues albums in Nederland (en daarbuiten) van 2010.
Misschien heeft de 33-jarige zanger en blues harpspeler Pieter 'Big Pete' van der Pluijm nog niet zo'n grote naam in de States, maar in Nederland en de Benelux staat hij aan de top. Op zijn 23e werd Pete gevraagd om samen met enkele oud-bandleden van Lester Butler's band deel te nemen aan de tour met de Lester Butler Tribute Band. Het project werd met veel succes en goede kritieken overgoten en een cd van deze tribute volgde dan ook snel. Big Pete's naam is inmiddels gevestigd als een van de meest vooraanstaande blues artiesten in de Benelux en daarbuiten.
Sindsdien heeft Pete een aantal succesvolle projecten gedaan, zoals The Strikes. Met The Strikes bracht hij in 2005 het super succesvolle album “Bathroom Acoustics (CLBZ 17)” uit, wat leidde tot optredens op o.a. North Sea Jazz, Moulin Blues, BRBF Peer, Curaçao Jazz en het Elastiek muziekfestival. Daarna volgde een periode met de „Chicago bluesband? The Backbones. Hiermee ondernam Pete succesvolle tours als begeleidingsband van oa Alex Schultz, Mitch Kashmar, Hook Herrera, Monster Mike Welch, Matt Schofield en Ian Siegal. Met deze laatste deed hij op het Moulin Blues festival van 2011 een zeer sterk, akoestisch optreden. Zijn meest recente album “Look At The Time (CLBZ 28)”, met zijn toenmalige project M.O.C.T. (Men Of Considerable Taste) mag gezien worden als een van de beste blues/roots albums in Nederland (en daarbuiten) van 2010.
De talenten van Big Pete zijn directeur/eigenaar Randy Chortkoff van Delta Groove Records in de USA ook opgevallen. Deze bood hem de kans om in maart 2010 mee te spelen op het album “Shake For Me” van The Mannish Boys. Hij neemt hierop de honneurs waar op Lesters Butler?s compositie “Way Down South” waar hij stevig de harp hanteert maar ook de zang voor zijn rekening neemt. Dit alles heeft ertoe geleid dat Pete zijn eerste album voor Delta Groove Records mocht komen opnemen in Los Angeles, in mei 2011.
_- CARRIE CLARK AND THE LONESOME LOVERS - 13 mei 2012 - Crossroads cafè Antwerpen
- CARRIE CLARK AND THE LONESOME LOVERS - 19 mei 2012 - La Truite d'Argent Houffalize
Seems So Civilized, the new album by Clark and her band, the Lonesome Lovers, bears the stamp of her active mind and homegrown aesthetic. Drawing on classic country, blues, jazz, and cabaret, she proves as refreshing yet tricky to pin down as Nellie McKay.” Kurt B. Reighley, The Stranger
“Clark's been wooing Seattle crowds with her superb voice -- both playful and brooding for over ten years now. Backed by her band, The Lonesome Lovers, things seem to be coming together beautifully for Miss Clark; her new album, Seems So Civilized, produced by Darryl Neudorf (Neko Case, Kinnie Starr, The Sadies, The New Pornographers) is simply magnificent. Jack Hollenbach, SeattleST
Carrie Clark is watching you. Oh, maybe not literally, but one constant running throughout Between the Bed Sheets & Turpentine is the Seattle songwriter's keen eye for the telling detail and quirks of human nature. These thirteen originals span a gamut of styles, from classic country ("I'm A Lark," "Where Are You") and surging rock ("What Have We Done," "Down At My Knees") to mischievous music hall numbers ("The Night Before") and jazz ("The Stranger"), but all of them showcase her astute powers of observation.
As they like to say in Hollywood, all the events in Carrie Clark's music are based on a true story. Not just curious events, but the gamut of emotions brought to the fore by challenges both large and small, and how our voices, faces and body language reflect different sentiments. Clark finds people endlessly fascinating, and all her songs dwell on human foibles. She knows the best places to eavesdrop on inspiring anecdotes, too. "I love dive bars in the winter," she adds.
On the surface, many of these originals may seem primarily concerned with having fun and doling out generous doses of sassiness, yet they reveal myriad layers upon closer inspection. The album's title, Between the Bed Sheets & Turpentine, is a line from one of the more lighthearted selections ("The Night Before"), but it neatly summarizes the emotional scope of the disc, which encompasses not only all the feelings that can crop up in the bedroom—passion, loneliness, dreams—but also the sometimes hard work of cleaning up after life's mishaps.
The follow-up to 2006's Seems So Civilized, Between the Bed Sheets & Turpentine boasts the fullest sound and most fully realized arrangements in her catalog yet. Much of the credit, she demurs, goes to her band, the Lonesome Lovers; multi-instrumentalist and arranger Greg Fulton ("my right arm") has been with Clark since 2003, and the other members of the quintet, Kohen Burrill (Tubaluba), Kevin Emerson (Central Services), Dave Pascal (Love Markets) and Rob Witmer (Love Markets), all boast tenures of two years or longer.
She also underscores the pivotal role played by producer Martin Feveyer (Blue Scholars, Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers, Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter) in helping make her fourth independently released record the finest in her canon yet, pushing Clark and all her musicians to the utmost. The producer also encouraged them to experiment and tease out the unique character within each song, taking full advantage of the ensemble's versatile musicianship. A few of them changed quite drastically, and Clark cites "What Have We Done"—a state-of-the-world meditation inspired by her toddler nephew—as an especially successful example.
"I'm really proud of this record," she concludes. "I've grown a lot since the last one, and I'm excited to share this music." Carrie Clark is watching you; you'd be wise to keep your eyes—and ears—on Carrie Clark and the Lonesome Lovers, too.
An Oregon native weaned on classics by Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, the Beach Boys and ABBA, Carrie Clark immersed herself in music at an early age, teaching herself to play piano and guitar, and writing her own songs. Her diverse musical palette is unsurprising given her wide-ranging performance background: since moving to Seattle, her ventures have included an indie pop ensemble, a folk duo, and a jazz big band. She's also proven adept at sharing stages with myriad artists, appearing on bills with Laura Veirs, Mark Olsen of the Jayhawks, Basia Bulat, and Portland's notorious Vagabond Opera. More information about her upcoming CD and Carrie’s upcoming tour dates are available online at her site.
_Jude began playing the piano and writing songs at around age eight. Upstairs, her older brothers played Beatles' records while downstairs in her Dad's office you might hear Glenn Miller, Sarah Vaughn or Tony Bennett. In the living room, her mom would often be practicing some choir music for church. Jude took all of it in and was a dedicated musician by age 12. She started playing clubs at 16 and at 19, she surprised no one when she headed West to continue to hone her skills in the studios and nightclubs of LA, where she found herself collaborating with many of the city's top producers including Henry Lewy, T-Bone Burnett, & Chuck Plotkin.
Johnstone immersed herself in songwriting and has enjoyed a successful career for more than 20 years. Her songs have been praised and covered by an impressive list of artists including Emmylou Harris (Hold On), Stevie Nicks (Cry Wolf), Bonnie Raitt (Wounded Heart), Jennifer Warnes (The Nightingale), Bette Midler (The Girl is On To You), Trisha Yearwood (Hearts in Armor), and Johnny Cash (Unchained), the title cut to his 1997 Grammy-winning album. Johnstone also wrote the number 1 song, "The Women Before Me," for Trisha Yearwood’s debut CD, which was recognized with a BMI Songwriters Award.
With the desire to promote her songs to a wider audience she and longtime manager Bob Burton decided to go into the studio aided by Garth Fundis, (Yearwood's longtime producer), to record an album of her own. They released her debut CD "Coming of Age" in 2002 on BoJak Records. "Coming of Age" received critical acclaim leading to an interview on NPR's Morning Edition and was #6 on Amazon's Best Seller's List. Her songs "Wounded Heart" and "The Nightingale," from "Coming of Age" and "In This House" and "The Hereafter," from her sophomore CD "On a Good Day," have been featured in Lifetime/ABC’s television hit series "Army Wives." "On a Good Day" generated impressive media buzz which led to Johnstone's national television debut where she performed the title track on CBS's "The Early Show." Johnstone’s most recent CDs, "Blue Light" and "Mr. Sun," are jazz/blues influenced projects possessing the distinctively sensitive and soulful qualities found in her previous two discs.
 _Jude Johnstone: Quiet Girl
“Quiet girls know better than chasin’ down a dream, quiet girls know that a love is never what it seems” zingt Jude Jonstone in de titeltrack die haar vijfde langspeler opent.
Dat we hierbij Emmylou Harris op de achtergrond horen is geen toeval. La Harris covert op haar recentste werk ‘Hold on’ van Johnstone’s tweede langspeler ‘On A Good Day’. Eerder interpreteerden gerenommeerde sisters als Stevie Nicks, Bonnie Raitt, Trisha Yearwood en Bette Middler songwerk van Johnstone. In andere songs, voornamelijk melancholische pianoballades krijgt de wat nasale stem gezelschap van ondermeer Jimmy Lafave (‘I Don’t Wanna Go Home’) terwijl de stemmen van Susan Cowsil en Rodney Crowel in ‘Cry For New Orleans’, een sombere ode aan The Crescent City, figureren. Treurnis overheerst in het werk van de pianiste, die sporadisch subtiele accenten toevoegt met een wondermooie verstilde french horn.
Het moet niet altijd een cello zijn of een viool zoals in het jazzy ‘It’s Gonna Take A While’. De tenorsax van Clarence Clemons hult ‘Don’t Wake Me Up’ in een mistroostig sfeertje waarin deze getalenteerde dame zich blijkbaar thuis voelt. Overigens komt ‘Angel At Your Door’ angstvallig dicht in de buurt van Springsteens desolaat balladewerk uit de beginperiode.
Tristesse die nergens onbehaaglijk noch vervelend wordt ‘On That Train’ een prachtig fluisterduet met JD Souther, met uitsluitend strijkerskwartet en piano als begeleiding, is daarvan een treffende illustratie. ‘The Smell Of Summer’ ademt een onbestemd verlangen uit naar vervlogen goede tijden en in die toestand laat Jude Johnstone ons achter na exact zevenendertig minuten. Niet slecht voor een zogenaamde ‘quiet girl’.
Cis Van Looy (4)
 _Jude Johnstone: Mr. Sun
Zelden zo’n debuut gezien waarop zo’n imposante lijst van gastmuzikanten defileert als op het debuut van Jude Johnstone. In 2002 stond de fine fleur van de Californische scène te trappelen om een bijdrage te leveren op ‘Coming of Age’. Jackson Browne vormde met Bonnie Raitt, Trisha Yearwood en Jennifer Warnes het achtergrondkoortje. Zowat de helft van het songbestand van ‘Coming of Age werd door die zangeressen gecoverd.
Stevie Nicks en Bette Middler stonden eveneens in de rij, Johnny Cash gebruikte ‘Unchained’ zelfs als titelsong voor het tweede deel van de American Recordings en onlangs plukte Emmy Lou Harris de parel ‘Hold On’ uit de opvolger ‘On A Good Day’. Jude zat al sinds haar prille kinderjaren aan de piano. Uit de slaapkamers van haar broers weerklonken de Beatles, vader draaide werk van Sarah Vaughn, Tony Bennett en Glenn Miller terwijl moeder koormuziek voor de kerkdienst inoefende. Op haar twaalfde was Johnstone al een toegewijde muzikante. Later zong ze in het clubcircuit van L.A. en in de studio werkte ze met gerenommeerde producers als T. Bone Burnett, Chuck Plotkin en Henry Lewy. Lewy, bekend van zijn werk met Neil Young, Joni Mitchell en Leonard Cohen, stimuleerde Jude om in haar oude muzikale liefde jazz en blues te investeren. Dat resulteerde in ’Blue Light’, een gesofisticeerd bluejazz album. Muzikanten van kd Lang en Rickie Lee Jones zoals bassist David Piltch en Danny Frankel zorgden voor een voortreffelijke begeleiding, samen met Marc Narcisso.
Dat gezelschap werd voor de sessies van ‘Mr Sun’ aangevuld met gitarist Marc Goldenberg. Jazzy licks van Dean Parks worden verweven met de altsax van Narcisso in ‘Don’t Tell Me That It’s Over’ en hij componeerde ‘Echoes of Blue’ een prachtige crooner ballade samen met Johnstone. Op ‘Mr Sun’ is het vooral het gedempte trompetje dat de sfeer bepaald in de meeste nummers en mooi kleurt bij het pianospel en ietwat nasale stemgeluid.
‘Sunday Evening’ is zo’n luie sleper met vocale assistentie van Stephen Bishop. ‘Baby Dont You Call My Name’ is meer bluesgetint met ingehouden snarenwerk van Goldenberg. ‘Winding Back My Heart’ ademt dezelfde wat troosteloze sfeer uit als het prille werk van Rickie Lee Jones.‘The Light Of The Day’ is melancholische afterhours jazz en in ‘One Of Us’ vormen de melodica en donkere pianotonen de subtiele slotakkoorden van een superieur schijfje.
Cis Van Looy (4 tot 5)
_Artieste, muzikante én geëngageerde vrouw. Melissa is een buitengewone persoonlijkheid die in haar hele succesverhaal vooral zelfrespect op de eerste plaats blijft zetten. Tijdens een carrière van meer dan twintig jaar krijgt ze ruimschoots de kans om haar liefde voor muziek en het leven van de daken te schreeuwen, maar neemt ze ook geen blad voor haar mond als het gaat om haar mening te laten gelden. Haar eerste album verschijnt in 1988 en meteen weet iedereen wie Melissa Etheridge is. Met haar rauwe stem en pure klassieke rock maakt ze een verschil. Hits als ‘Bring Me Some Water’, ‘I’m The Only One’ en ‘Ain’t It Heavy’ zijn vereeuwigd in de Amerikaanse rockgeschiedenis. Melissa is goed voor heel wat nominaties. Tot twee keer toe sleepte ze de Grammy Award voor beste rockzangeres in de wacht. Met ‘I Need To Wake Up’ uit de soundtrack voor ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ van Al Gore wint ze een oscar in 2007. Niet alleen muzikaal is Melissa Etheridge een voorbeeld voor velen. In een conservatieve maatschappij komt ze eerlijk uit voor haar homoseksualiteit. Ook vecht ze openlijk tegen borstkanker.
Ondanks haar ziekte is de rockster niet te stoppen. Vorig jaar verscheen haar nieuwe album ‘Fearless Love’, maar 2011 heeft nog veel meer voor haar in petto met een Broadway-debuut in ‘American Idiot’, een ster in de Walk of Fame en de komst van haar Best Of album ‘Icon’. Melissa Etheridge staat op 20 februari nog eens voor haar Belgische publiek in de Ancienne Belgique. De voorverkoop voor dit concert start op vrijdag 14 oktober om 11u.
Melissa Etheridge became one of the most popular recording artists of the '90s due to her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, Janis Joplin/Rod Stewart-esque vocals. But the road to stardom was not all smooth sailing for Etheridge as she debated behind the scenes whether or not to disclose to the public that she was gay early on in her career. Born May 29, 1961, in Leavenworth, KS, Etheridge first picked up the guitar at the age of eight and began penning her own songs shortly thereafter. Playing in local bands throughout her teens, Etheridge then attended the renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. The up-and-coming singer/songwriter and guitarist dropped out after a year before making her way to Los Angeles in the early '80s to give a shot at a career in music. Etheridge's music at this point was slightly more bluesy than her subsequently renowned folk-pop style, as a demo of original compositions caught the attention of Bill Leopold, who signed on as Etheridge's manager. Soon after, steady gigs began coming her way, including a five-night-a-week residency at the Executive Suite in Long Beach, which led to a bidding war between such major record labels as A&M, Capitol, EMI, and Warner Bros., but it was Island Records that Etheridge decided to go with.
Etheridge's first recorded work appeared on the forgotten soundtrack to the Nick Nolte prison movie Weeds before her self-titled debut was issued in 1988. The album quickly drew comparisons to such heavyweights as Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, as it spawned the hit single “Bring Me Some Water” and earned gold certification. In the wake of the album's success, Etheridge performed at the Grammy Awards the following year and contributed vocals to Don Henley's The End of the Innocence. Etheridge managed to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump with 1989's Brave and Crazy, which followed the same musical formula as its predecessor and proved to be another gold-certified success. It would be nearly three years before Etheridge's next studio album appeared, however, and 1992 signaled the arrival of Never Enough, an album that proved to be more musically varied.
But it was Etheridge's fourth release that would prove to be her massive commercial breakthrough. Tired of rumors and questions regarding her sexuality, Etheridge decided to put the speculation to rest once and for all, titling the album Yes I Am. Ex-Police producer Hugh Padgham guided the album, which spawned two major MTV/radio hits with “I'm the Only One” and “Come to My Window” (the latter of which featured a video with movie actress Juliette Lewis); the album would sell a staggering six million copies in the U.S. during a single-year period and earned a 1995 Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocalist. But subsequent releases failed to match the success of Yes I Am, including 1995's Your Little Secret, 1999's Breakdown, and 2001's Skin, the latter of which dealt with her separation from Julie Cypher. (Cypher had birthed the couple's two children via artificial insemination; CSN&Y's David Crosby was the father.)
Etheridge's autobiography, -The Truth Is: My Life in Love and Music, was released in 2002, and 2004's Lucky was her celebration of a new romance. Later that same year Etheridge revealed that she'd been diagnosed with breast cancer. But early detection allowed for recovery, and she gave strength to many of those stricken by the disease with a powerful performance of Janis Joplin's “Piece of My Heart” at the 47th annual Grammys, held in February 2005. That September Etheridge released Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled, a compilation of career highlights and new material. It featured a cover of Tom Petty's “Refugee” as well as “Piece of My Heart” and a new song dedicated to breast cancer survivors. In 2007 Etheridge released her first studio album of new material in three years, The Awakening, on Island, following it a year later in 2008 with a holiday album, A New Thought for Christmas, also on Island. Fearless Love appeared early in 2010.
Met:
Danny Bryant
Nighttime Heroes Blues Band
en
IRISH COFFEE
Irish Coffee wordt door bepaalde instanties omschreven als een hardrockband met Black Sabbath-trekjes. Persoonlijk vind ik dit een verkeerde interpretatie en men zou beter kunnen stellen dat Irish Coffee een rockbandband was met psychedelische invloeden.
In het leven geroepen door William Souffreau, en ontstaan uit de as van The Voodoos, maakte deze band de stad Aalst onveilig omdat zij tijdens de vroege jaren zestig al echte Amerikaanse Rock ’n Roll speelden. Maar ook covers van Cliff Richard en The Shadows waren schering en inslag. Vrij vlug volgden covers van zowel The Beatles als The Rolling Stones.
Dirk Dierickx : “Ach, het buitenlandse aanbod was zo geweldig groot en interessant dat we er niet eens aan dachten om zelf eigen gecomponeerde liedjes te brengen.”
Maar enige tijd later besluiten enkele leden van The Voodoos om in de groep Brussel te gaan spelen, de backingband van Wim De Craene.
Irish Coffee, en dat kan ik zeer hard onderlijnen, was de bèste rockband van België die we ooit gekend hebben, zelf nu is er geen betere... Irish Coffee was zijn tijd vooruit. Maar een lang leven werd de groep niet gegund. Na ‘Masterpiece / The Show’, hun eerste hitsingle die tot in Amerika werd verkocht, en waarvan ik persoonlijk vond dat hun flipside ‘The Show’ véél beter was dan hun A-side, zou de groep ophouden met bestaan na de dood van hun keyboardspeler Paul Lambert.
Hun langspeler ‘Irish Coffee’ is nog steeds een zeer zware collectors item waar men tot in Japan, voor een uitstekende vinyl versie, meer dan 2.500 € voor neertelt. Van klasse gesproken.
In 1971 neemt hun toenmalig manager Louis De Vries hun single mee naar het MIDEM-festival want Brain Trust Music had daar kennelijk twee stands maar had alleen maar personeel voor één stand te bemannen. Geen nood, een bandopnemer bood een oplossing en de single werd opgenomen en de godganse dag dolgedraaid totdat een vertegenwoordiger van een Amerikaans platenlabel toevallig passeerde en een contract was wat volgde. ‘Masterpiece’ werd een groot succes in diverse Europese steden en de platenfirma wilde snel een langspeler uitbrengen. Maar op dat moment beschikte William maar over een viertal nummers maar de jongens sloegen er toch in om snel een album klaar te stomen. Ongeveer drieduizend exemplaren (wat ontzettend veel was voor een Belgische rockband) gingen over de toonbank en nu is de langspeler nog steeds één van de meest gezochte rockitems in België en daarbuiten.
De wegen van Irish Coffee waren niet altijd met rozen bezaaid en natuurlijk ondergingen ze, buiten hun succes, ook enkele vervelende dingen zoals William zich nog zeer levend herinnert : “In Parijs deden we een tv-show van Anny Cordy met grote vedetten als Jacques Dutronq, Magna Carta, Yes e.a. Na het optreden moesten we onmiddellijk langs de kassa passeren om een niet onaanzienlijk bedrag te ontvangen (elk!). Maar onze verwondering was groot toen de platenfirmajongen, die ons door Parijs had geloodst, opmerkte dat we dit bedrag aan hem moesten geven om zo zijn onkosten te dekken. Wij waren jong, onbezonnen en daarom gaven we onze volledige gage aan hem. We zijn zonder geld de volgende dag in Aalst beland, juist op carnavalsdag en zonder één cent op zak.”
Irish Coffee sloot zijn optredens steeds af met een nummer van Deep Purple, nl. ‘Chasing Shadows’, een nummer met veel percussie op het einde. Net op dat moment gooiden we wat spullen in het publiek, je kent dat, wat drumsticks, en plectrums e.a., en de bedoeling is dat de mensen die het opvingen het ook mochten houden. In Aalst, en het is onze homestee, brachten ze dat mooi terug met de woorden : “Meneer, is dat van U?”
In 1992 besloot William Souffreau om de groep weer nieuw leven in te blazen en dat deed hij met een nieuw concert en enkele nieuwe leden in hun stad Aalst. Ter gelegenheid van deze reünie werd een cd (met extra-nummers die niet op de vinyl-versie te vinden zijn!!!) geperst waarvan er maar een goede 1500 exemplaren werden gemaakt.
William Souffreau startte ook de rockabilly-formatie BlinkIt! op en nu toert hij ook nog volop met Irish Coffee rond. In december kon je nog een concert van hen meemaken in de Spirit of ‘66 (Verviers) William maakte ook onder zijn eigen naam enkele cd’s, o.a. ‘Born Under Belgian Moon’ en ‘Little Man’. BlinkIt is de recente band van William en daarmee schuimt hij zowat ieder bluesfestival van Europa af.
November 2003: William Souffreau deelde ons mee dat Irish Coffee terug in de studio zit om een nieuwe mini-cd op te nemen. Ik ben ter plaatste geweest en heb mijn oren de kost gegeven.
Bandleden :
William Souffreau (vocals, gitaar)
Jean Van Der Schueren ( lead gitaar)
Willy De Bisschop (bass)
Raf Lenssens (drums)
Hugo Verhoye (drums)
Paul Lambert (keyboards)
Luc De Clus (guitar)
Dirk Dierickx (backing vocals)
DISCOGRAFIE :
Irish Coffee • Triangle, 1971
Irish Coffee (cd) • Voodoo Records, 1992
SINGLES :
Masterpiece / The Show • Triangle, 1971
Carry On / Child • Triangle, 1971
Down Down Down / ??? • Triangle, 1972
Witchy Lady / I'm Her's • Barclay, 1973
IRISH COFFEE – DE LANGSPELER
Masterpiece (Souffreau) / 2’53
Can’t Take It (Souffreau – V.D. Schueren) / 4’05
The beginning Of The End (Souffreau – V.D. Schueren) / 6’18
When Winter Comes (Souffreau – V.D. Schueren) / 4’50
The Show (Souffreau – V.D. Schueren) / 2’51
The Show – Part 2 (Souffreau – V.D. Schueren) / 2’59
Hear Me (Souffreau – V.D. Schueren) / 3’58
A Day Like Today (Souffreau – V.D. Schueren) / 6’51
I’m Lost (Souffreau – V.D. Schueren) / 4’32
BONUS TRACKS OP DE CD-VERSIE:
Carry On (Souffreau – V.D. Schueren) / 3’10
Child (Souffreau – V.D. Schueren) / 3’40
Down Down Down (Souffreau) / 2’59
I’ Alive (Souffreau) / 4’11
Witchy Lady (Souffreau) / 2’55
I’m Hers (Souffreau) / 4’40
Danny Bryant
Danny was born in Hertfordshire England in July 1980. First hailed as a ‘young guitar prodigy’ Danny began playing guitar aged 15, turning professional just three years later, and in the last decade has paid his dues clocking up endless miles of travelling and approximately two thousand shows in many countries around the world. After a decade of hard toil he now gets the recognition he so well deserves, being acknowledged by those in the business as one of the cream of the crop of this generation of blues artists, ably backed by his rhythm section of his father Ken on bass and Trevor Barr on drums.
In a career that has seen Danny perform on the same bill as such names as Joe Cocker, Carlos Santana, Greg Allman, Walter Trout, Buddy Guy, Peter Green, and former Rolling Stone Mick Taylor to mention just a few, Danny and his band have steadily carved a huge and loyal fan base around the world.
So far the band have released six internationally acclaimed CDs, their fourth release ‘Days Like This’ featured a stunning duet with special guest blues legend Walter Trout (John Lee Hooker, Canned Heat, John Mayall) The following year saw Danny signing a deal with premier label Rounder Records, a home to many blues legends.
The band’s first album for Rounder/Continental "Live" hit the I-Tunes top ten blues charts in 6 countries, including Italy (where it is the labels most successful blues release) Holland, Belgium and Germany leading to major festival appearances and sold out club dates all across Europe. A track from ‘Live’ was included on a compilation CD released by Virgin/Emi entitled "The Best Blues Album In The World Ever" Danny appeared alongside many giants of music, including Johnny Winter, Gary Moore, Albert Collins, George Thorogood and ZZ Top. In March 2008 the band released "Black and White" a commercial and critical success, as the album garnered glowing approval from Europe’s leading music press and guitar magazines, as well as features, reviews, and articles in highly respected publications including The Independent, Classic Rock Magazine and Mojo- leading to the band’s biggest selling album so far and a year of relentless touring which has seen them play 100 shows in 12 different countries.
January 2010 will see the release of their 7th CD, entitled ‘Just As I Am’; this album is the high point of Danny’s recording career so far, being his deepest and most powerful work yet. It has set new standards within the band, and will delight their many fans ! Scheduled release date 20th January 2010.
The Nighttime Heroes Blues Band
In 1996-1997 werd in de regio van Aalst een band opgericht met de naam "The Night Time Heroes". Peter Bronder (gitaar), Karel Meganck (vocals & harmonica) and Jacky Verstraeten (bass) waren de oprichters. Stany Van Veer (keyboards) kwam erbij in 1997 en Luc Baetslé (drums) vervoegde de band in maart 1999. De naam werd veranderd in "The Night Time Heroes Blues Band" in 2001, en de band bracht een live-cd uit in 2002.
Waar ze ook optreden, in een club, op een straathoek of op een groot podium, hun swingende blues brengt fun!
The Night Time Heroes hebben een uitgebreid bluesrepertoire gaande van Chicago- en Texas-blues tot West-Coast en funky blues. Ze spelen ook enkele(semi-) accoustische vooroorlogse bluessongs.
_Born in Chicago in 1952, Dave was first influenced as a child when he found an old Victrola in the basement and wore out the blues 78's. In high school the Stones, Clapton and Mayall first came out but Dave traded those records for Howlin' Wolf, Lightnin Hopkins, and BB King.
Dave's first band! Hound Dog Taylor's group of Brewer Philips and Ted Harvey. They had been working with JB Hutto after Hound Dog's death, and after they came back from breaking iff with JB in Boston, they had a little house gig at Sweet Pea's. Weld joined the band and played with them for a year.
Brewer Philip and Ted Harvey are well known because their music started Alligator Records, the world largest blues label. Brewer learned from Memphis Minnie, one of the most famous women in blues history! Their recordings and tours with Hound Dog over 16 years signaled an increase in popularity of the blues in middle class America.
Weld bought Hound Dog Taylor's first Alligator album, heard Howlin Wolf over the radio in the desert one night, packed up and drove back home in his 67' Ford, and made it with $10 to spare.
Dave found out the West side of Chicago in the black hood was friendlier than the North side, and started sitting in at clubs, and landed a gig with Hound Dog Taylor's band, Brewer Phillips, The Garfield, at Homan and Madison was right around the corner from Ed's house and featured Little Wolf, Hound Dog, and Little Ed's band stayed there about a year.
Ted Harvey, at Sweet Peas on 43rd St. While there a year, there were shake dancers and fistfights. The gig ended when Brewer was stabbed in the throat by his wife, but they reconciled.
Weld then moved to the 1815 Club on W. Roosevelt, owned and operated by Eddie Shaw who had Howlin Wolfs band, the Wolf Pack. Dave stayed there and played in the band with Chico Chism, Lafayette Gilbert, Hubert Sumlin, Detroit Junior, and Eddie Shaw. The going rate was $15 per night, but Dave played there with Otis Rush, Maxwell St. Jimmy, Guitar Junior, Jew Town Burks, Doug Macdonald, Boston Blackie, Tail Dragger, Little Wolf, Big Bad Ben, Little Aurthur, Johnny Littlejohn and more. The gig ended when the band was taken to the Maxwell St. lockup because of the nude dancers. Shaw bailed them out.
During this time Weld was under tutelage from JB Hutto, a Grammy awarded Blues Hall of Fame slide man from Georgia. He studied at JB's house for three years until JB introduced Dave to his nephews, Little Ed and James Young. They started the band "Little Ed and the Blues Imperials" and played every joint in the West side for ten years.
Necktie Nates at W Roosevelt was a hotbed of blues and Little Ed and the Blues Imperials stayed there a year, during which Buster Benton came in to play quite a bit. The gig ended when Nate insulted Pookie's aunt and James jumped down off the stage to give Nate quite a lesson in manners.
Dave started "Dave Weld and the Imperial Flames" in 1988 with Little Ed's Blessing and they came out with their first CD "Roughrockin' in Chicago", on Parsifal Records in Belgium, and Dave toured Europe, Canada and Japan with his own band.
Little Ed joined Dave's band twice for two years each time and the second time they recorded for Earwig Music, "Keep on Walkin'", and this brought them overseas again, as well as local, regional, and national gigs. When Ed went back to his band he was replaced by the great Abb Locke, legndary sax man who is in the band today with Jeff Taylor and Herman Applewhite. They continue working every week since the band was formed in 1988, and Dave made his first UK tour in 2005, with the second to closing slot at the Maryport Blues Festival, going full circle by opening up for Hubert Sumlin and the Legendary Blues Band!
_Over the past decade and a half, Stevie and Alan Nimmo, as The Nimmo Brothers, from Glasgow, Scotland have proved themselves to be one of the most respected exponents of modern blues the UK has seen since the blues boom of the 1960’s. Firstly in the guise of The Blackwater Blues Band with their debut album ‘Breaking out the Blues’ showcasing an incredible energy and talent in ones so young; Alan was just 19 at the time!
1998 saw the first Nimmo Brothers album ‘Moving On’ with a more varied collection of songs than their previous offering, giving an insight into the strength and power of the Nimmo Brothers arrangements yet to come. Come they did in 2001 with ‘Coming Your Way’, marking the beginning of a hugely successful relationship with Armadillo Music. This album not only captured the true spirit and energy of the Nimmo Brothers but also showed a level of song writing maturity. It was with this batch of songs that the Nimmo Brothers found themselves catapulted to the forefront of the British and European blues scenes – winning best UK blues album and best UK blues band at the 2002 British Blues Connection Awards - as well as headlining festivals and leaving sold out signs in the windows of clubs throughout the UK and Europe.
2003 was time for a change of pace and the brothers achieved this with their acoustic album ‘New Moon over Memphis’; a beautiful and highly emotional recording which focused on the vocal and song writing talents of The Nimmo Brothers. When they first showcased this new material at the Low County Blues Bash in Charleston, South Carolina they were given two consecutive standing ovations by the audience, who were genuinely moved by the power and honesty of the songs they heard. One observer was the US blues artist Debbie Davis who immediately invited the guys to join her on stage that night at her own show.
In 2006, after a period where the brothers had concentrated on various solo projects, Armadillo released their ‘Live’ album; recorded in 2003, at The Cottiers Theatre, in their home town of Glasgow. The Nimmo Brothers were back with a bombardment of new killer songs, touring the ‘Live’ album with dates in the UK, Ireland and Europe.
In 2009 The Nimmo’s dusted down their amps and hauled out their treasured Les Pauls and Strat’s to promote ‘Picking up the Pieces’ and once again become THE BAND to be reckoned with on the blues scene. Musically stunning, they never fail to impress audience after audience with their show.
The Nimmo Brothers have now recorded their latest CD ‘Brother to Brother’ in Austin, Texas, ready for a 2012 spring release and tour. Sounding stronger and more powerful than ever, The Nimmos’ were recording with some of Austin’s top musicians; Bill Whitbeck, bass player with Robert Earl Keen; Jimmy Pettit, bass with Joe Ely, The Flatlanders etc. Joining them on drums was the long time Eric Clapton collaborator and band member, Jamie Oldaker.
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