Blues-sphere ®

[lg_stack folder= »Keith Dunn Band 07-01-2011″ count= »0″ cols= »1″ paging= »value »]
Sur la scène musicale actuelle, il est rare de rencontrer un groupe qui ne se contente pas simplement de répéter ce qui a été fait à maintes reprises auparavant. Les groupes de Blues authentiques, jouant une musique qui vient directement du coeur, ne sont pas monnaie courante. Le Keith Dunn Band est l’un de ces groupes.

Avec un line-up unique comprenant un harmonica, deux guitares et une batterie, le célèbre vétéran du Blues Keith Dunn et son band jouent cette musique comme elle doit être jouée. Profondément ancrés dans la tradition américaine, ils conservent en même temps fraîcheur et agressivité. Leur répertoire est un mélange de standards peu connus, en plus de leurs compositions originales ayant remporté plusieurs awards. Le tout est empreint d’un groove profond et lourd qui vous emporte immédiatement. Le Keith Dunn Band ne se veut pas un “retro-band” s’acharnant à reproduire les morceaux à la lettre, et ne cherche pas désespérément à être la sensation du moment. C’est ainsi que le groupe crée son propre son : d’une manière directe, avec une âme propre, et sans faire de compromis.

Keith Dunn, harmoniciste, chanteur, compositeur et producteur, a connu une carrière musicale longue et fructueuse. Ayant débuté l’harmonica dès l’âge de 12 ans, Keith est devenu un musicien respecté et fort demandé à travers le monde du Blues et de ses musiques voisines. Son jeu mé- lodieux, à la tonalité profonde, a résonné sur les scènes en compagnie de maîtres “old school” comme Jimmy Rogers, Luther Tucker, Sam Myers et Pinetop Perkins; des roots-rockers Roomful of Blues, The Blasters et The Fabulous Thunderbirds; de la légende du rockabilly Sleepy LaBeef; des “guitar heroes” Hubert Sumlin et Stevie Ray Vaughan; de la légendaire Big Mama Thornton et d’artistes contemporains comme Big Jack Johnson, Lurrie Bell et Billy Boy Arnold, avec qui Keith a travaillé en qualité de compositeur et coproducteur. Keith s’est vu décerner plusieurs récompenses pour ses compositions, notamment pour les chansons de son CD “Alone With The Blues”. Il a également reçu le “Talking Blues Award” pour ses prestations scéniques.

Renaud Lesire est réputé pour son timing “laid-back” et un son de guitare bien crasseux. Le fait de jouer avec son pouce sans jamais utiliser de médiator donne aux rythmiques de Renaud une tonalité et une attaque particulières et authentiques, rarement entendues de nos jours. Il assure la fondation de ce groupe à deux guitares et sans basse. Ses solos, essentiellement basés sur la passion et l’émotion brute, sont l’autre facette de ce guitariste unique. Au cours de sa carrière musicale, Renaud a été amené à travailler avec plusieurs des meilleurs musiciens de la scène euro- péenne dont Tee et Big Dave, ainsi qu’avec des artistes américains bien connus tels James Harman, Candye Cane, Johnny Dyer et Rusty Zinn, pour ne citer que ceux-là.

Bart De Mulder a commencé à jouer de la guitare et à écrire des chansons dès son plus jeune âge. À quinze ans déjà, il jouait son propre répertoire aux Gentse feesten, un des plus grands festi- vals en belgique. Il devint vite un visage familier de la scène blues belge et néerlandaise où il se produisait régulièrement avec son groupe. entre temps, son intérêt pour les styles d’Otis Rush, Magic Sam, T-bone Walker devint de plus en plus intense. Pour ouvrir ses horizons et renforcer ses capacités Bart fréquenta les jam sessions où il entra en contact étroit avec les Electric Kings et reçu inspiration et soutien précieux de Marc Tee et Big Dave, leurs membres. En plus d’avoir travaillé régulièrement avec Marino Noppe et Gene Taylor, Bart s’est également produit à Sao Polo au Brésil et au Buddy Guy’s legend à Chicago.

Alex Lex est un nouveau-venu sur la scène Blues. Il fait partie des quelques jeunes musiciens, au niveau mondial, qui perpétuent l’art de la batterie Blues avec toute sa tradition. Son jeu minimaliste et au goût impeccable renvoie directement aux anciens maîtres Fred Below, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith et Clifton James, entre autres. Alex a été sollicité pour jouer avec des musiciens comme Angela Brown, Matt Walsh, Chris Rannenberg, Guitar Crusher, et Charlie Musselwhite. Ajoutez à cela le fait qu’il a également enregistré avec le légendaire Billy Boy Arnold, illustre compositeur d’ “I’m A Man“ et “I Wish You Would“, et vous aurez un aperçu du niveau d’investissement et d’intensité avec lequel Alex aborde la batterie.

www.myspace.com/keithdunnband

www.keithdunn.com

KEITH DUNN BAND

In today’s music scene, it is rare to find a band that wants to do more than simply repeat what has been done many times before. Authentic Blues groups, who play music directly from the heart are hard to find. The Keith Dunn Band is such a group.

Having an unique band line-up of harmonica, two guitars and drums, well-known Blues veteran Keith Dunn and his band, play the music the way you want to hear it played. They are deeply rooted in the American tradition while still fresh and aggressive at the same time. Their repertoire is a mix of lesser known standards in addition to their own award-winning songs. Everything is played with a deep and low-down groove that you feel immediately in your bones. By not striving to be letter-perfect like a retro-band or obsessed with being the latest new thing, the Keith Dunn Band create their own sound in their own direct, soulful and uncompromising way.

Keith Dunn, harmonica player, singer, songwriter and producer, has enjoyed a long and exciting musical career. Having started playing harmonica at the age of 12, Keith became a well respected and sought-after musician all over the Blues influenced world. His melodic, deep-toned playing has been heard on stages with old-school masters such as Jimmy Rogers, Luther Tucker, Sam Myers and Pinetop Perkins; roots-rockers Roomful of Blues, The Blasters and The Fabulous Thunderbirds; rockabilly legend Sleepy LaBeef; guitar heroes Hubert Sumlin and Stevie Ray Vaughan; the legend- ary Big Mama Thornton and current artists including Big Jack Johnson, Lurrie Bell and Billy Boy Arnold with whom Keith recorded. Keith co-produced this, as well as the Los Reyes del K.O.’s “Hot Tin Roof” sessions, with Chris Rannenberg. Keith Dunn has received several awards for his song- writing including songs on his “Alone With The Blues” CD.

Renaud Lesire has established a reputation for his laid-back timing and funky guitar tone. Playing with his thumb and never using a pick, gives Renaud’s rhythm-phrasing an old-school, smokey tone and attack that is rarely heard these days. He provides this two-guitar, no bass group with a steady anchor. Solos, where passion and raw emotion play the most important part, add the final element to this one-of-a-kind guitarist. Renaud’s musical career has included work with some of the best

of the European scene including the bands of Marc Tee and Big Dave as well as with well-known American artist James Harman, Candye Kane, Johnny Dyer and Rusty Zinn, to name a few.

Bart De Mulder began playing guitar and writing songs at an early age. By the age of 15, he was performing his own material at the Gentse Feesten, one of the biggest festivals in Belgium. His was soon a familiar face on the Belgian and Dutch blues scenes where he played steadily with his band. All the while, his interest in the styles of Otis Rush, Magic Sam and T-Bone Walker was becoming deeper. To broaden his skills Bart went to regular jam-sessions where he came into close contact with the Electric Kings and received valuable support and inspiration from members Marc Tee and Big Dave. In addition to having worked with Marino Noppe on a regular basis and with Gene Taylor, Bart has also performed in Sao Paulo, Brazil and at Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago.

Alex Lex is a newcomer on the scene. He is one of the few young musicians today, world-wide, who embraces the art of Blues-drumming with all of it’s tradition. His minimalistic and tasteful playing is a direct link to the old masters Fred Below, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith and Cilfton James, among others. Alex has been sought out to play with musicians like Angela Brown, Matt Walsh, Chris Ran- nenberg, Guitar Crusher, and Charlie Musselwhite. When you add to this that he has also recorded with the legendary Billy Boy Arnold, of “I’m A Man” and “I Wish You Would” fame, then you begin to get a picture of the level of commitment and intensity that Alex brings to the drums.

www.myspace.com/keithdunnband

www.keithdunn.com

CONTACT US: keith@keithdunn.com

PAF : 10€

Danny Bryant 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 [Continental Record Services now], 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 was the release of their 7^th 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 !

Site web : www.redeyeband.co.uk/

Register

PAF : 10€

Marquise Knox Wins Living Blues Award for Best Debut!
Marquise Nominated for TWO 2010 Blues Blast Awards–
Best New Artist Debut Release And Sean Costello Rising Star Award!
Following His BMA Nomination for Best New Debut Release, Marquise Knox
Has Been Nominated For Two Blues Blast Awards.
“…already poised, confident, and brandishing an arsenal of powerful, no-nonsense vocal and guitar skills that projected not only way beyond his years, but way back to the spirits of the blues masters of yore.”
–      Jim O’Neal Founding Editor / Living Blues Magazine

La découverte de l’année ou quand le futur rencontre le passé !
Ils sont sans doute peu nombreux, les amateurs de Blues français à connaître Marquise Knox, jeune musicien de Saint-Louis (Missouri) au prénom si singulier. Et pour cause, ce musicien n’a que 17 ans et il n’a encore jamais mis le pied de ce côté ci de l’océan Atlantique. Mais ça ne saurait tarder ! Alors, vous vous demandez sans doute où et comment j’ai fait sa découverte ?

Flash back en octobre 2008. Je m’étais rendu à Helena, Arkansas pour assister au “Arkansas blues and heritage festival” (ex King biscuit blues festival), l’un des plus fameux festivals de blues au monde. Il y a là-bas une scène principale et des scènes annexes mais il y a aussi tout au long de la fameuse Cherry street, des musiciens qui jouent dans la rue à des emplacements qui leurs sont spécialement réservés. On y trouvait beaucoup de bluesmen connus des amateurs tels Little Jimmy Reed, Bill Abel, révérend Robert, Terry “harmonica” Bean, KM Williams, Aron Burton etc… Mais il y en avait un qu’on remarquait plus que les autres, qui était en quelques sortes le “roi de Cherry street”, qui créait un énorme attroupement chaque fois qu’il jouait, tel un aimant avec des objets métalliques. Un véritable tour de force ! Il s’agissait pourtant d’un parfait inconnu (au moins pour moi) portant un nom bizarre, Marquise Knox. Je l’ai d’abord entendu “de loin”, je fus immédiatement comme hypnotisé par le son de sa guitare, par son touché exceptionnel (sans médiator) avant de découvrir sa voix, et quelle voix ! il a fallu me frayer un chemin au milieu de cette foule regroupée autour de cet adolescent noir déjà assez costaud. Je dois vous avouer que je suis resté un bon moment à l’écouter complètement sous le charme. Quelle découverte ! Pour attirer autant de monde, vous devez vous imaginer que Marquise Knox est guitariste démonstratif qui étale sa technique à longueur de solo, qui fait des cabrioles pour épater la galerie, vous faites fausse route, Marquise Knox est tout l’inverse, il jouait généralement seul, assis sur une chaise avec juste sa voix et sa guitare (et parfois un harmonica), il ne balançait pas des soli pyrotechniques et des cascades de notes à n’en plus finir, mais des notes bien choisies jouées avec doigté, feeling et sensibilité, sa superbe technique étant toujours au service des morceaux, sa musique est à la fois simple et dépouillée mais d’une richesse extraordinaire, qui va à l’essentiel, qui touche droit au cœur, forte et émouvante, c’est du vrai blues quoi !

(voir la suite de cet article de 2008 sur : www.docteurblues.com/wordpress/?p=791)

url : http://marquiseknox.com

url : http://www.myspace.com/marquiseknox

Register

PAF : 20€

Eddie Turner vient d’être nominé parmi les cinq meilleures chansons au 10th Annual Independent Music Awards (http://www.independentmusicawards.com/imanominee/10th/Song/Blues)

“Otherworldly”, “scorching”, “polyrhythmic” and “chilling” have all been used to describe Eddie Turner’s guitar playing. His ethereal style is an amalgam of the Afro-Cuban rhythms of his heritage and the music that influenced him as a teenager: Chicago blues, jazz, r&b and psychedelic rock. The Cuban-born singer/guitarist cut his teeth in several rock bands contributing what Slate magazine describes as “spacey-yet-resounding solos.” Now he emerges for the first time as his own bandleader on Rise, which arrives in stores in February, 2005

Eddie “devilboy  » Turner picked up his first guitar, a candy apple multi-pickup Japanese Tiesco, when he was twelve. Raised in Chicago, he moved to the Rockies in the early 70’s to attend the University of Colorado; “a ruse,” he says, “to get my parents to keep sending checks.” More inspired by music than by academia, Turner immersed himself in the local scene, and stints with some notable acts ensued. He played in the region’s first punk/r&b band The Immortal Nightflames, then with Grammy nominees Tracy Nelson, Mother Earth, and the 4-nikators, a group which has become legendary for its unique mix of soul, Motown, and rock. Turner got the chance to grab at the brass ring when Colorado compadre Tommy Bolin left his band Zephyr to form The James Gang and Deep Purple. He eagerly joined the hard rock, psychedelic, blues band as a guitarist, singer and songwriter. But, tragedy struck with the sudden death of Zephyr lead singer Candy Givens. Deeply shaken, Eddie decided to “grow up” by taking a hiatus from performing music to become a realtor in Denver.

Yet, some people just refuse to “grow up”. A decade later, when Eddie was invited to join the Ron Miles electric band led by one of the country’s premier trumpeteers, he jumped at the chance. Then, in 1995 he rounded out the Otis Taylor Band adding what Guitar Player magazine describes as “otherworldly atmospherics (which) lend a decidedly cosmic ambience to Taylor’s sound.” Enhancing the spice and flavor of the trio, Eddie recorded five groundbreaking CDs, and toured the U.S. and Europe extensively.

Today, Turner evolves as an artist with his first solo effort, Rise. Produced by Kenny Passarelli, Rise showcases Eddie’s vocals and songwriting. Running the gamut from blistering guitar rock to the gospel-tinged, the 12-song disc dazzles with the chops and techniques Turner has developed over the course of his unusual, genre-melding career. Rise is evolutionary music – and quite grown up, indeed.

URL : www.eddiedevilboy.com/

Register

Frenk van Meeteren est un musicien polyvalent apprécié des amateurs de blues. Il organise régulièrement des ateliers d’harmonica. L’homme, aux centaines de chansons de blues, va du ragtime au style côte ouest. Frenk est un musicien professionel ayant une formation orchestrale. Il joue de plusieurs instruments et a accompagné de nombreux orchestres au Pays-Bas (King’s Galliard, The Crooks et The Gang Busters). Il a plusieurs émissions de radio et est chargé de cours d’harmonica au Koorenhuis à La Haye.

Frenk van Meeteren is een veelzijdig muzikant die bij bluesliefhebbers zeer gewaardeerd wordt door de bluesharp workshops die hij regelmatig geeft. De man met de honderden bluesteksten, van ragtime tot westcoast. Frenk is beroepsmuzikant en heeft een orkestopleiding gevolgd. Hij bespeelt diverse instrumenten en heeft in zijn loopbaan met verschillende groepen opgetreden in ons land, maar ook ver daarbuiten, zoals de folkgroep King’s Galliard, The Crooks en The Gangbusters. Hij heeft diverse radio-uitzendingen verzorgd en is als docent mondharmonica verbonden aan het Koorenhuis te Den Haag. Frenk is de frontman van de band.

www.frenklocals.web-log.nl/

[lg_folder folder= »Frenk and the Locals 11-02-2011″ count= »6″ cols= »3″ paging= »true »]

John Primer

John Primer est né le 3 mai 1946 à Camden dans l’État du Mississippi.

Il débuta au club Theresa’s de Chicago (entre 1974 et 1980, il y sera très influencé par Sammy Lawhorn qui lui apprendra à jouer de la slide guitare) avant de joindre le Chicago Blues All-Stars de Willie Dixon en 1979, puis le groupe de Muddy Waters jusqu’à la mort de ce dernier en 1983. Puis il fit partie des Teardrops de Magic Slim et débuta une carrière solo.

Il a obtenu le Living Blues Award en août 2010.

url : www.johnprimerblues.com

John Primer

“The Real Deal”

As the title of his critically acclaimed Atlantic Record CD suggests, Grammy Award and Handy Award Nominee, John Primer is truly “The Real Deal.” At eight years old, John borrowed his first guitar and stated to strum.  With the sounds of Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters, Little Milton, Elmore James, B.B. & Albert King reverberating through his Grandmother Laura Nell’s tube radio, John was instantly hooked.  He was fascinated with Blues music and set forth on a life long path of becoming a musical force.  Early inspiration came from his family steeped in spiritual, gospel, and church, and went on to play at house parties and fish fry’s in and around his hometown of Camden, Mississippi.

At the age of eighteen, feeling restless and in search of further audiences, John followed the path of his mentors and migrated to Chicago in the fall of 1963.  He quickly found work in the era when modern Electric Blues and the West and South Sides sounds were first taking shape.  Forming his first band The Maintainers in 1964, John and his old Harmony guitar rocked such West Side clubs as The Place, The Bow Tie, and Lover’s Lounge.  By 1968 John had left The Maintainers when the opportunity arouse to front the Soul and R&B group The Brotherhood.  Jamming late into the night and practicing by day, John was forming his own unique style and expanding his repertoire.  John’s success would lead him in 1974 to replace John Watkins in the house band at the world famous Theresa’s Lounge on the South Side.  Over the course of the next five years, John would play with such originators as Sammy Lawhorn, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Smokey Smothers, Lonnie Brooks, and a host of other innovators sculpting the sound of the Chicago Blues scene.

It was during this part in John’s career that quite a few people were taking note of this outstanding performer.  In 1979, master songwriter and bassist Willie Dixon persuaded him to join his band The Chicago All Stars.  Traveling through the US, Mexico and Europe, John developed his skills as a rhythm guitarist, a lead slide player, and a powerful singer.  Another Blues master who believed in John Primer was none other than the “Hoochie Coochie Man” himself, Muddy Waters.  Muddy recruited John not only as a guitarist, but also as an opening act.  As he did with so many other great musicians, Muddy served as a father to John, instilling in him an unrelenting passion for the music that gave birth to Rock and Roll.  John stayed loyal to Muddy until his untimely death in 1983.

Fresh off the heels of his success with the Muddy Waters Band, John signed on with the legendary Magic Slim.  For the next fourteen years, he toured with Magic Slim & The Teardrops, bringing tight, house rocking sounds to every corner of the planet.  But John’s days as a sideman were numbered, and in 1995 the veteran Blues man released his major label debut “The Real Deal”.  He has since toured extensively in support of his ten solo albums to date.  With John Primer’s strong traditionalist Blues phrasing and lightning fast slide technique, few artists can match him.  A master storyteller and songwriter, his catalog of songs is endless and his sound is unforgettable.  John Primer & The Real Deal Blues Band continues to electrify audiences at clubs and festivals, and remain a driving force in the world of Blues music today.

Register

Big Will & the Bluesmen

Big Will & the Bluesmen laten zich inspireren door een tweetal stromingen, die eigenlijk in elkaars verlengde liggen.

Allereerst de deltastijl. De oerwortels van de blues liggen in Mississippi in het begin van de twintigste eeuw.
 De slavernij is dan weliswaar afgeschaft, de zwarte plattelandsbevolking is straatarm en is veelal werkzaam op het land.
De avonden worden veelal doorgebracht in zogeheten jukejoints, primitieve kroegen waar eigengestookte whiskey wordt geschonken en waar de ellende van het zwarte arbeidersbestaan wordt bezongen in eenvoudige maar krachtige liederen. Meestal begeleid door een gitaar en / of mondharmonica en als onderwerp de  mislukte liefde en de drank als troost.
 Son House is een bekende rondreizende muzikant in de twintiger en dertiger jaren. Soms alleen maar ook met vrienden als Big Joe Williams trekt hij door het deltagebied om er te spelen voor een fooi of een glas whiskey.
 In navolging van Son House en mannen als Tampa Red, Leadbelly en Charley Patton komt er in de jaren dertig een nieuwe generatie bluesmannen in beeld.
Jongemannen zoals Robert Johnson, Johnny Shines en Sonny Boy Williamson verfijnen de bluesmuziek en zijn, in tegenstelling tot hun voorgangers, meer muzikant dan landarbeider.

url : http://www.bigwill.nl/