In a career spanning over three decades Austin, Texas based guitarist Van Wilks has forged a blazing blues rock path filled with some of the most impressive playing to be found in the genre. Lauded as one of the city's master players by both critics, fans and fellow musicians such as Eric Johnson and Billy Gibbons, the consistency of his work has made him stand out in a scene overfilled with hot guitarists...
In the history of the blues, it's been important to have a good blues name. There are numerous approaches. One is to have a descriptor tacked on in front of an ordinary name. For instance, who wants to hear a singer named Joe Hunter? Mundane, right? But Ivory Joe Hunter, now that's a whole other ballgame. Naturally Ivory Joe Hunter has to be a piano player because he tickles the ivories. Here's Ivory...
A leading figure of the largely overlooked Nashville blues scene, Johnny Jones was an outstanding guitarist who helped to launch the musical career of Jimi Hendrix. And it was with a Hendrix tune, Purple Haze, that Jones first attracted attention in the UK. He was born in 1936 in the small Tennessee town of Edes to a musical family. His father sang in local gospel groups, and his grandmother had a...
Over at the National Post , Don Martin recently wrote about how the Mackenzie valley pipeline, something that would transfer natural gas from the fields of the frigid Mackenzie delta south to North American consumers and in so doing jumpstart the local economy, seems to have been dismissed yet again for not the first time in forty years. This time, the federal government is the reluctant partner. A...
Week 8's loss to the Vikings has left many of us Packers fans in shambles but the outlook for the rest of the season is not so bleak. As it stands right now, if the playoffs were to start today, the Packers would be on the outside looking in but that does not mean that we don't control our own destiny due to our second half schedule. By dissecting the first 8 weeks of the season and breaking down the...
Def Jam rapper Redman will be showing off his alter-ego named Reggie Noble on his upcoming album of the same name. Redman revealed to Rap-Up that Reggie Noble will include pop records and the use of Auto-tune. "I got [Auto-tune] on my new album—I don’t care,” Redman said. " Reggie Noble is doing the album, not Redman . Let’s get that clear. Reggie Noble don’t...
Sounds like golden outtakes from lost sessions where James Brown's backing band got together with Booker T and the MGs at the Stax studios with an insanely talented batch of unknown singers. Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Willie Dixon: the trifecta of Chicago blues. Magic Sam, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells: also men of stature in the Windy City tradition. Elmore James, Little Walter, Jimmy Reed: the list of...
Did Harry Reid explain the facts of life to Joe Lieberman? The Hill reported last night that the senator from Connecticut is on the same page with leadership : Sen. Joe Lieberman has reached a private understanding with Majority Leader Harry Reid that he will not block a final vote on healthcare reform, according to two sources briefed on the matter. I imagine Reid told Lieberman the public option...
Leaving the outlying ridges behind and travelling down the Alto Madre de Dios we make our way into the lowlands (250m above sea level) and Manu Wildlife Centre. The muddy waters of the Manu River mix with the clearer Madre de Dios at their junction near Boca Manu. Fasciated Tiger-Herons give way to Orinoco Geese , Black Skimmers , Large-billed Terns and Horned Screamers until the boat stops at Manu...
By: Bernard Chazelle They're no songcrafting geniuses, their melodies are often banal, their harmonies simplistic, their lyrics silly or offensive, and they're passable instrumentalists. Naturally, the Stones are the greatest rock band ever. What gives? The thing is, in rock 'n' roll none of these things matter all that much. No rock tunesmith holds a candle to Gershwin or Cole Porter, anyway. Craftsmanship...
Fanfarlo were just stateside for CMJ and will remain home in England for less than a month before returning to North America! While playing a show in Brooklyn a few months back, the English outfit unveiled a live rendition of Neutral Milk Hotel's "In The Aeroplane Over The Sea" that was somewhat hindered by quality and screaming fans. Perhaps in celebration of their forthcoming US tour and...
It was interesting to read Jody's recent post in which she was musing about how some consider her a feminist. It would seem that it is difficult to hold positions about women being in leadership roles in the church without some thinking that you are a feminist. The problem is the term 'feminist' is very secular. When Christians speak of mutuality and service through giftings, terms like egalitarian...
Number 4 - The Fat Man by Fats Domino The early fifties were marked by the transition of black American rhythm and blues into white rock and roll, led by Bill Haley and the Comets. There are a number of black artists who pioneered rhythm and blues, from Muddy Waters to Little Richard. But for me, Fats Domino was the greatest. The Fat Man, released in 1950, was his first hit record, and predates many...
By: David SchultzA dramatized history of Chess Records, Cadillac Records turns out to be a threadbare and homogenized account of the rise of the label’s most well-known stable of stars: Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter and Etta James. The movie peaks early with its opening scenes ripped from the pages of Can’t Be Satisfied, Robert Gordon’s wonderful biography...
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