Steven Seagal Sings the Blues (I Shit You Not)

Yes, THAT Steven Seagal.

The C (or D?) list action movie star has expanded into music, much like other actors, but he went to the blues.

He released his first album 'Songs from the Crystal Cave' in 2005, and somehow it was successful enough that he released another album called 'Mojo Priest' in 2006.

Is it good? You be the judge!

Here's the Muddy Waters classic performed by Lord Steven:

'Standin' in My Door' - Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King

Smokin' Joe Kubek is a modern Texas blues guitarist, and Bnois King is an old school Lousiana blues guitarist. Put them both together and you get some smokin' grooves going on, one hot like Dallas, one cool like New Orleans.

They released an album in 2003 called "Roadhouse Research" on Blind Pig Records, which is one of the biggest blues labels, to much acclaim.

Here's one of the tracks off the album, called 'Standin' In My Door"

'I'm a King Bee' - Slim Harpo

Slim Harpo, real name James Moore, was an influential blues harmonica player. In 1957, 'I'm a King Bee' was released to much acclaim, becoming Slim's most famous song. In 2006, the song received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award for it's legacy.

The Rolling Stones covered this song on their debut album in 1964, and dozens of artists from Led Zeppelin to The Grateful Dead to Muddy Waters (his final album was named after this song) covered it.

The call and response tune with the sexual innuendo makes it raunchy and fun. Take a listen and get pumped!

'Come On In' - R.L. Burnside's Blues Meets Electronica

R.L. Burnside was one of the blues greatest heroes, who had his career noticed only in the early 90's. Before that, he was living by blues... he killed a man in Mississippi, did some jail time, had some family members killed in Chicago, was distant relatives with Muddy Waters, and lived a county away from 'Mississippi' Fred McDowell.

He's a big family man too... he has 13 children, 35 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren.

In 1998, 'Come On In' was released, which featured Burnside's blues remixed with electronica by Tom Rothrock, to a great deal of success. There have been many attempts trying to fuse blues with other genres (see the Putamayo example), but this one largely stays true to the sound of the blues while giving us a different perspective.

I actually liked the idea; for those of you who like blues or electronic music, you might wanna check this album out.

Here's the blues standard 'Rollin' & Tumblin" from the album with a twist:

More Dubai Jazz Fest Fail: Stone Temple Pilots & Colbie Caillat

I don't know how many articles I have to write about this issue. But yes, I'm still pissed off.

Two new acts have been announced to this 'jazz' concert:

And then of course, there's the obligatory PR crap:

‘By popular demand, the alternative classic rock band Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington will headline the opening night. Just like the Dubai Jazz Festival, the band is upholding their legacy while keeping up with the new age,’ said the co-founder and CEO of Chillout Productions, the promoters behind the festival.

Unless they haven't been following the online rants and hate, I don't see where by' popular demand' that these were the bands the fans wanted to see. I mean, AT FUCKING LEAST if you're gonna get Stone Temple Pilots, bring Scott Weiland on board!

So far, NO JAZZ FUCKING ARTIST has been announced. 

Maybe it's just better to let this matter go and just move on. RIP Dubai Jazz Fest 2014. 

Halloween Blues: 'Blood Thirsty Blues' - Victoria Spivey

While many or most of you will be dressing up as pirates, prostitutes, or the ever so cliche zombies, while asking people for sweet delicious candy, Victoria Spivey sings about the true horrors of love, more fitting to this dark festival.

I can tell you, if you're in love with a blues woman and you treat her wrong, you're gonna get what's coming to you.

John Coltrane's 'Love Supreme' in Graffiti Art

Made by German artist MTO in Paris a few years back. 

Author Tony Whyton had a few words to say about this artwork. You can read the full text [here]. Below is an excerpt:

 "MTO’s image is inspired by Coltrane but also acts as an alternative to everyday representations of the icon. This is not an official reading of Coltrane’s masterpiece and, arguably, it conveys a certain politics: the graffiti artwork itself can be read as an act of subversion. Similarly, some of my research interests involve challenging official or dominant narratives that have become associated with Coltrane, trying to seek out underlying agendas which might play a role in the changing representation and interpretations of his music, and offering an alternative means of understanding the Coltrane legacy."

A Legendary Chicago Blues Get-Together

In 1966, Canadian CBC Television invited some of North America's greatest blues performers to gather in a studio in Toronto, recording together and individually in sessions that lasted three days. The result was originally televised as part of the CBC "Festival" series, and now the session video tapes have been found, restored and re-edited.

The great Muddy Waters and his band perform "You Can't Lose What You Never Had" and "Got My Mojo Workin'," the latter with James Cotton on harmonica. Willie Dixon goes solo on "Bassology" and (helped by a little '90s technology) performs "Crazy for My Baby" with host Colin James. Plus rare appearances by Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Mable Hillery singing "How Long This Train Been Gone," and delta blues piano player Sunnyland Slim, introducing a whole new generation to this inspiring, soulful music.

For the closing song, Muddy Waters, James Cotton, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, Mable Hillary, Sunnyland Slim, Otis Spann, and Willie Dixon perform "Bye, Bye, Bye Baby, Goodbye" in an all out ensemble.

Ironically, or cryptically, this would be the last time such a gathering would happen. 

The Blues Brothers Video Game

In 1992, Titus Software released a platform game based on the popular Blues Brothers film on PC, NES and other platforms.

It's a strange game, with almost nothing to do with the movie apart from the characters Jake and Elwood Blues, and a midi soundtrack related to the film's music. The rest involves picking up boxes and using them to climb to platforms to damage opponents.

I guess it's part of how licensed material goes; take a popular movie or series and milk it to merchandise. Star Wars makes billions of dollars annually on merchandise like toys and t-shirts. Usually, licensed franchise video games don't turn out well, the only exception being the latest Batman games on the PS3/360.

'Freight Train Blues' - Roosevelt Charles

Roosevelt Charles lived a blues life; not only do we not know his birth date, place or his death, but he was recorded while he was serving time in Louisiana's Angola prison in the early 60's by a blues historian, Dr. Harry Oster.

There's one album (a compilation of that recording) called 'Blues, Prayer, Work, and Trouble Songs' in 1964 on the Vanguard label. 

Here's a very low down dirty blues called 'Freight Train Blues', a homage to the hobo life: