Celebrate 4/20 with the Blues

Yeah yeah we know, it's April 20. And potheads will be very sure to let us know, even if you only tried it once.

So if you want to get blazed, take a toke of Muddy Waters' anthem to the leafy green:

Blues for Mother's Day

Today the day we acknowledge and thank the women of the world who have given their lives, effort, and time to take care of us. While mostly it is a time for celebration, the blues is always relevant.

Mothers go through so much to ensure we become better people, to stay healthy, to learn to do things right and to always be good.

It's definitely not easy to be a mother, so here's a small list of blues songs that talk about the hardships and tribulations of mothers everywhere (well except Elmore James' but I digress):

Mother's Blues - Leadbelly 

Mother Blues - Son Seals

Nobody Loves Me But My Mother - B.B. King

Mean Mistreatin' Mama - Elmore James

Motherless Child - O.V. Wright

Blues Book: 'The Art of the Blues: A Visual Treasury of Black Music's Golden Age'

Art and blues? A history of visuals of the blues world? TAKE MY MONEY.

I purchased the blues/art book 'The Art of the Blues: A Visual Treasury of Black Music's Golden Age' by Bill Dahl, which compiles the history of cover art, poster work, and advertisements for all things blues in this amazing book. It's brings the blues image and lifestyle alive, making us feel the music just by looking at it. Bill Dahl, a  music journalist and historian who has written liner notes for countless reissues of classic blues, soul, R&B, and rock albums, is the perfect author to gather all this wonderful information.

If you are into the blues as I am, or if you are into vintage art, or simply want a book for your growing coffee table collection, then this one is for you.

David Gilmour Plays the Blues

Pink Floyd are not strangers to the blues; I have already mentioned that previously [here] and [here]. Hell their band name is a mish-mash of two bluesmen's names.

So since today is lead guitarist David Gilmour's birthday, I thought I'd showcase Gilmour playing some blues from the late 80's for ya.

Have a good one Dave!

Valentine Blues Playlist

So, you got the blues on this special day? You're just in luck, because I got you covered with this lonesome blues playlist for you to drown your sorrow away.

So if you're single and alone, or in a relationship where you can't be satisfied, this list is for you:

Kind Hearted Woman - Muddy Waters

You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now - BB King

Wont' Be Hangin' Around - Albert King

A Man Like Me is Hard to Find - Lightnin' Hopkins

Last Time Blues - Charlie McCoy

I'm Getting Tired - Snooky Pryor

Nobody Loves Me - Memphis Slim

Sometimes I Wonder - Otis Spann

Blues Winners at the 59th Grammy Awards

So the Grammy Awards happened last night, and while we are not concerned with anything else other than the blues, here are the winners of the two categories in Blues:

Personally speaking I would have liked Lurrie Bell to win the Traditional category, as I consider Bobby Rush to be more of soul/R&B, and The Record Company for Contemporary, but nonetheless congrats to the winners!

Here's a video from each winner:

Blues Review 2016

Another year has gone, this time one of the harshest. Wars, many influential celeb deaths, and Pokemon Go.

This year was a turning point for me, as I was signed to a record label and my album is coming early next year, as well having some great gigs and played in Bahrain for the first time with my rock side-project The Watertowers.

My album, coming soon in 2017

Blog wise I was not that active this year, mainly because my life and music commitments too a lot of my blog slice of the pie; hopefully you stuck around with me and I hope to bring you more blues next year. Have a good one everybody.

Oh, and in case you missed it, here's my latest Youtube upload of my band performing Dust My Broom at the DAI Fall Festival last month:

Christmas Blues Playlist

How bluesmen celebrate Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! This time of year is always great for the blues, because you spend all your money on gifts, might spend it away from family and friends, cold weather, and all that.

So to celebrate the Christmas blues, here's a few tunes for the season:


BB King - 'Back Door Santa'

Sonny Boy Williamson - 'Sonny Boy's Christmas Blues'

Freddie King - Christmas Tears

The Drifters - Santa Claus Got the Blues

John Lee Hooker - Blues for Christmas

Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown - Christmas

Blues Nominees for the 2017 Grammy Awards

The official Grammy website has announced their nominations for next year's event. Of course, we don't give a crap about anythin' but the blues, so here are your nominees this year:


BEST TRADITIONAL BLUES ALBUM


Can't Shake This Feeling
Lurrie Bell

Live At The Greek Theatre
Joe Bonamassa

Blues & Ballads (A Folksinger's Songbook: Volumes I & II)
Luther Dickinson

The Soul Of Jimmie Rodgers
Vasti Jackson

Porcupine Meat
Bobby Rush

BEST CONTEMPORARY BLUES ALBUM

The Last Days Of Oakland

Fantastic Negrito

Love Wins Again

Janiva Magness

Bloodline

Kenny Neal

Give It Back To You

The Record Company

Everybody Wants A Piece

Joe Louis Walker

--

Not a bad list, but obviously there's a bit of genre cross-leaping; some are not 'blues' per se, but we gotta work with what we got. 

My picks for winners are Lurrie Bell for Traditional and Fantastic Negrito for Contemporary. 

See you on February 12!

Fender Drops American Standard, Renamed American Professional Series

Fender announced that their American Standard series of guitars & basses will be rebranded as the American Professional Series.

It adds some new improvements to their existing line, most notably the pickups will be all replaced by V-Mod pickups designed by Time Shaw, new neck profiles (more vintage-like), taller frets, new hardshell case, and other minor changes. Here's a full comparison:

See the new set below; I like the changes but the color choices are very limited and I'm sad they dropped the turtleshell pickguards off the basses. They look very bland now.

Stratocaster

Stratocaster HSS

Stratocaster HH

Telecaster

Jazzmaster 

Jaguar

Precision Bass (5 String also available)

Jazz Bass (5 String and Fretless also available)