Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Tokyo Tramps - "Young, Bluesy and all the way from Japan" - by AJ Wachtel

Tokyo Tramps
"Young, Bluesy and all the way from Japan"

By A.J. Wachtel










It's always cool for an aging hippie like me to walk into a nightclub and be totally blown away by the music and vibe that surrounds me. And when the performers are young, well-versed in the R&B founding fathers and transplanted from Japan to conquer the American Blues scene, it becomes my honor and duty to help them spread the word. Their opening tune was a taut slide guitar version of Muddy's "Rollin' and Tumblin’" and I immediately became a fan dedicated to enlightening everyone about this trio's true talents. Just back from a visit back to the Far East to decide the best way to ship their American success back home, female bassist and vocalist, Yukiko Fujii and guitarist Satoru Nakagawa took time to impart their observations of the local blues scene to this interested writer. (Drummer Kosei Fukuyama was unavailable for this discussion.) Read on and get impressed:





BBS: What are three young Japanese musicians doing in Boston playing the blues?

TT: Somehow our paths crossed in Boston. We decided to stay in the States to play music rather than going back to Japan. We love American music and each of us has quite different musical backgrounds but we have one thing in common: we all want to make and play music for a living.
BBS: How big is American blues in Japan? Is there much chance for young musicians to hear and purchase music from blues musicians?

TT: It's not so big, but remember, Japan is the second largest market in the world. You can easily find blues recordings if you want to.


BBS: What do you see as major differences between blues in Europe and Asia compared to America? In terms of audiences, places to play and other opportunities?

TT: We don’t know much about the blues scene in Europe so we can’t quite answer about the differences there, but there IS a blues scene in Japan. We don’t know about other Asian countries.

BBS: Who are your blues influences?

Satoru: John Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Taj Mahal, Elmore James, too many to mention.

Yukiko: I came to Berklee to study singing so I have influences from female singers like Bonnie Raitt and Etta James. Recently, I'm into Irma Thomas and Janiva Magness.

BBS: Is there much of a concert circuit in Japan? Can you make a living playing the blues there? Do any major blues artists go on tour through Japan?

TT: We just went back there to search for that. There is a scene in Japan and making a living playing music is as hard there as anywhere else. The common system of live music venues in Japan is "pay to play" or heavily dependent on cover charges. Restaurants and bars hire jazz musicians and there are some venues for blues in major cities like Tokyo and Yokohama where clubs normally charge a $25 or $30 cover. I believe every major blues artist has been there at one time or another: B.B. King, Albert King, Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, and so on. I wonder how often they go to Japan. Pop/Rock and Hip Hop artists often tour through Japan and they are always welcomed - even new and young groups - but I'm not sure blues artists are treated in the same way.

BBS: What blues artists did you get to see growing up?

Satoru: Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Dr. John.

BBS: Are English blues artists better known than American blues artists in Japan?


TT: U.S. blues artists are better known.

BBS: Did you three meet and start playing in Japan or here and how did it happen?

TT: Satoru and Yukiko met while attending Berklee College of Music in Boston. Kosei graduated Berklee as well but didn’t join the Tramps until much later, almost three years ago.

BBS: When was the first time you heard the blues and what did hearing it do to you?

Satoru: My first record was by John Lee Hooker. I listened to the entire album once and I put it away for a year. I was seventeen and it was the hardest sound I'd ever heard.

Yukiko: Back in the 70s and the 80s, I grew up listening to a radio station called FEN (Far East Network) in Tokyo. It was part of the American Armed Forces Network and it played American Top 40, The Wolfman Jack Show, The King Biscuit Flour Hour, etc., 24/7. So not just blues, but American music in general was the huge thing in my life. It drove me to study English, Music, History, and so on. I spent all my money buying records and going to concerts and ended up forming an all-girl band when I was 14.

BBS: Are there any blues groups that sing their lyrics in Japanese?

TT: There used to be Japanese blues bands like Yuka-Dan and the West Road Blues Band that did but they're both no longer playing together.

BBS: What's in the future for Tokyo Tramps?

TT: Our next big thing is to attend the International Blues Challenge in Memphis next February, not representing the Boston Blues Society but The Blues, Jazz and Folk Music Society in Marietta, OH because we won the River City Ohio Blues Competition last February. We might be the first all-Japanese Blues band to participate in the IBC so we hope we get some recognition for being truly unique.

For more information on The Tokyo Tramps, please check out;
www.tokyotramps.com/
www.myspace.com/tokyotramps
www.cdbaby.com/cd/tokyotramps

Monday, October 25, 2010

November Music Schedule - Smoken' Joe's BBQ and Blues - Brighton MA

       
Smoken Joe’s BBQ, is dedicated to the promotion, education, and preservation of Southern culture through good down home cooking and lively entertainment. It is features nightly live music seven days a week. For more information call 617-254-5227 or visit the website at smokenjoesbbq.com
November Music Schedule


Monday  at 7pm  November 1    Bruce Marshall Open Mic

Tuesday at 7:30pm November 2 Ed Scheer’s Tuesday Night All-Stars
 w/Kit Holliday and Timo Arthur

Wednesday at 7:30pm November 3  Alizon w/ Mario Perrett (sax and vocals)

http://www.marioperrett.com

 

Thursday at 8:30pm November 4    Phil Pemberton Band  featuring Ron Levy


Friday at 9pm November 5    About Tyme

http://www.myspace.com/abouttymeltd

 

Saturday  at 9pm November 6    Erin Harpe & The Delta Swingers

Sunday at 7pm November 7 Geoff Bartley w/ Special Guests

Monday at 7pm November 8  Bruce Marshall Open Mic

http://www.brucemarshall.net


Tuesday at 7:30pm November 9  Ed Scheer’s Tuesday Night All-Stars
NEW ORLEANS  NIGHT w/ Henri Smith, Bruce Bears and John Moriconi

Wednesday at 7:30pm November 10    Alizon Lissance w/ Wendy Sobel, Salley Swezer, & Ed Scheer

Thursday at 8:30pm November 11   Phil Pemberton Band featuring Ron Levy


Friday  at 9pm November 12    Juke Joint Five

Saturday at 9pm November 13    Soul Alley

Sunday at 7pm November 14  Geoff Bartley w/ Special Guests

Monday  at 7pm November 15   Bruce Marshall Open Mic

Tuesday at 7:30pm November 16 Ed Scheer’s Tuesday Night All-Stars
w/Mario Perrett and Big Jack Ward

Wednesday at 7:30pm November 17    Alizon w/ Cheryl Arena and Ed Scheer

Thursday at 8:30pm November 18  Phil Pemberton Band featuring Ron Levy


Friday at 9pm November 19       Sarah Thompson Band Featuring Ron Levy

Saturday at 9pm November 20  Barrett Anderson, Ron Levy & Per Hanson Allstar Band!

Sunday at 7pm November 21  Geoff Bartley w/ Special Guests

Monday at 7pm November 22  Bruce Marshall Open Mic

http://www.brucemarshall.net


Tuesday at 7:30pm November 23  Ed Scheer’s Tuesday Night All-Stars
w/ Brian Templeton and Billy Loosigian

Wednesday at 7:30pm November 24    Alizon's Monthly Jam

http://www.alizonmusic.com


Thursday at 8:30pm November 25  Closed for Thanksgiving

Friday  at 9pm November 26    Shirley Lewis Band

Saturday at 9pm November 27       The Love Dogs

Sunday at 7pm November 28  Geoff Bartley w/ Special Guests

Monday  at 7pm  November 29    Bruce Marshall Open Mic

Tuesday at 7:30pm November 30  Ed Scheer’s Tuesday Night All-Stars
w/ GUITAR SUMMIT NIGHT w/ Roberto Morbioli and Rick Russell

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Thursday, October 21, 2010

A note from Chris Stovall Brown

Hi All,




A few more local gigs this week before hitting the road for another Watermelon Slim ground tour. Friday night with Shirley Lewis and Saturday night with new mom, Sweet Melissa!


FRIDAY - OCTOBER 22 (9:15 PM)
SHIRLEY LEWIS with CHRIS STOVALL BROWN
NEXT PAGE CAFE
550 BROAD STREET
WEYMOUTH, MA
781.341.1300




SATURDAY - OCTOBER 23 (10:00PM)SWEET MELISSA with CHRIS STOVALL BROWN
GRUMPY'S PUB
FALMOUTH, MA
508.540.3930




SUNDAY - OCTOBER 24 (7-11PM)
PARKER WHEELER BLUES PARTY
with CHRIS STOVALL BROWN
THE GROG
NEWBURYPORT, MA
978.465.8008

Monday, October 18, 2010

Passim Folk Music and Cultural Center presents The David Maxwell Blues Trio Maxwell - Tribute to Otis Spann and Club 47

Passim Folk Music & Cultural Center
presents

The David Maxwell Blues Trio

in a

Tribute to
Otis Spann
and the
Club 47


with
David Maxwell on keys
Troy Gonyea on guitar
Per Hanson on drums

Wednesday, November 3, 8 pm

"Pinetop Perkins is a wonderful living legend of
Muddy Waters' era piano boogie,
but for my money
nobody does Otis Spann
like David Maxwell"
(Don Wilcock, Blueswax)


(Cambridge, MA)  The David Maxwell Blues Trio in a Tribute to Otis Spann and the Club 47.  Featuring David Maxwell (keys), Troy Gonyea (guitar), and Per Hanson (drums).  Wednesday, November 3, 8:00 pm.  Tickets: $14-$16.  Passim Folk Music & Cultural Club, 47 Palmer St., Cambridge, MA 02138. For tickets and information: 617-492-7679 or log onto www.clubpassim.org.

David Maxwell first saw his muse the late great Otis Spann perform with Muddy Waters in Paris in 1963 and then in Cambridge at Club 47 in 1966.  By the late 60’s, Maxwell and Spann (1930-1970) had become friends and their musical relationship was established.

Since Spann’s death in 1970, Maxwell has been identified with Spann’s post-WW II blues piano playing.  To a large degree, Maxwell and Spann continue to have a strong musical connection that now stretches over nearly half a century.  In an upcoming recording entitled Conversations In Blue, Maxwell collaborates with Spann in a remarkable way using original tracks from the 1960 Candid Records recording Otis Spann Is The Blues.  The original Spann sessions were produced by Nat Hentoff, writer, music critic, and civil rights activist, who also worked as Candid’s A&R director.

According to Maxwell, “Discovering and connecting to Otis Spann in my early twenties changed the course of my musical direction. When Richard Connolly asked me what I thought about doing a new recording based on ‘Otis Spann Is The Blues’ — the 1960 Candid record Alan Wilson and I first listened to nearly fifty years ago — I wondered how I could possibly improve upon Spann’s masterful performances.  I have my own slant on things.  Some of that is informed by my own jazz and world music tastes and predilections. But there’s something about playing blues and feeling deeply rooted in that music that seems to be natural to me — natural in the sense that I was truly able to express myself after hearing Spann and my musical direction was transformed.  When we recorded ‘Conversations In Blue,’ I wanted to have musical conversations with the person whose music has transformed me.  I wanted to create a new way of looking at his music and at my music.”

“David Maxwell plays with fire and soul.
He keeps the spirit of Otis Spann alive.”
(James Cotton)

“David Maxwell and Otis Spann are
the baddest two piano players I know.”
(Junior Wells)

David Maxwell has amassed an enormous resume throughout the years playing piano with some of the greatest and well- known musicians in the blues.  He plays many styles of blues, jazz and improvised music, but he is best known for his soulful virtuosity and unmatched ability to reach the heart of post-war Chicago Blues.  Through his work, he has gained the respect of artists, critics and fans and has established a reputation as one of the finest blues pianists alive.

Over the last decade, Maxwell has received a Grammy Award (James Cotton’s “Deep In The Blues”) and over a half dozen Grammy and national Blues Music Award nominations for albums to which he has contributed, along with seven Blues Music Award nominations for Pinetop Piano Player of the Year.  He has played with many of the greats including tours with Freddie King, Bonnie Raitt, James Cotton, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Hubert Sumlin, Jimmy Rodgers, Charley Musselwhite, Johnny Adams and Ronnie Earl; and gigs with Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Levon Helm, Jimmy Witherspoon, Lowell Fulsom, Junior Wells and many others. He has been involved in well over fifty recording sessions and can be found playing keys on many blues albums that have been released over the last 25 years. Maxwell backed up Keith Richards and Eric Clapton for Hubert Sumlin's CD, "About Them Shoes" released in 2005.

Maxwell’s most recent recognitions:
-- 2010 Blues Music Award "Acoustic Album of the Year" for "You Got To Move" (with Louisiana Red), performed and produced by David Maxwell;
-- 2010 Blues Music Award nomination "Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year";
-- 2008 and 2009 Boston Music Awards "Best Blues Act";
-- 2007 and 2008 Blues Audience "Outstanding Keyboard Player".

Maxwell's music was used in the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" and in the TV series "Touched By An Angel". He has performed on "Late Night With Conan O' Brien" and is on several videos playing with Freddie King in the early 70's (Rounder). Maxwell's first CD as a leader "Maximum Blues Piano" (1997 Tonecool) received high critical acclaim. His new album, "Max Attack" (2005 95North Records), features guests James Cotton, Kim Wilson, Ronnie Earl, Duke Robillard, Hubert Sumlin and Pinetop Perkins.

Maxwell is often compared to the great blues pianist Otis Spann (of the Muddy Waters band), for his ability to resurrect the spirit and sound of the master of post-war Chicago Blues Piano. But Maxwell is no mere imitation.  He has created a style and sound uniquely his own.  His diverse experience, technical virtuosity, sense of timing and rhythm, and ability to complement other band members has earned Maxwell a reputation as one of the finest blues pianists alive.  David Maxwell was featured on "On Point," hosted by Anthony Brooks. Give it a listen at www.onpointradio.org/shows/2006/04/20060420_b_main.asp.  

"Dave has always been one of the
most amazing piano players I've ever heard."
(Bonnie Raitt)

"I don't think anybody could be tighter playing the blues on the piano
than David Maxwell. He plays the blues like it should be played.
He plays the low-down, dirty, funky blues. He's got it all together."
(John Lee Hooker)

For the Tribute to Otis Spann and the Club 47, Maxwell will be joined by Troy Gonyea on guitar (www.troygonyea.com, Booker T, The Fabulous Thunderbirds) and Per Hanson on drums (Ronnie Earl, James Cotton).  The upcoming recording Conversations In Blue is scheduled to be released in early Winter 2010.


Tuesday, October 5, 2010

NEW ROOMFUL OF BLUES ALBUM COVER CONTEST CHANCE TO WIN A FREE CD

NEW ROOMFUL OF BLUES ALBUM COVER CONTEST CHANCE TO WIN A FREE CD

We're looking for YOU to help us choose the cover art for Hook, Line & Sinker, the next Roomful of Blues release on Alligator Records. Go to the link below, tell us which of these covers you like better for Roomful's January 2011 release and fill in your contact info.

From all submissions (whether the cover you vote for wins or not), ten voters chosen at random will receive a free copy of the CD when it's released.

Click here to view the choices and to cast your vote. You can also cut and paste this link into your browser.

http://www.alligator.com/index.cfm?section=covercontest

For more information on anything Alligator, go to www.alligator.com or if you have specific questions about our online store or anything in our catalog, you can call us toll-free at 1.800.344.5609.

Bringing you the best houserockin' music for over 39 years, ALLIGATOR RECORDS


Monday, October 4, 2010

JUKE BLUES REBELS SCISSORMEN ON TOUR BEHIND NEW ROBERT MUGGE DOCUMENTARY AND NEW LIVE CD

JUKE BLUES REBELS SCISSORMEN ON TOUR BEHIND NEW ROBERT MUGGE DOCUMENTARY AND NEW LIVE CD
 
Playing Cambridge on Saturday, Nov. 20 at the Lizard Lounge w/Peter Parcek!!!!!!!
 
Scissormen are on tour following the release of a new feature-length movie starring the contemporary Mississippi-style juke joint blues band and a new live CD recorded this year in Switzerland. They’ll play The Lizard Lounge on Saturday, November 20. The club is at 1667 Massachusetts Ave. Call (617) 547-0759 or visit www.lizardloungeclub.com
 
The show, sponsored by the Boston Blues Society, will also feature Peter Parcek 3, whose new album The Mathematics of Love was produced by Scissormen’s Ted Drozdowski, and opener Barrett Anderson. Scissormen will also feature special guests during their concert, including Boston’s 10 Foot Polecats and A.K.A./C.O.D.’s Larry Dersch. 
 
 Details:
 
• BIG SHOES: Walking and Talking the Blues, the latest documentary by famed roots-music filmmaker Robert Mugge (http://robertmugge.com) starring Scissormen debuts at the Starz Denver Film Festival this November 5 and 6 and previews on this October’s Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise. For the trailer, click this link: http://vimeo.com/channels/bigshoestrailerIt is the director’s first film to feature original music exclusively, all written by Scissormen’s Ted Drozdowski.
 
• Bootleg: Live at Blues Rules 2010, Crissier, Switzerland is Scissormen’s fourth, just-released album. The disc, which captures the band on stage in May, is the first in a series of limited-run fan club releases also available at Amazon and iTunes to the general public.
 
• Scissormen have an international reputation for fiery live performances based on leader Ted Drozdowski’s incendiary slide guitar. They have been featured at Bonnaroo, France’s Cognac Blues Passions, Memphis in May and other major festivals. They’ve also been played on more than 140 radio stations in the U.S. Drozdowski also teaches slide guitar clinics and has an award from the Blues Foundation for writing about the music. He was consultant for the PBS series Martin Scorsese Presents: The Blues. 
 
QUOTES:
 
The late roots music legend Jim Dickinson said, "Ever wonder what would have happened if Bukka White had discovered the Fuzz Tone? Or if Skip James had played piano with Antenna Jimmy and Drumbo from the Magic Band? Scissormen is acid blues for the 21st century."
 
“Mind blowing shows…incredible slide guitar work…Luck in a  Hurry propels the raw, ethereal sounds of Mississippi hill country blues into  the 21st century with Scissormen's take no prisoners approach. Simply put, if  you're a hill country or slide guitar fan, this disc will blow your doors off their hinges."--Blues Bytes
 
"Both on record and in live performance, Ted Drozdowski is a guitarist of spellbinding invention and intelligence. His slide playing shears the skin off your bones, and he can unleash  roaring gales of sound. But lyricism and
musicality lie at the heart of even his  wildest moments. I have never
listened to him and not been transported to a strange, beautiful place I'd never been before."--Rolling Stone’s Anthony DeCurtis
 
 

Sunday, October 3, 2010

November Music Schedule - Smoken' Joe's BBQ and Blues - Brighton MA

Smoken' Joe's BBQ and Blues
351 Washington Street    
Brighton, MA 02135



               
Smoken Joe’s BBQ, is dedicated to the promotion, education, and preservation of Southern culture through good down home cooking and lively entertainment. It is features nightly live music seven days a week. For more information call 617-254-5227 or visit the website at smokenjoesbbq.com
November Music Schedule


Monday  at 7pm  November 1    Bruce Marshall Open Mic

Tuesday at 7:30pm November 2 Ed Scheer’s Tuesday Night All-Stars

Wednesday at 7:30pm November 3  Alizon w/ Mario Perrett (sax and vocals)

http://www.marioperrett.com

 

Thursday at 8:30pm November 4    Phil Pemberton Band

Friday at 9pm November 5    About Tyme

http://www.myspace.com/abouttymeltd

 

Saturday  at 9pm November 6    Shirley Lewis Band

Sunday at 7pm November 7 Geoff Bartley w/ Special Guests

Monday at 7pm November 8  Bruce Marshall Open Mic

http://www.brucemarshall.net


Tuesday at 7:30pm November 9  Ed Scheer’s Tuesday Night All-Stars

Wednesday at 7:30pm November 10    Alizon Lissance w/ Wendy Sobel, Salley Swezer, & Ed Scheer

Thursday at 8:30pm November 11   Phil Pemberton Band

Friday  at 9pm November 12    Juke Joint Five

Saturday at 9pm November 13    Soul Alley

Sunday at 7pm November 14  Geoff Bartley w/ Special Guests

Monday  at 7pm November 15   Bruce Marshall Open Mic



Tuesday at 7:30pm November 16      Ed Scheer’s Tuesday Night All-Stars

Wednesday at 7:30pm November 17    Alizon w/ Cheryl Arena and Ed Scheer

Thursday at 8:30pm November 18  Phil Pemberton Band

Friday at 9pm November 19      Sarah Thompson Band Featuring Ron Levy

Saturday at 9pm November 20  Barrett Anderson, Ron Levy & Per Hanson Allstar Band!

Sunday at 7pm November 21  Geoff Bartley w/ Special Guests

Monday at 7pm November 22  Bruce Marshall Open Mic

http://www.brucemarshall.net


Tuesday at 7:30pm November 23  Ed Scheer’s Tuesday Night All-Stars

Wednesday at 7:30pm November 24    Alizon's Monthly Jam

http://www.alizonmusic.com


Thursday at 8:30pm November 25  Closed for Thanksgiving

Friday at 9pm November 26       TBA

Saturday at 9pm November 27       The Love Dogs

Sunday at 7pm November 28  Geoff Bartley w/ Special Guests

Monday  at 7pm  November 29    Bruce Marshall Open Mic

Tuesday at 7:30pm November 30  Ed Scheer’s Tuesday Night All-Stars

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