Hjertelig takk for besøket og bidraget til at Skånevik Bluesfestival blei ein suksess. Tilbakemeldingar frå artistane er flotte, og t.d. Paul Rodgers hadde aldri hatt eit så musikalsk publikum som song så kraftig mot scenen. Den einaste plassen som kunne komme opp mot Skånevikspublikummet var eit show i San Francisco. Så det seier jo sitt. Vonar du har hatt mange flotte opplevingar i Skånevik.
Nå pustar vi litt ut nokre timar, så er det full planlegging mot 2008 Festivalen. Hjertelig velkommen tilbake! Me vil samtidig få takka alle frivillige som har stått på for at Bluesfestivalen skulle bli så bra!!!
Artistar i 2007
– Deitra Farr og Chicago Blues Band (US)
– Paul Rodgers (GB)
– The Waterboys (GB)
– Joe Bonamassa (US)
– Deitra Farr & Gene Taylor (US)
– Shemekia Copeland (US)
– Torbjørn Risager Blue 7 (DK)
– Vidar Busk (N)
– Nisse Hellberg (S)
– Randy Pavlock (US)
– Caligvla’s Sisters (N)
– Mira Craig (N)
– Jody Williams (US)
– No Cash (N)
– Billy Boy Arnold (US)
– To Blues Cruise med Vetrhus Bluesband
– Coco Montoya (US)
– Louisiana Red & The Blues Masters All Star Band (US/N)
– Hereide & The Bluesgangsters (N)
– Paul Lamb & Gene Taylor Blues Revue (UK/US/N)
– Terje Frigård Bluesband (N)
Deitra Farr ( US )
Mange meiner at Deitra Farr er ein av bluesbyen Chicagos beste vokalistar. Ho er energisk, lidenskapeleg og ein spennande soul – og bluesartist, som i løpet av si karriere er blitt nominert til mange prisar. Karriera starta i 1975 med deltaking i lokale soulband. Hennar blueskarriere starta i begynninga av 80-åra. I sin song går ho ofte tilbake til sine soul-røter. Ho han sunge med fleire band og har turnert mange gonger både i Europa og USA. Deitra Farr har gjeve ut fleire solo CD-ar og delteke i mange CD-prosjekt saman med andre artistar. Ho kjem til å laga eit forrykande show under Skånevik Bluesfestival. Her opptrer ho med Chicago Blues Band som består av Billy Boy Arnold, Jody Williams, Kenny Smith, Bob Stroger, Billy Flynn og Christian Ranneberg i Bluesteltet.
Kort biografi
Deitra Farr is considered one of Chicago ’s top vocalists, according to Living Blues Magazine (May 1997). Fiery, energetic, and soul-stirring describes this woman, who has over the years been nominated for Traditional Female Blues artist of the year by the W.C. Handy Awards, Female Blues Artist of the year by the Living Blues Critics Awards, the British Blues Connection Awards, and the Les Trophees France Blues awards.
This Chicago native began her career in 1975, singing with local soul bands, before starting her blues career in the early 1980’s.
From 1993 to 1996, Deitra was the lead singer with Mississippi Heat, recording two CD’s with this all-star group.
In 1997, Deitra resumed her own solo career, continuing to sing blues, while reaching back to her soul music roots. After recording on eight previous CD projects with others, she recorded her first solo CD, “The Search is Over”, for the London-based JSP records. In 2005, Deitra released her second JSP CD “Let it Go!”
The multi-talented Deitra Farr is also a published writer, poet, songwriter, and painter. A graduate of Columbia College (Bachelor of Arts in Journalism), Deitra has recorded many of her own compositions and has written articles for the Chicago Daily Defender, The Chicago Blues Annual, and the Italian blues magazine il Blues. Currently she has a column «Artist to Artist» in Living Blues Magazine.
In 1990, Deitra represented the Chicago Tourism Bureau in Düsseldorf, Germany and has toured England, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Canada, Holland, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy, Yugoslavia, Greece, Israel, Austria, Latvia, Portugal, Sweden, and Mexico.
Deitra toured Europe with the 2000 Chicago Blues Festival with Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials. In 2003, Deitra completed a six week British tour with Otis Grand and Bobby Parker, as the American Festival of the Blues II. She did the 2004 Chicago Blues Festival European tour with Jody Williams and Andrew “Jr. Boy” Jones.
The Italian newspaper, The Pistoia La Nationale, proclaimed Deitra Farr “Regina del Blues”. Be a witness.
Coco Montoya ( US )
Med vår tid si brennande bluesmusikk, med gjennomtrengande og skjelvande gitartonar og pågåande og soulprega stemme, kjem Cooc Montoya til Skånevik Bluesfestival. Han har spelt saman med mange stjerner og på samme måte som Eric Clapton, Peter Green og Mick Taylor har han gått Bluesebreaker-skulen med John Mayall som lærar. I si karriere på meir enn 30 år har han for lenge sidan tatt steget opp i toppskiktet innan blues-rock verda. I 1996 blei han nominert til fire W. C. Handy Awards og vann ein av dei. Montoya har deltatt på svært mange dei store bluesfestivalane rundt om i verda. Vi ser verkeleg fram til hans første besøk i Skånevik!
Kort biografi
«Blistering contemporary blues…piercing attack, funky, shivery guitar tones and aggressive, soulful vocals» -Blues Revue
«In a world of blues guitar pretenders, Coco Montoya is the real McCoy. Be prepared to get scorched.»-Billboard
Over the course of his 30-year career, guitarist and vocalist Coco Montoya’s explosive guitar playing and soul-driven voice have propelled him to the upper reaches of the blues-rock world. From his early days as a drummer to his current status as one of the top-drawing guitarists and vocalists on the blues-rock scene, Montoya has forged his reputation through years of hard work and constant touring. And it all started with a chance meeting in the mid-1970s with legendary bluesman Albert Collins, who offered Montoya a gig as his drummer. Albert took an immediate liking to Montoya, becoming his mentor and teaching his new protégé secrets of the Collins «icy hot» style of blues guitar. Five years later, John Mayall happened to catch Montoya at a jam session and was blown away. This led to Montoya’s touring the world for ten years with the legendary Bluesbreakers.
Since stepping out as a bandleader in 1993, Montoya has released four solo albums and has performed non-stop at clubs, concert halls and major festivals all over the world. At every show, fans’ jaws dropped, and critics raved about Montoya’s mind-bending guitar licks and impassioned vocals. «The fiery blues that issue forth from Coco Montoya’s guitar are awe-inspiring and boogie requiring,» shouted The Village Voice. «Blistering, pure blues,» cheered Blues Revue. Now, with Can’t Look Back, Montoya turns up the intensity with another dose of his feral, soul-stirring music.
Coco Montoya was born in Santa Monica, California in 1951 and raised by working class parents with a large record collection. As a youngster, he enjoyed picking out notes on the guitar, but he grew up playing drums in local rock bands. In 1969, Montoya saw Albert King opening up a Creedence Clearwater Revival/Iron Butterfly concert and was transformed. «After Albert got done playing,» says Montoya, «my life was changed. When he played, the music went right into my soul. It grabbed me so emotionally that I had tears welling up in my eyes. Nothing had ever affected me to this level. He showed me what music and guitar playing were all about. I knew that was what I wanted to do.»
By the mid-1970s, Montoya was playing drums in several local rock bands, one of which played a small Culver City, California bar on weekends where he met Albert Collins.
A few months later, Albert desperately needed a drummer for a tour of the Northwest and he called Coco. «When he called,» recalls Coco, «I figured we’d rehearse for a few weeks before the tour. Instead, he told me he’d pick me up in three hours.» During the tour, Albert took Montoya under his wing, teaching him about the blues. After the tour ended, Montoya remained in Collins’ band for five more years. It was during this time that Coco began doubling on guitar. And Collins went out of his way to teach the youngster. «We’d sit in hotel rooms for hours and play guitar,» remembers Montoya. «He’d play that beautiful rhythm of his and just have me play along. He was always saying, ‘Don’t think about it, just feel it.’ He taught me to tap into an inner strength. What a great gift he gave me.»
In the early 1980s, John Mayall needed a guitarist for the newly reformed Bluesbreakers, so he called Coco Montoya. Filling the shoes of previous Bluesbreaker guitarists Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor would not be easy, but Montoya knew he could not pass up the opportunity to play with another blues legend. He joined the band, determined to become an even greater guitarist. For the next ten years he toured the world and recorded with Mayall, soaking up everything he could.
By the early 1990s, Montoya was at another crossroads. He had been with the Bluesbreakers for ten years and felt ready for a change. Albert Collins told Coco to move on and do his own thing. Montoya talked to Mayall, who understood the time was right. «Both Albert and John pushed me out of the nest nice and easy,» says Coco . Although he was nervous about the move, Montoya put a band together and hit the road, proving himself night after night. His debut as a leader, 1995’s Gotta Mind To Travel (originally on Silvertone Records in England and later issued in the USA on Blind Pig Records), became an instant favorite with blues fans, radio programmers and critics. The album introduced Montoya as a bandleader who immediately ranked among the best players on the contemporary blues scene. In 1996, he was nominated for four W.C. Handy Awards and walked away with the award for Best New Blues Artist.
In 2000, Coco ‘s Alligator debut, Suspicion, quickly became the best-selling album of his career. With regular radio airplay on over 120 stations nationwide, Montoya’s fan base exploded. The record held the number one position on the Living Blues radio chart for three straight months. And it landed on the Billboard Blues Chart for 11 weeks in a row, peaking at number 11.
Averaging over 200 tour dates a year, Montoya packs clubs and theaters around the world. He has played major festivals throughout the US . It’s no coincidence that publications from The Philadelphia Daily News to Blues Revue to Living Blues to The Village Voice all rank Coco among the best guitarists and singers on the blues scene. With Can’t Look Back and continued non-stop touring, Coco Montoya is blasting head first into the future, and he’s bringing everyone along for the fiery, blues-rocking ride.
Vetrhus Bluesband (N)
Helge Tverdal, Vokal – Daniel J. Kambestad, Munnspill – Kjell A. Bauge, Gitar- Kjetil Huus, Bass – Bjørn Moe, Trommer.
”Har du hørt det? Vetrhus kommer til by’n, Norges råeste party bluesband kommer… Her er det bare å skaffe seg billetter fort som fillern for her blir det liv og stemning gjennom taket”
I 1991 ble Vetrhus født. På en gammel husmannsgård oppi Odda dalen kunne man en sen vinternatt høre de første skrikene og med litt velvilje kanskje begynnelsen på en gitarsolo og et trommebrekk, de første skrittene ble gjort i tunet, og Vetrhus vokste raskt, treningsgrunnlaget ble gjort i en gammel silo, som fungerte som øvingslokalet.
I dag er Vetrhus blitt et voksent band som har tatt de Norske blues scener med storm, bandet har en egen evne til å ”fange” sitt publikum og ta de med seg på en tur gjennom sin heftige, råe og energiske musikk verden. Vetrhus viser en ekte entusiasme og spilleglede fra scenen som du sent vil glemme, det er praktisk talt umulig å sitte rolig på stolen når Vetrhus-toget kommer opp i stor fart, og det skjer fra første låt. Dei har hatt stor suksess før på Skånevik Bluesfestival og i år spelar dei på dei legendariske Bluescruisa på Skåneviksfjorden.
Vetrhus har besøkt flere av de store festivalene Norge, Notodden, Hell og Bragdøya for å nevne noen. Flere av bluesklubbene har også lært de trivelige karene fra Odda å kjenne. Bandet har høstet gode kritikker både live og på plate, og er flittig spilt på landsdekkende radio, Vetrhus har også spilt live på Radio p4
Vetrhus har i dag sin beste besetning noen gang, og på en konsert med Vetrhus kan du oppleve individualister i halsbrekkende stunt samtidig som du kan oppleve driv og samspill av ypperste klasse. Det kan ofte bli litt ”sirkus” men det er tøft og rått, akkurat sånn som vi liker det.
Da er du herved ønsket velkommen til en forrykende kveld med Vetrhus. Gjør som alle andre og ta deg en tur med Vetrhus-toget, en tur du sent vil glemme.
Billy Boy Arnold (US)
Få bluesartistar frå Chicago har vore meir engasjert på byens bluesscener enn Billy Boy Arnold. Arnold lærte å spela hamonika av Sonny Boy Williamson på slutten av 40 – åra, før han var teenåring. Han spelar i dag både moderne blues-rock og eldre bluesformer og opptrer på mange bluesfestivalar rundt om i USA, Europa og Australia. Med CD-en “Back where I Belong” fikk han strålande omtale av mange renommerte musikktidsskrift. Vi ser fram til å oppleva han under festivalen i sommar.
Les meir…
Billy Boy Arnold is back. With his 1992 Alligator Records debut, BACK WHERE I BELONG (AL 4815), Arnold firmly reestablished himself as one of the foremost practitioners of classic Chicago blues. His wailing harmonica playing and soulful vocals are a perfect match for his streetwise songwriting. The combination of Delta-influenced blues with a more urban sophistication not only defines Arnold ‘s sound, but was also a significant contribution in the early, formative days of rock and roll. His early work with Bo Diddley and his highly influential singles in the late 1950s (including I Wish You Would and I Ain’t Got You), brought him some local attention, but he never received the recognition he rightly deserved. Now, with his new release, ELDORADO CADILLAC (AL 4836), he shows that he is not only back where he belongs, he is back to stay. ELDORADO CADILLAC’s 13 songs, including nine Arnold originals, feature his «wah wah» harmonica style, smooth vocals and colorful lyrics. The album kicks off with a hard-edged reinvention of Arnold ‘s VeeJay hit, I Ain’t Got You. He moves effortlessly from the warnings of Don’t Stay Out All Night to the sound advice of My Mama Told Me to the braggadocio of Man Of Considerable Taste to the smooth, sophisticated vocals on It Should Have Been Me and Sunny Road . Along with a tough backing band (featuring fellow Alligator recording artist Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin on guitar), Arnold is in the driver’s seat, and he’s riding his Eldorado Cadillac right into blues stardom.
Billy Boy Arnold was born in Chicago on September 16, 1935. Unlike the many blues artists who migrated to Chicago from the South, Arnold is among the first generation of bluesmen actually born and raised in the city. He fell in love with the blues at an early age and was especially moved by the records of the first Sonny Boy Williamson. In 1948, young Billy found out that Williamson lived nearby, and he set out to find him. «To me, this was a burning desire-I wanted to be like Sonny Boy,» recalls Billy. Williamson took a liking to the young fan and revealed his trademark style of «choking» the harp to Billy. Shortly after their third visit together, Williamson met his untimely death. But the few visits were enough to make Billy determined to become a bluesman. In the ensuing years, Arnold befriended many of the local blues legends, and he began to learn everything he could about the blues. Blind John Davis, Big Bill Broonzy, Memphis Minnie, Muddy Waters, Johnny Jones, Johnny Shines, Otis Rush, Little Walter, and Earl Hooker all played a part in Arnold ‘s musical education.
In 1952, the teenaged Billy landed his first recording contract with Chicago ‘s Cool label. It wasn’t until his first record came out (I Ain’t Got No Money b/w Hello Stranger ) under the name «Billy Boy Arnold» that he realized he had a nickname. «I didn’t like it at first,» recalls Billy Boy. «I was 17 and looked 15 but told people I was 19, so I didn’t want to be known as a boy. I wanted to be a man.» Though the recording was admittedly immature, the name stuck, and Billy Boy Arnold was on his way.
While still a teenager, Arnold hooked up with a young street musician/electronics buff named Ellis McDaniel (Bo Diddley) who fashioned an amplifier for Billy Boy out of an orange crate. Billy Boy eventually talked Diddley into auditioning for Chess Records. In 1955, with Billy Boy playing his signature «stop time» harmonica, Diddley scored the first of his many hits for Chess with Bo Diddley/I’m A Man . The future looked very bright, but Billy Boy didn’t want to be a sideman. He wanted to make records under his own name.
After a misunderstanding with Leonard Chess (Bo Diddley told Arnold that Leonard didn’t like him), Arnold crossed the street to the offices of VeeJay Records, where he was promptly signed. He recorded I Wish You Would (reportedly the first blues session to feature an electric bass), and it quickly became a regional hit. He was playing across the South Side of Chicago with stars like Little Walter and Junior Wells, and local radio airplay for his song was heavy. Even the great Muddy Waters took a liking to the young bluesman. «You made a good record,» Waters said of I Wish You Would. «You keep on making those good records.» And that’s just what Billy Boy did: I Ain’t Got You, She’s Fine, She’s Mine and Prisoner’s Plea followed. Although only 20 years old, Billy Boy Arnold had arrived.
Arnold continued to play the Chicago clubs and record 45s throughout the late 1950s. His debut album, 1963’s MORE BLUES FROM THE SOUTH SIDE for the Prestige label, remains a classic. But the gigs began to dry up, and the difficulty of raising a family and keeping a band together led Arnold to pursue a career as a Chicago bus driver and truant officer and later as a parole officer for the State of Illinois . By the middle of the 1960s, the first generation of British blues bands were taking notice of Arnold ‘s talent-his VeeJay singles became valued collectors’ items among the musicians. The Yardbirds and The Animals each had hits with Billy Boy’s songs. Later, The Blasters and David Bowie both covered his material. All of this interest led Billy Boy to tour and record in Europe (and play the occasional U.S. festival gig) during the 1970s, 1980s and into the 1990s.
With the release of BACK WHERE I BELONG in 1992, Billy Boy Arnold enjoyed the greatest success of his career. «Billy Boy Arnold delivers the goods,» exclaimed the Los Angeles Daily News. «Highly recommended,» agreed Jazz Times. «Triumphant,» added Billboard. Features and reviews ran in magazines and newspapers from coast to coast and in Europe , including Rolling Stone, Audio, CD Review, Living Blues, Blues & Rhythm, The Chicago Tribune, and The Washington Post . Everyone agreed. Billy Boy Arnold had created an album of songs that not only equaled the strength of his early hits, but indeed surpassed them in their maturity and execution.
The strength of BACK WHERE I BELONG brought Arnold back into the public eye. Since the album’s release, he’s played clubs and major festivals in the United States and Europe, including England ‘s Burnley Blues Fest; Germany ‘s Breminale Blues Fest; the Montreal Jazz Fest; Norway ‘s Notodden Blues Fest; Toledo ‘s Rock, Rhythm and Blues Fest; the Chicago Blues Fest; the Poconos Blues Fest; and the Long Island Blues Fest. Performance after performance, Arnold has delighted old fans and made scores of new ones. Eagerly, everyone waited for Arnold ‘s next move.
With ELDORADO CADILLAC, the wait is over, and Arnold ‘s fans will not be disappointed. His singular harmonica playing and silky vocals – not to mention his songwriting talents – place him at the forefront of classic Chicago blues artists. Finally back where he belongs, this bluesman is prepared to take his music to more people than ever before. So sit back and enjoy the ride-and leave the driving to Billy Boy Arnold.
Harmonica player considered a giant by blues aficianados. Associated, over his long career, with his teacher «Sonny Boy» Williamson, Junior Wells (at whose funeral he played an epitaph) & Little Walter. This musician — who plays in both contemporary blues/rock and old-style settings — was the source of mid-1950s Vee-Jay classics «I Wish You Would» and «I Ain’t Got You.» Arnold also worked with Bo Diddley, Earl Hooker, and Howlin’ Wolf.
No Cash (N)
”No Cash” er mer enn en hyllest til den nå avdøde legenden – Johnny Cash. Det er like mye en hyllest til det sound Sam Philips skapte rundt Sun Studio i Memphis på 50- og 60-tallet. ”No Cash” er også en hyllest til akustisk musikk. Nakent, minimalistiske og ærlig fremført på ståbass, gitar, munnspill og vaskebrett. Topper man dette med norske tekster – basert på livets harde realiteter – skrevet av Rune Myhren – så får man ”No Cash”. Myhren har krydret Cash sin musikk med norske tekster med titler som: ”Følsom Person”, ”Jeg Lever”, ”Dame I Nød”, ”Det Er Ingen Fare” og ”Fred”.
Rune Myhren …..Vokalist og munnspiller Rune Myhren startet sin musikalske karriere i 1990. Myhren er inspirert av store munnspillere som Big Walter Horton, Rice «Sonny Boy 2» Miller og George «Harmonica» Smith. Myhren har turnert og delt scene med store bluesartister som Bob Margolin, James Harman , Snooky Pryor, Mel Brown, Mark Hummel , RJ Mischo , Billy Branch, Terry Hanck, Gary Primich , Junior Watson og Lazy Lester. Myhren har gitt ut 2 kritikerroste CD’er med sitt band – Myhrens Dam – “Sampled Minds” (2004) og “60 Days Of Passion” (2006). Oppnådde 5. plass på Norsktoppen i august 2006 med sin egen låt – ”Passion Train”.
Glenn Håvard Gran ….fast gitarist i Noise Pollution og Myhrens Dam. Glenn er en glimrende bluesgitarist som i studio i Austin, Texas under Innspillingen av plata – ”60 Days Of Passion” fikk produsent Gary Primich og Fabulous Thunderbirds pianist, Gene Taylor til å øse med superlativene. Glenn er også en glimrende country-gitarist og kanskje en av den beste i Norge til å tolke gitarstilen til Elvis’ originale gitarist – Scotty Moore.
Ole Martin Røsten ….etter min og manges mening en av de største bassist-talenter Norge har sett. Under en konsert på Muddy Waters i desember 2006 stod musikere som Bill Troiani og Amund Maarud stumme av beundring for denne 20-åringen som allerede spiller ståbass i rå Lee Rocker – stil. En meget spennende person som virkelig kommer til sin rett i No Cash – konseptet. I et herlig driv skaper han hele kompet i et stilrent Sun Studio – sound.
Jody Williams ( US )
Arkitekten til elektrisk blues gitar, Jody Williams blei med i Howlin’ Wolf sitt band tidleg i 50-åra og seinare leia han Bo Diddley sitt band. Som den første store bluesgitaristen frå Chicago bygde han bru mellom stilen til B.B. King og T-Bone Walker og yngre krefter som Otis Rush og Buddy Guy, som begge var inspirert av Williams. Han blei ein svært mykje nytta gitarist ved innspelingar gjort i Chicago og ein meister av den såkalla Chicago Blues –gitarstilen. Jodi Williams har fått fleire prisar, m.a. ein WC Handy Award i 2003. Du kan oppleva hans strålande gitarspell og engasjerte stemme under Skånevik Bluesfestival i sommar.
Biografi
«The first great stringbender on the Chicago blues scene, Williams provided the stylistic bridge between B.B. King and T-Bone Walker and young firebrands Otis Rush and Buddy Guy, both of whom wholeheartedly absorbed his innovations»
– Bill Dahl
«Williams comes back armed with a tone and a style that’ll turn your head around.»
– Guitar Player Magazine
The term «legend» is bandied about generously these days. It seems like the mere act of living to a ripe old age is enough to earn this handle all by itself.
In the case of blues guitarist Jody Williams, however, the «legendary» mantle is entirely and gloriously justified. As the first great string bender on the Chicago blues scene, he provided the stylistic bridge between B.B. King and T-Bone Walker (two of his principle influences) and young firebrands Otis Rush and Buddy Guy, both of whom wholeheartedly absorbed his innovations and licks as they modernized the idiom.
As a key Chicago session-guitarist during the 50’s whose singular tone, imaginative chord changes, and boundless creativity set him well apart from his peers, Jody added the essential guitar fire to some of the era’s greatest blues recordings: Bo Diddley’s Who Do You Love, Howlin’ Wolf’s Forty Four, Billy Boy Arnold’s I Wish You Would, and his own shimmering minor key instrumental Lucky Lou. You can hear echoes of Jody in Carlos Santana and Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green, and his impact extends to a legion of contemporary bluesmen on the scene.
Jody was a prolific studio musician during the mid-to-late 1950’s. He invigorated Bo Diddley’s voodoo-laced 1956 Checker smash Who Do You Love with a barrage of scalding fretwork. Williams’ slashing axe graced sessions with Jimmy Rogers (One Kiss), Floyd Dixon (Alarm Clock Blues), Jimmy Witherspoon (Ain’t Nobody’s Business), Otis Rush (Groaning The Blues), and Billy Boy Arnold (I Ain’t Got You).
Williams’ studio debut as a leader came at the end of 1955 with two authoritative upbeat vocals, Lookin’ For My Baby and Easy Lovin’ for Chicago deejay Al Benson’s Blue Lake logo with Willie Dixon slapping the bass. At the top of 1957, Williams cut his two-sided classic Lucky Lou b/w You May for Chess’ Argo label. Lucky Lou’s startling melody line was the inspiration for the blazing intro to Otis Rush’s classic All Your Love (I Miss Loving), cut the following year for Cobra Records. Jody kept busy during the early 1960’s but by the late 60’s he was tired of getting short changed on recognition and financial rewards, and he had a family to support. He stopped playing the guitar, stopped going to clubs, stopped listening to music. In a strange twist of irony, Williams the guitarist that everyone copied, took a job as an engineer for the Xerox Corporation.
In 2002 he emerged from retirement with the Dick Shurman produced album Return of A Legend which became the vehicle to re-launch his career. Legend received a 2003 WC Handy Award for Comeback Album of the Year, and Williams was heralded by Living Blues readers and critics as «Best Guitarist» for that year.
In 2004 he released «You Left Me In The Dark.» Williams once again teamed up with producer Dick Shurman to record material that continues to show his strength as a songwriter and a master of the Chicago Blues guitar style. Living Blues voted Jody Williams «Best Guitarist» and «You Left Me In The Dark» as «Best Contemporary Blues» recording in the 2005 Critics poll.
Mira Craig (N)
På kort tid har Mira Craig ein av dei mest suksessfulle artistane i Norge. Etter to hit singlar blei hennar debutalbum ”Mira Mira” gitt ut i januar 2006. Den fikk svært flotte kritikkar, høge listeposisjonar og den har snart seld til gull. Ho blei Årets nykommar ved ved utdelinga av Alarmprisen i 2006 og ho har opptredd ved store prisutdelsinghow som Nordic Music Awards og Spelemannsprisen. Mira Craig blei genierklært av musikkpressa for sin urbane og verdsomspennande blandingsstil. Musikken er ei genial blanding av mange stilartar m. a. R&B, Hip Hop, Keiso og norsk og japansk folkemusikk! Ho har alt imponert internasjonale stjerner som Wyclef Jean og Snoop Dog. Under Quartfestivalen i 2001 song ho duett med Wyclef Jean og ho har opptredd saman med Fugees på deira Europaturne i fjor. Ho syng ogå med Snoop Dogg på ei av hans plater.
Ho er verkeleg eit multitalent som skriv og produserer sine eigne songar, designer sine klede, lagar sine eigne videoar, er koreograf til sin dans og har sitt eige plateselskap Homemade Records. Mira Craig er også ei suksessrik forretningskvinne. Ho er halvt norsk og halvt amerikansk. Torsdag 5. juli kjem ho til Skånevik Bluesfestival for å laga eit forrykande show.
Biografi ( frå websida som er på engelsk )
In a short period of time Mira Craig has become one of the most successful artists in Norway. After two hit singles, her debut album «Mira Mira» was released January 2006, to marvelous critics, top chart positions and it has soon sold to gold. She won «Newcomer of the year» at the annual Alarm awards and performed at other at other big award shows like Nordic Music Awards and Spelleman Awards.
Mira Craig was declared a musical genius by the Norwegian press for her urban, exotic and worldwide mixed sound. It’s filled with voodoo, witch hunts, snake charmers and headhunters manifested in crunk, bounce, r&b, hip hop, keiso, soca, dancehall, and Norwegian and Japanese folk music. She steps in beats and makes samples with her voice, sings high and seductive and low and ruff. The album has a diverse and original sound that she describes as dreamy tribal.
Mira Craig has already impressed big stars like Wyclef Jean and Snoop Dogg. She sang a duet with Wyclef at the Quarts festival in 2001, supported Fugees on their recent European Tour, and she recorded a song with Snoop Dogg on his «Welcome to the chuuch – Da Album» that was released worldwide in December 2005. Snoop Dogg even used one of Mira’s own songs on the compilation. A song called «Dinner in Bed».
The multitalented artist not only writes and produces her own songs, she designs her own clothes, does her own artwork and videos, makes all her dance choreography, and is releasing her album through her own record company, Homemade Records. She is a very intelligent and successful business woman indeed.
Mira Craig is half Norwegian, half American. She is mixed, half black and half white. Her musical path started already as a young child and by the age of 12 she worked as a singer and actress for a year in a youth television show (á la the Mickey Mouse club) for the national public broadcasting company NRK. At the age of 15 she had started writing songs and she signed a contract with a management and went on tour with a known Norwegian recording artist. Ever since then she has been working with music, films and clothing design.
She has had a big hit in Trinidad and Tobago and she is currently releasing her third single in Norway and her first single in Sweden. She is also starting the production of her new clothing line. Look out for this girl!
Caligvla’s Sisters (N)
Caligvla’s Sisters så dagens lys tidlig i januar 2005 i en skitten kjeller i den lille bygda Etne i Hordaland. De startet som en trio som spilte skeiv og sprø 4-stroke rock fra helvete, og hadde sin første konsert på den lokale saloonen påsken samme år. Dette ble til alles store forundring en stor suksess, og blendet av dette ble bassisten til gitarist og ny bassist kom til de var nå en kvartett. Bandet spilte på alt fra fritidsklubber til utesteder frem mot det store gjennombruddet: Festival Fønix august 2005 hvor de var support for WE.
Siste halvdel av 2005 ble brukt til mer låtsnekring og finsliping av materiale for studioinnspilling i desember, men dette håpet ble knust til pinneved da studioet de skulle bruke brant ned på selveste åpningsdagen.
Men bandet ble ikke stoppet lenge og benyttet 2006 til å dra iland en jobb på RockFest 2006 i Haugesund, med band som Kent, Battered, Mira Craig, Thomas Dybdahl m.fl på plakaten. Da de ikke lenger var SÅ skeive gjorde de også stor suksess der sammen med The Goo Men på Høvleriet og begynte å legge planer for studio seinere den sommeren.
«Seinere den sommeren» ble fort til «tidlig høst», og det igjen sein høst og tilslutt var det blitt overgangen oktober/november før gutta fikk gå inn i nye ABC-studio i Etne som første band sammen med produsent Stig Morten Sørhem (Big Bang, National Bank, Bertine Z, Marit Larsen m.fl). Men nå hadde trommisen takket for seg til fordel for studier i Stavanger, så gitaristen måtte nå fortsette sin ferd videre til neste instrument. Bandet var nå altså tilbake som trio og måtte forføre ei lokal trommedronning på 16 år for å gjennomføre releaskonsert 29.desember 2006. Riktignok gikk dette over all forventning og bandet kvittet seg med 20% av opplaget allerede FØR det var kommet tilbake fra fabrikken.
Nå er vi i 2007 og bandet jobber igjen med en ny, dedikert og dyktig trommis og har en rykende fersk EP i lomma som nettopp har ankommet fra turne fra mastring hos Lydmuren og trykking hos Sonopress,Tyskland.
Sjangermessig er det en klisje å si at vi ikke høres ut som noen andre; det gjør vi nok men vi har dessverre store problemer med å sette ord på det selv. Andre har sagt en kryssning mellom Placebo/Astroburger/Jon Spencer Blues Explotion m.m. Vi får ta deres ord for det og dere kan gjerne gjøre opp deres egen mening.
Bandet er anbefalt av NRK Urørt, og låta «First Lover» er blitt spilt på radio til meget god anmeldelse av Ingrid Steiro Lægreid på Urørt tirsdag 19.desember 2006.
I tillegg har en av våre låter blitt brukt i en reklamefilm for Vero Moda i Trondheim, og samme sang skal også benyttes i en ekstremsportDVD om wakeboard som skal gis ut i 2007.
Bandet består av:
Jan Terje Rafdal – vokal /gitar
Vegar Øyfoss – gitar /vokal
Sølve Storm Opdal – bass/vokal
Kim Rune Lund – trommer
Randy Pavlock ( US )
Denne unge songaren og gitaristen kjem frå Texas. Han har opptredd saman med mange kjende artistar og på kjende bluesarrangement. For to år sidan gjorde han stor suksess ved House Of Blues på Skånevik Bluesfestival. I år kjem han saman med nytt band. Randy gir alltid sitt beste for publikum slik at dei skal få ei flott oppleving. Her er eit bilete frå hans konsert i Skånevik i 2005.
Kort biografi
– Randy Pavlock has been heard all throughout Texas. His last CD ‘Hard Times ‘ which started as a demo, grew to the attention of all of the supporting fans, and has made air time on many radio stations such as Blues Deluxe Radio. From the hard work and dedication he pours out on stage, Randy Pavlock truly is a master of the blues!
Randy Pavlock was raised in Navasota, a small east Texas town that is home to the late blues legend, Mance Lipscomb. Randy became inspired by a variety of teachers such as Mance Lipscomb, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Albert King, Arron «T-Bone» Walker, Robert Johnson, Freddie King, Eric Clapton, Buddy Holly, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, John Fogerty, Jimi Hendrix, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Magic Slim, Otis Rush, Lightning Slim, John Hammond, Eddie Jones «Guitar Slim», Willie Dixon, Robert Cray, Clarence «Gatemouth» Brown , and Riley B King «B.B King» and the list goes on. Randy’s own style and tremendous amount of compassion for what he does spreads from his whole being and captures his audience by engaging them in a truly rare and electrifying experience.
This young blues guitarist has performed in many Texas venues such as the famous Antone’s, Steamboat, Joe’s Generic Bar, 311 Club, Billy Blues, Third Floor Cantina, and more. Randy has played with members from the West Side Horns, and performed opening acts for Grady ( Chris Layton ), Crackerjack ( Tommy Shannon ) Omar and the Howlers, The Keller Brothers, Ruthie Foster, Del Castillo, The Platters, to name a few.
Nisse Hellberg (S)
Den 4 oktober släppte Nisse Hellberg sitt tredje soloalbum ”Snackbar blues” som nu legat parkerat på försäljningslistans topp 20 i imponerande 18 veckor och snart passerat 30.000 sålda album..
Den här gången var tanken att återvända till kärnan av rock’n’roll genom att bilda ett litet kompakt band med ståbas i centrum. Låtarna kommer musikaliskt sett från alla möjliga håll såsom blues, country, pop m.m., men idén var att det hela tiden skulle hållas ihop av ett konsekvent sound.
Producent har varit samme Chips Kiesbye som 2005 stod bakom listettan med Wilmer X-albumet ”13 våningar upp”.
Under hösten genomförde Nisse 30 konserter och tanken var sedan att fortsätta turnérandet under sommaren. Väntan blev dock för lång. Redan nu börjar det rycka i turnénerven och därför har det stoppats in några konsert- och klubbgig i väntan på en omfattande sommarturné.
Vidar Busk (N)
Thorbjørn Risager Blue 7 (DK)
Thorbjørn Risager er et av Danmarks største og mest markante bluesnavn. Han har markert seg sterkt på den skandinaviske bluesscenen i mange år. I 2005 ble Risager kåret til årets danske bluesnavn.
I bandet Blue 7 står Risager i front for sitt absolutte yndlingslag – bestående av erfarne musikerne. Alle med et høyt teknisk nivå. Det som likevel karakteriserer Blue 7 best er nok den sjel og nerve alle bidrar med.
Bandet spiller både originalt materiale og nye arrangementer av gamle R&B-klassikere. Stilen er inspirert av 50- og 60-tallets R&B, krydret med en god porsjon New Orelans secondline.
Thorbjørn Risager, vokal/gitar / Emil Balsgaard, piano/orgel / Kasper Wagner, tenor/altsax / Peter Kehl, trompet / Søren Bøjgaard, bass / Martin
Les meir på dansk frå deira webside
Historien om Thorbjørn Risager og hans band er historien om succés. De kom fra… ja, ikke just intetsteds, men fra den lokale Københavnske bluesscene, og med hjælp fra deres tidligere live-CD, inspillet direkte ned på bånd på en lokal klub, slyngede de sig ud i den internationale bluesverden. Fra maj til oktober 2006 er de booket på festivaller og klubber i 8 lande, og dette er kun begyndelsen. Kun fremtiden kan fortælle hvor langt de vil nå…
Dette er et ekstraordinært orkester på mange måder. Deres karismatiske sanger Thorbjørn Risager anses som en af Danmarks bedste sangere, med en enestående bluesy og soulful stemme. Han er også en exceptionel komponist, og hans kraftfulde guitarfills balancerer hans sangfraser perfekt. Præcis som resten af sine musikere leverer han soli på højt niveau, dynamiske og fulde af nerve og nærvær.
Dette er ikke noget almindeligt bluesband, eftersom en stor del af deres repertoire er klassisk, New Orleansinspireret 50- og 60-tals R&B – selvom det meste er skrevet af Thorbjørn, alene eller med nogen i bandet. Men det er bestemt heller ikke noget almindeligt R&B-band! De kommer med et seriøst og dybt ”statement”, og de har opdateret traditionen ved at skabe deres egen meget personlige version af den, med en kraft og energi som både får rummet att ryste og går ind i sjælen og hjertet på enhver lytter.
På Copenhagen Blues Festival 2005 blev Thorbjørn kåret som Årets Danske Bluesnavn. Og live-CD’en har åbnet dørene til mange steder eftersom energien hos dette band er så åbenbar, allerede fra guitarintroen på første nummer.
Den nye CD, ”FROM THE HEART” produceret af den legendariske Billy Cross, bør sende dem mange trin videre i deres karriere. Med 80 % originalkompositioner, som inkluderer kraftfuld soulblues med hit potentiale, kan dette band nå meget langt.
BluesCritic.com skriv om denne CD -en m.a.:
… Sometimes a singer’s voice just stands out and forces you to listen. Take one part Ray Charles, one part Bob Seger and one part Joe Cocker and you may have the vocal instrument of Denmark’s Thorbjorn Risager. His «From The Heart» (****) is as auspicious a debut as one could hope for. Actually the band did drop a 2005 live CD but this record is ripe for international applause.
A crunchy guitar riff introduces «Love Turned Cold», a John Lennon-esque rocker, with Risager bellowing from the back of his throat plus a crisp production by Billy Cross. It’s one of three surefire hits on the record. Track three is the smoldering midtempo Soul/Blues «Burning Up» augmented by Kasper Wagner’s sax and Andreas Biilmann’s trumpet and a catchy guitar hook while track 6 «Heart Of The Night» is a stunning Soul ballad- the kind Ray Charles Used to deliver. Fantastic. All three were written by Risager in addition to the Blues shuffle «You Can Have It Your Way», the slow blues «Ain’t Gonna Turn My Back On You» and a few others. The band lays down a couple cover tunes for good measure including the classic jump blues «Roll ‘Em Pete» (piano by Emil Balsgaard) and Don Nix’ «Same Old Blues». Ten tracks without a dud in the bunch, «From The Heart» is sizzling with Soul….
Shemekia Copeland ( US )
Shemekia Copland er ein av dei verklege store kvinnelege bluesartistane i verda i dag. Ho er ung og framfører alle typar blues og soul på ein fyrrig måte. Ho er alt ei ekte blues diva, sjølv om ho berre er 28 år.
Ho har alt ma. vunne tre W. C. Handy Blues – prisar og har vore nominert til Grammy Prisen. Dette ”fyrverkeriet” av ein artist har stått på scenen m.a. saman med store artistar som BB King, Ruth Brown og Dr. John og gjort stor suksess. I løpet av sitt unge liv har ho alt etablert seg blant dei beste blues – soulsongarane. Mange blueselskarar har samanlikna henne med store artistar som Etta James, Koko Taylor, Aretha Franklin og Ruth Brown. Det er ikkje mange som blir før dei er fylt 30 år.
Shemekia og BB King
på Late Night With David Letterman
Ho er fødd i Harlem i New York i 1979 og far hennar var den kjende Texas-bluesgitaristen Johnny Clyde Copeland. ”Far visste frå alt då eg var baby at eg skulle bli songar, men eg blei ikkje klar over det før eg var ca. 15 år.” – har Shemekia sagt fleire gonger. Då ho alt som 18 åring ga ut sin første CD ”Turn The Heat Up” – starta ho på ei kometaktig karriere. Ho blei straks utpeika som eit uvanleg talent.
Kort biografi
When singing sensation Shemekia Copeland first appeared on the scene in 1997 with her groundbreaking debut CD, TURN THE HEAT UP, she quickly became, at 18 years old, a roots music superstar. Critics from around the country celebrated Shemekia’s music as fans of all ages agreed that an unstoppable new talent had arrived. Shemekia released two more CDs: 2000’s Grammy©-nominated WICKED and 2002’s TALKING TO STRANGERS (produced by Dr. John), and in that short period of time, collected five Blues Music Awards, a Grammy© nomination, five Living Blues Awards, and was honored with the coveted «Talent Deserving Wider Recognition» Award by the DownBeat Critics’ Poll. Rock legend Robert Plant called her «the next Tina Turner.» Shemekia has already had a lifetime’s worth of career highlights, including performances on national television, appearances in films, and sharing stages with some of the biggest names in the music world.
But all of this popular attention has only been a precursor for what is to come. Her new CD, aptly titled, THE SOUL TRUTH, is the funkiest, deepest, and most exciting statement yet from the woman CNN calls, «a legend in the making.» Produced by renowned Stax guitarist Steve Cropper (who also adds his stellar guitar playing to the CD), the album is steeped in the spirit of classic Memphis soul but, at the same time, is a contemporary and up-to-the-minute slice of life. Featuring Shemekia’s powerful, emotional vocals over a blistering band with horns punching in all the right places, THE SOUL TRUTH is a tour-de-force of rock, soul and blues. From the funk and fervor of Breakin’ Out to the timely question of Who Stole My Radio? to the rock-powered Givin’ Up You, THE SOUL TRUTH tells it like it is, with deep emotion, forceful beats and music that is satisfying, original and memorable.
Born in Harlem, New York in 1979, Shemekia came to her singing career slowly. «I never knew I wanted to sing until I got older,» says Copeland. «But my dad knew ever since I was a baby. He just knew I was gonna be a singer.» Her father, the late Texas blues guitar legend Johnny Clyde Copeland, recognized his daughter’s talent early on. He always encouraged her to sing at home and even brought her on stage to sing at Harlem’s famed Cotton Club when she was just eight. At that time Shemekia’s embarrassment outweighed her desire to sing. But when she was 15 and her father’s health began to slow him down, she received the calling. «It was like a switch went off in my head,» recalls Shemekia, «and I wanted to sing. It became a want and a need. I had to do it.»
Shemekia’s passion for singing, matched with her huge, blast-furnace voice, gives her music the timeless power and heart-pounding urgency of a very few greats who have come before her. The media has compared her to a young Etta James, Koko Taylor, Aretha Franklin and Ruth Brown, but Shemekia – who was raised in the tough, urban streets of Harlem – has her own story to tell. Although schooled in Texas blues by her father, Shemekia’s music comes from deep within her soul and from the streets she grew up on, where a daily dose of city sounds – from street performers to gospel singers to blasting radios to bands in local parks – surrounded her.
With all this experience under her belt, 16-year-old Shemekia joined her father on his tours after he was diagnosed with a heart condition. Soon enough Shemekia was opening, and sometimes even stealing, her father’s shows. «She grabbed the crowd with her powerful voice, poised and intense,» raved Blues Revue at the time. Eventually, though, it became clear to Shemekia who was helping whom. «Dad wanted me to think I was helping him out by opening his shows when he was sick, but really, he was doing it all for me. He would go out and do gigs so I would get known. He went out of his way to get me that exposure,» recalls Shemekia.
Shemekia stepped out of her father’s shadow in 1998 when Alligator released TURN THE HEAT UP to massive popular and critical acclaim. Rave reviews ran everywhere from Billboard to The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Sun-Times, The Boston Globe, Emerge and many others. «Nothing short of uncanny,» said The Village Voice. «She roars with a sizzling hot intensity,» shouted The Boston Globe. She appeared in the motion picture Three To Tango, and her song I Always Get My Man was featured in another Hollywood film, Broken Hearts Club. She even guested on the television program Early Edition.
In 2000 she returned with WICKED. Almost immediately the young singer was in great demand at radio, television and in the press. The opening song, It’s 2:00 A.M., won the Blues Music Award for Song Of The Year, and the album was nominated for a Grammy© Award. She appeared twice on Late Night With Conan O’Brien, and also performed on National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition and the CBS Saturday Early Show. In November 2001, she appeared on Austin City Limits to an enthusiastic live audience and on television to millions more old and new fans all across the country.
With her Dr. John-produced follow-up, TALKING TO STRANGERS, Shemekia again turned up the heat, with far-reaching material treading the ground where blues and soul meet rock and roll. The album debuted in the #1 spot on the Billboard Blues Chart and received critical praise all around the world. The Associated Press declared, «Copeland blazes through TALKING TO STRANGERS with fervor and grace. Her singing can be as thunderous as Etta James and as mellow as Chaka Khan.» Vibe agreed, saying, «TALKING TO STRANGERS is a masterful blend of ballsy rockers and cheeky ballads.» Features and reviews ran in The Washington Post, Billboard, Essence, Vibe, USA Today, DownBeat, Ebony and many other national and regional publications. She appeared on the Late Show With David Letterman (along with B.B. King), was featured in the Martin Scorsese-produced c
Gene Taylor (US/B)
Gene Taylor har spelt keyboard og piano i Fabulous Thunderbirds sidan 1993. Han gjorde stor suksess ved Skånevik Bluesfestival i år 2000 saman med T-Birds. Han har også vore medlem av andre store band som Canned Heat og The Blasters. Alt som tenåring spelte han saman med bueslegender som Big Joe Turner, T-Bone Walker, Pee-Wee Cryton og Lowell Fulson. I oktober i fjor slutta han i T-Birds og flytta til Belgia. Under Skånevik Bluesfestival opptrer han saman med Paul Lamb og Johnny Augland i Paul Lamb & Gene Taylors Blues Revu ( UK/US/N). Dei har lova eit stort show ved House of Blues under festivalen.
Litt frå biografien
Gene Taylor began playing blues piano at a young age, influenced by a family of boogie-woogie players who lived next door. As a teenager he played around the Los Angeles area with such blues legends as Big Joe Turner, T-Bone Walker, Pee-Wee Crayton and Lowell Fulson.
Gene was a member of the band Canned Heat from 1974 to 1975. He also has played with Ronnie Hawkins, Rick Nelson and the Downchild Bluesband.
From 1981 until 1985 Gene was a member of The Blasters. He appeared on all their original recordings and reunited with The Blasters in 2003 for their European tour. Gene recorded a self-titled solo CD in 2003 on the Pacific Blues label. Gene also appears on The Blasters’ “Going Home-Live” DVD and CD, recorded in 2004.
Gene Taylor has been a member of The Fabulous Thunderbirds since 1993. Following the T-Birds recent tour of Europe, Gene has decided to make Belgium his new home and will be recording and touring in Europe beginning in late October.
Joe Bonamassa (US)
Alt som tolvåring fikk han glimrande kritikkar av m.a. BB King. I dag som 30-åring vert han rekna som ein av dei store fremadstormande blues-rockarane i USA. Han har alt gitt ut mange plater med stor suksess og har samarbeida med store bluesartistar og svært kjende produsentar. Han er rett og slett ein glitrande gitarist med ei flott stemme. I 2005 blei han enno ein gong kontakta av BB King for å opna hans ”80th Birthday Celebration Tour”.
På sitt siste album «You And Me» som kom ut i fjor spelar han rock og blues som er stekt inspirert av Peter Green, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton og John Lee Hooker. Når han entrer scena i landets største bluestelt den 6. juli kan vi forsikra oss om at bluesmusikken verkeleg har ei stor framtid!
Frå biografien
Born in upstate New York, Joe Bonamassa started playing guitar, on a short-scale Chiquita, at the age of four. By seven he had graduated to a full-scale model and a year later, he was playing the blues like a veteran. Says Bonamassa, «My father was a guitar dealer and player, so guitars were always around the house and part of my life. They were like chairs or tables, in that they were just as everyday.»
At ten, Joe began performing at local venues and at twelve, he was asked to open for B. B. King. The blues legend, after hearing Joe play for the first time, declared, «This kid’s potential is unbelievable. He hasn’t even begun to scratch the surface. He’s one of a kind.» King’s high regard for Joe would be echoed by other guitar greats the young performer would go on to work with, including Buddy Guy, Danny Gatton, Robert Cray and Stephen Stills.
While still in his teens, Joe met musician Berry Oakley, Jr., and together they put together the group Bloodline. Signed to EMI Records, their self-titled debut CD on EMI produced two chart hits, «Stone Cold Hearted» and «Dixie Peach,» both hard-driving fusions of blues, boogie, funk, and southern roadhouse rock. Following initial success, Bloodline eventually disbanded. Joe, realizing that he would need to do more than play guitar, began studying with a vocal coach.
In 2000, Joe finished work on his debut solo CD, A New Day Yesterday. With his newfound vocal confidence, the disc featured appearances by such respected players as Gregg Allman, Rick Derringer, and Leslie West. The CD’s producer, legendary Tom Dowd, had, in the course of his 25-year career at Atlantic Records, recorded with such greats as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, among countless others. Dowd quickly became a Joe fan and friend.
The memorable melodies and potent guitar work of A New Day Yesterday brought to mind the classic blues-based rock of Cream, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Jeff Beck Group, and the Allman Brothers Band. The CD included outstanding originals such as «Miss You, Hate You» and the slide guitar showcase «Cradle Rock,» along with a powerhouse version of the title song «A New Day Yesterday,» first recorded by Jethro Tull in 1969. Upon returning from the road in 2002, Bonamassa hooked up with Clif Magness (Avril Lavigne) to record the muscular and sweeping studio disc So, It’s Like That, which hit #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart multiple times. With its inspired fusion of classic blues and pop production, So, It’s Like That helped expand Bonamassa’s already impressive fan base.
To celebrate 2003 «Year of the Blues,» Bonamassa released Blues Deluxe, featuring nine cover versions of blues classics along with three originals. For years, fans had asked whether Joe would ever do a classic blues album. So when the So, It’s Like tour ended, Bonamassa entered the studio with producer Bob Held and engineer Gary Tole (David Bowie, Jimmy Vaughan, Bon Jovi) and recorded some of his favorite blues covers just to «blow off steam.» The resulting masters were so compelling that Bonamassa and his label decided to finish the record and release Blues Deluxe.
Around this time, Joe became involved with «Blues in the Schools,» a program developed by the Blues Foundation to help perpetuate the heritage and legacy of blues music to new generation of fans. The lectures take teenage students on a journey, tracing the evolution of blues music, from its birth among the field workers of the Delta during the late 1800’s up to the present day. The lectures are followed by a live performance by Bonamassa.
Bonamassa’s next CD, Had To Cry Today, continued where Blues Deluxe left off. Mixing original and classic blues, the CD incorporates influences of Chicago, Delta and British blues into something electrifying and wholly unique. From the 40’s and 50’s music of B.B. King, Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy, to the English invasion of the Yardbirds, Clapton and Cream, Had To Cry Today deftly elaborates on the many faces of one of modern music’s most influential genres.
In the summer of 2005, Bonamassa was personally asked by BB King to open for his landmark 80th Birthday Celebration Tour. A few months later in January 2006, Bonamassa, in recognition of efforts in promoting blues music through North America and Europe as well as his efforts with Blues in the Schools, was nominated as the youngest member of The Blues Foundation committee board.
Bonamassa’s latest CD, You and Me, is scheduled for a June 6, 2006 release. The new CD marks the debut collaboration of Bonamassa and producer Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, The Black Crowes, Aerosmith, Joe Satriani). Says South African-born Shirley: «When I was approached to work with Joe, I already knew he was an awesome talent, but I also knew I’d want to do something a little different from a straight blues album. There are a lot of very good blues players performing copycat versions of classics. I wanted more of a rock sound, and I wanted Joe to showcase his depth and versatility; his vocals as well as his incredible guitar playing.»
A powerful fusion of the «big rock sound» and swampy blues, You and Me gets much of its inspiration from such masters as Peter Green, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and John Lee Hooker. Bonamassa delivers all the excitement and power of his electrifying live performances while mixing it up with dynamic music choices; from hard to soft, electric to acoustic, a music roller coaster seldom achieved by recording artists today. Along with his ever-expanding vintage guitar collection, Bonamassa makes his home in Los Angeles.
The Waterboys ( GB )
VG ga konserten med The Waterboys under Norwegian Woods i år terningkast 6. Dei skriv m.a.: Mike Scott og hans venner tok ut alle de velkjente elementene – det aggressive raseriet og den lavmælte spenningen, de gode låtene og de krasse tekstene, den hjemlige (irske) musikktradisjonen og den nærmest episke feelgood-stemningen som oppstår når Waterboys bretter ut sin katalog av stolt frihetsrock.
Dette bandet kjem til Skånevik Bluesfestival torsdag den 5. juli. Du bør vera der for å oppleva folkrockbandet som også skapte ein ekstatisk stemning i Peer Gynt-salen i Grieghallen for berre nokre få månader sidan.
Frå Wikipedia
The Waterboys ble dannet i 1983 av Mike Scott, tidligere medlem av gruppen Another Pretty Face. Mike Scott har hele tiden vært kjernen i bandet og The Waterboys sin historie er egentlig Mike Scott sin musikalske reise gjennom ulike landskap, både musikalsk og geografisk, hvor ulike musikere har bidratt i korte og lengre intervaller. Reisen gikk både via Skotland, Irland, England, USA og musikalsk som Big Music, Rock and Roll, Keltisk Folk Music, Folkrock. Av de mest sentrale bidragsyterne til The Waterboys finner vi:
Anthony Thistlethwaite
Karl Wallinger (som senere startet bandet World Party)
Kevin Wilkinson
Steve Wickham
Richard Naiff
Hvorav de to siste nå utgjør kjernen av bandet sammen med Mike Scott.
Bandet startet innen Big Music med fullt trykk og blåsere og allerede i førstesporet December fra debut-lp’en Waterboys så slår Mike Scott an tonen for noe helt unikt i et allerede musikalsk stjernespekket tiår.
Bandets største hit var The Whole of the Moon i 1985 og etter sitt tredje album This is the Sea så seilte The Waterboys opp som bandet som kunne vippe U2 av tronen. Talentmessig kunne de også det men ulikt alle andre artister som griper sjansen til kommersiell suksess, så gikk Mike Scott i helt andre retninger. Alltid tro mot sin egen musikalske reise først, så snudde Mike Scott den engelske musikkbransjen/MTV ryggen men selv med den uro dette medførte så hadde enkelte plateselskaper fortsatt tro på bandet. Dette er tydelig med at (nesten) kun The Whole of the Moon ble innspilt som musikkvideo og vist på ulike musikk-kanaler.
Med mange nye musikere i idylliske omgivelser i Irland kom albumet Fisherman’s Blues i 1988 og en ny periode med irsk-inspirert folk rock begynte. Den ble senere avløst av mer spritistisk ladet musikk med albumet Dream Harder.
Etter et mislykket forsøk på å etablere seg i New York, så oppdaget Mike Scott det lille alternative samfunnet Findhorn i Skottland. Flytting og to nakne og selvransakende album ble resultatet av det. Igjen eksperimenterte Scott med andre genre og med ny tung fuzz og elektrisk lydbilde kom A rock in a Weary Land. Senere også albumet Universal Hall, som igjen markerte et stilskifte i musikken og fortsatt med siste utgivelse Book of Lightning.
The Waterboys har alltid vært et utmerket live-band, og Mike Scott sitt mål har vært at de aldri skal være repetetive. Derfor har spillelister og sanger vært i konstant endring, akkurat som The Waterboys selv. (navnet Waterboys henspiller også på noe dynamisk i evig endring; selv om en Waterboy var de guttene som løp med vann til lenkegjenger før i tiden). Dette har ført til at det alltid har vært en bra Bootleg-kultur rundt bandet med halv-offiselle utgivelser som fan-albumene Lion of Love, Sunflowers og en rekke konsertopptak av varierende kvaliteter og enkelte DVD’er med sjeldne TV-opptak eller promoteringsvideoer
Paul Rodgers ( GB )
Paul Rodgers er ein av rockens store stjerner. Han har seld meir enn 90 millionar plater og har skrive, spelt inn og gitt ut 28 album siden 1968 då han danna bandet Free. Seinare leda han m. a. legendariske Bad Company og The Firm. Han er både låtskrivar, vokalist og multi-instrumentalist. Han har opptredd saman med andre legender som Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Brain May, David Gilmour, Buddy Guy, Joe Walsh, Slash, Nils Lofgren, Charlie Watts, Bryan Adams, Motown’s Sam Moore & The Four Tops and others. I 2005 turnerte han og spelte inn eit album saman med Queen. Mange meiner at Paul Rodgers har ein av rokcens beste stemmer. Han stå bak rockeklassikarar som All Right Now, Feel Like Makin’ Love, Can’t Get Enoug» og Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy. Det er eit rockeikon som kjem til Skånevik Bluesfestival laurdag 7. juli. Vi er verkeleg stolte over å kunna presentera han for vårt store og kvalitetsbevisste publikum.
Everyone knows that Paul Rodgers is one of the greatest singers in the world. What they are only just waking up to is that there may never be another like him.»
– Mick Wall Classic Rock Magazine
Louisiana Red & The Blues Masters All Star Band (US/N)
Louisiana Red er ikkje berre ein spennande og dyktig bluesartist, han opplever sjølv bluesen gjennom sitt gitarspell og sin song. Han er ein av få artistar i dag som til fulle tar vare på det opprinnelege i Delta Bluesen. Gjennom si karriere som spenner over meir enn femti år har han spelt saman med dei fleste storleikane innan bluesmusikken. Mange vil sei at jammane saman med BB King og Muddy Waters har vore dei beste. Intensitet og entusiasme er svært viktige stikkord for alle LR sime framføringar. Det betyr ingen ting om scenen står føre 10.000 menneskje på ein stor festival, eller 100 personar i eit lite klubblokale. I sommar står denne dyktige artisten på scenen i Skånevik saman med The Blues Master All Star Band leda av Tor Einar «Dauman» Jacobsen. Louisiana Red har gitt ut mange CD’ar med gode kritikkar og han har vunne ein W.C. Handy Award for beste tradisjonelle bluesartist.
Kort frå biografien
The current blues scene in the U.S. and Europe is characterized by a wide variety of styles and musicians. However, as the years go passing by there are fewer and fewer artists left that were active during the formative years of blues music, those who participated in the development of the music.
Thus, it is all the more important and cause for celebration that there are still artists such as Louisiana Red.
Louisiana Red has lived the Blues. And Louisiana Red not only plays the Blues, he lives it through his guitar and his singing. Strongly influenced by Muddy Waters, Lightnin‘ Hopkins and Arthur Crudup, he has long ago found his own voice, his own style, his own form of expression.
When Red performs, the songs are often only launching pad for expressing his immediate feelings in the almost lost tradition of spontaneous composition that goes back to the original Delta Blues artists an even further to the West-African griot bards.
In a career spanning over half a century, Louisiana Red has played with just about every major bluesman you can name, some of the most memorable encounters being his jams with B.B.King and Muddy Waters.
But it doesn’t matter who he plays with or where he appears – Louisiana Red brings the same intensitiy and enthusiasm to every stage he appears on, whether in front of 10,000 people at a festival or 100 people in an intimate club.
Louisiana Red’s albums have been called masterpieces by critics, and in 1983 he won a W.C. Handy Award as best traditional blues artist. After living in Germany for 20 years, he has made a several triumphant comeback tours in the United States.
But if you ask Red about it, he won’t tell you much about his success. He’ll much rather talk about his latest CD project, about a new song or a new guitar lick. Because Louisiana Red is constantly creating, always searching für another expression of his blues. For once, the hyperbole ist justified: Louisiana Red is the Blues.
Hereide & The Bluesgangsters (N)
Glem gangstarap. Gangsterblues er den nye vinen: Hereide & The Bluesgangsters er rotekte bygdegutter fra Skånevik, Jondal, Bømlo og Os, som møtte hverandre på musikklinjen på Stord for et par år siden. Vokalist og trommeslagar Bård Henrik Hereide har imponert mange med sin utrolige kombinasjon – det er nemlig svært sjelden at trommeslageren synger, men dette fungerer særdeles bra! Musikalsk befinner bandet seg i bluesland, men de henter med all tydelighet inspirasjon også fra rock, soul og funk.
Besetningen i bandet:
Bård Henrik Hereide – Vokal/Slagverk (Skånevik), Simon Sandvik – Bass (Bømlo)
Stig Are Sund – Gitar (Os), Hans Torvald Storaas – Hammond B3/Munnspel (Jondal)
Responsen under konserter har vore fantastisk, gutane gir alltid full gass og har fått mange til å lukke opp auga. Alle i bandet har etter kvart opparbeida seg mykje konserterfaring. Med opptreden under Skånevik Bluesfestival 2006 og Notodden Bluesfestival 2006, har gutane allereie vore på dei to største festivalane i Noreg. Den siste tida har bandet vore på fleire oppdrag.
Paul Lamb (UK)
Med svært entusiastiske tilrop frå fans og musikkpressa rundt om i verda har Paul Lamb skapt seg ein plass i musikkhistoria som ein av dei beste harmonika artistane i vår tid. Han har vunne utallige prisar, har seld svært mange album og han har opptredd over heile verda saman med bandet sitt The Kingsnakes. Til Skånevik Bluesfestival kjem utan denne gruppa. Han skal spela saman med legendariske Gene Taylor(US) frå Fab. Thunederbirds og den dyktige norske bluesartisten Johnny Augland. Saman har dei danne Paul Lamb & Gene Taylor Blues Revue ( UK/US/N) for å laga eit fantastisk show ved House of Blues i Skånevik.
Frå biografien
Hailed by aficionados and music press around the world as Europe’s foremost blues harmonica exponent, Paul Lamb has forged himself a place in the history books as one of the greatest players of our time. He has won countless awards, sold record-breaking quantities of albums, and performed the world over with his long-standing musical compatriots, The Kingsnakes. Recently inducted into the British Blues Awards Hall Of Fame (alongside the likes of Peter Green, John Mayall & Alexis Korner), Lamb still continues to bring his infectious brand of soulful blues to a plethora of fans around the globe…
Born in 1955, & originally hailing from the urban & industrial backdrop of Newcastle, Paul Lamb began his illustrious career at the tender age of 15. Struggling against the tide of local un-employment and economic depression, he took to the road working the club scene around the UK, paying his dues in the time-honoured tradition of the blues. Within a short time he was representing Great Britain in the World Harmonica Championships, leading to a spell of working with his mentor, Sonny Terry. The following years ensued, seeing Lamb performing with Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Brownie McGhee, and countless other blues greats that had originally inspired him. However, the need to write and express his own music soon gave birth to the Blues Burglars, the first incarnation of the Kingsnakes (and the beginning of the longstanding collaboration between Paul Lamb and guitar genius Johnny Whitehill). The Burglars released an album on the legendary Red Lightnin’ label (“Whoopin’”) and Lamb swiftly became known in his own right due to the huge critical acclaim that accompanied the release. As the young harmonica virtuoso became more focused and confident of his abilities, a new band line-up became an inevitability, and Paul Lamb & The Kingsnakes were thus born. Signing to Ace Records in 1991, Paul & his band went on to take the blues world by storm with a gruelling tour schedule in support of their Ace debut (aptly entitled “Paul Lamb & The Kingsnakes” CDBLUH 011). After a follow up release on Euro label “Tight & Juicy” (“Shifting Into Gear” T&J CD 656834), the band have since enjoyed a further 5 releases with Indigo Records as part of a 6 album deal. These five albums went on to secure Paul Lamb’s reputation internationally as a one-of-a-kind bluesman, as did the heavy tour schedules that the Kingsnakes to this day, still happily endure (approx 290 dates a year!)… In addition, one would be hard pushed to think of a prestigious international festival that Paul Lamb & The Kingsnakes have not graced by headlining at some point, let alone merely appeared at! To date, the band can regularly be seen far a-field; from Spain to Scandinavia, Belgium to Bahrain, Hungary to Hong-Kong…
Despite his dedication to his touring band, Paul Lamb has also enjoyed considerable success in other musical fields. His unique harmonica skills are constantly in demand by others, and he has amongst other experiences had a chart hit with “Harmonica Man”(under the pseudonym of “Bravado”) with Pete Waterman, and worked with Mark Knopfler, The Who, Rod Stewart, and Jimmy Nail amongst others. The BBC have contracted him on many occasions to score and perform various TV soundtracks, and his harmonica playing can be heard on many a television advertisement. In addition to TV, he has also had his music featured in 3 motion pictures.
Wherever his career may lead, Lamb has been instrumental in keeping the blues alive, and he can always be relied upon to further this vocation. As the worlds’ music press can happily testify, his name is synonymous with serious quality and his leadership skills have kept the Kingsnakes at the top of the British blues scene for almost 2 decades. Paul Lamb stands beside a small number of American counterparts (close friends such as Kim Wilson, Rod Piazza, Jerry Portnoy, & Charlie Musselwhite) as an equal in every sense, and as a testimony to the standards that most young harmonica players can only allude to. He bears this talent with both humility and grace as one of the last of the old-school, a true gentleman of the blues…
Frigaard (N)
Terje frigaard er en entertainer, vokalist, låtskriver, munnspiller & bandleder som har høstet god omtale, etter live show på diverse klubb- & festivalscener, som bl.a. Skånevik blues festival.
Materialet frigaard presenterer live er en blanding av låter frigaard selv har signert & hans versjoner av låter fra hoved inspirasjonskilder som:
The fabulous thunderbirds, zz top, the georgia satellites & whitesnake.
Frigaard er et fyrverkeri av en live entertainer som leverer et tøft, stilfullt & gnistrende rock & blues show med et strålende band i ryggen.
