Bryan Lee & The Blues Power Band During the ’80s and ‘90s, the only blues band that visitors to New Orleans would hear was Bryan Lee’s Jump Street Five Band at the Old Absinthe House on Bourbon Street. Blues veteran Bryan Lee, blind since childhood, became a true New Orleans blues institution and kept on delivering his own fiery brand of blues power long after the Old Absinthe House was gone. This was a gig that went a long way to establish New Orleans as a blues town despite the fact that Lee’s style never really departed from his mid-west demeanor, making him the most Chicago-sounding band on the strip. Born in 1943 on March 16, Two Rivers, Wisconsin, Lee lost his eyesight at the age of eight. His avid interest in early rock and blues was fostered through the 1950s with late night listening sessions via the Nashville-based radio station WLAC-AM, where he first encountered the sounds of the three Kings, Elmore James, T-Bone Walker and other influential bluesmen. By his late teens, he was playing rhythm guitar in a regional band called The Glaciers that covered Elvis Presley, Little Richard and Chuck Berry material. Through the ‘60s, Lee’s interest turned to Chicago blues and he soon found himself gigging in blues clubs throughout the Midwest. In January of 1982 (in the midst of a particularly cold Wisconsin winter), Lee relocated to New Orleans and for the next 14 years held down a steady gig playing five nights a week at the Old Absinthe House in the heart of the French Quarter. He subsequently went to the Opera House and 544 Club and remains one of the most crowd-pleasing acts on Bourbon Street to this day. Lee debuted on Justin Time in 1991 with The Blues Is and has since released a string of powerful outings on the label, including 1993’s Memphis Bound, 1995’s Braille Blues Daddy, 1997’s Live at the Old Absinthe House Bar and 2000’s Crawfish Lady. His dynamic Blues Power Band was captured in concert at The Spectrum in Montreal on the recent Justin Time DVD, Live & Dangerous. Today Bryan Lee is going stronger than ever, touring across the US, Canada and Europe playing the blues with his Blues Power Band as well as guesting on other artists’ shows. In March 2007 Lee took part in highly successful whirlwind legends' tour featuring Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s blues documentary 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads, with his hit song “Tina Marie.” As Bryan puts it, this collaboration granted him “the distinct honor and pleasure” of being on stage with Pine Top Perkins, Hubert Sumlin, Buddy Flett, and Willie Big Eye Smith. As the 2008 festival season unfolds, Bryan is primed and ready to take his own band on tour in the wake of his latest Justin Time release, Katrina Was Her Name, produced by guitar great Duke Robillard.
Canned Heat
Canned Heat rose to fame because their knowledge and love of blues music was both wide and deep. Emerging in 1966, Canned Heat was founded by blues historians and record collectors Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson and Bob “The Bear” Hite. Drawing on an encyclopedic knowledge of all phases of the genre, the group specialized in updating obscure old blues recordings. Applying this bold approach, the band attained two worldwide hits, “On The Road Again” in 1968 and “Going Up The Country” in 1969. These were inspired interpretations of the late 1920s blues recordings by Floyd Jones and Henry Thomas. Canned Heat gained international attention and secured their niche in the pages of rock ‘n roll history with their performances at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival (along with Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and The Who) and the headlining slot at the original Woodstock Festival in 1969. Alan Wilson was already renowned for his distinctive harmonica work when he accompanied veteran bluesman, Son House, on his rediscovery album, “Father of the Delta Blues.” Hite took the name Canned Heat from a 1928 recording by Tommy Johnson. They were joined by Henry “The Sunflower” Vestine, another ardent record collector and former member of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention, capable of fretboard fireworks at a moment’s notice. Rounding out the band in 1967 were Larry “The Mole” Taylor on bass, an experienced session musician who had played with Jerry Lee Lewis and The Monkees and Adolfo “Fito” de la Parra on drums who had played in two of the biggest Latin American bands, Los Sinners and Los Hooligans and then with The Platters, The Shirelles, T-Bone Walker and Etta James.Canned Heat’s unique blend of modern electric blues, rock and boogie has earned them a loyal following and influenced many aspiring guitarists and bands during the past four decades. Their Top-40 country-blues-rock songs, “On The Road Again,” “Let’s Work Together,” and “Going Up The Country,” became rock anthems throughout the world with the latter being adopted as the unofficial theme song for the film Woodstock. Their cover version of Wilbert Harrison’s “Let’s Work Together” was actually their biggest hit as it rose to #1 in 31 different countries around the world.Much of Canned Heat’s legacy stems from these three, classic, early recordings, which featured two unique talents, both of whom died young: Alan Wilson (b. July 4, 1943, Boston, Massachusetts; d. September 3, 1970, Topanga, California), a gifted slide guitarist, harmonica player, songwriter and vocalist with a high tenor reminiscent of blues great Skip James; and Bob Hite (b. February 26, 1945, Torrance, California; d. April 6, 1981, Venice, California), a blues shouter whose massive physique earned him the nickname “The Bear.” His size was matched only by his equally massive knowledge of blues music.
Tijerina
Todd Tijerina (Tee-her-ee-na) is one of the few individuals possessing the right amounts of talent and determination to make a successful living playing music. And like most career musicians his passion started early. "A friend lent me a bass guitar when I was nine years old and I began teaching myself some simple lines," he recalls. "Shortly thereafter, a teenaged neighbor who knew I wanted to play guitar told me he just happened to have one for sale, a K-Mart electric going for five bucks. Within minutes I was back on his doorstep with a handful of coins and two singles. Man, I was so excited! My first real guitar!" Todd began teaching himself songs from his favorite albums and quickly realized what he wanted to be when he grew up: a professional musician. Todd was born and raised in the working class suburbs of Chicago. "My family was poor, so when the rent was raised or money was tighter than usual we would move someplace more affordable. I feel that having lived in so many places as a kid made me aware of differences and helped broaden my perspectives. And I feel this has helped me as a songwriter. Always being the new kid on the block made me feel a real need to prove and express myself to the other kids, so they would know me as someone worth knowing. Music became the perfect avenue." Although Todd grew up in the blues capital of the world, it wasn't until moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico in his late teens that he was exposed to the art form. "Some friends of mine and my older sister had turned me on to Robert Cray and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Their styles were new and really grabbed me, like nothing I had heard before." Through the music of Robert Cray and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Todd was led to other blues greats like B.B., Albert, and Freddie King, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, T-Bone Walker and others who would become major influences for him in his playing, singing and song writing. He immersed himself in the guitar, practicing every minute he could. And he began listening to contemporaries such as Smokin' Joe Kubek, Duke Robillard, Tab Benoit, Robben Ford, Luther Alison and others. "I also began really taking notes on the vocal stylings of different artists like Robert Cray and B.B. King. Those are two of my favorite singers." Of his mentors Tijerina says, "Man if I own their album, they're an influence." Though his music is categorized as blues-rock, you can hear jazz and funk influences in his song writing and playing. One can also detect a bit of southwestern blues flavor, not surprisingly as that is the region where Tijerina has spent most of his musical career touring from New Mexico to Texas, Colorado and Arizona making a living playing his unique brand of high octane and yet lowdown blues. Just as the fertile soil we all walk upon was once something different, a myriad of rocks, plants, ancient animal carcasses and hard mineral deposits, Todd has intertwined his introverted and passionate personality with his influences to create something that is new and potent. "I live to play", says Tijerina of his obsession "I've always loved music, but the blues is my first real and lasting sweetheart." His soulful style rolls from lyrical and sweet to harsh and howling. His voice, like his guitar, is at times smooth as silk, and at other times hard and demanding, yet always clear and direct. Truly a fiery and captivating performer.
No comments:
Post a Comment