Ginger St. James began her career singing in small town Ontario bars and now headlines shows as one of Canada’s top roots rock / rockabilly / country artists. Good stuff.
You’re Losing Me, Barbara Lynn (1968) Barbara Lynn (aka Barbara Lynn Ozen, Barbara Lynn Cumby) is a well-known blues / R&B singer, songwriter and electric guitar player with an impressive discography. She was only 19 when she began her recording career with Give Me A Break in 1961, and the following year she scored her biggest hit You’ll Lose A Good Thing. Many years and many tours later, sharing the stage with almost every big name in the business, she’s still performing.
16 Horsepower was a Denver-based group that mixed rock, bluegrass and Appalachian gospel. They released four studio albums before egos got in the way: they disbanded in 2005, citing “mostly political and spiritual” differences.
“David is a great blues player. I like his style!” – Johnny Winter Canadian singer, songwriter and bluesman David Gogo began playing guitar at the age of five; at 15 he met and was encouraged by Stevie Ray Vaughan; a year later he formed his first band. He’s won numerous awards, including three JUNOs (despite EMI spiking his solo album in the US).
Been watching a lot of police body cam videos lately, and after a while I began noticing behavioral patterns of those who eventually get hauled off to the hoosegow. The ones who squeal the loudest are usually guilty of more egregious crimes than just expired license plate tags.
I also notice that the same applies to politicians when they’re exposed as unethical grifting frauds. Keep that in mind as you watch current events unfold.
Any Way The Wind Blows, Los Brujos (1996)
From Unmatched – Tributo A Zappa Vol. 1, a collection of covers of Frank Zappa songs, de grupos y artistas españoles. There are 9 such compilations in the series.
Gospel, soul, blues and jazz singer Ruthie Foster began her career singing at churches in rural Texas, described herself as a “little Black girl with a guitar.” After college, she joined the US Navy where she began singing in the naval band Pride, playing pop and funk hits at recruitment drives. Since then, she’s won numerous Blues Music Awards and earned three Grammy nominations.
“Austin, Texas, doesn’t have a Trombone Shorty, the Subdudes or Dirty Dozen Brass Band like New Orleans does but they do have Mingo Fishtrap, and they’re just as funky and soulful as those bands with a healthy dash of Motown tossed into their pot.” –Something Else Reviews
From Oakland, The California Honeydrops cover Wilson Pickett. “The California Honeydrops…evoke the greasy rumble of Booker T. and channel the spiritual ecstasy of Sly and the Family Stone.” -Rolling Stone
It seems the news machine has skipped the soak, wash and rinse cycles and is stuck on spin with a noisy unbalanced load. It’s just about time to fire up the porch and take it for a sit. See you there.
Jackie Venson: “Singer-songwriter Jackie Venson’s version of the blues – with its R&B, psychedelic rock – has invigorated Austin’s music scene with its refreshingly electric sound.” — Rolling Stone
From the mud n’ spud fields of Idaho to the California Bay Area, then on to Memphis, Tennessee, John Németh and The Blue Dreamers play a good mix of retro and modern blues and soul.
3-string electric cigar box slide gitfiddle (and cowbell boot) from Christopher Ameruoso.
Been getting pretty good at sleeping in, especially with the winds and rains. I like weather when it matches my attitude, and watching it from the porch tomorrow sounds like a good plan. See you there and then.
OK Go outdid Rube Goldberg in this sequence from 2010, all filmed in one take. Their website features behind-the-scenes clips of the set ups.
Professor Louie & The Crowmatix was founded by frontman Alan Hurwitz: “While performing as a duo with Rick Danko on stage, Rick would start calling me Professor Louie, and it was really a great honor.” Hurwitz produced three studio albums for The Band, and went on to form Woodstock Records.
Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse is a roots rock blues Americana country soul band from California, featuring vocals by documentary filmmaker, television producer, business entrepreneur and Louisiana native Greta Valenti.
The Terraplanes Blues Band is a relative newcomer to the scene. Having released their debut EP in 2020, they’ve already won recognition as “Emerging Blues Act of the Year” at the UK Blues Awards 2023.
Have a reverent Easter, an irreverent egg hunt, and stop in if you’re passing by – the porch is never closed.