June 2010 - Extra

“I’VE GOT A BOTTLE IN MY POCKET AND A BLUES SONG ON THE RADIO"

Bonjour,

I’ve had ‘Dark Hours’ by Mean Read Spiders (see my March 2010 posting) playing in my car as I’ve been driving around in the blazing summer sun. It is one of my all time favourite CD’s and I just cannot hear enough of it. The music is superb – lively and varied – and I always find something new in the lyrics.

Many people mistakenly think The Blues is all about sad songs. How wrong they are and, despite it's title this great album is far from depressing. Rain or shine it never fails to lift the mood.

Of course much of The Blues is the musical description of bad times – that’s the legend! – BUT, it is music set in sad times to lift the spirit. Just listen to track 5 ‘Feel So Bad’ about an evil hearted woman who has just left him in misery but, and this is the great line, he's ‘Got a bottle in my pocket and a blues song on the radio’. Brilliant. Get my point?

Need more proof. Listen to the award winning Connie Lush from Liverpool– now she is a lady to brighten your day. She is up for “Woman of the Year” and “Best female Vocalist” British Blues Awards. Click on these links and vote with your digits – please.

21 June is national FĒTE DE LA MUSIQUE in France.

On 24 June in New York City there will be a Blues Summit with blues legend James Cotton and friends who include pianist Pinetop Perkins and blues harp player Mr Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith. Plus, Hubert Sumlin and the great Taj Mahal. Sure to be a memorable night.

Anyway –

CAHORS BLUES FESTIVAL

We are only 6 weeks away from one of the main blues festivals in France and, if you haven’t got your tickets yet you need to shift your butt.

The nearest international airport is Toulouse (Blagnac) just 1 hour from Cahors or there are train services directly to the town. By car Paris is just 5h30 away. So there really is no excuse, wherever you are, get down here and have a weeklong fun time in a great town.

Saturday 10 July

17:00               Loic Hula Boy    (FS)  

19:00               Viktor Huganet  (FS)

21:00               Malted Milk

23:00               Popa Chubby

Sunday 11 July

17:00               Rolf Lott    (FS)

19:00               Hoffman Family Blues Experience (FS)

Monday 12 July

17:00               Cisco Herzhaft  (FS)

19:00               Fred Chapellier & La Master Class (FS)

21:00               Roland Tchakounté, Amar Sunday, &

                        Fred Chapellier

Tuesday 13 July

16:00               Le Tremplin Cahors Blues Festival

Wednesday 14 July *

17:00               The Honeymen (FS)

19:00               Kevin Texas Band  (FS)

21:00               Nina Attal

23:00               Connie Lush & The Blues Shouters

Thursday 15 July

17:00               Jean Chartron (FS)

19:00               Nina Attal (FS)

21:00               Nine Below Zero

23:00               Liz McComb

Friday 16 July

17:00               Bad To The Bone (FS)

19:00               Las Vargas (FS)

Saturday 17 July

17:00               Lonesome Wally  (FS)

19:00               Dave Goodman  (FS)

21:00               Blues Power Band

23:00               Joe Louis Walker

FS = Free Show

For the ‘Pay Shows’ day tickets are available at 30 euros or 26 euros if purchased in advance. Or a ‘Festival Pass’ is available for access to all the shows for 70 euros or 65 euros if purchased in advance.

Advance tickets are available via http://www.ticketnet.fr/shop/fr/resultat.asp

*          The 14 July is the national celebration of Bastille Day and the town of Cahors will not be an exception to this annual extravaganza and spectacle. An added bonus !

WHAT’S ON IN FRANCE

June

08                    B.B. Brunes are at Place de la Victoire, Bordeaux (33)

09                    Mark Knopfler is at POP Bercy, Paris

10                    B.B. Brunes are at Plage du Mourillon, Toulon (83)

12                    B.B. Brunes are at Esplenade de l’Europe, Montpellier (34)

15                    B.B. Brunes are at Quai d’Honneur Mairie, Marseille (13)

16                    B.B. Brunes are at Parc Mistral, Grenoble (38)

24 – 27             Burgandy Blues Festival, Le Creusot (71)

26                    Eric Bibb is at Chambery, Savoie (73)

July

04                    Stevie Wonder is at Arena de Nimes, Nimes, Gard (30)

05                    Joe Bonamassa is at the Zenith, Toulouse (31)

09                    Joe Bonamassa is at Nimes, Gard (30)

09                    Uncl’ STF is playing at Jarden du Cure, Renne le Chateau    Aude (11)

09                    Al Green is at L Olympia, Paris
10                    Nico Wayne Toussaint is at Dax Motors N'Blues, Dax (40)

10-17                              Cahors Blues Festival, Cahors, Lot (46)

16                    Uncl’ STF is playing at La Guinguette, Lac de Montbel, Léran ,      Ariege (09)

22                    Mark Knopfler is at Nimes, Gard (30)

27                    (to 1 August) Cognac Blues Passions, Cognac, Charente (16)

Thanks for reading.

A bientôt

May 2010

Bonjour tout le monde,

This month we have;

• David ‘Honey Boy’ Edwards, and,
• Joe Bonamassa

Also, in Brittany this month we have the Trieux Tonic Blues Festival being held in the seaside village of Lèzardrieux (22) in the Côtes d’Amor no less. It’s only on for two nights but is packed with good stuff. The amazing, and award winning, Connie Lush will be there with her Blues Shouter. Other acts will be the Cotton Belly’s – loads of fun, just brilliant and a not to miss are Blackberry’n mr Boo-hoo. In May, in Brittany, what could be better? Spend your days sampling the famous Breton galettes or some of the best seafood you will ever find, and wash it all down with Breton Coreff beer or the local cider. They even have their own whisky called Kornog!

Or, if you really want to spend mega euros Mr Slowhand himself is on tour with Mr Steve Winwood and will be at the Bercy Arena, Paris. I’ve seen Clapton and Winwood on the TV and the show looks and sounds everything it should be. If anyone out there has a spare ticket, let me know first!

Whats On?

May


13   Dr Pickup with Eric Larmier is at La Casa 28, Rueil Malmaison (92)


15   Connie Lush & Blues Shouter are at the Trieux Tonic Blues Festival, Lezardrieux (22)


15   Cotton Belly’s are at the Trieux Tonic Blues Festival, Lezardrieux (22)


15   Blackberry’n mr Boo-hoo are at the at the Trieux Tonic Blues Festival, Lezardrieux (22)


20   Amar Sundy is at Angoulême, Charente (16)

25   Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood are at Bercy Arena, Paris


June


09   Mark Knopfler is at POP Bercy, Paris


26   Eric Bibb is at Chambery, Savoie (73)


July


04   Stevie Wonder is at Arena de Nimes, Nimes, Gard (30)


09   Al Green is at L Olympia, Paris


10-17 Cahors Blues Festival, Cahors, Lot (46)


27-01 August   Cognac Blues Passions, Cognac, Charente (16)

Blues Note



In my March (2010) post I featured Mr Pinetop Perkins who, at 97, is still playing and touring. This month I want to talk about a younger bluesman, Mr David “Honeyboy” Edwards.




Just 95 years old Honeyboy Edwards is another of a very depleted club of the last of the true Mississippi Delta bluesmen.


On 11 March 2010, at B.B. King’s Blues Club, New York City, he was recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award from The National GUITAR Museum, the first such institution dedicated entirely to the instrument. In addition he has won the 2005 and the 2007 Handy Award for Acoustic Blues Artist.


Along with Pinetop Perkins these are the last of the links with legends like Robert Johnson, Charlie Patton, Memphis Minnie and many more.


His website calendar indicates that he no longer tours outside of the USA and Canada (can you blame him?) but he still manages about 20 shows a year. Perhaps more than anyone, this man is keeping the legend alive.

CD Review

A very good friend, known to me as Tank, recently gave me Joe Bonamassa’s “The Ballad of John Henry” which was released in 2009 on the Provogue label.

I must confess that up to now I have had mixed feelings about young Joe. I saw him at the Havana Club, Toulouse a couple of years ago and he definitely put on a great show. Without a doubt his guitar playing skills were impressive but, was it blues? Was it supposed to be blues? Certainly he created something very different to the old Delta Bluesemen I have written about over the past few months. Blues-rock I think it is called and I’m comfortable with that label. For me it fits this exciting, full on, evolution of music.

"The Ballad of John Henry" is Bonamassa’s seventh studio album and follows his 2007 release, Sloe Gin. This latest album includes seven of the twelve tracks written by Bonamassa himself and really do emphasise his growing songwriting skills.

The title track is somewhat psychedelic in style with a good solid beat that will get your foot pounding the boards. Setting the mood for the the more Claptonesque blues ballad “Stop”.


I particularly like “Lonesome Road Blues”. Its everything I like about Bonamassa. Good gritty vocals and skilful fretwork. The same applies to “Happier Times” but in a more sombre mood. A very powerful track that will compliment your high tech sound system. Turn the sound up and enjoy.


Up to now it would have been hard to surpass Nina Simone with her version of “Feeling Good” but Joe has recreated this 1964 classic with his own style but without losing any of the original flavour. Brilliant.


The “Great Flood” was not that great for me although a definite contender for weeping guitars and “From The Valley” is a short experiment with the orient.


Finally, the final track “As The Crow Flies” takes us firmly back into the rock genre.


The Ballad Of John Henry confirms Joe Bonamassa’s place as the most talented, and most exciting, guitarist, singer, song-writer of his generation. In his work one can hear strains of Santana, Beck, Rea, and Clapton, and now reaches for ‘Bonamassa is god’ status.


Thanks to friend Tank I can now add this great album to my collection but, had he not been so kind and generous to me, I would have bought Ballad of John Henry anyway.


Finally, if like me you don’t know, John Henry is an American folk hero who was supposed to be the strongest man alive (in 1840) and who raced against a steam powered hammer whilst working as a slave on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. He won his race but died still holding his 20 pound hammer. Excellent blues material don’t you think?

Bluesman Mississippi Slim



Sadly, Walter Horn, Jr. - "Bluesman Mississippi Slim" – passed away on 14 April 2010 at the age of 66 years.


Walter Horn was born and grew up in Greenville, Mississippi. As an adult, he worked on a plantation as a tractor driver during the day and sang the blues in local clubs at night. By 1968, he had decided to take a shot at blues music as a career, and moved to Chicago where he became known as "Mississippi Slim." In a city full of flamboyant, charismatic performers, Slim stood out with his brightly coloured hair, loud suits, and trademark mismatched, colourful socks.


The bluesman returned to Mississippi in 1994 to spend time with his ailing mother, but continued to sing the blues, performing at Delta juke-joints and at Southern festivals. Slim also took part in the "Blues In The Schools" program, speaking to schoolchildren about blues music. Mississippi Slim recorded sporadically through the years, releasing a few singles during the 1970s, finally issuing a full-length album, You Can't Lose The Blues, in 2008. Although he wasn't the best known of blues singers, Walter "Mississippi Slim" Horn, Jr. will be missed by family, friends, and fans of his unique soul-blues sound.






A Bientôt

March 2010

RAMBLINGS
Hello everyone. March has finally arrived and not a moment too soon this year. What a winter eh? Northern Europe and the UK have been hit hard but, even down here in the South of France it has been a long, cold and damp few months.
But, what keeps me going is knowing that we have a full summer of great blues events ahead of us. Eric Bibb will be on tour in the south, Nico Wayne Toussaint is also on a grand tour playing in Bayonne, Bordeaux, Toulouse and even Quillan this summer. The Cahors Blues Festival is jammed packed with good stuff from Joe Louis Walker, Connie Lush, Malted Milk, Popa Chubby and more. I don't have a line up for the Cognac Blues Passions but it will be good - always is. And I'm waiting to hear where Shri Blues will be playing this summer. In addition to all that, there will be loads going on in the bars and town squares. All we need now is the sun!

Although I love going to the various South of France Blues Festivals there is nothing like finding that great little band playing good solid blues in a crowded French bar or in the corner of a village square. One example of this springs to mind when I saw Beth Kohnen (harmonica) and Stan Adler (guitar) blues jamming at a Sunday market in Esperaza (11). Beth plays with a wonderful Chicago blues style and Stan, being a Chicago boy, jammed along with her. Brilliant stuff that just happened without any planning or rehearsing. I just hope they do it all over again.

Another great little haunt is a small bar in Alaigne (11), Les Gallois, where, on the first Thursday of each month they hold an open mic session. John Lansley (guitar) will be getting together with friends to belt out some blues favourites and all are welcome to just listen or to join in.

In the press Roger Daltrey is planning to sing blues with Jimmy Page, and Eric Clapton, who will be touring with the brilliant Steve Winwood, says that Daltrey will be opening his US tour. All well and good, and I'm sure they will be fabulous shows but it does seem to be all about big events and big money. Perhaps I'm just jealous!

WHATS GOING ON?

March
04 Open Mic Session at Les Gallois, Alaigne (11)

12 PURA FE’ at La Valette du Var (83)

17 NICO WAYNE TOUSSAINT at Luna Negra, Bayonne (64)

18 NICO WAYNE TOUSSAINT at Luna Negra, Bayonne (64)

19 NICO WAYNE TOUSSAINT at Spring Blues Festival, Peymeinade (06)

26 NICO WAYNE TOUSSAINT at Comptor du Jazz, Bordeaux (33)

27 NICO WAYNE TOUSSAINT at Salle Nougara, Toulouse (31)

27 GAS at Lax’n Blues, Lax (12)

28 ERIC BIBB at Théâtre, Pau (64)

30 ERIC BIBB at Théâtre du Rocher, La Garde

April
01 ERIC BIBB at Salle Grappelli, Nice (06)

BLUES NOTE

Born in Mississippi in 1913 this guy grew up with Delta music and the great names in Delta music. He worked with Sonny Boy Williamson, Robert Nighthawk, BB King, and Earl Hooker, and is no stranger to the famous Sun Records recording studio in Memphis, MS.

He began playing blues around 1927 and is widely regarded as one of the best blues pianists. After 83 years of performing, and at the age of 97, he is still touring (albeit not outside of the States) and I’ve found 17 venues he is playing between 5 March and 14 August this year. Just amazing!

His name is Mr Pinetop Perkins (Joe Willie Perkins). A real blues legend in his own lifetime.

In the 1940’s he was one of the King Biscuit Time gang and 20 years later he replaced Otis Spann to play piano in the Muddy Waters band.

After touring with the Legendry Blues Band, a band he helped form (recording two pieces of vinyl for Rounder), he decided to retire – but not for long. In his eighties he came back as a solo artist and went on to produce fifteen recordings which include the release of After Hours on Blind Pig Records in 1988 and the album Legends featuring guitarist Hubert Sumlin in 1998.

In 2005 he was a Grammy nominee for Ladies Man on MC Records and at the same awards was presented with a Lifetime Acheivement award. Having won the Blues Music Award for best blues piano every year until 2003 this prestigious award now bears his name – the Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the year.

This friendly and gentle man is a gift to us all – enjoy.

THE COLLECTION

If you Google “Mean Red Spiders” you will probably be taken to a rather Flower Power style Canadian rock band. Go there if you want but I wouldn’t recommend it!

No, thankfully, I want to take you to the Mean Red Spiders of the 90’s, a blues band formed by Toni Vines.

About 6 years back a good friend recommended to me the Spiders second album Dark Hours and on the second playing I was totally smitten with this great CD. Turn the volume up and prepare to be blasted into a pre-smoking ban shadowy bar with it’s smells of whisky and beer, and bodies.

Opening with Love In A Bottle you will start to notice an alchohol induced theme to the following 16 tracks. For me, Love In A Bottle is too short. I just want it to go on and on. Opening with a ‘good old boy’ singing along to a steel guitar you are slowly enebriated by his southern drawl and then “Twink” Connelly creeps in to take over the song with a gutsy beautiful ending. Always in the top 10 of my most played tracks.

Live And Let Live, Just Can’t Stop and Happy On My Own have some great foot tapping blues harp playing by Mark Sharpe, and the mood is lifted with some fun Sax (Chris Pyne) in Arms Open Wide. “Twink” and Chris join in again to an upbeat Feel so Bad – a great driving track. Back to that slid guitar for the final track Call Me Long Distance a simple fun number that fades out in perfect readiness to return to Love In A Bottle on the repeat.

Toni Vines has bitter sweet memories of his time with this band. For me I’m indebted to Mean Red Spiders and Billy and Andy Gray (Gray Brothers Records) for music that will lift anyone out of their Dark Hours.

More on Toni Vines in future posts of South Of France Blues.

ARTIST OF THE MONTH

Copyright of Eye Imagery

It was whilst I was trawling through the line up at the various blues festivals in France this summer that I came across Connie Lush. She is touring several French towns in May (details to follow) and will be at the Cahors and Bordeaux (Cognac) Blues Festival in July.

Use this link to go to her website and click on the “Live in Switzerland” video clip. Close your eyes and tell me if you can’t hear the sister of Tina Turner and Gladys Knight. Open your eyes and you will see, and hear, Connie singing with a sensitivity that will make your spine tingle.

I made contact with Connie and she opened her reply with “The sun is shining here in Liverpool but it is with an icy, icy smile” and it is that sunny side attitude that shines through in her correspondence and in her performances.

I asked her about her background, her music, her inspirations, and her love of France and this is what she said:

“Soul has been an overwhelming influence for me as besides everything else I grew up with the Mowtown greats, William Bell, Judy Clay, Otis Reading, I could go on for hours! My main influence though was Ray Charles. I do tend to luv more the male singers, don’t know why! But I suppose I grew up with my parents influence and thank the Lord they just loved all the chart stuff of their time so I got to hear everything.


My family aren’t musical but there is a history of Old Music Hall going back somewhere in time. My younger sister, (I have five!) had an amazing country voice but she only sang for a couple of years and then gave up. Mum and Dad would sing together around the pubs and at parties as everyone loved hearing them sing.


Talking about singing in French, I used to sing a few lines in French in the song “Autumn Leaves” mainly when I was over in France. I luv the French language and it was made for singing! I only did school French so I do that terrible mixture of English and French when I have a go. I think the French loved it cos I would always have a go on stage and pick up some French slang and get it completely wrong so I think maybe they like me because I laugh at myself and they could sense that I love France too. Especially Vin rouge! People do know instinctively if you are genuine in what you feel and the French especially are good at sussing that out……….. I’m really obvious I’m afraid about my French Artist, I luv completely Edith Piaf .…………………..


I don’t really aspire to anyone, I just try to be me but I listen to everything because I luv music so much I find it hard to stick to one thing….I am crazy about classical and Opera too, house music……..jazz, soul, pop. I can’t get enough of it! Blues tho is my baby and I can’t seem to get away from it. Ella, Billie, Aretha just blow me up. And John Le Hooker is the King ! I ‘m rambling on. Ray Charles just makes me cry and don’t get me started on Bobby Bland “The Voice”. I recently went to see Mick Hucknall, who was touring doing only Bobby Bland songs as he too is a great fan and I nearly died listening to him sing all that stuff. (by the way not a fan of his)

I grew up in a very deprived but happy area in Liverpool and I was lucky to get in the church choir quite young…5 or 6 yrs so there I stayed until I was about 14 but also sang in the school choirs till 16 but had no idea of singing cos I thought I wasn’t any good, never mind make a living from it. Met my husband (the bass player with the band) Terry in the Cavern in Liverpool, got married etc., but he was always in a band so, quite late in life, I decided to join him. Started with funky stuff, then pop and punk and dared to start a Blues Band. It was hard work and still is as Blues is more specialised………but it soon took over. The story of me starting to sing was funny! The guys from Terry’s band would rehearse in our house and one day Terry asked me to stand in for a few songs as he was auditioning for a new band. I did and at the end of the rehearsal the guys said they liked the singer and Terry replied “She’s not the singer she’s my wife!” Needless to say I joined that day - just to prove a point. Terry eventually got used to the idea…….he had no choice cos I was hooked……I suppose its unusual for man and wife playing together in a Blues Band but we have such a life together……………….”

What more can I say??? Connie Lush and Blues Shouter will be playing in France this summer. Be there …. I will.

Well thats it. Loads more to come in April as the festival season starts to warm up. PLEASE do not forget to send me any newsy items, gigs, etc. Cheers. A bientôt!