For my money, Rory
Block is the best acoustic blues player alive, and one of the best
acoustic blues players to ever live. Her ability to not only compose new
material but to interpret the songs of the masters (Robert Johnson, Son
House, Mississippi John Hurt, Reverend Gary Davis, Mississippi Fred
McDowell, Tommy Johnson, and more) is, quite simply, un-matched. She is
the best at what she does. Period.
And allow me to go a
step further. Though it is anathema to say so (and Rory herself - as
well as the blues establishment - will certainly disagree with me), ,
allow me to make a bold prediction: Rory Block will be remembered, 50
years, 100 years, and more from now, as better than not only her peers,
but than most of the guitarists she looks up to. Better, in fact, than
most players of any style.
Did you know that whiskey can be
made anywhere, but that particular brand of whiskey called "bourbon"
can only be produced in the US? Did you know that law was passed in 1964
by congress? Or that it is at least 80 proof? Or is made from mash of
at least 51% corn?
Did you know "small batch" bourbon
doesn't have a specific definition, but that the name implies (almost
always correctly) high quality?
And so it is with a small
book of poetry called "Small Batch: an anthology of bourbon poetry" (Two
of Cups Press, 2013 - http://twoofcupspress.wordpress.com/). A high quality collection of poems from over 50
high quality poets, straight with no chaser.
Before we get
any further, I should note that I am no poet (I'm a musician) and poetry
not tethered to music often confuses or eludes me. Not so this
little gem. To wit:
I heard this press wanted poems about
bourbon.
This confused me, because I thought
bourbon
was already a poem.
(David S. Atkinson)
Makes perfect sense to me.
And so begins this fantastic book! It weaves through poems with titles like "The Bourbon Drinker's Guide to Intimacy" and "verge" and "Spirits" and "Shadow Traffic"...."Julep" and "Don't Marry Before You Liquor" and "Ode to Bourbon".
Each a new wonder of words and images.
Kudos
to Leigh Anne Hornfeldt and Teneice Durrant on editing a fantastic book
that should be owned and read by every lover of both poetry and bourbon
everywhere.
I first experienced Blind Dog Gatewood a few years back at a multi-artist gig in Louisville, KY. By my reckoning, he stole the show. No one was expecting this mild-mannered guy to explode when he hit the stage...but he did. Exploded a delta-blues fury of strings, harmonica, and vocals that left the crowd stunned and amazed.
Hailing from Detroit, MI, Blind Dog has been a professional performer and guitar instructor all of his adult life. He is an award-winning one-man act who has polished his
chops in places as diverse as the Sierra Foothills, the Mojave Desert,
Mississippi Delta and the streets of New Orleans. In September 2002, he
took the first prize in Colorado at the Telluride Acoustic Blues
competition. First place winners are honored with a performance on the
main stage the following day at the Telluride Blues and Brews Festival
for over seven thousand attendees. That same year he won the Kentuckiana
Blues Society’s Blues Challenge out of Louisville Kentucky and
represented the Society at the International Blues Challenge on Beale
Street in Memphis Tennessee. In 2004 “Blind-Dog” was a Finalist for the
first Annual International Acoustic Music Awards (IAMA) in the category
of AMERICANA/ROOTS/AAA, for his song “TELLURIDE”. In addition, a Simi
finalist in 2006 in the International Song Contest (ISC), Blues
category, for his song “Monkey On My Back”.
The Guitar Gods interview series has been trucking along since about 2002 when I took a decade old interview I had done with acoustic wizard Michael Hedges and began a series around it, featuring unknown gurus to Grammy Award winners, published at the now defunct Tinfoil Music Magazine.
Not too long ago, I transferred all the old interviews (except a few that were lost when Tinfoil died) to this magazine - Skinny Devil Magazine.
Now, the interview series comes to the concert stage.
That monthly live show is taped for our new "Guitar Gods: LIVE!" web series.
We kicked it off in April (International Guitar Month) with a 60 minute show that includes a single-song opening act followed by a guest, who goes through 20+ minutes of solo performance/clinic, a sit-down one-on-one interview (same questions asked in the print/web version of the series), another song, audience Q&A, and wrap up with either another song or a 2 guitar jam (me holding down the rhythm while they shine).
Our debut show featured Cleveland-based Diana Chittester (opened by All The Little Pieces), Part one is now on-line.
She has opened for the likes of Melissa Ferrick, Catie Curtis,
Kim Richey, Bitch and Ferron, blues
guitarist Kelly Richey, to classic rocker Kim Simmonds of Savoy Brown
and shredding guitarist - and fellow Guitar Gods interviewee - Jennifer
Batten (Michael Jackson, Jeff Beck).
Critics have called
her "...intelligent and articulate artist..." who "...demonstrate(s)
prowess on the guitar and (a) penchant for wrenching vocals..." and who
possesses "...an intensely unique acoustic guitar style … pounding out
explosive rhythms and intricate leads...".
She is one
woman, one guitar, and no gimmicks...and she is, according to this
writer, one of THE most important artists on the scene in years, and one
to watch closely for years to come. And, for guitarists, one to study
closely. I witnessed a clinic where, on her first song, she played
finger patterns so quickly they audience thought she was strumming,
flawlessly executed metric modulations, and still left space for the
instrument to breathe. Oh, yeah - and she has an awesome voice, too!
She just completed the recorded of a new album in New Orleans with engineer and producer Andrew "Goat Boy" Gilchrist and is about to hit the road on a 20 city tour across the eastern US and Canada.
The death of one of the most celebrated flamenco guitarists was
announced by the mayor's office in Algeciras, southern Spain, where he
was born.
He is said to have died in the Mexican resort of Cancun.
Famous for a series of flamenco albums in the 1970s, he also crossed over into classical and jazz guitar.
He also worked on films by Spanish director Carlos Saura,
notably appearing in his 1983 version of Carmen, which won a UK Bafta
award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1985.....full story
Most people have entertained the fantasy of becoming a wealthy rock
star, and a lot of them buy an instrument to fiddle around with. Most
folks eventually just throw that instrument into a closet after they
move to another hobby, while a few become proficient players but never
leave their bedrooms. This leaves a small number that actually form
bands and take a stab at playing live to real audiences.
So what are some of the lessons that these aspiring rock stars are
likely to learn or encounter on their way up (or down) the ladder of
live music success? It’s not all mountains of cocaine and groupie gang
bangs on the tour bus water bed, is it?
