Blues Music Podcasts

Episode 20 - Commentary

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 17:46:08 GMT

Commentary: Moment's Notice

Episode 21

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 13:30:55 GMT

Coltrane biographer, educator and musician Lewis Porter discusses the Prestige Label recordings.

Episode 22

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 13:35:23 GMT

Pianist Steve Kuhn shares his first hand experiences playing with the great John Coltrane.

Episode 23

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 09:49:23 GMT

Trumpeter Charles Tolliver presents his moving recollection of John Coltrane.

Episode 19

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 17:42:41 GMT

Saxophonist Joe Lovano examines the brilliance of John Coltrane.

Episode 24

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 09:50:37 GMT

Ashley Kahn breaks down the classic album "A Love Supreme."

Episode 25 - Commentary

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 09:39:23 GMT

Commentary: Anton Fig breaks down Elvin Jones' drumming on "A Love Supreme."

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Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:01:54 GMT

Episode 27 - Commentary

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 10:13:51 GMT

Commentary: Saxophonist Lenny Pickett explores his favorite Coltrane track, Expression.

Episode 28

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 21:50:26 GMT

Jason Moran shares his Coltrane introduction and more.

Episode 29 - Commentary

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 21:52:40 GMT

Commentary: Jimmy Cobb takes us back to 1960 and playing behind Miles and Trane on the classic track "So What."

Episode 18

Wed, 30 May 2007 13:36:19 GMT

Dr. Billy Taylor describes his personal time with Trane as well as their passion for the great Art Tatum and more.

Episode 30

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 14:43:32 GMT

Pianist Geri Allen profoundly defines John Coltrane and also pays tribute to the great McCoy Tyner.

Episode 31 - Commentary

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 14:46:52 GMT

Commentary: "Psalm" from "A Love Supreme."

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Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:01:54 GMT

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Episode 33

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 17:05:08 GMT

Dr. Billy Taylor thanks all for listening to the Traneumentary.

The Rebirth Of The Music Industry!

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 02:36:50 GMT

The Rebirth of the Music Industry
Philip Cacayorin
Director and Producer of Advanced Media

November 02, 2007
? P. Cacayorin 2007
www.3dvinyl.com

We learn from history repeating itself. Everyone knows there is a problem in the music industry; it doesn?t take a genius to figure that out. Bashing the major labels is an old song and reiterating the obvious doesn?t make anyone an expert. Here forward is the history, the problem and once and for all, a solution to the future industry of music and art.

Before the New Media, radio played an integral role in the music industry. Without standardized play lists, radio offered statistics that fueled industry decisions for sales, distribution and even what records were made. Once a week the radio stations would provide the sales and marketing teams of major labels with logical representations of who was listening to what, where and how much, these were known as "stats". A logical distribution of product would then be manufactured and shipped to sustainable markets in a supply and demand arena in accordance with these stats.

Artist and Repertoire (A&R) departments would have an educated guess as to what product to produce for distribution to the record stores as the primary point of sales. The marketing teams worked closely with the radio stations and sales points to sustain the markets. Without this critical information, teamwork, huge roster of artists or the ability to manufacture quantities of product on demand the independent labels didn't stand much of a chance for success. The record chains were not willing to risk their relationship with the major label distributors since they were integral to their livelihood. Historically, it was a good system that worked, so nobody tried to fix it.

In 1958 RCA developed an audio cartridge system known simply as the Sound Tape Cartridge. By 1960 it made its way into homes as an early mono cartridge format for recording family history and recordings. By 1970 it became the predominant consumer tape format and would dominate the industry for the next 20 years. In 1980, there was a surge in record sales that revitalized the record store marketplace. Although we were able to copy our vinyl discs to cassette tapes so that we could listen to them on alternative media, share them with our friends and listen to them in our automobiles as an alternative to radio, the music industry survived.

It became common knowledge in the recording industry that we were actually going to run out of vinyl and an alternative medium was on the horizon. It wouldn't be an issue of quality since most engineers knew that the new digital medium at that time didn't sound compatible to the record, and the cassette tapes were sounding great. Similar to date, we have the .mp3 medium, although it doesn't sound at all compatible to the CD master medium, the general public finds it as an acceptable medium to share and distribute among themselves.

As we entered the millennium, the government enabled large corporations to create monopolistic multimedia economic powers. With the monopolized radio stations, they disabled the record companies and empowered the corporations in the process. The corporations? created standardized play lists to increase control, and it immediately disabled the radio stations ability to relay personalized demographic information to the major labels. When the labels lost their personalized connection with their audiences, they no longer had any idea who was listening to what, where and how much. The hope became that the general public would simply buy what they produced, so they signed just about anything and everything. Subsequently the major label business became dysfunctional as a whole and the record business logistics became obsolete.

To revitalize the industry with CD product, the .mp3 medium was originally created and envisioned as a marketing tool. It was to be used much like airplay on the radio broadcasts to entice the audiences to buy the quality CD product. Companies successful in building a personalized marketing utility with the .mp3 medium outperformed the major labels due to the exponential growth of the Internet. The corporations became disenfranchised by this success to capture what had previously been their own critical mass audiences. This new corporate generation was unable to recognize that these distribution platforms were critical to their own survival, or that they could provide invaluable personalization of their customers that would increase the sales of their CD products.

Just as we can never stop a person from holding a microphone in front of a pair of speakers to duplicate a recording, the corporations cannot stop the movement of .mp3 distribution. While .mp3 media is still not compatible to the quality of the CD format, the corporations are still unable to find their own way to captivate audiences to purchase their CD products.

The ability for artists to develop their own demographic of direct sales via .mp3 provides a profitable environment. The artist that is able to acquire critical mass, as an independent, will experience extreme wealth as an independent. Utilizing the .mp3 platform to market their product online, they can achieve an understanding of their audiences similar to the knowledge acquired via radio stats by the major labels.

The value product and marketplace for the artist today is in live performance. With the demise of what we considered to be the major label deal, the artists have inherited their own industry. No differently than standing in front of an original painting in an art gallery, a replication or print does not provide the true experience of the original art form. A recording does not replace seeing a live performance. In giving the CD studio recordings away with the price of a concert ticket, their audiences will have a tangible product as a representation of the live artist experience.

Artists of today should also recognize that the major labels were only a delivery system of an attribute of their talent, a recording. For several decades the major labels were able to create their own industry from these products that represented the artists. With this success they were able to create bigger than life representations of artists while expanding their own products into what were actually false representations of the original work, insuring that it only benefited them as a label. Notwithstanding, they couldn't do this without the artists to instigate the process.

A perfect example of the Status Quo, in November 2001, Mick Jagger's solo album sold 9554 copies on its first day in England and EMI was devastated by these sales, exemplary of the weakness of the major label process. Now in 2007, the last "A Bigger Bang" tour of the Rolling Stones grossed over five hundred million dollars in sales, contradicting the theory that people will not want to pay for an experience. Although there were several complaints that the band was quite elderly, people still came to see the performances to have the real experience. This is also contradictory to the statements that the music business is a business of youth, only pertaining to the multi-media business, which was also fabricated by the major labels in their effort to survive.

Although attractive studio recordings are a business to themselves, the most sustainable product will inevitably come down to raw talent. Musicians and performers will prevail with their ability to actually perform their work. Records, tapes and digital media are intellectual properties that are only attributes of artists, they aren't the artists themselves. We need to continue to celebrate the ability to create private enterprise with these intellectual properties as a marketing utility.

There is a new logical process for acquiring market research data

1. Continue to distribute .mp3 media as a marketing tool over the Internet and peer networks. In exchange for the free media, the audience will provide their area code to the content creator as the critical demographic. This information will provide the creators with who is demanding the media where, and how many times. A fair and equal trade for free music.??

2. Using this critical demographic information, we will sell CD media that includes an incentive to the customer to purchase at the point of sale. Each CD will have a unique bar code, similar to national currency. Upon purchasing the uniquely coded CD, the customers will provide their own unique pin number establishing a personal connection with the product. Similar to an ATM machine, this pin will be unique to the customer and its relationship with the bar code will insure its personalization.?

3. The bar coded CD will offer a refund to the customer upon the purchase of a maximum of two concert tickets. This model will represent a free CD with every two-concert tickets sold to the customer. As well, this will insure that an average of every two-audience members have purchased a CD. Adding value to the concert ticket and CD/Ticket model, an additional incentive of a DVD of the live concert performance can be added.

The cost of a disc and replicating it is conservative as a marketing tool and it can be recouped in this logical process. There are several layers of incentive to the customer and audience member to purchase a CD. Additionally, and profoundly this will circumvent the concert ticket scalpers and increase the revenue stream directly to the artists. By putting the focus back on the content creators, the advertising medium is no longer the end product.

In conclusion, it is possible to effectively market and distribute content in the new media format in a way that returns the lion?s share of the sales revenue to the artist, while still offering great opportunities for advertisers.

Go to Phillip Cacayorin's website now!
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If you are an aspiring guitarist....please be sure to check out BluePower's Company Store. We have our first basic guitar lesson now available with more lessons being added soon. Help yourself....and help BluePower as well.

Martin Luther King....A Biography!

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:45:28 GMT

Martin Luther King, Jr., (January 15, 1929-April 4, 1968) was born Michael Luther King, Jr., but later had his name changed to Martin. His grandfather began the family's long tenure as pastors of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, serving from 1914 to 1931; his father has served from then until the present, and from 1960 until his death Martin Luther acted as co-pastor. Martin Luther attended segregated public schools in Georgia, graduating from high school at the age of fifteen; he received the B. A. degree in 1948 from Morehouse College, a distinguished Negro institution of Atlanta from which both his father and grandfather had graduated. After three years of theological study at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania where he was elected president of a predominantly white senior class, he was awarded the B.D. in 1951. With a fellowship won at Crozer, he enrolled in graduate studies at Boston University, completing his residence for the doctorate in 1953 and receiving the degree in 1955. In Boston he met and married Coretta Scott, a young woman of uncommon intellectual and artistic attainments. Two sons and two daughters were born into the family.

In 1954, Martin Luther King accepted the pastorale of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Always a strong worker for civil rights for members of his race, King was, by this time, a member of the executive committee of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the leading organization of its kind in the nation. He was ready, then, early in December, 1955, to accept the leadership of the first great Negro nonviolent demonstration of contemporary times in the United States, the bus boycott described by Gunnar Jahn in his presentation speech in honor of the laureate. The boycott lasted 382 days. On December 21, 1956, after the Supreme Court of the United States had declared unconstitutional the laws requiring segregation on buses, Negroes and whites rode the buses as equals. During these days of boycott, King was arrested, his home was bombed, he was subjected to personal abuse, but at the same time he emerged as a Negro leader of the first rank.

In 1957 he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization formed to provide new leadership for the now burgeoning civil rights movement. The ideals for this organization he took from Christianity; its operational techniques from Gandhi. In the eleven-year period between 1957 and 1968, King traveled over six million miles and spoke over twenty-five hundred times, appearing wherever there was injustice, protest, and action; and meanwhile he wrote five books as well as numerous articles. In these years, he led a massive protest in Birmingham, Alabama, that caught the attention of the entire world, providing what he called a coalition of conscience. and inspiring his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", a manifesto of the Negro revolution; he planned the drives in Alabama for the registration of Negroes as voters; he directed the peaceful march on Washington, D.C., of 250,000 people to whom he delivered his address, "l Have a Dream", he conferred with President John F. Kennedy and campaigned for President Lyndon B. Johnson; he was arrested upwards of twenty times and assaulted at least four times; he was awarded five honorary degrees; was named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963; and became not only the symbolic leader of American blacks but also a world figure.

At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement.

On the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead a protest march in sympathy with striking garbage workers of that city, he was assassinated.

Episode 17 - Commentary

Mon, 21 May 2007 14:38:38 GMT

Dave Liebman breaks down one of his favorite John Coltrane Quartet tracks "Crescent."

Isn't Anybody Or Anything Special Anymore?

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 20:43:36 GMT

A Grim Fairy Tale

Once upon a time there was a man named Thomas Alva Edison. He was a brilliant man. He invented lots of amazing things. One of these inventions was the Cylinder Phonograph. It was special. Or was it?

Across the Atlantic Ocean, a man named Emile Berliner had also invented something similar. What a coincidence! It was called the Gramophone. Edison's invention was cylindrical and Berliner's was flat. They were both made of wax and they each put strange sounds on them and said to their friends, "We can save sound if it doesn't get too hot. Just think what we'll be able to do with these things."

They thought about education. They thought about teaching the blind. They thought about information storage of famous events. They thought about the myriad things they could record but what was the first thing supposedly recorded.... beside gibberish that is.... a silly song called "Mary Had A Little Lamb." The first musical reproduction had been made.

Without knowing it of course, these men had invented the Record Business.

How could they have known that down the pike, names like Al Jolson, Billie Holiday, Elvis Presley, Morris Levy, Milt Salstone, Clive Davis, The Beatles and God Lives Underwater would leap onto the front pages of magazines such as Cash Box, Billboard, Rolling Stone and Hits. These were called trade magazines.

These magazines used to play an important part in the promotion and sales of newly recorded sounds. They also made all the people who ran these companies (record companies as they were then called) feel proud and important. They would pay these magazines dearly for tiny little squares that told of the important new sounds they had put on wax ("waxes to watch") which they intended to sell. Of course the big companies bought big squares commensurate with their position and power.

And, for a while, times were good.

Now I forgot about this guy named Marconi. He invented something special too. It was called radio. With a radio transmitter, a station could send to millions of homes with receivers, all kinds of great music. A person could pick and choose from dozens of transmitters playing these various types of sounds. He could then select the type he would like to own and then purchase these discs for his own enjoyment. Oh happy day!

Everybody did well.

It was a great time for "Personality Radio" where insane men and women, with insane names got on the radio and did insane things. One DJ (disc jockey) was called "The Geeter With The Heater." Such merriment! That was until a very smart man from Dallas, Texas came along to put everything in order. His name was Gordon McLendon and he invented something really cool called "Format Programming." Welcome "Tiger Radio."

Now business really started to boom.

Things were so good in fact, that thousands of small record companies grew in every corner of the globe.There was all kinds of special music for every kind of person and culture. For decades things went swimmingly. Small companies became large companies. The large companies then bought up other small companies and became large corporations. Now called the Big Fish concept. (They actually bought up the competition.)

Since one could become very rich if they were successful at making sounds that many people enjoyed and it seemed like a relatively easy thing to do (better than digging ditches or cleaning windows) that soon, more and more people decided to create sounds to store on the (now plastic) discs.

Pretty soon there were more discs than the companies could sell and these discs started piling up all over the place. Soon, the corporations had to build giant storage ares called warehouses in which to keep the discs.

When the retailers and distributors (who were the middle men for the record companies) bought so many discs that they couldn't possibly sell them all, they sent them back to the companies that made them in the first place. Imagine that. The discs came back instead of monetary compensation, much to the companies chagrin, for they depended on that compensation to operate the huge companies they had built. They lost sight of the fact that less is actually more.

Too bad for the moguls, the A&R men, the Veeps, the CEOs, the promoters and all those lawyers.

They were strangling on their lack of foresight and greed and were blinded to the fact that the human spirit is finely woven through with the music of life and, that for some unknown reason, human beings can tell the difference between the real thing and a placebo.

Remember Edison, Berliner and Marconi? They're laughing their butts off and they all agree, that everyone up and down the line should have thought first of "Principles before Personalitie$."

From a 1996 issue of Cash Box Magazine
By: John Rhys

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If you are an aspiring guitarist....please be sure to check out BluePower's Company Store. We have our first basic guitar lesson now available with more lessons being added soon. Help yourself....and help BluePower as well.

A Sad Replay....Sean Costello....We Can Get Together!

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:16:43 GMT

It is with great sadness that I report the death of young Sean Costello. He was found in an Atlanta hotel room yesterday and as yet, we are told no reason why. He would have been 29 today.

It was less than two months ago that Lori and I went to see him play at The Viper Room in Hollywood. Mr. Costello was one of the most vital new Blues men to come along the hard road in many a year.

I did an interview with Sean the next day. As we sat in my car and spoke, I could see he was under tremendous strain of keeping up with the traveling, bookings etc.

God Speed Sean. It was a pleasure meeting you.

John Rhys and staff/BluePower.com

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Last week-end we found ourselves traveling throughout Southern California. During long drives I like to listen to new material and get a fix on what's happening on the blues scene through new CD releases.

I told Lori to pick one of the CDs and pop it in the player. She chose Sean Costello's new release on Delta Groove Productions, We Can Get Together.

Let's put it this way....the man is unique. Costello's guitar playing is dirty and clean with a choice of notes which accent the feel of the song he's playing at the time. He's a natural Bluesman and a terrific writer. His vocals expose his feelings and contribute to an overall, enthralling experience.

Mr. Costello has had several CDs released and has garnered accolades from some major folks. You can find this history on his web site below.

Stay Tuned!
John Rhys/BluePower.com

Here's the music:

1)...."Little Birds"....Sean Costello....Delta Groove
2)...."Same Old Game"....Sean Costello....Delta Groove
3)...."Have You No Shame"....Sean Costello....Delta Groove
4)...."How In The Devil"....Sean Costello....Delta Groove
5)...."Hard Luck Woman"....Sean Costello....Delta Groove
6)...."Can't Let Go"....Sean Costello....Delta Groove

Click here to play....Sean Costello....We Can Get Together!

Listen to an exclusive interview with Sean Costello!

Click here to go to Sean Costello's site!

Click here to go to Delta Groove Productions!

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America's Got The Blues!

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:41:28 GMT

If you don't think our country is in trouble, you'd better think again. From spiraling gas prices to corruption in all levels of the government, America is being hijacked by the very people it voted into office.

Just the fact that the war in Iraq has cost the American taxpayer 2 trillion dollars should be evidence enough. The average American must ask himself, "What the hell is going on?" Do you really think we have stopped Al Qaeda? No! We've just created more terrorists.

Yesterday, the Pentagon was exposed for hiring writers to produce copy spinning a positive picture of the war in Iraq through American news media outlets. The major networks, cable channels and newspapers are touting this copy as though it were fact. This alone is completely illegal and should be stopped now.

Rupert Murdoch is attempting to buy Newsweek magazine which would give him control of far too many media outlets in New York City. Murdoch can already spin any situation the way he wants it and who would know. Is nothing sacred?

Airlines, attempting to cut costs, are now running flights with "minimum" jet fuel, causing all hell to break loose in many airports and effecting many of the delays happening today. God forbid one of them runs out of fuel while landing and this situation is guaranteed to make things rougher on the already over-loaded Air Traffic Controllers.

It's time for some major changes; not only in government itself but in all the major departments and bureaucracies. There is no longer the slightest bit of oversight and American citizens deserve better than this.

It's time for a change!

John Rhys/BluePower.com

Here's the music:

1)...."Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues....Skip James....Skip James....Ace Records 2)...."Accidentally Like A Martyr"....Warren Zevon....The Rhys Masters....Unreleased
3)...."Starting All Over Again"....Mel and Tim....Stax Story....Stax
4)...."For What It's Worth"....Jeffrey Osborne....From The Soul....Unknown 5)...."Motherless Child"....Andy Cowan....Troubadour Nights....Unknown 6)...."Working Man's Pay"....Warren Zevon....The Rhys Masters....Unreleased 7)...."Keep On Pushin' "....Rastus....Steamin'....Neighborhood
8)...."You're Free"....Brenda Russell....Brenda Russell....A&M/Horizon

Click here to listen to....America's Got The Blues!

Don't Forget To Vote!
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If you are an aspiring guitarist....please be sure to check out BluePower's Company Store. We have our first basic guitar lesson now available with more lessons being added soon. Help yourself....and help BluePower as well.

America's Got The Blues....4/29/08!

Thu, 01 May 2008 02:38:02 GMT

The show tonight kicks off with a piece of Dr. Ray Griffin's....The Creature From Jekyll Island. A provocative look at how and why the Federal Reserve was created. This is a "must" listen if you are at all concerned with how money works throughout the world. The implications are astounding.

A private security firm hired "former" secret service agents and CIA agents to spy on various environmental organizations for years. Guess who the shadow employers were? No less than the Monsanto Corporation, Halliburton, Wal-Mart and Allied Waste.

This show also goes into the huge profits being taken by the oil companies. There's no doubt they're all sticking it to the good old USA.

The DOD funded company Raytheon has developed a monster weapon called Silent Guardian. One of it's primary purposes is large crowd control. Welcome to the new wave of military madness. Click here for an explanation of this device.

Are you upset yet?

BluePower feels someone should speak up. We will also let you know others who are sticking their chins out. They're out there. All you have to do is turn on your computer. No wonder ComCast wants to scrutinize all their content. Don't they want people to know whats really happening in our country?

Our way of life is being systematically destroyed. Not only that, but these people controlling the money and the flow of wheat and rice are starving millions of children throughout the world. What for? Because they can? I think it goes much deeper than greed.

Why haven't these stories been reported by CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox News etc? Have you heard them there? We certainly haven't. All we hear are the spin doctors and talking heads and I don't mean those two great musical acts. Why aren't we hearing the flat out truth? Where is Edward R. Morrow when we need him?

We have to play the Blues along with the news because the music always says it like it is.

Our primary source of unreported news tonight is The Huffington Post with a byline to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Brendan DeMelle

John Rhys/BluePower.com

Here's the music:

1)...."Money"....Barrett Strong....Anna Records
2)...."Everybody's Got The Blues"....Johnny Stevenson....unreleased
3)...."Outlaws Rule"....Scott Richardson and Buddy Miles....unreleased
4)...."On The Bottom Of The Pile"....Kermit Deveaux....Demo....HASM
5)...."California"....Jackie Lomax....Demo
6)...."The Freedom Wall"....Freebo....Before The Separation....Self

Click here to listen to....America's Got The Blues....4/29/08!

Click to listen to....The Creature From Jekyll Island....1:13:30.

Remember....Get Out And Vote!
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If you are an aspiring guitarist....please be sure to check out BluePower's Company Store. We have our first basic guitar lesson now available with more lessons being added soon. Help yourself....and help BluePower as well.

Smokestack Lightning's Rocking New Show!

Tue, 06 May 2008 02:30:12 GMT

Smokestack Lightnin?s Top Ten Blues CDs for the Week

#10 Clarence Spady/24/7 Luv/Just Between Us/ Severn

#9 Mississippi Heat/Say Something Good/Hattiesburg Blues/Delmark

#8 Kenny Neal/Fly Away/Let Life Flow/Blind Pig

#7 Tab Benoit&Jimmy Hall/New Orleans Ladies/Nightville Train to Nashville/Telarc

#6 Mannish Boys/The Same Thing/Lowdown Feelin?/Delta Groove

#5 Jeff Healey/Sittin? On Top Of The World/Mess Of Blues/Ruf

#4 Michael Burks/Empty Promises/Iron Man/Alligator

#3 The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue/If I Had A Nickel/Command Performance/Delta Groove

#2 Eric Gales/You Ain?t The Boss Of Me/The Story Of My Life/BBI

#1 Mac Arnold/Backbone & Gristle/Backbone & Gristle/self

Otis Blue (Collectors Edition) - Brand new reissue from Volt Records

Otis Redding/Old Man Trouble/Otis Blue:Otis Redding Sings Soul (Collectors Edition)/Volt

Otis Redding/Respect (Live)/same

Otis Redding/I?ve been Loving You Too Long/same

Otis Redding/Shake (Live)/same

Otis Redding/Satisfaction

All New Blues

Paul Orta&Tonky De La Pena/Pawn Shop/Pawn Shop/Great Blues Recordings

Carl Sims/Jody?s Got Your Girl and Gone/Can?t Stop Me/Ecko

Dave Specter/What?s Your Angle?/Live In Chicago/Delmark

Gary Allegretto/Good To Go/Many Shades Of Blue/Big Fiore

Floyd Taylor/I?m Hooked On These Blues/Still Got It/Malaco

Joe Moss/My Life/Maricela?s Smile/212

Thelonius James/Step On The Gas/The Sunland Chronicles/self

J.W. Jones/Can?t Play A Playboy/Blue Listed/Northern Blues

Big G & The Real Deal/Shake Your Money Maker/Chicago Blues Party/Universal

The Nouveaux Honkies/Strong Brain/Where Do I Go?/self

J.T. Coldfire/Hangin? Tree/Crazy Sun/self

Gregg Juke & The Mighty No Stars/Jesus Just left Chicago/Blues Power/self

Lil Cliff & The Cliffhangers/Cuttin? In/God Bless Women/Shank Bone

Darrell Raines/Love Doctor/Moanin? Time/Bluz

Austin Walkin? Cane/Georgia Moon/Murder Of A Blues Singer/Lazy Cat

Jeff Healey/I?m Tore Down/Mess Of Blues/Ruf

Close

Melvin Guitar Williams/Mustard Greens/Shut Your Mouth/Sticky Bo

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If you are an aspiring guitarist....please be sure to check out BluePower's Company Store. We have our first basic guitar lesson now available with more lessons being added soon. Help yourself....and help BluePower as well.

Thelonius James Rides Again!

Sun, 11 May 2008 16:39:40 GMT

Here at BluePower, we are always on the lookout for what we feel is inspired product. We receive so many CDs that just don't go that extra step to make the music different and unique. This CD is the best of both of those worlds.

Thelonius James Presents The Sunland Chronicles is a piece of work which contains all the elements necessary to make it an outstanding contribution to the world of American music. It has great playing and a sense of humor which can only be attributed to the artist involved.

There is something exciting going on with this record. A spontaneity which transcends most releases today. Trying to explain this is difficult. It's something one has to hear. All we know is that when we listened to the material....we enjoyed it thoroughly.

The Sunland Chronicles runs the gamut musically, stretching from the blues to near jazz. Fine playing and vocals with nothing too heavy or intense. Just a real good feel. Overall....this CD is a lot of fun and a guaranteed party pleaser.

It made me smile.

John Rhys/BluePower.com

Here's the music:

1)...."Popcorn Paws"....Thelonius James....Pick Strum Records
2)...."Step On The Gas"....Thelonius James....Pick Strum Records
3)...."The Blues Is Like A Baseball Game"....Thelonius James....Pick Strum Records
4)...."More Than A Fool"....Thelonius James....Pick Strum Records
5)...."With You"....Thelonius James....Pick Strum Records
6)...."You Give Me Hope"....Thelonius James....Pick Strum Records
7)...."Chicken Pie"....Thelonius James....Pick Strum Records

Produced by....Phil Bloch and Andrew Bush

Click to play....BP CD Review....Thelonius James Presents The Sunland Chronicles!

Click to purchase....Thelonius James....The Sunland Chronicles!

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If you are an aspiring guitarist....please be sure to check out BluePower's Company Store. We have our first basic guitar lesson now available with more lessons being added soon. Help yourself....and help BluePower as well.

Episode 16

Tue, 15 May 2007 14:50:44 GMT

Piano sensation Robert Glasper comments on his introduction to Trane.

The Wheel Man Takes Top Honors!

Sat, 17 May 2008 16:36:55 GMT

Ojn April 19th, 2007, BluePower released this CD review of Watermelon Slim and The Workers. We believed in the CD then and time has proved our point. The Wheel Man just took top honors for best Album of The Year and Band of The Year at 2008's Blues Music Awards in Memphis, Tennessee.

Congratulations to Northern Blues of Canada and to Watermelon Slim and The Workers!
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Since BluePower has been forced into taking the independent route, we have received so many great pieces of product that it's hard to believe. They come from all over the world as far as Italy and Spain. We just sit and look at each other in amazement at the shear reach of the Blues and the various shapes the art form has taken.

Today, we've chosen a CD produced by an organization from Canada....Northern Blues. They are producing some mighty talented artists. Today's Blues treasure is a CD titled The Wheel Man performed by Watermelon Slim and The Workers. Slim has produced several bodies of work prior to The Wheel Man and this time, Slim has gone above and beyond.

The Wheel Man covers a lot of territory from Slim's lament to the victims of Katrina, "Black Water" to the solo vocal and harp piece, "Jimmy Bell" with great songs of all tempos in between. The band is articulate and plays Slim's music with great feel and a foot stompin' rhythm guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

The title cut...."The Wheel Man" features a man we all know, Magic Slim, on vocals and slide guitar.

This is one CD you can pop in your iPod and cruise to all day long or slam the CD in your truck and drive all night, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

Check out....The Wheel Man!

Todays music is:

1)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury
2)...."Black Water"....Watermelon Slim....Northern Blues
3)...."I Know One"....Watermelon Slim....Northern Blues
4)...."Truck Drivin' Mama"....Watermelon Slim....Northern Blues
5)...."Jimmy Bell"....Watermelon Slim....Northern Blues
6)...."Rattlesnake"....Watermelon Slim....Northern Blues
7)...."The Wheel Man"....Watermelon Slim/Magic Slim....Northern Blues
8)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury

Enjoy the show!
John Rhys-Eddins/BluePower.com

Play....A BluePower Re-Run....Watermelon Slim And The Workers....The Wheel Man!

To purchase a copy of The Wheel Man, go to Northern Blues!

To find out more about Watermelon Slim, click here!

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If you are an aspiring guitarist....please be sure to check out BluePower's Company Store. We have our first basic guitar lesson now available with more lessons being added soon. Help yourself....and help BluePower as well.

If you are an aspiring guitarist....please be sure to check out BluePower's Company Store. We have our first basic guitar lesson now available with more lessons being added soon. Help yourself....and help BluePower as well.

A BluePower Re-Run....Watermelon Slim And The Workers....The Wheel Man!

Sat, 17 May 2008 16:38:30 GMT

Since BluePower has been forced into taking the independent route, we have received so many great pieces of product that it's hard to believe. They come from all over the world as far as Italy and Spain. We just sit and look at each other in amazement at the shear reach of the Blues and the various shapes the art form has taken.

BluePower Presents....Blues Of The 20th Century!

Mon, 19 May 2008 16:58:37 GMT

Southern Guitar Masters

Mississippi Fred McDowell
Charley Patton
Robert Johnson
Skip James
Bukka White
Rose Hemphill
Sunnyland Slim

From southern England:
Cream

The blues is about many things. About how your woman done you wrong. The Boss Man being mean to you. Things humorous. Things sad. Death. Dying and all manner of worldly matters concern the blues.

The blues was created long before the turn of the 19th century. The blues was built on slavery and the fact that a man was taken from his family and homeland against his will. Slavery happened for centuries. However; it wasn't until those slaves were brought to the shores of the United States that the blues, as we know the art form today, was born.

The blues reside in almost every country in the world. Even countries that don't call English it's first language.

Everyone in the world can relate to the blues. And today, with all the problems in the world, more and more people have an absolute right to sing the blues.

Today's show presents the blues from the early part of the 20th century. These are but a handful of the original blues men who traveled the dusty roads of the south; did time in many of the prisons and rode the rods, as the trains were called back then, into the annals of musical history. Just imagine that time.

This is one show I really enjoyed putting together. I hope you enjoy listening to Southern Guitar Masters.

John Rhys/BluePower.com

Here's the music:

1)...."I'm Goin' Home"....Ervin Webb & Prisoners....Alan Lomax Collection
2)...."61 Highway Blues"....Fred McDowell....Alan Lomax Collection
3)...."Fred McDowell's Blues"....Fred McDowell....Alan Lomax Collection 4)...."Stone Pony Blues....Charley Patton....VMK
5)...."Crossroads"....Robert Johnson....Columbia
6)...."Fixin' To Die Blues"....Bukka White....Columbia Legacy Series
7)...."Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues"....Skip James....VMK
8)...."Rolled And Tumbled"....Rose Hemphill....Alan Lomax Collection
9)...."Roll And Tumble Blues"....Sunnyland Slim, Johnny Shines and Big Joe Williams....Blue Sun
10)..."Rollin' And Tumblin' "....Cream....Reaction

Some dialog taken from the All Music Guide to the Blues.

Click here to listen to....Southern Guitar Masters!

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If you are an aspiring guitarist....please be sure to check out BluePower's Company Store. We have our first basic guitar lesson now available with more lessons being added soon. Help yourself....and help BluePower as well.

BluePower Presents....Influential Guitarists!

Tue, 27 May 2008 23:52:33 GMT

T-Bone Walker

Born: May 28, 1910 in Linden, Texas
Died: March 16, 1975 in Los Angeles, Ca.

Aaron Thibeaux Walker was a product of the early Dallas, Texas blues scene. Marco Washington, T-Bone's step-father, was a bass fiddle player with a group called The Dallas String Band. Almost all of T-bone's family played instruments of one kind or another and the young man followed his step-dad's example by learning every stringed instrument his talented hands could find. Once he learned the guitar, that was it.

T-Bone and his friend Charlie Christian hustled many gigs which included both playing and dancing. Neither one of the young men went to school that much. They were into making money so they could eat.

T-Bone Walker recorded from 1929 until 1973. During that time Walker recorded over 400 records. A recording discography unmatched by any guitar player to date. He also played with some of the most prestigious band leaders and performed in the world's finest venues.

Anyone who has enjoyed the music of BB King, Albert King or Freddie King, Buddy Guy, Magic Sam, Albert Collins, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Robert Cray, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter, Duane Allman, Mike Bloomfield, Stevie Ray Vaughan or any of a host of other blues and blues-influenced players has heard the influences of T-Bone Walker.

T-Bone Walker suffered a stroke 1n 1974 brought on by persistent stomach problems and died in Los Angeles, California in 1975.

John Rhys/BluePower.com

Here's the music:

1)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury Records
2)...."Strollin' With Bone"....T-Bone Walker....Imperial Records
3)...."The Hustle Is On"....T-Bone Walker....Imperial Records
4)...."Black Snake Moan"....Blind Lemon Jefferson....Gold Box Records 5)...."Stormy Monday Blues"....T-Bone Walker....Black and White Records 6)...."Tomorrow Night"....Lonnie Johnson....King Records
7)...."Johnny B. Goode"....Chuck Berry....Chess Records
8)...."Hard Way"....T-Bone Walker....Imperial
9)...."Blue Mood"....T-Bone Walker....Imperial Records
10)..."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury Records

Click here to listen to....Influential Guitarists....T-Bone Walker!
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If you are an aspiring guitarist....please be sure to check out BluePower's Company Store. We have our first basic guitar lesson now available with more lessons being added soon. Help yourself....and help BluePower as well.

Bo Diddley Passes on at 79!

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:55:33 GMT

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Bo Diddley, a founding father of rock 'n' roll whose distinctive ''shave and a haircut, two bits'' rhythm and innovative guitar effects inspired legions of other musicians, died Monday after months of ill health. He was 79.

Diddley died of heart failure at his home in Archer, Fla., spokeswoman Susan Clary said. He had suffered a heart attack in August, three months after suffering a stroke while touring in Iowa. Doctors said the stroke affected his ability to speak, and he had returned to Florida to continue rehabilitation.

The legendary singer and performer, known for his homemade square guitar, dark glasses and black hat, was an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, had a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, and received a lifetime achievement award in 1999 at the Grammy Awards. In recent years he also played for the elder President Bush and President Clinton.

Diddley appreciated the honors he received, ''but it didn't put no figures in my checkbook.''

''If you ain't got no money, ain't nobody calls you honey,'' he quipped.

The name Bo Diddley came from other youngsters when he was growing up in Chicago, he said in a 1999 interview.

''I don't know where the kids got it, but the kids in grammar school gave me that name,'' he said, adding that he liked it so it became his stage name. Other times, he gave somewhat differing stories on where he got the name. Some experts believe a possible source for the name is a one-string instrument used in traditional blues music called a diddley bow.

His first single, ''Bo Diddley,'' introduced record buyers in 1955 to his signature rhythm: bomp ba-bomp bomp, bomp bomp, often summarized as ''shave and a haircut, two bits.'' The B side, ''I'm a Man,'' with its slightly humorous take on macho pride, also became a rock standard.

The company that issued his early songs was Chess-Checker Records, the storied Chicago-based labels that also recorded Chuck Berry and other stars.

Howard Kramer, assistant curator of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, said in 2006 that Diddley's Chess recordings ''stand among the best singular recordings of the 20th century.''

Diddley's other major songs included, ''Say Man,'' ''You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover,'' ''Shave and a Haircut,'' ''Uncle John,'' ''Who Do You Love?'' and ''The Mule.''

Diddley's influence was felt on both sides of the Atlantic. Buddy Holly borrowed the bomp ba-bomp bomp, bomp bomp rhythm for his song ''Not Fade Away.''

The Rolling Stones' bluesy remake of that Holly song gave them their first chart single in the United States, in 1964. The following year, another British band, the Yardbirds, had a Top 20 hit in the U.S. with their version of ''I'm a Man.''

Diddley was also one of the pioneers of the electric guitar, adding reverb and tremelo effects. He even rigged some of his guitars himself.

''He treats it like it was a drum, very rhythmic,'' E. Michael Harrington, professor of music theory and composition at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., said in 2006.

Many other artists, including the Who, Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello copied aspects of Diddley's style.

Growing up, Diddley said he had no musical idols, and he wasn't entirely pleased that others drew on his innovations.

''I don't like to copy anybody. Everybody tries to do what I do, update it,'' he said. ''I don't have any idols I copied after.''

''They copied everything I did, upgraded it, messed it up. It seems to me that nobody can come up with their own thing, they have to put a little bit of Bo Diddley there,'' he said.

Despite his success, Diddley claimed he only received a small portion of the money he made during his career. Partly as a result, he continued to tour and record music until his stroke. Between tours, he made his home near Gainesville in north Florida.

''Seventy ain't nothing but a damn number,'' he told The Associated Press in 1999. ''I'm writing and creating new stuff and putting together new different things. Trying to stay out there and roll with the punches. I ain't quit yet.''

Diddley, like other artists of his generations, was paid a flat fee for his recordings and said he received no royalty payments on record sales. He also said he was never paid for many of his performances.

''I am owed. I've never got paid,'' he said. ''A dude with a pencil is worse than a cat with a machine gun.''

In the early 1950s, Diddley said, disc jockeys called his type of music, ''Jungle Music.'' It was Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed who is credited with inventing the term ''rock 'n' roll.''

Diddley said Freed was talking about him, when he introduced him, saying, ''Here is a man with an original sound, who is going to rock and roll you right out of your seat.''

Diddley won attention from a new generation in 1989 when he took part in the ''Bo Knows'' ad campaign for Nike, built around football and baseball star Bo Jackson. Commenting on Jackson's guitar skills, Diddley turned to the camera and said, ''He don't know Diddley.''

''I never could figure out what it had to do with shoes, but it worked,'' Diddley said. ''I got into a lot of new front rooms on the tube.''

Born as Ellas Bates on Dec. 30, 1928, in McComb, Miss., Diddley was later adopted by his mother's cousin and took on the name Ellis McDaniel, which his wife always called him.

When he was 5, his family moved to Chicago, where he learned the violin at the Ebenezer Baptist Church. He learned guitar at 10 and entertained passers-by on street corners.

By his early teens, Diddley was playing Chicago's Maxwell Street.

''I came out of school and made something out of myself. I am known all over the globe, all over the world. There are guys who have done a lot of things that don't have the same impact that I had,'' he said.

From: The Associated Press
Writer unknown.

Click here to go to original article.

Click to listen to...."Bo Diddley".

Click here to go to Bo Diddley's Web Site.
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Bluesmen Of The 20th Century....Freddie King!

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 14:30:06 GMT

Freddie King

All this week BluePower will feature highly influential guitarists. Players a novice must listen to and emulate in order to learn. Today we are featuring Freddie King. Freddie wrote "Hide Away" and "The Stumble". Two of the most copied guitar instrumentals of all time.

Freddie King was born in Gilmer, Texas on September 3rd, 1934. Taught to play guitar by his mother and his uncle, Freddie originally studied Lightnin' Hopkins and his style of country blues.

When Freddie became a teen, he fell in love with the electrified sounds of the Chicago blues and when he was 16, his prayer was answered....he moved to Chicago. In 1950, Chicago was overflowing with emigrants from the South. With them came the rural blues or country blues which was transformed into the basic electrified Chicago blues which in turn, generated some great record labels. Chess and Vee-Jay are labels which were spawned by the huge focus of primary blues artists streaming into Chicago. It was a mighty time!

It's funny that Syd Nathan at King Records in Cincinnati wound up releasing Freddie King's major hits considering Freddie was living right in Chicago. Such is the entertainment world.

Thanks for listening....
John Rhys/BluePower.com

Here's the music:

1)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury Records
2)...."Hide Away"....Freddie King....King Records
3)...."I'm Tore Down"....Freddie King....King Records
4)...."Dust My Broom"....Freddie King....Black Top Records
5)...."Ain't Nobody's Bizness"....Freddie King....Black Top Records
6)...."Key To The Highway"....Freddie King....Black Top Records
7)...."San-Ho-Zay"....Freddie King....King Records
8)...."Hand Clappin'"....Red Prysock....Mercury Records

Click here to listen to....Influential Guitarists Featuring Freddie King!
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If you are an aspiring guitarist....please be sure to check out BluePower's Company Store. We have our first basic guitar lesson now available with more lessons being added soon. Help yourself....and help BluePower as well.

Episode 15

Tue, 08 May 2007 15:13:30 GMT

The great Sonny Rollins reflects on his friend and fellow saxophonist John Coltrane.

Bluesmen Of The 20th Century....Stevie Ray Vaughan!

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:28:22 GMT

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Born in Dallas, Texas on October 3rd, 1954, Stevie Ray Vaughan grew up to become one of America's finest gifts to the blues world.

After playing with several garage bands, Vaughan dropped out of high school to concentrate full time on playing music. When his original band, The Cobras broke up, Stevie formed Triple Threat in 1975. Triple Threat featured bassist Jackie Newhouse, drummer Chris Layton and vocalist Lou Ann Barton.

When Barton left the band in 1978, Stevie decided to continue the band and call it Double Trouble. At this point, Stevie Ray Vaughan became the the band's lead singer.

Vaughan's debut album, Texas Flood, was released in the summer of 1983 to rave reviews although much talk was stemming from Stevie's fine backup work on David Bowie's Let's Dance LP.

In the late summer of 1990, Vaughan and Double Trouble set out to do an American headline tour. On August 26th, 1990, after concluding their East Troy, Wisconsin job, Stevie boarded a helicopter bound for Chicago. Just minutes after takeoff, the helicopter crashed, killing Stevie Ray and several other passengers. Stevie was 35 years old.

And so....one of America's and the blues world's finest performers was gone in an instant. Stevie has left us with so much great recorded music. All we have to do is listen to keep his spirit alive.

John Rhys/BluePower.com

Here's the music:

1)...."Hand Clappin "....Red Prysock....Mercury
2)...."The House Is Rockin' "....Stevie Ray Vaughan....Epic
3)...."Texas Flood"....Stevie Ray Vaughan....Epic
4)...."Texas Flood"....Fredrik Strand Halland....Self
5)...."Little Wing"....Stevie Ray Vaughan....Epic
6)...."Pride And Joy"....Stevie Ray Vaughan....Epic
7)...."Life Without You"....Stevie Ray Vaughan....Epic
8)...."Hand Clappin' "....Red Prysock....Mercury

Click here to listen to....Influential Guitarists Featuring Stevie Ray Vaughan!
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If you are an aspiring guitarist....please be sure to check out BluePower's Company Store. We have our first basic guitar lesson now available with more lessons being added soon. Help yourself....and help BluePower as well.

An Evening With Barry McCabe!

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:26:54 GMT

The strength of the Blues can be determined by the sheer amount of ground the music has covered in the last 80 years. In that time, this purely American art-form has managed to blossom in nearly every country in the world. The Blues has been transformed into nearly every language and is understood by every man and woman ever born. No one can honestly say they "have not" had the Blues at one time or another.

In this presentation, BluePower honors a man for his contributions to the Blues and Rock from the beautiful country of Ireland. Barry McCabe was born in Virginia, Co. Cavan, Ireland and has managed to travel the world bringing his music to hundreds of thousands of people. Barry's music can best be described as Rock and Blues with a Celtic twist.

This show features music from many of Barry's CDs but primarily from his new release, Beyond The Tears.

Tune in to this masterful player, writer and performer as he guides us through many stories of life and the pursuit of happiness. A true storyteller in every sense of the word, Barry McCabe gives his all to his art; to our benefit.

John Rhys/BluePower.com

The songs are:

1)...."Sunrise"....Barry McCabe/Davey Spillane
2)...."In The Dead Of Night"....Barry McCabe
3)...."Oh Well"....Barry McCabe written by Peter Green
4)...."Sheilagh"....Barry McCabe
5)...."Rollin'"....Barry McCabe
6)...."Trouble"....Barry McCabe
7)...."The Emigrant"....Barry McCabe/Davey Spillane
8)...."Talkin' Woman Blues"....Barry McCabe
9)...."Full Moon On Main Street"....Barry McCabe
10)..."Arthur"....Barry McCabe
11)..."Tempted"....Barry McCabe

Listen to....BluePower Presents....An Evening With Barry McCabe!

To Find more on Barry McCabe....Click here!
_________________________________________________________________
If you are an aspiring guitarist....please be sure to check out BluePower's Company Store. We have our first basic guitar lesson now available with more lessons being added soon. Help yourself....and help BluePower as well.