Home Archive by category "Americana" (Page 8)

Category: Americana

Today in Music – 1974 – Happy Birthday – jazz/blues organist Mauri Sanchis – Part 1!

As I looked down a list of musicians  that were born on this date there were no names that I recognized. So I just picked one that was interesting to investigate, the pick was Mauri Sanchis born in Alcoy, Spain on this date in 1974 (a quick geography lesson for the geography geek in me.) Alcoy (Spanish: [alˈkoi]) or Alcoi (Valencian: [aɫˈkɔj]) is a city and municipality located in the province of Alicante, Spain. The Serpisriver crosses the municipal boundary of Alcoi. The local authority reported 61,417 residents in 2010,[1] of whom 5,334 were of non-Spanish origin.[2] Read More  Back to Mauri Sanchis at All About Jazz I discovered that Mauri has played or recorded…

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“Into the Night” with the Swampy Blues of Damon Fowler!

So back in 2011 I first heard the swampy blues music of Damon Fowler. It was around the time  of the release of his second album on Blind Pig Records Devil Got His Way. I think that the first week I saw his name on one of the charts Devil Got His Way had not been released yet, so I ended up listening to his début album Sugar Shack,  The following week though, the title  of my post read – Damon Fowler – Devil Got His Way – Added to the Mix! So today as I searched around at lunch time for some…

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Today in Music History – 1943 – Happy Birthday Steve Miller!

Born on this day in 1943, was Steve  Miller aka .”The Gangster of Love”. I became a Steve Miller fan with his second album Sailor and followed his career on vinyl until the album six Rock Love which was released in 1971. I think I had The Joker on 8-track! After that, I followed his career on the radio, until his 2010 and 2011 releases Bingo and Let Your Hair Down, which are both really fine albums! From Steve’s Press Release Biography Born October 5, 1943 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Steve Miller grew up in a musical family. His mother, Bertha, was…

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Today in Music – 1948 – Happy Birthday, Duke Robillard!!

After reviewing a couple of the birthday lists, that I usually check in the morning, I didn’t see any names that really caught my attention, so I decided that I’d search for any “today in jazz’” birthday sites. I found a list at All About Jazz and as I scrolled down the list there weren’t many names that I recognized (Can anyone tell me if there’s someone I should check out on the list) until I arrived at the Ds and there I saw blues guitarist Duke Robillard‘s name! Now you may say what’s a blues artist doing on a…

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“Into the Night” with more Canadian Music! – Some Blues from Steve Strongman!!!

I tried to get this post written before I went for my run, but that didn’t happen! So I will try to finish it while I’m cooling down, if I can keep the sweat out of my eyes long enough and my fingers can hit the right keys! (writer pauses to wipe sweat out of his eyes} Last night, as I was researching the Supercrawl in Hamilton, I saw that one of the performers was Blues guitarist Steve Strongman and I thought I remember him I listened to him about a year ago and one of his albums is on…

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Today in Music – 1950s style – Two Blues Greats! Stevie Ray and Keb’ Mo’

OK everybody all together now – whose birthday is it today – what’s that you say?? Keb’ Mo’?? Well, you are correct. He was born in 1951 (a familiar year) but does that look like  Keb’ Mo’, at the top of this post? No it does not! This is Keb’ Mo’, Of  course the other blues man who was born on this day, but in 1954, is one of the best blues rock musicians, as opposed to the acoustic blues of  Keb’ Mo’, and one of my favorites Stevie Ray Vaughan….from Wikipedia…. Stephen Ray Vaughan was born on October 3, 1954, at Methodist…

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Today in Music – 1932 – Albert Collins “The Iceman” and “The Master of the Telecaster” was born

So aside from it being my birthday today (we’ll get to that later) the name on the birthday list that caught my eye was bluesman, Albert Collins…..Albert Collins…. ….’was born October 1, 1932, in Leona, TX. His family moved to Houston when he was seven. Growing up in the city’s Third Ward area with the likes of Johnny “Guitar” Watson and Johnny “Clyde” Copeland, Collins started out taking keyboard lessons.   Albert Collins, “The Master of the Telecaster,” “The Iceman,” and “The Razor Blade” was robbed of his best years as a blues performer by a bout with liver cancer that ended with his premature…

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Today in Music – 1937 – Bluesman – Joe “Guitar” Hughes was born!

When I saw that, Joe “Guitar” Hughes was born on this day in 1937 in Houston, Texas. I thought ok any artist that puts “Guitar” in their name is usually pretty damn good and since I had never heard of Mr. Hughes I thought I’d see what I could find out… at Wikipedia I read: Joe “Guitar” Hughes (September 29, 1937 – May 20, 2003[1]) was an American blues musician, from Houston, Texas, United States. Hughes was an inventive and versatile performer who was equally adept at playing a slow blues or Texas shuffle as well as R&B hits. Hughes…

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Today in Music – 1893 – “Blind” Lemon Jefferson was born!!

So aside from his name, I don’t know much about the man, who many label “The Father of Texas Blues” Blind Lemon Jefferson. Since today is his birthday, I figure it’s a good day to find out a little about the man! From Wikipedia Blind” Lemon Jefferson (Lemon Henry Jefferson; September 24, 1893 – December 19, 1929) was an American blues singer and guitarist from Texas. He was one of the most popular blues singers of the 1920s, and has been titled “Father of the Texas Blues”.[2]   Jefferson’s singing and self-accompaniment were distinctive as a result of his high-pitched…

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“Into the Night” with some Blues from Mike Zito – Gone to Texas!

Mike Zito and the Wheel’s latest album  Gone to Texas was released on Ruf Records back in June of this year, and has occupied a spot at the top of the Roots Music Report’s Blues Chart for most of the summer. For the last two weeks it has held steady at No. 7! From Mike’s biography at his website: Mike Zito couldn’t help but be great. It was either that, probably, or end up on a wanted poster in the post office. There is something deep down in Zito’s soul that will not stop screaming, pushing him to take life to…

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