So over the last few days I’ve been listening to several new blues albums including: Don’t Explain the new release from Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa, Peace Meal from Carolyn Wonderland and Choice Cuts from Big Pete. I have been enjoying all of them, but after the first listen of each album, the favorite is Big Pete’s Choice Cuts ! And after a second listen Carolyn Wonderland’s Peace Meal is a closing in. I wonder, if after a second listen tomorrow to Don’t Explain, it will be a three way tie. But let’s start with the album that broke first out of the gate and that’s Choice Cuts. Choice Cuts is currently number 17 on the Roots Music Report’s Blues Chart. Big Pete is Dutch blues vocalist and harp master Pieter “Big Pete” van der Pluijm Since being handpicked at 23 for a European memorial tour to honor the music and memory of legendary harmonica player and vocalist Lester Butler (the Red Devils and Thirteen), Pete has become one of the premier next generation blues performers in the Benelux region.
His debut release was Bathroom Acoustics by The Strikes.(I just listened to some of the album on Rhapsody while writing this post. Good stuff!) In addition to that project he has been part of the rockin’ 50’s Chicago blues outfit The Backbones for a couple CDs, and most recently, the more progressive and forward-thinking group M.O.C.T. (Men Of Considerable Taste). Pete has also toured and performed backing many internationally acclaimed blues artists including Alex Schultz, Mitch Kashmar, Monster Mike Welch, Hook Herrera, Matt Schofield, and Ian Siegel.
Big Pete made his US appearance on The Mannish Boys’ 5th anniversary release Shake For Me. Pete closed out the album in style paying tribute to his hero Lester Butler on the storming New Orleans romp “Way Down South,” backed by Kid Ramos, Willie J. Campbell and Jimi Bott along with special guest pianist Andy Kaulkin, who previously recorded with Lester Butler on the classic album “Thirteen.”
Big Pete has a great group of musicians helping out on Choice Cuts including, Kim Wilson, Paul Oscher, Al Blake, Johnny Dyer, Alex Schultz, Kirk Fletcher, Kid Ramos, Rusty Zinn, Shawn Pittman, John Marx, Mojo Mark, Rob Rio, Willie J. Campbell and Jimi Bott. But Big Pete’s great harp and equally adept vocals lead the way! So check him out, while I check out something that really gives me the Blues – Eagles football!
Here’s Big Pete and the Backbones with “Automatic”!
