Mavis Staples

 

Mavis Staples was born in Chicago, Illinois, on July 10, 1939. She began her career with her family group in 1950. Initially singing locally at churches and appearing on a weekly radio show, the Staples scored a hit in 1956 with "Uncloudy Day" for the Vee-Jay label. When Mavis graduated from what is now Paul Robeson High School in 1957, The Staple Singers took their music on the road. Led by family patriarch Roebuck "Pops" Staples on guitar and including the voices of Mavis and her siblings Cleotha, Yvonne, and Pervis, the Staples were called "God's Greatest Hitmakers".

With Mavis' voice and Pops' songs, singing, and guitar playing, the Staples evolved from enormously popular gospel singers (with recordings on United and Riverside as well as Vee-Jay) to become the most spectacular and influential spirituality-based group in America. By the mid-1960s The Staple Singers, inspired by Pops' close friendship with Martin Luther King Jr., became the spiritual and musical voices of the civil rights movement. They covered contemporary pop hits with positive messages, including Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" and a version of Stephen Stills' "For What It's Worth". 

During a December 20, 2008, appearance on National Public Radio's news show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, when Staples was asked about her past personal relationship with Dylan, she admitted that they "were good friends, yes indeed" and that he had asked her father for her hand in marriage.
The Staples sang "message" songs like "Long Walk to D.C." and "When Will We Be Paid?," bringing their moving and articulate music to a huge number of young people. The group signed to Stax Records in 1968, joining their gospel harmonies and deep faith with musical accompaniment from members of Booker T. and the MGs. The Staple Singers hit the Top 40 eight times between 1971 and 1975, including two No. 1 singles, "I'll Take You There", produced by Al Bell and recorded and mixed by Terry Manning, "Let's Do It Again," and a No. 2 single "Who Took the Merry Out of Christmas?"
Mavis made her first solo foray while at Epic Records with The Staple Singers, releasing a lone single "Crying in the Chapel" to little fanfare in the late 1960s. The single was finally re-released on the 1994 Sony Music collection Lost Soul. Her first solo album would not come until a 1969 self-titled release for the Stax label. After another Stax release, Only for the Lonely, in 1970, she released a soundtrack album, A Piece of the Action, on Curtis Mayfield's Curtom label. A 1984 album (also self-titled) preceded two albums under the direction of rock star Prince; 1989's Time Waits for No One, followed by 1993's The Voice, which People magazine named one of the Top Ten Albums of 1993. Her 1996 release, Spirituals & Gospels: A Tribute to Mahalia Jackson, was recorded with keyboardist Lucky Peterson. The recording honours Mahalia Jackson, a close family friend and a significant influence on Mavis Staples' life. 

Staples made a major national return with the release of the album Have a Little Faith on Chicago's Alligator Records, produced by Jim Tullio, in 2004. The album featured spiritual music, some of it semi-acoustic.

In 2004, Staples contributed to a Verve release by legendary jazz-rock guitarist, John Scofield. The album, entitled That's What I Say, was a tribute to the great Ray Charles and led to a live tour featuring Staples, John Scofield, pianist Gary Versace, drummer Steve Hass, and bassist Rueben Rodriguez. A new album for Anti- Records entitled We'll Never Turn Back was released on April 24, 2007. The Ry Cooder-produced concept album focuses on gospel songs of the civil rights movement and also included two new original songs by Cooder.

Her voice has been sampled by some of the biggest selling artists, including Salt 'N' Pepa, Ice Cube, Ludacris, and Hozier. Staples has recorded with a wide variety of musicians, from her friend, Bob Dylan (with whom she was nominated for a 2003 Grammy Award in the "Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals" category for their duet on "Gonna Change My Way of Thinking", from the album Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan) to The Band, Ray Charles, Prince, Nona Hendryx, George Jones, Natalie Merchant, Ann Peebles, and Delbert McClinton. She has provided vocals on current albums by Los Lobos and Dr. John, and she appears on tribute albums to such artists as Johnny Paycheck, Stephen Foster and Bob Dylan.

In 2003, Staples performed in Memphis at the Orpheum Theater alongside a cadre of her fellow former Stax Records stars during "Soul Comes Home," a concert held in conjunction with the grand opening of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music at the original site of Stax Records, and appears on the CD and DVD that were recorded and filmed during the event. In 2004, she returned as guest artist for the Stax Music Academy's SNAP! Summer Music Camp and performed again at the Orpheum with 225 of the academy's students. In June 2007, she again returned to the venue to perform at the Stax 50th Anniversary Concert to Benefit the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, produced by Concord Records, who now owns and has revived the Stax Records label.

Staples was a judge for the 3rd and 7th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists.

In 2009, Staples, along with Patty Griffin and The Tri-City Singers, released a version of the song "Waiting For My Child To Come Home" on the compilation album Oh Happy Day: An All-Star Music Celebration.

https://mavisstaples.com/

Luther Dickinson

 

“Most of the work was in getting the spark lit,” Luther Dickinson says of assembling the all-star cast for his extraordinary new project, Luther Dickinson and Sisters of the Strawberry Moon. “It was sort of like throwing a party. Once you manage to get everybody together, you can just step back and let it all happen.”

Like any good party, Luther Dickinson and Sisters of the Strawberry Moon’s debut album, Solstice, comes complete with a great soundtrack and an impeccable guest list, one that boasts Amy Helm, Birds of Chicago, Amy LaVere, and Shardé Thomas among others. And like any good host, Dickinson manages to put the spotlight on his friends here, taking a step back from the microphone in order to focus his efforts behind the scenes and flex his considerable muscles as both a producer and a guitarist. The result is an album that stands apart in Dickinson’s extensive catalog, a collection that brings together some of the most captivating female voices in modern American roots music and filters each of their distinctive personalities through a singular vision of artistic community and musical exploration.

“The whole idea of this album was to introduce a bunch of friends and get them to collaborate with each other,” says Dickinson. “I wanted to let the chemistry flow, to create an environment where everyone’s flavors naturally blended together and each artist could just be themselves. I think you can feel that freedom in the music.”

Freedom has long been Dickinson’s sonic signature, both on the stage and in the studio. Growing up in Mississippi, he learned the power of artistic adventurousness firsthand from his father, who produced albums for Big Star and The Replacements in addition to recording with everyone from Bob Dylan and Aretha Franklin to Ronnie Hawkins and the Rolling Stones. Dickinson followed in his father’s footsteps, first earning a reputation as a fearsome session guitarist before breaking out internationally as a songwriter and performer with North Mississippi Allstars, the band he launched with his brother Cody in the late 90’s. The group earned a GRAMMY nomination for their critically acclaimed debut, ‘Shake Hands With Shorty,’ and went on to release a slew of similarly celebrated studio and live albums over the next two decades. NPR’s Mountain Stage called the band “modern-day torchbearers for the distinct, funky, Hill Country blues associated with their native state,” while the NY Times praised Dickinson as “an impressive player in the Southern guitar-hero mold,” and Rolling Stone hailed the group’s “­boogie blues and fuzzed-out funk.” The band toured with superstars like Robert Plant and Dave Matthews in addition to slaying festival stages from Bonnaroo to Newport Folk, and they topped the Billboard Blues Albums chart three separate times, most recently with 2017’s ‘Prayer For Peace.’ Dickinson’s restlessness and versatility, meanwhile, fueled an impressive solo career and landed him stints playing with the likes of John Hiatt and The Black Crowes in addition to studio work with Patty Griffin, Devon Allman, Seasick Steve, and more.

That same versatility lies at the heart of Solstice, a wide-ranging collection that harkens back to the era of the traveling revue, when a rotating cast of entertainers would take turns fronting a house band for a series of dynamic and unpredictable performances. Capturing that brand of authentic spontaneity meant taking a very hands-off approach in the studio, and Dickinson was careful to leave space for each song to develop organically. With nearly all of the album’s vocals recorded live in just one or two takes, there was no room for overthinking or second-guessing, only instinct and intuition.

“All of the artists on this album come from different backgrounds and have their own musical vernacular,” Dickinson explains. “That made it really exciting to just be in the moment and let the different melodic paths unfold. We’d be playing, and then suddenly, ‘Ahh, that’s a new avenue, let’s see where this takes us…’”

Commitment to living in the moment was key to keeping the album as cohesive as it is, no small task considering the broad array of songs and voices it encompasses.

“Recording the album in the same place at the same time with the same people really helped glue the whole thing together,” says Dickinson, who assembled the group for four days at his family’s Zebra Ranch studio in Independence, MS. “It wouldn’t have worked if we’d recorded all over the map at different times. We had to physically be present to share in those moments together.”

The record opens with a delicate take on Birds of Chicago’s “Superlover,” a gentle meditation on the power of human connection that’s woven together with meandering fiddle and fingerpicked guitar. It’s an ideal entry point for the album: contemporary but timeless, deeply personal but broadly universal, and fueled by a hypnotic feminine energy. It’s tempting to read a political statement into the supremacy of the female voice on this collection—even the simple act of releasing an album built upon the power of community and collaboration in these deeply divided times manages to feel quietly radical in its own way—but these are not songs of protest or discontent. These are songs of hope, of faith, of promise. These are songs that believe in our better angels and insist that dawn is coming even in the darkest of nights. “Build your hopes on things eternal,” Mississippi gospel legends The Como Mamas instruct on the old-time spiritual “Hold To His Hand,” delivering what could be a mission statement for the entire album in a single, stirring line.

“Each singer brought a handful of songs to the table,” Dickinson says of the album’s diverse source material. “Sometimes it was an old tune they wanted to reinterpret or something new they’d written that felt right for the cast of characters at hand, but no matter the track, all of our colors ended up mixing together on a communal palette.”

Thomas’s funky “We Made It” celebrates endurance and survival in the face of heartbreak and pain, while the soulful “Til It’s Gone” finds Birds of Chicago’s Allison Russell living for the present (“God bless this beautiful morning til it’s gone,” she sings), and the T Bone Burnett/Bob Neuwirth-penned “Like A Songbird That Has Fallen” is a tender ode to redemption and second chances in Helm’s capable hands. LaVere, meanwhile, offers up a sultry dose of Memphis romance on “The Night Is Still Young” and spins a charming folk allegory on the bouncing “Cricket (At Night I Can Fly),” both of which feature beautiful guitar work from her husband and musical partner, Will Sexton.

Varied as the performances on the album are, the songs are all stitched together elegantly by Dickinson’s subtly sophisticated production and the band’s peerless musicianship. Thomas’s drumming offers an R&B counterpoint to Russell’s legato clarinet, and LaVere’s deep grooves on the upright bass prove to be an ideal bedrock for Dickinson’s bluesy guitar work. While most of the album was recorded live in the studio, the band did invite a few special guests to contribute additional parts, including fiddler Lillie Mae Rische (Jack White, Jim Lauderdale), organist Rev. Charles Hodges (Al Green, Willie Mitchell), and GRAMMY-winning artist/producer Alvin Youngblood Hart.

“We believe music is a celebration of life, and folk music an expression of community and family,” Dickinson concludes. “Solstice is an artifact of our new friendship and musical fellowship.”

More than just an artifact, though, Solstice is a living, breathing monument to the power of collaboration, a timely reminder of our shared humanity and the ties that bind us. It’s a party, after all, and like any good party, everyone’s welcome.

 http://www.lutherdickinson.com

Lobos Negros

 

Born in the Castilian steppe, in Talavera de la Reina, Spain, land of swamps and pottery. These three Lobos Negros (Black Wolves) have been howling all over the planet for more than thirty years. There are fifteen albums behind them since they premiered at Rock-Ola, temple of the Movida Madrileña, becoming one of the most outstanding Spanish groups of the rockabilly revival at the end of the eighties. Their international tours have left their mark in Mexico, Finland, Estonia, France, England and Austria. As guest artists they have accompanied Brian Setzer, Eric Sardinas or The Meteors, among others. They have collaborated on dozens of albums, participated in multiple tributes to other artists, set poems to music and composed songs for films, especially by Álex de la Iglesia, with whom they have had multiple collaborations. Their music is considered an explosive cocktail of high caliber, rock & roll, psychobilly, garage, doses of southern rock, swampy blues. They are: Luis Martín Gil (composition, voice and guitar), José Luis Bielsa (bass and backing vocals) and Ricardo Virtanen (drums, percussion and backing vocals).

http://lobosnegros.es/home.html

Boogie Beasts

 

Dirty beats, hypnotising slide, screaming harmonica riffs and plenty of fuzz: all of these will be served by this four-men band from Liège-Limburg-Namur, Belgium.

Boogie Beasts translate their passion for (hill country) blues into a most characteristic sound of their own, which has a touch of The Black Keys jamming with John Lee Hooker at a rave in the wee hours of the morning, or Morphine on a psychedelic trip with Little Walter, or even RL Burnside backed up by the young Rolling Stones at a juke joint-gig.

The drive is infectious, the noise is pure filth, yet highly irresistible…
Are you ready to boogie with the Beasts? 

https://www.boogiebeasts.com/

Sonny Landreth and Derek Trucks

 

 

Sonny Landreth was born on Feb 1, 1951 in Canton Mississippi to Clide and Jeraldine (Jerry) Landreth. When Sonny was in the second grade, the family relocated to Lafayette Louisiana where Sonny was surrounded by the many musical and cultural influences that we can hear so much of in his music today. He is very much in demand as a session player as he never holds back and gives his all for whomever he is working with. He has played with many different artists including: Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Clifton Chenier, Steve Conn, Michael Doucet, Jerry Douglas, John Hiatt, Dr. John, Mark Knopfler, Kenny Loggins, John Mayall, Maria Muldaur, Dolly Parton, Zachary Richard and Junior Wells just to name a few. His haunting slide technique is quite different from anything I had ever heard before; sometimes he is able to coax sounds from his guitars that sound like other instruments. Sonny uses a style that combines finger picking, palming and slapping the strings and what looks to me like he’s trying to “excite the strings” like you would with a bow on a violin. His slide technique is quite unique in that he also frets behind the slide, giving him a different sound and “feel” than most slide players. Not only is he an incredible player but also a singer/song writer. 

Derek learned to play the acoustic guitar from the age of nine. He started playing professionally at the age of 11 in The Allman Brothers Band. In the mid-90s, he founded the Derek Truck Band. He has performed with Susan Tedeschi, whom he married in 2001. He has recorded with Frogwings, Buddy Guy and McCoy Tyner.

Derek Trucks is a winner of a Grammy Award, he is a member of The Allman Brothers Band, in addition to owning his own band. He is considered to be one of the most inspired slide guitar players today.

He began to stand out as a guitarist at a very young age, and by the age of 12 he had already worked with some of the great names in American music, such as Buddy Guy or The Allman Brothers Band. With the latter, he toured for several years before becoming an official member of the band in 1999. That same year he met blues singer Susan Tedeschi, whom he married two years later.

 sonnylandrethfan.com

Marty Christian

 

Marty Christian's music might best be described as Bluesicana: Americana with a deep root in the Blues. Christian has combined elements of many Southern genres including Blues, Funk, Soul and Swamp Pop to create a sound of his own. Through 5 original music CDs, Christian tells the story through his music of how he came to leave Cleveland, OH on a search for Southern Blues from his time immersed in the Blues world of Austin, TX to the Zydeco lands of Lafayette, LA and most recently in his current home in New Orleans.

Christian’s experience includes recording and touring as the guitarist for some of Louisiana’s musical greats: Henry Gray (Howlin’ Wolf), Carol Fran (Excello, BlackTop) and Thomas “Big Hat” Fields (Maison de Blues/Zydeco). On his latest CD, Rambling Blues, Christian is still following his own path as a writer and musician, blending the Blues with anything else that happens to pass his way on the journey. "Bottom line, Marty Christian makes beautiful music, and Rambling Blues is another fine showcase of his artistic gifts."

Marty Christian, Lee Zeno and Frank Kincel joined forces with the late Andy Cornett to create a sound of their own with the band Rue Boogaloo in 2012. Offbeat said their all original, self-titled debut CD had “Rue Boogaloo standing smack dab in the middle of where Jimmy Reed, R.L. Burnside and the Meters would all crash and smash”

https://www.martychristian.com/

Magic Sam

 

Magic Sam was an American Chicago blues musician. He was born in Grenada County, Mississippi, and learned to play the blues from listening to records by Muddy Waters and Little Walter. After moving to Chicago at the age of 19, he was signed by Cobra Records and became well known as a bluesman after the release of his first record, "All Your Love", in 1957. He was known for his distinctive tremolo guitar playing.

The stage name Magic Sam was devised by Sam's bass player and childhood friend Mack Thompson at Sam's first recording session for Cobra, as an approximation of "Maghett Sam". The name Sam was using at the time, Good Rocking Sam, was already being used by another artist.

Maghett moved to Chicago in 1956, where his guitar playing earned him bookings at blues clubs on the West Side. He recorded singles for Cobra Records from 1957 to 1959, including "All Your Love" and "Easy Baby". They did not reach the record charts but had a profound influence, far beyond Chicago's guitarists and singers. Together with recordings by Otis Rush and Buddy Guy (also Cobra artists), the Westside Sound was a manifesto for a new kind of blues. Around this time Magic Sam worked briefly with Homesick James Williamson.Magic Sam gained a following before being drafted into the U.S. Army. He served six months in prison for desertion and received a dishonorable discharge.

In 1963, his single "Feelin' Good (We're Gonna Boogie)" gained national attention. He successfully toured the U.S., Britain and Germany. He was signed to Delmark Records in 1967, for which he recorded West Side Soul and Black Magic. He continued performing live and toured with a band that included blues harp player Charlie Musselwhite, future Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen bassist "Buffalo" Bruce Barlow and drummer Sam Lay. Magic Sam's breakthrough performance was at the Ann Arbor Blues Festival in 1969, which won him many bookings in the U.S. and Europe.

His career was cut short when he suddenly died of a heart attack in December 1969. He was 32 years old. Magic Sam was buried in the Restvale Cemetery, in Alsip, Illinois. He was survived by his wife, Georgia Maghett. In February 1970, the Butterfield Blues Band played at a benefit concert for Magic Sam, at Fillmore West in San Francisco. Also on the bill were Mike Bloomfield, Elvin Bishop, Charlie Musselwhite and Nick Gravenites.

His guitar style, vocals, and songwriting have inspired and influenced many blues musicians. "Magic Sam had a different guitar sound," said his record producer, Willie Dixon. "Most of the guys were playing the straight 12-bar blues thing, but the harmonies that he carried with the chords was a different thing altogether. This tune "All Your Love", he expressed with such an inspirational feeling with his high voice. You could always tell him, even from his introduction to the music."