Black Merda

 

Black Merda were a funky rock combo with a significant debt to Jimi Hendrix, mixing fuzz-toned, psychedelic blues-rock with folky acoustic passages and contemporary late-'60s soul. Featuring guitarists Anthony and Charles Hawkins, bassist VC Veasey (aka Veesee L. Veasey), and drummer Tyrone Hite, the group got its start in the late '60s after Veasey, Hite, and Anthony Hawkins had spent time in a band called the Soul Agents, backing Edwin Starr and Gene Chandler. Inspired by Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced?, they added Anthony's younger brother Charles on second guitar and christened themselves Black Merda. Despite some interest around their Detroit base -- including Norman Whitfield and Eddie Kendricks -- Black Merda signed to Chess, thanks in part to the psychedelic soul eccentric Fugi (aka Ellington Jordan), who they also backed on his Mary, Don't Take Me on No Bad Trip LP for Chess.

Black Merda's self-titled album sounded revolutionary enough, although the bandmembers were disappointed that it didn't reflect their heavy live shows. They then moved to the West Coast to continue playing with Fugi, but returned to Chicago to record a second album. Shortening their name to Mer-Da, the group returned in 1971 with Long Burn the Fire, a funkier outing that bore a likeness to early Funkadelic. The band quickly fizzled out, but over the next three decades, continued record-collector interest in the group eventually resulted in a reunion with Veasey, both Hawkins brothers, and Fugi, although Hite had died in 2004. 

 http://www.blackmerda.net/

MECHANICAL ROOSTER

 

Founded in 2016 by Mustafa Kaçar and Onur Çağlar in Izmir, Turkey; MECHANICAL ROOSTER is proud to present their debut album; “Episode One”. Supervised by Turkish blues veteran / producer Sarp Keskiner, the album suggests an innovative formula by blending urban blues with old school hip hop while preaching their idiosyncratic view on global issues in a cut-up tradition, reminding pioneers of the Beat Generation. 

• Mustafa Kaçar: vocals, lyrics, harmonicas, synthesizer
• Onur Çağlar: vocals, lyrics, sampling, turntable, fx
• Guest) Sarp Keskiner: guitars, bass, percussion, slide ukulele

The EP is released digital and available on all the download and streaming platforms.

The band suggests an innovative formula by blending urban blues and electronic with old school hip hop while preaching their idiosyncratic view on daily issues in a cut-up tradition, reminding pioneers of the Beat Generation.

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1nQL40VBcItNiTFCUO6ylB?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=submission_mechanical_rooster_harmonicats&utm_term=2022-07-22

https://www.facebook.com/MechanicalRooster

News from JAM 66 RADIO: New releases

 From today, RAMA SECA, SONNY MORGAN, CHRIS ANTONIK and others on JAM 66 Radio. ONLY THE NEWEST.

Many new groups and artists every day on the radio. Every day, the newest in rock, country, folk, blues and jazz music.

The Blog of JAM 66 Radio, is the blog of the radio that plays rock, country, blues, blues rock, music of route 66 and the newest.

Every day new stories on radio, new posts, new bands, blues, blues-rock , country, folk and rock music are posted on this blog. Also, updated news on the blog in real time.

Tune in and hear on this blog or through the links on the right column. https://jam-radio.blogspot.com/

Dani Wilde

 

Over the past 10 years Blues and Country singer-songwriter Dani Wilde has performed at thousands of venues and festivals across Europe, America, Canada and Africa; from the main stage at London’s Royal Albert Hall, to the slum communities of Kenya, to Times Square – New York City.

Wilde has secured three number one’s in the Official I-tunes Blues Music Charts (Two self penned songs and a cover of The Rolling Stones “Bitch’ as part of the girl group “Girls With Guitars”). She has also crossed over to the I-Tunes Country Charts Top 40 placing her alongside Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift in Luxembourg and Switzerland. In September 2017, Wilde was the only British artist in the Roots Music Report's Blues Top 50 - She peaked at Number 28, just beneath the Tedeschi Trucks Band. On October 11th 2017, following BBC Radio 2 airplay and the support of many independent radio stations, Wilde hit the Number 5 spot in the UK I-Tunes Blues Charts, placing her alongside her contemporaries Van Morrison, Beth Hart, Joe Bonamassa and Jonny Lang. ​

In September 2015, Wilde was awarded 'Best Female Vocalist" at the British Blues Awards. 

In July 2016, Dani Wilde's self-penned pop song 'R U Sweet On Me' was featured in NBC's Award Winning Drama Series 'Aquarius'. The hit 'sex, drugs and rock' n'roll' TV series stars David Duchovny as a fictional LAPD detective investigating the case of a missing teenage girl who is found to be with serial killer Charles Manson and his family. The series is known for it's superb 60's soundtrack including The Who's "I Can See For Miles" and "The Seeker", Nina Simone's "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" as well as Brighton Blues Belle Dani Wilde's cross-over pop/soul track "R U Sweet On Me".​

Dani's International Radio Play has included live special feature sessions for The Paul Jones Show on BBC Radio 2 and Bill Wax’s XFM Bluesville show in the USA. On her travels, Wilde has performed as the opening act for Jools Holland (with the Chris Holland Band), Nazareth, Johnny Winter, Journey, Foreigner, Maddie Prior (Steeleye Span) and Robben Ford, to name but a few.

Wilde has performed on The Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise alongside her hero’s Bobby Blue Bland, Bobby Womack and Taj Mahal. Live collaborations have included sharing the stage with Pee Wee Ellis at Womad Festival, Christopher Holland, Samantha Fish (Girls With Guitars) and Sue Foley as well as recording with top producers Mike Zito and the legendary Mike Vernon (Clapton/Fleetwood Mac)

Wilde has released three solo studio albums plus a ‘Girls With Guitars’ album for Ruf Records (Luther Alison/Jimmy Vaughan/Louisiana Red). She also manages her own independent record label “Bri-Tone Records”.​

In 2017 Wilde signed to VizzTone Label Group in the USA. Her new album “Live at Brighton Road” will be released in June 2017. Dani recalled:

“I’ve always wanted to be a VizzTone Artist. I was brought up on Muddy Waters and I’m a huge Susan Tedeschi and Sean Costello fan. I saw Susan play when I was a teenager and it’s what made me want to be a blues artist. So when Richard Rosenblatt sold ToneCool and set up VizzTone with Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin, I longed to have the opportunity to work with them both. I’ve had a great career with Ruf Records but I’m so excited to be moving forward with VizzTone! I feel my new record “Live at Brighton Road” is by far my best work. It’s true to the blues, and inspired by the American music that I love; but it’s also true to me and tells my story as a British Blues Woman”.

“Live at Brighton Road” was recorded live at Brighton Road Studios in England. Produced by Wilde, It’s a collection of heartfelt Acoustic and Electric live performances that will tug on your heartstrings and get your feet stomping. The CD release features a bonus DVD of the ‘live in the studio performance’. The album will also be available on 180g-heavyweight vinyl.​

In 2020, Wilde resigned with Vizztone, extending her contract for a collection of three singles. The first 'Howling at the moon' was released in March 2020, the second 'Brave' was released in May 2020 and the third 'Masters of War' released July 2020. ​

A further trilogy of singles is to be released on Vizztone in Summer 2021, Pluto (May 21), Wild Women (June 21) and Don't Fish In My Sea (July 21). 

A passionate advocate for the charity ‘Moving Mountains’ and Toto Love Children's Home, Kenya, Dani Wilde is also recognised for her humanitarian work, raising funds and awareness for children in Embu, Kenya. 

https://www.daniwilde.com/

Blues Caravan

 

Seventeen years since Ruf Records first had the brainwave of a showcase tour, the Blues Caravan concept remains unchanged and unbeaten. Three rising stars from the roster of Europe’s most respected boutique record label. Three live sets that run the gamut of emotion and genre. And as the finale each night, the mother of all live jams, with all three performers cutting loose together – and inviting the audience to do the same.

 Nobody sounds like Katie Henry. The singer–songwriter darting between  microphone, piano and Gibson SG, alighting on genres that include rock, roots, R&B, soul, funk and pop. You might catch flashes of a young Bonnie  Raitt in Katie’s Blues Caravan performance, but with her raw charisma, heart– on–sleeve songcraft and jam chops hard–won on the NYC circuit, this is one artist earning a reputation on her own terms.“ Music has always been about freedom and expression for me, and when audiences leave my show feeling expressed and more connected to themselves and each other, I know I’ve done my job.”

Will Jacobs is a modern blues/R&B/soul artist from Chicago, Illinois, USA. At 28 years old, he is best known for his powerful live performances.

Whether he’s playing clubs/festivals, performing with other world-class musicians, doing sessions or composing, Will always looks forward to sharing his passion for music with his audience.

In 2022, the Blues Caravan audience can look forward to another Blues music talent who’s guitar will rock the stages.

Through her many years of living and touring in the United States, Brussels native Ghalia Volt has been able to soak up the grooves and vibes of the blues like few Europeans before her. The singer and guitarist made her first big splash fronting the New Orleans–based outfit Mama’s Boys; she solidified her reputation as an exceptional talent with her 2019 Billboard Charting release Mississippi Blend working with legends like grammy–nominated Cedric Burnside. Early 2021, she released her One Woman Band album, recorded at the prestigious Royal Studios in Memphis, another Billboard Charting record showing her multi–instrumentalist skills playing drums, slide guitars and singing simultaneously.  

On the Blues Caravan 2022, she’ll be feeding us a gumbo made out of hits part of her 3 Ruf Records releases.

 http://wordpress.bluescaravan.de

News from JAM 66 RADIO

From today, LIZ CLARKE, TIM HEMME, THE SHRUBS, EXCORDE, ROYZY ROTHSCHILD FT EMILY CALLACHER and many others on JAM 66 Radio. ONLY THE NEWEST.

Many new groups and artists every day on the radio. Every day, the newest in rock, country, folk, blues and jazz music.

Tune in and hear on this blog or through the links on the right column. https://jam-radio.blogspot.com/

Also you can hear us on https://bit.ly/3xAefB1

The Blog of JAM 66 Radio, is the blog of the radio that plays rock, country, blues, blues rock, music of route 66 and the newest.

Every day new stories on radio, new posts, new bands, blues, blues-rock , country, folk and rock music are posted on this blog. Also, updated news on the blog in real time.

Stevie Redstone

 

 

Stevie Redstone’s never been one to slow things down, but taking a break from the road proved to be just what the hard-touring L.A. songwriter needed. The change of pace offered a chance to recharge and reflect, to experiment and explore, and it resulted in the creative windfall that led him to his spectacular debut, ‘Shot In The Dark.’ Recorded at Los Angeles’ Valentine Studios with producer Nic Jodoin (BlackRebel Motorcycle Club, Allah-Las), the album is an infectious slice of vintage gold, a retro-tinged collection that feels both classic and modern at once as it draws on everything from Motown and Stax to Britpop and Laurel Canyon. Redstone’s songs burst with larger-than-life horns, cinematic strings, and wall-of-sound production, tipping their cap to George Martin and Phil Spector in their outsized ambition while still managing to remain profoundly dynamic and intimate.

“I’ve always been a sucker for the big swooning harmonies and orchestral instrumentation of stuff from the 60’s and 70’s,” explains Redstone. “I think I just intuitively preferred music from that era because it was made by human beings and not computers. It was all about the raw performance.” Redstone’s passion for raw performance has guided him from the start. His earliest childhood memories involve singing for family and friends, and by the time he was in middle school, he was writing and performing his own original material. In college, he launched his first band, Redstone Hall, which recorded an EP with producer Dave Cobb (now a household name for his GRAMMY-winning studio work with Chris Stapleton and Jason Isbell) and played together for nearly a decade before splitting up.

“It was scary to leave that group because when you’re in a band for a long time, you become like a group of soldiers together,” says Redstone. “You get used to the camaraderie and the support system. But at the same time, I needed to move at my own pace and keep pushing myself, and I believed in my music enough to take the leap to become a solo artist.”

Following his departure from the band, Redstone teamed back up with Cobb to record an album under the name Steven Roth. The collection (one of Cobb’s first sessions in Nashville) earned rave reviews and helped Redstone land some seriously high profile gigs, including dates with The Who at the Staples Center in L.A. and the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, where Elvis Costello also joined the bill.

“To be asked to open up for [The Who] was quite a thrill,” Redstone said in an interview at the time. “You work your whole life for something, and then it happens, and it’s sort of tough to describe…It’s like how do you describe jumping out of a plane and falling towards the Earth? Pure adrenaline and joy.”

As exciting as it was to strike out on his own and perform with rock royalty, Redstone was still hunting for something deeper, something more personal and powerful, so, for the first time in years, he cleared his calendar and forced himself to confront the big questions in his life: Who was he? Where was he headed? What did he truly want?

“Taking a break from touring to focus on writing really changed everything for me,” Redstone explains. “It was like this creative rebirth.”

With rebirth came a rechristening to his current moniker (Stevie Redstone is a play on the translation of his legal name) and a new, more collaborative approach to his music. Redstone began teaming up with writers he met in Nashville and LA for more than half a year of intensive sessions, pursuing a sound inspired by those raw recordings from the 60’s and 70’s that piqued his imagination and inspired his artistic spirit since childhood. While the resulting songs certainly owe a deep debt to those decades, they’re ultimately timeless, the work of an artist unafraid to follow his muse wherever it may lead.

“I’ve never been very tuned into current trends, and I’m not particularly interested in what’s popular at any given moment,” Redstone explains. “All I care about is finding a way to express myself and create something that I’m proud of.”

The record opens with the epic sweep of “Shot In The Dark,” a densely orchestrated earworm all about taking chances and going after the things you want in life. Hints of The Ronettes and The Beach Boys permeate the tune, with Redstone’s velvety voice carving straight through solid walls of strings and horns. The driving “Dance In The Rain” finds the silver lining in hard times, while “The Real Me” celebrates the deep bonds of lifelong friendship with tender piano and a soaring orchestra, and the joyful “Surrender” channels old-school Detroit soul as it gives in to the inevitability of love.

“I got married last year, and during the time I was writing this album, we were in that last stretch of being boyfriend/girlfriend,” explains Redstone. “I was working up the courage to take the next step and falling deeper in love with her the whole time.”

Though much of the record is drawn from personal experience, Redstone also looks outward here, tackling both cultural and political issues with subtlety and nuance. The George Harrison-esque “Now” combats the modern world’s constant barrage of negativity with a relentless optimism, while “Shots Fired” recalls ‘Let It Bleed’ era Stones as it castigates America’s epidemic of gun violence, and the unforgettable album closer “Rivers In The Sky” was born from the southern California drought. No matter the topic, Redstone ties it all together with passionate, explosive performances tracked live in the studio and straight to tape.

“As proud as I am of the record, I’m even more proud of the way these songs will be performed onstage,” Redstone says. “The shows I play are very high energy, totally rocking and rolling and danceable, but they’re also really improvisational. I like to open the songs up and let the band jam in a way that makes each concert totally different and unique.”

Redstone may have needed to leave the touring life behind in order to make this album, but the road is now clearly calling to him once more, and with ‘Shot in the Dark,’ he’s ready to answer.

 https://www.stevieredstone.com/