This historic blues concert will be part of the “In Performance at the White House” series that airs on PBS. Tonight’s event is designed to recognize Black History Month and will be broadcast on Feb. 27 on PBS stations and aired later on American Forces Network.
I made a great musical find last night browsing at my local Barnes & Noble book store. I saw out of the corner of my eye a copy of Oxford American magazine sitting by its lonesome. It was calling me to pick it up. I noticed that my favorite music journalist, Peter Guralnick had contributed an article, “Sam Phillips‘s Greatest Discovery” to the publication. It’s a story about Howlin Wolf and its reallllllly good!
I have developed a discerning taste for music journalism over the decades. The Oxford American, thirteenth annual Southern music issue surpasses my expectations with its content. It is a treasure chest of well articulated and researched music literature. The publication adds tremendous depth to the importance of our rich American heritage, the music of the South.
One of my major bucket list items is to take an extended vacation on the Southern blues trail(s). The Oxford American is the magazine I will be taking with us on that journey.
So forgive me as I rub my hands with glee here this morning. I have this great magazine to hunker down with and learn from this weekend.
I like artists who are in earnest when they perform their craft. Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez are such artists. If you are looking for that gritty blues sound that shouts to your soul I urge to listen to the Bee Hive Queen and her band.
I first saw Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez a few years back outdoors in Meriden, Ct. at the Daffodil Festival. They were the opening act for Eric Burdon and the Animals on April 26, 2008. I liked their set and their sound.
I have noticed they have been hard at work in the last three years. They have three live dates scheduled for CT so far. Their first Connecticut concert is scheduled for January 28, 2012 at The Maple Tree Cafe in Simsbury, Ct. They also have a club date closer to my home in New Haven at Cafe Nine on February 25, 2012. The third date is later in the year at Bridge Street Live in Collinsville on June 16, 2012.
Her day job is vocalist for the Saturday Night Live Band. I really appreciate Christine Ohlman’s role as a music scholar. She makes a strong contribution to the music selected and played on SNL.
Her latest studio recording is The Deep End released in 2010. Ohlman recruited a stellar group of artists to contribute to that CD, including Marshall Crenshaw, Dion DiMucci and Ian Hunter as duet partners, as well as an all-star list of accompanists: G.E. Smith, Eric “Roscoe” Ambel from the Del-Lords, NRBQ veteran Big Al Anderson, Catherine Russell, and the Asbury Juke Horns (Chris Anderson and Neal Pawley).
There is also LIVE HIVE, Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez’s premier concert DVD, recorded January,16 2011. It was filmed right down the street from where I live.
Live Hive contains 17 tracks plus bonus interview segments, the electronic press kit for The Deep End, and the video for “Love Make You Do Stupid Things.”
Hubert Sumlin epitomized the blues like nobody’s business. I was sad to learn today that he has joined the great beyond.
A longtime collaborator with Howlin’ Wolf in Chicago, and a favorite guitarist of Jimi Hendrix, Hubert Sumlin influenced several generations of bluesmen and guitarists.
We saw Hubert Sumlin twice live. The first time was at the 100 year Salute to the Blues at Radio City Music Hall in New York City in 2003. He cooked on the guitar when he played Killing Floor with David Johansen getting down on vocals. I was blown away by his guitar playing as he stung the guitar strings that night.
Here is the video sequence of that electrifying performance as filmed for the movie, Lightning In A Bottle.
I was amazed to learn he had a lung removed just months before that show. You never would have known it when he pistol whipped that guitar at 71 years young. I was so blessed to witness and feel the connection he had with the late Howlin Wolf.
The second time was at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey in 2010. Hubert Sumlin joined the stellar lineup of guitarists for the Experience Hendrix Tribute. He schooled them all
We are so going to miss you Hubert Sumlin, save me a table down front at the Blues joint in the sky. Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters are jamming with you now I just know it
Imagine my surprise when I discovered what Jim Allchin has been up to since he left Microsoft Corporation. He is focusing his energies as a professional musician.
One thing I can say about Jim Allchin, whatever he puts his mind towards he accomplishes with monumental results. I worked at Microsoft Corporation when Jim Allchin joined the company. As a Microsoft Systems Engineer who joined Microsoft to evangelize advanced technology platforms I was zealous about his vision for the Cairo operating system team. I marveled at what Cairo would deliver to the world of computing.
This wasn’t the first time Jim Allchin had created a formidable impression in software architecture circles. He exuded vision and excellence in distributed object-oriented operating systems as early as 1983. While studying towards a Ph.D. in Computer Science at Georgia Institute of Technology in the early eighties, he was the architect of the Clouds distributed object-oriented operating system;[4] his thesis was entitled “An Architecture for Reliable Decentralized Systems”.[5]
Coincidentally a joint project known as Project Athena was formed between MIT, Digital Equipment Corporation and IBM in 1983. (The same year that I joined DEC as a software specialist.) Its goal was to achieve interoperability between distributed platforms. While this project was underway, Jim Allchin was principal architect for the Banyan VINES distributed operating system with a central technology known as Street Talk. Street Talk was an X.500 directory protocol. An amazing feat for a microcomputer platform at that time.
So you can see why I am keenly interested in the music Jim Allchin architects and plays. My career has moved in parallel with Jim’s technological vision. It stands to reason that the music he performs and plays enhances my listening satisfaction. I am always on the lookout for innovation coupled with sincerity.
I have happily found that combination in Jim Allchin’s latest recording, Overclocked. Jim Allchin turns the heat up on the blues like nobody’s business. I listened to the tracks today on the music player on his Web site. They are as you would expect, excellent articulation with one of the cleanest engineered productions my ears have heard in some time.
But just don’t take my word for the excellence of Jim Allchin’s guitar work. Browse on over and listen yourself. It won’t take you long to believe in what Jim Allchin is accomplishing.
I am adding Overclocked to my purchase list. Thanks for all you’ve added to my life Jim. I am very grateful for all your engineered contributions.
You forget how good Johnny Winter is until you spin up his music. Then it hits you like a full force Texas tornado.
I had written awhile back that Johnny Winter was working on a new album in Stamford, Ct. Roots is the name of the Johnny Winter CD that was released on September 27th, 2011. I picked it up today on Apple iTunes and brought it down from iCloud to my iPhone sound system in the car.
It celebrates the blues icons who led the way for Winter. Plenty of great guest stars to appreciate as listed on the poster below.
Johnny Winter’s vocals are strong throughout especially when they are accented by his trademark growl. His guitarmanship is as phenomenal as ever. My early favorite tracks are “Bright Lights, Big City” which is a duet with Susan Tedeschi and “Dust My Broom” with her husband Derek Trucks.
My hat’s off to producer Paul Nelson who is doing great things for Johnny Winter’s career and for his long time fans.
So much music, so little time. I learned today of a new blues musician by the name of Beth Hart. I wanted to share her musicianship with you.
The Beth Hart Band début recording Immortal was issued in 1996, 15 years ago. The track on this album that caught my ear is “Isolation”. The guitar work by Jimmy Khoury coupled with Beth Hart’s compelling, gritty vocals will have you hitting repeat play.
Beth Hart is best known for the tune, “LA Song (Out of This Town)” from her second album, Screaming for My Supper. It was a memorable backdrop of a principal show during the last season of Beverly Hills, 90210.
Beth has been working diligently to perfect her craft and increase the recognition she deserves. Her belief in her musical vision is starting to pay off.
Her latest recording is a collection of soul covers with guitarist Joe Bonamassa, Don’t Explain. It was released just six weeks ago and its selling very well according to the blues charts. The synergy of Joe Bonamassa and Beth Hart speaks to the blues soul inside of each of us.
It is a significant song as it is one of the few which feature both Jagger and Richards sharing lead vocals. The song itself runs an epic length of over seven minutes, one of the longest songs by the Rolling Stones. [1]
Harvey Mandel plays electric guitar while Wayne Perkins performs acoustic. Jagger, Richards, and Billy Preston play concert piano, electric piano, and string synthesizer on the song, respectively. Preston also contributes backing vocals along with Ron Wood, who would eventually become the Stones’ lead guitarist. The song was recorded in Munich, Germany at Musicland Studios in March and April 1975. Overdubs and re-recordings were performed later in the year. (Courtesy of Wikipedia)
What I am even more pleased about is that the concert tickets were $50 each for FTC members. Just last Friday Ridgefield Playhouse charged $127 each for the same seats to see Tedeschi Trucks Band live. We are saving $77 a ticket and did I also mention we’re getting two bands that night, Hey Now!
Thanks Fairfield Theater Company for charging the right price for us members. Keeping music affordable in these dire economic times speaks to your commitment to us the music buying public. We attend thirty+ concerts a year and appreciate a value when we see one!
Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, as well as Mick Jagger, BB King, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, Warren Haynes, Gary Clark Jr. and many more artists will perform at the White House TONIGHT as part of a celebration of Blues music. Click the link below at 7:20pm EST for live streaming video of the concert at the White House.
You forget how good 
