compared to what

For the past couple of years, I’ve been going to a small blues festival near me in Greeley, CO. Most years, there’s someone in particular I’m wanting to catch. This year, that wasn’t the case, but I went anyway because it seemed like a good way to spend a beautiful day. The festival takes place [...]

The essential Koko Taylor died today in Chicago at age 80. Here’s one of thousands of great performances:
Come to Mama

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…and with Umphreys McGee, New Year’s Eve, 2008. She was swinging to the end:

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(and [...]

I just got back from a visit to friends and family in the Bay Area. One of the highlights was going, with a good friend, to hear Davy Knowles (of Back Door Slam) open for Jeff Beck at the newly restored Fox Theater in Oakland.

A few weeks ago, I got to hear one of my favs, Jason Ricci and New Blood. As I said at the time, it was a terrific show. I’ve finally got my audio cut and uploaded, so I want to post a few more comments. You can skip all the blather, though, and find the [...]

The world seems unusually awash in openness and transparency. Yes, yes, there’s the whole government thing, but even the musical world. iTunes dumps the DRM, but more importantly, Back Door Slam continues to let fans in on the evolution of their new album. Playing songs on the road, like they did all fall, is more [...]

A chance mention of Otis Redding by a friend the other day got me googling some question I no longer remember. Early in the googling, I was struck by the phrase “front porch soul”, and thinking it was interesting, and perhaps connected in an interesting way to Redding, I finally got listening to a band [...]

Last winter, something, and I don’t remember what (maybe Winehouse at the Grammys?) got me digging around to see what Nikka Costa was up to. I spent a few pleasant evenings sampling and listening to whatever good videos I ran across, wondering if she had anything coming out or would be touring around. I’m not [...]

Back Door Slam, Gotta Leave

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I finally, finally, finally got to hear Back Door Slam live this week in Denver. Since catching them by chance on the radio last April, I’ve been listening to their debut (and only) album in steady rotation, blogging about them [...]

The last week I’ve been consumed with election events. Wow. Just wow. Well, also, a little: wtf? I’m sure there will be more of that. In the meantime, I did manage to get to a great concert recently: Keb’ Mo’. First time hearing him in concert and he was fantastic. He had a small band [...]

Been a busy week, but I’m glad I thought to scan the jambands.com news - a short blurb mentioned the fact that the hot Aussie blues guitarist, Geoff Achison, was moving back home, with just a few remaining US gigs. This was all news to me, beginning with the fact that I’d never heard of [...]