10.28.05 (MusicPortal.com) Lafayette, Louisiana guitar-wielding Blues/Rocker C.C. ADCOCK was on the road with former Louisianian Lucinda Williams when Hurricane Katrina smacked New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Adcock's tour with the Grammy-winning Williams launched in early September, just days after Katrina struck. That which the hurricane wrought was the prime topic of backstage conversations on the Gulf Coast music scene. "Lucinda was like everyone," Adcock says. "Tons of questions. 'What's going on down there? Tell me what you know, what you saw.' She asked me about friends. And then, of course, the conversations digressed into political and what-to-do conversations. Depending on what day it was, the story kept changing. There were different things to worry about." All the while, though, Adcock and Williams were more interested in helping those in need than blaming those in power for the mistakes they made before, during and after the storm. "There'll be time for that," Adcock says. The adjacent lofts C.C. ADCOCK and fellow LIL' BAND O' GOLD member Dickie Landry inhabit in downtown Lafayette -- dubbed "Disgraceland" -- became home away from home for displaced musicians and artists, including New Orleans producer Mike Napolitano and his girlfriend, singer/songwriter Ani DiFranco, and members of THE IGUANAS. "Yeah, we've had a few guests," Adcock said. "Lots of friends and personalities are stranded or restarting over here or just biding their time before they can get back. People came from both directions, from Texas and New Orleans, depending on what storm was brewing. "It's been nice to have people around. Sorry about the circumstances. From the art and culture side of it, you can walk up and down Jefferson Street now and there's French Quarter musicians playing in the streets. Dixieland in the streets of Lafayette is funny." Though many Louisiana musicians are dislodged, Adcock isn't fearful for the music's future. "It's always changing anyway, cross-pollinating and mutating and transfixing," he said. "I don't think that you can find any definitive reason why it's gonna be for the worst. Any time you stir it up, which literally it has been, it yields positive energy, even out of a negative situation. A good example of that is people re-realizing how much their home means to them. They're feeling that strong vibe. For those people who can't get home or have moved on to other places, memories and longing are great fodder for art and music. I think everyone definitely has their hearts slightly opened up." Adcock, too. He hasn't penned any lyrics that specifically address the events of the past few months, but he has written new music. "Definitely been writing a lot," he said. "That's because things have been stirred up and those feelings that you're feeling, they come out in notes and melodies." C.C. ADCOCK's latest disc is a much-praised Roots music adventure called "Lafayette Marquis."
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10.27.05 (MusicPortal.com) Universally hailed as one of the reigning kings of the Blues, B.B. KING, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday, has announced his last-ever UK tour, with five ultra-rare dates coming up in March and April of 2006. The one-time only double bill will team B.B. KING up with Northern Irish classic Blues guitarist Gary Moore, who's career dates back to the 1960s and has graced the line-ups of THIN LIZZY, COLOSSEUM II, BBM and SKID ROW, as well as his recent Rock trio, SCARS. The tour kicks off a UK 5-date tour at Sheffield Arena on Wednesday, March 29th, 2006, and will also take in arena dates in Manchester (March 31st, MEN Arena), Birmingham (April 1st, NEC Arena), Bournemouth (April 2nd, BIC) and London (April 4th, Wembley Arena). The three hour concerts will see Gary Moore perform the first half, with the second half performance by B.B. KING. Throughout the 1990's as well as the 80's, 70's, 60's and 50's, there has been mainly one King of the Blues guitar - Riley B. King, affectionately known as B.B. KING. Since he started recording in the late 1940's, King has released over 50 albums - many of them considered Blues classics, including 1965's definitive live album, "Live At The Regal," and the 1976 Bobby "Blue" Bland collaboration, "Together For The First Time." Over the years, B.B. KING has had two number one R&B hits, 1951's 'Three O'Clock Blues,' and 1952's 'You Don't Know Me,' and four number two R&B hits, 1953's 'Please Love Me,' 1954's 'You Upset Me Baby,' 1960's 'Sweet Sixteen, Part I' and 1966's 'Don't Answer The Door, Part I.' His most popular crossover hit, 1970's 'The Thrill Is Gone,' even went to #15 in the UK Pop charts. King's classic songs such as 'Payin' The Cost To Be The Boss,' 'Caldonia,' 'How Blue Can You Get,' 'Everyday I Have The Blues' and 'Why I Sing The Blues' are all concert and fan staples. B.B. KING was born on September 16th, 1925 on a cotton plantation in Itta Bene, Mississippi, just outside the Mississippi delta town of Indianola. He originally performed on the corner of Church and Second Street for dimes, and would sometimes play in as many as four towns on a Saturday night. With his guitar and $2.50, he hitchhiked north to Memphis, Tennessee in 1947 to pursue his musical career. King's first big break came in 1948 when he performed on Sonny Boy Williamson's radio program on KWEM out of West Memphis. Due to his growing success, B.B. KING needed needed a catchy radio name. What started out as Beale Street Blues Boy was shortened to Blues Boy King," and eventually B.B. KING. Soon after his number one hit, King began touring nationally, and he has never stopped, performing an average of 275 concerts a year. In 1956, King played an astonishing 342 one night stands. B.B. KING's technique features delicate filigrees of single string runs punctuated by loud chords, subtle vibratos, and "bent" notes. The early technique of Rock guitar playing is derived to a degree from his style of playing. "I'm me," B.B. KING told Time Magazine in 1969. "Blues is what I do best."
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10.26.05 (MusicPortal.com) One of the most revered Rock concert albums ever recorded is about to get better next week on November 1st as Rhino Records, in collaboration with Grateful Dead Productions, revisits the shows on THE GRATEFUL DEAD's classic 1969 "Live/Dead" album for the new "Grateful Dead: Fillmore West 1969" release. The three-disc set includes more than three previously unreleased hours of the very best free-form performances from THE GRATEFUL DEAD's legendary stand at the fabled Fillmore West. The collection will be available at regular retail outlets and at www.rhino.com and www.dead.net for a suggested price of $34.98. A groundbreaking effort, "Live/Dead" was also the first successful 16-track live recording in music history at a time when two track was the standard and eight track was considered state-of-the-art. "Grateful Dead: Fillmore West 1969" is mixed from those same original 16-track master tapes and contains 19 iconic Dead songs presented in pristine HDCD. Recorded between February 27th and March 2nd in 1969, "Fillmore West" distills the essential moments from all four GRATEFUL DEAD Fillmore concerts, and features original vocalist Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, Jerry Garcia on guitar and vocals, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann on drums, Phil Lesh on bass and vocals, Bob Weir on guitar and vocals, and Tom Constanten on keyboards. The first disc of "Grateful Dead: Fillmore West 1969" mixes covers of classic Blues like Sonny Boy Williamson's 'Good Morning Little School Girl' and a charged version of the signature Bobby "Blue" Bland tune 'Turn On Your Lovelight' with 'Doin' That Rag' and a revved-up shuffle version of 'Cosmic Charlie' from THE GRATEFUL DEAD's 1969 album, "Aoxomoxoa." The second disc is a tape trader's delight, in that it includes for the first time in HDCD the much-sought-after February 28 Fillmore performances of 'Dark Star,' 'St. Stephen,' 'The Eleven,' and a brooding cover of Rev. Gary Davis' 'Death Don't Have No Mercy.' The final disc is highlighted by a 55-minute marathon that sandwiches the customary drum break and improvisational jam between THE GRATEFUL DEAD's own 'Alligator' and 'Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks),' along with a complete version of the band's traditional closer 'We Bid You Goodnight,' originally cut short on the "Live/Dead" album. Deluxe packaging for "Grateful Dead: Fillmore West 1969" features a 72-page hardbound booklet filled with nearly 100 rare photos, and extensive liner notes including a new essay by long-time GRATEFUL DEAD publicist and band biographer Dennis McNally. "Grateful Dead: Fillmore West 1969" Track Listing: Disc 1: 1. Morning Dew • 2. Good Morning Little School Girl • 3. Doin' That Rag • 4. I'm A King Bee • 5. Cosmic Charlie • 6. Turn On Your Lovelight • Disc 2: 1. Dupree's Diamond Blues • 2. Mountains Of The Moon • 3. Dark Star • 4. St. Stephen • 5. The Eleven • 6. Death Don't Have No Mercy • Disc 3: 1. That's It For The Other One • 2. Alligator • 3. Drums • 4. Jam • 5. Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks) • 6. Feedback • 7. We Bid You Goodnight
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10.19.05 (MusicPortal.com) Next week on October 25th, Rhino Records will release "Jerry Garcia Plays Dylan," a two-disc collection gathering over two hours of unreleased performances from the vaults. The release features Bob Dylan classics performed by THE GRATEFUL DEAD, THE JERRY GARCIA BAND, & LEGION OF MARY, as well as Jerry Garcia's solo take on "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train to Cry." Friends, tour mates and titans of the '60s counter-culture, Jerry Garcia and Bob Dylan helped define an era with their music. As the leader of THE GRATEFUL DEAD and various side-projects, Garcia was one of a handful of artists who could make a Dylan song his own. Rhino Records in collaboration with J. Garcia Records pays tribute to Garcia's inspired interpretations with the first-ever compilation of those stunning performances. "Jerry Garcia Plays Dylan" will be available upon release at regular retail and online outlets including www.rhino.com and www.jerrygarcia.com for a suggested list price of $24.98. "Jerry Garcia Plays Dylan" includes 15 recordings and more than two hours of unreleased live performances from the Garcia vaults remastered in HDCD. The double-disc collection features Dylan classics performed by the Grateful Dead, the Jerry Garcia Band, Legion of Mary as well as Garcia's solo take on "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train to Cry." Drawing heavily from his work -- both solo and electric -- with the remarkable JERRY GARCIA BAND, "Jerry Garcia Plays Dylan" spotlights nine dazzling performances of songs that span the Bob Dylan canon including 'Tough Mama,' 'Positively 4th Street,' 'Knockin' On Heaven's Door,' 'Simple Twist Of Fate,' 'I Shall Be Released,' 'When I Paint My Masterpiece,' 'Forever Young,' 'Tangled Up In Blue' and 'Senor (Tales Of Yankee Power).' Garcia also leads THE GRATEFUL DEAD through four soulful jams including 'Mighty Quinn (Quinn, The Eskimo),' a song that first appeared on Dylan's "Self Portrait" in 1970, 'She Belongs To Me' and 'It's All Over Now Baby Blue' from 1965's "Bringing It All Back Home" and 'Visions Of Johanna' from 1966's "Blonde On Blonde." Another highlight of the compilation is an astonishing version of 'The Wicked Messenger' by LEGION OF MARY, a short-lived, Jazz and Funk flavored group featuring Garcia, keyboardist and long-time Garcia collaborator Merl Saunders, saxophonist and flutist Martin Fierro and drummer Ron Tutt. "Jerry Garcia Plays Dylan" features enlightening liner notes written by Jerry Garcia biographer Blair Jackson, who tells the stories behind the performances. GRATEFUL DEAD guitarist and singer Bob Weir also contributes to the liner notes, adding a behind-the-scenes look at the bond shared by Bob Dylan and THE GRATEFUL DEAD.
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10.05.05 (MusicPortal.com) Fantasy Records is set to release the first-ever career retrospective of JOHN FOGERTY on November 1st, entitled "The Long Road Home: The Ultimate John Fogerty/Creedence Collection." After more than three decades Fogerty, one of the most important and influential songwriters in modern times, has returned to Fantasy Records. Fogerty's infamous relationship with the label, now part of the Concord Music Group, led him to suffer through years of bitter disputes and lawsuits, making this announcement perhaps one of the most unlikely and unexpected reunions in music industry history. As lead singer and songwriter for the immensely influential CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL, JOHN FOGERTY scored nine Top 10 singles from 1969-72 (the band even out-sold THE BEATLES in 1969), released a slew of seminal hits that would become great American anthems synonymous with a generation, including 'Fortunate Son,' 'Proud Mary,' 'Bad Moon Rising,' 'Born On The Bayou,' and 'Who'll Stop the Rain.' Fogerty's chart-topping solo recordings have also sold millions of copies worldwide, while his live performances have always received high acclaim for their energy and sincerity. JOHN FOGERTY has been inducted into both The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. "The Long Road Home: The Ultimate John Fogerty/Creedence Collection," an aptly titled disc that honors the icon's musical journey from his early career to today features, for the first time ever, all of the songwriter's most poignant and enduring hits. Included are seminal tracks from the CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL catalog, along with some of the best of his solo work, including 'Centerfield,' 'Deja Vu (All Over Again),' and 'Hot Rod Heart' from the Grammy Award winning album "Blue Moon Swamp." Also on the disc are four new tracks recorded live by JOHN FOGERTY during his 2005 tour of the United States: 'Hey Tonight,' 'Bootleg,' 'Keep On Chooglin',' and a blistering rendition of CCR's 'Fortunate Son.' The Concord Music Group and Fantasy have great admiration for Fogerty's extraordinary talents and have embraced their relationship with him - working on several new releases including a live DVD taped this past September 15th at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles for an early 2006 release. Other projects are presently in the early stages of development. "I'm very happy to be back in touch with a part of myself," says JOHN FOGERTY of the return home to Fantasy Records. "It's surreal. For 35 years, I never thought I'd be reunited with the music I wrote during the Creedence Clearwater Revival years. I'm happy to say that the new Fantasy is very enthusiastic about my body of work, and all the people there have been delightful. They are honoring my songs that hold an important place in the history of American music. And, they are honoring me."
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[Blues News: September 2005]
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