Selected as Blues Harmonica Player of the Year by the Bay Blues Society
in 2004, Birdlegg has been blowing the blues in the Bay Area for over
20 years.Based on his deep belief in preserving the blues, one of the highlights
of Birdlegg's career was a project he did with Willie Dixon in bringing
teaching of blues to Oakland schools. Birdlegg continues to give
lessons in blues harmonica and mentors many young players.Birdlegg has appeared in many major venues, including the San Francisco
Blues Festival, Mount Rushmore National Memorial Park and tours of
Europe.Birdlegg learned about music on his grandpop's back porch. The blues
grabbed hold of Bird then, and never let go. "All other forms of music, I
had to learn to love, but with the blues, there was no trying at all. I
just love it," he said.
He played his first gig with Massalah, then a blues icon in
Berkeley. He played with the much beloved Cool Poppa for 13 years. He
formed the first Tight Fit Blues Band in 1980, but it was another decade
before he felt he'd earned his rightful place next the bluesmen elders."Everything I am is wrapped up in music," he said. "I'm so fortunate to
have something no one can take from you. They can take your money, your
wife, your kids. But they still can't take the music. It's yours."ecently, Birdlegg moved to Texas. There he is fronting a new group of great musicians, known as the Texas Tightfit Bluesband.
Birdlegg continues to win over new fans every day by keeping the blues alive. BIRDLEGG
Deak Harp has been playing harmonica since he was 12 years old. His
biggest early inspiration came when his brother introduced him to the
music of James Cotton.Deak followed Cotton's band along the east coast for close to five years
before Cotton offered Deak a job driving his van. For the next six
years, Deak toured with the James Cotton blues band, eventually opening
acts and playing along with "Superharp" himself.Deak has since played with multiple bands and has shown his flexibility
as a musician in the varying styles of his performances. From the
classic blues standards, to Chicago blues, all the way to Mississippi
Hill Country blues, Deak's repertoire continues to grow.
Deak has spent time with the Deak Harp Band in its various forms
throughout the years, the Kilborn Alley Blues Band (including a tour of
London), and has played in states across the country.Deak
has traveled in recent years with Big City Rhythm and Blues magazine,
performing his innovative one-man show at festivals and events,
including the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise in the Caribbean and the
2013 SPAH convention, where Deak played in front of hundreds of fellow
harmonica players and was given a standing ovation by his audience.Deak gets his unique sound by playing an amplified harmonica while
simultaneously playing electric guitar or diddley bow, keeping rhythm
with a snare drum and a stomp box, and singing his own vocals. DEAK HARP
Ever
since bursting on the scene with his 1993
release The Nutcracker Suite,
Tim Sparks has captivated guitar fans with
some of the finest fingerstyle guitar
playing around. An artist who can be
difficult to categorize, Sparks’
albums and live performances have featured
classical, blues, jazz, folk, klezmer, and
other styles, and yet they all have a
common thread that makes them immediately
identifiable.Clearly, for Sparks the music
itself is more important than the genre it
may have originated in, and
Chasin’ the Boogie continues
this approach. Whether completely
re-imagining the Beatles’
“Blackbird,” creating a complex
guitar arrangement of Joni Mitchell’s
“Both Sides Now,” playing the
folk standards “Wayfaring
Stranger” and “I’ll Fly
Away,” or getting gritty on the
“Mississippi Blues,” Sparks
creates solo steel-string guitar magic
like only he can. Put simply,
Chasin’ the Boogie is guitar
music at its best. Even on songs that you
thought you knew, you’ll find
yourself hitting the “repeat”
button to make sure that what you just
heard really happened. Whether you’re
already a fan of solo guitar music or not,
give Chasin’ the Boogie a spin
and allow yourself to be taken along! TIM SPARKS
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Blues and Rock have met at many different crossroads since its inception
in the mid-60s. From Cream and Johnny Winter to Stevie Ray Vaughan and
Gov't Mule, these Blues Rock recipes are often boiled down to a simple
trio. Such is the melting pot of influences and presentation of Eclecto
Groove recording artists the Alastair Greene Band. Alastair formed his
first Blues Rock trio with former members of the legendary Southern
California band The Pontiax in 1997. The Alastair Greene Band (AGB) has
gone through several incarnations and line-ups over the years and has
included alumni of The Steve Miller Band, Paul Butterfield Band, and
Junior Wells Band. The AGB has also backed many blues artists in the
studio and on stage, including Delta Groove recording artists Mitch
Kashmar, Franck Goldwasser, as well as the incomparable James Harman.
Currently, the line-up has solidified with Alastair handling vocals and
guitar, Jim Rankin on bass and vocals, and Austin Beede on drums.
The AGB has opened shows and appeared on Blues festivals with artists
such as The Fabulous Thunderbirds, John Mayall & The Blues Breakers,
Tommy Castro, Lonnie Brooks, Michael Burks, Robin Trower, Jonny Lang,
and many more.
Alastair has released four studio records and one live record since
2002. His fifth studio record release, Trouble At Your Door (release
date June 17th, 2014 on Eclecto Groove Records) is sure to be his most
explosive recording thus far. The AGB combines a deep respect for
traditional forms and themes but adds a modern approach combined with a
classic rock sound.
Not only is Alastair a Blues Rock guitar slinging and singing front man,
but he has also served many years as a side man to some legendary
musicians. Currently, Alastair is the touring guitarist with Alan
Parsons and has been touring internationally with the English Pop
Progressive Rock veteran since 2010. After Alastair played on Parsons'
2004 release A Valid Path, Alan was quoted as saying, "Alastair should
be out playing guitar with the biggest bands in the world. I believe
it's just a matter of time." Heady praise indeed coming from the man who
engineered Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon, served as second
engineer on the last two albums by The Beatles, and has also sold
millions of albums with his own Alan Parsons Project. When the guitar
slot for Parsons' band opened in 2010, Greene got the call. Alastair
has also appeared on albums by high profile artists such as drum legend
Aynsely Dunbar as well as Toad The Wet Sprocket front man Glen Phillips.
ALASTAIR GREENE BAND
Manchester trio GoGo Penguin are hotly tipped as the rising stars of
the UK Jazz scene. Featuring pianist Chris Illingworth, bassist Nick
Blacka and drummer Rob Turner, GoGo Penguin are an exhilarating live
act, drawing on a heady brew of influences from Aphex Twin to Brian Eno,
Debussy to Shostakovich and Massive Attack to EST.
Their debut album Fanfares (Gondwana Records) has won rave reviews from the Guardian to BBC Music and support from the
likes of Mike Chadwick and Gilles Peterson and was nominated for best
jazz album at the World Wide Awards. It is the band’s unique ability to
synthesis and develop each others melodic and harmonic ideas while
drawing on music from classical to electronica that makes GoGo Penguin’s
music so enthralling and their debut album such a powerful opening
salvo from a powerful new voice in UK music. GOGO PENGUIN
Here’s what you ought to know about me. First off, I love songs. I love pop songs, folk songs, jazz, soul, and rock songs. I write whatever kind of song gets my point across most clearly. My point, usually, is about the miraculous, ridiculous, confusing joy of being alive.I love American pop music from every decade (Louis Armstrong to Beyonce), any folk music with guts (Nick Lowe, Patty Griffin), and just about anything that swings, grooves, or rocks (Billie Holiday, The Band, Donny Hathaway, Elvis Costello). Contenders for my favorite song of all time include "Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans?", "Suzanne", and "F**k You".I believe that music is magic, and everybody needs it. That’s why I give mine away.I live in a pink house in New Orleans. I’ve got two dogs and a studio out back called The Watermelon. I grew up on a defunct cattle farm in Luray, Virginia. At sixteen I fled the coop to Eugene, Oregon. I cut my musical teeth in Philadelphia. I’ve played shows in most of North America and Europe, and soon, Australia. I’ve toured with Paul Simon, The Wood Brothers, and The Weepies. I ran a crazy-successful Kickstarter campaign. I’m an unschooler, a sex blogger, and a Lindy Hopper. I find four-leaf-clovers.If I died, and somebody came up to me in the afterlife and said, “What were the best parts?”, I’d have to say songs, sex, creativity, raw oysters, bravery, small children, and the feeling you get when somebody is utterly in tune with you, like the same spirit is kissing both your faces. CARSIE BLANTON
Born in Ponferrada, northwest of Spain, studies Jazz Guitar at ESMAE
(Porto-Portugal) with teachers Nuno Ferreira, Michael Lauren, Abe
Rábade, Mario Santos, Carlos Azevedo among others. Previously he studies
with galician jazz guitarist Marcos Pin. Also with Paco Charlín for a
year and with teachers Manuel Gutiérrez, Javier Constenla and Suso
Atanes. Attends to several master classes and courses and have played in
festivals both in Spain and Portugal. Last year he toured with chilean
master, trumpeter Cristian Cuturrufo.When you have a big musical appetite and listen a lot, a gem like this
is immediately recognized. Highly original, great musicians and superb
recording.Favorite track: here´s the wheel that kills the will. GIO YANEZ
"Flautist Jef Kearns steps forward with a very appealing R&B/hip
hop/jazz release that packs a lot of intensity and soul-stirring
melodies throughout the album.
What you will find most pleasant is how Kearns weaves his flute into the
fabric of this very focused album. It floats, it sings, and it pushes
the melodies forward with muscle and charm."
The Smooth Jazz Ride
"When in 2009 I reviewed ‘On The Level’ from flautist Jef Kearns I
described it as dispelling the myth that flute players can’t do urban
jazz. In fact it was a hip, up to the minute, collection that oozed
class and consequently it is pleasing to report that Jef is back with
the equally good ‘Soulfisticated’. In fact it finds Kearns displaying a
whole new musical maturity that is evidenced by the sophistication of
the production, the selection of guest vocalists and, above all, the
quality of the eleven songs that he either writes or co-writes."
Smooth Jazz Therapy JEF KEARNS
Waylon Speed was created by Noah Crowther, Reverend Chad Hammaker, Kelly
Ravin and Justin Crowther after playing together at a local honky-tonk
in Burlington, Vermont. Three days and one practice later, Waylon Speed
was born. While Waylon Speed is not influenced by mainstream music, they
integrate each members individual influences to achieve a truly unique
genre all of it’s own. They have won awards
from both the New England Music Awards for "Vermont's Best Band", and
Seven Days newspaper's annual Daisy Award for "Best Americana Band".They
write, release and distribute their music independently. Named after the guitarist Rev. Chad
Hammaker’s son, Waylon, the band has become a family owned and operated
enterprise. Waylon Speed released their second full-length record Kin on
April 29th, 2014, followed by a national tour. They have offered
support for large-name outfits, and are slated for a tour supporting
Lynyrd Skynyrd in November, 14'. WAYLON SPEED
