Generation Blues Experience was co-founded by dedicated 12-year old
singer and guitar virtuoso Ray Goren in 2012 in South Central L.A.
together with veteran blues septuagenarian, Sammy Lee, and octogenarian,
Jamie Powell. A true product of his “generation,” Goren learned from
YouTube videos of the legends and was playing blues guitar in gigs
before the age of 10. But together with Powell and Lee the band has
busted age and musical barriers, resulting in landmark recordings of
blues power.Jamie Bluesboy Powell is an 80 year-old guitar player with an
unforgettable blues shouting vocal style, who has been playing the local
blues scene in South Central LA for years. His friend, harmonicist
Sammy Lee. is well known in Watts for the lonely train whistle sounds of
his harp as he sways with the relentless shuffle beat of his Louisiana
blues upbringing. Known to the locals at Bell’s Blues Workshop as the
Odd Couple, their conversations take on a Jack Lemmon/Walter Matthau
quality making much ado about nothing, and having fun doing it!Ray Goren is a 14-year old musician, who began as a jazz pianist but
migrated to the blues guitar at about 8 years old. He’s acquired quite a
reputation despite his tender age, playing on opening night at the Main
Stage of the Chicago Blues Festival, at Doheny Blues Festival and
walking onstage with Buddy Guy at the Greek Theatre. Playing at the NAMM
conventions, he draws crowds of seasoned musicians. Recently Ray has
recorded an EP of his original music which was produced by Eddie Kramer
(Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Kiss) and sits in on gigs with Robbie
Krieger of the Doors.These three came together two years ago when a well-meaning fan asked
Ray’s father if he’d like to meet some of the old men from Watts, who
really knew how to play the blues – the Real Deal. And that’s how they
first came to meet at Bell’s Blues Workshop – a residential juke joint
in South Central LA (an old drummer’s converted garage) that hosts a
blues jam every Sunday evening. Far from the festival and club scenes
Ray found a bustling sub-culture where the soul food is hot off the
stove, the laughter is loud and pure blues is in the air. When the three
next stepped onto the stage at a blues jam in a fashionable Burbank
club, magic was in the air. Electricity filled the room and everyone saw
the torch being passed from one generation to another. Generation Blues
Experience was born.The three of them bonded and became best of friends with age, color and
lifestyle boundaries all blurred. Blues became their language, They
landed a gig opening at the Golden State Theatre in Monterrey,
California for B.B. King in early 2013. “A band came out on stage to
open for the legend, B.B. King, and this kid – 12 years old – comes out
to front on lead guitar and vocals. What was more surprising is the
gifts that this musician possesses. He is a real phenomenon, and you sit
there not believing what you are seeing and hearing…. It was really one
of the most unbelievable moments I’ve experienced at any concert.” Rock
Subculture.With two albums already recorded - the first within 2 weeks of the
formation of the band and the second recorded live at their residency
gig at Lucy’s 51 in Toluca Lake - they decided it was time to create
their own music. Ray began writing songs – writing one specifically for
Jamie. Sammy wrote about his home state’s troubles with Hurricane
Katrina, and other band members wrote songs that Ray modified with his
own style while staying true to the blues shuffles and slow blues
melodies. These collaborations have resulted in “Private Angel” released
August 2014. GENERATION BLUES EXPERIENCE
An honors graduate of Humber College’s Jazz and Contemporary Music
program, where he was awarded the Gordon and Anne Wragg Music
Scholarship for academic and performance achievement, Shafton has also
studied privately with iconic Canadian bass player-composers such as
Chris Tarry, Rich Brown, Kieran Overs, and Mike Downes.He maintains a busy freelance schedule performing and recording in
support of numerous groups and artists from wide-ranging genres
including jazz, R’n’B, rock, folk, hip hop, country and musical theatre
and has shared the stage with eminent jazz artists such as David
Gilmore, Robi Botos, Waleed Abdulhamid, Daniel Barnes, Michael and
Gordon Webster, and Jamie Reynolds.In addition to driving Shafton Thomas Group’s quest to conquer the
world, Shafton also maintains a busy gigging schedule performing with
Newfoundland-grown hip-hop up-and-comers Large LIVE n’ Direct;
Regina-based piano-pop sensation Jeffery Straker Band, former Mike
Bullard Show House Band guitarist Mark Patterson’s Trio Project and
recently held the bass chair in Angelwalk Theatre’s Dora-nominated
production of I Love You, Because at Toronto Centre for the Performing
Arts. SHAFTON THOMAS GROUP
Melbourne pianist-composer Jex Saarelaht, best known as the leader of a
long-running trio, debuted his quartet with saxophonist Julien Wilson at
the 2007 Wangaratta Jazz Festival. Since then the personnel has settled
to include Jonathan Zwartz (bass) and Niko Schäuble (drums).Since the mid ‘80s, Jex has performed and recorded with an impressive
list of Australian and international musicians, from Dale Barlow and
Bernie McGann to Vince Jones and Chris Wilson, from Renee Geyer and Kate
Ceberano to Sheila Jordan and Steve Lacy. Key international
performances include the Edinburgh Festival, Birmingham International
Jazz Festival, London’s Jazz Café and Southbank, and the Aarhus
International Jazz Festival, Denmark.A founding member of legendary Melbourne bands, Dianna Kiss and Doug de
Vries’ New Tango Quintet, Jex has also led his own bands, including the
Jextet in the mid ‘80s. His trio played its first gig in 1993 with the
same line-up (Philip Rex and Niko Schäuble) remaining to this day. They
released a superb 2-CD set, ‘Fridays, Late’ (Bennetts Lane) in 1999. JEX SAARELAHT TRIO
Born in Aarhus, Denmark, in 1964. Tenor saxophonist and composer.
Also plays soprano and alto saxophone, clarinet and bass clarinet.Associate professor at the Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus, Denmark.
Teaches saxophone, jazz ensemble, ear training and entrepreneurship.Has studied at Berklee College of Music, with Herb Pomeroy, George Garzone, Hal Crook, Joe Viola, and Jerry Bergonzi.Has performed with Lars Jansson, Aaron Parks, Ben Street, Jeff
Ballard, Hal Crook, Alex Riel, Audun Kleive, Silje Neergaard, Per
Jørgensen, poet Peter Laugesen and the bands Pauseland, Must and Den
Danske Salmeduo. Has toured with his own band in Denmark, Norway,
Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Greenland, Iceland, England and Germany.Has recorded 15 albums as leader or co-leader; and over 50 albums as sideman.“Vuust’s mature tenor playing is delightful”Jazz Special (Scandinavia’s leading jazz magazine)“Christian Vuust has a masterful and soulful tone”Ingmar Glanzelius, Dagens Nyheter (Swedish national daily newspaper)“Vuust’s playing exudes an unobtrusive authority which, in concert
with his smooth rhythmic sense, he creates an ideal balance between
statements and expressions.”Boris Rabinowitsch, Politiken (Danish national daily newspaper) CHRISTIAN VUUST
“Soulful and exuberant” (Time Out) vocalist Mark Jennett has been a
regular on the London jazz scene for several years with appearances at
Ronnie Scott's, the Vortex (“regulars lapped it up” – Evening Standard)
and other leading venues. He has performed throughout the UK with his
own trio, and makes appearances with a number of big bands.Mark's second album Everybody Says Don’t (Jazzizit Records), produced by
Geoff Gascoyne, is a set of sophisticated reinterpretations of 20th
century standards from writers as diverse as Cole Porter and Randy
Newman. It is due for release in September 2014 but you can here some of
the tracks here in the meantime.As well as being in great demand as a musician, Geoff Gascoyne is well
known for his production and arranging work with Jamie Cullum and
others. Most recently he produced Jacqui Dankworth’s acclaimed Live To Love album. The stellar band includes Rob Barron (piano and
keys), Geoff Gascoyne (bass), Sebastiaan de Krom (drums) Martin Shaw
(trumpet) and Andy Panayi (saxes and flute). Anita Wardell says - “Mark Jennett is a unique story teller and,
regardless of genre of song, his interpretation is always fresh, new and
exciting. Wonderful, compelling listening.” MARK JENNETTT
Bridget Kelly Band is an electric blues band that rocks the house with
their unique blend of hot smokin' blues. Their NEW CD “Forever in Blues”
was released this summer! (June of 2014). Forever in Blues was picked
by Hit-Tracks Top l00 - 26 TIPS FOR HIT-TRACKS TOP 100! Charlie Boyer
from JazzandBlues Magazine says, "The CD Gods have been very, very good
to us lately! The Bridget Kelly Band are going to put themselves on the
map with this one. Great tunes, production, and delivery - on every
single cut! And, no doubt about it... they are ALL the blues. See you at
the release party..." http://www.reverbnation.com/bridgetkellyband
Their CD “Back in the Blues”, released in March of 2013 (Alpha SunRecords),contained all original blues songs couched in styles that range
from Chicago and Memphis blues to Texas Blues. In live shows Bridget
Kelly Band plays originals, they also perform music of B.B. King, T.
Bone Walker, Muddy Waters, Etta James, and Bonnie Raitt. The band’s
original compositions have been featured on WXJZ Smooth Jazz in
Gainesville ,FL(on Q-quincy’s Blues Show) as well as radio shows
throughout the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, Italy, Germany, and France.
The group performs at a wide variety of music venues -- clubs, concerts,
and festivals across Florida; and has shared the stage with numerous
recording and touring blues artists including Albert Castiglia, Willie
Green, Jeff Jensen, Brandon Santini, Biscuit Miller, & Victor
Wainwright. Bridget Kelly – vocals, Tim Fik – guitar & vocals, Mike
Hamm – bass, Michael Barady – drums. Members of the band hail from
Gainesville, Florida and Palatka, Florida. Based out of North Florida,
the Bridget Kelly Band are members of the North-Central Florida Blues
Society.Bridget Kelly Band was chosen top 4 by the IBBA for August 2014.
The band’s music has been gaining International recognition, and is
regularly featured on Kevin Black's "Women in the Blues“ and "Black on
Blues" show (U.K.), Tony T.C. Corner’s “Blues Corner” radio show (U.K.),
and earned Best of 2013 CDs on John Hammer’s “Hammered by the Blues”
show. The group continues to perform at festivals and live entertainment
clubs/venues throughout the Southeast. The Bridget Kelly Band was
invited to perform at the Women in Blues Showcase for the International
Blues Competition last year and will perform this year in January, 2015.
Recent dates have included performances at the Hard Rock Cafe Atlanta
IBC,Vetfest and Bikefest (Thunder Music Park,Hampton, FL), St. John's
River Blues Festival, Florida's Azalea Festival, The High Dive
(Gainesville, FL) with Albert “The Kid” Castiglia, The Dirty Martini Bar
(Gainesville,FL), The Thomas Center (Gainesville, FL), Billy's Downtown
Blues Bar (Palatka, FL)with Victor Wainwright, Roberts Hall (Lynn
Haven, FL), Skipper's Smokehouse (Tampa, FL), Topsail Hill State Park's
"Red, White & Blues" Concert (Santa Rosa Beach, FL), Ellie Ray's
(Branford, FL), Bradfordville Blues Club (Tallahassee, FL), Florida Folk
Festival and Florida's Blue Crab Festival... just to name a few.
Bridget Kelly Band's "Back in the Blues" CD (2013) won the North Central
Florida Blues Society’s regional entrant into the IBC's Best
Independently Produced CD for 2013. Bridget Kelly was also featured in
the Women in the Blues Showcase at the IBC in Memphis, closing the show
at the fabled Center for Southern Folklore. Bridget Kelly and guitarist
Tim Fik were invited to sit in with Brandon Santini and Jeff Jensen and
his band at W.C. Handy's Blues Hall (Memphis, TN) the weekend of the IBC
(Jan. 2014). While attending the BMA’s (May 2014),Bridget performed at
Beale Street’s famous Rum Boogie Night Club, sitting in with Sonny Rock
and Tas Cru. BRIDGET KELLY BAND
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
