ok, so this band is probably-

no, it's definitely the best band I've had since I've been in the UK. By quite a stretch. Lately we've been prepping for more studio time so we can get a new CD out before the summer. It's a great process, I take them rough ideas on sticky notes and talk them through the ideas. They turn it into something different, better. Damn.

BB and Bobby.

Damn. I saw them together that year too. 1977. What a great pair. You gotta check this one out.

The International Cigar Box Orchestra

Some pictures taken in Dundee last year, these are of Nikolaj (the fantastic one-man band) and I playing some really raw stuff at Dexters. We'll be adding bass and drums this year and performing on mostly home-made instruments. Just think- musicians from three continents making great music on crap gear that really is crap gear- mine are all made from junk I found cleaning out a friends garage this weekend. Oil cans, broken bits of debris.

Roll on, Dundee! Can't wait!

Grouchy old man emails?

Funny, I've heard from more people telling me what a grouchy old man I am.


First, I'm not old. Second, I'm not grouchy.

Look, you can take the post below in one of two ways- here's a guy who cares about the music, cares that the history of the blues continues to be important, and the contributes to the education of a younger generation of layers -OR- a grouchy old man. Take your pick.

N'uff said. But that post stays so I can refer back to it from time to time.

take it somewhere...

Well, I had a talk with a young player over the weekend. And I heard it again. "I'm not a old-style player, I want to see the blues evolve, I want to take it somewhere- take what I've learned from the old masters and help the blues evolve."

And so I asked- who are your influences?

Well, SRV, Clapton, the White Stripes, Zepplin""

No BB King, no Buddy Guy, no Blind Willie Johnson, no Guitar Slim. Only post-modern rock players. No Earl King, or Charlie Patton, or Pee Wee Cayton or T-Bone Walker, Lowell Fulson, Albert King, Lightning Hopkins or Mance Lipscomb.

How best to put this and not sound like an old fart? This could lead one to dispair. You can't take music somewhere if you don't really understand where it's been. If you don't understand the basics of the language, haven't studied it. So please don't kid me that you're doing the music a service. All you're doing is skipping doing your homework and trying to excuse it. And you're not fooling anyone.

Hit the books. Study the records. Learn the language first, convince me that you know the basics. Then we'll talk about taking the music somewhere.

The color of money....

Benefit Pictures

You know it's a good gig when.....

This happens. Thanks Sue and Kirsteen!

and more T-bone...

More great, rare footage. I could watch this all day...

and more T-bone...

More great, rare footage. I could watch this all day...

T-Bone

Don't give up too early, there's a nasty horn solo you need to skip through, but there's a couple of nice tunes that follow.