And still more images....

And one last pass of images from the tour...

And then there were these as well

And then there are these, from gigs at Blues on the Farm, the Bottleneck Blues Club. Some gig pictures, some images of some new friends and the required shot of my guitars resting on the stand....

Some Tony Winfield Images...

Tony Winfield, ace photographer, captures dome images of us in action at the Red Lion Inn. Great gig photos- the ones that sent me directly to the barber to get that mess of hair cleaned up. Back to the DT....

Road Dog Report (New Crawdaddy Blues in Essex)

Sorry gang, I'm way behind on my blogging- with all the driving, playing, cooking, navigating, soldering, phoning more driving and playing that goes on, well, let's just say I have some catching up to do. Here's an early report from our last show, the tour wrap up at the New Crawdaddy Blues Club in Essex:

--------------------------------

April 2nd TIM AVES/SON HENRY BAND

Every year without fail a gig is announced which on paper looks intriguing. Remember Roy Mette/Papa George/ Roland Chadwick from 2007, and the Blues Pack from 2008, well look no further than Tim Aves and Son Henry for this year’s surprise package. We had 2 bluesmen from the wilds of Essex (Tim on guitar, harmonica and Paul Lester on drums) a bluesman from the wilds of Alaska (Son Henry) and a bassist of some pedigree from the wilds of NE Scotland (Dean Stewart) who had come together to play just eight shows in South East England over the past week or so. So just how this was going to pan out was anybody's guess.

Kicking off with ‘Last to Know’ and then a low down version of Bruce Springsteen's ‘Cover Me’, it was obvious to all that tonight was going to be a bit special. This was emphasised with a scintillating version of Stevie Ray Vaughan's ‘Long Way From Home’ which featured some tasty slide work from Tim. As it was the last night of the mini tour, former Armadillo Jane English got up to sing ‘You Can Have My Husband’ (great to see you on stage again Jane) and Joel Fisk from Hokie Joint got up to jam on ‘Help Me’. A cracking version of ‘Robert J's Shoes’ and ‘Wind in Denver’ bought the main set to a close before the band came back and encored with ‘Can't be Satisfied’ and the band went walkabout through the audience. Son even tried playing slide with the candle holders on the front table. Keeping all of this in place, Paul and Dean (I know what you're thinking) played like they'd been together for years. They'd had just 3 hours rehearsal time. Remarkable.

Well, I could go on but you really had to be there. No one will forget tonight in a hurry and as far as I'm concerned this really is a contender for gig of the year.

First Stop, Essex....

Well, the tour has started and we're back in the saddle. It was an easy 12 hour drive from Aberdeen to Essex, I think we hit a pocket in the traffic and made great time. After an all-day rehearsal on Wednesday we were off to a gig last night at the Farnham Maltings in, well, Farnham.

The combination of Tim and I is a fun one, great to have another 'front' guy to riff off, and also have the change to lay back a bit and play a little more guitar than I normally do. We recorded last night's session to give it the once-over.

Best moments? Well, the old beams in that theater sounded great when I used them to play my lap steel! I think we have pictures to prove it, gimme time and we'll get there...

Off to play with the Swamp Cat's in Essex tonight, and then a double-header tomorrow.

The Loyal....

Well, we soldiered our way through our gig at Drummonds last week, with the help of Mel Ross. With that one out of the way we can take stock, and think about what we do next.


Thanks to Alan, Marion, Eric and Chris who were there to

Hungary in April

Off to see Ferci in Budapest in April, around the 11th and squeeze in a couple of gigs. More details as I get them.

Cool.

Gang of 3 in Action-

Found this great picture of the old gang of three playing at the Orkney Blues Festival. One of the only shots I know of that has all of our heads in it!

Kevin's Memorial Service

Just to help get the word out, Kevin's funeral is on thursday, at 11.45, Aberdeen Crematorium, West Chapel.

Kevin's Memorial Service

Just to help get the word out, Kevin's funeral is on thursday, at 11.45, Aberdeen Crematorium, West Chapel.

Hey Governor Jindal...

You don't know what volcano monitoring is? Did you stay away in Geology 101?

Alaska and Hawaii, man, we live in the paths of these things. You monitor them to protect people living in harms way. Oh, and these things cause plane crashes and major disruptions to airline traffic.

Mount Saint Helens, anyone?

Damn, for someone from Louisianna, you don't know bupkis about a natural disaster. Have we learned anything about preparing for disaster? Are we looking to see why the seismic shift in our financial system is happening? And we're worried about volcano monitoring?

Back to your normally scheduled blues programming.

We still can't believe it.

We're sad to share with you that we lost our drummer and good friend Kevin Oliphant, who died in his sleep this week. Kev was an awesome guy, always upbeat. He was like a sparkplug, not just in the band but to everyone that knew him. A perfect gentleman, a walking smile, and always a kind word for all he met.

To say we'll miss this magnificent man is an understatement. Our deepest condolences to his family and his many friends.

Budapest in April

Sounds like a movie title, no? Off to play a couple of gigs in Hungary next month. Details to follow!

A Tale of 2 tapedecks

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.....

We tried to record our gig at Drumonds last week. Both tapedecks were checked out and working before leaving for the club. They were fine. Both quit working at the club, and we couldn't record a note. So, we played the gig, grumbled a bit, and went on home. Fast-forward to about 3 a.m., and BOTH DECKS WORKED again.

So, we've learned that the decks are picky and don't like Drumonds, which I don't understand because I really love that gig. Go figure.

Better luck next time, I suppose. Anyway, I'm off to check out real recording studios to get this next CD recorded once and for all.

not much going on here....

Sorry all, haven't been posting much lately. Truth be told, I'm:

1. Writing lots of songs for a new CD. About 1 in 10 will make the cut.
2. Fixing all the gear that's going on the road again. More bullet-proofing, soldering.
3. Selling off all the stuff that I don't use anymore. It's a big deal...

Oh, and getting ready to record tomorrow night. (See the next post)

I'll get back to writing more once the dust settles!

LIVE RECORDING!

Yep, we're going to do a live multi-track recording at Cafe Drummonds in Aberdeen tomorrow night. Full-on band set as usual, plus some surprises. And we'll be recording the whole thing to mix and master later on this month.

Worth a trip now that the weather is better?

LIVE RECORDING!

Yep, we're going to do a live multi-track recording at Cafe Drummonds in Aberdeen tomorrow night. Full-on band set as usual, plus some surprises. And we'll be recording the whole thing to mix and master later on this month.

Worth a trip now that the weather is better?

Spring tour notes...

Yep, March and April, we'll be in England for a run of dates. Man am I looking forward to taking this show on the road again. The band is razor sharp and we've got a bunch of great new songs that we've been playing lately. The band vibe is right where we want it to be- great dancing and partying music, a strong edge and a great beat.

Oh, we've got a pocket or two on the diary as well, so if you're looking for a band you should give us a shout! The first weekend in April we have an opening or two on the drive back. Shame to waste it.

And yeah, with luck we'll be celebrating a win in the Fudge Music awards, the Aberdeen music community's annual peer awards. We're the only blues band in the running, fingers crossed. Wanna vote? Vote hereL: www.aberdeen-music.com

it's about time for a new CD...

And the last bits get recorded this weekend before sending it back to Buzz in Alaska to mix.

Oh, it's really, really good so far....

Ahhhhh.......

nothing more need be said.

Hmmmmm.....

Joe Bonamassa is coming to Glasgow really soon. But his management refuses to book him this far north. Wonder why? It's not all that cold for a kid from upstate New York.

Come on, Joe, play the Aberdeen Music Hall. I'll even loan you a coat.

So, back in the day....

No really, I ran into an old friend a few weeks ago, a school buddy from the mid-70's. While we were getting caught up, he wanted to know what had happened, where had I been. Did I move to L.A. to get famous? How do you explain

And then...

This is not my garage......

Still, how cool would this be? It's Joe Perry's warehouse, as seen on TGP. Damn.

Spring Tour Dates-

March-April Tour dates? 2 weeks of gigs between Aberdeen and Essex, with a detour through London. Stay tuned....

Buster the Blues Dog

Lots of you have asked, here's the official press release:

Buster the official blues dog of the SHB is home recovering from a broken femur and internal injuries sustained when he tried to take down a fire engine on Sunday, December 28. For the record, he did bring the oversized tanker truck to a complete stop and had an official escort to the vet from the Aberdeen FD.

He walks funny, sleeps most of the time and will pick his head up when there is music playing, food close by or someone opens a beer. Sounds a lot like his owner, no?

The official Dino website...

Only a placeholder so far...

www.dinolevy.com

Otis Rush

my all-time favorite player? Yeah, could well be-




and

Otis Rush

my all-time favorite player? Yeah, could well be-




and

This should be a blues song....

State Radio

I saw these guys last year as the support act for Anti-Flag, killer band. Well, both great bands actually. Louder than sin, made me seem quiet actually. This one features the guitar player (who's name I don't know), playing a guitar that looks like it's got a paint can for a body.

What would have been next?

A pair of size 10 shoes, next would have been the panties and then it would have been like an Englebert Humperdink concert...

the best guitar video EVER

yeah, Les Paul and Mary Ford....

Last gig of the year

Some of you know that I'm not a big fan of playing a gig between the middle of December and the new year. Superstition? Could be. So, that means that Thursday is the last gig of the year for me. We'll be at Drummond's in Aberdeen on Thursday the 18th. With Mel Ross on Drums, and some other special guests. As much of a party as it is a gig!


Miss this one? Well, then we'll see you next year.....

pictures from home this week...

Yeah, winter, complaints about snow and cold weather here. Here's some photos I got from home this week that prove you can make the best of winter, even if you're a surfer....

reconecting via facebook

This Facebook thing is really pretty cool. In the last week I've reconnected with people that

Johnny Winter's Firebird

These were posted at the Gear Page, a gear-junkie forum. I know most of you don't read that (it's a pretty nerdy guitar dorum after all), but these are worthy of cross-posting....








Click here to see more, it's a link to the gear page

Moorings, Jan 10

Here's a great way to start the new year.....

Need something new?

Go check out my buddy Joey Fender's website....

http://www.joeyfender.com

when things are more important than people

Just finished reading some of the news reports about Walmart. Someone gets trampled, a temp worker, while people try and get to the sale rack to save a little more money on stuff made in China? Walmart calls this an "unfortunate event"?

What a world. Need a good read? Try 'The Walmart Effect'.

Moorings Bar and the future of the blue....

Walk in, hang out, plug in and play. Simple. Use the clubs gear. Just move a couple of guitars and wires. Easy as pie.

What;s good about the place isn't the gear, so much as it is the vibe. Its one of the best rooms for live music around. People digging on punk and metal and ready to go wild for some blues. Yeah, sure, you gotta be in their face about it, but anything with energy goes over well.

For me it's the ultimate court of public opinion- you know you're on the right track when ypu're connecting with that room full of people.

And here's where it gets interesting. Stop here if you don't like philosophical or intellectual tangents. Most blues gigs are packed with people that are post 40 or so. People with heavy jobs, lots on their minds, kids off to Uni soon (or there already). It's an aging demographic. The Moorings is the future, it's the new audience. Different sensitivities and tastes. People at different places in life. And these are the ones that we need to be able to relate to if we're going to keep the music alive.

Does that mean that we play differently? Absolutely. And actually, that spills over into our normal gigs. It all works.

As an FYI, we're back at the Moorings in January. No idea who else is on the bill yet, but odds are it'll be us and a couple of good punk or metal bands. Watch this space, come check out the gig and see if we're on the mark here.

Evolve. Find a niche and thrive. Dance and shout. Play loud and love it. It's a philosophy that works....

Facebook?

Hey, if you're a facebook person link into my page there! My user id is 'Son Henry' no big surprise there.

I like it better than myspace.....

Facebook?

Hey, if you're a facebook person link into my page there! My user id is 'Son Henry' no big surprise there.

I like it better than myspace.....

EFFING MOORINGS BAR!!!!!

Damn, I love everything about the Moorings. It's loud, full of people I can relate to, beautiful women and great beer.

My band is as hot as ever, and fresh from a blinding gig on Thursday. Force of nature. Epic. Don't miss this one...

New in the CD player

Actually took time to rotate things in my cd player. You should give these cds a thought, they're pretty enjoyable!

1. The new Southern Culture on the Skids live CD.
2. The new Amos Lee cd
3. A set of German language records (ok, not for everyone)
4. Dave Arcari's last CD
5. The Black Ace compilation.

The new SCOTS disk deserves the pole position in my CD player. Rick Miller is a great guitar player, Mary Huff is my dream bass player, and the band just rocks. Killer stuff. Worthy of a purchase. The German language tapes are on the edge, I admit. Best intentions, but I skip right over it most days.

It's all broken

Volume pots, string trees, case latches, strings, bridges, cables, an entire amplifier, some really worn and dented frets, a pedal with a broken switch, a steel guitar leg missing a screw (its owner's missing one too). All the wear and tear so far in 2008.

But hey, all part of the game. Next weekend I'll finish fixing my amp and cleaning out the studio so I can get back to work. yeah, solo CD is almost finished. One more weekend worth of singing and then it's off to Buzz in Anchorage to mix! Really, I've even talked to Buzz about it too, so he's expecting it and everything.

So.....

At this rate, it's a two-fer

After such a long drought, I'm kinda FLOORED TO BE IN THIS SITUATION ,BU

Solo CD update

Well, after a long weekend of recording all the instruments are done. It's down to singing a few things and it goes back to Anchorage to mix and master.

Hmmm, like any long project it's a little different than what I'd started. I like it more. Mostly lap-steel acoustic songs, some other stuff that you've heard at solo gigs lately. So far I'm really happy, and excited that this is almost finished.

Going to see Little Feat on Friday!

Enough about the economy and the election. I've got a night off, and so I'm going to see Little Feat this Friday. Cool....

Dollar got the blues

Gatemouth Brown said it best.....

Time to try again...

Some of you may remember that I ran for President of the US in 2004, using a bar called Studio 68 in Anchorage, Alaska as my campaign headquarters. Seeing as I got something like 12 write in votes, and looking at the mess we're in it is clearly time to revisit my write in candidacy. Typically, we're doing this at the last minute. But, if you need someone to vote for and you're confused? I'm you man.

My platform is an unstable one. Veggie burgers in every pot. Renaming the letter 'W' from the english language to sound like what it really sounds like. Re-thinking congressional service to a lottery ticket. Granting Wal-Mart least favored nation status. Really practical stuff like that. See? I've got ideas here people. And I'm a better Sax player than Bill Clinton, have more hair than Hillary, I can out-shoot Sarah, out-talk Barrack, and I'm taller than McCain. Perfect for the job.

And if I win, Southern Culture on the Skids is gonna play the Inaugural Ball, and you're all invited. We're drinking Bud out of the bottle (long necks, of course because they sound better on the lap steel- go to youtube for the evidence there), firing up the grill and closing all the streets. And after the party the real work starts.

Send the bums back home and support the arts all with one vote. A bold political master, no?

Here's some sticker art to get you going....










And, since education is an issue, here's something to keep in mind about this candidate....

The ultimate solo gig

OK, ABSOLUTELY NO BLUES CONTENT. Read on, if you're a purist....


I have no idea who this is, but it's a one-man band doing a great cover of AC/DC. And to make it even better, he's doing my all time favorite "I've been drinking and I'm singing along with the music in the pub even if I don't know the freekin words" song....



OK, back to the blues....