Back in Business...

In case you didn't see the schedule update, I've got three dates boooked the weekend of February 1st in the UK. I've got a couple more dates open and not afraid to drive, so if interested in talking about a gig please give me a shout!

 

See everyone soon-

Schedule update

Ok, gang, here is the current schedule for February:

Friday, February 1st: The Malpaso Gang at the Moorings Bar, Aberdeen

Saturday, February 2nd: The Son Henry Band at the Moorings Bar.

Sunday, February 3rd: TBA

More to follow! See y'all soon.

Friday February 1st at the Moorings Bar, Aberdeen

Wel folks, it's a one-shot deal this spring, a reunion for my old band at the Moorings in Aberdeen. We're part of a three-band billing, probably on about 10 (but check with the venue first, ok?).

Looking forward to getting back to Aberdeen and hanging with some old friends AND getting a chance to play a bit with Dino and Duncan. More gigs coming this summer now that I'm back in action so stay tuned!

Check the bar out here for the latest news: http://www.themooringsbar.co.uk/

 

 

News from the library

Wow, what a great decision. Taking time to study, I mean. In the last week or so I've been going through Willie Brown's M&O Blues in painful detail. Painful. Detail.

Really, I should have done this years ago.

Someone recently hit me with 'but you'll be off everyone's radar screen!" So, what? I got started playing music years ago because I loved the music. Performing is secondary and I know I'll get back to it when the time is right. In the meantime I've got detail to mine in these old songs.

The fun part is translating the detail between guitars. Its great to be able to play this on an old resonator. It's even better knowing that I can take it to a gig on an electric guitar as well- potential band material down the line, or something to play along with my drum set. I like keeping my options open and knowing that the techniques, the nuances, all the detail and an even deeper level of understanding is adaptable as live moves forward.

Peace. Once more Willie Brown side and then it's off to Son House...

And so the Sabbatical begins

Man, I've been at this or 30 or more years without a break. Gigging constantly, and very little time to work on my own playing like I did back when I was a puppy- you know, playing for hours at a time, working on technique, etc.

And so, after agonizing about this, I'm formally taking a sabbatical. Starting today. For a full year.

I'll keep you posted how I do, but I'm going to focus on two very simple things the pre-war blues catalog and my acoustic lap steel playing.

Why the pre-war catalog? Because it's neglected, its music that I love, and it's not often played well. Sure there are players at festivals playing the songs, but the energy, the detail isn't there. Time to see how close to right I can get it.

And then, the acoustic lap steel playing? Yeah, because the pre-war stuff adapts pretty well. So it overlaps.

Goal? Mastery. Mastery of instruments, mastery of a genre. In a year. Oh, and I'm keeping notes that might end up in a book someday, or in the trash, depending.

This means you won't see me much on Facebook, or Myspace or whatever. I'm focused, full stop.

Off we go, time to get started, the first mountain to climb is Robert Johnson's 'Terraplane Blues'. yeah,I've got the basics, but the nuances ain't there....

Time to re-engage...

It's been a long few months I must admit, but dis-engaging from the world of social media has been good for me. Time to get back to it.

So, what did I learn?

Well, that I don't bounce anymore. After going too fast and riding a bike into the pavement, well, I've learned something that should have been obvious- it takes longer to heal up as you get older. So, my ribs are finally better, I can use that left hand again.

Lesson learned.

the view from my window

Been an interesting few months. Things may start changing a bit over the next few months, if only by a little.

As you know I've been on a much-needed break for the last several months to look after some family issues. Still more to come, but at least I'm at a point where the guitar is back out and getting some play-time on a regular basis.

Almost as a form of therapy I got my studio set up (well, some of it at least) so I could work on some steel guitar tracks for the new Bob Hall cd. It was good therapy sitting in the middle of this pile of junk and boxes and getting some tracks into the computer. Bob's reviewing some of the roughs right now. So that's close to done.

Next step? Well, stay tuned. I did say the studio was working, and I've got some dobro tracks to record for another cd. And, from the comfort of this studio chair I'm working on setting up a podcast.....

Blues Blast magazine says...

Steel guitars come in many forms – six string, eight string and ten-string – some with double necks, some with pedals and electronic gizmos (pedal steel guitars are the core of 20th century country music). There are some ace players around: Robert Randolph and Darrick Campbell of course; Aubrey Ghent and Sonny Treadway; the winner of this year’s Blues Foundation Award for the Instrumentalist (other) Sonny Rhodes; and the winner of last year’s British Blues Award also for Instrumentalist, Alaskan born Son Henry. All these musicians bring a special, and very welcome sound to the blues, for the instrument is capable of great subtlety and in skilful hands, much “Make-the-hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck-stand-up” passion and emotionality.

Cool. People are paying attention!

And so it ends...

Well, with Nina off on maternity leave and me packing to move it's the end of the first incarnation of the Malpaso Gang. We won a few awards and played some great gigs. But, beyond that, this band gave me a good reason to strap on a guitar and play. Play for the love of it, and not worry about other people expectations or demands. Play for the joy working out some new runs in a strange tuning. Rekindling my love of old country and rockabilly, and playing again.

Truth be told, with everything going on over the last year, this was a refuge for an old soul to eddy out and heal, shaking off the years of frustration of working with a parade of players that have no connection to their roots. It's been a thing of joy to go back to square one.

Once again everything fits. Time to start over.

This could be it....

With Nina due any day now, this could be the last Malpaso Gang gig with the whole band. Friday November 18 at the Globe Inn in downtown Aberdeen. We kick off at 9:30 and go till we drop! It'll be old country and rockabilly, lots of originals. And the most fun you can have in Aberdeen on a Friday... It's also my last performance there for the year and what may be a very long time. So, it's a great chance to say goodbye and catch one of the final performances of this award winning band before the first phase passes into the history books!

Last solo gig in Aberdeen tonight...

Well, we're counting down pretty quickly. Tonight is my last solo gig in Aberdeen before I pack up and move. It's a solo gig opening for the Lyndon Anderson Band, one of my favorites. Lyndon is a great harp player and the band is rock solid. Like I said, a favorite.

The big leaving-blast is December 9th at the Moorings. It's a double header with the Malpaso Gang opening the show- both my bands on one bill, I don't think that's ever happened before!

So, sad to go, but a few parties along the way.....

The incredible shrinking trio

Yeah, its true, I did in fact play drums the other night.

I got a wild hair about it after watching Homer Henderson on youtube. Seemed like a great idea. And so "hmmm", I thought, "could you combine that idea with the Black Keys or the White Stripes and really strip it down?"

The answer is yes- with help from Mike Oxley on bass we played an hour or so as the worlds only 2-man trio. I rigged the drums up so I could play with my feet, play the guitar and sing. It was pretty primal and of course not as sophisticated as having a real drummer.

You do learn something doing a gig like that, and its something that a drummer or a guitar player alone don't always'get'- that's that a good groove is a mix of the right amount of each instrument in the right place. And in putting together the material for this gig we had to be really careful to find ways to use the instruments to make things rhythmically interesting where EACH instrument (including the vocals) is really a member of the rhythm section.

Oh, this was a great workout. I'm thinking of setting up an aerobics class like this; sing and play drums. Cool, huh?

But in the end it was fun enough that we'll do it again at the Moorings on December 9th. The Malpaso Gang will open the show. Mark your diaries- it's my last show in Aberdeen.

So, been busy lately...

But I did get time to finish my Coodercaster- it's a modified tele named after Ry Cooder who had a habit of dropping supro lap steel pickups into fender guitars. I'll post pictures...

I started with a cheap Squier Telecaster that I got from the Aberdeen Music forum. Cheap as chips, nice guitar. Cheap. And then dropped in a Supro pickup, complete with the big metal baseplate. Took an hour or so to wire it all up and adjust the intonation. 

Hows it sound? Really good, actually. Lap steel pickups pack a lot of punch, and they're a little darker sounding than a normal guitar pickup so it takes some of the high end off the guitar. It's a great sounding slide guitar, although the big baseplate is really ugly. So, close your eyes and don't look there.

Like I said, pics to follow....

British Blues Awards, 2011

OK, so the dust is settling in life, and the award is sinking in.

Thanks to all of you that took the time to organize the awards, and all of you that voted. It was a great event this year, and an impressive collection of talented artists from across the blues in Britain. As you can imaging, it's an honor just to be included in this group, but to have won this award for the second time is really great.

So, getting down to work the rest of the year, one or two remaining gigs on the diary and a few more being penciled in now that my shoulder is back in working order. Its seemed like forever since I've been able to play an acoustic guitar, but those days look to be over. And so, with this new band of mine we'll plan on a tour of England next year, and a run of gigs on the continent next year as well. In the meantime, it's off to Texas for a couple of weeks in October to hang with some old friends, do some playing and a little recording.

And, that my friends, is the news from here. Stay tuned, things are gonna start moving faster now...

 

 

Thanks to all!

Just saw the twitter comments from the Newark Blues Festival and the British Bues Awards. Thanks to all that voted! Its an honor to have won the Instrumentalist category again. More later when I calm down....

Carter 12 Pedal steel for sale. Sacred steel tuning. 1500£

24 strings later....

All day spent restringing a stringmaster. 24 strings on 3 necks. So it's C6 on teeter neck, A6 on the middle and the Don Helms E13 on the inner neck. The outer two are nothing new, but I'm hooked on the Don Helms tuning, all those Hank Williams tunes fall right into place. And the Miller Sisters song we play with the Malpaso Gang? Well, that works better as well. Can't wait to try this out at the next rehearsal.

And then it was over.

Yes folks, it's true. The Son Henry Band is done. Off. To something new.

It was a great run in Aberdeen, almost 6 years with some good local players. And years and years before that too. But I'm going to play a few solo gigs, play some steel guitar with the Malpaso Gang and work up something new, blues-ier than before.

Watch this space.

2011 British Blues Awards!

Hey- A big round of thanks to all of you that voted in the nomination process for the British Blues Awards! The list of nominees is now official, and thanks to you I'm on the list! And it's a great list of nominees this year, and an honor to be included on the list of such talented people. Thanks!

Voting now runs through July 31st. To vote for your favorites, you go to:

http://www.britishbluesawards.com

You'll find a complete list of all the nominees and a chance to vote on-line. You know we appreciate your taking a couple of minutes to vote!

New free downloads available!

Hey- as a small thank you for your support in the British Blues Awards this year, I've put three songs out on my website that you can download for free! They're great if you need some driving songs, or need music for radio- whatever! Enjoy.

 

You can find them here:

http://www.sonhenry.com/music.htm

 

Cheers!

 

Son

 

 

 

 

Just one last week-

to get yoyr nominations in

Always looking for another Magnatone Lap steel

Call me if you have one for sale!

Keighley Blues Club

Photos: Idris Richards


Well, it's settled. We can mix the acoustic and electric souls into one performance. Keighley approved.

Thanks to Paul Lester and Dino we held court at the Keighley Blues Club this weekend. What a great night, wonderful people and a fantastic room. Stuart did a great job with the live sound that opened the doors for us to really stretch out. If you missed it, well, shame on ya!

You can read more here:


Keighley Reviews

Thanks John and all the wonderful folks that made for such a memorable night! See you again soon-

Don't Forget! Still time for Brit Blues Award Nominations!

www.britishbluesawards.com is the link!

 

It's that time of year when we all get to nominate our favourite blues artists for theBritish Blues Awards. The process is easy and if you follow that link that's the first step. Consider this a shameless request for your support in the 'Other' instrument category- Lap Steel Players need all the help we can get!

 

Thanks!

 

Son

 

 

British Blues Award Nominations!

Hey gang- It's time once again for the British Blues Award nominations! There's a lot of very talented people around, so please be sure and get your vote in before March 31 so that it counts!

Here's what to do, start here:

www.britishbluesawards.com

Then go to the nominations tab. From there you can vote for your favorite artists.

As always, I'd appreciate your vote in the 'other instrument' category!

Thanks!

Best of the rest, again in 2011!

http://www.aberdeen-music.com/forums/fudgenet/63688-best-rest-2011-fudge-musi...

 

It's a win, for the second year in a row! Thanks to all of you that voted, the band won 'Best o the rest' in the Aberdeen Fudge Music Awards. We're stoked (which translates to psyched, chuffed, wowed, etc) Thanks to all of you that voted! 

MALPASO GANG WINS!!!!

http://themalpasogang.posterous.com/the-malpaso-gang-wins-best-indie-band-in-the

 

Wow. What a great night. Too bad about all the van problems and other misadventures  that kept me from getting there....

Son Henry with the T. Rogers Blues Band - Let Me Lay My Head Down

Son Henry with the T. Rogers Blues Band : Can't Be Satisfied

Son Henry with the T. Rogers Blues Band - Richer Than A Sheik

Selling off some of my old gear..

It's true. The things that don't gig are all going, and this is the last of it. Yeah, ok, I'm a packrat and I've been dragging this stuff around for years. It all needs a new home now. Follow the link, and apologies for the photos- great photographer I am not. But you'll get the idea.

details here: http://vintageguitarsuk.blogspot.com/

 

And don't be shy, give me a shout if you have questions about some of this stuff. Some of it you won't ever see in the UK again, so this might be your only chance to own some of this old stuff!

as tour of the 1959 Fender factory anyone?

Oh. My. Lord. 

Stringmaster around 4:45....

Ah, if this were normal, bands would be better-

 

Oh my lord, that's rock and roll right there-

Cafe Musa this saturday with the Malpaso's

 

Hey all-

Gonna be a great weekend! I'm gigging with the Malpaso Gang on Saturday night at Cafe Musa. The band starts around 8=9, and I'm going to start things off with a solo set. Yeah, I know I said that the gig I played at the Clubhouse was my last one ever. But this is different.

And stay tuned, the following weekend it's really back to work, with the Son Henry Band kicking off the new year at the Globe Inn (Friday the 28th) and the Moorings Bar (Saturday the 29th). 

 

More later. Pictures even....

A gig well played!

And there is the proof. Country music at a metal bar and they have Lone Star beer! Thanks Graham!

Now on Twitter too

Hey, you can also follow the drama on Twitter- look for me by name or 'son_henry'...

 

Moorings Bar tonight, live with the Malpaso Gang-

Hey! I really am back to work, tonight with the Malpaso Gang at the Moorings Bar in Aberdeen. It's the first gig of the year, with the Country/Americana that picked up a nomination in the Aberdeen 'Fudge' Music Awards. I'm playing the steel guitar tonight with a little lap steel thrown in for good measure. Show starts around 11 pm, and is a mix of iriginals and old covers. It's a great band, and some great original songs.

 

Next gig after this is the Globe Inn, with the Son Henry Band. Fingers crossed, see you soon.

 

lots to tell, but it's time to get back to work-

Yeah, it's my birthday tomorrow. And it's time to get back to work. Look for us to be on the road more in 2011, not playing locally as much. And, well, there is one great long story to tell!

Well, ok. Time to get back to work.

I'm back. The time off was great.

Here's where we're going. I've trimmed the size of my band back to a trio again. I've been writing songs that fit the trio format, but lean pretty heavily on the lap steel/pedal steel playing that I've been doing the last few weeks. No surprises there.

In our perfect world....

Music has dynamics.
Songs have meaning,
and that meaning is shared.
Art is valued and
innovation is the norm.
Genre boundaries are meaningless.
Music is art,
and I am an artist.

Stand back,
listen,
and make the most of the short time we have together.

Taking a break, walking a way....

I'm stepping away from the keyboard, the band and life in the electronic universe for a while. I'll be back after January 5th with more blues and stories, and more regular posting. For now I need to get out and play in the snow.

It's been an interesting and challenging year, with some real highs and lows. To my good friends that were there to get me through the low spots, and shared in the high spots all I can say is thanks- I wouldn't be here with out all your help. Daily, I remember that I'm forever in the debt of the Seven Sisters of Mercy in Rayong, and the arms of the Universe (whatever your concept of God is) that caught me when I fell and was second-chance-reborn with the dawn of 2010.

And so, with the close of the year, it's finally time to go away and think (or re-think) the music. Somehow it's become hard work, like walking the same ground over and over again. Different, urgent, personal, new, challenging are words I need to apply honestly to this again. How to get there? Moving. Different. How to get there?

I suppose that the simple answer is that it is time for change of instrumentation. More pedal steel. More something and less something else. That's too simple, however. It needs to be more transformational than that. I need some unstructured time to write and think and be, and emerge from this metamorphosis with something worth taking on the next few miles of the journey, as short or as long as this may be.

See you in the new year with something worth sharing.

Namaste

On the fine art of selling downloads....

So, can you really get rich from selling music on the interwebs? Here's an analysis ofg how much you need to sell to hi the US minimum wage in a given month....

Click here to read

Changes in Son-Henry-Land

Well, my year-long adventure into the land of big band blues has come to an end. Given the pressures of the economy we've made the hard choice to drop back to a smaller more compact format. It's always hard to say goodbye to good players like Chris and Dave, but (and you may have heard me say this before) change is always good.

I had a chance to road-test the new line-up on Friday at the Globe Inn here in Aberdeen. How'd it go? Well, we settled right in and had the room jumping from the start. It's all that old-school stuff that I love that works so well in a guitar-driven format; John Lee Hooker, Guitar Slim, Lightning Slim and my own tunes. All works. And you need to see it to experience it!

And really, my measure is just this. I like it, its the perfect line-up for where my head is at these days. And on Friday we played well past the closing bell for a large group of women that just didn't want to stop dancing. There's all the proof I need.

See you soon-

How to tour...

OK, someone finally said it. How to tour with a band. Everything you need to know in one place, it's simple, honest and should be read by everyone. Thor Harris, you nailed it.


Click Here to read it

New Press Kit available!

Hey all-

Promoter? Festival? Venue?

Drop me an email at info@sonhenry.com. IF you get me your address, I'll get you a press kit!

Son

Fall mini-tour....

Thanks to all of you that joined us for our quick trip down south! We had a great time, and we'll be back soon.

Although we missed the horns (and wish them well with their family crisis) this trip reinforced for me just how much I love to play the guitar. Especially when I get to play blues with a great rhythm section that can go with me when I abandon the set list early. Friday night we did away with the set list altogether and managed to cover a lot of ground- from old Texas shuffles, to some Gulf Coast Slim Harpo style, as well as a big chunk of original tunes and a bunch of steel guitar.

One of the changes that is coming from this trip came out of a conversation at a late night coffee session after that gig. We've been working up new tunes that are based on my pedal steel playing, rather than a straight lap steel (or lap steel/guitar combo) like we do now. It'll open some harmonic doors for us, give us some new challenges. All in all, a great choice.

So, looking ahead through the rest of the year, we have a few more gigs before we call an end to 2010, but we'll be filling the time writing and recording, booking 2011 and still arguing about where to get the best pizza on the road.

OK, I've got to unload the van. Cant put it off an longer.....

Off on the road again...

Taking the band down to play the fantastic High Barn in Essex this week. If you're n the area, stop in and say hello.

Click Here to learn more about High Barn!


And then, it's off to Nottingham for the first Anniversary of the Nottingham Blues Society.

Read more here...

So, see you there!

Booking information for 2011!

If you're reading this, tell your friends, tell your local blues society and blues clubs that they should be booking this band! Help a starving artist, point them this way!

There is a complete press kit on the band web site and you can get there by clicking here

and, as always, thanks for your support!

Son

Did you read that right?

Last solo gig ever?

Well, forever is a long time but yeah, for a bit. The solo material is getting moved into the normal set instead of taking a break.

In Newark, with Sean Webster....

Mooring's Residency coming to an end...

This coming Friday is it. The end of a month of mayhem and madness with all the denizens of the Moorings Bar, the best live music pub in Scotland....

So, we're going out in grand, blow-down-the-walls style. Special guests, things to give away, and an even longer show- Flash the owner says we can play as long as we want. Is he ever going to regret saying that! So don't miss it, it won't happen again this year, and there's not a snowball's chance in Mexico that you'll ever have this much fun on a Friday night.

Pictures to follow. You may end up in one too. That's a good thing....

Mooring's Residency coming to an end...

This coming Friday is it. The end of a month of mayhem and madness with all the denizens of the Moorings Bar, the best live music pub in Scotland....

So, we're going out in grand, blow-down-the-walls style. Special guests, things to give away, and an even longer show- Flash the owner says we can play as long as we want. Is he ever going to regret saying that! So don't miss it, it won't happen again this year, and there's not a snowball' chance in Mexico that you'll ever have this much fun on a Friday night.

Happy 50th Alan!

Happy 50th Alan! All the best, and fingers crossed that the effects of all the tequila were minor.....

Some photos from Newark...

Thanks Rob and Anne! They sent me these pictures, and they're right- this is one happy lap steel player.

Who says guitar players only pull tough-guy faces?

what can I say but thanks to all of you!

the new one on the bandstand

Well, we could use this to play country (and I do, BTW). It's an old triple neck Fender Stringmaster- 24 strings, 6 pickups, 4 legs and a very heavy case. Right now it's tuned to C6, A6 and E13, not sure if I'll stay with these or switch to some others.

It's a great guitar though, and opens a few harmonic doors for me and the band- in the E13 tuning I can play big fat chords like a horn section. Expect to see this and hear some new material where we push the steel boundaries in blues and in the band. It's time, and this big bit of lumber is the key!

You read it here first---

Not sure if it'll really be forever, but at last for a long time I'm taking a break from solo gigs.

We need to focus on getting this next band CD out, and really getting behind it with a serious tour or two in 2011. There's just no way to prepare for both the band tour

Every Friday in September- the Moorings!

It's true. Trio starts around 9, all September long.

The last time we were there it was an amazing party, with too many shots of tequila. We'll probably go for a repeat performance on all fronts. Heres what the party looked like last time...

Moorings Bar?

Hey, we're back at the Moorings Bar on Saturday the 17th....

I'm taking the trio in for a loud set, mostly of some new lap steel stuff. And yeah, we're running every Friday night there in September too.....

British Blues Awards 2010-

Once again, thanks to all of you that voted for me during the nomination process!

You can find out more here:

http://www.britishbluesawards.com

Please cast a vote!

Recording on Tuesday...

Demos are done, rehearsals are winding down and we're off to the studio starting Tuesday. Finally, we're back in the studio.

The plan is to record a mixed bag of stuff- some vintage T-Bone Walker, a Guitar Slim cover, and a bunch of originals that span a range of styles. All in all this is going to be a pretty varied record, and it'll be the first time we've done one that way- the others have each focused on a narrow range of styles, one per record. But that's not where we're at these days, this band can cover the bases so we're recording it all. I'm really excited about this one.

It may be a prolific year for us too. The CD that we started in 2009 in Anchorage is almost finished too, goes off to mix at the end of the month. Lots of reasons for that one being held up, mostly they come back to me not being happy with the lap-steel tones. That's all sorted. And its almost done.

But first things first. Lets focus on the new record and get the first couple of tunes under our belt this week. Pictures to follow as we go...

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.

Gang- Here's the schedule for the multi-band extravaganza, our benefit for the earthquake victims in Haiti. Lots of great bands and a great day out, including an electric stage and an acoustic stage. I'll be pacing myself, so I can fit in a gig on each stage and a gig at the Moorings Bar that night as well.

The schedule for the Cellar 35 acoustic gig is a little loose for now, but we'll get it tightened up in the next couple of days. It'll be great for anyone that loves acoustic blues and/or want's a quieter night out. I'll be there for sure with an acoustic lap steel.

Here's the official schedule-

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

The Schedule for The Blue Lamp


12.00 – 12.30 Doors open
12.30 – 13.15 Juke Joint Rollers
13.30 – 14.15 Claude's Funky Taxi
14.30 – 15.30 Red Dawg
15.45 – 16.45 Hollowbody
17.00 – 17.45 Mr. Spider -------- Food
18.00 – 18.45 Wolftrain -------- Food
18.45 – 19.15 Raffle and Auction
19.15 – 20.00 Son Henry
20.15 – 21.00 The Fatbelly Blues Band
21.15 – 22.00 PapaMojo
22.15 – 23.00 Tupelo Town Assembly
23.15 – 24.00 Jerry Jablonski
24.00 Jam

Schedule for The Acoustic Stage at Cellar 35

The Schedule for the Acoustic Stage will have to remain loose
as some acts have still to confirm.

updated web site

Hey, it was time....

New photos. New posters. Even the schedule is up to date. Finally!

And don't forget to come say hi on Facebook-

Fall Tour, need a band?

Looking ahead, we're hitting the road this fall. We have two dates still to fill, Saturday October 23 and Sunday October 24. Anyone have space for a great band? Anywhere in the UK is great.

Thanks!

Cellar 35, March 20

Hey Gang,

I talked to the band, and I know it's short notice but we're splitting the gig this coming Saturday. I'll play a solo lap steel set starting at 9, and the band will kick off around 10. Best of everything- some mellow blues to get started and get a few drinks in with friends, and then we clear the tables for dancing!

It'll be the full band with the horns! If you haven't heard this line up, well, it's jump and swing blues at it's best! These guys can really play...

Some more youtube finds

Yeah, I know, I love youtube....

Cellar 35, March 20th

As part of the blues nights at Cellar 35, I'll be covering the Saturday, March 20th slot. I had such a great time playing those solo gigs this past weekend that I've got the fire to do more. So I'll have the lap acoustic out, and the national and a couple of other guitars. Cellar 35 is the perfect place for an acoustic performance- it's small and cozy, the acoustics are pretty good and it's the only place in Aberdeen with that underground blues club vibe.

So, please tell your friends, drag them along. Blues on Saturdays at Cellar 35. performance starts at 9.

Alaska, 2010

Hey gang, looks like I'm heading back home for a couple of weeks! Alaska in summertime, great fishing, and some good gigs to play with my old band. Life doesn't get better...

still selling gear

Yeah, raising money to fund a few things, so there's a bunch of gear that's going. Check out my other blog for the details, more gear postings next weekend. Catch it before it goes on Ebay..

Cellar 35

Hey all-

Great gig at Cellar 35 last night! Me and Dick Wardell playing solo, Papa Mojo wrapping up the night. It was the second solo outing in two days for me, nothing like getting right back to work after a long break. Last night was mostly lap slide and fingerpicking. Gave the national a break.

So, long story short, I'll be back there on the 20th as part of the rotating blues nights we're running on Saturdays. I'll probably be there solo again, unless I can talk the trio into a gig. Either way, it'll be fun, and a great place for a night out.

Please spread the word about these blues nights! Aberdeen really needs a regular blues night, and with your support we can make this one stick!

Haiti Benefit, April 10

Well, the Aberdeen musical community is coming together for a night of music spread over two venues on April 10th. Lots of the details still forthcoming, but here's what I know. There's going to be a bunch of electric blues bands at the Blue Lamp, along with great beer and food, and a couple of acoustic players (me included) at Cellar 35.

From what I hear, you can see Gerry Jablonski, Red Dawg, Tupelo Town Assembly, Mr Spider, Dick Wardell, Papa Mojo and probably a few others. One price gets you into both venues.

It'll be a great time, and it's al for a good cause. I'll post more details when I get them.

(oh, and I'm sneaking off later that night to play a wild gig at the Moorings Bar, shhhhh......)

Grouchy old man alert

don't make me open this.....

Rance Allen

Years ago, my friend Big Mitch turned me on to Rance Allen, and to this day he's my favorite vocalist of all times. Check this out, what a great performance, no studio overdubs just a gifted singer and a song he believes.

Ok, this should be obvious....

I ran into a really unpleasant person yesterday at a gig in Dundee who seems to think the world is divided into 'lead' guitar players, and 'rhythm' guitar players. I'm generally nice to everyone, but the unreal level of ignorance he wanted to inflict on my band was so extreme that I was appalled. Horrified. And I fired back. And that, ladies and gents, never happens. Until Yesterday.

Here's the deal. If you're a musician in a band and you play the guitar, you can't get away with being one or the other, you've got to be both. And where most people get lost is that they forget that our most important job is supporting the groove of the tunes. That means you need to play rhythm. And as everyone in my band knows, we're all in the rhythm section. It's the engine room, what gets people dancing. It's what you get paid for. Being able to blow a solo over changes isn't music if that's all you can do. It's self-indulgence, period, the end.

So, while he may break the guitar world into two camps, lead and rhythm, I break the world down differently- into musicians and instrument owners. Just because you own an instrument doesn't mean you're a musician. Anyone can learn to play the guitar fast, that's just muscle memory. But to be able to engage in a meaningful musical conversation on stage with other musicians and hold an audience's attention? That takes a musician.

Gimme musicians to play with any day of the week.

You, sir, are uninformed, misguided and offensive to those of us that work hard at our craft.

Apples and Trees

There's an old saying around here that apples don't fall far from the tree. And it must be true, here's my oldest surviving the worst blizzard in 90 years in Washington DC by hiding out in a recording studio.

Yeah, I know. No blues content. But a proud old man gets to crow a little every so often....

Magic Sam on a borrowed guitar

Not sure what the story was, but that is Earl Hooker's guitar for sure...

And Earl Hooker.....

My favorite youtube video

BB King and T-Bone Walker at the Hollywood Bowl, 1967. Can you imagine? Listen to the lines BB plays while T-Bone is getting set up. That was when he was really playing at the top of his game (it's my favorite vintage of BB). And T-Bone? Damn.

Home and Recovering

Some of you may have heard the news that I was taken ill while on holiday with the family.

Sample vids from the new DVD with T Rogers

Here's a couple of the tunes from the new T Rogers/Son Henry DVD that should be out pretty soon. They're from the Gastroblues festival in Paks this past summer. It was a great performance and although I can still hear the last touches of a sore throat in my singing it's still fun to watch- it's obvious we were having a great time (which we were).


Here's Can't be Satisfied...




And Richer than a Sheik...




And "Let me lay my head down"...



Hope you enjoy them!

Son Henry Live in B'Pest DVD

Coming soon to a bandstand near you! Live from Budapest with T Rogers, it's an hour of live music filmed at the Gastroblues festival. You can probably fget a c

Budapest Pictures....

Sometimes the pictures tell the story, and this is one of those times!

Back on line!

Wow, who'd ever think that it could take 3 months to get an internet connection? But it's there, and I'm back on line again. More later....

Off to Paks!

I think this images sums it all up! I'm off to Paks to play the DVD release party for the 2009 Gastroblues Festival and taking a great band with me. Tonight, the T Rogers Band and I are on around 8, headlining what promises to be another great night of loud, high energy blues!

Our gig last night in Budapest was another stormer. We played to a packed house at the Fregatt and then proceeded to drink and dance the rest of the night away. Coffee, a little petrol and we're off today. Oh, wait, there is still time for one more round of goulash before we leave....

Budapest, Fregatt tonight!

OK, short notice, but if by some chance you are in Budapest tonight, I 'm playing ath the Fregatte tonight with T Rogers. It is a warm up gig before we hit the road for our DVD release party gig on Saturday. Pictures to follow!

Answer- 3 months....

Question- How long can it take to get an internet connection?

Back on the web for a couple of short but wonderful days. More notes to follow...

website is back up, email may be missing

OK, looks like everything is working again,website os back up.

If you sent me an email in the last 2 days, might be worth a re-send because not much came through!

Devastation and stuff, Cellar 35....

Garage Sale time

Yep, having a MASSIVE clear out of old gear. So much stuff that I've created another blog to hold it all

http://vintageguitarsuk.blogspot.com

is the location of the new site. I'll post the for-sale stuff there and all the blues stuff here.