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OTHER
NEWS (jump to these stories)
Guitar
Star Jeffrey P Ross Takes to the Airwaves, In-Stores and Concert
Stages
Sonny
Boy Terry to Join Label with a Dynamic Double Debut
New
Imports!
If
You Missed It
Doc
Blues Showcase - Austin
Traditional
Texas Blues Enters the 21st Century
in Good Hands
Guitar Star Jeffrey P Ross Takes to the Airwaves
Guitarist
JEFFREY P. ROSS will perform at several cd release functions in
Texas in November. Ross and his band will be at Waterloo Records
in Austin on Nov. 7, performing an in-store set at 5 p.m.
Ross and the group will be at MusicMakers at 2 p.m. Nov. 8,
warming up for their show at Antone's. Ross will then play a special
early show at the fabled Austin blues club, taking the Antone's
stage at 8 p.m. for a showcase set that will include many of the
guest artists from the "My Pleasure" cd.
JEFFREY
P. ROSS will also appear at several Houston music outlets before
headlining Nov. 9 at Dominic's in the Radisson as part of the
highly successful Doc Blues Records concert series. And remember
to listen for Ross on the radio, both to hear "My Pleasure"
on the airwaves and to also hear the guitarist in person in several
studio interviews and performances.
Sonny Boy Terry to Join Label
Longtime
Houston harmonica hero SONNY BOY TERRY is now a member of the
Doc Blues Records family. The label will release two Sonny Boy
Terry recordings in early 2003 to celebrate the affiliation. One
will be a newly recorded live disc and the second will be a reissue
of his hard-to-find studio recording "Breakfast Dance",
previously unavailable in most of the world beyond Houston.
"Breakfast
Dance" features the blues harpist surrounded by a cast of
Houston legends, including saxist Grady Gaines and guitar
great Joe Hughes. "Live at Miss Ann's Playpen"
captures the SONNY BOY TERRY band in an electrifying performance
on historic Houston blues turf, the classic Third Ward club Miss
Ann's Playpen.
New Imports!
Look
for these new imports in our store to buy or sample Tu Tu Jones,West
Side Horns,James Harmon with Ted Roddy,and Matt Leddy and the
Meatcutters.Check our online store for new music samples for
these
artists.
If
You Missed It
Sunday,
April 21st. Houston -- The Big Easy
Doc Blues had it's second biz-mixer to introduce ourselves to
the Gulf Coast area of artists.
Lots
of folks came to enjoy free BBQ (provided by Adams Catering) Texas
Johnny Brown, Trudy Lynn, Lady D, Benny Valerio, Miss Lavelle
White, Alan Haynes, Michael Williams, Too-Hard Williams were just
a few of the familiar from the blues scene that made the scene.
We hope to add many of these artist's products to our distribution
alliance and possibly as artists recording on the Doc Blues label.
Doc
Blues Showcase - Austin
Southwest
Blues-June '02 Volume 5 Edition 55
Doc Blues Record Showcase-Austin
written by - Bill Garza
Two
pints of Shiner Bock with a Jack chaser and the cool cool sounds
of
the Doc Blues Records showcase at Austin's 311 Club were just
what the
doctor ordered during the South by Southwest annual music festival
here
in Austin.
Newly
founded Doc Blues Records has apparently blown off any protocol
set by other larger record companies and taken matters into their
own hands in attempts to support the music and the musicians they
feel are worthy of more recognition.
Founded
with the creativity and passion for the Blues, Dr.Jim
Thompson took the twelve steps necessary to create a
powerful and focused enterprise.This was evident recently when
artists like John McVey and the Stumble, Walter
T.Higgs, Dave Herrero, Joanna
Ramirez, Preacher Keen and many more
took part in the Doc Blues showcase at the 311.
Early
in the afternoon, Joanna Ramirez and her band
from just north of Austin took the stage in a "Get out of
my way dammit,I'm going to play the Blues" attitude.Very
charismatic with a strong stage presence, Ramirez was joined on
vocals with different members of her band. Not that she needs
any help though. Rameriz has a voice with a foundation of Delta
mortar combined with Texas stone that builds a wallthat can stand
any weather forced against it.
Jack
Payne was very complimentary in his endeavors not only
on the 88's,but on Saxophone as well. It was great to see everyone
having a good time on a Saturday afternoon. Not surprisingly,people
kept walking in all afternoon as they were lured by the sounds
of Doc's Blues emanating from the Sixth Street venue.Amazingly,
the 311 has been pumping out the Blues at this location for over
ten years. It has changed owners,but the common denominator has
yet to change.
At
6:30, Long John Hunter put on a very efficacious
set that kept the crowd energized.For myself and the 150 people
in the club,it was a show that kept us focused at the man on stage.Although
he did spend some time off the stage and in the crowd letting
various customers aid him in strumming his guitar. Working his
crowd while being part of it,Hunter roamed the club wireless.
Brother to Long John,Tom "Bluesman" Hunter jumped up
and played Blues de dos hermanos.
A
great treat to finish up the all afternoon showcase, Miss
Lavelle White took matters into her own hands and riled
up the crowd with her own music. Leland Parks
joined White as her bass player after emceeing the day's events.
Although the Doc Blues label is new to the industry, the combined
effort,knowledge and experience that establishes this venture
is not.There is a combined force of many that I'm sure will inevitably
create a superstructure of the Blues that keeps the flame alive
for a long time to come.
Traditional
Texas Blues Enters the 21st Century in Good Hands
AUSTIN---There
are many hues of blues, drawn from many far-flung geographic locales
and regions. But the musical masterpiece that is blues could not
have been created without the prominent participation of the Texas
masters of the art.
The
Texas blues tradition is one of the music's most important and enduring
components. It's been that way since early acoustic founders such
as Blind Lemon Jefferson passed the blues torch on to the likes
of Mance Lipscomb, Sippie Wallace and Lightnin' Hopkins. Major innovators
like T-Bone Walker continued the tradition and the electrifying
efforts of artists like Freddie King and Albert Collins brought
Texas blues into the modern era.
In
contemporary times the blues capital of Texas has been centered
in Austin where an active scene built on a solid local tradition
to produce a steady stream of significant artists, including everyone
from the Fabulous Thunderbirds and the brothers Vaughan, Stevie
Ray and Jimmie, to W.C. Clark, Sue Foley, and Jake Andrews. The
success of these acts created a new international audience for the
music while continuing the evolution of the Texas blues tradition.
The
best part of the Texas blues tradition, however, is that it's an
ongoing one, still very much alive and well in the 21st century.
And, once again, it is based in Austin. The catalyst for carrying
the Texas blues tradition into the 21st century has been the creation
of DOC BLUES RECORDS, an artist-oriented, back-to-the-basics label
devoted to perpetuating the unique spirit, sound and sensibilities
of the music.
The
DOC BLUES RECORDS approach is one eloquently encapsulated in its
mission statement: (1) Honor the ongoing tradition of the blues
by creating music with inherent honesty and integrity. (2) Enable
and empower recording artists to fully express their ideas in a
creative context. (3) Create an extended musical family that unites
players and listeners with a bedrock blues bond.
The
first two releases from DOC BLUES RECORDS enjoyable illustrate what
both Texas blues and the record label are all about. "Just a Few
Miles to Go" by longtime Austin harmonica hero Walter T. Higgs,
a mainstay on the city's live blues scene for more than two decades,
showcases the seasoned sincerity of an artist who has perfected
his sound playing the music on an almost nightly basis in front
of one of the world's best blues audience. Higgs, backed by a collection
of Austin all-stars, delivers the blues with compelling conviction
and professional expertise.
Guitarist
John McVey, a protege of Arkansas bluesman Larry Davis, the composer
of Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Texas Flood", relocated to Austin in the
mid-'80s and his "Gone to Texas" effort perfectly captures the blues
feel of his adopted home. McVey and his multi-talented band The
Stumble are one of the most popular live attractions in the region
and the blues-drenched sounds on "Gone to Texas", his first DOC
BLUES RECORDS recording, show why. McVey also receives expert assistance
from heavyweight harpist Kim Wilson and other Austin blues legends
on the album.
Guitarist
John McVey, a protege of Arkansas bluesman Larry Davis, the composer
of Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Texas Flood", relocated to Austin in the
mid-'80s and his "Gone to Texas" effort perfectly captures the blues
feel of his adopted home. McVey and his multi-talented band The
Stumble are one of the most popular live attractions in the region
and the blues-drenched sounds on "Gone to Texas", his first DOC
BLUES RECORDS recording, show why. McVey also receives expert assistance
from heavyweight harpist Kim Wilson and other Austin blues legends
on the album.
The
DOC BLUES RECORDS commitment to tradition, not trendiness, ensures
music that will endure and enlighten. But the label is also about
advancing the blues into the future and its inventive artists and
sympathetic studio settings are cornerstones for the new tradition
that is being created only a nightly basis by musicians who pour
their hearts and souls into every song.
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