..genuine road-hardened delta blues outlaws. ..southern soul meets blues funk: 

...BIOGRAPHY

...the times and travels of an american blues band.

 

Funky Blues & Southern Soul - volume 1

https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/thebillyjonesband

"Billy Jones brings back the Thrill. No one who I can think of has taken a truly contemporary look at traditional blues with the musical and lyrical intensity of Billy Jones. A refreshing blast of the really great sound of Healing Blues, Jazz, Funk Music. Loaded with Rich Blues Tradition. B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Even Johnny Winter Flavors. I'd recommend 'Funky Blues & Southern Soul - volume 1' to any avid blues listener and I look forward to hearing more from the reclusive Billy Jones. This guy is the real deal and this is a great CD!"

...here is a biographical interview of Billy Jones that was written by Dave Harrison. ..chief blues writer for BluesNdaBlood Magazine.

 

http://www.boogiesmusicreporters.ning.com/profile/billyjonesbluez

Dave Harrison: Born into the segregated south, he was exposed to the driving beat of the Blues when he was still an infant. In the crib, he could hear it as it permeated the walls against which he slept. This sound which spoke to him gave him an early direction in life which he has pursued to this day.

 

His early memories are of a juke joint from where he would draw inspiration; the images, and the folks he knew then are the stuff of his song. They gave him a mind-set that would drive him to perfect his craft as a guitar slinging blues man.

Billy Jones is betting that the Blues can experience a revival of interest. What is needed is a fresh infusion of imagination. And to capture a bigger share of the Black music market, what is needed is for the Blues to once again become relevant to the African American experience.

We spoke with him upon the release of his latest CD :

Funky Blues & Southern Soul - volume 1

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLS8oJyaE_hbo1hqHR0ADKq9ebhLTQ4Ytb

Billy: "I was raised from the age of six months in my grandfather's cafe and boarding house, The Cedar Street Cafe - 903 Cedar Street - North Little Rock, Arkansas. The room that we lived in was directly behind the wall of the main ballroom where the juke box was. My crib was on the other side of that wall, so as a baby I would be laying there listening to Elmore James, Big Joe Turner, Jackie Wilson, B. B. King, Muddy Waters, Sam Cooke and all the blues and soul greats while the cafe customers played records and partied well into the night. My bed would vibrate on the bass notes. That was my first exposure to the music. I absorbed the music as I could literally hear it in my sleep. One of the first thoughts that I remember having was that I wanted to be like B.B. King and Elmore James."

"There was this dangerous juke-joint/nightclub place down the road from my grandfather's cafe called Jim Lindsey's Place. Many of the big "chittlin' circuit" stars of the day used to perform there like Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson and Bobby Blue Bland. Sometimes at night when everyone else was asleep, I would sneak out of the room and climb up high in an old chinaberry tree and watch what was going on over at Jim Lindsey's Place. I could hear the band from there and pretend that it was me onstage."

"All the pimps, players, dealers, hoe's and gangsters used to hang out there and someone was always getting shot or stabbed on a regular basis. Remember that this was the segregated south, so whenever someone would call for an ambulance for a shooting, or fight, at the club, they would send a hearse from the black owned funeral home instead of an ambulance. If the victim was still alive they would take them to a black doctor. ...If not, they would take them to the funeral home."

"Of course I thought that these were the "beautiful people" and I wanted to be just like them when I grew up. Especially the musicians, with their tight-legged, sharkskin suits and Stacy Adams shoes, their jewelry and the way they wore their hair in a process. And the women! ...the way they used to dress back then was so glamorous! And of course Bobby Blue Bland's Cadillac. ...No medical school for me dad... I'm gonna be a blues star."

"The house band for Jim Lindsey's Place lived in an upstairs room over the club, and during the day I would go over there and try to hang out around them. They could tell that I really wanted to be a guitar player."

"There was this one musician who played at the club named Red Harpo... he told me that he was Slim Harpo's brother. I believed him. Whether he was or not, one thing is true, Red could play the hell out of a guitar! ... There was an air of excitement about him. Women would fight over him. He would let me come up to his room sometimes and talk to him while he would sip "Golden Rod" wine on ice and play and sing for me and show me how to play the new hit songs of the day, while I soaked-in all the information that he was giving me about being a real musician."

"By the time I was fourteen years old, I was hanging out at 'Williams Pool Hall.' One day this older guy pulled up in a 1957 Chevy station wagon packed full of amplifiers, microphones and drums He came in. He had that same air of excitement about him that Red had. He said that he was in a band and he had a gig booked in Lonoke, Arkansas that night and that he heard me play guitar and they were looking for a guitar player. He said that his name was Hosea Leavy and that he and his younger brother Calvin Leavy would pay me $6.00 if I played with them and Willie Cobb, Little Johnny Taylor and Larry "Totsie" Davis that night. I didn't tell him that I had never played in a band before. I was fourteen years old and I was going on the road! I was trying to be cool and I agreed to go with him. But I was so excited to be going to play with a real band!"

"That was the first day that I went on the road with the Leavy Brothers Band, and the beginning of a lifetime journey into the world of the blues . I've been on the road ever since. So it was 'on the job training' for me."

Dave Harrison: Now, how old were you when you first picked up the guitar? How did you become this accomplished musician that you are today?

Billy: "It's hard for me to remember when I didn't have a guitar... it's just something that I've always wanted to do."

"Because I loved guitars so much, around age four, or five years old, my uncle Vernon had given me a little plastic toy guitar with a music-box handle that played 'Pop Goes the Weasel' when you turned it. It was instant love. I used to stand in front of the juke box with that little guitar and pretend that I was every artist whose record was playing. I was always running around holding that guitar. I don't think I ever put it down."

"I think I really started getting serious about it during the summer between the 5th and 6th grade.

I didn't play with the other children in my neighborhood that much. I hung around adult musicians and spent most of my time learning songs from records and trying to sound like the guys on the recordings. Sometimes I would hang out with the winos and perform for them. Some of my family thought I was weird. But music is both my occupation and my recreation. And I spent almost every waking moment playing it and studying and imitating the artists that I idolized. ...I guess that I was kinda weird."

Dave Harrison: How did you start to playing gigs traveling from military installation to installation entertaining military members and their dependents? Were you in fact in the military at the time?

Billy: "No. I was not in the military. I've always regretted that I didn't join the Air Force. I think that I would have liked it. This was during my twenties, after I had started my own band and was playing a lot of Rick James, Cameo, Funkadelic, Stanley Clarke, Hendrix, Bar-Kays, Commodores, Gap, Zapp, and that kinda thing. At that time I was being booked by this big-shot "Clive Davis" type guy named Gene Williams, who was really hooked-up with the Grand Ol' Opry and the Nashville scene and was managing Ferlin Husky, Claude King and Donna Douglas, who played the part of Elly Mae on the television show The Beverly Hillbillies."

"Since he couldn't book a black band in the Country Music Capitol of the World, he started booking me into NCO and Officer's clubs on Naval Stations, Air Force Bases, Army Posts and military installations all over the United States. I lived the military lifestyle without actually being in the military. GI women are great!"

"I learned a lot and made a lot of friends... to this day I have the highest respect for military personnel. They are great people. They work hard and they play hard... and they love hard."

Dave Harrison: Where did this traveling take you?

Billy: "To over 42 states... countless times.  ...and to Europe sometimes  ...and to many clubs and shows that were booked off-base when we were in whatever city. I did that for ten years. I loved it!"

Dave Harrison: How did you come to refer to your music as "Bluez"? Is this to differentiate your music from the music created by the record industry?

Billy: "Yes, it is...I have studied many types of music, including jazz, country, rock, funk, R&B, punk, new wave or whatever, and I wanted to incorporate some of the elements from all of these styles into my original music."

Dave Harrison: How long have you worked to infuse an urban element into your music? How has it been received by your audience?

Billy: "I never intentionally set out to "urbanize" my music. I just wanted to learn everything that I could about my craft and how to please the audience that was in front of me that day. It was just natural evolution. The reception has been overwhelmingly positive from the general public."

Dave Harrison: Presently a number of Black artists are working to merge Blues music with Hip-hop. This would include artists such as Billy Branch, Russ Greene, Chris Thomas-King, among others. In fact, R L Burnside even did his take on this cross-infusion of the Blues, which was met with mixed reviews. Do you see your music going in this direction?

Billy: "What these artists understand... and the reviewers and "experts" probably don't, is this:

Hip-Hop has evolved from blues and is very much a part of it.... Hip-Hop is the blues of today.

If you analyze the greatest hip-hop songs of all time, like "The Message" by Grand Master Flash and The Furious Five, or "How Do You Want It?" by Tu Pac Shakur ...(which is based on the bass hook from "Body Heat" by Quincy Jones), ...it's easy to hear that these songs are pure blues with African/Jamaican bass lines and drum beats. Of course, the stories that these songs tell are undeniable blues themes that reach deep into the heart of the African American experience. I love a little gangsta in my blues every now and then."

Dave Harrison: Do you agree with the assertion that the white artist has been more closely bound by tradition, whereas the Black artist has always been more progressive in their approach to the music, looking for the "next big thing"? This, perhaps, can be seen more in Jazz than in Blues.

Are these attempts at cross-infusion done more for the music, or is it being done for the rewards that the urban artist seems to be enjoying, the "bling"?

Billy: "Definitely for the music. I don't think that it has very much to do with the "bling".... little if anything. ...Of course any artist wants to be well compensated for their work... I certainly do."

 

"But the battle between the blues purist and the blues artist has gone on long before now. The artist wants to be artistic and create and innovate.... the purist doesn't want anything to change. No new instruments, no synthesizers, no drum machines, no new nothing. If Muddy didn't do it... it's wrong."

"But when Bob Dylan and Muddy Waters switched from acoustic to electric guitar the purists said that they were ruining the art-form. Look at all the great classics that were created because they ignored the so called experts."

"What the artist is trying to do is stretch the boundaries of the music and infuse elements that will appeal to a contemporary audience and to bring something new and relevant to the table."

"However, if these experts want to tell the artist what the song should sound like before it is written, there probably won't be much "bling" forthcoming. They won't sell many to people who buy cd's today. If an artist can reach the public and they love the music, then the bling will be just a pleasant side-effect."

"In order to compete effectively in the music business you have to stay on top of current events. That means that you have to have an understanding of contemporary musical styles and trends."

"I remember reading in a biography of Elvis that no matter where he was he was always listening to the radio in order to monitor musical trends and to hear what his competitors were doing. And he was Elvis!"

"Music is about constantly learning. ...and I want my music to appeal to a mass audience."

Dave Harrison: Is this image (the rewards) a creation of the "corporate entertainment business"?

Billy: "No, it is not... it's a creation of the hip-hop industry and the age of music video. It is an expression of what the young audiences wants to see. What they want to be."

Dave Harrison: Do you feel that the urbanization of Blues music is an effective way of reaching a younger market? To what market are you ultimately hoping to appeal?

Billy: "Definitely... it's the only way to reach the younger market."

"I want my music to appeal to everyone. That's what seems to be happening. The stories that I tell on this cd are true and universal. People across all genres are embracing the music."

Dave Harrison: In light of prevailing social and economic conditions that exist today, do you still feel that music can be a vehicle of change?

Billy: "I know that music can be a vehicle for change. Music is a gift from the creator who wrote the song of life. If you do it right it gets you on a level that is primal. And the right story can change the world."

 

.

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

\

...these are some of my favorite quotes:

"Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure."

"We are the masters of our own destiny. We are the makers of our own fate."

"Without Courage ...we cannot practice any other virtue consistently."

“Know thy self and you will know the secrets of the universe.”

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

"True Greats...

Are Not Those Born With

Golden Spoons In Their Mouths

But Those...

Who Through Hard Work

Turn Their Own Wooden Spoons

Into Gold."

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

Funky Blues & Southern Soul - volume 1 ..is now FOR SALE at

https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/thebillyjonesband

...we love ya'll. ...go buy one!!

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

YouTube:

Check-Out our Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/billyjonesbluez/videos

ReverbNation:

http://www.reverbnation.com/billyjonesbluez/songs

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/billy.j.bluez

 

billyjonesbluez@aol.com

billy jones bluez - offical fan page

· 

...biographical fact:

Billy Jones spent his teen and young adult years touring with, playing back-up guitar and being mentored by Calvin Leavy, Little Johnny Taylor and Larry 'Totsie' Davis. ...these are the original versions by the original masters that were written and recorded long before the cultural raiders and imitators came along.
All three of these great artists died penniless and unrecognized. ...and their life's works stolen to make fortunes for others.
Now ain't that the Blues?

...it is an honor to have been a musical soldier in their bands.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZDuDqtPLhE

Cummins Prison Farm

Calvin Leavy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDjHWuqz0iQ

Little Johnny Taylor Part Time Love 

Texas Flood / Larry Davis

1958 original

.

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

Links to DOWNLOAD our new cd:  

-

The Billy Jones Band: 

Funky Blues & Southern Soul - volume 1

- 

DOWNLOAD LINKS:

-

Amazon .com

https://www.amazon.com/Funky-Blues-Southern-Soul-Vol/dp/B073W6G3DL/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1507061343&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=music%3A+%22Funky+Blues+and+Southern+Soul%2C+Vol.+1%22+by+%22Billy+Jones%22

Apple Music - iTunes

https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/the-billy-jones-band/id1258488154

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/album/1d66NaO7T8ktXHqVBoj3WX

cdbaby

https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/thebillyjonesband

Shazam
https://www.shazam.com/track/365389573/biggest-house-in-town

Google Play

https://play.google.com/store/music/album/The_Billy_Jones_Band_Funky_Blues_Southern_Soul_Vol?id=Bk3k4qvsm5r7hbocy7r35ec3sga&hl=en

mp3Red

http://mp3red.me/37539222/funky-blues-southern-soul-vol-1-my-love-is-real.html

soundpark .world

https://soundpark.world/album/torrent-230084-the-billy-jones-band-funky-blues-and-southern-soul-vol-1-2017

Baixar

http://www.ouvirmusica.net/mp3/billy-jones-bluez.html

Plixid .com

http://plixid.com/2017/07/27/the-billy-jones-band-funky-blues-southern-soul-vol-1-2017-mp3/

Israbox

https://www.israbox.one/3137582200-the-billy-jones-band-funky-blues-amp-southern-soul-vol-1-2017.html

Three brand new lessons for playing the Blues, tasteful slide guitar & getting the best tones from your cigar box guitars.

NEW TODAY:  Quick Blues Lick of the Week:  The T-Shape Riff   A seriously badass slide-blues riff that uses shapes to explain it...not chords or music theory!  Another great way to kickstart your collection of blues riffs.

Tasteful Hammer-On Techniques:  This is a simple playing style that will develop your rhythmic playing. I use this all the time in concert in various ways. Here's the foundations of the style, broken down in one easy video.

THE BEST ACOUSTIC PICKUP for cigar box guitar...and the simple method of installing it:    I've played every sort of piezo-equipped cigar box guitar over the last two decades and this setup beats them all.  It's what I use in my new line of guitars...and I'll never go back! 

As a novice getting the hang of playing any instrument, especially a CBG is very confusing. Playing the instrument in a Blues style is even more complicated if you do not understand its development. I have yet to find a good primer on blues. I am not an expert but the following appears to be valid from all I have read:

The major "D" for blues has a "D" for the I chord, and "F" for the iii,  a G for the IV, an "A" for the V, and a "C" for the vii. A minor D7 uses the notes of 1 = D, 5 = A, 3 = F, and 7 =  C. The Major D7 uses D - A -F# or Gb - C. the big difference is the F and F#. Tuning was developed to facilitate easy playing of these 7th chords and the major and minor chords.

Contrary to popular belief the earliest known blues is from Appalachia. It is mostly settled by "Gaelic" people of Welsh, Irish, and Scottish descent, and blacks. The experts believe the Gaelic people [which included the Druids] migrated in the far ancient past from India, as did the Gypsies. So first look at other scales related to this heritage. 

The Hindu scale is 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • b6 • b7. The Ethiopian scale is 1 • 2 • b3 • 4 • 5 • b6 • b7. An Oriental scale is 1 • b2 • 3 • 4 • b5 • 6 • b7. The Spanish Gypsy is 1 • b2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • b6 • b7. Adding to this music style mixture were Italian and Portuguese people who used the Maximilian scale. And in this area were also Germanic and Italian neighbors. 

As a result of all these cultures they gravitated toward a compromise scale called the Dorian. The Dorian scale is 1 • 2 • b3 • 4 • b5 • 5 • 6 • b7. Combine all these cultural scales and you have a good 7 note blues scale for riffs and arpeggios. 1 • 2 or b2 • 3 or b3 • 4 • 5 or b5 • 6 or b6 • b7.  So, to round out the blues scale you can add elements of the other related scales. Over time the The abbreviated Pentatonic  Blue scale of 1 • b3 • 4 • b5 • 5 • b7 was often used.

The African slaves brought to America and the Appalachia a unique "instrument" to teach children to play music. It is the forerunner of the Diddley Bow. On the side of the house a one string device was fixed and was played by "fretting" it with a piece of bone, ceramic, or metal. This "slide" fretting carried over into the Blues style. Tuning was often modified to facilitate the slide style. 

A style of chording followed on multi-string instruments to facilitate this slide style and blues tunings. However, real blues is never slide alone but requires some finger fretting. The slide set up allowed for the bb often encountered in Blues.

In Blues the root can be played as a major, minor or 7th, This also holds true for the IV and V. The vi is always played as bvi, the vii as bvii, and the iii as biii. The I for "D" can be D, Dm, or D7, the IV G, Gm, or G7, the V as A, Am, or A7, the vi as Bb or Bbmaj7, the vii as C and the iii as F. 

Finally, there is a lot of commonality in all the Appalachian music. Blues, blue eyed blues, bluegrass, and Bakersfield country all share a lot of the elements and instruments developed in the Appalachian area to accommodate these styles. To truly understand Blues requires some understanding of its Appalachian cousins and the Appalachian instruments it originated on.

Here are some tips that I do

1) Pick a song and learn it, doesn't need to be difficult

2) Personalise it by slight changes or the way you do the melody

3) Negative space is just as important as positive space, stops, rhythms, breaks etc....ie not one big thrash of mush

4) Pace the song speed matters, generally faster drives the song slower gives more moody feel

5) Now play it slightly more relaxed than you usually do, but put real feeling into your voice highs and lows

Blues was a feeling so put your mind set into that emotion before you sing. If you feel sad and sing it it will come across.

6) Sing to the notes of the guitar most old blues singers sing to the actual notes they play, it helps you keep in tune with your singing and sounds very Delta blues.

7) Go for it with your singing and don't hold back, don't worry how it sounds as you develop you can adjust it, someone who goes for it comes across as trying even if you arn't that great at singing and eventually it comes.

8) listen to the recordings and play them back until you like the version you do.

9) listen to the songs you like and break them down into tiny pieces, what is the bass doing, the rhythm, the notes players, the notes sang and try and replicate this.

10) Feel the blues, learn your way learn a blues scale you are familiar with so you can jam in it, take your riffs and join them to make songs. See Uncle Johns blues song writing blog for lyric writting and away you go.

The old blues players were desperate to get out of the cotton fields and that was their driving force to get good.

i.e Try harder and don't hold back!! ... to fail is to learn a bit more

Good luck and May the blues force be with you 

Harmonica Playing:

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/video/instant-naked-raw-brutal-blues-harmonica-your-first-lesson

Uncle Johns Blues song Writing Blog:

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/profiles/blogs/songwriting-recipe-for-a-simple-blues-song

String expression

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTHQWywjMeE

String Expression

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_x2stMysdY

Shoving it all together, sing to your CBG:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpSM2sovbZg

"I made up a lot of the songs I sing. It's like you hear a record or something or other. Well, you pick out some words out of that record that you like. You sing that and add something else onto it. It's just like if you're going to pray, and mean it, things will be in your mind. As fast as you get one word out, something else will come in there. Songs should tell the truth... When I play-- if you pay attention, what I sing the guitar sings, too. And what the guitar say, I say."

Mississippi Fred Mc Dowell 

"There's no way in the world I can feel the same blues the way I used to. When I play in Chicago, I'm playing up-to-date, not the blues I was born with. People should hear the pure blues - the blues we used to have when we had no money.

"The blues tells a story. Every line of the blues has a meaning".

John Lee Hooker

"The term Blues may have come from the term "blue devils", meaning melancholy and sadness; depressed mood."

(George Colmans one-act farce Blue Devils (1798))

If you have any other tips or comments  drop them below:"

I hope this helps you feel and play your blues...

Hi,

I just found cigar box nation. I sure would like to get one of their kits and make a simple one with a pickup on it. Have you heard of 'Sea Sick Steve'? He is great, check him out!

I want to share this resonator played song I wrote.

I hope you enjoy my song, slide playing resonator style as much as I enjoyed making the video.

Best wishes from Rick Washbrook

Rick Washbrook ' Whisky Drinkin' Woman ' Original ' 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3ZeXvGQQsc

Here´s a video I made for my project Blues In The Box, it was shot at barcelona metro facilities. Yes it´s the blues, jack knife and trains!

http://vimeo.com/91288728

                            So, 6 months after my first European Tour I thought it was time to go do it again,only smarter.The first smart thing I did was cut the time on the road in half.Instead of 16 days away it'd be 8.I figured I could earn around the same without missing the family too much and getting knackered.Second smart thing I did was plan in a few rest days.These adjustments made a huge difference to my enjoyment of the tour and as I've intimated the financial implications proved negligible.

The first gig is in Bristol,England,a favourite city of mine to play.The Mother Beef are playing and want me to support.Always happy to join the Bristol boys I set off north for the first 80 miles of a 1550 mile journey.We soundcheck and all goes smoothly.Downstairs is a solo punk guitarist called Rita Lynch, so I go and check her out.She looks my age yet has retained a fabulous. blonde, slim, glamourous rock chick image.Her set is enjoyable and when I watch the crowd watching her I'm reminded of why I like Bristolians-eager,open minded and ready to party.Later on,she buys me a drink and we swap cd's.

     (Rita Lynch)

                                                                                  I get the call,go back upstairs and hit the stage-all goes well enough though the trouble free soundcheck proves a little misleading, as weird booms seem to be emerging from somewhere or other.I plough on regardless, sell a few cd's then watch The Mother Beef do their thing.

       At something o'clock I bid farewell and drive west towards London.My plan is to drive until about 2am then pull into a service station to sleep.I pull down the bed and settle in for a nice kip in The Bellybus.I wake rested at 8am and see a sign I hadn't noticed in the dark-two hours parking are free, its £10 a night or a £90 penalty fee-this is bloody typical of England.On the continent you can pull in and sleep or rest to your hearts content-not in UKPLC-where every opportunity is taken to squeeze every last penny out of joe public.I jump bleary eyed into the drivers seat and scarper.I pull into the next service area and cook up some breakfast in my bus in rather less hurried fashion.(If you are entertaining the notion I got away think again-I just paid a £50 fine this morning).Thank you England, you sclerotic old witch.

                I take the M25 round London and on into Folkestone towards the Eurotunnel.I pull into a shopping area and cook a meal.A mum is watching her two kids ride their bicycles in the deserted carpark.Eventually its time to board the Eurotunnel.I drive onto the train and 30 minutes later emerge in France.I pass roadsigns showing the names of towns and cities I've played before..Kortrijk,Brussels,Ieper,Lebbeke,and so on.My next stop is an area familiar to me-Roeselare in Belgium, where I will be entertaining The Outlaws MC West side chapter party.I arrive on time and Francky shows me around the Clubhouse.Its a mighty fine clubhouse it must be said.Outlaws from England,Germany,Belgium and many other countries arrive on their Harleys and mill around.There are Outlaws guarding the entrance-a necessary precaution-two of the Outlaws were shot to death in a white van recently and three of them attending this party carry bullet wounds from run ins with the Hells Angels.I wonder if there's another drive by whether the guy on the stage gets spared-somehow I doubt it.

        After a lovely veggie meal I do my thing-it proves to be hard work-its kinda difficult singing your heart out to peoples' backs..but I realise after a while The Outlaws are not here because it's a Hollowbelly gig-they're here to meet and chat-they haven't seen each other since last year and naturally they've a lot to catch up on.The guy providing the music is secondary and thats fair enough.Certainly Francky looks unperturbed-he's having a great time.I set my ego aside,dig deep and deliver my show.

        I retire to The Bellybus.I have a comfortable nights sleep,which is remarkable given that The Outlaws like to party all night long ( til 10 am the next day to be precise). Francky and his rather lovely wife take me back to their pad where I shower and eat a nice breakfast.I pass on some bands he might be interested in booking-Left Lane Cruiser being one of them.

                     I set off for Lous bar in Leige-150 miles east-a nice distance.I plan my tours so they make logistical,geographical sense because diesel costs will of course eat into your profits.All is well until I get to Leige,where I find a festival is on- cops have set up road blocks-I hit the sat nav to 'avoid road blocks' but every effort it makes to find me an alternate route meets with yet another road block.I give up,jump out the bus and phone Lou.His English is limited and in desperation I thrust my mobile into a cops hand and get her to talk to him and tell him where I am! Eventually I am rescued,and we both jump in the Bellybus and make it to his bar.

                             Lou's bar has a great reputation amongst touring musicians as a super enjoyable venue to play.It doesn't disappoint.It is small and lo fi- the tiny stage is made up of used wooden pallets with a carpet thrown on the top.No pa.The punters are here for the rum and the music and they know what they're getting.I drink white rum and my late afternoon sets go down a storm.I eat some great pasta made by an Italian bloke.Then its dark rum and coffee.A black dude from Chicago gets up and sings the blues whilst I grin,drink rum,whoop encouragement and generally lap it up.Unusually, the bar closes early-this is done to avoid drunken idiots later on apparently.Its great for me cos I can leave the bus parked up,drink then walk over to my hotel for a relatively early night.

           The hotel turns out to be a sort of hip,internet savvy hostel.I go to my room (which uncannily is room 101-again!) to discover there are 2 bunk beds! I have no idea I'll be the only one in there all night-I choose a top bunk cos I'm already carrying quite a bit of cash and I dont wanna get ripped off in the middle of the night. The walls are unrendered breezeblock,the ceiling bare concrete-I guess its supposed to look minimalist, but juxtaposed with the bunks,the effect is rather like staying in a nuclear fallout shelter. Being slightly drunk I fall off the bottom step when going to the loo and mash up my toe-oh well.I decide to pull on a clean sock and not look at it for a day or two-lol.Anyway, my early night plans are sabotaged when I hear an explosion outside, followed by more-its a minute or two before I realise it's fireworks.

                          I wake with a mildly throbbing toe,brush me teeth and check out.I have time to walk around Liege.I sit by the banks of the river and watch the heavily laden boats go by.It occurs to me that this is the way to earn your living.I feel good.I feel confident being onstage.It feels natural.I'm making good money so I can take it back for my family.

               Eventually the bar reopens and I load out.Next country is Holland.I head north towards Amsterdam,stopping off en route to feed the bus with oil and screenwash,and me with rice and coffee.I reach OT301 and load in smoothly enough.

                                            Its great to see Dawn and Joe again and I decide to stay an extra day in Amsterdam after tonight's show.Its a Monday night but my seemingly realistic expectations of a quiet night are not to be fulfilled-this is the first of several shows where people who have seen me before in March have returned to see me play.I can't believe the crowd that shows up-theres only me playing,its Monday,surely there's been some mistake..I play my set and we all have a great time..I begin to understand that they are coming back to see the show and that that's a good sign for my future.I come offstage and Its more cd selling/signing and t shirts too.

Mark of Cain live @ OT301 Amsterdam-ee my page for the video

             We catch a cab to Dawn and Joes flat, and Dawn wants to learn CBG-after a quick lesson,she treats me to a drunken rendition of Long Road "ooooooooooh baby'sha long long road"  heh heh its great.Eventually I sleep in the spare room amid Joes records and guitars.

               The next day we enjoy Amsterdam,eat a nice meal out,stroll in the park, that kinda thing.I am in much better spirits than the last time I was here thats for sure, for reasons you may recall.I eventually depart for Germany the next day.I have forgotten my drum mat during load out but it aint worth turning around for a grotty bit of carpet.I reach Bremen a little later than planned due to traffic.Its great to see Andreas and Daniela again (last time was Muddy Roots Festival,Belgium) and I join them for some lovely pumpkin soup.By now its Thursday and I have time for a quick tour around Bremen with Andreas as my tour guide.Its fab to have time to actually see the city and its these time outs that have made all the difference on this tour.

           (My German contact and good friend Andee aka Tourette Van Thom  and me-Bremen sept 2012)        

           In the evening we load in-I'm playing onboard a boat-the Betonschiff Treue.Yet again a good sized crowd turn up-theres a few Hollowbelly t shirts in the crowd.Once again,the people who saw me play in March have turned out.Dani tells me later people were singing along to the songs.The show goes great.As usual when in Germany I leave Andee to sell my shit-when I eventually go across to the merch table I wonder where the hell it's gone he's sold so much its untrue.Excellent.I meet a dude from Bear Family Records and I'm also offered the opportunity to record my album in Hamburg.I'll be flying out for a week in November to do just that.

         (Yeah Yeah Yeah Studios,Hamburg,Germany-my home for the week beginning 3rd November 2012)

           So the next day I set the dials on the Bellybus to 'south'.I feel sad leaving Andee and Daniela and the feeling doesn't wear off until I reach the autobahn later on.

             Next stop Dusseldorf.I haven't played this city before-the gigs are being organised by Patrice (Slydog on cigarbox nation) at his art/tattoo gallery and I am unsure what to expect.I needn't have worried.Patrice is a class act.His art gallery is cool and I set up ready for tonight's gig.The gig is intimate-it really encourages the storytelling aspect of my show-the crowd and I have a great time-somebody tells me he's travelled three hours to get to the show and it was well worth it-I tell him its much appreciated.

 (photo credit:Christoph Heuer.)

                                        Next morning I awake on a sofa amid lovely artifacts and feel confident about the final show tonight.I feel like I've got a cold coming on but I know I'll be fine.The gallery becomes packed and I set about giving it my all, as I can afford to go a little extra crazy given its the last night.It gets recorded and I may very well release it, as it does capture what the live show is like.It's lovely to see some old friends in the audience-

and after the show we head behind the scenes for a private party-the food is totally vegetarian and delicious..I contemplate staying the night, but decide to load out late and do a 100 miles or so that night, thus making the final homeward leg of the journey a little shorter.

                  So it is I find myself driving into a Belgian truck stop at 2 am.I try to sleep but can't stop coughing when I lie down-it's so bad I nearly puke.It's autumnal and cold.I cough up phlegm and blood.I pull on my woolly hat and curl up in a ball under my duvet.I should be pissed off but,after a successful tour, my spirits utterly refuse to be dampened.I'll be fine.I eventually drift off around 5am and wake around 8.I piss in a bottle,(I'm a classy guy).fire up the bus and drive on to Calais and board the Eurotunnel train.

                   I reach England but my excitement at being nearer to home and my girls is sabotaged by the weather-last time by fog, this time by extreme,driving rain.I nearly aquaplane twice before I see sense and slow down.Someone is going to crash the conditions are so bad and sure enough the traffic slows as we reach two freshly mashed up cars being attended to by the cops and ambulance dudes.Its square wheels,so I stick one of the cd's Joe has given me on-Little Richard-damn! I'd forgotten how wild he sounds-I sit there in the traffic screaming "Luciiiiiiiiillle!!!" and dancing in the drivers seat like a man possessed-lmao! I eventually reach home-the kids don't hear me come in-Maisy turns round, sees her dad and her little face crumples-she runs into my arms and won't let go.Suits me.My 14 year old walks up and holds me too- we both look down at Maisy but all we can see is the top of her head as she's squashed between us.The embrace lasts a good while.Maggie is in the bath and later on she welcomes me home too, but that, dear reader, is a story decorum forbids me to share ;)

            Cheers, HB.

Here's a link to my YouTube video about my first build "King of Hearts".

Cigar Box Guitar
http://youtu.be/_UK3Nl4CNAE

Big River Highway
http://youtu.be/dEPm_lDSluk

Milk Cow’s Calf Blues and Medley
http://youtu.be/Iq6tJnl7sGg

Cigar Box Guitar – Waitin For the Bus
http://youtu.be/hJyE5v8r4IQ

Cigar Box Rag

http://youtu.be/VO5Nfbzo6mE

Let's play the blues again...

Si il est vrai que l'on peut jouer tous les genres musicaux sur une CBG, c'est tout de même le Blues qui lui convient bien si ce n'est le mieux.

Pour inspiration il y a bien entendu des centaines de disques ou CDs à se procurer selon ses préférences car le Blues a plusieurs visages: Delta Blues, Texas Blues, Chicago Blues, Country Blues, Blues Rock, etc. Difficile d'en faire une liste exhaustive et définitive et difficile de tout se procurer.

Radio gaga Blues

Heureusement il y a les radios Blues qui diffusent non stop notre musique préférée. Voici une première liste de celles recensées sur les ondes et la toile:

• Blues Web Radio W3 blues Radio est la première radio blues française, du blues 24h /24 et 7j /7.
• Jazz Radio - Blues  Le meilleur du blues sélectionné par Jazz Radio.
• Le Collectif des Radios Blues francophones (CRB) réunit une cinquantaine d'animateurs en France, Belgique, Québec et Afrique, autour de l'idée d'échanger autour du blues et de sa diffusion sur les ondes.
  
• fr.Delicast est un  répertoire de radio blues à travers le monde.
  
• Blues radio UK est comme son nom l'indique une radio web blues anglaise
  
• Live 365 est une autre point de découverte de plusieurs radio blues
  

• Shoutcast Radio Directory recense les radios de la toile par genre et donc le Blues est bien entendu présent avec des radios classifiées en sous genre : Accoustic Blues, Zydeco & Cajun, Chicago Blues, Contemporary Blues, Country Blues, Delta Blues, Electric Blues. Mes coups de coeurs:
  

1. KOQX Radio Blues
2. GotRadio - Bit 'O Blues
3. BellyUp4Blues - The Only Ass Kicking Blues Radio
4. Radio Derf Blues Delta

          A vous de faire votre propre marché.

A suivre...

Écouter & enregistrer

          Il existe des centaines de lecteurs audio suivant votre type de machine (Windows, Linux ou Mac - téléphone ou tablette) et autant de logiciels pour enregistrer ce que vous écoutez. Voici quelques pistes

1. Pour Mac iTunes est le player (gratuit) de référence et peut être couplé à des logiciels (payants ou gratuits) comme TuneIn, fstream, etc.
   
2. Pour Windows il y a parmi d'autres Winamp que l'on ne présente plus couplé à Streamripper pour enregistrer en direct les fluxs de vos radios préférées.
   
3. Pour Linux il y a l'embarras du choix (gratuit pour tout), pour ma part j'ai choisi Radio Tray couplé à Streamripper.
   

A suivre...

Hi,

After several months in the making I have finally finished a new album of foot stompin gritty cigar box blues music.The first track "Jesse James" has been posted up in the video section for your approval. The album is available for FREE so please download a copy and help us spread the gospel of Cigar Box Music to the masses!

Every time you download a copy it pushes us further up the Reverbnation Blues chart gaining us more exposure and therefore showing to the ill informed that you can make great music with a very cheap instruments made out of recycled material. After all it is only 3 chords, 2 fingers and the truth!

Your help would be greatly appreciated. It's a cracking album I promise! Oh and once again its FREE!

Grab a FREE copy at www.reverbnation.com/leadfootrecords

Leadfoot & Fingers

My Names is Leadfoot and I have an addiction!

They say the first part of recovery is to admit you've got a problem and I have to admit that I have an addiction! Last night  after coming off stage at the Icklesham Beer Festival I had a realisation just how serious my problem has become. I'm completley hooked on playing Cigar Box Guitar Rock Blues live! Playing on a big stage and through a professional PA with Sound and Light engineers was a real buzz and rush. I loved being up on that stage and playing through a wall of amps and speakers rocking out! Pub gigs will never be the same now after gracing a big stage and event and I need another fix! Fingers was his usual calm collected self having done it all a million times before! It was a fantastic experience and I'm so looking forward to playing at the Cambridge Cigar Box Festival and the Paris Festival. I'll post a video when I recieve it!.

We got some amazing feed back from last nights gig / festival - people saying things like "cant believe the sound from that suitcase foot drum and junkyard guitar" "man that was a lot of sound for two guy's professing to play on junkyard instruments" "I heard you before I saw you and thought it was a full band playing and was shocked to see just two blokes playing and then realised what you where playing with!" "I've died and gone to heaven - there is life after death" "that just f*ckin rocked"!

Fingers is currently developing and putting together a Cigar Box Bass Guitar instructional DVD at present for any budding bassists in between his UK and USA session work. If your into bass and want to learn from one of the top session players world wide keep watching this space. Having had the pleasure and honor of playing alongside Fingers for quite awhile now I'm always amazed at the guy's talent. I've never heard him play a bum note (wish I could say the same about me) and can only describe him as the love child of Eddie Van Halen and Lemmy Killmiester. If you can make it to the Cambridge Cigar Box Festival or the Paris Festival it's worth going just to see and hear him doing his thing.

Now back to my confession - will I go into rehab to be weened of Cigar Box Rock Blues Live giging? Hell no - theres far worse things I could be doing lol!

                         So I leave for Italy via London to play two festivals-one in Rome,one in Parma.As the plane descends into Rome, the Mediterranean sea is immediately below me to one side, to the other, the Italian landscape looks beige and parched of the rain which gives the English landscape its deep green hue.Its 33 and its gonna be a hot few days.

            I am picked up at the airport and given a large bottle of water (they know all about my dehydration issues due to my lack of large intestine)-its a nice touch,necessary and very welcome.Emanuele apologises that the water has warmed slightly and I'm reminded of how easy it could be to turn into a diva "I said the water must be 2 degrees-TWO DEGREES!!"  I'm dropped off at a smart hotel.Once in my room I could be anywhere-I have a conspiracy theory that the worlds' hoteliers have a secret annual meeting,Bilderberg style,in which they all agree upon how their rooms will look.

            Doing shows and the travel it entails is tiring and I've learned that one part of the day I dig is that dead time between your arrival at a hotel at 3pm and the soundcheck at 6.You're free to just kick off your Converse, lie on the bed and relax away the miles you just put on.I throw open the doors to the balcony,strip down to me boxers (like I said-its bloody hot!) and get horizontal.The birds are singing.Its all good and I enter that pleasant half asleep mode.

            Picked up as arranged,I'm driven through Rome to the venue.As we pass a model of the Coliseum Emanuele jokes that "there you go,you've seen the Coliseum!' I laugh, I am, of course, fated not to, because as I intimated in a previous blog,I've been to Brussels/Paris/London/Rome/Amsterdam etc etc and all I get to see is a stage and a hotel almost every time!

            The Mojo Station Blues Festival is situated downtown beneath a suitably impressive (and unfeasibly high) Ancient Roman aquaduct.The heat is incredible.As I sit down to soundcheck I notice that my forearms are sweating and I havent even done anything.The soundcheck complete, I go backstage, taking note of the copious amounts of bottled water on offer-I'll be drinking them dry-I have no intention of letting my empty belly beat me.

              I walk around the festival as the sun goes down-the venue has things going on both inside and outside-the outside is wonderfully romantic, the climate allowing the organisers to place shabby leather sofas and mattress/couches and cushions in little alcoves,lit by candlelight.It is a mediterranean lifestyle most unlike anything the weather would allow for in England.I drink steadily to ensure success.

              Eventually it's showtime-Gianluca (the super nice promoter dude who brought me out here) introduces me and I take up position.As I strike up Jolene I notice that the guitar sound is completely clean-uh oh-a valve has probably blown in the heat-I desperately turn the distortion on full-nothing..just Fender twang.

trying to find some distortion!

                      I play on and notice the punters are digging it anyway.I decide to just plough on regardless.The audience are great-up for a good time.

At the end of my set I am joined by Angelo Leadbelly Rossi and his drummer who have expressed a desire to jam a few numbers with me.Its fun to play with others for a change and we jam out three numbers before I retire.I get to my room in the early hours and sleep.I have a long day ahead of me..

             In the morning I'm dropped off at the railway station,having been provided with tickets to Parma.Its a bit of a trek-like going from Southern to Northern England say.I board the train.Its so hot its a little like being slowly cooked as you travel.I can feel telltale signs that its beginning to effect me adversely,so I walk down to the buffet carriage and order a coke and some bread (I missed breakfast).I look out the window as the Italian countryside passes by me like Van Gogh is painting it,the pallet is warm beige,greens and a pure, azure sky.Ancient villages cling to hillsides as they have for centuries,defying the passage of time.Only the Italians can make shabby look oh so chic.I still feel rough so I purchase another drink and ponder how I might survive a summer tour in these conditions..I'd really have to rest up during the day in order to perform at night,vampire style.Mind you,I had to do that on tour in Northern Europe anyway.The second drink makes me feel better.

                After 4 hours or so I disembark and am met at the station by three lovely Parma Festival organisers.They put me in the front seat-perhaps they know I get carsick-anyway,I'm grateful, because me and cars dont get on at all-never have.The sweat trickles down my temples-as we drive they point out a bridge the Mafia have had built-a bizarre structure-like a metal and glass bubble wrapped around a bridge-its construction has caused scandal in these parts and one can see why simply from an aesthetic viewpoint,aside from any dodgy backhanders-it stands brash and incongruous amid the otherwise understated historic vernacular it resides in-a brutish monstrosity of modernity.

                        They take me to a nice cool restaurant and I down a big bottle of cold water-fabulous.There is a cool breeze and I really feel ok now.I am dropped off at a hotel in a sleepy town (yay-rest time comin!) but whats this? this hotelier clearly doesn't attend those Bilderberg hotelier meetings..this is pure mediterranean-beautiful adobe walls,rough hewn wooden beams,planks making up the ceiling,wooden shutters on the windows..lovely..things get even better-it has air con! I turn it up high,strip off and enjoy a few hours pre-soundcheck rest.Sigh.

                        Arriving at the Festival site is something else-situated on the banks of a wide,slow moving river,which someone refers to as the Italian Mississippi-his metaphor is rather apt-it really does have that feel.The whole thing is outdoors-the stage is huge and the setup is,once again,very pro.I soundcheck and the amp is clean-uh oh.Is this Fenders' revenge? Determined not to repeat the clean guitar sound scenario, the harp player from the other act comes to my rescue with a distortion pedal.Sweet.The sound dudes are polite,enthusiastic and really helpful.The soundcheck is sorted in about 2 minutes flat-cool.

                       The organisers hand me a festival tee which I immediately put on to show respect.I eat the best pasta I have ever eaten in my life (unsurprising given my location).I'm called to do an interview on the banks of the river-

The guy has really done his homework and knows more about my life than I do! I then relax,chat to the other band and have a little wander.People,a lot of them,arrive and I get the 10 minute call.I pace around.I hear myself getting introduced in Italian-I am stood at the foot of the 5 steps that lead up and onto the stage.A stagehand hands me 2 fresh, crisp white hand towels.Up I go,high fiving the mc as we pass each other onstage.We are off.

The crowd is responsive,I tell little between song stories and jokes,slowing my speech slightly so most can catch it in English.I tell them about cbg's and cigar box nation.

It goes great.The crowd is so large I have to  bow centre left and right when I'm done, and wave to those at the back.They want more so I ask the stage manager if he wants me to do one more (see pic).

Encore played and I come off.Job done.My cd they're selling on my behalf sell out.Less to carry home :) 

       The punters are happy,the organisers are too-and therefor so am I.I feel excited that I will be returning next month to Pontinia rock and blues festival.I am whisked away to my hotel at 2am as I am being picked up at 7 to begin a journey that will take me 17 hours.(No flights from Parma on a Sunday so I must return via Rome).

       13 hours later I'm sitting on a Westbound train back in England, on the final leg of my adventure.I sit adjacent to two young lovers,who watch a film on a laptop together-she curled around him with her shoes off,he stroking her hair.I remember how that felt when I was their age.I smile to myself,feeling a sense of warmth and loss in equal measure.I look back out the window but its dark and all I see is my reflection-people used to say I had angry eyes as a young man, but now they look so much like my late mothers..theres a sadness about them.I cup my hands so I can see through the glass.In the inky darkness beyond only two things are visible-the lopsided smile of a crescent moon and the street lights.The warm beige glow of the moon reminds me of the Italian landscape I travelled through just hours before-its natural sunlit beauty is juxtaposed with the garish electric street lamps-mans crude attempts at light creation.

      My wife is due to meet me at the station and when I disembark we catch sight of each other on the platform.At exactly the same moment the same thing happens to both of us-two invisible hooks pull at the side of our mouths and we break out into involuntary superwide smiles.I realise that time has not,after all, robbed me of what those young lovers have-I'm home and its all good.

                    Cheers HB

Had a brilliant gig last night at Burgoyne Heights - the place was packed with over 125 people! I'll pop up a video in the next week or so!

Ive added a video of Saturdays gig at The Priory - hope you enjoy! Now looking forward to Thursdays gig at The Grand Woolwich Theatre.

All the best,

Leadhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmLFpasicbI

Hi,

Following on from my post gig report I can confirm that the total raised on Sunday for Help for Heroes and the MS Society Charity gig was 625 pounds!

Not a bad evenings work I think!

Many thanks,

Lead

alrighty - hello everyone 

    j - bone here - The 2 Knights have been out stirrin up some fans about town-

 here is a quick review of this past weeks open mics - 

#16,monday sept. 26th Salt Creek Wine Bar - 8900 Fairview, Brookfield, Il. 

#17 monday sept. 26th The Store - 2002 n. halsted - chicago, il

#18 monday sept. 26th Tonic - 2447 n. halsted - chicago, il

Our first time at Salt Creek Wine Bar - very nice place - brought my 2 uncle crow style cbgs i had built last week to play - the host / house band played a bit - we played third - got a good response and sold the Corina cbg for $50 - sweet - 

 Then we headed to the city to play the Store open mic - got a nice middle spot there - hung out for a few, played & sold a cd - then headed down the block to Tonic

 Tonic has a great host and they go late over there - we got a list spot - threw down our jams - hung out for a bit, then called it a night -

#19 tuesday sept. 27th Phyllis' Musical Inn 1800 w. division - chicago, il

#20 tuesday sept. 27th FitzGeralds - 6615 W. Roosevelt rd. - berwyn, il -

 We headed to Phyllis' - we had been there once before and got a good response - a few people who had seen us the previous time were there again - we played our songs and got a good response & sold a cd - mingled around abit - the owner gave me his card & offered us a weeknight show possibility - 

 Then we split to Fitzgeralds - we have been here several times and have gotten a good response each time - this time was much the same - got a good list spot - the host is a good guy and we like to play there - we played our songs, went over well - we sold a cd to a really cool guy - we sell our cds for $5 o.b.o - and this guy gives me a $20 and says "keep the change - i really like what you guys are doing" - well thank you sir 

#21 wednesday sept. 28th Stage Bar {formerly Memories} 4358 n. cicero ave. - chicago, il -

#22 wednesday sept. 28th Friendlys Tap 6733 roosevelt rd. berwyn, il - 

 Went to Stage Bar - we had played the open mic / jam here once before and we went over quite well - so we hit it up again - some people remembered us from the last time and were excited to see us play again - i played my Tinderbox cbg -  we played our tunes -

 I broke my high g string at the end of the 1st song finished the set on 2 strings with giving notice to the broken string and got a great response - mingled abit - talked for awhile with a couple of the guitar players who had interest in the cbgs construction and whatnot - then headed to Friendlys Tap

 Got to Friendlys Tap around 12:20 and they close at 1:00 - this was our first time here, its right down the block from Fitzgeralds and we thought they were open until 2:00 - also, no sign up sheet - talked to the guy runnin' things and he said we could play 1 song - so that was cool - also a couple people who knew us from Fitzgeralds were there - a person played 1 song before us - we played our song - got a good response - then headed home 

#23 thursday sept. 29th Red Line Tap 7006 n. glenwood - chicago, il 

 We have been to the Red Line Tap several times, but have only played once - the list fills up very quickly, so you really have to get there early - which we did and we got a nice middle spot - we played and got a good response - i brought the "Demons" plate reso. i built during the day to play and maybe sell - i did play it & i did sell it for $60 as well as selling a cd - hung around for a while - then headed home

 We were invited to play a short opening set for a local band Purebred Stems on saturday oct. 1st @ Gallery Cabaret - this will be our first "show" - as in - not an open mic -

 We also received an invitation to play an opening set for local band Grody Hunt on thursday oct. 13th @ The Mutiny in chicago - so we are looking forward to that as well as next weeks run of open mics -

 alrighty then - thats about it for now -                      jbone               

Blues Guitars France is an attypical shop in France 17 rue Duperré Paris 75009 in the well known quarter of Pigalle. we only sell instruments handmade with differents luthier through the world , Indonesia, Usa ...We get our own brand Stlouis..We Make differents  electric guitars, Custom, Relic, Art.. the ART model are paint by a famous French painter named Julius Baltazar

Musicians love to come visit our shop to try out guitars to jam out on!

so give the shop anf the website a visit!!!

joel Poupeau

http://www.blues-guitares.fr

Guys, this song is a blues on my home made CBG and canjo, and a normal blues guitar. The lyrics is by my friend (writing & singing).I play on the CBG and canjo, Andy plays on blues guitar.

We made this song to establish a memorial from the old Europe, Hungary for those poor black guys over there, at the Delta, becausethey were the roots. The story is simple: a woman, some money, the moon and me.Well, and perhaps a tree, at the end...

hello everyone - 

 j bone here - for the last few weeks the 2NITES have been hittin the open mic scene in the chicagoland area pretty hard and we have been having a hella rad time - 

i have been playing the open mics with my 3 string "big box" & king charles plays snare with brushes

here is a run down of where we have played so far -

#1 - thursday - july 28th 2011 - Gallery Cabaret 2002 n. oakley ave in chicago, il - it was hella awsome - very friendly host, the list was already quite full when we got there, but he gave us a great 1st timers slot - we played 3 quick songs just snare and my 3string "big box" git 

went off killer - got a good response - sold 2 cds @ 5$ each - got bought a couple drinks - and got smoked out & invited back by the host garret -

after our set - dude bought me a beer and ask about my git - talked with him for a bit about cbgs, tunings and slide and what not - then he ask me to sit in on a tune of theirs - 12 bar blues thing in A - i said hells yeah! - so that was rad - 

#2 & #3 thursday - august 11th - Redline Tap 7006 n. glenwood - chicago, il - Gallery Cabaret 2002 n. oakley - chicago, il

we got to the Redline Tap around 10pm - sign up sheet went out at like 8pm - so by the time we got there the only open spots were 1st and last - we sighed up for the first spot and played - we got a really good response - 

we hung out at Redline Tap for a couple acts after we played then we headed to the Gallery Cabaret to see if we could get another set off over there - we got to the Gallery got on the list and kicked out a second set for the night - again got a great response - 

#4 - monday - august 29th - The Store  2002 n. halsted - chicago, il

only a hand full of performers at this one - watched a couple acts - then we played - this drunk dude with an acoustic wanted to sit in with us - i said "cool man - we do 12 bar in G"  - he said "alright i'll follow along - could i by you guys a drink" - i said "yes sir - thanks"

the sound man records everyones set at this place and gives you a cd of your set when you are done for free - thats pretty cool - 

#5 tuesday - august 30th - Phyllis' Musical Inn 1800 w. division - chicago, il 

this one was really cool - when we arrived there was a blues duo {guitar & upright bass} playing some covers - we played after a couple acts & i asked the stand up bass player if he would sit in with us -

i don't think he really wanted to until he saw my 3 string "big box" and my slide come out - then he was in - i said "12 bar in G  lets go" - we did 2 originals, on the road again, and a short free jam 

we got a really good response - it was rad jammin with a stand up bass - 

#6 - wednesday - august 31st - Memories 4358 n. cicero ave. - chicago, il - 

this was an open jam more than an open mic - full backline & drum kit - hosted by a house band - played our 3 song set, then we were asked to play one more, so we did a short improve blues - i played my 3 string "big box" - again got a really great response and had a blast -

#7 - thursday - sept.1st - Gallery Cabaret 

we set out to play at the Redline, but by the time we got there the list was full - so we headed over to the Gallery Cabaret - got on the list and we played close to last - at the Gallery they give you a beer for performing - so thats pretty cool - took the law dog out to play this evening

#8 - monday - sept. 5th - Tonic Room - 2447 n. halsted - chicago, il

we had planned to play 2 places -the Store & Tonic room - the store did not have open mic going because of the holiday - so we headed down the street to Tonic room -

this place was kinda like a hip hop bar - we signed up to play - watched a rapper do his thing - we played our set - got a good response - watched another rap act then we hit the road - 

#9 -  tuesday - sept. 6th FitzGeralds - 6615 W. Roosevelt rd. - berwyn, il - 

this place is a somewhat well known roadhouse - lots of blues and folk types - played my 3 string "big box" - we got a great response and sold a couple cds 

the guy who runs the open mics plays harmonica and invited us back saying he would like to sit in with us next time - all in all went really well and got a really great response

#10 - wednesday - sept. 7th - Miss Kittys Saloon 634 E Ogden Ave
Naperville, IL - 

this place was cool - more of an open jam than open mic - signed up in a good position - watched a few acts before we played - we got a great response and were asked to play 1 more - so we did - 

made a couple good contacts at this show as well - some opening act / support gigs possibly  - we will see where it goes - 

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