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Category: Roots Music Safari

Tab Benoit -Born November 17, 1947 – Happy Borthday, Tab!

Last night I was listening to Alastair Greene’s new release The New World Blues on Tab Benoit’s Whisky Bayou Records. And today it’s Tab’s birthday! Here’s a post I write a few years ago. Happy Birthday, Tab!

Tab Benoit
On this date in 1947 one of my favorite blues musicians Tab Benoit was born. For those who are being introduced Tab on his birthday this AM, from Wikipedia…..

Tab Benoit (born November 17, 1967, Baton Rouge, Louisiana)[1] is an American blues guitarist, musician and singer.[2] He plays a style that is a combination of blues styles, primarily Delta blues. He plays a Fender Telecaster Thinline electric guitar and writes his own musical compositions. Benoit graduated from Vandebilt Catholic High School in Houma, Louisiana in May, 1985. In 2003, he formed an organization promoting awareness of coastal wetlands preservation known as “Voice of the Wetlands.” Full Biography read more

Christian McBride Big Band – For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver a Winner

So this morning I decided to listen to some jazz, while I was doing some things around the house. The album I chose was For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver from the Christian McBride Big Band. I generally don’t listen to big band albums. However,  because  this album was obviously dedicated to Jimmy Smith, Wes Montgomery, and Oliver Nelson listening to it was a no brainer. The Dynamic Duo and The  Further Adventures of Jimmy And Wes are two of my favorite albums.

About For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver

For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver is a mix of big band and quartet titles. For the album McBride recruited guitarist Mark Whitfield to play the part of Wes Montgomery and organist Joey DeFrancesco to take on the role of Smith. read more

Tyler Morris – Living in the Shadows – Great Young Man’s Blues!

Tyler Morris - Living in the Shadows
Last week when I was searching for some new blues I was giving several albums a quick to see if they’d be something I’d like. One of the albums was from a blues artist I was unfamiliar with Tyler Morris. I put on his latest release Living in the Shadows. I only needed to hear a few minutes of the opening track “Movin’On” to know that this album and guitarist would appeal to me!

While I may have not heard of Tyler Morris the blues community particularly in the northeast is well aware of the 21 year old. He’s been playing clubs since he was 11, when he played at B.B.King’s Blues Club. read more

Walter Trout – Ordinary Madness is Extra “Ordinary”

Ordinary Madness - Walter TroutSo according to my new blog schedule (we’ll see how long it lasts) on Monday I was to pick a blues album for the week. I would then theoretically listen to it for two days and write about it on Thursday. ( So now I’m already ab few days behind lol) The album I chose was Ordinary Madness the latest album from Blues guitarist Walter Trout. It has been the soundtrack for my last two runs. It is one of the reasons that both of those runs have been outstanding. The other reason is the weather, which actually have more to do with them being good runs, but not by much! read more

Cannonball Adderley Born September 15th – Mercy, Mercy, Mercy

Back in the 60s there was a time when all genres appeared together on the pop charts. You might listen to an instrumental by Hugh Masekela and then a tune from The Beatles. Maybe something from Smokey Robinson and the Miracles followed by a song like “Mercy,Mercy, Mercy” from Cannonball Adderley. I loved to hear all kinds of music from the radio. So I often think fondly on those days. They were days for someone with ADHD.

Anyway,  I’m thinking about those days more today because September 15th is the birthday of Julian “Cannonball” Adderley. Adderley was born in 1928 and left us way too soon in 1975. Here’s a little background information about Cannonball. read more

Victor Wooten – Born September 11, 1964)

Victor Wooten playing bass

Originally posted at Me, Myself, Music and Mysteries…..

So this morning as I was looking at the people born on this date. I thought how badly you must feel every year, now, as you celebrate your birthday on this tragic date. I think I’d celebrate either the day before or the day after, or maybe you just say, hey it was my day before you ruined it!

Two names stood out Leo Kottke, born on this day in 1945 in Athens Ga. I didn’t know that Leo is one of those musicians whose music I should listen to more often!! Oh, by the way I didn’t know he was born in Athens!! read more

The New Album from Dion Makes a Struggling Run Better

Dion - Blues with FriendsOk so I’m doing it again. I started to posts yesterday and I didn’t finish either one of them! So now rather than go back and write a little in each one of them I’ll just plot ahead and write a new posts. Recently, I haven’t run very often on Saturdays, but yesterday the weather conditions were slightly better than they were in Friday, so off I went, with the music of Dion providing the soundtrack.

I quickly  realized, even though the temperature was fairly low, the humidity was going to make this a tough run! read more

Khan Jamal – Jazz Vibraphone – 7/23/46

One of the methods I started to use, when I began exploring jazz music in  more depth a few years ago was to check the list of Jazz Musicians birthdays at All About Jazz, on a daily basis.

I would look for both older and younger artists whose music I was not familiar. I would also check out artists with foreign names or foreign instruments. Finally, I would look for musicians, who played my favorite instruments, particularly, vibraphone, Hammond B-3 and guitar.

Khan Jamal – Vibraphone  – July 23, 1946

One of the musicians I discovered using this method was Jazz vibraphonist Khan Jamal. Jamal was born in Jacksonville, Florida in July 23, 1946 read more

Five Great Jazz Finds at the Princeton Record Exchange

So for the first time in a long time, my son and I made a trip to the Princeton Record Exchange (PREX) I believe it’s our first of 2020. Of course, the pandemic was a major reason for the length of time between our visits! Anyway, the five albums shown above are part of of the haul I brought home. All total, I bought eight albums for less than twenty dollars!

Four of the albums are from jazz greats from the past.  One album is from saxophonist Tim Warfield, who is still making great music. His latest release Jazzland was released in 2018. read more

The Dead South Revives a Love of Bluegrass

The Dead South Revives a Love of Bluegrass

and Hopefully Blogging!!

So it’s been a long time since I spent an afternoon on the hunt for new music. Maybe even longer since I searched the Roots Music Bluegrass chart, but I did just that yesterday. I discovered several bands that I hadn’t heard of previously. I will try to write about several of these bands later in the week, but The Dead South is an initial favorite, The Dead South is a Canadian folk-bluegrass band hailing from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The band formed in 2012. However, the band’s fortunes took off when a 2014 video garnered over a million views on YouTube! Since then they have built an international following through a hefty touring schedule. read more