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Posts Tagged ‘blues’

House Plays the Blues Free Download

Last July, I posted about Hugh Laurie working on a blues album, well it’s called Let Them Talk, it drops May 9, and you can hear & download the tune Guess I’m a Fool from it now for free from his website.

The album was recorded in New Orleans, and you can hear that influence for sure.  I have to say I’m impressed with Laurie’s skills!  He not only sings and plays guitar (which you House fans already know), but he also plays piano and has that New Orleans style down!  I grew up with New Orleans blues & jazz music playing in the house all the time, and for me, listening to this music is like slipping into a comfy old pair of shoes.

Paul Pfau…Keeping the Blues Alive

Local Strat-slinger Paul Pfau was featured in American Blues News mag for his tasty blues playing recently.  And I have to agree, it is quite tasty.  I shared the stage with Paul this month when our bands played IOTA (with his new band Dimestore), and they rocked it! But man this guy can play the blues! Check him out:

Bad Influence Band (Label-Free Friday)

Bad Influence is a DC-area blues band that has been gitn ‘r done since 1988.  They’re a local treasure and if you’re in the area (or if they’re in your area), I’d highly recommend checkin these guys out.  They put on a great show & obviously love the blues.  I first saw them about ten years ago, and try to catch their act as much as I can (with 3 young kids and all, gettin’ out ain’t as easy as it used to be).

They are:
Michael “Jr.” Tash – guitar (@badisblues)
Roger Edsall – harp
Bob Mallardi – bass & vocals
David Thaler – drums

If you can’t catch ‘em live anytime soon, you can download their latest album, Tastes Like Chicken for $5 from their website.  It’s the usual $9.99 everywhere else.  It’s a great blues album, and the fun of the group really comes thru on tunes like She What? and DC Driver.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Live in Chicago

I just picked up Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s (@KWShepherd‘s) new album, Live in Chicago, and it is fantastic!  17 tracks of pure blues bliss.

Kenny plays with blues legends Hubert Sumlin, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Bryan Lee, and fellow Shreveport, Louisiana native Buddy Fett.  What I love about Kenny and this album in particular, is how he pays tribute to the blues roots.  Check it out!

Be sure to get the “Special Edition” album which has three extra tracks, including Kenny’s smokin’ version of Voodoo Child (Slight Return).

Here’s Kenny talking about each song on the CD:

…and here’s Kenny doing Voodoo Child (Slight Return) from the 2007 GC King of the Blues concert:

House Plays the Blues

House Got GuitarsThe announcement yesterday that Hugh Laurie (House from the TV show) is recording a blues album got my attention.  He has played guitar on the show several times. My wife and I love the show, even though I complain about the incredibly predictable plotline (I’m often heard saying, “O No honey, I bet they’re gonna almost kill this guy before they figure out what’s really wrong!”).  But Hugh’s antics and razor-sharp one-liners keep me watching. I’ve seen him on the show with a Les Paul, Strat, and a Flying V.  Above, there’s even a resonator.

So a quick search on YouTube, and I’m seeing that this guy has some skills.  That, and he’s hilarious, but we already knew that.  Here are a few vids of him playing guitar & singing.  Looking forward to that blues album, Hugh!

Slide Resonator, nice!

Beautiful Piano Work on Georgia:

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