Bugs Henderson And The Shuffle Kings

  Bugs Henderson & The Shuffle Kings - American Music - 1993 - Flat Canyon

Listen to Bugs' "That's the Truth" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Black Hawk Waltz - Henderson 1:59
2 Dance Till the Moon Go Down - Henderson 4:04
3 'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do - Grainger, Prince, Williams 5:47
4 Back to Louisiana - Osborne 3:23
5 Big Legged Woman - Blackwell, Russell 4:36
6 Honky Tonk - Butler, Doggett, Scott, Shepherd 8:26
7 She Thinks I Still Care - Lipscomb 5:09
8 Rocket in My Pocket - Hotchkiss 6:24
9 Tore Down - Thompson 3:53
10 American Music - Henderson 1:59
11 Shuffle King - Henderson 1:59

MUSICIANS

Bugs Henderson - Guitar, Vocals
Bobby Chitwood - Bass (The Shuffle Kings)
Tom Morrell - Guitar (Steel) (The Shuffle Kings)
Karl Berkebile - Organ (Hammond) (The Shuffle Kings)
Mike Gage - Drums (The Shuffle Kings)
Don Wise, Mark Rybiski, Lee Charles Mitchell, Ira Bassett - Horns (The Shuffle Kings)
Janie Fricke - Vocals
Bugs Henderson, John Ely, Bill Hamm, Mike Clark, Van Wilks, Jimmy Vaughn, Willie Nelson, Ronnie "Mouse" Weiss, Jimmy Wallace, Seymour Duncan, Johnny Winter - Soloists on "Honky Tonk"

BIO

The Tyler, TX-raised Bugs Henderson took his cues from the wealth of great roadhouse blues and blues-rock guitarists that were around Dallas, including Freddie King, Johnny Winter, and literally dozens of others on the Texas music scene of the '60s. Henderson has cited James Burton, Ricky Nelson's guitarist, as a major influence. Henderson got his first guitar, a Montgomery Ward Airline, one year at Christmas when he was just six years old. Like Louisianan Sonny Landreth, also an exquisite player, Henderson began working in a record store in his teens. As a teenager, he would sneak out of the house to see live shows at local clubs, and he formed his first band, the Sensors, at 16. He later joined a friend, Ronnie Weiss, in a band called Mouse & the Traps, and they charted their first regional radio hit, "Public Execution" in 1966. Although he played in a procession of rock bands and studio sessions for country and rock musicians, by the early '70s Henderson realized the only music he was truly passionate about was blues. His mentor and friend, the legendary Freddie King, advised him to form his own band and follow his heart. By 1978, Henderson released his first record, At Last, for Texas-based Armadillo Records. The album would be the first of more than 14 records in the ensuing three decades. By the late '90s, Henderson was recording for the Portland, OR-based Burnside Records. His albums for that label include 1998's Have Blues...Must Rock, and a later release, Backbop. Other releases include Electric Snow, Stormy Love, Adventures of the Shuffle Kings, and Gitarbazndrumz. Henderson lives in Garland, TX with his four children and has a simple, overriding philosophy of life: family first, music second, career third. As he explained in the biography accompanying one of his Burnside Records releases, "I couldn't have the life I have now and be a major star. Couldn't go to my kids' ball games. I wouldn't give that up for anything." For the limited touring he does do each year, Henderson takes his family on the road with him: son Buddy plays drums with his father, son Cody works as a sound tech for the band, and daughter Rose sells merchandise. Despite his limited touring and the limited distribution of his recordings over the years with smaller labels like Burnside, Henderson and his varying bands have shared stages with guitar icons including Ted Nugent, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. One of Henderson's guitars hangs proudly in the Hard Rock Café' in Dallas, alongside instruments donated by Chet Atkins and Lee Ritenour. Henderson recently released a DVD, Live at the Grenada, recorded in Texas, and his website indicates he continues to tour Europe, select festivals around the U.S., and in clubs and theaters around Texas. He made a conscious decision some years ago to avoid grueling road trips, and said in a biography for Burnside Records, "I tell people all the time that I know you're supposed to stop and smell the roses as you go through life, but in my case I stopped and moved into the garden." © Richard Skelly © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bugs-henderson-p18214/biography

The Ford Blues Band

The Ford Blues Band - Live At Breminale '92 - 1993 - CrossCut

Recorded on June 7th 1992 at Breminale Blues Night, Bremen, Germany

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

Take Out Some Insurance - Jesse Stone
Oh Why - Andy Just
Dance With Me - B.B. King
Long as I Have You - Little Walter
Self Preservation - Mark Ford
I Ain't Got You - Clarence Carter
Walking by Myself - James A. Lane

MUSICIANS

John Wedemeyer (Guitar)
Stanley Poplin (Bass)
Patrick Ford (Drums), (Vocals)
Andy Just (Harp), (Vocals)
Robben Ford (Arranger)

Tower of Power

Tower of Power - Power 1987 - Cypress Records

Stepping back from its 1979 disco foray, Tower of Power dropped out of sight for the better part of a decade, as internal strife and member changes ripped the band asunder and the Tower of Power Horns spent more time backing other musicians. Returning to the studio in 1986 with only Steve Fulton and Willie James Fulton held over from the earlier regime, the band recorded the shaky TOP LP (different from a similarly titled 1993 date). Initially released only in Sweden, the album was trimmed of two tracks, retitled Power, and racked in America the following year. But even the rejigging couldn't help what ultimately emerged as an uninspired and mediocre set, showcasing musicians who sounded like they really didn't care anymore. It was a feeling that was only reinforced by their fans -- the album was the first to miss the charts since their 1970 debut. From the very '80s synthed-out opener "Baby's Got the Power" to "Ball and Chain," with its multiple rock riffs, and on to the mid-tempo "On the One," it feels like the band never really checked into the studio. Only on the brass-heavy "Credit" and "Count on Me" did listeners find a glimmer of the TOP they loved. The lackadaisical instrumental "Boys Night Out," meanwhile, found a modicum of success with its inclusion on the soundtrack to the Dudley Moore vehicle Arthur 2. With the songs feeling fanned only to a half life from the formerly fiery funkers, Power appeared and sank out of sight with horrifying rapidity. The band followed right behind, dropping off the radar, not to re-emerge for another four years. © Amy Hanson © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved. http://www.allmusic.com/album/power-r149084/review

One of the great TOP's weaker albums. In fact the song material is mostly mundane and unoriginal. However, the musicianship is good especially the sax and trumpet work. For this alone, the album is worth posting. One bad album doesn't make a bad group. "Power" was recorded with only two of the band's original line-up. The album was originally released in 1986 entitled "T.O.P."on the Danish Genlyd label for distribution in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland. "T.O.P." excluded the Tracks "On The One", and "Up Against Yourself", and included the Tracks "Heartbreak In The Makin'", "You Ought To Be Havin' Fun", and "Doggin' At The Cathouse". Confusingly, in 1993, Tower Of Power released another album called "T.O.P." on the Epic label which has nothing to do with the two albums mentioned here. Listen to TOP's classic "Urban Renewal" album. Check out "The Very Best Of Tower Of Power The Warner Years" @ TOP/VBofTOP-TWY and check this blog for more TOP releases

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

A1 Baby's Got The Power - Ellis Hall, Greg Adams, Billy Kent 3:06
A2 Credit - Emilio Castillo, John Whitney, Stephen Kupka 4:06
A3 Some Days Were Meant For Rain - Ellis Hall 4:52
A4 Boys Night Out - Ellis Hall 5:46

B1 Ball And Chain - Max Carl Gronenthal 3:18
B2 Through Lovers Eyes - Ellis Hall, Joseph Curiale 3:39
B3 Count On Me - Kevin Wells, André Pessis 3:24
B4 On The One - Ellis Hall 3:58
B5 Up Against Yourself - Ellis Hall 3:16

MUSICIANS

Ellis Hall - (Guitar), (Guitar Rhythm), (Keyboards), (Vocals)
Willie Fulton - (Guitar), (Vocals)
Francis "Rocco" Prestia - (Bass)
Mick Mestek - (Drums)
Stanley Benders - (Percussion on "On The One")
Stephen "Doc" Kupka - (Sax Baritone)
Richard Elliot - (Sax Alto), (Sax Tenor), (Lyricon)
Emilio Castillo - (Sax Tenor), (Vocals)
Lee Thornburg - (Trumpet), (Flugelhorn), (Lead Vocals on "Ball And Chain")
Greg Adams - (Trumpet), (Flugelhorn), (Horn Alto), (Vocals)
Patty Unaitis, Maxayn Lewis, Marilyn Scott - (Vocals Background on "On The One")

SHORT BIO

The renowned horn-driven funk outfit Tower of Power has been issuing albums and touring the world steadily since the early '70s, in addition to backing up countless other musicians. The group's leader since the beginning has always been tenor saxophonist Emilio Castillo, who was born in Detroit, but opted to pursue his musical dreams in Oakland, CA. It was in Oakland that Castillo put together a group called the Motowns, which as its name suggested, specialized in '60s-era soul. Castillo teamed up with a baritone sax player (and Motowns fan) Stephen "Doc" Kupka, and soon the Motowns had transformed into Tower of Power (one of the first tunes the duo penned together was "You're Still a Young Man," which would eventually go on to be one of the TOP's signature compositions). Tower of Power played regularly in the Bay Area throughout the late '60s, as its lineup often swelled up to ten members, including such other mainstays as Greg Adams on trumpet and vocals and Rocco Prestia on bass. By 1970, the funk outfit had inked a recording contract with Bill Graham's San Francisco Records, resulting in the group's debut the same year, East Bay Grease, which failed to make an impression on the charts as TOP was still trying to find their own sound. But it all came together quickly for the group, as 1972's Bump City would touch off a string of classic hit releases, including 1973's self-titled release (which included another one of the group's most enduring tunes, "What Is Hip?"), 1974's Back to Oakland, plus 1975's Urban Renewal and In the Slot. While Tower of Power remained a must-see live act, the quality of their subsequent records became erratic, resulting in some admirable releases (Ain't Nothin' Stoppin' Us Now, Live and in Living Color) and several uninspired albums that are best skipped over (We Came to Play, Back on the Streets). Despite the dip in the quality of their albums, Tower of Power remained a much in-demand backing group for some of pop/rock's biggest names, including Elton John, Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Huey Lewis, Little Feat, David Sanborn, Michelle Shocked, Paula Abdul, Aaron Neville, Aerosmith, Michael Bolton, Billy Preston, PiL, Rod Stewart, Toto, Merl Saunders, and others. Tower of Power remains very active to this day, keeping up a brisk touring schedule and issuing such new albums as 1999's Soul Vaccination: Live; while several compilations were issued around the same time: Rhino's double disc What Is Hip?: The Tower of Power Anthology (1999) and Very Best of Tower of Power: The Warner Years (2001), plus Epic/Legacy's Soul With a Capital "S": The Best of Tower of Power (2001). The band celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2008 and still retains 5 original founding members. © Greg Prato © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tower-of-power-p5677/biography

Billy Gregory

Billy Gregory - It’s A Bluesy Day - 1980 - Appaloosa

Billy Gregory joined the San Francisco psychedelic folk-rock band, It's a Beautiful Day during the recording of "Choice Quality Stuff" around 1971. He is well known on the New Orleans scene and throughout Europe, and a long standing member of the Hot Stuff band. Billy (Wild Bill Gravy) started playing guitar aged nine, and played Bourbon ST. when he was 14 y.o. Between 1967 and 1970, he recorded in Stax, Fame, and Universal studios. He has played and toured with artists including Professor Longhair, Johnny Adams, Ernie K- Doe, Lee Dorsey, Irma Thomas, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddly, Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker, Charlie Musselwhite, The Neville Brothers, Andy J. Forest, and Mighty Sam McClain. "It’s A Bluesy Day" is pure raw New Orleans style swamp/Cajun/roots blues rock. This is real authentic stuff. If you like early Dr.John or Professor Longhair music, you may like this album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

A1 Time And Money - Doug Duffey, Bill Gregory 3:53
A2 Down At The Barbeque - Bill Gregory 2:43
A3 Runnin' Through The Bryers - Bill Gregory 1:22
A4 Sweet Disposition - Bill Gregory 3:31
A5 Sweet Home Chicago - Robert Johnson 4:45
A6 Shake It, Shake It - Bill Gregory 3:37

B1 No More - Bill Gregory 3:21
B2 Cocaine Killed My Woman - Bill Gregory 3:15
B3 Ain't Got You - Jimmy Reid 2:01
B4 If You Don't Love Me - Bill Gregory 4:25
B5 Flip Flop And Fly - Traditional 3:49
B6 Didn't We Ramble - Doug Duffey 4:15

MUSICIANS

Bill Gregory - Dobro, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Lap Steel Guitar, Slide Guitar, Vocals
James Singleton - Bass
Andy J. Forest, Andrew Jackson - Harmonica
Robby Finkel, Joey Oliver - Piano
Doug Duffey - Piano, Percussion, Vocals
Enzo Vallicelli - Percussion
Charlie Brent - Horn (Alto)
Doug Duffey - Piano, Percussion, Vocals

See sleeve notes for detailed musicians list

KGB

KGB - KGB - 1976 - MCA

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

A1 Let Me Love You - J. Conrad, R. Kennedy 3:33
A2 Midnight Traveler - Paul Rosenberg 5:13
A3 I've Got A Feeling - John Lennon, Paul McCartney 4:01
A4 High Roller - Daniel Moore 3:39
A5 Sail On Sailor - Brian Wilson, Jack Rieley, Ray Kennedy, Tandyn Almer, Van Dyke Parks 3:13

B1 Workin' For The Children - B. Goldberg, M. Bloomfield 3:17
B2 You Got The Notion - R. Kennedy 3:30
B3 Baby Should I Stay Or Go - B. Goldberg, M. Bloomfield 4:59
B4 It's Gonna Be A Hard Night - B. Goldberg, Will Jennings 2:47
B5 Magic In Your Touch - R. Kennedy 4:45

MUSICIANS

Mike Bloomfield - Guitars, Vocals
Rick Grech - Bass
Barry Goldberg - Keyboards
Carmine Appice - Drums
Ray Kennedy - Vocals
Steve Winwood - Uncredited *
Al Kooper - Uncredited *

N.B: * Both these musicians are rumoured to have played on the album, but there is no solid evidence to back this up