Last Train Out Of San Francisco (feat. Billy Branch)

#81 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series is Last Train Out Of San Francisco, featuring the smokin' hot harp playing of a true blues legend, Billy Branch. Born in Chicago, raised in Los Angeles, and then returning to Chicago to attend university, Billy replaced Carey Bell in Willie Dixon's Chicago Blues All-Stars. Upon Dixon's encouragement, Billy did receive his degree in political science but the call to the blues ultimately won out over law school. In the early 1970s, Billy left the All-Stars to form The Sons of The Blues with Lurrie Bell and Freddie Dixon (Corey and Willie's sons) and although the personnel has changed over the years, SOTB continues to play festivals and make records to this day. Not that being a Willie Dixon protege isn't enough but, some of the other legendary acts that Billy has worked with over the years include Johnny Winter, Keb' Mo, Lou Rawls, Koko Taylor, Eddy Clearwater, Honeyboy Edwards, Syl Johnson, Ronnie Baker Brooks, John Primer, and Taj Mahal. A multiple Grammy nominee, a U.S. State Department cultural ambassador, and an educator, Billy founded the Grammy Blues Committee and the Blues in Schools Program. Billy is an incredibly warm, humble, and generous soul and it is an honor and pleasure to have him blowin' on this track. Enjoy!

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Alvino Bennett (Dave Mason, Stevie Wonder) on drums and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. And Mixed and Mastered by the Grand Wizard of Greaseland, Christoffer "Kid" Andersen. A very special shout out to Blaise Barton at JoyRide Studio, Chicago IL, for facilitating Billy's session.

Piss & Vinegar (feat. Robert Holmes)

#80 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series is Piss & Vinegar, featuring an old friend, former bandmate, and one of my favorite guitarists, Robert Holmes. The UK born and US bread Holmes is most well known as the guitarist in the '80's pop band, 'Til Tuesday (with Aimee Mann). I actually just heard their 1985 single Voices Carry in the supermarket the other day. But little did people know back then that behind that '80s hair and makeup was an incredibly dynamic and adept English Blues guitarist, in the great tradition of Beck, Clapton & Page. (Although if my memory serves me right, one of Holmes' faves is Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore.) Towards the end of 'Til Tuesday's run, Holmes and his wife at the time, Glenda, formed Ultra Blue; a psychedelic blues-rock power-trio-plus with yours truly and drummer Carl Coletti (RIP). Ultra Blue was the big fish in the medium-sized pond of Boston Rock but ultimately national recognition eluded us. Holmes has had several projects over the last 25 years, Street Magic, Love Bomb and The Velveteen Playboys to name a few. In the early '10's Holmes moved back to the UK and has since established himself as an in-demand hired gun, collaborating with the likes of producers; Paul Bryant and Hugh Padgham. In 2017 Robert joined the R&B outfit, The Achievers, and in 2019 they won the 6th UK Blues Challenge. So, sit back, turn this one up and enjoy a little Boston Hard Blues via Santa Cruz & Gloucestershire.

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Alvino Bennett (Dave Mason, Stevie Wonder) on drums and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA with additional tracking by Roger at Stonedhouse (Gloucestershire UK). This is also the first track Mixed and Mastered by the super bad, F. Reid Shippen.

Holiday Blues (feat. Whit Wright)

#79 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series is Holiday Blues, featuring the sweet and melancholy sounds of pedal steelist, Whit Wright. Originally from Huntsville AL, Whit started out on guitar in sixth grade and then ventured into the mysterious art of pedal steel while along the way teaching himself piano. He spent almost a decade on the road with the North Carolina band American Aquarium before jumping into the deep end of the session musician pool in Nashville TN. Brad Cook, Jason Isbell, Scott Solter, Jon Ashley, Chris Stamey are just some of the producers putting Whit to good use since his arrival in Music City. In a relatively short period of time, Whit has added artists such as Colter Wall, Elizabeth Cook, Jim Lauderdale, Kacey Musgraves, Anton O’Donnell, Charlotte Marshall, and Wheeler Walker Jr. to his list of credits. I hope this track might help soothe some of the anxiety and pressure that can often overtake the intended spirit of the holiday season. Stay safe, be kind, enjoy!

The backing band on this track is Derrek Phillips (Gloria Gaynor, Robben Ford, Charlie Hunter) on drums and myself on guitar and bass. The track was recorded at NTA in San Bruno, CA with additional tracking by Derrek at The Phamily Room and Whit at Wright’s Cabin. Mellifluously mixed and mastered by the infamous F-Bomb.

Make Me (feat. Lachy Doley)

#78 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series is Make Me, featuring the whammy clavinet wizardry of Lachy Doley. One late night, a few years back, I was venturing down a YouTube rabbit hole and I stumbled upon an absolutely mesmerizing live performance by the Lachy Doley Group. I immediately reached out via the miracle of the internet and in no time at all, we were making music. He asked if I wanted him to play B3 (organ) or whammy clavinet? I had never heard of whammy clavinet so of course, that's what I chose and that is what you are hearing on this track. Lachy is from Adelaide, Australia and as well as fronting the aforementioned Lachy Doley Group (including 2 charting LP's and an Australian Music Award), he has worked with Jimmy Barnes, Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa and Powderfinger. What is whammy clavinet, you ask? Well, here's a good entrance to the rabbit hole: https://youtu.be/UpajvAc9MJk 

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Alvino Bennett (Dave Mason, Stevie Wonder) on drums and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA with additional tracking in Adelaide, AU. Mixing and Mastering duties were handled by the infamous F-Bomb. 

Prescience of Mind (feat. Scarlet Rivera)

#77 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series is Prescience of Mind, featuring the legendary and gifted violinist, Scarlet Rivera. A member of Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue and an integral part of the sound of Dylan's album Desire (including the iconic track Hurricane). Scarlet continues to play amongst the Gods. She is good friends with Joni Mitchell and performed at Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration with Brandi Carlisle. She has played Carnegie Hall with the Duke Ellington Orchestra as well as working with the Indigo Girls, Keb Mo, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and most recently Eric Andersen. Scarlet has also just released, All Of Me, a solo album which is her maiden voyage as lead vocalist. Check out the incredibly timely track Lady Liberty and the tribute to Joni, Songbird. It really is an honor to have Scarlet as a comrade and collaborator. Enjoy!

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Alvino Bennett (Dave Mason, Stevie Wonder) on drums and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. The Grammy winning and extremely personable, Matt Winegar (Primus, Fantastic Negrito), mixed and mastered this one! And a special shout out for facilitating and engineering Scarlet's tracks; Eduardo Del Signore.

This Is Our Last Chance (feat. D.J. Williams)

Greetings Friends, Family, Associates, Acquaintances, Comrades & Accomplices,

#76 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, This Is Our Last Chance, features a cat known more for his deeply funky rhythm playing than his soloing, but looky here, D.J. Williams sure can solo too! Born in New Jersey, raised in Liberia, and settling in Richmond VA, D.J. began his musical journey on classical piano and then heard the light of Curtis Mayfield from his Mom's record collection, which set the course that he's still following today. D.J. has been a member of Karl Denson's Tiny Universe since 2011 and is also the leader of the all-star collective, Shots Fired. We were lucky enough to catch up with D.J. while he was touring through Santa Cruz. Remember touring??? 

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Marcus David (Nick Gravenites) on drums, and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. Mixed by the Grammy winning Godfather of Grunge, Jack Endino (Nirvana, Nando Reis) and as always, masterfully mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering.

Open Road (feat. David Grissom)

#75 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series is OPEN ROAD, featuring the guitarist's guitarist, David Grissom. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky but, not surprisingly, David has been living in the musical oasis of Austin, Texas since the early '80s. David joined Joe Ely’s band in 1985 where he stayed until 1991 when he joined up with John Mellencamp. He left Mellencamp to form his own band, Storyville, with Stevie Ray's rhythm section, Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon. Since then he has toured and recorded with Buddy Guy, The Allman Brothers Band, The Dixie Chicks, Chris Isaak, Robben Ford, John Mayall, and Ringo Starr. His songs have been cut by Rita Coolidge, Trisha Yearwood, and Lee Ann Womack. And just to add to his overachieving ways, he's been a collaborator of Paul Reed Smith's for 25 years, resulting in the DGT (David Grissom Trem) signature model guitar and the PRS/Grissom Amplifier. Dude's got tone and note choice for days...

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Andrew Guterman on drums and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA and wickedly mixed and mastered by the Supreme Ruler of Greaseland, Christoffer "Kid" Andersen.

 

 

Bayou Teche (feat. Sonny Landreth)

#74 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Bayou Teche, features the slide guitar mastery of a name that strikes fear in some and awe in others, Sonny Landreth. Everyone agrees that Sonny is a FREAK! I mean that in the most respectful and loving way. Eric Clapton says "Landreth is one of the most advanced guitarists in the world and one of the most under-appreciated." (Sonny has performed at five of Clapton’s Crossroad’s Guitar Festival.) Not to get too technical but, Sonny has developed his own techniques of fretting behind the slide and a hybrid flat picking and finger style, right-hand technique that leaves us, mere mortals, just scratching our heads. Originally from Mississippi, and a long time Louisianan, Sonny started out in Clifton Chenier's Red Hot Louisiana Band and quickly graduated to playing and recording with John Mayall, Mark Knopfler, John Hiatt, Govt. Mule & Eric Johnson. I’m sad that Sonny and I missed playing together in Hiatt’s band but this is the next best thing. Check it out!

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Andrew Guterman (Rick Estrin) on drums and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola, CA. The Grammy winning and very bearded, Rob Schnapf (Beck, Booker T., Mavis Staples) brings his mad mixing skills. And as always, masterful mastering by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering. 

Blues for Booker (feat. Mike Dillon)

#73 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Blues for Booker, features the super vibey vibraphone-isms of Mike Dillon. Mike is a member of Critters Buggin, Les Claypool's Fancy Band and Garage A Trois (with Charlie Hunter, Skerik & Stanton Moore). Originally from San Antonio, Texas, Mike now lives in New Orleans where he plays with other NOLA residents, Ani DeFranco, Galactic, Robert Walter and Johnny Vadakovich to name just a few. Mike's musicianship is second only to his sense of humor, for example, naming his trio with saxophonist Skerik; The Dead Kenny G's. Get it? Funny, right? Okay, so, turn the lights down low and enjoy your favorite imbibement with this jazzy little number.

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Willy Jordan (Elvin Bishop's Big Fun Trio) on drums and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. Mixed by the Grammy winning Godfather of Grunge, Jack Endino (Nirvana, Nando Reis) and as always, masterfully mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering.

Lucky Charm (feat. Lucky Peterson)

#72 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Lucky Charm, features the late, legendary, Lucky Peterson. Discovered by Willie Dixon at the age of 5, Lucky was a gifted pianist and guitarist. He appeared on the Tonight Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, and cut his first album all in 1969 before turning 6! He was sideman to Etta James, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Little Milton and Mavis Staples. As a solo artist, he left a recorded legacy of more than 30 LP's and a lasting impression of joy and soulfulness to all that were fortunate enough to be in the same room with him. He was gracious enough to lend his badassery to this track a few years ago while passing through SF on one of his almost non-stop touring itineraries. I hope you enjoy this half as much as we did having him. Rest in peace Lucky and thank you for your service.


The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Marcus David (Nick Gravenites) on drums, and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. Mixed by the Grammy winning Godfather of Grunge, Jack Endino (Nirvana, Nando Reis) and as always, masterfully mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering.

Unity (feat. Brother Paul Brown)

#71 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series is UNITY, featuring the psychedelic soul-funk stylings of Brother Paul Brown on the Hammond B3. Brother Paul has a bio-pic-worthy life story. Sadly, he lost his single Mom very early, was sent to a school for homeless boys, discovered an old piano there, and eventually climbed out the second-story window and headed straight for Memphis where he would ultimately become musical director and producer to the GREAT Anne Peebles (I Can't Stand The Rain) for more than 20 years. I'd watch THAT movie! Just a few other NTK nuggets: Brother Paul has won a Grammy for his work on Gloria Gaynor's triumphant 2019 release Testify, was nominated for a Grammy for producing Bobby Rush's Down In Louisiana (2014) and pre-plague was touring internationally with the Waterboys. Did I mention he has an infectiously positive vibe as well?

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Alvino Bennett (Dave Mason, Stevie Wonder) on drums and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. And the newest addition to the team; Mixing and Mastering by the Grand Wizard of Greaseland, Christoffer "Kid" Andersen.

And please remember the movement continues:

You Move Like Funk (feat. Eric McFadden)

#70 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, You Look Like Funk, features a guitarist on a first-name basis with the funk, Eric McFadden. As well as being a George Clinton / P-Funk alum, Eric has played with an incredibly diverse array of heavies, including Les Claypool, Joe Strummer, The Reverend Horton Heat, Galactic, Keb Mo, Eric Burdon, Fishbone, Widespread Panic, Jackson Browne, Nels Cline, and Mike Watt. We were lucky enough to have Eric and his Tasty Face bandmate and wife, Delphine de St. Paër, stop by while having a moment off the road at home in SF. I hope you enjoy the result.

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Marcus David (Nick Gravenites, Clover) on drums, and myself on bass. It was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. Mixed by the Godfather of Grunge, Jack Endino (Soundgarden, Nando Reis) and as always, masterfully mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering.

And please remember the movement continues:

Father and Son Blues, Pt. 1 (feat. Kevin McKendree & Yates McKendree)

#68 and #69 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Father & Son Blues Pt.1 & Reprise, features the superlatively talented Kevin and Yates McKendree. I first heard Kevin playing keys with Mike Henderson at their legendary Monday night Bluebird Cafe gigs in Nashville TN more than 25 years ago and he was killin' it!. Everybody knew that Kevin had been referred for the Lee Roy Parnell gig by Allman Brothers and Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell so his cool factor was already at a 10. Then Kevin and his wife, Laura, had a son, Yates, who surprise!, is a full on musical prodigy. Yates could play before he could talk. He's been wowing people as a keyboard player and a guitar player for years and he's only 18! (just check out the YouTubes). If you're reading this, you probably know that we don't normally have more than one guest on a track, but how could we resist enlisting both of these cats to play together on a track. When I heard Yates' multiple takes I couldn't bare not using both so I asked Kevin to play piano as well as the B3 so we'd be able to create two separate pieces of music. (hence, Part 1 and Reprise). Here's the "need to know" part; Kevin produced and played on the last John Hiatt record and Yates played lead guitar on it. They're both Grammy winners for their work on Delbert McClinton's, Tall, Dark and Handsome. Kevin's been a member of Delbert's band since 1997 and Yates has also been in the band for a couple of years now. When Delbert's off, you can catch Kevin with Brian Setzer or making records at his studio, The Rock House in Franklin TN. You can check out Yates' handiwork on the most recent Black Stone Cherry and Tinsley Ellis records. Enjoy!

The backing band on this track is Alvino Bennett (Dave Mason, Stevie Wonder) on drums and myself on rhythm guitar and bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. Additional recording by Kevin McKendree at The Rock House, Franklin TN. The Grammy winning and extremely personable, Matt Winegar (Primus, Fantastic Negrito), mixed and mastered the crap outta this one!

Father and Son Blues Reprise (feat. Yates McKendree & Kevin McKendree)

George Floyd (feat. Rahsaan Barber & Roland Barber)

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." - The Declaration of Independence - July 4, 1776

It's been almost six weeks since we've witnessed the brutal murder of George Floyd. And since then there have been more murders of Black people at the hands of police and some very suspicious occurrences that look a lot like LYNCHINGS in Southern California. I've had several conversations with other white people who are unwilling to move beyond, "yeah, but ALL lives matter"... Well, I am an artist and I feel it is my responsibility to use my art as a weapon against injustice, to question norms, to provoke thought, introspection, and conversation, and lastly to entertain, soothe or distract. I am beyond angry. I am out of patience. I have been hearing and singing We Shall Overcome, Eyes On The Prize, A Change Is Gonna Come, People Get Ready, etc...since I can remember, all the while recognizing the brutal hypocrisy of my own privilege.

The list of grotesque atrocities perpetrated on Black people in the United States of America is all the evidence we need to prove the case that Black Lives are NOT valued equally, and have never been. So the people have again rightfully taken to the streets in anger, because we all witnessed George Floyd slowly MURDERED by a white police officer while three other officers chose to stand by instead of de-escalating a fatal and unnecessary outcome. And then, if that wasn't enough trauma, we've since watched The President of the United States shamefully encourage more hatred, divisiveness and violence. I pray that this time we will not go home, fall back into our slumber of convenience and consumerism...the time for action is NOW. George Floyd needs to be the period at the end of the sentence. We need to stay woke and wake up anyone that is still sleeping. And that is why, I offer George Floyd (feat. Rahsaan Barber & Roland Barber) as an artistic expression of my anger, sadness, frustration, disgust, impatience, exhaustion, bewilderment, anxiety, ad nauseum.

I'd like to thank my good friend, John Deaderick, for hipping me to Saxophonist Rahsaan Barber and his brother, Trombonist Roland Barber, who brought the melody and emotion to this track. And Drummer Derrek Phillips for masterfully bringing the pulse and anger as well as putting me in contact with the Barber Brothers. I played bass and guitar, hopefully evoking the struggle as I've witnessed it in my lifetime. I'd also like to thank Matt Winegar for mixing and mastering and, as always, Brian Brinkerhoff for instigating.

There are a lot of organizations that need financial support right now as well as "thoughts and prayers" and social media posts. 100% of the proceeds from this release will benefit M4BL Movement for Black Lives.

Enough Is Enough (feat. James Armstrong)

I'm writing this two weeks after the murder of George Floyd. We all know that this shit goes on all the time and that being Black in America is dangerous, to say the least. I pick the order of releases like a DJ picking records on a show. It's a playlist. And hopefully if you listen in chronological order by release date it flows. So, Oz Noy was last and I thought okay, let's bring it back to the roots, seeing this is a blues series...so I cull through the 135 unreleased mastered tracks that we currently have and I come to James Armstrong and it speaks to me. It hits me not just because it is a more traditional blues number, it's soulful, understated, classic, it is all of the above...but it also strikes a strong but melancholy chord, without words it says that thing that we all know, that life as a Black person in America is and has always been dangerous and systematically unfair. Then, coincidentally, I see James has posted a video on Facebook telling his Truth in response to George Floyd's murder sharing just a few of the countless injustices that he (James) has experienced at the hands of law enforcement. And I just keep hearing the words "enough is enough" in my head. No explanation necessary, right? So, after checking in with James to make sure that he was cool with me titling the track Enough Is Enough (considering the context I wanted to err on the side of thoughtfulness and consideration), here it is.

There are a lot of organizations that need financial support right now as well as "thoughts and prayers" and social media post. Please put your money where your good intentions are:



I normally take this space for a little blurb / bio about our featured soloist but, today I would just like to share a link to that video of James' and a link to James' bio page because his story is really a story of survival in its most literal sense. I am also including a link to a resource page from Black Lives Matter on how you can help support the ongoing struggle. We must not let up.

https://www.facebook.com/1326987983/videos/10217296159579138/?id=1326987983

http://jarmblues.com/james-armstrong-biography/

https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Alvino Bennett (Dave Mason, Stevie Wonder) on drums and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. Mixed by the Grammy winning Godfather of Grunge, Jack Endino (Nirvana, Nando Reis) and as always, masterfully mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering. 

Revolution Blues (feat. Oz Noy)

#65 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Revolution Blues, features the wonderfully irreverent guitar playing of Oz Noy. By his mid twenties Oz was the king of guitars in his home country of Israel so, with little left to prove there, he headed to NYC. Gaining almost immediate notoriety for his rule breaking approach to Jazz, Oz enlisted the heaviest of heavies to accompany him. Will Lee, Reggie Washington, Vinnie Colaiuta, Dave Weckl are just some of the "cats" that have been Oz's regular sidemen for 10 albums over the last 25 years. He continues to dominate reader's polls and critic's choice lists and the list of artists that he has played with is truly insane! I couldn't decide who to list so, here is a link to his bio: http://www.oznoy.com/biography/ Enjoy! And just a note: I titled and uploaded this track several months ago...I had no idea just how relevant it would be.

There are a lot of organizations that need financial support right now as well as "thoughts and prayers" and social media post. Please put your money where your good intentions are:

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Deszon Claiborne (Robben Ford) on drums and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. Mixed by the Grammy winning Godfather of Grunge, Jack Endino (Nirvana, Nando Reis) and as always, masterfully mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering. 

Valle de la Luna (feat. Jeff Coffin)

#64 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Valle de la Luna, features the virtuosic saxisms of Jeff Coffin. A three time Grammy winner as a member of Bela Fleck & The Flecktones and a member of The Dave Matthews Band since the passing of LeRoi Moore, Jeff is a musical overachiever. He's a North Texas grad, an NEA grant recipient and a student of the great Joe Lovano. In his "spare" time he leads his own band, the always interesting, Mu'Tet, and is on the faculty of the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University. Enjoy the ride!

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Alvino Bennett (Dave Mason, Stevie Wonder) on drums and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. Mixed by the Grammy winning Godfather of Grunge, Jack Endino (Nirvana, Nando Reis) and as always, masterfully mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering. 

Blues Supreme (feat. Dennis Jones)

#63 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Blues Supreme, is a kneeling at the alter of sonic reverence featuring the searing guitar playing of Dennis Jones. Originally from Baltimore, now residing in Los Angeles, Dennis proudly lists his influences as Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix & Billy F Gibbons. And this is probably why I felt an immediate kinship with Dennis as he sat in the studio tearing this track up. Dennis lived and played in Europe as a teenager, did a stint with the BusBoys in the early 00's and won the International Blues Competition, Memphis, 2004, as part of the Zac Harmon Band (another of our featured artists yet to be released). Since then Dennis has released 6 albums and continues to tour the world with his trio, the Dennis Jones Band. Let your freak flag fly and enjoy!

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Alvino Bennett (Dave Mason, Stevie Wonder) on drums and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. Mixed by the Grammy winning Godfather of Grunge, Jack Endino (Nirvana, Nando Reis) and as always, masterfully mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering. 

Bluesadelphia (feat. James Poyser)

#62 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Bluesadelphia, features the Grammy winning writer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, James Poyser. Born in the UK but very much rooted in the Neo-Soul / Philly Sound movement of the last 25 years or so, James has been a member of the band The Roots since 1997 (see what I did there?). If that isn't credentials enough, James has a very impressive (and long) resume; Adele, Jay-Z, Aretha Franklin, Eric Clapton, John Legend, D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauren Hill, Norah Jones...you get the idea. I met James while working on Norah Jones' The Fall and was immediately enamored with his sympathetic and deep musicality and we are grateful to have him guesting on this track. We hope it brings you a few minutes of much needed chill in these currently anxious times.

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Alvino Bennett (Stevie Wonder) on drums and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. Mixed by another Grammy winner, the very bearded, Rob Schnapf (Beck, Booker T., Mavis Staples) and as always, masterful mastering by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering. 

Ritual (feat. Jackie Venson)

#61 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Ritual, features yet another Austin, Texas voodooist, Jackie Venson. Jackie is chill personified. She showed up, plugged in, closed her eyes and without ever hearing the track before, did this. The daughter of a professional musician, Jackie knew exactly what she was getting into and at just thirty years old, with three albums, three EP's and a bunch of singles (one of which we will be releasing on vinyl at a later date) under her belt, I'd say the gettin's been good so far. I'm sure once it is safe again to venture out, Jackie will be back on the road delivering what the Chicago Sun-Times calls "formidable instrumental chops and a musical message of positivity" and "a singing voice that radiates warmth and spirit". 

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Andrew "the kid" Guterman (Rick Estrin) on drums and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. Mixed at Shangri-La by Duane Lundy (Ringo Starr) and as always, masterfully mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering.

End Times Blues (feat. Gary Myrick)

#60 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series is the self explanatory, End Times Blues, featuring the ominous "tone for days" of Texas born guitarist, Gary Myrick. Gary started his career replacing Stevie Ray Vaughan in the Austin Texas band, Krackerjack, after Stevie Ray decided to give a solo career a shot. It wasn't long before Gary moved to LA and began his own solo career with Gary Myrick and The Figures. They had several charting albums and a couple of MTV hits (remember those?). And speaking of MTV hits...around this same time, Gary played on the smash John Waite "Missing You" album. In the early 90's, Gary formed Havana 3am with Clash bassist Paul Simonon and continued for several records even after Simonon left and singer Nigel Dixon passed away. By the mid 00's, Gary had become one of the LA Cats, playing with the likes of Big Audio Dynamite, Jackson Browne, The Eagles, Steve Jones, Wilson Pickett, Queen Ida, Bonnie Raitt, Todd Rundgren, Brian Wilson and Stevie Wonder to name a few. Gary is currently working on a new Figures album. Here's the link to his GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/manage/new-studio-album-gary-myrick


The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Alvino Bennett (Dave Mason) on drums and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. A new addition to the team, the Grammy winning and very bearded, Rob Schnapf (Beck, Booker T., Mavis Staples) brings his mad mixing skills to this one. And as always, masterful mastering by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering. 

Goin' Down Again (feat. Rick Richards)

#59 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Goin' Down Again, features some of the snottiest guitar playing I’ve heard since the giants (The Kinks, The Yardbirds, The Stooges) roamed the planet. Georgia Satellites and Izzy Stradlin and the Ju Ju Hounds guitarist, Rick Richards, delivers a two minute and fourty second instructional on how to Rock! When I sent this track to Rick he could’ve declined or asked for another track that was in 4/4 instead of the crooked 3/4 that it is, but instead he dug the fuck in and turned it the hell up. I don’t know how old Rick is (old enough to have formed the Georgia Satellites in 1980) but, this is the kind of guitar playing normally excreted by youngsters and then dissipates as the years accrue. No signs of dissipation here. So, please do give yourself the pleasure of cranking this one up and enjoy the ride. 

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Andrew "the kid" Guterman (Rick Estrin) on drums and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. Mixed by the Grammy winning Godfather of Grunge, Jack Endino (Nirvana, Nando Reis) and as always, masterfully mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering.

I Tell Myself (feat. Rudy Wallang)

Although Mumbai is not synonymous with the Blues (at least not yet), in Mumbai and most of India, guitarist Rudy Wallang is. And so we bring you #58 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, I Tell Myself, featuring Rudy Wallang. Rudy is the 2009 recipient of the Jack Daniels Music Awards - Best Guitar Player in India. He and his band, Soulmate, have played every NH7 (the Glastonberry and Coachella of South Asia) since it's inception in 2010. As a composer, producer and session player, Rudy has been involved in over 70 records and yet he still manages to find time to mentor younger players via The Rudy Wallang Band. He and Soulmate continue to tour internationally sharing stages with the likes of Carlos Santana, Buddy Guy, Keb Mo & Gary Clark Jr., to name just a few. Check him out!

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Alvino Bennett (Dave Mason, Stevie Wonder) on drums and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. And Mixed and Mastered by the Grand Wizard of Greaseland, Christoffer "Kid" Andersen. 

The Longest Night (feat. Kim Bomi)

#56 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, The Longest Night, features a deeply soulful performance on a relatively novel instrument for our Western ears, the haegum, by the South Korean rock star, Kim Bomi. I was one of the more than one BILLION people who watched the incredibly powerful closing ceremonies of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, when Kim Bomi and her band Jambinai rocked the world with their performance, accompanied by an orchestra of geomungo players. I was so excited and moved, they immediately became my new favorite band! After a lot of Googling, emailing and translating with the help of Jambinai's manager, Jerome Williams in Amsterdam, we were able to make this track happen. A beautiful example of the global village! In case you missed the performance at the olympics here's a link, but don't forget to listen to The Longest Night as well! Enjoy!

Jambinai - Time of Extinction (Olympic Closing Ceremony 2018)

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Willy Jordan (Elvin Bishop) on drums and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. Additional recording was done by Sanghyun Cho at MOL Studios, Seoul. Mixed by the Grammy winning Godfather of Grunge, Jack Endino (Nirvana, Nando Reis) and as always, masterfully mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering. And a special shout out to my friend, Joey Fitt's, for making me turn on the tele to catch Jambinai!

Multiversal Blues (feat. Stanley Jordan)

#55 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Multiversal Blues, features the virtuosic and intergalactically original guitar playing of Stanley Jordan. His playing is badass enough just listening to it, but seeing his tapping technique up close took it to a whole nother level for me! If by some chance, you are not familiar with Stanley Jordan's thing (hard to believe but..), his 1985 debut Blue Note record, Magic Touch, was #1 on the Billboard Jazz Charts for a solid year! His covers of Stairway To Heaven, Eleanore Rigby and the Jimi Hendrix songbook are iconic and have been viewed a gazillion times on YouTube. His eclecticism and versatility has lead him to play with everybody from Dizzy Gillespie and Quincy Jones to The Dave Matthews Band and Phil Lesh. His vibe in the studio was incredibly generous and open minded and I think it is reflected in this track. Check it out!

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Alvino Bennett (Dave Mason, Stevie Wonder) on drums and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. Mixed by the Grammy winning Godfather of Grunge, Jack Endino (Nirvana, Nando Reis) and as always, masterfully mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering. 

Find the Funk (feat. Leo Nocentelli)

Happy 2020! We begin the new decade with #54 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Find The Funk, featuring a musician who is synonymous with funk, The Meters', Leo Nocentelli. If you've listened to popular music in the last 50 years you have directly or indirectly been moved by Leo's influential guitar playing, and his band, the Meters, certainly needs no introduction. But please allow me to gush for a moment...Leo played guitar on Lee Dorsey's, Workin’ In a Coal Mine and Dr. John's, Right Place, Wrong Time. The riff in Cissy Strut, that's his! His guitar playing and songs have been sampled by everyone from Public Enemy to Eminem. As a sideman, his undeniably groovy and instantly recognizable style has been featured on records by; Allen Toussaint, Peter Gabriel, Queen Latifah, Ice Cube, Bonnie Raitt, Sting, Labelle, Maceo, Robert Palmer and oh yeah, Paul McCartney! He is a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award Winner and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee. And on top of being badass, Leo is an incredibly gracious human being. Turn this one up!

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Alvino Bennett (Dave Mason, Stevie Wonder) on drums and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. And the newest addition to the team; Mixing and Mastering by the Grand Wizard of Greaseland, Christoffer "Kid" Andersen.