Beignets & Coffee (feat. Nick Moss)

#107 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Beignets & Coffee, features some serious Chicago muscle and Alligator recording artist Nick Moss on guitar. Although the track is a New Orleans-y kinda thing and it's title an homage to the legendary Cafe DuMonde, the guitar playing is straight outta Chicago. Born and raised in Chicago, Nick was a member of both Jimmy Dawkin's and Jimmy Rogers' bands before breaking out on his own. As a solo artist, Nick has released fourteen albums and has won three Blues Music Awards. One in 2019 for 'Traditional Blues Male Artist' and two in 2020 for 'Band of the Year' and 'Traditional Blues Album of the Year'. Nick graciously stopped by while touring through SF back in 2017 and this is the wonderful result. Enjoy!

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 almost always, masterfully mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering.

Vibin' (feat. Warren Wolf)

#106 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Vibin', features the terrifyingly talented Warren Wolf on you guessed it...Vibraphone. This riff was one of the first to come to me after the COVID lockdown and I knew I wanted vibes on it, so I Googled "Bobby Hutcherson protege" and the first hit was a Jazz at the Lincoln Center tweet about Warren Wolf. So down the rabbit hole I went. This cat is truly BADASS and I apologize for not knowing about him before! He plays with everybody, Esperanza Spaulding, Christian McBride, Mulgrew Miller, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Ron Carter...in other words he is at the top of a very small group of otherworldly Jazz musicians. A second generation musician (of course), Warren's trajectory was set by his father, Warren Sr., first studying classical music and then moving into Jazz and ultimately completing his formal education at Berklee. Shortly after graduating, Warren joined the Berklee faculty teaching Vibes, Percussion, Drums, and Piano while also gigging on the fertile local Boston Jazz scene including being the house drummer at the storied Wally's Cafe for two years. In 2005, Warren left Boston returning to his hometown of Baltimore to begin the journey which he continues today of being a world renowned Jazz artist. So what the hell is he doing playing with me??? I don't know, but I sure am grateful! I hope you enjoy this even half as much as I do.

The backing band on this track is my Bay Area neighbor, Scott Amendola, (Nels Cline, Charlie Hunter) absolutely swinging the 7/8 shit out of the drums and myself on guitar and bass. The track was recorded at Warren's, Scott's, and NTA San Bruno. Mixing and Mastering duties performed by the Grand Wizard of Greaseland, Christoffer "Kid" Andersen.

Slow Poke (feat. The Reverend Shawn Amos)

#105 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Slow Poke, features a funky sermon on blues harp from The Reverend Shawn Amos. This native New Yorker and long time Los Angelino has a very interesting pedigree; his Mother, Shirley-Lee, was a popular nightclub singer in the 1960s, and his father, you may know as the chocolate chip cookie mogul, Wally Amos a/k/a Famous Amos was also William Morris Agency's first African American talent agent subsequently signing Simon & Garfunkel as well as representing; Diana Ross & the Supremes, Sam Cooke, and Marvin Gaye. As you might expect from someone with such a rich and storied background, Shawn is all these things; musician, author, entrepreneur, A&R man, record producer, filmmaker, and more. His 2020 album, Blue Sky, featured his newly formed band, The Brotherhood, and his 2021 release The Cause Of It All is a vibey solo retrospective worthy of a late-night listen for sure. And speaking of listens, I hope you will listen to and enjoy this track!

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 the original NTA in Millbrae CA. Mixed by the Grammy-winning Godfather of Grunge, Jack Endino (Nirvana, Nando Reis), and as almost always, masterfully mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering.

Insight (feat. Chris Duarte)

#104 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series is a very special entry in the Texas guitar monster catalog, Chris Duarte. I don't normally ask cats where or what informs their playing because usually I can hear it but I had to ask Chris. His response made me like him and his playing even more, it was Coltrane! As soon as he said it, it made total sense. It explained why I couldn't pin it on BB, Albert, or Freddie or the second holy trinity, Jeff, Jimmy or Jimi and although you can hear SRV, that probably has more to do with them both having Austin roots and drinking the same water, and of course, the Strat. While still a teenager, Chris was lucky enough to get to see Stevie Ray play at the Continental Club, when Stevie was just a local act. I believe the term "burnin'" is not actually hyperbole when used to describe Chris' playing and I believe the evidence is right here in this track. Check it out, then check out his 12 solo records, and then go see him live. Enjoy!

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. The Grammy-winning and very bearded, Rob Schnapf (Beck, Booker T., Mavis Staples) brings his mad mixing skills. And as almost always, masterful mastering by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering.

El Gato Negro (feat. Kenny Vaughan)

#103 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, El Gato Negro features THE Nashville Gato, the Superlative, Kenny Vaughan. Born in Oklahoma, but raised in Denver and schooled by Bill Frisell, Kenny Vaughan arrived in Nashville in the early '80's. He was one of the original revitalizers of the Lower Broadway scene, bringing a more modern "punk" attitude to what was, at that time, a depressed and antiquated locale. I first met Kenny Vaughan when we both were playing in Angelo's Rag Man Son Revue (ask someone who was there) and it was love at first solo section. Kenny Vaughan can fucking play! At roughly the same time, Kenny got the gig with Lucinda Williams for the Car Wheels On A Gravel Road tour which coincidentally, I was out with Patty Griffin as the support act. One of the greatest guitar moments I have ever witnessed was seeing and hearing Kenny tear it up on Joy at the Fillmore in SF. So, when I moved to Nashville in 2008, after finding drummer Adam Abrashoff, Kenny was my first call to jam and Funkwrench was born. Hours and hours of recording free form, improv, acid jazz-rock-funk ensued with an occasional gig thrown in just to keep it "real". Kenny, the whole time, maintaining a full-time, non-stop A-list session career, enough so to earn him the Americana Music Association's Instrumentalist of the Year award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist in 2006. Wait! there's more...Kenny has been a member of Country Music Hall of Famer, Marty Stuart's Fabulous Superlatives since their inception in 2002. For those of you that are hip to the original Funkwrench, you will probably find this track a bit reserved and "inside", but for the rest of you, I hope it will serve as a document of what makes a great guitar player great; tone, note choice, groove, and attitude. Enjoy!

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 and wickedly mixed and mastered by the Supreme Ruler of Greaseland, Christoffer "Kid" Andersen.

It Is What It Is... 'Til It Ain't (feat. Moses Mo)

#102 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, It Is What It Is...'Til It Ain't features the southern-fried funk of Mother's Finest guitarist, Moses Mo. Originally from Ohio, Moses left Dayton for Atlanta, GA while still a teenager, joining forces with Joyce Kennedy, Doc Murdock and Jerry "Wyzard" Seay to form the legendary and incredibly ahead of their time, Mother's Finest. This was 1972! There were no Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fishbone or Living Colour. Hendrix and Sly had both crossed the color line but not a lot of other bands were doing it. Mother's Finest was unapologetically doin' it! They toured relentlessly, opening for the biggest acts of the 70's; Black Sabbath, The Who, Aerosmith, AC/DC, etc...In 1976 they released their second album (which was really their 3rd, but that's another story), which contained the controversial and ironic "Niggizz Can't Sang Rock 'n' Roll." FM radio ate it up and several gold albums followed. 50 years, 20 albums and millions of miles toured, Moses, as exhibited here, is still rockin' the funk and funkin' the rock. Enjoy!

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 almost always, masterfully mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering.

Hazel (feat. Snowy White)

#101 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, brings it back to the Blues with, Hazel, featuring Pink Floyd and Roger Waters sideman, Snowy White, on the electric guitar. Originally from the Isle of Wight, then cutting his teeth in Stockholm, Snowy arrived on the London scene in 1970. He quickly became one of London's a-list session players. which lead to the meeting and life long friendship with Fleetwood Mac's Peter Green (RIP). (Snowy appears on Green's 1979 album, In The Skies). In 1977, Snowy was tapped as second guitarist to David Gilmour for Pink Floyd's Animals' tour. Immediately after the Animals tour, Snowy replaced Gary Moore in Thin Lizzy, co-writing and playing on their Chinatown and Renegade albums. In 1982 Roger Waters invited Snowy back out on the road for The Wall tour and that became a career-spanning gig, ending only when Snowy retired from touring in 2019. This track, in my mind at least, is a sort of tip of the hat to Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac and Snowy, being a master English Blues guitarist and friend of Greens, completely nails it. Enjoy!

The backing band on this track is Oakland Born/Nashville residing, Derrek Phillips, (Robben Ford, Charlie Hunter) on drums, and myself on rhythm guitar and bass. The track was recorded at NTA, San Bruno, CA, The Phamily Room, Nashville TN & Snowy's Place in the UK. Mixing and Mastering duties performed by the Grand Wizard of Greaseland, Christoffer "Kid" Andersen.

Samsara (feat. Gary Bartz)

This is a pretty serious milestone for Brian and me. It is the 100th release in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series. Making it even more special is the artist that we've chosen to feature on this track, Samsara. Those of you that know me well, know that one of my top ten, maybe even top 5 records is Miles Davis' Live Evil. The sax player on that record is Gary Bartz. On a crazy whim, I took a shot and reached out to Gary via Facebook, and much to my surprise he not only got back to me but he agreed to play on a track! I can not express how excited and grateful I am about this. I was raving about Gary's harmonic sense to a good buddy of mine and he sarcastically reminded me, "ah yeah, he played with MILES!!!" 

Okay, a little bit about Gary...Born in Baltimore, schooled at Julliard, played with Eric Dolphy, McCoy Tyner, Max Roach, Abbey Lincoln, and was a member of Charles Mingus' Jazz Workshop AND Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers all BEFORE he played with Miles. There is no resting on his laurels though, Gary has made at least 30 albums as a leader and even more as a sideman with the likes of Pharoah Sanders, Kenny Burrell, Woody Shaw, Phyllis Hyman, Norman Connors, Jackie McLean and a whole Wikipedia page more. In 2015, Gary was presented with the BNY Mellon Jazz Living Legacy Award, which was presented at a special ceremony at The Kennedy Center. Gary continues to tour the world performing, recording, and teaching. He is a Professor of Jazz Saxophone at Oberlin College. Gary lives in Oakland and I'm in SF, so in a post-plague world, it shouldn't be too hard to make some more music together. Dreams have already come true. Enjoy!

The backing band on this track is Oakland Born/Nashville residing, funky AF, Derrek Phillips, (Gloria Gaynor, Robben Ford, Charlie Hunter) on drums, and myself on rhythm guitar and bass. The track was recorded at NTA, San Bruno, CA, The Phamily Room, Nashville TN & Gary's House, Oakland CA. Prodigiously mixed and mastered by the Grammy-winning and extremely good-humored, Matt Winegar (Primus, Fantastic Negrito).

Insomnia (feat. Bo Ramsey)

#99 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Insomnia, features the midwestern mojo hand of, Bo Ramsey. Born and raised in Iowa and still living there today, Bo has been way around the block. As an artist, producer, and of course, guitarist, his affiliations are quite impressive; Joan Baez, Greg Brown, Pieta Brown, Iris DeMent, Ani DiFranco, Kevin Gordon, Elvis Costello and Lucinda Williams. Bo is all over the legendary Car Wheels on a Gravel Road album and was nominated for a Grammy for Producing Lucinda's follow-up album, Essence. I love the understated approach to Bo's playing as exhibited by this track. The first time I saw Bo play was at a Lucinda gig in Nashville shortly before Car Wheels was released. Everybody in the audience was hypnotized by the verb and tremolo soaked Bo mojo. I remember my buddy, who had taken me to see the show, tugging on my sleeve and pointing, saying, "Bo Ramsey". Well, I'm tugging on your sleeve now...

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 masterfully mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering. 

California Guard Rail Scraper (feat. Spencer Cullum)

#97 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, California Guard Rail Scraper, features the international man of steel, Spencer Cullum. Even without being from London and having an enviable English accent, Spencer would be a cool cat. He's the co-leader (along with Jeremy Fetzer) of Nashville's space-country duo, Steelism. He's played on sessions as disparate as Kesha to Deer Tick to Little Big Town. I originally met Spencer on a Jabe Beyer gig and he was as self-described; “the guy who looks like he’s studying for a test in the background”, bespectacled, and wearing, in true professorial fashion, a button-down, cable knit, off white, fisherman's sweater, his playing was although, perfectly "in" it was also at the same time, perfectly "out". So when having the opportunity to have Spencer play on a track arose, I was psyched! And even more so when he picked this one to play on. I'd say Spencer passed that test he was studying for...please keep your hands and feet inside the car and enjoy the ride!

The backing band on this track is Oakland Born/Nashville residing, funky MF, Derrek Phillips, (Gloria Gaynor, Robben Ford, Charlie Hunter) on drums, and myself on rhythm guitar and bass. The track was recorded at NTA, San Bruno, CA, and The Phamily Room and Donelson Tea Pot in Nashville, TN. Prodigiously mixed and mastered by the Grammy-winning and extremely good-humored, Matt Winegar (Primus, Fantastic Negrito).

Crepuscule (feat. Natalie Cressman)

#97 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Crepuscule, features the funky beyond her years Natalie Cressman. An SF native and child of working-musician parents, Natalie's destiny seemed preordained. Although her original artform and dream was to be a ballerina, an injury in her teens dashed those hopes. Luckily for her and us, she had been studying trombone with her dad, Jeff Cressman of Santana. After graduating high school, Natalie went to Manhattan School of Music and was almost immediately "discovered" and recruited by Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio. Just thirty years old now, Natalie has a solid decade of sessions and touring with the likes of; Phish, Big Gigantic, Carlos Santana, Nicholas Payton, Anat Cohen, The Motet, Umphrey's McGee, Pete Escovedo's Latin Jazz Orchestra, Jai Uttal and Peter Apfelbuam (a long time family friend). Natalie has made 4 albums, two collaborations and two as a solo artist. She's a beautifully talented singer/songwriter as well as a Bone badass. But the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree, her mom, Sandy Cressman, is a highly regarded jazz vocalist collaborating with many of Brazil’s most respected musicians. You can hear it all in Natalie's playing, dancing from note to note. Hit me, Nat! 

More about Natalie here: https://www.nataliecressman.com/

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 and guitar. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA and NTA in San Bruno, CA. Mixing and Mastering duties expertly performed by the Grand Wizard of Greaseland, Christoffer "Kid" Andersen.

Captain's Blues (feat. Charles Baty)

#96 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Captain's Blues, features the beautifully soulful talent of the late Charles Baty a/k/a Little Charlie a/k/a The Captain. Although it was a great experience hanging and recording Charles for a few hours in August of 2019, I thought it would be more meaningful to have Charles' friend and the mixer/masterer on this track, Kid Andersen, write a little something. So, here it is: “What a treat it was for me to have this track suddenly unearthed. When my Nightcat predecessor, idol and friend, Little Charlie Baty passed away suddenly last year, it left a tremendous void in the blues, jazz and swing guitar world. He was one of a kind, incredible, inimitable, irreplaceable and most of all, always innovate and interesting. This track is a real gem, and to hear Charlie in this setting really proves that he indeed was a true master.“ - Kid Andersen

Thank you Kid and thank you Charles Baty, may you rest in the eternal groove.

If you'd like a little history on Charles and some very loving tributes check out this article from Blues Matters Magazine.

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. Mixing and Mastering duties performed by the Grand Wizard of Greaseland, Christoffer "Kid" Andersen.

The Redd Planet (feat. Redd Volkaert)

#95 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, The Redd Planet, features the Telecaster legend, Mr. Redd Volkaert. I remember when I first starting working in Nashville and I would hear the name Redd Volkaert spoken in reverential tones. The Cats would speak of him as THE Cat. By that time he had already left a trail of dust behind him, joining Merle Haggard's band and moving to Austin TX. I could write a little blurb/bio at this point but Redd is not only a master of the telecaster, he is also an extremely entertaining writer. So, I highly recommend you read his autobiography on his website: https://www.reddvolkaert.com/default.html
I will say, it is an honor and a pleasure to have Redd play on a track, never mind allowing me to run him through my pedalboard ; ) Thank you Redd! 

The backing band on this track is my Bay Area neighbor, Scott Amendola, (Nels Cline, Charlie Hunter) swinging the shit out of the drums and myself on rhythm guitar and bass. Mellifluously mixed and mastered by the infamous F-Bomb.

Right On The Edge (feat. Gregg Wright)

#94 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Right On The Edge, features the truly electrifying blues guitar playing of Gregg Wright. A Louisiana Music Hall of Fame inductee and a Living Legend Blues Award winner, Gregg's life is the story of modern Blues guitar and dues-paying. From playing every bar across the American South through the 1970's including opening several times for the greats like, Albert King and Freddie King, to the historic 1984 The Jackson's Victory Tour (the tour for MJ's Thriller!), Greg has been there and done that. Since the career-changing Jacksons' tour, Gregg has been one of the first call LA session cats. Platinum albums and world tours with Mick Fleetwood, Michael Jackson, the Gap Band, Spencer Davis and others followed. Gregg began the new Millenium as the featured soloist on the IMAX film soundtrack “Ocean Oasis” with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and has continues to make records and rip it up internationally fronting his own band. Don't miss him when you have the chance!

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 almost always, masterfully mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering.

Window To Your Plimsoul (feat. Peter Stroud) (feat. Peter Stroud)

#93 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Window To Your Plimsoul, features the always tasty and expertly musical guitar playing of Peter Stroud. The first time I met Peter was at catering on the very first Lilith Fair. He was in the big leagues, with Sheryl Crow and I was on the second stage with Patty Griffin. I have been impressed with Peter's musicality and positivity ever since. Peter has been Sheryl Crow’s guitarist now for 22 years. That is a mighty good run! Along the way, he has also toured and/or recorded with Don Henley, Sarah McLachlan & Pete Droge, as well as with his own band, Big Hat. He's recently served on guitarist rotation duty with his Atlantan neighbors, Drivin N Cryin (as has his Sheryl Crow bandmate, Audley Freed, another great dude and player, and former guest of ours; NTK-21). Peter is also co-founder of boutique amplifier company, 65amps. And speaking of tube amps and tone, check out the wah'd out mojo at 2:40! Enjoy!

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. The Grammy-winning and very bearded, Rob Schnapf (Beck, Booker T., Mavis Staples) brings his mad mixing skills. And as almost always, masterful mastering by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering.

Rosa Amarilla (feat. Rosie Flores)

#92 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Rosa Amarilla, features the wonderfully rambunctious guitar work of the legendary, Rosie Flores. Born in Texas in 1950, by her teens, relocated to San Diego, Rosie was beginning to stoke the flames of her long and illustrious career in Rock and Roll. After fifteen years of paying dues on the San Diego club circuit, Rosie landed her first major label deal and Billboard charting single in 1987 with "Crying Over You" (Warner/Reprise). Since then Rosie has made 10 solo records, toured the world repeatedly, done Austin City Limits and the other cool requisite television appearances. I'm going to nick this next bit straight from Rosie's Wiki: "In addition to her work as a performer and songwriter, Flores has helped to revive the careers of female rockabilly musicians from previous generations and to create new interest in their music. Her album Rockabilly Filly, released on Hightone Records in 1995, included vocals from early rock and roll musicians Janis Martin and Wanda Jackson. In 2007, Flores brought Janis Martin to a recording studio in Blanco, Texas, to record what would be both Martin's first solo album in thirty years as well as her last before her death of cancer. After the project was turned down by a number of record labels, Flores raised more than $16,000 on Kickstarter to release the album, which was titled Janis Martin: The Blanco Sessions. Flores is credited as a producer."
I can honestly say that it was an absolute pleasure having Rosie come by to do this track. She was so full of energy and enthusiasm and I believe it translates to the ear. 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. Mixing and Mastering duties performed by the Grand Wizard of Greaseland, Christoffer "Kid" Andersen. 

Grandmother's Child (feat. Bombino)

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

#91 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Grandmother's Child, features the Nigerian rebel/guitarist, Bombino. Born in Niger in 1980, at 10 years old Bombino and his family had to flee to Algeria as a result of the Tuareg Revolution. In his early teens, Bombino studied with the renowned Tuareg guitarist, Haja Bebe and by 17, Bombino had returned to Niger to begin his life as a professional musician. Since then the adventure has been a rich and worldly one. Bombino has played with Keith Richards & Charlie Watts, had an album (Nomad, #1 Billboard World Chart) produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, and has performed at festivals around the world including Coachella, WOMAD, and Pukkelpop. The New York Times has dubbed Bombino "the Sultan of Shred" and he is also the first Nigerian to be nominated for a Grammy award (2018's Deran). I love this quote from one of Bombino's interviews; "I do not see my guitar as a gun but rather as a hammer with which to help build the house of the Tuareg people." We hope we can help. Enjoy!

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. The Grammy-winning and very bearded, Rob Schnapf (Beck, Booker T., Mavis Staples) brings his mad mixing skills. And as almost always, masterful mastering by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering.

Surfing (feat. Kirk Fletcher)

#90 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, SURFING, features the Southern California blues master, KIRK FLETCHER. Folks in the blues guitar world know Kirk Fletcher and he has the CV to fully justify that knowing. From the Fabulous Thunderbirds and the Mannish Boys to Charlie Musslewhite and Joe Bonamasa, this cat has been around the blues block. He's got great note choice and tone for sure but the thing that struck me the most while Kirk was tracking, was his time. Listen to his time! It's fucking spot on! And in a very individual way. I'm not a surfer but I am my teenage daughter's surf sherpa, and this is what I imagine I might hear in my head while riding an "epic" wave. (I can see her rolling her eyes now.) One other thing, Kirk was one of the first guests we had, and I am grateful for how trusting and generous he was to participate. Enjoy!

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 almost always, masterfully mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering.

Fysisk Andlig (feat. Jimmy Agren)

#89 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Fysisk Andlig, features the Swedish slide guitar monster, Jimmy Agren. When Brian suggested Jimmy for a track I had not heard of him, so of course I YouTube'd him and, WOW!...I didn't just want him to play on a track, I wanted to be in a band with this cat! In his home country of Sweden, Jimmy is a well established player, having played with Freddie Wadling, Jonas Knutsson, and Captain Beefheart. Jimmy also plays in an incredibly cool prog-ish kind of band with his brother Morgan called the Mats / Morgan Band and he has eight albums out under his own name. We were fortunate enough to get Jimmy into Skunkworks to do his track while he was in the States last year playing some shows with avant-garde guitarist Henry Kaiser. Henry was kind enough to help with facilitating and driving. I love this track and Jimmy's playing on it and I hope it helps to bring more attention to Jimmy here in the US.

The backing band on this track is Alvino Bennett (Dave Mason, Stevie Wonder) on drums and myself on bass and rhythm guitar. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. Mixed and Mastered by the super bad, multiple Grammy winning, F. Reid Shippen (Gloria Gaynor, Kenny Chesney) in Nashville TN.

House Of Mirrors (feat. Hamish Anderson)

#88 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, House of Mirrors, features the introspective and lyrical guitar playing of Hamish Anderson. The Australian guitarist has the somber distinction of being the last act to open for BB King before his passing in 2015. Hamish was named as one of the 10 Best New Artists of 2016 by Yahoo! Music and that same year Gary Clark Jr. cited Hamish as the act under 30 to watch out for. In 2019, Hamish would go on to open for Clark Jr., joining in on the encore every night. Hamish has made 2 EP's and 2 LP's so far, working with keyboardist Rami Jaffee of the Foo Fighters and producers Jim Scott (Tom Petty, Tedeschi Trucks) and Krish Sharma (Rolling Stones). He has won a couple of Independent Music Awards and has played festivals around the world. This track harkens back to Lou Reed's, Rock and Roll Animal to me...maybe it's the phase shifter? 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. Mixing and Mastering duties performed by the Grand Wizard of Greaseland, Christoffer "Kid" Andersen. A special shout out to Kristin Juel for facilitating Hamish's session, engineered by David Davis.

Kudzu Blues (feat. Jerry Douglas)

#87 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Kudzu Blues, features the incomparable Dobro-isms of Jerry Douglas.

When I think of Jerry Douglas I immediately think of Alison Kraus, and when I think of Alison Kraus, I think of Robert Plant, and when I think of Robert Plant, I think of Jimmy Page, and when I think of Jimmy Page, I think of unrivaled and immediately identifiable musical character, which then brings me right back to Jerry Douglas.

My dear friend, former bandmate and, incredibly gifted musician, John Deaderick, suggested we have Jerry guest on a track and was generous enough to make the introduction. Much to my surprise and pleasure Jerry said yes and then delivered what you are hopefully listening to while you're reading this. This is a long way from Alison Kraus but not so far from Jimmy Page.

Usually, I try to write a little bio about our featured soloist but check this out, it's just a few lines from Jerry's Wikipedia page: "In addition to his fourteen solo recordings, Douglas has played on more than 1,600 albums. As a sideman, he has recorded with artists as diverse as Garth Brooks, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, Phish, Dolly Parton, Susan Ashton, Paul Simon, Mumford & Sons, Keb' Mo', Ricky Skaggs, Elvis Costello, Tommy Emmanuel, James Taylor, and Johnny Mathis, as well as performing on the O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack."

And it continues...

"As of 2021, Douglas has been nominated for thirty-two Grammy Awards, winning fourteen.
He has received the Country Music Association's "Musician of the Year" award three times, in 2002, 2005, and 2007.
Douglas is a 10-time recipient of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Dobro Player of the Year Award.
In 2004, the National Endowment for the Arts awarded Douglas a National Heritage Fellowship, which is the United States' highest honor in the folk and traditional arts."

That is some serious drop the mic shit! And then on top of that, he's a genuinely humble and generous human being.

So if you're one of the ten people in the world that aren't hip to Jerry Douglas, check this track out and then go check out a bunch more of his work. He's the Jimmy Page of Folk/Americana/Bluegrass! (or whatever the label du jour).

The backing band on this track is Oaktown Born/Nashville Ruling, Derrek Phillips, (Gloria Gaynor, Robben Ford, Charlie Hunter) on drums, and myself on rhythm guitar and bass. The track was recorded at NTA in San Bruno, CA, and The Phamily Room and The Squirrelnest in Nashville, TN. Prodigiously mixed and mastered by the Grammy-winning and extremely personable, Matt Winegar (Primus, Fantastic Negrito).

Deep Pockets (feat. Mark Lettieri)

#86 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Deep Pockets, features a real Snarky Puppy, Mark Lettieri, on the electric guitar. For those of you that don't know, Snarky Puppy is a crushingly virtuosic Jazz, Rock, World, Funk band originally out of Denton TX and yes, Lettieri has been their guitarist from almost their inception. But that's not it. Fearless Flyer, yeah you know, the band with Joe Dart, Cory Wong, Nate Smith, and...yup, Mark's the other Ray-Ban'd guitarist shredding the mad hyper funk in those viral YouTubes. And just because he can...Mark's also released five solo albums and has appeared on a wildly diverse array of projects including Snoop Dogg, David Crosby, and Dave Chappelle to name just a few. We caught up with Mark while he was touring through Santa Cruz and he was gracious enough to drop by Skunkworks and melt our faces. Check it out...it sneaks up on you...

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 masterfully mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering.

Dragons and Windmills (feat. Sonny Singh)

#85 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Dragons and Windmills, features the spiritually rich Trumpet playing of Sonny Singh. The son of Sikh immigrants, Sonny grew up in South Carolina and now calls Brooklyn NY his home. In 2003, Sonny co-founded the political rock band Outernational and recorded an album produced by Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello. in 2008 Sonny co-founded Red Baraat a merging of North Indian bhangra with elements of hip-hop, jazz, and raw punk energy. Sonny's most recent effort is his first solo album, Chardi Kala, produced by Ozomatli's Wil-Dog Abers. Sonny has also worked with a number of labor and community-based organizations in New York City as an organizer and educator and regularly facilitates workshops and classes on social justice issues, community organizing, anti-oppression, and more. His writings on racial justice, Sikhism and social change, and Islamophobia have appeared in the Huffington Post, Colorlines, Asian American Literary Review, Jadaliyya, and Open City Magazine. 

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on guitar, Alvino Bennett (Dave Mason, Stevie Wonder) on drums, and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA and was mixed and mastered by the super bad, F. Reid Shippen.

Detroit Jambalaya (feat. David Gerald)

#84 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Detroit Jambalaya, features the phat and furious tone of Detroit native son, David Gerald, on guitar. The son of Rural Mississippi born and raised parents, David marinated in the sounds of the Blues and R&B music. He's the youngest of eleven children, six of whom were born and partly raised in Mississippi. Because of segregation and racial discrimination, David's dad moved the family north to Detroit so they might have a better chance at the "American Dream." First picking up a guitar at fourteen, David's earliest influences as a guitarist were Prince and the '80's Rock shredders - and it wasn't until he was in his mid-twenties that he went back to the sounds that he had grown up with: Albert King, ZZ Hill, and B.B. King. Successfully touring and recording as the David Gerald Band, David took a page from the Prince playbook and played all the instruments on his last album, N2U. From the first note that David played on this session I knew it was gonna be alright and by the time he left the session he had cooked up a full-on Jamabalaya! Bon appetite!

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 at NTA, San Bruno CA. Mixing duties were executed by a very welcomed new addition to the family, Mr. Malcolm Catto (Heliocentrics, Idris Ackamoor) at his Quatermass Sound Lab, London UK. Mastering by F-Bomb.

Freedom Blues Dance (feat. Ben Rice)

#83 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Freedom Blues Dance, features the Pacific Northwestern blues slinger, Ben Rice. A very unassuming character, this Ben Rice guy is...he showed up on time, took out his guitar, plugged in, slapped a capo on, and started soloing. When he was done with his first pass he could've split but he was obviously having fun, as I was listening to him, so he played some more. I asked if he was familiar with Tinariwen (my favorite band in the world for the last 15 years) and he was not. What about Bombino? Nope. But there's something so Malian about his playing. Maybe it's the study of all the deep folk-blues combined with his knowledge of Mariachi and Celtic music? Whatever it is, I dig where he's coming from! Ben is an award-winning solo artist, before the plague, he toured internationally and has made three albums so far. I'm not sure how old he is, he looks like he's about 15 but he drove himself to the studio so he's probably a little older. Well, regardless of his age or lack of knowledge of Tinariwen, I think you will agree, Ben's killin' it here.

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, myself on bass and a very special guest, the Grammy-winning percussionist, Christian Pepin, on congas. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA with additional tracking at NTA, San Bruno CA. Mixing and Mastering duties were handled by the infamous F-Bomb.

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Shtup (feat. Howard Wiley)

#82 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series is a full-on Bay Area jazz, funk, blues experience; SHTUP, featuring Berkley born, Berklee schooled and West Coast Get Down member, Howard Wiley on Saxophone. Headlining gigs at 12 years old, Howard's been on the jazz scene for more than a quarter-century now. Sharing stages and studying with the heaviest of heavies, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Gerald Albright and being a member of the West Coast Get Down along with Kamasi Washington, Howard has recorded and performed with Lauryn Hill, Sheila E, Cory Henry, Christian McBride, and Chester Thompson. He is a founding member of the new Bay Area collective Black London and has three critically acclaimed albums of his own as well. My favorite being The Angola Project inspired by field recordings of inmates at Louisiana’s Angola Prison. Howard's a badass and a good dude; I hope we get to do more...Enjoy!

The backing band on this track is Oakland born, 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, and The Phamily Room, Nashville TN. Mellifluously mixed and mastered by the infamous F-Bomb.