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.

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.