Hats Off To Jimmy Page (feat. Justin Johnson)

#158 in the Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumental Series, Hats Off To Jimmy Page, features the industrious and illustrious Justin Johnson on the electric guitar. Now I don't know if he's playing his shovel guitar, his skateboard guitar or any one of his many other hand made creations but he's definitely playin'! Based in Nashville, over the last few years, Justin has become somewhat of an internet phenom. His YouTube channel has close to two million subscribers, he's got a full-on cottage industry goin' with records, merch, and lessons and he still finds time to do sessions like this one. And speaking of this one, I don't think anybody is going to wonder why it's titled as it is. I reached out to Mr. Page for his blessing but got no response so in keeping with the Zeppelin spirit, I will proceed onwards asking for forgiveness later. I already have the alternate title, Cease and Desist, ready to go just in case. Enjoy!

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) and Les Izmore on the stereophonic rhythm guitars, Alvino Bennett (Dave Mason, Stevie Wonder) on drums, and myself on bass. The basics were recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. Mellifluously mixed and mastered by the infamous F-Bomb.

What The Actual Fucking Fuck (feat. Tomas Salcedo)

#157 in the Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumental Series, What The Actual Fucking Fuck, features Bay Area comrade and Fantastic Negrito guitarist, Tomas Salcedo. I don't know about you, but I find myself asking this question more and more as time goes on, and as is almost always the case, music is where I find the answer or at the very least, the refuge.
A little about Tomas, the son of a gigging folk musician mother and a classical pianist father, Tomas left Richmond Virginia for California at 18 years old and quickly found his place on the scene. While touring the Northern Hemisphere with prog band Antioquia, he began the practice of busking wherever and whenever he could and as fate would have it, one of these busking adventures led to meeting his future bandmate and collaborator, Fantastic Negrito. By 2014 Tomas and Negrito were officially a band, in 2015, they won NPR's Tiny Desk Contest, and as they say, the rest is history, international touring, three Grammys, etc... Well, if you're seeking refuge or just a few good moments of fuzzy, funky, blues rock, I hope you stop and find it here. Enjoy!

The backing band on this track is Oakland Born/Nashville residing, funky AF, Derrek Phillips, (Gloria Gaynor, Robben Ford, Charlie Hunter) on drums, Les Izmore on rhythm guitar, and myself on bass. The track was recorded at NTA, South San Francisco, The Family Room, Nashville TN, and Tomas' studio in Oakland. Mellifluously mixed and mastered by the infamous F-Bomb. A very special shout out to friend, Sonic Wizard, and Fantastic Negrito producer for the introduction!

Texas (feat. Johnny Moeller)

#156 in the Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumental Series, Texas, features a native son and incredibly tasty guitarist, Johnny Moeller. I know I've said it before, there's gotta be somethin' in the water down there, Ornette Coleman, King Curtis, Cornell Dupree, Roger Miller, Ronald Shannon Jackson, Mason Ruffner, Townes Van Zandt, Bob Wills, and Johnny Moeller are all from Fort Worth, Texas. There's way more if you're skeptical. By his late teens, Johnny was being championed by the late great club owner Clifford Antone. Clifford had championed another young Texas guitarist you may have heard of, Stevie Ray Vaughan. By the late 2000's, after several years of dues-paying, Johnny landed the gig with the Fabulous Thunderbirds, formerly Jimmy Vaughan's gig. See what I mean? Texas. An amusing aside, Johnny is rumored to be the inspiration for one of the characters in Beavis and Butt-Head, I'm not sure which one but the other one is supposedly inspired by Johnny's friend and sometimes bandmate, guitarist, Paul Size (we have a track with Paul on it coming in the future). Here's a great interview with Johnny if you'd like to go further down the rabbit hole. There's connections to Mick Jagger, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and more. I hope you appreciate this meditation on the musically fertile ground of the Lone Star State. Enjoy!
 

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) and new to the crew, Les Izmore on the stereophonic rhythm guitars, Alvino Bennett (Dave Mason, Stevie Wonder) on drums, and myself on bass. The basics were recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. Mellifluously mixed and mastered by the infamous F-Bomb.

Somethin' Somethin' (feat. Jim Oblon)

The last installment for 2023, #155 in the Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumental Series, Somethin' Somethin', features the musical wunderkind, Jim Oblon. This track sat for a long time waiting for the tape fairies to present a soloist. I've been aware of Jim for more than ten years. When he first came on the Nashville scene he had a weekly gig at the FooBar and all my friends would tell me that I should go check him out or I should jam with him but, regrettably, I never got around to it. Fast forward to earlier this year and I hear I Wanna Be Loved, a really great record Jim made featuring just himself and long-time collaborator Jim Keltner and I knew that he was the man for the job. Speaking of jobs, Jim's "day gig" for the last decade has been playing drums for Paul Simon. He's one of those cats. Anyway, I absolutely love Jim's playing and where he took this track, it's exactly what I expected and a total surprise at the same time. The tape fairies never lie. 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 basics were recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA with overdubs at Jim's home studio in Nashville TN. Mellifluously mixed and mastered by the infamous F-Bomb.

Walkin' The Bar (feat. Terry Hanck)

#154 in the Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumental Series, Walkin' The Bar, features East Bay Tenor Man, Terry Hanck.
For Jazzers of old, walkin' the bar was a necessary task of showmanship that some felt was below them but for the R&B honkers, scronkers, and yakety yak'ers of the day that was just part of the gig. There's a legend about saxophonist Benny Golson dropping in on a gig where John Coltrane (at a low point in his career) was walking the bar while playing with a local Philly R&B band and when Coltrane spotted Golson in the audience he walked straight off and out of the bar not to return. Of course in Blues, Rock, and R&B, putting on a show is as important as the music so, all the cats would walk the bar, stroll through the audience, or even take the show out onto the street. We've all seen it and we love it!
By the 1970s, Terry was already a master of the R&B Saxophone tradition. With Chicago in his blood and Northern California on his mind, after several declined invitations, he eventually joined Elvin Bishop at the pinnacle of Bishop's career where he stayed for a decade before leaving to front his own band. I haven't seen Terry live and I didn't ask him, but this track is certainly evidence of his mastery and if we close our eyes we can certainly imagine the smoke-filled bar and Terry walkin' it. 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 basics were recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. Mellifluously mixed and mastered by the infamous F-Bomb.

Electric Impulse (feat. Ian Moore)

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

Just for kicks and perhaps a little laziness, I asked ChatGPT to write a one paragraph blurb in several different voices, including Hunter S. Thompson and Nat Hentoff and although initially impressed, I was then left with a feeling of sickness (or maybe it was fear). 

Then after a few moments to reflect, I thought what if this, AI, is the beginning of a transcendence? Because, really, aren't words a rather primitive and extremely overused tool anyway? What if this is our opportunity to ascend to another level of expression and communication?

Just a thought.

Wiki: Ian Moore (born August 8, 1968, in Berkeley, California, United States) is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter from Austin, Texas.
 
Me: Ian is absolutely on fire here. If you know about Ian then you know, and if you don't, it may be because he wanted it that way. Ian has never been one to accept a pigeonhole or remain in one artistic box for very long. Over his long career he has challenged his fans to come along for the ride which has included; the Joe Ely band, opening for The Rolling Stones and being dubbed the "next Stevie Ray" (a friend of Ian's and a title he was never interested in, which ultimately lead him to relocate to Seattle) to multiple record deals and being a master songwriter sensei. This track is so obviously an offering at the altar of the electric blues church that there is not a lot that I feel the need to say or that ChatGPT could perhaps even say better so, in the words of Joe Perry, let the music do the talkin'. Enjoy!
 

The backing band on this track is my Bay Area neighbor and buddy, Scott Amendola, (Nels Cline, Charlie Hunter) bangin' on the drums, myself on bass, and a new edition to the Record Crew, Les Izmore on some seething rhythm guitar. Mellifluously mixed and mastered by the infamous F-Bomb at NTA Studio, South San Francisco.

The Stinger (feat. Alvon Johnson)

#152 in the Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumental Series, The Stinger, features a real deal, modern-day Bluesman, Alvon Johnson. Alvon is better known in parts of the world that cherish the blues as a still-breathing, vital, artform. He is constantly on the road, touring internationally to Hungary, Portugal, Poland, Malaysia, China, France, Italy, Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, Europe, Canada, The Bahamas, Australia, Russia, and the African continent. Alvon has sung with The Drifters, The Coasters, and The Shirelles and even backed comedienne, Aunt Esther! He proudly wears the moniker, Ambassador of the Blues, and we are lucky to have him residing just up the road in Vallejo, and even more lucky to have him come over with his Les Paul and tear this track up. 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 basics were recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. Mellifluously mixed and mastered by the infamous F-Bomb.

Blues A Go Go (feat. Josh Smith)

#151 in the Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumental Series, Blues A Go Go, features the virtuosic guitarisms of Josh Smith. I believe "mad skills" and "sick" are two terms that are often correctly associated with Josh. Not only is he a badass guitarist, Josh is also a talented singer, songwriter, and producer. He owns Flat V Studios in Los Angeles and has produced artists such as Reese Wynans, Eric Gales, Joanna Conner, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Artur Menezes, and more. The cat backed Mick Jagger and Raphael Saadiq at the Grammy Awards and has traveled the world, recording and performing with renowned artists such as Joe Bonamassa, Eric Johnson, Andy Timmons, and Kirk Fletcher. Somewhere in between all that, Josh was generous enough to blow on this track. 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 the mixing magic. And as almost always, masterful mastering by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering.

Soul Etouffee (feat. Will Bernard, Derrek Phillips & Frank Swart)

We resume the Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumental Series with release #150!, Soul Étouffée, featuring Berkeley, CA native and Brooklyn, NYC transplant, guitarist/composer/bandleader, WILL BERNARD.
Will seems to be everywhere at all once when it comes to music making. He was in Peter Apfelbaum’s Hieroglyphics in the '80's including the record “Multikulti” with Don Cherry. In the '90's, Will was a founder of the pioneering Acid Jazz group, T.J. Kirk (with Charlie Hunter), a member of Jai Uttal, and a member of the Stanton Moore Trio. Then in the 00's he ventured into bandleading with several critically acclaimed releases including Party Hats which earned him a 2008 Grammy nomination for best contemporary jazz album. Since then, wherever there's funk/jazz jamming going on...whether it's in a hip NYC Jazz club, JazzFest, Monterey Jazz, Bumbershoot, North Sea, High Sierra with cats like Medeski, George Porter, Scofield, and so on...Will is there. His most recent endeavor is an album and tour with another San Francisco heavy, clarinetist Beth Custer entitled Sky. Please enjoy Will here on this funky little number. Bon appétit!
 

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, South San Francisco, The Phamily Room, Nashville TN, and Will's studio in Brooklyn, NY. Mellifluously mixed and mastered by the infamous F-Bomb.

The Reward (feat. John Deaderick, Mai Bloomfield, David D.R. Robbins, Th...

The fourth single from Soundtrack For A Film Without Pictures, The Reward, is an excellent example of what can happen when you put the right players in "the room" and just let them do their thing. This track is really the Funkwrench Blues All-Stars, my dear friend and emotionally astute musician, John Deaderick, on all kinds of keys, another incredibly tuned-in and brilliant musician, cellist, Mai Bloomfield elevating my simple sketch of a melody to something otherworldly, my partner in crime and Junk/post junk Brother, David DR Robbins on bari sax and flute in an incredibly supportive and sympathetic role and last but not least the inimitable force known as Thomas Pridgen pumping the bellows on the drum kit. This is the point in the film where the hero gets the knowing and is about to embark on their return to share what they have learned. I hope it touches you. This song was also inspired by Andrew Hill's Illusion (Alternate Take), if you aren't familiar with it, check it out and let me know what you think. We will be resuming the Badass Blues Instrumental Series in two weeks with a wonderfully funky track featuring Will Bernard so, stand by for that. And in the meanwhile....

The Meeting (feat. George Garzone, Simone Pannozzo & Frank Swart)

Continuing the interruption of the Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumental Series to introduce the third single from Soundtrack For A Film Without Pictures, The Meeting, featuring the great George Garzone. Jazz knowers know George (and his band the Fringe) but perhaps because he has dedicated his life to being an educator at Berklee for the better part of 50 years he is less well known than some of his contemporaries. He is absolutely one of the heaviest of cats roaming the planet. I remember taking George's ear training class at Berklee in 1981 and being completely awestruck at how George could correctly and effortlessly identify all the notes in a ten-note cluster on the piano. I never would have dreamt that George would someday play on one of my tracks and yet, here we are. Listen to how George dances on the edges of time and space; it's absolutely stunning! This brings me immense joy and I hope it brings you joy as well.

George Garzone - Saxophone
Simone Pannozzo - Drums
yours truly on Bass and Guitar