WEBLOG ARCHIVE 2007 01     BACK TO WEBLOG September 29, 2007 Big George Jackson is featured in a two page article / interview in the new edition of IL BLUES, the leading Italian blues magazine. September 28, 2007 Here are the links to all our releases (including the download only) at two of the main download platforms. September 22, 2007 ERNIE PAYNE R.I.P. April 13, 1945 - September 17, 2007 Last night I received an email from Joanne, Ernie's wife. Ernie Payne passed away in Los Angeles on Monday, September 17 at 8:30 in the morning. Ernie was a true original artist / song writer and he released one record (Coercion Street) and toured Europe a few times. Although we only worked together for a few years I consider the fact that I was able to work with Ernie and his music as an honor and certainly one of the highlights of my musical and human journey. September 13, 2007 We added three more releases to our web shop. These were released by artists that also released their music on Black and Tan. If you click on the title you will go directly to that item in our web shop: BILLY JONES / Prime Suspect for the Blues (his first, self produced release) MIKE ANDERSEN / EP (his self produced EP) TURNIP GREENS / Crosseyed Cat Like with all other CD/DVD in the web shop you will get a brand new sampler for FREE with your first order. We accept payment by MASTER, VISA and PAYPAL. We have everything in stock and ship the same day. We lowered the prices for the older titles and skipped the shipping costs. Our prices are listed in USD and EURO. September 12, 2007 Good news from the UK. Billy Jones'' new record was played by Paul Jones (BBC radio 2) last monday and today the confirmation came in for Boo Boo Davis on BURNLEY BLUESFESTIVAL in March 2008. August 31, 2007 DOUG MACLEOD BAND - Live in 1991 vol 1 is now available for downloading at:    Here are the links to all our releases (including the downlaod only) at two of the main download platforms. August 29, 2007 has got a feature on the new record from Billy Jones DOUG MACLEOD completely re-styled his website. August 28, 2007 NEW LABEL SAMPLER READY:  CD B&T 031 / V.A. / KEEPING LIVING MUSIC ALIVE vol. 2 On this CD you will find a cross section of our catalogue; 18 great tracks by 14 blues/roots artists, over 73 minutes of honest and handmade music. You will get a free copy of the sampler with your first order in our web shop. T R A C K L I S T I N G 1. Who Stole The Booty - Boo Boo Davis 2. The Leavin' Road - Doug MacLeod 3. Sixsixtysix - Turnip Greens 4. Never Let You Go- Billy Jones 5. If I Could Change - Big George Jackson 6. Fooling Yourself- Mike Andersen 7. Drew Mississippi - Boo Boo Davis 8. Jack and Coke - Erskine Oglesby 9. Crystal - Billy Jones 10. Bad Luck - Roscoe Chenier 11. Little Voice - Byther Smith 12. Mother's Uncle - Ernie Payne 13. My Heart Took A Beating - Teresa James 14. 40 Acres And A Mule - Harrison Kennedy 15. Walk A Mile In My Shoes - Sunset Travelers 16. Cause Of It Al - Percy Strother 17. Ain't No Cure - Doug MacLeod 18. Kissed Her On The Cheek - Turnip Greens August 24, 2007 From the review of Headstock Guitar Festival in Yallah Australia: On his first visit to Australia, Doug MacLeod was the one act I was particularly looking forward to seeing. A contributing writer to our sister publication Blues Revue, MacLeod is a great storyteller, songwriter, and raconteur and, to say the least, one of the finest exponents of acoustic Blues and slide guitar around. He played songs, each accompanied by a story, from his albums Dubb and Where I Been, both highly recommend, as well as his recent live DVD release. August 20, 2007 We just released two records with live recordings of the DOUG MACLEOD BAND in 1991. These release will only be available as downloads. As of today they are available at EMUSIC; just hit the buttons below. DOUG MACLEOD BAND - LIVE IN 1991, vol. 1    The Doug MacLeod Band released four studio records but these never captured completely what the band was about. In Doug's own opinion these live recordings do. Thanks to Jim Ho Lee who recorded the band live in the tradition of the Grateful Dead Deadheads this music lives on. These songs are all written by Doug and were released on the albums including the unavailable German releases. The musicians on these tracks include Ed Czach, Mike Thompson, and Rich Wenzel on Keyboards. Eric Ajaye and Bobby Tsukumoto on Bass. And last but certainly not least Lee Spath on the Drums. DOUG MACLEOD BAND - LIVE IN 1991, vol. 2    These songs (including a few instrumentals) are all written by Doug and were never released before. They are a true 'must have' for the fans. August 14, 2007 review in BCR La Revue (France): Billy Jones - my Hometown Apres le succulent Tha Bluez, énormément plébiscité et adulé de chroniques élogieuses, voici : My Hometown , le second album de l'afro- américain Billy Jones . En électrique avec des ambiances plus rock, ou en acoustique dans le style ballade, blues & Jazz, le poète désabusé nous gratifie d'une belle tartine avec la Soûl pour trame. Un florilège de dix titres sincères et escarpés, chaînon manquant entre des pionniers légendaires et la vision d'un artiste d'aujourd'hui. Une guitare ciselée rehausse avec tact la voix soûl et velouté de Billy. Elle peut par endroit rappelée Marvin Gaye, ou Barry White quand elle se fait plus profonde ( Right Now , Never Let You Go). Le blues n'est pas prés de mourir, il s'adapte, en témoignent ces di cette voix chaude cette voix chaude x compositions contemporaines du musicien de l'Arkansas. A la basse et au piano les frères Goose, et aux fûts Gary Leach. Ce trio de musiciens néerlandais de talent pose ses savantes mesures sur les riffs sophistiqués et la voix chaude et dense de Billy Jones. Une bonne cuvée pour un artiste de renom. Personnellement n'étant pas un fan de Soul Music, j'avoue qu'au bout de la troisième écoute, je suis tombé sous le charme de cette sphère. Donc si vous êtes des inconditionnels des labels Stax ou Motown, ce disque sera pour vous ravira. JOEL BIZON August 11, 2007 Doug and I are very busy with selection and mastering of old live recordings from the DOUG MACLEOD BAND made in 1991. These recordings will be available as downloads soon. The Doug MacLeod Band released four studio records but these never captured completely what the band was about. In Doug's own opinion these live recordings do. Thanks to Jim Ho Lee who recorded the band live in the tradition of the Grateful Dead Deadheads this music lives on. Besides songs that have been released on the studio albums there are also several instrumentals and songs that have not been released so far. We'll keep you posted. August 3, 2007 review in the Dutch blues magazine. BILLY JONES - MY HOMETOWN De toekomst van blues wordt gewaarborgd door talenten als Billy Jones. Met diens tweede album benadrukt hij eens te meer dat de mogelijkheden van het genre nog lang niet zijn uitgeput. Dat hij daarbij gebruikt maakt van verwijzingen naar niet direct aan de blues gerelateerde muziekstromingen zal slechts puristen afschrikken. Avontuurlijke liefhebbers kunnen hun hart ophalen aan Jones' brede scala aan invloeden. En aan de afwisseling in klankkleur en vocaal timbre. Hij rockt, rapt, is funky en heeft soul. Jones verdwaalt nergens in ellenlange soli, zingt zeer overtuigend en heeft een rijkgeschakeerd kleurenpalet tot zijn beschikking. Met zijn moderne, muzikale benadering van the devil's music, waarin hij ook regelmatig teruggrijpt naar de basis, maakt hij die toegankelijk voor een breed publiek. Het is te hopen dat hij ook live veel mensen zal bereiken. Een fris album! August 2, 2007 I just registered for POPKOMM that will take place on September 19 - 21, 2007 in Berlin (Germany). If you are also planning to go there too let me know so we can set a time / place to shake hands and exchange some thoughts. Like Midem, Popkomm is an international business platform for the music and entertainment industry. August 1, 2007 At this button you will find direct links to all Black and Tan releases on iTunes and eMusic including the DOWNLOAD ONLY releases. July 24, 2007 After his very succesful show in May 2007, the Bay of Plenty Blues Club in Rotorua, New Zealand appointed Doug Macleod as Patron. July 20, 2007 Just came across this article about the Muslim Roots of the Blues. I never realised this and yet it makes so much sense. July 13, 2007 Two reviews in the new issue: DOUG MACLEOD - the Blues in Me You might read Doug MacLeod's column in Blues Revue, listen to his records or own an ancient cassette recorded by the Doug MacLeod Band. But there's only one way to truly experience MacLeod, and that's to see him live. MacLeod is a first rate story teller and each song he performs comes with a story. Armed only with a National steel guitar, MacLeod is worth an evening's commitment. On the blues in Me, taped in front of a Dutch audience, he honors one of his mentors, Ernest Banks. "Ernest told me, Don't ever play a note you don't believe in". When MacLeod plays, his heavy thumb-plucks, crashing chords, shrill treble, and silvery slide swirl behind his lonesome night-time d elivery, the camera work alternating between long shots and close ups of his finger picking. MacLeod's vocals, which effortlessly coast from falsetto to 'gruff old man,' possess a low-pitched strength perfectly suited to his personal narratives. Besides the 11 song, 95 minute concert, the DVD packs in two hours of extras. In Q&A's, MacLeod talks about his songs as well as life on the road. There is also an eight segment section in which the star recalls experiences with blues legends such as David Honeyboy Edwards, Pee Wee Crayton, and George Harmonica Smith. Unfortunately, the concert is divided into halves rather than chapters, so if you want to listen to, say 'The New Panama Limited' you'll have to fast forward. That's a minor glitch, though, and MacLeod's fans will appreciate the chance to see him perform live.   Art Tipaldi BILLY JONES - my Hometown Jonesin'; blending old and new, an eclectic Arkansas native delivers some intense messages. Billy Jones calls his music 'bluez' but it really doesn't matter how the guitarist and singer labels his contemporary mix of rock, blues, and soul. It's clear that Jones cares little about boundaries unless he's breaking them. That's the case on 'Pull My 44' where Jones dresses up a time-worn lyrical theme with an up-tempo beat, a hook-fueled-rhythm, and tasty slide guitar. He launches a full-out rock assault on 'Crystal' a cautionary tale about the dangers of methamphetamine use. Jones'' impassioned vocal and the song's powerful pull will leave listeners scratching their heads. How could a song about drug addiction be so alluring ? Elsewhere Jones employs Marvin Gaye-style come-ons. 'Here With You' and 'Never Let You Go' are slow jams and would have sounded at home on a 70's Johnny Guitar Watson album. And on the midtempo 'The Clown' , Jones asks his lover if they can 'just make a baby' and make things right. On that tune, his soulful vocals are up front in the mix, offering one of the album's highlights for his distinctive voice. On the title track, Jones evokes the ghetto and its pitfalls, 'Let's drive down through the neighbourhood and let me show you something I bet you ain't never seen', he sings, pointing out homes burned to the ground by folks attempting to cook crystal meth. The victims? The children left to fight their way out of the burning houses and broken families. Jones pulls no punches and offers no answers, but his haunting Spanish-style acoustic guitar riffs keeps your attentions. If that's what Jones calls singing the 'bluez', he's taking out territory few artists dare to tread these days.    Michael Cote July 12, 2007      July 11, 2007 So far it was impossible for me to give a positive answer to all promo requests that came in. But now I can offer tracks of my new releases to every radio station in the world. I have joined RADIOSUBMIT.COM and just uploaded three tracks from the last five Black and Tan releases. At these links you can listen to and download the tracks at hi-bitrate. DOUG MACLEOD - WHERE I BEEN ROSCOE CHENIER - WAITING FOR MY TOMORROW TURNIP GREENS - CARRY ME DOWN THE AISLE BOO BOO DAVIS - DREW, MISSISSIPPI BILLY JONES - MY HOMETOWN July 6, 2007 From the review of Boo Boo Davis last record in LIVING BLUES: There's a trump card though, and it's Davis voice, which rooted in the deepest Mississippi traditions - few singers, in fact, have roared and growled with such authority since the days of Howlin Wolf. .. So in all a hit- and-miss affair to be off-putting to the purists but will appeal to anyone who likes to hear the blues sung true and raw. MY COMMENT: The purist are the last group that we had in mind when we made this record because the purist are responsible for killing a great art form. They are against any kind of change or experimentation and want to keep everything exactly as it is on the records in their collection and then study and analyze it to death. ALL great players in the history of the blues had personality and were trying NEW stuff. That's how the music developed. I am not saying that every experiment is great art but WITHOUT experiments there will be no art. July 5, 2007 Three nice French reviews came in today !!! BILLY JONES - my Hometown Si Billy Jones fait physiquement dix ans ce que moins son âge réel, sa musique n'a rien à envier à cette jeunesse apparente. Il fait partie de ces musiciens qui espèrent faire vivre la 'Great Black Music from the Ancient to the Future' et, s'il ne peut trahir un respect profond du blues traditionnel et des pionniers de la soul, ses influences ne semblent pas s'y limiter : une dose de Chuck D, de Hendrix ou Marley se joignant volontiers à sa musique. Ce deuxième album le compote du label néerlandais de Jan Mittendorp est à mon sens encore plus abouti que le première déjà en son temps reçu très favorablement par la critique. Je pense qu'il a gagné en maturité vocale, surtout sur des titres lents à l'image de Never Let You Go ; l'accompagnement y est aussi plus souple et l'ambiance feutrée de cette album très intimiste gagne largement. La voix et la guitare de Billy Jones s''associent en parfaite harmonie. Billy Jones s'y dévoile encore un peu plus, et ce musicien venu d'Arkansas se raconte librement. Dans le titre éponyme, on y entend ; "welcome to the ghetto, welcome in my hometown, if ya wanna know, how life is in the ghetto go, come and roll with me, let's take a look around.." le décor est planté. My Hometown confirme tout le bien que nous avons pensée du précédent opus de Billy Jones : c'est un artiste difficile à classer, mais de grande classe ! BILLY JONES - my Hometown Voix veloutée façon Marvin Gaye ou puissante et dense pleine de trémolos, on est tout de suite convaincu de la formidable pugnacité de l'artiste à présenter sa propre musique. C'est un patchwork des plus puissants courants musicaux noirs américains qui ont irrigué son blues sophistiqué, de jazz, de soul et de terre de son Arkansas. Mais c'est aussi un pont entre les défricheurs du passé et le devenir de la musique noire américaine d'aujourd'hui. De Jimmy Reed à Clarence Carter, Rufus Thomas ou Stevie Ray Vaughan, Billy Jones grave et déterminé, loin des clichés et des stéréotypes évoque son univers contemporain constitué de contradiction et de désespérance. Qu'elle soit acoustique ou électrique sa musique ciselée se grandit de vocaux chauds et moelleux, façon upbeat songs ou slow jams et de quelques rocks bien frappés à servir de suite. Les guitares versatiles se confondent très souvent, à frayer dans des soli décisifs ou des riffs jazzy, tandis que répondent en échos glamour les chœurs, façon Stax ou Talma Motown. Ramon Goose (guitare, claviers), Joe Goose (basse) et Gary Leach (batterie) enlèvent l'ensemble de belle manière, au service d'un artiste talentueux, découvert par un label européen et dont c'est le 2e album, Hurrah ! DOUG MACLEOD - the Blues in Me Conteur, amuseur, mais également musicien habile et inspiré, Doug MacLeod nous propose la retranscription entre slide et résonateur d'un de ses concerts néerlandais de novembre 2006. Aussi attachant sur le plan visuel, tant la communion entre l'homme et son art est visible, que sur le plan musical, les notes et la voix ne manquant jamais d'émerveiller, Doug MacLeod glisse à l'oreille de son public quelques rasades d'un très bon blues qu'il distille avec beaucoup d'habileté. Le mur de briques rouges derrière l'artiste vient parfois nous rappeler que nous ne sommes pas dans un juke joint des bords du Mississippi, mais Doug MacLeod s'efforce de nous en apporter la chaleur, les saveurs et les couleurs avec des morceaux comme 'Bad Magic', 'Home Cookin' ou 'Turkey Leg Woman' où sa voix se partage entre roulis attachants et tangages un peu rugueux et où sa guitare accompagne de ses cris et de ses larmes la mélodie. En bonus, une interview de Doug et une série d'histoires nous font pénétrer dans le monde de l'artiste à travers l'évocation de musiciens comme Honeyboy Edwards ou Robert Johnson, mais aussi dans sa propre vie et de ce que le blues lui a permis de surmonter. Plus qu'un simple DVD de musique. The Blues In Me est également un livre d'histoire populaire. July 3, 2007 only the people in Holland will probalby know what this is about: June 26, 2007 Doug MacLeod has been out there for a while. Here you have a picture of Doug playing in VA in 1965 and already back then the people had a hard time spelling his name right because he was listed as Doug MacClowd review of the Doug MacLeod DVD: Depuis sa reconversion d'un West Coast blues musclé en petit combo vers une carrière solo de troubadour itinérant, MacLeod est devenu dans ses prestations publiques non seulement très populaire par son naturel, sa décontraction et sa chaleur humaine, mail il est aussi devenu un storyteller autant qu'un chanteur-guitariste. Il parle abon-damment entre les morceaux, il pratique aussi du talking blues sur fond instrumental. C'est toujours fascinant à écouter (avec l'humour en prime) et souvent autobiographique avec des histoires qui sonnent authentiques (même si le doute est permis) et une complicité de bon aloi, voire taquine, avec son public. Cela nécessite une bonne connaissance de 'l anglais, sinon une bonne partie de l'intérêt est perdu. Cette prestation a été enregistrée en concert en Hollande, les 26 et 27 novembre 2006, en deux parties de près d'une heure chacune (hélas sans possibilité de sélectionner telle ou telle plage) où l'on ne retrouve que deux morceaux de son der nier CD (B&T026, voir SB 183) : Bad magic et le désopilant Turkey leg woman, annoncé comme en protest song sur les femmes trop minces. Les autres faces sont des originaux (sauf une version très personnelle du Panama Limited de Bukka White), et maigré une certaine unicité des tempos, voire des mélodies (au service des textes) et un dérapage vocal (très) occasionnel, on tombe sous le charme de l'interprétation et des mimiques de MacLeod qui fait son faux ingénu et s'amuse énormément face à un public complice. C'est un exploit si l'on considère qu'il est seul en scène avec sa National et qu'il reste assis tout du long. Chaque morceau mérite une mention, l'intérêt ne faiblit jamais, mais, s'il le faut, on retiendra plus particulièrement Long time road et New Panama limited dont les mélodies cassent le moule, un bien enlevé Home cooking (conseils de Doug avant de faire l'amour, mais aussi après !) et le Masters plan de clôture (belle mélodie, belle profession de foi), etc. Parmi les bonus : une interview, des ''stories'' et une galerie de photo pour une durée d'environ trois heures. Andre Hobus June 25, 2006 review of BILLY JONES - MY HOMETOWN of the June 2007 issue: My Hometown (Black & Tan Records) is a representative of a newer generation of our music, which Billy Jones calls “Bluez.” From somewhere in Arkansas (there seems to be hundreds of different regional styles within its musical borders), his hometown is mysterious. He is interested in “advancing/extending ‘Great Black Music from the Ancient to the Future’ and making sure that it is available for future generations.” Easy, acoustic guitar patterns and chords usher in an instantly welcome feeling. Soon, string effects give way to vocals providing a Bill Withers feel. It’s love music with pop potential, romantic lyrics, plus attractive patterns and slight hooks. Background vocals are sometimes wordless, other times repeated. Jones’ vocals are not trained, but genuine. Tremelo and a train rhythm join for “Pull My 44,” with a good drummer playing brushes and sticks. Think of it as insurance against anyone messing with his woman. Not strictly blues so far, but certainly modern southern and not as in rock. We slow down for a rich “Right Now,” this one hinting at soul. Of course it’s about love, after all the whammy bar is utilized on solid-body guitar strings! By now, the writing and warm production are evident as uniform. It’s simple enough for the masses but non-commercial enough for purists. Echo effects on the vocal and now hard-rock-sounding guitar hit home the crystal meth topic of the next story. Some don’t think music is the canvas for social commentary, but I’m not among them. The blues especially has a history of communication, perhaps underground in earlier generations. Wasn’t it Tommy Johnson singing about drinking canned heat? Fortunately free speech continues to be revered in music as symptoms of ageless problems progress. This track is pretty wicked musically, too. Over the four following tracks we hear more soul complete with dreamy tempo, handclaps, middle of the night love talk and electric piano. We have funk/rock and a topic of forbidden love. One cut has an almost Spanish acoustic rhythm guitar, while the electric lead hints at Flamenco. And it’s interesting that authorship of all the selections are un-credited. The fresh lyrics suggest they are original but what is described as “a new genre of music that rises from the ashes of what has come before it” sometimes sounds like a kind of updated Howlin’ Wolf feel in half-time. An almost folk setting shows some promise toward the end of the album, but it quickly gets somewhat syrupy. Not enough to wear out a welcome, but feeling like the set is winding down, returning to slide guitar. The peppy closer works, with a long intro vamp on a single chord, going to the quick change as the vocal starts, “Bluez Comes Callin’,” and this is indeed a real blues. It’s verified down-home, played without bass and even a washboard-type effect for an instant, but a little suspect with over-processed wordless vocal refrain. One thing’s for sure: Billy Jones CAN’T live without his baby, to whom he’s been singing his heart out on every selection. We got that. Great clean, lead guitar playing plus good second guitar are the high points of this music. Lyrically love is the truth at the top, the ghetto a secondary recurring theme. Grade of B. Tom Coulson June 24, 2007 Boo Boo Davis in Vienna last friday. Picture by Dietmar Hoscher. June 20, 2007 At this button you will find direct links to all Black and Tan releases on iTunes and eMusic June 19, 2007 This is what they wrote about BOO BOO DAVIS - DREW, MISSISSIPPI: There's something very interesting going on here. Although the album's credited to Boo Boo Davis, he's only part of the equation, since it's others who bring definite hip-hop tinges to the music and give it a contemporary edge. Although there's a sense of adventure to much of it, and the loops and scratching form part of the canvas, it's still quite definitely rooted in the Mississippi blues that Davis has been recording for several years (the album's named for his hometown). He's a strong singer, a natural bluesman who can make the harp wail, while still capable of a true gutbucket sound on "Who Stole the Booty," for instance, or the delicacy of the title track. There's a fine balance in the work, and some unusual touches, like fiddle on the autobiographical "Standing in the Cotton Field"; rather than try to be one thing or another, this is an excellent blues record that's framed in modern terms without ever losing its sense of the past. Full marks to Davis for putting his music on the line this way and coming out a winner. June 17, 2007 And also from the new issue an article on Billy Jones: "Die ewige Geschichte von Zügen und Plantagen ist letztlich für die Jugend abschreckend. Sie hat zuviel mit Armut und Analphabetismus zu tun. Es war in Ordnung für die Großeltern aber wir müssen uns an das Publikum wenden, das heute zu unseren Konzerten kommt." Jugendlich entspannt lehnt sich der Mann, dem man sein Geburtsjahr 1953 nicht einmal annähernd ansieht, zurück und lässt den Blick durch den Wiener "Tunnel" schweifen, während seine Band den Soundcheck beendet. "Es gibt noch immer sehr viel zu sagen und eine Menge Leute, die dies auch hören wollen. Aber die Industrie hat bis dato die Künstler stets an der kurzen Leine gehalten, sodass sie die Vergangenheit imitiert haben. Es ist nicht so, dass die Künstler keine Ideen hätten. Aber "Nicht-Künstler" kontrollieren, in welche Richtung die Musiker gehen sollen. Das ist zwar lächerlich, aber Realität. Nur weil ich in der Jugend Lightnin´ Hopkins gemocht habe, muss ich nicht verlangen, dass alles, was ich produziere, ebenfalls nach Lightnin´ Hopkins klingt. Jeder muss sich selbst ausdrücken können. Aber die neue Generation an Blueskünstlern wird dies, auch mit der Hilfe des Internets, ändern." Billy Jones ist bereits geraume Weile im Musikgeschäft unterwegs. Doch trotzdem er dies in verschiedensten Stilen tat - von Glam-Rock bis Disco -, fand er von Kindesbeinen an seinen treuesten Wegbegleiter im Blues. Aufgewachsen in North Little Rock, Arkansas, lebte er mit seiner Familie beim Großvater, der Zimmer vermietete und ein Café betrieb. Jukebox und Live-Auftritte von Musikern gehörten zum Alltag. "Ich war zwar noch nicht alt genug, um am Abend im Club sein zu dürfen aber unter Tags konnte ich den Musikern beim Proben zusehen. Ich erinnere mich zum Beispiel daran, dass Sonny Boy Williamson oft bei uns war, ebenso Bobby Blue Bland usw. Mein Vater chauffierte Howlin´ Wolf und Sonny Boy die ganze Zeit herum. Ich war ein kleiner Junge und all diese Künstler im Haus zu haben, war damals überhaupt nichts Besonderes für mich, denn sie waren andauernd da." Konsequenterweise war es somit auch nicht ungewöhnlich, dass Jones in jenem Moment beschloss, Musiker zu werden, in welchem er zum ersten Mal die Gitarre seines Onkels in der Hand hielt. "Von da an wusste ich, dass ich niemals mehr mit der Musik aufhören wollte. Natürlich konnte ich das nicht immer tun. Aber stets wenn ich vor der Entscheidung stand: "Ok Jones, du kannst Gitarre spielen oder etwas anderes tun", war ich schon mit der Gitarre unterwegs, unabhängig vom Geld." Billy Jones ist ein analytischer Beobachter, beschäftigt sich viel mit den Veränderungen um ihn herum. "Heute ist es viel schwieriger als in meinen Jugendtagen. Die Musikszene ist nicht von Musikern beherrscht sondern von DJ´s und Rappern, die mit Mikrophonen, Freundinnen und Goldketten dafür ohne Instrumente und Verstärker auftauchen. Auch damit muss der Blues umzugehen lernen. Viele Bluesmusiker wollen nicht, dass junge Künstler kommen, und in ihrem Licht stehen. Die Hip Hopper machen dies anders. Die holen sich jemand von der nächsten Straßenecke ins Studio und produzieren mit ihm eine Platte und ein Video. Das sollten eigentlich die Blueser machen und nicht so selbstsüchtig sein. Wie könnte ich zum Beispiel B.B. King weh tun, eine Gefahr für ihn sein? Ich rede mit vielen Bluesmusikern, aber meistens ist die Reaktion "Good to see you, move on!" Aber ich habe ein gewisses Verständnis dafür, denn für viele ist es sicher schwer, den Lebensunterhalt zu verdienen. Also müssen sie sehr hart arbeiten und verlieren so das große Bild aus den Augen." Jones nennt seine Musik, deren Kategorisierung er grundsätzlich dem Publikum überlässt, "tha´ Bluez". Prägnant sind ohne Zweifel seine kräftige Stimme und das emotional virtuose Gitarrenspiel, das Einflüsse des Blues in seinen vielfältigen Varianten von Delta bis Chicago und Detroit ebenso offenbart wie an den frühen Prince erinnernden Funk sowie eine große Portion Soul. "Great Black Music from the Ancient to the Future" kann in den Linernotes seines neuen Albums, "My Hometown", nachgelesen werden. Und in der Tat gelingt es Jones, diese Mixtur in mitreißender, urbaner Frische zu präsentieren, ein Künstler, dem es gelingt, die Energie seiner Liveauftritte auch auf Tonträger zu bannen. Zudem singt der Amerikaner von Dingen, welche auch im Erfahrungsschatz des jüngeren Publikums beheimatet sind. So heißt es etwa in "Crystal", einem packenden, pumpenden Rockblues: "on the backstreets of Chicago / on a cold and rainy night / in a bluez club in the gettho / my best friend lost his life / ya´ know he could have been a doctor / ah but he was just a fend / for crystal methamphetamine". "Ja, Blues ist nach wie vor politisch", hält Jones fest. "Aber viele Amerikaner sind heute einfach vollkommen selbstzufrieden. Was immer auch im Radio gespielt wird, es ist Ok für sie. Blues erzählt sehr intellektuelle Geschichten, eingebettet in eine simple Form. Einen Song wie "Revolution Blues" habe ich geschrieben, weil ich mich wundere, wie jemand ein ganzes Land kontrollieren kann, ohne dass ihn jemand aufhält." tha´ Bluez eben! Dietmar Hoscher June 16, 2007 Just came across a great artists / songwriter; DARRELL SCOTT. You can listen to samples of his record at iTunes. Great to be aware that there is still a lot of great music out there that you don't know. It keeps you searching. review of Doug MacLeod's DVD: "Doug MacLeod zählt seit geraumer Zeit zu den Fixsternen des akustischen, authentischen (Country)Blues. Mit Hingabe, Charisma und unglaublicher Freundlichkeit begeistert der Amerikaner stets auch live das Publikum. Konzerte mit Doug MacLeod sind amüsante, anekdotenreiche Bluesreisen. Nunmehr kann dies auch optisch Zuhause nachverfolgt werden, nachdem Black & Tan verdienstvollerweise den Musiker zu einer DVD-Produktion überreden konnte. Aufgenommen Ende November 2006 in Holland hört und sieht man MacLeod-Klassiker wie „Bad Magic“, „The New Panama Limited“, „Big City Woman“ oder das berührende „The Masters Plan“. Damit aber nicht genug. Die sorgfältige, liebevolle Produktion der Black & Tan-CDs setzt sich auch auf DVD fort. Also gibt es ein ausführliches, sehr intimes Interview mit MacLeod, in welchem er erstmals auch offen über die Tatsache spricht, in seiner Kindheit missbraucht worden zu sein. Hinzu kommen Geschichten aus seinem Tourleben und eine Slide-Show, die den Künstler mit zahllosen Kollegen zeigt, mit denen er gearbeitet hat. Spielzeit fast drei Stunden! Sehr zu empfehlen!" -DiHo- June 15, 2007 For almost two months now (since April 23, 2007), my Hometown from Billy Jones has been in the playlist of BLUESVILLE with Bill Wax on XM Radio. June 13, 2007 from the review of Billy Jones in the new issue: "Native of Arkansas, this youngblood takes a modern views of the blues or, as he would have it, Bluez. The Hometown in question is the ghetto and his songs, of sufficient lyrical import to have them for the basis of the insert, tell of the trials and tribulation s of life in this potential hellhole, Some of the themes are conventional and are given a contemporary spin, other are inherently very much of today, and they're often presented in a style which is possible best regarded as contemporary R&B, delivered in a manner designed to engage a young black audience to which traditional blues is a relic of bygone times. Whether this hits Jones' intended audience remains to be seen but this is a refreshing effort." June 11, 2007 The last few weeks I didn't have much time to post anything new on here but finally I am back in the office after two and a half weeks on the road with Boo Boo Davis in (N) Ireland. We played all over the country did a total of 15 shows including a few festivals. In Ballyshannon we played at the Rory Gallagher Tribute Festival. Rory was born in Bally Shannon and a lot of his fans gather there every year to listen / play his music and drink lots of alcohol. I have never so many people so drunk and yet behave so relaxed. The Irish shure know how to drink. We enjoyed the beautiful Irish landscape and visited among others the world-famous Cliffs of Moher. Doug MacLeod returned last week from a 6 weeks tour in Australia and New Zealand. The tour was big success and Doug made lots of new fans and friends at that side of world. Here is a quote form the review in the Daily Post in Rotorua (New Zealand): "I must admit, I headed along to an American blues legend, Doug MacLeod's concert thinking a chap I've never heard of before playing a bunch of acoustic blues number wasn't going to be my cup of tea. Wrong !! I'm a fan and if you weren't there last night, you missed one hell of a concert. MacLeod took to the stage for a two and half hour show that whizzed by too fast. Do me favour, make sure you're there the next time he drops by." May 30, 2007 Yesterday evening Boo Boo Davis had a packed house in JJ's in Dublin. ** DUBB'S ROAD BOOK ** Well, I'm just about to end this tour of Australia and New Zealand. Saw a mess of blue penguins at the Penguin Club in Oamaru. Yep, they come out of the water, dig holes in the buildings and walk the streets. No foolin'! I saw two of 'em leave the others and head on down the street. I beleive they had romance on their mind. Sure has been nothin' less than a Great Time. Great people to work for and Great audiences. I'm looking forward to coming back this way. But in just a few more days and I'll be heading home. Some folks have asked me about how my family handles all this travelling. Well, if you talked to me personally, you already know my answer. But if you haven't....I figure I'll tell ya' Now if my wife doesn't remember me? Well, a little TLC ( or maybe alot ) can help that along, But if my dog Rufus don't remember me................now we're talkin' some serious trouble there. ...Doug MacLeod May 29, 2007 We spend our first free night of the Boo Boo Davis tour in Belfast in a real Irish Pub, with real traditional Irish music, drinking a few (and a few more) pints of Guinness. Boo Boo preferred the 'normal' beer. May 28, 2007 We started our European tour with Boo Boo Davis on May 23 in Clermont Ferrand (France) and the next day we flew to Ireland where we will be staying 2,5 week. So far we have played in Walkinstown (Dublin), Drogheda, Warrenpoint and Belfast. In Warrenpoint we played at the BLUES AT THE BAY FESTIVAL, which was headlined by Van Morrison. May 25, 2007 ** DUBB'S ROAD BOOK ** Well I'm in New Zealand now on the South Island in the town called Invercargill. ( Just learned how to spell it ( I think ), still can't speak it! ) New Zealand. Discoverd by the Dutch, but there was a whole lot of Scottish settlers here. So....that means that everybody knows how to spell and pronounce my last name. No 'Mac-Lee-Odd's' or 'Ma-Clee-Odds' not to mention that I'll never hear here the famous 'Duff McCluff' that makes Jan of Black and Tan laugh. In Broadbeach Australia I ran into some old friends.. Barry Levenson and Robert Lucas. They are both with Canned Heat now. A musician's life sure can be crazy. We live in the same town and we don't hook up untill we're what??.... 5,000 miles from home? But it was good to see those two fellas. Crazy. Talk about crazy? I met Steve Arvey in Australia. Steve is a long time vet of the Chicago blues scene. And let me tell ya with authority.. that man is crazy. Plus he does a great imitation of the late Cubs-White Sox-and Cardinal broadcaster Haray Caray. Doubled old Dubb with laughter so many times! Got to roll on now. Til the next time. ...Doug MacLeod May 22, 2007 review of Doug MacLeod's new DVD: Doug Macleod ist nicht nur ein grossartiger Songschreiber und Bluesmusiker, er ist auch ein fantastischer Geschichtenerzähler. Und dies lebt der Wahlkalifornier auf seiner ersten DVD auch voll aus. Seine mit Bottleneck oder Fingerpicking unterlegten Songs erzählen Stories und werden erst noch mit witzigen Sprüchen oder Anekdoten eingeleitet. Doug bezieht sein Publikum ganz mit ein und schafft eine Atmosphäre, die von der Konserver problemlos in die heimische Stube überschwappt. Aufgenommen im November 2006 im intimen Setting eines Clubgigs in Holland, geniessen wir bei angenehm ruhiger Kamereführung einen gut 95-minütigen Querschnitt durch das Repertoire des Gitarristen. Beinahe gleich lange dauert der Bonusteil dieser DVD. In einem längeren Interview erzählt MacLeod von seinen Wurzeln, von seinem Förderer George 'Harmonica'' Smith, von seinem letzten Album ‚'Where I Been'' oder vom Blues allgemein, Ein ganzes Kapitel ist dem Thema ‚'Stories' gewidmet, wo Doug herrliche Müsterchen von sich gibt, von Big Joe Turners dritten Zähnen, von Robert Johnsons Bügeleisentrick mit dem Gitarenkoffer und von seinem eigenen Leben on the road. Eine Slideshow mit vielen alten Fotos aus Doug Macleods langer Karriere rundet eine musikalisch feine, sehr unterhaltsame DVD ab. May 21, 2007 review on BOO BOO DAVIS - DREW, MISSISSIPPI: Il y a quelques temps, chez mon employeur précédent, tous les salariés se restauraient au moment de la pause de midi. Ce jour là, il y avait deux intérimaires qui faisaient acte de présence. Chose plutôt rare, à ce moment de la journée, nous parlions Blues. Puis, soudain le plus jeune des travailleurs temporaires, nous interpelle et affirme avec impertinence, et l’assurance d’un gosse de 19 ans : « Le Blues… il y a encore des gens qui écoutent cette musique de vieux. Ce n’étaient pas des noirs qui jouaient ça en pleurant sur leur guitare, mais on l’entend plus ça ! ».Bigre, je ne vous raconte pas la gifle ! Malgré un maigre laïus pour narrer le Blues dans l’Histoire et de la place qu’il occupe dans la musique actuelle, notre cher interlocuteur, par sa préférence semblait sombrer dans ses stéréotypes et les jeux de son téléphone portable. Le nouvel album de Boo Boo Davis : « Drew, Mississippi » confirme la bonne place du Blues dans la musique actuelle. Et réconcilie par la même occasion, les inexpérimentés avec les amateurs. Alors que la musique à la mode est plutôt aux rythmes électroniques et aux basses assourdissantes, Black & Tan réussit le pari de l’alliance de la musique électronique à l’authenticité du Blues du Mississippi, représenté par l’ambassadeur : Boo Boo Davis. Une musique électronique, bien loin de la Trance Hard Core des Raves de nos campagnes. Nous retrouvons dans le travail de production le soin et la qualité exigés par le précieux et jeune label. Ramon Goose (guitare, claviers et programmations – également fondateur du projet « Nublues ») co-signe avec Boo Boo Davis, les compositions de l’album. Le duo fortifié par les musiciens et les ingénieurs sons de Black & Tan, créé une clarté sonore très contemporaine. L’alchimie du staff qui entoure le travail de cet album, donne naissance à une musique moderne, mais toujours artisanale. Les musiciens ne sont pas prêts d’être remplacés pas des machines ! Mais, que vont dire alors nos chers puristes ? Rien, car aussi magique que cela puisse paraître, les fameuses déclinaisons qui nous donnent l’illustre couleur « Blues » sont présentes dans chaque mesure. La ruralité du Mississippi et l’esprit mystique qui l’entoure, sont préservés. L’urbanisation des boucles électroniques, des samples et des scratches, ne vient en aucun point gâcher le chant incantatoire de Boo Boo Davis. Au contraire, la musique groove, est déjà prête à enflammer le « dance floor », sur des mélodies aux évocations de Delta Blues. Boo Boo Davis évoque des images fortes dans le baptême de l’album. « Drew, Mississipppi » symbolise, son origine et un lieu à l’identité forte. Une véritable bénédiction ! May 19, 2007 ** DUBB'S ROAD BOOK ** ""Well, I finally got attacked by some of these strange critters here in Australia. Now, I'm standing by a tree in Bathurst, looking at the sun move across some easy rollin' hills and feeling just how lucky I was to be alive on that glorious day when all of a sudden I felt a sharp sting on my calf. I looked down and to my surprise I was standing amongst a colony of some very angry ants they call 'Jack Jumpers' over here. I stopped counting at 1,253 and got the hell out of there! They're like our carpenter ants, maybe a little larger, but they got a whole lot of mean and anger in their bones. It took me a good 10 minutes to get 'em all off of me. Man! Well now, I ain't standing on no sand by any trees in any parks and I'm checking my shoes for critter guests. But I'm still enjoying that great Australian Shiraz! Hell................that's the least they could do...Dont' ya' think? " ...Doug MacLeod May 15, 2007 May 14, 2007 Over the years I have collected a lot of backline equipment and it's time to get rid of some of the stuff that I never use. Get in touch if you are interested in one of these two items: - bass speaker cabinet with a 15 inch Electro Voice speaker - Leslie 825 I can send you more details and pictures. May 11, 2007 Finally !!! BILLY JONES - MY HOMETOWN is now available at:   May 10, 2007 review on ROSCOE CHENIER - WAITING FOR MY TOMORROW. Lorsque nous nous retrouvons avec un nouvel album dans les mains, le premier événement qui intervient naturellement, est celui d’ôter le blister. Ensuite, vient le cérémonial de l’accès à la divine rondelle, qui selon notre degré de frénésie, peut évidemment varier. La parade est régulièrement identique pour chaque communiant. Et généralement, une fois l’entrebâillement du boîtier opéré, la galette est toujours insérée avec célérité, dans le lecteur approprié. Pas besoin de s’attarder sur l’esthétique d’un rond de 12 cm. C’est à partir de là que tout change et selon même, les choix musicaux ! Certains font la vaisselle, le ménage, de la bureautique, font infuser leur thé, ou réalisent toute autre activité. Fortement interpellé par ce nouvel album et la voix de Roscoe Chenier à la fêlure archangélique, je me retrouve, serein, séduit par l’ambiance, assis face à la jaquette du bijou. Habité par la musique et le travail une nouvelle fois de plus, exceptionnels du label « Black And Tan », je contemple la pochette sur laquelle je retrouve Roscoe Chenier. Le louisianais est « carrossé » de bagouzes dorées aveuglantes, « amarré » par une chaîne aux forts maillons, et un sautoir finissant sur un scintillant « cookies » d’or et de pierres précieuses dessinant un « $­­ ». Nous y croquerions bien dedans pour nous assurer de l’authenticité. Chapeau en feutre, enjolivant l’artiste, le cliché vient rapidement à l’esprit : Roscoe Chenier serait-il le père spirituel de feu Notorious Big ? Et forcément, quand il est question d’authenticité, c’est au niveau auditif qu’elle prend son sens le plus expressif. Dès la première mesure de « Shake Your Hand », la scénographie incontestable du maestro est installée avec noblesse. L’aura Swamp Blues de Roscoe Chenier est rapidement envoûtante. Et c’est bien évidemment grâce à un chant singulier, qu’il met à profit cet univers. Une voix, tantôt voilée, tantôt puissante, sans jamais être excessive, mais suffisamment pour plastronner une maîtrise vocale digne des plus grands chanteurs de Blues et de Soul. « Ain’t Got No Home », qui nul doute vous découvrirez en piste deux, est un hymne musical façon New Orleans, approché avec humour par Roscoe Chenier qui semble incarner différents personnages, bien malheureux de n’avoir obtenu aucun foyer. Dans un des actes suivants cette pièce majeure du Blues selon Chenier, « Time Is Hard », est enraciné dans le Mississippi et reflète une musicalité profonde proche de « Catfish Blues ». Au fil des actes, des péripéties et des aventures musicales, nous découvrons des décors pittoresques et authentiques d’un Blues vivant. Ces Blues qui prennent parfois des allures énigmatiques comme sur « Bad Luck », qui semble avoir été composé par Tom Waits, accroche l’auditeur par des percussions surprenantes et un piano à la teneur dantesque. En cette période printanière, et où les jours fériés viennent briser les cadences de labeurs des semaines, nous profiterons de sortir notre barbecue, le Gumbo de crevettes, les mets aux sauces piquantes, nous ferons rameuter les copains et les copines, et profiterons de sortir de bonnes bières fraîches du réfrigérateur ! Oui de belles journées rythmées par les mélodies de Roscoe Chenier, prenant des airs de fêtes lorsque l’accordéon et la mandoline viennent enjoliver nos belles journées. Alléluia, c’est comme ça que j’aime la vie ! « Waiting For My Tomorrow » un album printanier à mettre dans toutes les mains ! May 9, 2007 We just got confirmation for Roscoe Chenier's appearance at the RHYTHM RIOT in London on November 23, 2007. The Rhythm Riot is the UK's biggest festival of 1950s Rhythm & Blues and Roots Rock 'n' Roll We also released three un-released tracks from ROSCOE CHENIER most recent recording session. They're as good as the ones on the record we simple didn't have enough room for all the tracks. They will available as downloads only. Here are the links to the tracks at:    May 8, 2007 ** DUBB'S ROAD BOOK ** ""Well now I'm in a little town called Gerringong. Oh about 100 K's from Sydney. It's a quiet little village.........well until last night when 'Ol Dubb got an idea for a few songs. So about 3:30 in the morning the quiet was quietly broken by yours truly picking my National and singing some. I noticed a black spider on my balcony. I couldn't see it's back to see if it had the red on it. Those are the dangerous ones ya know. But it just hung out and listened. So even it was the 'red back' it dug the songs. So I figure they must be some good 'uns. Should be playin' them in a few months. Guess I'll call 'em my 'Gerringong Spider Songs'. Talk to ya when I get another chance." ...Doug MacLeod May 7, 2007 Film makers Jesper Vidkjaer and Ole Bertelsen from Mazanti Film not only filmed and edited the new DOUG MACLEOD DVD but they also made a documentary about TURNIP GREENS and the recording session for their latest release, in Utrecht (Netherlands) in 2006. This documentary won the first price in the Music Video category of the International Film Festival AFIA held in Aarhus (Denmark) last week. The documentary was released on DVD by Mazanti. May 4, 2007 ** DUBB'S ROAD BOOK ** ""Hey Everybody, If you've been with me for a long time, I know you remember the Doug MacLeod Band. Well, you'll never guess who I found in the city of Canberra. It was my old friend and long time bass player Eric Ajaye! No foolin'. I walked in on him in his room in the University where he teaches Jazz. He was just reading the riot act to a student, when yours truly popped in on him. It took him a second, I mean it's been 15 years, and then he said, "DOUG! DOUG MACLEOD! " Then he gave me 4 huge bear hugs. I met his wife Karen . They have 3 kids a boy and twin girls. He's doin just fine. Teaching, playing, writing, and recording. I heard his new album and it's real good. I'm so happy I found him. Now I got to find my to the next gig................til the next time. The food? Like England.............find a Chinese or Thai place! " ...Doug MacLeod May 3, 2007 quotes from the reviews in the new issue: on Billy Jones - my Hometown: "In 2005 noemde ik Billy Jones een vernieuwer van de blues. Deze cd bevestigt dat. Sterker nog. Jones gaat nog iets breder in het etaleren van schrijverskunsten en vertolkerscapaciteiten. Dit is uitstekende soulvolle blues met actuele lyrische thema's en onderwerpen." on Doug MacLeod - the Blues in Me: "Van bij de eerste klaaglijke gitaarsound, die aan Blind Willie Johnson herinnert tot aan het einde van het van zijn clubconcert, boeit deze dvd." May 2, 2007 ** DUBB'S ROAD BOOK ** ""Dubb here with ya' still down under. Now I'm on the East Coast of Australia. I'm on top of Tamorine Mountain and looking down on the Gold Coast. Sure is pretty. Yesterday I walked thru a rain forest. I was enjoying myself until I heard some serious rustlin' in the bushes. No one else on the path but me....and some serious rustlin' in a jungle? Not the place for Dubb. I eased myself on out of there in a hurry! Now did you know that the Australians call the English POM's or POME's? Yep they do. And it means Prisoners of Mother England. Now considering that Australia was settled by convicts and criminals it makes this Yank wonder some if they got confusement on this situation. But I heard that the Australians consider the English to still be Prisoners of Mother England. OK, I gotta head on down to Canberra. Talk to y'all again further down the road." ...Doug MacLeod My Hometown is getting lots of airplay and went from zero to number 15 in the Top 50 Roots / Blues chart of ROOTS MUSIC REPORT. May 1, 2007 Two nice reviews in the new issue of Blues Art Studio: DOUG MACLEOD - The Blues In Me Black & Tan’s first foray into DVD and a real winner it is too; it helps that Doug is such a fascinating character. This presents the American solo singer/ guitarist in an intimate gig in Holland in November last year, with the live show lasting around an hour and a half on this DVD. He is a fine singer and his classic Mississippi styled playing is as impressive as ever – and he has set a very high standard for himself over the years – as he works through a programme of almost entirely original material. One of the delights of this set though is to be able to see and hear Doug’s between-song patter, which is almost as entertaining as the songs themselves, and gives a good idea of the man’s background. Do, though, also check out the interview that is also included on this DVD. Doug has been a round a long time and this is truly insightful. There is also a separate section entitled ‘Stories’, covering aspects of his career and revealing anecdotes of a few of the many blues greats that he has associated with over the years. Both the ‘Stories’ and ‘Interview’ sections are sub-divided into short sections, though it would be useful to be able to run them straight through. A slide show of some vintage photos of Doug with associated luminaries completes a very attractive package. BILLY JONES - my Hometown Billy has been playing professionally since his early twenties; during that time he successfully toured, a wide range of army camps across the length and breadth of America with his own band ‘The Incredible Rock City Band.’ (The name is taken from his hometown of North Little Rock, Arkansas). As his skill and experience has increased over the years he has become a solo artist and has featured as an album /concert backing player for such artists as; Vernon Garret, Willie Clayton, Bar-Kays and Chick Willis to name but a few.Now, with this his second solo album we have a mature, solid and extremely focused piece of music. Billy portrays and explains in words and song; the harsh’ realities of everyday life today, which sadly, has changed very little over the years for the majority of people living in the inner cities of the modern world. To complement the contemporary hard edged urban blues feel, which is found throughout the album; a rich seam of seventies soul textures, brightly illuminate, uplift and injects the proceedings with welcoming rays of musical sunshine. The ten tracks here cover a wide and varied collection of subject matter ranging from love, jealousy, adultery, fear, poverty and the ever present spectre of death by drugs and guns. Billy, who takes lead vocals and guitar, is ably assisted by Ramon Goose; guitar, keyboards and programming, Joe Goose; bass, and Gary Leach; drums. (These gentlemen are also known as the band, Nu Blues). I would say, it was just the thing, for a slow and easy summer Sunday morning. Recommended! April 28, 2007 Two nice reviews of Black and Tan releases in the new issue of the UK magazine: DOUG MACLEOD - The Blues In Me This in concert DVD was recorded in November of 2006 at Wapen van Oudeschans in the Netherlands. It appears to be a small, informal venue with a warm sound and ambience. MacLeod appears dressed smartly but casually, citing one of his mentors who told him to 'look like an entertainer, not a member of the audience!' He plays the same National guitar throughout. The material is completely original, except for Bukka White's 'The Panama Limited' here titled 'The New Panama Limited'.I have to confess from the get go that while not a registered DubbHead I am a MacLeod fan, and I was not disappointed by this DVD. MacLeod comes across as a warm, friendly individual, and with lots of amusing in-between song chat and he has a real rapport with his audience. The camera work and sound are excellent and there are plenty of fret board close ups for the pickers. The concert is presented in two sections, however the menu doesn't seem to allow you to select individual tracks which is a little annoying if you wanted to show a couple of selected cuts to someone. However what of the music, well I have to say that the songs that really hit the spot with me were 'Bad Magic'; an absolutely stunning run through 'Panama Limited'; and 'Turkey Leg Woman', which Doug introduces as a 'protest song'. The fact it happens to be a protest song against skinny women is neither here or there, hell I agree with him, I don't like skinny women either, give me a babe with a bit of meat on the bone any day! I guess I may get into trouble with our editor for those dangerous comments! This DVD comes with extras in the form of an interview; 'stories' (including a real funny tale entitled 'Big Joe Turner's Teeth'); and a photo gallery. If you are familiar with Doug MacLeod's music then I don't really have to recommend this DVD, however if you have not heard him before on disc or in concert, then this DVD will deliver the goods. Billy Jones - my Hometown African-American singer/guitarist/songwriter Billy Jones was born in 1953 in North Little Rock, Arkansas, where his family owned a café that hosted such musical guests as Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson and others. He picked up the guitar as a child and in his twenties formed his own group; he has worked with many of the blues and soul performers of the southern chitlin circuit. This is his second album for this Dutch label, and like its predecessor, it is modern blues - though in a much more individual way than that definition usually indicates. Don't make the mistake of thinking that this is your standard blues set from a southern born artist. Rhythm section responsibilities are in the hands of Joe Goose (bass) and Gary Leach (drums), whilst production duties are handled by Ramon Goose of British hip-hop/blues outfit NuBlues (the same guy who was responsible for the recent rather experimental CD by Boo Boo Davis) and he also helps out on guitar, keyboards and programming. No, please read on… Now, some readers may not consider much of this set to be blues at all. Billy has an excellent bluesy voice whatever he is tackling and there is certainly a variety of influences at work here. The opener is modern soul styled, with a bluesy guitar in evidence and lyrics that contain both contemporary urban slang and subtle references to B.B. King and Sam Cooke. 'Pull My 44' is a suitably tough piece over a driving Diddleyesque rhythm guitar and with a strong slide guitar break, 'Right Now' is a soul smoocher with some guitar work after the fashion of Jimi Hendrix in ballad mode, 'Crystal' is a riff laden blues-rock piece about the impact of crystal meth, and 'The Clown' is modern southern soul. The title track is a guided tour of the ghetto, a couple of songs have strong hip-hop inflections - particularly in the rhythms - and 'The Rumor' is kind of spacey soul with synthesised strings. But then again, 'You Upset My Soul' is a tough blues with distant echoes of 'Directly From My Heart To You', and the closing item is an excellent down-home blues that could have come out of Arkansas at more or less any time in the last 55 years or so - so yes, Billy can do that too. Black & Tan do seem to be aiming at least some of their output these days towards an audience more familiar with hip-hop, programming and the like, than at those whose frames of reference are sixties and seventies rock music, guitars and vintage B.B. King. Billy certainly deserves credit for trying to update the blues for a modern audience, and this CD is rewarding for those readers prepared to listen with open ears - don't just dismiss it out of hand. If you want to bring a new, younger audience to the blues (and at some point fairly soon that is what it is going to need), it does make sense to try it this way. April 26, 2007 review by Robert Sacré: Un des talents les plus originaux apparus dans la mouvance du blues de ces dernières années, un pied dans la tradition, l'autre dans les rythmes plus contemporains, Billy Jones continue sur la lancée de son premier CD B&T, avec ici encore des textes captivants sur la vie dans les ghettos (My hometown, Here with you…), la drogue (Crystal,…), les armes ( Pull my 44,…), la passion amoureuse assortie de jalousie (Right now, Never let you go, The clown, You upset my soul,Pull my 44…) et la fidélité ( The rumor) ou encore la déprime profonde ( Bluez comes callin'). Sur le plan musical il alterne blues et ballades soul funky quoique celles-ci soient moins omniprésentes sur disque que dans ses shows live (ceux auxquels j'ai pu assister en tout cas) . Son blues est puissant et évocateur , tantôt pur et dur, tantôt plus résolument moderne (The clown , Blues comes callin', Pull my 44, You upset my soul, Crystal). Ses faces soul sont plus quelconques sur le plan des mélodies mais restent en prise directe avec la vie de tous les jours et ses aléas via des textes intelligents et crédibles (Here with you, Right now, The Rumor). For the Vikings among you. Here a quote from the reveiw of Billy Jones in Blues News (Norway): Tekstmessig er han samfunnsengasjert selv om han også synger om sine problemer med damer. Musikalsk spenner det fra my soul… til rock, blues og raplignende låter. Aldrig rendyrket i en stil, men mikset sammen i et åpent og tiltalende lydbilde. April 25, 2007 SOUL BAG, one of the leading blues/soul magazines in France, picked the title track (my Hometown) form the new Billy Jones CD for their next sampler CD. This free sampler CD which will be enclosed with every copy of the forthcoming issue from the magazine. From Jim Norton / WGLT in Normal IL (USA): LOVE Billy's CD. Glad to be able to play it. From Vasja Ivanovski (Macedonia): Greetings from Skopje, Macedonia! Enclosed is one of my recent radio playlists which include Billy Jones' excellent material. April 24, 2007 This interesting message came in from Jay Sieleman (executive direct of the Blues Foundation) regarding Billy Jones' new record: "It certainly caught my ear which is saying something!! I will give it another listen soon." ** DUBB'S ROAD BOOK ** "Hello from Down Under. I'm down here in Australia on their West Coast. The Australian folks are some of the nicest in the world. Haven't heard too many 'G'Days' tho, thought I would. But I've heard alot of 'Good on ya's and 'Mates'. They got some great wine down here too. I'm liking that Shiraz quite a bit. But man, they sure have some of the strangest critters. As I understand they got two kangaroos. Red and Grey. The Reds are the big ones. I saw a dead Grey on the road and I hope to anybodys God I won't never see a Red! Womabats, Dingos, all kinds of spiders and a creature like a tarantula called the Huntsman. I'm checking my bed every night! Well I got to run................( but I'll check my shoes before I do. )" ...Doug MacLeod April 23, 2007 BILLY JONES - my HOMETOWN made it to the play list of Bluesville, Bill Wax's show at XM Satelite. This is what Bill wrote to Billy: "Dear Billy – I have the new disc and I will be adding at least two of the tunes in the next couple of weeks. Thanks for all you do to help keep the blues alive and well." April 21, 2007 Two nice reviews from the new Billy Jones record in two Blogs on the internet. Check them out at:   and   THE SOUL OF ROCK 'n' ROLL April 20, 2007 Pictures from TURNIP GREENS during their show at the AUSTRIAN BLUES MASTERS last week at this link. April 16, 2007 EUROPEAN TOUR TERESA JAMES & THE RHYTHM TRAMPS IS CANCELLED !!!!. April 11, 2007 The CRB (Collectif des Radio Blues) is a co-operation of French Blues radio shows in France, Canada, Belgium and Africa and they compile a monthly top 10 list for the airplay on all participating the stations. On the list of March 2007 we find BILLY JONES - my HOMETOWN on # 2. April 9, 2007 A few few quotes from the review (in German) on Billy Jones' new record at ROCKTIMES.DE "Mit einer ausdrucksstarken Stimme, die er variantenreich einsetzen kann, singt und spielt er sich durch 10 hervorragende Songs, die, jeder für sich, zu Perlen geworden sind ... Das Album "My Hometown" hat Flair und kommt auf leisen Sohlen daher. Eine CD, die auch nach mehreren Hördurchgängen kurzweilig ist. Sehr gut, dass im Booklet alle Texte enthalten sind." Read teh compelte review at this link. and a nice review (in dutch) on BILLY JONES in # 68 of MAZZMUSIKAS (E-zine from Belgium): "Billy Jones wierp hoge ogen met zijn vorige plaat The Bluez. Een cd die opviel door het moderne, hedendaagse geluid (iets wat bij veel bluesplaten ontbreekt), de scherpe teksten, het mooie gitaarspel en de soulvolle stem van Billy. Op het Beersel Blues Rock Festival van 2005 was hij te gast voor een te vroeg geprogrammeerde maar toch geïnspireerde set. Nu is deze bluesman uit Arkansas terug met een nieuwe plaat. Op deze cd gaat hij verder de weg in van zijn vorige. Hij brengt zeer scherpe teksten die het leven in het Amerika van nu bekijken vanuit het standpunt van iemand die in een getto opgroeide. Zo is de anti drugsong Crystal met zijn stevige beat en riff zowel qua muziek als tekst snijdend. Het kan echter ook soulvol en gevoelig in de romantische opener Here With You die evenwel qua tekst veel minder zeemzoet is dan de titel laat blijken. Het met Spaanse gitaren openende TheClown beschrijft hoe moeilijk het is op te groeien in een getto. The Rumor is net een Marvin Gaye song die een bluesbehandeling krijgt. Eindigen doet hij met een stevige John Lee Hooker boogie Bluez Come Callin'. Knappe bluesplaat van een man die een plaats inneemt bij de top van de hedendaagse lichting. " April 7, 2007 Review (in dutch) on SBS Text, the text channel of a national dutch tv station: "Billy Jones is een artiest die er veel aandoet de betere zwarte muziek onder de aandacht van jongere generatie te brengen. En dan met name de bluez, zoals Jones het bedoelde genre noemt. Op de cd 'My Hometown' houdt Jones zich bezig met problemen en mogelijkheden van 'bluez people' waarbij de blues in een wat moderner jasje is gestoken zonder de authentieke blues-groove uit het oog te verliezen. Zo zijn 'Here With You', 'Never Let You Go' en 'Right Now' aangename soulfulle blues songs. Met 'Pull My 44' biedt het album een emotievolle temposong en met 'Bluez Comes Callin' wordt de aangename en ca. 45 minuten durende cd op hoog niveau afgesloten." April 5, 2007 Just noticed that REAL BLUES MAGAZINE (Canada) has several Black and Tan releases in the TOP 100 CDs of April 2007. The REAL BLUES 'Top 100 Releases' chart is based on CD's that they have received in the previous 24 Calendar months and all have been graded as 'Highly Recommended Purchases'. These are the releases we found: Billy Jones - my Hometown on #5 Ernie Payne - Coercion Street on #7 Billy Jones - tha' Bluez on # 12 Boo Boo Davis - Drew, Mississippi on # 22 Harrison Kennedy - Voice + Story on #99 April 3, 2007 Detlev Hoegen in the new CrossCut catalogue about BILLY JONES / MY HOMETOWN: "Original younger generation blues singer/songwriter. His blues are unique. He calls his music BLUEZ. He doesn't copy nobody. Blues, pure soul without any sentimentalities. Excellent production incorporating modern programming techniques. Never sounding artificial. One of the be releases form the last couple of months." April 2, 2007 Great news came inform Australia. Doug will be on tour in Australia and New Zealand from April 20 to June 1st and he is invited to play at The Music Show with Andrew Ford in Australia. The Music Show is ABC's #1 program for adult music (not just blues but any & all music) and it will air on April 21. This is the ultimate way to start a tour. March 30, 2007 Yesterday the recording session, that Doug did for the Paul Jones Show earlier this month, was broadcasted on BBC Radio 2. If you missed the show you can listen again at this link. March 22, 2007 Just noticed great reviews on Roots Music Report on two of our recent releases: on TURNIP GREENS / CARRY ME DOWN THE AISLE they say: The Turnip Greens are four very talented artists from Denmark and while influenced by some of the greats from the states, they give you their own unique style of roots music that is sure to intrigue and delight you. Their CD “Carry Me Down The Aisle” contains 11 very original, very good songs that showcase these guys’s ample talent as singers, songwriters and musicians. Lead vocalist Henrick B. Bruhn has a strong, rich voice and he gets very good back up support from his partners, Pete Skjerning, Sune Nielsen and Mads Mazantic. The four gentlemen are also accomplished musicians. They create some really sweet sounds and come across with some fine, piercing, high-energy instrumentals.Peter Skjerning, the primary songwriter is very creative and imaginative. Pay close attention to the lyrics and you will find them to be thoughtful, thought-provoking and sometimes dark. In some instances, they make insightful statements and poke fun simultaneously, pulling no punches. and on BOO BOO DAVIS / DREW MISSISSIPPI: There is a track on James “Boo Boo” Davis’s CD “Drew, Mississippi” that pretty much says it all when it comes to this artist and his music. The title of that song, “Got the Blues in My heart” epitomizes Davis’s connection with his gritty, soul-stirring blues. He sings his tunes with such feeling and passion there is no mistaking the fact that you are hearing from one who has been there. Davis gives you the complete blues package and presents it masterfully. He has a strong voice that enthralls the listener as it grinds out marvelously melancholy tunes. Davis displays his considerable songwriting/story telling talents, crafting tales that are genuine, meat and potatoes blues. Add to his impressive combination some incredible musicianship that produces great pulsating beats that dare you to sit still and you have got one really great CD. March 21, 2007 This came in from Eyvind Henriksen of Blue Note Radio in Larvik (Norway): Billy Jones is a mature soul and blues singer. Modern themes and modern music with blues and soul as a basis brings this music up to a modern level. With Billy we should not fear the future of the blues. The lyrics tells us that this is an artist that are concerned about the future and deals with todays problems. The music itself calls for both dancing and listening. The soul tunes shows a rich voice and a maturity most soul singers can envy this guy. You also sent me a CD with BooBoo Davis: Intense and raw vocal and great guitar work. Straight from the cottonfield with music all around him at home, he brings traditional blues up to date with his dealing with modern problems. Never forgetting the basics. This is modern blues you have to listen to. How to listen: turn up the heat in your home, have a coooold beer and love they neighbor, play this music loud! Quote from the review of BOO BOO DAVIS / DREW, MISSISSIPPI in inMusic (Germany): Im Gegensatz zu seine früheren Veröffentlichungen arbeitet er auf dieser CD auch mit modernen Scratching-Sounds, die zusammen mit den rauen Süd-staaten-Grooves eine einzigartigen Mischung ergeben. The readers of SOUL BAG (France) voted ROSCOE CHENIER / WAITING FOR MY TOMMORROW on nr 6 in the TOP 10 for 2006. March 20, 2007 The new Billy Jones record is now available for download at:  some quotes (in French) form the reviews in the latest issue. on Boo Boo Davis / Drew, Mississippi: Mr Davis est ici secondé de scratching, programming, keyboards et même .. d'un violon.. Disons le tout suite.. la formule fonctionné très bien. Saluons à cette occasion le savoir faire de Ramon Goose dans la réussite de cette fusion entre le delta blues et le groove et le capacité de Boo Boo pour ce voyage au Mississippi des racines familiales. on Turnip Greens / Carry me down the Aisle: Turnip Greens n' est d'ailleurs pas du tout un groupe de blues, mais une formation prometteuse de jeunes gens érudits qui fait son profit d'une multitude d'influences musicales jaillies des musiques de pauvres des Etats-Unis. Ambiance de bar, de cimetière, de salle de danse, de cinéma, de quincaillerie, de bénitier, de lupanar, de tout ce que vous voudrez pourvu que ce soit après le fermeture. March 19, 2007 Been on the road with Billy Jones since March 9 so that why it has been a bit quiet. We had a lot of fun and Billy made a lot of new fans. Most of the shows were very succesfull and we sold a lot of copies form the new CD. This two reviews just came in from the UK: Doug MacLeod, 16th March 2007. Havant Arts Centre It starts off like an animal growl. A low, bassy Johnny Cash drawl, smooth as bourbon. It rises to a high, ringing, falsetto. But it never ceases to grip you.Doug MacLeod's voice tells of a life that has experienced highs and lows and seen them all odd with a smile. Opening with Ain't Gonna Take My Blues (There's only two things that you can't do. Can't walk where I walk, you ain't never gonna take my blues), and then upping the rhythm with I Want You. Between numbers the audience get a little bit of insight into his songs and song writing, a story, or perhaps a pearl of wisdom gleamed from the trials and tribulations of Doug's own life from the man who is as much a raconteur as musician. But what a musician, when he gets into the groove of a song, his head tilted back and eyes shut as the music takes him on a personal journey. His left hand rushes up and down the fret board in impressive displays of slide guitar work while the right thrashes out furious rhythms and his feet ceaselessly tap out the beat.Up next he launches into Big City Woman, a modern take on, as Doug puts it "One of those old, R.L. Burnside style, country Blues numbers". It's another example of one of the true joys of seeing this man live, he is in as much doubt as the audience as to which song will be next, sometimes even stopping himself in mid sentence to let you know which number he's decided to play and then tell you that "It's gonna sound exactly like this". He tells you of his life, stories ranging from his time as a young man in Virginia, spending nights in the pine forests learning from aging blues men like Ernest Banks, and spending lazy days in LA on the porch of his good friend George 'Harmonica' Smith, swapping stories and drinking beer. It was on one of those lazy days in California that he heard the story that would later become Horse With No Rider, an atmospheric number with some bottle neck slide that races faster than the horse itself. Telling the story of a village in rural Mississippi plagued by a riderless horse who would swoop into the4 village in the dark of night and bear some poor unfortunate off to be it's next rider, the song drags you into the heart of the story, conveying the anticipation, the fear and the grief of this illusionary world in a way that too few musicians care to grip their audience. The undoubted highlight of the set, for those members of the audience whose feet kept up an involuntary tapping was the excellent She Boogie, a paean to days when women wore their hair tall and their skirts short! The song chugs along slapping a grin on the face and generally making people shake in a way eerily reminiscent of Louis Jordan at his best. This is a man who truly lives the blues, breathes it out with every utterance and most of all, cherishes it. When you walk out of his show you can't help feeling just a little of that passion burning inside you too, and that, after all, is why you're there, isn't it? Mark Ringwood / Roots Around the World Doug MacLeod at The Harbourside Club, Liverpool, 8 March 2007 A full house greeted Doug MacLeod on his first appearance at The Harbourside Club. And the man from St Louis fully justified the large attendance with a captivating performance of self-penned acoustic blues. The programme covered a range of styles, reflecting the various artistes that have influenced MacLeod's musical development. After opening the first set with an upbeat boogie, he provided in "She Boogie'n" whimsical reminiscences of his life in St Louis as a seventeen year old. The slow blues, "My Love's Grown Cold", was inspired by Blind Willie McTell, while "My Black Pony" was delivered with some terrific slide work on his National steel guitar. Humour was never far from the surface. In response to his question 'Anyone in love?', one solitary female arm was raised. "Okay," said Doug, "this song is for all those men whose woman will say on the way home 'why didn't you raise your hand?'" The song was very appropriately called "If You Going To The Doghouse, (remember where you buried your bone)". Another highlight of the first set was the excellent "The Devil Is Beating His Wife" in the style of the early Delta blues. The second set was equally varied and enthralling with another upbeat opener followed by a boogie and "The Addition To Blues". There were songs influenced by Dave Myers, Mississippi John Hurt and Robert Johnson and the gospel-tinged "The Sun Shine Down My Way". The tremendous show was concluded with an hilarious number describing the most improbable array of animals on a farmyard and their unpredictable behaviour. The audience lapped up the humour whilst fully recognising the superb vocals and dextrous guitar playing that underpinned it. This was a magnificent evening's entertainment from a brilliant performer, who expertly interweaves humorous observation and home-spun philosophy with his masterful delivery of the blues spectrum. Lionel Ross March 6, 2007 Today the DVD's of Doug came in. So hit the button above and order your copy. This came in from Dan Behrman, the organizer of Boo Boo's live appearance at national radio in Canada last Saturday: "I want to tell you that Boo Boo and his band were absolutely stellar in their cross-Canada live radio performance at the Montreal Spectrum on Saturday evening. The venue was packed even though we had just been hit by a major snow storm and the crowd reacted very positively to Boo Boo's down home raw sound." March 5, 2007 Back in the office after a week on the road with Billy Jones with shows in France and Switzerland. The reactions on his new record are starting to come in and so far all of them are very positive. Just like the feedback from the audiences at the concerts, where Billy is presenting live versions of the songs from his new album. Quote from the review of DREW MISSISSIPPI - BOO BOO DAVIS in Sing Out Magazine. "Generally speaking the 'modern' techniques are tastefully employed and don't overwhelm the songs..… more adventurous listeners will want to check this out." Like in many other reviews of this record the underlying message is in fact: we hate to admit but we kind of like it. February 23, 2007 Finally on DVD !!! DVD B&T 1001 / Doug MacLeod / the Blues in Me Although Doug has released a string of great studio recordings during his career, the real magic comes out during his shows and that is why we decided to record one of Doug's live performances. Besides being a great songwriter and musician Doug is also a very gifted storyteller. He's one of the few who had the opportunity to hang out with and learn from a lot of the great bluesmen during his musical life. Besides more then 95 minutes of live concert video you will also find an interview that will give great insight into Doug's life. You'll discover what the Blues means to Doug and what the music did for him. Plus we've included lots of other interesting bits and pieces including old pictures, stories, and more. The concert footage contains live versions of: Walking While I Bleed, Bad Magic, Long Time Road, The New Panama Limited, Home Cookin', I Want You, Ain't The Blues Evil, Big City Woman, Cold Rain, Turkey Leg Woman and The Masters Plan. Total playing time almost 3 hours. The release is scheduled for early April 2007 but you can already see the trailer on YouTube. February 19, 2007 At the MySpace profile from Billy Jones you can listen to a song (Never Let You Go) from his new record. February 14, 2007 Here is some information on our newest 'regular' release. CD B&T 030 / Billy Jones / my Hometown - 10 original new songs - produced by Ramon Goose - official release date April 2nd 2007 - liner notes by Bob Davis (Soul Patrol): Billy Jones is one of the "good guys". He is a young man from Arkansas who is truly interested in advancing/extending "Great Black Music from the Ancient to the Future" and making sure that it is available for future generations. As such he is one of my personal musical heroes. We don't have enough artists like him and hopefully he is going to inspire others. Upon closer inspection we can see that there is truly a method to the madness of the man who calls his music "BLUEZ". Imagine for a moment that you could take the music of the following artists and somehow blend them all together Ike Turner, Chuck D, Hendrix/Stevie Ray Vaughn, Johnnie Taylor, Clarence Carter and Jimmy Reed. Throw in just a little bit of Richard Pryor/Dolomite and then you begin to understand why the music of Billy Jones is so important. On his new album "my Hometown" he brings the Blues up to date and talks about the real problems and opportunities of "Bluez People", without falling into the stereotypes created 50 years ago. It's a modern album about modern life for people who live in the present. Slow jams, upbeat songs, love songs, message songs, acoustic and electric guitar with strong lyrics, that provide not only a description of modern life (complex relationships, violence, social issues, etc.), but also some of the solutions for what ails you. Billy Jones is the kind of artist that's worth getting excited about. He wants to change the world, one listener at a time and here in the year 2007 it's an awfully exciting thing to be able to be a fan of an artist who believes that music can still be a vehicle for change. Understanding the status quo is one thing, but understanding it and deciding to do something about it is quite another, even if that means creating a new genre of music that rises from the ashes of what has come before it. In the end, "Blues" is about life and "Bluez" is all about making life better and who could possibly be opposed to that? February 7, 2007 DO B&T 905 / DOUG MACLEOD / LIVE AT XM SATELLITE, our newest release is released digital only and is now available for downloading at February 5, 2007 Today we did the mastering for the new Billy Jones record. Special feature in the new issue (nr 36) of BLUES MATTERS; the BEST BLUES ALBUMS of 2006 voted by the readers ! In their final issue of 2006 they asked their readers and contributors to vote on their favourite Blues albums from the ones that were reviewed in 2006. In the magazine the countdown of the 50 most popular releases and among them is BOO BOO DAVIS with his new record. January 31, 2007 Part of the next European tour form Doug MacLeod will a string of UK dates and we just received invitations for Doug to do a interveiw and recording session for the world famous PAUL JONES SHOW @ BBC RADIO and for RAVEN 'n' THE BLUES @ BFBS 2. January 30, 2007 The complete line-up for the POCONO BLUES FESTIVAL 2007 is now online. Just hit the logo and check it out. As you can see Big George Jackson and Boo Boo Davis are in excellent company. January 29, 2007 There a three live tracks form Ernie Payne on You Tube: Curse of Hamm Ancient Eyes Coercion Street The songs were recorded in Newcastle in November 2005. This is what Bruce Iglauer wrote me back after listening to Turnip Greens CD: I found myself intrigued by the songs and the production. These guys are quite good, and listening on headphones was kind of a treat, as there is good 'ear candy' there. I liked the changing textures and the percussion and it really held my attention. January 25, 2007 Yesterday evening I came back from MIDEM in Cannes. Although it is the world biggest meeting of the people in the music industry I did not see very much passion about music. Words that I was constantly hearing were: deals, advances, sales, market share, branding, publishing … In general you can see that current the technological developments create huge movements and competition. The MAJOR's trying to re-conquer their market share in the new (digital) environment by signing the INDIE's using their positive image with the public. At the same time you see from the side of the INDIE's that they try to unite and together become a new MAJOR. They seem to think if you can't beat them … join them. Looks to me that in the near future there will be a new MAJOR called INDIE. Just like the current majors derived from the merge of indie's in the past. When all this is falling in place there might be hardly any real INDIE left and we should look for a new name for independent labels and artists. I admit .. It's a little confusing. Perhaps we should start using the word SMALL instead of INDIE. Personally I met some nice and interesting people and I am pretty sure that I was able to improve my distribution network. I also found some new ways to spread the music of my label / artists. Great footage of Houndog Taylor and Litlle Walter on YouTube. January 24, 2007 Quotes from two nice reviews at Rocktimes.de. on BOO BOO DAVIS - DREW, Mississippi: "Mit Drew Mississippi ist Boo Boo Davis eine großartige Veröffentlichung gelungen, die man, auch zu einem relativ frühen Zeitpunkt des Jahres, ganz oben auf der Liste haben muss. Stillstand ist Rückschritt." Read the whole reviews at this link. on DOUG MACLEOD _ Where I Been: "Trotz sparsamer Besetzung, ein intensives, gehaltvolles, aussagekräftiges, abwechslungsreiches, ja fast schon intimes Album. Akustik-Blueser von der Qualität eines Doug MacLeod sucht man wie die Stecknadel im Heuhaufen." Read the whole review at this link. January 17, 2006 Today we booked another major festival for the BIG GEORGE JACKSON BAND. On July 21 they will be at the CAHORS BLUES FESTIVAL, one of the biggest bluesfestival in France. And there is more good news !! On March 3 BOO BOO DAVIS will perform live on national radio in Canada. The show will broadcasted on CBC RADIO ONE live from Montreal. January 13, 2007 Quote from the review of Boo Boo Davis in BLOCK MAGAZINE (Netherlands): Hopelijk worden experimenten als dit geen schering en inslag. "Drew, Mississippi" overklast echter wel alles dat tot dusver in deze sector werd afgeleverd. January 11, 2007 Tony Russell on Boo Boo Davis in MOJO Magazine (UK): Much of this intriguing album is Davis remembering the small Delta town of his birth, and it composes a loose, fragmented suite on the theme of growing up in the pre-Civil Rights South, inventively arranged and produced by Ramon Goose of Nu Blues, who also plays attractive slide and fingerpicked guitar parts. January 10, 2007 After Boo Boo Davis also Big George Jackson and his band were invited to perform at next edition of the POCONO BLUES FESTIVAL on July 28, 2007. We feel very honoured to have two of the Crossroads / Black and Tan artists on this prestigious festival. January 9, 2007 From the new issue of BLUES REVUE by Vincent Abbate: This guy is 53 ? Unbelievable. With a smile a yard wide and moves that could make Shakira blush, Little Rock product Billy Jones seems 20 years younger onstage. It¹s been said of many artists, but it fits Jones¹ music to a tee: This ain¹t your grandpa¹s blues. And perhaps that was the main problem at the Lübeck International Blues Festival. Most of the audience wasn¹t any older than Jones. They just acted that way. Since releasing his international debut, Tha¹ Bluez, on the Dutch label Black & Tan in 2005, Jones has been making inroads in the conservative European blues scene. On this night, he had travelled 600 kilometers to close a one-night festival in a converted factory that now serves as a cultural center. Jones¹ urbanized spellings ‹ his song titles include ³At Da¹ Crossroads² and "Da Love Doctor" suggest he¹s one of the new breed of ³hip-hop² blues artists. But in reality, his sound and attitude are more of a throwback to ¹70s and ¹80s heroes such as Rick James or Kool & the Gang. His 90-minute set offered that kind of danceable funk, plus plenty of the mellow Southern soul heard on Tha¹ Bluez. And on white-hot Albert Collins-style electric blues, Jones proved he can tear it up when he feels like it. After two straight blues tunes built on stinging guitar and R-rated sexual innuendo, Jones segued into the easygoing soul of "Come Back Tonight". A good deal edgier than the album version, it was an example of what made the show a success: Where Jones' studio recordings sometimes come off as sterile and synthetic, his live performances are sweaty, gritty, and alive. He¹s a smart, concise player who keeps his solos and songs brief and to the point. Bassist Nico Heilijgers, keyboardist Wybren Feenstra, and drummer Boyd Small ably supplied funk, soul, and blues grooves behind him. Judging by this show, Jones could be accused of jumping all over the musical map. But his varied attack is probably just his way of keeping audiences entertained. He included covers of "Purple Rain" and a surprising "Mamas Don¹t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys", each convincing in its own way. He told the story of a "Juice Headed Woman" with the authority of someone who¹s been there. Later, Jones morphed into Hendrix for a few bars, reaching out to that portion of the crowd that whoops instantly when a guitarist plays with his teeth. He even built in a couple of sleight-of-hand tricks and finished the night wearing a hat that looked like an oversized condom. But try as he might, nothing was going to animate the staid, befuddled audience to rise from their chairs. Watching Jones stay focused and complete a thoroughly professional set, I couldn¹t help but think of the song title "Poor Boy a Long Way From Home". Jones and his band belonged not here, but in some smoky, cramped, sexual-tension-filled room where people are on the make and ready to party. January 6, 2007 More good reviews ! Here is the complete review of Boo Boo Davis in the new issue: "The last time I reviewed a Davis CD I had to give it a resounding boo; this time the verdict is hurrah! This is one of the few raw and nu-Blues fusions that really works because it is steeped firmly in first hand experiences born from the Delta. As they say, it takes a man that had the Blues to sing the Blues and Davis, the son of a cotton farmer has spent a lifetime travelling Mississippi playing jukes, taverns and picnics. A veteran of a 1000 Blues gigs, eclectic guitarist Ramon Goose who has been described as the "cream of the UK's emerging Blues stars" decided to forge a hip nu sound using influences of Mississippi Delta Blues as played by legends such as Robert Johnson and fuse it with hip-hop loops and grooves. BooBoo has retained a raw, fresh, driving sound to which Ramon Goose has added some of his modern grooves thus widening the musical appeal. The success of this formula permeates the album which feels multi-textured thanks to some superb engineering and production, notably on the mesmeric 'Who Stole The Booty'. The title track is also memorable because it is pure Blues whilst my personal favourite is 'Got The Blues In My Heart', a showcase for Davis' considerable vocal and harmonica talents. Three cheers for BooBoo and Ramon!" quotes form the review of Tunrip Greens in SOUNDVENUE (DK): "Turnip Greens spiller broken Delta-blues, kantet countrysoul og countrynoir af den mere mørke slags... der ikke er helt ulig det, vi hidtil har hørt fra Johnny Dowd, Scott H Biram og Tom Waits. Traditionen tro, handler sangene om livets guddommelige ulidelighed, løgnagtige kvindfolk og om at vælte rundt på amerikanske landeveje i en hjemmebrændt pullimut-brandert. For Turnip Greens handler det tydeligvis også i højere grad om at pisse på den...mentalitet, som i sin tid hev Djævlen ud af bluesmusikken og erstattede Ham med 20 minutter lange, kedsommelige guitarsoloer. På 'Carry Me Down the Aisle' har Turnip Greens atter inviteret galskaben med i studiet... så hører man, at Turnip Greens både har energien og indsigten til at bedrive blues, som den lød før der gik fadølsfest og lædervest i det hele." January 5, 2007 A great start of the new year for Billy Jones and Boo Boo Davis !!! In the best of 2006 Southern Soul & Blues listing you will find Boo Boo Davis / Drew Mississippi at number 1 and Billy Jones / tha' Bluez on number 4. Find all the 2006 lists at this link. Billy Jones / tha 'Bluez is listed number two in the top 30 Contemporary Blues Albums of 2006 of BLUES CRITIC, the online home of Blues and Southern Soul. December 29, 2006 quote from the Boo Boo Davis review in BACK TO THE ROOTS (Belgium): "Boo Boo Davis heeft de blues, is de blues, schuwt de moderniteiten niet, houdt de blues levendig, hij is compleet net als deze CD." read the whole review December 28, 2006 Boo Boo is invited to perform at the POCONO BLUES FESTIVAL on July 28, 2007. Pocono is a very big, prestigious American blues festival and it is a big honor. December 22, 2006 and another great review on Boo Boo Davis in France in BCR LA REVUE. Here are a few quotes: ""Surprenant, mélodique et harmonieux, voici le quatrième scud de Boo Boo Davis chez Black and Tan. Un recueil de par blues terrien et râpeux, entièrement composé par le vieil anthropopithèque. … le blues hypnotique et transcendant de Boo Boo, épousé parfaitement l'art de hiphop en une subtile orchestration." December 21, 2006 Today three more nice reviews came in on Boo Boo Davis. Below some of the quotes: from BLUES WAX: "There are many conversations about the future of the Blues. Some people look towards the young guns, such as Jonny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, to lead the way. Others look at the fusing of Hip-Hop with Blues by artists such as Chris Thomas King to lead the way. Still others look at mixing dance beats with Blues, such as RL Burnside's later recordings on Fat Possum, to be the new sound of the Blues. Here comes another artist to add to the lineup, Boo Boo Davis takes Blues traditions and brings Ramon Goose in to add some programming in what may be the future sound of the Blues. Many years after the Johnsons and Pattons, Davis is going strong, putting out albums, pushing the limits, and trying new flavors. Davis' voice is a nice, weathered affair of a workingman that's been around and through the ringer a few times. The music has a laid-back feel overall and can fit into another era. Then there are little hints of scratches and samples that bring the album to the new millennium." from BLUES AGAIN (France): "Sans marquer l'histoire du blues, cet album a tout de même le mérite de tenter une approche entre blues du Delta et sons groovy, par la présence d'un scratch.. C'est la petite surprise de Drew, Mississippi. Un poil détourant peut-être, mais ça passe comme un couteau chaud dans du beurre." from la GAZETTE de GREENWOOD (France): "Un blues à un tel niveau de qualité et d'innovation artistique constitue définitivement mon coup de cœur 2006." December 20, 2006 quote from the review of Boo Boo Davis in BLUES MAGAZINE (France): "Ce CD est véritablement un hymne au Blues du sud avec une touche de modernité. C'est un bon disque." December 19, 2006 CrossCut is the biggest European blues mail order.This is what they wrote about the new Boo Boo Davis record in their catalogue: "Black and Tan is on the forefront of contemporary blues recordings. As the world is changing the blues has to change too….. Reminiscent of the good old Fat Possum days of recording, the combination of rural blues and urban sounds goes hand in hand, naturally. Congratulations for another superb release !! " Our next release will be something new and it will be 'digital only', meaning it will only be available as downloads on all the major download platforms. So besides the upcoming live DVD from DOUG MACLEOD and the CD of BILLY JONES we will also release: B&T 905 DOUG MACLEOD - Live at XM Satellite The six tracks on this release were recorded and broadcasted in September 2006 by Bill Wax on XM Satellite. The engineer at the recording was Quentin Roebuck and these are the tracks titles: Old Country Road The Working Man Blues One Good Woman Cold Rain A Little Sin Welcome In Your Home