NEWSLETTER
SOLO
The Blues For My Brother festival in Anchorage, Alaska in November 2007, organised by blues guitarist Son Henry was a huge success and raised enough money to pay the heating bill for the local homeless persons charity for 12 months. I hope to go back to Alaska real soon. Son Henry and I have also been talking about playing some duo dates in the UK.
DUO
Marlborough International Jazz Festival in July was great fun as usual. We also went to the Cognac Blues Passions festival as spectators. We were booked again at Notodden Blues Festival, and the Blues Band set (on which I was privileged to play piano) was a real high spot. We are very excited about the new CD we recorded in August with Kim Simmonds at his studio in Oswego, NY, with Kim playing and producing. Kim is a first-rate producer and contributed some inspired solos. The CD features mostly original compositions, and is scheduled for release on the SPV Blue Label in April 2008.
While in Chicago last year I met multi-instrumentalist Chris Whiteley and discussed the possibility that we might tour the UK with Chris and his partner, the talented singer Diana Braithwaite later this year. The tour is now confirmed for October/November 2008, the show is called "It's A Raid" and will feature songs and stories about America's amazing gangster era. We rehearsed through a fierce Toronto winter in February so it better be good!
NEW BAND
To coincide with the release of our new SPV Blue CD, "What Goes Round", we have assembled a four piece band that will be performing the new material live. We are delighted to have the legendary Top Topham on guitar, and a new friend Ed Spevock on drums. If things work out as we hope, this band will be around a lot in 2008.
ALL STARS
The long-awaited live CD from The All Stars featuring Long John Baldry, Peter Green, Kim Simmonds, Tom McGuinness and myself in performance at Notodden Festival 2004, was released on August 28 2007 on the
Blue Label SPV 49692 more details at www.spv.de. Titled "Live At Notodden" this has some epic performances and comes with a 12 page booklet. The first English language review described it thus: "Lovers of the British Blues sound, here is your "album of the year"".HISTORIC RECORDINGS
Two tapes featuring one of my boogie woogie big bands have recently been found in The Rolling Stones archives. These recordings, which were made at a live concert to celebrate fifty years of boogie woogie in 1978 feature Charlie Watts, Alexis Korner, an all-star horn section and vocals from Alexis, Chris Farlowe and myself. I am hoping to go into the studio shortly to mix these historic recordings for CD release later this year if we can sort out the contractual issues.
THEMED SHOWS
Our music revue 'Good Liquor, Hard Times' featuring music from the Prohibition era is still available for bookings by rural touring schemes and arts centres. The CD of 'Good Liquor, Hard Times' on Able Records can be obtained from Prospect Music. Our latest revue, 'Rough and Rowdy Ways', begins touring in 2008.