Blues Artists Around The World

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 04 Sep 09 - 03:12 PM

Blues artists outside the States are faced with the problem of how to deliver the blues vocally. Most(?) choose to adopt some sort of black American vocal affectations - which I don't like; however, some do it so well that even I have to forgive them. The wonderful, afore mentioned Jo Ann Kelly is a case in point. I've included a link to Liverpool, UK, blues artist Raphael Callaghan. He has got his own very interesting take on the blues.

Raphael Callghan link

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: Jamming With Ollie Beak (inactive)
Date: 04 Sep 09 - 01:43 PM

Now THAT'S a resource!! Massive thanks to you Azizi, for finding it and posting the link to it. One of my vocal heroes (heroine?) is the late, incredible English blues singer Jo Ann Kelly (1944 — 1990)
Bonnie Riatt said of her "It was hard to do "Walking Blues" for instance, but I was not born with a voice like Mavis Staples or Jo Ann Kelly."
listen to her

here Louisiana Blues

and here Rolling and Tumbling

Charlotte Olivia Robertson (Ms)

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: TinDor
Date: 04 Sep 09 - 01:19 PM

Javier Vargas (Vargas Blues Band)Spain/Argentina

www.vargasblues.com/

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 21 Oct 08 - 11:05 AM

Thank you, Azizi!!

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: Azizi
Date: 21 Oct 08 - 10:59 AM

Here's that hyperlink,Volgadon -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1so5QfEkRag&feature=related
Ehud Banai - Bluz Kna'ani \ àäåã áðàé - áìåæ ëðòðé

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 21 Oct 08 - 10:35 AM

Somebody has finalled uploaded the Canaanite Blues to youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1so5QfEkRag&feature=related

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 23 Jun 08 - 10:36 AM

OK, Ehud Banai, an Israeli musician, is not really a blues artist (just someone try to define his music), but many of his songs are very blues-tinged.
Mamshich linsoa (keep moving)
Mamshich Linsoa
Ish Tzipor (birdman)
Ish Tzipor
Sadly I can't find his Canaanite Blues anywhere to post.

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 07:58 PM

As far as I can see, the list also manages to ignore one of the best, and best-known, bluesmen in Europe: Hans Theessink.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: Azizi
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 05:14 PM

Here's a link to a YouTube audio file of a talented young Blues singer:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unirT7Zr-AM&feature=related

Shemekia Copeland - Ghetto Child

**
Here's the lyrics to "Ghetto Child":

Little girl standin' on the corner
Somebody please won't you lend a hand
I'm just the ghetto child
In this so-called, in this so-called free land

Somebody, somebody somewhere
Somebody please won't you give a dime
My mother she's sick, in the bed almost dying
And I ain't seen, I ain't seen my daddy in a long time

Now that this is the part that move me so much right here
She said I know, I knoooooow I oughta be in school
But I went to school one mornin'
and the teacher she told me
When you come back child, have on some shoes

I'm just the ghetto child
Somebody please please help the ghetto child
I'm just the ghetto child
In this so-called, in this so-called free land

http://www.lyricsdownload.com/shemekia-copeland-ghetto-child-lyrics.html

-snip-
On another website, the lyrics of this song are credited to Shemekia Copeland. It's a great song!

**

Shemekia Copeland's father is blues guitarist/singer Johnny Copeland.

Her her Wikipedia page is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shemekia_Copeland

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: Azizi
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 04:57 PM

Thanks, Jack and Graham for your posts.

I checked the R-W listings of theblueshighway.com to see if Tam White and Mike Whellans names were on that list. Unfortunately, they weren't. I didn't check any other alphabetical listing on that site, but I did check to see if the administrator of that website had any way that visitors might suggest names to be added to the lists. There is/was such a feature, however it appears that it has been deactivated because of spam.

What a shame.

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: Grab
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 12:21 PM

In the UK, it'd be a shorter list of guitarists who *don't* play blues, or at least who haven't played blues at some point in their time with the instrument! We're not necessarily all dedicated to blues, but pretty much everyone has played a bit of blues at some time.

It's worth remembering that the UK exported electric blues back to the US in the 60s. For a while in the 60s, the best blues and rock bands in the world were British - remember that Hendrix couldn't get a gig in the States at the time! :-/ So electric blues is about as much a part of the British cultural heritage as it is for Americans.

As for musicians, I'd chip in a mention for ex-Mudcatter DDW in Windsor, Ontario. Link here.

I'll also add the compulsory mention of my hero, Mark Knopfler. He's not exclusively blues, but there are quite a few blues in his back catalogue. "On every street" and "Ragpicker's dream" have some particularly good ones - the slow blues "Fade to black" on the former and the solo resonator-guitar stomp "Marbletown" on the latter spring immediately to mind.

Also don't forget the incredible Bob Brozman, who's American but now lives in Australia. I don't think I've ever met anyone with more natural groove than him!

Graham.

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: Jack Campin
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 12:19 PM

I couldn't see Tam White from Scotland. He's a national institution. Or Mike Whellans, who's been at it for nearly as long.

Who was that young blues player from the Isle of Man featured on Andy Kershaw's programme about the island's music? He was the best thing on it.

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: Azizi
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 12:17 PM

Here's that hyperlink, Volgadon -

http://www.ronniepeterson.com/bio.html

**

I'm going off-line for a while.

Thanks to those who have posted to this thread thus far.

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: Azizi
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 12:06 PM

Thanks, Ernest, for hipping us to this bluesman.

He is good!

**

Since this is Mudcat Discussion Forum, I noted with interest that his write-up includes a reference to "Mudcat" and to "Mudbay":

"Dirk has been performing acoustic blues since the turn of the century (2000, not 1900!). Enamored by the raw emotion of the Delta and Piedmont blues traditions and the joyful jug band and piano boogie blues, he cut his teeth in and around Olympia, WA, playing bass & harmonica for bluesman Daniel 'Mudcat' McKinstry. He then went on to co-found and perform around the Pacific Northwest with acoustic blues band, The Mudbay Stompers. He now prefers to perform solo, singing and distilling the blues out of his guitar, harmonica, and piano at festivals, street corners, bars, boat cruises, parties, coffee houses, schools, and farmers' markets from Seattle to San Francisco, and now to Berlin, Germany. His music has been said to "soothe the soul like a fine sippin' whiskey." "

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 12:02 PM

I didn't see Ronnie Peterson (not the racer) on the list, he's American, but moved to Israel almost 20 years ago.
http://www.ronniepeterson.com/bio.html

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: Ernest
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 11:41 AM

Here is someone I heard recently and found very good - born in Germany, but raised in the US, if I remember correctly:

Dirk Ronneburg

Best
Ernest

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: Azizi
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 11:25 AM

Oops!

Let me correct this sentence less people think that's the way that slang term is supposed to be used:

"My posting a list of Blues artists from outside of the USA should in no way be taken as a diss of USA Blues artists".

Diss=insult; It's a clip of the word "disrespect."

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: irishenglish
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 11:23 AM

Well, about Ali Farka Toure, John Lee Hooker said when he heard him the first time he said-That guys ripping us off. He changed his mind when he had other people tell him, No, you're ripping him off!!!

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: Azizi
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 11:21 AM

irishenglish, thanks for adding the names of several African bluesmen.

Here's a link to a YouTube clip of the great Blues musician from Mali, West Africa, Ali Farka Toure:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=y5Nem-PNHLY

**

There are a number of videos I selected this one because of Ali Farka Toure's comments [translated into English] which are included in that video. That video was added to YouTube March 2006. So far it has had 100,017 viewings. There are also 132 comments to date.
I'd give the comments section a mixed review. But some of the comments are interesting as well as informative.

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: Azizi
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 11:03 AM

My posting a list of Blues artists from outside of the USA should in no way be taken as a diss on USA Blues artists. Frankly, I was blown away by how widespread the Blues is throughout the world. Here's the geographical list of nations* that I culled from those L through P named artists alone [I'm sure there's more nations mentioned on theblueshighway.com A-K pages]

I'm combining all the artists mentioned in England, but citing Ireland and UK separate from that. Sorry if that's politically incorrect. I'm aware that there are differences between England and the UK and parts of Ireland and the UK, but I confess that I'm challenged to know when to use one reference or the other.

I'm also combining all the references to Canadian provinces into one citation of Canada.

Also, I think that Scandinavia includes countries like Sweden and Denmark, but since I'm not sure about that, I'm going to give separate listing to those nations that I think are in Scandinavia. [I could blame US public schools for this lack of geographical knowledge, but I won't. After all, in this Internet age, anybody with Internet access can find any information that she or he wants. I'll admit I haven't looked up this information yet. Perhaps someone can correct my uncertainty about what constitutes Scandinavia. If not, I'll check out Google later on.
So, that said, here's the list that makes me say Wow! I guess the Blues really has a presence outside of the USA. I'm not sure how it's received in these places, but it sure is there.

Nations Cited In theblueshighway.com Listing Of Blues Artists,
L-P

Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
Croatia
Denmark
England
France
Germany
Ireland
Italy
the Netherlands
Scandinavia
Serbia
Turkey
Siberia
Slovenia
The United Kingdom

-snip-

I don't see any African, Caribbean, Middle Eastern, or Pacific Island nations listed. {I'm counting Turkey as a European nation, though I suppose it could be counted as Middle Eastern?}

And there's only one Latin/South American nation in that blues highway list.

I'd be very surprised if many nations in those geographical areas weren't represented by A-K Blues artists.

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: irishenglish
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 10:58 AM

Also, let's not forget some of the guys playing the "origins" of the blues-namely, the late great Ali Farka Toure, Boubacar Traore, and Lobi Traore.

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: dwditty
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 10:50 AM

A good friend of mine, Dan Stevens (Dan Stevens) is a bluesman full time. He could be setting up for a gig on any given night from Maone to Virginia - a true road warrior. Dan was recently selected as one of 22 musicians (out of hundreds of applications) to be authorized to play at various locations in the NYC subways - including Grand Central Station.

dw

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: irishenglish
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 10:36 AM

You know, its funny. As summer approaches in New York City, I start listening to more blues. Played some last night and this morning on my way to work. Good timing Azizi! I saw some good blues last year, but I think the single best performer I saw in the last few years was a woman by the name of Nora Jean Bruso. She played at the Blues/Barbecue on the pier in NY 2 years ago. We were sitting way at the back, she went off mike while her band was still cranking it out. You could hear her clear as day, over all that music, and she wasn't even singing into the mike! Now that my friends, is a singer!

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: Azizi
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 10:36 AM

Hey dwditty! Thanks for posting those links.

Hopefully, Tweed will join this discussion, and share some info and stories.

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: Azizi
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 10:34 AM

Here's a listing of Blues artists N-P* from outside of the USA that are listed on http://www.thebluehighway.com/links4.html

{There's no Q artist or group listed on that page from outside the USA}


Yuri Naumov Yuri played 9-string acoustic, "decadent western" blues in Siberia.

Nebojsa Buhin Nebo & The Downstrokes He's a Croatian-born guitarist.

The Drew Nelson Band He's a blues veteran up in Ottawa, Ontario.

The Nervous Fellas They're a blues band from Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

New Chump Change Led by Rolf Lott, a bluesman over in France.

The Nightporters They're a successful blues band over in England.

The NightShift Blues Band Blues with an edge from the Canadian side of Niagara.

Nothing But The Blues They're from Canada with a powerful female vocalist.

Nublues They play "21st century blues" over in England. Hear 'em in .mp3.

Mark Olbricht He's a London-based blues bass player. Hear him in Windows Media.

Old Skin Blues Band They're somewhere in Scandinavia, I think. Hear 'em in .mp3.

Martin Olsen's Blues Overdrive They're out of Denmark. Hear 'em in .mp3.

Rob Orlemans & Half Past Midnight They're blues-rockers from the Netherlands.

Papa George He fronts a blues and R&B trio over in London, England.

Peder´s Harmonica Bluesband They're a harp-blues band over in Sweden.

G.B. Peech and the Sidebanders Texas-style blues out of Manitoba.

Per & the Ouagadougou Boogie Oogie Band In Sweden. Hear 'em in .mp3.

Michael Pickett He's a veteran singer/songwriter/harp player in Toronto, Ontario.

Point Blank Blues Band They're a talented blues bunch over in Serbia.

Powder Blues They're a Vancouver, BC-based West Coast swing and blues band.

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: dwditty
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 10:33 AM

Or posts crossed. Thanks Azizi.

Also, let's not forget Mudcatter Tweed. TWEED's BLUES

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: dwditty
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 10:31 AM

Yes, Azizi...please post a link or provide the url...thanks.

Here is the link to The Blues Foundation. The Blues Foundation runs an International Blues Challenge each year (on Beale Street in memphis, no less). Individual blues societies send participants each year. Most states and/or large cities have a chapter. Google one near you.

Most of the songs in my sets are blues, so, as far as I am concerned, the blues are very much alive.

dw

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: Azizi
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 10:29 AM

Sorry, Volgadon!

The link is in my 2nd post and it'll be in my next one,too. The bottom of that linked page has links to pages with the names of Blues artists whose last names or groups names are A through K.

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: Azizi
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 10:27 AM

Here's a listing of Blues artists from outside of the USA* that are listed on the web page whose link I forgot to include on my first post to this thread:

http://www.thebluehighway.com/links4.html

* I'm including in this list the names of a couple of artists who were born outside of the USA but are now living in the USA

Partial List of Artists L/M from thebluehighway.com [transcriped 6/20/2008]   

La Bacanal They're a blues-rock band out of Argentina.

Last Call They're a blues-rock band over in Germany. Hear 'em in .mp3.

Peter Lavell He's a blues vocalist and guitar player based in Amsterdam.

Marshall Lawrence He's the Dr. of the Blues up in Edmonton, Alberta.

Lazy Poker Blues Band In Switzerland, and with fine credentials.

Andy Lee and The Bluecats They're a harp-driven blues band over in the UK.

Vince Lee and the Big Combo They're a swingin' UK jump blues band.

Maurice Richard Libby aka Whiteboy Slim, he's a Canadian singer-guitarist-harpist.

Lightnin' Moe and His Peace Disturbers They're a blues band from Denmark.

Walter "Wale" Liniger The "Blues Professor," in Switzerland. Hear him in .wav.

Little Jenny & the Blue Beans A blues harp player and vocalist in Sweden.

Little Willie Littlefield He's a legendary bluesman now based over in Europe.

The Loeff Berchmaker Blues Band In Utrecht, The Netherlands. Hear 'em in .wav.

Lone Guitar Wolf They're an Italian blues band. Hear 'em in .mp3.

Connie Lush & Blues Shouter She leads the band over in the UK.

M.Blue Steel They're a blues-rock band in Quebec, Canada. Hear 'em in .mp3.

Mack He's a four-armed bluesman from Vancouver. Hear him in RealAudio.

Wes Mackey Up in Canada, they call him simply "The Bluesman."

Maestro Ciminiera & His Funky People They're an Italian blues band.

Janiva Magness She's a sultry blues singer out of Los Angeles.

"Sir" Oliver Mally He's a blues export from Austria. Hear him in .mp3.

Mama's Pit They're an accomplished blues band over in Italy.

Alan Marcus Band He's a Brazilian blues guitarist, now from Massachusetts.

Rollo Markee and The Tailshakers They're a harp-driven band from the U.K.

Eddie Martin He's a blues guitar veteran out of the United Kingdom

Mavi Kart They're a "great" blues and funk "orchestra" out of Turkey.

Barry McCabe He mixes blues-rock with Celtic music over in Ireland.

Men In Sheds This veteran blues trio performs original blues in the UK.

Roberto Menabò An acoustic bluesman in Italy. Hear him in RealAudio.

Michael Messer A leading National steel/slide guitarist over in the UK.

Sweet Baby James Meston He's an Australian blues guitarist.

Roy Mette He's a blues-rock guitarist from Essex, England. Hear him in .mp3.

Jane Michele She's a contemporary blueswoman from Australia.

The Mighty Bandini Brothers They play lowdown vintage blues out of Belgium.

Mike & the Mellotones They're a "Nu Bluz" outfit from The Netherlands.

Mr. Jedson Twang dirt guitars over in Sweden. Hear 'em in .mp3.

Larry O. Moan He plays acoustic roots blues over in Hamburg, Germany.

Mojo Hand Texas blues and soul -- from Slovenia! Hear 'em in .wav.

Mönsterås Blues Band They're the oldest still-touring blues band in Sweden.

Steve Morrison's Blues Abuse He plays and sings country blues over in London.

The Mud Boys A party blues band around Ottawa, Ontario. Hear 'em in RealAudio.

My Planet An all-woman acoustic blues band over in France. Hear 'em in .mp3.

Subject: RE: Blues Artists Around The World
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 10:22 AM

Azizi, you got my interest up, but didn't post the link!

Subject: Blues Artists Around The World
From: Azizi
Date: 20 Jun 08 - 10:18 AM

Some folks here may be interested in this website that alphabetically lists Blues artists by their last name or the last name of their group & also mentions their geographical home base:

I happened upon that website when I went searching for information about young Blues singers. That search was prompted by this Mudcat thread on young folk singers: thread.cfm?threadid=112157&messages=4 Young, gifted and feet on the ground.

In my next two posts to this thread I'll list some examples of Blues artists who are based outside of the USA. I'll be excerpting names from the L/Q section of that website as it was the page that Google listed in my search for young Blues singers. I'll only provide a link to the page that contains the names and not a hyperlink of the individual names themselves. However, the editor of that page does provide hyperlinks to each artist/group listed, so it's a much better resource for folks who want to hear an example of the artist or find out more information about each individual artist or band.

While I'm particularly curious about the state of Blues music and the indentification of young, middle age, and older Blues artists outside of the USA, I'm also interested [and hopefully, other readers of this thread may be interested] in that same information as it pertains to the USA. Please join me in this presentation of information about Blues artists of any age both within and outside of the USA.

Hopefully, this thread will also be a place to share your experiences as a Blues artist, or your experience with Blues artists of any age within the USA and outside of the USA. Again, I'm most interested in your thoughts about the "state of Blues music" meaning is it well, is it fading, is it reviving & changing, and if so, how is it changing, and why.

And btw, links to YouTube videos of Blues artists would be a great addition to this thread.

Thanks, in advance, for posting on this thread!