The Yardbirds Interview & Concert Review- by J. Blake

(New York, NY)

On Wednesday May 26th, 2010, patrons of B.B. King’s Blues Club and Grill were treated to 60s-style blues and rock…of the British variety. With only two of the original members still intact (rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja and drummer Jim McCarty), on paper, The Yardbirds are one of those bands that could easily slip more into the category of glorified ‘tribute band’, than legitimate new line-up, but luckily for them and their fans, their musicianship and sheer live energy can undoubtedly quiet even their most skeptical critics.

As the band took the stage in front of a sold-out house, the term “rave-up”, which the band made famous over 40 years ago, was instantly exemplified. The energy being exchanged between the group and the capacity crowd was palpable. Grown men were clearly finding it difficult to contain their excitement, as they strapped on their air-guitars in droves and took to their imaginary drum sets. It was a spectacle that rarely rears its head to that extent in the relatively upscale Time Square venue.

The band systematically ran through their catalogue, playing most, if not all, of their familiar material, as well as some of their more recent compositions. The majority of the latest line-up of the band is fairly young and they, including lead guitar virtuoso Ben King, bring a youthful energy and modern take to material that is now over four decades old. The evening’s closing performances of “Dazed And Confused” and “I’m A Man" brought down the house.


Before the show, guitarists Chris Dreja and Ben King were kind enough to take a few minutes, to sit down with me and casually discuss everything from past achievements to future plans. One thing that I feel obligated to divulge, before I go any further, is that the following “interview” was conducted in maybe the worst conditions possible. Because of various circumstances (greenrooms being full, club staff preparing for the show and the dinner rush, etc.), we were forced to sit in a booth, within the club, and attempt to have an intimate conversion while another band ran through their sound check.

I tell you this, not as any kind of excuse, but instead to simply “set the scene”. It seemed that any time one of us tried to speak, we were interrupted by a drum roll and crash symbols. It was an experience that I think all of three of us managed to find humor in, as we all chuckled at the absurdity of it on several occasions throughout the interview. I think it is safe to say that Chris, Ben and I all felt like we were either trapped in some kind of Monty Python skit or at the very least a prank/hidden camera TV show. Luckily they were both very nice and incredibly good sports. So as you read the following interview, imagine the three of us yelling at each other at the top of our lungs, trying to be heard over a ridiculous racket of drums and PA tests.

J. Blake: So you guys are on tour. Is that going to last through the summer?

Chris Dreja: We were in American and Canada in March and then we came back here for eight shows until the end of this month. Then we’re back to Europe playing in Germany, Portugal, Finland, Germany and France; and then probably back to America next year. So it is pretty full on, but we get breaks you know.

JB: You guys recorded a live album here at B.B. King’s a couple of years ago.

CD: We did.

JB: In a weird way, is it almost like a little bit of a homecoming?

CD: I suppose what this club represents to me; it’s like The Marquee in London. It’s sort of a regular show in New York. So it is kind of a home away from home now.

JB: Ben, you’ve been with the band for a few years now.

Ben King: Yes, it’s been between four or five years…something like that now.

JB: When you take the stage, is there a sense of history looming over you? You’re filling some pretty big shoes.

BK: Sure.

JB: Or do you just need to go out there and do your thing?

BK: Pretty much. I never let the legacy or the history of the group and the guitar players really phase me. I was aware from the very beginning that I was never going to be able to copy exactly what had been done. I try not to go down that clone root if I can help it. I just try and mix it up and blend elements of all of the guitar players, to an extent, and there are certain things that you definitely have to play; certain key things and with the sound as well. We stick to a pretty authentic sound with the gear and whatnot. I just try to get a nice mix and most people have complimented, sort of, what I’ve brought to the band; a nice mixture of old and new really.

CD: It’s like with the other guitar players. Being a guitar player band, it is one of The Yardbirds’ things, but you know when Jeff (Beck) joined the band after Eric (Clapton), he knew he had to play key parts, but we just said to him “then, do your own thing”. It is the same with Ben. I mean we know that Ben is well up for it. He’s an incredible player and there are certain things you need to do. After that, bring something to the band. Which they’ve all done.

JB: Sure. Are there things that Ben brings specifically that the other guys didn’t? I know that your last few lead guitarists were a bit older than Ben is.

CD: Yeah. Ben brings a more modern style of playing to the band. He’s a great solo player and just takes off sometimes. When Jimmy (Page) was in the band, he was more of a riff and chord guy really; a great riff maker and Ben has his own touch.

JB: (To Chris) I know that photography is a passion of yours.

CD: (Laughs) Yeah.

JB: I was hoping you could talk a bit about when you decided to step away from music in the late-60s and pursue photography.

CD: Well a lot of creative people back in the 60s were in this ‘art school’ scenario in England and I always had a passion for photography and I have had two passions in my life; one in music and one in photography and I’ve been very lucky to have made a great life for myself with both and a decent living. So yeah, in that break (from music), I had a 32 year career in photography and I worked here in New York for 3 years as well. So this is sort of a city of home for me too.

JB: Did you ever regret that you stepped away from the music, when you did? It was 1968, a pretty amazing time for music.

*And for those of you that may not know, it was the role of bassist in Jimmy Pages’ new line-up of The Yardbirds that Chris Dreja left in 1968 to pursue photography. That line-up eventually became Led Zeppelin and Chris actually took several well-known photographs of the band, including the back cover of their first album.

CD: Never. I mean I’m a very independent sort of personality and it really got to the point where I wanted to wakeup in my own bed in the morning and not be dependant on people who were a bit crazy. (He laughs) My own destiny! Although it is different now. I mean in those days; the late-60s were a bit hedonistic. No I have no regrets at all.

JB: Ben, I noticed you were playing a Tele(caster) during the sound check.

BK: Yes.

JB: Is that your ‘axe’ of choice or do you switch it up from night to night?

BK: I’ve pretty much been playing only a Tele for most of my time in the band. I went to the Strat for awhile, but you know the Tele is really the ‘Yardbirds guitar’. I mean everybody played one in the day and I kind of stick to that. The one I’m playing now; the one I managed to find is a very unique instrument and I thought, “well, not many guys really solo around on Teles.” They are usually associated with other things and they’re a lot of work. They’re not the easiest guitar to play. They’re so primitive, but when you really put some effort into them, it is amazing what you can get back.

JB: (To Ben) Do you do stuff outside of The Yardbirds? When you guys are not on tour, do you have your own solo thing going on?


BK: Yeah I do bits and pieces. I’m actually living in Vancouver now and I’ve been working with the musicians there and slowly getting some stuff together, but it seems that there is a lot of pressure on what I’m going to do. People are always asking “what’s next?” and I want it to live up to what I’ve done and go beyond…you know?

*It is at this point in the interview that the sporadic drum rolls evolve into a full on 4/4 time rock drum beat. The three of us look at each other and begin to laugh.

CD: (Referring to the drum beat) We chose our moment didn’t we?

*We sit and wait for a moment to see if it will die down and when it doesn’t, I desperately attempt to get the interview back on track.

JB: (To Chris) I have to ask this next question, because I am a bit of a ‘film guy’.

CD: Good!

JB: What was it like working Michelangelo Antonioni on BLOW UP?

CD: Well it was a great experience, because I am a film guy too. I mean in those days they must’ve had some great budgets, because in the scene with The Yardbids, he (Antonioni) recreated, actually it was the Ricky Tick club which was in Windsor and they completely recreated this club in a studio; Pinewood Studios I think. It was three days shooting for that one scene. Then of course (David) Hemmings, the actor that played the photographer in the film, he comes out on to Oxford Street. So that was a bit surreal, because that would’ve been The Marquee, but the actual set was a dead copy of the Ricky Tick. Antonioni was great. He worked with his lighting guy very methodically and calm…I thought it was a great film. A lot of people either love or hate that film, but I personally think it was one of the best films of the 60s.

JB: I agree. I love that film and I’m a big fan of Italian cinema in general.

CD: Well who isn’t? I personally am very proud to have been in that film.

JB: Are there any new albums on the horizon?

CD: More likely a DVD actually, with a couple of new tracks. The thing is, it is hard to…we have done new tracks that have sat well with The Yardbirds catalogue and audiences have grown to love them, but it is quite hard to get a song up to that standard; to meet some of those early songs’ standards.

JB: Sure, well it is a pretty specific sound.

CD: Yeah exactly.

JB: And to try and write material that fits, has to be difficult.

CD: Yes, so we’re not greatly prolific right now, but as I say, a DVD might be a nice thing to do.

JB: Well I thank you guys for your time, this has been great and I appreciate your taking a few minutes to sit down with me.

CD: Well I’m sorry we kept you waiting.

JB: Not a problem. The sound check sounded great and Ben, the Tele sounds amazing.

BK: Thank you.

JB: I’ve heard the live CD you guys recorded here.

CD: Yeah it has got energy hasn’t it?

JB: Yeah, it is great.

CD: Well that is very kind. Thank you.

BK: I think you’ll like the new line-up of the band.

JB: I’ve heard very good things about the new guys and I’m looking forward to the show tonight. Again I appreciate your time, thanks.

BK: It was a pleasure…

JB: And hopefully I’ll be able to make some sense of this when I listen back to it (I hold up my digital recorder).

*We all laugh and Chris begins to mime playing the drums and verbally mimic the beat. We shake hands and go our separate ways.

Luckily for me the recording did come out…barely.



If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy: John Mayall Live in NYC

Thanks and keep reading American Blues News!!!

NYC blues fans, make sure you check out Albert Lee live at B.B. King's Blues Club and Grill on June 19th and Johnny Winter on June 23rd!!!

Copyright © 2010 - J. Blake. All Rights Reserved
*Live Photos: Copyright © 2010 - Nelson G. Onofre. All Rights Reserved.

Mike Bram, A Man Of Many Talents - by J. Blake

(New York, NY)

In recent years Mike Bram has become a highly sought-after stage and session drummer, touring the world as musical director for 2010 Grammy Winner Jason Mraz and backing such notable blues talent as 2007 Blues Music Award nominee David Gross and 2008 Blues Music Award nominee Gina Sicilia. He has performed with everyone from Willie Nelson, Joss Stone and John Popper to blues greats like Mark Hummel, Steve Guyger and Watermelon Slim; and played on some of the planet’s biggest stages.

When he’s not on the road, he calls New York home and it is here in the Big Apple that he makes his way around the club scene; playing his harmonica and singing the blues, fronting his own band The Alternators. As a bluesman, his two studio albums (LEROY and the self-titled MIKE BRAM & THE ALTERNATORS) have been played on blues radio programs worldwide. More recently he’s been recording with Dave Gross, Dennis Grueling, Bob Margolin and Watermelon Slim for an upcoming Sean Costello Tribute Album.

He is a man that has worn many musical hats throughout his career, but at just 33 years-old, he shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. He may not be a household name in the blues community yet, but he is definitely someone to keep an eye on.

I recently had a chance to sit down with my old college chum, as he took a break from preparing for an all night blues gig at Lucille’s Bar & Grill, located in B.B. King’s Blues Club in the heart of Time Square. We discussed life on the road, his somewhat recent passion for the blues, his writing process, and his plans for a third solo album.

J. Blake: Back when we first met, it didn’t really seem like you were that into the blues. I’m interested in finding out how this love and the desire to pursue this kind of music came about.

Mike Bram: Well, while you and I were in school, I was a jazz major. I feel like there is a connection rhythmically between a jazz drummer and a ‘traditional’ blues drummer, not to mention a similarity in the music itself. The line is kind of blurry. Even though you’d find T-Bone Walker in the blues category, some of his stuff really has a swinging big band jazz feel.

So there is a connection between the music and then when we graduated college I ended up doing some gigs with Jeff Hartwell as his drummer and that’s a southern rock kind of band. Between playing blues in his style and also being the drummer at his weekly open (blues) jam sessions, it inspired me to dig deeper into the actual tradition of the music; kind of like I was doing with jazz music in college. Doing the research and going back to listen to the early records; I did the same thing for the blues once I started playing the jam sessions. So going back from the things that we might hear, like Clapton and the Allman Brothers and then going back to where it came from.

Harmonica specifically, playing drums behind guys at the jam sessions, that were playing harmonica and kind of making a good sound out of it and I thought “if I have a musical ear, I’m sure I can just pick it up and at least make a good sound out of it.” I really loved the way it sounded through a bullet mic and I figured I’d just give it a whirl and then I just got addicted to it.

JB: Did you find it to be that easy?

MB: I picked it up pretty quickly. Now that is not to say that I still don’t have very far to go. There is so much to learn, but my initial learning; those initial 6 months seemed like it was a quick learning curve, where I could actually learn enough and sound good enough to play in front of people in a short amount of time. Then the research that I did, actually going out and seeing the real deal guys, clued me in to what I really wanted and what I needed to go for.

It takes years to get a real tone. I listened back to some of the earlier things I did when I first started playing harmonica and I didn’t have it together. It took years to get the tongue blocking technique down and things like that, but I was playing in front of people relatively quickly. Playing the drums at the jam sessions allowed me to be able to sit in on harmonica for a couple of sets and I just built it up from there.

JB: With your album (the self-titled MIKE BRAM & THE ALTERNATORS), I know you’ve also taken to writing your own original blues.

MB: Yeah, but you know that really goes in phases? At the time when I recorded that particular album, I had written a handful of tunes in a short amount of time. I don’t know how it happened. I think some of them are actually pretty good and some of them are kind of standard; I don’t want to say cliché, but they are standard blues. There are a couple there though, that I think are kind of clever; that I became attached to. There were like 10 or 12 songs that I just wrote real quickly. I don’t know how it happened. I’d just be up late at night, come home from a gig and just still have music going on in my head and I’d just come up with some idea or a ‘catch phrase’ and then build on it.

You know I’ve really only written a few things since then? So that kind of inspiration hasn’t really struck me much since, but I’m going to try and record a new album, hopefully, by the end of this year with a few originals and a few covers. But yeah, writing was just kind of a fluke thing and I try to pursue it sometimes, but when you’re actually trying to pursue writing a song, for me anyway, it doesn’t seem to work out. You need an idea first, that kind of helps it write itself. Which is how I felt when I wrote those songs; which I think was back in 2006.

JB: Since then, you’ve become quite the accomplished stage and session drummer. What has it been like touring the world?

MB: Well that was an amazing opportunity. It wasn’t blues, but I love and listen to all different styles of music. So the opportunity to play in front of, sometimes, 50 thousand people…what can you really say? You kind of have to pinch yourself. You ask yourself “is this really happening?” You have many moments of reflection, being up on stage, whether it was a thousand people or 50 thousand people. There were many moments where I remembered playing in the little clubs with sawdust on the floor. You know what I mean? It was amazing, I would just think about things like band class and stuff like that; all the different steps along the way. I felt very fortunate. I know there are a lot of people that play music and try to make a living at it. Very few of them get to see that. I am very fortunate.

JB: Any immediate plans to get back on the road as a drummer or are you going to stick around and play the blues for awhile?

MB: No immediate plans. Really what we’re waiting on is…we’ll see the next batch of tunes that Jason (Mraz) writes and he’ll be going back into the studio and hopefully I’ll be involved in that. Basically it depends on what happens with the next record; if he has enough songs to make a record and then when all that is taken care of, then you go out and support it.

JB: You mentioned you are planning to record another album of your own soon. What’s the real goal for you and the blues?

MB: For the blues thing, I’m freelancing. I like to play gigs with other people. I try to do as much work as I can with my friend Dave Gross. I am doing stuff with the Chris O’Leary Band. My own personal thing, I want to record another album that documents where I’m at now. My harmonica playing and singing have gone certain places since my last record in 2006. I want to get a snapshot of where that is at now and also have it produced by Dave Gross. He gets a really amazing vintage sound in the studio. He knows how to get the real raw tones and make them sound vintage, but also modern at the same time…if that is even possible. So I’m going to do some covers and some originals and use Dave’s knowledge of tones and sounds to help me make it a little bit different.

I also want to do a couple of things with the influence of the last few T-Bone Burnett projects; the Plant/Krauss kind of thing; just the way they make the drums sound and the tremolo guitar thing and certainly the style of guitars they use, like the Silvertones and the Kay guitars. I want to have at least a few tracks that sound like that, so that their not just standard shuffles and slow blues. I will certainly incorporate some of that too, but I want to have a couple of things that have a different sound as well.

JB: Well thanks man, it was great talking to you. I don’t want to hold you up too long. I know you have a gig tonight. It was nice to finally do this. We’ve been talking about it for a long time.

MB: Yeah thanks. This was cool. I hope you can make it to the show tonight. It is going to be a good one. You should bring your guitar. At some point, later on in the night, I’m going to try and open it up a little bit and maybe we can get you to come up and sit in.

JB: Sounds fun. Count me in.

*If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy: Tommy Castro Interview

Thanks and keep reading American Blues News!!!

NYC blues fans, make sure you check out Hubert Sumlin live at B.B. King's Blues Club and Grill tomorrow, May 13th!!!

Copyright © 2010 - J. Blake. All Rights Reserved

Pittsburgh: Tinsley Ellis Interview by Monica Yasher

“As far as popular culture, I’m on the outside looking in. As an artist, I’m on the outside looking out.“

It was just announced last week that Tinsley Ellis was nominated for a Blues Handy award for the Blues Rock Album of the Year! This would come as no surprise if you had a chance to speak with Tinsley. Tinsley enjoys the songwriting process and used all of his own songwriting efforts on his new release, "Speak No Evil". He has also been performing the songs live across the United States and claims that the live shows will sound as good as the record. I saw Tinsley, and he is right on target with that statement!

When I saw Tinsley at Moondogs in Pittsburgh in October, the room was full. The crowd was patiently waiting for Tinsley to attack the songs via his guitar and give them that southern feeling only Tinsley can offer. And, he gave the crowd just what they were looking for. All the while Tinsley is performing with his guitar, he is also feeling the words he has written. And, the crowd responded to Tinsley and his music with a very warm reception. Tinsley is a great performer and I’m sure the crowd will be back around the next time he comes to town. Until then, let’s see what Tinsley had to say.

Tinsley: Hello.

Monica: Hello Tinsley! This is Monica Yasher, how are you!

T: Hey Monica, how are you?

M: I’m all right! Where are you today?

T: I’m in Atlanta where I live.

M: Still home? I checked some things out and you have an aggressive tour schedule.

T: Yes. And I have interviews in prep for the tour.

M: I’m looking forward to speaking with you Tinsley. Maybe we should get started. You seem so busy! Let’s talk about your new CD. How is this the same or different than your past works?

T: It’s a continuation of what we have been doing on studio albums since the year 2000 in terms of writing almost all of the material, or as much of it as I can. I wrote this whole album, which is not the case on the last one, where I wrote most of it-but not all of it. We’ve found that it works best for us to do original music that is a statement of where we are at musically and where I’m at lyrically.

So it’s going to be…we are very excited about the music in, "Speak No Evil". I don’t think the long time fans of the band will be surprised at all in terms of the style of guitar driven blues rock as we have always done. But, hopefully we will add some new fans to our crowd.

M: So when you so where you are lyrically, I take it you have all new writing and not things sitting around for years that you felt would meet the needs of the CD’s theme today? So, where are you when you say, where I am lyrically? What do you mean..in regard to life...or in songwriting...what does that mean?

T: Yes. I think my songwriting is getting better all time. I’ve had my own recording studio for six years now and that’s really helped me out in songwriting and I’ve been able to really spend a lot of time on this particular album. We were able to choose from over fifty songs to whittle it down to twelve so that is something kind of new. Never have we had that much choice.

M: Do you record eighteen or twenty and then work down toward your twelve?

T: On this particular album. No. We whittled it down from the fifty to the twelve based on the demos. But, I have gone in, in the past and recorded eighteen songs and then picked the best twelve out of those.

M: In regard to the writing, do you write everyday? Do you do practice songs? Is that your songwriting technique or is every song a viable completed song?

T:
T: I learned years ago that you can set time aside for songwriting and it just doesn’t work well. Songs come when they come. I could be driving down the road, and I have a telephone with a recorder in it, so...I find myself singing to my telephone. And, that replaces the hand held cassette I used for that purpose. Songs come when they come. I record them at my studio when I’m off-touring in Atlanta.

M: Acoustically?

T: No I play all the instruments.

M: Do you? Wow! So, you hear it all when it comes to you?

T: Yeah. I can hear it. And of course I’ll bring in the band to do the demos. They have their expertise and ideas on their individual instruments. I present the ideas to them as a band demo.

M; You haven’t been out on the road yet. But, when people hear you with this tour will they say, and I’m going to show my age here, he sounds just like his album!

T: Yeah. I think in terms of the new songs on, "Speak No Evil", it will sound just like the record. And, we will be doing a lot of songs on the previous CD, "Moment of Truth". We will be doing songs off of the Live album that we did in 2005 where we invited people to go to www.TinsleyEllis.com and tell us what songs they wanted to be on the LIVE album. That was kinda cool to involve the fans like that.

M: OK. What is your favorite part of being an artist? The writing, the touring, the recording? What’s your favorite part of it all?



T: Obviously, performing always comes first. A close second is the songwriting process where it’s just me and a song and I haven’t played it for anyone yet. It’s just a wonderful creative period. Because once you start playing it for people, everyone has ideas, which is good and necessary. But, I just love it when it’s just me and the song and I’m falling in love with it.

M: You fall in love with your songs? Wow.

T: Well..yeah..you fall in love with them and then people criticize them when you are working on them.

M: I have to agree with that. I wrote a song just for me once and someone else made a comment to change it all around to make it more commercial. That was one song that I just couldn’t do it, because I wrote it for me. It’s mine.

T: A lot of opinion out there. That’s fine too. But, when it’s me and the song in the studio it’s a fine time. Nobody has any say about it. But, my main love is to perform.

M: I can see that from your schedule, Tinsley, you are a busy man.

T: Very busy. That’s cool. It’s a good time when an album is new and you go out there and play the songs and have them appreciated, hopefully. A lot of good stuff happens when the album is new. A lot of stuff we are waiting for.

M: Let’s talk about some career things. You are a fabulous guitarist. If you could meet up with another guitarist in a room, who would you want that to be?

T: Eric Clapton.

M: Eric Clapton is your man, huh? Why? What do you want to learn from him?

T: I just love his music and if I had to narrow it down to one, he is it. All the different journeys he has taken in different styles of music with electric and acoustic, blues, psychedelic rock.

M: Did you meet him yet?

T: I almost met him a couple of times.

M: What about B.B. King? I see that B.B. impacted you. You have his guitar string still.

T: I have met him many times. I’ve opened for him and he is always so nice to me.

M: Is he?

T: Really a good guy. A great guy!

M: As much as B.B. impacted you, how do you feel you impact your audience? Or, do you have a story for me that you have done the same for someone?

T: Well it was a real honor when I met this kid. He was thirteen years old and he said he wanted to learn one of my songs and his parents brought him to my show. Backstage he seemed so interested in learning the chords to this song. I showed him some of the things to the tune. He then put out an album and recorded my song on it and that was nice because it was a different generation doing one of my songs. Then we watched the album sell one hundred thousand. Then we watched the album go gold. Then we watched the album go almost double platinum. That person was Jonny Lang.

M: I knew you were going to say his name once you started.

T: Naturally that was a big financial blessing for me and my family. But, to have someone from a different generation, someone who is a child pretty much thirteen- fourteen years old when he recorded it...he did a beautiful job on it. He used to be our opening act and now we are his opening act. He plays that song every time. I asked his manager does he play that song often or only when we open for him. His manager told me he plays that song at every concert. What an honor. What an honor.

M: I’m happy for you. You obviously impacted him and brought him along.

T: The trick is doing it a second time. I want to make sure it’s not a fluke. I pitched songs to the biggies, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, ZZ Top and many others. Haven’t had anyone bite just yet. The Jonny Lang thing come out of left field. Nobody anticipated that his "Lie to Me" album was going to sale like it did. You can try and try and try and I zig and they zag or it can just come together. The main thing is that we have songs out there that people can hear because Alligator Records sales an album everywhere they can sale a record so chances are that someone can hear it. That would be nice.

M: Do you think that by Jonny doing your song, in your mind, validated you a bit more as a songwriter?

T: It definitely got my attention. Right after that I got the recording equipment, and had it in my basement for a while and then I moved it into an office space so that I could do it anytime I wanted to, including four in the morning if need be. Yes, it got my attention and was a wake up call in many ways. I’ve had some other songs covered by people I really respect like Melvin Taylor and Michael Burkes. And the title song to my new album, "Speak No Evil", I wrote that one for Guitar Shorty. But, Alligator had me record it instead, so that was kind of cool. I wrote it for somebody else and low and behold I ended up doing it myself at the urging of Alligator Records and it ended up being the title song. Isn’t that sneaky?

M: No, that’s awesome! I’ve seen some songwriters perform the songs they wrote for major artists. There is something to be said for that songwriter performing their song. That songwriter will perform it totally different because it’s from their heart and it’s from the place where they were when they wrote it. It’s always so touching. It’s usually exceptional.

T: I know what you mean and I love it when songwriters become front people like Carole King. Carole King wrote all those hits and I loved her versions as much as the originals.

M: I rocked my kids to sleep with that song, 'You’ve Got a Friend'. It’s amazing how songs touch people. The power of five words or a few more words in a sentence can be very humbling. You have that wonderful guitar playing behind it. Let’s talk about that. Did you have your family’s backing in all of this?

T: No, they weren’t into it at ALL. They counseled against it at every opportunity.

But, when I got in the New York Times in the 1980’s all of a sudden it was a little better. That’s what it takes.

M: When you think about it when we grew up, music wasn’t thought to be a great career choice. You worked somewhere until you retired. Today music has so many more choices. So much you can do with it. I’m so glad you stuck with it!

T: At this juncture what else could I do? So…it’s too late to stop. I wonder if it’s easier or harder to do music.

M: What do you mean? Someone breaking in or where you are now?

T: Just doing a living at it. I wonder if it’s easier or harder because I’ve done it for so long. If somebody was starting now, it could be harder now than before. I’m grandfathered in. It’s tough. People are expecting free music on the internet and for those of us writing songs to make a living, it makes it tough.

M: Yeah it is.

T: But at the same token, there are more avenues for music, so maybe it evens out.

M: Somebody told me once that music will save the world.

T: Well...Maybe…(He laughs.)

M: I don’t know. (He laughs.)

T: That would set my expectations too high. I’m about entertaining people. Saving the world I will leave that to political and religious leaders. I would hope it would have done that already. We must be in a holding pattern. (We laugh.) I guess we have time.

M: Were you self taught or did you take lessons?

T: Self taught.

M: What would you recommend for the future artists of tomorrow?

T: Write your own material. Find your own voice. Learn to read music is well and fine. But, you have to put a feeling in people’s heart and I don’t think they teach you that at music school. I think they teach the mechanics of music. The nice mixture of the tune. I just think that writing songs, that helped me a lot. I always urge young bands to write their own material and find their own voice.

M: What do you think makes a good song?

T: A good song is something that you whistle at the water cooler at work. You just find yourself singing along to a song. It doesn’t have to be complicated. I like music that is simple and soulful. That puts me at 180 degrees from what most people like today. But, oh well. My favorite band is Booker T and the MG’s. They are a simple soulful band. I don’t like complicated music. As far as popular culture, I’m on the outside looking in. As an artist, I’m on the outside looking out.

M: That’s a line, I’m telling you. Anything you want to tell me?

T: Just thank you so much for your interest in the blues.

M: I wouldn’t be musically where I am without blues, and blues open mics, and my blues musician friends. I try to write country music. But, I wouldn’t be anywhere without the blues.

T: It’s the root of it all, isn’t it?

M: It is. You can sing the blues however you want. It’s how you are feeling and I would never sing the same song the same way twice.

T: You are right. The operative word is feeling. Feeling is what it’s all about.

M: I love the blues. And I look forward to actually meeting you.

T: See you tomorrow Monica.

M: Bye Tinsley.

T: Bye Monica.



You may also enjoy reading Tinsley's CD review by J. Blake: Tinsley Review

Thank you for reading American Blues News!

Copyright © 2009 Copyright Monica L. Yasher. All Rights Reserved.
Photograph Copyright © 2009 Maureen Ceidro. All Rights Reserved.

NEW YORK: Tommy Castro Interview - by J. Blake

As a long time fan of Tommy Castro, to say that I was “thrilled” that he agreed to take some time out his busy touring schedule for a fairly extensive interview, is an understatement. As he spoke to me over the phone, from his tour bus, I found him to be charming and candid. We chatted at length about everything from his blues music beginnings and his guitar-heroes to his creative songwriting process and the making of his latest album; HARD BELIEVER, a Billboard Blues Music Chart staple since its release in September.

Though it appears that he has accomplished just about everything that there is to accomplish in the blues music industry, Castro revealed that it has been a long road to the top and there are still a few more important stops left on his musical journey.

J. Blake: First of all I just want to thank you for taking a few minutes to talk to me. I saw you play at a blues festival in Troy, New York in 1997 and I’ve been a fan ever since.

Tommy Castro: Cool! Was that the one that was sponsored by a beer company? And was Magic Slim on the gig?

JB: I’m not sure.

TC: I remember, that was one of our first trips out east and we played this festival out there, with Magic Slim on the bill. I just remember, because it was sponsored by a beer company and they were bringing him some beer and he says over the microphone “I don’t drink no beer! Beer makes you fat!” (we both laugh) And it was sponsored by a beer company! It was so great…maybe that was it.

JB: Yes maybe. Changing gears a bit, I just wanted to talk to you about growing up in California.

TC: San Jose, California.

JB: And taking up the guitar and what motivated you to play. I’m a guitar player and I’m always curious about how one picks up the instrument and really gets into it and decides to pursue it; obviously to the extent that you have.

TC: Well, it was pretty simple. My older brother was playing guitar. I don’t know what made him think of it. Obviously The Beatles and The Stones were on the scene and he was just a kid wanting to learn how to play guitar, because that seemed like such a cool thing to do and he was about 6 years older than me. So I watched him play guitar for a couple years and then somewhere around age 10, I guess, I started sneaking his guitar when he wasn’t around. One thing led to another and I started to play.

And you know the blues explosion of the ‘60s was happening; and I wasn’t really all that knowledgeable about music or about what was going on. I just knew the bands that I liked. I liked The Rolling Stones, I liked Cream and I liked bands like The Doors; and somewhere along the line I got into Michael Bloomfield and the Paul Butterfield Band. Elvin Bishop was one of my favorites and all these guys are blues guys. You know at the time they were big stars on the radio; being played on FM radio all the time and I figured out somewhere along the line that it was blues that I liked.

JB: Sure…

TC: I didn’t realize at first what it was. I remember somebody told me that Eric Clapton was the best blues guitar player in England and I went “wow!” I didn’t realize that he was a blues guitar player! I thought he was a rock guy. (laughs) I thought I was listening to rock ‘n’ roll! So that’s when I started thinking about it a little bit. I read some interview of Michael Bloomfield talking about B.B. King and I went out and got a B.B. King record and that was really what kind of changed my life I think; from that point on.

JB: Which record?

TC: LIVE IN COOK COUNTY JAIL.

JB: A classic!

TC: And I got LIVE AT THE REGAL too. They were both out about the same time.

JB: Yeah LIVE AT THE REGAL was the one that did it for me.

TC: Really?

JB: Yes.

TC: That’s the one where his amp head had all that reverb on it?

JB: My brother gave it to me one year for Christmas and when I popped that it was kind of all over for me.

TC: (laughs)

JB: So was it the ‘70s that you started playing in bands?

TC: Yes. I had played in some bands back in my hometown. You know just a couple of hometown blues bands. We ran a jam session at a little club on Sundays. So we created the house band there, called the Boulevard Blues Band; because JJ’s Blues Club was on Stevens Creek Blvd. So we called it the Boulevard Blues Band and it just had a bunch of my old friends. And then some of the members from that band splintered off into a thing called ‘Night Cry’ and we were actually working quite a bit around the South Bay and sometimes we’d get to work up in other parts of the Bay Area; namely San Francisco.

That was about the time that I decided I wanted to try and make it as a musician and so I moved to San Francisco. That was when I joined The Dynatones. I was playing in little clubs around San Francisco as a hired gun for just about anybody that would have me and these guys in The Dynatones saw me with Johnny Nitro and the Doorslammers. They were looking for a guitar player and so I played for them for a couple of years.

JB: So you were strictly a guitar player with them?

TC: Yeah, but I did sing. I sang some. They had a lead singer, so I played guitar and sometimes sang. And in Night Cry I was the singer who sometimes played guitar.

JB: I see.

TC: So I was going “sooner or later I gotta get it together, where I’m the singer and the guitar player!”

JB: (laughs)

TC: You know that’s what I want to do. So I started my own band at the end of the ‘80s. It might have been 1989, that I started The Tommy Castro Band and we just knocked around the San Francisco Bay area. There was such a scene at the time. We worked every single night somewhere. We didn’t take any nights off. Once in awhile we would take Monday night off, but we couldn’t really pick a night to take off, because there was always a gig available.

You know it took a little while to get to that point, but pretty soon we had plenty of work. But it was all local gigs and you know none of it paid very well, but if you put enough gigs together, everybody was making a pretty decent living. Of course the goal was to make a record and get out of there.

JB: Sure.

TC: Then Blind Pig came along, who has an office in San Francisco and offered us a deal and an agent offered to represent us. Anyway, those two things are the hardest things to get happening when you’re a new band; to a get a record label and an agent. The record label wants you to have an agent and the agency wants you to have a label!

JB: (laughs) Yeah it always seems to turn out that way.

TC: And you’re in a ‘catch 22’ situation a lot of times, but we managed to cross that little bridge and we’ve really just been doing this ever since.

JB: It is kind of amazing, because it appears that since that time…I guess looking at it now, it has been 20 years, but ultimately you’ve accomplished a ton within that time. You’ve won the Blues Music Award for Entertainer of the Year, but the thing that is most impressive to me, and I would imagine to you as well, is all the people you have gotten to share the stage with. And recording with John Lee Hooker! I mean that stuff has to be amazing right?

TC: Yeah it is pretty amazing. I never thought that those kinds of things would happen. Look I never expected that those kinds of things would take place, but they just happened quite naturally as I went about my business. At one point John Lee Hooker and I were with the same booking agency, so I got put on the bill with him a bunch of times. And so we became friends and he would tell me “everywhere I go they’re talkin’ ‘bout you.” (laughs) “They’re talkin’ ‘bout ‘chu!” And so I made this record and I had this idea of him singing on it and it just came together and it was pretty amazing. He passed away about a week later.

JB: In the picture on your website, you’re sitting next to him and you look like a kid in a candy store. I mean it has to be surreal, when you’re a blues musician and you get to sit there and watch John Lee Hooker perform on your record? But what about jamming on stage with people like B.B. King and Buddy Guy?

TC: I know. It still doesn’t even seem like it’s real. It’s more like I’m watching a movie or something in my memory when I think about those things. It’s pretty exciting and of course quite an honor. I’m just very grateful that those people accepted me enough for those things to happen.

JB: Sure.

TC: And it’s pretty amazing. Especially B.B., because you know B.B. was my hero. He was the first guy that I really just went nuts for on guitar and I just didn’t care about any of those rock guys anymore after I heard B.B. King. (laughs) I stopped playing rock and just kept on trying to get into more traditional blues guys after that; for a long long stretch anyway.

Later on after the Stevie Ray Vaughan era came and went. I was recording for Blind Pig and everybody was trying to get you to be more of a blues-rock player, I started to fuse a little bit of my old rock ‘n’ roll roots in with the blues and that’s where some of that stuff came from. But my time with The Dynatones, especially, really turned me on to all different kinds of soul music. You know driving around in a van with Walter Shuffelsworth and The Dynatones, he had so many great records that he had put on cassette. He had like 90 minute cassettes, about a hundred of them, just loaded with greasy old soul music and we would drive for hundreds of miles and thousands of miles, listening to that stuff the whole time. So I just got deeper and deeper and deeper into the soul music sound and then all three of those things have become what it is that I do now; blues, soul music and rock ‘n’ roll.

JB: Yes. The latest record, HARD BELIEVER, is definitely a blend of all those things. There’s definitely a ‘Stax’/Memphis soul influence on a lot of the album and then the next track comes around and it’s hardcore roadhouse blues…

TC: Yeah.

JB: And then some good old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll. When you sit down and you start to compile the material for an album, I’m always interested in how that process works. Clearly there are cover songs on this album and originals; I was wondering if maybe you could give me a little bit of insight into the thought process of putting together a song list for an album like this one?

TC: Well first of all, I go out and write songs with as many people as I can and I work on a couple of things on my own. I get my ideas together and then I go out and write songs with these really great songwriters, like Jeff Silbar and Bonnie Hayes; I sometimes get together with Gary Nicholson or Stephen Bruton, before he passed away, Jimmy Pugh from Robert Cray’s Band. There is a number of people that I like to get together and write songs with; oh Mike Schermer, you know these are guys that I know are good songwriters and I take them some of my ideas. I think co-writing is the way to go, because I have a lot of ideas but I am always interested in what somebody else thinks. Some other input is always good. I always just say “two heads are better than one.”

JB: Right.

TC: So we get together and I think I get better songs, depending on who I am working with. So I start that way, but it’s hard to do because I’m working all the time.

JB: Sure.

TC: It’s hard to do, because I have a family at home and kids and stuff like that; a regular life to lead and besides this being my work, it is hard to find the time to get together with other writers, but I run around and do my best at that. And then I keep notes when I’m listening to music; ideas for songs that I want to do. Cover songs that I think would be good for me to do.

JB: Yes.

TC: Then you get your producer in there and they always have some ideas. In this case Victims of Darkness and My Babe, from The Righteous Brothers, were John Porter’s idea and it was my idea to do Wilson Pickett and Bob Dylan.

JB: Okay.

TC: So there you go. There really wasn’t any kind of concept or plan in place. I just try to write good material and I try to pick stuff to cover that I haven’t done yet. Like, I’d never done a Bob Dylan song. That’s basically what was happening when we were putting this one together and then you just have to wait and see how it turns out. I had no idea it was going to turn out like it did. I think it is a really good record and to honest with you, I was kind of worried about it. (laughs)

JB: What were some of your worries, specifically?

TC: I wasn’t sure if we had the right material exactly. I wasn’t sure about some of the songs, but they really came together really great. You know it takes some doing. When you write a song, you don’t have the finished sound yet. You haven’t heard it yet. You don’t know how it is going to turn out. You don’t know exactly what it is going to be, until you have a chance to work with the band, work with the producer, work with different ideas, changing things around. You know, tweaking it to make it better.

JB: Can we take a couple of steps back? When you were talking about collaborating on writing songs; clearly there are many ways of going about it and inspiration comes in different forms. When you work with somebody, do you come to the table with ideas musically, lyrically, or both…or does it differ from song to song?

TC: Usually it is an idea for a story or something; like ‘Trimmin’ Fat’. I had just written that down, because I thought it might make a nice idea for a song.

JB: Okay

TC: Then we just built a story and a guitar riff around it. Mike (Schermer) and I, both play guitar; we were both just sitting there going at it, trying to think of different ways that we might be able to do that and I ended up using a combination of ideas for the final song. Usually it is just an idea for a story; something I had jotted down somewhere. Going through life I notice this and I think of that, I hear a phrase in a conversation or in a movie, or in a book I’m reading; something just jumps out at me.

‘Definition of Insanity’, I wrote that down and when I got together with Jeff (Silbar) to write songs, he asked “what’ve you got?” I went “let me see.” So I look through my book, at what I have written down and we decide which one of those ideas seems like the ‘idea for the day’. He said “let’s work on that one. I like that.” So we start to work on it. Then after we get a start on it, I continue to work on the lyric later on. We don’t necessarily sit there and finish it one day. It’s a long process. It takes the input from all kinds of people. I have lots of help. I’ve got a lot of really good musicians that I work with and I had a great producer; the engineer usually has some input when you’re making a record. I had a guitar teacher that was working with me on some of the guitar playing; to help me get some nice guitar stuff on there. It’s a process and it takes awhile.

JB: That’s interesting. So even at this stage of your career and experience, you still sometimes bring in a coach or a teacher to help refine your sound?

TC: I’ve been studying with this guy a little bit and basically when I take lessons, I tell him the kind of thing I’m trying to do; “I’m planning a solo over these changes…teach me something.” (laughs) So I thought, why not take him into the studio with me? You know, sometimes when you’re singing there’s somebody that does ‘vocal production’ and they help the singers get the harmonies right and they sometimes help the lead singer get the best performance. It is called ‘vocal production’ and I thought that we could do the same thing with the guitar. I thought maybe we could get some really great stuff with the guitar and I think I managed to do that on this record. After a dozen albums, I’ve done just about everything I can think of. (laughs)

JB: Yes after awhile, you do start to realize that you’re playing the same solo on every song, if you don’t brush up.

TC: Yeah, you’ve got to go out there and try and find some places that you haven’t gone before. I insist on doing that. I’m not going to play the same stuff over and over. I’m not going to make the same record. I’m not going to make the same kind of record. This record is different than PAINKILLER. It’s different than RIGHT AS RAIN or SOUL SHAKER. It is different in a bunch of different ways and the one before that was different than the one before that and I think that is why people keep buying our stuff. Well at least that is my evil plan.

JB: Earlier I was pointing out some of your accomplishments. For a guy that has won pretty significant awards and played with some of the greatest, arguably, to ever play the blues; what are the goals now? Is there anything you’re still striving for? Anybody you’re still looking to play with? Or is the goal to just keep going and making the best music that you can?

TC: My goal is to write a song, eventually, that is really just better than I’ve ever done before and really really great. I want to write a really great song; (laughs) maybe a few really great songs, but at least one really great song that will absolutely have to be played on the radio, everywhere.

That’s really the focus for me next, because otherwise, we’ve played all the places we want to play. We’re continuing to work. We’ll be going on blues cruises a couple of times this next year. We’ll be going to Europe again. We’ll be going around the country again. I’ll be doing the legendary Rhythm and Blues Revue with different artists coming to play with me and my band on tour. We just have a lot of stuff going on and that’s all great. That’s what we do. That’s kind of my job. We love to do it and it is continually getting a little better; especially since we got on with Alligator Records.

Business has been good for us, but so my goal, I guess, is to really seriously make a mark and write, perform and record a really amazing song and I just have a feeling that I have one in me. (laughs) Hey and getting a Grammy nomination would be nice. That is another one I’d like to do. We missed it this time around and I think maybe if we had that song I was talking about, I think that might do it.

JB: I’m sure your legions of fans believe that you can do it too. Lastly, is there anybody out there that you’ve spotted on the circuit; any more recent blues bands that you’re listening to that you might want to let our readers know about?

TC: Trampled Under Foot.

JB: Okay.

TC: That’s the best new band I’ve seen in years. I really like them a lot. Do you know who they are?

JB: No I don’t. Not yet, but I’ve been doing a lot of reviews on our site and we’re always trying to get the word out about some of these great bands, that may not be all that well-known around the country yet. I am definitely going to be checking them out.

TC: Yeah Trampled Under Foot. They’re out of Kansas City and they won the International Blues Challenge a couple of years ago and they’re just a girl and her two brothers. They’re bass, drums and guitar and it’s pretty cool what they do. The girl singer is phenomenal. Oh and of course Ruthie Foster! She’s another one of my favorite artists. I don’t know how ‘new on the scene’ she is, but I really dig Ruthie Foster.

JB: Well I appreciate you taking a couple of minutes out of your busy schedule to talk with me. I loved HARD BELIEVER. It is definitely one of my new favorite records and I just appreciate it a lot.
TC: Well, thank you man. You have a great rest of the day and I’m glad we finally got to do this.

JB: Me too.



Since our conversation, Tommy Castro and his band have been nominated for 5 Blues Music Awards; including Band of the Year, Best Contemporary Blues Album, Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year, B.B. King Entertainer of the Year (which he won in 2008) and Best Instrumentalist (for Keith Crossan, Saxophone). Congratulations!!!

Click HERE to check out the ABN CD Review for HARD BELIEVER.

Copyright © 2009 - J. Blake. All Rights Reserved
*Live Photos: Copyright © 2009 - Nelson G. Onofre. All Rights Reserved.

Pittsburgh: Lefty Williams Interview By Monica Yasher

“The bands that stand the test of time are the bands that write something that people can connect with. That’s what I’m trying to do.“

Lefty Williams wishes to be known as an accomplished songwriter and musician. As a listener, you can’t think anything other than the man can play that guitar and sing from his heart. You would never know by listening to his hot guitar licks, that he was born without a right hand.

Since this is the season of giving, I decided to make Lefty my first interview for the month. He is an artist who truly lives year long in the spirit of the season. He gives back. He does a lot of benefits for handicapped children. Lefty has been asked from people across the globe, either in the same situation as himself or know someone who is one handed and wants to play a guitar, how to create that guitar pick. And he helps everyone who asks. He is inspirational not only by his guitar playing, but by his giving.

He is also sharing with a lot of new artists his personal experiences as a musician. “Snake Oil”, his most recent CD, is all about his trials and tribulations in the music industry. Lefty states that his business affiliations have probably set him back by at least two years. He offers words of advice to check things out before you make the agreements.

Lefty’s work is nominated for Homegrown album of the year. So, would you mind supporting this musician and cast a vote for placement in this prestigious award. He’s a hell of a guitar player!

Just one last note that his two songs, ‘On the Prowl’ and ‘Hey Mama’, feature blues artist and Georgia friend, Tinsley Ellis. So, sometime this month, we will talk to Tinsley! But, here is a bit about Lefty first!

Lefty Williams: Hello.

Monica: Hi Jason. How are you? This is Monica.

L: I’m great how you doing?

M: Pretty good. Let’s introduce you to the reader first off. What would you like us to know about you?

L: I’m a guitar player and musician.

M: How did you go about learning how to play a guitar?

L: I started learning to play guitar when I was a kid. My dad was a guitar player and his dad was a guitar player.

M: Oh wow.

L: When I was real young, like three years old, I used to pickup my Dad’s guitar and tried to play it by strumming chords. Beyond that, my Dad taught me chords. I kind of took it from there and taught myself how to transcribe albums. I listened to radio and figured out what keys things were played in.

M: What gear do you use and why? I saw on your webpage you have some endorsements. Could you tell us a bit about that?

L: Until Curbow guitars went under, I had an endorsement deal with them. I’ve had one of their basses for a long time. After Greg Curbow passed away, they decided to do a benefit for school children. So my band went up and played. They approached me afterwards about using their guitar line. They made a guitar for me. The guitar is unbelievable. The gentleman that made it, his name is Doug Somervell. He’s actually still doing some independent work. I always joke. And it’s really not a joke, because I do do this. I’ll change a string if I break it midsong instead of picking up one of my other guitars. I like the sound and tone of the guitar so much that I don’t really want to play any other guitars.

Then as far as amplifiers go. I have an endorsement deal with Mahalo Amplification. They are also a small company in Georgia. It’s a guy that I’ve known for years. He’s a drummer named Scott and a guitar player that I met, named Rich Mays. Richie used to work for one of the bigger repair places here in town and decided that he wanted to build amps. He started making them and Scott heard his amps and was wowed and thought they were amazing. So they got together. There are quite a few people using their amps right now. They are just amazing. These are the first amps that I’ve ever owned that I don’t feel that I need distortion pedals. I can get the sound that I want and can go straight into the amp.

M: What I find amazing on this endorsement conversation is that who would think you would be offered it, I mean, that’s the most unlikely venue. Out of all the places you could be, who would think you would have that offered by playing for school children? That seems so unlikely. So for those young artists out there, the take is you always do your best because you just never do know who is listening, huh?

L: Yes. That’s absolutely true! I mean. My band has done some nights where you think it is a dead end and empty. It will be the first time we play in some town or something and there are four or five people in there. At the end of the night some guy walks up to you and tells you what great artist they work with or tell you they manage Derek Trucks. And continue to say that I’ve been hearing about you for years and so glad I caught your show. You know, so I mean, I get that kind of stuff all of the time. So one of the things that I always tell my band is you got to play every room like there are ten thousand people in the room. You never know who that one person there might be, or who those ten people might be, or who those hundred people might be.

M: Do you find it harder to play for a small crowd than a large crowd?

L: I don’t. The reason I don’t is because I play for my band members. I play for myself. I HOPE that the people watching are enjoying it and we are putting on a good show and that they are having a great time. But, realistically I’m just trying to make something magical happen with my band.

M: I saw on your FACEBOOK page, that you wrote a song and the band was so on for you. I take it you guys are really tight?

L: Yeah.

M: How long have you been together?

L: That’s the thing, most of the people I play with are just amazing musicians and I’m really lucky to have people like that. The drummer has been with me for about two years. The bass player less than a year.
The keyboard player maybe a year in total.



M: Sounds like you have the challenge, as all musicians, of keeping the band together.

L: Yes. It’s not easy. Artists are interesting people. You have a lot of strong personalities. People want what they want and want you to do what they want. It takes a lot of give and take. Again, I have a group of great players right now and they are the most solely focused group I’ve ever been with. Everyone is exactly on the same page and we all want the same things and we are working our butts off to get there.

M: And, what do you want?

L: I would like to be on the road full time. I want to be out seven days a week playing with my band.
We want the tour bus! (LOL)

M: Yeah, don’t we all want the bus, huh? We don’t want the little van. We want THEE bus!

L: Exactly! I don’t care that it’s a 1965...

M: Oh, I care! I want one of those new…Like GE Smith has! I really liked his buses!
I was like WOW! I want that bus!

L: I was back stage with Warren Haynes in Birmingham this summer. They had a crew bus and then Warren had the band’s bus. Those buses were decked out!

M: I bet! Well, I hope you get the bus someday!

l: Well, me too! Honestly, it really isn’t about the material stuff for me. I just want to be able to pay all my bills and have fun playing music. I’m not in it because of the fame and fortune. I’m in it because I love to make art. Unfortunately, I need the money to stay alive.

M: Not everyone can make art. So if it is your gift, you should. I read that you have twenty years of musicianship behind you and you have two CD’s.

L: Yes. I have two CD’s out. “Big Plans” was released in 2006. “Snake Oil” was released in 2008. It was just nominated for the home grown album of the year. Voting will be done at the end of December.

M: You are not new to the blues. Is that from your Dad or was he rock or something else?

L: He was more rock. I’ve gone through all kinds of musical styles and I still do. The reason that I landed on blues is advice from my wife. She said you are really good at doing this particular style of music. You should probably just try to focus on that for a while. It’s been a lot of fun. I really enjoy doing it. I love the greats. Recently I just met Joe Bonamassa. He is just amazing.

M: Oh Yeah!

L: He is exciting to watch and that hasn’t happened for me in quite a while.

M: Yes. He is Awesome! He has too many friends out on FACEBOOK right now. He has hit 5000. Let’s talk about “Snake Oil”. How did you come up with that name? It’s very interesting.

L: I had couple of people that I started to work with in the music business. They got out and saw us, wanted to work with us, and made a bunch of promises, and, they stuck it to me. It truly set me back by a couple of years. The things that they did. That’s pretty much what that’s about. There are two or three songs on “Snake Oil” that are about those particular people. Basically, it’s about being lied to. When I was writing the songs, I had the image of the old snake oil salesmen that pulls into town with the horse drawn cart and starts selling all those magical snake oil cures. That’s what that’s all about.

M: Since you’ve been through the ropes a little bit, what kind of advice would you give to new artists?

L: Check up on them. With the internet, it’s so easy. Call people that are on the label and call people that are on the roster. If it’s a booking agency or management company., talk to the other artists and find out what the other artists have to say. There are a lot of booking agencies out there that will go out there and say they like this band. They will hire the band and bring them into the roster. And then, not pay any attention to that band because that band is not their big money client. You know, if you’re not like Dave Matthews or the Allmann Brothers, then your band gets the scraps, the leftovers. That’s if you tell them about it. It’s real easy to talk to another band on the roster and ask if they are doing a good job for you. Ask are you staying busy?

M: OK Thank you.

L: Your welcome.

M: Let’s talk about the songwriting and production of the album, since it’s nominated for the Homegrown album of the year. What does that mean?

L: Homegrown music net is a network of musicians and bands. It’s mostly roots music. It’s managed by a guy who used to manage a band out of North Carolina called Purple School Bus. He realized that he made a lot of connections with people and started introducing people to new music and obtaining a catalog. It’s been going on for about fifteen years now. Maybe twenty. He helped out with Dave Matthews when Dave was getting started and Blues Traveler and a lot of the jam bands. So it’s basically a jam band network. But if you go to the site, any music you find on there is going to be good. There are real picky about the bands that they let join their site. If you want to find something new you have never heard before, it is a good place to go.


M:It appears that you also do acoustic too?

L: I do tons of acoustic shows.

M: What do you prefer, the acoustic or electric?

L: I prefer playing with the band. When I do the acoustic, I do a lot of looping. I have a machine that I record everything and then play it back so it sounds like I have a band up there. I beat on my guitar to make drum sounds. It sounds like a whole backing band. It’s digital. It’s not organic. When I’m doing this stuff, it’s a good way to get a full sound by myself. But, it’s not the same experience as me playing with the band.

M: As a bluesman creating a legacy, what would you want people to say about you twenty years from now?

L: That he was a good songwriter.

M: In what way? Good melody, good lyrics, writes great bridges? What is your niche?

L: Just good songs. Overall good songs. I really like to study interesting forms and melodies. Catchy lyrics. The bands that stand the test of time are the bands that write something that people can connect with. That’s what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to give a piece of myself that is…that is something that everyone experiences. I’m trying to do it in a way that is interesting and fresh. And, I’m trying to do the blues in a way that has not really been done before. One of the things that I hear from people that try to learn my material is that they get my record and they then realize the form, the chord progressions, are different. Even though it sounds very familiar because it’s blues based, they are not what they expected them to be because I throw in a lot of strange forms. I consider playing a typical twelve bar blues in nine. I might do something that is eighteen bars. I then throw off time sections. So instead of being in four four or three four it might be in seven eight. I do a lot of interesting incorporations to keep it bluesy and at the same time go in a different direction that it has never been done in the past.

M: That’s interesting. A listener expects a certain format. So when they don’t get what they are expecting….

L: They tune you out?

M: So how do you keep your listener involved in your music if you are not giving them what they are expecting to hear?

L: What I try to do is give them enough of what they are expecting to keep their attention and enough of what they have never heard before to make it new. It’s a balancing act and it doesn’t always work. I’ve had some songs that I’ve written that I think is really good and then I take it to the band and play it for them and they don’t have to say anything. I can see that they think it is awful.

M: I think that’s gutsy.

L: I police myself. I’m my worst critic. It’s always a challenge. I don’t like repeating myself too much, musically speaking. So, I try to do songs very different than the one I created before it. I have some songs that are OK and need to be rewritten and reworked and my band loves the songs and wants to play them more often. I’m like, I don’t really like it. And, they tell me I’m crazy and it’s awesome!

M: One thing is, you have to say true to yourself and sometimes when you don’t get the reaction you’re looking for you have to stick to your guns if you really believe in your song.

L: Yeah. I try to write something that everyone can relate to. Everyone remembers a time when they got busted by their old man or got hammered a little too much one night. Or, everyone remembers a lost love. Experiences are universal.

M: What’s next for you? Touring. CD’s? What’s on your horizon?

L: I’m about to sign a record deal. I’m going to be doing a live album in January for a spring or fall release-not 100 percent sure yet. Touring never stops. It’s ongoing. We go out from Thursday thru Sunday. We would like to do Monday through Sunday. We have been in Pennsylvania. We do Maryland a few times a year because I have family there. I mostly do acoustic there. My band primarily plays in Florida, Georgia and North and South Carolina and Tennessee. With the economy being what it is, it is hard to get much further out. People aren’t going out as much. It is difficult to maintain a large touring area. Hopefully in 2010, we will be in Texas, Colorado and Arkansas. North we want to go to Virginia.

M: Anything else you want to tell me?

L: I do a lot of appearances for disabled children.

M: Lefty, you are very inspirational.

L: I was born without a hand. This is what I know. It’s not more difficult for me it’s just life. It is what it is.

M: Has anyone else every told you how inspirational you truly are?

L: People come up to me all the time and tell me of kids that have only one hand and could you make one of those picks for them? I do that a lot. There’s a girl here in Georgia that I give guitar lessons to that I have done that for. There is a kid in Australia that I have talked to. Some people in Chicago. They come in bursts and I get these random connections from people that find me on the internet. They ask me how I do that and tell me that they have a son or daughter, sister, uncle, and if I send you a picture can you tell me how to make one of those picks? What I did for the longest time is just put up pictures of my pick with directions on how to do it. I had it on my message board. Then I got spammed and had to take it down.

M: Did you develop that pick yourself?

L: Yeah, I invented it when, I was like, three. But, it won’t work for everybody. Everyone’s arm is different. So what I do, I tell them to send me a picture and we can figure out what will work well for YOU. It may not necessarily be like mine. Every person is different and we custom the development of the pick for the person. We share some ideas and try each other’s creations and see what will work best for that person.

M: That’s so cool that you can help someone. Thank you so much for your time.

L: Thank you, Monica





If you enjoyed reading this artist, you may enjoy reading about
Moreland & Arbuckle.

Thank you for reading American Blues News!

Copyright © 2009 Copyright Monica L. Yasher. All Rights Reserved.
Photographs used courtesy of Lefty Williams.

Pittsburgh: Robin Trower Interview Part I by Monica Yasher

Playing. This is truly your passion?
"I have dedicated my life to it, and I still do."

This is part one of a two part series. When I spoke with Robin, he was traveling to a show in the North East part of the United States. Let me share some of the things we talked about.

Robin: Hello Monica

Monica: Hi, How are you?

Robin: I’m good..

Monica: That’s great Robin. Should we get started?

Robin: Yeah, sure.

Monica: OK. I’ve broken down the interview into some subcategories so that we could focus on some key parts. You’ve done so much.

Robin: Yes.

Monica: Some things I thought we could talk about are your guitar style, your guitar, your band, your songwriting. I don’t see a lot out there on your songwriting, and I know you are a songwriter. Equipment, your CD, and some fun points maybe no one has asked you about yet. OK?

Robin: Sure.

Monica: The first question I would like to ask you is that Jimmy Hendrix had a profound effect on you. I would like to know how did he effect you specifically? That statement is very generalized. Could we go a bit deeper and have you share what he did.

Robin: Well the thing is when Jimi came along he did for rock n’ roll what James Brown did for rhythm and blues. He changed it. He changed things. You had to sort of take it on board if you were going to move forward really.

Monica: If Jimi would be alive today would you have continued with the sound that you have created?

Robin: I think so yeah. Really the fundamental of what I do is in my writing. You know, the music that I create is really what the whole thing is based around. I think you got the music in you of whatever you are going to write. Regardless of whatever happens.

Monica: Well…how does the music come out from you? Is it typically a great lyric, is it a great melody, a great chord progression? How do you go about developing a song?

Robin: Well I’ve done it every which way. I’ve written the lyrics first. Mostly it comes from a guitar idea. Yeah.

Monica: Has anyone else impacted you as Jimmy Hendrix did?

Robin: Yeah. I mean as I said James Brown. Howlin’ Wolfe. You know Sun House. People like this have had a huge huge influence on me. I mean James Brown Live at the Apollo completely turned my head around. A complete 360.

Monica: Did you ever meet him?

Robin: No I never did. I have to say out of all the people I really admire he is my number one musical hero.

Monica: As a performer?

Robin: As a musician and a singer.

Monica: If you had an opportunity to meet up with any artist and chat for an hour, would he have been your pick?

Robin: Oh! Without a doubt! Without a doubt! He is just a monster with that kind of thing.

Monica: Do you play anything else besides guitar?

Robin: No. I don’t. I’m still struggling trying to perfect what I do on the guitar (he chuckled).

Monica: So, do you still practice?

Robin: Yeah. Yeah. Everyday.

Monica: Do you really? How long everyday?

Robin: I would say ½ hour is a minimum. But, if I am writing I can be on it for hours.

Monica: I understand that. I believe you are known to play loud. So when you practice do you practice loud too?

Robin: No. No. Not at all. I’m very quiet.

Monica: Do you really?

Robin: Yeah.

Monica: How does that affect your sound when you go to the stage? It has to be different?

Robin: Yeah. That’s right. But, I’m good at both.



Monica: Are you? Cool, (we laughed). I see that you did a switch in your amps. My question to you is when you want to do a change in your equipment, who is your subject matter expert or peer that you really respect to bounce ideas off of?

Robin: I don’t really have anybody. I do it by struggling with it and playing with it and playing with it until I get what I want.

Monica: That’s amazing.

Robin: Well, I sorta mess around with amps all the time. This new album I got I used these little Cornell amps for the studio. At the moment on tour, I’m using these vintage modern Marshalls, which are really great.

Monica: Why did you do the switch?

Robin: I’m experimenting all the time. I’m in search of an allusive greatest sound. I used so many different Marshall Fenders, I’m always switching. I never get the right sound because every room you go into changes what the amp can do. You know what I mean? You're always looking for one, that whatever the acoustic, it will be pretty constant. Very hard.

Monica: I’ve interviewed a few guitarists, and I have to say that your sound goes beyond the guitar. The equipment that you use with the guitar is extremely important. So your work and achieving it is all new territory for me. As a matter of fact your personal signature guitar came with accessories for the 100 guitars that were made for the name of Robin Trower.

Robin: Fender did an anniversary Strat and it had the effects with it. A deja vibe. The signature model, which is what that guitar was, is a Strat that they make with my name on it that’s built to my spec.

Monica: How long did it take you to develop that guitar, and how did you go about building that guitar?

Robin: I must admit a guy called Todd at Fender custom shop...I just talked it all through with him. I looked at all the available different kinds of things I could put on it from Fender’s manufacturing list. I chose different era vintage reissued pick ups. Each one a different one of the three. The basic guitar is really close to a vintage reissued Strat. But I chose some different details that make it particular to my own spec as it were.

Monica: And, why would someone choose your guitar over another guitar? What does your guitar offer for that artist?

Robin: I think maybe trying to get what I get out of it. You know. Trying to get that sound.

Monica: I know there are a lot of tribute bands trying to get your sound. What three pieces of advice could you offer these bands in order to re-achieve your sound? What is the most difficult thing to get to, and what could be some key elements for them to consider?

Robin: I think the big part of the sound that I get out of the Strat is I have quite a high action and use quite heavy strings on the top two. and I tune down a whole step. So that makes the sound of the guitar quite neat. And using the heavier strings as well. All that you get more resonance. That was the idea of having the bigger headstop on the guitar with a bit more wood on the neck and headstop, you get a bit more resonance. All these things add up to how the sound is made.

Monica: You really have worked hard at it. Years.

Robin: Well the thing is you learn a lot over the years. And, you still are learning what can help you and what not. I think I have put it together in that Strat in order to get the best sound out of it that suits me.

Monica: Thank you. What is your favorite part of being a musician? Recording, writing, playing, being on stage? Do you produce as well? I didn’t read anywhere that you did that.

Robin: Yes. I have co-produced a couple of albums with Brian Ferry. And, obviously a few of mine as well. What I love to do is play the guitar. So weather in the studio or live, I just love it.

Monica: Playing. This is truly your passion?

Robin: I have dedicated my life to it and I still do.

Monica: In your free time what do you do?

Robin: I’m a very big soccer fan. If there is a game playing on TV that’s my big relaxation really. I watch baseball in America.

Monica: Do you have a favorite team?

Robin: I don’t have a favorite. I just like watching the game.

Monica: Thank you. If you had the opportunity to thank someone for your career is there anyone you would like to thank.

Robin: I think Derek Sutton, my manager, has a lot to do with it. But, really I think why my music was so commercial in the 70’s was due to the singer. I had at the time James Dewar. I think he made it possible for the music that I was writing to cross over. Normally that kind of stuff wouldn’t be a commercial hit. I think his vocals made it so.



Monica: Anything you would do over again or differently?

Robin: I wouldn’t have made the albums I made that I made in the 80’s. I wouldn’t make them if I could do it over again?

Monica: Why?

Robin: I don’t like them.

Monica: That was a different question I had for you . As an artist do you look back at your earlier works and think why did I put that out there?

Robin: I think everybody has some of that.

Monica: You just grew as an artist. It’s all about growth.

Robin: Yeah I think you’re right. It’s just…I love everything I did in the 70’s The eighties I just lost the plot.

Monica: Well, I’m not sure people would agree with you. But, OK. Thank you. What does it mean to be a professional to you? What is your code of ethics?

Robin: If you can, you got to be true to yourself. I mean you got to be looking to from within to find the music that you got inside. You have to avoid trying to imitate or copying. You got to find the music that you got inside you and work hard to develop it.

Monica: Thank you.. One question, getting back to Jimi Hendrix. In your bio, I read that Jimi Hendrix allowed yourself greater creative freedom. My question is why didn’t you have that before Jimi Hendrix?

Robin: After Jimi died I wrote with Keith Reed in Procol Harum a tribute piece of music to Jimi. And it opened up…there was a song called, Song for a Dreamer, and it opened avenues for writing for the guitar which I didn’t realize before. I then started to get into more and more creating music for the guitar. I eventually had to leave Proco because I had so many song ideas to start my own thing.

Monica: Let’s talk about your new initiative how did that come about? Your tour with Jack Bruce?

Robin: We made a couple of albums in the 80’s, but never toured live and we were talking about doing a remix of those two albums and putting them out again. And Jack had the idea of writing some new material and adding it to the remixes, but when we started writing we got a whole lot of songs going so decided to make a new album. And we did eventually...this year...get to play live together.

Monica: So you’re having fun.

Robin: Yeah. It’s great!

Monica: That’s what it’s about. Do you have a favorite song on that album?

Robin: Probably on that album it’s probably, Distant Places of the Heart.

Monica: And why?

Robin: Why? I just think it’s a potent piece.

Monica: Is there anything you want to share that I didn’t ask you yet?

Robin: You didn’t ask me about my new album.

Monica: How IS your new album? That’s why you tour, right?

Robin: It’s called What Lies Beneath. I’m very proud of it. Very proud of it. But, anyway, maybe we can talk about that when you have a listen to it.

Monica: I would love to talk about your new CD. Absolutely! I’d be ecstatic to talk to you again.

Robin: Let’s speak again.

Monica: That would be great! Thanks Robin! I’ll set it up with your manager. I would love to talk about your CD and the writing and inspiration behind it.

Robin: OK then. Bye for now.

Monica: Bye Robin!

We did meet up and talk about his new CD. That interview will be posted on Friday, November 27.



If you enjoyed reading this article, you may like to sit back and read part II of the Robin Trower Series

Thank you for reading American Blues News!

Copyright © 2009 Monica L. Yasher. All Rights Reserved.
Photo Copyright © 2009 Maureen Ciedro. All Rights Reserved.

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