One Kind Favour - John Hammond

John Paul Hammond (born November 13, 1942, New York City, United States) is an American blues singer and guitarist. The son of record producer John H. Hammond, he is sometimes referred to as "John Hammond, Jr." He is a son of the famed record producer and talent scout John Henry Hammond, Jr. and his first wife, Jemison McBride, an actress. He is a descendant of Cornelius Vanderbilt, founder of the prominent Vanderbilt family. He has a brother, Jason, and by his father's second marriage to Esme O'Brien Sarnoff, he has a stepsister, (Esme) Rosita Sarnoff. Hammond's middle name, Paul, is in honor of a friend of his father, the actor Paul Robeson. However, the younger Hammond was raised by his mother and only saw his father a few times a year while growing up. He began playing guitar in high school, partially inspired by the album Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall. He attended Antioch College for one year, but dropped out to pursue a music career. By the mid-1960s he was touring nationally and living in Greenwich Village. He befriended and recorded with many electric blues musicians in New York, including Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, The Hawks (later known as The Band), Dr. John and Duane Allman. Hammond usually plays acoustically, choosing National Reso-Phonic Guitars and sings in a barrelhouse style. Since 1962, when he made his debut on Vanguard Records, Hammond has made thirty four albums. In the 1990s he began recording on the Point Blank Records label. Hammond has earned one Grammy Award and been nominated for four others. He also provided the soundtrack for the 1970 film, Little Big Man, starring Dustin Hoffman. Although critically acclaimed, Hammond has received only moderate commercial success. Nonetheless, he enjoys a strong fan base and has earned respect from the likes of John Lee Hooker, Roosevelt Sykes, Duane Allman, Robbie Robertson and Charlie Musselwhite, all of whom have contributed their musical talents to Hammond's records. In addition, he is the only person who ever had both Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix in his band at the same time, if only for five days in the 1960s when Hammond played The Gaslight Cafe in New York City. To his regret, they never recorded together. It has been suggested by at least one author that Hammond deserves some credit for helping boost The Band to wider recognition. He recorded with several of the members of The Band in 1965, and recommended them to Bob Dylan, with whom they undertook a famed and tumultuous world tour. In the early part of the 1990s, Hammond hosted the 1991 UK television documentary The Search for Robert Johnson, detailing the life of the legendary Delta bluesman, Robert Johnson. Hammond at Hugh's Room in Toronto John performing in the 1980s Hammond has had a longstanding friendship with the songwriter Tom Waits, and has performed Waits' songs on occasion. In 2001, he released Wicked Grin, an album entirely of Tom Waits compositions with one exception, the traditional spiritual, "I know I've Been Changed." Waits himself provided guitar work and backing vocals as well as producing the project. In 2002 he released Ready for Love, produced by David Hidalgo of Los Lobos fame. It included a cover version of the Mick Jagger and Keith Richards penned, "The Spider and the Fly". His most recent album, entitled Push Comes to Shove produced by Garrett (G. Love) Dutton, was released in February 2007. In 2011 Hammond was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame of the Blues Foundation If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, -  ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!

Electric Hot Tuna - Jorma's 70th Birthday Celebration - New DVD Release Review

The hot band on tour right now is Hot Tuna! Yep, Jorma and Jack are back on the road and to kick off their road trip Fur Peace Ranch has release live footage extracted from 2 nights of concerts at the Beacon Theater in NYC on December 3&4, 2010. I don't know how many of you have seen Jorma and Hot Tuna live but I have had the pleasure many times over a number of years. The recording begins with I See The Light featuring Jorma on his J190 and Jack joined by Barry Mitterhoff on an 8 string Danelectro guitar with lipstick pickups and Skoota Warner on drums. The band is joined on stage by John Hammond for a cool version of I Can Tell with Hammond on 335 and Jorma pushing his trademark solos through a goldtop. Then the tension starts to build with Warren Haynes on 335, Bill Kirchen on Tele, Larry Campbell on fiddle and Mitterhoff changes over to an electric mandolin. Kirchen has been separated from his old tele (probably retired) but the new one can talk just fine. If you've never seen Tuna with Mitterhoff, man can play the mandolin and doesn't restrict his playing to traditional mandolin formatting but uses it often as a mini guitar creating an interesting sound. In this case he's playing a 4 string which could be a tenor electric guitar. Very cool. Haynes rips off a pretty nice solo on the 335 and these guys seem to have been playing together forever. Jorma steps in with the Goldtop and his distinctive sound and with Campbell playing great violin riffs you could close your eyes and swear you were hearing Tuna in the 70's.
For Water Song the crew is joined by Byron House on upright electric bass played both plucked and bowed. Mitterhoff switched over to an acoustic f -style and Jorma pulls out a beautiful maple capped hollow body electric with a particularly light acoustical sound. On Bowlegged Woman/Knock Kneed Man Casady opens the song with a a nice solid bass riff. This track has a particularly nice funky swamp funk enforced by Oteil Burbridge on Fodera 6 string bass. Mittenhoff again playing an unconventional electro mando like instrument with 5 strings rippin some pretty cool solos. Burbridge gets the spotlight playing some interesting jazz chord and lead jazz bass lines. You can see Jorma just groovin to what's being layed down. Bob Wier joins mid song and dons a 335. The band continues the groove for quite some time building the tension but without anyone stepping on top of anyone else. Jorma pulls the reins back in with a crisp solo and a refrain of the chorus. Wier takes lead vocals on a cool version of Walking Blues. Both Wier and Jorma take turns on lead guitar and Mittenhoff as well on the 4 stringer. Steve Earle joins the band for Hometown Blues which the band plays in a rag style. Earle plays a black electrified acoustic Martin. Jorma keeps the band in the rag style groove with 99 Year Blues. I particularly like Jorma's vocals on this track. He's always strong but this track is right on. Mittenhoff is back on the F style and rips a few solos. Casady gets a chance to step up for some melodic bass lines which is always a pleasure. The band takes it to the funk a little and Burbridge and Casady trade lead lines. The show is concluded with Jimmy Reed's Baby What You Want Me To Do. The entire force is onstage for a giant jam. This is a great conclusion for a great bunch of musicians. The attendee's certainly got their money's worth over this two night concert.





Again Hot Tuna is on the road. Check the concert schedule below to see if they are coming to your town:

06/21/12	State Theatre Ithaca, NY	Electric Hot Tuna	also Steve Kimock
	06/22/12	Count Basie Theatre Red Bank, NJ	Electric Hot Tuna	also Steve Kimock
	06/23/12	The Wellmont Theatre Montclair, NJ	Electric Hot Tuna	With a brief appearance by Bob Steeler. Also Steve Kimock Tickets
	06/25/12	The National Richmond, VA	Electric Hot Tuna	also Steve Kimock
	06/26/12	Grand Opera House Wilmington, DE	Electric Hot Tuna	With Bob Steeler on drums. Also Steve Kimock
	06/28/12	Sherman Theater Stroudsburg, PA	Electric Hot Tuna	also Steve Kimock Tickets
	06/29/12	Theatre at Westbury Westbury, NY	Electric Hot Tuna	also Steve Kimock
	06/30/12	Venetian Theater, Caramoor Festival Katonah, NY	Acoustic Hot Tuna	also David Bromberg
	07/01/12	The Bull Run Concert Series Shirley, MA	Acoustic Hot Tuna	two shows: 3pm & 7pm
	07/05/12	Westbrook Performing Arts Center Westbrook, ME	Acoustic Hot Tuna	also Darol Anger Tickets
	07/06/12	The Flying Monkey Plymouth, NH	Acoustic Hot Tuna
	07/07/12	The Theater at Newburyport High School Newburyport, MA	Acoustic Hot Tuna	Tickets
	07/09/12	The Arts Center Carrboro, NC	Acoustic Hot Tuna	Tickets
	07/10/12	Bijou Theatre Knoxville, TN	Acoustic Hot Tuna
	07/11/12	Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place Asheville, NC	Acoustic Hot Tuna
	07/13/12	Variety Playhouse Atlanta, GA	Acoustic Hot Tuna	Tickets
	07/14/12	Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center Tampa, FL	Acoustic Hot Tuna
	07/17/12	One World Theatre Austin, TX	Acoustic Hot Tuna
	07/18/12	Kessler Theater Dallas, TX	Acoustic Hot Tuna	Tickets
	07/20/12	Oriental Theatre Denver, CO	Acoustic Hot Tuna	Tickets
	07/21/12	Third Street Performing Arts Center Carbondale, CO	Acoustic Hot Tuna	Tickets
	07/22/12	Sheridan Opera House Telluride, CO	Acoustic Hot Tuna
	07/25/12	Mesa Arts Center Mesa, AZ	Acoustic Hot Tuna
	07/26/12	Orpheum Theatre Flagstaff, AZ	Acoustic Hot Tuna	Tickets
	07/27/12	Anthology San Diego, CA	Acoustic Hot Tuna	Tickets
	07/28/12	Rio Theatre Santa Cruz, CA	Acoustic Hot Tuna	Tickets
	07/30/12	Sweetwater Music Hall Mill Valley, CA	Acoustic Hot Tuna	SOLD OUT
	07/31/12	Sweetwater Music Hall Mill Valley, CA	Acoustic Hot Tuna	SOLD OUT
	08/02/12	Tower Theatre Bend, OR	Acoustic Hot Tuna
	08/03/12	Aladdin Theater Portland, OR	Acoustic Hot Tuna
	08/04/12	Mount Baker Rhythm & Blues Festival Deming Log Show Fairgrounds, Bellingham, WA	Electric Hot Tuna
	08/11/12	Fur Peace Station Pomeroy, OH	Acoustic Hot Tuna	SOLD OUT. Jack & Jorma. Also The Persuasions.
	09/01/12	Dark Star Jubilee Legend Valley, Thornville, OH	Jorma Kaukonen	3pm
	09/13/12	Stage One Fairfield, CT	Jorma Kaukonen
	09/14/12	The Colonial Theatre Phoenixville, PA	Jorma Kaukonen	also Loudon Wainwright III
	09/15/12	The Stephen Talkhouse Amagansett, NY	Jorma Kaukonen
	10/04/12	The Birchmere Alexandria, VA	Jorma Kaukonen
	10/05/12	Rams Head On Stage Annapolis, MD	Jorma Kaukonen	also Peter Mulvey
	10/06/12	Kirk Avenue Music Hall Roanoke, VA	Jorma Kaukonen
	10/07/12	Natasha's Bistro & Bar Lexington, KY	Jorma Kaukonen	CORRECT DATE
	10/11/12	Infinity Hall Norfolk, CT	Jorma Kaukonen	CORRECT DATE
	10/12/12	Earlville Opera House Earlville, NY	Jorma Kaukonen
	10/13/12	Narrows Center for the Arts Fall River, MA	Jorma Kaukonen
	10/14/12	YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts Bay Shore, NY	Jorma Kaukonen
	10/18/12	Brewery Arts Center Carson City, NV	Jorma Kaukonen
	10/19/12	Napa Valley Opera House Napa, CA	Jorma Kaukonen
	10/20/12	Swedish American Hall at Cafe Du Nord San Francisco, CA	Jorma Kaukonen	Two shows: 7pm & 10pm
	10/21/12	The Big Room at The Sierra Nevada Chico, CA	Jorma Kaukonen
	11/01/12*	Dakota Jazz Club Restaurant Minneapolis, MN	Jorma Kaukonen
	11/02/12*	The Redstone Room Davenport, IA	Jorma Kaukonen
	11/03/12	Stoughton Opera House Stoughton, WI	Jorma Kaukonen
	11/10/12	Fur Peace Station Pomeroy, OH	Electric Hot Tuna	with Bill Kirchen. SOLD OUT!
	11/15/12*	Bell's Eccentric Cafe Back Room Kalamazoo, MI	Jorma Kaukonen	also Steve Kimock
	11/16/12*	City Winery Chicago, IL	Jorma Kaukonen	also Steve Kimock
	11/17/12*	City Winery Chicago, IL	Jorma Kaukonen	also Steve Kimock
	11/18/12*	20th Century Theatre Cincinnati, OH	Jorma Kaukonen	also Steve Kimock
	12/13/12	Zappa Jerusalem, Israel	Jorma Kaukonen
	12/15/12	Zappa Tel Aviv, Israel	Jorma Kaukonen

The special features on the DVD include a photo gallery, the presentation of a Les Paul shaped birthday cake to Jorma and a brief discussion with Jorma and jack about Tuna's most recent release.

If you like what I’m doing, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! - ”LIKE”



This appears to be a bootlegged video of the concert...not actual footage from the DVD but of the actual performance:

Please check the link to get a licensed copy of this concert with much better video and audio quality.

Search For Robert Johnson Part 5 (of 5)

The Search for Robert Johnson is a 1991 UK television documentary film about the legendary Delta blues musician Robert Johnson, hosted by John Hammond, and produced and directed by Chris Hunt. In it, Hammond travels through the American Deep South to pursue topics such as Johnson's birth date, place and parents, his early musical development, performances and travels, romances, his mythic "pact with the devil," his untimely murder in his late twenties, the discovery of possible offspring, and the uncertainty over where Johnson is buried. Throughout, Johnson's music is both foreground and background, from recordings of Johnson and as performed on camera by Hammond, David Honeyboy Edwards, and Johnny Shines.
Blues musician and "keeper of the flame" John Hammond described his journey into the American South as "the quest of a lifetime". His father, record producer and jazz impresario John H. Hammond, had planned and advertised for Robert Johnson to perform at Carnegie Hall, but Johnson died prior to the concert.

The film is loosely organized around field work by Johnson researcher Robert "Mack" McCormick. Throughout the film, Hammond travels to locations where Johnson lived, performed, recorded, and purportedly where he died, and interviews two of Johnson's girlfriends and blues musicians who knew him, as well as two noted blues researchers. Locations include the "Delta, the floodplain of northwestern Mississippi, on into Arkansas and Texas, and into southern Mississippi, where he was born and died."

The film has been noted for its presentation of new evidence, at the time, about Johnson's life.
If you like what I’m doing, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! - ”LIKE”

Search For Robert Johnson Part 4 (of 5)

The Search for Robert Johnson is a 1991 UK television documentary film about the legendary Delta blues musician Robert Johnson, hosted by John Hammond, and produced and directed by Chris Hunt. In it, Hammond travels through the American Deep South to pursue topics such as Johnson's birth date, place and parents, his early musical development, performances and travels, romances, his mythic "pact with the devil," his untimely murder in his late twenties, the discovery of possible offspring, and the uncertainty over where Johnson is buried. Throughout, Johnson's music is both foreground and background, from recordings of Johnson and as performed on camera by Hammond, David Honeyboy Edwards, and Johnny Shines.
Blues musician and "keeper of the flame" John Hammond described his journey into the American South as "the quest of a lifetime". His father, record producer and jazz impresario John H. Hammond, had planned and advertised for Robert Johnson to perform at Carnegie Hall, but Johnson died prior to the concert.

The film is loosely organized around field work by Johnson researcher Robert "Mack" McCormick. Throughout the film, Hammond travels to locations where Johnson lived, performed, recorded, and purportedly where he died, and interviews two of Johnson's girlfriends and blues musicians who knew him, as well as two noted blues researchers. Locations include the "Delta, the floodplain of northwestern Mississippi, on into Arkansas and Texas, and into southern Mississippi, where he was born and died."

The film has been noted for its presentation of new evidence, at the time, about Johnson's life.
If you like what I’m doing, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! - ”LIKE”

Jitterbug Swing - John Hammond

John Paul Hammond (born November 13, 1942 in New York City is an American blues singer and guitarist. The son of record producer John H. Hammond, he is sometimes referred to as "John Hammond, Jr.".

Hammond usually plays acoustically, choosing National Reso-Phonic Guitars and sings in a barrelhouse style. Since 1962, when he made his debut on Vanguard Records, Hammond has made thirty four albums. In the 1990s he began recording on the Point Blank Records label. Hammond has earned one Grammy Award and been nominated for four others. He also provided the soundtrack for the 1970 film, Little Big Man, starring Dustin Hoffman.



Although critically acclaimed, Hammond has received only moderate commercial success. Nonetheless, he enjoys a strong fan base and has earned respect from the likes of John Lee Hooker, Roosevelt Sykes, Duane Allman, Robbie Robertson and Charlie Musselwhite, all of whom have contributed their musical talents to Hammond's records. In addition, he is the only person who ever had both Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix in his band at the same time, if only for five days in the 1960s when Hammond played The Gaslight Cafe in New York City. To his regret, they never recorded together. It has been suggested by at least one author that Hammond deserves some credit for helping boost The Band to wider recognition. He recorded with several of the members of The Band in 1965, and recommended them to Bob Dylan, with whom they undertook a famed and tumultuous world tour.



In the early part of the 1990s, Hammond hosted the 1991 UK television documentary The Search for Robert Johnson, detailing the life of the legendary Delta bluesman, Robert Johnson.

Hammond at Hugh's Room in Toronto



Hammond has had a longstanding friendship with the songwriter Tom Waits, and has performed Waits' songs on occasion. In 2001, he released Wicked Grin, an album entirely of Tom Waits compositions with one exception, the traditional spiritual, "I know I've Been Changed." Waits himself provided guitar work and backing vocals as well as producing the project.

Kind Hearted Woman

If there was ever a white man who understood the history or significance of the blues...this is the guy. He certainly didn't grow up in poverty...but listen to him.

John Paul Hammond (born November 13, 1942, New York City), is a blues singer and guitarist. He is the son of record producer John H. Hammond and is sometimes referred to as "John Hammond, Jr." He is a descendant of William Henry Vanderbilt of the famed super wealthy Vanderbilt family.

He is a son of the famed record producer and talent scout John Henry Hammond, Jr. and his first wife, Jemison McBride, an actress. He is a descendant of William Henry Vanderbilt. He has a brother, Jason, and by his father's second marriage to Esme O'Brien Sarnoff, he has a stepsister, (Esme) Rosita Sarnoff. Hammond's middle name, Paul, is in honor of a friend of his father, the actor Paul Robeson. However, the younger Hammond was raised by his mother and only saw his father a few times a year while growing up.

He began playing guitar in high school, partially inspired by a Jimmy Reed performance at the Apollo Theater. He attended Antioch College for one year, but dropped out to pursue a music career. By the mid-60s he was touring nationally and living in Greenwich Village. He befriended and recorded with many electric blues musicians in New York, including Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, The Hawks (later known as The Band), Dr. John, and Duane Allman.