Catfish Blues - Corey Harris

Corey Harris was born in Denver, Colorado to parents from Texas and Kentucky. He is a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and band leader who has carved out his own niche in blues. A powerful singer and accomplished guitarist, he has appeared at venues throughout the North America, Europe, Brazil, The Caribbean, West Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. He began his career as a New Orleans street singer, travelling throughout the southern U.S. In his early twenties he lived in Cameroon, West Africa for a year, which had a profound effect on his later work. He has recorded many old songs of the blues tradition while also creating an original vision of the blues by adding influences from reggae, soul, rock and West African music. His 1995 recording, Between Midnight and Day, is a tribute to the tradition of acoustic blues. Subsequent recordings, such as Greens From the Garden (1999), Mississippi to Mali (2003), and Daily Bread (2005) show Harris’ maturation from interpreter to songwriter. Some of his imaginative compositions are marked by a deliberate eclecticism; other works stay true to the traditional blues formula of compelling vocals and down-home guitar. With one foot in tradition and the other in contemporary experimentation, Harris is a truly unique voice in contemporary music. He has performed, recorded, and toured with many of the top names in music such as BB King, Taj Mahal, Buddy Guy, Henry Butler, R.L.Burnside, John Jackson, Ali Farka Toure, Dave Mattews Band, Tracy Chapman, Olu Dara, Wilco, Natalie Merchant, and others. His additional recordings include Fish Ain’t Bitin’ (1996), Vu-Du Menz (with Henry Butler, 2000), Downhome Sophisticate (2002), and Zion Crossroads (2007).blu black ( 2010 ). In 2003 Harris was a featured artist and narrator of the Martin Scorcese film, “Feel Like Going Home,” which traced the evolution of blues from West Africa to the southern U.S. In 2007, he was awarded a $500,000 MacArthur Fellowship – commonly referred to as a “genius award” – from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The annual grant, which recognizes individuals from a wide range of disciplines who show creativity, originality and commitment to continued innovative work, described Harris as an artist who “forges an adventurous path marked by deliberate eclecticism.” That same year, he was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Bates College, in Lewiston, Maine.

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SuperCool (This is amazing)

“just put me in a wheel chair and get me to the show” – Jeffrey Marshall SuperCool is a band with an incredible story, and the musical goods to back it up. Jeffrey Marshall (bass and vocals) was born with no arms or hands, and has an amazing self taught bass technique which has to be seen to be believed. Jeffrey jokes about obviously not being enthusiastic about sports as a kid, thus leaving music as his main pursuit. He has had to figure out how to play the bass without any possibility of learning his instrument by seeing how others do it. Not only is he a soulful bass player, delivering dynamic and passionate bass lines, but is able to do this while singing lead and playing harmonica. Daniel Levanti (guitar and vocals) has honed his guitar skills at Berklee College of Music, and through touring during his years in Europe. Daniel’s guitar playing has over the years with Supercool evolved into a style identifiable throughout the textures of diverse sounds and emotions which the band has come to be known for. David Koller (drums and vocals) is an extremely accomplished musician from Prague, and an icon of the Czech music scene. From 1987 to 2005 he was drummer, guitarist, and lead singer for the band, Lucie, which turned out dozens of songs now thoroughly imbedded in the culture of Czech and Slovak rock and pop music. Since then he’s delved into his solo work with a zeal and intention that’s recently earned him comparisons with the likes of Sting and Peter Gabriel. His most recent album, “Ted A Tady” (”Here and Now”), released in late 2010, has already been nominated for best album of the year. Part of their intriguing story is that these musicians all met in Prague, Czech republic. Jeffrey one day pulled out a map at home in Denver Colorado, after friends had encouraged him to travel. He closed his eyes and randomly pointed his toe at it. By chance his toe landed on Prague. Soon after Jeffrey was there, where he was later to meet Daniel, who’s story of how he came to find himself in Prague goes actually along somewhat similar lines. He too was itching for a change after he felt his days in Boston had run their course. Sipping coffee on Newbury St. he overheard someone telling exalted stories about the city he’d just returned from… Prague. He’d heard enough, and resolved to get there somehow. Roughly a year later Daniel and Jeffrey inevitably crossed paths, with the help of some friends, in the Prague music scene. From this moment they’ve been an inspiration to each other as songwriting partners and friends. At first collaboration, they both fell immediately in love with the sound they created together. Despite the apparent randomness of their hooking up, they have found a solid musical partnership. As roommates they were able to share and unite emotions and experiences and turn them into songs. Jeffrey mentions an example: “when you are dealing with Czech women, you never run out of love songs”. Soon after they began creating music together, there was a gap that needed desperately to filled, that of the drummer, of course. Fortunately enough, and this is one in a litany of examples where the legendary “Prague magic” has materialized on the Supercool stage, Daniel’s future wife, Katia, whom he’d just met at their first official concert, was a good friend of David. After an introduction David invited the guys to his studio where they recorded a demo with Pavel Razim on drums. This led to a succession of talented drummers, which included also Vasek Polansky and Barry Becker, who all appeared on the band’s first album, Supercool, Greatest Hits Vol. I, available on Earwave Records. It was only much later, in 2005, that while organizing a benefit concert for the studio full of guitars (one of Daniel’s and seven of Jeffrey’s), that were stolen in Prague while Daniel and Jeffrey were in Nashville checking out the music scene, that Supercool as it exists now, first took the stage. Meant to be a one night line-up, the band clicked so well that the notion was immediately born that this band should play together. So now, five years and a dozen cities later, Supercool has released their second album, Greatest Hits Vol. II. It’s available now from Championship Music (championship.cz). 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 favorite band!