Hear the interview with Davy Knowles of Back Door Slam. Davy talks about growing up on the Isle of Man, their new CD Roll Away and about the first tour of the U.S. You’ll also hear songs from the CD Roll Away.
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 067 - Back Door Slam - Roll Away [33:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Backs Door Slam is a new three peace band out Great Britain to be more prosaic the Isle of Man. The same place another trio called the Bee Gees were from. Unlike the Bee Gees who spent many years refining their sound before heading to the states Back Door Slam have made it over in recorded time. The band consist of Davy Knowles (guitarist, vocalist, and song writer), Ross Doyle (drums), and Adam Jones on bass guitar. Davy’s dad’s extensive recorded collection gave Davy the opportunity to hear many different artist and styles of music as he was growing up. The song that caught Davy’s attention the most was “Sultans of Swing” by Dire Straits. From there he started really listening to music and started learning how to play his dad’s acoustic guitar. Some of the artists Davy remember listening to were John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, Rory Gallagher, and Steve Winwood. Later he started getting into singer song writers like James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. In 2003 the band was formed how ever an early set back came a year later when rhythm guitarist Brian Garvey died in an auto accident. Back Door Slam pushed on as a trio playing the warm up act for many bands including The Who. In 2007, they recorded their first CD Roll Away. They have just come off an 18 month tour that ended with three weeks of opening for Gov’t. Mule.

Roll Away is a combination of electric rock-blues and roots/country-blues with some acoustic playing. The first three songs are fast pace electric rock-blues that should definitely be getting airplay. “Come Home” and “Heavy on My Mind” you’ll hear in the show as well hearing Davy talk about them. So lets move on to “Outside Woman Blues” the only song not written by Davy Knowles on this CD. You will most likely know this from Cream’s 1967 record, Disraeli Gears, however Blind Joe Reynolds is the author of it. Back Door Slam has chosen to take the lead from the Cream version. While this could be very risky to try and pull off a song Cream did they seem to have no problems doing it. “Stay” is a very beautiful acoustic song about loosing two of his friends in a car accident. “Too Late” is kind if a country-rock song that Davy wrote when he was on holiday a few years ago without a guitar. He made friends with a French gypsy that was hanging around the hotel bar. Lucky for us he would let Davy borrow his guitar and this song was born. “Takes a Real Man” and “It’ll All Come Around” are both good rockers, with some good guitar solos near the end. Hopefully on their next record there will be a little more of Davy’s soloing. “Too Good For Me” is a nice laid back song that Davy demonstrates his skills on slid guitar, very nice. “Roll Away” is a very nice striped down acoustic song. You could imagine someone sitting out on the porch playing this. Back Door Slam’s CD Roll Away is very impressive for their first outing. Whether it’s a blues-rocker like “Come Home” or the beautiful slow blues of “Gotta Leave” this band has a lot to offer. After all the touring they have been doing the next record they are getting ready to make soon should be even better. Please if you like this CD get out and pick it up. Below are some links to where you can buy the CD.

Songs in the show:
Real Man
Heavy on My Mind
Gotta Leave
Come Home

Back Door Slam’s Website (buy the CD here too)

Back Door Slam’s MySpace

You can buy the CD from iTunes.com, Amazon.com, or Best Buy.

I would like to thank Davy for taking time from his well deserved break to talk to me. Thanks also to Sharon over at W3 Public Relations she has been a lot of help in putting everything together.

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Blues Music and Interviews
A1Blues.Com
formerly A1 Artist Spotlight. Com
by A1 Mark

Listen to Rick Fowler talk about how one of his early bands landed him on MTV. Rick talks about his new CD Back On My Good Foot, one of the best blues rock CDs you’re going to hear this year. You will also hear 4 songs from Back On My Good Foot.
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 066 - Rick Fowler - Back On My Good Foot [33:34m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Rick grew up in the southern part of the United States in the state of Georgia. Playing in many cover bands from the late 60’s through the 70’s. In the 80’s Rick was in a band called Fortnox, which got a record deal with Epic Records. Their song “Storm Inside My Head” was in MTV’s top 20 play list in 1982 and can still be seen on You Tube. Unfortunately Epic Records kept pushing them to sound like Judas Priest and other bands like that of the time. While Rick said he liked those bands that was not what they wanted to play. Rick moved on to the band Bombay, in 1984. He got record producer Eddie Offord who had worked with Yes and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer to producer their 5 track EP. They became the winner of MTV’s Basement Tapes (April 1985). This was a show that spotlighted unsigned bands. Rick played in Europe and worked on other people’s records before moving back to Georgia. Rick has put out a couple solo records and has worked with many, many other artists over the years.

In 2008 Back On My Good Foot was released by Rick Fowler on Jammates Records. This is some of the best British blues rock you are going to hear with out going back to the late sixties early seventies bands. Raw blues rock, strong guitar base, never boring, or over indulging solos. The music is always the focus, with good lyrics that tell easy to understand stories. Adding to that authentic sound is the Hammond Organ always giving the songs more depth. Back On My Good Foot starts off with “Infected with the Blues,” a great song you should already know if your radio station is doing their job. “Skeletons in Your Closet” drops down from the past blues rock to a nice acoustic stomping introduction that kicks in about half way into the first verse. A good stomping beat with the Hammond fills in very nicely as it will continue to do on the very beautiful “Feel So Much Better.” This is great slow blues song with feeling. Something you may think would fit into Eat A Peach by fellow Georgian band The Allman Brothers. This is not to say this CD sounds like the Allmans just that this one song has that very beautiful soft slow style that Eat A Peach possessed. Rick wrote “Back On My Good Foot” with Harold Baggett who happens to have just one leg from an old motorcycling accident. Harold had jammed with some of the old blues artist like Lightnin’ Hopkins when he was young. Then pretty much introduced Rick to the blues and toughened him a lot when they were in a band together. “Preacher” is one of the songs that has been getting good radio play along with “Feel So Much Better,” “Skeletons in Your Closet,” and “Infected with the Blues.” “Preacher” has a catchy riff that runs through out the song with nice brakes for guitar and organ. Rick talks about and we play “Walk Softly”, “Running from the Truth” and “Road to Nowhere” in the show so I’ll skip them. That brings us to another song Rick and Harold Baggett wrote “Hitchhiking”. This is a haunting stripped down acoustic song about standing alone on the side of the road. Waiting perhaps for a hell bound train. Yes, Savoy Brown’s “Hellbound Train” closes Back On My Good Foot. The nearly ten-minute song delivers everything Kim Simmonds and Savoy Brown did on their legendary record over 25 years ago.

For me Rick Fowler’s Back On My Good Foot is one of those rare finds of the type of music I love so much but so few people are doing now. Many people seem fine with the re-re-released versions of some old band but I prefer to find someone new who can play that style but with new songs. Not only will I be enjoying Back On My Good Foot for years to come I’ll be keeping my eye on Rick Fowler for up coming records. Below are links to where you can buy this great British blues-rock CD, by all means give this to a friend for Christmas you will make their day (or yours, you deserve it ).

Play order of songs:
“Road to Nowhere”
“Running from the Truth”
“Walk Softly”
“Infected with the Blues”

Rick Fowler’s Website

Rick Fowler’s MySpace

Buy Rick Fowler’s CD Back On My Good Foot from his website

Buy Rick Fowler’s CD Back On My Good Foot from CD Baby Website

Buy from Amazon.com or iTunes.com

Note: there is a CD called Chase of Smoke by a country artist with the same name, Rick Fowler. Don’t want you to buy something you may not like.

I would like to thank Rick Fowler for taking the time to let me interview him for this show.
Also thanks to Jammates Records for letting Rick make the record he wanted to make. In doing so they have released a great CD.

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Blues Music and Interviews
A1Blues.Com
formerly A1 Artist Spotlight. Com
by A1 Mark

 

 065 - Mike Zito - Today [35:45m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Hear the Mike Zito interview, Mike talks about growing up with a guitar in hand, the highs, the lows, and Today. Hear songs from his Eclecto Groove Record Today.

Mike Zito was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. In High School Mike got interested in playing guitar to the point that he seemed to never put it down. After getting out of school he got a job at Tower Grove Music store. This was a big learning experience for Mike because everyone that worked there was great musician. Many of the top musicians in St. Louis would come in to this store like Chuck Berry. Mike was playing three nights a week with his band then the rest of the week he would pick up acoustic gigs. This is when he was not on the road touring with the band. Eventually this tiring life style along with all the drugs and alcohol came pretty close to killing him. Thanks to Walter Trout for taking the time to talk to Mike about getting his life together. Mike finely started pulling his life together with the help of a girl he met in Texas that would eventually become his wife. Now all cleaned up and ready to go Mike Zito started working on his song writing to make it better. Mike felt he had a good voice but he could improve upon that too. Mike had recorded some CD’s, but they were never very focused. In 2006 he made another CD on his own that was sent out to a lot of labels. Delta Grove Records started a new division called Eclecto Groove Records for artists that were not just blues but more eclectic. Eclecto Groove was picking up some really great artists like Sean Costello, Ana Popovic and Jason Ricci. People who were not just making blues music, but making really great music of any style. Mike Zito was added to this very impressive list of musicians.

Eclecto Groove Records seeing they had another exceptional artist brought in some very professional artist to work on the CD Today. Starting with producers David Z (Prince, Etta James, Billy Idol) and Tony Braunagel (B.B. King, Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt) who also played drums. Then side men like keyboardist Benmont Tench (Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash), James “Hutch” Hutchinson (Bonnie Raitt, Boz Scaggs, Joe Cocker) and Michito Sanchez (Joe Walsh, Elton John, Crosby, Stills & Nash) on percussion. When I was talking to Mike Zito he said he was very impressed at how helpful and friendly all these people were. They really wanted the CD to come out the way he wanted it to sound.Today kicks off with “Love Like This” a song about how much love you have for your children. This is just what you would expect from great musicians, top notch playing, vocals and lyrics. The next song is “Superman” has kind of a Latin dance sound to it. Mike re-does the Prince song “Little Red Corvette” as a ballad. It took me a few listenings for me to get into it but now I love the song. As many of you can guess I’m not a Prince fan but this is really good. Go by Mike’s website, MySpace page or Eclecto Groove Records website to hear the song, you’ll love it (links below). For me “Universe” is the high point of the Today CD. Great guitar, lyrics and solo also the only long song on the CD. On “Slow It Down” Mike shows off his lead guitar skills again. The contras between the soft slow blues and the slightly faster and more intense guitar playing really makes both stand out better. “Dirty Thing” is the kind of song many radio stations would find listeners loving. The CD is hard to nail down to what it is like because there are so many different styles going on. Maybe that’s what makes the CD so good is it has everything with out going too far to any extreme.

One last thing I need to tell you about is about Mike Zito’s concerts, they are extreme. Good rocking fun with a lot of lead guitar everybody was having a great time. Besides doing songs from the Today CD Mike did some neat covers. One song I’ve been telling everyone about that he did was “Amazing Grace”. Mike did it like Jimi did the “Star Spangle Banner” with all the power cords, guitar fills and everything. That was just the introduction to song “Slow It Down”, wow. Christmas is coming up on us real fast if you know someone that really likes music this would make a wonderful gift, Mike Zito, Today.

Songs played in the show:
Dirty Things
Universe
Hollywood
No Big City

“Mike Zito is one of the best singer/songwriter/guitarists I have ever heard.”
Walter Trout (Big Mama Thornton, George Harmonica Smith, John Lee Hooker)

Buy Mike Zito’s Today at Eclecto Groove Records
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Mike Zito Website
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Mike Zito Myspace
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See other great artists on Eclecto Groove Records
Like Ana Popovic and Jason Ricci & New Blood

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Blues Music and Interviews
A1Blues.Com
formerly A1 Artist Spotlight. Com
by A1 Mark

Hear the Tomcat Courtney interview about his new CD Downsville Blues as well as some tracks off the CD. It is not rock/blues, jazz/blues or anything else it’s just the good old BLUES.
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 064 - Tomcat Courtney – Downsville Blues: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tomcat Courtney says he’s not an old man yet. Tomcat won’t be eighty years old tell well into January 2009. For a man who was born and raised in Texas back in 1929, Tomcat is still alert and putting out great blues. He started out as a tap dancer and guitarist in his teens, but was later asked to sing. Tomcat liked to watch and talk to Lightnin’ Hopkins as he would come through town. After playing through out the south, Tomcat moved to California because he liked the weather. In the early 70’s he started playing in Ocean Beach, San Diego. That gig lasted him 22 years and the reason is obvious when you hear the songs on his CD Downsville Blues. This is also where a young teenage Chris James started out playing bass. Later when the other guitarist left the band Tomcat told Chris to switch to playing guitar with him. When I talked to Chris James about Tomcat he had nothing but great praise for his former boss and mentor.

When Tomcat Courtney got the go ahead from Blue Witch Records to make Downsville Blues he asked Chris James to come back and record with him. Patrick Rynn took on the duty’s of bass guitar working with drummers Brian Fahey on some songs and Willie “Big Eyes” Smith on the others. Bob Corritore the producer also played an awesome harmonica. What helps to make this a good CD is all these artists play one thing only, blues. Whether its electric or acoustic it’s the blues through and through. The title track “Downsville Blues” and another “Railroad Avenue” are both about the town Tomcat grow up in. He’s thinking back on his past and where he comes from. The lyrics are so descriptive you think you’re there with him. You can almost see the dust on your shoes as you walk down the old avenue.

Well I was raised in a shack
Down by a railroad track
That old train came along
I bordered on, never looked back
One day I decided I’d go back home
Back to that old place, Lord where I used to roam
But that house, by the tracks, Lord, it was gone
Old neighbor he came around
He said that old house by the track had burned down
It’s been so long, since I been back home

From Tomcat Courtney’s song “Downsville Blues”.

The ruff tone of Tomcat’s voice mixed with the pain of seeing his hometown so different is perfect.

“I’m So Glad” to say this is not the overly used Skip James song but an original of Tomcat’s it’s just a nice shuffle. “Disaster Blues” is about the disaster down in New Orleans as told to Tomcat by a man who had been down there. Like so many of the song the guitar and harp playing is great on this song. Tomcat remembers hearing “Cryin’ Won’t Help You “ on an old Tampa Red record. After playing this song many times over the years Tomcat decided it would only be right to add this to the CD. “Bottle It Up and Go” is a song he heard Lighting Hoppkins do, but Leadbelly also recorded the song, too. He’s not sure where the song came from, but he has also played this over the years. Tomcat’s version is more of an up beat fun song with good harp playing. On “Four Wheel Drive” and “Bottle It Up and Go” there is some good slid guitar. Another thing that makes me like this CD so much is that it is the sound of the old time blues yet most of the songs (all but three) are new songs. Its taken 79 years for Tomcat Courtney to get a nationally released CD but thanks to Blue Witch Records it is finally hear for us to enjoy.

Songs in the show are:
1. Cook My Breakfast
2. Shake It Up Baby
3. Downsville Blues
4. Disaster Blues
5. I Wonder

L-R Chris James, Bob Corritore, Tomcat Courtney, and Patrick Rynn

The Band on Downsville Blues is:
Tomcat Courtney - vocals and guitar,
Chris James - guitar,
Bob Corritore - harmonica, most songs
Patrick Rynn - bass, most songs
Brian Fahey - drums, some songs
Willie “Big Eyes” Smith – drummer, some songs

Tomcat Courtney’s Website

Tomcat Courtney’s MySpace

To buy Tomcat Courtney’s CD Downsville Blue

Check out other great blues CD’s at Blue Witch Records

For another great blues show check out BluzNdaBlood
I would like to thank Tomcat Courtney for taking the time to do this interview,
and thanks to Beth Lipham over at Blue Witch Records for all her help.

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Blues Music and Interviews
A1Blues.Com
formerly A1 Artist Spotlight. Com
by A1 Mark