A Winter Storm

With today's health problems crippling him to a chair onstage, not able to stand anymore and tilt his head back like he used to in his hayday Johnny Winter still has the blues. He lived the blues probably more than any beat down black man from the south could ever live in a hundred years. Being persecuted at first for being not only a white man singing the blues but an albino man singing the blues. But the persecution came to a halt as soon as Winter starting playing his guitar. Fast fingers and pin point accuracy alongside that sharp bluesy voice made him what he was and still is today, one of the greatest blues rockers of all time. Drug addiction has been painfully a monkey on the back of Winter, even his manager would pump him full of drugs just to steal money from him. But after all the hardships and troubles Winter is still pressing on today playing the halls and bars all around the country. Winter was the first musician to break the million dollar mark for an album from Columbia records on his debut self titled album Johnny Winter. Which I am currently right now listening to on vinyl and can never get sick of. This video is a testament to Winter's ability to silent crowds with his playing. At one point you catch a glimpse of Eric Burden of The Animals admiring just how can a man play the blues so well effortlessly. Today's music does not have the same impact as it was back in the 60s. Today you cant go to some random club with just a few dozen people and watch an artist like Johnny Winter put on a performance of a lifetime with smoke filling the room and booze flowing like a river. It gives the ambiance that just cant be redone today unfortunately. These days you will have to crowd into a stadium or large venue, uncomfortably crammed into a tight space, forced next to people you dont even know and pay over priced tickets to do so. Gone is the day where musicians play just to play and for the fun of it, today its all about the big dollar. Only places like Austin Texas can you see legends any night of the week either playing a show at a small bar or walking the streets enjoying the street music alongside everyone else. These places cant go unrecognized and the same goes for the great Johnny Winter.

Claptons Blues

Today marks the birthday of Eric Clapton. Considered by many as the greatest guitarist to ever live. Signs of Clapton is God graffiti the walls and buildings of England in the late 60s. After braking through as John Mayall's sideman in the Bluesbreakers and showing everyone his licks in the Yardbirds, Clapton was just a young kid with alot of talent with the guitar. He was extremely shy and never though of himself as a vocalist untill Mayall convinced him to sing a few songs. He found his voice and made a career with a silky smooth voice singing blues and soul tunes. Claptons life would be shredded with drug abuse and tragedy. But he would later kick the habit and is still now creating beautiful music and touring all over the world. Here Clapton performs with what I personally think is the greatest group of musicians he ever put together. Derek And The Dominoes. The band would create a classic album and possibly one of Claptons greatest masterpiece Layla. The album scattered with blues and soul songs but the highlight was the albums title track which Clapton had some help from friend Duane Allman from The Allman Brothers. The duo would create one of rocks greatest song. Happy birthday Eric Clapton.

A Folkin Bunch Of Rockers

Starting off as a psychedelic band, Traffic dabbled into the ever expanding category of folk rock. Joining The Byrds, Gram Parsons, Bob Dylan, etc they released the ever classic album John Barleycorn Must Die. The song John Barleycorn is an old English folk song that was in a collection of English folk songs by Cecil Sharpe in the early 1900s. There are many versions of the song and is translated in a wide array of languages. The song can be dated back to 1465. Here Traffic sings John Barleycorn with a great arrangement done very well by the band leader Steve Winwood. Other songs on this album were all written by Steve Winwood and drummer Jim Capaldi and are all written in the folk rock sound of the 60s.

A Folkin Bunch Of Rockers

Starting off as a psychedelic band, Traffic dabbled into the ever expanding category of folk rock. Joining The Byrds, Gram Parsons, Bob Dylan, etc they released the ever classic album John Barleycorn Must Die. The song John Barleycorn is an old English folk song that was in a collection of English folk songs by Cecil Sharpe in the early 1900s. There are many versions of the song and is translated in a wide array of languages. The song can be dated back to 1465. Here Traffic sings John Barleycorn with a great arrangement done very well by the band leader Steve Winwood. Other songs on this album were all written by Steve Winwood and drummer Jim Capaldi and are all written in the folk rock sound of the 60s.

The Strange But Deserving

There's no way I can not do a blog on the introduction of Tom Waits into the rock and roll hall of fame. Then I found out he was inducted by Neil Young it was absolutely perfect. I cant search through all the artists in the artist yellow pages or anthology and find anyone that deserves this prestigious award more then Mr. Waits. He is not your typical multi millionaire singer- songwriter that walks with pride and wealth. Waits still has the feel that he just crawled out of the gutter after a hard night of drinking in the dirtiest of dive bars. He is the cookie cuter cutout of a chain smoking, womanizing, coffee guzzling, brandy gulping, jazz crazed lunatic that strives for hard nights and even harder days. Waits said it best when he described music as " something strange you do with air", perfectly described for waits. He really does strange things with air since the late 60s. He still has that presence and voice proving it onstage performing Make It Rain and Rain Dogs. He lets no one down. You can see the joy on Young's face as he knows this is a huge step for the hall of fame taking in such a luminary. Waits asks for a smaller version of the award so he can carry it around just in case he gets in trouble and maybe it could get him out. That's Waits summed up, a troublemaker but also the smartest and most talented storyteller the music world have ever seen. He strives to be the best and the worst, the remembered and the forgotten, the sweet and the sour, the loved and the hated, but most important hes the most famed of the underground. No one might not understand Waits but that's the reason hes so tangible, hes one of us, hes real and raw. Congrats Tom Waits on getting what you probably didn't care if you got or not, into the rock and roll hall of fame. Keep writing the quirky and strange music that keeps running through my head.

Ladies and Gentlemen..... Alvin Robinson

With a voice as smooth as fresh churned butter and a backup band as rich as Texas tycoons, Alvin Robinson as a Soul songster with the voice that an knock back women a hundred rows back. I have heard this song first from the back country bluegrass revival group Old Crow Medicine Show. They did a great version of it but it doesn't sound as cool and collective as Robinson's version. There are no words that can explain the voice of Alvin Robinson and why he wasn't as big as he should have been boggles the mind. Just listen and sit back and be taken away to a 1960s jazz club. Where smoke, sex and sweat lingers in the air and probably still does.

Blazing Through Austin

I've had the privileged of knowing a lot of music lovers over the past 10 years of my life. Between the Record Exchange in Salem Mass where I basically lived while living in Salem. They really helped me expand my musical knowledge and I am extremely grateful to those people. Today however there is no Record Exchange where I live in Newfoundland, but I have at least have another music aficionado in Walkhams Gate Pub owner Harv. Harv is really into the whole Austin Texas music scene. From The Flatlanders to Steve Earle. But probably the most prolific and interesting character to fall into the Austin scene has to be Blaze Foley. Blaze is really what makes Austin. He plays for the joy of playing music, with no interest of being famous or making a ton of money. He is an underground legend having played alongside such greats as Townes Van Zandt. Blaze has had songs written about him by Townes, who was a great close friend, and Lucinda Williams. Williams has called him a genius and a beautiful loser. His songs have been covered by the likes of Merle Haggard, John Prine and Lyle Lovett. Blaze is nothing but a musical phenomenon, a straight shooter. His lyrics were honest and true to his life. He wrote and sang more because it was therapeutic than becoming famous. The world needs more people like Blaze Foley, unfortunately Foley died on February 1, 1989. Foley, after helping a friend confront a violent son, the son would shoot Foley in cold blood. The son was acquitted from the murder charge saying it was in self defense. Friends of Foley was outraged with the verdict and rightfully so. We have lost a true artist but never will we lose the art.

Cash Alone

You think of Johnny Cash and Country legend comes to mind. Even though he stands both in the Country music hall of fame as well as the Rock and Roll hall of fame. He can do just about anything, a rebel without a cause. Me personally can't compare Cash singing by himself to anything else. His voice alone with the guitar is just stunning. Hank Williams is the same way when it comes to being alone with the guitar. Its more personal and raw. I can just close my eyes and pretend that they are right there playing in the same room. Two of the greatest albums that I have ever picked up were Cash's Personal file and Hank Williams Alone With Guitar. This song Drink To Me With Thine Eyes comes from Cash's Personal file. Its an old song that has been passed down from generation to generation. No one really knows where it came from but it has a sense of romance to it and Cash's voice really does wonders with it. He explains how he first fell in love with it and why its such a special song to him. Its such a personal song for Johnny and you an really tell by the way he sings it.

Kings Of The Irish Pub

The day has come upon us. Cheer and joy is spread across any land no matter if your in Ireland or Canada or South America or India or Australia. Today marks St. Paddy's day! The holiday is celebrated worldwide and its a day where no matter what religion or race you are, today you become irish. Green beers are poured into pint glasses where lads and ladies are colored in green clothing. Today is a happy day no matter where you go, there's just something about St. Paddy's day that brings smiles to peoples faces without getting gifts or money. Irish pubs across the world are getting set for great live music being played tonight and rivers of beer about to be poured. That is why for today, the last day of my all Irish week blog, I have chosen a song dedicated to the Irish pub. A new group have taken the world by storm. Conjured up by the same people that created Celtic Women, that have become such a huge phenomenon, The High Kings are doing the same. Consisting of a son of Bobby Clancy from the legendary Clancy Brothers, a son of Sean Dunphy who represented Ireland in the Eurovision song contest in 1967, the son of Finbar Furey of The Furey's and Broadway/pop star Darren Holden who played Billy Joel in the broadway musical Movin Out. This group is crammed full of talent. The harmony is impeccable and their stage performance is fun filled with getting the spectators involved in the show and being part of the experience. In this video The High Kings sing of Irish pubs and how you can find one anywhere in the world, no matter where you go. Its true to form. This is a dedication to the pub that I work at Walkhams Gate Pub, to the traditional irish groups that are playing there tonight Just BS and the green beer and irish cheer that will be served to everyone tonight on the day where everyone becomes Irish, St Paddy's Day. Cheers!!

The Ireland In Newfoundland

There is a lot of Irish influence on the quaint island off of Canada's east coast. From food to literature to drink. But the most treasured has to be the influence of Celtic music that has been imported into Newfoundland. Jigs and reels can be heard every Sunday morning on CBC radio filling the kitchen while men and women drink their morning coffee and read the newspaper. Break of dawn strikes as familiar sounds splash into your ears like a raving ocean. One of Newfoundlands favorite sons are a fine bunch of lads that are spreading traditional Newfoundland music as well as old Irish tunes with a bunch of their own composed songs mixed into the mix. The first thing anyone would recognize and stand back in wonder and amazement is the gravel filled voice of Fred Jorgensen. The man sounds like the deepest of oceans where salt and rocks grind the coast. He was born with the golden voice and can sing any song where he makes it his own. Here The Galway Shawl is an old Irish tune but Jorgensen makes it sounds like it came from his pen. Freds group The Navigators can be found downtown George St. many nights of the year or playing in Bonavista at The Walkhams Gate Pub. They tour across Canada and even the USA non stop living the life of the grinding band, long nights and hard days. If you haven't heard Jorgensens voice watch this video and prepare to be amazed at the rawness and deepness of it. With a strong Newfoundland accent paired in there with it the man sounds like nothing else you will find and there's no doubt he was born with a gift. Music is his life, its his family's life, numerous kitchen parties where there is non stop music sung by dozens of musicians are what he grew up with and you can really tell that from the passion he has for what he does.

The Cheifs Of Ireland

Popularity means nothing when it comes to greatness. You could be the best drummer that the world has not yet discovered but still be the worlds best drummer. Irish music has a deep respect to it, filled with dignity and swagger. No one can touch The Chieftains on their dignity or respect. Its not a popularity contest so to say, some may consider The Chieftains the most popular irish group in the world but millions of people may not have even heard of them in such lights as U2 or The Dubliners. But they are loved where ever they go around the world. They play more jigs and reels of the traditional Ireland than actual songs where they have help from the likes of Van Morrison, The Corrs, Allion Krause, Sting, Ziggy Marley, Rolling Stones, Tom Jones, and the list goes on and on. Even in this video you can see a young Roger Daltrey of The Who sitting backstage admiring and watching them perform to thousands. The Chieftains may have been the first irish group to become worldwide and the most respected of today. Still touring and performing in the biggest of halls and the greatest of people. Spreading the irish cheer to millions.

Shane MacGowan Pours Another One

Tragic, sad, depressing, vulgar, disgusting, drunken bastard or just a creative genius with talent streaming out of his veins. Shane MacGowan may look like a train wreck that happen a hundred years ago but he sings from the heart with every bit of passion and fire. He has followed the destructive behavior of the fallen talent pool that has drowned such greats as Hank Williams, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and the list keeps going on and on. The weird thing about it is Shane can never die, he is the Keith Richards of Irish Rock. He constantly looks like he just crawled out of bed if his bed was 6 feet under and covered in dirt and his teeth looks like wooden splinters as if he never brushed since Kennedy was president. He has drug addiction after drug addiction and swims in alcohol daily. In this video he is seen at his best, what millions would love to see live, Shane as drunk as he could be with a glass in his hand singing one of his favorite songs taught to him by his mother, Kitty. The song reeks of tragedy and so does the look on Shane's face, especially at the end of the video when the bartender walks over and gives him a kiss on the cheek. As she pulls away you can see the pain of Shane MacGowan, alone with millions of fan. Shane's band The Pogues are innovators of Irish punk bands being loved, respected and idolized by such irish punk bands as Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly. I wonder what Shane would be doing on St. Paddys day? Probably just what he does every other day of the year, getting drunk off his arse.

Clancy Waltzes Matilda

One of the best known traditional Irish groups are a group of four brothers. Pat, Bobby, Tom and Liam took celtic music to a whole new level and traveled all over the world to spread their rich culture. A chap by the name of Tommy Makem would typically be at their side helping along either playing or singing along to their favorite songs. The Clancy Brothers were well known all over the world and also tagged along with the big folk boom throughout New York City and the rest of the states. Playing at the Newport Folk Festival numerous times and becoming good friends with folks biggest name and grandfather Pete Seeger, they even had a hand in influencing Bob Dylan in his push to become folk/rocks biggest name. The Clancy's can sing of booze, death, wakes and seas but here they borrow a sad song born in Australia called The Band Played The Waltzing Matilda. Its one of the saddest songs I've ever lent my ears to. Its one of those songs you just can't help but hold onto every word. Its a song about a young man who loved to dance in his younger years but, especially a song called Waltzing Matilda. He was called into war and has his legs blown off on a dreadful day where thousands died. No longer could he dance like he used to and loved to do. He couldn't do most the things that he used to be able and it just killed him without being dead. The Band Played The Waltzing Matilda is one of the most heartbreaking war songs to be ever written and its probably more considered a Irish tune now more so than an Australian song, thanks to The Clancy's. They made this song their own and you can see it in their face as they sing through the words. Its a tragic song but you can see how great the Clancy Brothers really could play with this song. Beautiful!

St Paddy Slaps Ya In Da Face

With St. Paddy's day approaching i'm dedicating a whole week on great Celtic bands from Ireland and some from right here in Newfoundland and Canada. Irish music has been close to my heard since my younger years. Hearing jigs and reels on the radio just about every Sunday morning home, I can just look back and feel the salt air wave over me with the sea shanties and get taken away to rolling rocks and green grassy fields of old Ireland. I felt the best song to start off the week long blog dedication was Fiddlers Green by legendary Celtic group The Dubliners. Its a close connection that Newfoundland has with Ireland being a song about a heaven for fishermen which what really build my Newfoundland home. You can really tell that this song was written by a fisherman for fishermen with a poignant salty taste left in your mouth while listening to it. Its one of my favorite Irish tunes being covered a thousand times by groups all over the world including Newfoundland. Its a hard life being a fisherman. A life stricken with hard work and long days. They work hard, drink hard and you can really feel it while listening to this song. It gives me goodbumps just listening to the lyrics and Barney sing the song like it was his own. But Barney McKenna and The Dubliners really make it their own especially since McKenna himself is a true fisherman, its as if hes singing his own testament. Have a fun and safe week everyone, its Irish week!

St Paddy Slaps Ya In Da Face

With St. Paddy's day approaching i'm dedicating a whole week on great Celtic bands from Ireland and some from right here in Newfoundland and Canada. Irish music has been close to my heard since my younger years. Hearing jigs and reels on the radio just about every Sunday morning home, I can just look back and feel the salt air wave over me with the sea shanties and get taken away to rolling rocks and green grassy fields of old Ireland. I felt the best song to start off the week long blog dedication was Fiddlers Green by legendary Celtic group The Dubliners. Its a close connection that Newfoundland has with Ireland being a song about a heaven for fishermen which what really build my Newfoundland home. You can really tell that this song was written by a fisherman for fishermen with a poignant salty taste left in your mouth while listening to it. Its one of my favorite Irish tunes being covered a thousand times by groups all over the world including Newfoundland. But Barney McKenna and The Dubliners really make it their own especially since McKenna himself is a true fisherman, its as if hes singing his own testament. Have a fun and safe week everyone, its Irish week!

Townes Van Zandt's Birthday Party

Today, March 7, marks the birth of Townes Van Zandt. One of music's most troubled troubadours. A life stricken with heart break and pain. Struggling with a huge drug addiction and alcohol abuse he could never kick the drug life which kept him out of the public eye for much of his life. Townes never did achieve commercial success unfortunately but that doesn't mean he wasn't considered one of the greatest storytellers to ever live. His songs such as Waiting Around To Die, Pancho And Lefty, and Snake Mountain Blues easily took your attention from the first line until end of the song. He could write a song with ease and have you thinking your listening to a story written by Hemmingway or Twain. It was a shame that he never really did great for himself in the public eye or heath wise. Who knows what could have become of Townes if he was still alive today? He could have been still writing great music collaborating with Bob Dylan or his best friend Steve Earle. He could even be helping out Steve's talented son Justin Townes Earle, who Steve named after Townes out of respect and love. Its sad to see such talent to just go undiscovered or not respected by most people and unfortunately Townes falls under that category. His songs have been covered by many most notably Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson's rendition of Pancho And Lefty. Townes is up there with my favorite songwriters of all time and listening to his songs you can see why. Happy Birthday Townes, RIP.

Just BS Without The B Is A O K

While holding down the fort at Walkhams Pub the other night Steve Abbott one half of the local Bonavista group Just Bs walked into the pub and suggested to play friday night just for the good of him. The pub haven't had music in a while so of course it was a great idea to get it back to rocking form. So we thought that Friday night would be a good night to play and if it goes well he would do Saturday as well. As 10:30 Friday night rolls round Abbott walks in to a empty room with backs turned to him on the other side of the room, eyes glued to the machines. But that didn't stop him from putting on a solo performance in which he put every inch of his heart and soul into. I didn't mention that this was Abbotts first solo performance in public. Being the first I must say you couldn't tell if he was uncomfortable or nervous. Tackling new songs like John Prine's Souvenirs, in which I for one hopes will be in his set list from now on, Abbott played in front of hardly anyone but made it seem like a packed house. Abbott kept on playing and never let up. It wasn't until 12:00ish until people started flowing into the pub. A happy bunch of music lovers that wanted to hear Abbott wail out their favorites and sing along. It was more of a kitchen party than a concert/performance. At times having duets with Kayla Little and Chester. Even Randy Stead showed off his Newfoundland Ugly Stick skills on one song and had everyone stomping the ground with smiles from ear to ear. Abbott really killed it that night giving the crowd a great show and left them going home that night singing sweet songs into the moonlight. Great job Abbott, I for one can't wait for the repeat performance tonight at Walkhams Pub. Everyone who missed it last night really should take it all in and if you were one of the lucky ones who witnessed it come back show Abbott your support, he more than deserves it.

Punk Gods Thrash Newfoundland

Feeling the wind tuck my hair behind my ears as I feel the rockey road below my feet. Long hair, baggy jeans and a ripped up t-shirt summed up my teen years. Skateboarding was a passion. From when we escaped the bars of school to when it was just too dark to see your wheels anymore me and my friends were the hardcore skaters of Bonavista. Me, Dwayne, Mike, Sam, Tim, Chad, Mitchell, just to name a few would tear up the post office until they would kick us off the property. Then we would skate off just down the road to the Salvation army only to be kicked off their property just moments later. The constant search for new skate spots forced us to raise money and build our own skate park. We were successful and built our own ramps and skated our own skate park. Those days brings back great memories to me. Most of all amazing memories of 90s punk rock. Bands like Pennywise, Melloncollin, Good To Go,Rancid, Ramones, Misfits, they all helped us get that height of energy that you need to pull off that certain trick. Looking back now I can't believe how much energy we had to be skating all day long and now I know how I kept so skinny all that time. Out of all those great punk bands I must say one of my all time favorite has to be Nofx. Their short songs that gotten right to the point with heavy chords and fast strings with a English influenced accent to top it off they had it all and we wore our Nofx mix tape out in our boombox. With our extra long extension cord hooked up to the local light and power building we were all set with loud music and sick skateboarding, as long as Nofx was blaring out of the speakers we were happy to be alive and well doing what we loved most. This summer Nofx will be playing a show at Club One in St. John's Newfoundland. They show is going to be hardcore and sweaty where they will be playing their classic hits and also throwing in a list of covers from their new album soon to be coming out. If you ever grew up in the 90s and loved garage punk music Nofx had to be on your list. I advise everyone to clear your laundry list for the day of this concert and prepare for a great show. Get ready for mosh pits galore and dont mind the eardrums bursting, its just punk music at its finest. I've added one of my favorite Nofx songs BOB. A song about a hardcore punk whose tough lifestyle has caught up to him after getting older. He realizes the realities of life where a hard lifestyle of drugs and alcohol catches up to you after a while.  If you never heard of them before then listen to this and get taken back in time when punk was fast and in your face.