Blues Interviews exclusive to earlyblues.com

Paul Oliver - writer and historian
  World authority on the Blues

Paul Oliver is one of the world's leading authorities and writer on the history of the blues. From an early age he collected blues records and books on the blues, publishing his first article in 1951. Since that time he has published 13 books on the history of the blues and blues music including The Story of the Blues, Blues Fell This Morning, Conversation with the Blues, and Blues Off The Record.  His work also includes interviews, field work and research in recording and printed sources tracing the origin and development of African American music and culture from the time of slavery through to the Twentieth Century. This work, known as "The Paul Oliver Collection of African American Music & Related Traditions" is held on a custodial basis at The University of Gloucestershire, England, by agreement with the European Blues Association and Paul Oliver. It represents an enormously valuable resource in teaching and research and is of international significance.
 

Jon Amor - Guitarist and vocals

The Jon Amor Band and The Hoax

Gwyn Ashton's Two-Man Blues Army

"South Australia's greatest contribution to blues-rock" - billboard.com

"Gwyn is no stranger to the world stage as he has spent more than 15 years touring the globe, opening for artists as diverse as BB King, Buddy Guy, Mick Taylor, Peter Green, Rory Gallagher, Robin Trower, Vanilla Fudge, Wishbone Ash, Van Morrison, Jeff Healey, Tony Joe White, Johnny Winter, Ray Charles, Pat Travers and John Hammond. He has also been invited onstage with Mick Fleetwood, Hubert Sumlin, Marc Ford, Jon Paris, Canned Heat, Robbie Blunt and Mark Stanway. Gwyn has been praised by such luminaries as Robert Plant, Johnny Winter and Eric Johnson and regularly conducts blues guitar workshops in schools".

"Lee is a fine guitarist and singer, playing Delta and ragtime blues as well as being a formidable slide player; hammering out Son House and Bukka White songs on an old National or playing dirty electric-style riffs.  Together with Billy Newton (see below) they are a classic guitar/harmonica duo, in the tradition of the great Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, and  have a wealth of experience behind them. They deliver a hugely entertaining set of tunes taken from the Delta, Chicago, Ragtime, Jug-Band, Hokum as well as their own compositions and all delivered with the dose of irreverent humour that makes them crowd pleasers wherever they perform. They are guaranteed to get you up dancing and having a good time!"

Jack Blackman - guitar/vocals

"Marcus Bonfanti deserves to become the next British blues-guitar hero. He's a wildly versatile guitarist who can handle almost anything in the electric-, country- or folk-blues field, ranging from stomping blues that echo Jimmy Page through to delicate acoustic finger-picking, with some sturdy vocal work and impressive harmonica playing".

The Deborah Bonham Band

The younger sister of the late John Bonham (drummer with Led Zeppelin) and Michael Bonham (disc jockey, author and photographer), Deborah was encouraged by Led Zeppelin's vocalist Robert Plant to record her first demos at the age of 17. Her first record deal saw the release of the critically acclaimed 'For you and the Moon' reaching the top 5 in the UK NME charts. With her established band, she has toured the UK and Europe over the years, and has had successful trips to the US. More recently she has released several CDs with notable guest musicians and performed at major UK blues festivals. I had the pleasure of meeting Deborah and her band at the Colne Great British R&B Festival.
 

The Oli Brown Band

Hailed as "one of the best and brightest guitar heroes performing in the world today" (Classic Rock magazine).

Randy Chortkoff 
 CEO of Delta Groove & Eclecto Groove
 Records and founding member of
 The Mannish Boys

Simon Crowe - Drummer
  The Rats

Gary Fletcher
  Guitarist, vocals and Songwriter

The Blues Band, The Gary Fletcher Band, The Dave Kelly Band and Solo (Acoustic)

Robin Hoare - Vocals / Guitar

The Robin Hoare Band
 

Al Hughes - Lead Vocals / Guitar

Lights Out By Nine and Solo Acoustic

The John Idan Group, ex The Yardbirds
 

John Jorgenson - Guitar and vocals

The John Jorgenson Quintet

"Extraordinarily gifted, guitarist John Jorgenson's pedigree is second to none. In the mid-80s along with ex-Byrd Chris Hillman he co-founded The Desert Rose Band. While they clocked up five US number one singles Jorgenson won the Academy of Country Music's ‘Guitarist Of The Year' three consecutive times before forming the mightily acclaimed, much garlanded Hellecasters after which he was invited to play guitar for Elton John. Initially contracted for an eighteen month world tour the engagement lasted for six years. He has also recorded or toured with The Byrds, Bob Seger, Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison to mention but a few. More recently he has championed the re-emergence of Gypsy jazz".

Dave Kelly - Guitar and Vocals

The Blues Band and The Dave Kelly Band

"If there is such a thing as a British 'blues pedigree', then Dave Kelly's sets the standard.  Dave is a blues craftsman - a journeyman who has served his time with the best. In New York he jammed with Muddy Waters.  He became a friend to Howlin' Wolf and John Lee Hooker.  It was Dave's big sister, the late Jo-Ann Kelly, who first opened his ears to the blues, although his passion for rock and roll - and especially the work of Buddy Holly - remains intact.  In 1967 he joined The John Dummer Blues Band  and he has continued to polish his style and technique throughout an adventurous career with some of Britain's finest players.  When The Blues Band was formed in 1979, the post of slide guitarist and joint vocalist was a foregone conclusion - and bringing his friend, the bassist Gary Fletcher, along to that first rehearsal, was a bonus.  Dave Kelly's guitar and vocals form the very backbone of The Blues Band's distinctive sound".
 

Mitch Laddie - guitar/vocals

The Mitch Laddie Trio

Photo shows Mitch as Walter Trout's guest at Colne Great British R&B Festival 2008.

Paul Lamb - Harmonica & vocals

Paul Lamb & The King Snakes

"Hailed by aficionados and music press around the world as Europe’s foremost blues harmonica exponent, Paul Lamb has forged himself a place in the history books as one of the greatest players of our time. He has won countless awards, sold record-breaking quantities of albums, and performed the world over with his long-standing musical compatriots, The King Snakes. Recently inducted into the British Blues Awards Hall Of Fame (alongside the likes of Peter Green, John Mayall & Alexis Korner), Paul still continues to bring his infectious brand of soulful blues to a plethora of fans around the globe"

"Hamilton Loomis oozes class and is a superlative and charismatic performer"

Connie Lush - Singer/Songwriter

Connie Lush and Blues Shouter

"Recognised as one of the finest blues singers that the United Kingdom has ever produced, Connie was voted Best UK Female Vocalist by readers of Blues In Britain for 5 separate years, earning a richly deserved place in the Gallery of the Greats. She is also increasingly recognised on the continent, particularly in France, where she was honoured in the French Blues Trophies awards as European Singer of the Year in 2002. There are no separate awards for male & female singers in the European category, so Connie defeated all challengers.  It is less appreciated that Connie’s musical talents go beyond singing. She is a highly accomplished songwriter, confirmed by many excellent self-penned songs that form the content of her live & recorded repertoire. She has also written TV themes and featured as a DJ on Jazz FM".

Doug MacLeod
  'The Storytelling Bluesman':
   guitarist, singer, and songwriter

"Doug MacLeod is a singer-songwriter in the American tradition. He is a travelling artist that writes and sings original songs that are based on his own life and experiences. He learned from the old masters, lived the music, survived the life and carries forward a valuable tradition. Doug is known for his superb songwriting, guitar wizardry, warm soulful vocals, wit and unforgettable live performances. At the heart of this is his knack for storytelling, bringing characters, from the faceless to the legendary, to strikingly real life. Like the old masters who taught him, Doug's music expresses life and times via an intangible, elusive quality that may simply be a keen sense of what matters most. There is a philosophic and healing side to his music and his stories that has helped others overcome the hardships of their lives.

Tony T.S. McPhee - Vocals / Guitar

The Groundhogs

"The Groundhogs are an iconic blues and progressive rock band characterised by improvised screaming guitar solos, which achieved several top chart albums (Thank Christ For The Bomb, Split, Who Will Save The World & Hogwash) through the 1970’s.

Tony ‘TS’ McPhee is the talent behind ‘The Groundhogs’, and his outstanding writing and phenomenal guitar skills have formed and pushed at the outskirts of British blues and rock for the last forty odd years. Despite the album success, The Groundhogs retain a cult status, you are either absolutely passionate about them or have never heard of them".

Michael Messer
  Slide guitarist, singer and songwriter

"Michael Messer is a virtuoso slide guitarist who has one of the best bands performing some of the greatest blues tunes produced this century. His playing encompasses the entire history of the blues but is totally individual and contemporary. His use of turntables in the band adds a new element to the music and Messer’s haunting vocals ooze authenticity and integrity. The American magazine, ‘Spirit’ listed Michael as one of the greatest slide guitarists ever alongside Duane Allman and Ry Cooder". Dave Tracey

Coco Montoya - Guitar and Vocals

Guitarist and vocalist Coco Montoya's 30-year career began in the mid-70s with a chance meeting with legendary bluesman Albert Collins, who asked him to join his band as drummer. Albert took him under his wing, becoming his mentor and teaching him the Collins "icy hot" style of blues guitar. In the early 80s, John Mayall asked Coco to join the Bluesbreakers. This led to Coco touring the world for ten years with the legendary Bluesbreakers before moving on to go out on his own in 1993. Coco has released five albums and another is now in the pipeline. Coco averages over 200 tour dates a year and in August 2009 I caught up with him at The Great British R&B Festival, Colne, England.

Billy Newton - Harp and dancing

"Billy Newton is one of the hottest harp players around, equally at home with the down-home wail of Sonny Terry and Noah Lewis or the big city sounds of Little Walter and Snooky Pryor. Together with Lee Bates (see above) they are a classic guitar/harmonica duo, in the tradition of the great Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, and  have a wealth of experience behind them. They deliver a hugely entertaining set of tunes taken from the Delta, Chicago, Ragtime, Jug-Band, Hokum as well as their own compositions and all delivered with the dose of irreverent humour that makes them crowd pleasers wherever they perform. They are guaranteed to get you up dancing and having a good time!"

Stephen Dale Petit - Guitar & Vocals

"Over the years, Stephen's fascination with a near century's worth of guitar luminaries - ranging from Clapton, Page and Beck to Patton, House and Johnson via King, King and King has led him across the States, into Europe, through addiction and alcoholism, down, busking, into the London Underground and up again to London recording studios. When he talks about the Blues, Stephen is a deadly serious, earnest man driven by a love indeed, a passion bordering on obsession, for this most vital genre of music from which most modern guitar music is directly descended. As Stephen puts it himself "The reason I'm on the planet is to play Blues Guitar. I'm on a mission to spread the word about The Blues and about the guitar especially to young music lovers."  

Ana Popović
  Singer, Songwriter and Guitarist

Ana Popović is an incredible guitarist/vocalist born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia and now residing in The Netherlands. Her career has been meteoric, and shows no signs of slowing down. Ana is the first European ever nominated for ‘Best New Blues Artist’ at the W.C. Handy Award Show in Memphis, Tennessee (2003). She was also nominated for 'Best Blues Album' at the Jammie Awards in New York City, a three way nominee for 'Best Vocalist', 'Best Guitarist' and 'Best Album' at the French Blues Awards (2002), and she and her band won the prestigious jazz award 'Jazz A Juan revelation In Juan Le Pins' (France 2004). Ana has recently been touring Europe and I was lucky enough to catch up with her, back at base in The Netherlands.

Glenn Povey
Tour Manager, Classic Legends of Rock

Louisiana Red 
  Guitarist, singer, songwriter and
  harmonica player

Louisiana Red has lived the Blues. He not only plays the Blues, he lives it through his guitar and his singing. Strongly influenced by Muddy Waters, Lightnin‘ Hopkins and Arthur Crudup, he has long ago found his own voice, his own style, his own form of expression. In a career spanning over half a century, Red has played with just about every major bluesman you can name, some of the most memorable encounters being his jams with B.B.King and Muddy Waters. His albums have been called masterpieces by critics, and in 1983 he won a W.C. Handy Award as best traditional blues artist. Red recently toured the UK with Michael Messer and I had the privilege of interviewing Red at Southport Arts Centre in conjunction with Spencer Leigh, BBC Radio Merseyside.

Roadhouse - Gary, Bill, Roger, Danny, Mandie, Suzie, Kelly and Rachel

Garry Roberts - Guitar

The Rats

Roy Rogers 
  Slide guitar, singer, songwriter and
  producer

The Delta Rhythm Kings

"Named after the King of the Cowboys, Roy Rogers is one of the US's premier slide guitarists performing today. He is also an internationally acclaimed producer, having produced recordings for John Lee Hooker (4 Grammy Nominations and 2 Grammy Awards) and Ramblin' Jack Elliott (2 Grammy Nominations). He has received numerous accolades for his songwriting (Grammy Nomination for ‘Song for Jessica’ ), as well as his work on movie soundtracks and television." 

Recently reformed after an 8 year absence - The Producers, fronted by Harry Skinner on guitar & vocals & Big Dave Saunders on bass won the top UK Blues Band over 4 consecutive years before going their separate ways in 2002. Now they're back. Harry & Dave still front the band ably assisted by Ray Drury on Hammond & Biff Smith on drums.
 

Mick Taylor - Guitar & Vocals

The Mick Taylor Band

"Guitarist Mick Taylor was neither an original member of the Rolling Stones nor still in the band when it began selling out sports stadiums in the late-'80s and '90s. But the sophisticated jazz- and blues-influenced guitar licks Mick added to such classic albums as Sticky Fingers gave the Stones an added dimension they lacked before and after him".

“Mick is one of the most stunning guitarists in the world. His tones are warm and rich, and are totally unique.”  Bob Dylan

Mark Thornley, guitar and vocals

The Mark Thornley Band

The Guy Tortora Band
 

Khalif 'Wailin' Walter
  Guitarist, singer, bandleader and
  songwriter 

Khalif “Wailin ’” Walter’s stormy guitar work and brash New Orleans style vocals, generate a traditional down-home sound, reminiscent of greats like Freddie King, Albert King, and Albert Collins. Fused with contemporary style and innovative original arrangements, Khalif  delivers foot stomping finger snapping Blues that sets the roof on fire.

'"..one of Scotland's heroes, a bluesman of amazing ability...a totally brilliant one man band."  Mike Harding

Mike Whellans is the real thing, a keeper of the one-man blues band flame that burned so passionately in the work of this highly specialized form’s masters, including Doctor Isaiah Ross, Jesse Fuller and Mike’s great British forerunner, Tony ‘Duster’ Bennett. Like all true bluesmen and women, when Mike sings and plays, he means it. He can set a scene of darkness and foreboding as the Boogie Man lurks, play twelve-string guitar in the grand driving blues tradition to propel his Winding Track, and sing of hugging his baby’s deserted pillow so that you really feel his loss.