Author: Don Wilcock
Don Wilcock
Now into his second half century as the warrior music journalist, Don Wilcock began his career writing “Sounds from The World” in Vietnam, a weekly reader’s digest of pop music news for grunts in the field for the then largest official Army newspaper in the world, The Army Reporter. He’s edited BluesWax, FolkWax, The King Biscuit Times, Elmore Magazine, and also BluesPrint as founder of the Northeast Blues Society. Internationally, he’s written for The Blues Foundation’s Blues Music Awards program, Blues Matters and Blues World. He wrote the definitive Buddy Guy biography 'Damn Right I’ve Got The Blues,' and is currently writing copy for a coffee table book of watercolor paintings of blues artists by Clint Herring.
About as close as trumpet player Herb Alpert ever came to the blues was signing artists like Joan Armatrading and Quincy Jones to A&M Records, but his role as a renaissance artist, record executive, painter and sculptor could fill a book on how independent artists can make it out of the bush leagues that so many blues artists seem to get stuck in.
Recording with a label like Sun that practically invented rock and roll when they recorded Elvis singing Arthur Big Boy Crudup’s “That’s All Right Now, Mama” is a solid move into blues. “For me, it’s just such a magical highlight. Everything I’ve been through in my career and personal life, I think to decide to take a risk and really kind go back to a love of the blues with some of my new music, to have Sun work with me — I could never have imagined this could happen at this point in my career.”
He last played Albany, New York on March 29th. Six days later he had two heart attacks in one day. He plays the iconic Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY with fellow NGDB founding member on Friday, August 9.
If catharsis is the fuel that fires the engine of blues, then singer, songwriter and harp player Brandon Santini right now is on the edge of the most intense tour of his career. He opens the tour this Friday at the Linda in Albany, New York following a series of issues that might cause the average artist to simply walk away from performing.
Happy Birthday to the unparalleled Buddy Guy!
John Mayall stood above the British Invasion superstars. The Rolling Stones, Animals, Yardbirds, and Cream may have used blues as inspiration for their rock music, but John stood alone among them. While they had a dotted line connection to the American blues legacies, John had a solid line connection.
Cindy Cashdollar has worked with Rod Stewart, Ryan Adams, Asleep At The Wheel, Albert Lee, Marcia Ball, Rory Block, Jorma Kaukonen, and Leon Redbone – to name a few. She is currently on tour with Sonny Landreth.
‘New Beginnings’ is his first album fronting his namesake father’s legendary Ils Sont Partis Band. It won the 2024 Grammy for Best Regional Roots Music Album. He continues a legacy of Creole music played with accordion, washboard, guitar, bass, drums and horns.
Interview with Rory: Having her interpret these songs as a woman who knew Dylan when she was still a tweenager is a unique and fascinating journey into arguably the best songwriter of the last 60 years executed by a woman who is arguably the best acoustic guitarist of either gender. The result, ‘Positively 4th Street,’ is a one plus one equaling two to the nth power, a truly mature expression suitable for the 21st century.
Charlie has produced artists as disparate as The Cars and Little Village Foundation’s traditional blues singer Candice Ivory. Recently he produced Jubu, whose self-titled album is the latest release on Little Village.