Who's better at the white boy Blues?

Robin Ford or Eric Clapton.

I'd have to say Robin Ford by a long shot. The smootheness and purity, a new found respect for God's blessings. He really does have a place for every single note and can top Clapton's speed by a mile while maintaining the seductive effect of his music.

 

Me... lmao.



I like Robben Ford a lot, I first saw him with Gregg Allman and Friends down at the Norva. As far as clapton goes, he was the one who started the big blues craze, dylan started folk and folk-rock.

Then there's Derek Trucks with blues/jazz/world music combined (gotta love Joyful Noise), then there's Stephen Stills, Lonnie Mack, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmie Vaughan, Eric Johnson, Pat Methany, etc. Those are a lot of my inspirations. I'm off to see B.B. King on May 17th in Norfolk.

 

You don't count, but nice man. I want to go see him. Was about to go see him at some club in Baltimore but found out you had to be at least 21 I do believe. Also, I found out kind of late and I'm sure there were no tickets left. Although I think the crowd was only like a 150 people? Would've been badass to be that close.

 

Yeah, the NorVa is a pretty small place and there's usually no age limit, that's why I go there. I saw Bob Dylan and the Band there last year. I'm going to see Gov't Mule there, then the Allman Brothers Band and moe. at Verizon Wireless in VA Beach. I like the birchmere up north, Eric Johnson is coming. I've seen Leo Kottke up there, haven't caught Kottke and Gordon this year. I'm going to see Tommy Emmanuel at the Yoder Barn in Newport News in August, as well as take a workshop class with him. He played the birchmere a couple weeks ago.

 

That's quite a drive for me man. There are clubs around here but mainly are 21 and older and also most classic artists tend to stay away from the metropolitian area because of traffic, politicans, and other nonsense bull shit that's oh so ever demanding around here. There is the 930 club but there usually isn't anyone good playing there. Although, I'm good friends with guys who grew up in the 60's in DC going bar to bar listening to the Black "ghetto" jazz and blues. I really wish I could've been there for those days. Terrific music roaming around the city back then. Now a days they try to keep it alive but it ain't nearly the same. By the way, I hate roaming DC, such a fucking shit city.

 

I've been to the 930 club. I've been to many clubs that didn't have age limits with my parents a long time ago, but they've all suddenly became "too old" to go anywhere now. My parents took me to a lot of Dave Matthews concerts in the early nineties before he was big. I hardly remember anything. The first concert I remember was Pearl Jam. I went to concerts at Greensboro Coliesum, Charlotte Coliseum, MCI, Bristow, Norva, Hampton Coliseum, and Verizon with my uncle before he died... haha, those are the places I usually see concerts at. Haha, I need to get around more. I've been wanting to check out the DJ Williams Projekt.

Yeah, DC is a gigantic piece of shit, worse than VA. But, I'm just waiting for my time. I'm hoping to find somewhere a little further south with warmer weather, things to do, and a great music scene.

 

I love Claptons guitar playing, he stays true to the blues, but Robben Ford is incredible!
He marries his jazz style (from his days with the Yellow Jackets) with heart wrenching blues, and ends up with a beautiful,....uh,...well, 'Robben Ford' style! Seen him twice and Eric once w/SRV at Alpine Valley (SRV's last show) Robbens got my vote.

 

Damn lucky, my parents aren't exactly sure wether I was with them when they took my to an SRV concert in the Summer of '90, shortly before his death in Alpine Valley, but my dad remembers my mom complaining about the deafening sound levels of Stevie's vibroverbs, marshall town and countries, super reverbs... etc, although my mom won't admit it. Haha, the man had a hell of an amp collection and fills a large part of my inspiration wether I was there or not. I managed to see a handfull of Phish shows while my uncle was alive, but I passed up seeing Trey at the Landmark Theatre in Richmond, VA on the 27th. I'd rather see B.B. King because I had this dream that he died and I know I'll never forgive myself if I don't do this. I already saw him in 2001, but I can't go without seeing him again.

Although, I don't like the commercialness of them, my mom wants to see the stones in October, so they've already took time off to see them and I'll tag along. I saw Peter Frampton last year and he probably outsoloed what clapton could have done many times over, especially on While My Guitar Gently Weeps, quite underrated, but he's got a lot of soul in himself, although he's mostly into arena rock. People also underestimate REO Speedwagon for their 70s and 80s stuff, but that is also one of the best concerts I've been to. Dave Amato really knows how to fill Gary Richrath's shoes. Styx, eh, as far as progressive stuff goes, they're great, but the new bass player overdoes it. They need to balance out their stacks because I can tell their soundman can't mix it well enough. Laurence Gowan is probably the best piano player/keyboardist I'll ever see. He can double time Scott Joplin rags in a Canadian mountie uniform (from canada, but his parents were scottish, I believe they immigrated when he was young). I also saw CSN last year which was AMAZING. Damn, the croz is 64 and although he still writes the weird shit, he still has better vocals than anyone I've ever seen in concert... Keller Williams was probably the most innovative I saw last year and Dark Star Orchestra a few weeks ago on 4/20. I still can't believe Scott Larned died four days after I saw him. He was a great B3 player.

I need to get to more local concerts, but I wish I lived closer to a city. Keller is probably my main modern folk inspiration... Also, Stephen Bennett, who is an award winning flatpicker and harp-guitarist who is going to be with Tommy Emmanuel this Summer when he's in the area. Haha, I think he covers Roundabout by Yes better than Steve Howe plays it on guitar. And that was unplugged on a Fender MIM strat that I ended up buying.

There's more Jazz in my area than Blues. I really like DJ Williams Projekt's stuff, out of Richmond, but I've yet to see a concert. He plays down at the beach sometimes. He has a lot of effects and I believe he loops, but they do awesome jazz stuff. I need to get a little further south, though, as I said. I know a few blues musicians down in Georgia last year that are great, yet unknown. I met a this guy who was old as dirt in Centennial park last year who claimed he met Robert Johnson in Drew, Mississippi before he died. He saw him play with Honeyboy Edwards (still living today, as well).

 

Man, I gotta say, you sure know your music. It's so cool to see live music, there's nothing like 'live'. I got to meet Honeyboy Edwards @ the Mississippi Valley Blues Fest one year. Man that guy was awesome. Same show with Keb Mo and Sapphire & the Uppity Blues Women. (haha what a great name!) The head liner was Jimmie Vaughan. Jimmies got a beautiful style, kinda feel it right down in your bones. I remember being mezmerized when stevie was playing, although I don't recall too much, but I'm glad my bro took me. Hey, I gotta check out DJ williams,...never heard his music.

 

I hope to get to the Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival in Annapolis, but I'm not sure if I can make it... Booker T and the MGs with Steve Cropper, Hubert Sumlin, Isaac Hayes, Little Feat, Pinetop Perkins, James Cotton, and legends of Chicago Blues. I saw Buddy Guy and Jonny Lang before at the CBBF. I need to make it to the Chicago fest sometime. I had a hell of a few hours in Chicago during a layover at O'Hare in February. Haha, the most odd person I've seen was Moby.

Anywayyy, I'm going to run to the store and get some tea...

 

The Chicago Blues Festival is great. I think it was Hound Dog Taylor who used to say, " It's the real deal, baby" But the clubs are where you can see some up and coming blues players. Especially if you go to the clubs that have been around for a while. Is CBBF the closest one to where you live?

 

Yeah, it's usually in different places. It's the best/closest ratio. I would have given three days of my life (June 4th,5th, and 6th to be exact) and my left nut to be at Crossroads in Dallas last year, but we had to take my grandmother to the hospital, I believe, so I couldn't make it, otherwise I would have been there...The concert didn’t quite go as planned, eventually shortly delayed because of bad weather, but... I still would have wanted to go. Btw, hmm, I'd assume Gibson named that Dobro line after Hound Dog Taylor... Beard Guitars, Crafters of TN, and Nationals still top them, in my book, for resonators.

 

Man, don't give your left nut for that, you'll be walkin cockeyed! haha Didn't know about the hound dog guitar line? Hound dog played a cheap japanese guitar and he'd poke holes in his amp speaker w/ a pencil to get a dirty distortion,... but damn! he was the most awesome slide player!!! Ah, yeah...love them steel guitars, never owned one but have played them.

 

Yeah, I wonder if I should bet my right nut on a National Duolian... I'm sure I could come with a few thousand for a nice one someday. Haha, I remember trying that on an old cheap Frontman I bought off of ebay. I ended up blowing it one night, I think while playing Have You Ever Loved A Woman.

 

LMAO!, man you ain't gonna have no nuts pretty soon!!!!

 

Ironically, I just stared at a planters can and spaced out a minute or two right before I clicked...

 

What's with this blues festival up in Annapolis George? I might just have to take off work and head up there. I really like Jazz a whole lot as well. Pat Metheny is incredible at jazz. George, check out jambase.com and look in Virginia. Tons of unknown bluegrass, blues, and jazz bands playing in unheard of areas. I've seen a few of these concerts and they have been terrific so far. We occasionally get a bluegrass band to play at the courthouse here and some of them have been awesome and others are just pathetic. One of them covered the theme to Oh Brother Where Art Thou and it was the best cover I've ever heard. You guys like bluegrass at all?

 

hey jack, I got into bluegrass about a few years ago. I worked a show for a band called 'Hayseed Dixie'. they're not really bluegrass but it set the path for me. I go and hear some local bands and pick up on what their influences are. Still, I could use some schooling on bluegrass. Any names would be helpful.

 

haha, damn georgey...

I don't know many, but Nic Armstrong & The Thieves is a great band still making Stones-esqe British blues... I like their latest album than the early Stones albums.

 

Bobbyellis, there are so many bluegrass artists out there. I hear a song from them and never hear of them again The Carter family set the stage for mainly folk but I consider folk to tie in with bluegrass. I believe they did the original of "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" if that is even the title of it. Any bluegrass or folk artists has some influences from them. Not only is it hard to see the artists again let alone find a CD, but also they switch bands a lot. One brother is with this brother one year, the next year, it's a different brother It's really hard to find some stuff but if you got a bluegrass radio station around you, I suggest listening to it. You'll pick up some names. I got a channel on my cable that plays bluegrass so I just tune in to that. I'll get some research done for you Bobby and I'll post it back in this thread about some good artists out there.