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Derrick D’MAR Martin epitomizes the essence of rhythm, seamlessly weaving his percussive mastery into the very fabric of the music industry. With a career spanning over three decades, Derrick has solidified his status as a virtuoso drummer, recording artist, producer, songwriter, educator, and captivating public speaker.
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Chris joins Mark on the Blues Cruise to discuss life in the blues and playing drums for Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. Chris is one of the founding members of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s band Double Trouble. Chris moved to Austin in 1975 and joined Double Trouble in 1978. After forming successful partnerships with bandmates Tommy Shannon and Reese Wynans, Double Trouble recorded and performed with Vaughan until his death in 1990. Layton and Shannon later formed supergroups such as the Arc Angels, Storyville, and Grady. Chris is now the drummer for the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band.
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Walter has been a drummer for 40 years with some of the most influential artists ever! Including: The Dynatones, Linn County, Big Joe Turner,Lowell Fulson,Elvin Bishop, Charlie Musselwhite, Mary Wells,Luther Tucker, Tim Hardin, Sir Mack Rice of The Falcons, Lightning Hopkins, Mark Naftlin, Big Jack Reynolds, Bobo Jenkins, Featured drummer on over 25 LP’s and numerous singles. Warner Bros., RCA, Rhino, Rounder, Blue Suit, Red Lighting, Solid Smoke, Westside, Bad Daddy,…
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:01:01 — 41.9MB)
#painkillers #bluesguitar #bluescruise
Mark sits down with guitar player and longtime bandleader Tommy Castro in Tommy’s cabin to discuss life, music and 40 years of knowing each other and playing blues.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:14:50 — 68.5MB)
#hiphop #rap #bluesguitar #snoopdogg #pimp
While cruising and performing on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise, Mark sits down with Fillmore Slim the legendary bluesman, and grandfather of HIP HOP. He has toured the greatest blues, soul, R&B, and jazz artists including Sly and the Family Stone, BB.King, Dinah Washington, Ike and Tina Turner, T-Bone Walker, Holly Maxwell, Sista Monica, Guitar Shorty, Etta James, Frankie Lee, J.J. Malone, Johnny Guitar Watson, Joe Louis Walker, Rick Estrin, Bonnie Rait, the Allman Brothers Band, and Chris Cain. Rappers such as Snoop Dogg, Too Short, Ice Cube, Ice-T, and Frank Stickemz pay homage to him in the lyrics their songs. He has influenced an entire generation of young artists with his music & lyrics, and trend setting fashionable style. In 2017 he was crowned the Godfather of Hip Hop at the West Coast Hip Hop Awards, Oakland, CA. and inducted into the Black Music Hall of Fame as a music icon.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:14:33 — 51.2MB)
Bassist, singer and songwriter Richard “RW” Grigsby, has logged several lifetimes on the road, and his early rock and roll roots (Rome, GA near the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains) burst out like another famous Richard from Georgia on “Road Scholar,” his story of a musician who has spent too much time on the road, working for too little pay. It’s sung by Red’s Blues drummer Tim Wilbur, a pro’s pro (2017 Sacramento Music Awards and Sacramento Blues Society Hall of Fame member), who brought creative percussion ideas — maracas AND the entire group thigh-slapping percussion. “We sat in chairs in a circle and slapped our thighs at certain points in the song to add accent,” laughs Beth.
“Jackknifed” (co-authored with fellow road warrior Mark Hummel) continues the road theme with bio notes from their Golden State-Lone Star Blues Revue adventures.
RW played with Carlene Carter, Gary Primich, Mike Morgan & The Crawl, Finger Taylor, Mark Hummel’s Golden State Lone Star Revue w/Anson Funderburgh & Little Charlie, JamesCotton & all the Harmonica Blowouts since 2008-2019( Magic, Lee Oskar, Kim Wilson, Billy Boy, Jason Ricci, Carey Bell, Lazy Lester, Estrin, John Primer, Duke, Billy Flynn, Elvin, Gravenities, Ron Thompson, Harman, Rod Piazza & many others)
2014 Grammy-nominated and Blues Music Award (BMA) winner bassist RW Grigsby has been playing since he was 14 years old and began his professional career when still a teenager. He’s toured the U.S., Canada and Europe since the ’80s, and currently juggles playing with Red’s Blues, Mark Hummel & the Blues Survivors and The Golden State/Lone Star Blues Revue. He played and recorded with Texas blues stars Gary Primich and Black Top Records’ Mike Morgan and the Crawl in the 1990s. RW is the bassist on the 2014 Grammy-nominated and BMA-winning CD, Remembering Little Walter. He was nominated for a BMA “Best Bassist” Award in 2017 and was inducted into the Sacramento Blues Society Hall of Fame in 2018.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:14:18 — 102.0MB)
Mark opens up on recording his new record and touring with legends.
Anson Funderburgh
Wes Starr
Kedar Roy
Randy Bermudes
Oscar Wilson
Joe Beard
Billy Flynn
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:17:10 — 53.0MB)
Multi-instrumentalist and singer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Most famous for his blues harmonica. Jim began playing drums while in high school during the 1960’s. Played with A. B. Skhy (https://www.discogs.com/artist/1578341) until 1969 when he helped form Short Stuff where he stayed until 1984. Jim also fronted the Jim Liban Combo featuring Greg Koch, still performing, Jim recently released ‘I Say What I Mean” with The Joel Paterson Trio.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:01:34 — 42.3MB)
#johnnywinter #chicagoblues #grammywinners #aligator
Richard L. Shurman He has produced numerous recordings by notable musicians including Johnny Winter, Lurrie Bell, Eddie C. Campbell, Albert Collins, Little Smokey Smothers, Jody Williams, Roy Buchanan, Big Bill Morganfield, Larry Garner, Robert Cray, Hip Linkchain, Magic Slim, Charlie Musselwhite, Otis Rush, Johnny Heartsman, and Fenton Robinson. Shurman has also written many liner notes, and is the publisher of Chicago Blues News. In 2005, he was the recipient of the Blues Foundation’s “Keeping the Blues Alive” award.[6] He co-produced Showdown!, an album which won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album in 1987.
Shurman was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2014 for his multitudinous contributions as a ‘non-performer’.
https://www.markhummel.com
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 41:34 — 38.1MB)
At age nineteen, Duke Robillard recruited Greg as one of the earliest members of what became the Rhode Island based powerhouse, Roomful of Blues. The unifying magnet within the group in its early years, 1969 -1971, was focus on the rootsy, retro, danceable, swing sound of the ‘40s and ‘50s. This “new” sound to teenage ears and the recall of this music to the older folks, filled dance floors all over the band’s New England home-base and eventually on the global stage.
For the next twenty-four years, Greg Piccolo had amazing experiences playing with and/or recording with such music legends as Big Joe Turner, Earl King, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson”, Pat Benetar, Red Prysock, Stevie Ray Vaughan, to mention only a few.
As Roomful players would come and go, Greg’s twenty-five year contribution evolved to lead singer and bandleader, all the while being noticed world-wide for his signature “fat” tenor sound, unique sax style, and distinguishable vocals.
After nearly twenty-five years with Roomful of Blues, Greg sensed a calling to go back to his roots and develop his “heavy juice” sound. This “less is more” approach gave him the freedom to cover the gamut of his musical longings, which include traditional jazz, r&b, and rock’n roll. He had compiled a well of songs which demanded their own arrangements and band configurations outside of the classic “Roomful sound.” In 1994 he stepped away and officially formed his own band, Heavy Juice, which led to his first solo release, self-titled, “Greg Piccolo Heavy Juice,” on the legendary Louisiana-based Black Top label.
Following were two releases, Red Lights and Acid Blue, on the famous California-based Fantasy Label (now Concord), and his first all instrumental tenor sax release titled “Homage” on the Pennsylvania-based Emit Doog label.
His most recent release, “Who Did This?” is a tribute to his favorite sax recordings and includes an original recorded tenor instrumental.
Now at seventy years of age, Greg Piccolo is still practicing his horn every day, writing his own material, and traveling the world with Heavy Juice.
Piccolo is an example of someone who has always played from his heart.