28
Jun
2005
The Tablerockers - 5 p.m.
The current band is based in northwest Arkansas and premiered in December of 2001. It features Jason Davis on guitar and vocals, Texas native David Watson on drums, and Larry Boehmer on bass.
Jason Davis, also known as Baby Jason, fronts the trio and has been performing since 1990. After serving as back-up guitarist for blues legends Matt "Guitar" Murphy and Magic Slim, they had this to say: "Without a doubt, the band of the future." - Matt "Guitar" Murphy. "Baby Jason is the best blues man. Baby can do anything if you put him up to it." - Magic Slim.
David Watson comes from one of the premier blues families in the nation, as his mother is the oldest sibling in the Bramhall family. David's uncle, Doyle Bramhall, is best known for his songwriting collaborations with Stevie Ray Vaughan. Watson worked with his uncle on Doyle's Bird Nest on the Ground CD, and developed much of his drumming style from Doyle. Watson's knowledge of blues is unlimited, and he's considered one of the best shuffle drummers in the country.
Larry Boehmer operated the Zoo Bar in Lincoln, Nebraska, before moving to Arkansas in 2000. He played in the Zoo's various house bands, including an earlier version of The Tablerockers from 1981 to 1991. The Tablerockers have a newly released CD, Shake Your Junk, and will be a sure crowd-pleaser as the opening band for Festival 2005. The group will also host the after-fest jams at the Lodge.
-Phil Koehlhoeffer
James Solberg - 7 p.m.
Two-time winner of the W.C. Handy award for "Blues Band of the Year" and a four-time Grammy nominee, James Solberg is coming to the MVBS Festival. Born in 1951 in Superior, Wisconsin, James learned to play a five-string banjo, violin, and guitar as a young man. At the age of 15, he quit school and made tracks for Chicago. That's where he met and became friends with the late, great Eddie Taylor. Before long, James was playing in Eddie's band, where he learned some of Eddie's favorite licks. James also played with Big Walter Horton, Johnny Young, and Jimmy Reed during that period.
In the early '70s, James moved to Milwaukee and formed a band with Jon Paris and Johnny Winter. It was there that James met Luther Allison, and the two became lifelong friends. From 1975 to 1979 they toured together and cut six albums. From 1979 to 1981 James played with Short Stuff, a legendary band from Milwaukee that included Junior Brantley of The Fabulous Thunderbirds and harp great Jim Liban. James also toured with The Legendary Blue Band in the early '80s, featuring Muddy Waters alumni Pinetop Perkins, Willie Smith, Calvin Jones, and Jerry Portnoy. James again hooked up with Luther Allison from '93 to '97, cutting a wide path in the blues world and winning every blues award available. You name it, they won it. When it comes to the blues, James Solberg is a thoroughbred! Enjoy!
- Gary Eckhat
Joe Bonamassa - 9 p.m.
On May 8, 1977, in upstate New York, a rare gift was brought into the world of blues music! His name is Joe Bonamassa. Joe's father, Len, gave him a half-size Chiquita guitar when he was a mere four years old. Not only did Joe learn the chords but how to hold and bend them to get the most feel out of the chord. Len claims that by the time Joe was six and a half, he could play Stevie Ray Vaughan nearly note for note. At age nine, Joe played his first gig in the Modernistic Restaurant. He says he was so scared that he couldn't face the audience. That fear did not last long. By the time he was 12, he would be the opening act for B.B. King at his Beale Street club. He also shared the stage with names such as John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, and Stephen Stills.
Joe does not deny that he was a child prodigy, but he also says it was a lot of hard work. He would practice on average 360 days a year, five or more hours per day.
Joe's influences are about what you would expect: SRV, Duke Robillard, Clapton, and Robben Ford. But Danny Gatton was without doubt his closest friend and mentor. Though these men were influences, you never get the feeling that he is copying them, just molding their work into his own sound.
Not only is Joe a flawless guitarist, but his songwriting is superb. For example, his So It's Like That CD was on Billboard's Blues Chart multiple times in 2002. Joe also has one of the largest selections of guitars on stage with him. His guitar case holds 10. They range from a '54 Strat to Nationals to the beautiful brass and mahogany Gigiotti signature model.
His playing style is unique in the way he will play flat pick and then, in the blink of your eye, tuck the pick in his index finger and then play finger-style.
- John Downard
Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials - 11 p.m.
Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials are among the premiere party bands to have come out of Chicago during the '80s. Lil' Ed Williams and his group play dedicated, rough-edged, and hard-rocking dance music and have established an international reputation.
Ed Williams was born on the west side of Chicago. Surrounded by the blues, Ed was playing guitar, then drums and bass, all by the time he was 12 years old. Williams was first inspired by his uncle, renowned slide guitarist J.B. Hutto, with whom he studied as a young teen. Williams' half-brother, James "Pookie" Young, was also a student of Hutto, and later became the bassist for the Blues Imperials. Ed and "Pookie" spent their teen years making music together, and in 1975 formed the first incarnation of the Blues Imperials. Their first professional gig, at Big Duke's Blue Flame on the west side, earned them a total of six bucks, split evenly four ways!
Despite their humble start, Williams and the Blues Imperials kept performing at night and by the early '80s had developed a substantial following. Alligator Records President Bruce Iglauer took an interest and invited them down to the studio to cut a couple of songs. After recording just two songs, the Alligator staffers in the control room were on their feet begging for more. Two songs later, Iglauer offered the band a full album contract on the spot. The end result of the session was 30 songs in three hours with no overdubs and no second takes. Twelve of these songs became the band's debut album, Roughhousin'.
Lil' Ed Williams is a true giant of the blues. A gifted guitarist and remarkably gritty and soulful vocalist, Williams and his blistering, road-tested band have been tearing up clubs and festival stages all over the world for almost 20 years.
- Amanda Coulter
Jason Davis, also known as Baby Jason, fronts the trio and has been performing since 1990. After serving as back-up guitarist for blues legends Matt "Guitar" Murphy and Magic Slim, they had this to say: "Without a doubt, the band of the future." - Matt "Guitar" Murphy. "Baby Jason is the best blues man. Baby can do anything if you put him up to it." - Magic Slim.
David Watson comes from one of the premier blues families in the nation, as his mother is the oldest sibling in the Bramhall family. David's uncle, Doyle Bramhall, is best known for his songwriting collaborations with Stevie Ray Vaughan. Watson worked with his uncle on Doyle's Bird Nest on the Ground CD, and developed much of his drumming style from Doyle. Watson's knowledge of blues is unlimited, and he's considered one of the best shuffle drummers in the country.
Larry Boehmer operated the Zoo Bar in Lincoln, Nebraska, before moving to Arkansas in 2000. He played in the Zoo's various house bands, including an earlier version of The Tablerockers from 1981 to 1991. The Tablerockers have a newly released CD, Shake Your Junk, and will be a sure crowd-pleaser as the opening band for Festival 2005. The group will also host the after-fest jams at the Lodge.
-Phil Koehlhoeffer
James Solberg - 7 p.m.
Two-time winner of the W.C. Handy award for "Blues Band of the Year" and a four-time Grammy nominee, James Solberg is coming to the MVBS Festival. Born in 1951 in Superior, Wisconsin, James learned to play a five-string banjo, violin, and guitar as a young man. At the age of 15, he quit school and made tracks for Chicago. That's where he met and became friends with the late, great Eddie Taylor. Before long, James was playing in Eddie's band, where he learned some of Eddie's favorite licks. James also played with Big Walter Horton, Johnny Young, and Jimmy Reed during that period.
In the early '70s, James moved to Milwaukee and formed a band with Jon Paris and Johnny Winter. It was there that James met Luther Allison, and the two became lifelong friends. From 1975 to 1979 they toured together and cut six albums. From 1979 to 1981 James played with Short Stuff, a legendary band from Milwaukee that included Junior Brantley of The Fabulous Thunderbirds and harp great Jim Liban. James also toured with The Legendary Blue Band in the early '80s, featuring Muddy Waters alumni Pinetop Perkins, Willie Smith, Calvin Jones, and Jerry Portnoy. James again hooked up with Luther Allison from '93 to '97, cutting a wide path in the blues world and winning every blues award available. You name it, they won it. When it comes to the blues, James Solberg is a thoroughbred! Enjoy!
- Gary Eckhat
Joe Bonamassa - 9 p.m.
On May 8, 1977, in upstate New York, a rare gift was brought into the world of blues music! His name is Joe Bonamassa. Joe's father, Len, gave him a half-size Chiquita guitar when he was a mere four years old. Not only did Joe learn the chords but how to hold and bend them to get the most feel out of the chord. Len claims that by the time Joe was six and a half, he could play Stevie Ray Vaughan nearly note for note. At age nine, Joe played his first gig in the Modernistic Restaurant. He says he was so scared that he couldn't face the audience. That fear did not last long. By the time he was 12, he would be the opening act for B.B. King at his Beale Street club. He also shared the stage with names such as John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, and Stephen Stills.
Joe does not deny that he was a child prodigy, but he also says it was a lot of hard work. He would practice on average 360 days a year, five or more hours per day.
Joe's influences are about what you would expect: SRV, Duke Robillard, Clapton, and Robben Ford. But Danny Gatton was without doubt his closest friend and mentor. Though these men were influences, you never get the feeling that he is copying them, just molding their work into his own sound.
Not only is Joe a flawless guitarist, but his songwriting is superb. For example, his So It's Like That CD was on Billboard's Blues Chart multiple times in 2002. Joe also has one of the largest selections of guitars on stage with him. His guitar case holds 10. They range from a '54 Strat to Nationals to the beautiful brass and mahogany Gigiotti signature model.
His playing style is unique in the way he will play flat pick and then, in the blink of your eye, tuck the pick in his index finger and then play finger-style.
- John Downard
Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials - 11 p.m.
Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials are among the premiere party bands to have come out of Chicago during the '80s. Lil' Ed Williams and his group play dedicated, rough-edged, and hard-rocking dance music and have established an international reputation.
Ed Williams was born on the west side of Chicago. Surrounded by the blues, Ed was playing guitar, then drums and bass, all by the time he was 12 years old. Williams was first inspired by his uncle, renowned slide guitarist J.B. Hutto, with whom he studied as a young teen. Williams' half-brother, James "Pookie" Young, was also a student of Hutto, and later became the bassist for the Blues Imperials. Ed and "Pookie" spent their teen years making music together, and in 1975 formed the first incarnation of the Blues Imperials. Their first professional gig, at Big Duke's Blue Flame on the west side, earned them a total of six bucks, split evenly four ways!
Despite their humble start, Williams and the Blues Imperials kept performing at night and by the early '80s had developed a substantial following. Alligator Records President Bruce Iglauer took an interest and invited them down to the studio to cut a couple of songs. After recording just two songs, the Alligator staffers in the control room were on their feet begging for more. Two songs later, Iglauer offered the band a full album contract on the spot. The end result of the session was 30 songs in three hours with no overdubs and no second takes. Twelve of these songs became the band's debut album, Roughhousin'.
Lil' Ed Williams is a true giant of the blues. A gifted guitarist and remarkably gritty and soulful vocalist, Williams and his blistering, road-tested band have been tearing up clubs and festival stages all over the world for almost 20 years.
- Amanda Coulter
