Blues
Jimmy Vivino wanted to be a blues guitarist when he first heard “Foxy Lady” by Jimi Hendrix! He has since been a successful musician both on stage and in the studios. He and his brother played the Crown Lounge in New Jersey (Jimmy on B-3) and backed up all the groups that came to club, such as the...
Casey Jones began his musical career as a Chicago-area blues drummer in the mid 1950s. He had only been playing a few years when he was encouraged to sing at a gig. He imitated Little Richard and the crowd loved it. Soon he began singing in bands around town and gained a reputation for himself...
Willie Hayes is a Chicago blues drummer who found his style was suitable for a wide range of performers and media. He can be seen and heard in the movies and on the recordings of many top performers over the years. His passion and charming personality has made him one of the most sought after...
Eddy Clearwater was a teenager when he left Mississippi to live with his uncle in Chicago. There he discovered his love for the blues. As a guitarist, Eddy became a sought after session player in the area. As a songwriter, Eddy added to the modern blues movement in the 1950’s with a string of...
Syl Johnson recorded a string of popular blues and R&B songs in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, which have been inspirational for generations of musicians. Soul, funk and Hip-Hop artists have cited Syl and his style of playing as influences including Jay Z. Over the years he performed with such icons...
Joe Beard doesn't remember a time when he didn't have a guitar. He grew up near Ashland, Mississippi becoming friends with locals Syl and Jimmy Johnson and Floyd and Matt Murphy. In Memphis he met B.B. King and Howlin’ Wolf. Later in the 1960s in Chicago, he played with Buddy Guy, Junior Wells,...
Ray Brooks grew up playing the blues in juke joints and small clubs all across the United States even before he was of age to drink. He toured with Freddie King and Gene Alison (among others) and developed his own style of playing that seemed to echo his roots while adding new colors and flavors...
Clifton “Fou Fou” Eddie began his career as a big band and jazz drummer but soon discovered he has the skills for the blues and pop music. He has played with the likes of The Dells, Patti La Belle and Tommy Hunt, along with his dear friend Preston Epps. After moving from his native Chicago, Fou...
Big Jay McNeely was there when the emotions of rhythm and blues gave birth to rock and roll. His honkin' sax style gave raw and bold tones to the feelings behind the R&B and Jump Swing styles of the early 1950’s, all of which played a key role in the popular musical trends that would follow. ...
John Dee Holeman was an influential blues performer known as the last surviving original musician who popularized the Piedmont Blues style. The finger-picking guitar style was also known as Southeastern Blues and refers to alternating thumb bass string rhythms with the syncopated melodic treble...