by Honeyboy | Sep 6, 2013 | Blues Stories
Maybe you’ve heard the Paul Simon song “The Late Great Johnny Ace” and wondered where it came from. Here the amazing story of just how he became “the late” Johnny Ace. Who Was He John Marshall Alexander, Jr. scored a string of hit singles...
by Honeyboy | Sep 4, 2013 | Equipment
As a long-time blues guitarist I’ve had many amps over the years. Probably in the neighborhood of 20 different amps. And I’m not as bad as many of my fellow blues guitar-playing friends. Many have lots of guitars and lots of amps. Some have 20 amps...
by Honeyboy | Sep 3, 2013 | Lessons From The Road
Walter Barnes and the New Creolians were one of the big bands of the 1930’s. They were based in Chicago but regularly went on long tours of the south and traveled the clubs of the old Chitlin’ Circuit. In fact, you could say they helped build it. Their...
by Honeyboy | Sep 2, 2013 | Blues Jams
One of the top and longest running jams in the Tampa Bay area has always been the Monday House of Trouble jam at the Green Iguana in Tampa. It’s been going on for over 20 years. It always has the best players and the longest wait time to get to play (unless you...
by Honeyboy | Aug 30, 2013 | Blues News
Better Hurry! The final day for voting for your favorite new band or best CD of the last year is August 31. The Blues Blast Music Awards is sponsored by Blues Blast Magazine and Blues Music Magazine (the new Living Blues magazine) and the bands nominated are top...
by Honeyboy | Aug 30, 2013 | Lesson of The Day
Here’s a couple of turnaround licks you can use all the time in blues. The first is a classic T-Bone Walker lick and the second is one you hear Stevie Ray Vaughan doing all the time. Both are “required licking” for any blues guitarist. T-Bone Walker...
by Honeyboy | Aug 28, 2013 | Blues Jams, Videos
Great jam at StingRay’s Bar and Grill on 8-27-13. What made this one special is not just the great players, including Joe Renda, Rich Smith, Richie Newport, and of course Jimmy Griswold, but the wonderful camaraderie all of us jammers feel at these special...
by Honeyboy | Aug 22, 2013 | Blues News, Blues Stories
Alan Lomax, and his father John before him, were heavily responsible for bringing the origins of the blues to light. They traveled rural, southern America looking for “folk” artists and stories throughout much of the 20th century. Their most famous...
by Honeyboy | Aug 19, 2013 | Blues Shows
If you are not familiar with the name T.C. Carr it’s not surprising. He’s been a Tampa Bay treasure for a long time, but has not really got the national attention he deserves. Perhaps like many great local blues musicians, he is a star in his local area,...
by Honeyboy | Aug 15, 2013 | Lessons From The Road
This is a series of lessons from the on-the-road gear guys and music insider and what they learned and saw on the road. Some are from roadies who were there and some are from the players themselves and what they learned. LESSON #4: Pranking the opening act This lesson...
