Bob Stroger - 2 albums: Bob Stroger & Friends/Live At The Morris Performing Arts Center (w. Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith)

Stroger was born on a farm outside of Hayti, Missouri, United States, and in 1955 when aged 16 he relocated with his family to Chicago, Illinois. His family settled in an apartment on the West Side in an apartment in the back of Silvio's nightclub. Stroger was inspired by the sights and sounds emanating from the club. Subsequently he was further encouraged to try to have a career in music after being casually employed driving his brother-in-law to play in a blues band alongside J.B. Hutto. Self-taught in the art of guitar playing, Stroger got together a family based band known as the Red Tops, named after wearing black berets with a red circle daubed on top. He moved on to play jazz for a period with Rufus Forman but it was his meeting with Eddie King which started his lengthy career playing blues. Having now adopted playing bass guitar, Stroger played on King's single "Love You Baby" (1965). He backed King for fifteen years before King relocated which caused Stroger to stop his playing for a couple of years.

His interest was rekindled when he was recommended to Otis Rush, whom he backed in the late 1970s and 1980s. He toured Europe with Rush and played on a couple of his albums, "Live in Europe" and "Lost in the Blues". Stroger then became a session musician for a while, and worked with Sunnyland Slim and Mississippi Heat during the late 1980s and early 1990s before joining Odie Payne as the regular rhythm section for the series of American Blues Folk Festivals. Encouraged by Sunnyland Slim, Stroger began singing and writing his own material. In 1996, Stroger played on Mark Hummel's album "Heart of Chicago", and in 1997 he played bass on Golden "Big" Wheeler's album "Jump In". The following year, Stroger played with a group of musicians at the Lucerne Blues Festival in Switzerland. This led to the recording of his debut solo album "In the House: Live at Lucerne Vol. 1" where he was accompanied by Ken Saydak and Billy Flynn. In 2011, the Blues Foundation presented Stroger with a Blues Music Award in the Best Blues Bassist category, and he took home the Best Bassist Award again in 2013.

Album: Bob Stroger & Friends
Year: 2009
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:15
Size: 140,2 MB
Styles: Blues, Chicago blues
Scans: Full

1. I Gone' To Move (10:32)
2. Talk To Me Mama ( 4:18)
3. Sweet Thing ( 3:21)
4. Going To Chicago ( 8:25)
5. Loan Me A Train Fare ( 6:07)
6. Keep Your Hands Off Her ( 4:17)
7. If You Don't Believe I'm Going ( 3:42)
8. Stranded In St. Louis ( 6:32)
9. Fire On The Crossroads ( 3:11)
10. Hear Me Calling ( 4:19)
11. 12 Days Of Rain ( 6:27)

Personnel:
Bob Stroger - bass, vocals
Andy Egert - vocals, harmonica, electric & acoustic guitars
James Wheeler, Billy Flynn - guitar
Robi Schweizer - bass
Ken Saydak, Tino Forlin - piano
Ron Sorin - harmonica
Marty Binder, Martin Stoffner, Tosho Yakkatokuo - drums

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Album: Live At The Morris Performing Arts Center
Year: 2010
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:17
Size: 103,7 MB
Styles: Blues, Chicago blues
Scans: Full

1. Flirting Around (2:18)
2. Look Over Yander Wall (2:40)
3. Key To The Hwy (5:13)
4. Young Woman Sweetheart (6:35)
5. Jammin' (3:47)
6. Womans World (5:07)
7. Last Night (5:53)
8. Born In Arkansas (4:29)
9. Rub My Back (7:13)
10. You Are The One (1:58)

Personnel:
Bob Stroger - bass, vocals
Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith - harmonica, vocals
Little Frank Krakowski - guitar
Jimmy Mayes - drums

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Andy Egert Blues Band - 2 albums: Fire On The Crossroad / I'm A Bluesman Live

Album: Fire On The Crossroad
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:08
Size: 101.0 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[4:41] 1. Big Legged Woman
[4:03] 2. You Don't Love Me
[3:30] 3. Johnny Guitar
[6:26] 4. 12 Days Of Rain
[4:17] 5. Talk To Me Mama
[3:25] 6. Kindhearted Woman
[4:17] 7. Hear Me Calling
[2:51] 8. Good Morning Schoolgirl
[3:10] 9. Fire On The Crossroad
[3:40] 10. What Goes On In The Dark
[3:42] 11. Mojo Boogie

Andy Egert has taken a lot of time to work on his second CD for brambus and to pick the right songs – and he did! “Fire On The Crossroad” presents him again as outstanding guitar blues artist in its best way and he confirms his position as one of the leading blues artists in Europe.

Mainly influenced by the best Chicago & British Blues tradition, Andy Egert (voc., git.., bluesharp) works in the classical trio line-up with Martin Stoffner (dr.) and Robi Schweizer (b) and covers fascinating classics of Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Robert Johnson, Alvin Lee or J.B. Lenoir, but also presents some self penned songs, which he wrote together with the “Endless-Avenue”-songwriter Ernst Eggenberger. The band line-up gains additional attention by the help of such superb artists like drummer Tosho Yakkatokuo (dr.) and the legendary bass player Bob Stroger, who comes out of the heart of the Chicago scene. It’s exiting!

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Album: I'm A Bluesman Live
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:56
Size: 146.4 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:07] 1. What Goes On In The Dark
[3:09] 2. Fire On The Crossroad
[3:26] 3. Rough And Ready
[8:42] 4. 12 Days Of Rain
[3:46] 5. Big Legged Woman
[3:35] 6. I'm A Bluesman
[7:25] 7. I'm Tore Down
[4:35] 8. Rambling On My Mind
[3:53] 9. The Hunter
[4:08] 10. Johnny Guitar
[5:42] 11. Hear Me Calling
[6:07] 12. On The Road Again
[6:15] 13. All Your Love

Andy Egert is the most active Swiss blues artist – and this since many years. His live performance is outstanding and in the best trio blues tradition and can be heard usually more than 100 times every year! The live atmosphere has been caught for this live CD during several days of performing at the “Badenerfahrt” in Baden/Switzerland. His etiquette is a powerful and dynamic blues guitar, which stands in the middle of these recordings!

His third CD for Brambus is rough and live and offers four new and powerful new recordings of former released titles as well as nine new tracks! The recording was done in the traditional trio line-up with guitar/voice and bass and drum. Honest, straight and full of energy!

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