Hamilton Loomis - Basics

Size: 171,7 MB
Time: 74:02
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Blues Rock, Funky Blues
Art: Front

01. Sugar Baby ( 4:42)
02. If I Would've ( 4:45)
03. Candles And Wine ( 5:35)
04. Reason ( 3:57)
05. Ain't What It Ain't ( 5:14)
06. Breaking Down ( 4:54)
07. Looking Into A Dream ( 5:22)
08. Getting So Big ( 4:57)
09. Cloudy Day ( 5:59)
10. Come And Get Me ( 7:00)
11. Love Can Do ( 5:23)
12. Prayer ( 4:58)
13. Funky Little Brother (11:12)

Hamilton Loomis does indeed go back to basics on his new album, which is his most personal and emotional effort to date. Gone are the double entendres for which Loomis is known; this time, his lyrics are direct, personal, and often autobiographical. The "basics” theme runs through the entire CD, in its lyrics (“Prayer,” “Cloudy Day”), single-chord progressions (“Sugar Baby", "Looking Into a Dream”), simple melodies (“Come and Get Me”), and stripped-down instrumentation of guitar, bass and drums (“Reason," "Getting So Big”).

Still, Loomis’s trademark deep-grooved funk and soulful blues-rock is definitely present. “I wanted this record to be more stripped-down. Even the CD jacket is black and white and pretty basic itself," he says of the disc, which features songwriting collaborations with Grammy-award winning songwriter/producer/bassist Tommy Sims, co-writer of Eric Clapton's “Change the World."

Loomis’ 2013 album “Give It Back” showed his pay-it-forward attitude of passing on knowledge to young, up-and-coming musicians, just as his mentors (notably Houston’s Joe Hughes, Johnny Copeland and rock icon Bo Diddley) once did for him. On Basics, Loomis continues the tradition by featuring several of his young protégées, and finishes the record with a jam session by some of his favorite Houston-area youngsters, whose ages range from 13 to 16.

Basics

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Hamilton Loomis - 2 albums: Kickin' It / Live In England

Album: Kickin' It
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:13
Size: 105.8 MB
Styles: Texas blues
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[4:16] 1. Workin' Real Hard
[3:48] 2. No No No
[4:11] 3. Be Mine Anyway
[5:26] 4. Just Your Fool
[4:37] 5. Get My Blues On
[5:09] 6. Better Man
[4:32] 7. 99 Miles
[5:01] 8. Take A Number (Stand In Line)
[4:34] 9. Something's Gonna Come My Way
[4:35] 10. Who Dat

"Innovate, don't imitate." Hamilton Loomis took his mentor, Bo Diddley's advice. It speaks volumes when the likes of Diddley, Johnny "Clyde" Copeland, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, and Albert Collins take you under their wings. The twenty-something Texas sensation isn't just another cat-in-a-hat with a Strat. He has crafted his blues roots into a funk-a-fied recipe all his own.

A multi-instrumentalist, Hamilton practically grew up in the spotlight. He began on drums and piano at age five, guitar at age six, then conquered the harmonica. Gigging non-stop since age fourteen, he formed a family doo-wop group with his musician parents. By seventeen, he had played the world-famous Delta Blues Festival for an audience of 40,000. Before he was eighteen, he was writing, arranging, and performing his own material. He produced his first CD, titled simply Hamilton, which received a Grammy nomination for "Best Contemporary Album of the Year". Touring for the past five years, his band radiates a potent vibe and boasts razor-sharp arrangements and Hamilton's groove-driven guitar, weaving around his silky, soul-drenched vocals.

"I can't forget the legends who believed in me, so paying my dues must include giving back to the community," states Hamilton. He has taught blues in the schools, holds community blues tributes, and gives regular harmonica clinics. Very few artists are able to meld such a strong sense of the past with such an ardent vision of the future. Above all, performing is Hamilton's forte. He establishes an easy rapport with his audience, which instantly feels his love of the music. Chris Rose of Eminence Speaker Corporation summed it up. "Seeing him perform at the 2001 NAMM Show renewed my faith in new music. He's the hottest thing out of Texas since the jalapeno!"

Kickin' It mc
Kickin' It zippy

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Album: Live In England
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:42
Size: 166.4 MB
Styles: Texas blues
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[0:29] 1. Intro (By Philip Guy-Davis)
[4:46] 2. Pull Strings
[5:14] 3. Workin' Real Hard
[3:27] 4. Legendary
[8:33] 5. What It Is
[5:14] 6. No No No
[1:32] 7. Best Worst Day
[4:23] 8. Best Worst Day
[6:07] 9. Time
[9:29] 10. Bow Wow
[1:05] 11. Bo Diddley Intro
[5:48] 12. Bo Diddley Who Do You Love Medley
[9:08] 13. Get My Blues On
[7:21] 14. Turnin' Heads

"What’s soulful, smooth as silk, yet more powerful than a locomotive with a full head of steam? Is it Superman? Try Hamilton Loomis on for size. A first-rate Soul/Blues artist and a top-notch performer, Loomis’ live recording, recorded in Oxford and Liverpool with absolutely no overdubs, is one of the best, most powerful live recording I’ve heard in ages. Loomis gets directly to the heart of the matter, great orchestration with strong horns, immaculate guitar work, a rhythm section tighter than Fort Knox and a handle on the situation the common man finds himself in. Loomis gets the job done with power, authority and more than just a touch of class. " ~ Bill Wilson

Live In England mc
Live In England zippy

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Various - A Few Degrees Cooler Vol 1

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 53:25
Size: 122.3 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[3:02] 1. The Radio Kings - The Other Side Of Town
[4:11] 2. The Toler Brothers - Murdered By Love
[6:48] 3. Don McMinn - Painkiller Blues
[3:39] 4. Gary B.B. Coleman - I No Something's On Your Mind
[1:36] 5. Impala - Open All Night
[3:50] 6. Don Nix - Goin' Down The Road To Memphis
[2:52] 7. Hamilton Loomis - Love Sick
[4:54] 8. Little Dickie Dean - Submarine
[3:20] 9. The Coolers - Die Hard Man
[2:43] 10. The Radio Kings - It Ain't Easy
[7:09] 11. The Toler Brothers - Goin' Down Slow
[3:19] 12. Gary B.B. Coleman - My Old Cows Sick
[2:21] 13. Impala - Derailed
[3:33] 14. Little Dickie Dean - I Need Money

A Few Degrees Cooler Vol 1 mc
A Few Degrees Cooler Vol 1 zippy

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Alex McKown - Go With The Flow

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 34:38
Size: 79.3 MB
Styles: Rockin blues
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[2:56] 1. Out Of My Life
[4:01] 2. Ruin What We're Doin'
[3:48] 3. Release Me (Feat Hamilton Loomis)
[4:19] 4. Go With The Flow
[2:44] 5. Life On The Line
[3:39] 6. Paint That Picture
[4:49] 7. Gone Too Long
[3:28] 8. Morning Light
[2:56] 9. Finding Me
[1:53] 10. Superfly

Alex McKown was born in 1996 and he first picked up the guitar when he was 6 years of age. When he was 8 he asked if he could have an electric guitar for Christmas. Alex quickly progressed and spent many hours playing along to guitar legends such as Eric Clapton and BB King. When Alex was 11 he started to have lessons from Samuel C Lees at Tameside Music Academy. A passion for the blues was ignited ! Alex developed his performance skills by performing regularly at the blues/rock jam at The Whittles in Oldham. Alex then started to listen to the artists appearing at the major blues festivals in the UK and met Hamilton Loomis from Texas over the internet. Hamilton kindly agreed to let Alex sit in on his UK tour in 2009 and this helped to raise his profile.

In 2009, Alex performed with his own band at The Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival in Colne, Newark Blues Festival and Ramsbottom Blues Festival. In 2010 Alex opened the British Stage at Colne followed by further appearances for Boogaloo Blues and Newark Blues Festival. In 2011 Alex performed two shows at the Zinc Blues Festival in France and also appeared for the second time at the Colne Festival on the British Stage. The highlight of 2011 was a nomination in the British Blues Awards and inclusion in the Best Newcomer Poll by Blues Matters Magazine. Alex was nominated for a second British Blues Award in 2012 and also appeared on a compilation CD called "The Cream of Electric Blues" alongside the likes of Joe Bonamassa, Walter Trout and The Royal Southern Brotherhood.

Another nomination in the 2013 British Blues Awards followed and a stellar line up of festival and headline gigs are scheduled for 2014.

Go With The Flow

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Hamilton Loomis - Give It Back

Size: 123,4 MB
Time: 52:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Funky Blues, Blues Soul
Art: Front

01. Stuck In A Rut (3:39)
02. Eternally (4:27)
03. She's Had Enough (4:52)
04. Give It Back (Feat. Victor Wooten) (4:39)
05. Partner In Crime (4:03)
06. A Woman Like You (5:37)
07. Everything I Had (3:38)
08. High (4:50)
09. Fool Sometimes (4:44)
10. One More Take (4:24)
11. Castle (4:47)
12. Peer Pressure (3:06)

Hamilton Loomis is back with another great album, titled Give It Back. It is filled with many different sounds and genres.

The first song on an album is always important. It can make or break whether a listener wants to hear more or turn it off. The opening song of Give It Back, “Stuck In A Rut,” is definitely one that makes ears perk and want more. It has a grooving feel with layers of funk piled on top of a simple guitar riff. If that’s not enough to grab someone’s attention, Loomis adds a rock inspired guitar solo into the mix!

The title track, “Give It Back” talks about the importance of having good role models and becoming a role model. Having been mentored by greats like Bo Diddley, Loomis knows how fortunate he’s been to have been mentored by legends and wants to give back! It’s always inspiring to know what artists do to give back, but it’s not common to hear a song about it. There’s no better way to spread the word than that.

Another unique track is “ A Woman Like You.” It’s very soulful and is nice to hear an electric piano starting off as the main instrument. Of course, Loomis brings back the electric guitar and closes out the song with a roaring solo. It’s not hard to feel that Loomis pours his soul into every note he plays.

Other stand out songs on the album include: “Partner in Crime” and “High,” which showcase Loomis’ rock influences.

Loomis is clearly polished at what he does. Give It Back is definitely a worth-while listen. The Review: 7/10 ~Review by Liz Lohnes

Give It Back

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