Bob Stroger & His Blues Legends - In The House: Live At Lucerne Vol. 1

Size: 157,0 MB
Time: 67:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2002
Styles: Chicago Blues
Art: Full

01. Introduction By Fritz Jakober ( 0:07)
02. Talk To Me Mama ( 5:47)
03. Stranded In St. Louis ( 6:28)
04. Lovin' Man ( 5:27)
05. Extension 309 (10:37)
06. Gonna Make Some Changes ( 7:05)
07. Loan Me Train Fare ( 6:08)
08. Heads Up ( 6:09)
09. Thinking And Drinking ( 6:49)
10. Going To Chicago ( 8:37)
11. Keep Your Hands Off Her ( 4:19)

Bob Stroger, bass player and blues vocalist, was born in the state of Missouri. He moved to Chicago in 1955 where he lived in the back of of a night club on the westside. Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters were regulars there. 'It Looked like they were having a lot of fun, and I made up my mind that what I wanted to do was play music,' Bob remembers. A veteran of the Chicago blues music scene, Bob has recorded and worked with a long list of contemporaries. In 1998, Bob and an all-star group of fellow musicians played the 'Lucerne Blues Festival'. The recordings from those nights in Switzerland are now released as Bob Stroger's first album under his own name. Bob's supported by first-rate musicians, including in-demand session piano player and 'Delmark' recording artist, Ken Saydak and his trio, the soulful guitar of another 'Delmark' regular, James Wheeler, and Billy Flynn who's one of greatest today when it comes to soulful blues (slide)guitar playing. Swinging and groving Chicago style blues at its best!

In The House

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Bob Stroger & James Wheeler - Live Sessions At MJ Pub

Year: 2013
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:35
Size: 160,2 MB
Styles: Blues, Chicago blues
Scans: Front

1. Guitar Jump (4:37)
2. Look At Yonder Wall (4:24)
3. Stranded In St. Louis (10:27)
4. I Heard You (6:16)
5. You're Sweet (15:41)
6. G Shuffle (4:56)
7. Going Down Slow (9:27)
8. Sweet Home Chicago (8:18)
9. Jazz Man (5:25)

Bob Stroger (born December 27, 1930) is an American electric blues bass guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has worked with many blues musicians, including Eddie King, Otis Rush, Jimmy Rogers, Eddie Taylor, Eddy Clearwater, Sunnyland Slim, Louisiana Red, Buster Benton, Homesick James, Mississippi Heat, Snooky Pryor, Odie Payne, Fred Below, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, and Billy Davenport. In 2011 and 2013, Stroger was granted a Blues Music Award as Best Blues Bassist. /Wikipedia

Blues guitarist James Wheeler was born in Albany, GA, on August 28, 1937. His earliest musical influences were the big bands of the time, especially Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, and his first idol, Louis Jordan. Following his older brother Golden, Wheeler moved to Chicago in 1956. Golden had started playing harmonica in the clubs, becoming friends with many blues musicians, including Little Walter. It was after the move to Chicago that James Wheeler picked up the guitar and started jamming with local musicians. Wheeler's first big break came when he played guitar with Billy Boy Arnold, which lead to the formation of the Jaguars in 1963, backing up B.B. King, Millie Jackson, O.V. Wright, and Otis Clay. /Excerpt from biography by Al Campbell, AllMusic

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Nora Jean Bruso - Sings The Blues

Year: 2003
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:16
Size: 159,6 MB
Styles: Electric blues, Chicago blues
Scans: Full

1. When You Leave Don't Take Nothing (5:48)
2. I'm Leaving You (3:39)
3. Howlin' For My Baby (2:56)
4. If That's What You Wanna' Do (5:55)
5. Doin' The Shout (3:25)
6. Members Only (3:54)
7. Untrue Lover (3:41)
8. I'd Rather Go Blind (4:51)
9. Can't Shake These Blues (5:38)
10. Who's Been Talking (3:52)
11. It Makes Me So Mad (6:15)
12. Spoonful (3:17)
13. All Your Love (3:57)
14. Big Boss Man (4:36)
15. Killing Floor (4:16)
16. He Belongs To Me (3:09)

Vocalist Nora Jean Bruso has been an up-and-comer in the blues world, but go and see her perform live at a club or a festival, and you'll quickly discover she's a polished professional, a stone cold pro. Bruso, or Elnora Wallace, was born and raised in Greenwood, Mississippi, a town famous for producing a variety of blues and gospel greats. Her father was Bobby Lee Wallace, a blues singer and sharecropper; her mother was Ida Lee Wallace, a gospel singer.

In high scool, Nora Jean won the West Tallahatchie High School Talent Show grand prize for singing, and she began to perform in other area schools with small groups. Realizing her opportunities for recognition and recording were limited in Mississippi, Bruso moved to Chicago in 1976 and began her professional singing career with Scottie and the Oasis. Six years later, Scottie passed away and the band broke up, but Nora Jean began singing with other West Side bands she had already developed relationships with, including Little Johnnie Christian. By 1985, she joined Jimmie Dawkins' band and recorded her first single, "Untrue Lover" for Dawkins' own record company, the Leric Label. (Some of Dawkins' Leric sides were reissued by Delmark Records.) She also sang on Can't Shake These Blues, an anthology released by Earwig Records.

In 1991, she recorded with Dawkins on his album for the British JSP label, Feel the Blues, which was later re-released in 2003 with a bonus track from Bruso. In 1992, she retired from the rigors of regional touring to concentrate on raising her two sons, but by 2001, she was called back into the studio by fellow Jimmie Dawkins band alumnus Billy Flynn. She provided four vocal tracks on Blues and Love, a 2002 release, and later that year, she resumed her blues career, such as it was, appearing on the main stage at the Chicago Blues Festival with Dawkins' band. Later in 2002, she recorded her first album, Nora Jean Sings the Blues, and was awarded a "Keeping the Blues Alive" citation by the Black History Association in Chicago. In 2003, she released Sings the Blues on the Red Hurricane Records label and the album garnered critical praise from radio programmers around the U.S. and Canada. She performed again at the 2003 Chicago Blues Festival and headed to Europe that summer for a tour.

By 2004, Bruso was nominated for two W.C. Handy Awards, one for Best New Artist and one for Best Traditional Female Artist. Later that year, she signed a deal with Maryland-based Severn Records and released Going Back to Mississippi, which debuted at number five on the Living Blues magazine radio charts and climbed to number one on XM satellite radio. In June, 2004, she performed again on the main stage at the Chicago Blues Festival, with her own band, and in 2005 she made a slew of other festival performances around the U.S. and Canada, including the Cape May Jazz Festival and the Pocono Blues Festival.

During the 2000s, the Nora Jean Bruso band included Carl Weathersby on guitar, James Carter, drums, Bruce Belgin, bass and Brian Lupo, guitar. When they weren't on the road, Nora Jean was based in LaPorte, Indiana. /Bio by Richard Skelly, AllMusic

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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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James WHEELER - Can't Take It / Ready!

Born in Albany, Georgia, Wheeler joined his brother, Golden 'Big' Wheeler, in Chicago at the age of 19. He immediately began playing guitar, inspired by Freddie King, and within a few years was playing fulltime in clubs with Joe Carter, initially on bass, later on guitar. From the early '60s to early '70s he was in an R&B band, The Jaguars, and later worked with Otis Clay, Buddy Scott, Otis Rush (1986-92), Mississippi Heat (1992-96), Magic Slim (1997-2000) and Willie Kent. He has recorded with Aaron More too.

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Album: CAN'T TAKE IT
Styles: Modern Electric Chicago Blues
Recorded: 1999
Released: 2000
Bitrate: 320k/s
Size:  169.08 MB
Time: 72:40
Art: Full

1. Who Loves You Baby? - 3:36        
2. Wasting My Time - 5:04        
3. The Weaker Sex - 4:04        
4. This Can't Be Happening To Me - 7:20        
5. Sometimes - 5:29        
6. She's Gonna Pay - 5:42        
7. Come Home - 3:31        
8. You Make It Hard Baby - 7:58        
9. I Can't Take It - 4:50        
10. These Hard Hard Times - 5:14        
11. Goin' To The Station - 5:36        
12. My Baby's Gone - 3:59        
13. Where Did You Stay Last Night? - 6:55        
14. Sweet Thang - 3:22

Personnel: James WHEELER - Guitar, Vocals
Billy Flynn - Guitar
Ken Saydak - Piano
Ron Sorin - Harmonica
Bob Stroger - Bass
Marty Binder - Drums

Note: Cant Take It is the second release from Chicago blues guitarist James Wheeler. Backed by pianist Ken Saydak, guitarist Billy Flynn (heard on the right channel), bassist Bob Stroger, drummer Marty Binder, and harp player Ron Sorin taking the place of James brother Golden Big Wheeler on this session. Wheeler's guitar playing is consistently flashy through this set, while other bright moments include Flynn's twangy solo on the dirty blues "You Make It Hard Baby" and Saydak's funky organ playing on the lazy shuffle "Goin to the Station." Wheeler isn't the strongest vocalist around but he gets his message across on tracks like "This Can't Be Happening to Me," "My Baby's Gone," and "I Can't Take It."

                                                                 Can't Take It
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Album: READY!
Styles: Modern Electric Chicago Blues 
Recorded: 1997
Released: 1998
Bitrate: 320k/s
Size:  154.74 MB
Time: 66:46
Art: Full

1. Ready - 4:43
2. This Old Freight Train - 6:12
3. Gonna Make Some Changes - 3:40
4. My Key Won't Fit That Lock No More - 5:02
5. Cold Hearted Woman - 5:05
6. Blues At Midnight - 6:59
7. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl - 4:06
8. Bad Girl - 3:44
9. Extension 309 - 6:36
10. I'm Just Your Fool - 3:41
11. My Baby's Comin' Home - 3:21
12. Hound Dog - 8:45
13. Looking For My Baby - 4:04

Personnel: James WHEELER - Guitar, Vocal
Billy Flynn - Rhythm Guitar
Ken Saydak - Piano
Bob Stroger - Bass
Vernon Rodgers - Drums
and:
Golden 'Big' Wheeler - Harmonica tr.2,10
Gloria Thompson-Rodgers - Vocal tr.8

Notes: James Wheeler, begin the notes on 'Ready!', 'is a quiet man'. You might guess as much. Both his singing and his playing are unaggressive, the expressions of a temperate personality. Compared with the strenuous, emphatic music of many of his Chicago colleagues, his has a smooth, unruffled texture that evokes the cool manner of a T-Bone Walker-almost explicity in numbers like 'Extension 309' or 'Hound Dog', which is not the Leiber-Stoller breed but a hound of different colour, sleepy and slow-moving.Nonetheless, this is, for the most part, essentially Chicago-style music, as with these accompanists it could hardly fail to be, and if it taps discreetly at the listener's door rather than shout through the keyhole, there are respectable precedents for that.

                                                                       Ready!
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