Chris Cain With The Rodger Fox Big Band - King Of The Blues

Size: 100,4 MB
Time: 43:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Blues, jazzy blues, big band
Art: Front

1. Helping Hand (4:54)
2. Whole Lotta Love (5:18)
3. One Year Ago Today (4:50)
4. Peeties Theme (6:13)
5. So Excited (5:54)
6. The Gal From Joe's (3:12)
7. Bossa For Josie (3:28)
8. Heartbreaker (4:25)
9. Sidewalk Stanley (5:13)

Presumably, the title of singer/guitarist Chris Cain's new CD, King of the Blues, refers not to Cain himself but to one of his idols, the legendary bluesman B.B. King, who passed away in May 2015. Cain, who was born and raised in San Jose, CA, attended his first B.B. King concert at age three, and among the album's nine tracks are a pair written by King, "Whole Lotta Lovin'" and "So Excited." Cain composed four others to complement down-home themes by Nina Simone ("Girl from Joe's"), Carole King/Gerry Goffin ("Heartbreaker") and pianist Alan Broadbent ("Sidewalk Stanley," written for the Woody Herman band when Broadbent was a member).

King of the Blues was recorded in New Zealand, and Cain is backed by that country's premier jazz ensemble, the Rodger Fox Big Band. Unusual for a blues session, perhaps, but the combination works rather well. Although the band is intensely involved, it keeps its distance when Cain commands the spotlight. Cain has a strong, steady voice, sings on key, has a well-honed flair and conspicuous fondness for the blues, and, like King, plays a mean guitar. He also writes well, and his quartet of songs ("Helping Hand," "A Year Ago Today," "Peeties Theme," "Bossa for Josie") are among the album's highlights.

"Peeties Theme" and "Bossa for Josie" are instrumentals, with trombonist Fox and trumpeter Ben Hunt soloing crisply on "Peeties," pianist Anita Schwabe on "Josie." Tenor saxophonist Mike Isaacs adds a solo on "Whole Lotta Lovin,'" while Erna Ferry plays blues harp and Bryn van Vliet solos on alto sax on "So Excited." Cain's raunchy guitar is front and center on "Stanley," which was arranged by Broadbent; New Zealander Daniel Hayles scored everything else. Musically speaking, the album is first-rate; as for its blues quotient, that's harder to reckon, as this reviewer is far from well-versed in that genre. Those who are familiar with Cain's work should know roughly what to expect; those who aren't should check him out.

(NOTE: There are some glitches/cuts on some of the tracks of this album. Unfortunately this is the only copy I have been able to find, so there's nothing I can do about it unless I can find a better copy. Have however decided to keep the post for now and hope that you can enjoy the album despite them glitches. Sorry about that folks!)

King Of The Blues mc
King Of The Blues zippy

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The Rodger Fox Band & Midge Marsden - Let The Good Times Roll

Size: 110,5 MB
Time: 47:41
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1985/2000
Styles: Jump blues, swing, big band
Art: Front

1. Caldonia (5:09)
2. Jumpin' With Symphony Sid (4:08)
3. Tuxedo Junction (5:20)
4. Texas Blues (4:16)
5. Let The Good Times Roll (5:17)
6. Flip, Flop And Fly (3:04)
7. Every Day (I Have The Blues) (4:23)
8. Mama Gets High (4:41)
9. Love Disease (4:48)
10. Fannie Mae (3:28)
11. Another Man (3:02)

The Rodger Fox Big Band played at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1980 and 1981. Both main performances were recorded and released on album in New Zealand. In the years since, from Montreux to Monterey, Fox’s big bands have played most of the world’s top jazz festivals. Now a lecturer at the New Zealand School Of Music, Rodger Fox received an honorary doctorate of music from Massey University in 2005, two years after he was made an officer of the New Zealand Order Of Merit. Rodger Fox has received no fewer than six jazz gongs at the NZ Music Awards.

Keith Douglas "Midge" Marsden was born and brought up in Moturoa, New Plymouth, Taranaki, the son of Les and Elaine Marsden. His musical education started on the piano and included singing in church, though his first musical love was rock and roll. As a teenager, he took guitar lessons from a New Plymouth musician called Leo Davies, who also owned a recording studio in the town, and went on to further lessons with another musician, Johnny Williams. Marsden's career spans four decades, and during that time he has played thousands of concerts in New Zealand and introduced several generations of New Zealanders to the blues. He was voted New Zealand Entertainer of the Year in 1990, and his 1991 album Burning Rain later went gold.

Marsden has toured the USA four times, and each time he has played with and befriended artists such as Little Willy Foster, Bobby Mack, Ronnie Taylor, and Australian Dave Boyle. He has encouraged all these artists to tour New Zealand, and thus broadened New Zealanders' appreciation of blues music. Marsden was a student at the University of Mississippi in 1996, from where he graduated with a Diploma in Southern Studies, and more recently he has tutored at Waikato Institute of Technology in "Bluesology". In the 2006 New Year Honours, Marsden was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to music. /Wikipedia

Let The Good Times Roll mc
Let The Good Times Roll gofile

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Midge Marsden w. The Rodger Fox All Star Band - Live At The Waikanae Hotel

Size: 252,1 MB
Time: 108:22
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Blues, R&B, big band
Art: Front

1. Let The Good Times Roll (5:39)
2. Intro To You're Gonna Need Me (0:33)
3. You're Gonna Need Me (4:00)
4. The Key To Love (2:27)
5. Intro To Grits And Groceries (0:34)
6. Grits And Groceries (3:42)
7. Intro To My Babys Lovin (0:25)
8. My Babys Lovin' (4:57)
9. Intro To Watching The River Flow (1:22)
10. Watching The River Flow (3:13)
11. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby (6:01)
12. And When I Die (5:08)
13. Start It Up (6:12)
14. Boogie Thing (5:29)
15. Running Blue (4:11)
16. God Bless The Child (6:24)
17. Goin Back Home To New Orleans (4:48)
18. Ball And Chain (4:44)
19. I've Got News For You (4:11)
20. Hideaway (3:27)
21. Pick Up The Pieces (9:04)
22. I'll Go Crazy (2:31)
23. Intro To Burning Rain (2:08)
24. Burning Rain (5:28)
25. Promo And Thanks (1:29)
26. Pep Talk (10:04)

Keith Douglas "Midge" Marsden was born and brought up in Moturoa, New Plymouth, Taranaki, the son of Les and Elaine Marsden. His musical education started on the piano and included singing in church, though his first musical love was rock and roll. As a teenager, he took guitar lessons from a New Plymouth musician called Leo Davies, who also owned a recording studio in the town, and went on to further lessons with another musician, Johnny Williams. Marsden's career spans four decades, and during that time he has played thousands of concerts in New Zealand and introduced several generations of New Zealanders to the blues. He was voted New Zealand Entertainer of the Year in 1990, and his 1991 album Burning Rain later went gold.

Marsden has toured the USA four times, and each time he has played with and befriended artists such as Little Willy Foster, Bobby Mack, Ronnie Taylor, and Australian Dave Boyle. He has encouraged all these artists to tour New Zealand, and thus broadened New Zealanders' appreciation of blues music. Marsden was a student at the University of Mississippi in 1996, from where he graduated with a Diploma in Southern Studies, and more recently he has tutored at Waikato Institute of Technology in "Bluesology". In the 2006 New Year Honours, Marsden was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to music. /Wikipedia

The Rodger Fox Big Band played at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1980 and 1981. Both main performances were recorded and released on album in New Zealand. In the years since, from Montreux to Monterey, Fox’s big bands have played most of the world’s top jazz festivals. Now a lecturer at the New Zealand School Of Music, Rodger Fox received an honorary doctorate of music from Massey University in 2005, two years after he was made an officer of the New Zealand Order Of Merit. Rodger Fox has received no fewer than six jazz gongs at the NZ Music Awards.

(Recorded live at the Waikanae Hotel 2nd August, 1993.)

Live At The Waikanae Hotel mc
Live At The Waikanae Hotel gofile

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Midge Marsden, The Rodger Fox Band - Are Back In Town

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:46
Size: 100.2 MB
Styles: Contemporary blues
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[3:24] 1. Grit's Ain't Groceries
[3:48] 2. Running Blues
[5:05] 3. Is You Or Is You Ain't
[8:02] 4. Pick Up The Pieces
[3:19] 5. Hideaway King
[3:57] 6. You're Gonna Need Me
[4:39] 7. My Babies Lovin'
[4:11] 8. The Boogie Thing
[7:18] 9. The Chicken

Midge Marsden is virtually without equal. His career spans four decades, he has played thousands of concerts to countless people and he has performed with a list of artists that reads like a definitive Who's Who of New Zealand Rock. In 1990 he was voted New Zealand Entertainer of the Year and later his critically acclaimed album Burning Rain went gold. Midge has performed in London in conjunction with the All Blacks 1997 British Tour, the highlight of which was performing to a sold out crowd at the 1000 seater Walkabout with guest appearance by All Black no 7, Josh Kronfeld. This was filmed live and televised to all of New Zealand on the Holmes Show. The band also managed to secure a peformance at the world famous Soho venue Ronnie Scotts. Midge has toured the USA four times now, focussing mainly on California, Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana. Each time he has met up with some exciting musicians including Willie Foster, Bobby Mack, Ronnie Taylor, Dave Boyle and JulieAnne Banks, all of whom have toured New Zealand with Midge. It was during one of these tours that Midge was a student at the University of Mississippi in 1996 where he graduated with a Diploma in Southern Studies. Recently named an Old Blues Cat, Midge fills in the gaps of his busy touring schedule as a tutor at the Waikato Polytechnic where his specialist subject is ... Bluesology, what else??

The Rodger Fox Big Band has been around for 25 years and have recorded some 14 albums including two live recordings at the Montreux Jazz Festival.

Are Back In Town mc
Are Back In Town zippy

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