It's part of BlueNotes' job to surf the Web for blues info, and pass along what seem to be interesting or newsworthy items (BlueNotes surfs while you sleep, or something like that).
Well, here's an item I found, that's at least as interesting for its source as for its content. At last summer's Chicago Blues Festival, I watched Koko Taylor and her band stir things up, and playing with her was a Japanese guitarist named Shun Kikuta, who really tore it up with his backing and solo work.
This is from Taipei (Formosa) Times, focusing on Kikuta, who is about to headline an annual Blues Bash there. (Here's what the actual article page looks like.) Here's a sample from the article:
The Tokyo-area native was enraptured by the blues after hearing BB King’s classic 1964 recording Live at the Regal while studying jazz at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. After graduating, he moved to his current home of Chicago, where he established his reputation through countless evenings jamming at blues clubs and playing on the streets. Through the years he has shared the stage with blues legends such as James Cotton, Junior Wells and Otis Rush.
And the photo above is one I found from my collection of Chicago Blues Festival photos, showing Koko and Kikuta performing.
More brews news
I don't have any photos, but there have been a few inquiries at BlueNotes World Headquarters lately as to the whereabouts of BeerNotes -- is he being kept in a secure location? Well, no, not unless you consider various brewpubs to be secure locations.
BeerNotes is warming up to the season to be jolly, especially with the flood of holiday beers about to be tapped. Here's an item on that from colleague and astute beer dude, Bob Batz. As for BeerNotes, he's already dipped into his beer cellar for some very nicely aging 2007 Belgian Gouden Carolus Christmas -- dark and smooth and rich with seasonal flavors. Just right for sipping and dreaming of sugarplums and blue notes dancing in his head.
Blues and brews make great music together, as long as the brews live up to the music.
Posted
Nov 14 2008, 01:00 AM
by
Jim White