My newest cd, 'Hard Luck' on Raw Tone Records, is now available
through the website, CDMojo.com and CDBaby.com.
It took some time, but I hope it is worth the wait for you.
Here's some stuff about the new album that you won't find in the CD jacket.
I 'd like to tell you a little about the musicians who appear on the recording because besides Jesse Major and Kyle Couch, many of them also appear with me on southeastern shows.
I'd also like to give you some background on the songs I wrote.
From 1973-1980, Bob played guitar in the band of Chicago Blues legend Muddy Waters, touring worldwide and recording, and learning to play Muddy's powerful music directly from him. In 1980, Bob started his own band, and he's still on the road and recording. He won the W.C. Handy award for guitar in 2005, and was nominated again in 2006.
Bob Margolin is a Blues legend. He's been a great influence and source of inspiration. But really beyond all of that, he's really a good friend and he has helped me quite a bit. I appreciate everything Bob has done to further my music as well as his kindness and time. If there is an ambassador of the Blues it's Bob Margolin. Bob adds some amazing guitar work on 'Leavin' My Baby' and 'Hard Luck'.
www.bobmargolin.com
His knowledge of mostly every Blues genre from Charlie Patton to T-Bone Walker is dumbfounding to say the least. Besides that he can cover music styles such as R&B, Rockabilly, Rock and Swing...with the same authority as his Blues. I got my first exposure to live Blues thanks to Max being cool enough to pose as an uncle or cousin to get me into bars to see him play when I was 14 or so. That in itself was a great education. I had listened to real Blues guitar players on record but I had never seen one play live. Max has shared the stage or bills with musicians ranging from BB King, Bo Didley and Lightnin' Hopkins. Mr. Drake adds some Country Blues mandolin to 'Pointless Blues' and lead guitar on 'One Look'.
Looking for a website? Don't be silly...Max is way to hip for the computer age.
Jimmy Rogers is only one of the many blues legends that Chuck played with via Bob Margolin's band. Chuck has played with: John Brim, Nappy Brown, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, James Cotton and Albert King among others. He also appears on several of Bob Margolin's CDs on the Alligator label. You'll never ever hear him bragging about that kind of stuff though, because he's also one of the most modest musicians you'll ever meet. People from Greensboro, NC to Finland eat up anything this man has to offer. Chuck is currently working with Bob Margolin, The Matt Hill Blues Band, me and anyone else who has the sense to hire him. He is also the recipient of the 2005 PBPS Keeping the Blues Alive Award.
Chuck adds his fine drumming to 'Leavin' My Baby', 'Late In the Evening', 'One Look', 'Hard Luck', '20 More Miles', and 'Pointless Blues' which he shares vocal duties with me.
No website for Chuck either. Guys like this don't need a website, word of mouth is doing just fine.
Matt (a.k.a Slappy MacSteel II, Knuckles, etc,) plays guitar, lap steel, and pocket bass and also sings some great Blues. Most recently he had moved over to playing bass with me in duo settings or with Chuck Cotton on drums. Matt fronts his own band called the Matt Hill Band, and also plays in a couple of different bands around the North Carolina area. Matt is a vocalist/steel guitarist/guitarist and highly talented for 21 years.
Matt won the won the 18th Annual PBPS Talent Showcase, and represented the PBPS at the international competition in Memphis. He was also just recently interviewed with me by Bob in the well-known blues US publication Blues Revue magazine. Knuckles has shared bills and the stage with such Blues legends as Bob Margolin, Hubert Sumlin, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, John Dee Holeman, Pinetop Perkins, and Carrie Bell to name a few. Keep rockin' #2.
www.matthillblues.com
As a bassist, Bobby has played or recorded with Bob Margolin, Hubert Sumlin, Mel Melton, CJ Chenier, Carey Bell, Paul Osher, Nappy Brown and many others. His long running NC bands are Blues World Order and Peter May and Terraplane. Bobby is also a founding member of the much loved band, Tornado. Besides maintaining a busy playing schedule, he is a Pro Audio Rep for the award winning rep firm, TechRep Marketing (Nashville & Cleveland).
Bobby adds some stellar electric and upright bass to '20 More Miles' and 'Late in the Evening'.
www.myspace.com/wasabibobby
FJ is currently playing electric bass and doghouse bass with Mel Melton and The Wicked Mojos, Matt Hill and a few others when time permits. He has played with Jon Shain, John Saylor, The Shods, The Invaders, The Fall City Kings, Dave Kepford, Taz Halloween, Glory Fountain, The Storyville Skinners and Tres Chicas.
FJ's fronts his own band, Edsel 500 . With Edsel he plays a lot of the great old rock and rockabilly tunes (as inspired by his stint with The Invaders while he was living up in the Boston area), with some of his own material mixed in. The band plays a lot of parties, swing dances, weddings, car shows, bike ralleys and all that sort of stuff (and the occasional club gig).
FJ adds upright bass to 'Leavin' My Baby', 'One Look' and 'Pointless Blues'.
www.myspace.com/fjventre
Credits
All songs by Matt Walsh - Electric, Acoustic, all slide & National Steel guitars / Vocals
Bob Margolin - Guitar on tracks 1 and 6
Jesse Major - Upright bass on tracks 4, 5, 7, 10, and 12
Kyle Couch - Drums on tracks 5 and 7
Max Drake - Guitar on track 3 Mandolin on track 8
Matt Hill - Guitar on tracks 2, 9 and 11 Lap Dobro on track 8
Chuck Cotton - Drums except for tracks 5 and 7 Vocals on track 8
FJ Ventre - Upright bass on tracks 1, 3 and 8
“Wasabi” Bobby Kelly - Upright bass on tracks 2, 9 and 11
Rene Aaron - Harmonica
Tracks 1-3, 6, 8, 9 and 11 recorded at Abaya studio in Kernersville, NC; Engineer Norman Williams; Mixed by Norman Williams and Bob Margolin at Abaya studio
Tracks 5 and 7 recorded at Rockin’ Daddy’s Juke Joint in Wichita KS; Engineer Tom Page; Mixed by Norman Williams and Bob Margolin at Abaya studio
Tracks 4, 10 and 12 recorded in Newton KS; Engineer and Mixed by Lander Ballard
All 12 Tracks Mastered by Lander Ballard / Produced by Bob Margolin & Norman Williams
Front cover and tray photo: Mike Russell / Back cover photo: Kathy Anderson.
Matt thanks Lalanea Walsh & his family for their support, Bob Margolin, Bobby Kelly, Joe Hill, Roger & Kathy Anderson, Kip Williams & Mike Russell.
This album is dedicated to my family, Max Drake, Berry Harris & the memory of Cary Ash.
Copyright 2007 Matt Walsh Music
The Songs
1. Leavin' My Baby 3:09
I originally intended for this to be a Chicago Jump, but thanks to FJ Ventre's hip bass lines it ended up sounding like it's mixed up with a little Rockabilly. Bob Margolin conjures up some super sonic guitar ( and perhaps the spirit of Willie Johnson too; guitarist before Hubert in Howlin' Wolf's band ) with his Gibson Les Paul '54 Goldtop reissue through a vintage Gibson Skylark amp. The lyrics "the curb is yours, the road is mine" came into my head in the wee hours of the morning while driving home on the highway after a gig. I had the lyrics to the song finished in my head by the time I got home.
2. Why My Baby Ain't Around 4:29
"The Devil's got another woman, that's why my baby ain't around". This song is about a man who feels like he has lost his woman's soul to none other than Devil, after dealing with her wicked ways. Obviously inspired by Muddy Waters in style, I do the slide guitar work and Matt Hill covers the single string stuff on his Gretsch Corvette named 'the Nighthawk'. That's him you hear contributing guitar work from the depths of hell after the slide solo.
3. One Look 2:48
A song that basically wrote itself. I was cooking supper when I stopped to glance at some old black and white movie that was on TV. I noticed a scene where a man and woman where falling in love at first sight in a classic Hollywood cliche moment, when the lyrics came to me . I remember trying not to burn my food and writting the lyrics down at the same time, so I wouldn't forget them.
4. Breakin' Up Over You 3:15
I took a lot of the lyrical inspiration for this song from an experience a friend had with a really weird girl with too much hair in the wrong places. She basically ended up telling him that she had to stop dating him after two weeks, because he didn't make the kind of money she was looking for in a guy.The music is tribute to the early Jimmy Rogers sides featuring Little Walter. I unplugged and went for a '38 National and Rene Aaron left the amp at home as well to get more of a country Blues feel.
5. Hard To Find 2:53
This Rockabilly tune is about the almighty dollar and how hard it is to get it playing in a Blues band none-the-less. Jesse Major and Kyle Couch lay down a powerful rythm that drives the song relentlessly. The rythm guitar is my 56 Les Paul Goldtop reissue through a '57 Fender Deluxe and the lead is my Telecaster through a tubeless 60's Kingston amp with an 8" Radio Shack speaker ( not a fuzzbox ).
6. Hard Luck 4:11
I've done this song live in many different Blues styles for years and I'm just now recording it. This time I wanted to do it as raw as possible with no bass similar to the the feel of the Robert Nighthawk album, Live on Maxwell Street. Chuck Cotton drives the song using the bass drum to make up for the lack of a bass player. Once again Bob Margolin brings a fury of nasty guitar playing from the old school that rips the head off this song and echoes the fustration in it's lyrics precisely.
7. Goin' Out 2:37
This Little Richard inspired groove is about going out and having a good time on the bandstand to escape all of life's burdens.Every so often I hear my music pals say "Music is the only thing that grounds me, and if i didn't get to go out and play I'd probably go crazy"...or something to that effect. None-the-less I think that we can all agree that music takes us away from our problems, and that's what I'm trying to convey through my own experience.
This is basically about two fellas who are in love with the same woman but one thinks the other is the chump and vice versa. It's a verbal assualt sung as a duo with Chuck Cotton, and actually inspired by Bo Diddley's "cut down" songs. Max Drake's fine Country Blues Mandolin drives the song and Chucks velvet voice knocks me out.
9. 20 More Miles 3:13
This song was written after way too many long nights on the hiway when 20 miles really did seem like an eternity. It's the point where you need toothpicks to hold your eyes open and you start wondering what the hell you're doing. You may see werewolves, goblins or pin-up girls in the middle of the hiway as well.
10. Sit and Wonder 7:12
A nod to T-Bone Walker's Imperial recordings with a twist...I wanted to take that feel and guitar style and use a more stripped down approach. This was after I opted to not use drums or horns on this song, not by choice, but due to a recording schedule confict. I think it was meant to be though, because I like the empty space in the song. Jesse Major drives us along with stand up bass and I used my Harmony Broadway archtop for the rythm parts. The lead T-Bone single string jazz-like phrasing, is done on a borrowed 1938 National Duolian resonator ( courtesy of Rene Aaron ). If you listen closely you can hear Rene doing some nice organ-like vamping with the harmonica to fill out the lack of a big rythm section as well.
The Way You Drag Me Down 4:58
This pure nasty Blues features Bobby Kelly doing some great standup work with Matt Hill on second guitar through Bob Margolin's Victoira 20112 amplifier. I'm playing through Bob's vintage Gibson Skylark amp and using his old Les Paul Special which now belongs to Matt. We were both stunned like kids in a candy store when Bob was kind enough to lend us his amps for this song and the whole evening, after it was time for him to leave the session due to prior engagements. Thanks for trusting us with you babies.
12. Woody's Rag 2:12
I wanted to have a Rag-like song that represented the Piedmont Blues guitar style that I first learned in my native state where it originated, North Carolina. I used my Harmony Broadway for the rythm parts and the '38 National Duolian for the solo. Jesse Major slaps it so hard that there's not much need for a drummer. I now use this song as a lead out sometimes before the band goes on break at my live shows.