|
EVERY
MONTH:
First
Monday of every month 8pm for 8:30pm
|
BLUES
@ THE BRIDGE
Open Mic (off the floor) and Blues Jam Session
Blues and related music @ the Bridge Inn, Topsham. Acoustic only.
NO Bands, but solo artists and duos are VERY welcome. Guitar, harmonica,
sax, mandolin ... whatever. If you play blues and/or related music, come
and have a go. No experience necessary!!! Those
planning to play should try to sign in before 8:30pm. The event will start
at 8:30 sharp. First come first served.
|
|
SATURDAY MARCH 1ST
8.00PM
BUDDY
WHITTINGTON @ The Honiton Motel, Honiton, Devon
Tickets
: £12 Advance £14 Door
01392 873407
|
Born
in Fort Worth, Texas on the 28th December 1956, Buddy Whittington began
playing guitar at the age of eight after being inspired by his sister's
records of The Beatles, Rolling Stones and, in particular, John Mayall's
Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton. By the age of 14 he was already a part
of the Dallas/Fort Worth music scene and playing regularly in the clubs
along Jacksboro Highway. Although he became versatile enough to be able
to play anything from the country music of Bob Wills to the rhythm and blues
classics of Bill Doggett to rock 'n roll, his main love was, and is to this
day, the blues. During the early 80's, he formed and sang with his own group
"The Sidemen" who became well known to a large audience who loved
their down home grooves. In 1991, "The Sidemen" were booked at
a club called Dallas Alley to open up for none other than John Mayall. Apparently
John was impressed enough to keep in touch and, when Coco Montoya left the
Bluesbreakers in 1993, there was no doubt in John's mind who to call. Ever
since that out-of-the blue phone call, Buddy has brought a powerful new
dimension to the Bluesbreakers' sound. To date, his searing guitar and unique
talents have ignited the albums SPINNING COIN, BLUES FOR THE LOST DAYS,
PADLOCK ON THE BLUES, ALONG FOR THE RIDE, UK TOUR 2K, NO DAYS OFF, STORIES,
70th BIRTHDAY CONCERT and ROAD DOGS. It's been a Mayall tradition for the
Bluesbreakers’ guitarist to cover a Freddie King instrumental, starting
with "Hideaway" by Eric on the "Beano", "The Stumble"
by Peter on "A Hard Road", and "Driving Sideways" featuring
Mick Taylor on "Crusade". Buddy continues this tradition in style
with "Sen-Say-Shun" on the BLUES FOR THE LOST DAYS album, Mayall's
1997 Silvertone release. The Texas influence rears its head on "Dead
City" from the same album and on "Ain't No Brakeman" from
1994's SPINNING COIN. "It's that Les Paul-through-a-Marshall-tone that
Eric refined in '66--it can't be topped! And although I play a Stratocaster
through a Dr. Z amp onstage these days, it's that perfect Gibson/Marshall
'thang' that we're all striving for!", muses Whittington. Unlike countless
rock 'n rollers who carry racks of guitars around for every show, Buddy
likes to keep it simple and plays only one - his 1963 Stratocaster plugged
into a Dr. Z amplifier. He is also an accomplished blues songwriter and,
in addition to the songs he sings with the Bluesbreakers on live shows,
on the Bluesbreakers CD ‘STORIES’, he contributed his own "Romance
Classified". He and longtime Mayall drummer Joe Yuele co-wrote "Pieces
And Parts" and together, they also co-wrote 'Always a Brand New Road'
on 1999's PADLOCK ON THE BLUES and ‘Awestruck and Spellbound’
on the latest CD ‘ROAD DOGS’. For the same album, bassist Hank
Van Sickle joined the writing team and came up with the Bluesbreakers instrumental
tribute to the boss entitled “Brumwell’s Beat”. These songs
continue to get critical acclaim and attention and have been quoted in many
of the album's reviews. Although John Mayall makes Los Angeles his home
base, Buddy is proud to live in Hurst, Texas with his family where he was
raised and born to play the blues. He is currently working on material for
a future album of his own, out soon. |
