A Tale of Two Festivals – Part Four: The Cazorla Blues Festival

Lock & Load: Cooling off: Spanish-Style!

By the Friday, the whole town was in on the Party, beneath the unforgiving sun, the blues fans boogied, shimmied, got drunk, and availed themselves of the spring water that flowed freely all over town, almost as freely as the beer!  The variety of acts was great, even though I has some misgivings about the inclusion on the Thursday night of Fito and Fitipaldis (or Emerson and the Fitipaldis as I couldn’t resist christening them) -who were plainly a Spanish ‘chart’ band, and an undeniably big draw. A commercial decision? Certainly. The right decision? I’m not so sure.

The Blues is Thirsty work….

The Friday night saw the likes of Little Mike and the Tornadoes – a fast talking New Yorker who delivered a powerful set…then we were assailed by Janiva Magness, a woman who, if the bio in the programme was to be believed, had suffered immeasurable hardships in her life. Her considered portrait alongside however, did not prepare us for the behemoth of bad taste that tottered onto the stage in impossibly high heels. The woman can sing, and sing well….but I can’t help feeling she needs direction, both in choice of material, and dress sense. But that’s just my opinion. I’d so wanted to see UK blues stalwarts Nine below Zero, but their inexplicable time slot of 3.30am meant that realistically wasn’t going to happen.

Suzzete Moncrief

Saturday afternoon saw Suzzete Moncrief accompanied by guitarist Lito Fernandez on the stage in the old square. She did a great job, and had the sweltering crowd with her, particularly on ‘Dock of the Bay’ where the whole crowd attempted to whistle the solo!

Chino & The Big Bet

Next up, Chino and the Big Bet, one of my favourites of the festival. A resonator guitar, half a drumset and an upright bass, this Spanish trio from Barcelona proved to be excellent exponents of Blues and Swing, having come 2nd in the European Blues Challenge. Although the seemed a little ill-at-ease out of the confines of their more normal club-sized gigs, they nevertheless delivered an endearing set with great style and feel.

Los Coronas

The Saturday night of course, we headed to the Plaza del Toros for George Thorogood, but we were blown away by the band that took to the stage before him. the band of the festival for me. Los Coronas were simply magnificent. Imagine being thrown into a dream where you were at a rock concert that kept morphing between surf city, a Quentin Tarantino movie, and a Spaghetti Western, and you might get an idea what Los Coronas are all about. Their set, devoid of all vocals save “Poison Ivy” sung by their drummer, who does the whole set standing up (some of the most magnificent snare work I’ve ever witnessed, by the way) – is a journey, cinematic in scope, on the wings of blistering, glorious twanging guitars, channeling Duane Eddie, The Surfaris, and Ennio Morricone.  Many years ago, in a covers band, we would play ‘Wipe Out’ as a filler, a throwaway number….when these guys exploded into it about three-quarters of the way through their set, it was pure joy. If anyone had told me I could not just sit through a 90-minute instrumental set, but wildly enjoy it, I would have said they were crazy. All wearing White cowboy hats and shades, and possessed of a trumpeter extraordinaire, surrealistically hailing from the Ukraine, they exuded style, cool, top-drawer musicianship and self-deprecating wit – they were one of the best live acts I have ever seen.

George Thorogood

It is to George Thorogood’s credit that he was able to follow that, it would have killed most bands. his open statement “Somebody’s got to go to jail for rock’n’roll, it might as well be me!” set the tone for the evening, and he  and the tornadoes delivered a blistering set that had to of course, feature his take on John Lee Hooker’s “One Bourbon, One Scotch and One Beer”, and the classic “Bad to the Bone”, where he wrings ever last drop of blues out of the slide that attacks his hollowbody guitar.

Cazorla Blues – you have some festival here. Love the town, love the people love the vibe, but keep your eyes on what’s real. Don’t let pop insinuate itself. Keep this festival BLUES.

Kev Moore

Muddy Waters

Muddy Waters – Kev Moore & Miki de Goodaboom ©2013

I’d like to present today the first in an artistic collaborative series by myself, and my partner, the French artist, Miki. My drawing style is very different from hers, and in a bid to create something a little bit unusual, I suggested that I should draw the basic character, and then turn the project over to her for completion, and indeed,  the end result of this first effort looks exactly like a cross between her style and mine! We’re really happy with it, and we will be creating some more over the coming months. I picked Muddy Waters for a number of reasons, one being that Pinetop Perkins played in his band for a while – the late blues piano legend whom I met in Austin on my BLUE ODYSSEY trip a couple of years back, and also did an art work of (see link) ….and Muddy…well, I always loved the story of his first visit to England in 1958, when all these English high-brow blues purists accustomed to the more sedate acoustic blues Big Bill Broonzy and the like were shaken to the core by his loud electric guitar and stompin’ beat! Muddy’s ‘shock and awe’. I like that.  So here he is, out by Lake Michigan, in a snow storm over Chicago ( which it was when we arrived there after exploring the Mississippi delta in 2010) Muddy, like so many other bluesmen, made that journey to the windy city, so it seemed a fitting backdrop. Hope you like it! If you like it a lot, then you can buy it in a variety of formats by clicking on the widget below.

Kev Moore

Happy Talk

A rather unusual string I seem to have inadvertently added to my bow is that of appearing on a talk circuit.  I’ve recently begun giving a series of impromptu lectures about my career in general, and some parts of it specifically, the latest being the story of my album ‘Blue Odyssey’ – the songs and the journey that inspired it.  I usually perform one of the songs from it acoustically too. It’s quite fun to be able to waffle on to a group of (usually ladies) who are interested in the life of a musician, and who usually know very little about it beforehand. It’s also become a surprising and successful outlet for selling my albums. It’s something I’m looking to do more of in the future, and to that end, I’m collating my diaries from my time in America with a view to eventually producing a companion book. Certainly, in this day and age, diversity is the key to gaining, and keeping, an audience.  Long may it continue! Today, I’ve just returned form giving one such talk to the Tuesday Ladies Club (TLC-geddit?!) on nearby Mojacar Playa, a lovely experience beneath blue skies and sunshine by the sea…nice work if you can get it!

You can order the album online at SHOPKEV

Kev Moore

Off topic: Don’t give up the day job….Artwork as a sideline to Music.

You may or may not know, but in addition to my career as a musician, I like to create artworks when the mood takes me. Recent weeks have seen a nice return for this activity, as I’ve sold a variety of items featuring my art in one way or another. I thought it might be a good time to share them.

A few weeks ago I sold some greetings cards featuring ‘Souperman’, and ‘Dali the Dog’, and more recently, a couple of T-shirts featuring my ‘Like Father like Son‘ artwork. Then yesterday, a framed print of Pinetop Perkins, (see above) the legendary bluesman I had the pleasure to meet in Austin, Texas in 2010, when at the grand old age of 96, he proceeded to get up on stage and blow me away.

I was inspired to write the song, ’96 on Sixth’ about the experience and it featured on my album ‘Blue Odyssey’ from the same year. You can hear it by clicking on the widget below:

It’s always fun to create art, and always a big incentive to do more when people appreciate and buy it! -and with that in mind, click on the Fine Art America logo below if you are interested in any of my artworks

Kev Moore

R.I.P. Ted Hebbler, Artist and friend

Me and Ted: New Orleans, February 2010

Several years ago, Miki and I were travelling through South-West Spain in our Motorhome, heading for Portugal. We chanced upon a little artisans market in a small Spanish village. I can tell you exactly when it was – June 25th, 2009. It was the day Michael Jackson died. We got the news as we browsed some art and got chatting with an amiable American at one of the stalls. He was there selling his artwork, and that of his girlfriend, a Polish stained glass artist called Justyna. We took to Ted straight away, he was a larger than life character.  We exchanged contact details and promised to stay in touch.

We discovered he was from New Orleans, and the following year, we travelled to the American South on a road trip that inspired my Blue Odyssey album, and met up with Ted again, this time in his hometown. It was great to see him again, and he showed us around, took us for a Po’ Boy sandwich, and introduced us to his friends at the Apple Barrel in Frenchman Street.

Today, as we holiday in Lanzarote, we discovered via the Fine Art America website that Ted had passed away. After spending some months in Mexico, he’d returned to N’awlins, and there he died.

Here’s to you Ted, one of those characters that so enrich your life as you travel around the world.  You were a good man, and you’ll be remembered my friend.

Kev Moore

Still passing the Biscuits…..

Me with Sonny in the KFFA studios, 2010

I’m going to be away in Lanzarote on November 21st. But I wanted to do a post about that date. Because it’s an Anniversary. It will have been SEVENTY-ONE YEARS exactly since King Biscuit Time started broadcasting on that very day in 1941, out of Helena, Arkansas, on the banks of the Mighty Mississippi. presented by Sonny Boy Williamson it also at one time featured the late great Pinetop Perkins in the studio band – a legend I was privileged to meet just a year before his death, in Austin, Texas.

Sonny – still broadcasting loud and clear in September this year

Now clocking in at 16,500+ broadcasts and still going strong, it has been presented by the legendary Sunshine Sonny Payne, 86 years young, since 1951.
When I was on my ‘Blue Odyssey’ to Nashville, Memphis, the Mississippi and beyond in 2010, I dropped into the KFFA studio, located within the Blues museum in ‘beautiful downtown Helena’ and was interviewed by the man himself. The man, the programme, the place, is a legend, and I was privileged to be on his show. Not only that, but he graciously agreed to do a voiceover on my homage to this amazing show – a song I wrote which takes it’s title from Sonny’s catchphrase “Pass the Biscuits!”

With ‘The Two Sonnys’ – by the Mississippi levee at Helena 2010

So here it is, All Instruments and vocals by myself, except drums by my dear friend Stef Cybichowski, and of course, featuring the inimitable Sunshine Sonny Payne – here’s to you Sonny, congratulations on King Biscuit time reaching 71 – here’s to many more!

Kev Moore

A Prayer for The Biblescapes

 

Don’t worry, I haven’t become a God-botherer or anything!  No, the Invisible Sky Wizard must look elsewhere for new recruits, but I wanted to do a post about my partner Miki’s series of paintings – The Biblescapes. All depicting moments from The Bible (which I prefer to think of as A good book rather than THE good book) -they are visually stunning. When she asked me to put together a video to showcase them, I thought I should use a track from my ‘Blue Odyssey‘ album – “A Mississippi Prayer“. Now, unfortunately, Miki had so many paintings that the running time was more than twice the length of the track, so with a bit of judicious editing and cutting and pasting, I’ve put down a version that goes the distance!

You can buy Miki’s prints online HERE

-And you can buy my BLUE ODYSSEY CD

from my ONLINE SHOP

For the hardcopy-phobic amongst you, there will be soon be the possibility to buy the album digitally, and/or track by track!

Kev Moore

A Busy Weekend!

Me and Jeff Christie on stage in Dresden.

I’ve been all over the place this weekend – starting with a visit to The Bay Radio Studios in Javea on Friday to record an interview for that evening’s Sunset Strip with Noelle, and then leaving Miki’s parents apartment in Benidorm at 4.30 am to catch a flight from Alicante to Benidorm to connect with my flight to Berlin. There, I was driven two and a half hours south to Dresden, where I had time to say hi to a few fellow musicians- Graham Oliver from T Rex, Bill Hurd from The Rubettes, and Eric Faulkner from the Bay City Rollers etc, before grabbing a quick shower and then heading off to the gig, where I was performing with Christie.

Signing my Blue Odyssey CD for Rainer Frank backstage

After the show, I was really feeling ill, the lack of sleep and dehyrdation catching up with me. I went straight to bed, and left the hotel at 3.30am with the guys from Dozy, Beaky Mick and Tich. They were dropped at Berlin Tegel, and I at Berlin Schoenenfeld airport, where I awaited my 8.30am flight to London Gatwick.

Fos, Jeff and Kev

Landing around 10am, I took the train up to Croydon, where BC Sweet guitarist Mike picked me up, and we headed across country to Brean Sands, ready to appear later that night with a number of bands including The Boomtown Rats at the Yesterday Once More 70’s festival.

I managed to grab a couple of hours sleep in the afternoon, and we hit the stage after the Rats at 11.30pm. Amazingly, given my constant state of exhaustion, both the Christie and BC Sweet gigs were great, and I was reminded why I do this job. I just love it.

I flew home from Birmingham the following afternoon, ready to recharge my batteries for the Estonia tour with Christie, which begins next Sunday when I head to the UK for rehearsals.

Kev Moore

Bay Radio interview Sunday 9th October – Blue Odyssey

Bob & Noelle

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of being interviewed about my Blue Odyssey project by Bay Radio’s Bob James and Noelle Wyman on the Sunday Brunch. For those of you that missed the live streaming, you can listen to it here:

Kev Moore

P.A.W.S. Benefit Concert

Many of you may be labouring under the misapprehension that P.A.W.S. is the name of an animal charity, but I can assure you all that this is not the case…well, it might, be, but not to this particular singer/bassist. It stands for “Plays Again With Stef”. Because 2 weeks ago, I climbed onstage with my old buddy Stef Cybichowski and we played live together for the first time in 33 years, no rehearsals, nothing. (Unless you count the 2 hours on the plane where Stef was listening to the songs on his ipod!)

I don’t gig locally very often , but the opportunity afforded by this Charity bash coinciding with Stef’s weekend visit was too good to pass up. So my mate Mario Moriche, Stef and i took to the stage in Mojacar’s artisan centre, and the years fell away. It’s frightening to think what sort of rhythm section we’d be if we’d played together for 33 years! I only re-established contact with Stef a couple of years back, and through the miracle of technology he supplied drums on three tracks from my Blue Odyssey album, but we were never in the same room at the same time.

Back in the murky 70’s, we shared a flat in Derby as green 18 year-olds, and before the decade was out, went our separate ways, Stef playing in Germany, and me in Scandinavia.  When we re-connected, it was like sitting around in our old lounge back in Vicarage Avenue, as if no time had passed. There is something special about musicians. Your relationships just endure. Even if you’ve been out of touch, and you can pick up where you left off with consummate ease.  The way we just walked on stage and ‘did the gig’ was amazing, and an experience I’m so grateful for, and hope to repeat. Let’s not wait another 33 years, eh matey? 🙂

Photos by Deano

Kev Moore