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Los Angeles-based guitarist Adrian Galysh is an on-demand solo artist, session guitarist, published author, and educator with an illustrious career spanning five studio albums – including his upcoming release Into The Blue, due May 25.

With Into The Blue, Galysh departs from his usual progressive/instrumental style, diving deep into gritty blues-rock tracks accompanied by his own vocals, and also those of vocal powerhouse Kacee Clanton (Joe Cocker, Luis Miguel), who lends her sultry voice to the album as a guest artist and co-writer.

And while Into The Blue is an all-vocal blues-rock affair, fans of Galysh’s guitar-centric style will enjoy this very guitar-driven record. The album also features special guest performances by studio session ace Carl Verheyen (Supertramp), who plays on Galysh’s energetic version of the Junior Wells classic “Messin’ With The Kid,” and chicken picker Johnny Hiland, who takes a string- and mind-bending guest solo on Bobby Blue Bland’s “Further On Up The Road.”

The album’s rhythm section is rounded out by the stellar and authentic blues talents of drummer Joey Heredia (Stevie Wonder, Tribal Tech), and bassist Paul Loranger (Eric Sardinas).

“Playing blues guitar needs to be a concise statement, and requires simple, good tone,” said Galysh. “Into The Blue offers just that – blues-inspired songs that are straightforward in their arrangement, sound, and instrumentation. I didn’t want to waste a single phrase, and wanted to ensure that every solo reflects the song’s feel and intent.”

Praised by artists like Jennifer Batten and outlets like Power Play Magazine, Galysh has a successful trajectory that includes numerous collaborations and performances with industry giants like Uli Jon Roth, Yngwie Malmsteen, Robben Ford, Mike Keneally, George Lynch, Warren DeMartini, and many more.

Galysh is also a Guitar World Magazine online lesson columnist and Education Coordinator for Guitar Center Lessons. He's the author of the book Progressive Guitar Warm-Ups and Exercises. He uses SIT Strings, Seymour Duncan pickups and effects, Voodoo Lab and Morley pedals, and has a Brian Moore
signature guitar. 

Paul Gabriel is a Blues Music Award nominee,
Lifetime Achievement Award ecipient,
Blues Hall of Fame inductee and New England Music Hall Of Fame inductee.
Paul Gabriel is a Blues Music Award nominated guitarist, singer and songwriter. In March 2018 Paul Gabriel was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Connecticut Blues Society for excellence in guitar playing, singing and songwriting; also for outstanding bandleader and entertainer.
In July 2018 he was inducted into the CT Blues Hall Of Fame
as a Master Blues Artist, in 2020 he was inducted into the New England Music Hall Of Fame for his musical contributions to the music business over fifty years.
He has shared the stage with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Muddy Waters Band, Mick Taylor, James Cotton, Robert Cray, Jaimoe, Gatemouth Brown, Buckwheat Zydeco, Matt Murphy, Johnny Winter, Delbert McClinton, Duke Robillard, Ronnie Earl, Toy Caldwell, Roomful Of Blues, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, The Band, Lonnie Mack, Sugar Ray and The Bluetones, Mark Naftalin, Arthur Neilson, Shemikia Copeland, Bonnie Bramlett, Susan Tedeschi, Christine Ohlman, Sue Foley, Debbie Davies, Candye Kane, Tommy Castro, Joe Bonamassa, James Montgomery, Gov'T Mule, Orleans, Tower Of Power, Rick Derringer, Issac Hayes and many, many more.
He has appeared on three Harry Chapin albums, played slide guitar on Rory Block’s Grammy nominated album, ‘Mama’s Blues’ and toured with Michael Bolotin (Bolton). His latest release, ‘Paul Gabriel- What’s The Chance’ was produced by Duke Robillard for Shining Stone Records and was nominated for a Blues Music Award in 2014. It charted for 22 weeks on The Roots Music Report, Living Blues Chart, Blues Debut Chart and Cashbox Charts, reaching #8 nationally and #1 in Connecticut.
While almost always performing with a Blues band under his own name, he has been a member of quite a few groups that always made the difference; most notably Blue In The Face, The Mojomatics and HooDoo Band.
The new album 'Paul Gabriel- Man Of Many Blues' produced by Duke Robillard for Smoke Ring Records was released on August 27th, 2019 and is available in a variety of formats. The record is a culmination of 13 new original songs covering some not so typical Blues, a little Jazz ( featuring Duke , of course), some 60's style Rhythm and Blues infused with the incredible soulful backing vocals of Christine Ohlman( Saturday Night Live), and a rarely heard rocker right out of the twilight zone !
►  https://www.paulgabriel.net/ 

GRANADA BLUES BAND Hometown Granada
First period: 1986-1993
The group was initially made up, in 1986, of the singer of Franco-German origin Pecos Beck, the guitarist Joaquín Sánchez, Pepe Chamorro on electric bass and Antonio Valero on drums. After various performances and establishing themselves in the local circuit, Pepe Visedo (sax and flute), Ignacio Sánchez (guitar) and Estanis Peinado (piano and organ) joined. With this formation, and already in 1989, they recorded their first demo, which had a certain impact in specialized media and, especially, on Radio 3. As a result, the Malaga record company Cambayá Records released their first album, titled "El mejor blues of the city" (1990), which was followed by various concerts at Jazz Festivals and its presentation in Madrid.
After some substitutions (Jose Luis Pizarro and Carlos Sánchez took over the guitars, and the North American David Lenker replaced Peinado on the keyboards) the band published what would be, to this day, their most recognized album, "Negro en tierra de blanco" ", for the Big Bang label, received with true praise by critics, "for its naturalness, its apparent lack of effort in mastering the language, for its lack of pretensions and for the high level achieved, which make it one of the best blues albums recorded in Spain".2
The album included classics from the band, such as Drinking and walking, Black in whiteland or Some of my best friends are on Welfare, with lyrics of clear social content.
Second period: 1994-1998
The loss of Beck, Lenker, Martín and Chamorro, in 1994, totally modified the image of the band. The Swiss Connie Resch takes charge of the voice, Joaquín Caballero of the bass, and Javier Avilés of the other lead guitar and keyboards. After a tour, which included Espárrago Rock, Visedo also left the band before entering the recording studio again.
It is with the remaining line-up that they recorded what would be their third album, "Life is not easy" (Big Bang, 1995), which was released in 1996. This album would move away from the purism of the first period and experiment in other sounds and tempos. Despite the fact that its level was artistically and technically inferior to the previous installment, it obtained critical recognition, being selected as the best national blues album of the year.
In 1998, Resch and Caballero left the band due to disagreements with the rest; The voice is assumed by the jazz singer Celia Mur and the position of bassist falls to Pepe Castro, returning again to the group Estanis Peinado.
Third period: 1999-2009
With this formation (J. L. Pizarro, Javier Avilés, Estanislao Peinado, Pepe Castro, Antonio Valero and Celia Mur), and with the return of Pecos Beck, the group reactivates its presence on the national circuits and in the media, after publishing its album "Cuatro" (Ambar, 2000), undoubtedly the band's most popular (according to references to public acceptance, sales and awards it received, such as Best Jazz and Blues album, at the Music Awards of Andalusia in the year 2000). The new sound, while moving away from R&B roots, gains experience and recovers images associated with historic Jazz Rock bands, such as Blood, Sweat & Tears, while bringing a new and more pop line from its composers. These new ideas, the forceful rhythmic base, the skill of its guitarists, the presence of its vocalists and the strengthening of the sound provided by a powerful wind section, made up of Nardy Castellini (saxes), Eric Sánchez and Gregorio Buendía (trumpets) and Rafa Martínez (trombone), made this one of the most powerful groups on the Spanish music scene.
A practically unchanged formation, they will record their next album, "Llamando a tu puerta" (Ambar, 2002), where the band develops their personal versions of R&B and Soul classics.
A transition disc.
The following years, the group performs various tours and special works, such as didactic concerts for schoolchildren, in collaboration with the City of Granada Orchestra. Among the tours, the one they did in 2005 together with the singer, Rosa López (something that their most purist fans do not forgive them), with 17 concerts and a surprise among critics, stood out due to the influx of public and media projection. A year later, in 2006, the band celebrated its 20th anniversary on the scene, with a concert in which the British guitarist Otis Grand performed as a special guest, with whom a relationship began (and a long series of concerts).
In 2007, the band intervenes in the soundtrack of the film by Alex Quiroga, "Buscando a Enma", composed by Estanis Peinado. A year later, in 2008, they published a compilation box with three CDs and one DVD, under the title "20 years are nothing" (El Perro Andaluz, 2008), collecting all their recordings, as a celebration of those two decades of life, an almost unusual fact, given the transience with which the groups appear and disappear without leaving a trace.5 Finally, the relationship with the English guitarist bears fruit in the recording of an album by the band with Otis Grand, who produces the musical and adds his guitar. The album is published in 2009 (The Grand Sessions, Riff-Duradisc), after carrying out the sessions and mixing in London.6
Discography
• The best blues in the city (Cambayá, 1991)
• Black in white land (Big Bang, 1992)
• Life is not easy (Big Bang, 1995)
• Four (Amber, 2000)
• Knocking at your door (Ambar, 2002)
• 20 years are nothing (Perro Andaluz-Duradisc, 2008)
• The Grand Sessions, with Otis Grand (Riff Productions-Duradisc, 2009)
The Blues Band of Granada is a legendary group that celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2016 practicing the best blues against all odds. For more visit on site:  https://bitly.ws/B9hB 


- Pecos Beck (Vocals and Harmonica)
-J.L. Pizarro (Guitar)
- Estanis Peinado (Piano)
- Pepe Castro (Bass)
- Antonio Valero (Drums)
- Agustin Sanchez (sax)
- Gregorio Buendía (Trumpet)
- Rafa Martinez (Trombone) 

BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO

Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural [was] a zydeco trailblazer with soulful bayou-steeped originals and covers. —USA Today

American musical legend Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural Jr. (November 14, 1947 – September 24, 2016) —along with his band, Buckwheat Zydeco—was the preeminent ambassador of Louisiana zydeco music. The New York Times said, “Stanley ‘Buckwheat’ Dural leads one of the best bands in America…a down-home and high-powered celebration, meaty and muscular with a fine-tuned sense of dynamics…propulsive rhythms, incendiary performances.”

Over the course of his five-decade career, Dural had over 25 albums to his credit, five Grammy Award nominations and one Grammy victory. He and his band performed non-stop all over the world, playing with everyone from Eric Clapton and U2 to Robert Plant and The Boston Pops. The band played at the closing ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympics and entertained President Clinton twice, celebrating both of his inaugurations. They appeared on The Late Show With David Letterman, CNN, The Today Show, MTV, NBC News, CBS Morning News and many other programs. They also played the final episode of The Late Show With Jimmy Fallon.

In 2009, Buckwheat Zydeco marked the band’s 30th anniversary with the release of their Grammy Award-winning, Steve Berlin-produced CD, Lay Your Burden Down on Alligator Records. Living Blues said, "The entire work is a vibrant testament to Buckwheat Zydeco's spirit, reminding us that Louisiana's musical heritage has taken all the hurricanes could give. This is an album that can introduce a new generation of music fans to the world of zydeco music and serve as a wonderful reminder about what a great zydeco band can do."

After hearing Lay Your Burdon Down, Scott Simon, on National Public Radio's Weekend Edition Saturday, called Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural, Jr., "the go-to guy for zydeco music…a master of accordion and organ," and described his music as "feel good, get-up-and-dance music, slow R&B grooves and brooding blues."

Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural, Jr. was born in Lafayette, Louisiana. He acquired his nickname because, as a child with his braided hair, he looked like Buckwheat from The Little Rascals. His father was an accomplished, non-professional traditional Creole accordion player, but young Buckwheat preferred listening to and playing R&B. He became proficient at the organ, and by the late 1950s was backing Joe Tex, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown and many others. In 1971, he formed Buckwheat and The Hitchhikers, a 15-piece funk and soul band. They were a local sensation and found success with the single, “It’s Hard To Get,” recorded for a local Louisiana-based label. Never a traditional zydeco fan when growing up, Buckwheat nonetheless accepted an invitation in 1976 to join legendary zydeco master Clifton Chenier’s Red Hot Louisiana Band as organist. He quickly discovered the joy and power of zydeco music, and marveled at the effect the music had on the audience. “Everywhere, people young and old just loved zydeco music,” Buckwheat said. “I had so much fun playing that first night with Clifton. We played for four hours and I wasn’t ready to quit.”

Buckwheat’s relationship with the legendary Chenier led him to take up the accordion in 1978. After woodshedding for a year, he felt ready to start his own band under the name Buckwheat Zydeco, and began his recording career with the small Blues Unlimited label. By the mid-1980s there were more offers to perform than he could possibly accept. Recordings for Black Top and Rounder followed before Buckwheat befriended New York-based journalist Ted Fox, who championed Buckwheat to Chris Blackwell at Island Records in 1986. Buckwheat Zydeco signed a five-record deal and Fox became and remained his manager and frequent producer. The success of these records kept Buckwheat Zydeco on the road and in constant demand.

In 1988, Eric Clapton invited the band to open his North American tour as well as his 12-night stand at London’s Royal Albert Hall. As even more doors opened, Buckwheat found himself sharing stages and/or recording with Keith Richards, Robert Plant, Willie Nelson, Mavis Staples, David Hidalgo, Dwight Yoakam, Paul Simon, Ry Cooder and many others, including indie music stalwarts Yo La Tengo on the soundtrack to the Bob Dylan bio-pic I’m Not There. His music was featured in films ranging from The Waterboy and The Big Easy to Fletch Lives and Hard Target. BET’s Comic View used his live version of “What You Gonna Do?” as theme music for the program’s 10th anniversary “Pardi Gras” season. He co-wrote and performed the theme song for the PBS television series Pierre Franey’s Cooking In America. Buckwheat won an Emmy for his music in the CBS TV movie, Pistol Pete: The Life And Times Of Pete Maravich. During the 1990s and 2000s Buckwheat recorded for his own Tomorrow Recordings label and maintained an extensive touring schedule. Along with his remarkably talented band, he brought his joyful Louisiana music to fans all over the world for over 40 years. It’s no wonder People magazine said Buckwheat’s music was “a propulsive, rollicking, swamp-boogie joy ride.” 

Felix Pappalardi was most famous as the producer of Cream and the bassist for one of the first American hard rock acts, Mountain; sadly, he's also remembered for the tragic shooting that claimed his life at age 43. Pappalardi was born December 20, 1939, in the Bronx and studied classical music at the University of Michigan; upon returning to New York, he was unable to find work as a conductor and soon drifted into the Greenwich Village folk scene. He soon made a name for himself as a skilled arranger, and from there moved into record production, initially concentrating on folk and folk-rock acts like Tim Hardin, the Youngbloods, Joan Baez, Richard & Mimi Farina, Ian & Sylvia, and Fred Neil. However, it was Pappalardi's late-'60s work with the psychedelic blues-rock outfit Cream -- beginning with their second album, Disraeli Gears -- that really established his reputation; Pappalardi sometimes contributed additional instrumentation for his imaginative studio arrangements and he and wife, Gail Collins, co-wrote "Strange Brew" with Eric Clapton.

In 1968, Pappalardi was asked to produce an Atlantic Records band called the Vagrants, which featured a young guitarist named Leslie West. The following year, he produced West's solo album Mountain; after Cream disbanded, Pappalardi and West formed the hard rock band Mountain, whose hit single "Mississippi Queen" remains a staple of classic rock radio. Mountain broke up in 1972, reunited in 1974, and disbanded again in 1975; afterwards, Pappalardi was forced to, for the most part, retire from performing due to partial hearing loss caused by Mountain's extreme volume. However, he was able to return to production, and also recorded an album with the Japanese hard rock outfit Creation, who had opened for Mountain on their Japanese tours; Felix Pappalardi & Creation was released on A&M in 1976. In 1979, Pappalardi released his first proper solo album, Don't Worry, Ma, which reflected his growing interest in funk, jazz fusion, and reggae, and featured a large supporting cast, including bassist Chuck Rainey and drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie.

On the night of April 17, 1983, tragedy struck: Pappalardi was shot once in the neck by his wife, Gail Collins, and killed. He had been involved in a long-standing affair with a younger woman, of which Collins had knowledge; however, a jury supported Collins' claim that the shooting was accidental, occurring while Pappalardi was showing her how to use the gun. She was convicted of criminally negligent homicide rather than the far more serious charge of second-degree murder; sentenced to four years, Collins quietly disappeared afterward. 

Singer-songwriter, guitar player and producer Epi K. Paradox, originally from Chania, Crete, an island in Greece, traded the sun-soaked Mediterranean to pursue his music career in London, UK. Taking inspiration from the British Blues Explosion of the late 60s and early 70s, Epi K. Paradox creates his own brand of contemporary Blues music, while remaining faithful to Rhythm and Blues tradition.
 His music influences reminisce the roaring guitar riffs of Buddy Guy, Mike Bloomfield, Jimmy Page and Roy Buchanan, while his songwriting skills reflect on the revival sound of the Blues era. After graduating from BIMM London and London College of Music in 2017 and 2018 respectively, Epi K. Paradox has performed in various venues in London, including the O2 Academy, The Monarch, St Moritz Club and Fiddler's Elbow, just to name a few.
  The release of his powerful debut digital single Find My Baby in late October, 2018 set high expectations, while Epi K. Paradox  released his debut album I'll Take The Long Road in September 27th, 2019 and his EP Out Of The Blue in December 17th, 2021. ➥  https://www.epikparadox.com/ 
Album ''A Gentle Storm''  https://t.ly/9LB5 

Salvo Rizzuto decided to come to England in the late 1980's. and spent a few years learning the language and persuading anyone he could get to listen to give him studio time. contributed vocals to the soundtrack of "A Life & Loves Of A She Devil "​, worked with Trevor Horn and fronted funk soul act Freedom or Not,and later Sunshaker. Unconditional is Salvo Rizzuto'S first solo album, D-Influence (previous production credits include Shola Ama, Light House Family & Tom Jones) , producer Mark Hawkes (Boom Devil), New Yorker Thomas Foyer (Kaci) and Cliff Charles (Gabrielle, Lena Fiagbe and Robert Gordon) are all featured; making Unconditional a unique groove/soul vocal album. Including original material and rare groove soul covers, George Clinton's "Cosmic Slop"​ , Bill Withers"Who Is He & What Is He To You"​ and "You Don't Know Me" made famous by Ray Charles. In 2006 he collaborated with Mark Hawkes’s Sunshaker s, singing and writing lyrics for the album Running and Hiding, which was released by Boom Devil Records in 2007.
In 2008 he formed Loners with Sante and Carlo Barbagallo and after two years of intense work, “I remember a Dream” was released.(Boom Devil Records). The album was greeted with great enthusiasm by several Italian indie magazines such as Il Mucchio, Sound magazine, ArtistsandBands to name a few.
A new solo album, Tempted, was released in July 2012.
Since then Salvo has collaborated with the Dj Denny Loco recording an album ( Get Rid Of It) due at the beginning of 2014. He also recorded an album, State of Grace, with the band Atelier that was released in June 2014.From 2015 he has collaborated with Dj/producer Attilio Ierna aka Dufunk, in december of that year the Temptation's classic Papa Was A Rolling Stones was realeased world wide by Ru_ Sweet Rains, an american record label. Currently working on an album with Dufunk, as well as Loners and Atelier scheduled for release in 2017.A new single released in 2020 with Dufunk Ft FON , Good To me, 2021 with Loners Win or Lose, AND Silly as well as new video with Jus, (For your babies)  https://soundcloud.com/salvo-rizzuto 

Meet The Zack Walther Band.
When Zack Walther went to college to major in music, he had to choose an “instrument of study.” And—no accident—he chose his own voice. As a child of the 1980s he sang in the school choir and learned to play songs by ear on his brother’s upright piano, “But it was mainly the white keys,” he recalls. Then, as an afterthought, he adds, “It still is.” That piano may have been the first musical instrument he ever touched, but it certainly wasn’t the last.

By the time the ’90s rolled around, he was a teenager immersed in rock and roll and already a developing musician. That’s when he found his father’s old nylon-string classical guitar, long forgotten and stashed in the family attic. When he was 13, his folks, aware of his interest, bought him a basic electric guitar and a little Crate amp. Two years later, they surprised him on Christmas with his first quality acoustic guitar. “I played all through Christmas day,” he says. “Playing songs, learning songs, country songs, rock songs, just basic chords.” Still, he knew he was destined to be a vocalist—first and foremost.

“Singing was a natural thing for me, and it always has been because I’ve gone through college and actually been classically trained to sing.” He picked up piano and guitar on his own, and though he’s had a few lessons, considers himself self-taught. “There was always interest early on, very early, playing music and singing. And because I was the vocalist of my friends, I’ve always been the lead singer,” he says. “I can remember, at 13, 14 years old having band practice in my best friend’s garage.” High school was a whirlwind, “a lot of guys and girls creating bands.” Over the 30-year span of his musical life, he’s been in and out of bands, including, fairly recently, Zack Walther and the Cronkites, a name familiar to many aficionados of Texas music. An album—Ambition—arose out of that collaboration. In his current iteration of band names, it’s back to basics: The Zack Walther Band, a three-piece ensemble with guitar, bass and drums — with his  best friend and collaborator Matthew Briggs on drums.

Once the seeds were planted, Walther has just kept growing musically year after year, gaining experience, covering new songs and musical genres, until he evolved into the versatile performer that he is today. He’s able to deliver anything from the Beatles to Bruce Springsteen to Leonard Cohen to a whole catalog of originals, many of which make up the tracks on albums he’s recorded over the years. As a teenager, “The alternative rock scene was huge, and that’s what we listened to mostly. But I was also raised on my dad’s LPs, the Beatles. I had a huge, strong influence from Simon & Garfunkle. That was one of my favorites growing up. In fact, the first song I ever played in front of an audience was ‘Sound of Silence.’ And I still play it today.”

The versatility that defines his performances extends to a wide range of music that’s known by the vast majority of Americans regardless of background or regional differences. It’s a genre that’s come to be known as “Americana”—music that’s rooted in the heritage of the nation, from the English and Irish music of the earliest settlers’ to the blues and jazz of the old South and the R&B of Detroit. And Walther’s voice ranges as far and wide as his song choices. In his rendering of Leonard Cohen’s anthem-like “Hallelujah,” he can reach down deep in his throat to find a guttural howl and then soar up to highs that ring like a prayer. To watch him perform is to see a musician in his prime delivering straight from the heart.

And his growth as an artist never stops, as the Zack Walther Band expands its audience. A recent original, “Mustang Wine,” is, as he puts it, “a perfect example of the direction this band is headed.” Wherever Walther and his band are going, they’re doing it at breakneck speed, and for fans of that special kind of music you can only find in Texas, they can’t wait until he gets there.
​
If you’re lucky enough to catch the Zack Walther Band performing live, you notice one thing right away: In most bands, the drummer’s sitting on a small stool surrounded by a whole bunch of drums. But this guy’s standing up, and he’s got just that one snare drum. Plus, if you get closer, you pick up on something strange: his bass pedal is beating on the side of an old suitcase. Yep, you’re looking at Matt Briggs, and his evolution from a kid playing on a second-hand drum kit to his emergence today as a musical force to be reckoned with is sure to become part of Texas music lore.

Briggs’s Father was a police officer, and his Mom taught school, but neither of them had a musical background. Although, he recalls, “My mom kinda sang in the church choir, stuff like that.” He was actually born in New Braunfels, but soon after that, the family moved down to the coast, and he spent his formative years in West Columbia (population 3,905). The town had a place in Texas history, having served as the state capital for a time back in 1836, but Briggs says, “It was a small town, and it took about four neighboring towns to get one school district … growing up all we had was a Walmart.”

His Dad loved to snag a bargain at pawnshops and yard sales (“you know, the pack rat kind of guy”), and when he came home with a surfboard one day, Matt and his best friend Zack Walther learned how to ride it. Then Zack’s dad bought him a guitar for Christmas, and Matt’s Dad came across a drum kit; it was a foregone conclusion that they would join forces. By then, the two friends were freshmen in high school and started practicing in a garage, doing “Green Day and Pearl Jam, stuff that was cool in the ‘90s,” he says.

In the beginning, when he had nothing but an old pair of used drumsticks, he’d beat on anything—pots and pans, the top of a barstool—drums were his “passion.” But the junior high music teachers had different ideas. “You walk in there and they sit you down, see if you can hear different tones. They see what your lips look like and see what instrument you’d be good at. And they asked me, ‘Matthew what do you want to play?’ and I said, ‘I’m here to be a drummer.’ I wanted to play drums so bad.”

But the school had a different idea: the saxophone. “I’m glad I did it,” he says, looking back. His Mom came up with a hundred bucks for a used sax, and he played it for six years. “I learned all the music theory, the notes and the notation side of things. And rhythm.” Then a cymbal player got sick, and the marching band needed that cymbal, so he raised his hand and volunteered. He marched with cymbals for a season, worked up to drums, and continued marching in college when he attended Southwest Texas in San Marcos. “So I had to sneak my way into drums,” he says with a laugh.
​
Today he shows up with that suitcase modified with a bass drum pedal, a single snare drum and cymbal on a stand, plus a little tambourine, which serves as a hi-hat (normally a pair of cymbals operated by a foot pedal to open and close). “I have gone through a really minimal kind of way of thinking and playing music,” he says. That minimalist style has become his trademark, and it merges with the mindset of the band as well.

By the time they were in college, the two best buddies had started thinking about making some money in music, and they opted for top-40 country tunes (“like your Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney kind of stuff”), playing dance halls and bars. That lasted about three years as they traveled around Texas, but toward the end of college, as he recalls, “Zack and I just looked at each other, and said, ‘You know, we could write these songs.’ We could perform and write the stuff.”

By now, things were going pretty well, and the band started traveling, doing college stops in Lubbock, Austin, Houston and others. Briggs marvels today at the Texas music genre: “There’s a Texas scene here,” he says. “It’s got…it’s like its own beating heart here.” And the band has matured with time as they’ve performed an increasing mix of original material along with the covers. On the college circuit, they had the time and opportunities to evolve into what he describes as “this Americana Texas music kind of thing.” And that’s what they’re still doing today. “We really like doing our showcase,” he says. “We like going into a place with a listening room or where we’re playing on a bill with a bunch of bands—that’s kind of our thing. That’s what we want to be known as—we want to be known as artists.”

He didn’t go to college initially for a music degree. “I actually went for a studio art degree, emphasis in painting.…I thought I was going to be a school teacher,” he recalls. “I thought when the music career folded, that’s what I was going to end up doing. I was just going to switch over to a nice life with a regular job with benefits.” He went to Kingsville A&M near Corpus Christi to get his Masters but never used his teaching degree until a couple years ago; today he gives private lessons to about 35 students. They stage informal recitals in which the students are pretty much free to come up and play, then mix with their friends.

“Zack and I, what we do is we show up with pride. When we go up there we’re singing our songs about things that we care about — songs about Zack’s kids, our wives, our work, our friendship, the business,” he says. “We have a great fan base, and they come out every week. Right now I’m going to be true to my art and do what I do, and if the people eat it up, that’s great. And if the people don’t, well, I’ll just keep working. That’s what me and Zack have always done.” 

►''Blues Messenger'' is a road trip, from Mississippi to Chicago, with a sprinkle of New Orleans and a pitstop in the Appalachian Mountains. Imagine a dinner party with Son House, Dr. John & Muddy Waters, and a guest appearance by Johnny Cash - not for the faint of heart, but undeniably good for the soul. 
More ►  https://t.ly/j5r_  
Album  https://t.ly/xWF0  ''Blues Messenger''
The album cover for 'Blues Messenger' was snapped in Cabanyal, Valencia by the talented Antonio Souto (check out his project 'phonomatonexpress'), a couple of minutes after I made some field recordings in the local church.
It took me a while, but during the mastering of this album I realised these field recordings are part of the story: they capture a moment in time, just like the picture. After all these years of hollering on street corners and terraces, I became the songs I was singing. When I look in the mirror, I see the wayfaring stranger.
The album was released exactly one year after my debut album ‘After Hours’, which were all originals. ‘Blues Messenger’ is a road trip through my formative years. Son House, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson: I made their music my own. These albums are completely different, but they belong to the same confession. Forgive me father, cause I have sinned…
Yours unfaithfully, Ruben Bertrands 
►Playing guitar on this track is called 'Jonas Bormans', Musician from the lovely city of Leuven, Belgium. Always on the lookout for interesting musical adventures.
 https://soundcloud.com/user-614276145 

The music of triple-threat songwriter-musician-producer Paul Mark has been turning the heads of critics and barflies for decades. With a striking lyrical edge and an encyclopedic facility with American roots music, Mark has curated a top-drawer original song catalog that draws the most discerning listeners. Paul Mark’s latest collection, Gravity, on New York City-based Radiation Records, completes a trilogy of albums that has pushed Mark’s songwriting and recording into a space well beyond his blues and Americana bona fides. Following up onStowawaysand Smartest Man In the Room, Gravity is Mark’s 11th commercially-released album. His recorded output spans several decades, embracing the roots spectrum with a relentlessly original take on blues, rock, soul, country, surf, cabaret, R’nB, and old-timey sounds.

Mark is best known for his unique songwriting, his roadhouse-ruff vocal delivery and for the raucous barroom sounds of his urban blues/roots rock ensemble, The Van Dorens. His originals such as When God Finds the Time, Fritos, BBQ and Scotch, I’m Going Blind, One More Coat of Paint, How Do the Blind Become So Famous?, and The Drinks are On Me take on traditional genres and weave them into contemporary, vital music. Mark praises his collaborative musical family, the Van Dorens, a revolving-door collective of dedicated musicians and engineering contributors. He’s said that the family name was sourced from the schlock exploitation flick High School Confidential. Over several decades he’s performed a thousand-plus of sets of live music at clubs and festivals with his band.



Mark has written and recorded hundreds of commercially-released songs (see the Lyrics page). Before setting up his own studio in New York City he cut albums at numerous world-class facilities including Ardent Studios (Memphis), Compass Point Studios (The Bahamas), The Music Shed (New Orleans) and Dockside Studios (Maurice, Louisiana). Most frequent among his session collaborators is the Grammy-winning Memphis producer/engineer Jeff Powell, who to date has collaborated on seven Paul Mark albums. Mark’s also worked with Grammy-winning producers Jim Gaines, Terry Manning and the late John Hampton. Mark’s most recently released several vintage cover tracks, including a trash-guitar version of the Yardbirds classic Heart Full of Soul and a deep-soul guitar instrumental version of Grace Slick’s White Rabbit.  Radiation Records has also pre-released several singles from Gravity, including the holiday original December at the P.O. and the download single Con Man VIP, a blistering take on a certain White House occupant. On his instrumental roots guitar CDs, titled Roadside Americana and Mirage Cartography, Mark pays quiet homage to country blues greats such as Blind Blake, Mississippi John Hurt and Rev. Gary Davis, as well as next generation influences such as John Fahey, Jorma Kaukonen and Leo Kottke.

Paul Mark is principal owner of Radiation Records Inc. and its publishing affiliate Last Warning Music. Both were founded in 1995. Mark grew up in Connecticut and attended University of CT and got bachelor’s degrees in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and English. Mark then attended grad school at New York University where he earned a Masters in English. There he was nearly finished with his Ph.D in English when a recording contract halted his studies. After traveling in Europe and living in Paris for an extended period he returned to Manhattan where he’s lived for the past 25 years. Mark toured for decades with his band, normally performing three sets a night in bars and clubs. In retrospect he says his worldview was permanently corrupted by the years of long van rides, budget hotels and inadequate stage sound systems.