Blues Family � International Blues Family
Ik plaatste de cd in zijn lade, ging er voor zitten en werd gevangen door de vette manier van
spelen van deze bijzondere groep. Ik werd gevangen door de sfeer, door de geluidskwaliteit en
natuurlijk door de inzet van de muzikanten. Ik had nog nooit eerder van deze groep gehoord,
maar dit is van hoge kwaliteit. Oftewel, grote klasse!
Een groep die in feite gevormd is rondom Lighting Red. De grootheid uit Austin Texas.
LZ Love en Lightnin� Red hadden het idee opgevat een tour te doen in Europa. Muzikale begeleiding moest
er zijn en ze hebben die gevonden in muzikanten uit Duitsland en Kroati�. En zie je hebt een International
Blues Family. Van die optredens werd er een opname gemaakt, en het resultaat hiervan ligt dus nu in mijn
cd-speler.
LZ Love is van origine een gospelzangeres die met Luther Vandross en Joan Armatrading heeft gespeeld.
Daarbij heeft ze ook haar bijdrage geleverd aan Michael Franti & Spearhead� en Tommy Castro. Zelf bracht
ze �My Higher Ground� en �Mysterious� uit in 2006 & 2010.
Lightning Red is dan weer een legendarische bluesgitarist uit Austin, Texas die op heel wat bekende
bluesalbums van de grootsten der aarde in dit genre heeft meegespeeld. Hij is een beschermeling en een
ontdekking van Luther Allison.
De gevonden muzikanten uit Europa waren na enig zoek werk relatief snel gevonden. Dat waren de uitstekende
mondharmonicaspeler Sonnyboy, de 18 jaar jonge bassiste Nerea Rudic en drummer-percussionist Tom Diewock.
De shuffles en grooves uit de gitaar van Lightning Red vliegen je om de oren op de veertien tracks die dit
albums sieren en de doorleefde bluesy zang van LZ Love is voor mij een ware ontdekking, terwijl Sonnyboy
zich de longen uit het lijf blaast op zijn mondharmonica en Tom Diewock en Nerea Rudic voor een uitstekende
ritmesectie zorgen bij al deze tracks.
Lightning Red zingt met zijn rauwe bluesstem op een aantal nummers zoals �Don�t Have To Worry�, �Got The Power�,
�Hard To Have The Blues�, het moddervette �Devil In You� en �Shoulda Listened�. Al wil ik wel zeggen dat de
stem van LZ niet onder doet aan die van Lighning Red
In het mooie �Let The Spirit� en in �Change Is Gonna Come� zingen Lightning Red en LZ Love in duetvorm samen
en ook dat verloopt in perfecte harmonie. Sonnyboy krijgt zijn gloriemoment op mondharmonica in het instrumentale
�Cavern Crawl� en in �South Austin Shuffle� en �Backyard Boogie� laat Lightning Red zijn bluesgitaar lekker
horen. Zolas ik al eerder zei: Grote grote Klasse !!
- Blues Magazine, Netherlands
SWEDEN
Nya Skivor.se -
Internationell festivalblues f�r internationella bluesfestivaler
International Blues Family �International Blues Family�
(LR Productions/Hemifr�n)
- rough translation -
Lightnin ' Red, American guitarist and singer, has been in [the blues/roots music scene] a long time. Should be in his
early sixties. Grew up around Chicago where the kraftfulle [?] Luther Allison soon took him as an apprentice. Then Red moved to Austin,
Texas in his twenties where he saw brothers Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan play at syltor [?] (the Rome Inn, now Texas
French Bread on 29th) before a handful of audience members.
The beauty of this move was that Lightnin' Red (Wayne Back in priest rating) over time came to play a unique mixture of
Chicago and Texas blues. But when the r�dblixtrande [?] plays best on this album, I associate it at least with Harvey Mandel
who I first heard with Canned Heat. Thick, pricks�kra chords. Slajdspelet (these songs) are also of high quality. Lightnin'
Red convinces even as rosslig [?] singer with the sensitive vibrato as singing guitarists (often) is so good at developing.
Humanly, he is a skilled craftsman. It is not quite easy to come up with a bunch of songs that most of blues connoisseurs
think that they have heard in the past � but still will listen to.
This dispersed photos and messy cover suggests that bluesens Boney M [?] finally has arrived, but those concerns were already
dispelled by the intro to the first track. Extrovert upp�tblues [?] delivered by a skin-tight group is what we are dealing
with, with clear elements of soul and rock. International festival blues tailor-made for international blues festivals. I imagine
that they sell a lot of mass media after every gig.
The strongest impression is made by colorful, charismatic singer LZ Love who sings well and does every other song. Great star
potential. With her gospel background, it is she who is responsible for the soul element. A just right hes, dov, besl�jad [?]
voice br�ddfull of sensual feminine stature and pride. She and Lightnin� Red began working as a duo but would soon expand. They
found young bassist Nerea Rudic from Croatia who pumps out heavy and melodic, but above all, extremely solid bass lines. After
a few lyssningar [?] to me that the female child, come to Earth to play blues bass in Larry "The Mole" Taylor's spirit. Is therefore
I am not a little surprised when I see a couple of years old Youtube clip where she pulls a bass solo (model grooovy) as the worst
fusion musician. Think Jonas Hellborg seriously contemplated early retirement if he had looked at it.
The harmonica player, also a Croat, mage, or possibly individual enough [?], using the stage name Sonny Boy. Do not believe that any
contemporary American harpist would have thought, no Swedish trynorgeltrakterare, nor, for that matter. The man may look like a
daunting Eastern European heavyweight wrestler but would (easily) place in the finest blues circles. He has the wit to play
sparingly also, a not unimportant characteristic of truly great harmonica player.
Virvelglade, German drummer Tom Diewock had he done any good blues band at any time even better. Swing hard, capsizing the
canoe never how funny he seems to have [?].
Best song? Without a doubt "Stand for Something" whose exemplary slajdgitarr cut like that Nice in the diaphragm. Not, however,
seek a doctor. G�shudsframkallande song by LZ Love. Text, and how she fraserar [?], could determine the presidential election.
"If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." Thing is pronounced as, which should, in this context, th�ng.
Only Aretha Franklin had sung it as good.
- Mats Zetterberg
nyaskivor.se/wordpress/2012/10/internationell-festivalblues-for-internationella-bluesfestivaler
Lightnin� Red, amerikansk gitarrist och s�ngare, har h�ngt med l�nge. Borde vara i sina early sixties nu. Uppv�xt runt Chicago
d�r den kraftfulle Luther Allison tidigt tog honom som l�rling. Flyttade sedan till Austin, Texas i 20-�rs�ldern d�r han s�g
br�derna Jimmie och Stevie Ray Vaughan spela p� syltor inf�r en handfull �h�rare.
Den fina med flytten blev att Lightnin� Red (Wayne Bak i pr�stbetyget) med tiden kom att spela en s�regen blandning av Chicago-
och Texas-blues. Men n�r den r�dblixtrande spelar som b�st p� det h�r albumet associerar �tminstone jag till Harvey Mandel som
f�rst h�rdes i Canned Heat. Tjocka, pricks�kra ackord. Slajdspelet (tre l�tar) �r ocks� av h�g klass. Lightnin� Red �vertygar
�ven som rosslig s�ngare med det d�r k�nsliga vibratot som sjungande gitarrister (ofta) �r s� bra p� att utveckla. Till p� k�pet
�r han en hantverksskicklig l�tskrivare. Det �r inte helt l�tt att komma upp med ett knippe l�tar som de flesta bluesdiggare tycker
sig ha h�rt f�rut � men �nd� garanterat g�r ig�ng p�.
Hans senaste projekt heter allts� International Blues Family och �r inte dumt alls. �Familjen� kommer fr�n USA, Kroatien och Tyskland,
ursprungligen hoprafsad 2010 f�r en Europa-turn� som l�pte s� v�l ut att gruppen nu �r en fast konstellation.
Det plottriga, r�riga omslaget antyder att bluesens Boney M till sist har anl�nt, men de farh�gorna kommer p� skam redan i introt
till f�rsta sp�ret. Extrovert upp�tblues levererat av ett tajt band �r vad vi har att g�ra med. Med tydliga inslag av soul och rock.
Internationell festivalblues skr�ddarsydd f�r internationella bluesfestivaler. Skulle tro att de s�ljer en faslig massa skivor efter
varje gig.
Starkast intryck g�r f�rgade, karismatiska s�ngerskan LZ Love som sjunger gott och v�l varannan l�t. Mycket star potential d�r. Med sin
gospelbakgrund �r det hon som st�r f�r de souliga inslagen. En precis lagom hes, dov, besl�jad r�st br�ddfull av sensuell pondus och
kvinnlig stolthet. Hon och Lightnin� Red inledde sitt samarbete som duo men skulle snart expandera. Fr�n Kroatien h�mtades unga och
sp�da basisten Nerea Rudic som pumpar p� tungt och melodiskt men framf�rallt oerh�rt stadigt. F�r efter n�gra lyssningar f�r mig att
flickebarnet kommit till jorden f�r att spela bluesbas i Larry �The Mole� Taylors anda. Blir d�rf�r inte s� lite f�rv�nad n�r jag hittar
ett par �r gammalt Youtube-klipp d�r hon drar ett bassolo (modell grooovy) som den v�rsta fusionsmusiker. Tror att Jonas Hellborg
allvarligt hade �verv�gt f�rtidspensionering om han hade tittat p� det.
Munspelaren, kroat �ven han, har mage, eller m�jligen distans nog, att anv�nda sig av artistnamnet Sonny Boy. Tror inte att n�gon
nutida amerikansk harpist skulle ha kommit p� tanken, ingen svensk trynorgeltrakterare heller f�r den delen. Mannen m� se ut som en
skr�ckinjagande �steuropeisk tungviktsbrottare men skulle (l�tt) platsa i de f�rn�msta blueskretsar. Karln har f�rst�nd att spela
sparsamt ocks�, ett inte oviktigt k�nnetecken f�r riktigt stora munspelare.
Virvelglade, tyske trummisen Tom Diewock hade �ven han gjort vilket bra bluesband som helst �nnu b�ttre. Sv�nger h�rt, kantrar
aldrig med kanoten hur kul han �n verkar ha.
B�sta l�ten? Utan tvekan �Stand for Something� vars exemplariska slajdgitarr sk�r s� d�r sk�nt i mellang�rdet. Dock inget att s�ka
l�kare f�r. G�shudsframkallande s�ng av LZ Love. Texten, och hur hon fraserar, hade kunnat avg�ra presidentvalet. �If you don�t stand
for something, you�ll fall for anything.� Thing uttalas d�, som sig b�r i sammanhanget, th�ng.
Bara Aretha Franklin hade sjungit den lika bra.
- Mats Zetterberg http://nyaskivor.se/wordpress/2012/10/internationell-festivalblues-for-internationella-bluesfestivaler/
Picture at an early age lightnin� red (vocals and guitar) had already tackled the bluesmicrobe.
Red was born in the vicinity of Chicago and mentored by Luther Allison, influenced by Buddy Guy
Otis Rush, B.B. and Albert King�and early on he had his first guitar in hand. After a tour through
the Midwest and Canada, Red was drawn around 1976 to Austin Texas.
LZ Love toured internationally with Luther Vandross, Joan Armatrading and Mary Wells and sang
in the studio with Michael Franti and Tommy Castro. With LZ Love on vocals on this release,
it is a nice blues moment
- Keys & Chords, Belgium
LZ Love en Lightnin� Red hadden het idee opgevat een tour te doen in Europa. Muzikale
begeleiding moest er zijn en ze hebben die gevonden in muzikanten uit Duitsland en Croati�.
En zie je hebt een international Blues Family. Van die optredens werd er een opname gemaakt,
en het resultaat hiervan ligt dus nu in mijn cd-speler. Behalve de geweldige shuffles en
grooves die Red ons schenkt zingt hij ook op een vijftal nummers, maar de stem van LZ Love
klinkt gewoon beter. Ik ben altijd blij als de bluesharp mee een hoofdrol mag spelen,
en Sonnyboy weet perfect de sound aan te vullen. We krijgen 14 songs van een hoog gehalte.
De bedoeling is dat LZ Love en Lightnin� Red ook volgend jaar zo�n tour door Europa doen.
Hopelijk zijn ze dan dicht genoeg in de buurt om zelf een optreden mee te pikken. (JePe)
- rough translation -
LZ Love and Lightnin� Red had the idea of proposing a tour to do in Europe. Musical guidance
had been there and they found great musicians from Germany and Croatia, and that's why it is an
international blues family. Because of this course of events, there was a recording made, and the
result is therefore now in my CD player. In addition to the tremendous shuffles and grooves
they do, Red also sings five numbers, but the wonderful voice of LZ Love is impossible to top.
- Babylon 9
- Beale Street, Belgium
Blues Family borde sovra blues/soul
Lightnin� Red kommer fr�n Austin, Texas och har st�tt p� scen i ett halvsekel. Han �r en pigg veteran,
vilket det h�r projektet med vokalisten LZ Love visar. Det r�r sig om ett lyckat samarbete som nu resulterat
i en fullmatad cd med rum f�r skiftande stilar. Tillsammans med ett duktigt band kastar sig k�rnduon mellan
blues, soul, funk och rock. Det mesta k�nns pulserande och spontant, och en fin livek�nsla �r alltid d�r.
Attityden v�rmer.
Variation finns allts� p� flera vis, s�rskilt som s�ngmikrofonen effektfullt roterar mellan Lightnin�
Red och LZ Love. S�rskilt originellt blir det �nd� inte, och vissa nummer l�per i n�tta sp�r; det har gjorts
f�rut, b�ttre eller s�mre. Lite skarpare sovring hade inte skadat.
- rough translation -
Lightnin 'Red is from Austin, Texas and has been entertaining us for half a century. He is a spirited veteran,
as this project with vocalist LZ Love shows. This is a successful partnership that has now resulted in a packed
CD with room for diverse styles. Together with a talented band that throws itself into the core duo of blues, soul, funk and
rock. Most feel vibrant and spontaneous, and a nice live feel is always there. The atmosphere is hot!
Variation is there in many ways, especially as [in the] striking vocal microphone rotation of Lightnin 'Red,
LZ Love. Very original�
- Noje & Kultur, Sweden
THE INTERNATIONAL BLUES FAMILY is a band made up of musicians whom are coming from all over the world,
USA, Germany and Croatia to be exact. They recorded an album together, which musically speaking of
course is Bluesrock, with raw soulful female vocals of LZ LOVE and even rawer male vocals of guitarist
LIGHTNIN� RED. Quality stuff, although strictly recommended to the fans of pure bluesrock.
(Points: 7.7 out of 10)
- Krimpen Aan Den Dlijsself, Netherlands
Bluesfamilj med internationell pr�gling
N�r de sk�na artisterna � med den �nnu sk�nare namnen LZ Love och Lightnin Red� � turnerade i europa
2010 tillsammans med bakgrundsmusiker fr�n Kroatien och Tyskland uppstod gemensamt tycke. De best�mde sig f�r
att bilda en bluesfamilj av mer internationell pr�gel och �ven om Tyskland, USA och Kroatien inte direkt bidrar
med v�rldsmusikaliska egensinnigheter kan denna kvintett f� till ett gott stabilt bluessv�ng.
Bra s�nginsatser och kompetenta musiker som ibland f�r mig att t�nka p� det gamla bandet Resurrection
Band (Rez) �ven om Blues Family inte traskar �ver i h�rdrocksland. Hela femton l�tar av klart godk�nt snitt.
- rough translation -
When the fine artists - with the even more beautiful names LZ Love and Lightnin 'Red - toured Europe in 2010
along with background music[ians] from Croatia and Germany [it] came together piece. They decided to form a
blue[s] family of more international character, and although Germany, USA and Croatia do not directly contribute
to the global musical wayward drives, this quintet have [has] a good stable blues swing.
Good vocal work and skilled musician[s] who sometimes makes me think of the old band Resurrection Band (Rez),
although the Blues Family [does] not trudge over the hard-rock country. The entire fifteen tracks of course
[we] approved the cuts.
- IKON Magazine, Sweden
Blue Print Magazine
Lightning Red and Thunder Blues
at the Warrington R&B; Club, Warrington England 2001
The gig at Warrington was the band's first appearance on an extensive tour of the UK throughout the month of July.
Guitarist, singer and songwriter Lightning Red gained his early schooling in the blues in Chicago before moving to Austin, Texas.
Both sets played by the band strongly reflected the influences of those two legendary centres of American blues music.
The first set began with a Texas blues instrumental, followed by "Scratch My Back", a funky arrangement complete with slide guitar.
Three more Texas blues numbers maintained the momentum, accompanied by top quality combinations of slide and SRV-like solos.
The relentless pace was then eased by a splendid rendition of Eddie Boyd's "Five Long Years", which introduced the wonderful skills of Stockport's Paul Westwell on harp,
who continued to delight the audience on "Blow Wind Blow".
The remainder of the set comprised a well-balanced mix of shuffles, country swing and fast and funky blues, throughout which Lightning Red demonstrated his
guitar mastery with a series of scintillating solos, most
notably on "Dynamite" and "Got The Power".
Red opened the second set with another fast instrumental, followed by the funky "Houston Blues" and "Tortured Mind". "South Austin Shuffle" again evoked memories of
Stevie Ray and featured the outstanding talent of Coy Fuller on drums. Then it was time to return to Chicago and the plaintive brilliance of Paul Westwell on "Lost My Baby",
"Hoochie Coochie Man" and Little Milton's "The Blues Is Alright".
The performance ended with "Snatch It Back" and Freddie King's "Going Down", both of which showcased the considerable ability of Terry Robbins:
the former enriched by his terrific funky baseline and the latter, for which he also provided lead vocals, by a display of his versatility as a bass player.
It was an excellent evening's entertainment, provided by four masters of their respective instruments. Lightning Red is a superb guitarist and a talented songwriter;
and, equally importantly, he, Coy and Terry are warm and gracious individuals to whom an audience can't help but relate. I have a sneaking feeling that they will be back.
- Lionel Ross
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Strange Pleasures Magazine
Lightning Red & Thunder Blues
at The Vic,
Swindon England 2001
After an awful journey down from Nottingham where they played the previous night, Red and the boys were just so glad to reach Swindon to relax and unwind for a few hours
before sound checking etc.. The intimacy of the Vic gives off good vibes under the right conditions - and that night they were just that. Red and the boys launched straight
out in to their set - a mix of styles which they call "Texicago" due to Red's roots being born in Chicago but having moved to Austin, Texas and influenced by both genres of
blues.
Red is tall with an impressive persona, stage presence, guitar style and despite his larger than life disposition, a modest meliferous voice for the greater part of the songs.
But when called upon to get growly he does so with a vengeance!
His praises have been written by greater pens than mine and by prestigious Blues magazines and noteworthy music critics of the top notch American press so I will spare
you any further repetitious eulogy on this fine gentleman.
The programme included a "Thunder and Lightning" "Houston Blues" "Tortured Mind" and a delightful "South Austin Shuffle" as well as a few non Texas orientated classic
numbers like "Five Long Years" and "Snatch It Back" and a "Red's Blues" to finish the first set. Little Milton's "The Blues Is Alright" opened the second half of the
proceedings then "Lost My Baby". Muddy's [McKinnley Morganfield] "Hoochie Coochie Man" and BB's [BB KING] "Rock Me" followed closely by - one of my all-time
favorites - Freddie King's "Goin' Down".
The flagstone floor replete with condensation and loads of spilled beer made for slippery conditions for the dancers and sedentary punters alike - but as it was so tightly packed no one hit the deck as it were!
The gig finished and the people clapped - they did an encore - people clapped again and then as time had run out, reluctantly left the gig happy, sweaty and tired having enjoyed a full rounded body of blues music Lightning Red style.
- Sweet Lizzy D
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