Showing posts with label James Solberg. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James Solberg. Show all posts

Monday, November 10, 2025

James Solberg - Real Time

Album: Real Time
Size: 140,3 MB
Time: 60:48
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2004
Styles: Blues
Art: Full

1. It's Alright (5:49)
2. Real Time (5:13)
3. Let The Teardrops Fall (4:48)
4. Secondhand Smoke (5:43)
5. I Like Lovin' You (4:39)
6. Champaign Dreams (3:31)
7. Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven (5:02)
8. Fightin' All 'Round The World (5:38)
9. Rockin' The Cradle (2:24)
10. Ever Seen A Rainbow (4:34)
11. Down, Down, Down (6:21)
12. Gotta Play My Blues (7:01)

Whenever Luther Allison toured the U.S. in the '90s, he was backed by the Jim Solberg Band. Solberg and Allison had a long, friendly working relationship that dates back to the early '70s, when Allison was living in Milwaukee. Solberg, a talented guitarist, singer, and songwriter, frequently co-wrote with Allison, but since Luther spent a good portion of each year in Europe, touring out of his home in Paris, Solberg toured with his band under his own name when Allison was not around. In the late '90s, Solberg released several albums under his own name for the Atomic Theory label. The records drew high praise from critics, and well they should have - Solberg was no spring chicken when it comes to playing blues and touring. He has broken many a guitar string and logged thousands of miles in his van since he started to get serious about the music in the late '60s.

Solberg was raised in Eau Claire and Milwaukee, WI, and worked in various psychedelic blues cover bands (fashionable in the late '60s) before moving to Vancouver, B.C. as a conscientious objector in 1968. After returning to the U.S. after the war, Solberg formed a band called Whirlhouse. That group didn't last very long, and in 1970, he toured with the Sam Lays Blues Band, which included Big Walter "Shakey" Horton, Eddie Taylor, and Johnnie Young. In 1972, working with bassist Jon Paris, he formed a band called Dynamite Duck. Paris would later go on to accompany Johnny Winter as bassist for the next 14 years. Beginning in 1975, Solberg toured with Jimmy Reed and began his full-time association with Allison. Solberg and his bands backed Allison from 1975 to 1979, pausing only to tour with John Lee Hooker, whom Solberg would rejoin for another tour in 1981. After Allison relocated permanently to Paris, Solberg worked with the Milwaukee group Short Stuff, a group led by harp player Jim Liban.

In the '80s, Solberg toured with Hooker, the Legendary Blues Band, the Nighthawks, and Elvin Bishop, among others. In 1987, Solberg opened his own club, the Stone's Throw, in Eau Claire, WI. After Allison signed to the Chicago-based Alligator Records in 1993, the Jim Solberg Band, in its then-incarnation, renewed its relationship with Allison, acting as his touring band on domestic dates and select overseas shows. Much of Allison's debut for Alligator, Soul Fixin' Man (1993), was co-written and arranged by Solberg. Solberg, a true blues veteran, was also heavily involved in the songwriting and arranging for Allison's two final albums for Alligator, Blue Streak (1996) and Reckless (1997). L.A. Blues, his first for the RUF label, followed in 1998, and two years later, Solberg returned with The Hand You're Dealt.

By the very nature of his job as a sideman, it may take a while for the blues-buying public to realize that Solberg is a phenomenally talented songwriter, guitarist and singer in his own right. Both See That My Grave Is Kept Clean or One of These Days are superb and highly recommended albums. /Biography by Richard Skelly, AllMusic

Real Time mc
Real Time gofile

Monday, November 3, 2025

James Solberg Band - See That My Grave Is Kept Clean

Album: See That My Grave Is Kept Clean
Size: 123,3 MB
Time: 53:23
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1995
Styles: Blues
Art: Full

1. See That My Grave Is Kept Clean (5:16)
2. Cry For Me Baby (3:49)
3. Let's Straighten It Out (3:43)
4. Somebody Give Me A Guitar (2:29)
5. Everthing's Gonna Be Alright (3:25)
6. Bad Love (6:57)
7. Baby, When Ya Comin' Back (3:25)
8. St. James Infirmary Blues (8:45)
9. Man Of Many Words (4:11)
10. Ain't Nobody's Business (3:42)
11. Snatch It Back And Hold It (3:45)
12. Jimmy's Blues (3:49)

James Solberg's debut album See That My Grave is Kept Clean is a storming collection of hard-driving electric blues. Before he had the chance to make this record, Solberg perfected his trade by working as a sideman. Those years slinging a guitar paid off in spades, as this record demonstrates. There's a maturity to his style, but there's also unbridled energy - the combination is, at times, irresistable. The songs may be a little uneven, but there's no denying that Solberg and his crack supporting band have made See That My Grave Is Kept Clean into something to remember. /Thom Owens, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

See That My Grave Is Kept Clean mc
See That My Grave Is Kept Clean gofile

Saturday, July 22, 2017

James Solberg - The Hand You're Dealt

Year: 2000
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:15
Size: 117,9 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Scans: Full

1. Build You A Castle (4:11)
2. Buzz Me (4:13)
3. The Hand You're Dealt (4:44)
4. I'm Goin' Home (3:53)
5. When's The Last Time (3:49)
6. Members Only (4:21)
7. What's Comin' Down (5:20)
8. Still Called The Blues (5:33)
9. You Got Me Knockin' (2:34)
10. Ain't It Hard (4:30)
11. Funky Woman (3:51)
12. Perfect Strangers (4:11)

Longtime Luther Allison sideman James Solberg has been a solid bandleader and formidable bluesman in his own right for 30 years. On The Hand You’re Dealt he flaunts some vicious Freddie King-inspired licks on originals like the rocking “Build You a Castle,” the deep blue “When’s the Last Time” and the funky Albert Collinsesque “What’s Comin’ Down.”

He handles the Louis Jordan jump blues “Buzz Me” and a rough rocker like Jim Liban’s “You Got Me Knockin'” with equal aplomb and he testifies in no uncertain terms on “Still Called the Blues,” a track recorded in 1994 which features a special guest appearance from Allison. A superb, hard-hitting offering from a major, if under-recognized, talent on the blues scene. Every bit as real as it gets. /Bill Milkowski, JazzTimes

The Hand You're Dealt mc
The Hand You're Dealt zippy

Sunday, August 23, 2015

James Solberg - 2 albums: One Of These Days/L.A. Blues

Album: One Of These Days
Year: 1996
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:02
Size: 128,5 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Scans: Full

1. Too Damn Much Lovin' (3:55)
2. Ringin' In My Head (5:07)
3. Litehouse Keeper (5:20)
4. Nobody To Blame (4:15)
5. Can It Be (3:57)
6. Do You Call That A Buddy? (3:21)
7. Love Made A Fool Out Of Me (4:17)
8. Everyday (4:31)
9. Ain't No Way (4:57)
10. Cheaper To Keep Her (4:08)
11. One Of These Days (3:06)
12. One False Move (4:19)
13. There Must Be A Better World Somewhere (3:43)

If you owned a blues club and insisted that you would only book hardcore blues purists, you would miss out on a lot of talented people. That's because so many of the artists playing the blues circuit in the 21st century have other influences -- perhaps rock, perhaps soul, perhaps jazz. All of those things have influenced James Solberg, who is essentially a bluesman but is far from a purist. Those who expect everything a bluesman records to have 12 bars are bound to find One of These Days disappointing, but more eclectic and broad-minded listeners will find a lot to admire about this German release, which finds the charming singer embracing everything from moody, Bobby "Blue" Bland-ish soul-blues (&"One of These Days," "Everyday") to exuberant blues-rock ("One False Move," "Too Damn Much Lovin'"). Solberg's performance of "Do You Call That a Buddy?" recalls the blues-jazz of the 1930s and 1940s, and his own "Litehouse Keeper" is a Southern soul item that takes us back to a time when Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Rufus Thomas, and Wilson Pickett were all over R&B radio. Overall, One of These Days is quite solid. The only disappointing track is a surprisingly lackluster version of Sir Mack Rice's "Cheaper to Keep Her," which was a major hit for the late soulster Johnnie Taylor (as opposed to bluesman Little Johnny Taylor) in the early 1970s. Solberg should have soared on this track, but, for whatever reason, he drops the ball. Most of the time, however, One of These Days turns out to be a rewarding and welcome addition to Solberg's catalog. /Alex Henderson, AllMusic

One Of These Days mc
One Of These Days zippy

Album: L.A. Blues
Year: 1998
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:39
Size: 120,5 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Scans: Full

1. Bubbas's Boogie (4:21)
2. L.A. Blues (6:05)
3. Wally World U.S.A. (3:42)
4. Ballad Of A Thin Man (8:32)
5. Must Be A Reason (4:19)
6. Rhumba Juice (5:05)
7. Robb's Souffle (3:50)
8. Say Goodbye (5:41)
9. Just A Closer Walk With Thee (4:57)
10. Happy Snails (6:02)

An album from Luther Allison's long-standing bandleader of the last several years. Released a few months after Allison's death, the album can be taken as a tribute album by Solberg of sorts to his old boss. Utilizing a strong, distorted tone throughout, Solberg keeps Luther's high-energy approach alive on a batch of shuffles ("Bubba's Boogie," "Must Be a Reason"), slow blues ("L.A. Blues," "Ballad of a Thin Man"), and uptempo rockers ("Wally World U.S.A.," "Rhumba Juice"). Midtempo shuffles abound in tracks like "A Closer Walk with Thee," "Robb's Souffle" and the closing "Happy Snails." The music on this record is heartfelt and inspired, a moving tribute. Fans of Allison's final work will say his memory is well served here. /Cub Koda, AllMusic

L.A. Blues mc
L.A. Blues zippy

Thursday, May 1, 2014

VA - Don't Worry, Sing The Blues

Size: 172,7 MB
Time: 73:32
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1998
Styles: Chicago Blues, Texas Blues, Delta Blues
Art: Front & Back

01. Willie Murphy - Pocketful Of Money (5:41)
02. Lamont Cranston - Play The Blues (4:29)
03. Hoopsnakes - It Ain't Easy Bein' Me (3:48)
04. James Solberg Band - See That My Grave Is Kept Clean (5:14)
05. Lynwood Slim - Tried To Call You (3:52)
06. James Solberg Band - Do You Call That A Buddy (3:20)
07. Jimmy Rogers - Slick Chick (3:09)
08. Hubert Sumlin - Feed Me (5:07)
09. R.J. Mischo & Teddy Morgan Blues Band - She's Murder (Feat. Percy Strother) (2:50)
10. Larry McRray & The Bluegills - The Moon Is Full (7:11)
11. The Bluegills - Bluegills (3:08)
12. Willie Murphy & The Angel-Headed Hipsters - Hustlin' Man Blues (3:44)
13. Lynwood Slim - I Refuse (2:52)
14. Hoopsnakes - First Man (Who Ever Had The Blues) (4:44)
15. Larry Cranston - Cold Winds (Feat. Teddy Morgan) (3:42)
16. Al Rapone - Rock Me (4:32)
17. The Butanes Soul Revue - I Ain't Drunk (6:05)

This sampler from the Atomic Theory record label features seventeen cuts by such artists as: Jimmy Rogers, Hubert Sumlin, R.J. Mischo, Teddy Morgan as well as a track each from Al Rapone (Rock Me) and the Butanes Soul Revue (I Ain't Drunk.)

The Butanes' "I Ain't Drunk" may be the last track on this 17-song blues collection, but it's first when it comes to illustrating the set's woozy appeal. With barefaced blue-collar chutzpah, the Butanes whip up a pro-drinking anthem that would do any working stiff proud and packs such a wallop it could give even the most sober socialite a contact buzz. Like the Butanes' moment (and the barflies hollering along on the live recording of "Drunk"), this compilation brings together a gang of voices - Willie Murphy, the James Solberg Band, Lamont Cranston, R.J. Mischo, Lynwood Slim and others - that have been cultivated in life's most interesting petrie dish: bars, nightclubs and pubs. In that sense, this sampler is something of a historic event in that it brings together some of the Twin Cities' most well-traveled blues dogs (and a few out-of-town ringers) on one CD. But it also speaks to the variety of the blues stripes there are out there, from straight blues, to jump-blues, rock blues and even a testimonial from "The First Man (Who Ever Had the Blues)." ~Jim Walsh

Thanks to DrPeak.
Don't Worry, Sing The Blues