Showing posts with label Joe Beard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joe Beard. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Joe Beard - Direct-To-Disc Sessions [Vinyl] (APO 021)

Size: 54.5 MB
Time: 23:29
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Acoustic Blues
Art: Full

01. New York Woman (4:39)
02. Going Back To Mississippi (4:43)
03. I Want To Get Close To You (2:51)
04. No More Cherry Rose (3:26)
05. Every 60 Seconds (3:18)
06. Tired Of The Way We Are Living (4:32)

All tracks were recorded live, direct-to-disc at Blue Heaven Studios, Salina, Kansas.

Born and raised in Ashland, MS, guitarist Joe Beard grew up with the Murphy brothers, one of whom later found an international following as Matt "Guitar" Murphy. Guitarist Nathan Beauregard lived with Beard's cousin, so he was surrounded by aspiring and veteran blues musicians while growing up, and he began singing at an early age. Beard became interested in playing guitar via the Murphy brothers, who sat in with a young B.B. King when he played at the Roosevelt Lake Club. Beard began to learn guitar at age 17 from Ernest Scruggs, a neighbor, before heading to Chicago.

Beard moved to Rochester, NY, and from time to time would visit one of his brothers in Chicago. He quickly became enamored of the blues being played in clubs there by people like Jimmy Reed and Sonny Boy Williamson. Beard sat in with John Lee Hooker one night and received encouraging words from Hooker, and also later sat in with his idol, Muddy Waters.

While in Rochester, he formed the Soul Brothers Six, playing bass and singing, but he didn't perform in public on guitar until 1965. Beard befriended classic blues guitarist Son House, who was a neighbor in Rochester, and played a concert for students at the University of Rochester in 1968. Beard worked as an electrician by day and would occasionally play out at night and on weekends for most of the '60s on through to the '80s. He has a reputation as one of the best local players around, and though he may not be a household name in other parts of the U.S., he toured Europe in 1983 and did studio and stage work with Buster Benton, Lafayette Leake, and Memphis Slim. At the famed BK Lounge, Beard and his backing bands opened for Bobby Bland, Albert King, and others. More recently, Beard performed at President George H.W. Bush's inaugural gala. In 1990, he recorded an album for Kingsnake Records, No More Cherry Rose, which was well received by the blues radio community.

Beard recorded an album with Ronnie Earl's band for the California-based AudioQuest label, Blues Union (1996). Accompanying him are Hammond B-3 organist Bruce Katz and tenor saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman. The album was a critical success, winning Offbeat Magazine's Blues Album of the Year award. He followed it up with 1998's For Real and 2000's Dealin', both records featuring Duke Robillard. ~Richard Skelly

Direct-To-Disc Sessions [Vinyl] (APO 021) MP3
Direct-To-Disc Sessions [Vinyl] (APO 021) FLAC

Monday, December 29, 2014

Various - Blues Quest

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:55
Size: 123.5 MB
Styles: Modern electric blues, Soul blues
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[3:46] 1. Terry Evans - Get Up, Get Ready
[5:12] 2. Doug Macleod - One Good Woman
[2:15] 3. Joe Beard - Dirty Groundhog
[4:35] 4. Mighty Sam Mcclain - Too Proud
[4:48] 5. Ronnie Earl - Country Girl
[6:21] 6. Bruce Katz Band - The Prowler
[5:12] 7. Sherman Robertson - Going Back Home
[4:35] 8. Doug Macleod - Old Country Road
[3:21] 9. Robert Lucas - 50 Lbs Of Bone
[3:36] 10. Joe Beard - See See Rider
[5:41] 11. Ronnie Earl - Ronnie's Blues
[4:28] 12. Mighty Sam Mcclain - Somebody Help Me

This album is probably the best SACD recording released to-date. The air around musicians and instruments is simply jaw-dropping; it'll startle you from track 1's Get Up, Get Ready by Terry Evans. By the time you reach track 4 - Too Proud by Mighty Sam McClain, you'll probably be too drowned by the technical perfection of this disc and you'll be having goosebumps already. If you still manage to get to track 9 - 50 Pounds of Bone by Robert Lucas, you may be at the pinnacle of musical orgasm to the point of almost getting emotionally disturbed. I swear there was a moment when I can almost see Mr. Lucas inside the room! Down to the decay of the last note on the last track, when everything suddenly becomes dead silent, it'll take you about 2 minutes to realize that you are only in your room. ~Nick Salsamento

Blues Quest mc
Blues Quest zippy

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Joe Beard - 2 albums: Dealin' / For Real

Album: Dealin'
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 53:55
Size: 123.4 MB
Styles: Modern electric blues
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[2:56] 1. The Bitter Seed
[4:48] 2. You Don't Love Me Anymore
[3:04] 3. Just Like A Fish
[7:39] 4. Life Without Parole
[2:52] 5. My Eyes Keep Me In Trouble
[3:05] 6. Holding A Losing Hand
[5:08] 7. Give Up And Let Me Go
[5:00] 8. Three Day Love Affair
[2:38] 9. Making A Fool Out Of Me
[3:02] 10. Long Tall Shorty
[6:40] 11. That So-Called Friend Of Mine
[2:48] 12. You'd Better Be Sure
[4:08] 13. If I Get Lucky

In the blues world it's OK to be a late bloomer, and when it came to recording, Joe Beard was exactly that. The charismatic singer/guitarist, whose influences range from Jimmy Reed to Lightnin' Hopkins, worked "day gigs" when his kids were growing up and didn't start to build a catalog until he was in his fifties. Blues lovers who heard Beard's AudioQuest dates of the '90s found themselves saying, "Hey, this guy is very talented; why haven't I heard of him until now?" And, of course, the answer to that question is that his nine-to-fives and family life had kept him from being a full-time bluesman. But when his kids reached adulthood, the Mississippi native turned Rochester, NY, resident had more time to devote to music. Recorded in April 2000 (when he was 62), Dealin' is Beard's third CD for AudioQuest and underscores his ability to handle a variety of electric blues styles. Beard's appreciation of Reed and the Chicago blues is evident on gutsy, rough-and-tumble tracks like "Give Me Up and Let Me Go," "My Eyes Keep Me in Trouble," and "The Bitter Seed," a Jimmy Reed classic. Like Reed, Beard favors a gentle and laid-back style of singing but still has plenty of grit and doesn't mind having a tough, hard-driving band behind him. Meanwhile, "Holding a Losing Hand" and "If I Get Lucky" (both Beard originals) go for the sort of moody, shadowy, haunting ambiance that often worked so well for Hopkins and John Lee Hooker. This isn't to say that Beard is going out of his way to emulate Reed, Hopkins, Hooker, or anyone else. Dealin' shows who some of his influences are, but it also reminds you that Beard is an appealing bluesman in his own right. ~Alex Henderson

Dealin' mc
Dealin' zippy

Album: For Real
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 53:24
Size: 122.3 MB
Styles: Modern electric blues
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[2:58] 1. Drinking Old Taylor
[3:25] 2. Don't Start Me Talking
[4:44] 3. Its Up To You
[3:32] 4. See See Rider
[2:14] 5. Dirty Groundhog
[3:29] 6. Reap What You Sow
[8:12] 7. Elem
[3:04] 8. Who's Using Who
[4:33] 9. The Things I Used To Do
[3:16] 10. If That's What Pleases Her
[8:01] 11. She's Wonderful
[2:51] 12. 37 Years Old
[3:00] 13. Airplane Blues

This has well-presented variations of old-style blues, from acoustic ("Dirty Groundhog"), to slow burners ("Elem"), to Chicago/Muddy Waters style ("Who's Using Who"). Duke Robillard graciously acts in his role as a team player, although he stands out with a hip solo on "If That's What Pleases Her." Portney's harp on "She's Wonderful" is slow and easy, reminiscent of a hot summer's day in the country. ~Char Ham

For Real mc
For Real zippy

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Joe BEARD - No More Cherry Rose / Blues Union

Born and raised in Ashland, MS, guitarist Joe Beard grew up with the Murphy brothers, one of whom later found an international following as Matt "Guitar" Murphy. Guitarist Nathan Beauregard lived with Beard's cousin, so he was surrounded by aspiring and veteran blues musicians while growing up, and he began singing at an early age. Beard became interested in playing guitar via the Murphy brothers, who sat in with a young B.B. King when he played at the Roosevelt Lake Club. Beard began to learn guitar at age 17 from Ernest Scruggs, a neighbor, before heading to Chicago. Beard moved to Rochester, NY, and from time to time would visit one of his brothers in Chicago. He quickly became enamored of the blues being played in clubs there. Beard sat in with John Lee Hooker one night and received encouraging words from Hooker, and also later sat in with his idol, Muddy Waters. While in Rochester, he formed the Soul Brothers Six, playing bass and singing, but he didn't perform in public on guitar until 1965. Beard worked as an electrician by day and would occasionally play out at night and on weekends for most of the '60s on through to the '80s. He has a reputation as one of the best local players around, and though he may not be a household name in other parts of the U.S., he toured Europe in 1983 and did studio and stage work with Buster Benton, Lafayette Leake, and Memphis Slim.
____________________________________________________________________________

Album: NO MORE CHERRY ROSE
Styles: Modern Electric Blues
Recorded: 1990 
Released: 1990
Bitrate: 320k/s
Size: 97.66 MB
Time: 41:49
Art: Full

1. When I Get Drunk (3:19)
2. Cancel My Reservation (5:00)
3. Something's On My Baby's Mind (4:22)
4. Heaven Of My Own (4:48)
5. Let Me Love You (3:14)
6. Highway 49 (4:17)
7. No More Cherry Rose (4:44)
8. Have You Ever Wanted Someone (4:15)
9. Papa's Little Angel (3:28)
10. New York Woman (4:22)

Personnel: Joe BEARD - Guitars, Vocals
Ernie Lancaster - Guitar
Lucky Peterson, Teo Lacksameyer - Piano
John Dubuc - Harmonica
Bob Greenlee - Bass
Denny Best - Drums

Note: Joe Beard was 52 when he recorded No More Cherry Rose in 1990, an enjoyable electric blues date that employs Lucky Peterson on piano, Ernie Lancaster on guitar, Bob Greenlee on bass, and John Dubuc on harmonica (among others). Not a bad cast of players, and this isn't a bad album at all. Except for a likable interpretation of Lightnin' Hopkins' "Papa's Little Angel," the singer/guitarist concentrates on his own songs, which range from the humorous "When I Get Drunk" and the playful "Let Me Love You" to the lonely "Heaven on My Own" and the haunting title song. Beard favors a relaxed, laid-back style of singing that clearly owes a debt to Jimmy Reed, and he has also been influenced by Texas blues great Lightnin' Hopkins. However, it's equally clear that the singer/guitarist is very much his own man. Not a gem but generally pleasing, this album went out of print after several years but will hopefully be reissued someday.

                                                            No More Cherry Rose
____________________________________________________________________________

Album: BLUES UNION
Styles: Modern Electric Blues
Recorded: 1995
Released: 1996
Bitrate: 320k/s
Size: 130.05 MB
Time: 55:03
Art: Full

1. Lay For Me Sometimes (4:41)
2. Just To Be With You (5:25)
3. I Count The Days (3:32)
4. Sinners Prayer (7:29)
5. Sally Mae (2:58)
6. Please Don't Light The Flame (4:48)
7. Feets Out In The Hall (6:31)
8. Think (3:21)
9. Telling It Like It Is (8:25)
10. Don't Know Why (4:07)
11. Late In The Evening (3:46)

Personnel: Joe BEARD - Guitar, Vocals
Ronnie Earl - Guitar
Bruce Katz - Keyboards
John Dubuc - Harmonica tr.2,3,6
Rod Carey - Bass
Per Hanson - Drums
with special guest:
David 'Fathead' Newman - Tenor Sax tr.4,8

Notes: Although Joe Beard is a country-based bluesman and fellow guitarist Ronnie Earl (who brought along his Broadcasters for this set) is strictly city, they work together quite well. The emphasis is often on Beard's expressive vocals (which sometimes look toward John Lee Hooker and Lightnin' Hopkins but display their own personality). Beard and Earl contribute contrasting guitar solos, pianist-organist Bruce Katz fuels a grooving rhythm section, tenor saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman has a couple of cameos and the harmonica of Joe Dubuc is a strong asset on three songs. Even with its nods toward the past, this release is a fine example of blues in the mid-'90s.

                                                                    Blues Union
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