Dusty Hill, the man who held down bass guitar duties and lent his unmistakable vocals to hits such as “Tush,” “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers” and “Heard It on the X,” died Wednesday, July 28, 2021. He was 72. He had been off the road for a short while, with ZZ’s guitar tech Elwood FrancisContinue reading “ZZ Top’s Dusty Hill, 1949-2021”
Category Archives: related music
James Harman R.I.P., and Gene Taylor tribute in Austin
A final farewell to James Harman, and a musical tribute to Gene Taylor.
Roll ’em, Gene: Boogie woogie master Gene Taylor dies in Austin, Texas
Gene Taylor, whose fiery boogie woogie and classic blues piano graced decades worth of classic albums and stages around the world, died Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021. According to social media posts from family and friends, Taylor, who lived in Austin, Texas, had been without heat or water for days during the devastating winter storm thisContinue reading “Roll ’em, Gene: Boogie woogie master Gene Taylor dies in Austin, Texas”
James Harman needs our help. (Icepick’s Story 2021)
James Harman — blues raconteur extraordinaire — is 74, without the means to earn a living, and beginning chemotherapy for Stage 4 cancer.
Zach Zunis on brush with Cash
Since our last post, we have been thinking about guitarist Zach Zunis. Like Mike Flanigin, Zunis could be a mere footnote in the Devils’ story despite filling a critical role in the band for several months. And let’s be clear: For some people, the Zach Zunis version of the band was the one they sawContinue reading “Zach Zunis on brush with Cash”
DVL resurrects Red Devils in 2016
DVL is the name of a “supergroup” of musicians uniting to revive the spirit of The Red Devils in 2016. The band is Austin blues player Guy Forsyth (Asylum Street Spankers) and three members of UK’s The Hoax — Jon Amor, Robin Davey and Mark Barrett. The Hoax was known for having been inspired byContinue reading “DVL resurrects Red Devils in 2016”
The Drifter Speaks: Mike Flanigin remembers his time with The Red Devils
[Above photo by Tina Hanagan; others courtesy mikeflanigin.com] A key time in The Red Devils’ history was their U.S. club tour through the U.S. Holding down guitar duties — and altering the Devils’ sound — was guitarist Mike Flanigin, filling in for rhythm guitarist Dave Lee Bartel. With Flanigin came Texas swagger, a third soloistContinue reading “The Drifter Speaks: Mike Flanigin remembers his time with The Red Devils”
The Blasters in The Cities
There was no cooler place to be in Minneapolis on June 17 than Lee’s Liquor Lounge. We were piled in there, too, pressed against the stage for The Blasters‘ return to the Twin Cities. Phil Alvin, John Bazz, Keith Wyatt and the powerhouse drummer “Buster” Bill Bateman played a greatest hits show for hipsters, rockers,Continue reading “The Blasters in The Cities”
The Blasters back in Midwest
The Blasters are storming through the Midwest U.S. again this summer. It’s always a good thing to see the gang, and this short run has some added incentive for Red Devils fans. Opening a series of shows will be Javier and the Innocent Sons. The Minneapolis-based group features Javier Matos, who many might remember fromContinue reading “The Blasters back in Midwest”
Keys, Songs and Questions from “King King”
The standing joke about blues music is that to play it you only have to learn three chords and be able to play in a corresponding number of keys. At your average blues jam on a random night in Anywhere, USA, one would expect to run into a whole boatload of songs in E, AContinue reading “Keys, Songs and Questions from “King King””
