Musically speaking

Has anyone here heard of India.Aire? (yes dot Aire)

I caught just the last three tunes of her concert taped in London last night on BBC-4.

She is an absolutely incredible (in my opinion) songwriter, guitarist and singer. Her music is 99.5% all original and a blend of acoustic soul that gives her kind of a funky folk sound.

Her band is tight, but minimalist in it's approach and that gives plenty of room for her soulful lyrics / singing, yet compliments her songs well.

If you haven't seen or heard her, it might well be somthing worth checking out.

She has two CDs out:
1) Acoustic Soul
2) Voyage to India

Enjoy,
Deep

Yes she is amazing! . I have her first CD (Acoustic Soul) and its awesome. Im a big fan. Other artists in that genre that are great are: Maxwell and Alicia Keys. Good stuff.

I too have heard of her and yes her voice and talent is amazing! If you like her you should also listen to some Roberta Flack, the two in comparison is almost uncanny

I havn't heard of her before,but it looks like i will have to get a copy of the C.D now.
As i am a Fan of Alicia Keys (Songs in A Minor) quality Album.

I have Alicia Keys and Maxwell, they are both very soulful R&B artists. Yes, a comparison to Reberta Flack is in order.

Rock the house with soul y'all,
Deep

I apologise for misspelling her name, it's actually India Arie & my buddy said he'd lend me her first CD

I'm going to the Newcastle Opera House in about 45 minutes to see Coco Montoya! For those who aren't familiar with Coco or his music, he's one of the hottest contemporary blues guitarists on the planet.

He's from Santa Monica, California, where I used to live. And we had a mutual aquaintance in Mr. Albert Collins, a true blues legend. I once asked Albert about Coco and Abert replied, "That's my son". Wow, that's a really big compliment from one of the all time best bluesmen ever

Are there any musicians in our communinty?

Anyone have guitar tabs to exchange?

What type of music does everyone like anyway?

Talk to me people,
Deep

Blues not exactly my 1st choice in music but i don't mind it.
What would you recommend for a beginner?

My choice would be House Music (strange choice for my age) but i don't mind listening to most types of music.
The reason for House as i used to DJ in the early 80's right through to 94,also dabbled in making tunes with not a lot of success .. My record box host's over 2,500 vinyl 12' and albums.

TRD

hmmm depends how you define Blues

I really like David Gray and Counting Crows, but have heard Gray described as nu folk rather than blues.

Blues is a very diverse genre and a matter of personal taste, below are a few definitions and related Blues links:

CLASSIC FEMALE BLUES
The earliest recorded form of the blues. This genre features female vocalists singing material with close connections to pop music of the period (mid-'20s to early '30s) and primarily jazz backings. Main proponents: Mamie Smith, Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Lucille Bogan, and Victoria Spivey.

DELTA BLUES
Also known as Mississippi blues; this is the earliest guitar-dominated music to make it onto record. Consisting of performers working primarily in a solo, self-accompanied context, it also embraces the now-familiar string-band/small-combo format, both precursors to the modern-day blues band. Main proponents: Charlie Patton, Robert Johnson, and Son House.

COUNTRY BLUES
A term that delineates the depth and breadth of the first flowering of guitar-driven blues, embracing all regional styles and variations (Piedmont, Atlanta, early Chicago, ragtime, folk, songster, etc.). Primarily acoustic guitarists, some country-blues performers later switched to electric guitars without changing their style. Main proponents: Henry Thomas, Skip James, Barbecue Bob, Leadbelly, Mississippi John Hurt, Lonnie Johnson, Blind Blake, and Tommy Johnson.

MEMPHIS BLUES
A strain of country-blues all its own, the Memphis style gives us the rise of two distinct forms, the jug band (humorous, jazz-style blues played on homemade instruments) and the beginnings of assigning parts to guitarists for solo (lead) and rhythm, a tradition that is now part-and-parcel of all modern-day blues bands. The later, post-WWII electric version of this genre featured explosive guitar work, thunderous drumming, and declamatory vocals. Main proponents: Cannon's Jug Stompers, Furry Lewis, Memphis Minnie, and the early recordings of B.B. King and Howlin' Wolf.

TEXAS BLUES
A subgenre earmarked by a more relaxed, swinging feel than other styles of blues. The earlier, acoustic version embraced both songster and country-blues traditions, while the post-war electric style featured jazzy, single-string soloing over predominantly horn-driven backing. Main proponents: Blind Lemon Jefferson, Lightnin' Hopkins, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, and T-Bone Walker.

CHICAGO BLUES
Delta blues fully amplified and put into a small-band context. Later permutations of the style took their cue from the lead guitar work of B.B. King and T-Bone Walker. Main proponents: Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, Big Walter Horton, Jimmy Rogers, Elmore James, Jimmy Reed, Otis Rush, Magic Sam, and Buddy Guy.

JUMP BLUES
Uptempo, jazz-tinged blues, usually featuring a vocalist in front of a large, horn-driven orchestra with less reliance on guitar work than other styles. Main proponents: Amos Milburn, Johnny Otis, Roy Brown, Wynonie Harris, and Big Joe Turner.

NEW ORLEANS BLUES
Primarily (but not exclusively) piano- and horn-driven, this genre strain is enlivened by Caribbean rhythms, party atmosphere, and the "second-line" strut of the Dixieland music so indigenous to the area. Main proponents: Professor Longhair, Guitar Slim, and Snooks Eaglin.

WEST COAST BLUES
More piano-based and jazz-influenced than anything else, the West Coast style (California in particular) also embraces post-war Texas guitar expatriates and jump-blues practitioners. Main proponents: Charles Brown, Pee Wee Crayton, Lowell Fulson, and Percy Mayfield.

PIANO BLUES
A genre that runs through the entire history of the music itself; this embraces everything from ragtime, barrelhouse, boogie-woogie, and smooth West Coast jazz stylings to the hard-rocking rhythms of Chicago blues. Main proponents: Big Maceo Merriweather, Leroy Carr, Sunnyland Slim, Roosevelt Sykes, Albert Ammons, and Otis Spann.

LOUISIANA BLUES
A looser, more laidback and percussive version of the Jimmy Reed side of the Chicago style. Production techniques on most of the recordings utilize massive amounts of echo, giving the performances a "doomy" sound and feel. Main proponents: Slim Harpo, Lightnin' Slim, and Lazy Lester.

R&B / SOUL BLUES
A more modern form, this fuses elements of Black popular music (the rhythm and blues strain of the '50s and the Southern soul style of the mid-'60s) to a wholly urban blues amalgam of its own.

MODERN ACOUSTIC BLUES
Newer artists reviving the older, more country-derived styles of blues. Main proponents: John Hammond, Rory Block, John Cephas, Taj Mahal, and the earlier recordings of Bonnie Raitt.

MODERN ELECTRIC BLUES
An eclectic mixture, this genre replicates older styles of urban blues while simultaneously recasting them in contemporary fashion. Main proponents: Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Robert Cray, and Roomful of Blues.

BRITISH BLUES
More than a mere geographical distinction, the British style pays strict adherence to replicating American blues genres, with an admiration for its originators bordering on reverence. Main proponents: Alexis Korner, John Mayall, and the early recordings of Fleetwood Mac and the Rolling Stones.

Personally, I prefer the modern contemporary Blues scene. People like Stevie Ray Vaughn, Coco Montoya, Jonny Lang, the Nimmo Brothers, Kenny Wayne Sheperd, Gary Moore, Double Trouble & the Michael Hill Blues Mob.

The main Blues labels are Alligator Records, Blind Pig Records & Black Top Records.

I have loads of Blues guitar lessons and song tabs available for anyone who�s interested.

Below are some pretty good Blues links:

www.worldblues.com...

hub.org...

www.bluescene.com...

blueslinks.tripod.com...

www.bluesworld.com...

www.blues.org...

bluesnet.hub.org...

www.cocomontoya.com...

www.electricblues.com...

www.hob.com...

www.geocities.com...

blueslinks.tripod.com...

www.calweb.com...

www.tokyo-blues.com...

www.nowmedia.co.uk...

dmoz.org...

gemrecords.com...

www.blindpigrecords.com...

www.bluecollarmusic.com...

www.all-yours.net...

www.wild-rose.com...

www.bluenight.com...

www.musicsearch.com...

freespace.virgin.net...

www.blueslinks.nl...

www.links2go.com...

www.amc.net...

www.blues4ever.com...

I saw Coco�s group last night at the Newcastle Opera House and was not disappointed in the least, in fact, the musicianship was even better than I�d expected. The band played for 2 hours and did a 2 song encore.

Coco seemed to be having trouble with his monitor working properly and the sound mix was a bit �below par�, but Coco persevered and gave an outstanding performance.

Even though Coco did not play many of my favourite tunes, what he did play was a real �tour de force�. He mixed burning blues runs with creativity and humour to create quite an impact on the locals who were probably unprepared for his power-driven blues style.

The bassist (Steve?) was one really hot player (one of the best I�ve ever seen) with great tone, and he did one of the best bass solos that I�ve ever heard.

Both Benny Yee and the drummer also turned in excellent solos!

Coco played some amazing guitar but what impacted me most of all about him was his humility and genuineness as a person. He did not come across as proud or egotistical at all and was very grateful for our appreciation of his show.

I also had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Benny after the show. He�s a really nice guy and very approachable. We had fun talking about L.A. and where we went to high school.

I�m sure the next time Coco plays Newcastle; he will sell out the venue for sure!

I feel very fortunate to have been lucky enough to see Coco at last, as I�ve been a fan of his for about 3 years now. Strange that I saw him here, but that probably made it all the more special for me.

All my best to Coco, his family and the band,

Harry

CocoMontoya.com Link - www.cocomontoya.com...

Thanks Deep
For the great info quite a big selection to choose from,I think i like the sound of Chicago and Jump Blues and will have to check them out.

TRD