Hanging with the band

Guitarist, singer, teacher, and songwriter Brandon Hudspeth was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma.  He began taking guitar lessons at an early age after hearing Johnny Cash on Sesame Street.  In high school, heavily influenced by the Blues, he started playing weekend gigs around the Tulsa area.  Soon after high school he moved to the Kansas City area where he freelanced with many bands, eventually forming his own band, Levee Town, which has released 9 albums. Levee Town represented the Kansas City Blues Society in the International Blues Competition twice, placing in the top ten in Memphis in 2009. In 2016, the album Takin and Givin charted on the Roots Music Report (#9 on the contemporary blues album chart, #10 on the contemporary blues song chart, #20 on the contemporary blues song chart, and #22 on the top 50 blues Album chart.) In 2020, Hudspeth along with Jaisson Taylor received a Blue Music Award Nomination, two Blue Blast Award nominations, and an Independent blues award nomination along with significant airplay and charting success hitting #1 on the RMR for a month for their debut album Folie a Deux. In 2022 Levee Town released Trying to Keep My Head Above Water which has attracted lots of attention. The song Music Martyr reached #1 on the Root Music Report and the album has been on the charts since its release on March 19. The album is nominated for a Blues Blast Award for best blues rock album. VOTE HERE While touring the US, Europe, and Canada Brandon has opened for artists such as Buddy Guy, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Leon Russell, George Thorogood, Savoy Brown, Sonny Landreth, Jimmie Vaughan, Lee Roy Parnell, Chubby Carrier, Dale Watson, Bobby Rush, Bobby Bland,  and David Alan Coe, just to name a few. Hudspeth has played with Curtis Salgado, Chuck Rainey, Albert Lee, Tommy Castro, Ana Popovic, Mike Zito, Watermelon Slim,  Randy Mcallister,  Lazy Lester, Clark Terry, Dustin Arbuckle, RJ Mischo, Chris Duarte, Larry McCray, Louisiana Red, Lee McBee, Albert Castiglia, John Nemeth, Victor Wainwright, Big Bill Morganfield, Mud Morganfield, Bob Margolin, Kenny Neal, Gary Nicholson and many others. Brandon has taught guitar lessons for over 25 years to all ages and skill levels.  While he considers himself a blues guitarist he also has studied jazz and classical extensively.

Josh Simons is the CEO and co-founder of Vampr, the world’s largest and most active social-professional network for musicians (often dubbed the “LinkedIn for creatives”). Recognised by Fast Company as one of the Most Innovative Companies in 2022, Vampr is home to over one million users, and active in every country on the planet. The music startup has helped fledgling musicians broker over 7 million connections worldwide. Vampr offers a free solution for young musicians, built by a sympathetic founding team of established musicians with Josh’s co-founder, Baz Palmer, best known as the lead guitarist for seminal hall-of-fame rock band, Hunters & Collectors. Simons has grown Vampr into a multi-award winning platform, including most prestigious nods from both Apple and Google in their respective Best Apps lists. Over five funding rounds the company has raised $3.5M from VC, the crowd and music industry angels. Prior to running Vampr, Josh Simons spent the better part of a decade as a successful artist, songwriter & producer. His artist project Buchanan enjoyed multi-million streams & chart impressions worldwide. They retired from the live circuit following a sold-out arena tour opening for Keith Urban & Carrie Underwood. As a producer and songwriter, Simons has shared credits with Travis Scott, Troye Sivan and Kanye West to name a few. In April 2020 Simons was named in The Music Network’s 30 Under 30 List in addition to being voted Reader’s Choice. Simons holds a Bachelor of Business from Swinburne University.

MacLeod is known for his superb songwriting, guitar wizardry, warm soulful vocals, wit, and unforgettable live performances. At the heart of a Doug MacLeod performance is his knack for storytelling, bringing characters-from the faceless to the legendary-to strikingly real life. Doug is a multiple Blues Music Award winner, including the 2020 Blues Music Award for Acoustic Artist Of The Year and the 2018 Blues Music Award for Acoustic Album Of The Year ‘Break The Chain’. He was recently nominated for the 2022 Blues Music Award for Acoustic Artist Of The Year. In March of 2022 he co-authored with Debra Schiff the blues murder mystery book MURDER AT THE CROSSROADS. In April of 2022 A SOUL TO CLAIM produced by Jim Gaines was released. Doug is an international touring artist who writes and sings original songs that are based on his own life and experiences. He learned from the old masters and carries forward a valuable tradition. As a youth, Doug overcame abuse and a crippling stutter by turning to music. After picking up a guitar, and singing - he found his voice. MacLeod's playing landed him sideman gigs with George 'Harmonica' Smith, Big Joe Turner, Pee Wee Crayton, Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson, Lowell Fulson, and Big Mama Thornton. Over 30 years, 22 studio albums, several live records, compilations, a blues guitar instructional DVD, and a live performance DVD, MacLeod has consistently earned raves. His songs have been covered by many artists including Albert King, Albert Collins, Joe Louis Walker and Eva Cassidy. MacLeod's songs have been featured in many TV movies and the hit show In the Heat of the Night. August Wilson requested his soulful slide guitar playing in the Los Angeles opening of "Gem of the Ocean”. From 1999 to 2004 Doug hosted Nothin' But The Blues, a very popular weekend blues show on Los Angeles' KLON-KKJZ. He has also been the voice for The Blues Showcase on Continental Airlines. For ten years he penned "Doug's Back Porch," a regular feature column in Blues Revue Magazine in which he shared his humorous and insightful stories with thousands of readers. He is one of the four featured artists in the movie “Resonate: A Guitar Story”, the feature documentary on the making of National Guitars. Like the old masters who taught him, MacLeod's music expresses life and times through an intangible, elusive quality that may simply be a keen sense of what matters most. Doug’s music, stories, and philosophy provide a healing that has helped others overcome the hardships of their lives. Doug says the most important lessons he learned as a young musician came from Ernest Banks a one-eyed country bluesman from Toano, VA. "Never play a note you don't believe” and "Never write or sing about what you don't know about.” As Blues Hall Of Fame artist Pee Wee Crayton's widow Esther once told Doug, "You have a message and you'll send that message mainly to the people who don't go to church."  Amen.

Wendy Woo has led anything but a “normal” life, which separates her from the average performer.  As the daughter of bohemian parents who were founding faculty members at Naropa University in Boulder Colorado, her childhood home was a truly eclectic social center. Influential Beat writers such as Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, and Ken Kesey would be regulars in the living room! This unusual setting helped develop Wendy into an emotive singer as a child. She started playing the guitar just so she could provide her own accompaniment. After mastering the guitar, she began writing songs and performing in songwriting circles. She attended both the University of New Mexico and the University of Colorado, where she studied a variety of musical genres, theory and composition. Her many musical influences include everyone from folk chanteuse Suzanne Vega to the legendary Paul Simon. The trademark blended rhythms in Simon’s music inspired her to add similar complexity to her own compositions. With this in mind, Wendy developed a technique she calls “Slaptap,” a method of creating a captivating visual and percussive backdrop using the guitar body and fret board. Her innovative spirit led her to the storied steps of Boulder’s Fox Theatre for her first job in the music industry.  There she gained confidence as a performer, while learning the skills of self-promotion, booking and publishing.  The venue acknowledged her talent by slotting Wendy to open for world renowned headliners, including Counting Crows, Michael Franti and others. Wendy’s dedication and competence was rewarded when she won the Colorado Lilith Fair Talent Search in 1999, sharing the stage with an elite lineup including the Indigo Girls, Shawn Colvin and Sheryl Crow. Her versatility is evident by the wide variety of artists whom Wendy has since shared the stage, including The Fray, Sarah McLachlan, Indigo Girls, James Taylor, Counting Crows, Brad Paisley, Karla Bonoff and Big Head Todd and the Monsters.  Her tour stops have included performances at premier venues like Red Rocks (CO), the Living Room and Bitter End (NYC),  Hotel Café (LA), Bluebird Café (Nashville) and Eddie’s Attic (Decatur, GA). Having penned and recorded over 200 original songs and playing over 150 dates yearly, she has gained a reputation as one of the most versatile performers on the circuit.  An example of that reputation is the legendary Carly Simon inviting Wendy to perform with her at “Festival of the Senses” on Martha’s Vineyard in 2014. Wendy has also been named Westword Magazine’s Music Awards “Singer/Songwriter of the year” five separate times, resulting in her induction into Westword’s Hall of Fame. The 2015 release of “Tipping Point”, which was produced by Grammy Award winner Jim Gaines (Stevie Ray Vaughn, Carlos Santana, Huey Lewis and the News) and mastered by Grammy winner Brad Blackburn (Maroon 5, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Black Eyed Peas and Sara Bareilles.), is a testament to her mastery as a tunesmith and a reaffirmation that Wendy Woo continues to live a life that defies the term “normal!”

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Guitarist, singer, and songwriter Alastair Greene has been a mainstay of the Southern California music scene for close to 3 decades. Alastair was born April 18th, 1971 in Santa Barbara, CA.  He discovered music through his mother's piano playing at home and whose record collection included classics by The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, and Elton John, while his father's tastes at the time leaned toward Bach and Beethoven. Alastair was inspired to pursue music as a career by his grandfather, the late Chico Alvarez, who played trumpet as a member of the Stan Kenton Band in the '40s and '50s. Growing up, Alastair took piano lessons and played the saxophone before discovering the guitar in high school. Originally interested in hard rock bands and guitar players, he was exposed to blues and roots music through some records loaned to him by a friend of his father. Those records included: B.B. King ‘Live at the Regal’, Buddy Guy ‘A Man and the Blues’, Johnny Winter ‘Second Winter’, The Allman Brother Band ‘Live at Fillmore East’ and Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble ‘Couldn’t Stand the Weather’. After High School Alastair received a scholarship to attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he studied for two years before returning to southern California to begin playing with blues and rock bands in the early ‘90s. Alastair formed the Alastair Greene Band in 1997 and celebrated the 20 anniversary with a live concert recording in early 2018. Alastair has released 8 solo albums to date (including 2 live records and a compilation record) the most recent of which is LIVE FROM THE 805 (released in 2018). LIVE FROM THE 805 was nominated for Rock Blues Album of the Year by Blues Blast Magazine in addition to being included on many ‘Best Of 2018” year-end lists by multiple publications. His most recent studio album DREAM TRAIN (2017) features guest appearances by Walter Trout, Debbie Davies, Mike Finnigan, Mike Zito and Dennis Gruenling. DREAM TRAIN was given 4 stars by Down Beat Magazine and was included as one of their ‘Best Albums of the Year’. Alastair was lead guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the Alan Parsons Live Project from 2010 - 2017 with whom he literally toured the world. Greene has also toured with Starship featuring Mickey Thomas, Blues legends Debbie Davies, Mitch Kashmar, and most recently as a member of powerhouse vocalist and Blues Music Award winner Sugaray Rayford’s band from 2018 - 2019. In 2019 Alastair signed with Tab Benoit's Whiskey Bayou Records and will have a new CD released in the summer of 2020 produced by Benoit titled THE NEW WORLD BLUES.

In this episode, we catch up with Howard Mahan and find out all about his summer travels and his new acoustic venture!

Alabama Music Office.com goes to Champy's in Muscle Shoals, Alabama to attend a performance by Diedra the Blues Diva for WC Handy Music Festival 2018. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, DieDra has been singing since she can remember. It was a God-given talent that has exploded into a gift that she shares with the world. DieDra was raised by her maternal grandfather, who wrote and sang songs in the church. DieDra was a part of the family singing group at the age of nine. As the lead singer, she has been inspired by Aretha Franklin, Patti Labelle, and Whitney Houston. DieDra has spent a majority of her life in Jacksonville, Florida. As an ex-military spouse, she taught herself how to get around the city in search of a manager for her career. In 1996 she met the late Charlie Cross, of Brunswick, Ga. He signed her to his management company and her career began. DieDra has had the opportunity to open up for Betty Wright, Bobby Brown, Candi Staton, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Bar-Kays, Glenn Jones, Denise LaSalle, Al Green, Avant, Carl Thomas, Sunshine Anderson and currently touring with Bobby Rush. In 1998, DieDra was signed to Boogie Down Production in The Bronx, New York. Over the next 10 years, she was locked in an unproductive contract with Big East Entertainment.  Keith Ruff was assigned to produce DieDra’s first CD by the company. Because of Keith’s schedule, he was never available to get the CD completed. Now, 10 years later, Keith Ruff of Ruff Pro Records called DieDra and found out that after all these years, her project was still incomplete. DieDra signed on with Keith under Ruff Pro Records, and launched “DieDra and the Ruff pro Band”.  Her debut album “Overcoming Hurdles” was born in one month.

Connor Adcock was born and raised up until the age of 13 in Denton, TX where he then moved to southeastern Oklahoma. Picking up the bass at 17 that a friend had given him, Connor became obsessed, practicing daily for hours at a time. Drawing heavy inspiration from funk, 70s fusion, gospel, Jazz, blues, even metal. He has played in many different bands including Bebo & The Evildoers, John Tyler Perry, The Jason Stringfellow Band, Aaron Michaels, Lance Roark, Casey West Band, The Hayseed Band, Colten Jesse & The Hooligans and many others as a hired gun. Connor shows no signs of stopping, touring and recording as often as possible.

To classify Chris Duarte simply as a Blues Man is an understatement.  In his own words, “rockin’ blues” or ”punk blues” describes him best.  “Ferocious blues” also fits.  Legend has it that Chris will play so hard that his fingers bleed in a set.  The legend is true.  Photos attest. Chris Duarte is a road warrior playing more than 150 dates a year.  As well, Chris has headlined major festivals and clubs throughout the US, Canada and Europe. Chris is a savant, a sorcerer of tone, a master at channeling the spirits and sounds of great musicians of our past, while remaining completely recognizable in his own sound.  He has shared his stage with many of the greatest musicians of our time as well as the multitude of “young lions” and local musicians he meets on the road.  From his many years as a side man in Austin, he easily changes roles from front to side, graciously allowing all to share the conversation of the jam. Chris Duarte’s music is ever changing.  In many interviews, he has said “Music must evolve.”  His own early offerings often become magical journeys into changing tempo and jazzy interludes before returning to their core.  With such a vast catalog of recordings, there are no two shows alike.  Every set list is different, and each song may be offered distinctly, based on the feel of a show and the audience.  For those reasons, loyal fans often return to a Chris Duarte show again and again, and always walk away awed and satisfied to have witnessed such a legendary, but humble guitarist.

I want to preface the bio with saying, this conversation is deep and full of information. I have been touched by their friendship and I have great respect for what these two do in Southern Oregon. They truly represent the blues well. Deeply moved! Howlin Steve Howell DAVID PINSKY AND PHIL NEWTON David Pinsky and Phil Newton have been a major part of the Southern Oregon Blues scene for over thirty years and have joined forces as an acoustic/electric duo. Longtime friends, they began this new chapter by playing local venues and concerts discovering the joy of sharing their music on a whole different level. David's propulsive guitar, welded with Phil's harmonica chops, provide a steady groove reminiscent of the 60’s Chicago style duets.  The two on occasion will also employ a twin harp attack. Both David and Phil bring decades of vocal experience, with David concentrating on his original compositions and Phil interpreting Blues and roots. David and Phil are committed to Blues education and teaching Blues to local kids as well as keeping the Blues alive in the traditions of the great Delta masters.

Rocky Star Child & Catherine Song Catcher are self taught husband and wife native American duo from Assiniboine Sioux Nation. Spirit Winds invites children and adults to come and play along with them at local schools, libraries, park events, retirement homes, Pow wow ,at Flea World of Rockwood, TN and a yearly event with a boy scout troop where they come to the home of Spirit Winds and learn about Natives Culture and play music together. They call this camping event “Native Nights”. Cat Song Catcher is very skillful artisan and creates beautiful hand painted wooden medallions and beaded necklaces. Looking for a wonderful educational and fun experience for a event or celebration ?? Then message “ Spirit Winds “ and book them today. Or are you interested in obtaining Beautiful handmade Native Style Jewelry from Cat Song Catcher? then Message them today!!

Brad Henderson plays guitar and sings background vocals in Like Before. Growing up music was always a large part of his life. He began playing drums in the first grade and continued learning more instruments from there. Music was always important in his family and his relatives are some of his largest inspirations. Throughout middle and high school he played guitar, bass, or drums for various churches and camps. After high school he began to study music performance at the Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM@UCO) where he played in several bands. Some of the bands that have had the largest impact on him are Green Day, Shinedown, The Refreshments, and Matchbox Twenty. LIKE BEFORE, is a rock band from Oklahoma City formed in 2019. With inspirations ranging from the Foo Fighters to Led Zeppelin, Like Before has created a sound of their own. Like Before continues to grow their fanbase in the Oklahoma City area while branching out to surrounding cities and states, such as Texas, Kansas, Arkansas, and Missouri. Their debut EP Right Where You Should Be released in September of 2020 and their second EP Can’t Break the Oath was released in October of 2021. Each of the Ep’s have been played on radio stations such as Rock 100.5 the KATT, with features in magazines such as Star Catcher Magazine, and blogs as well. They continue to write and record new music and play shows in new places. They consist of vocalist and guitar player Zach Robertson, drummer Alex Nemec, guitar player Brad Henderson, and Bass player Turner Allen. ReplyForward

Growing up in north central Kansas Brett Doane found his love for music while tending to the land on the family farm. Spending many hours listening to the radio Brett began to appreciate different styles of music and the sounds associated with them. When Brett was in high school he started playing the guitar, moving on to the  bass guitar forming a band with high school friends. After picking up the bass, Brett fell in love with the low end and the groove. Since then Brett has been blessed to play in many different groups from alternative and metal, country to jam bands.  While playing in college Brett found his passion for audio production and began another part of his musical journey.After college Brett moved back to his hometown of Downs Ks for work and partnered up with a musical mentor Carl Warner to form a small production company, Soundwaves & Expressions. While a small company there was many opportunities for Soundwaves to provide production for local events, corporate events, festivals and different artist and bands from local to the Grammy nominated. Brett continues to try to keep his small humble company with the feel of expertise any professional touring musician would appreciate.

Bassist and guitarist based out of the Tulsa/OKC area, versatile in Jazz, Rock, Blues, Funk, Avant Garde, and everything in between. Stephen has been touring since 2015 with INTHEMOODLIVE, Chris Duarte Group, Combsy, and has completed several US tours out on the road for months at a time, two Australian tours, has opened for Steve Tyrell, Lonnie Smith, and has performed with high caliber musicians such as: Ashlin Parker, Terrell Stafford, Geoffrey Keezer, Pat Kelley, Seamus Blake, Bill Watrous, and more. Also an experienced booking agent, Stephen is available for contracting music events of all types. Stephen is an experienced Didgeridoo player and a student of sound healing and meditation.

It's all about the story, and the Southern Oklahoma native is a story teller at heart. Shanholtzer began writing his own original lyrics as a teenager. Shortly after, he learned to play guitar, and it wasn't long before those lyrics became more than just words on a page. He started playing shows at local bars before venturing out and eventually working his way around Oklahoma and Texas. Working with Red Dirt legend Mike McClure and producer Caleb Shirtum in McClure's Boohatch Studio, he recorded and released two singles "Where I Need to Be (ft. Mike McClure)" and "Take a Drive." In 2019, Shanholtzer began to piece together what would become known as the Blacktop Rodeo to play Original Red Dirt Country music, as well as 90s and newer Country/Red Dirt/Texas Country covers. Justin Shanholtzer and the Blacktop Rodeo consists of Shanholtzer on Lead Vocal and Guitar, Jack Hogan on Lead Guitar, and Alec Cripps on Bass Guitar. Their six song debut EP "18 Wheels" was released August 7. 2021.

I was born in NYC in 1962 and we lived in that general area until my Dad passed away when I was 8 and we moved to Maine. I learned to play drums , piano and guitar over the next few years and got my first paying gig as a guitarist in a country band that got a residency at a country bar in Bangor, Maine. I was and am interested in almost all forms of music and played a little jazz and rock and roll but most of my time and attention back then was spent on country music. I moved to Boston in 1983 to join a country band there. It might sound funny to some people but there was actually a fairly big bar band scene of country cover bands all represented by the same booking agent, John Penny. During that time I got to play with musicians who played with Roy Buchanan, and they were: Russell Keys, Dave Broderick and Tom Hambridge. In 1986 I moved to Nashville. I answered an add in a local paper “ rockabilly guitarist wanted”. I went over to audition, got hired and afterwards the bass player took me down to Layla’s on lower Broadway in Nashville to hear a “ real rockabilly band” as he put it. We did and as it turns out they were more hillbilly than rockabilly, as were many that year having been influenced by the band BR549. There was in fact a whole scene for this type of music revolving around 2 nightclubs, Layla’s Bluegrass Inn and Robert’s Western World. After about 4 years of that I met my wife on the John Eddie tour and decided to move to Oklahoma where she was from. Unfortunately all that work hadn’t made me very much money and Nashville was starting to become super expensive to live in, I figured I couldn’t ask her to move there with me and starve so I moved to Midwest City, Oklahoma. For a long time I just played in the local Oklahoma City music scene and occasionally brought people to Nashville to produce and record. I produced a bunch locally in Oklahoma too. One day I saw a post in FB saying them at Texas Alt Country artist Wayne Hancock was looking for a guitar player and I immediately called my friend who had his number. I’d been a fan of Wayne for years and had always anted to pay with him. My friend called him, Wayne called me, I went and auditioned and in October 2014 he hired me and that brings us to date. We have spent the last 7 years playing together and touring the states and some of the rest of the world. Due to Covid he is currently taking a break from touring . Which is in a way why I am doing a solo thing now and seeking other touring work.

Chad Michael Sweeley has been bringing music and positivity to southern Oregon for over 30 years. Specializing in 5-string fretted/fretless bass guitar, and synth bass; his unique mixture of styles and passion has supported many bands within multiple genres such as Reggae, Funk, Jazz, Blues, Rock, Folk, and Country. Please join him now as he incorporates his talent and experience into a one-person whirl of electronic lounge funk unlike anything else.

Ben Rice's music is deeply rooted in traditional blues, yet at the same time fiercely original. His guitar playing earns labels like "fearless," "inventive" and "powerful," and he routinly brings audiences to their feet with his stunning and emotionally honest vocal delivery. Ben is as much at home fronting his electric band as he is captivating a crowd solo with nothing but his voice and his acoustic resonator guitar.

Gene Williams is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter from Oklahoma. Gene has worked with several Americana artists during his long career, including Tom Skinner, Jimmy LaFave, Townes Van Zandt, Bob Childers, Pat Mears, Greg Jacobs, Vicki Stagi, Blaze Foley, John Fullbright, The Red Dirt Rangers, Ad Van Meurs (aka The Watchman), Monica Taylor, and many others. He currently plays lead guitar and sings harmony for the singer/songwriter Dan Martin.