backup american blues news: NEW YORK BLUES: The Beat Goes On- Baby Gramps

Sunday, June 14, 2009

NEW YORK BLUES: The Beat Goes On- Baby Gramps

Greetings again fellow blues fans! Any of you get the chance to attend the Chicago Blues Fest?
I would have liked to attend but sometimes life has a way of saying "not so fast there, bud." This week I am submitting photos of an interesting musician called Baby Gramps. I got the chance to catch Baby Gramps on Friday night at my favorite blues club, Terra Blues. Baby Gramps was very entertaining. His style is actually a mixture of various styles and he was quite the crowd pleaser. Can't say I've ever seen anyone quite like him. I am also posting a few shots of Bobby Radcliff taken a few weeks ago when I caught him doing a solo set at Terra Blues.

I'm sure there must be some Melvin Taylor fans here, right? Well, I have contacted Melvin Taylor's people and they were gracious enough to give me the OK to get some shots of Melvin when he plays Terra Blues later this month. I first heard Melvin on Lucky Peterson's Ridin' CD from 1993. I'm telling you...he's some guitar player! One CD in particular, 'Melvin Taylor and The Slack Band' is a favorite of mine. I am very excited about the chance to finally catch him on-stage. Stay tuned for my photo coverage in a few weeks.
Until then...keep on diggin' them BLUES!

Nelson G. Onofre

by the way, for those that aren't aware yet, clicking on my photos opens a larger one, for better viewing.

Baby Gramps
Terra Blues, June 2009
http://www.babygramps.com/
photo: Nelson G. Onofre
"Baby Gramps plays a mixture of styles and eras including traditional blues, children's and labor songs, and his own compositions. His busy and unusual guitar style includes flat and finger picking, and "chording" with the back of his hand and his elbow. His performance is based in part on improvisation and he often encourages audience participation. Baby Gramps has performed as a street musician, and has toured with Artis the Spoonman, Béla Fleck & the Flecktones and Phish."