BluesAmericana

Photo: Arnie Goodman There are stars, superstars and even megastars. Then there is Robert Plant, a guy who is, or has been, all three of them together, and who remains at the very top of the universal musical tree. Speaking with a relaxed Plant, on the near-eve of the release of his latest album,  Carry Fire  on Warner/Nonesuch, refreshingly, the man himself is a genuine delight, with no axe to grind, no self-obsessed front to maintain, no precious barriers that all too often seem to come with the fame. Much to my relief, Mr. Plant is an instantly likeable, friendly, chatty sort of guy-next-door. Exactly the kind of guy you feel you’ve known most of your life. Which, if you’ve been listening to music for much of it, is pretty much the case. The man is enjoying the beauty of the misty Welsh Mountain hill country, an area he is constantly drawn towards and where he clearly feels completely at home and at ease. We joke about local highlights, having both lived in the area off and...

 It's always a pleasure to chat with US icon, Don McLean. McLean hit the big-time with the wonderful track, 'American Pie' almost fifty years ago. Seems hard to believe so much time may have passed since its release yet it remains a truly timeless great. Don's just signed another deal with Time-Warner for a digital release of a huge back-catalogue - over 170 songs! - he retains the rights to. We hooked up in CA, where he was self-isolating in this crazy Covid year. Don McLean . Is hardly known for his blues work or output. But as the guy who wrote one of the most important songs of a generation, around fifty years ago, with ‘ American Pie ,’ he hit the global charts, the airwaves and the world for a cert home-run. One copy of the original, hand-written lyrics alone fetched over a million bucks at auction and  McLean  laughs at the thought and says he has a few other hand-written copies still to hand. When the opportunity again arose to speak with  McLean  at hom...

  Peter Green   When Giants’ Pass                I guess every blues lover was deeply saddened and shocked by the death of the truly great guitarist, Peter Green, on July 25, aged just 73. Green, a founder-member of legendary band, Fleetwood Mac – when they truly were a blues band extraordinaire – set the bar for tasteful, soulful, inspired picking for almost everyone that came behind him. Green was a genuine global blues icon and the expression, ‘we won’t see his type again’ has a startling resonance and truth about it. When the sad news hit the wires, here at BluesAmericana there was a shocked silence followed by the thought that maybe the man who gave Green his first real breakthrough as a professional musician will have something to say. So, I asked another hugely influential, legendary UK bluesman with a global following and appeal for his initial thoughts. John Mayall was the first man to recognise the talent that Peter Green was, ...

Back again with yet more info and some interviews with the BluesAmericana musicians who make the music and provide the pleasure. Robert Cray is a musician who almost literally shot to fame as a new, modern US bluesman. Within no time at all he had attracted a huge number of admirers including many of the music world's finest including Eric Clapton, who remains a good friend and a fan. Cray is an easy going sort of guy, chatty and delightful to catch-up with: Last Minute Man For around four decades, Robert Cray has been an explosive, hugely admired bluesman. With Clapton, Jagger and Richards paid-up fans, he has worked with many of the greats of blues music from John Lee Hooker and B.B. King to Stevie Ray. Five Grammys under his belt, and with a new album just out, I caught up with the man out on the road in the USA preparing for the now Covid-cancelled UK and Europe tour his fans were eagerly anticipating. Robert Cray is waiting to take the stage at a small venue...