• Registered: 2007-08-26
  • Posts: 19

Topic: Looking for a Rocking Blues Band with Blues Violin/ Viola/ Fiddle

Hi. folks!

I'm hoping I can get some help on a new passion I got zapped with by pure coincidence. My wife and I were flying into Chicago this June, and we got our Outbound flight postponed a day. As luck would have it, the Chicago Blues Festival was in Day One, and we decided to take it in!

While there, we saw a great Blues Combo, folks from different bands jamming together, and they were playing great Chicago-style Dirty Blues. One of the musicians was a violinist, and his playing, jamming against a Stratocaster Slide Guitarist, was enough to make you melt. Violin/ viola/ fiddle, played in the blues can add a level of drama and mood that is staggering!

Anyways, I am finding it hard to find a good album version of this experience (Ruby Harris just doesn't have "teeth" and Papa John Creach is pretty much stuck with the Jefferson Airplane sound), and thought I'd ask this group if there were any contemporary blues bands that they know of that have a violin/ viola/ fiddle player!

Thanks!

  • Registered: 2006-09-13
  • Posts: 441

Re: Looking for a Rocking Blues Band with Blues Violin/ Viola/ Fiddle

Scott,
I don't know of any contemporary blues bands at this time w/fiddle, etc., but I all I could think of was Gatemouth Brown.

ScottB wrote:

Hi. folks!

I'm hoping I can get some help on a new passion I got zapped with by pure coincidence. My wife and I were flying into Chicago this June, and we got our Outbound flight postponed a day. As luck would have it, the Chicago Blues Festival was in Day One, and we decided to take it in!

While there, we saw a great Blues Combo, folks from different bands jamming together, and they were playing great Chicago-style Dirty Blues. One of the musicians was a violinist, and his playing, jamming against a Stratocaster Slide Guitarist, was enough to make you melt. Violin/ viola/ fiddle, played in the blues can add a level of drama and mood that is staggering!

Anyways, I am finding it hard to find a good album version of this experience (Ruby Harris just doesn't have "teeth" and Papa John Creach is pretty much stuck with the Jefferson Airplane sound), and thought I'd ask this group if there were any contemporary blues bands that they know of that have a violin/ viola/ fiddle player!

Thanks!

"There is nothing to it.  You only have to hit the right notes at the right time and the instrument plays itself."---Johann Sebastian Bach
  • From: Deep in the forest
  • Registered: 2007-02-11
  • Posts: 5,296

Re: Looking for a Rocking Blues Band with Blues Violin/ Viola/ Fiddle

Scott, I googled this and was surprised to see instructional material for blues violin! So it does exist. There was a listing for the Lady in Chicago and some others. If you don't already know him, Sonny Landreth plays a slide that has that kind of effect. See if you can hear "Wind out of Denver" from Grant Street. And please report back if you find a band...

  • Registered: 2006-06-16
  • Posts: 465

Re: Looking for a Rocking Blues Band with Blues Violin/ Viola/ Fiddle

Allman Brothers Band bassist extrordinaire released an album with his group Oteil & The Peacemakers called "A Family Secret".  That record featured a keyboardist and violinist named Jason Crosby.  The music is blues/rock with a very fusion oriented sound and Jason Crosby plays some brilliant violin.  Check it out.

www.instagram.com/jameyarent

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  • From: Frederick County, MD
  • Registered: 2006-04-21
  • Posts: 857

Re: Looking for a Rocking Blues Band with Blues Violin/ Viola/ Fiddle

You might be interested to know that this Jason Crosby fellow happens to be the keyboard player for Robert Randolph & the Family Band, and he pulled the fiddle out for a tune or two when I saw them here in DC earlier this year.  He's a GREAT musician.

CarljMD

P.S  It's not blues...but you should definitely check out Jean Luc Ponty's early solo stuff...he was on Zappa's "Apostrophe" I believe.  Very cool jazz-fusion if you like that kinda thing.  Also a metal elec. violinist named Mark Wood is awesome too!

Takers get the honey, givers sing the blues
  • Registered: 2007-08-26
  • Posts: 19

Re: Looking for a Rocking Blues Band with Blues Violin/ Viola/ Fiddle

These are GREAT suggestions! Yes, I have listened to the late Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, and I do like his stuff a lot. I'll have to go back and listen to "Apostrophe" again. I remember Jean Luc Ponty was on there, but it's such a gonzo musical gumbo on that album that no one instrument sticks out-except perhaps the vibraphone. Great suggestion as well!

I'm really intrigued by Oteil & The Peacemakers' "A Family Secret". If they take that sound to an Allman Brother's jam level, it could be just what the doctor ordered (BTW did anyone else notice the Duane Allman phrasings in some of the solo work that Joe did on the live CD from Ft. Wayne? Right out of the Fillmore concert, and dead on- took me right back).

I will most certainly look up both Jason Crosby and Mark Wood. Both sound intriguing, and I have no idea what a metal electric violinist would even sound like, so I needs me some of that!

The closest thing I found in my searches on Google to the sound I heard is a YouTube based band called "Killer Blues Band" (not a good name- it's kind of like naming your band "Free Beer" while on the nightclub circuit). You can watch a clip or two of them, but they are a trio and the violin replaces the guitar, so it's not quite full enough of a sound (I need guitar SOMEWHERE).

Thanks, everyone!

  • mikeb
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  • Registered: 2006-06-24
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Re: Looking for a Rocking Blues Band with Blues Violin/ Viola/ Fiddle

Course good ole Dreg's music is sweet n violiney too....

You Can Do Anything You Want To Do

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  • From: Frederick County, MD
  • Registered: 2006-04-21
  • Posts: 857

Re: Looking for a Rocking Blues Band with Blues Violin/ Viola/ Fiddle

I had forgotten them in my initial post but thinking about it later...check out "What If" by the Dixie Dregs.  Also, not blues, but some really cool violin stuff over some rockin' jams and some sort of spacey stuff....I'm sure they have other great albums as well but What If was one of my adolescent favorites.

Takers get the honey, givers sing the blues
  • From: Mt Clemens Michigan
  • Registered: 2006-09-12
  • Posts: 572

Re: Looking for a Rocking Blues Band with Blues Violin/ Viola/ Fiddle

Have you checked out Frank Marinos guitar player? He plays a electric violin that totally blew me away! I dont know his name though.


Rob

All my tears they fell like rain, cant you hear them falling?
Led Zeppelin: Since I been Loving You
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Re: Looking for a Rocking Blues Band with Blues Violin/ Viola/ Fiddle

zosozep7 wrote:

Have you checked out Frank Marinos guitar player? He plays a electric violin that totally blew me away! I dont know his name though.


Rob

His name is Avi Lidmer and he may well be playing bass on Frank's October tour since Remi has previous engagements in China......

You Can Do Anything You Want To Do

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  • Registered: 2013-06-17
  • Posts: 2

Re: Looking for a Rocking Blues Band with Blues Violin/ Viola/ Fiddle

My name is Jon Parry. I have played the blues violin for about forty years now. I am an instructor this year @ the Port Townsend Country Blues Festival.
I don't have any recordings yet but plan to start a Blues violin project in the coming months. The recordings I am on are with the Goose Creek Symphony, Hank Williams jr, and Danny Barnes.
I have played with Bluesmen Terry "Harmonica" Bean, Nick Vigarino, Daddy Treetops,
My favorite Blues fiddler was Don "Sugarcane" Harris. He has great recordings with John Mayall, Frank Zappa, Sonny Terry and Brownie Magee, and the band Pure Food and Drug Act with Harvey Mandel.
The Blues violin needs to regain relevance in the blues world! Thanks for your interest!

  • From: Deep in the forest
  • Registered: 2007-02-11
  • Posts: 5,296

Re: Looking for a Rocking Blues Band with Blues Violin/ Viola/ Fiddle

jimibender wrote:

My name is Jon Parry. I have played the blues violin for about forty years now. I am an instructor this year @ the Port Townsend Country Blues Festival.
I don't have any recordings yet but plan to start a Blues violin project in the coming months. The recordings I am on are with the Goose Creek Symphony, Hank Williams jr, and Danny Barnes.
I have played with Bluesmen Terry "Harmonica" Bean, Nick Vigarino, Daddy Treetops,
My favorite Blues fiddler was Don "Sugarcane" Harris. He has great recordings with John Mayall, Frank Zappa, Sonny Terry and Brownie Magee, and the band Pure Food and Drug Act with Harvey Mandel.
The Blues violin needs to regain relevance in the blues world! Thanks for your interest!

Welcome jimi..  Thanks for finding us and this thread. Impressive resume. I look forward to hearing your Project.

I also recommend Anne Harris, who plays with Otis Taylor. "Trance Blues" smile
http://www.otistaylor.com/video.html

  • From: Benicia, Ca.
  • Registered: 2006-05-08
  • Posts: 5,828

Re: Looking for a Rocking Blues Band with Blues Violin/ Viola/ Fiddle

Here's a friend I've been listening to for 30+ years. Carlos Reyes, very versatile musician and can rip up any genre on the violin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNiJ5vP5sU4                       Enjoy,

                                                                                             J Dawg

What is success? Is it do yo' own thang, or is it to join the rest?   -Allen Toussaint
  • From: Benicia, Ca.
  • Registered: 2006-05-08
  • Posts: 5,828

Re: Looking for a Rocking Blues Band with Blues Violin/ Viola/ Fiddle

Maybe this is more what your lookin' for. Nashville session pro Mark O'Connor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4kvzWLSDT4

What is success? Is it do yo' own thang, or is it to join the rest?   -Allen Toussaint
  • Registered: 2013-06-17
  • Posts: 2

Re: Looking for a Rocking Blues Band with Blues Violin/ Viola/ Fiddle

yeah man Carlos Rocks it!       

ohiodawg13 wrote:

Here's a friend I've been listening to for 30+ years. Carlos Reyes, very versatile musician and can rip up any genre on the violin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNiJ5vP5sU4                       Enjoy,

                                                                                             J Dawg

  • From: Prince George, Va.
  • Registered: 2007-10-23
  • Posts: 237

Re: Looking for a Rocking Blues Band with Blues Violin/ Viola/ Fiddle

There's Jean Luc Ponty you can check out. Mostly jazz but has done stuff with Zappa, Elton John, Stanley Clarke, John McGlauchlin, Chick Corea and Al Dimeola. Then off of the latest Chris Duarte cd the last song has a guy listed on the liner notes as Mads Tolling who plays violin brilliantly with Chris on an instrumental number.

  • From: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
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  • Posts: 4,615

Re: Looking for a Rocking Blues Band with Blues Violin/ Viola/ Fiddle

Not sure how much fiddle/violin plays in their set, but a band on Greenose's Jocks Juke Joint II, Black Diamond Express really shone out for me. Track was called Never Was A Lass So Fair. Don't think it comes under "rockin" though, maybe more of a celtic/folkie air, but it certainly made you sit and drink it in.

Oh! Just looked for it on YouTube and found this - Preachin' Blues: looks like they incorporate quite a bit fiddle; hang on to your socks!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tlrxlMJ6-k

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...
  • From: Amsterdam
  • Registered: 2007-10-06
  • Posts: 5,249

Re: Looking for a Rocking Blues Band with Blues Violin/ Viola/ Fiddle

That's pretty amazing, a new poster finds a six year old topic! I doff my hat, Jon.

I can only echo what Cathy said about the utterly wonderful Anne Harris!! Here are a couple of examples -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_BwJG17N3Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyHS0lgzKUk

RIP Iron Man

Rock On and keep the Faith