Hugh Pool is a journeyman blues player whose guitar has taken him around the globe. From Indonesia to the Arctic circle, Hugh has ignited audiences with his original brand of jacked-up Delta Blues. Blues writer and critic Don Wilcock noted “The thing that I love about Hugh is that I get all the honesty that makes for a great blues show, but I also get this guy that’s going after it, kicking my ass, like a great rock show”. What sets Hugh apart is that he built his rock from bedrock...Blind Lemon Jefferson, Robert Johnson, Blind Willie Johnson and other architects of early blues.
Hugh moved to New York City at 20 with $300 in his pocket and a 6 string guitar. Playing in the subway, on street corners, in cafes, coffee houses and bars, he soon met a character named Professor Washboard and spent 4 years busking the streets of Europe. On busy weekends, Hugh and the Professor would routinely send 8 and 10 piece bands packing. CD sales were great and a booking agent came calling. Hugh traveled all over Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Germany in an old Mercedes Benz ambulance van with Professor Washboard playing hundreds of gigs...private parties, truck Grand Prix’s, wheelchair dance parties...headlining blues festivals, playing Christmas markets...on boats, trucks and hay wagons...in beer tents, restaurants, clubs, cafes, discos, and on the finer walking streets of major European cities. Hugh and the Professor played and played and played and played. Faster, Louder, Stronger became their motto.
Hugh has released six CD’s under various names and has been lauded by The New York Times, Village Voice, The New York Press and Blues Review. Hugh has also appeared as a musical guest on TV shows including The Emeril Lagasse Show, ABC World News Now, ABC’s The City and The Mitch Albom show. As an "actor", he has appeard on ABC’s Love Monkey and Late Night With Conan O’Brien.
From tiny clubs in lower Manhattan to the Jones Beach ampitheater Hugh has played virtually every blues venue in NYC. He has opened for and/or played with: Johnny Winter, John Mayall, Government Mule, Patti Smith, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Ritchie Havens and Dave Edmonds, etc. He has been called out of the audience to jam by Leon Russell, Chris Whitley, John Campbell and Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin, etc. He has been punched on stage by Leslie West. He has been invited to party old school with Tony Joe White, Lonnie Mack, Rick Danko and Paul Geremiah. In Chicago, Cleveland and New York, he has had backstage conversations in the code of blues with legends Sunnyland Slim, Hubert Sumlin, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Les Paul and Pinetop Perkins. Hugh has sung and played on jingles for Dr. Pepper, Heineken, Pillsbury, Texaco, etc. He has written music for an award winning AIDS documentary, an off-Broadway play and a German movie along with the many usages of his recorded music on Network and Cable TV.
In addition to his success as a musician, Hugh has also earned acclaim as a producer/engineer/mixer and session player at his Brooklyn-based studio, Excello Recording. Hugh’s talent behind the board and musical ears have led him to work with such talents as Taj Mahal, Hubert Sumlin, Michael Brecker, Debbie Harry, Olu Dara, Johnny Johnson, Pagoda and Marah.
The Pittsburgh Post Gazette may have summed him up best—
“You may not have heard of Hugh Pool now, but if there is justice in the world of
music, that will change.”
"HUGH POOL. You can't swing a cat in this city without hitting Hugh Pool. I caught this hard working New York country-delta-blues guitarist at the Bottom Line opening for Dave Edmunds, some time ago. Playing flavorsome guitar with a mouthful of whiskey and a salty voice, he seems to be a member of 100 bands supplying his Winter and Allman Brothers sound. When he's not playing, you can see him with engineering credits on CDs from bands like The Bootleg Remedy. Whew!"
- Aber (Village Voice "Choices")
"Hugh Pool's song hark back to the 1960's rock that was steeped in the blues. His repertory extends from rolling-and-tumbling slide-guitar boogies to neo-psychedelic jams to reflective, down-home hymns that recall The Band."
- Pareles (New York Times)
"Before there w as grunge, there was Howlin' Wolf. Now there's the HUGH POOL BAND... Pool is a tremendous slide and fingerstyle guitarist with a propensity for adventure. He's also got a great voice...intense, deep and real."
- Jeff Calvin (Blues Review Magazine)
"HUGH POOL. Evidence that not every rocker living in Brooklyn is a bandwagon-jumping, Vice-reading twentysomething. Pool's earnest forays into roots rock vibe a mellower Greg Allman, maybe, or a journeyman blues player with a jones for introspection and noise-geetar."
- Hoard (Village Voice "Choices")
"Honky-tonk Hugh Pool is surprisingly from New York, not exactly the home of roots rock. But you wouldn't know it from listening to his music. Pool has a knack for mixing blues, country and nasty rock 'n' roll, and he makes it look easy. Known mostly for his unreal steel-guitar playing and his mastery of the Fender Stratocaster, Pool also belts out lyrics with authority. And unlike Mick Jagger, he really is a mean harmonica player."
-Joey Key (From AOL City Guide) June 27 2007
"It's true that Hugh can play the living shit out of a guitar. He can do things to the instrument that I have NEVER seen anyone do. His riffs are as seamless as a bender. His tone borders on the sublime. But all of it is smoke and mirrors, icing on a very large cake. The thing about Hugh is that when you see him you see this guy who is being true. You see who he is, which is to say you see a man who lives so deep in the pocket that he probably evolved from lint. In this day and age of Velveeta processed bands, Hugh is refreshing to say the least."
- Harlan Longstreet (entire Rodeo Bar review found here.)
"I had forgotten how talented this guy is. He can literally do it all...electric blues with and without slide, acoustic delta style on a National, wicked fast country style fingerpicking, you name it.... he even blows a pretty mean harp."
- Big Road Blues
"The average music fan may not know who Hugh Pool is right now. But if there's justice in the world of music, that will change."
- Pittsburgh Post Gazette
"HUGH POOL KNOCKS THE DOORS OFF." Just back from 3 shows on the east coast of North Carolina, Hugh Pool is a one man armada. Each finger might as well have its own guitar, there is so much sound coming out. Then as if he needed more, there's the harmonica's howl, his foot is stomping, and the voice is the unmistakable, authentic sound of life's struggle through the classics of the finger-picking blues. And when Hugh picks up his 1937 National metal guitar...hold onto something.
But the night was not complete without 2 hours worth of stories of life, the road, and music."
- Ed Bernstein, ShareNY.com Reports
"Whatever Mojo is, Hugh Pool has it in spades."
- David Morreale, Mudluscious Records
"Hugh Pool is one of those rare artists whose vision transcends his chosen genre."
- Glenn Paul Manion, The Splatter Effect
"...in other words they're the veritable Real Deal."
- Waterfront Week (Williamsburg/Greenpoint)
"Hugh Pool is a Brooklyn cowboy, if there ever was one. This wildman from Williamsburg has been up and down these highway roads across America, many times now gracing audiences with his fancy fret work and his self-described psyche-delta stomp. Along the way, he has had the privilege to share a stage with everyone from Patti Smith and Johnny Winter to Gov't Mule. As always, expect a little blues, a little country and one hell of a rocking good time."
- (New York Press)
HI thnx for the friendship! Think it’s great to have musician friends all over the world!!! I stopped by to listen to your music and enjoyed it very much …really sounds GREAT! Greets from “D E E Z E L” (Belgium) and lots of luck in every thing you do!! If you can find the time check out my music too please and tell me what you think, “Love junky” is our first single release !! (thnx)
Hey man! Today will be my third day on the mountain! It's tough but somebody's got to do it. We miss all you guys, hopefully I'll be back in town soon for some work.
we think we are lucky to live these lives we lead. to be a part of the cultural, political and scientific conversation of our time, while able to work one's way through life basically supporting oneself through their art. amazing! frustrating sometimes? yes. unfair sometimes...what isn't? know we are blessed. that is why it is imperative that we speak up. it is our responsibility for being so blessed. - dj monkey
Hey Hugh how are you? Looks like you've been rocking all over the place. Everything is stock rocking here in HK. Hope you get a chance to come back again and rock The Wanch.. Your fans in HK..
Ciao,Hugh Pool Band Thank you for the add and the friendship. you are very good, I like your stupendous music a lot, Band, and stupendous voice. compliments ..really. you are one of my prefeitis, I feel great admiration for you, be really one whom is worth rather a lot! I hope to listen soon to you, in italy .. talk to you soon, and all of my best wishes to always listen to your good music all the best.. from italy.. and good life.. every day neal
Hey love the music babe! Just wanted to let you know my friend is using this software thing to boost his plays and he is in the top 100 for his genre just wanted to let you know about it maybe it can help you? http://www.guitarguru.net keep doing your thing! Ima tell all my friends about you :)
helloo mate tx for d app please check "youngdebrock" myspace and listen to our music give us your critics, we wanted it so much tx and keep ono rockin semper fi
Will Scott's new album, GNAWBONE, is here!! The CD is available at CDBaby (www.cdbaby.com/all/willscottmusic) and other online retailers.
Over three years in the making, GNAWBONE, is Scott's fully-produced studio debut and features a crack team of hand-picked musicians as well as guest performances by Jan Bell, Jolie Holland, Samantha Parton, and Preacher Boy (the album's producer).
