Working with Guitarist and songwriter Dominic Hollands on a fresh blues project Kevin Thorpe's LOW COMPANY.
SOME FOOTAGE TAKEN WHEN WE OPENED FOR SHERMAN ROBERTSON AT MILLERS BLUES CLUB, KIRKBY 1 OCT 2009
Influences
Ry Cooder, John Lee Hooker, Lightning Hopkins, John Hiatt, Steve Earle, Townes Van Zandt, Leonard Cohen, The Kinks, Ron Sexsmith, Eddie Hinton, Nick Drake, John Martyn, Roy Harper, Buddy Miller, Zappa, The Kinks, Joni Mitchell, Little Feat, Elvin Bishop, Delbert McClinton, Albert Collins, BB, Freddie and Albert, Sandy Denny, Rory Gallagher, Richard Thompson, Jackie Leven,The Byrds, His Bobness, Peter Green, The Listeners, The Band, Erik Satie, Robben Ford, Ronnie Earl, Robert Cray, Bonzos, Peter Cook, Tony Hancock, Spike Milligan, Coco the Clown, Johnny Cash, Jeff and Tim Buckley, Gram Parsons, Arhoolie, Sun Records, Stax, Neil Young, Steven Stills, Lucky Peterson, Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, Dave Gilmour, The Small Faces, The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers, Tony Joe White, Free, Chester Burnett, Son House, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Taj Mahal, Paul Kossoff, Flying Burritos, John Prine, Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin, the Who, Led Zeppelin, Joe Cocker
CHECK OUT MY STUDIO SERVICES www.myspace.com/theswanyard
I have been playing since before my birth.
As a lad I was a choirester first in Sheffield Cathedral and then in Lincoln Cathedral where I was detained at the pleasure of the High Church of England. Subsequently, I have no space in my life for organised religion.......and not much space for disorganised religion either, come to think of it.
When I started trying to sing like Joe Cocker, they threw me out anyway......bands Grief's Child, Granfalloon and Solstice followed amongst others that I can't remember the names of...twas the 60's and 70's after all.
I finally formed the band Zoot Alors! with Nottingham guitarist/writer Alan Fearn and drummer Pete Pearson.....picked up by Elton John's former manager Ray Williams and signed to Decca. After a few years of mayhem I returned to the frozen north and stopped playing for a while to gather my thoughts , I got back into playing and spent a few years with South Yorksire band Gregory Peccary and the Bacon Slicers....clubs, pubs, pubs, drink, clubs......you get the picture.
The band moved to Spain...I stayed in jolly ol' blighty and formed Norbert Trouble to play The Blues with school friend Sid Rushby on bass then, together with with Eddie Tatton...unarguably one of the best geetar players on the planet.... I put Out of the Blue together (awful name but it was a last minute thing).
The band made a big splash at the 1993 Great British Blues Festival at which I also won a gong for composer of the Best British Blues song...then won again in 1994.......OOTB were on a roll then....we supported Robert Cray in Dublin in 1995, our first large gig. We were so damned hot that Cray's management phoned us from LA to check us out and offer us work in the States. Phew! Heady!!!.......
Over the years we have played support to Robben Ford, Otis Rush, Junior Wells, Tracey Nelson, Anne Peebles, Luther Allison, Van Morrison and many others........ As a band we've backed Philip Walker and Paul Rishell and Annie Raines.
Me and Jonny went off to the States where we played with Paul, Annie and Ronnie Earl...... We fused with the Memphis Horns into a band for their appearances at the Edinburgh Jazz Fesival and The Guinness Blues Festival in Dublin....this became what I consider to be my most memorable moment so far when I got to sing, amongst other classic Stax numbers, 'Mr Pitiful' with the Horns and OOTB. The Scotsman paper said.....' Here was the ledgendary Memphis Horns backed by 5 callow Englishmen, delivering a surprisingly soulful version of 'Mr Pitiful.'..... All on rehearsals by fax and telephone and a couple of hours in the venue before the gig.....goosebumps are made of such stuff......
I worked as a producer and advisor for independant British blues label Armadillo (with whom OOTB have two albums 'Blues in a Bottle' and 'Shadowplay') working on projects with, amonst others Harlem Blues man Larry Johnson and Texan Eugene 'Hideaway' Bridges whose last band album I had the pleasure of working on in Austin Texas........Eugene is THE Bluesman...just lives for the road. He's got a Blues Award (formerly Handy Award) nomination for 2008............
Anyway, I still do a few gigs with OOTB. Eddie Tatton, Nigel Lobley, Jonny Dyke Simon Sparks and singer Wendy Martin is the current line up. Jonny is off working with French supastar Patricia Kaas playing Russia and every major world territory and Eddie doing lots of session stuff makes it an occassional band......I'm currently working on a new live set with guitarist Dominic Hollands....Kevin Thorpe's Low Company....a duo currently....soon to be trotted out as a band.....and playing live with MAGGIE and the BLUE MAGNETOS (www.myspace.com/maggieandthebluemagnetos) mainly in and around the Frozen North.
I have to mention my daughters band THE LISTENERS (www.myspace.com/thelisteners) who of course are reeet good..........
....sorry for rambin'on......I guess it comes with the territory..... that's the deal on the streets in the big city.... anyone who gets up on that there stage has to have some sort of ...er, agenda........but it's as good a place as any to work it through ........ NOW DON'T GET ME STARTED!!!
Thanks very much for your kind words :-) Sorry for the delay in getting back, I'm on a project at the moment and it's keeping me pretty busy lol. I hope that all is going well at your end?
Hi,Promoting an evening of cool blues and hot gypsy jazz at The University of Sheffield on 7 November. Kyla Brox and The Samuel C Lees Quartet. Advance ticket offer : £10 rather than £12 call 0114 222 8968 and quote "Ents24 Code US1" Two Headline Acts : One Show ! 8pm to 11pm. Kyla Brox "The Voice" "Blues Diva" "The Samuel C Lees Quartet does a great job of combining the traditional side of gypsy jazz with a modern feel and groove, which is both unique and and extremely desirable to listen to!" John Jorgenson Quintet.
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