As the son of blues legend Lonnie Brooks, RBB grew up steeped in American music tradition. He came of age watching the fieriest guitar players and most soulful singers of a previous era express their deepest feelings through their music. He knows the transcendent release at the heart of soul, blues and rock. As in the Olympic tradition, when the torch gets passed on, the idea is to keep it burning, while at the same time move it forward. It's a fitting image for Brooks. Not only does he sing with soulful fire and play with a white-hot intensity; he's also carrying the torch from the previous generation of soul and blues greats and moving the music into the future. "I grew up among the best of the best," Brooks says. "Every time I play, I feel like I've got to do it with the authenticity and passion that I saw in guys like Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, B.B. King and my father. But I also have to put my twist on it. None of those guys repeated what came before them."
Brooks' twist involves enlivening blues-rock with deep soul and modern hip-hop vocals and funk rhythms. Working with Minneapolis producer Jellybean Johnson, Brooks takes roots sounds and transforms them into something that spans the ages. He draws on the choppy, hip-shaking rhythms of funk, the emotional truth of soul and the forcefulness of rock to bring a distinctive dimension to his groundbreaking sound. "I wanted to do something that would bring young people to the blues, and then give them the real hardcore thing at the same time," Brooks says. "When I grew up, all my friends listened to rap and funk, and I listened to the blues. So I heard their music and they heard mine. I think we both saw some connection between them. I like that line in the movie "Hustle & Flow" when they say this new rap song ain't nothing but 'Backdoor Man' written for modern streets. It's a hip-hop world right now, but I want to bring a little blues to the party."
Brooks has earned his spot on the front lines. He spent a dozen years backing his father, watching how the master entertainer drew enthusiastic responses night after night. For years, the younger Brooks put his lessons on stage every night, opening his father's show to great response. With his father's blessing, he left the band to strike out on his own shortly after releasing his own debut album, Golddigger in 1998.
Like his father before him, Brooks became a Chicago blues mainstay, playing regularly in Chicago area clubs. After the release of his second album, 2001's Take Me Witcha, he hit the road for what turned out to be a seemingly non-stop three-year tour, picking up devoted new fans all along the way. And while he hadn't planned to take five years between recordings, he did want to do it right. He made up for lost time by packing as many tunes as possible on THE TORCH.
Indeed, the album celebrates all that Ronnie Baker Brooks is -- a man with both a history and a vision, a man uniquely suited to carry THE TORCH.
hey Ronnie im all excited now im in ~7th place~ out of all the Rock Genre songs entered in the contest!!! ~2659~ im very happy with that thanks for your support!! friends always Mark
HollowRain has been entered in 95 WIIL Rocks Bandemonium contest for 2009 with the song "Darkest Places"! HollowRain needs your help by simply voting!
To vote for HOLLOWRAIN, send an email to stu@95wiilrock.com. YOU MUST put the band name (HOLLOWRAIN) and song title "Darkest Places" in the subject line, just copy and paste from this message. In the body, include your name and working phone number. Only one vote per person per email address allowed, as any more would disqualify your vote. Voting ends on July 3rd at 5pm.
The top six bands entered in the contest get to play at Austin's Fuel Room in Libertyville, IL in the next part of the competition. HollowRain would get lots of exposure from this and a chance to win cash and prizes. Please help the band out by voting and spreading the word to all of your friends, family members and coworkers!
Ciao Ronnie ,Thank you for the add and the friendship. you are very good, I like your stupendous music a lot,and stupendous voice. you are fantastic ..really. you are a myth for me;-) talk to you soon, and all of my best wishes to always listen to your good music. all the best.. from italy neal
Hello, it's me, Ruby Jane.To those who don't know me, I am a 14 year old fiddler, songwriter. I have some songs posted that are fresh out of the studio. Let me know if you like the new songs..be one of the first to hear, even before they are released!Thanks! new videos too! Ruby Jane
Hey RBB!! Did we almost have too much fun Sunday at the Little Bear or what??? Thanks so much, it was so much fun to make music with you again! Tell the guys hey for me, and I love you all!! I'll be sending a friend request from my other page at ericabrownentertainment too, so you'll get two communications from me...take really good care out there, and much love right back atcha!!!..E
Ronnie, See you at the Greeley Blues Jam this weekend. My band is playing between you and Marcia Ball. Not a bad place to be. Hope you can check us out.
My heart goes out to all of the Chicago Blues family. Our Queen may be gone but never forgotten. The torch is slowly passing to all you cats. Keepin it alive...
Thanks so much for the Add–and your friendship. We enjoyed your music very much. Thanks for sharing it with all of us. It's a pleasure having you among our friends!
We've just added two new blogs about Umano, plus four more new compositions, making ten on our space. We hope you and your friends visit us and enjoy our music, too.
We wake up every morning and play the music of the new MySpace friends who have arrived at our site during the night. It occurred to us that these friends (you are among them) are almost universally positive, whether they be novices or legends, and without regard to their station in life or the country they occupy.
Although it's not an original thought, it also occurred to us that we couldn’t hold a verbal conversation with most of these friends, but we have bridged that gap by expressing our art honestly with each other.
We all have been filling the world with our music and art, in the hope that our messages of love and human understanding will have an impact on the world at large.
What a gift and what an opportunity we have received from this technology!
Online Now!
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