drscottsmoonshineband

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Jerry Portnoy - Review: Dancing with Muddy: Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton and My Lucyk Life In and Out of the Blues

I’ve been lucky enough to meet a lot of interesting, talented and thoughtful people. Jerry Portnoy is one that I call a friend. He just published his memoir and it’s a good one. Jerry was Muddy Waters’ harmonica player for 6 years and then played in Eric Clapton’s band from 1991 – 1996. He’s played with the biggest names in the blues: Johnny Young, Johnny Littlejohn, Willie Dixon, Big Walter…

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Folk Songs for the 5-String Banjo: Volume 1

Version 1.0.0 Forward I’ve had the pleasure of playing with Kelly for 8 years now. Sure, I’ve been on stage with Another Pint, and that’s always intense, but maybe more enjoyable has been all those nights sitting in one of our living rooms playing folk tunes. That brings us all closer to the totality of the American experience. Think back to the days when songsters roamed the countryside, never…

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Review of Dr. Scott’s Moonshine Band’s Pass Around the Jimmy-John

Review of Dr. Scott’s Moonshine Band’s Pass Around the Jimmy-John

True blues. Pure pleasure. Pass Around the Jimmy-John may take its name from a jug of moonshine, but the truth is it’s a perfect blend of back-country blues that soaks you like a smooth sour mash. Scott’s rich vocals power the selection of classic blues, and lead picking by Joel and Aidan would make Leadbelly proud. Round out the sound with strong support from Sesu, et. al., and you’ve got the…

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In early October Sesu, Aidan and I went into the studio to record 3 songs for special projects. For the first time we had Aidan focus exclusively on electric guitar and Sesu on the drum kit in addition to the Ashiko. The result was much more rock than you are used to hearing from us but that was entirely appropriate given what we were recording.

Recording sesson: October 3, 2016

Up first was a cover of the Rolling Stones’ Dead Flowers which is slated for inclusion on the Whiplash Records tribute to the Stones.I told Aidan to “think Mick Taylor.” He accomplished it. After you hear the track sit back and remember that he is 14 as we are doing this. What a kick it was having Sesu playing a kit. He sounded so good in the earphones that I had to look over and was a bit awestruck by the historical figure I was playing next to. Really, it’s a joy to play with those 2 musicians.

As is generally our practice in the studio we do the basic track live. This time it was Aidan’s electric rhythm guitar, Sesu on the kit and my vocals and acoustic guitar. Aidan then recorded his leads and fills and added the bass. His leads are complete takes! Sesu then recorded an Ashiko track and I put on a second unison vocal and that was it. I like the energy that we achieved. I like the propulsive power of Sesu’s drumming. I like the fills and the leads. Overall, I’m just really happy with this recording.

Dead Flowers will be on a Whiplash Records compilation that is coming out in late January or early February 2017. I’m really looking forward to this one. I can imagine that the Stones are a sweet spot for a lot of the bands on this compilation. With roots that go back to the early CBGBs era of NYC and the New York Dolls (original guitarist Rick Rivets plays on all these compilations) it’s a natural. We are already on the Whiplash compilation of The Who and this one has me even more excited (and that’s a good one).

Next up, was an up-tempo version of the Grateful Dead’s Friend of the Devil. This was released on this year’s Whiplash Halloween IV. Each time we are included on these compilations it is really an honor. The music on this one is really outstanding! It doesn’t have to be Halloween for you to enjoy it so get a jump on next year’s Halloween party and get it now!! I had the same kind of experience with this track as Dead Flowers and again really ended up liking the energy in this recording. Aidan plays two really good solos. He’s really got a feel for how to introduce himself and make a statement and these too are complete takes. I’ve been playing Friend of the Devil and Dead Flowers for many years and with this band for a while too. It makes things easy when we have that much history behind a performance.

For many reasons, The Grateful Dead are a significant source for me not the least of which is that I consider them the ultimate group of modern songsters. In traditional terms a songster is someone who travelled around collecting songs to add to their repertoire and spreading them around by playing. They might be playing at a dance or on a street corner or in a bar or a juke joint but the point was the songs were getting passed around in ways that sheet music or later recordings didn’t. It’s the oral tradition really. The Dead, of course, recorded almost everything that they did so there is a new element to their work and its distribution. The point is, they were collectors. You will hear traditional blues, Chicago blues, old time string band, early country, Irish, New Orleans funk, traditional tunes from the Bahamas and a whole lot more. Jerry Garcia was a student of these musics but it wasn’t just him. The whole band was like this (Weir is no slouch). So it has always been important to me to play some songs that they collected and passed on in addition to the originals. We started with the Hunter/Garcia, Friend of the Devil in which I include the final verse that Hunter wrote but Garcia never sang. To me it finishes the story, so I include it. You can expect more of their traditional tunes from us in the future. I’ve Been All Around This World (1944: Grandpa Jones) is in our set list. Deep Elum Blues (1930s: The Georgia Black Bottom,Lone Star Cowboys and The Shelton Brothers) is a likely candidate. We’ve been playing it at jam sessions recently (Here are Aidan and I doing it at home 2016 This was recorded moments after I took my new $69 uke out of the box. He’s playing a $40 acoustic he bought in the Wisconsin Dells a year ago. So that’s a grand total of $109 for the instruments in this video! Not bad.).  Anyway, I think Sesu suggested that Friend of the Devil would make a good addition to the 2016 Whiplash Halloween compilation. It is!

Finally, my friend Ursula Bielski, at the urging of our friend Clarence Goodman, offered to include a song on her upcoming compilation CD for Chicago Hauntings. Ursula owns the tour company and is THE expert on Chicago ghostlore. She’ll be playing this on the tour buses so lots of people will get to hear it.

I told Aidan and Sesu that I wanted a slow and swampy version of Friend of the Devil for this one and off we went with no real rehearsal. I really like how it came out. I’ve played if for some people and have gotten a great response. We play it pretty slow and spooky but not slow like the later day Grateful Dead arrangements. You should be hearing it in the coming year! We’ll pass on more information as we get it. If you find yourself in Chicago look up Chicago Hauntings and go on a tour! You’ll be glad you did.

We didn’t do a Christmas song this year but we have one ready for next year and Another Pint already has one recorded for next year! Meanwhile Whiplash included Black Diamond Strings from our first album on the 2016 Christmas collection – A Whiplash Christmas IV – as a special gift. We are really happy about that! Again, Christmas might be over this year but get this now so you are ready for next year!

          Fall 2016 Holidays In early October Sesu, Aidan and I went into the studio to record 3 songs for special projects.

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Edgar Gabriel’s New Christmas Album One of the things that I like best about working on a college campus, and this is true at Harper College, is the interesting and creative people that I work with every day.

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Comment on Pass Around the Jimmy- John

Comment on Pass Around the Jimmy- John

Comment on Dr. Scott’s Moonshine Band CD – Pass Around the Jimmy-John “It exceeded my expectations, and please don’t take that as an insult. I thought the production value was excellent, and the music was very soulful, sincere and well presented. I am not a musician by any stretch, but I really enjoyed it from start to finish, and had I not known you I still would have given it the same review.…

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Chicago World Music Ensemble The Chicago World Music Ensemble has formed under the direction of Issa Boulos as part of Harper College's Community Music and Arts Center (CMAC).

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Another Pint – St. Patrick’s Day Our Irish band - Another Pint - lead by my good friend Kelly Griner, is gearing up for St.

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The Brains of the Dr. Scott Family

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Dr. Scott's Moonshine Band and Another Pint - Mental Rover

Dr. Scott’s Moonshine Band and Another Pint – Mental Rover

Back in 1978 the Corpse Grinders went into the studio and recorded a song called Mental Moron. The song had been written by Rick Rivets (an original guitarist of the New York Dolls) and Andy Doback (the owner of Whiplash Records and a fine vocalist to boot).

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Inside the Cover 2015 March - Available only from: Credit Card: PayPal:

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How a Link Wray song made it onto A Whiplash Halloween III

How a Link Wray song made it onto A Whiplash Halloween III

A couple years ago Sesu brought up the possibility of Dr. Scott’s Moonshine Band doing a version of Fire and Brimstone by Link Wray. I had owned that album for many years. I never knew exactly what to make of it though. Link Wray was a pioneering Rockabilly guitarist. His raw guitar sound was full of energy. Rumble and Rawhide and his other songs set standards for Rockabilly guitar and influenced…

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A Whiplash Christmas III

Here is the lineup for a Whiplash Christmas III. “A Whiplash Christmas III” is now available – and we apologize for being soooo late this year. Great bands: Dia Tribe, Sweet Tarts, Zoul, Corpse Grinders, Joe Vicas, Orphans, Malcolm Tent, Slugs, Dr Scott’s Moonshine Band, Poseidon’s Kiss, Sonic Supercharger 66…plus Christmas greetings & messages from: Keith West (Brats), Deb Verno (Dia Tribe),…

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A Whiplash Christmas III

A Whiplash Christmas III is now out and we are happy that The Ballad of Ebenezer Scrooge is included. You can only get it on CD and by mail. Whiplash Records Sales . For now enjoy The Ballad of Ebenezer Scrooge (Money Mill Colic) (Single Version)

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Christmas 2015 – The Ballad of Ebenezer Scrooge (Money Mill Colic) Tired of the same old Christmas songs? We were so we created something new, something high-energy, something unique, something that included our favorite Christmas character.

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Jam session

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The Myth Continues The myth continues as this rare single has been unearthed in the deep woods of Chicagoland. Click to listen.