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Bugaboos Bluesfestival

Blues Org. Meulenberg presents Saturday, June 10, 2006 The Bugaboos Bluesfestival in Mol-Millegem (Belgium). Blues groups from Belgium, USA, France and Germany will perform here.

Howlin' Bill And His Blues Circus (Belgium): Singer-Bluesharper "Howlin Bill" used to be the Howling Dogs' frontman, but dogs just weren't enough for him. He preferred a whole circus. He found it in superguitarist "Little Chris", bassplayer "Walkin' Winne" and drummer "Magic Frank". In 2003, they performed at the Belgian Rhythm and Bluesfestival in Peer and one year later they released their first CD "Cool It". A sometimes swinging, sometimes rocking, but always bluesy circus that rides around with the style and class of a Thunderbird. Free options are the catchy bluesharp from Bill and the outstanding guitarsolo's from Chris. Steaming blues and r&b from Chicago, via Memphis, to the Westcoast. In the meanwhile they play in Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Luxemburg

Jeff Zima (USA / France):Traditional Trash-Blues, Speed Boogie, Stomps, Jump...and Delta Mud are the standards off Jeff Zima's repertoire. When he was 18, Jeff Zima heard for the first time Robert Johnson's "Terraplane Blues" and his whole world came tumbling down around his ears. It was time to leave higher education and pursue the blues down onto the streets of New-Orleans with an old Harmony archtop and five dollars in his pocket. For five years he played on the streets in Memphis and Chicago but it was mostly in the Big Easy that he cut his teeth, and that by playing with blues master Augie Rodolla and his legendary Big Mess Blues Band.
In 1990 he went to France with Pablo Winfrey and together they formed the Glory Hogs. Jeff and Pablo spent several years on the road in Western Europe, accumulating praise for their unique style of barrelhouse blues. In 1998 Jeff finally decided to strike out on his own and came out with his first solo effort "Lazybones Blues". His career really got going when he released in 2001 "Short, Fat and Ugly" followed by the universally acclaimed "Live in Gaillac-You Are Here" in 2003. At that time, he began picking up festival gigs like the Cahors Blues Festival. In 2005, he released his latest CD "What a life", which includes 14 new compositions as well as many covers by such giants as Bessie Smith or Elmore James.
Add the fantastic and bare-bones rhythm section of Michel Jirkoff on drums and Fred Jouglas on contrabass and their music make even the most fanatic "I-don't-dance" killjoy get up of his seat and move his feet to that boogie beat.

Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers (USA): Whether Jimmy Thackery headlines a festival in South Dakota or jams for hours in one of numerous blues bars that dot the musical landscape, he'll always unleash an intense volley of rockin' blues guitar guaranteed to leave crowds emotionally spent.
He's one of the few blues guitarists who learned first hand from the masters of the blues, not off a blues record or DVD. It was Thackery's time on stage with Muddy Waters that is branded deep within his musical soul. Though most associate Jimmy with his 15 years as the co-founder of the Nighthawks, he ended his time with them in 1987. Since then, Jimmy has been on the road as a solo musician for 15 years doing nearly 300 shows a year proving each night that he is still the guitar powerhouse in the blues.

Thackery left the Nighthawks in 1987 because he wanted the opportunity to write and put newer material into the sets. First he formed a six piece R&B band, the Assassins, an all-star R&B, funk band from the DC area, and recorded three albums with them. Then, in 1992, Thackery put together his three piece band called the Drivers to highlight his explosive guitar and hit the blues highway.

His first record, Empty Arms Motel, was released in 1992. From that moment, Thackery began his years with Blind Pig. In 1993 he followed up with Sideways In Paradise, a down home, laid back acoustic duet with John Mooney. Then, in 1994 Jimmy recorded Trouble Man, with Memphis producer Jim Gaines. That began their five record association. Wild Night Out, a 1995 live recording, Drive To Survive in 1996, Switching Gears in 1998, and Sinner Street, which added a sax to Thackery's music in 2000. After leaving Blind Pig, Thackery has released and produced two of his own records, We Got It and True Stories, on Telarc and two collaborations on Telarc with Tab Benoit, Whiskey Store and Whiskey Store Live. And there was the critically acclaimed reunion with his old friend David Raitt on Blue Rock It"

All this has lead to a new Jimmy Thackery. Because every record is more about originals than covers, Jimmy traveled to Nashville to work out his songs with some of the best. This is not a Jimmy Thackery goes country, this is Jimmy Thackery rocks the blues.
To make the best record possible, Jimmy hired some of the best musicians Nashville had to offer. It's no coincidence that many of these names also work with fellow blues rocker, Delbert McClinton. Between constant road work with his own band, producing the latest record by his Arkansas friends, the Cate Brothers, recording Whiskey Store with Tab Benoit and touring in support and playing various Nighthawks reunions, Thackery's plate is overflowing, and that's exactly how Thackery likes life - Overflowing.
In 2005 he recorded his newest CD "Healin Ground", one of the year's best. Jimmy Thackery surely is one of America's best blues-rock guitarists!!!

The Swamptones (Germany):This 5-piece band, originated in 1998, comes from Cologne, Germany and is the living proof that rootsmusic is an international language. The Swamptones call their music ' Louisiana Party Music', a definition that can't be denied once you have heard the band like thousands did at the bluesfestival in Peer in 2005. They shared stages with many greats of the Rhythm & Blues, Zydeco and Cajun scene and toured with artists like Dr John, Lazy Lester, Buckweat Zydeco en Katie Webster. Their greatest inspiration however is New Orleans blues- and swampartist Johnny Sansone who was invited to play on their latest CD "Swamp Fiesta".

Besides their own original compositions, the songs are selected in a way that all music styles that make Louisiana so special are covered : cajun, zydeco, blues, swamprock, New-Orleans r&b and rock 'n' roll.
Band members : Heiner Koop (vocals and accordeon), Guido Lehmann (guitar), Thomas Feldmann (sax), Jurgen Orzelski (bass) and Stefan Lammert on drums.
Surely one of the most versatile and original-sounding European bands covering the music of Louisiana.

Mike Morgan & The Crawl (USA): Mike Morgan was born in Dallas on November 30, 1959, and grew up in nearby Hillsboro, Texas. Morgan displayed an avid interest in music as a youngster, listening intently to the impassioned soul sounds of Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett on local radio stations. He received his first guitar while in the third grade, but didn't begin to take playing seriously until he discovered Stevie Ray Vaughan's album, Texas Flood, in 1985.
As his prowess on the guitar developed, it became clear that he was not merely a Stevie knock-off, but rather an original player with a sound and style all his own. Mike moved to Dallas in 1986 and soon hooked up with experienced vocalist Darrell Nulisch (formerly with Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets and Ronnie Earl) to form The Crawl (named after an old jukebox hit by guitar great, Lonnie Brooks. Darrell had a tremendous knowledge of blues and a deep collection of blues records, and he exposed Morgan to the music of the Chicago blues scene and many of its key players.
Mike Morgan and The Crawl quickly made a name for themselves as one of the best contemporary blues bands in Texas, writing original songs that were on a par with the classics they chose to cover. After Nulisch left the band in 1989, Morgan set out to find a vocalist who would fit his desire for a broader-based R&B sound. He found the perfect match in Kansas City native and blues veteran Lee McBee, whose smoky, seasoned vocals were reminiscent of the legendary 1960s soul singers Morgan listened to while growing up. The fact that McBee was also an accomplished and revered harmonica player added more fuel to The Crawl's fire.
As Mike and Lee's collaboration proved popular with blues afficionados, appearances at the Benson & Hedges Blues Festival, the Dallas Blues Festival, the Atlantic City Blues Festival and the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival soon followed. Mike Morgan and The Crawl found a national audience with the release of their debut recording, Raw & Ready, in 1990. Backed up by extensive national and international touring, Mike Morgan and The Crawl continued to amaze their fans throughout the 1990s by releasing six highly regarded albums, Mighty Fine Dancin, Full Moon Over Dallas, Ain't Worried No More, Looky Here!, The Road and I Like The Way You Work It..
A few years ago the collaboration with McBee came to an end, and Mike decided to go his own way. He recorded two albums, Texas Man (2002), and 'Live in Dallas' (2004) which both got good response.

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