Albert Margolis - New project in the works

I received an email from Albert Margolis about a new TV pilot he's been working on. Here is what he tells me.

.............I'm rehearsing with a band that is involved with a pilot for a reality TV show. It's current working title is "57 Now or Never". It's about this 57 year-old singer songwriter who had been living in Nashville and was approached by someone who had worked with Bob Dylan back in the 60's to write music for an album. This lyricist has some very current songs that are still protest-like but about today's issues. Anyway - long story short, they recorded an album and I was on the session. It's done and several of the tunes are in rotation on a few Clearchannel stations in the southwest and they have been charting on Broadjam - www.broadjam.com. The TV series has yet to be picked up, but there is interest from several large networks. The music is in the vein of Dylan/Petty/Springsteen type Americana and has lots of great hooks both lyrically and musically.

You can hear the tunes at:

http://www.broadjam.com/artists/index.php?artistID=40205

You can find more out about Albert Margolis at Rock House Method or Alberts web site.

Origins of the blues

Found this cool tid-bit from wikipedia.

Little is known about the exact origins of the music we now know as the blues.[1] No specific year can be cited as the origin of the blues, largely because the style evolved over a long period of time and existed in something approaching its modern form before the term blues was introduced, before the style was thoroughly documented. One important early reference to something probably closely resembling the blues comes from 1901, when an archaeologist in Mississippi described the songs of black workers which had lyrical themes and technical elements in common with the blues.[2] ...........

For the rest click this link origin of the blues

Doug Wimbish involved in Tarjas new album Winter Storm

Rock House instructor/artist Doug Wimbish has been busy as of late. Aside from his tour right now with Head Fake, he has completed a CD with Finlands very own Tarja called Winter Storm. Tarja has beautiful and incredible voice.

Quoted from her blog Tarja says. "It was amazing to see Doug Wimbish and Alex Scholpp jamming every day between the albums recordings. I loved some of the guitar riffs from those moments, and asked Alex to record them for me. I wanted to have a song to head-bang on stage!"

Rock House Artists/Instructor Alexi Laiho and Children of Bodom Announce Pre-Sale of CD

From The Children of Bodom web site:

Pre-order Blooddrunk!Make sure you get Blooddrunk to your door as soon as possible and check out our exclusive Blooddrunk pre-order packages!

Find the complete information on all special releases of Blooddrunk and the final release dates from the discography.

The band will perform at Download Festival which takes place in Donington, UK 13-15.06.2008.

There's also a chance to win an Alexi Laiho ESP signature guitar by joining Townsend Records' mailing list.

UK fans! Don't miss the first ever UK signing session before the sold out show in Astoria, London!

SATURDAY, MARCH 8th4.00pm - 6.00pm:
CHILDREN OF BODOM
will be signing copies of new single ‘BLOODDRUNK'
at the Zavvi shop in London's Oxford Street
ZAVVI 14-16 OXFORD STREETLONDON WID 1AR
0207 631 1234/http://www.cobhc.com/www.zavvi.co.uk

Mark Daniels of The Limit - New CD

The Following is from Rock House Method instructor/artist Mark Daniels and The Limit .

So, the CD is done, we are in press and radio and I feel we collectively (Mark, Bob and Todd) have arrived at a very cool place. It’s been difficult to get to but we are here. In the advent of our CT CD Release show I can honesty say we found “something,” and are the undisputed owners of it. Dec 22nd was one of the best concerts I feel we as a band played. For over the past year, while finishing the CD, we have been practicing non-stop to develop this sound that has become THE LIMIT.

I am proud of my band for being different than what is out there and am very excited to get all this energy out to you.
We are reviewing tour plans now, happy to say some good things have been coming across our desks. We are and will take the time to make the next tour/series of tours special. I can’t wait to see you all whether in Europe, across the USA or at home in CT.

I hope you are ready, I know we are!
Cheers,
Mark Daniel
THE LIMIT

Freekbass Talks About His First Bass Guitar

I always regret selling my first bass. If you are just starting out, and still have your first bass, keep it! I would love to have my first piece of wood with strings that I eventually learned to make sound come out of. At the time it was a matter of having to sell one piece of gear to get another, so I didn't have a lot of choice in the matter, but in hindsight, I should have tried harder to hold onto it.

The reason I had to move to another bass was my hands were starting to get bigger, so I needed something with a longer scaled neck.My magical first bass was a Fender Musicmaster, which was a short scale neck. I still remember the smell of the case when you would open it up. I looked online tonight for a picture like the one I had and the best (and the coolest) picture I could find of it was this one of Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth playing one. I of course did not look as cool playing it as she does, unless a chubby 6th grader who secretly wished he was Chuck Berry is your idea of hip.

2008 Blues Hall of Fame Inductees Announced

I found this while digging around on one of my buddies sites Blues Historian and thought it was news worthy.

2008 Blues Hall of Fame Inductees Announced

The following esteemed individuals and recordings have been selected for induction into the Blues Hall of Fame by The Blues Foundation. The Hall of Fame committee is chaired by Jim O'Neal, founding editor of Living Blues, and David Sanjek, recently of the BMI Archives. The induction ceremony will be held at The Blues Foundation's Charter Member Dinner on Wednesday, May 7, at the Tunica RiverPark in Tunica, Mississippi, the night before the 2008 Blues Music Awards.

The 2008 inductees include living performers Jimmy McCracklin and Hubert Sumlin, as well as late artists Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Peetie Wheatstraw, Jimmy Witherspoon, and the Mississippi Sheiks. John Hammond and Paul Oliver are the non-performers inducted this year. The play 7 Guitars, by August Wilson, and the book, Moanin' at Midnight: The Life and Times of Howlin' Wolf by James Segrest & Mark Hoffman, were also selected.

The following singles or album tracks will be inducted during the ceremony: "Back-Water Blues" by Bessie Smith; "Double Trouble" by Otis Rush; and "My Babe" by Little Walter. These albums were also chosen for induction: Piney Woods Blues by Big Joe Williams; Members Only by Bobby Bland; Rocks the House by Etta James; Freddy King Sings by Freddy King; and I'm Jimmy Reed by Jimmy Reed

On May 8, the night after the Blues Hall of Fame inductions, The Blues Foundation will present the Blues Music Awards for the first time in their 29-year history in the Mississippi Delta, the birthplace of the Blues. Performers, industry representatives, and fans from around the globe will celebrate the best in Blues recording and performance from the previous year at the Grand Casino Event Center in Tunica Resorts, Mississippi, just down the road from Memphis, the Awards' home since their 1980 inception.

The presenting sponsor will once again be The Gibson Foundation. In 2008, the State of Mississippi, the Tunica Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Grand Casino and Resort are sponsoring the Blues Music Awards. BMI, Casey Family Programs, Eagle Rock Entertainment, FedEx, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and XM Satellite Radio also sponsor the Blues Music Awards.

The Blues Hall of Fame is a program of The Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization established to preserve Blues history, celebrate Blues excellence, support Blues education and ensure the future of this uniquely American art form. The Foundation consists of a worldwide network of 165 affiliated Blues societies and has individual memberships spanning the globe. In addition to the Blues Hall of Fame, the Foundation also produces the Blues Music Awards, the International Blues Challenge and the Keeping the Blues Alive Awards. For more information or to join The Blues Foundation, log onto www.blues.org.

ROCK HOUSE INSTRUCTORS NOW ON TOUR

You know you love them. Now go see them on tour. Rock House Instructors are involved with several bands and projects. You can check out their tour dates on The Rock House site. While your there be sure and sign up for after show passes. Who knows you may be one of the lucky ones.

WIN A SET OF EMG PICK UPS ON THURSDAY FEBRUARY 21 DURING THE LIVE CHAT

EMG the official Pickup of Rock House will be sponsoring a Live Chat on Thursday, February 21, 2008 from 10:00 to 11:00pm EST with Rob Tuner President of EMG Pickups. Rob will discuss and answer your questons on active pickup technology and applications. During the chat one bass player and one guitar player are going to win a set of EMG Pick Ups. You have to be in the chat room to be eligible to win.

Things You Can Do to Become a Better Player Now! PART 3

EXCERPT # 3 From John McCarthy's "Things You can do to Become a Better Player Now"

#3 WATCH YOURSELF! Sit in front of a mirror and watch your hands, your fingers, even your shoulder and arms. Look for tension and economy of motion. Make sure you are not causing tension by the way you are sitting and holding the guitar. To play great you must be a relaxed player. Make your arms and shoulder loose and even if you are playing an extremely hard piece don’t tighten up, even the fingers gripping your pick, keep your grip loose and relaxed. Tension will create stiffness in your playing and cause you to be less creative.