Thursday, May 19, 2011

Graham Robinson at the White Swan Juke Joint

As part of the "Juke Joint" or "Fringe" events going on around the Hebden Bridge Blues Festival, ragtime and blues guitarist Graham Robinson will be playing at the White Swan in Hebden Bridge from 9pm on Saturday 28th May.



Originally from Jarrow on Tyne but now living in Colne, Lancashire, Graham has been a blues devotee since he was 14 years of age. Originally inspired to learn the guitar, and drawn to the blues by the brilliant playing of Peter Green in his days with Fleetwood Mac. This initial inspiration led to a voyage of discovery into the magical world of the blues via B.B.King, Freddie King, Otis Rush, T-Bone Walker and then on to the earliest recorded performers such as Blind Lemon, Blind Willie Johnson, Blind Blake, Lonnie Johnson, Blind Boy Fuller and others.


Graham's playing reflects the styles of the early blues masters particularly the east coast, syncopated styles of Blind Blake and Blind Boy Fuller. However, other major influences include Bo Carter, Lonnie Johnson, Rev. Gary Davis, Memphis Minnie & Kansas Joe, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Big Bill Broonzy, Fred McDowell, Sleepy John Estes, Mississippi Sheiks, Delmore Brothers, and the Memphis Jug Band to name but a few. A typical performance includes impassioned renditions of a selection of songs from the above artists played with energy and conviction on a very old Stella, and National resonator guitars.

Graham has played at the Colne, Burnley, Dundee, Maryport and Upton-on-Severn Blues Festivals. He has played support to blues performers as diverse as Paul Lamb & The King Snakes, The Spike Drivers, Steve James, The Cadillac Kings, Rag Mama Rag, Michael Roach & Johnny Mars, Olli Brown, Ian Siegal, Hans Theesink and Nine Below Zero at venues throughout the north of England.

Admission is free so this is well worth a look.

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