Chickenbone Slim not going to cut you, or break you in two. He’s a pretty nice guy. But when he gets a guitar in his hand, and the band is rolling through a greasy boogie, CB lays it down with such conviction and tone that is a bit intimidating. There are faster guitarists, and louder guitarists, but you won’t out-grease this guy. "I try to play something every night that I haven’t played before," CB says. "I am chasing that tone, that phrase. I believe that’s how you find the real blues."
CB plays a primitive, tough, bare knuckle electric blues, born in the middle of the last century. With a talented band made up of top San Diego blues musicians, CB is able to explore and take risks with original material and interpretation of traditional blues. Sometimes his sound is more uptown Chicago and sometimes Southern Delta or Texas, but in an intimate setting it’s more juke joint than ballroom. His live blues performances are organic, situational, and distinct. No two shows are alike. His first album, "Gone" represents the music that Chickenbone plays every night.
"Sometimes we have to play almost acoustically, and other times we get to let it hang out, but it always has to be about the tone. I prefer a solid groove that is at a comfortable level, and we get all that and more with our vintage, low watt tube amplifiers." The lo-fi approach makes the band versatile and flexible without sacrificing the energy inherent in traditional blues. To younger listeners, it’s a culture shock to hear music that is actually performed without loops, samples or repetition. The spontaneity and improvisation make it uncommonly unique.
Chickenbone started playing guitar after 20 years of playing bass in San Diego blues bands such as The Mississippi Mudsharks, The Boogiemen and backing up SDMA Lifetime achievement award winner Tomcat Courtney. in 2011, CB started taking guitar lessons from SDMA winner Robin Henkel. After working hard in the woodshed, blessed with his nickname by a close friend and armed with his Telecaster, Chickenbone started his band in 2012 and named it "The Biscuits" after his favorite food. In June of 2012, CB asked Mike Magers, the owner of Smitty’s Service, if the band could play every Tuesday for the locals at Tasty Truck Tuesdays. With electricity donated by Smitty's, this start enabled Chickenbone to learn his trade and start performing a local events and clubs throughout San Diego.
After two years, Tasty Truck Tuesdays were closed for music due to ASCAP performing rights restrictions. The fees needed to prevent a lawsuit (retroactive to the start of Tasty Truck Tuesdays) made it unfeasible to continue with live music at this community event. CB has fond memories of performing for the kids, dogs, and all the locals. It allowed CB to improve his songwriting and performance skills exponentially. Chickenbone is a member of BMI.
With the release of his first Album "Gone" on September 4, 2015, Chickenbone is documenting the original blues that he’s developed during the band’s live performances over the last several years. The audience demand for copies of his material encouraged CB to record his originals in an effort to capture the real sound of the band. Gone consists of the material that he plays nightly, and as well as a variety of takes on classic and obscure blues compositions. CB is currently booking and playing shows all over the western U.S. in 2015 and beyond. |
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Chickenbone Slim - Gone (2015), Честный DigiBuy
