Let It Slide Roy Rogers kicks off popular Healdsburg event BY EDDIE JORGENSEN

Slide-guitar blues player Roy Rogers and his Delta Rhythm Kings will grace the well-worn stage in Healdsburg's Plaza Park to kick off the popular Tuesdays in the Plaza summer concert series on May 31.

Also included in this year's fantastic series are Cajun crooners Tom Rigney & Flambeau, Brazilian band Grupo Falso Baiano, local rockers the Sorentinos and Hall of Fame bluesman Charlie Musselwhite, to name a few.

While his latest record is an 11-track barnburner appropriately titled Into the Wild Blue, Rogers doesn't need to rely solely on current material to draw a sizable crowd, having been a fixture in West Coast rock and roll since the '70s. For the uninitiated, the blues guitarist and Grammy-winning producer learned much of his slide technique after hearing records by Robert Johnson. He toured with John Lee Hooker for years, featured the late pianist Allen Toussaint on his 1987 Sidewinder release, and even worked alongside Linda Ronstadt and Jackson Browne.

"I use open tuning in my music, and we do lots of improvisation," Rogers said during a 2012 interview. "These open tunings take various forms and can move music in a lot of places."

http://www.bohemian.com/northbay/let-it-slide/Content?oid=2961476

Check him out during this rare Sonoma County soiree, and expect to find Rogers doing some free-form solos. May 31, Healdsburg Plaza, 217 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. 6pm. Free. All ages. 707.433.6935.

Roy Rogers will slide into Tahoe before Steve Miller

Roy Rogers and his Martin guitar are coming to Lake Tahoe along with the Delta Rhythm Kings.

Norton Buffalo has been gone since 2009, but his music and friendships continue to influence artists and even their shows.

Buffalo’s best known collaborations were with the Steve Miller Band for 33 years and in a duo with Roy Rogers that recorded and performed for nearly 20 years. Today, it was announced that Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings will open the Aug. 18 concert headlined by the Steve Miller Band at the Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys.

“I met Steve through Norton Buffalo,” Rogers told Tahoe Onstage. “Over the years, I’ve sat in with him numerous times so it will be fun to open for him. Another Planet (Entertainment) knew of my friendship with Steve and somebody came to one of my shows at Yoshi’s in Oakland recently and had the idea of me opening up the show for Steve.”

Rogers, 65, is a guitar virtuoso who can simultaneously play rhythm and slide on either his acoustic 1970 Martin or custom electric double-necked Gibson. He’s produced records for John Lee Hooker and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, and also made three albums with Ray Manzarek, the late keyboardist for The Doors. His solo recording career began in 1978. Early in Rogers’ career, a music critic wrote, “This is the Roy Rogers with chops, not chaps,” distinguishing the guitarist from Roy Rogers, “the Singing Cowboy.”

“Chops Not Chaps” was the title of Rogers’ 1986 album with Blind Pig Records, and it’s also the title of the record company Rogers heads today. The latest album, “Into the Wild Blue,” was released last year, and includes guest appearances from violin and string-harp player Carlos Reyes and keyboardist Jim Pugh, an esteemed studio player also known for his many years with Robert Cray.

Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings are a trio that includes drummer Kevin Hayes and bassist Steve Ehrmann. The band played last Sunday afternoon at the Powerhouse Pub in Folsom.

“It’s so much fun, and as you can see, people just dance their asses off and it’s just, let it rip,” Rogers said after the show. “The little club’s atmosphere is conducive to people just letting it out and the same is true for the musicians. I hadn’t done ‘The Sky is Cryin’ ‘ since I don’t know when.”

Four days later, it was announced that Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings, who had just played for 150 people, would play for as many as 7,500 this summer at Lake Tahoe. Rogers said that Reyes and Pugh will join his band for the show. The five members also played together at this year’s New Orleans Jazz Fest and will do so again Sunday, May 22, at the Doheny Blues Festival at Dana Point, California.

“It’s fun when all these guys get together,” Rogers said. “Part of the reason is so I can do stuff from the new record because they’re on it. The expanded sound allows me to do those tunes.”

Although a number of fans will attend the Tahoe show to see Rogers, the bluesman, the majority will be there for Miller, the enduring classic rocker.

“(Miller’s) a great guy and such an important figure in the realm of the music business and doing your own thing against record companies back in the day when very few people were doing that,” Rogers said. “He was one of the first guys, if not the first, to take control of his own catalogue.

“When you write hits records like that and they’ve lived in the anthem of American music, that puts you in a realm that few people can go,” Rogers said. “It’s part of the lexicon and Steve is a part of that. He’s written such great songs. He’s up there with the Eagles and the Doobie Brothers. It’s a different realm. I don’t live in that realm.”

Related stories:

  • Relentless Roy Rogers speeds ahead. LINK
  • Roy Rogers and Carlos Reyes team up in Tahoe. VIDEO
  • “Into the Wild Blue” album review. LINK
  • Roy Rogers’s collaboration with Ray Manzarek ends with beautiful album. LINK
  • The Steve Miller Band
    Opener: Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings
    When: Thursday, Aug. 18
    Where: Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena
    Tickets: $39.50 to $139.50
    Purchase: LINK

Blues, wind and water at Jazz Fest

By Annelore Harrell

Years from now, when the New Orleans Jazz Festival is mentioned, someone is bound to say, “Were you in the Blues Tent on the Saturday afternoon when it flooded?”

We were.
What a mess.
The weather report was for rain later in the day and we ignored the fact that the skies were blotchy gray and the wind blowing sharp.

Our taxi dropped us off across the street from the entrance to the race track where the festival was set up and we joined thousands of jazz enthusiasts going through the usual drill of opening our backpacks and filing past security.

Been a long time since I had seen so many people wearing rubber boots. There was a tentative aroma similar to dirty diapers, a remembrance this was, after all, a place where horses reigned. Most of us carried folding chairs because the main event would be out in the open with seating only for VIPs. Stevie Wonder was the night’s big attraction due to take the Acura stage at 5 p.m.

For most of the afternoon, we sat in the Blues Tent, enjoying good old down and dirty blues while the musicians played their hearts out.

Aaron Neville’s baby brother Cyril and his Royal Southern Brotherhood exploded the stage. The speakers were three stories tall.

Every one of the band members was exceptional. Together, they were amazing.

We had third-row seats, which didn’t mean a whole lot after hundreds of fans came to stand in front of the stage and totally blocked our view.

Luckily, there were two super huge screens projecting the band’s image.

When Cyril’s band finished, the stage crew changed out the equipment. Roy Rogers and The Delta Rhythm Kings were on next.

By this time it was 3:30 and the skies were even grayer. No one paid a bit of attention.

When it started to drizzle, more and more people came out of the rain into the tent.

There was a crack or two of thunder, the wind really began to blow and the rain came down. Canvas on the tent’s roof made funny noises, but you really couldn’t hear much over the music.

Now, people who had been sitting outside in their folding chairs came in to get out of the rain, so did people who had been just casually walking around outside. More

Annelore Harrell lives in Bluffton and can be reached at anneloreh@aol.com

New Orleans Jazz Fest readies another memorable weekend

With so many amazing moments from the first weekend of the 47th New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (aka Jazz Fest) including members of Red Hot Chili Peppers joining Pearl Jam’s headlining set and iconic Crescent City musicians, The Meters, joining the Chili Peppers’ headlining set it almost makes you wonder if the second weekend, today through Sunday, will be able to meet up to those standards and surpass them.

Forget Fat Tuesday. Fat chance that won’t happen.

New Orleans oozes with so much music that late night shows on each night of Jazz Fest plus a secondary fest, NOLA Crawfish Festival, which ran April 25-27 and featured local musicians, isn’t enough to feed a hungry live music fan.

Jazz Fest’s lineup for this weekend includes headliners Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder and Neil Young & Promise of the Real along with My Morning Jacket, Beck, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Los Lobos perform “La Pistola Y El Corazon,” Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, Arlo Guthrie for Alice's Restaurant 50th Anniversary, Mavis Staples, The Isley Brothers featuring Ronald and Ernie lsley, Snoop Dogg, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Chris Botti, Punch Brothers Tribute to B.B.King hosted by the B.B.King Blues Band with special guests, Arturo Sandoval, Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Lone Bellow and Elvin Bishop.

Of course the stages will also be filled with the sounds by nationally-known area artists including Dr. John & The Nite Trippers, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, Aaron Neville, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk with special guest Art Neville, Tribute to Allen Toussaint hosted by the Allen Toussaint Band with special guests, Bonerama, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, The Revivalists, Ellis Marsalis, The Gospel Soul of Irma Thomas, Zigaboo Modeliste's Funk Revue, Marcia Ball, Rockin' Dopsie & the Zydeco Twisters, The Band Courtbouillon featuring Wayne Toups, Steve Riley, Jon Batiste and Stay Human, Rebirth Brass Band, Big Freedia, Kermit Ruffins' Tribute to Louis Armstrong, The Soul Rebels, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Cha, Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Roy Rogers & the Delta Rhythm Kings, Cyril Neville's Royal Southern Brotherhood, New Orleans Klezmer Allstars, Wayne Toups, John Mooney & Bluesiana, Cash Box Kings, Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience, Irwin Mayfield & the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Creole String Beans with special guest T.K. Hulin and C.J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band

For those who can’t make it to Jazz Fest, you can listen online athttp://www.wwoz.org/programs/streams.

For more information on Jazz Fest, go to http://www.nojazzfest.com/.

 

Roy Rogers Into The Wild Blue Review - Morgan Hogarth, R2 Magazine, UK.

While never quite achieving 'household name' status, Rogers has been one of the world's leading slide-guitarists since the 70’s, demonstrating his award-winning skills performing and producing with the likes of John Lee Hooker, B B. King and Ray Manzarek. Fans have had a lengthy five-year wait for this, his twelfth solo release, but reassuringly Into The Wild Blue remains faithful to his earlier output, displaying his stunning skills through a genre-defying blend of original songs and instrumentals.

The Cajun dance rhythm of 'Last Go- Round', an unusually upbeat break-up song, gets the album off to a fine start before moving on to the world/bayou blend of 'Don't You Let Them Win' on which his guitar combines to good effect with Kevin Hayes' drums and Jim Pugh's Hammond B3. 'Got To Believe' has Rogers' vocals to the fore, backed by the sultry Omega Rae to produce an impressive, soulful ballad.

The title track has a jazzy mood, with Rogers generously deferring his masterly slide to the benefit of some exquisite harp and piano interplay. By contrast, the diverse instrumentals include the funky jam of 'Dackin" and celebratory yet poignant 'Song For Robert', a gentle tribute to his late brother. Rogers oozes class throughout this album - a lifetime's musical experience beautifully captured.-Morgan Hogarth R2 Magazine, UK. 

"Artist Lessons" by Jimmy Leslie from OcTober 2015 Guitar Player Magazine

Roy Rogers & Ray Manzarek

Roy Rogers & Ray Manzarek

BY Jimmy Leslie http://bit.ly/1GGIN7g
Roy Rogers is a slide guru that was included in GP’s hotly debated February 2007 cover story “101 Forgotten Greats & Unsung Heroes.” John Lee Hooker gave Rogers his first big break in 1982. Recently, Rogers and Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek enjoyed a fruitful collaboration from 2008 until Manzarek’s passing in 2013. Rogers’ first solo band CD in five years—Into the Wild Blue [Chops Not Chaps]—is chock full of fabulous bottleneck blues. Wanna play like Roy? Here’s what to do, and what not to do.

Don’t Be Pitchy
Proper pitch is crucial. It’s the first and foremost technical aspect of good slide playing because there are so many ways to approach a note with that little thing on your finger, as opposed to simply pressing down on the string between two frets. Whether you’re sliding up or down to a note or going at it directly, the slide should ultimately be positioned directly over the fret of the desired note. Frankly, being a little flat can occasionally sound cool and “blue,” but sharp is never good. That’s even more important when playing fast licks or riffs, like I often do. I achieve tension on “Last Go-Round” by playing slightly flat or not landing on pitch until the very last moment on a ’58 Les Paul Jr. The playing is manic by design. The instrumental tune “Dackin’” is another good example, but in a different, funky context.

Don’t Look—Listen and Feel
Think of a fretless instrument, say, a violin or a cello or a fretless bass. It’s really not about vision—it’s about feel. The same is true playing slide guitar. You develop a feel, you develop your ear, and then you trust your hand. A doublebass player knows his positions, but he’s not necessarily looking at the neck—he’s feeling his way, and that’s what you want to do. Of course, a beginner will initially rely more on eyesight as he or she learns how to position the slide directly over the fret.

Don’t Ignore Acoustic—Embrace It
You can tell when a player is uncomfortable, and that’s especially easy to hear on an acoustic because you can’t hide behind amplification. I started out on a $25 Stella, and my fingers hurt. My teacher would tell me that if I could play a song on that guitar, I could play it on any guitar. That may sound trite, but it’s true. If you can play something on acoustic, you can definitely play it on electric once you’re used to the extra sustain, but the reverse is not necessarily true—and that goes for slide or non-slide playing. The acoustic guitar is a different animal. You have to play differently on it, and it will give you different textures. Acoustic and electric has always been a combo plate for me. I get my signature round, acoustic-based sound on a 1970 Martin 0-16 New Yorker with a DeArmond pickup. I run it through a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIB and a Motion Sound rotary speaker. You can hear it on the lead to “High Steppin’.”

Thin Is Not In
Thin slides and strings lead to thin tones. Thick slides and thick strings yield thick tones. I use a Jim Dunlop 212 Pyrex slide and a Texas Blues Tube electropolished metal slide. I like the 212 because of its thickness and length. I like a relatively short slide because I have small hands, and I can keep a good grip on the slide if my pinky finger extends beyond it. If not, I couldn’t control the slide, and I might lose it. I put the slide on my pinky so I can fret chords with the other three fingers, but whichever finger you decide to use, get a slide that fits. You don’t need a long slide because you’re generally going to use it on the top four strings anyway.

I’ll use a metal slide if I want a little more grit and bite. I used it on “Dark Angels” and on “Into the Wild Blue.” Electro-polished metal is important to me because its smoothness approaches glass.

Your string set has to start with at least a .012 or .013 in order to get a good slide tone. I use D’Addario’s EJ21 Jazz Light set, but with a .013 on top instead of a .012, so the gauges are .013, .016, .022w—or .024w on a heavier guitar—.032, .042, and .052. On the bottom neck of my Sean Chappell doubleneck guitar, I use the EJ22 Jazz Medium set gauged .013, .017, .026w, .036, .046, .056. That’s pretty heavy. I always use a wound third for more tone. I use Martin Silk & Steel strings for my New Yorker.

Get Your Action As High As You Can
Slide playing requires higher action to get the full ring of the string. If the action is too low, you’ll not only fret out, but there won’t be enough of the string’s surface area hitting the slide to for the pickup’s magnet to pick it up. My action is set as a compromise. It has to be because I jump back and forth between slide and non-slide playing all the time. I’ve given up the facility of fast action on the neck for better slide tone, and now I’m used to playing with higher action. You either have deal with that compromise, or have a designated guitar for slide. Otherwise, you’re not going to get the tone, and tone is everything.

Slide and Rhythm Playing Are Not Mutually Exclusive
Lots of rock bands have two guitar players—one playing rhythm, and one playing strictly lead with a slide. But it doesn’t have to be one way or the other. The slide isn’t reserved for lead playing. I keep it on my finger all the time, and it’s actually an integral part of my rhythm structure. “Love Is History” is a good example, even though the piano is featured. I played my Martin in open E, capoed up to F—Shubb capos never fail me. I like to cover a lot of different ground rhythmically, and I cut the rhythm tracks first on this record. Some people think blues has to be a traditional 12-bar shuffle, but that’s just not so.

Groove Before Cutting Loose
You don’t have anything if you don’t have a groove. I used to have students who would go nuts playing slide riffs with no rhythm. I’d ask them to play a slow, Jimmy Reed kind of blues groove, and then throw a few licks in among the rhythm figure. Some simply couldn’t do it. If you can’t do that with a simple I-IV-V progression, then there’s no way your slide licks will amount to more than wanking. You need a groove first, and only then might you have something to say within that framework.

INTO THE WILD BLUE: GRAMMY SUBMISSION

Into The Wild Blue album cover.jpg

-FOR YOUR GRAMMY CONSIDERATION-
INTO THE WILD BLUE : BEST BLUES ALBUM
"Into the Wild Blue" : BEST INSTRUMENTAL

"This is the album of a lifetime, the distillation of everything that has made Roy Rogers such an important artist over the years. The slide work is superb and the band rocks with white hot intensity. A masterpiece."-John Swenson, Rolling Stone

The eight-time GRAMMY nominee is back with his first solo album in five years and at the top of his game with "Into the Wild Blue". Recently featured in Guitar Magazine, his own episode in the PBS "Music Gone Public" series and on the CONAN show, Roy Rogers' critically acclaimed release offers fresh blues tracks with hints of his jazz, funk, motown and rock n roll influences. The different slide textures on his latest instrumentals are out of this world. 

"Into the Wild Blue" : BEST INSTRUMENTAL
LISTEN
INTO THE WILD BLUE : BEST BLUES ALBUM
LISTEN

Roy Rogers Headlines First Bitterroot Performing Arts Series Concert


October 21, 2015 5:03 pm  •  PERRY BACKUS Ravalli Republic

HAMILTON – Every year it’s the same for Bitterroot Performing Arts Series. That first concert of the year kind of sneaks up on everyone and then suddenly its over. Monica Grable usually hears the grumbling afterward from those who missed out.“It’s a little slow on the upstart every year no matter who is performing in that first concert,” said Grable, the Bitterroot Performing Arts Council’s executive director. “That first concert happens and then there’s people saying ‘Oh no, it started. I didn’t know.’”This year’s first concert on Saturday, Oct. 24, is one people aren’t going to want to miss, she said. The Grammy-nominated blues slide master guitarist, Roy Rogers and his band, the Delta Rhythm Kings, will certainly be one of those shows that people talk about on Monday. MORE...