http://www.stevehallblues.com

News

Thu, Apr. 13 2006

Hep Cat amps¨ / Hep Cat Strings¨ Blue Steve Music Publishingª Blue Steve Recordsª 2518 Christina Ave., Stockton, CA 95204-1508 5-1-05 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: LOCAL GUITARIST RELEASES FIRST CD Back around 1975 a local musician by the name of Steve Hall put together his first Rock & Roll band in Stockton, CA. "The Putnam Sand & Gravel Band" performed locally and as far out as Sacramento and Capitola. But the band never really got out of the area. Not a single recording of their work exists. Steve gave up in frustration and took up road racing in Indy style race cars. After 12 years on the track his shoulders were giving out. At the time it seemed a curse, but in fact, it has been a gift to Steve and Blues lovers everywhere. At the end of the '96 season, when he could no longer race, Steve returned to music, this time, concentrating on Blues, the music that first caught his attention as a small boy. The decision to return to music led to a meeting with a San Francisco Bay Area legend by the name of Clarence 'Fillmore Slim' Sims. While Slim is better known to some for his more nefarious activities, he is also a skilled Blues song writer and singer having recorded his first 45-rpm record for the now defunct DooToo Records in the '50s. Through Steve's association with Fillmore, he soon met and was hired by lap steel legend, Sonny Rhodes. Rhodes took Hall on a year long tour which put the guitarist in front of Blues audiences from Long Beach, CA to New York City, and Calgary, Alberta to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Where ever Steve performed, he was enthusiastically received. His work with Rhodes caught the attention of Louisiana Blues Hall Of Fame inductee & B. B. King Lucille Award holder, Larry Garner and later, 7 time W. C. Handy Award winner, Joe Louis Walker, both of whom employed him on guitar. In 2004, his work with these artists was noticed by Bay Area Blues Society President, Ronnie Stewart, who nominated Steve for the West Coast Blues Hall of Fame's Guitarist Of The Year award. Said Hall after the Awards Show, "It would have been nice to win it, but I still don't even have my own CD yet and (winner) Craig (Horton) does, plus, he's a good friend so I'm glad to see him win it." For many years, going back to his early days of performing in the '70s, Hall had clung to the dream of one day releasing an album of his own. He told friends that this album would be called "Hallways", and that the title track would also bear that name. Finally, some 30 years later, his dream has come true. At the age of 58, Hall has released "Hallways" on his own label, Blue Steve Records. The effort is entirely self produced, and all songs were penned by Hall. He was able to bring some of the area's finest talent to the project. Most tracks feature Jeremy Norris, one of the areas finest guitarists and regular member of The Wing Nut Adams Band featuring Jeremy Norris, on bass, and Jason Rodgers on drums. There are three fine keyboard players featured; Richard Flinders, Steve Mason & Mike Torres. Also featured on drums are George Schuler, who was Hall's drummer back in the 70's, and Sacramento's Pat Balcom. On cuts featuring Balcom, he is teamed with long time Charlie Musselwhite and Johnny Hartsman bassist, Artis Joyce, better known to those who work with him as 'A J'. Artis' list of credits is far to long to list here, but include some of the biggest names in Rock and Blues. "I was lucky to have those guys.", said Hall. "They brought life and original ideas to songs that had mostly just existed in my head...turned them into something tangible." Styles vary from straight up shuffles and slow Blues to Rock edged Funk and even Jazz and Swing influenced tunes. Hall's guitar is, at times, raw and urgent and at others, silky smooth and sweet with a nice feel for melody. Early reviews have been favorable. A CD release party is planned and will be announced in the near future.

The IBC in Memphis--What a Trip

Mon, Jan. 30 2006

What an incredible place Beale St. in Memphis is. Three blocks of nothing but Blues clubs, BBQ and a few souvenir shops. But for this occasion it was even better as the streets were cordoned off and filled with people. It was like Disneyland for Blues artists. Fantastic music poured out of 10 different clubs, many with speakers outside the club so people in the street could hear who was playing to see if they wanted to come in. The International Blues Challenge had 130 entrants this year from as far away as Europe and Australia. A drawing is held to determine who will compete in each club for 2 nights of semi-finals. Getting to the finals has a lot to do with the luck of the draw and who you wind up competing against in the semis. Last year the overall winner was an artist from Florida named Joey Gilmore. After his win was announced, the second place finishers protested. The rules said that no contestants could ever have been signed to a record label. It turned out that Joey had been signed 9 1/2 years ago. They stripped him of his victory and moved all bands up a position. In retrospect, the Blues Foundation decided that their rules were too stringent. That someone who had been signed that long ago and had never made another recording for a label again should be able to compete. So they established a time limit for how long it has been since you were signed. Joey re-entered this year and he drew The Hard Rock Cafe as his semi-final venue. Unfortunately, so did we. Joey was a shoe in for the finals and deserved to be after what he went through last year. There was a band at The Hard Rock that had a 13 year old guitar player that was incredibly good. The feed back we got from the audience and from some insiders indicated that we were very well received by the judges at The Hard Rock, even over the phenomenal youngster, but to no avail. They over looked the young kid and us to make things up to Joey and he wound up winning in the finals again as well. I feel that he deserved the win, and I'm sure the Blues Foundation judges felt they owed him one. I'm very happy for him. It was a bit disappointing not to make the finals, but I had a great time and did some jamming at another club after Saturday night's competition. Bob Margolin and Calvin 'Fuzz' Jones were hosting a jam at the Rum Boogie. I've always admired Margolin. He is a great musician & I would have loved to jam with he and Calvin, but you could barely find a place to stand in there and I figured I'd never get a chance to get up with him. I may have been wrong, but I'd probably have been there till dawn to get my turn. So I went down the street to a different club and jammed. I played with a guy from Indianapolis. Governor Davis, who had seen me play at The Slippery Noodle in Indianapolis when I was with Larry Garner. Governor (yes, that's his actual first name) is a great player and singer and I really enjoyed jamming with him. It was one of the highlights of my trip. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to do this trip. I want to thank Sumac for placing her confidence in my talents and asking me to go. She deserves much wider recognition and I'm sure she will soon receive it. She has a magnificent voice. I wish you all could have been there. It was the most fun I've ever had as a musician at a single event. I have some photos coming of our performance and I have some photos of the street, clubs and crowd in my cell phone, at least I hope I do. I'd never used it's camera before and I still have to find the instruction book to find how to get them out of the phone and into my computer. But be watching for some photos to be posted to my site in the next couple of weeks. You'll find them on the last page of my photo album. If you'd like more information about the winners Click Here I'm afraid I had another bit of disappointment when I got home. I had entered all 15 of the songs on my CD in the International Song Writing Competition. I was notified earlier this month that all 15 had made it to the second round of judging. I was extremely hopeful, and even confident, that I had as decent chance as I've been told by a lot of people whose opinions I respect that I write good songs. But when I got home I checked their web site for the list of semi-finalists and I wasn't there. But that's OK. I've got to do more in music than I ever dreamed I would. I had even given up entirely in 1984 and drove race cars for 12 years instead, so I'm pretty grateful for the gifts I've been given. I got to live a bit of 2 of my 3 dreams. Not a lot of people can say that. I'll still be going to jams in Stockton, Sacramento and the Bay Area, and if any more opportunities for gigs that don't require me to play more than one or two sets come my way, I'll surely accept them. I hope I see some of you at some of these events. Keep the Blues alive, ya' all..........Steve

I'm Off To Memphis

Mon, Jan. 23 2006

Tomorrow at 12:00 Noon I will board a flight to Memphis where I will try to help the very talented Sumac win the 2006 International Blues Challenge. There is also the award given each year called the Albert Collins Award, for which I personally will be competing. The competition begins on Thursday the 26th and ends with the finals on Saturday, the 28th. This is a very tough competition with the very best of the unsigned Blues acts from around the world, over 150 bands. Just making the finals will be tough, but those of you who attended our final fund raiser to help pay for the trip held Sunday at Constable Jack's in New Castle have heard what we are capable of and know that we're up to the challenge. If you're interested, you can check on the competition by Clicking Here Your prayers for a safe trip and your best wishes for the competition will be appreciated, so WISH US LUCK AND GOD SPEED....Steve

Made The Second Round

Thu, Jan. 5 2006

An email was received today informing me that all fifteen of the songs on my CD have made it to the second round of judging for the 2005 International Song Writing Competition. As there were some 15,000 entries this is very satisfying neews. the final judging will be completed by the end of January, so stay tuned and wish me luck....

Headin' to Memphis

Tue, Dec. 27 2005

How quickly things change. I know I just announced my retirement from performing, however, I've told some of you who emailed me regarding my retirement, that I was just retiring from playing for pay, and that's true. However, today I received a call from Sacramento's Sumac. Sue is the daughter of the man who beat me out for The West Coast Blues Hall Of Fame's Guitarist Of The Year Award a couple of years ago, my good friend and popular Bay Area guitarist and singer, Craig Horton. Sumac is a fantastic vocalist and she and her band, Sumac's Soul Heaven Band, recently won the competition held by the Sacramento Blues Society to select the band to represent the society in the 22nd annual International Blues Challenge held by the Blues Foundation in Memphis, TN. Sumac recently found out that her regular guitarist can't make the trip and she has honored me with a request to take his place. As many of you know, the IBC is a competition for unsigned artists and there is no pay for this gig, so I remain true to my statement that I'm no longer playing for pay. Sumac and her Soul Heaven Band will be performing at 3 benefits in Jan. to help raise the needed funds for flights, rooms & meals. All are in the Sacramento area, so I hope all of my friends in the area will come out in support of this wonderful and deserving artist and attend one or more of these events. The first will be on Jan. 7th at the Clarion Hotel's The Blue Room Lounge, 2600 Auburn Blvd., Sacramento, from 9:00 PM to to 1:00 AM. The Mr. So & So Blues Band will open. Tickets are $5.00. On Jan. 21st Sumac and her band will perform at the Torch Club, 904 15th St., Sacramento, from 2:00 till 4:00 PM. The Mr. So & So Blues Band will follow from 4:00 till 6:00. Tickets will again be $5.00 The third benefit will take place on Jan. 22nd at Constable Jack's, 515 Main St., Newcastle. The show starts at 2:00 PM with another fine vocalist, Ms. Dana Moret and her Monsters Of The Blues band opening, and Sumac and her band will perform from 4:00 to 6:00 PM--PLUS--her father, Craig Horton, will be making a guest appearance as well. Tickets for this one are $10.00. For more information, links to the venues and links with driving directions, go to my site by, Clicking Here . Once there, click "shows" in the menu bar. I hope to see my local friends at these shows and I hope to see my Southern states friends at the IBC. Come on out and help support the Blues and a deserving new artist, Sumac.

Update news items with the "News" tool now.

Thu, Oct. 2 2003

This text comes from the pre-installed "News" tool which you can update at any time. From the Dashboard, go to "Update" and choose "News". Take control of your site with Nimbit WebTools now.