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| Slam Buckra "delta infidel" |
| Slam Buckra has been performing "the blues" on stages throughout the American west since 1976. Seattle to Ensenada, Austin to San Francisco. Hearing the sounds of John Mayall and Peter Green at the age of 10, Slam was hooked. By the age of 14 Slam had a vast collection of blues albums by John Lee Hooker, Leadbelly, Lightnin' Hopkins, B.B. King, Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters AND he had begun to teach himself to play guitar. A seminal moment for young Slam was seeing and hearing Albert King on a PBS televison program. "I was watching it with my family, and I was so moved by what I saw and heard that I began to become very embarrassed and self conscious. I was sure that my family could see my goose bumps and shaking body and my eyes welling up with tears." |
| Immediately after seeing Albert King on television, Slam took the acoustic classical guitar his grandmother had bought for him into the bathroom, where it sounded best. Slam sat down on the edge of the tub and attempted to replicate those magic guitar bends he had heard Albert play. Little did he know that a few years up the road he would have 2 chances to share the bill with Albert King, trade licks with Albert on stage, befriend the guitar legend and top Albert King's own list of favorite guitarists. Slam Buckra last performed with Albert King just a few days before Albert's death. "Buckra plays guitar as if possessed by Albert King." John Brizzolara, The San Diego Reader As early as 1980 Slam Buckra was hosting a "blues jam" in San Diego California. He hosted the jam off and on, in a variety of San Diego venues until 1995. His "blues jams" won awards and a reputation that brought many regional and national artists to check it out and play. Hollywood Fats, Tomcat Courtney, Earl Thomas, James Harman, The Paladins and Mojo Nixon to name a few. Slam's reputation as an up and coming blues guitar slinger also grew and garnered a great deal of attention from the press and booking agents. "...impressive, fluid, incandescent blues guitar." Stephen Esmedina, The San Diego Union-Tribune Slam Buckra and his band became the perennial choice to open for national blues acts heading through Southern California. From 1985 to 1996 Slam opened for Johnny Winter (ten times), Albert King (twice), Son Seals, Guitar Shorty, James Cotton, John Hammond Jr., Mose Allison, Little Milton, Lonnie Brooks, Chris Duarte, Jimmy Thackery, Dickie Betts, Alvin Lee, Billy Boy Arnold, Bob Margolin, W.C. Clark, Eric Johnson, N.R.B.Q., Coco Montoya, Leslie West, Rory Gallagher, Charlie Musselwhite, Leon Russell (six times), A.J. Croce, James Harman (six times), Doyle Bramhill II, C.C. Addcock, The Paladins (eight times) and Albert Collins who also invited Slam on stage for a fiery guitar duel between the two. "Slam's musicianship puts one in mind of Robben Ford, Roy Buchanan, Michael Bloomfield and a very few other distinctive virtuoso blues players. That rarified air of a world class blues musician." The San Diego Reader Magazine Slam performed 150-250 shows a year, performing over 200 shows each at such legendary San Diego blues clubs as Blind Melon's, The Belly-Up Tavern, and Patrick's II. Slam Buckra also released 5 albums of original blues and rock, and was featured on a CD of Southern California's hottest blues acts recorded at The Belly-Up Tavern called "Belly Up To The Blues". Slam and his band won many regional and national blues competitions including the "Wrangler International Blues Competition" in Austin Texas. "That's the blues of the future!" Willie Nelson "Long ago there was Johnny Winter, then came along Mr. Stevie Ray, now it's this young man!" Albert King "The best new player on the scene I've hear in a long long time." Johnny Winter "My man on that guitar!" Albert Collins In 1996 Slam Buckra relocated to Northern California. The headline on the cover of The San Diego Reader said "Local Legend Takes A Powder". Six months later the cover of Redding's D.A.T.E. magazine pictured Slam Buckra and read "Slam Buckra and his Groove Palookas Invade The Northstate". "Slam is a simply wicked guitar player and clever songwriter who's always a couple of jokes and blistering blues licks ahead of the crowd." Jon Lewis, The Redding Record Searchlight Since his relocation to Northern California, Slam has performed hundreds of club shows, concerts and festivals and has shared the bill with Mojo Nixon, Mimi Fox, Leon Russell, Chris Cain, The Zydeco Flames, Robert Walter, Nick Curran, Guitar Shorty, Billy Boy Arnold, Joe Louis Walker, Paul DeLay, Little Charlie and The Nightcats, Chris Hillman and Dread Zeppelin. Slam Buckra and his Groove Palookas have been a favorite act at Sacramento's #1 nightspot "Harlow's" since 1998 and have been one of the top drawing bands in Chico and Redding since 1997. Once a year Slam and his band tour Southern California performing at some of his favorite venues including Winston's, Blind Melon's, The Coyote Bar & Grill, Patrick's II, and The Adams Avenue Street Fair. "Fucking brilliant." Jackson Griffith, The Sacramento News & Review "Exceptional blues guitarist." Becca Costello, The Sacramento News & Review "Formidable slide guitar...plays the blues like no one else you'll see." Geoff Earl, The Chico News & Review "A virtual superstar in the Northstate...a blues force with which to be reckoned." The Chico Synthesis "Amazing blues guitar playing and showmanship." John Young, The Chico News & Review Slam Buckra released a CD titled "Vodka Swan" in 1999 on Madeo Records, a CD titled "Dames n' Gallows" in 2001 on RAymo' Records and in 2003 a CD titled "Lucky Scars" also on RAymo' Records. All three CDs have received glowing reviews up and down the west coast and have sold all over the world. Despite the fact that Slam Buckra's latest CDs and current shows feature a variety of genres in addition to the blues, the blues is often the thread that binds most of his music together. Even when Slam does play the blues, his approach is very original often featuring surreal lyrics, stage props and poetry. "I'll always love playing blues and writing blues and pushing the boundry of blues. I look at it as one of my duties as a blues cat. The blues needs to grow and change, to be re-invented. Blues purists are dangerous to the genre. Albert King and John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters weren't purists. I think Albert would be proud of the way I disturb the purists with my whacky approach to playing and writing blues. He was a cool and radical cat. And a proud and mighty shit disturber." Although his rather unique blues interpretations are appreciated by most blues fans, blues venues and blues societies, Slam has had more than his share his problems with one of the more close minded, less tolerant blues societies. The Shasta Blues Society rescinded his membership (kicked him out) in 1997 and refused to allow him to become a member in the winter of 2004. "I've never thought facism and blues made a good combo. The Shasta Blues Society is a great example of that." In the March of 2004 Slam Buckra began hosting a weekly blues/jazz night at a club called B.T. Geveden's in Redding California. Slam titled the night "Tuesday Blue Session". "Tuesday Blue Session" will be hosted by Slam and his band and will feature some of the best blues and jazz musicians of California's North State. "It certainly won't be an open jam, but there will be plenty of jammin' going on that's for sure. Alot of cooled out blues and groovin' jazz. Just a smidgen of quality control will keep it a happening time for the players and the crowd." |