About ‘From The Shoals’

11/30/2022 by in Uncategorized

Sooo… I know some of yall wonder how I get my inspiration for my projects …. well here’s the scoop on FROM THE SHOALS ….

Way back in January 2019 … at the IBC (International Blues Competition) in Memphis Tennessee …. I wondered into the Hard Rock Cafe at it’s new location in the ol’ Elvis Presley club at the corner on 2nd & Beale Street to check out my memorabilia case … that hangs with my blue sparkly gown between Johnny Cash & Little Milton (on the right hand side as you are headed up stairs via the staircase). There I ran into a group of musicians and their family & friends from Croatia (Novigrad-Istra) … it was common to meet folks from Europe on Beale Street … but IBC was alway an exceptional time to do so. These folks were so warm and full of fun, I invited them to join me the following night at my regular show at Silky O’Sullivan’s where I had been performing nightly since 1997 …. So it was cool and fun when they all arrived the following evening … I invited one your man up (Davor Hačić) to join me for a song …. well I had consumed a few wee drams of Jack Daniels …. and his English wasn’t so great and my Croatian was non existent, I would not understand then the pronunciation of what “Hutch” as he is now called was trying to convey to me. But I am now proud to announce my Croatian is getting much better …HA! Anyway … we all spent the remainder of their stay hanging out and sharing stories etc…. then COVID hit … and by March 18, 2020 My almost 25 years on Beale Street came to a screeching halt. I started to get messages on my FB messenger from a mysterious young man…. turned out to be Hutch… so we re-connected and he invited me to come to Croatia to perform 3 shows… All went better than expected. Upon the eve of my departure, September 2nd we sat down in the 9 Pub and started to write songs… we wrote three that night, Lost Young Love, Sailors (we haven used this one yet) & ??? Cant remember the 3rd one…. looked all over for those little pieces of paper … I’ll add in when I find them… someday I hope… Then over the next 5 months we wrote 7 more songs over the internet mostly reflecting on the history of ” The Shoals” “Trail Of Tears” and our journey to the Nutthouse Recording Studio….. I had written 3 songs prior with my friend and GREAT songwriter Mark Narmore from Sheffield AL (Never Stopped Loving You, Severed, & Slideman). Choosing what 2 cover songs Tell Mama (formerly recorded in the Shoals by Etta James with Ricky Hall at Fame and David Hood & Clayton Ivey were both on that session also) & Jimmy Hughes Steal Away …. were not easy choices…. but definitely the correct choices in the end. Being surrounded by musical genus’ is always a plus for any recording… Again I am sooo TOTALLY blessed!! Hvala!!

The Band:

Drums ~ Bernard “Pretty” Purdie

Bass ~ David Hood

B3 & Wurlitzer ~ Clayton Ivey

Piano ~ Mark Narmore

Guitar ~ Will McFarlane

Guitar ~ Davor Hačić – Hutch

Saxophone ~ Brad Guin

Trumpet ~ Marc Franklin

Vocals~ Barbara Blue

BGV ~ Kimberlie Helton ( & Hutch on Curse Of Beauty)

BGV on Song OF The River ~ Hutch, David Hood, Will McFarlane, Mark Narmore, Celia Purdie

The Songs:

1. The Shoals 3:20

B. Blue D.Hacic / Big Bad Blue Publishing BMI

2. Nutthouse Blues 7:10

B. Blue D.Hacic / Big Bad Blue Publishing BMI

3. Tell Mama 3:22

C. Carter, W. Terrell, M. Daniel / Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd. BMI

4. Steal Away 4:04

J.Hughes / Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd. BMI

5. Severed 5:13

B.Blue, M.Narmore / Big Bad Blue Publishing BMI / Oven Music INC. BMI

6. Curse of Beauty 4:43