Art Of Blues - Art Of Blues (2016)

When you hear the “Art of Blues” you know immediately you are listening to a group of musical veterans with deep musical roots who know what they are doing and who share their joy in doing it. They have all individually earned their stripes playing with the best of the best ever since the early seventies. The fact that these musicians have found common cause to revel in the art of playing the blues has led to a musical celebration on CD you won’t want to miss!

Both co-leaders guitarist/singer Steve Arvey and jazz/blues pianist Bill Buchman have led their own exciting groups for many decades and are well known in their own right. Guitarist Steve Arvey began in Chicago on Maxwell Street in the 70's performing, recording and working with the cream of authentic blues musicians in Chicago including Otis Rush, Junior Wells, Hubert Sumlin, Jimmy Rogers, Big Smokey Smothers, Honey Boy Edwards, Lefty Dizz, Big Moose Walker, BB “Big Voice” Odum, Big Jack Johnson, and Sam Carr Jr to name a few. Steve has travelled the world performing at blues festivals and has 15 CDs to his name. Pianist Bill Buchman, who played with the Mojo’s at Cornell University in the 60’s and became friends with Memphis Slim in Paris in the 80’s, is a keen student of the blues who has studied many years with jazz masters Jaki Byard and Ran Blake and has Bachelors and Masters’ degrees in music from the New England Conservatory. He has performed around the US and Europe with the likes of “Papa” Jo Jones (of Count Basie fame), Red Callender, Alan Dawson, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, John La Porta, Sammy Rimington, Joe Lee Wilson, Per Goldschmidt, and Emmanuel Abdul Rahim. Drummer Rick Andre has worked with The Drifters, The Platters, The Miracles, Leslie Gore, The Tokens, and The Coasters to name but a few. Michael Dempsey was the 5th Dimension’s bassist for four years and subsequently has performed/recorded with Linda Rondstadt, Dan Fogelberg, Vince Gill and many others and has appeared on over 100 albums. Harmonica player Tony Smith has wide playing experience and is able to channel Sonny Boy Williamson II at will.