And we're....Live!

Paul Rishell and Annie Raines’ first live album, A Night In Woodstock, releases today as the flagship recording on their Mojo Rodeo label, distributed worldwide by Burnside Distribution. The album features special guests John Sebastian (harmonica), Bruce Katz (keyboards), Reed Butler (bass), Chris Rival (guitar), and Billy MacGillivray (drums) joining the duo for an eclectic, high-energy set of acoustic and electric originals and classic blues songs.

The recording came about as part of a footage-gathering mission for the jug band music documentary Chasin’ Gus’ Ghost. Director Todd Kwait had heard Rishell and Raines play in John Sebastian’s J Band and wanted to film the duo playing behind Sebastian. As it happened, the Rishell/Raines band was scheduled to play in a roadhouse in Woodstock, New York that same month. The album’s liner notes tell the story of how this under-the-radar gig evolved into an all-star blues variety show. In early 2009, A Night in Woodstock will be released as a DVD with extra songs and features.

About the Artwork

Maggie Zander, a folk artist from upstate New York, created the dollhouse model and miniature props for the album’s cover. The steps, porch roof, shutters, lights, chimney and smoke are fashioned from new and vintage guitar and harmonica parts contributed by National Reso-phonic Guitars and Hohner Harmonica Co.

About Fritz Richmond

Fritz Richmond grew up in Annie’s hometown of Newton, Mass, and gained national cult status in the 1960’s as the washtub and jug player for the Kweskin Jug Band. He was also a recording engineer for Elektra records and one of the primary muses for the Lovin’ Spoonful and later a core member of John Sebastian’s J Band. He was interviewed extensively in Chasin’ Gus’ Ghost shortly before his death from lung cancer in 2005. The CD and DVD of A Night in Woodstock are dedicated to his memory and his legacy of preserving and championing African-American and old-time folk music.

About Mojo Rodeo

Paul Rishell & Annie Raines founded Mojo Rodeo Records in 2008 to launch A Night in Woodstock and lay the groundwork for future recordings. Raines came up with the name to describe a hybrid of blues and country music. Planned releases on the label include the DVD of A Night in Woodstock in 2009.

6 Weeks To New CD

We've been waiting for a long time to make this announcement: The official release date for the new, live "A Night in Woodstock" CD is 10/21/08. The disc is being manufactured now and will be distributed by Burnside Distribution Corporation, which means it will be available both through online music retail sites and traditional "brick and mortar" retail stores (all the straw and twig retail stores having been blown away by the big bad wolf some time ago - but it's not politic to speak of pigs this week).
We're still dotting i's, crossing t's, and crossing our fingers as well. 'Til then, keep in touch and watch this space for more announcements about A NIGHT IN WOODSTOCK.
-Annie and Paul

NEW! Paul's First Instructional Video for Truefire: Dirt Road Blues

Click the picture above to add to shopping cart, which will open in a new window, or Click Here to read a full description and view video samples of the product.

"Paul Rishell’s Dirt Road Blues is optimized for solid intermediate to advanced players, is presented across 2 interactive video CD-ROMs (Windows and Mac compatible), features 40 full-length interactive video lessons including performances of all the songs, text overviews, standard notation and interactive Power Tab so you can "see" and "hear" the tab and notation played out at any tempo. TrueFire's video lesson player features zoom, frame advance, looping and other handy controls."

"Get a solid grip on this Delta, Piedmont and Texas blues guitar repertoire and you’ll be able to handle anything (including your own compositions) with authenticity, stellar technique and maximum groove. Head out to the porch now with Dirt Road Blues."

Featuring Annie Raines on several performances. Bonus material also available on request.

SONGS:

“Down the Dirt Road Blues” by Charley Patton
“Shake ‘em On Down” by Tommy McClennan
“Low Down Rounder” by Peg Leg Howell
“Sweet Jivin' Mama” by Blind Blake
“One Dime Blues” by Blind Lemon Jefferson
“Black Horse Blues” by Blind Lemon Jefferson
“Rag Mama Rag” by Blind Boy Fuller
“Custard Pie” by Blind Boy Fuller
“Step it up & Go” by Blind Boy Fuller
“Trouble Blues” by Scrapper Blackwell
“Hunkie Tunkie” and "Keep it Clean” by Charley Jordan
and four Rishell originals; “Vanessa,” “Louise,” “I’m Gonna Jump & Shout” and “Blues on a Holiday.”

Southeastern Tour Set to Begin

And we're off...almost. Before we leave on our 2-week drive to Florida, we have some logistics to sort out. By "some" I mean "an unbeleivably overwhelming amount." However, we're accustomed to that. We have to send CDs out to the radio stations near the gigs. We have to line up 11 hotels. We have to pay next month's bills this month. The car is at the car spa, getting a mud bath, facial, and tune-up befitting its 100,000 mile status. It's going to take a little longer than usual because they're breaking ground for the Annie Raines wing on the service station.

Last Call at Harry's CD Now Available

Local bands have contributed music and love to help Harry's Blues Bar raise funds for new construction.

Redbone, Harris to perform at Berkshires BluesFest

On Saturday, September 3rd, we will perform in Great Barrington, MA at the Mahaiwe Theater, sharing the bill with two amazing artists: Corey Harris and Leon Redbone.

New review in Acoustic Guitar

From the April 2005 issue of Acoustic Guitar Magazine
By Ian Zack

One fine guitar..

And look for this handsome dude in Acoustic Guitar magazine :

Brought to us by the kind folks of National Reso-phonic Guitars.

Paul has also been quoted in Mark Hoffman´s new book about Howlin´ Wolf "Moanin´at
Midnight" Check it out!

Remember Newport 1965 ....

Son House, Dick Waterman, Paul Butterfield and record producer
Paul Rothchild (Butterfield, Doors, Bonnie Raitt, Janis Joplin, etc.).

Note that Son is playing a wooden guitar and not a steel-body National
...!
Click on the picture to go to Dick Waterman´s website.

For those who don´t know our friend Dick:
He is a great photographer, blues promoter, author and manager who was
(and still is) around during the blues revival in the sixties.

He´s also the only non-performer to be inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.