MP3 Jimmy Voegeli - "F" is for Blues

A mix of Pine Top Perkins, Santana, and Dr. John featuring Billy Flynn,Clyde Stubblefield,Jon Nicholson and more.

13 MP3 Songs
BLUES: Chicago Style, BLUES: Mellow Blues



Details:
Hoy,Hoy.Thanks for checking out my cd.I have put 6 years of everything into this project and got
help from a ton of great and talented friends!This cd features Billy Flynn on guitar,Clyde"The Funky
Drummer"Stubblefield on drums,and my good friend Jon Nicholson(Co-founder of the Muzic Mafia)
singing on one cut just to name a few!This cd was just reviewed as "Album of the Year" by Rick's
Cafe(rickscafe.org)Not bad for a dairy farmer,that's right I said dairy farmer.Although I play 4-5
nights per week,I still help out on my families 5th generation dairy farm.That's stereotypic
Wisconsin if you ask me! So pick it up and enjoy and let me know what you think.Love and Peace Album of the Year JIMMY VOEGELI
âFâ is For Blues
2006 Self-Release
www.jimmyvoegeli.com
Style: Blues/Rock

For a musician of his stature, Jimmy Voegeli has got to be one of the most unassuming and downright shy people in the business. The rare artist who is nearly ego-free is frequently consumed by self-criticism and insecurity, perhaps an unspoken reason that this album took nearly six years to make. There are other reasons listed in the credits, where Voegeli recounts the whole process as âa template for how not to make an album,â including cash shortages and three computer crashes that resulted in some or all of the songs being lost. A host of personal issues also slowed down production: a divorce, his fatherâs death, even 9/11 and the last two presidential elections. But if the results of âFâ is For Blues is any indicator, this method is a template for how to make an album because it is one of the best to ever come out of the Mad City.
âFâ is For Blues is permeated with class. From the first strains of the opening cut, âGive it Up,â which deftly blends the smooth, soulful feel of Little Feat with blues-rock era Rolling Stones, it is apparent that this is no ordinary musical exercise. Just look at the cast of players assembled here: The Crashersâ Mauro Magellan, Jon Wartenweiler and Gary Hendrickson; the Moon Gypsiesâ/Stellanovasâ/Bob Westfall Bandâs Chris Wagoner and Mary Gaines; the incomparable talents of Clyde Stubblefield and Billy Flynn; the world-renowned Jon Nicholson; percussion wizard Pauli Ryan; local legends Mel Ford and Tom McCarty â and the list goes on. Co-produced by Voegeli and Broadjamâs Roy Elkins, the album is seamlessly exquisite despite the tribulations of its production and the use of multiple studio facilities over a long period of time. The albumâs design (splendidly done by Broadjamâs Donny Sellon with photos by Stephanie Essex Elkins) is noteworthy as well. The cover depicts the actual Monticello High School report card on which Voegeli received an âFâ in band class from one Mr. Mike Korth. In a twist of fate, Voegeli has Korth play a trombone solo on âSo Go Love,â which Voegeli promptly rearranged in editing. Now thatâs rolling with the punches.
Voegeli is probably best known for his keyboard work with the Westside Andy/Mel Ford Band but has been a mainstay in the music scene here, thanks in large part to his supreme skills on Hammond organ, which figure prominently on several of the tracks, including âDonât Know Why,â an absolutely killer blues tune. However, the real surprise throughout F.. is Voegeliâs sensational lead and harmony vocals. His smooth delivery and expressive range are augmented by Mary Gaines and she matches him precisely in phrasing and inflection, making this one powerful vocal pairing. Jon Nicholson also turns in a fantastic vocal performance on the soulful âFool,â which contains one of the best lines: âI poured out my heart to you / And you drank it like cheap wine.â
Voegeliâs talents on piano are featured on much of the albumâs second half, including two tunes with central Wisconsinâs blues trio Blue Shadows and a great boogie-blues track called âWaiting for You.â The latter is a duet with Derek Hendrickson on brushes, a song that sounds much larger than just piano and brushed drums.
He saves the best for last, too. âBooga Brainâ is a smokinâ hot blues instrumental with the similarly smokinâ lineup of Stubblefield, McCarty, Ford, Flynn and Ryan. âPapaâs Waltzâ breaks the mold completely. Voegeliâs beautifully played piano is graced by Mary Gainesâ cello and Chris Wagonerâs accordion and violin. A tribute to his father, Voegeli performed this at his funeral. Itâs heartbreakingly tender and, somehow, very Wisconsin.
Why the best art is born of suffering is an enigma for the ages and the foundation for the form we call the blues. Yet so much joy emanates from this recording it becomes a reflection of life itself, a triumph of the human spirit by any measure. âFâ is For the Blues is institutionally Madison and belongs in every music loverâs home.

Rick Tvedt
p.s.Check out the Groove Hogs version of my song"Fool" on their "Wrong side of the Street" cd!