ROOSTER SOUP   (Kjell Inge Brovoll)

This is an unbelievable story about Elmore James and our good friend Sam Myers. The two friends played in the same band in the early 1950`s, but the money was not there, so they had to make and sell moonshine whiskey to get the bread. There were four categories: Red, white and brown. The brown was the best, and that was delivered to jukes, hotels, bars, and even to the police. The worst category was called rooster soup, and they gave that away to the alcoholics who lived in the area close to Pearl River just south of Jackson, Mississippi. The voices at the beginning of the song is from Charlie Bowman and his Brothers recording “Moonshiner and his Money” in 1929.

SHE’S MAYBE YOUR WIFE  (Kjell Inge Brovoll)

The lyrics are all about the essence of the blues: The relationship between a man and a woman... and another woman. Piano man Cousin Joe Pleasant said it: “I had problems with my woman and I had problems with my wife.” On this recording we present 18-year old piano player Daniel Røssing for the first time on CD, and... it won’t be the last.

BIG MAMA’S DOOR     (Alvin Youngblood Hart)

Our good friend Alvin won a W.C. Handy Award for “Best New Artist of The Year” in 1997 for the fantastic album with the same title. We ended up in a state of “Nu Blues” when we told Arne to play the drums like he wanted, Moe did his Son House way of raspy bottleneck guitar and Jolly put fire on the old harp amp.

DEATH DON’T HAVE NO MERCY (Rev. Gary Davis)

Reverend Gary Davies, born 1896 in South Carolina, is one of the guitar pickers we admire the most. He played in a string band already as a teenager in 1911, and the way he played was like a school for all acoustic blues pickers. Gary’s ability on the guitar is unbelievable. This song has strong lyrics, and it shows Gary’s religous side. He passed away in 1972 after a fatal heart attack while he was on his way to a concert in New Jersey.

HANG IT ON THE WALL      (Charlie Patton)

Charley Patton. The man. Between 1929 and 1934 Patton made at least 52 issued commercial recordings, and shows what southern black songsters and blues-singers were performing between 1915 and 1934. He played blues, spirituals and other religious songs, and even a few songs of Tin Pan Alley origin. “Hang it on the Wall” is a goodtime happy-go-lucky song that is always fun to play.

HOW CAN A POOR MAN STAND SUCH TIMES AND LIVE      (Alfred Reed)

It is difficult to fiddle and sing at the same time, but Blind Alfred Reed did it very well. He was born on June 15^th, 1880 in Floyd, Virginia, and recorded this beautiful song in New York City on December 4^th, 1929, right after the Wall Street crash. We had no fiddle in the studio, but accordion player Edgar Heringstad dropped in and helped out with his masterfingers.

THE ALEXIS BLUES            (Jan Erik Moe)

The real vacation for two rare blues characters like us, is to sit down in the shadow of the sun at a pool bar in Greece reading a good book and drinkin’ gin & tonic. A gesture to Alexis, his bar and hotel in Poros. A beautiful and warm hearted person who really deserves his own blues. We’ll meet again …

LITTLE CHILDREN’S BLUES       (Huddie Ledbetter)

Although Leadbelly often used to play this song for the children, it’s not at all a children’s song. It’s about trains, hoboing and the bluesmans way of travelling through his life. Leadbelly died in 1949 and left hundreds of songs behind him as a great legacy to us all. May he rest in peace!

BUSTED  (Harlan Howard)

Ray Charles recorded this one for Paramount in 1963. It’s got a kind of waltzy rhythm, and we asked Edgar to play the accordion the rarest way he could. The song was written by Harlan Howard who wrote hundreds of songs for other artists during his lifetime. It’s got a humorous touch that suites us fine.

BACK  TO BASICS       (Jan Erik Moe)

Living the blues? Exactly. That’s what we’re doing. Don’t need no fat cigar or fancy car. We are back to basics. We got pocket money, we got instruments, our wives and nice children. We even got new strings on the guitars. So what more do we need? Well, a little gin & tonic now and then, of course. We’re always back to basics. And God bless us for that.

BILLY THE KID     (Trad. - Jan Erik Moe)

This is an old traditional song about the most dangerous man in the West. No, we’re not talking about George W. Bush, it’s all about Billy the Kid, the young gunslinger who at last was shot down by sheriff Pat Garret in Silver City. These days, they’re talking about digging up the Kid’s body, because someone said the Kid lived until about 1950 …. and the never ending story goes on. Moe plays a small string instrument from Greece called Baglamàs on this song.

MY PENCIL WON’T WRITE NO MORE       (Armenter Chatmon)

Bo Carter’s repertoire demonstrates his unusual flair for sexual motives and this is a very good un’, recorded first time in 1931. As we always include one of his tunes at our live shows, we simply had to record one this time too. We are doing this song in the spirit of Mr. Chatmon ..... the humorous way with a splendid kazoo solo....

JAMES ALLEY BLUES   (Richard Brown)

Learned this one from our good friend “Philadelphia” Jerry Ricks. The song is made by Richard “Rabbit” Brown, and he recorded it March 5^th, 1927 in New Orleans. Brown was the first and most important New Orleans folk singer to record. He was famous for his dramatic guitar playing which closely resembles that of Blind Willie Johnson.

CLOSER TO THE BONE (Louis Marshall Jones)

This tune was recorded by the great Louis Prima in the 1957. Written by Louis “Grandpa” Jones, a high respected singer songwriter from Niagra, Kentucky. He got his nickname when he was 22 years old, all because he always sounded like a grouchy old man when he performed at Bradley Kincaid’s early morning radio show in Boston. With the help of a friend, Jones further developed his Grandpa character by adding the wire-rimmed specs, fake moustache and painting lines on his face. Closer To The Bone (The sweeter is the meat) is a favourite in our live shows when bassman Johan Brandtzæg and drummer Arne Skognes are with us. It’s really swingin’!

RAINY RAINY DAY             (Walter Brown McGhee)

One of the finest bluesmen ever, Brownie McGhee, became a filmstar in Alan Parker’s movie, Angel Heart in 1987. He acted an old voodoo bluesman with the name of Toots Sweet and with his band he performed this nice tune at the Red Rooster Bar in New Orleans. Songwriter, guitarist and singer Brownie McGhee is probably best remembered today as the longtime partner of harmonica player Sonny Terry. McGhee was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1915 and he came from a very musical family. His father, George “Duff” McGhee, a carpenter by trade, was a multi-instrumentalist who played in both black and interracial string bands. Brownie passed away in 1996.

JOLLY JUMPER & BIG MOE

I have been asked not to write anything about the music on this album. I am sorry to say I find it impossible not to do so. I have a number of Jolly Jumper and Big Moe CDs in my collection but when I listened to this one I just felt it summed up what they are about. Its country blues with a lot of heart and soul, performed by entertainers who understand the magic live performance brings to audiences across the globe.

Jolly Jumper and Big Moe have become favourites at the Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival. Winning over the festival crowd is never easy but these guys did it from the outset. The love of what they are doing, shines through with a charismatic charm that few performers achieve. Their show is eclectic and often quite personal. Both artists communicate directly with each member of the audience through humorous dialogue, great material selection and a cheeky stage presence, which delivers the music as it is supposed to be delivered. Musically they are both very talented with Big Moe finger picking his way through the numbers on a variety of classic blues guitars, resonators and even mandolin. Jolly Jumper provides exceptional vocals, has an equally exceptional period harp delivery and for good measure throws in a cutting line in Kazoo. That is why I like this CD so much. It encapsulates the live performance of Jolly Jumper and Big Moe, which is a rarity these days. You can almost see them performing right there in front of you. The music pulls at your emotions taking you from one extreme to the other but most of all Jolly Jumper & Big Moe bring you 100% country blues entertainment.

Gary Hood, april 2004

Organizer Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival, Colne - UK

So why?

“So why do we play this kind of blues? From our first CD ”Searching the Desert from the Blues” (Chicken Breath Records) in 1999, which was very much related to the guitar/harp country blues, via ”Bootlegger’s Blues” (RUF 2001) that brought us deeper into the story, we’re now into the whole kaleidoscope of acoustic blues music. This time we brought the upright bass and the drums into the studio. And the accordion. And the piano. And no!! We’re not infected by any, we said any, kind of fashion that the blues police give their thumbs up or down to. “Rooster Soup” is where we’re at right now. In 2004. That’s why we recorded it. Meeting Svenn the Engineer was great. So we were having fun with the guys in the studio. We were talking about understanding, love and friendship. This is not a 60`s kind of love expression, it’s the real meaning of the word.

The blues music has changed during the years, and so have we. Society, politics, economics and human dignity are changing. So is the blues music. “Rooster Soup” is, like all the records we’ve done, a tribute to all the fine people that’s fighting for their freedom. All over the world.

The music? It’s all blues. But the blues has its brothers, sisters and cousins. And even aunts and uncles. From the deep blues of Robert “Rabbit” Brown in the 20’s, to the rockin’ side of Louis Prima in the 50’s – it’s all there! We hope you like the record, and the music. It’s all from the very heart. No overdubs. No shit …

So the essence is in other words:

It’s all said in four lines:

Give me a beef steak when I’m hungry

Give me whiskey when I’m dry

Give me pretty women when I’m livin’

Give me heaven when I die.

Peace and love!”

Jolly Jumper & Big Moe

Jolly Jumper & Big Moe

- Jolly Jumper  ( Mr.Kjell Inge Brovoll )  Harp, guitar, kazoo, footstomp & vocal

- Big Moe  ( Mr.Jan Erik Moe ) 6 & 12 string guitar, national steel, mandolin & vocal

Jolly Jumper & Big Moe also perform as a 4 pice band with

THE BOOTLEGGERS ( Up-right bass + drums )

Visit their webside:  www.jollyjumperandbigmoe.com

For more info. Please contact:

Hell Booking & Event AS, Norway

Phone: +47  74 80 68 88, Fax: +47  74 80 68 54

Cellphone: +47  95 22 46 77

E.mail:  hellbook@online.no

 Ruf Records GmbH, Ludwig-Wagner-Str. 31 A, D – 37318 Lindewerra/Germany

phone: +49 36087 9220   fax: +49 36087 92211

www.rufrecords.de

JOLLY JUMPER & BIG MOE

Jolly Jumper is a skilled harmonica player in the style of the 1920s and 30s harp masters. He is equally adept on vocals, guitar and percussion. His biggest strength is his stage presence that immediately captures the audience.

Big Moe is a master of the steel strings. He fingerpicks on a 6 and 12 string hollow body guitar, bottleneck slides on a resonator guitar and uses a plectrum on a mandolin. As a vocalist, he is very expressive and his phrasing is exact. At a recent show, I was surprised to see that Big Moe also plays the harmonica.

It was during this same show that Jolly Jumper and Big Moe showcased their varied skills as multi-instrumentalists and brought the house down.

If you have ever seen Jolly Jumper & Big Moe perform, you would agree that they are true entertainers. They enjoy themselves and you cannot help but to enjoy them.

Blues music is happy music and it should be played for fun. In addition to the music, what I found most interesting is their historical knowledge of the Blues as well. This acquired knowledge is also shared with their audiences during a performance. For Jolly Jumper and Big Moe, Blues is a labor of love for that is how it comes across watching them on stage.

On the music that you are about to hear on their new CD ” Bootleggers Blues”, Ruf Records ( RUF 1068 ), the Oxford dictionary is the best source to summarize my thoughts. When it describes the word "jolly" it says: "joyful, festive, jovial, pleasant and above all delightful".

Michael Roach

July 2001

Reviewes

”Searching The Desert For The Blues” is an educational trip through the eclectic roots of American Blues. Jolly Jumper & Big Moe have done their homework, and it’s a pleasure to hear these styles done with modern production and fine musicianship. Albums like this one are indispensable to all students of the blues.

Blues Revue Magazine/ Keith A Mulhare

”You simply have to hear these guys, they are great”

John Sebastian

Jolly Jumper & Big Moe’s new album ”Searching The Desert For The Blues”, are a great piece of art. Acoustic Blues at it’s best and I play them often in my radio shows. ”Europe’s Most Exciting Acoustic Blues Duo”

BBC Radio, Jazz FM/ Paul Jones

Jolly Jumper & Big Moe are Europe’s good nature charming version of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee. Albums like ”Searching The Desert For The Blues are albums we really want to hear.

Blues News Magazine, Norway/ Øyvind Pharo

Why do we have to go to Mississippi to hear acoustic blues when albums like this one comes out of Norway. A better blues history lesson than

Jolly Jumper & Big Moe’s new album ”Searching The Desert For The Blues”, is hard to find.

VG/ Stein Østbø

What a great music they´re playing! Be sure, that they´ll get alot of airplay in my show.

”BluesPower”, O.K. Radio,

Bremerhaven, Germany/ Erhard Albrecht

They are humble to the original blues music in a way that I have never heard before. The best country-blues album I’ve heard in

many, many years.

Jefferson Magazine, Sweden/ Bosse Majling

Are there any better storytellers on the Scandinavian blues scene today than the acoustic Norwegian blues duo Jolly Jumper & Big Moe ?

If You can, show me them !!

NRK, Radio P1, Norway/ Jørn Gjersøe

The Record Company’s adress are 7570 Hell and ”Searching The Desert For The Blues” are a hell of a cd. Acoustic country blues at it’s best.

Dagbladet/ Øyvind Rønning

No festival without Jolly Jumper & Big Moe !  Great Music, sweet guys !

The Great British R & B Festival,

         Colne – UK/ Gary Hood

Jolly Jumper & Big Moe are extremely knowledgeable about the blues and really enjoy playing, which comes across and gets a great audience reaction.

Blues In Britain Magazine/ Jim Greaves

Great blues-duo bringing the 20’ & 30’s country blues classics to life in an extraordinary beautiful and humorous way.

                               Blue Balls Festival, Lûtzern

                                                                          Switzerland/ Martin Wokinger

Bootleggers Blues are one of the strongest albums I’’ve heard in years. Makes me very thirsty. Give me beer !!

Hovigs Hangar, NRK P-1 Radio,

                                                         Norway/ Geir Hovig

Among the best acoustic guitar and harp setting’ I’ve heard since Sonny & Brownie, Great entertainers and good friends.

”Philadelphia” Jerry Ricks

                                                                     American Blueman

We have no choice, we just have to re-book Jolly Jumper & Big Moe year after year, simply because the audience demand them.

Notodden Int. Blues Festival,

      Norway/ Ed Murphy

It was a great pleasure for us to join our good friends Jolly Jumper & Big Moe in the studio.

The Holmes Brothers

The best Norwegian blues ambassadors ever, and probably the strongest country blues act in Europe. We recommend Jolly Jumper & Big Moe to all blues festivals all over the world. 

   Hell Blues Festival,

  Norway/ Knut Morten Johansen

Listen gladly many times to Jolly Jumper’s song ”Love At First Sight”, MAGIC !!!!