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GUESTBOOK

What happened 2004

The year 2004 is history. What has happened in South-East Asia this Christmas week is beyond our imagination, and we are thinking about the dead and their family members, relatives and others involved in the catastrophe. For us the last year has been pretty busy with travelling, both in Norway and other europeian countries, and the recording of the new CD, "Rooster Soup", which luckily got great critics in papers and music magazines. With a little help from our friends "The Bootleggers", Johan Brandtzæg (bass) and Arne Skognes (drums) the new album made a milestep ahead for us. "Rooster Soup" was recorded at Stiklestad Lydstudio in mid-Norway, and technician Svenn Frøseth made a good days work making the record. Piano player Daniel Røssing, Andreas Moe on the guitar and accordion master Edgar Heringstad also showed up. The record is all about blues music and its close relatives

Touring in the weekends is what we are good at, and the trip to Wendelstein near the German town Nürnberg was quite an experience. Playing where the famous trial was done after the war, was mindblowing, and visiting the great museums was also something we wont forget for a long time.

We have also played at a lot different Norwegian blues festivals this year, and it seems like the acoustic blues has found its audience, and the audience is true believers of the things we are doing. A big THANK YOU to the people that come to see our shows.

And not to forget the trip to Greece during the Summer Olympics i August. Meeting John the Greec, the Mayor and other nice people in sunny Volos was a memory for life. Meeting legend Nick Gravenites, now living in San Fransisco, was great, also seeing our friends Snowy White, Ana Popovic and John Crampton. We hope to come back to clubs or festivals in Greece this year.

What’s in the book for 2005

Well, we started up with a few shows with our great Tribute To Elmore James Band...always nice and funny to play with Frode, The King and Boogie Bertil.

In February we had 3 shows booked in Greece, but this trip are moved til April. Maybe It’s still too early to go for a swim in the sea, but you never know...we might give it a try after a few shots of ozo. First week of March we did a short UK tour starting in Warrington near Liverpool ( Kevin Keegen turned 49 years old that night we played The Appelton Thorn ). We ended the tour at the 15^th Banbury Bluesfestival near Oxford. Fabulous night at the Mill Art Center – the audience went bananas - hope to be back next year . Big hug to Pete Price who took care of the driving and Colin Wills at Crazy Cactus for havin’ us. Numerous festivals and clubs in Norway are booked, and especially we are happy to be back at Osøren Blues & Jazz Festival in June. In April/ May we are a part on the “REMBETIKO & BLUES TOUR” w/ Lousiana Red, TAXIMI Group w/ Costas Doumouliakas and John Angelatos. The Rembetiko song is a part of the Greek Folk music and we all know what blues is all about. This combination and mix will be a very nice experience for us. July is holiday time and we are looking forward to spend some days with our families on a beach by the Mediterranean Sea. Last weekend in July we are heading back to Blue Balls Festival in Switzerland...one of the best festivals in Europe. In August we really look forward to see our good friend Gary Hood at The Great British R & B festival in Colne near Burnley in Britain. This will be the fifth time we play this festival. Volos`in Greece might happen again at the end of August. In September we have Hell Blues Festival and hopefully we are doing Copenhagen Bluesfestival by the end of the month. In October we are back at Ørland Bluesfestival and The Blues Train 2005 from Hell to Ôstersund in Sweden. A few shows around London – UK are on the table for November/ December...( hopefully we can buy Christmas presents for the family in London this year...)

So...check out your local blues club or festival and see when we show up in your town. Hope to see you there...

And one more thing....IF you still haven’t got our latest cd “Rooster Soup”....just buy it NOW.

Cheers!!

Jolly Jumper and Big Moe

18^th March 2005

So why?  (april 2004)

“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

So what’s up??  (mars 2003)

Yes, what’s really up these days? Planning studioworks. That’s what we are thinking about. New CD. The plan is to start recording in may, or june, or september or ... this year. No rush! The new CD should be out in the stores within one year from now. Writing new songs. Stealing old ones. Who’s gonna be with us in the studio? What do we need? Our two first CDs, Searching the Desert for the Blues and Bootleggers Blues were recorded at Frog Studio i Kristiansund, Norway. Great studio, and nice owner — Frode the Frog Alnæs. Next time around we’re thinking about a studio closer to were we live. There’s a new small studio placed in the countryside at Stiklestad in the Nord-Trøndelag county, about one and a half hour north of Trondheim in mid-Norway. It’s called Stiklestad Lydstudio (Sound studio) and it works great.

What else? Lots of travelling in the weekends, all over Norway. We’re doing many festivals in Norway this spring, summer and fall. In late July we’re doing the Blue Balls Festival in Lücerne in Switzerland, and late August we’re playing at the Great British R&B Fesival in Colne, England. It’s the fourth time we’re doing that festival, and we’re really looking forward to see festival boss Gary Hood and his crew again. Another thing: At some gigs we are a four-piece band on stage. New members are upright bass player Johan Brandtzæg and drummer (or «soundmaker») Arne Skognes. We call these two cats the Bootleggers Blues Band. Bootlegging moonshine liquire has a great tradition in this part of Norway, and it really suits our raggy image!

The equipment? Well, the SAS (Scandinavian Airline System) made a big crack in the Martin 12-string guitar. A new guitar is on it’s way. A couple of years ago somebody broke into our car and stole two guitars and a mandolin. Yoy can’t fucking trust anybody these days. Now we leave the old 1938 National Supro at home, and only use it for studio works. New guitar on the road is a great Amistar Tricone that sounds really good. Other guitars we bring on the road are Gibson acoustic, Takamine acoustic, Fender electric mandolin, one thousand harps, kazoos, washboard and lots of other stuff that makes noice.

It’s mid-March, and the spring is just around the corner. That means a beautiful time here in Norway. (Well, if it’s not rainin’ all the time). Easter time is coming up, and Moe and his wife are going to spend a week in London, looking forward to see Van Morrison in the Royal Albert Hall the 15. of April. The Jumper has to work with John Mayall’s and Delbert McClinton’s  Norwegian tours at that time, but hopefully he has time to relax with his daughter and girlfriend. And the important thing: The both of us is hopefully writing new song for the new CD!!

Peace and Love