Elvin Bishop has been traveling the blues road longer than most, and he's got the stories to prove it - many of which are contained within the songs on this release. Stops along the way include his work as a founding member of the groundbreaking Paul Butterfield Blues Band in the early '60s, and pop success with his 1976 smash hit Fooled Around and Fell In Love. Bishop's long and varied career has included plenty of side trips along the way as well, from deep down gutbucket blues played in smoky south side Chicago taverns, to raucous roadhouse R&B, to good time rock & roll on concert stages and festivals around the world. And at every stage along the way, he's instilled all of his music with passion, creativity, and a healthy helping of wisdom, wit, and good humor.Delta Groove Productions president Randy Chortkoff has been a fan and follower of Elvin's music through all the many phases of his career, beginning with Butterfield Blues Band in the mid 1960s, and when the opportunity arose to bring Elvin into the Delta Groove fold, Chortkoff jumped at the opportunity. The result was Elvin's Grammy-nominated 2008 CD The Blues Rolls On, and a flurry of other awards and accolades, including being named 2009 Male Blues Artist of The Year by Blues Blast magazine. Elvin's brand new release Red Dog Speaks, his second on Delta Groove Music, is the exciting next step in his blues journey.
Right out of the gate, Bishop leaves no doubt where his heart is, cleverly introducing his long-time cohort - a 1959 Gibson ES-345 that lovingly answers to the name of 'Red Dog', with a gritty slow blues calculated to set the pace for what's to come. Along the way he smoothly steers the way from strutting blues and R&B, to a good dose of good-time rock & roll, and even an occasional detour through doo-wop, zydeco and gospel. Elvin has made plenty of talented friends over the years, and many of them jumped at the chance to help out including John Nemeth, Buckwheat Zydeco, Roy Gaines, Tommy Castro, Ronnie Baker Brooks, and Kid Andersen who all make guest appearances. And all of it adds up to an amalgam that can only be called 'Elvin Bishop music.'
QUOTES:
'The North Bay-based musician remains one of the genre's most distinctive guitar stylists, melding a slashing attack with a keen ear for melody.' East Bay Express
'...careening slide and razor-edged bursts, all delivered with unflagging enthusiasm and wit.' Rolling Stone
'Nemeth's harp and Bishop's slide make beautiful old music beautiful again.' Pittsburgh Post Gazette
'Bishop is a good-hearted soul whose life mission is to entertain to the best of his ability.' Downbeat
