Alvin Lee's bio

Born in Nottingham England, ALVIN LEE began playing guitar at age 13 and formed the core of the band Ten Years After by aged 15.

With Lee as guitarist, singer and songwriter, TYA first toured America in 1968 at the invitation of legendary ‘Fillmore’ promoter Bill Graham. Audiences were immediately taken with the band's innovative mix of blues, swing jazz and rock and Lee's distinctive, soulful, rapid fire guitar playing. His virtuoso performance at Woodstock, captured on film in the documentary of the festival, remains a standard today for many guitarists and continues to introduce him to new music fans all over the world.

Lee has continued to evolve as a musician and has worked with a host of rock and roll greats, like Jerry Lee Lewis, Steve Winwood, Ron Wood, Jon Lord and George Harrison. Always innovative, Lee's music releases cover a wide range of musical styles, with an emphasis on his love of blues and rock and roll. With an over 40 year history of rousing recordings and live shows, he has earned his place in music history.

“Alvin Lee in Tennessee” was recorded with rock and roll legends Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana and released in 2004.

Lee’s latest album ‘Saguitar’ continues the musical journey of this legendary artist.

INTERVIEW

1, According to some experts the one of the biggest performances of Woodstock Fest was the TYA gig. How can you see it after forty-one years? How big flash was it?
Woodstock was special because of the people. It was a different era and music was everything then, it reflected the attitudes, hopes & desires of most young people in the 60’s. There was an unorganized togetherness against war and the establishment that brought us all together with a common cause, but it didn’t get in the way of the music. Things were changing for the better so it was a time of hope. We did change the world back then but it changed back again while we weren’t looking.

2, The turn of the sixties and seventies were the time of the „great generation af guitar” players. Who did you apprechiate or listen to from your contemporaries?
I appreciate all guitarists but my personal influences came from the American 50’s guitarists like Scotty Moore, Chuck Berry, and Franny Beecher and even earlier with jazz guitarists like Charlie Christian, Barney Kessel and Wes Montgomery. Blues wise I preferred the city blues of Freddie King to BB and Albert but my real passion was the country blues of Big Bill Broonzy, Lonnie Johnson and John Lee Hooker. All these influences fused into something exiting and interesting when I was bitten by the Rock & Roll bug.

3, What do you think about the new generation fallowing yours?
You can’t generalize, there are some great new players coming up but whether they can keep their focus and integrity in this Big Brother/X Factor world is the big question.. It must be hard to learn an instrument these days with all the computer games and hi tech distractions of the modern world around. I didn’t even have a television when I started to play and I’m glad of it. I don’t think I would have practised for four hours a day if I had owned a Playstation.

4, Have you heard any original piece of music nowadays or has your genearation invented and realised everything?
No we have not invented everything yet, we are still doing it.
But seriously, of course there is original music being created these days and I personally believe that something great is just around the corner but it has a lot of rubbish to wade through and push aside to be noticed and discovered. But it’s out there and it’s coming.

5, What was the reason why TYA finished its activity in the midseventies?
Overworked and overpaid. We ran for 8 years which I think is pretty good but the big arenas and stadiums took the swing out of the band and took the fun out of playing music. My creativity suffered from the constant touring and besides that the responsibility and the lifestyle was killing me. It was a train going nowhere I wanted to be, so I had to get off.

9, How is that they use the original name?
When I found out they were using the name I asked them to change it slightly so people would not get confused and think it was the original band but they refused. I had better things to do then spend 6 years fighting them thru lawyers so I let it go.

7, Which one of your solo records is the most memorable for you and why?
On The Road To Freedom, as it was my first solo venture. It was freedom from the corporate money making machine I had found myself trapped in and the freedom to create music for music’s sake with new musicians, which is always inspirational.

11, In 2007 your latest studio record titled Saguitar was realeased with fourteen new songs. Are we going to hear some tracks in the concert in Budapest?
I usually play my favourite live songs over the 44 year period. The songs that suit a trio and have room to develop in the solo sections. The solo’s are the most important to me and I seldom play the same solo the same way twice. That is where the fun is for me.

12, How can you consider yourself?
A blues, a rock or a rock and roll guitarist? I suppose I’m all three mixed together but Blues/Rock is pretty close. Other people put you in a bag but musicians don’t usually bag themselves.

13, Will you arrive with your favorite guitar the red gibson ES 335 guitar?
What is the story of your love? Yes I always play the Gibson 335. It’s my favourite stage guitar and has been since I first saw Freddie King playing one. Of course I do not carry the original Woodstock guitar as it is too old and fragile and could not be replaced if it was lost or broken.

14, Your concert is included in the Budapest Blues Legends festival. How do you feel when you hear that you are considerd as a living legend?
It’s better than being a dead legend.

15, Do you have any message to young hungarian musicians?
Follow your nose and play it by ear. And get rid of that Playstation.

KAREN CARROLLWITH THE MISSISSIPPI GRAVE DIGGERS

Karen Carrol, singer, songwriter, musician was born in chicago Illinois. She started with singing in church at six. She learnt to play the guitar from the real master Robert Allen, and learnt vocal from master Nate Griffin. She playd on stage with performers like Lonnie Brooks, Albert King, and the Freeman Bros. It goes without saying that all along her career she's been supported by her mother Jeanne, with whom she had her first professional gig.

Since then she's played with numerous famous musicians, among them Katie Webster and Lurrie Bell. Apart from singing gospel since her childhood she is known as an authentic performer of the American Deep Blues. On the summer of 2008. Karen was invited to perform on the Chicago Blues Festival by B.B. King. After Chicago, Karen turned back Europe, to make a tour with Mississippi Grave Diggers and provocate a stormy applause from all the audience.

Mississippi Grave Diggers was formed by Andor Oláh, Blues harp player, composer. As a young man Andor hitchhiked all over Europe with a harmonica in his pocket. In ’92 he travelled in the States searching for the blues. On coming back he formed Dr. Valter and the Lawbreakers, a band playing the Delta blues of the twenties. They spent thirteen years together, touring the old continent from Serbia through Holland to Finland.

Throughout his career he has played together with artists like Champion Jack Dupree /USA/, Sugar Blue /USA/, Steve James /USA/, Joe Sass /USA/, Big Lucky Carter /USA/, Bob Brozman /USA/, Sharrie Williams & Wise Guys /USA/, Lazy Lester /USA/, and Ripoff Raskolnikov /Austria/.

In 2003 he formed the band called Mississippi Grave Diggers. The band created a new style within world music called rolling blues and toured around Europe with inviting various vocalists to perform. In 2007 he reshaped the band by inviting new members, changing their repertoire and touring with American blues singer Karen Carroll.

Karen Carroll and Mississippi Grave Diggers with it’s powerfull young artists, and world- famous violin player Frenkie Lato now brings together the original chicago blues with europien derring-do, showing a unique and professional band to the audience.

By amalgamating traditional black rhythms with gipsy swing and bebop, folk blues and youthful grooves, the Mississippi Grave Diggers give an unmistakable jazz and world music flavour to contemporary blues. In the past few years they played on the Biggest Hungarian jazz and Blues festivals and were invited as starguests to appear on German, Austrian, Slovakian, Czeh stages. In September 2010. Karen Carroll with the Mississippi Grave Diggers plays with Alvin Lee on the I. Budapest Blues Legends festival."

Tickets for  the event: broadwayjegyiroda.hu