This is from the funny-named but highly respected country-blues website weeniecampbell.com, written by the great guitarist and teacher John Miller: “Blues Traveling–The Holy Sites of Delta Blues”–Steve Cheseborough, University Press of Mississippi Author Steve Cheseborough must be very happy at the reception his Delta Blues guidebook, “Blues Traveling”, has received, for it is now in [...]
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Beethoven’s Ninth on the harp
This past Friday night, I had finished my gig at a restaurant and was sitting at the bar having something to eat and drink. A goateed man, probably in his early 60s, was also sitting there and drinking good Scotch. He asked about the music and I told him sorry, but he had just missed [...]
Blues Revue’s review of Fetch It!
From Blues Revue magazine, June/July 2009: Fetch It! is another intriguing, self-released collection of prewar-style blues from Steve Cheseborough. Cheseborough’s harmonica overdubs are effective, but at the heart of his sound are his percussive, rhythmic guitar and highly individual singing. The combination brings new light to Blind Lemon Jefferson’s “One Dime” and Tampa Red’s “Love [...]
Review of Fetch It!
From the fun and and authoritative country-blues website weeniecampbell.com comes this review of my new CD: Fetch It! – Steve Cheseborough Written by Andrew Mullins Fetch It! – Steve Cheseborough Independent Portland-based musician and author Steve Cheseborough has put together a strong set of country blues for his latest CD, Fetch It!, which was released [...]
Stinging nettles — don’t try this barehanded!
Well, I have burned, cut and bruised my precious guitar-picking fingers before. But now I’ve subjected them to a new and very painful indignity: stinging nettles. You’d think I would have realized that the word “stinging” is in their name for a reason. Maybe I thought they were “singing nettles” when I noticed them at [...]
Willie “Big Eyes” Smith at Mississippi Studios
Willie “Big Eyes” Smith (L) and Steve Cheseborough at Mississippi Studios, Portland, April 30, 2009. Photo by Greg Johnson. I was the opening act for Willie “Big Eyes” Smith and his band April 30 at Mississippi Studios in Portland. Unfortunately it was also the night of the Portland Trail Blazers’ final playoff game, so many [...]
Going to see Attle
The Seattle episode of my ongoing CD-release party finally happened. And it was worth waiting for. It happened last night at Egan’s Ballard Jam House, an intimate club that often features jazz but turned out to be perfect for my blues and stories. We had a small turnout but huge fun. I played songs by [...]
The club that looks like my book
I headed down to Charleston, S.C., the first week of April, for a family reunion and a gig at Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ. This was my third appearance at Fiery Ron’s, and every time I play there it is a thing of wonder for me and owner Randy Abraham (and, hopefully, for the audience [...]
Mamlish Blues
“Mamlish” — now there is a strange word for you. It comes up in several blues, especially in Ed Bell’s “Mamlish Blues.” He announces at the beginning that he will “tell you just what they mean,” but maybe he is referring to the mamlish blues, not to the word mamlish. It seems to just be [...]
absinthe makes the heart grow fonder
Mississippi meets Louisiana when I play tomorrow (Sat. Jan. 31) at EaT, a cool new oyster-and-absinthe bar at 3808 N. Williams Ave. Music runs about 7:30-10 p.m. The restaurant got reviewed favorably in today’s Oregonian. Although I think the review didn’t pay enough attention to the absinthe — you choose among varieties from California, Oregon, [...]
