Your Hidden Gems

[Jx2]

I was thinking we all have these little hidden gems we enjoy. Might be anybody, might be someone who's popular in certain circles but a realitvely unkown in others. So I thought, lets share them....lets help one another attempt to find more of those artists.

Like I said, some of us are likely to consider someone listed as a more big time act than others, because of the area we live in or the genre of music we listen to the most. But please, try not to list the most notable of bands, i.e. no Rolling Stones, Jeff Beck, or unreleased tracks from todays stars.

Here's mine, a blues player by the name of Shuggie Otis. This cat just blew me away the first time I heard him. Ive felt he was just as good as Jimi or SRV or the others but more traditional blue, ala, Albert King, John Lee Hooker.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6xRD-9hseI

I tried to embed the clip but for some reason it didnt work. Please include links when possible to your hidden gems.

[Spudman***]

Anybody from The Flower Kings family tree is going to give you superb music. I'll list a few: (there is an incredible chain of great music and musicians when you follow these crumbs. Google is your friend. And now you're thinking, "who?")

Roine Stolt
Tomas Bodin
Hasse Fröberg
Jonas Reingold
Zoltan Csörsz
Daniel Gildenlöw
Marcus Liliequist
Hasse Bruniusson
Jaime Salazar

Which lead to: Neal Morse, Transatlantic, Marillion, Kaipa, The Tangent, Po90, Ritual, King Crimson, Agents of Mercy, Karmakanic, Dream Theater, Circus Brimstone, Steve Hackett and so on and so on.

[deeaa*]

Almost anything by Eppu Normaali is pretty damn cool pop to me, their albums feature lots and lots of superb guitar sounds and nice playing too.

Started in 1976 as sort of Ramones-like punk group with naivistically clever lyrics they've a huge catalog of music and today probably the most revered of Finnish rockers here. Especially their 80's hits are something that can draw tears from many a grown man's eye corner even today; extremely touching lyrics and superbly depicting the Finnish psyche. Can't imagine them going anywhere here and not drawing as big a crowd as they please, they gig so rarely it's an event every time. And still churning out #1 hits.

Here's a good example of their lyrics sure to move a Finn (my own quick translation):

Innocent he was born in this cold northern land
Where his forefathers already - drunken of course -
Would beat up children, wives, if they only caught them
But this boy wanted it not, this fate
Said I'll never buy an ax
And never drink no booze, or I'll drink my house to ruin
Cold snow beckons the family in wintertime
But I shall never be like my father was
But then the work commission office refuses his work
The hand of fate offers him a big drink
And the famous old drinker spirit relives again
And the worker starts acting like a lord
Running towards a liquor store
It makes a man desperate
When the freeze kills the crops
And in between the cold mounds
A cold eye stares
As the ax is risen
Inside the cold earth, the soil and ground
Fathers look upon their sons with pride
Unemployment, alcohol, ax and the family
Bank of snow, a policeman and the final mistake
This land is filled with a thousand sad songs
And a thousand lakes to drown oneself to
A juniper folk whose amount of self-pity
Cannot be measured with sanity and rectified by tangos
In their songs they lose the keys to their lives
And the gates of heaven are locked tight
These songs tell of Mr. Jack Despair

(although the song in the link is a beautiful ballad about a guy killing himself & his girlfriend...I'm leaving for the stars...we left for the stars and the world exploded later etc.)

[oldguy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6xRD-9hseI

I tried to embed the clip but for some reason it didnt work. Please include links when possible to your hidden gems.

Here you go.

[kiteman]

I groove on the 60s and 70s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fre89067f1g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4ouPGGLI6Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On9plG6BXl8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x6chChxzV0

[Tig***]

Wow! He was awsome.
I managed to find Shuggie's "Inspiration Information" 1974 release to listen to...

[Andy]

Shuggie fan from way back...I got into him after hearing strawberry letter by the bro's johnson.

his first album is very blues heavy

[Tig***]

Wow! He was awsome.
I managed to find Shuggie's "Inspiration Information" 1974 release to listen to...

Bought "Shuggie's Boogie: Shuggie Otis Plays The Blues" on Amazon for $3.99. Can't wait to listen to it!

I listened to the "Inspiration Information" release just one time so far, and it has some incredible instrumental tracks. Shuggie was very tallented early on!

[Jx2]

Im glad you guys are enjoying Shuggie. Its hard to beleive that he was touring and recording at 14. Im going to pick up some Shuggie on vinyl here in the upcoming weeks.

[ZMAN]

I was thinking we all have these little hidden gems we enjoy. Might be anybody, might be someone who's popular in certain circles but a realitvely unkown in others. So I thought, lets share them....lets help one another attempt to find more of those artists.

Like I said, some of us are likely to consider someone listed as a more big time act than others, because of the area we live in or the genre of music we listen to the most. But please, try not to list the most notable of bands, i.e. no Rolling Stones, Jeff Beck, or unreleased tracks from todays stars.

Here's mine, a blues player by the name of Shuggie Otis. This cat just blew me away the first time I heard him. Ive felt he was just as good as Jimi or SRV or the others but more traditional blue, ala, Albert King, John Lee Hooker.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6xRD-9hseI

I tried to embed the clip but for some reason it didnt work. Please include links when possible to your hidden gems.

Not hidden around my house. I have two of his original vinyl albums and I was able to get an import CD. He never attained the heights he should have. All of those tracks were done when he was 15 years old. He was playing in bars underage, and the booze and the drugs wasted all his talent.
I discovered him in 69/70 and have played him since. Nothing after that was really any good and he is still around but could have been an icon..

[R_of_G]

A little Shuggie Otis trivia... Otis played bass on Frank Zappa's "Peaches En Regalia"

[R_of_G]

Anybody from The Flower Kings family tree is going to give you superb music. I'll list a few: (there is an incredible chain of great music and musicians when you follow these crumbs. Google is your friend. And now you're thinking, "who?")

Roine Stolt
Tomas Bodin
Hasse Fröberg
Jonas Reingold
Zoltan Csörsz
Daniel Gildenlöw
Marcus Liliequist
Hasse Bruniusson
Jaime Salazar

Which lead to: Neal Morse, Transatlantic, Marillion, Kaipa, The Tangent, Po90, Ritual, King Crimson, Agents of Mercy, Karmakanic, Dream Theater, Circus Brimstone, Steve Hackett and so on and so on.

Similarly, one could follow the cadre of musicians who have worked with John Zorn in the Downtown NYC scene. A brief list that could open up endless possibilities...

Marc Ribot
Fred Frith
Bill Frisell
Wayne Horvitz
Mike Patton
Greg Cohen
Joey Baron
Trevor Dunn
Jamie Saft
Ikue Mori

[ZMAN]

Now for one of mine. I hope this works.
Not a vid but worth the listen. Long but listen to his work on a Classic by Freddie King.

[msteeln]

Probably the most understated/rated monster been doing it for decades full-0-soul player that just does it his way no matter if anyone's paying attention or not.

[Tig***]

I have to throw Sean Costello into the hat. I can't get enough of his live playing and guitar faces. RIP, Sean...



_____


Gets busy wit' it from 3:30 to 6:00. A master of touch sensitive string attack.

[MAXIFUNK]

[MAXIFUNK]

[MAXIFUNK]

Although they may not be hidden but more like unsung never get the credit they deserve. They would open for anybody P-Funk, Aerosmith, Van Halen, Rolling Stones and push the headliner if not steal the show. Many folks fire them from tours for showing them up Rolls Royce of "Car Wash" fame fired just after 3 shows in Pittsburgh.
Here is some 90's stuff and one sound check clip. They have been around since the early 70's.

[bcdon***]

Jesse Cook. Great flamenco guitarist from Canada.
EDIT: Looks like these don't allow embed, so visit youtube to watch.