http://youtu.be/oqaP_osdRxQ
Where will the next generation of Blues artists come from?
The question comes up often and the answer seems obvious to me: anywhere and everywhere. Florida has contributed The Selwyn Birchwood Band and Birchwood certainly gets my vote for a true star for many years to come.
B.B. King said it takes years for a Blues artist to develop, but at age 29 Birchwood has made a pretty good start.
Born in Orlando, Florida, Birchwood’s father is from Tobago and his mother from the United Kingdom. He started guitar at 13 and played other styles until he discovered Jimi Hendrix. When investigating Hendrix’s influences his discovered the great Blues players and became a dedicated fan at 17. He now lists his favorite artists as Buddy Guy, Freddie King, Muddy Waters, Albert King, Lightnin' Hopkins and Albert Collins.
When Selwyn Birchwood was 18 he saw a Buddy Guy concert and later said "It just blew me away. It was like someone getting up and getting me by the shirt and shaking me around. I will never forget it. At that point was when I decided that this is what I want to do."
Soon after Birchwood joined the touring band of Sonny Rhodes where he learned the lifestyle and the ins and outs of leading a band, both on stage and from the business end.
The Selwyn Birchwood Band was created in Tampa in 2010. They rapidly gained a following throughout Florida and competed in the International Blues Challenge in 2012 and won it in 2013. Their first major label album, 2014's Don’t Call No Ambulance, was released on Alligator and has gained the band a wider following. They are becoming a feature at clubs and festivals as well.
http://youtu.be/UuqhIZPeztY
The album is a good one, but I’m very much looking forward to catching the band live as I’ve heard they really deliver and their video clips make it clear that is true. Don’t Call No Ambulance has hit a chord with me and many others.
