Album Notes

Christy Howard grew up in the small town of Clifton, Tennessee. She was a child prodigy who started singing and playing church music on piano at age six. The daughter of a Southern Baptist missionary, her family moved frequently and as they did, Christy was exposed to many styles of American roots music. When she was ten years old, her family moved to the delta country of Shelby, Mississippi. She had a black nanny who lived “across the tracks”. In the evening, Christy would sneak out and walk over to her house. Local black plantation workers would be sitting on the porch singing, and playing guitars and harmonicas. They tried to teach Christy how to sing the Blues. They instructed her: "Girl, just look out there at the road and pretend your dog just got run over by a car. Then you'll be singing the blues!" This CD is dedicated to them. Christy Howard Christy Howard was singing professionally by age 13. She spent most of her early musical career singing Gospel, Country and Bluegrass. Christy burst onto the Detroit Blues scene in 2005, a few years after marrying Butler Twins guitarist Jeff Howard, who encouraged her to shift her singing and composing from Country to Blues. Howard became Christy's co-writer and introduced her to the Detroit Blues scene, where she is known as the “country” Blues singer. Performing as an acoustic duo, Christy and Jeff won the 2006 Detroit Blues Challenge, and competed in the 2007 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. Their discography includes BLUES FOR KATRINA (No Cover Records, 2005, "I've Got A Weakness," Blues-Rock), PARTY GIRL (self-released, 2006, Southern-Rock and Country-Blues), and DEEP IN BLUES COUNTRY (No Cover Records, 2007, acoustic Chicago Style-Blues). Billy Davis Billy Davis switched fields (from cotton to music) when his family migrated from Mississippi to Detroit. There he met and teamed up with Hank Ballard, who had a string of R & B hits during the 1950s. Hank Ballard and his band, The Midnighters, achieved fame as one of the most risqué groups of their time with songs like "Annie Had a Baby.” While touring the “chitling circuit,” Billy Davis encountered a young Jimi Hendrix. Billy is known as the man who gave Jimi his first Stratocaster. In 1959, Ballard's song "The Twist" was released as the B-side of "Teardrops on Your Letter.” A year later Chubby Checker's cover version of the song went to #1 on the pop charts. Though this brought about renewed interest in Ballard and The Midnighters for a time, this lasted for only a few years, and the group dissolved in 1965. Billy subsequently worked with Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, Little Willie John, Joe Tex, and Don Covay. He is a prolific songwriter with a unique Blues/Country style that is saturated with his own signature guitar licks and unique "Billy-stamped" rhythms. Onstage, Billy is known for his flamboyant theatrics which were clearly an inspiration to Hendrix. Jim Kahr Jim Kahr's musical journey began on the south side of Chicago, where at 18, Junior Wells heard him playing guitar in a local ghetto Blues bar and wanted him in his band. As a member of the Junior Wells Band, Jim was exposed to all of the great Chicago Blues legends, like Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy and Jimmy Rogers, who frequented the Windy City clubs. Kahr eventually caught the eye of Jimmy Rogers, who hired him to play in his band. While touring with the Jimmy's band, Kahr made his first recording debut backing Rogers and Freddie King on Gold Tail Bird. He was 19 at the time. Relocating to California, Kahr played guitar for artists such as T-Bone Walker, George Smith, Lowell Folsom, Big Joe Turner and Canned Heat. During a blues festival in the Los Angeles area, Kahr met the immortal John Lee Hooker. So impressed with Kahr's performance at the festival, Hooker invited him to sit in the following day for the recording of his Free Beer and Chicken album. Kahr wrote the groove for "Bluebird," which became Hooker's favorite track on the album. In 1976, after performing around California, John Lee invited Kahr to tour Europe with him. The tour lasted for three months, just enough time to catch the attention of a German blues label. During these shows the band recorded an album featuring Kahr. Jim recorded several more albums after relocating to Germany, where he lives today. Christy Howard: lead and backing vocals Jeffrey Howard: lead and rhythm guitar Jim Kahr: lead and rhythm guitar (tracks 4 & 5) Billy Davis: lead and rhythm guitar (tracks 9 & 11) Jan Abrams: percussion; lead vocals (tracks 7, 9 & 12) John Foley: bass Andy Szymanski: keyboards Wailin’ Dale Blankenship: harmonica (tracks 3 & 12) Don Oatman: bass (tracks 5 & 6) Geno Leverett: bass (tracks 1, 4, 10 & 12) Johnny Sanders: organ (tracks 3, 7 & 13) Steevie Lynn: Backing vocals (track 7) Travis Bettis: guitar (tracks 3 & 12) Scott Neubert: guitar (track 1) Photography: Theresa Szymanski Produced by Christy and Jeff Howard and Mike Boulan Recorded by Mike Boulan at Straight Ahead Studio, Oak Park, MI Mixed and mastered by Don Sullivan at Streeterville Music, Nashville, TN Thanks to the following people for all their hard work and support: Mike Boulan for his patience and fun studio atmosphere; Don Sullivan for his great generosity, and for adding so much to our project; Jim Kahr for flying here from Germany to record and help celebrate the CD release; Billy Davis for adding some of his style to our work; Wailin Dale for some really tight harmonica; Linda Francetich for creating a great website; Theresa Szymanski for her excellent photography; and everyone in the band for working so hard. Thanks also to my children and to my husband for all the cool stuff you write with me, and for still believing in me. God Bless all of you!