Tuesday, November 01, 2011

THE SOLO SESSIONS 1988-1992 [notes]

Doug Duffey- vocal/acoustic grand piano
All songs written, arranged, performed and produced by Doug Duffey [except: House of the Rising Sun*- Traditional- adapted & arranged by Doug Duffey]. All songs published by Doug Duffey Music, BMI. Recorded at Ultrasonic Studios, New Orleans; JY Recording Studio, West Monroe, LA;  The John Cale Studio, Monroe, LA
Doug's notes:
doug-duffey-st.louis-cathed.gif (264209 bytes)LOUISIANA: most of the material on this cd relates to louisiana, new orleans, and/or the south, or has a southern, bluesy, rootsy, americana feel about it. there are a lot of southern images floating around in the lyrics. 



               CABARET VIEUX CARRE: these are some of my darker, more dramatic, somewhat cabaret/theatrical ballad type songs. combined they have the feel of a late night bistro; rather like the late shift where i worked on bourbon street. the only UP tempo song is 'leave the man alone' ...which i wrote about elvis. 

although i had played piano since i was 12, i mostly worked in groups, playing keys, in the 1960s until the late 1980s. i'd always written songs on the piano, or keyboard, and did a lot of home recordings- but never went in real studio and recorded solo. i began playing some solo gigs around 1987... and did my 1st solo recordings in 1988. 
there is something special about a real acoustic grand piano;  playing it, and singing at the same time, you become one with it. you get totally in sync, in a rhythm... and that's the way it should be. you can lose yourself. i cannot imagine recording solo any other way. 
i went in JY Studios in 1988, sat at the piano and played and sang one song after the other, off the top of my head. nothing was planned; nothing was rehearsed; i had no repertoire. there was absolutely no stress... i just did it. it was a very magical session. everything just seemed to flow... the songs rolled out.  if there was a tiny mistake, i didn't really bother about it ... unless it was VERY noticeable, in which case we would stop the tape, and start again. i dont really get hung up on technicalities... as long as the overall feel is there. for that reason i named the collection of those recordings "honest mistakes" [released on cassette] 
several years later, when i was living in new orleans, i'd written some new songs and wanted to do more recordings. i went to ultrasonic. it was a nightmare from hell :due to some personal issues, and the fact that the piano keys were stiff; hard as hell to play. everything seemed to go wrong. it did not go well at all; but i got several usable cuts, after much torture. i did a good version of 'trouble in mind'- but due to copyright/legal hassles i am not including it on this collection. 
when i was home for a visit, my friend john cale offered me the use of his steinway grand. we recorded in his living room with a big 2 track tascam. i had all my religious votive candles and incense burning... and a friend [wayne hopper] across the street brought cocktails... it went great.  again... no stress. everything i did that day just 'worked'. mais, c'est la vie! sometimes it goes, sometimes it doesn't. 2 out of 3 ain't bad!
later, when i was working solo on bourbon street, i had some of the songs from these sessions put on  cassettes and sold them on the gig. in the  mid 90s some of the songs were released on cd on a european label, but is now out of print. [long story] i gave the company 2 dats with 30+ songs on them and told them to choose- something i shouldn't have done. for that reason i have decided to make 2 cds from the 3 sessions... and sort them as i feel they flow better. 
so now... almost 20 years since the original recordings,  i've  released these songs to the world... through the miracle of new technology and cdbaby! 
the fotos on this page are from the era of the recordings [1988-1992]... most were shot in new orleans. the big one at top is one of my favorites.  it was taken in a k-mart foto-booth in little rock when i was doing a 2-week solo 'run' there.
 FOTO GALLERY: click on image to enlarge 
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Friday, September 30, 2011

DOUG DUFFEY

VOCALIST- PIANIST- COMPOSER- MUSIC PUBLISHER- BANDLEADER

DOUG DUFFEY was inducted into the Louisiana Hall of Fame in 2001 and inducted into the National Blues Hall of Fame in 2009. With his Blues Hall of Fame induction he was also named as a “Louisiana Ambassador of the Blues”. He is the real thing!
BIOGRAPHY [SHORT]
Born in Monroe, Louisiana in 1950, DOUG DUFFEY began singing and playing piano at an early age; he was composing and performing professionally by age 14.
His first single, recorded in Nashville in 1970, was chosen by Billboard, Cashbox and Record World as “Pick Hit” and broke into the top 100 charts.
He moved to Hollywood In his early 20s where Backstage Management managed him. He has written songs for & or recorded with George Clinton, Funkadelic, Rare Earth, Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell, Keith Richards, Herbie Hancock, David Byrne, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Anders Osborne, Little Queenie, Marcia Ball, Zakiya Hooker, Jerry Beach, John Autin, & other Louisiana & international artists. [see website]
He has been called “one of the most prolific songwriters living in Louisiana” & has recorded 9 critically acclaimed cds of original material to date. His vast multi genre catalog of material contains not only songs, but instrumental & improvisational works, as well. A poetic lyricist, his songs are intelligent, intellectual, sophisticated & soulful, whether solo or with full production; on record or performed live.
Living & working off & on in New Orleans from the 1960s - 1990s, he absorbed that city’s musical styles & mixed them with his own North Louisiana Mississippi Delta roots: Delta Blues, Louisiana Rock & Roll, Memphis Soul & Gospel.
Incorporating traditional Louisiana piano styles with his inimitable soulful voice, Doug Duffey has entertained audiences internationally, promoting both traditional & his own original Louisiana Music for 4+ decades. Onstage, he serves up a steaming hot & spicy gumbo of Louisiana soul. He is the consummate artist & entertainer.
In the early 1990s he 1st toured Europe & has been performing between there & Louisiana, since. He has appeared many times at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival [solo & w/band] since the late 1970s; has performed @ the Louisiana Folklife Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, major International music festivals & the best concert halls & music venues in the US & Europe. He has appeared on television, radio, interviews, & global live Internet broadcasts.
what others have said:
"Duffey’s love of the blues and gospel colors all his arrangements and never is he more at home than with classic rocking, rolling R&B piano. With a powerful soulful voice to match his keyboard skills, Duffey is one of Louisiana’s most able ambassadors of soul."
-- Louie Ludwig, Rabadash Records
"Doug Duffey has been singing and playing piano professionally since he was fourteen years old. Influenced by Blues, Gospel, New Orleans Rhythm & Blues, Louisiana Rock & Roll, psychedelic rock, funk, & Memphis Soul, Duffey has synthesized it all into a personal mix which is uniquely his own and quintessentially Louisiana"
-- Mike Luster, Louisiana Folklife Festival
"Duffey is a musician's musician- an artist who lives his art. His commitment to, and love for, what he does provides a marvelous focal point for both his recordings and live performances. Both are worth checking out!"
-- Michael Keckhaver, Arts & Entertainment
"Doug Duffey is the synthesis of Louisiana music"
-- Robert Trudeau, the Shreveport Journal
DOUG DUFFEY CDS
· Doug Duffey - Traditional [2011] *
· The Doug Duffey Band – Work That Thang [2011]
· Doug Duffey/ the Solo Sessions [1988-1992] Volume 1: Louisiana [2008] *
· Doug Duffey/ the Solo Sessions [1988-1992] Volume 2: Cabaret Vieux Carre [2008] *
· Still Standin' / Rabadash Artists [Rabadash] Song: "Mansion on the Hill" [2007] *
· Doug Duffey / Changin' Times [2006] *
· Doug Duffey / Rectified Spirit [2001] *
· The Doug Duffey Band / Live
· Doug Duffey / Living the Blues [DTM / EMI Europe]
· Doug Duffey / Danger, Sex & Sound FX [Rabadash] [1993] *
* Available online


CONCERT INFORMATION:
DOUG DUFFEY is available for concerts as a solo artist, OR with various size ensembles; and with varying repertoires depending on the event.
Solo: 1. Singer/songwriter [all his original music] OR 2. A mix of Louisiana favorites, blues, jazz, gospel and folk classics; OR 3. A mix of said genres with his original material included.
For solo performances an acoustic grand piano or upright piano is preferred.
Band: 1. All original material [festivals & concert venues] OR- 2. Louisiana R&B R&R and Soul classics, Jazz and Blues, OR 3. A mix of the above genres, with original material included [events/ parties].
For more in depth information on
DOUG DUFFEY please visit
www.dougduffey.com [website]
www.youtube.com/dougduffey
www.myspace.com/dougduffey
http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/DougDuffey1 [DOUG DUFFEY CDS]
[c]2010 DOUG DUFFEY