Nuno Mindelis - Free Blues (2012)

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Nuno Mindelis - Free Blues (2012)

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“Nuno goes from good to better to best on an album that mixes blues and rock classics… while kicking in a few of his own songs. Both as a guitarist and singer, Nuno is sort of reminiscent of Clapton while his low key, understated and bluesy singing style is sort of a reminder of a modern J.J. Cale… Free Blues will have you coming back for more”. (www.mwe3.com).Free Blues, by internationally acclaimed Blues guitarist Nuno Mindelis, celebrates a Blues Phoenix arising from the ashes. Blues music has undergone rediscovery and rebirth as it is passed from generation to generation. Eric Clapton and others helped deliver Blues reborn in the 1960's and 1970's. The Blues deserve more than a rote replay in exactly the same way as we have heard it for over 40 years. There is more to Blues than merely Blues Rock.To honor those who have kept the Blues alive, Nuno first looked back to twelve themes which touched him deeply in his early teenage years. Tributes to the icons of the Blues, like Steve Cropper ("Get Stax, Jax"), are served, with tasty versions of the Blues classics ("Dust My Broom," "The Thrill is Gone," and many others, ending with a blistering rendition of Hendrix' "Red House"). Some tracks, like George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," and "Feelin' Alright" by Dave Mason, are not part of the traditional Blues canon, but are critical to the development of the Blues nonetheless. Nuno follows these early mentors, who injected electricity and rock into the origianal rural blues form. They triggered an explosion of innovation and revolution in the language of the Blues, making it accessible to new generations. Indeed, without this innovation, the Blues might now be found only in a museum.Free Blues continues the rebirth of the Blues, but now infusing the contemporary musical language instead of the Rock themes of the 60's.The true art is maintaining the traditional format of guitar and vocals as the foundation upon which Free Blues is crafted. Nuno creates a stunning and energized journey through the Blues that will both please Blues traditionalists and introduce this vital music to a new generation, just as the rock artists did decades ago. Make no mistake– Free Blues is not electronica, hip hop, or some watered down Blues-tinged bouillabaisse– it is the real Blues.Find out what Guitar Player Magazine's Best Blues Guitarist has created, building on his two CD's with Stevie Ray Vaughan's rhythm section, Double Trouble, and what audiences from the Montreal International Jazz Festival to Austin have been talking about. Sit back, take a deep breath, and take in Free Blues.– by cdbaby

1. Messing With The Kid 3:55
2. Feeling Alright 3:38
3. Get Out Of My Life, Woman 3:40
4. All Your Love 4:52
5. While Your Guitar Gently Weeps 4:31
6. Thrill Is Gone 4:54
7. Dust My Blues (Dust My Broom) 5:19
8. Rockin' Daddy 3:17
9. Rock Me Baby 4:18
10. Think Stax, Jax! 4:28
11. Bullfrog Blues 4:01
12. Red House 5:07

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Nuno Mindelis - Free Blues (2012)

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Nuno Mindelis - Free Blues (2012)

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BIO: Born in Cabinda (Angola), Eastern Africa on Aug. 7, 1957, Nuno Mindelis became a guitar enthusiast at the very young age of 5. By the age of 9 he began building and playing self-made guitars.A primary influence at that time was Otis Redding and his great rhythm section, Booker T. & The MG's, made up of Booker T., Steve Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn, and Al Jackson. Nuno continues to enjoy the work of these musicians to this day.Because of a civil war, which made Nuno lose everything he had, he had to run out of his country at the age of seventeen. He joined an older cousin in Canada.He remained there for about a year, jamming where possible and increasing his guitar knowledge. In 1976, following a year of separation from his family, he decided to rejoin them in their newfound home of Brazil.Nothing eventful happened until 1990, when an independent recording he had made there began to receive airplay on local radio stations. In 1991 he was invited to record his debut solo album, "Blues & Derivados", which received very positive reviews in Brazilian media.In 1991 he recorded his second solo album, "Long Distance Blues" for "Movieplay Records" . In this album Nuno was joined by Larry McCray, guitarist from Gary Moore's band, and French harp player J.J. Milteau, considered as the best Harp Player in France and one of the most important in Europe. The album received rave reviews from Brazilian media. As part of his promotional tour for the album, Nuno was fortunate to gain a spot in a blues festival in Sao Paulo featuring Robert Cray, Otis Clay, Ronnie Earl, Lonnie Brooks, and Bo Diddley.1994 saw Nuno's first known recognition by a major American music magazine. "Guitar Player Magazine" profiled Nuno in an issue. In the article, Jas Obrecht (the editor at the time) compared Nuno to Jimmy Page. ("think Jimmy Page I can't quit you baby") Further recognition came in their May, 1998 issue, as Nuno was selected as "Best Blues Guitarist" in the 30th Anniversary Guitar Player Magazine Competition.In 1995 Nuno was invited to play at Antone's 20th Anniversary in Austin, Texas, opening for Guy Forsite, Junior Wells, and others. Clarence Gatemouth Brown and Storyville also performed at this event. The headlines of the Austin Blues newspaper warned of Nuno's forthcoming visit as "The South American Beast is coming!".Later that year Nuno would record his album "Texas Bound", featuring newly made friends Tommy Shannon & Chris Layton, Stevie Ray Vaughan's rhythm section supreme, "Double Trouble".With this album Nuno gained audiences in the entire world, from Brasil to the US and Europe and had all his records licensed for the old continent by Taxim Records/Germany from then on. Texas Bound came to be the 12nd top seller in Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg) sharing the shelfs with the world's biggest blues names ,BB King, Robert Cray , Buddy Guy.In 1999 Nuno released "Blues On The Outside". Again, rave reviews from the media. This album was the Nuno's producer favorite (Eddie Stout , Antone's Records,who produced several albuns of Nunoi) and it's first track (The Grss is greener) was the top chart in all Internet blues radio stations according to Live 365 (24 hours radio monitoring) .A canadian promoter and record company executive heard the record and invited Nuno for the 25th edition of the Montreal International Jazz Festival in 2001 and did other presentations in Quebec , Ottawa . He was considered by the critic as the best blues guitar player of the festival and his presentation one of the best of the latest editions of the festival.Nuno was once again invited in 2004 , after the release of his album Twelve Hours and again played Quebec and Ottawa and also the Montremblant Blues Festival, announced along with Keb Mo, Jimmy Vaughan and others.The reviews on Twelve Hours were so many and so praising that we may just mention a reviewer’s question in one of them : "Is the new King of the blues a man based in Brazil?" (Andy Grieg,Realblues Magazine - Canada) .In 2005 , Nuno did an album especially dedicated for Brazil. All the songs were sang in portuguese and Nuno officially showed his poetical skills for the first time, highlighting the songwriting and the fusion with other musical elements (rap,hip hop,even samba) rather than his usual guitar playing. The album received very good reviews from the main newspapers and magazines in Brazil and was considered one of year's best album by prominent critic Pedro Alexandre Sanches.Nuno is considered by the media and fans of his native Brazil as the best blues guitarist to ever come out of their beautiful country. His records are well played on radio stations as well as Brazilian MTV. Fans of British guitar legend Eric Clapton identify with graffiti once spray-painted on a London wall; "Clapton is God". In Brazil the graffiti says "Mindelis - Brazil's Guitar God!".In 2010, Nuno released Free Blues, an attempt to modernize the blues language, which receive rave reviews from important newspapers and magazines. Carol Borrington, Blues Matters Magazine-UK wrote: “In this Cd you will find some of the best blues guitaring around”.