The very prestigious Belgian magazine ROOTSTIME gives a high mark to Jose Ramirez’s debut album on Delmark

Costa Rica -literally: the “Rich Coast”- is part of Central America and is the homeland of Jose Ramirez, a 34-year-old singer, guitarist and songwriter. According to many, he is the “Latin American’s premier blues artist”, but also in the US and in EU (he has already toured in England, Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium) he was already a guest. Ramirez has shared the stage with great blues musicians such as Buddy Guy, Anson Funderburgh, Janiva Magness, Mark Hummel and Bryan Lee. Ramirez’ band finished in second place at the IBC 2020 in Memphis (TN).

In 2020, Ramirez debuted with ‘Here I Come’. It was recorded in Austin (TX), with Anson Funderburgh as producer/guitarist. The band also consisted of: keyboardist; Jim Pugh (Robert Cray, Etta James, BB King), drummer Wes Starr (Mark Hummel, Sam Myers, Delbert McClinton), bassist Nate Rowe (Redd Volkaert, Emily Gimble), and The Texas Horns (Kaz Kazanoff, Al Gomez, John Mills).

Ramirez has since moved to Florida and is the first Latin American to recently sign with Delmark Records, a renowned record label from Chicago. His album debut, ‘Major League Blues’ is a 10-track album (eight originals and two blues classics) partly recorded in 2020 and 2021. For the sessions recorded in August 2021 at the Delmark Riverside Studio, José Ramirez was backed by – then with two over-90s in their ranks – Delmark All-Star: Billy Flynn (guitar), 91-year-old Bob Stroger (bass), Willie “The Touch” Hayes (drums), Roosevelt Purifoy (Hammond B3 ) and as more than a special guest, the then 93-year-old Jimmy Johnson (1928-2022). The title track, “Major League Blues” is therefore bittersweet, as it is the last recording by the Chicago blues legend, Jimmy Johnson, who passed away on January 31, in which he can be heard on guitar.

After the title song as an opener, an example of delicious Chicago blues that, as I said, was also featuring the “late” Jimmy Johnson, the 2021 session continues with a second song, written by Ramirez, the slow blues à la lettre with a beautiful organ part by Roosevelt Purifoy, “I Saw It Coming”. The shuffles “Bad Boy” and “My Love is Your Love” are two classics by Eddie Taylor and Samuel Maghett aka Magic Sam from 1955 (for Vee Jay) and 1957 (for Cobra).

During the 2020 sessions, Ramirez and his studio band tapped into a different, quieter vessel. “Whatever She Wants” is one of three songs he wrote with Shelly Bonet, a Florida musician and songwriter, which you can hear in the closing track. The ballad and tears are followed by the intriguing “Here in the Delta”, “Forbidden Funk” that’s what it says and the relaxed, very atmospheric “Are We Really Different”, which stands out for the Latin percussion of Evan Hoffman, the piano of Andre Reyes Jr. and Antonio Reyes, who trades his drums for the bass in the outro, of the most striking and interesting track in part two. After “Gotta Let You Go” there is the soulful closing track,“After All This Time”.

Eric Schuurmans (Translated by Elbio Barilari)

Original Flemish version:

Costa Rica -letterlijk: de “Rijke Kust”- maakt deel uit van Centraal-Amerika en is het vaderland van Jose Ramirez, een 34-jarige zanger, gitarist en songwriter. Hij is volgens sommigen dé “Latin American’s premier blues artist”, maar ook in de VS  en in EU (hij toerde al in Engeland, Spanje, Nederland en België) was hij al te gast. Ramirez deelde het podium al met grote blues muzikanten zoals Buddy Guy, Anson Funderburgh, Janiva Magness, Mark Hummel en Bryan Lee. Ramirez’ band eindigde op de tweede plaats tijdens de IBC 2020 in Memphis (TN).

In 2020 debuteerde Ramirez met ‘Here I Come’. Het werd opgenomen in Austin (TX), met Anson Funderburgh als producer/gitarist. De band bestond verder uit: toetsenist  Jim Pugh (Robert Cray, Etta James, BB King), drummer Wes Starr (Mark Hummel, Sam Myers, Delbert McClinton), bassist Nate Rowe (Redd Volkaert, Emily Gimble) en The Texas Horns (Kaz Kazanoff, Al Gomez & John Mills). 

Ramirez is ondertussen verhuist naar Florida en de éérste Latijns-Amerikaan die recent tekende bij Delmark Records, een gerenommeerde platenmaatschappij uit Chicago. Zijn albumdebuut, ‘Major League Blues’ is een album met 10 tracks (acht originals en twee blues klassiekers) die deels opgenomen werden in 2020 en 2021. Voor de sessies die in augustus 2021 in de Delmark Riverside Studio opgenomen zijn, werd José Ramirez gebackt door -met toen met twee 90-plussers in hun gelederen- de Delmark All-Star: Billy Flynn (gitaar), de 91-jarige Bob Stroger (bas), Willie “The Touch” Hayes (drums), Roosevelt Purifoy (Hammond B3) én als méér dan bijzondere gast, de toen 93-jarige Jimmy Johnson (1928-2022). Het titelnummer, “Major League Blues” is daarom bitterzoet, want het is de laatste opname van de op 31 januari overleden Chicago blueslegende, Jimmy Johnson waarin hij op gitaar te horen is… 

Na de titelsong en opener, inclusief een portie (h)eerlijke Chicago blues die, zoals ik al zei, mede verzorgd werd door “late” Jimmy Johnson, vervolgt de 2021-sessie met een tweede, door Ramirez geschreven nummer, de slow blues à la lettre met een prachtige orgelpartij van Roosevelt Purifoy, “I Saw It Coming”. De shuffles “Bad Boy” en “My Love is Your Love” zijn twee klassiekers van resp. Eddie Taylor en Samuel Maghett aka Magic Sam uit 1955 (voor Vee Jay) en 1957 (voor Cobra).

Tijdens de 2020-sessies tapte Ramirez met zijn studio band uit een ander, rustiger vaatje. “Whatever She Wants” is een van de drie nummers die hij schreef met Shelly Bonet, een muzikante en songwriter uit Florida, die je kan horen in de afsluiter. Na de ballade en tranen volgen nog het intrigerende “Here in the Delta”, “Forbidden Funk” dat is wat het zegt en het relaxte, erg sfeervolle “Are We Really Different”, dat opvalt door de Latijnse percussie van Evan Hoffman, de piano van Andre Reyes Jr. en Antonio Reyes, die zijn drums ruilt voor de bas in de outro, van de in deel twee zowat meest opvallende en interessantste track. Na “Gotta Let You Go” volgt er nog de soulvolle afsluiter, “After All This Time”.

Eric Schuurmans

Album tracks: (1-4): Recorded Aug. 23, 2021, w/The Delmark All-Star band: 01. Major League Blues, w/Jimmy Johnson – 02. I Saw It Coming – 03. Bad Boy [Eddie Taylor] – 04. My Love is Your Love [Samuel Maghett] / (5-10): Recorded Sept.1-8, 2020: 05. Whatever She Wants – 06. Here in the Delta – 07. Forbidden Funk – 08. Are We Really Different – 09. Gotta Let You Go – 10. After All This Time | Music/Lyrics by: José Ramirez, w/Shelly Bonett (5,6,8), or as [noted: 3,4] | (1-4): produced by Elbio Barilari, (5-10): produced by Jose Ramirez & Joe Pinkston | Album credits: José Ramirez: vocs, guitar – (1-4, Recorded Aug. 23, 2021): w/The Delmark All-Star band: Billy Flynn: guitar / Bob Stroger: bass / Willie “The Touch” Hayes: drums / Roosevelt Purifoy: Hammond B3 Organ & Special Guest: Jimmy Johnson: guitar (1) – (5-10): Recorded Sept.1-8, 2020, w/studio band: Antonio Reyes: drums (5-10), bass (Latin outro on 8) / Kenny Watson Jr.: bass / Andre Reyes Jr.: keys / Evan Hoffman: Latin percussion (8) / Shelly Bonet: outro vocs (10)

Blues Corner (Croatia)

Jose Ramirez – “Major League Blues”

Mladen Lončar – Mike 

Samo pet dana proteklo je od izlaska novog studijskog albuma “Major League Blues”, kojeg je, dakle, 4. ožujka objavila renomirana čikaška jazz i blues izdavačka kuća Delmark Records. I, stoga, pred vama je ponovo još jedna ekskluzivna promocija novog izdanja ove izdavačke kuće. Sve oko albuma potpisuje sjajni mladi glazbenik i gitarist Jose Ramirez, a sve ovo što vam danas nudim mogu zahvaliti Kevinu Johnsonu, koji vodi radijsku promociju izdanja Delmark Records.

Nažalost, Jose Ramirez još uvijek traži svoju afirmaciju i svoje mjesto na ovim prostorima jer, osim mene, nisam baš primjetio da je netko na ovim prostorima do sada obrađivao ovog glazbenika. Po prvi puta prezentirao sam njegov album “Here I Come” 29. svibnja 2020. godine. U ove protekle dvije godine Jose je promijenio puno toga u svom osobnom i profesionalnom životu te je krenuo žestoko, svirajući s i uz doista velika imena iz blues miljea.

Jose Ramirez je čovjek, glazbenik čije je bend 2020. godine osvojio drugo mjesto na IBC-u u kategoriji bendova, što uopće nije mala stvar. Naime, kao i svake godine konkurencija je vraški jaka i doista treba puno umješnosti, kvalitete, a i sreće da bi se uopće mogli naći u samom finalu. Treba uložiti jako puno svega da se svojom svirkom izborite i da u konačnici budete na jednom od barem prva tri mjesta.

U 51′ glazbenog sadržaja, kojeg nam nudi Jose, čujem samo doista sjajni blues u najboljem maniru, ozračju i svjetlu velikih blues majstora. I, zapravo to i nije nikakvo čudo, budući da se oko Josea okupila doista dobra ekipa glazbenika. Svi oni dali su mu 100% potporu u samom nastanku i realizaciji ovog albuma, koji je u iskusnoj “kuhinji” Delmark Recordsa dobio onu toliko mu potrebnu teksturu, oblik i konačni “sound”.

Jose Ramirez narastajuća je latinoamerička blues nada koja svijetli onim sjajem koji određuje da će netko u vrlo bliskoj budućnosti postati “zvijezda” i osoba, glazbenik čiji će se albumi itekako tražiti. Duboko i osobno vjerujem u to, jer u gitari Jose Ramireza gori neopisiva i vrlo snažna vatra koja samo čeka da svojim žarom pohara svjetsku blues scenu. I to mu od srca želim!

Moram i to napisati da bi sam Jose morao malo više povesti računa o kontaktu s medijima, osobito radijskim DJ-ima, koji furaju cijelu tu priču, a tu naravno i ubrajam sebe. Vrlo je važno takvim specijaliziram radijskim emisijama dati svoj glas, obilježiti ih svojim jinglovima kako bi cijela ta medijska priča dobila na težini i vjerodostojnosti.

Uključivanje u album dvije istinske blues legende, sada već, nažalost, pokojnog Jimmyja Johnsona i još uvijek vitalnog 91 godišnjeg Boba Strogera s uvijek efektnim “All-Star Chicago Blues Bandom” ovom su albumu dali svu tu toliko potrebu težinu i atraktivnost. To itekako veseli sve nas koji smo duboko zagazili u taj film, u tu glazbenu priču!

Od 10 ponuđenih skladbi, koje nam se nude na ovom albumu, moram istaknuti da su sve vrlo dojmljivo izvedene! Imamo osam autorskih i dvije obrade poznatih Čikago blues majstora: Magica Sama i Eddieja Taylora. No, evo podrobnije o čemu se radi i tko sve svira:

Jose Ramirez (gitara i vokal)

Pjesme 1-4:
Delmark All-Star Band:
Bob Stroger (bas)
Willie “The Touch” Hayes (bubnjevi)
Roosevelt Purifoy (Hammond B3 orgulje)
Billy Flynn (gitara)
Specijalni gost: Jimmy Johnson (gitara ) na “Major League Blues”
Sve je snimljeno 23. kolovoza 2021.

Pjesme 5-10:
Antonio reyes (bubnjevi (pjesme 5-10), bas # 8)
Kenny Watson Jr. (bas)
Andre Reyes Jr. (klavijature)
Evan Hoffman (latino udaraljke #8)
Shelly Bonet (Outro vokal #10)
A sve je snimljeno od 1. do 8. rujna 2020

Po svemu ovome, nekako se sama po sebi nameće sljedeća konstatacija; da, istina je, bez obzira što nam Jose Ramirez dolazi iz Kostarike, njegova blues odrednica je itekako duboko usađena u njegovo glazbeno biće i odiše tradicionalnom blues patinom. Naime, vrlo su zanimljiva njegova glazbena riješenja pa je sve zajedno samo dokaz više kako ovaj mladić, koji ima samo 34 godine i koji nam dolazi iz Srednje Amerike, itekako zna svirati blues.

Nema nikakve sumnje, Jose Ramirez spada u onu prestižnu grupaciju glazbenika koje tretiramo kao istinski zalog budućnosti i opstojnosti bluesa. Do sada je Jose svirao s Buddyem Guyjem, Ansonom Funderburghom, Janivom Magness, Markom Hummelom i Bryanom Leeom, a to samo govori o njegovoj vrijednosti. Sve je otišlo na još višu razinu kada je prije dvije godine na IBC-u ispred više od 230 bandova iz Amerike i cijelog svijeta osvojio drugo mjesto.

Jose je već nastupao u Europi, i to u: Engleskoj, Španjolskoj, Nizozemskoj i Belgiji. Dok se njegovi nastupi u SAD-u odnose na nastupe oko Srednjeg Zapada i Juga. Tu posebno treba izdvojiti dojmljive koncerte u Buddy Guy’s Legends klubu i House of Blues u Čikagu. Jose Ramirez itekako zna što mu je činiti. I naravno, kao i mnoge glazbenike, tako i njega je usporila ova empidemija Covid-19. No, situacija se mijenja i nadamo se da će se vrlo brzo sve ovo stabilizirati i da će se sve ponovo zahuktati i krenuti turneje i nastupi. To je ono zbog čega glazbenici sve ovo i rade. I sami glazbenici i publika gladni su nastupa, željni su da se vide i da pri tome svi zajedno uživaju i ugodno se zabave! Vjerujem da je Jose Ramirez doista pravi i istinski “real deal”, uvijek znalački ustrojene čikaške jazz i blues izdavačke kuće Delmark Records, koja sa svojim radom u više od šest desetljeća itekako dobro zna što i kako treba raditi.

PREPORUKA

Jose Ramirez nam nudi svoj novi studijski album “Major League Blues”, koji će u vama potaknuti sve ono zbog čega zapravo volite ovaj glazbeni žanr. Blues nije umjetan, on se ne stvara iz neke umjetne tvorevine, potrebe i sl.

Blues je životan, stvaran i potpuno prisutan tu među nama. A ako je takav, onda jednostavno postaje dio nas koji ga toliko volimo i slušamo! Iskreno se nadam da ste i vi jedni od onih koji spadaju baš u tu grupaciju poklonika ovog glazbenog žanra.

“JOSE RAMIREZ is a dynamic talent and a soulful songwriter. A rising star in the blues industry.”, tvrdi Julia Miller iz Delmark Records.

JOSE’S “MAJOR LEAGUE BLUES” ALBUM #1 FOR THE MONTH ON GLOBAL RADIO

JOSE RAMIREZ #1 for the month and TEN Delmark albums in the TOP 10. There is a BLUES RENAISSANCE on the radio and Delmark Records leads the trend. Jose Ramirez’s album “Major League Blues” featuring Jimmy Johnson last recording and the Delmark All Star Band is in the company of Luther Allison, Bob Stroger & The Heacutters (now 3rd after being first for a full month), Robert Jr. Lockwood, Otis Rush, Demetria Taylor, Sleepy John Estes, Dave Specter, Syl Johnson and Curtis Jones. The way blues lovers listen to blues in the radio has been changed for ever. DJs, radio hosts and radio stations, join AirPlay Direct for FREE. Go to this page, scroll down, see all the Delmark treasures available to you and register with 100% FREE service. Your listeners will be delighted. https://airplaydirect.com/music/delmarkrecords/