Big Bill & the Cool Tones
Big Bill's debut CD "RAINY DAY BLUES" on Bill's own label Cool Tone Records is supported by some of the best sidemen in the business today. Most notably is Mark Naftalin on Piano (Michael Bloomfield/ John Lee Hooker and more) and Fred Lipsius on alto sax(Leader of Blood Sweat and Tears/ director of the Prestigious Berkley School of Music)also on baritone sax is Snooky Flowers (Janis Joplin's Kozmic Blues Band)Snooky is a regular member of the Cool Tones.
Tell me about your history? How did you get where you are now?
http://www.blues.theshoppe.com/players.htm
Get the CD on the official Big Bill & the Cool Tones web site.
Have you performed live in front of an audience? Any special memories?
I do play live but not as much as I used to. My best times we're playing with the late great Luther Tucker. And my biggest gig was playing at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium New Years Eve, 1998 and opening for Chriss Issaks, Boz Scaggs and Robert Cray. But the Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland with Luther Tucker was the best.
Your musical influences
http://www.blues.theshoppe.com/players.htm
What equipment do you use?
1968 Gibson es355 stereo guitar and a 1966 Fender Super Reverb. On the CD here I used a custom built Strat with a hardtail and a Fender Studio Lead solid state amp.
Anything else?
Thanks for listening to my music. It is afterall you folks that keep me inspired to keep playing my blues. God Bless you all. Big Bill
