There was no music at my parents’ when I was a kid. There
was very little of anything. I used to mostly hang around outside with my
buddies. We lived in a universe of cheap housing developments under
construction Broken Arrow Blues Band was born on stage at a
benefit concert for needy families of the Detroit area Carpenters Union,
where four different band’s members came together to produce a great
performance for a crowd of over 2000 people in August of 2008. The natural
gel and awesome groove produced there at that concert left only one thing to
do, run with it and start a new Band. The Band is comprised at its core of
three Venerated and Seasoned Veteran Blues Musicians from great bands in
their own rights. NEW addition to the band, Mr. Christopher Leigh /Guitars
and Vocals, Founding Member & Owner, G.Shadowhawk Ellis / Drums and Vocals,
Geno Leverett /Bass and Vocals, Tom Fosselman/Keys / B-3, & Vocals, & Mugs
Benedict / Harps & Vocals. The band quickly took off in the Detroit Blues
Scene, and since, in their 2nd & 3rd years, has started to branch out to the
masses at festivals, concerts, and night clubs all over Michigan & The
Mid-West US.
This band’s original music can be likened to Traditional Blues with heavy
rock elements mixed with a Jazz/Fusion flare.The show contains elements of
all styles of the Blues, but was best described as "Detroit Style Electric
Blues" by many of the people who have seen and heard the Band perform. The
first release, “Given Right” is all original and has created a buzz around
Michigan and beyond. Now a seasoned Band on the scene, Broken Arrow Blues
Band is becoming a favorite of many a seasoned
Blues fan who recognize all its members from other successful bands. At its
core Broken Arrow delivers greasy grooves and rocky edged funky blues to
everyone’s enjoyment that has made this Band the one to compare all others
to.
Considering the short time this Band has been together, it becomes
immediately apparent that the Musicians are moving as one, and having a ball
doing it! Since their formation, the band released the first CD in 4 short
months, the Band has quickly released a LIVE CD, Recorded at Callahan's
Music Hall, in Auburn Hills, Michigan {released in January of 2010}, and
another studio effort, "Good Times", recorded at Motor City Sounds Music
Studios in Rochester, Michigan and released in June of 2010.
Now the Band has finished their 4th NEW RELEASE "No Time To Waste" recorded
at Motor City Sounds Studios in Rochester, Michigan that has been released
on Labor Day 2011. They have proven they are ready to produce hit after hit
of original music known only as Broken Arrow Style Detroit Electric Blues,
as the genre it covers mixes many styles and crosses thresholds of many
genres combined.. We felt abandoned. One day, when I was about sixteen,
somebody played the Beatles’ Album “Rubber Soul” and a rocket took me away
to another galaxy. I spoke English and so I understood their lyrics which
obviously came as a whole with the music. Soon I discovered the
Rolling Stones and
Jimi Hendrix. I had to play too. I started
out on the drums.
My universe exploded into all kinds of directions. To make things worse I
got hooked by Frank Zappa, Cream,
John Mayall, Jefferson Airplane,
Santana, Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk, Pink Floyd,
James Brown among many others and soon I
found myself on the verge of being atomized. Luckily Jimi Hendrix held out a
helping hand and under his influence I bought a guitar and decided to play…
the blues. What a miracle! Everything found its place and meaning. I could
not quote all the fabulous women and men who showed me the way.
At the end of the seventies I moved to Le Havre, Normandy, France. I
attended practically all the concerts there and supported our local star,
Little Bob Story. I took for granted the liveliness of the blues and rock
scene. I played in Funiculaire and then joined Pat Mac Neil, taking up the
bass.
In those years I started using computers and machines, writing lyrics in
French and surrounding myself with racks of gear. It gave me the opportunity
to work for others.
In the mid-nineties the blues-rock demon possessed me again. I played
countless gigs mostly in Normandy until 2003. Since then I have decided to
record some of the unfinished songs that have been waiting too long. I
started by recording « Voodoo Water » as a totally independant freelance
blues survivor with the invaluable technical and artistic help of my friend
Eric Docteur. Claude Cornacchini played the drums, Kevin Gaudry-Smith played
the bass and Ekua Darfoor did the backing vocals on «
Waiting For The Sun ». Mael Gaudry-Smith and Jennifer Le Bot looked after
the cover design and did other computer stuff. The songs are about
life, its ups and downs, the kind of world we would like, energy, love...
