Northland guitar maestro Billy TK Jnr has scored a dream gig - supporting Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy at the Buddy Guy's Legends venue in Chicago.
Northland guitar maestro Billy TK Jnr has scored a dream gig - supporting Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy at the Buddy Guy's Legends venue in Chicago.
It's the dream of any fan of the Chicago blues to see legendary Chicago bluesman Buddy Guy perform in the US city.
But Whangarei blues guitarist Billy TK Jnr is set to climb the Everest for Chicago blues fans - performing with Guy at his Buddy Guy's Legends venue in Chicago.
Billy has been invited to play a gig at Guy's Legends venue in January and then to play with Guy at the club - the first Kiwi to play on stage with Guy.
The performance is booked for Sunday, January 26, on the biggest night of the year at the prestigious blues club. While in town Billy will be having official presentations including with the Mayor of Chicago with a view to a City to City BLUES agreement for a musicians exchange programme.
Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy has invited Kiwi guitar king Billy TK Jnr to open for him, and play with him, at his venue in Chicago in January.
He hopes the gigs will start a reciprocal arrangement whare Chicago blues players can come to New Zealand to perform with Kiwi players and NZ blues musicians can play at Legends.
Also, as part of the deal, Billy will bring Buddy Guy's daughter Carlisle Guy to the country for a national tour with her band Nu Blu, with Northland gigs a certainty, including a possible slot at Waitangi Day commemorations in the Bay of Islands with Billy TK and his band for the 180th commemorations.
Billy said he is honoured and humbled to be the first Kiwi to play with the great man and to also have a headlining gig at his club.
''It's just huge, massive. I'm so lucky to get this opportunity, and I really want to use it to open a channel for Chicago players to come here and our top Kiwi blues players and singers to go to Chicago to learn more about the blues there, expose them to new audiences and markets and to show what Kiwi blues means,'' he said.
''It takes something exceptional to open up something like that and I feel so proud to have that opportunity to be the first Kiwi to play at Legends, then the first to play with the legend that is Buddy Guy, and then to open up that pathway for others . . . it's just unbelievable for me really.
''Just to play with Buddy Guy himself would be more than a dream come true for any blues player. He's the last surviving Chicago bluesmen and to think I get to play with him, ahh, that's just mind-blowing. There are none of his ilk left, they've all gone - Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Willie Dixon, Elmore James etc, so this could be the last chance to do so.''
Carlisle Guy, daughter of Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy, with her band Nu Blu will be in NZ next year to support Northland bluesman Billy TK Jnr.
And he's giving two people a chance to win a trip to go with him.
To celebrate this major first for a New Zealand blues artist, Billy will be recording and touring New Zealand and Australia during spring with his American band which includes Edgar San Gabriel, David Tucker and soul man on the keys as special guest, Manny Berry (ex Stevie Wonder, Sheila E) in an ensemble titled, The Spectacular San Francisco Bay Area Blues Band. NZ blues harmonica exponent Ramblin Rick Stringer will also feature on some shows.
The tour is performing at the Old Parakao Store Cafe & Bar, 40km west of Whangārei, on October 12 and 13. Every ticket to the show will put you into a draw to win a trip for two to Chicago to see Billy perform at Legends blues club with Buddy Guy. The draw will be made in early January.
Billy's trip to Chicago to play with Buddy Guy will also be recorded for a documentary.
