BROTHER YUSEF: Back At The Crossroads Project

Brother Yusef

Back At The Crossroads Project

© 1999 Hopkins-Olaitan Music (634479278815)

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

(About MP3 downloads at CD Baby)

Down home, backwoods, gut bucket, blues. This is what happens when one man, his guitar and his left foot gets the Blues

tracks

1 Get Outta Town Blues
2 Blues Is My Story
3 Ife's Blues
4 Power Of The Blues
5 Love & The Blues
6 Back At The Crossroads
7 Bottom Blues
8 Shoes Of Another Man
9 Freedom Train Blues
10 What's Up Blues
11 Bakersfield Blues
12 Sweet Woman Tonite
13 Lucky Thirteen Blues

notes

Brother Yusef is a master of traditional slide guitar, as
well as a uniquely passionate vocalist. He remembers first hearing the call of the Blues as young child attending church with this grandparents in Bakersfield, CA. The raw and intense emotions in church left a lasting impression which he carried with him into other music genres. At age 19 Brother Yusef picked up a guitar and began experimenting with reggae, r&b and jazz. He found himself at a musical crossroads in 1989 when he went to the Bakersfield church of his childhood, to pay this last respects at his grandfather's funeral. A soloist there began picking out a soothing church hymn on guitar, connecting Yusef to his grandfather, elders and ancestors in the rich tradition of the blues.

Brother Yusef has gained recognition from audiences and musicians throughout the Los Angeles and Orange County area for his range of sounds and emotions -sadness, joy, anger and laughter. He keeps "one foot in the past and one in the present", by combining "traditional" finger picking and slide guitar playing with the contemporary feel of urban blues. Audiences love the full sound of his solo performances (he uses his right hand thumb to beat out a percussive bass-line and shuffle, while the index finger plays rhythm and lead lines); and musicians nicknamed him "Fatback" or "Fatt-Back Bluesman", for his intense playing and vocal style.

Brother Yusef occasionally plays with a blues trio he formed in 1998,
The F.B. Experience. The group features Yusef on guitar and vocals, Keith Crenshaw on drums and Robert S. Hilton on washboard, harmonicas a unique collection of homemade instruments.

These days Brother Yusef can be seen preforming at Downtown Disney
located at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Usually every
Thursday, Friday & Saturday.

reviews

Please log in to review this album.

  • Fantastic CD, only wish I'd bought it before now
    author: Dave Cox

    This is a great CD and should be added to any collection of footstompin' acoustic blues. Clearly a great musician and songwriter.

  • this is a great acoustic blues cd
    author: paddlepack

    i bought this cd a couple of years ago from his website, this is a great acoustic blues cd, just brother yusef and his guitar but the guy can rock out, buy it

  • A MUST FOR ANY TRUE BLUES LOVER
    author: TERESA HALL

    I recently purchased this CD and by far it is my FAVORITE! Brother Yusef states he devoted all his energy to the study of the earliest forms of music, and he has definitely acheieved this. Every song takes you on a journey and really reaches you, a couple of my favorites are "Power of the Blues" and "Back at the Crossroads". The combination of his vocals, acoustic guitar and foot stomping is something for all blue lovers to experience. Brother Yusef has all original songs that take you back to the roots of the blues and tells a story of pain and suffering as well as joy! Looking forward to his next cd and his live performance!

  • REAL BLUES,YES!
    author: Avalondon "avalondon" (From Amazon.com)

    Brother Yusef "The Fattback Bluesman" is the BLUES. "Back at the Crossroads" is the closest sound you'll ever hear to another time when blues was played sitting on rocking chairs in the 1930's. This is a one take, no overdubbing, footstomping acoustic guitar showcase for one talented musician. Yusef points out in song that the blues can be found anywhere, even "Bakersfield". I also like Keb Mo', but this is more real and raw.

email

Please log in to email this artist.