A Detroit Blues Guru You Should Learn From In What I Call The Detroit Blues Round Table

 Detroit Blues Guru Mike Boulan, who owns and runs Blues Label No Cover Productions interviewed his own artists for me a number of years back, and I thought I'd post it again for you guys to learn from and get a few tips as well. This was done in 2004 so my questions could have been better, as I was just building this site.


The Detroit Blues Round Table

By Mike Boulan-Head No Cover Productions--www.nocover.net Co-Writer:Mark Grove

The blues round table is something we've wanted to do for quite a while on Canadian Guitar Player Magazine.
Mike Boulan has gathered some of Detroit's and No Cover's best blues artists to take part. Although, not all of them could get together at once this interview is the start of many blues round tables to come.

Some of the blues artists in this round table are James Glass who has "The Cutting Edge" and "Get This" currently out on the No Cover Label, along with a Detroit favorite Motor City Josh who has developed his own distinctive blues style and well revered by many of the older blues artists as an up and comer with his own blues vision. As well, we've included Jeff Grand on the round table who's also come into his own as a blues guitarist and backed up some of Detroit's greatest blues artists John Sinclair,The Butler Twins who have both passed on, but still give us their great style of blues both on their albums and being covered by bluesmen like Jeff Grand and other No Cover artists.

Jeff still plays with Uncle Jesse White and will be going on tour with Uncle Kracker this summer.As well Jeff has come out with his first No Cover release called "Therapy".

This installment of the blues round table will deal mainly with their rig's and how each of these bluesmen
takes their particular guitars and amp setup and melds it with their blues acumen, as well as their take on blues it's self. I'd go into the blues round table but it's just too good to give you a hint of it.


So here we go with the round table.

MG: What Guitar do you think is better for playing blues, The Fender Strat, Gibson Les Paul
or some other guitar all together?


James Glass: The Strat is more versatile but the Les Paul has a fatter sound.
It would depend on the style of blues being played - but I am using a Les Paul now.

Motor City Josh: The Telecaster is #1 for me, simply put it is the best guitar ever made.


Jeff Grand: The Strat.

 www.nocover.net

MG:What types of guitars do you play on stage and in the studio?


James: The Les Paul, Washburn J6 called "Tess" after James's Wife

Josh: Telecaster, 1952 Kay thinline for slide, Dobson Guitars "Kick-ass-o-caster (Custom  made guitar of the telecaster type)

Jeff: Strat, S.G. , 5-String Banjo, Non-reverse Firebird, Reverend


MG:What kinds of strings do you use for the type of blues you each play, and how do you tune your axes?


James:Standard tuning with  10 gage "Elixers"

Josh: Standard tuning, or open A,D,E,G, for slide. gage 13-52

Jeff: Standard tuning or open A,D,E,G, for slide. Ernie ball slinky 10's


MG:Are the types of pickups you use important depending on how clean or heavy you want your sound?


James: Yes

Josh:Yes....Early eighty's Japanese pickup on the neck position, and a texas special in the bridge position.

Jeff: Yes


MG:What about your amps, What kind of rig and their setup,along with any amps a starting bluesman shouls use?


James: I use a Crate GFX 212 has effects built in and has a good line out for the P.A. The Fender Princeton would be a good starter amp.

Josh: I use a Fender Vibro-King with slight modifications including addition of celestion speakers
beginners should use anything that is cheap and sounds good.

Jeff: Pro Reverb, Gibson G.A.6, and a Traynor Bassmaster head with a 2x12 cabinet. Beginners should use a Fender Princeton


MG:Are there any Detroit based blues artists you feel have developed their own signature sound that a lot of musicians should aspire to?

James:Myself, Robert Noll,  Jim McCarty, Bobby East.

Josh: Rob Noll, Jim McCarty.

Jeff.: Not Really


MG:Should a blues artist learn from other types of music besides blues to improve improvisational skills as a musician and guitarist?


James:Yes

Josh: Yes of course  "Steal from everyone"

Jeff: only if you want to be something other than a bluesman


MG:Do you listen to other musicians besides guitarists to improve your feel for blues and enhance your chops?


James: Yes, Horn players like Louie Jordan

Josh: Yes, Horn Players are good because they use similar phrasing to allow for breaths,. but eveybody really.

Jeff: Yes, Saxaphone, Flute Piano, and Hammond B-3


MG:What projects are you currently working on in the studio and onstage for blues fans?

James: Putting shows together for the Big Easy in Traverse City and in the studio recording tracks along with blues that has a jazzy feel.

Josh:Putting shows together in Detroit and Chicago where I have recently relocated. In The studio working on a new No Cover Productions release featuring tracks recorded some time back as well as new original material.

Jeff:Working with the Uncle Kracker Band this summer. Just finished a solo project for the No Cover Label called "Therapy".


Our next installment of the blues round table will be with Canadian blues artists Dee Curtis and Pete Denomme along with our regular feature on No Cover Artists as well.


Mike Boulan-No Cover Productions-- www.nocover.net   To grab a copy of these fine blues artist's album's just click the link above. You'll learn something about real blues as well.

Mark Grove-CGPM

June 2004-