LaLa

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OK. So I'm finally up on myspace music. Enough already, everyone!*************************************************** ************* In the proverbial Nutshell, I'm a classicist-turned-blueswoman whose 1 massively notable accomplishment is playing keys the past 3 years with the best, most high-octane blues entertainment machine on earth, that of course being the Clarksdale, Mississippi band, 'SUPER CHIKAN & THE FIGHTING COCKS' fronted by Delta blues legend James "Super Chikan" Johnson. If you've only heard us, you have only half the picture. As I said previously, we are an ENTERTAINMENT MACHINE and Chikan himself? A National Treasure, not to be missed.... come to a live show already!!! If I never did anything else of musical value, this would be enough, but I'm determined to branch out to the solo arena as well. Why? Because I have my own songs and my own voice which need to find their niche. ************************************************************ ** Born Ken & Carol Craig's offbeat-from-the-getgo daughter Laura in Oceanside, California a veritable buttload of years ago, folks who love me enough to level with me tell me I'm just now getting my shit together. (Hey, it's not a level playing field, no matter what Mama told you.) I got my start playing rhythm guitar in my family's country band at the age of 7 and since then have spun my wheels and killed time in every great-yet-pointless garage act that Southern California could offer (my parents were so proud)... But I digress. That's only half the story. Let's just encapsulate that thang by saying that, by the age of 12, I had taken up piano and was half diehard classicist, half Tele-wielding rocker following the boys around, begging to play. ************************************************************ ** Fast-forward a decade or two, and I'm married (but no more!) to blues bassist Wolff DeLong (currently of Houston's 'Mean Gene Kelton & the Diehards'). Through him I started to dream of ditching 'Rondo alla Turca' in favor of a little scathing boogie woogie on that damned piano. So, in about 1995 I said, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!! & I holed myself up for a year. I didn't listen to blues keyboardists, sitting at the feet of some master. I played. EVERY DAY. 9, sometimes 13 hours. I had a classicist's approach to learning blues; at first I just ran scales & arpeggios 'til my thumbs fell off. But somewhere between the black & the white, something uniquely twisted and potential ridden emerged. Although the catalyst was missing at that time, I'd opened the door on something original. ************************************************************ ** Although I didn't make it to the Delta until 2000, I'm a Mississippi blues legacy of sorts. My grandfather was one of the only whites who frequented the jukes in the 40's, a sharecropper/bluesman & occasional Parchman resident who delighted in dragging his unfortunate family all over the state. Anyway, to wrap up this diatribe: when we moved to the Delta Wolff immediately met James "Super Chikan" Johnson and played bass w/him for 5 yrs. In Oct. '03 I signed on as well, and I'd found my catalyst: Super Chikan himself - his brilliance, humor & showmanship serve every day to push me one step closer to my best. ************************************************************ **** In one sense I'm surprised where I ended up; in another, the progression is really quite logical. I continue to be a musical multiple-personality - but am I a blues-infused classisist or a classically trained blues artist? Either way this alchemist's brew is liberally tinged with influences of my rock & country days. ************************************************************ ** While only blues is represented here, my writing style is extremely eclectic, having won songwriting awards (San Diego Songwriters Guild, Portland Songwriters Association & the Midatlantic Songwriting Competition (DC), to name a few) in the rock, contemporary Christian, alternative & country categories as well. ************************************************************ *** 3 OF THE RECORDINGS HERE ARE VERY DATED!!!! - '97 to be exact, a mere 2 yrs. after my sojourn into blues. Track 1, 'Never Mine To Lose' is my latest ballad written in March '07 - well worth a play or 2. Check it out!******************************************************** ******** To hear tracks of me w/Super Chikan, check out www.myspace.com/superchikanandthefightingcocks.Damn... what an awesome journey it's been, and it's barely begun. Now I just have to jump on board this solo train, and ride 'em both 'til I'm dead. Ha. Stay tuned.......
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