DIXON LANDING MUSIC welcomes ZACH PRATHER & SLIGHT RETURN to the label. The new CD "FREAK" is now available!
ALEX DIXON......grandson of the legendary WILLIE DIXON
Alex Dixon was born in 1975 in Chicago's South Side. He was taught at a very early age how to play the blues by legendary bluesman, Willie Dixon, who also happened to be his grandfather and who raised him. He learned to play the piano with teachings from Leonard “Baby Doo†Caston, Lafayette Leake and his uncle Arthur “Butch†Dixon, all which had played in bands with Willie Dixon. The spirit of Little Brother Montgomery also came into play as he was a huge influence on Willie Dixon. Alex played in shows across the country with his grandfather, including The Chicago Blues Festival. He co-wrote songs on the Grammy award winning album "Hidden Charms", which was the last album recorded by Willie Dixon. Alex was raised among the “Who’s who†of Blues, including Bo Diddley, B.B. King, Chuck Berry and Koko Taylor. He was featured in Willie Dixon's autobiography "I Am the Blues" and in his songbook.
Alex took some time off during his late teens and early twenties to attend college and to decide just what he wanted to do in life.....which brought him back to The Blues. He formed Dixon Landing Music, along with his wife Melissa, in 2007. His focus is to reach out to the little known or undiscovered musician/artist and to bring back the Chicago Blues feel that his grandfather helped create. Now, he is currently writing, producing and performing some of his songs as well as a few previously unreleased Willie Dixon songs, which the world has been anxiously awaiting for. He has co-written over 40 songs with his grandfather, some of which will be released in upcoming projects. He recently wrapped up a recording session with a very talented blues guitarist/singer Cash McCall, a blues musician who had also performed and recorded with Willie Dixon. Accompanying them in the studio was Steve Bell, a phenomenal harmonica player who is the son of the late Carey Bell Harrington. The Blues Experience, their band, also includes guitarist Bill “Young Blood†Learned, guitarist Katy J, bassist Brady Wills and drummer Vinnie Threats. All songs were recorded and mixed by Aaron Mason at Bell Sound Studios in Hollywood, CA.
Alex, at the age of 32, is currently the only musician in the Dixon family to have written, produced, arranged and recorded a CD since his grandfather, who was a producer, arranger, and writer for some of the most famous blues songs ever. Some of those songs include Hoochie Coochie Man, Back Door Man, Spoonful and I Just Want To Make Love To You, to name a few.
Alex is doing his part to continue the legacy of the Dixon family and to ensure that the world will know about the history of the blues.
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CD REVIEWS:
THE BLUES EXPERIENCE WITH CASH MCCALL "THE VINTAGE ROOM" DIXON LANDING MUSIC BY PETER "BLEWZZMAN" LAURO © JANUARY 2008
What a great way to start off the new year. After having our most successful and productive year ever at www.Mary4Music.com, and having reviewed and helped to promote forty five CD'S, it stands to reason that we should start off 2008 - our 10 year anniversary - with something special and exciting, like working with the kin of Blues Royalty. I'm talking about ALEX DIXON, the grand son of WILLIE DIXON, the late blues legend who had no problem telling the world "I am the blues".
On their debut CD, "THE VINTAGE ROOM", members of THE BLUES EXPERIENCE include: CASH MC CALL - with well over 30 years experience, much of it with WILLIE, on vocals and guitar; ALEX DIXON on piano; STEVE BELL - son of another late legend, CAREY BELL, on harp; BILL "YOUNG BLOOD" LEARNED and KATY J on rhythm guitars; BRADY WILLIS on bass; VINNIE THREATS on drums; JOHN RISTROM on guitar; DYLAN COOPER on upright bass.
On "THE VINTAGE ROOM", listeners shouldn't expect to experience any attempts to reinvent the blues, any attempts to reinterpret the blues or any attempts to redefine the blues....and thank God for that. What you can expect is a sincere and very successful attempt to carry on the tradition of the blues in the way that WILLIE DIXON, and many of his legendary associates, meant it to be.
"THE VINTAGE ROOM" offers eleven tracks of which ten are DIXON penned - seven by ALEX and three by WILLIE. The opening track of "HELLUVA TIME" is an ALEX original that is very reminiscent of "WANG DANG DOODLE". It's an invitation, by name, to many past and present blues legends, to come to a party where instead of "wang-dang-doodling, they'll be having a "hell-uva-time". CASH is stellar on vocals and STEVE is very impressive on harp. Good opening track.
Classic WILLIE D is up next. THE BLUES EXPERIENCE did such an admirable rendition of "I JUST WANT TO MAKE LOVE TO YOU", I'm thinking the originator of this one would feel proud of these guys.
Maybe it's just me, but another track reminding me of something gramps did is "SLICE OF THAT PIE". I could swear I hear some of "SPOONFUL" in here somewhere. This track is the first to give you a good taste of ALEX on piano. Great rhythm by BRADY and VINNIE, and more hot harp by STEVE also highlight this one.
"MAKE A FOOL OF ME" is one of several smokers on the disc. STEVE leads the jam on this one with ALEX, BRADY and VINNIE once again unrelenting on rhythm. Of course, CASH gets his licks in as well.
What kind of a tribute to WILLIE DIXON, which indeed this disc is, would it be without "I'M READY"? Well, the THE BLUES EXPERIENCE certainly agree and they certainly were ready to hit this one. The track is very short but oh so well done. CAREY - who obviously was a strong influence on his son - would be real proud of STEVE BELL on this one.
Other tracks on "THE VINTAGE ROOM " include: "GYPSY WOMAN", "CATCH ME BEFORE YOU GO", "MAMA", "BRING IT ON HOME" and a vocal and instrumental version of "ONE TOUCH".
If you're a fan of WILLIE DIXON, you'll want to grab a copy of "THE VINTAGE ROOM". Additionally, you'll want to keep your eyes and ears open for future work, be it performing or producing, by ALEX DIXON. The whole purpose of him and his wife MELISSA, forming DIXON LANDING MUSIC is to "reach out to the little known or undisclosed musician/artist and to bring back the Chicago Blues feel that his grandfather helped create". AMEN! It doesn't need to be reinvented, reinterpreted or redefined......it just needs to be kept alive.
To learn more about THE BLUES EXPERIENCE, and the company's mission in general, shuffle on over to www.dixonlandingmusic.com and tell them you came to see what the Blewzzman's fussin' about.