Blues Matters profile picture

Blues Matters

Kristen Bruno - Blues Matters - blues,folk,indie

About Me

Hi! I'm Kristen Bruno and my occasional band is Blues Matters.I am singer/songwriter/guitarist. I play acoustic, electric, slide and Dobro and have been messing with pedal steel (yikes! what an instrument!). A few years back I wrote a song called “Razzle Dazzle Man” which was voted the best blues song of the year by Songwriters Showcases of America in 2006. When I wrote the song and performed "Razzle Dazzle Man" a few years back, some people gave me dirty looks. Hey, I'm just a messenger. I just write what I see. If you start to get angry from one of my songs, please focus your sentiment on the cause, not the messenger. Anyway, I feel that my song, along with many others, have helped to heighten the population's consciousness. One song at a time. I think as the death toll rises it’s starting to hit "closer to home" for many people. Each new song I hear from the many talented songwriters across the nation show a different aspect of this insanity. I hope the world wakes up soon. ............................................................ ............................................................ ............................................................ . While some of my songs reflect current issues, others are jus plain 'ole bluesy fun. You got to keep your sense of humor sometimes to preserve your sanity. ............................................................ ............................................................ ............................................................ . I am working out some new tunes and will eventually plan to start up Blues Matters with a new roster of musicians. In the meantime I play around town solo and sometimes with some good friends. I also go out to the local blues jams to stay up on my guitar chops. ............................................................ ............................................................ ............................................................ .I would like to thank my son Nick for his help on drums on a few of the more recent songs.Also, I'd like to express my thanks to Nancy DuMond (harp) and Stephen Grayce (bass) for their help on some of the my earlier Blues Matters tunes. ............................................................ ............................................................ ............................................................ .Blues Matters website is at:www.motagator.net/bluesmatters There are also a few Blues Matters tunes at www.myspace.com/bluesmattersmusicPlease visit the websites to hear some music or see some videos. . I will post some more pics and some music here on myspace sometime in the future,... but in the meantime, visit the website.
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My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 8/8/2006
Band Website: motagator.net/bands/327/
Band Members: Kristen Bruno (lead guitar, slide guitar, vocals)
Influences: Well, to begin with, i actually DO listen to all kinds of music. Since I hardly watch any TV (except for my soap) I have so much extra time to listen to music. But really, you ask, who is in my car cd player most often ... lets see, not necessarily in this order, .. Tom Petty, Eddie Money, Melissa Etheridge, Lou Reed, 33 Special, Bonnie Raitt, Alicia Levy, Rod Stewart, Dire Straits, Pluss 44,Joan Osborne, Joan Armatrading, Scott Ainslie, Lucinda Williams, BB King, Son House, John Hiatt, Mary Gauthier, Robert Johnson, Rory Block and many other blues singers. Some older Bob Dylan and John Prine as well. Also there are lots of "good stories" found in country music as well as some beautiful pedal steel guitar work. (Right now ,as I am typing this, I am listening to some country and pedal steel guitar music. I intend to learn this instrument eventually.) Country music is great too. Am I influenced by these people. I don't know. I just play what I play, and whatever comes out, comes out. If you think I sound like someone , write and let me know. . . . What kind of guitars do i play .. depends what mood I am in. Am i in an "ash" mood? .... I will play an ashwood guitar. Am I in a mahagany mood? .. . . I will play a mahogany wood guitar. Am I in a dobro mood? . . . I pull out the resonator guitar. Am i going to be playing an acoustic guitar on stage? Pull out the Ovation (great acoustic stage guitars with good anti feedback control). I incorporate slide guitar into my playing so much that I usually play with a slide bar (socket wrench - cheap and durable) on my pinky whether or not I use it. I like the idea of being able to play "in between the frets" if the mood strikes me. I used to use a glass slide, but I have a habit of talking with my hands and the glass slide bar would fly off my finger and sometimes shatter when hitting the ground. Very embarrassing! But when it comes to playing, I feel most comfortable playing blues type songs. Electric blues, acoustic blues ... I really can't explain it but its more the feel of the music, not the label "blues". So many songs I write won't fit exactly into a "blues" category, but they have a bluesy feel to it. Oh yes ... tube amplifiers.
Type of Label: None