Blues man keeps it real

It features multi award winner Doug Macleod who won the US Blues Music Award for acoustic album and acoustic artist of the year, and is winner of Blues Blast Music Award as Male Artist Of The Year.

Doug is a travelling artist who writes and sings original songs based on his own life and experiences.

He learned from the old masters, lived the music, survived the life and carries forward a valuable tradition. MacLeod is known for his superb songwriting, guitar wizardry, warm soulful vocals, wit and unforgettable live performances.

At the heart of this is his knack for storytelling, bringing his characters to strikingly real life.

While he developed his rich, soulful singing style MacLeod also worked out a unique, unorthodox and powerfully rhythmic acoustic guitar style. The rage of his turbulent youth was channeled through his guitar, using his right hand to pound out an insistent, churning beat to complement his intricate bottleneck and finger-style technique.

MacLeod’s playing landed him gigs with George ‘Harmonica’ Smith, Big Joe Turner, Pee Wee Crayton, Eddie ‘Cleanhead’ Vinson, Lowell Fulson and Big Mama Thornton. Under their tutelage, he learned how to thrill and enrapture a crowd.

Over 29 years, 19 studio albums, several live records, compilations, a blues guitar instructional DVD and a live performance DVD, MacLeod has consistently earned raves. His songs have been covered by many artists including Albert King, Albert Collins, Joe Louis Walker and Eva Cassidy. He has co-written songs with Dave Alvin and Coco Montoya.

MacLeod’s songs have been featured in many TV movies and the hit show In the Heat of the Night. Two of his songs are on Grammy nominated albums by Albert King and Albert Collins.

MacLeod’s latest album There’s A Time was released in 2013. In every note he performs and records, MacLeod subscribes to the rule-of-thumb learned from country bluesman Ernest Banks from Toano VA. who instilled in him “never play a note you don’t believe,” and “never write or sing about what you don’t know.”

MacLeod’s music expresses life and times via an intangible, elusive quality. There is a philosophic and healing side to MacLeod’s music and his stories that has helped others overcome the hardships of their lives. As Pee Wee Crayton’s widow Esther once told Doug: “You have a message and you’ll send that message mainly to the people who don’t go to church.”

If you are into the blues this is really one not to be missed - tickets (£12) available at www.mrsy.co.uk or 07786025693.