Rick Estrin

Vocalist, songwriter, and virtuoso blues harpist Rick Estrin was created in SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, California in 1949, and also as a young man he frequented the rough Market Street region, falling beneath the spell of music by Ray Charles, Jimmy Reed, Nina Simone, Champ Jack Dupree, among others, so when he found the harmonica in age group 15, he had been immersed within the urban dark tradition around him. By 18, he was proficient plenty of around the harp to jam with famous brands Lowell Fulson and Travis Phillips. Following a proceed to Chicago, Estrin caused Eddie Taylor, Sam Place, Johnny Small, and Johnny Littlejohn, and also jammed with Muddy Waters. Shifting back again to the Bay Region, Estrin fulfilled guitarist Small Charlie Baty, plus they became a member of forces to create Small Charlie & the Nightcats in 1976, a high-powered electrical urban blues music group, as well as the group remained together for a few 30 years, touring and documenting, issuing their initial album, Completely Crazy, in 1987 (the music group would continue release a some nine albums on Alligator Information). Estrin progressed into an excellent blues harp soloist, and he previously become an similarly great blues songwriter, sketching evaluations to Willie Dixon and Cab Calloway, and along with his flamboyant stage character, sharp love of life, and a performing tone of voice that drew the very best from the materials, he became the consummate frontman for the music group — to the idea that many believed he was Small Charlie. When Baty, the particular Little Charlie, still left the music group, Estrin, combined with the Nightcats’ longtime tempo portion of J. Hansen and Lorenzo Farrell, and brand-new guitarist Child Anderson, keep carefully the gig heading under the brand-new name Rick Estrin & the Nightcats, launching a debut recording, Twisted, under that name on Alligator Information in 2012.