Doyle Bramhall II
| Doyle Bramhall II | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born |
24 December 1968 Dallas, Texas, U.S.[1] |
| Genres | Blues, rock and roll, soul music |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, producer |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, drums |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Labels |
Geffen Records RCA Records |
| Associated acts | Eric Clapton, Roger Waters, Sheryl Crow, Meshell Ndegéocello, Elton John, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Erykah Badu, Amos Lee |
| Website |
db2music |
Doyle Bramhall II (born 24 December 1968)[2] is an American musician, producer, guitarist, and songwriter known for his work with Eric Clapton, Roger Waters and many others. He is the son of the songwriter and drummer Doyle Bramhall.
Early life
Bramhall was born in Texas and lived half of his life in Northern California. His father, Doyle Bramhall, Sr., played drums for the legendary bluesmen Lightnin' Hopkins and Freddie King and was a lifelong collaborator with his childhood friends Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmie Vaughan.
Music career
When Bramhall was 18, he toured with Jimmie Vaughan's band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Two years later he co-founded the blues rock band Arc Angels with fellow Austinite Charlie Sexton and members from Stevie Ray Vaughan's rhythm section, Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon. In 1996,he released his first solo album, Doyle Bramhall II. Following the 1999 release of Jellycream, Bramhall's second album and first for RCA, he received phone calls from both Roger Waters and Eric Clapton.[3] Bramhall joined Waters on his In the Flesh tour, playing lead guitar and providing background and lead vocals, replacing Pink Floyd's lead singer and guitarist David Gilmour in the Pink Floyd songs. His performances were recorded on the subsequent live album and DVD, In the Flesh – Live. Bramhall also played guitar on Clapton's Riding With The King, a collaboration with B.B. King. The album included versions of Clapton's and King's songs, and covers of blues songs—including two Bramhall-penned tracks originally from Jellycream.
In 2001, Bramhall released Welcome with his new band, Smokestack. The album's lead single, "Green Light Girl," was somewhat of a hit in the blues world.[4] In 2006, Bramhall and Smokestack released a live DVD entitled Live at the Great Wall of China.[5] Two audio tracks from the DVD were released on iTunes under the title of Doyle Bramhall II (Live At the Great Wall of China).[6]
In th fhe following years, Bramhall collaborated with artists such as T-Bone Burnett, Elton John, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Gary Clark, Jr., Gregg Allman, Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, Billy Preston, Erykah Badu, Questlove and Meshell Ndegeocello. Bramhall has produced several records, including Sheryl Crow's 100 Miles from Memphis in 2011.[7] He also joined her on a tour for this album[8]
In 2013, Bramhall completed co-production on Eric Clapton's 2013 release Old Sock, and played guitars on his 2014 release The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale. He joined Clapton on his 50th anniversary tour as an opening act and backing musician.[9] He appeared at Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival and was recorded for the subsequent live album and DVD.[10] Bramhall played lead guitars on Elton John's 2013 album The Diving Board.[11]
In 2015,[12] he joined the Tedeschi Trucks Band and Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings for the "Wheels of Soul" tour across the United States. He performed both as an opening act and as a rhythm guitarist in the Tedeschi Trucks Band, performing songs ranging from his days with the Arc Angels to unreleased songs.[13] Also in 2015, he joined the Tedeschi Trucks Band and alumni from the 1970 Joe Cocker Mad Dogs and Englishmen Tour, including Leon Russell, Rita Coolidge, Bobby Torres, Claudia Lennear, Chuck Blackwell, Pamela Polland, Daniel Moore, Matthew Moore, Chris Stainton, and photographer Linda Wolf and in a tribute concert to honor Joe Cocker.[14]
On September 30 2016, Bramhall released his 4th studio album titled Rich Man. The album consists of 12 originals and a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Hear My Train A Comin'".[15]
Style
Bramhall is notable as one of the few guitarists who plays with his instrument strung upside-down.[16] He plays left-handed, but the instrument is strung upside-down with the high E on the top. This unusual arrangement of the strings gives his playing a unique sound, because he bends the strings by pulling them downwards rather than upwards, the customary approach. Others who have bent strings in this direction include Albert King, Eric Gales, Otis Rush, Barbara Lynn, Coco Montoya and the late blues guitarist Jeff Healey, who played with his instrument flat on his lap for stability and increased string flexibility.[17]
Discography
1988 - Stu Blank - Under The Big Top
1990 - Marc Benno - Take It Back To Texas
1992 - Arc Angels - Arc Angels
1993 - Toni Price - Swim Away
1994 - Doyle Bramhall - Bird Nest On The Ground
1994 - Marc Benno - Snake Charmer
1996 - Doyle Bramhall II - Doyle Bramhall II
1998 - N'Dea Davenport - N'Dea Davenport
1999 - Doyle Bramhall II - Jellycream
1999 - Richie Kotzen - Break It All Down
1999 - Marty Grebb - Smooth Sailin'
1999 - Meshell Ndegéocello - Bitter
2000 - B.B. King & Eric Clapton - Riding with the King
2000 - Roger Waters - In the Flesh – Live
2000 - Indigenous - Circle
2001 - Eric Clapton - Reptile
2001 - Doyle Bramhall II - Welcome
2001 - Jennifer Warnes - The Well
2002 - Sheryl Crow - C'mon C'mon
2002 - Lisa Marie Presley - To Whom It May Concern
2003 - Boyd Tinsley - True Reflections
2003 - Meshell Ndegéocello - Comfort Woman
2003 - Doyle Bramhall - Fitchburg Street
2003 - Jack Casady - Dream Factor
2004 - Eric Clapton - Me and Mr. Johnson
2004 - Eric Clapton - Sessions for Robert J
2004 - C.C. Adcock - Lafayette Marquis
2005 - Eric Clapton - Back Home
2005 - Bettye LaVette - I've Got My Own Hell to Raise
2005 - Susan Tedeschi - Hope and Desire
2005 - Various Artists - Our New Orleans: A Benefit Album for the Gulf Coast
2005 - Nerina Pallot - Fires
2005 - JJ Cale & Eric Clapton - The Road to Escondido
2007 - Doyle Bramhall - Is It News
2007 - Miles Davis - Evolution Of The Groove
2007 - Soundtrack - I'm Not There
2007 - Meshell Ndegéocello - The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams
2008 - Michael McDonald - Soul Speak
2008 - Amos Lee - Last Days at the Lodge
2008 - Susan Tedeschi - Back to the River
2008 - Rodney Crowell - Sex and Gasoline
2009 - Taylor Hicks - The Distance
2009 - The Derek Trucks Band - Already Free
2009 - Arc Angels - 'Living in a Dream
2010 - Robert Randolph and the Family Band - We Walk This Road
2010 - Eric Clapton - Clapton
2010 - Elton John/Leon Russell - The Union
2010 - Sheryl Crow - 100 Miles from Memphis
2011 - Gregg Allman - Low Country Blues
2011 - fDeluxe - Gaslight
2012 - Soundtrack - The Music Of Nashville: Season 1
2012 - Willie Nelson - Heroes
2013 - Tedeschi Trucks Band - Made Up Mind
2013 - Paul Allen & The Underthinkers - Everywhere At Once
2013 - Elton John - The Diving Board
2013 - Eric Clapton - Old Sock
2014 - Eric Clapton - The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale
2014 - Meshell Ndegéocello - Comet, Come to Me
2014 - Jerry Lee Lewis - Rock & Roll Time
2014 - Ruthie Foster - Promise Of A Brand New Day
2015 - James McMurtry - Complicated Game
2015 - Bettye LaVette - Worthy
2015 - David Ryan Harris - Lightyears
2015 - Buddy Guy - Born to Play Guitar
2016 - Tedeschi Trucks Band - Let Me Get By
2016 - Doyle Bramhall II - Rich Man
2016 - Eric Clapton - Live in San Diego
2016 - Eric Clapton - Crossroads Revisited: Selections from the Crossroads Guitar Festivals
References
- ↑ Holly George-Warren; Patricia Romanowski; Patricia Romanowski Bashe; Jon Pareles, eds. (2001). The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll. Fireside.
- ↑ Holly George-Warren; Patricia Romanowski; Patricia Romanowski Bashe; Jon Pareles, eds. (2001). The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll. Fireside. p. 872.
- ↑ "Bramhall II, Doyle". Whereseric.com. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
- ↑ "Doyle Bramhall II & Smokestack - Green Light Girl". Discogs. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ↑ "Doyle Bramhall II Live at the Great Wall of China (2006)". IMDb.com. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
- ↑ "iTunes - Music - Doyle Bramhall II (Live At the Great Wall of China) - Single by Doyle Bramhall II". Itunes.apple.com. November 27, 2007. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
- ↑ "100 Miles from Memphis - Sheryl Crow | Credits". AllMusic. July 20, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
- ↑ "100 Miles from Memphis Touring Band". Sherylcrownews.com. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
- ↑ "Eric Clapton Kicks Off 50th Anniversary Tour With Killer Setlist". Coolalbumreview.com. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
- ↑ "Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013: Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
- ↑ "Elton John Finishes New Album, Eyes September Release Date". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
- ↑ "Wheels of Soul 2015 Tour". Tedeschi Trucks Band. February 23, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
- ↑ "Doyle Bramhall II Album Statistics: Wheels Of Soul Summer Tour". www.setlist.fm. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ↑ Browne, David (July 14, 2015). "Inside Tedeschi Trucks Band's All-Star Joe Cocker Tribute Concert". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
- ↑ "Release "Rich Man" by Doyle Bramhall II - MusicBrainz". musicbrainz.org. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- "Doyle Bramhall II: Rich Man". PopMatters. Retrieved October 15, 2016. - ↑ "Doyle Bramhall II Interview : Songwriter/Player/Producer". Guitar.com. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
- ↑ "Jeff Healey's Guitar Gear Rig and Equipment". Uberproaudio.com. Retrieved November 4, 2015.