The Blues Down Town story started in 1983 when Tomas Prim and Thomas Grahn founded the group in Stockholm, Sweden. The current lineup took shape in 1992 and the band has during the years developed and refined a distinct sound. With the main part of the material being self penned, the band now takes another step in shaping their interpretation of the blues but with a close approach to the more traditional styles and styles and sound of the Chicago blues and southern/westcoast blues styles. Source: http://bluescollectivebackup.blogspot.com/2012/07/blues-down-town-state-of-blue.html
Thomas Grahn / Little Thomas & The Pinetoppers
Thomas Grahn is a very experienced bluesmusician devoted to the ”genuine” blues sound and with a passion for Chicago blues as well as southern blues styles. Thomas has through the years played many gigs and festivals in various bands as “Blues Work Shop”, “Blues on The Rocks”, “Blues Down Town”, Little Thomas & The Pinetoppers” and many others. Thomas has also played with US bluesstar “Big” Jack Johnson and with the late Chicago blues- and soulsinger Johnny Christian in the US and in Sweden. Thomas has also done some other acts in the US including the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, Arkansas. On the domestic scene Thomas has played live and in the studio in various contexts with many of the most prominent bluesmusicians. Thomas sings, plays harmonica and guitar. Thomas is also a good songwriter and has, often together with colleagues like the CeePeeVee Records director Claes Parmland, penned a substantial part of the material included on his recordings with Blues Down Town (see also below). Also other artists have recorded Grahn – Parmland songs as the fine Finnish bluesband “Jaakko Heinonen Band” on their 2009 issued CD “Can’t Complain” (HLACD 002).
After the folding of Blues Down Town, Thomas started up the band “Little Thomas & the Pinetoppers”. After Christer “King Kino” Hedlin’s passing away, the current lineup is “Little” Thomas Grahn, vcl/hca/gtr, Ola Björne, gtr, Christer Elofson, bs and Agge Agartz, dms. The band continues the tradition of the roots blues sound echoing the classic Chicago blues and downhome styles. All the members have also played with other bands. Thomas has for his part played as sideman with excellent musicians/bands as Sven Zetterberg & Chicago Express, Harmonica Henry & the Bluesrockers, Howlin’ Hawk and the Leftovers, Mercury Bluesband, Blues4Y, Slim Notini, Knockout Greg and others.
In the beginning of 2010 Thomas also started up the "Thomas Grahn Blues Band" (TGBB) alongside "Little Thomas & the Pinetoppers" and other aggregations. In the TGBB it's Thomas' Chicago blues harmonica playing which is more showcased and thus complements the higher focus on his guitar playing in the Pinetoppers band. The members of the TGBB are Thomas Grahn vcl/hca, Thomas Hammarlund vcl/gtr, Stefan Lindell bs, Magnus Rydh pno and Ola Ragnar dms. For more info and music samples go to www.myspace.com/thomasgrahnbluesband
In 2002 Thomas received the Åmål Bluesfest annual award as blues musician of the year and in 2004 he received the memorialprize of Janne Rosenqvist. Further information about Thomas and his service in the blues through the years can be found i.a. in a Jefferson Blues Magazine 157 interview, www.jeffersonbluesmag.com and in the liner notes to the CeePeeVee Records CD “10th Year Anniversary 1997-2007”.
Thomas participates on twelve CD:s as a member of Blues On The Rocks, Blues Down Town and under his own name as follows:
1993: Compilation CD "All That Blues From Sweden! Volume One", SBACD12650, (one track with Blues on The Rocks, vcl/gtr)
1996: Compilation CD "Scandinavian Blues BBQ", BB 101 (two tracks with Blues Down Town, vcl/hca)
1997: Blues Down Town "State Of Blue", CeePeeVee Records CPVCD 101 (vcl/hca)
1998: Compilation CD "All That Blues From Sweden!, Volume 2", SBACD 12652, (one track with Blues Down Town, vcl/hca)
1999: Blues Down Town "Evil Chaser", CeePeeVee Records CPVCD 201 (vcl/hca)
2000: Compilation CD "Horton's Briefcase", CeePeeVee Records CPVCD 401 (three tracks under his own name, vcl/hca)
2001: Blues Down Town "Downtracked", CeePeeVee Records CPVCD 501 (vcl/hca)
2002: Sture Elldin "And His Blues Harp", CeePeeVee Records CPVCD 601 (gtr on one track)
2003: Blues Down Town "Everlasting Blues", CeePeeVee Records CPVCD 701 (vcl/hca)
2004: Compilation CD "Back To Their Roots", CeePeeVee Records CPVCD 801 (vcl/hca/gtr)
2006: Compilation CD "Big City Rhythm Volume 2", CeePeeVee Records CPVCD 1101 (two tracks under his own name with new material and two tracks as sideman, vcl/hca)
2008: Compilation CD "10th Year Anniversary 1997 - 2007", CeePeeVee Records CPVCD 1301 (one track under his own name, three tracks with Blues Down Town and one track as sideman, vcl/hca)
For further information about the records and reviews, see the "albums" section and the CeePeeVee Records website http://www.ceepeeveerecords.se
Source: http://www.bostream.nu/bdt/about.html
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…shrink me down again