RJ Howson
- 2015 Bands
- Tuesday, 10 December 2013 01:32
- 1425
On Stage: Saturday 11:30am
Fire branded in the Chicago blues circuit, roots rocker and bluesman RJ Howson picked up his skillful guitar chops performing and sharing the stage with blues icons at Buddy Guy’s Legends, Rosa's Lounge, Kingston Mines, BLUES on Halstead and many other clubs in the Windy City and also performing all over the midwest. Having played guitar for almost 30 years, RJ has played everything from Chicago Blues to Funk, Soul, Rock, Gospel, Country and World Music. "My goal is to use music to show that the roots of all people are the same and to move blues into the future while paying tribute to the past and my mentors".
RJ has studied many styles of finger picking techniques from various genres of music, instruments and cultures. "I was finally convinced to play exclusively without a guitar pick and just with my fingers by watching and being encouraged by Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Water's guitarist Hubert Sumlin and Modern Chicago Blues Treasure Lurrie Bell. I had also been inspired by many of the early Country Blues players like Skip James, Son House, Blind Willie McTell, West African Kora (21 string Harp) player Toumani Diabate, Sitarist Ravi Shankar, Jazz Guitar Legend Wes Montgomery, Jazz and world music banjo great Bela Fleck and many other great finger pickers. Some of my key stylistic heroes are Albert King, Otis Rush, BB King, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Lonnie Mack, Jimi Hendrix, and Many others. Since moving to Florida, RJ has been blessed with encouragement from a new friendship with Dickey Betts & Great Southern, Damon Fowler, Berry Duane Oakley, and many other great Florida based musicians. "I love to speak with the strings and believe the tone is in the fingers."
He grew up as the son of a Vietnam Veteran/Musician and a farmer's daughter/poet and travelled the world as a child and teen giving him a wide view of the world. Having been blessed with the gift of music as the common thread throughout his life, he came back to it as a full time profession after some life changing events that made him re-evaluate what life was about and who he really was. RJ moved to Chicago and made friends with many Chicago Blues Legends and up and coming musicians. It was through their encouragement that he finally decided to play music full time. It was a challenging road to say the least, but also quite magical and has been a very rewarding journey leading RJ back to the heart of who he is as a Musician, Guitarist, Singer, Songwriter, and band leader.
Since relocating to Bradenton Beach, he has been busy playing a steady stream of shows at Festivals, Theaters, and Clubs all over Florida including performances at Thunder By the Bay festival 2012, the Dan Toler Benefit with Dickey Betts headlining, Jannus Landing, the Save the Gulf Festival, the Rock the Park festival, BLUESAPALOOZA, Cottee River Seafood and Blues Festival. Catch one of many regular club shows at Ace's, The Blue Rooster, The Beach Club on Siesta Key, The Alley in Sanford, Ringside, Skipper's Smokehouse, Ocean Blues, Evie's, Straggler's, The Tap Room, The Cabana Inn and many others.
The "RJ Howson- RAW" CD was self-released on September 21, 2013 at Bluesapalooza after a blistering live set and an epic jam with the Damon Fowler Group and Berry Duane Oakley's Skylab. "RJ Howson-RAW" captures an emotional performance at Realize Bradenton's Riverwalk Park Amphitheater played to an enthusiastic crowd and has received positive reviews from the Herald Tribune (Wade Tatangelo of the Sarasota Ticket) and the Suncoast Blues Society. It's received radio airplay on Tampa's WMNF 88.5FM "Mo Better Blues" Show hosted by KBA award winner Larry Lisk and Sarasota's WSLR 96.5FM "Blues with the Velvet Hammer". RJ is currently in pre-production to begin recording a new studio CD.