Tag: Bo Ramsey

The other day CB and I were talking about music, and he sent me some links to this guy. I’ve listened to him this week and the first thing I noticed was that great guitar tone. I’ve listened to many parts of his career and the guy is a master of guitar tone.  A great guitar sound attracts me to songs sometimes more than the singing and lyrics. Once I hear a good opening riff, it usually hooks me. He has a mixture of blues, folk, rock, and Americana. I also enjoyed his songwriting and vocals, as he doesn’t stick in one place. 

He was born and raised in Iowa and started his music career around 1973. He originally fronted The Mother Blues Band in Iowa. His inspirations were Sun Records’ rockabilly and Chess Records’ blues artists of the 1950s. It’s hard to beat those two influences. 

During the 1970s and 1980s, he played with various bands and developed his sound. He took a break from music during the 1980s but came back strong. A turning point was when he heard a song by fellow Iowan Greg Brown on the radio. He recognized a kindred spirit, so he reached out to Brown, starting a collaboration that continues to this day

In 1994, he got his first big break by opening shows for Lucinda Williams. He worked with her producing and adding guitar to her albums, and also played in her band. He has played guitar with various artists. His production and guitar work extend to notable musicians like Joan Baez, Ani DiFranco, Iris DeMent, and Elvis Costello.

This song was on his album In The Weeds released in 1997. 

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