Paul Lamb (musician)

Paul Lamb (born 9 July 1955, Blyth, Northumberland, England)[1][2] is a British blues harmonica player and bandleader. He has had a four-decade long career as a blues harmonicist and bandleader, with fans around the world.[3]

Paul Lamb
Paul Lamb 2007
Background information
Birth namePaul Lamb
Born (1955-07-09) 9 July 1955
Blyth, Northumberland, England
GenresBlues
Occupation(s)Harmonicist, singer, songwriter
InstrumentsHarmonica, vocals
Years active1970s-present
LabelsSecret Records, Red Lightnin' Records, Indigo Records, various
WebsiteOfficial website

Biography

Lamb started playing the harmonica during his childhood, inspired by Sonny Terry, and he was fortunate to meet and collaborate with him after beginning to perform in clubs by the age of fifteen.[3] Lamb played only acoustic blues until about 1980.[4] Lamb also played alongside his heroes such as Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, and Brownie McGhee.[3] He formed the Blues Burglars with guitarist Johnny Whitehill in the early 1980s, a formation that eventually became Paul Lamb & the King Snakes. They released an eponymous album with Ace Records in 1990, followed by several others, each building both Lamb's personal reputation as a harmonica player and the band's prestige.[3] He was awarded with the British Blues Connection's annual award for the best local harmonica player several years in a row whilst the King Snakes frequently took the title as best band.[4][5]

As a consequence, his own harmonica skills have been in demand, and he had a hit in 1994 in the UK Singles Chart with the track, "Harmonica Man" (under the pseudonym of Bravado) with Pete Waterman.[2][5][6][7] Lamb has also worked with Mark Knopfler, The Who and Jimmy Nail, played on BBC and film soundtracks, and various television commercials in the UK.[3][7]

Lamb was more recently inducted into the British Blues Awards Hall of Fame.[7][8] Blues & Rhythm magazine described his band as "lazily cocksure and coolly aggressive".[1]

In 2011 he recorded a session for Paul Jones' BBC Radio 2 show.[9]

Members of the King Snakes band have included singer/guitarists Johnny Dickinson and Chad Strentz, bassists Jim Mercer, Dave Stevens, and Rod Demick, drummers Mike Thorne, Martin Deegan, Alan Savage, Daniel Strittmatter, and Sonny Below, and Paul's son Ryan on lead guitar.[2][10]

In 2018 the band includes Paul Lamb, Ryan Lamb, Chad Strentz, Rod Demick and drummer Mike Thorne.[11]

Discography
  • Paul Lamb & the King Snakes (1990)
  • Fine Condition (1995)
  • She's a Killer (1996)
  • Shifting into Gear (1997)
  • John Henry Jumps In (1998)
  • The Blue Album (1999)
  • Blues Burglars Whoopin' (1999)
  • Take Your Time and Get It Right (2000)
  • Live at the 100 Club (2002)
  • I'm on a Roll (2005)
  • Snakes and Ladders Live (2007)
  • Mind Games (2010)
  • The Games People Play (2012)
  • Hole in the Wall (2014)[12]
  • After Hours (2016)
  • Live At The Royal Albert Hall (2017)

References
  1. "Free Music Online | blinkbox music". We7.com. Archived from the original on 25 January 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  2. "What's On: Latest North East roots music news". Chronicle Live. 7 September 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  3. Bruce Eder. "Paul Lamb | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  4. Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books Limited. p. 133. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
  5. Larkin, Colin (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Blues, Virgin Books, ISBN 978-0753502266, p. 219
  6. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 76. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  7. Archived 12 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  8. "Preview: Paul Lamb and The Kingsnakes; Neil Dalton and The Blue Aces, The Deep Blues Club, York, 22 January". Yorkpress.co.uk. 18 January 2008. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  9. "BBC Radio 2 – Paul Jones, 24/01/2011". Bbc.co.uk. 24 January 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  10. Rhodes, Graham (2008) "Review: Paul Lamb & The Kingsnakes in Warrington", Chester Chronicle, 5 October 2008, retrieved 6 October 2012
  11. "The Band - Paul Lamb & The King Snakes". Paullamb.com. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  12. "Paul Lamb | Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
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