Big B and the Magic Bullets
audiostreet.net/bigbandthemagicbullets
Home Town: Wayne, MI
Genre: Blues
Posted By: JezterDetroit
Joined On: May 23, 2004
Page Views: 11,149
Song Plays: 1,285
Current Rank: 542
Highest Rank: 119
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Albums
Coming Summer of 2005
Similar Artists
Joe Cocker, BB King, Ray Charles, The Paladins, and Stevie Ray Vaughan
Group Members
Brian Burleson, Chuck Vermeulen, Doug Hise, Erin Pitman, and Jezter
Instruments
Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards, Bass, Drums, Harmonica
Musical Style
THE BLUES
Influences
The Paladins, BB King, Junior Wells, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, George Thorogood, Joe Cocker, Ray Charles |
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Brief Description
Killer blues from some of Detroit's best talent.
History/Biography
"There's nothing as cool as the sound of a really good, tight blues band," says singer and guitarist Brian "Big B" Burleson. "They're like the Special Forces of Gospel or Soul. Boom! They're in, they move the crowd and they're out." Therein lies the inspiration for Big B and the Magic Bullets, a five-piece blues band from the Detroit area quickly making a name for themselves with a full guitar-driven sound and a string of exceptional live shows.
The band began shortly before Burleson's departure from a local rap/rock outfit that had garnered him three consecutive Detroit Music Awards Nominations for Outstanding Instrumentalist. Sensing that "rap/rock" was not the musical direction he was looking to go in, Big B approached keyboardist Chuck Vermeulen about collaborating on a blues project. Soon they were meeting regularly at an area studio, composing several original blues songs and refining arrangements of some of their mutual favorites. Next, bassist Doug Hise was invited in for further collaboration and recording expertise, followed by the welcome energy of drummer Erin Pitman (formerly of The Suicide Machines and Hemigod). Once full rehearsals began and some initial gigs were played, vocalist and harmonica player Jezter (winner of Outstanding Rock/Pop Vocalist and nominated for Outstanding Blues/R&B Instrumentalist at the 2005 Detroit Music Awards) was added. The band has now played several gigs in the Detroit area. They've had a standout showing in the semifinals of the 2003 Guitar Center WCSX Battle Of The Blues Bands and strong performances at the 2004 Dally In The Alley and the Detroit Blues Society's Blues Challenges in both 2003 and 2004. Big B and the Magic Bullets are currently playing gigs up to twice a month and are presently at work on their debut album.
While excited about these developments, this band lives for its chance to play live anytime, anywhere, as Big B will attest to: "Our first gig was a blood drive, a favor to a friend of ours who's a nurse. It was hilarious. We were set up on this stage at one end of this school gym with rows of cots in front of us. People were on their backs smiling, swaying their feet and free hands back and forth to our stuff, while we were playing at about one-tenth our normal volume. It was like a Monty Python musical number. It's been all uphill from there." Aside from that comic start, what really make this so enjoyable for these guys? Chuck Vermeulen answers, "It's been the energy and feel of this whole project, which has everything to do with the blues. As a musical art form it's always been deceptively simple, so it leaves all this freedom to improvise with dynamics and emotion. We try to do it right."
"Yeah, we definitely come to play," adds Big B, smiling toward his collection of some twenty guitars. "When it all comes down to it, you play or listen to music because you enjoy it. Blues demands that kind of loyalty. That's how we feel about what we play and were looking for people to enjoy it with us. We're really on a mission to find our crowd in these next couple of years."
On a mission? Magic Bullets? A gym full of people on cots? Could be that "Special Forces" analogy from earlier was no chance remark…
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