Music
Press
Given that it’s all been done before – is there any reason to seek out Small’s versions of tunes that have been recorded hundreds of times? The answer is an emphatic yes – Small is a superb guitarist and a fine vocalist, but most important, he brings the material to life. From his clever blend of rhythms on “Trouble No More” – listen closely and you’ll also hear hints of “Smokestack Lightnin’” – to his re-invention of “The Thrill Is Gone” – he invests each tune with expressive urgency that’s as immediate as today’s headlines. In Small’s hands, these songs breathe and sweat and cry just as much as they did ‘way back when – by John Taylor - John Taylor
Mark T. Small will move you to a whole new love of American music. From the hills to the cities, from the rural backwaters to the urban alleys, this is roots music played by a man who has studied it, got lost in it, and at times seems to fall down on his knees and prayed to it. - The Dirty Lowdown
Copyright © 2011 Robert Carraher All Rights Reserved
Music Review: “Black, White and the Blues” by Mark T. Small
Posted: 23 Sep 2011 08:06 PM PDT - CD Review 2012
"He is one of the best young blues singers I've met and had the opportunity to play with in a long time. I could listen to him all night. He knows the Blues!"
Elmore James JR - Bluesman and son of electric slide guitar founder Elmore James - Elmore James JR
Rave review - January 2012 - Blues Matters Magazine
Jan 14, 15 & 17, 2012 - The House Of Blues Radio Show - National Syndication
Mark’s 2010 CD;
Screamin’ & Cryin’ The Blues:
HIT #19 on the National Living Blues Charts
Mark has opened for and played with numerous international blues artists including: Johnny Winter James Cotton Robert Cray Coco Montoya David Lindley Jimmy Thackery Charlie Musselwhite Kim Wilson Shor’tyBullips James Montgomery & Elmore James JR.
He reminds me of the days sitting on the porch every Saturday evening with my Granddaddy listening to Lightnin’ Hopkins, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, and Howling Wolf - all rolled up in one. I wish my Granddaddy could have met him!!!”
Hattie Barrett – President of the Down Home Blues Society, Boston, MA
“He's one of the best young blues singers I've met and had the opportunity to play with in a long time. I could listen to him all night. He knows the Blues! Elmore James JR – Bluesman and son of electric slide guitar founder Elmore James
“Mark T. Small is one of the best!!! He's a bluesman in both Spirit and Soul. I would welcome him on stage with me anywhere. HE IS MY FRIEND!!”
Shor’ty Billups – International Bluesman with over 60 years of touring experience
“Mark T. Small is the consummate bluesman, an electrifying performer, master interpreter and highly skilled musician with a great sense of history.”
Patrick Norton – President of The Narrows Center For The Arts, Fall River, MA
“A Mark T. Small performance isn’t just entertainment; it’s an education. If you want to know where you’re rock-n-roll came from, Small will be happy to teach you – and he’ll do it in a fashion you won’t soon forget.
”The Standard Times, New Bedford, MA - August 13, 2010 - The National Living Blues Charts
"He reminds me of the days sitting on the porch every Saturday evening with my Granddaddy listening to Lightnin Hopkins, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed and Howlin Wolf - all rolled up into one. I wish my Granddaddy could have met him!" - Hatti Barrett - President of The Down Home Blues Society, Boston, MA
"A Mark T. Small performance isn't just entertainment; it's an education. If you want to know where your rock-n-roll came from, Small will be happy to teach you - and he'll do it in a fashion you won't soon forget." - The Standard Times, New Bedford, MA - August 13, 2010
"Mark T. Small is the consummate Bluesman, an electrifying performer, master interpreter and highly skilled musician with a great sense of history." - Patrick Norton - President of The Narrows Center For The Arts, Fall River, MA
"Mark T. Small is one of the best!!! He's a Bluesman in both spirit and soul. I welcome him on stage with me anywhere.
HE IS MY FRIEND !!" - Shor'ty Billups - International Bluesman with over 60 years of touring experience
"He is one of the best young blues singers I've met and had the opportunity to play with in a long time.I could listen to him all night. He knows the Blues!" - Elmore James JR - Bluesman and son of electric slide guitar founder Elmore James
Discography
2007 - Mark T. Small
2009 -Screamin $ Cryin The Blues - hit #19 on National Blues Charts
2011 - Blacks, Whites & The Blue
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Bio
Mark T. Small has been playing music for over 40 years. In his early teens, he began listening to Old Time Music. He learned to play fiddle tunes on the guitar in the styles of Doc Watson and Norman Blake and also learned to play the Dobro. In 1981, this music took Mark to Indiana to play and record with a five piece Newgrass Band called The Brown County Band. At the same time, Mark was playing harmonica and listening to the likes of Junior Wells and Charlie Musselwhite.
After returning to the East Coast, Mark dug deeper into the blues, playing electric guitar and listening to Johnny Winter, Roy Buchannan, Albert King and many others. When he was playing progressive Newgrass, his style had the influence of the blues. Now, delving into the blues, his playing has the razors edge and speed that was developed from years of flat-picking. This combination of the lightning fast bluegrass style and his soulful blues playing are the key components of Marks style today.
In the late 1980s, Mark started his own Chicago style Blues band, The Lonesome Strangers. The band ranged anywhere from three to ten pieces on a given night and was a staple on the New England club circuit for over a dozen years. The band worked all types of clubs due to Marks ability to transform the band to suit any venue. Many of the gigs were played as a power trio with Mark singing and filling the band out with scorching electric Blues guitar. Other times, the band included a keyboard or sax player and/or the addition of the Newport Navy Band Horn Section. Showmanship, taste, professionalism and great music were the adjectives that club owners cited over and over as reasons to book the band in a regular rotation.
In 2000, Mark began to gravitate back to his acoustic roots and the studio became his classroom. After making a decision to pursue a solo career, Mark took all of the lessons that he had learned over the last 25 years and began constructing his solo show. The premise was to develop an act that was as hard hitting as the band, but all in a one man show.
Marks live performances include many great traditional Delta Blues numbers with a Chicago Blues slant that transforms each tune into a tour de force. Included are the blazing flat-picking techniques that grabbed audiences in Marks Bluegrass days; the hot slide guitar playing that creates a mood and timbre change in each set; and the showmanship that he has developed from 25 years of experience as a band front man. These components, combined with the sense of a sharp businessman who possesses a keen understanding of the venue goals and objectives, assures a happy and excited audience regardless of the situation.
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