The Social Freelancer: Media, Music, TV & Film

New track added! “Tell Me What’s the Reason” by Trace Relations with special guest, Dallas’ blues maestro Hash Brown Calway.

This Youtube playlist streams four music videos from the debut release “Prosperity Street” from Trace Relations Band. A smokin’ Dallas based rhythm section combines with soulful guitar from San Antonio, ending up in Texas Blues, and Americana groove territory. Vocalist Tracy Ready funnels 20+ years of bouncing between these two iconic Texas cities, personally and musically into an eclectic debut release, guaranteed to improve your mood.

Click “play” arrow here to see all 4 videos, back to back, with a :10 second introduction. Read more…

I am a big fan of the old VH1 standby “Behind The Music” because knowing the stories behind the songs makes the listening more interesting to me. Since releasing the debut CD “Prosperity Street” from Trace Relations I’ve been asked about how the songs were selected for the record and what went into making it.

Trace Relations (L-R) Kevin Lewis, Sparky Montoya, John Echols, Tracy Ready, Mike Beall

“Prosperity Street” by Trace Relations Band is “twelve tracks of Texas groove guaranteed to improve your mood.”

For the next 12 weeks I will be posting stories behind all of the songs on the CD. Today, we start with the title track, “Prosperity Street” Read more…

As a kid, I was into music. I was fortunate to grow up listening to a musical stew brewed up by my older brothers and their friends whose taste was, let’s say, “diverse”.
The Beatles, Cream, Harry Chapin, Led Zeppelin, Zappa, and Little Feat shared a room sometimes with Count Basie and his Orchestra, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and BB King. Out back on the patio? Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers, ZZ Top, Charlie Daniels Band and the Edgar Winter Group.

Willie Dixon courtesy of The Willie Dixon Fan Club

The great Freddie King hailed from Dallas, Texas and tore up stages all over the world with his blistering brand of electric blues before his untimely death at age 42 in 1976. His vocal and guitar prowess were without match and have now influenced a generation of players. Often imitated, never duplicated – Freddie King!
This video of “The Texas Cannonball” is Freddie at his best, live onstage in Sweden, 1973, performing “Have You Ever Loved A Woman.” This one is on my top 10 best electric blues songs ever written list, for sure. Enjoy the video…> Read more…