Rab McCullough - Belfast Blues (2001)

Pete Brown, Cream lyricist and one of Blue Storm Music’s advisors, says, "the thing about Rab that is quite interesting is that you give him a song and he comes up with a take on it that you might not have thought of." His album, "Belfast Blues", was dedicated to the late, great Irish blues giant, Rory Gallagher, and was awarded the Best Foreign Release of a Blues Record by the Canadian magazine, Real Blues. Rab McCullough from Northern Ireland, is not a household name to many blues fans, and amazingly, many Irish blues followers are unaware of his existence. Yet, the guy has played a vital roll in keeping the blues scene alive in Ireland for decades. This album gives a good idea of Rab's talents. The great blues guitarist was brought up in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and has played the blues in Ireland for many years now. Yet he seems to be more well known in the U.S, and other parts of the world, than in his native Ireland. The 61-year-old was a major part of the Irish blues scene in the 60s, and played alongside Gary Moore, Rory Gallagher, Van Morrison and a visiting Jimi Hendrix. For personal reasons, Rab in his earlier music days was not a big tourer, and for a long time had no recording contract. His recorded output is minimal. He did take part in the prestigious Beale Street Festival in Memphis, Tennessee, and was good enough to be noticed by musicians who had played with Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry. He returned to Memphis in 2000 and competed in the International Blues Festival where his band came third out of more than 1,000 entrants. Rab has played in many other festivals. He eventually secured a record deal with Blue Storm Music, and released the seven track EP, " Belfast Blues". Many people thought the title had political connotations, especially with the "troubles" in Northern Ireland, but the album is simply a great straightforward blues rock recording. Rab played in Memphis with the great Boo Boo Williams, and other established bluesmen. Boo Boo Williams told him, ‘We get a lot of white kids trying to play the blues, but you play like us!". Rab was at Jimi Hendrix's 25th birthday party, after the guitar legend played Belfast as part of the 1968 Festival at Queens University, Belfast, and Jimi along with Rory Gallagher, has constantly been a major influence on Rab McCullough's music. Rab has stated, “They say you don't start playing the blues until you're about 50 anyway, they say you have to live a bit first, so I'm a young man in the blues, I'm snapping at their heels". "Belfast Breakdown" is an excellent blues rock album from a bluesman who really should be more familiar to blues music fans. The album has many blues styles, including country, R'n'B, soul, funk, and Latin/Santana type influences.. Check out Rab's great "Belfast Blues" album.