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Template:Wikify-date The earliest Blues influences on New Zealand musicians were indirect - not from America but rather from the white British Blues musicians of the 1960's. First the R & B styles of The Animals and The Rolling Stones and later the Blues tinged Rock of groups such as Led Zeppelin.
The first American Blues artist to really make an impact in New Zealand was not until Stevie Ray Vaughan in the early 1990's. Other Blues related genres such as Soul and Gospel almost completely by-passed New Zealand audiences except for a handful of hits from cross-over artists such as Ray Charles.
While New Zealand probably does not have a definitive Blues style it does have many fine Blues artists, some excellent venues and an established following.

Venues

The Southern Blues Bar in Christchurch and The Bristol in Wellington are known for blues music.

Societies

New Zealand Blues Society.

Wellington Blues Club - Capital Blues.

Artists

Midge Marsden
The most well known New Zealand Blues artist. Midge’s career spans four decades and during that time he has played thousands of concerts in New Zealand and introduced several generations of New Zealanders to the Blues. He was voted New Zealand Entertainer of the Year in 1990 and his album "Burning Rain" later went gold. Midge has toured the USA four times and each time he has played with and befriended artists such as Mississippi Willie Foster, Bobby Mack, Ronnie Taylor, Aussie Dave Boyle and JulieAnne Banks. He has encouraged all these artists to subsequently tour New Zealand and thus broadened our appreciation of Blues styles and techniques. Midge was a student at the University of Mississippi in 1996 where he graduated with a Diploma in Southern Studies and more recently he has tutored at Waikato Polytechnic in Bluesology. Midge is a fine singer and excellent Blues harp player with an enthusiasm and energy on stage that involves the whole audience every night.

Darren Watson
Darren Watson is the full package with a powerful voice, an exciting delivery, a superb guitarist in a wide range of Blues styles and a fine songwriter. Darren lead the very popular Kiwi Blues band Smoke Shop, a band that featured on the NZ charts and toured extensively throughout New Zealand in the 1980’s and 1990’s. More recently Darren has recorded two successful albums including "King Size", which was nominated for Best Roots Album at the 2003 NZ Music Awards and his latest – "South Pacific Soul". This latest album has now been released in the US and showcases Darren’s songwriting talents. It also features a wider range of material including soulful songs that have been favourably compared to Elvis Costello and John Hiatt material.

Hammond Gamble
A charismatic singer and electrifying guitarist, Hammond Gamble came to considerable fame in the late 1970’s fronting one of the biggest bands on the New Zealand rock circuit at the time, Street Talk, and later the Hammond Gamble Band. He recorded two albums with Street Talk and three under his own name. Probably his best and most widely known recording is the live 1995 album "Plugged in and Blue". Hammond is also a very talented songwriter. Joe Cocker recorded his song "If You’ve Got Love, Give Me Some" and he also composed rock classics such as "Leaving the Country" and "Should I be Good or Should I be Evil". In 1992 and 1993 he had a number one hit with a rare non-original, "You Make the Whole World Smile". Gamble has won a number of New Zealand awards including Rock Performer of the Year, Album of the Year, APRA Silver Scroll and Film Soundtrack of the Year. He has been chosen as support in New Zealand for many major acts including Tina Turner, Talking Heads, Fleetwood Mac, Bonnie Raitt and Joe Cocker. Whether he is playing acoustic or electric, raging blues or subtle ballad, Gamble is a performer not to miss.

Mike Brosnan
Mike Brosnan is a songsmith of the first order, a powerful and emotional singer, and an excellent guitarist. Despite extensive international touring, for much of his early career he remained relatively unknown in the wider world. This lack of wider recognition was in all probability due the music industry's inability to pigeon hole his music, containing as it does such diverse influences; from rock to folk, from blues to Celtic to country. A highly accomplished yet understated guitarist, Brosnan plays lines that perfectly support his powerful baritone. And his slide guitar work is also considered a highlight, with many positive comparisons drawn with Ry Cooder’s best work. Mike now lives, performs and records very successfully in Germany and his latest album "Beneath Southland Skies" has been reviewed very favourably both in Europe and New Zealand. Included are the gritty, real-life details of "Another Song For The Road", the dark poetry of "Be With You" and the rocking opening track "Letter To A Friend". This album is his best to date.

The Windy City Strugglers
The Strugglers are one of New Zealand's most enduring bands based on the singing, songwriting and guitar playing of Bill Lake, and the immensely soulful vocals of Rick Bryant. Their long-serving band members are Andrew Delahunty on harmonica and mandolin, Geoff Rashbrooke on piano and guitar, Nick Bollinger on double bass, and drummer Steve Cournane. Their music is a unique amalgam of mostly black American styles, which has evolved into a personal expression combining the band's blues roots with a wide range of other historical and contemporary influences. Moving with ease from an acoustic format to a full electric lineup, the Strugglers are equally at home in a folk club, blues bar or concert hall. The group made its debut at the 1968 National Folk Festival when the line-up consisted only of Lake and Rashbrooke, with Geoff's brother Mike on jug. Rick Bryant, already a fixture on the Wellington R&B scene, joined soon after. Though numerous musicians passed through the ranks of the early Strugglers, the group has existed in more or less its current form since Andrew Delahunty and Nick Bollinger joined in the mid-1970s. While Rick and Bill also played in rock groups such as Mammal, the Pelicans and the Jive Bombers, the Strugglers always existed as an entity in its own right, performing whenever busy schedules make it possible. In 1990 Rick and Bill released "We're In The Same Boat, Brother", a cassette-only that included some Strugglers material. In 1994 the Strugglers released their own self-titled CD, which won Best Folk Album in the New Zealand Music Awards. In 1998 the Strugglers released their second CD, "On Top Of The World", which also became a Music Awards winner. "Snow On The Desert Road" is the new CD from the Windy City Strugglers. While the Strugglers' blues and jug band influences have been documented extensively on their previous albums "Snow On The Desert Road" breaks new ground in consisting entirely of original songs by singers Rick Bryant and Bill Lake (in collaboration with songwriting partner Arthur Baysting). Forty years on The Strugglers are performing more frequently and with more vitality than ever and have just finished a highly successful UK & European tour.

The Remarkable Beat Roosters
The Remarkable Beat Roosters was formed in the mid 1990's by members of Midge Marsden's band, Sid Limbert (bass), Freddy Limbert (drums) and Brian Harley (guitar) and became New Zealand's most powerful R 'n' B trio and rapidly gained a loyal cult following New Zealand-wide. Their only recording has become a collectors' item. "Live n Loose" was recorded in Sid's home studio in 1996. It is a cross section of their regular set material but the standout is Sid's original slow blues "Blues Still Blue" an evocative memory of the first time he visited Mississippi. The Remarkable Beat Roosters opened for the BB King Auckland concert in the early 1990's. BB was so impressed he called them up on stage at the end of the show. This was also a reunion with BB's long time drummer Caleb Emphryas who had taken Sid and Freddy fishing in Mississippi some years before. All the band members are still actively playing. Freddy Limbert has teamed up with Simen bluekeys Taylor to form a World class blues duo, Sid toured New Zealand with son Freddy, Simen and Darren Watson in 2005 and Brian Harley is still a national treasure – the finest Blues guitarist New Zealand has ever seen.

External links

New Zealand Blues and Views – – contains a growing selection of albums from New Zealand Blues artists.

New Zealand Blues Society - This web site contains an extensive archive of New Zealand Blues music reviews and articles, frequently updated New Zealand & International Blues news and New Zealand Blues artists directory.

Wellington Blues Club - Capital Blues - Includes a copy of the BLUZNUZ newsletter and details of the regular Thursday Roomfulla Blues at The Bristol.

• New Zealand styles of music