BUGS HENDERSON – Wears his blues on the sleeve of his lastest CD

BUGS HENDERSON PLAYED A STRONG SET AT JOHNS ALLEY IN MOSCOW, IDAHO ON 4-26-09. PHOTO BY BEN UPHAM.

Bugs Henderson wears his blues
on the sleeve of his latest CD
Cherie Bell
News Staff Writer
Sunday May 31, 1998

“Have Blues … Must Rock,” the latest CD by Dallas-based blues guitarist Bugs Henderson and the Shuffle Kings, is a consummate collection of blues styles, spanning rock, funk, swing, jazz and country. Opening with a shuffling blues rocker, “No One Owns the Blues,” Henderson mixes Texas and Chicago blues with masterful. lead work and raspy vocals. Six of Henderson’s originals on the CD include: “Chain Me,” with a rocking Motown beat; retro-’50s’ “My Baby”; fine guitar number, “Drug Store Blues”; sexy “Thirteen Ways”; and the biographical “Look What Love Can Do,” with a message on overcoming the drug scene by the love of Henderson’s longtime wife.

Other tunes on the recording are as diverse, from the Latin-influenced “Lovin’ Yourself to the waltzy narrative “Tramp On Your Street,” and a bluesy twist on the Merle Haggard country standard, “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink.” Concluding the CD are “Hide Away,” a Chicago blues instrumental with searing guitar licks by Henderson, and interesting audio liner notes with the artist discussing inspiration for each song written and those chosen for recording.

Joining Henderson on the recording were Keith Jones on bass, Buddy Henderson on drums and Jack ‘The Rose’ Reece on second guitar. Raised in Tyler, Henderson was nicknamed for his guitar speed. For years he was studio guitarist at Robin Hood Studios and in his 30-year career has shared the stage with a Who’s Who of guitarists including B.B. King, Freddie King, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Ted Nugent. Henderson is a Deep Ellum staple and resides in Garland. The title track, “Have Blues … Must Rock,” is another Henderson-penned original recorded with innovative breaks and a flatly understood chorus:

“Have blues, must rock. If it’s too much for you, take a walk.” Recorded in Natura, Okla.,
“Have Blues … Must Rock” is released on Burnside Records Inc., Portland, Ore.

BUGS HENDERSON DISCOGRAPHY:
1978 At Last (Live)
1981 Still Flyin’
1986 Texan Eagles
1988 American Music
1993 Years in the Jungle
1994 Daredevils of the Red Guitar
1995 That’s the Truth (Live)
1996 Four Tens Strike Again
1997 Legendary Jams (Live ’76-’80)
1998 Have Blues, Must Rock
2000 Call of the Wild (Live)
2001 Adventures of the Shuffle Kings
2003 We’re a Texas band (Live)
2004 Stormy Love
2008 Blue Music
2009 Vienna Calling

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO SEE BUGS HENDERSON PHOTOS:
BUGS HENDERSON PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM