Saturday, December 16, 2017

KUDZOO Christmas Issue Published!

Hi Gang!
The new edition of KUDZOO magazine is now LIVE!

NOTE: When the link opens, there is a navigational page. Just click on it to make it disappear. By default the magazine will appear two pages side by side, but If you’re like me, I’d rather look at one page at a time. Note the icon bar right under your browser bar and above the magazine on the left. The magnifying glass is self-expanitory. The left and right arrows are for page navigate, although you can also flip pages using the faint grey arrows to the sides of each page in the black arrow.

Another new feature. If you want to download the issue to keep as a PDF or to print out. You can find s link on the KUDZOO hope page.

            Let me begin by wishing you the HAPPIEST of Holidays! If you’re like me, it’s Christmas, always a wonderful time of year!  To my Jewish friends, I wish a blessed and Happy Hanukkah. and no matter if you are celebrating Kwanza, the Winter Solstice or simply the end of another year, may everyone be happy and blessed. Pray for peace.
            We are thrilled to offer of the latest issue of KUDZOO Magazine, free as always. Our cover story has been a long time coming. I had former Outlaws bassist Harvey Dalton Arnold on the KUDZOO Radio hour a couple of years ago, but I’ve long wanted to have a more in depth conversation with Harvey.
            In addition to our Outlaw buddy, we dug up an interview we did around ten years ago with founding Marshall Tucker Band drummer, Paul T. Riddle, The interview was conducted for a project that never came to fruition, and now we are pleased as punch to present it here for the first time ever!  What a drummer! What a guy!
Speaking of “what a guy,” we also have for you guys a new interview with guitar hero Tommy Talton. It’s all about 1974, and the recording of Laid Back and the subsequent tour that became a remarkable double live album for Gregg Allman. Good stuff.
            We also review not one, not two, but three concerts that were staged in support of the planned Southern Rock Hall of Fame. One in Greenville, SC hosted by Big Blue Planet; one on Chapel Hill, NC hosted by Idlewild South; and one in Middleberg, Florida, the Full Moon Festival, organized by Keith Hall and the American Legion Post. We have a photo feature on Full Moon as well!
            Speaking of photos. Bill Thames kindly allowed us to use many of his excellent photos taken at the Johnny Sandlin Memorial Concert. So many familiar faces. Wish I could have been there!
            We present an article on The Southern Rock Hall of Fame & Museum, our hopes and dreams, with a huge shout out to those who have helped out and expressed interest already.
            In addition to all of this, we have restaurant reviews, a tasty “tailgating” recipe, tons of CD reviews and DVD reviews, and a book review of the long-awaited Charlie Daniels memoir book. (My advice? Ask Santa for a signed copy!)
            As I said at the outset, Happy Holidays, take care of one another and I hope you enjoy this new issue, straight off of the cyber press!



  - Michael Buffalo Smith
  michaelbuffalosmith@gmail.com



Monday, July 10, 2017

New Book Signings and Gigs Announced!

Hi Gang!
It looks like your friendly neighborhood Buffalo is hitting the road a bit this fall! We are very pleased to announce three different shows that will benefit The Southern Rock Hall of Fame! Many thanks to everyone involved. Plus I have a book signing alongside my friend and fellow author Willie Perkins (The Allman Brothers Band). Hope to see you guys at some of these appearances. As always, come up and speak to me. I am getting older and might not recognize your face, so please let me know!  All the best to all of you 'uns.  Buffalo


• September 23, 2017 
   Augusta University, Summerville Campus
   Augusta, Ga
   Signing and reading from Capricorn Rising along with Allman Brothers Band hero and author Willie Perkins! 

• September 30, 2017
   Earthfest
   Craft & Barrel, Greenville, SC
     Benefitting the Southern Rock Hall of Fame and Museum
   with Big Blue Planet & Randomonium


• October 21, 2017
   (dinner & mixer the night before) 
   Southern Rock Celebration
   Benefitting the Southern Rock Hall of Fame and Museum
   MBS with The Silver Travis Band!
   BANDS TBA. LOTS OF REAL LEGENDARY SOUTHERN ROCK STARS!
   3939 County Road 218
   Middleberg, FL


• Sunday, October 29, 2017
   1:00 - 6:00 PM
   One for Duane
   The Maywood, Raleigh, NC
   Benefitting the Southern Rock Hall of Fame and Museum
   Featuring the Allman Brothers Tribute Band, Idlewild South
   and Friends, including Michael Buffalo Smith

Tuesday, July 4, 2017

The Southern Rock Hall of Fame Lives!

After many, many years of dreaming, hoping, and planning and filling countless spiral-bound notebooks with my grandiose plans, the Southern Rock Hall of Fame & Museum, Inc has taken the first big step in launching our official website at www.southernrockhall.org. We encourage everyone to have a look and e-mail us your thoughts at southernrockhall@yahoo.com. Please check out our ever growing list of Southern bands, artists, songwriters, producers and industry folk. Note the ongoing fundraiser campaign and our Donors page, where we list everyone who has donated money or talents since day one. (Donation page is here https://www.gofundme.com/southernrockhalloffame) There's also an ongoing photo gallery.

We have also launched a special Instagram account for the SRHOF
https://www.instagram.com/southernrockhall/

And our official Twitter account
https://twitter.com/southrockhall

And of course the Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/southernrockhall/

We encourage you to follow us all of them. We have quite a few surprises in store for followers!

In News, our organization has been granted the status of non-profit Corporation in the State of South Carolina! Paperwork is nearly done that will make us a national non-profit tex-exempt corporation!
I'd like personally thank all of those who have made donations to the project thus far. Believe me when I say that you will never be forgotten. Be sure to visit to visit the Donors page on the website to see your name listed!

To keep up with all the goings on as we move toward building a physical museum, be sure to read the News page on the official website!

Thanks again y'all. Let's make this thing happen.
Let's make Southern Rock GREAT again!

Buffalo

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Review: New Opus from Tommy Talton Rocks

Tommy Talton
Somewhere South of Eden
(Indie)
I have been a fan of Tommy Talton since his days with Cowboy back during the seventies. The Capricorn Records recording band was among my Top- Ten favorite bands of the decade, along with The Allman Brothers Band and the Marshall Tucker Band, and their song “Please Be with Me” remains one of my favorite songs to this very day.
When Tommy Talton began releasing a string of solo albums, I was always first in line to hear his new music. It was never disappointing, ever. With Somewhere South of Eden, Talton ups the ante. This is one of his best efforts yet, from the beautiful and melodic title track to the mesmerizing “When I Fall Asleep Again.” I remember hearing the latter on a demo several years ago, and falling in love with the song back then. Tommy has a way of delivering a ballad that is unparalleled.
On Somewhere South of Eden, Talton plays all of the guitar parts and handles vocals, accompanied by drummer Bryan Owings [Tony Joe White, Buddy Miller, Emmy Lou Harris] and bassist Chris Donohue [Emmy Lou Harris, Lucinda Williams, Alison Krauss]. The basic tracks were recorded by David Pinkston, in Hendersonville, Tn.
Other all-star players include keyboardists Chuck Leavell [Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Allman Bros.]; Spooner Oldham [Muscle Shoals “Swamper”]; Ike Stubblefield [Motown star organist]; Steve Conn [singer-songwriter, Sonny Landreth, Bonnie Raitt]; John Ginty [soloist and organist with Dixie Chicks]; Kenny Head [John Barry, Georgia Satellites, Tommy Talton Band]; along with Jeff Mosier on banjo, [Blueground Undergrass, Col. Bruce Hampton]. Friends Randall Bramblett [Cowboy, Sea Level] and Tom Ryan [Shawn Mullins] add saxophones. Vocalist Deborah Reece adds soulful harmonies to three of the tracks here, Markham White [engineer/mixer for the album] adds guitar parts on two of the tracks.
The album gets underway with a rocking “I Can’t Believe it,” fueled by horns and a celebratory lyric and featuring a smooth sax solo from Randall Bramblett. “Hard Situation” is a heartfelt blues that is enhanced by the accordion mastery of Steve Conn. Chuck Leavell – probably my all-time favorite pianist-  adds piano on “Poblano,” an excellent instrumental that hints at Carlos Santana one minute and Dickey Betts the next. It’s a wonderful guitar song, enhanced by the drumming of David Keith.
Jeff Mosier brings banjo and vocals to the hoedown of “Don’t Go Away,” a true bluegrass surprise that really works well. Kenny Head plays piano on Its Gonna Come Down on You,” a song that features some mighty nice acoustic guitar as well as a rocking electric lead.
            The star power continues with “I Surrender,” a great song about the aftermath of a break up, and the feeling of just giving up and giving in. Tommy brings in more legends, Ike Stubblefield on organ and Spooner Oldham on Wurlitzer piano. Now how much would you pay?
            “Waiting On the Saints” is a serious groove that is meant to be played loud. Turn it up to eleven. It’s a goodie. And as I said in the beginning, the title track, “Somewhere South of Eden,” is another of Tommy’s beautiful ballads, with crying slide guitar and lyrics that could have easily been penned by Bob Dylan. This one is one of my favorite tracks on the release, eclipsed only by the aforementioned “When I Fall Asleep Again.”
Throughout all of the songs Talton’s guitar is front and center, shining through like a beacon, whether he is playing electric or acoustic or slide, as on “We Are Calling,” a song on which the slide is the star. Simply astounding.
After half a century of playing, from We The People to Cowboy to his solo band, Tommy Talton is still making music that is both viable and extremely enjoyable. Talton continues to age like the finest wine. Drink him in.

-       Michael Buffalo Smith