San Diego Reader

Karl Cabbage: Harmonica | Tom Walpole: Guitar (acoustic), Guitar (electric) | Charmaine Tam: Bass guitar | Steve Tomae: Drums | Harry Williams: Keyboards

Genre: Blues & Soul, Country, Rock

RIYL: Muddy Waters, Bharath and his Rhythm Four, Catfish Blues Trio

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Related Links

• West of Memphis website

• MySpace page · Dec. 31, 2007

Synoposis

Inception: San Diego, 1999

Influences: Muddy Waters, Little Walter, James Harman, Little Charlie and the Nightcats, Kim Wilson, Howlin' Wolf, Junior Wells, James Cotton, Jimmy Rogers, Jimmy Reed, Lightnin' Hopkins, Robert Lockwood, Jr.

Background:

West of Memphis was founded in 1999 by harmonica player Karl Cabbage and guitarist Tom Walpole. Committed to playing high quality and authentic American blues music, West of Memphis has not succumbed to market pressures that would have the band lazily following the road well traveled.

In 2006, West of Memphis released their debut effort, Monkey Business, which earned the band a San Diego Music Awards nomination for "Best Blues Album" in 2006. In 2007, the band headed north to Montreal on the invitation from Canadian bluesman and harmonicia player extraordinaire Bharath Rajakumar, to record the follow up album Honey Pie.

In September 2009, the band won Best Blues at the San Diego Music Awards.

Discography