Multi-Blues Music Award-winning artist Doug MacLeod brings his acoustic blues and charismatic drawl to Boulevard this weekend, and he told the News about what he has in store for Culver City…
When did you start playing and performing?
What got me interested in music is that I had a bad stutter, and I couldn’t really speak two words. I was playing bass in blues bands, because I was not the best guitar player so I had to play the bass. One day, I was sitting at home and I had a guitar, hearing all these blues songs with these blues bands, and I said, ‘I think I’m gonna try and sing.’ This voice you’re hearing now came out, and this voice doesn’t stutter. I mean, it stammers every once in a while, but not as bad as it was. So that’s how I got into music.
Describe your sound/style…
That’s hard to say, but, you know, I take influence from a lot of people. I’m known as an acoustic blues artist, which I certainly am, and I did learn from a lot of the old masters. I did do that, and I ran with them. But I’m also a jazz fan, and so you’ll hear me play things that maybe Kenny Burrell would play, or George Benson. I’m a big fan of Jerry Reed, you know, country music. So there’s a lot of different influences that have come into it. You know what it’s like? It’s a gumbo. It’s like all the stuff that I like in this gumbo. That’s what it is. You know how people say, ‘Man, you’ve got to have okra in gumbo.’ No, you don’t. If you don’t like okra, why do you want to put okra in there? Some things that I don’t want in my gumbo of music, I just don’t put them in there. So I say that’s my kind of acoustic blues.
What are your career highlights so far…
I think that meeting and opening for BB King was a real special time. Also being befriended by
the two main guys in the L.A. blues scene years ago – George “Harmonica” Smith, he was truly a second father to me, and Pee Wee Crayton was like the best uncle you could ever have. Those two guys. And I guess I’ll tell you the other thing that was a really big treat. It’s the first time I won a Blues Music award. Very cool.
What recorded music is available?
I can tell you about two of them. We got one called Raw Blues 2, which is nominated for the Blues Music award this this year for Acoustic Album of the Year. Raw Blues 1 just won the 2024
Blues Music award for Acoustic Album of the Year, and then in late spring, a brand new album coming out on Fresh by Reference Recordings, and it’s called Between Somewhere and Goodbye.
Have you performed at Boulevard before? Any memories?
I have. I know Gary Mandell and that gang, and I’m looking forward to coming back with him. I’ve got memories – you’ll hear probably the worst puns that are ever said on the face of the Earth if you’re around Gary, man.
What can we expect from the set this time?
Well, you can expect that I’ll have no idea what I’m doing until I get up here, and hopefully the first song will come. It usually does. It always does. And all that you can expect from me is nothing less than 100 percent. I follow this credo that I learned from Luther Allison before I play: I always say, leave the ego, play the music, and love the people.
What else do you have coming up?
Well, we got a few things coming up. Right after I get done with that show, I’m going up to Santa Barbara to do a show, and then I’m coming back. I’m going to be part of a gospel show in L.A. in April, and then going down to the Pinetop Perkins Teaching Experience in Clarksdale, MS, and some more things. And they’re just booking stuff now, behind the new tour. We’re looking to go back to the United Kingdom and Europe, and all through America.
Doug MacLeod performs at 8 p.m. on Friday, February 21 at Boulevard Music Go to boulevardmusic.com for more information about the show.
Elsewhere this week
The Culver Hotel will be hosting the likes of Sylvia & the Rhythm Boys, and Scotty Bramer. Go to culverhotel.com for more info.
There’s a full program of music at the Cinema Bar this week, as usual. The Hot Club of Los Angeles plays every Monday, and Wednesdays are singer/songwriter and open mic night. Other artists performing this week include Jim Doyle & Co., Tony Zamora Tremoloco Band, Patrolled by Radar, Tom Gramlich, High Revival, and more. Go to thecinemabar.com for more info.