Bad Temper Joe - acoustic blues & slide guitar

In the organizer's words:

When it comes to blues in Germany, there is no way around Bad Temper Joe. The grumpy blues bard from the East Westphalian province has developed into an absolutely exceptional phenomenon on the blues scene in recent years. This is evidenced not only by the large number of albums with songs that are as raw as they are haunting that BTJ has released in the meantime. Winning the German Blues Challenge and being nominated for various blues awards and the German Record Critics' Award are also evidence of this. With dedication to the old bluesmen from the Mississippi Delta, Bad Temper Joe easily transports the blues, which has often been declared dead, into the 21st century - and does so with everything that characterizes blues at the highest level: excellent songwriting, a pronounced awareness of tradition and an engaging performance.

BTJ is also making waves internationally. In 2020, it was the only European act to make it through to the final of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, USA. The British Blues Matters Magazine's verdict is consistent: "It's hard to believe that the sounds of the Mississippi Delta have relocated to Germany, but they have."

With his new album "Glitter & Blues", the Bielefeld native is now presenting a milestone in his musical development. The album is not only characterized by BTJ's compositions, which have matured over the years. The twelve, mostly soft-rhythmic, excellently recorded new tracks also show how intensively Bad Temper Joe deals with the traditions of blues, country and folk for his art. He delves deep into music history in order to transform what he tracks down there and put his very own stamp on it. True to the motto: "You can't conquer the world if there's nothing left to conquer." The blues does not need to be reinvented. It radiates its charm best when it is played the way BTJ celebrates it on "Glitter & Blues": simply, honestly, not too seriously. In laments such as "Fountain of Weakness", the musician knows how to translate depression into lyrics and music. "Two Trains (Runnin' Different Ways)" takes up the traditional image of the moving train without falling into cliché. The piece is a tribute to the greats of the trade, BTJ's heroes: Muddy Waters, Robert Wilkins, Elizabeth Cotton, Big Bill Broonzy. But despite all the crushing heaviness and grumpiness that characterize the blues bard's appearance, "Glitter & Blues" also shows another side of BTJ: in songs that not only bring a smile to the listener, but also to the otherwise cool, grumpy musician. While Bad Temper Joe moves us to tears in the balladic epic "Cold Feet", the upbeat "Pink Panther" and the light-hearted "This Time Last Night" invite us to dance. The blissful country piece "All Over Again" has the potential to become a catchy tune. With the title track "Glitter & Blues", which is characterized by calm, deep vocals, BTJ shows just as much as with the growlingly humorous "If These Walls Could Talk" what possibilities the mostly simple-seeming traditional blues forms offer - and what power and intensity they contain.