Eddie Kold Band – Blues In My Heart
Eddie Kold Band – Blues In My Heart
Format: CD – Digital
Label: L+R Records
Release: 2025
The Eddie Kold Band – Chicago Roots, European Fire
The Eddie Kold Band stands at the crossroads of Chicago’s gritty blues tradition and Cologne’s vibrant music scene
Led by guitarist and educator Eddie Kold, the band has carved out a reputation for raw authenticity, soulful storytelling, and stage-shaking performances.
With two acclaimed releases on the legendary L+R Records, both recorded in Chicago and featuring a host of scene-defining guest artists, the band has proven its deep connection to the heart of the blues. These sessions captured the spirit of the South Side—live, loud, and loaded with soul.
Fronted by powerhouse vocalist Larry Doc Watkins, the band blends classic blues tones with fresh energy. Watkins’ voice—featured on the upcoming single “Lipstick on Your Bra” (Nov/Dec 2025)—brings fire and finesse to every verse.
Whether on record or on stage, the Eddie Kold Band delivers blues that’s lived-in, loved, and loud.
13 tracks of honest, handmade blues – recorded in Cologne, with international guests from Chicago and Finland
– 11 original songs written by Eddie Kold & Larry “Doc” Watkins
– Larry Watkins on vocals for 9 tracks + 1 instrumental + 1 sung by Eddie
– Special guests include:
• Tom Holland (guitar on 2 tracks)
• LP Davenport (Further On Up The Road)
• Melon Davenport (Last Two Dollars)
• Trina William (background vocals)
• Terho Keskitapio (guitar solo on the title track Blues In My Heart)
I first arrived in Chicago in 1986, fresh from my civil service in Germany, carrying a guitar, a head full of blues, and a burning curiosity about the city that had shaped so many of my heroes. The Rolling Stones had led me to Muddy Waters, and Muddy led me here — to Chicago, where the blues wasn’t just music, it was life.
From my very first nights, I immersed myself in the clubs. I visited BLUES on Halsted, Kingston Mines, and Wise Fools Upstairs, letting the music wash over me. At Biddy Mulligans, I saw legends on stage together: Eddie Clearwater, Lonnie Brooks, Magic Slim, Junior Wells, Fenton Robinson, Buddy Guy, and even Albert King. I saw Larry Davis perform at BLUES one night — the tone, the phrasing, the sheer presence — it stayed with me forever. These experiences were schooling in themselves; watching the masters shaped my ears, my fingers, and my understanding of what the blues could be.
By 1989, I started stepping onto those very stages myself. At the Checkerboard Lounge, I performed with Vance Kelly, and the club quickly felt like a second home. Around the corner at Lee’s Unleaded Blues, I played with Buddy Scott & The Rib Tips, learning the pulse of South Side soul-blues. I jammed with Buster Benton and Johnny B. Moore, soaking up their technique and stage presence. Every night was a lesson, every set a chance to grow.
The early ’90s were a whirlwind. I became a regular with Vance Kelly’s Backstreet Blues Band at Lee’s Unleaded, and at the Tam Tam Lounge, I played alongside L.V. Banks, whose fiery guitar taught me the essence of South Side blues. One night, Robert Jr. Lockwood dropped by — I backed him for a set. It was surreal, playing with someone who had learned directly from Robert Johnson. The strings, the phrasing, the history in his hands — it was humbling and thrilling at the same time.
Some nights were historic for other reasons. At Legends, I was on stage with Professor Eddie Lusk when news came that Stevie Ray Vaughan had died. Everyone in the club was waiting for Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, and Stevie Ray himself. They never came. The room was heavy with grief, yet charged with music — a reminder that the blues carries both sorrow and celebration.
I also had the privilege of performing and sitting in with some of soul-blues’ greatest voices: Otis Clay, Tyrone Davis, Alvin Cash, Little Scotty, and occasionally backing Artie White. Seeing legends like Bobby “Blue” Bland, Little Milton, Latimore, Denise LaSalle, Marvin Sease, and vocal groups like The Manhattans, The Chi-Lites, and The Dells, often more than once, taught me phrasing, timing, and the subtle emotional storytelling that defines soul-blues. Each show was a masterclass, and every night added depth to my playing.
In 1992, I performed with Zora Young at the Chicago Blues Festival, a thrilling experience in front of tens of thousands of fans. That same year, we toured internationally: Montreal Jazz Festival, Winnipeg Blues Festival, and the nationally broadcast Mountain Stage Radio Show. Later, a European tour with Zora brought us to Tiel, Amsterdam, and Brügge, spreading the Chicago sound to audiences who had never set foot in a blues club before.
Even amidst festivals and tours, the clubs remained central to my experience. Checkerboard, Blue Chicago, Lee’s Unleaded, Tam Tam, Legends — each stage taught something different: the raw energy of South Side dives, the tight grooves of West Side bands, the connection between musicians and audience, and the way blues could be both a conversation and a story.
Through it all, I tried to carry the lessons of every night. Playing with Vance Kelly, Buddy Scott, L.V. Banks, Zora Young, Buster Benton, Johnny B. Moore, Robert Jr. Lockwood, and the others, I learned to listen, to respond, to honor the history behind each note. Chicago may not have been my birthplace, but through years of performing, jamming, witnessing legends, and touring with the music, it became the home of my musical heart. The city’s blues lives in every string I touch, every stage I step on, and every audience I meet.
Website: https://www.eddiekold.com/
Tracks:
01. Around Three or Four
02. Backpain
03. Burnin’ Outta Control
04. Further on up the Road
05. Girls
06. Blues in My Heart
07. I’ve Got to Find a Woman
08. Last Two Dollars
09. Lipstick on Your Bra
10. Lovesick Blues
11. My Whole World Shook
12. Student
13. Three Way Combination