artists & venues
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artists & venues |
 Yoko Arimichi on August 28, 2007 by Robert Livingston |  Yoko Arimich with Freddie Roulette on August 28, 2007 by Robert Livingston |  Burton Winn on September 26, 2006 by Franck Daude |
 Yoko Arimichi on April 27, 2005 by Greg Stathes |  |  Yoko Arimichi on September 26, 2006 by Franck Daude |
 Dick McDonough on August 28, 2007 by Robert Livingston |  Burton Winn on August 28, 2007 by Robert Livingston |
 Yoko Arimichi and bassist Burton Winn on June 28, 2005 -- photo by Greg Stathes |
Yoko Arimichi is a native of Okayama, Japan. Displaying musical talent at a young age, she learned to sing and to play a variety of instruments; piano, percussion, mandolin, flute and guitar and was exposed to a broad spectrum of music from classical and marching band to rock & roll, folk, country rock and hard rock. While still in Japan, Yoko formed her first 5-piece rock & roll band with her junior high classmates in 1966. She moved to Kobe for about six years in the 1970's and played music there too, mostly folk and rock. Sailing to the United States in 1977, yearning to play with American musicians, Yoko landed first in Texas. After traveling around the States, including California, for several months, she decided to hit the road with her guitar and suitcase and moved to San Francisco. Yoko started out her musical life in San Francisco as a street musician. She was soon picking up blues styles by jamming with such street artists as The Jazz Street Theatre and the original six-piece Powell Street Blues Band, which she formed with other street players in 1978. Today, Yoko still leads The Powell Street
Blues Band with her bass player Burton Winn and drummer Dick
McDonough. The band plays old blues standards, urban blues, rhythm
& blues, rock & roll plus Yoko's original compositions.
She has been playing at The Saloon in San Francisco Yoko's early influences Yoko's influences in
Blues |
 photo by Cheryl Holzmeyer |
Bass player Burton Winn and Yoko Arimichi herself in the firm hands of drummer Dick McDonough. Photo taken September 30, 2003 -- the 25th Anniversary of Yoko's Powell Street Blues Band's regular monthly gig at The Saloon. She is The Dean of The Saloon -- senior even to Johnny Nitro!
bigger anniversary drawing (watercolor?), and a new one |
Yoko Arimichi might seem an unlikely name for a Strat-slinging blues artist but when you hear her play you forget all that. Named for street shows at the Powell & Market cablecar turnaround plaza dating from 1978, The Powell Street Blues Band has been playing at The Saloon since 1979. Repertoire includes but is not limited to songs by Freddie King, B.B. King, Otis Rush, KoKo Taylor, Julia Lee, Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Johnny Winter, Roy Buchanan and The Fabulous Thunderbirds. These days Yoko has Burton Winn on bass.
The Powell Street
Blues Band has been performing as a trio lately. Says bassist Burton, "PSBB works well
as a trio.
"No guest artist to fool with, Myron's happy and we make
more money, plus with everyone on the same page, the music is
better."
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photo by Tsuyoshi HorikiYoko Arimichi and Yoko with once and current members of The Powell Street Blues Band. Former guitar Willie Perez, Wilf Murray on drums, Burton Winn on blue bass (below too) at the band's 20th Anniversary bash at The Saloon.
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artists & venues |