Bad Temper Joe

Wenn es um Blues in deutschen Landen geht, führt an Bad Temper Joe kein Weg mehr vorbei. Der mürrische Bluesbarde aus der ostwestfälischen Provinz hat sich in den letzten Jahren zu einer absoluten Ausnahmeerscheinung der Blues-Szene entwickelt. Davon zeugt nicht nur die Vielzahl an Alben mit ebenso rauen wie eindringlichen Songs, die BTJ zwischenzeitlich vorgelegt hat. Davon zeugen auch der Gewinn der German Blues Challenge, sowie die Nominierungen für diverse Blues-Awards und den Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik. Mit Hingabe zu den alten Bluesern aus dem Mississippi-Delta überführt Bad Temper Joe den oft totgesagten Blues mit Leichtigkeit ins 21. Jahrhundert – und das mit allem, was Blues auf höchstem Niveau auszeichnet: exzellentes Songwriting, ausgeprägtes Traditionsbewusstsein, einnehmende Performance. Auch international schlägt BTJ Wellen. 2020 konnte er sich als einziger europäischer Act im Finale der International Blues Challenge in Memphis, USA behaupten. Das britische Blues Matters Magazine urteilt folgerichtig: „It’s hard to believe that the sounds of the Mississippi-Delta have relocated to Germany, but they have.”

Mit „The Maddest of Them All: Curated Collection“ kündigt Bad Temper Joe über das Osnabrücker Plattenlabel Timezone die Veröffentlichung einer besonderen Neuauflage seines Albums von 2019 an. Ursprünglich als Doppelalbum erschienen, bestand das Werk aus 22 Liedern in zwei klar getrennten Teilen: einem akustischen Part, in dem BTJ seine Kompositionen alleine und mit minimaler Unterstützung von David Lübke an Banjo, Gitarre und Gesang präsentierte, und einem überwiegend elektrischen Part mit kompletter Band, bestehend aus elektrischer Gitarre, Schlagzeug, Bass und Mundharmonika. Doch die Zeit zeigte dem Bielefelder Sänger, Gitarristen und Songwriter, dass sich die Hörer:innen oft auf einen der beiden Teile konzentrierten. „Einige meiner persönlich favorisierten Stücke aus beiden Teilen sind so überhört worden“, so BTJ. Mit der „Curated Collection“ wurde nun ein einheitliches und stimmiges Album

geschaffen, das das Beste aus beiden Teilen vereint, dabei dem ursprünglichen Geist des Albums treu bleibt und die Lieder präsentiert, die im Laufe der Jahre zu festen Bestandteilen von Bad Temper Joes Live-Auftritten geworden sind.

„The Maddest of Them All: Curated Collection“ zeigt eindrucksvoll, mit welcher Kraft, Tiefe und Selbstverständlichkeit der Bluesbarde damals bereits komponierte. Diese Qualität, verstärkt durch die Unterstützung seiner Mitmusiker, macht das Album auch über ein halbes Jahrzehnt nach seiner Erstveröffentlichung zu einem seiner stärksten Werke. Die sorgfältig ausgewählte Songauswahl verleiht ihm zusätzliche Raffinesse. Dieses Album darf in keiner Sammlung der Bad Temper Joe-Fans fehlen und ist zugleich der ideale Einstieg für diejenigen, die seine Musik noch entdecken möchten.

01 Hell's Gonna Fly
02 Waiting in Vain
03 Bury Me Anyplace but Mississippi
04 Cheap Beer & One Night Stands
05 Blues Never Stumbles
06 Postcards Ain't Enough
07 Races to Run
08 Our Love (For Livia)
09 Everything's Gonna Be Just Fine
10 My Favorite Things
11 Bad Gasoline
12 Rebel River Incident
13 Mind Over Matter
14 Highway Takes the Lonely

Wenn es um Blues in deutschen Landen geht, führt an Bad Temper Joe kein Weg mehr vorbei. Der mürrische Bluesbarde aus der ostwestfälischen Provinz hat sich in den letzten Jahren zu einer absoluten Ausnahmeerscheinung der Blues-Szene entwickelt. Davon zeugt nicht nur die Vielzahl an Alben mit ebenso rauen wie eindringlichen Songs, die BTJ zwischenzeitlich vorgelegt hat. Davon zeugen auch der Gewinn der German Blues Challenge, sowie die Nominierungen für diverse Blues-Awards und den Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik. Mit Hingabe zu den alten Bluesern aus dem Mississippi-Delta überführt Bad Temper Joe den oft totgesagten Blues mit Leichtigkeit ins 21. Jahrhundert – und das mit allem, was Blues auf höchstem Niveau auszeichnet: exzellentes Songwriting, ausgeprägtes Traditionsbewusstsein, einnehmende Performance. Auch international schlägt BTJ Wellen. 2020 konnte er sich als einziger europäischer Act im Finale der International Blues Challenge in Memphis, USA behaupten. Das britische Blues Matters Magazine urteilt folgerichtig: „It’s hard to believe that the sounds of the Mississippi-Delta have relocated to Germany, but they have.”
Mit „At the Villa“ präsentiert der talentierte Gitarrist, Sänger und Komponist eine bemerkenswerte Akustik-EP. Nach seinen Alben „One Can Wreck It All“, „No Filter (One Take Radio Recordings)“, „Glitter & Blues“ und zahlreichen Aufnahmen mit verschiedenen Formationen konzentriert sich diese Veröffentlichung wieder ganz auf seine charakteristische Stimme und sein virtuoses Spiel auf der Weissenborn Lap Steel und der Resonatorgitarre. Die fünf Eigenkompositionen wurden so roh wie möglich in der einzigartigen Atmosphäre der Vita-Villa im niedersächsischen Wolfenbüttel aufgenommen, ohne künstliche Elemente oder nachträgliche Bearbeitung. Obwohl der reduzierte Sound als wenig modern erscheinen mag, gelingt es BTJ, eine frische und fesselnde Blues-EP zu erschaffen. Der puristische und dennoch warme Klang lässt die Hörer:innen das Gefühl haben, direkt bei den Aufnahmen vor Ort zu sein. Der charismatische Griesgram unterstreicht erneut sein einzigartiges Geschick beim Komponieren und Texten, indem er die Tradition des Blues aufgreift und dabei eine Originalität präsentiert, die in Europa seinesgleichen sucht.
Nach dem Erfolg der Akustik-EP „The Memphis Tapes“ von 2020, die im legendären Sun Studio in Memphis aufgenommen und ausschließlich auf Vinyl veröffentlicht wurde, wählen Bad Temper Joe und das Osnabrücker Plattenlabel Timezone dieses Mal einen anderen Ansatz. Neben der Veröffentlichung auf CD im Digisleeve mit Booklet, das alle Liedtexte enthält, sowie digital auf allen Musikstreamingdiensten, wird die EP auch von einem Film aus der Vita-Villa ergänzt. Dieser Film schafft durch einzigartige Kamerafahrten eine ungewöhnliche Nähe zum Musiker und stellt auf beeindruckende Weise BTJs Klasse als Solokünstler unter Beweis. „At the Villa“ weckt die Vorfreude auf ein baldiges, vollständiges Album, während die EP hoffentlich nur als Teaser dient, um die Wartezeit zu verkürzen.

01 If Her Hair Ain’t Longer Than Mine
02 Reinventing the Blues
03 Berlin, Springtime Rain
04 Bad Name
05 Man for the Road

The blues in Germany has a large listenership and draws equally from the artists who represent it. Two flourishing names of the scene are those of the Westphalian blues artists Michael van Merwyk and Bad Temper Joe. The two giants, MvM measures 2 m, BTJ after all 1.95 m tall, have distinguished themselves over the years as independent personalities and musicians. The elder van Merwyk celebrates his 40th stage anniversary in 2024, the younger Joe in the same year 10 years since the release of his first album. Bad Temper Joe's musical career was shaped by Michael van Merwyk from the very beginning and he was always there to mentor and support him. With "Songs 'n' Slide" they now release their first album together via the Osnabrück record label Timezone. As it couldn't be more fitting for the raw and rousing acoustic blues of the two, the longplayer is released exclusively on 12'' vinyl. So it's time to get a drink ready, put on the record, sit down, lean back and listen to the incomparable sounds of the two musicians. This is the way to enjoy music. 

Side A
01 Flyin’
02 Fight The Darkness
03 Most Things Haven’t Worked Out Yet
04 Next To You
05 Bad Bad Blues

Side B
06 If Tears Were Diamonds
07 Next Trouble To Come
08 Blues Keeps Calling My Name
09 Hell’s Gonna Fly
10 Will Love Find Me Again

If you seek some of Europe's finest blues and roots artists, songwriters and guitarists, look no further than Germany's Bad Temper Joe. While honoring the old bluesmen from the Mississippi Delta, Bad Temper Joe brings the blues into the 21st Century – and does so with excellent songwriting, a powerful performance, and staying true to the tradition. With songs as raw as they are haunting, the grumpy blues bard has gained attention in the blues scene over the last few years, receiving numerous nominations for blues awards and winning the German Blues Challenge in 2022. But the German has also already been making waves in the international blues scene, and was the only European Act to reach the finals of the 2020 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. As the British Blues Matters Magazine put it, “It’s hard to believe that the sounds of the Mississippi-Delta have relocated to Germany, but they have.”
Bad Temper Joe's brand-new album, Glitter & Blues, marks a milestone in his music. The record is shaped by Bad Temper Joe's matured composing. In the album he intensively explores the traditions of blues, country and folk music in the twelve, mostly soft-rhythmic, tracks. While the album shows off Bad Temper Joe’s unique style and one-of-a-kind sound, it remains true to the genre. The blues exudes its charm best when played the way BTJ celebrates it on Glitter & Blues: simple, honest, with a twinkle in his eyes. In dirges like “Fountain of Weakness” the musician translates depression into lyrics and music. “Two Trains (Runnin' Different Ways)” uses the traditional imagery of a rolling train without falling into clichés. The song is a nod to the greats of the blues and Bad Temper Joe's heroes: Muddy Waters, Robert Wilkins, Elizabeth Cotton and Big Bill Broonzy.
Yet despite the blues bard’s namesake grumpiness, Glitter & Blues shows another side of Bad Temper Joe-songs that bring a smile not only to the listeners' face, but clearly also to the musician’s. While the songwriter still includes plenty of melancholy in the ballad-like epic “Cold Feet”, songs like the vivid “Pink Panther” and the light-hearted “This Time Last Night” will get listeners’ feet tapping and bodies rocking. The blissful country song “All Over Again” is the catchiest tune of the album. Finally, Bad Temper Joe shows what possibilities the blues form offers – and what power and intensity they contain – with the title track “Glitter & Blues,” which is characterized by his quiet, deep vocals, and the dourly-humorous “If These Walls Could Talk.”
German record label Timezone will release Bad Temper Joe's eighth studio album Glitter & Blues on November 25, 2022, on CD and on all digital platforms. It will also be available in spring 2023 as a long player on 12" vinyl. For blues aficionados and fans of Bad Temper Joe, or for those who are just curious, Glitter & Blues is an absolute must-have.

Side A
01 Glitter & Blues
02 Cold Feet
03 Pink Panther
04 Long Gone Friend Blues
05 She’s Got A Hold On Me
06 Travel Light

Side B
01 All Over Again
02 Fountain Of Weakness
03 Two Trains (Runnin’ Different Ways)
04 If These Walls Could Talk
05 This Time Last Night
06 Who Are You

Preorder - shipping in time for the release on November 25th.

If you seek some of Europe's finest blues and roots artists, songwriters and guitarists, look no further than Germany's Bad Temper Joe. While honoring the old bluesmen from the Mississippi Delta, Bad Temper Joe brings the blues into the 21st Century – and does so with excellent songwriting, a powerful performance, and staying true to the tradition. With songs as raw as they are haunting, the grumpy blues bard has gained attention in the blues scene over the last few years, receiving numerous nominations for blues awards and winning the German Blues Challenge in 2022. But the German has also already been making waves in the international blues scene, and was the only European Act to reach the finals of the 2020 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. As the British Blues Matters Magazine put it, “It’s hard to believe that the sounds of the Mississippi-Delta have relocated to Germany, but they have.”
Bad Temper Joe's brand-new album, Glitter & Blues, marks a milestone in his music. The record is shaped by Bad Temper Joe's matured composing. In the album he intensively explores the traditions of blues, country and folk music in the twelve, mostly soft-rhythmic, tracks. While the album shows off Bad Temper Joe’s unique style and one-of-a-kind sound, it remains true to the genre. The blues exudes its charm best when played the way BTJ celebrates it on Glitter & Blues: simple, honest, with a twinkle in his eyes. In dirges like “Fountain of Weakness” the musician translates depression into lyrics and music. “Two Trains (Runnin' Different Ways)” uses the traditional imagery of a rolling train without falling into clichés. The song is a nod to the greats of the blues and Bad Temper Joe's heroes: Muddy Waters, Robert Wilkins, Elizabeth Cotton and Big Bill Broonzy.
Yet despite the blues bard’s namesake grumpiness, Glitter & Blues shows another side of Bad Temper Joe-songs that bring a smile not only to the listeners' face, but clearly also to the musician’s. While the songwriter still includes plenty of melancholy in the ballad-like epic “Cold Feet”, songs like the vivid “Pink Panther” and the light-hearted “This Time Last Night” will get listeners’ feet tapping and bodies rocking. The blissful country song “All Over Again” is the catchiest tune of the album. Finally, Bad Temper Joe shows what possibilities the blues form offers – and what power and intensity they contain – with the title track “Glitter & Blues,” which is characterized by his quiet, deep vocals, and the dourly-humorous “If These Walls Could Talk.”
German record label Timezone will release Bad Temper Joe's eighth studio album Glitter & Blues on November 25, 2022, on CD and on all digital platforms. It will also be available in spring 2023 as a long player on 12" vinyl. For blues aficionados and fans of Bad Temper Joe, or for those who are just curious, Glitter & Blues is an absolute must-have.

01 Glitter & Blues
02 Cold Feet
03 Pink Panther
04 Long Gone Friend Blues
05 She’s Got A Hold On Me
06 Travel Light
07 All Over Again
08 Fountain Of Weakness
09 Two Trains (Runnin’ Different Ways)
10 If These Walls Could Talk
11 This Time Last Night
12 Who Are You

Herren Premiumshirt Logo Bad Temper Joe

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Damen Premiumshirt Logo Bad Temper Joe

Material: 100% gekämmte, ringgesponnene Baumwolle
Grammatur: 185 g/m²
Verarbeitung: Doppelte Steppnaht an den Säumen + 1x1 Ripp-Kragen + Vorgeschrumpft
Schnitt: Leicht taillierter Schnitt + Rundhalsausschnitt
Extras: Heraustrennbares Label
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Unisex Kapuzenpullover/Hoodie Logo Bad Temper Joe

Casual Style
Material: 80% Baumwolle, 20% Polyester
Grammatur: 280 g/m²
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Schnitt: Gerader Schnitt
Extras: Heraustrennbares Label + Kapuze mit Kordelzug
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Baseball Cap mit Stickerei, Logo Bad Temper Joe

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Schnitt: abgesetzter Riemen mit Stegschnalle, verstellbarer Metallverschluss
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Hinweis: Handwäsche empfohlen!
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Storm lighter/petrol lighter.

• brushed bright
• with "Bad Temper Joe" logo
• robust brass housing
• unfilled

The legendary storm lighter: ignites in wind and weather.

Bad Temper Joe presents the live in-studio production "No Filter (One Take Radio Recordings)" in cooperation with the Osnabrück record label Timezone Records and Deutschlandradio. The latest long-player by the Bielefeld blues bard contains recordings from a recording session that were made as part of the Deutschlandfunk radio concert series “On Stage” in spring 2021.
When it comes to blues in Germany, there is no getting around the grumpy late twenties. The German trade press calls him "[r]au, edgy, haunting" (Guitar Magazin), "a powerhouse that can hardly be tamed" (Kieler Nachrichten), praises his "rough, powerful[n] singing [...] as well as his excellent fingerpicking” (Bluesnews) and his “slide playing that gets under your skin” (Jazz'N'More). Bad Temper Joe is also making waves internationally: as the only European act in the finals of the International Blues Challenge 2020 in Memphis, USA. The British Blues Matters Magazine judged: "It's hard to believe that the sounds of the Mississippi Delta have relocated to Germany, but they have."
The ten pieces recorded live by BTJ and his small backing band (Max Dettling - double bass, electric bass; Paul Moser - drums) in Bielefeld's Watt Watters Studio develop a powerful and haunting sound despite or perhaps because of the sparse instrumentation. Six of the tracks come from the album One Can Wreck It All, released in 2021. There are also three songs from various older productions, as well as the previously unreleased “Fallin' Bird Blues”, which was not broadcast on Deutschlandfunk for the first time. The "One Take Radio Recordings" form a congenial addition to the "OCWIA" album and round it off into a bluesy adventure in double format.

01 Hole in My Pocket (One Take Radio Recording)
02 3rd Floor Elevator Blues (One Take Radio Recording)
03 One Can Wreck It All (One Take Radio Recording)
04 The Promise (One Take Radio Recording)
05 The Night Johnny Cash Quit Doing Pills (One Take Radio Recording)
06 Fallin' Bird Blues (One Take Radio Recording)
07 Been a While Since We've Talked (One Take Radio Recording)
08 Don't Mess With a Mule (One Take Radio Recording)
09 If Her Hair Ain't Longer Than Mine (One Take Radio Recording)
10 Blues Never Stumbles (One Take Radio Recording)

Bad Temper Joe releases his brand new studio album One Can Wreck It All. The 12 compositions, all written by the East Westphalian blues bard himself, are contemporary blues in its purest form. On "One Can Wreck It All" BTJ shows himself as a songwriter with flair - and as a performer who has an unparalleled presence and impact.

When it comes to blues in Germany, there is no getting around the grumpy late twenties. The German specialist press calls him "one of the really important songwriters and guitarists of the German blues scene" (Wasser Prawda) and praises his "rough, powerful[n] singing [...] and his excellent fingerpicking" (Bluesnews). Bad Temper Joe is making waves internationally: as the only European act in the finals of the International Blues Challenge 2020 in Memphis, USA.
"One Can Wreck It All" is Bad Temper Joe's seventh studio production in long-playing format and convinces with economical instrumentation, which then, when Joe allows it, develops a powerful and haunting sound. The album rattles and whirrs with an intensity as if it were all held together by the heavy, aching groove and the rusty strings of an old guitar. BTJ shows his devotion to the tradition of the old Mississippi Delta blues singers. "One Can Wreck It All" is an expression of blues craftsmanship at the highest level, which radiates warmth, presence and timeless elegance at the same time.

01 The Night Johnny Cash Quit Doing Pills
02 Early Morning Blues
03 Hole in My Pocket
04 Don’t Mess With a Mule
05 One Can Wreck It All
06 Crazy World
07 Wishing Well
08 Road Works Rock
09 Me and My Rockin’ Chair
10 I’ll Never Get Well No More
11 If Her Hair Ain’t Longer Than Mine
12 The Promise

Slowly but purposefully, the Bielefeld blues musician, guitarist, singer and songwriter Bad Temper Joe is making his way through the musical 21st century. His music does not claim to be suitable for the masses. Nevertheless, nobody will be able to escape the sounds of his Weissenborn guitar once he or she has gotten involved with it. With "The Memphis Tapes", BTJ is now releasing a very special piece of music for all blues lovers: an EP on vinyl, artistically designed (artwork: Gerald Oppermann) and recorded at the famous Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee - right there, where blues greats like howlin? Wolf, Junior Parker, James Cotton and last but not least Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash have recorded many of their songs.

"The Memphis Tapes" lets six songs from Bad Temper Joe's earlier productions sound completely new in a different guise: in that sound that only the Sun Studio and only one record makes possible. The recordings take the audience into the night of February 2, 2020 on Union Avenue, where the venerable studio is located. A surprisingly warm wind is blowing outside for the time of year. The tape machine is already rattling inside. A single chair is provided. Joe, as always with his guitar on his knees, sits down. A few microphones are arranged and sound engineer Daniel Crockett gives the signal through the glass pane: the recording is in progress. Just one day earlier, the East Westphalian blues bard was still on stage at the Orpheum Theater in Memphis, playing his songs in front of an enthusiastic audience of more than 2,000. The theater - also known for the Johnny Cash biopic "Walk the Line" - was the venue for the finals of the International Blues Challenge. Bad Temper Joe not only held up the colors of the German blues at the challenge. He was also given the special recognition of being the last European remaining in the competition to appear in the final. He had already delighted the American audience in various clubs on Beale Street the previous days.

So, well prepared, we went to the Sun Studio. In a single night, Joe records multiple takes of the six tracks that will now appear as The Memphis Tapes. The result is worth listening to: the recordings, mixed by Henning Strandt, give the listener the feeling of being right there: in Memphis, in the Sun Studio, right next to BTJ. The spirit of Johnny Cash seems to hover over the late 20s when the country ballad "Girl from the East" rings out. Quite a few of the blues spirits should nod approvingly when he once again sings about tears and diamonds. Finally, Joe takes his audience onto the highway to bid the grumpy singer/songwriter farewell—not without a last standing glass—made only for the traveling life. There are probably only a few artists who succeed in captivating their audience with such a minimalist setting. With "The Memphis Tapes" Bad Temper Joe shows once again that he succeeds from the first to the last note. The Memphis Tapes will not change the world. But if you get involved with the crackling of the vinyl record, you will forget the fast pace, the ups and downs and the back and forth of our time for almost 30 minutes.

Side A

01 If Tears Were Diamonds

02 Hell’s Gonna Fly

03 Girl From The East

Side B

01 Homeless

02 Sleeping Giant Blues

03 Man For The Road

The two guitarists and songwriters Bad Temper Joe and Fernant Zeste present their first album together "Haunt": twelve tracks that were created at the crossroads of songwriter ballads and rough blues. The songs are about conversations at the table and at night, about longing and alienation, are carried by melody and melancholy and are driven by Fernant Zeste's sometimes dry, sometimes snotty electric guitar and Bad Temper Joe's biting lap steel.
Bad Temper Joe from Bielefeld and Fernant Zeste, who comes from Welles in Belgium and lives in Gent, met in 2016 at a joint concert in Bielefeld. Since then, the two musicians have been on concert tours together in Belgium every year and occasionally in Germany and the Netherlands. "Haunt" is the first collaboration between the two on a full-length player. Each of the two musicians contributes six original compositions that merge the qualities of the two songwriters into a very unique sound in a fresh, determined, disarming, vulnerable and unmistakable way. From the dark and rumbling "Battle Cry Blues", the aching groove of "Been a While Since We've Talked", the seething beat of "Winterblues at #5 (Or Maybe Not)", to the lively narrative of "Fannie Mae" to the economical, acoustic "Lullaby". Bad Temper Joe delivers heart-rending and tearing, then brutally distorted slide guitar solos. Fernant Zeste shapes the stomping rhythm with his electric guitar, allowing relaxed fills and riffs to flow in at the same time.
Produced by Jonathan Scheerlinck, the album was mostly recorded and mixed in collaboration with David Goetheyn at Dead Cow Studio in Zevergem, Belgium. Additional recordings took place in apartments, living rooms and hotel rooms. Henning Strandt took care of the audio mastering at the Watt Matters Studio in Bielefeld. The two musicians are not supported by a band. "Haunt" is an expression of a German-Belgian friendship between two songwriters, their voices and guitars.

01 Don’t Talk About Break-Up (While I Eat)
02 Winterblues at #5 (Or Maybe Not)
03 Battle Cry Blues
04 Fannie Mae
05 Minstrel’s Lament
06 Little Rain
07 Black
08 Lullaby
09 Shut Your Mouth
10 Nova (Nothing To Say)
11 Been a While Since We’ve Talked
12 All Is Fine Now

Bad Temper Joe presents his new album Ain't Worth a Damn, a collection of original and traditional blues tunes recorded during an intimate concert at the songwriter's hangout Café de Loge in Ghent, as part of Joe's tour of Belgium in November 2017.
With nine songs, eight original compositions, as well as a homage to Willie Dixon's "Spoonful", it goes on a journey through a musical landscape that has its roots in remote swamps and dewy meadows of the southern states. Ballads of love and loss, strokes of fate, destruction, alchemy and black magic follow. Cheering storms and shouts of joy are rare, the bones are heavy from the journey and the mouth is full of dust from the Teutoburg wasteland, the clothes are still wet from the Westphalian rain. Bad Temper Joe tells us his story in the tradition of the old Mississippi Delta blues singers, with the power of one man and his guitar.
"Ain't Worth a Damn" marks Joe's seventh long player since the release of his debut album "Sometimes A Sinner" in 2014. Produced by Fernant Zeste and Jakob Eismann, Bad Temper presents Joe, following his excursion with electric band on the 2017 album "Bad Temper Joe And His Band", this time again as we know him: in his purest and most unadulterated form - acoustically, alone and "live in concert".

1. Farmer's Daugher
2. Most Things Haven't Worked Out Yet
3. If Tears Were Diamonds
4. Nighthawk Woman Blues #9
5. Delilah
6. Man For The Road
7. Honey On My Biscuit
8. Spoonful
9. I Bid You Goodnight, Sweet Marie

If you want to assert yourself as a musician in the 21st century and make a name for yourself, you must first and foremost be adaptable, always deliver something different, something new - up to date - and, as in the financial sector and in business, a certain feeling have an anticipation of trends in the future. Anyone who succeeds in doing this most likely does not write their own songs and basically has hardly any freedom of choice, no opportunity for individuality.
On the other hand, there are also those musicians whose main focus in life is the thing itself - the music, making music - who mostly write their lyrics themselves and also take the composition into their own hands. Artists whose sounds somehow mean something to everyone, even if they should never claim to be suitable for the masses, precisely because their music comes from their own heart and is unique in its own way - like with Bad Temper joe
This name has long since become familiar to connoisseurs of the current German blues scene, as they value his virtuoso acoustic playing on the Weissenborn lap steel guitar, which is often presented in solo performances, traditionally reminiscent of the heyday of blues combos in the 1920s. But going back that many years in retrospect, Bad Temper Joe doesn't really move at all, as his fifth studio album "Bad Temper Joe and his Band" - the second in 2017 - clearly, clearly and above all loudly proves. This time around, he's making good on the promise "I'm gonna get me a Rock 'n' Roll band [...]" previously made on February's predecessor "Solitary Mind" and is now in the full breadth and diversity of an electric band, consisting of various guitars, harmonica, bass and drums - recorded independently and mixed together.
There's really no denying Bob Dylan's influence on Bad Temper Joe's music this time around, as three interpretations of the maestro's works interestingly illustrate. Even if its interpreter found inspiration in many different past decades, such as the 50s, 60s or 80s of the last century, "Bad Temper Joe and his Band" does not mean an imitation of well-known, past greats or analog, distorted studio sounds, but current, contemporary music that convinces with its sound power, quality and purity.
If you like blues, call it blues, if you like Americana or country, call it Americana or country, if you prefer listening to rock, call it rock - good music doesn't necessarily have to be able to be assigned to just one genre! One thing should definitely be said in conclusion: no four hundred and thirty-six words replace a first, second or even tenth listening experience.

01 Hard To Do
02 Waiting On A Message
03 Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde #4
04 Caroline
05 Double Trouble
06 Can’t Wait
07 Blind Willie McTell
08 I’ll Be There
09 Til I Fell In Love With You
10 Meet Me In Your Dreams
11 Blueberry Hill

Dry tones of acoustic guitar, harmonica and the words "Gonna tell you 'bout a girl" open blues singer/songwriter Bad Temper Joe's new album "Double Trouble".
And then he begins to tell, about the girl who teaches men a lesson (Girl from the East), about love and sin (If Tears Were Diamonds), about the only thing that makes him happy (I'll Be Happy When You Cry), talks about his daily routine (24 Hours of the Day) or just wants answers (Ever Meet Again). In order not to endure all this blues alone, harmonica player Marcel Rahe joins in on six of the ten songs and provides musical support where necessary.
"Double Trouble" offers acoustic blues, songs and stories reduced to the essentials, the focus is on the text, the music sparingly, the songs simply knitted, as you know it from Bad Temper Joe.

1 Double trouble
2 Girl from the east
3 Spoonful
4 If tears were diamonds
5 I'll be happy when you cry
6 Next to you
7 24 hours of the day
8 Watching her sleeping
9 Ever meet again
10 Gave up loving you

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Bad Temper Joe seems restless. After Sometimes A Sinner and the live record Man for the Road, the man from Bielefeld has now released his third album, Tough Ain't Easy, on the nation's record tables in just over a year. Business as usual on the one hand, but somehow different on the other. Rough blues and soft ballads alternate in the familiar manner, but Joe also takes a new path. Actually known for playing the guitar lying flat on the lap, the so-called lap slide technique, there are only pieces on this disc that are played in a conventional way. "Since I've only played lap slides in my concerts since the summer of 2014, I practiced on a regular guitar 90% of the time at home. So most of the songs came about that way. […] At the moment I just feel more comfortable with this way of playing,” writes the 22-year-old in the liner notes.
Bad Temper Joe describes his new album as a kind of book. "First there's the 'woke up this morning' line in 3rd Floor Elevator Blues and that's kind of the foreword. And all the other songs are like chapters in this book.” The focus is on the lyrics and the mood of the songs. And if you end up missing the slide guitar, you'll find a video of the song Outlaw Blues as a bonus.
Reduced to voice and guitar, Tough Ain't Easy immerses the listener in Bad Temper Joe's stories. Like a narrator, he leads through the individual chapters. Truly, this isn't a tight blues, there are also elements of folk, country and Americana here. But these genres have strong common roots and Joe embarks on a journey to these roots with his stories.

01 3rd Floor Elevator Blues
02 Trusted But Twisted
03 Come On In My Kitchen
04 Rich Man Blues
05 Delilah
06 Old Oak Tree
07 Farmer’s Daughter
08 Chicago At Midnight
09 Rosie’s Blue Eyes
10 Beggar’s Velvet Serenade
11 Nighthawk Woman Blues #9
12 I Bid You Goodnight, Sweet Marie
13 Data Track: Video „Outlaw Blues“

Bad Temper Joe - this name stands for blues. Rest assured, when Bad Temper Joe bends over his lap-slide guitar and plays the blues, he delivers a heartbreaking, soulful and unique sound that's all his own. This is the right, true, but unusual blues.
In the local scene, the grumpy 22-year-old with the rough, creaky voice has quickly made a name for himself through a large number of concerts and is no longer just an insider tip among insiders. He took his first step towards national stages with his debut album "Sometimes A Sinner" (Timezone/February 2014) and at the same time with his second release "Man for the Road" (Timezone/November 2014), he hints that there is still a long way to go will not end. This second disc contains thirteen songs, all of which were recorded during a concert of his "It's Bad You Know" tour in August 2014.
An insight into Joe's live program is offered, which shows songs from his debut album in a new guise, as well as three previously unreleased titles, the title track "Man for the Road", "Blood-Shot Eyes", the country ballad "I' ll Be There', and two foreign compositions featuring Janis Joplin's 'Mercedes Benz' and Bo Diddley's 'You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover'. In addition, Bad Temper Joe is supported on three pieces by Thomas Feldmann (including First Class Blues Band) on the harmonica.
Bob Dylan once said "A lot of people don't like the road, but it's as natural to me as breathing". The same applies to the 22 year old. Tirelessly he strings one concert after the next. From time to time he allows himself a break to catch his breath and to be able to appear in front of his audience again with renewed energy. Bad Temper Joe: A Man for the Road!

1. Man for the Road (Bad Temper Joe/Ian Andrews)
2. Next to You
3. Where Is Home
4. Lead Me, Great Jehova
5. Mercedes Benz (Janis Joplin)
6. Where My Sorrow Goes
7. Sleeping Giant Blues
8. Waiting for Jimmy
9. Blood-Shot Eyes
10. Love Is Evil
11. True-Hearted
12. You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover (Bo Diddley)
13. I’ll Be There

The just 21-year-old from Bielefeld has already made a name for himself on the blues stages of East Westphalia within a short time and is no longer just an insider tip for insiders.
Combining powerful guitar and harmonica playing with an expressive voice, Joe knows how to captivate any blues and folk audience with his extraordinary stage presence.

01 Why Do I Choose To Suffer
02 Lead Me, Great Jehova
03 Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde
04 Next To You
05 Where Is Home
06 Waiting For Jimmy
07 That Is That
08 Love Is Evil
09 True-Hearted
10 Broken Bottle Top
11 Sleeping Giant Blues
12 Where My Sorrow Goes

It took just over half a year until a new musical revelation from blues singer and guitarist Bad Temper Joe followed the acclaimed acoustic album "Double Trouble". The "Double Trouble EP" can be seen as an extension to the predecessor and contains, in addition to the album version of the title track, four previously unreleased songs or versions. These include an outtake from the Double Trouble recording session, a live version of the song "If Tears Were Diamonds", as well as electric band versions of the title track and "Beggar's Velvet Serenade", a song from the 2015 album Tough Ain't Easy.
In keeping with the release, the 24-year-old, who has already shared the stage with Jessy Martens, Tommy Schneller, Greyhound George and blues runner-up Michael van Merwyk, is again drawn to the streets, to various festivals and to the pubs and clubs of the nation before he will end the year with a tour of Belgium. Bad Temper Joe has found his way and moves on without rest, from concert to concert, from recording session to recording session. The "Double Trouble EP" is the fifth release within two years and it shouldn't have been the last.

"Double Trouble is another successful step by the likeable blues singer on his way to the top of the German acoustic scene" - germanblues.org

"Bad Temper Joe should now be considered one of the really important songwriters and guitarists of the German blues scene." - Wasser Prawda

01 Double Trouble (album version)
02 Baby, Please Don't Go/Help Me (album outtake)
03 Beggar's Velvet Serenade (band arrangement)
04 Double Trouble (band arrangement)
05 If Tears Were Diamonds (live)

The music can be downloaded at the end of the order.