BIG PETE "CHOICE CUTS" Liner Notes by Scott Dirks

Pieter "Big Pete" van der Pluijm's debut release on Delta Groove comes about in the same way many others have for the label – Delta Groove boss Randy Chortkoff heard him perform live one time, and that instantly sealed the deal.  Big Pete's sound is equal parts finesse and swagger, drawn from the deep well of classic blues roots, and infused with a youthful brashness that reminds you that this music still has something fresh and exciting to offer.

Big Pete started out playing rock guitar as a teenager in his native Netherlands, but switched over to harmonica and the blues after being exposed to the late Lester Butler, leader of The Red Devils and later, 13.  Butler's fusion of classic blues and punk sensibilities caught the ear of the young Dutchman in a way no other music had, and opened the door to a whole new world of music, eventually encompassing everything from the swing of West Coast blues of artists like William Clarke and The Hollywood Fats Band, through the raw grit of '50s Memphis and classic post-war Chicago. 

But don't make the mistake of thinking of Big Pete as just another imitator or tribute artist.  He stamps his own unique imprint on every note of every performance.  All the power and excitement of the originators are still there, the driving rhythm and building intensity, along with a vibrancy and in-the-moment attitude that makes the music come alive.  Big Pete's deep, powerful vocals belie his relative youth, and add a fresh sense of warmth and dynamics that is so often absent these days.

Over Memorial Day weekend of 2011, Chortkoff brought Big Pete to the U.S. to play a set on the Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Festival in California, where he was backed by several former members of Lester Butler's bands.  Following the festival were three days of recording at one of Southern California's finest all-analog studios, featuring an all-star cast of guest artists representing several generations of the blues, including Kim Wilson of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, former Muddy Waters band member Paul Oscher, veteran Mississippi bluesman Johnny Dyer, Hollywood Fats Band / Hollywood Blue Flames leader Big Al Blake, guitarists Alex Shultz, Rusty Zinn, Kirk Fletcher, Shawn Pittman, Kid Ramos, and others.

The fun, celebratory vibe of the sessions comes through on every track, and the result is both a tribute to the classic sounds of old, and one of the best new blues recordings of the year.

- Scott Dirks