...the world is listening

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From Bruce Iglauer , founder of multiple-Grammy nominated Alligator Records (USA)

About 6 months ago, Danny sent a ublues CD to Bruce Iglauer hoping to share ublues with the founder of Alligator Records, probably the biggest blues label in the world. Bruce has been an inspiration to Danny because of his respect, passion, love and understanding for the blues, something that he shares. To Danny's delight (Bruce probably receives hundreds of CDs every month), he received a personalised 2-page letter with song by song commentary!!

Dear Danny,

Thanks for your CD. I think the concept of your two-cities blues band in very cool, and I like your mission of bringing the blues to Asia. Of course, as a non-black person in love with a black form of music, I can appreciate your desire to bring the great blues tradition to Asia, as well as to cross colour barriers within your own band. I am very used to questions of race involving the blues, and I've always thought that music spoke across colour and racial lines and brought people together. Obviously you feel the same way. Clearly from the very professional production and presentation of this album, you're quite serious about your music and your band. So I'll try to respond to it track by track (Bruce goes on to comment on each song)...Danny, even though I'm very particular and may seem critical, you get high marks from me for a very ambitious album, which touches alot of different blues styles (though it leaves me wondering what your own style is as a band) and is played with taste and talent...the best part of this album were as good as many American blues bands which are at recording level (in other words, as good as some of the musicians that I record.) Thanks for sharing some very good music. I wish you great success with your band.

Best,

Bruce Iglauer

Bruce Iglauer, founder of AIligator Records has produced and recorded some of the biggest names in the blues. Albert Collins and Clifton Chenier recordings have won Grammy's for Alligator, and other Grammny-nominated artists including. Koko Taylor, Luther Allison, Hound Dog Taylor, Fenton Robinson, Johnny Otis, Roy Buchanan, Johnny Winter, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Charlie Musselwhite, James Cotton and Shameika Copeland. Alligator has also produced albums by Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Lucky Peterson, Holmes Brothers, Lonnie Brooks, Dave Hole, Carey Bell, Elvin Bishop, Katie Webster, Billy Boy Arnold, Son Seals, Long John Hunter, John Jackson, Cephas & Wiggins and more! Click here for the more about Bruce Iglauer and Alligator records.

From British Blues pioneer, Victor Brox -

This lively outfit, born of a chance meeting in Perth between Singapore-based Danny Loong & Trevor Jalla, boasts a uniquely infectious approach to music normally associated with the Mississippi Delta and Chicago. The sheer enthusiasm the band generates in audiences would be hard to match in Europe and the U.S.A., let alone Australia and Asia. The two aforementioned highly talented and go-ahead young men ably backed by their stalwart rhythm section attract admirers as though they were playing a brand new and hitherto unheard sound, which in a sense they are when you consider that fifteen of the seventeen numbers on their excellent " Get On The Blues Train" CD are self-penned. The boys are not averse to lacing their blues with humour-listen to "Talk To The Hand" and "I Can't Cook" if you want good examples of this engaging trait but it must be emphasised that the humour is never a substitute for the lack of musical ability.

Instrumentally the band is very strong with Trevor an obvious blues guitar hero in the classic post-B.B.King tradition and Danny is a fine multi-instrumentalist with an incandescent swinging organ touch but no slouch on piano, guitar and harmonica too. In fact one of the most exhilarating facets of thier multifarious repertoire happens when these two musical stars engage in cut-and-thrust dueling "conversations" demonstrating nicely contrasting but equally valid guitar styles-and of course this never fails to set the audience alight.

Having said that, perhaps the bands greatest strength lies in the superb natural singing of Trevor Jalla. It is indeed a real pleasure to encounter an Asian University student who has mastered the difficult art of blues singing with such obvious conviction and startling aplomb. The originality and verve of this young outfit of huge potential stem from Trevor's highly accomplished and enjoyable vocals and I expect to see the universal blues band riding high on their "blues train" for many years to come. The world needs a new slant on the blues in the twenty first century and that's a "universal" truth. - Victor Brox, June 2001.

Click here to find out why Victor Brox is one of Britain's most highly acclaimed blues artists, described by Jimi Hendrix and Tina Turner as their favourite white blues singer.

Here's a band with a mission - to see people of all backgrounds come together trough music. Universal Blues Band members are Asian, (Singaporean and Malaysia born) but from the recording you would not believe it until you read their press release. Based both in Australia and Singapore (the CD is recorded in Perth), the band has just come back from one of Australia most prestigious blues & roots festival, Blues at Bridgetown where not only was introduced as the first Asian band but where Universal Blues Band screened their own 15 minute long documentary called "Universal Blues" based on a semi biographical story by band leader Danny Loong. "Get on the blues train" pans several styles from rock &roll to swing to slow blues to gospel and it is conceived as a 17-track train trough the history of the blues. Il Popolo del Blues welcomes and salutes Universal Blues Band and hope them all the best. This is a great band, they sound absolutely excellent.

Il popolo del blues radio - Italy

Trevor Jalla just sent me a copy of his group's disc, "Get on the blues train." It is by the Universal Blues Band, and without getting into the group's lofty goals (who doesn't have the blues from time to time, after all?), what a fun, fun, record. The sincerity comes across loud and clear, and ol' Trev can flat out play, boys and girls. The style spans a range of influences, with even some swing tossed in there, and the feeling is one of a juke joint party. Sonically, there's a squeaky cleanliness to the presentation that also manages to quite neatly convey the impression of a group of musicians in space, for you audiophiles out there.

But perhaps most importantly, and all these impressions are based on a single listen mind you, there isn't that sense of rote sameness that pervades too many blues records. It also gets extra style points for eschewing the guitar hero silliness that hamstrings so much contemporary blues. The blues doesn't have to be a bummer. Yet at the same time, it doesn't have to be superficial axemanship either. Too cool.
Kevin Williams, former Chicago Sun Times writer, USA

Popular UK TV personality Ben Bartlett - Guitarist Magazine (June 2001) Leading UK music magazine

Nice. From start to finish, this Perth-Singapore blues joint venture makes you want to tap or shuffle along. Guitarist Danny Loong, who is in his late 20s, is the Singaporean input in the band. His clean guitar licks and riffs on the other instruments - Hammond organ, piano and harmonica - fits in well with rest of the band. And he plays well in a live situation too. A few weeks ago, I jammed with him and a couple of other musicians at a blues session at the sultan of swing pub. Audio bits of a filmlet on racial abuse which Loong filmed as a university student in Australia, can be heard on the album, which is a concept album on the blues and nothing but the blues. All of the 17 charged tracks flowing and moving into different blues tempos and styles.
Eugene Anthony, The New Paper on Sunday, Singapore, August 6 2000

Hiya Danny!
Just thought I'd drop you a line to thank you for laying your excellent CD on me last Tues. For the longest time the Cigars seemed to be alone in the contemporary blues area, now there are young bands springing up everywhere who are not afraid of being progressive (without of course denying the great work that has preceded them!). I think that once you guys get some hard touring under your belts you will be dangerous.
Shane Pacey , The Bondi Cigars (Australia)

"Played 'walking blues' from your album yesterday. Great stuff man!"
Paul Zach, DJ and journalist (Singapore)

Terry Reilly, The West Australian, Thursday, November 30 2000

"When I saw Loong's film, it hit a chord in me," said Barbara Hansen, music director of the Bridgetown festival. "There are people out there that need to have an understanding between the cultures, especially with so many Asians coming to Australia to study." And she related the story of the blues fan who, upon watching Loong and Jalla's band, remarked: "Jeez, they're bloody good, but I need to close my eyes." She added: "I liked the whole concept of Universal Blues, and since we also had (blues legend) John Hammond coming over from the US, I decided to have Universal Blues as the theme for this year's event." This is the same John Hammond who, on a visit to Singapore several years ago, remarked that "people who play blues don't distinguish whether you're black or white or yellow or green". "It all ties in," said Hansen, "More Australians get to appreciate other cultures in blues form. I think people find music healing, and it's a great form of communication." She added that Loong and Jalla's presence on an Australian stage represents a "cultural handshake" between Australia and Asia and also means "they can educate us in return". Thus, the Universal Blues Band was the featured band this year at Bridgetown, performing at several venues over all three days, while Loong's film, apart from giving the title to this year's festival, was also one of only two that were shown throughout the weekend.

Barbara Hansen - Director, Blues at Bridgetown (Australia)

*****
5 out of 5 stars

Finally...blues fans were treated to one of the show stoppers at the Bridgetown festival. The self styled "Universal Blues Band". Somebody with the know, please please get to know these guys, they deserve to be discovered! Their youth does not betray their musical talents. Many of the numbers they performed were from the "Masters of Blues" many of who were no longer with us when some of these young guys were born! The inclusion of a larger brass section in the group took me back to days gone by when young American groups shot to fame with a similar band make up. They went on to produce legendary hits like "Spinning Wheel," "When I Die" and "God Bless the Child. This group "Universal Blues Band" played to packed houses wherever they went and literally stopped people in the street with their talents. Oh, one of the other things that may have stopped the crowds was Loong and Jalla the 2 young Asian musicians who put a whole new meaning to "Universal". However I don't really think that was the case, because when Jalla is belting out a song and the band is backing every emotion filled note, I think that the audience is just blown away by the whole band's sheer talent.

The blues has certainly come a long, long way since its birth in the Mississippi Delta. Some might even argue that the blues has indeed transcended its original context and trappings to become a universal medium of musical expression.

No objection from the Universal Blues Band obviously! This joint Perth-Singapore project may have origins and backgrounds light years away from the blues masters e.g. BB King, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy etc but that is no hindrance to UBB performing authentic blues. To that end, UBB is able to spice up the basic guitar-bass-drums format by including horns, gospel choirs and the occasional tasty hammond organ. The best thing I could possibly say about Get On The Blues Train is that once you press 'play', any issues about where the band comes from becomes irrelevant, and blues enthusiasts worldwide should have no qualms about embracing UBB wholeheartedly.

That said, I would have personally loved for UBB, considering their obvious performance strengths, tackle a dash of variety within the wider context of blues-rock or even psychedelic blues. That is a minor quibble. Blues fans, wait no longer -- get on the blues train, now!
Kevin Mathews review in AudioLoad.com (July, 2000)

Danny Loong, 28, Trevor Jalla, 21, and the rest of the Universal Blues Band dazzled a raucous and appreciative crowd with their unique brand of hard-pounding, heart-pumping rhythm and blues.The sight of leather-clad biker chicks, music-loving city slickers and discerning, laid-back fellow musicians roaring their approval at the unlikely sight of Jalla...with a cool demeanour, a voice built for the blues and an exquisite guitar sound more reminiscent of bluesmen thrice his age, would be remembered long after the applause had faded away. -Geoffrey Eu - Business Times

The Universal Blues Band has got the goods! Highly Recommended.

Eric Black
Blues Association of South East Queensland

Universal Blues...recently screened to a full house at Fremantle's Kulcha multicultural arts of WA in a multimedia night which included performances by the Mounty Gospel Choir and the Universal Blues Band. The event was so successful thatKulcha is planning to stage another. Manager Arif Satar says he was overwhelmed by the response of the audience, made up of all ages and cultures. People really responded to Loong and the band because they were reaching out to everyone in a way they could understand.
Ingrid Jacobsen, The Sunday Times, Australia

"Get on the blues train" has received airplay in Spain, France, Italy, Brazil, Singapore, Australia, America, Greece and Germany. The CD is now available at Borders and Tower Records (Singapore) and 78s, Dada's and Mills (Perth, Western Australia) and soon online and at other great stores.