Spider John Koerner
Encyclopedia
"Spider" John Koerner is an American
guitar
ist, singer, and songwriter
. He is best known as a guitarist and vocalist for the blues trio Koerner, Ray & Glover
, which included Dave Ray and Tony Glover. He has also made albums as a solo performer and with collaborator Willie Murphy.
. He intended to major in engineering, but soon became involved in the local music scene where he met Dave Ray and Tony Glover. They formed a loose-knit trio, releasing albums under the name Koerner, Ray & Glover
. The group gained notoriety with Blues, Rags and Hollers
originally released by Audiophile in 1963 and then re-released by Elektra Records
.
Koerner was an early influence on Bob Dylan
and is mentioned in his autobiography Chronicles. Of that time period, Koerner later said, "We were all goofy, you know. We were thinkers and drinkers and artists and players, and Dylan was one of us. He was another guy."
In 1965, Koerner recorded his first solo album, Spider Blues, for Elektra and appeared at the Newport Folk Festival
accompanied by Glover. He continued playing on the folk circuit and joined with Willie Murphy
to record Running, Jumping, Standing Still in 1967. The duo eventually split up and Koerner pursued an unsuccessful career in film-making, retiring from music and moving to Copenhagen, Denmark. He later returned to music in the traditional folk music genre and continued to perform and release new albums from time to time. He now lives in Minneapolis and has two sons and a daughter.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist, singer, and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. He is best known as a guitarist and vocalist for the blues trio Koerner, Ray & Glover
Koerner, Ray & Glover
Koerner, Ray & Glover is the name of a blues band from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The band featured Tony "Little Sun" Glover on harmonica, "Spider" John Koerner on guitar and vocals, and Dave "Snaker" Ray on guitar and vocals. Koerner, Ray & Glover were part of the early folk/blues explosion in the...
, which included Dave Ray and Tony Glover. He has also made albums as a solo performer and with collaborator Willie Murphy.
Biography
Koerner grew up in Rochester, New York, and after a brief military service attended the University of MinnesotaUniversity of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. He intended to major in engineering, but soon became involved in the local music scene where he met Dave Ray and Tony Glover. They formed a loose-knit trio, releasing albums under the name Koerner, Ray & Glover
Koerner, Ray & Glover
Koerner, Ray & Glover is the name of a blues band from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The band featured Tony "Little Sun" Glover on harmonica, "Spider" John Koerner on guitar and vocals, and Dave "Snaker" Ray on guitar and vocals. Koerner, Ray & Glover were part of the early folk/blues explosion in the...
. The group gained notoriety with Blues, Rags and Hollers
Blues, Rags and Hollers
Blues, Rags and Hollers is the debut album by American country blues trio Koerner, Ray & Glover, released in 1963.- History :The debut album of the country blues trio from Minneapolis, Minnesota featured Tony "Little Sun" Glover on harmonica, "Spider" John Koerner on guitar and vocals, and Dave...
originally released by Audiophile in 1963 and then re-released by Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
.
Koerner was an early influence on Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
and is mentioned in his autobiography Chronicles. Of that time period, Koerner later said, "We were all goofy, you know. We were thinkers and drinkers and artists and players, and Dylan was one of us. He was another guy."
In 1965, Koerner recorded his first solo album, Spider Blues, for Elektra and appeared at the Newport Folk Festival
Newport Folk Festival
The Newport Folk Festival is an American annual folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the previously established Newport Jazz Festival...
accompanied by Glover. He continued playing on the folk circuit and joined with Willie Murphy
Willie Murphy (musician)
Willie Murphy is an American pianist, singer, producer, and songwriter. He is best known as a singer and pianist for the blues band Willie and the Bees and his work with Bonnie Raitt and John Koerner.-Biography:...
to record Running, Jumping, Standing Still in 1967. The duo eventually split up and Koerner pursued an unsuccessful career in film-making, retiring from music and moving to Copenhagen, Denmark. He later returned to music in the traditional folk music genre and continued to perform and release new albums from time to time. He now lives in Minneapolis and has two sons and a daughter.
Discography
- with Koerner, Ray & Glover
- Blues, Rags and HollersBlues, Rags and HollersBlues, Rags and Hollers is the debut album by American country blues trio Koerner, Ray & Glover, released in 1963.- History :The debut album of the country blues trio from Minneapolis, Minnesota featured Tony "Little Sun" Glover on harmonica, "Spider" John Koerner on guitar and vocals, and Dave...
(1963) - Lots More Blues, Rags and HollersLots More Blues, Rags and HollersLots More Blues, Rags and Hollers is an album by the blues trio Koerner, Ray & Glover, released in 1964.-History:Between this release and their next, Dave Ray and John Koerner would each record a solo album, Snaker's Here and Spider Blues respectively...
(1964) - The Return of Koerner, Ray & GloverThe Return of Koerner, Ray & GloverThe Return of Koerner, Ray and Glover is an album by Koerner, Ray & Glover, released in 1965. It was their last recording for Elektra and it would be seven years before the trio's next release....
(1965) - Good Old Koerner, Ray & GloverGood Old Koerner, Ray & GloverGood Old Koerner, Ray & Glover is an album by Koerner, Ray & Glover, released in 1972.- History :The recordings on Good Old Koerner, Ray & Glover are live recordings taken from the trio's performances at the St. Olaf College folk festivals in 1963 and 1964. It would be 24 years before the trio's...
(1972) - One Foot in the GrooveOne Foot in the GrooveOne Foot in the Groove is an album by Koerner, Ray & Glover, released in 1996. It was the last release by the trio.-Reception:-Track listing:# "Black Jack Davy" – 2:53# "Shout Sister Shout" – 3:19...
(1996)
- Blues, Rags and Hollers
- with Willie Murphy
- Running, Jumping, Standing StillRunning, Jumping, Standing StillRunning, Jumping, Standing Still is an album by blues artists "Spider" John Koerner and Willie Murphy, released in 1967. The album is often credited in Koerner's solo discography.-History:...
(1967) - Music is Just a Bunch of NotesMusic is Just a Bunch of NotesMusic Is Just a Bunch of Notes is an album by blues artists "Spider" John Koerner and Willie and the Bumblebees, released in 1972. It was reissued in 2010 by Nero's Neptune Records along with a movie Koerner made titled The Secret of Sleep....
(1972)
- Running, Jumping, Standing Still
- with Tony Glover
- Live @ The 400 BarLive @ The 400 BarLive @ The 400 Bar is an album by folk and blues artists John Koerner and Tony Glover, released in 2009.-History:The 400 Bar in Minneapolis, Minnesota's West Bank was one of the early venues that both John Koerner and Tony Glover played at in their early days as part of Koerner, Ray & Glover...
(2009)
- Live @ The 400 Bar
- Solo
- Spider BluesSpider BluesSpider Blues is the debut solo album by blues artist "Spider" John Koerner, released in 1965. He was member of the loose-knit blues trio Koerner, Ray & Glover at the time of its release.-History:...
(1965) - Some American Folk Songs Like They Used ToSome American Folk Songs Like They Used ToSome American Folk Songs Like They Used To is an album by folk artist "Spider" John Koerner, released in 1974. The album is out of print.Guests on the album include fellow Koerner, Ray & Glover members Dave "Snaker" Ray and Tony "Little Sun" Glover....
(1974) - Nobody Knows the Trouble I've BeenNobody Knows the Trouble I've BeenNobody Knows the Trouble I've Been is an album by folk artist "Spider" John Koerner released in 1986. The album was recorded in one evening at Creation Audio studios in Minneapolis, MN.-Reception:...
(1986) - Raised by HumansRaised by HumansRaised by Humans is an album by folk artist "Spider" John Koerner, released in 1992. It was recorded live to 2-track at Minnesota Public Radio Station Studio M, in St...
(1992) - StarGeezerStarGeezerStarGeezer is an album by folk artist "Spider" John Koerner, released in 1996. Some of the songs are re-recordings of titles previously released by Koerner on albums that are no longer in print.-Reception:...
(1996) - March 1963 (2010)
- Spider Blues