UNIVERSAL BLUESMAN ep All songs written by Mark " Big Poppa" Stampley except " Over You" by Teneia Sanders, Teneia Sanders Music All vocals Mark " Big Poppa" Stampley ,.. except Shevonne Belle, and Eric Smith, on "Born in Illinois" All Guitars, electric, acoustic, slide : Mark “Big Poppa “ Stampley All bass, keys, horns, banjolin, baby djembe, drum programming : Fred Bogert Drums, Hugh Peterson , and Harmonica, Tommy Radcliffe on “Ain’t No-good Enough” “ Universal Bluesman ep “ is Big Poppa” Mark, Stampley’s 5thAlbum. He feels it’s his best effort to date… “ I’m a Bluesman to my core, and as you may know,..da blues had a bunch a o’ babies, too… and I can’t help writing songs from those shades of the blues”. .. This CD hits it hard! country Blues, urban Chicago style BIG BAND blues, R&B, folk rock, and some serious blue/funk…Big Poppa and Fred had great "simpatico" on this CD.. Big Poppa said ".working w/ Fred is like , the best "musical lab partner" you could want, when we get into the studio and it just flows.... , adding to my song arrangements, and creating "in the moment" music, in both the studio and live shows, and I think you can hear it in these tracks,.. . beautiful, captivating ... melodies.. Stories… about luv and hate, ...childhood, .. just chillin' at "yo' fave" bar; and finding luv.... the blues journey ...... and a tribute to Barbeque!.... Most of the album was recorded by and with his friend the Nashville legend, Fred Bogert, (5 Grammy nominations, 1000’s recording for people like, Dolly Parton, Conway Twitty, LeAnn Rimes to name a few) Fred is doing all of the bass, keys, horn and drum programming.. Also included, is drummer Hugh Peterson, who has toured and recorded w/ Weather Report, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Sun Ra and Wilson Pickett, to name a few….Vocalist Shevonne Belle (formerly w/ the Drifters) and great vocalist Eric Smith, monster harmonica man , Tommy Radcliffe are the balance of the crew Big Poppa says “ THIS IS SOME SOUL-SATISFYING, BLUES GUMBO COME GET YO’ FILL” What's been going on in Big Poppa Stampley's world? … you ask? ..Well.... Blues is a story 'bout pain and glory...listen up...I gotta tale for you" Big Poppa Stampley was nominated “Blues Artist of the Year” 2014 by the prestigious LMA music awards. Was a finalist in Kentuckiana Blues Society’s IBC Blues competition for 2008 and 2011 Beginning his career in Chicago, studying with Chess Records, preeminent studio, guitar wizard Reggie Boyd, and playin the “chittlin’ circuit”, while learning from, and performing with the Chicago musicians that traveled and toured with major acts like Earth , Wind and Fire, Ramsey Louis, Chaka Khan , Muddy Waters, Pop Staples and the Staple Singers and many others Big Poppa Stampley has shared the stage with the likes of, Koko Taylor, Oprah Winfrey, the Delphonics, Chaka Khan, Quiet Storm, The Emotions, Montel Jordan, Ivan Neville (Neville Bros.), Calypso Rose, Common, Roger, Roy Ayers, Maya Angelou, Malcolm Jamal -Warner, and Jack Black to name a few , (over 2,000 performances, festivals, concerts, musicals, clubs, casinos, hotels in many cities around the U.S. and the Caribbean ) Big Poppa was a sought after session guitarist in Chicago, having 50 plus album credits ( R&B, Reggae,hip hop, house music, spoken word and gospel) A champion of the need for the Arts in education, , thru his company MUSIC HISTORY-in-MOTION. (has done residencies, workshops and performances in school systems in Il., In., Ky., So. Carolina, US Virgin Islands ). A popular Voice Over Actor radio/tv/ websites and feature/ documentary film narration including McDonalds, Univ.of Louisville, the Smithsonian Institute, Museum of Science and Industry, Commonwealth Bank, Belle of Louisville, “ The Legend of the Reno Brothers” and many more) .