Born in Tokyo and living in Surrey, a powerhouse blues guitarist and lyrical singer-songwriter, Saiichi Sugiyama can be heard mostly on the English blues circuit. He has become a unique voice of a generation. The best known Japanese blues guitarist in Britain in the last decade, Saiichi Sugiyama - who has been working closely with the lyricist of the multi-platinum band Cream, Pete Brown - is one of the most recognisable performers in British blues today. Saiichi first exploded onto the London blues scene in 1989 with Creamy, formed by the ex-Graham Bond drummer Paul Olsen, that paid homage to the music of Cream. His solo career with original music soon followed in the early '90s. The track record of appearances with artists such as the Yardbirds, Stan Webb's Chicken Shack, and collaborations in studio and on stage with Zoot Money, Clem Clempson, Malcolm Bruce, Shana Morrison, Pete Brown, various former members of Bad Company, Graham Bond, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and Rory Gallagher Band is impressive. Saiichi Sugiyama is in a class by himself. The Smokehouse Sessions was recorded live in the studio. Featuring a fine singer, Rietta Austin, and a top-drawer band, the album includes live arrangements of four original compositions plus three Cream/Bluesbreakers covers.