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I started a quest to find terrific blues music and incredible musicianship when I was just a little kid. I also have a tremendous appreciation of fine musical instruments and equipment. One of my greatest joys all of my life was sharing my finds with my friends. I'm now publishing my journey. I hope that you come along!
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, I Hear Thunder, from Tab Benoit and it's super fused swampy funky blues. Opening with title track, I Hear Thunder, Tab Benoit opens it with a bottom heavy feel, strong vocals and fiery guitar work, anchored by Terence Higgins on drums, Corey Duplechin on bass, and Anders Osborne on guitar. Heavy opener. Soulful, Still Gray has a sad, country feel that showcases Benoit's vocals nicely. Jangly guitar work by Benoit and cool lead guitar riffs by Osborne, held tight by Higgins and Duplechin make this a primary radio candidate. Swamp rocker, Watching The Gators Roll In, is aa super, Tony Joe White like track that just has that groove. Track has great electricity and fun. Bluesy, Overdue, has great soulful vocals by Benoit, caressed by warm guitar riffs. Benoit's guitar lead on this track has real nice focus making it one of my favorites on the release. Little Queenie has a strong back beat worked by Benoit and George Porter Jr on bass and Higgins on drums. Super. Wrapping the release is Bayou Man, a easy driving rocker with crisp guitar accents by Benoit. His overdriven guitar tome and the stiff in your ear, kick drum by Higgins make for an excellent closer.
If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!- ”LIKE”
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For your convenience, you can click the title of this post above to be taken to a site where this cd can be purchased - Happy Listening
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (August 23, 2019), Blue Basso, from Charlie Wooton Project and it's really good. Opening with funky rocker, Jaceaux, Wooton sets a terrific bass line with Keiko Komaki heating up the keys, Doug Winbish on bass and Jermal Watson on drums. Excellent opener. Rolling into a cool radio style R&B number, Arsene Delay has lead vocal on Reflections. Her vocals are sweet and float on the tune with glistening key work and jazzy guitar riffs by Daniel Groover. Come On Come Over has a great funky bottom, and instrumental style vocals, an aggressive bass line and a snappy drum line. One Night is a bluesy ballad with my favorite vocals by Delay. Anders Osborne sits in with a real nice guitar solo giving the track a bit more sting. Very nice. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Fulton Alley with really funky bass and guitar lines. This track, which really crosses over into fusion really humps. Excellent! Guitar wiz Sonny Lanreth steps up on Tell Me A Story and his wicked slide. Delay's vocals are deep and rich and with it's Latin framework, really cuts a nice swath. On Front Porch, an country style acoustic blues, Landreth is back and this time on resonator, paired with Wooton and Groover trading riffs. Very nice. Wrapping the release is the Rolling Stones, Miss You, with a hot New Orleans style drum line and really funky bass work from Wooton. Eric McFadden sets a melodic guitar lead trading off with Delay on vocal. As the track winds up it also winds out with a flurry of guitar riffs and that steady thumping bass line by Wooton. Very nice closer for a very cool release.
If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!- ”LIKE”
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I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Plays The Blues, from Jimmy Carpenter, and it's cooking. Opening with Magic Sam's You Belong To Me, and it's puffing smoke like Jr Walker. Saxman/vocalist, Carpenter really steps out on this release with authentic R&B style sax with Mike Zito on guitar accented nicely by Tony Diteodoro on guitar, Matthew Johnson on drums, Bob Bridges on bass and Marc Adams on keys. Jimmy Plays The Blues is an excellent soulful blues in the style of T Bone Walker. Using Carpenter's sax as the lead instrument, wailing out the melody, this track is hot. Solid shuffle track, Blues With A Feeling features tight guitar riffs and nice piano work paving the way for singing sax solo work by Carpenter. Freddie King's Surf Monkey has that great 60's vibe with Zito playing against Carpenter on lead lines. Very cool. Otis Rush's All Your Love has great feel with nice tom tom work by Johnson and shimmery guitar work by Zito. This track features Carpenter's best vocals on the release as well as some real nice sax work of course. Wrapping the release is Jr Walker's Shotgun, an R&B classic. An extended sax solo by Carpenter is just the ticket to cap this super closer to a solid release.
If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!- ”LIKE”
For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE"
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I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release from Anthony Rosano and the Conqueroos and it's a hot fusion of rock and biting blues. Opening with 20 Days, a tight rocker featuring Anthony Rosano on lead vocal and stinging fat slide guitar, Jeremy "JB" Bustillos on vocal and harp, Paul Warren on bass and Scott Smith on drums. Shuffle, Give Me Strength has a cool groove with Warren romping the bass, harp attack by JB and a slick guitar solo from Rosano. You Don't Know Me is a mover and Rosano's guitar tome is warm and meaty. With a great beat and stinging guitar riffs, this track is super. Boogie track, Wicked Grin is hot with unbridled guitar riffs and a cool sax solo from JB. Excellent! Funky, Shakin' In The Veins, features really cool slide work by Anders Osborne and with a definite southern flair, cool harp work by JB pushing the track even further. Bound To You is a solid ballad with a scorching guitar intro. I particularly like the melody on this track and Rosano's vocals are the best on the release. Veracious guitar work throughout the track make this my definite favorite. Wrapping the release is Proud of My Sins, an acoustic blues with Rosano on lead vocal and mandolin. Vocal harmonies and harp work by JB make this an excellent closer for a cool release.
If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!- ”LIKE”
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ANNOUNCING THE 15TH ANNUAL BLUES FROM THE TOP FESTIVAL:
TWO BIG
DAYS OF BLUES ROYALTY IN BEAUTIFUL WINTER PARK, CO
Enjoy Fabulous Thunderbirds, Anders Osborne, C.J. Chenier
& the Red Hot Louisiana Band, Carolyn Wonderland, Alvin Youngblood
Hart, And More, All In A Beautiful Mountain Setting!
~ Presented With Pride By The Grand County Blues Society,
In Memory of Blues From The Top Founder, John Catt ~
Saturday, June 24 (11am to 6pm); Sunday, June 25 (10:30am to
6pm)
(Winter Park, CO) - Announcing the 15th Annual Blues From The Top Festival, two big days
of blues royalty in a beautiful mountain setting, located at Hideaway
Park, 78820 US Highway 40, taking place Saturday,
June 24 and Sunday, June 25. Gates open
10am, with music from 11am to 6pm (Saturday) and 10:30am to 6pm (Sunday).
Currently, General Admission tickets are $30. (one day), $50. (2 days);
prices will increase. V.I.P. Experience: $100.00 per day per person,
$185. for two days. V.I.P. Seating features Stage Right starting at the
Front Row; Daily Buffet; Private Bar with two Complimentary Drinks each
day; free water and soft drinks; Shade Tents with tables and chairs; and
Private Restrooms. Kids 12 and under, free (when accompanied by an
adult). Tickets on sale now at www.bluesfromthetop.org.
For additional BFFT Festival information visit www.bluesfromthetop.org.
Blues From The Top is presented with pride by the Grand County Blues Society, in memory of Blues from
The Top Founder, John Catt.
The two-day lineup is packed! Appearing on Saturday,
June 24: The Fabulous Thunderbirds featuring Kim Wilson; Little Hurricane;
C.J. Chenier & the Red-Hot Louisiana Band; Jimmy Vivino and The Kate
Moss 3; Austin Young Band. Sunday, June 25 features performances by
Anders Osborne, Carolyn Wonderland, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Analog Son,
Danny Franchi, and Mountain Gospel featuring Ali Grayson.
~About
Some of the Headliners at 15th Annual Blues From The Top ~
For over thirty years, The
Fabulous Thunderbirds have been the
quintessential American band. The group’s distinctive and powerful sound,
influenced by a diversity of musical styles, manifested itself into a
unique musical hybrid via such barn-burners as “Tuff Enuff” and “Wrap It
Up”. Co-founder Kim Wilson, the sole original member, still spearheads
the group as it evolves into its newest incarnation. “We started as a
straight blues band”, vocalist and harmonica player Wilson says. “We now
incorporate a mixture of a lot of different styles. We’re an American
music band and we’re much higher energy than we were before.” In addition
to Wilson, the current Thunderbirds line-up features Jay Moeller on
drums, Johnny Moeller and Mike Keller on guitar, and Randy Bermudes on
bass.
A musical force equipped with the soulful vocals of
Janis and the guitar slinging skills of Stevie Ray, Carolyn Wonderland reaches into
the depths of the Texas blues tradition with the wit of a poet. She hits
the stage with unmatched presence, a true legend in her time.
"Carolyn Wonderland's live shows are just outright phenomenal. Top
notch, five-stars, off the meter - whatever the clinch., Carolyn and her
band meet it...Her voice can be as beautiful as an angel and as powerful
as a Class 5 hurricane all within the drop of a hat...One thing's for
certain, some forces - even those barely five feet tall - cannot be
contained" (ROCKZILLAWORLD).
Between the potency of his richly-detailed
songwriting, his intensely emotional, soulful vocals and his piercing,
expert guitar work, New Orleans' Anders Osborne is a true musical treasure. He is among the most original
and visionary musicians writing and performing today. Guitar Player calls
him "the poet laureate of Louisiana's fertile roots music
scene." New Orlean's Gambit Weekly has honored Osborne as
Entertainer of the Year. Osborne's songs have been covered by artists as
diverse as Brad Paisley, Tab Benoit, Jonny Lang, Trombone Shorty and
Aaron Neville, to name a few. His songs have appeared in multiple feature
films. A powerful live performer, Osborne has won over fans through
non-stop touring as well as a heralded collaboration with the North Mississippi
All-Stars and Southern Soul Assembly.
Clayton Joseph Chenier, who fronts C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band, was born September 28, 1957 - the son of the great
King of Zydeco, Clifton Chenier. C.J.'s father was the first Creole
musician to win a Grammy Award. C.J. spent his childhood in the tough
tenement housing projects of Port Arthur, Texas. His earliest musical
influences were an eclectic mix of funk, soul, jazz and Motown, and his
first musical instruments were piano, tenor saxophone and flute. It
wasn't until his 21st birthday, after winning a scholarship and studying
music at Texas Southern University, that C.J. first performed with his
famous father and the legendary Red Hot Louisiana band.
I just received the newest release, Wolf Den, from Danielle Nicole, and it's dynamite! Opening with title track, Wolf Den, Danielle Nicole who has a super voice leads the way on vocal, playing a funky cool bass riff highlighted by Mike "Shinetop" Sedovic's keyboard work. Very nice opener. Anders Osborne sets the stage for, How You Gonna Do Me Like That, an R&B style track with solid vocals, a great bass riff and tight drums by Stanton Moore. Shinetop takes a nice keyboard solo on this track giving it an authentic "era" feel and Nicole shines on bass. On soul ballad, Take It All, Nicole really shines on vocal and her bass work is spot on. A simple yet clean and tasty guitar solo from Osborne gives Nicole a vocal breather but this track is all soul and solid. Rocker, You Only Need Me When You're Down, has a great driving tom tom rhythm and over driven guitar tone from Osborne. A breakout guitar solo highlights this track with it's Spencer Davis like feel. Very cool! Somber ballad, Just Give Me Tonight, shows extremely expressive vocal work on Nicole's part. Osborne digs down with a really nicely phrased guitar solo of his own, making this one of my favorites on the release. Easin' Into The Night has strong commercial potential with it's easy feel, strong melody and an almost Bonnie Raitt feel. Didn't Do You No Good has a rock beat with just a twist of country and a pinch of soul. Putting me in mind of a contemporary Aretha track, Rock Steady, this track has great movement with strong vocal from Nicole, really cool bass riffs from Nicole, a hard driving bottom from Moore and rock guitar from Osborne. Super! On Waiting For Your Love, Nicole shows the composure of Stevie Wonder with really really nice vocals and excellent guitar work from Luther Dickinson. One of my favorite contemporary funky blues tracks, I Feel Like Breakin' Up Somebody's Home, is up next and Nicole sounds like she means business. Her vocals are powerful, her bass work authoritative and with super guitar work by Dickinson, this track slams it! It Ain't You is a solid R&B style radio track which makes you take a few double takes at the photo on the CD cover, to believe that that voice is coming out of that lady. Very nice! New Orleans flavored, In My Dreams, gets a great drum rhythm from Moore and bass line from Nicole. Her vocals are solid and natural and with the addition of slick guitar riffs from track author, Anders Osborne and flavorful key work from Shinetop, this track will get you squirming in your seat. Wrapping the release is super funky, Fade Away. This is a really nice track to conclude such a hot release with an almost Little Feat styling and Nicole's bass riffs and sassy vocals leave you wanting more. This really is an excellent release and one that definitely suggest that you check out!
If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!- ”LIKE”
For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE"
I just received the newest release (November 6, 2015), Keep Coming Back, from Mike Zito & the Wheel and it's a real rocker! Opeing with title track, Keep Coming Back, Zito is leading the way on vocal and screaming hot slide guitar. Jimmy Carpenter on sax, Scot Sutherland on bass, Rob Lee on drums and Lewis Stephens on keys really rock the house! Excellent opener!! Keeping up the driving rhythm with Chin Up, with a little more country rock twist. Rocking guitar lines and soulful sax work from Carpenter nicely compliment Zito's vocals. Easy country rock track, Get Busy Living has that laid back Dickie Betts Blue Skies feel. A perfect radio track, has cool vocal blending with Carpenter and Suzie Sims. Country rock ballad, Early In The Morning, nicely highlights Zito's vocal work, backed on vocal by Riley Zito. Comfortable track for cross radio play. I Was Drunk is a cool style ballad with a twist of southern blues. This is a really nice gritty track with Anders Osborne sharing vocal and guitar lead. Very nice! Lonely Heart takes a turn toward jazz with a poppy, blues fused funk. This is a quiet, but really nicely executed, track with stylized guitar and percussion by Trina Shoemaker. Zito's vocals are pure and his guitar work seems to float in the mix. Sweet! Girl From Liberty is a pop rocker in the vein of John Cougar. Zito holds this track in the palm of his hand with strong vocals and a really nice guitar solo setting it out nicely. Next up is Bob Seger's, Get Out Of Denver. With all of the enthusiasm of the original, Zito and Carpenter really drive the train and Stephens' piano work is super. Zito rips off a great rockin' guitar solo and the track romps into Carpenter's super sax solo. Excellent! Nothin' But The Truth is a low slung blues rocker and Zito really shows off his signature warm guitar tone. Zito, with Keith Richards like style, and Carpenter, with full sax timbre rock the house. Warm slide guitar opens funky swamp track, Cross The Border. This is my favorite new track on the release with it's perfectly crafted vocal lines, guitar and rhythmic phrases. Real nice! Super ballad, What's On Your Mind, has really nice guitar harmonic overtones sprinkled over Zito's soulful vocals, and warm sax phrasing from Carpenter. Carpenter takes a really smooth melodic sax solo leading into the final stanza as Zito delivers the track home. Very nice. Wrapping the release is a remake of John Fogerty's Bootleg. Zito's own style is really not terribly dissimilar to Fogerty's so this track is a natural. With David Farrell and Riley Zito on backing vocal, expressive sax soloing from Carpenter, driving drum work from Lee and hot riffs from Zito, this is a great party track to end a rocking release. \
If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!- ”LIKE”
JAMES
COTTON RECEIVES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FROM MISSISSIPPI ARTS
COMMISSION
Conjure up a list of all-time great blues harmonica players, and high up
on it you'll see the name James Cotton. --NPR
The Mississippi Arts Commission presented blues music icon (and Tunica,
Mississippi native) James
Cotton with the coveted Governor's Award For Excellence In The Arts in a
ceremony held February 20, 2014 at Belhaven University in Clarion, Mississippi.
The Governor's Arts Awards are presented annually to outstanding writers,
artists, performers, craftsmen and educators who have made significant and
lasting contributions through their work as well as to corporations or
organizations on the basis of their dedication to arts advancement. Previous
winners include B.B. King, Little Milton Campbell, and Bo Diddley.
Cotton is currently celebrating his 70th year as a professional
entertainer. His Grammy-nominated 2013 CD, Cotton Mouth
Man, is an upbeat, warm blues album boasting fine musicianship and
Cotton's undeniable spirit. Living Blues says, "James Cotton is one of
the great harmonica innovators of his generation. Cotton Mouth
Man is a star-studded affair that makes James Cotton's best
recording for Alligator. It is an autobiographical narrative of Cotton's
eventful life and soul-deep relationship with the blues. He plays with an
authority and energy that belies his age."
JOE LOUIS
WALKER TO PARTICIPATE IN MONK INSTITUTE'S INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY IN
OSAKA
Blues Hall of Famer Joe
Louis Walker will take part in the Thelonious Monk Institute Of Jazz's
International Jazz Day in Osaka, Japan on April 30, 2014. Many other artists
will also perform, including Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock and John
Scofield.
According to the Monk Institute, "The designation of International Jazz Day
is intended to bring together communities, schools and other groups the world
over to celebrate and learn more about the art of jazz, its roots and its
impact. Ultimately, it seeks to foster intercultural dialogue and raise public
awareness about the role of jazz music. As a language of freedom across the
board, jazz promotes social inclusion, enhancing understanding, tolerance and
nurturing creativity."
From its base in Washington, DC, the Thelonious
Monk Institute Of Jazz identifies jazz music's new voices, honoring its
present and past masters, making the jazz aesthetic available and comprehensible
in concert halls and classrooms around the world. The Institute is the lead
nonprofit organization charged with planning, promoting and producing
International Jazz Day.
Walker's latest album, Hornet's Nest, has been
hailed as a true blues tour-de-force. USA Today says it is "tough and
resilient." Living Blues added, "Few contemporary blues artists blend
aggression, deep feeling and eclecticism with the panache and ferocity of Joe
Louis Walker."
SONGS FROM
ALLIGATOR ARTISTS APPEAR ON NATIONAL TELEVISION
Alligator Records recordings from Professor
Longhair, Corey
Harris and Anders
Osborne have and continue to appear on network television programs.
Professor Longhair's Whole Lotta Lovin' (from his
Crawfish Fiesta album) is the opening theme
song for My Big Redneck Family, airing weekly on the CMT network. Corey
Harris' Moosemilk Blues (from his Fish Ain't Bitin'CD) and Anders Osborne's On The Road To Charlie Parker (from
his American Patchwork CD) both appeared in the April
1 episode of CBS Television's NCIS.
Northport N.Y. - M.C. Records is proud to
announce that it will release New Orleans roots music sensation Anders Osborne's
2007 recording Coming Down (MC-0075LP) on vinyl.
Street date is April 15 and it marks the first time any
of Ander's recordings have been released on vinyl.
On Coming Down
Anders sings about his two great loves, his wife and New Orleans.
The recording finds Anders in a sparse setting that showcases his songwriting.
Recorded in Nashville and New Orleans, Coming Down was
co-produced by Anders and Troy Verges (BMI country songwriter of the
year).
Click
on the cover to check out the title track, Coming Down.
He’s created one of
the best albums of the year.Paste
Magazine
HARMONICA
GIANT JAMES COTTON RECEIVES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FROM STATE OF
MISSISSIPPI
Conjure up
a list of all-time great blues harmonica players, and high up on it you'll see
the name James Cotton. --NPR
The
Mississippi Arts Commission will present blues music icon (and Tunica,
Mississippi native) James Cotton with the coveted Governor's Award For Excellence
In The Arts in a ceremony set for February 20, 2014 at Belhaven University in
Clarion, Mississippi. The Governor's Arts Awards are presented annually to
outstanding writers, artists, performers, craftsmen and educators who have made
significant and lasting contributions through their work as well as to
corporations or organizations on the basis of their dedication to arts
advancement. Previous winners include B.B. King, Little Milton Campbell, and Bo
Diddley.
Cotton
is currently celebrating his 69th year as a professional entertainer. His 2013
CD, Cotton Mouth Man, is an upbeat, warm blues album
boasting fine musicianship and Cotton's undeniable spirit. Living Blues
says, "James Cotton is one of the great harmonica innovators of his generation.
Cotton Mouth Man is a star-studded affair that makes
James Cotton's best recording for Alligator. It is an autobiographical narrative
of Cotton's eventful life and soul-deep relationship with the blues. He plays
with an authority and energy that belies his age."
Cotton
Mouth Man was recorded in Nashville and produced by Grammy-winning
producer/songwriter/ drummer Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Joe Louis Walker, Susan
Tedeschi). The album is a trip through sounds and scenes from Cotton's long and
storied career. Helping Cotton tell his stories and showcase his music are
guests Gregg Allman, Joe Bonamassa, Ruthie Foster, Warren Haynes, Delbert
McClinton and Keb Mo. Other vocals are handled by Darrell Nulisch, who has been
singing in Cotton's road band for many years.
CURTIS
SALGADO WINS BLUES BLAST AWARD FOR SOUL BLUES ALBUM OF THE YEAR FOR SOUL
SHOT
"Curtis Salgado's range and power as a vocalist
are a tour-de-force...hard-nosed blues, beautifully nuanced R&B, phat and
funky." --Billboard
Soul singer Curtis
Salgado received the 2013 Blues Blast Award for Soul Blues Album Of The Year
for his 2012 Alligator Records debut CD, Soul
Shot. The awards ceremony, presented by Blues Blast
Magazine, was held in Chicago at Buddy Guy's Legends on Thursday, October
31. Salgado recently won The Blues Foundation's Blues Music Awards for B.B. King
Entertainer Of The Year, Soul Blues Male Artist Of The Year, and Soul Blues
Album Of The Year for Soul Shot. He also won a Muddy
Award for Best National Blues Album from Oregon's Cascade Blues
Association.
Soul
Shot speaks loud and clear to contemporary audiences, carrying on
the timeless spirit of 1960s and ‘70s R&B. The album features four Salgado
originals and seven carefully chosen covers. Songs by Johnny "Guitar" Watson,
George Clinton, Otis Redding and Bobby Womack flow into and out of Salgado's own
compositions. Each track -- the slow-burning ballads and the driving rockers --
is delivered with the vocal power and passion of a musical master. According to
Salgado, "Soul Shotis the solid best thing I've ever
done. That's a fact."
Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer accepted
the honor in Curtis' behalf. Iglauer also presented a Lifetime Achievement Award
to Delmark Records founder and president (and Iglauer's former boss and mentor),
Bob Koester.
MARCIA
BALL TO APPEAR IN ANGELS SING, IN THEATRES AND ON DEMAND NOVEMBER 1,
2013
Singer,
pianist, songwriter Marcia
Ball makes her major motion picture debut in the film Angels Sing,
premiering in theatres and On Demand on Friday, November 1. The film stars Henry
Connick, Jr. and features Grammy-winning musicians including Willie Nelson, Lyle
Lovett and Kris Kristofferson. In the film, Marcia plays Great Aunt Jocelyn.
Ball's latest release is the Grammy-nominated Roadside
Attractions.
ANDERS
OSBORNE AND JESSE DEE SONGS APPEAR IN NETWORK TELEVISION
PROGRAMS
"Anders Osborne plays fiery anthems and
tumultuous, confessional songs punctuated with glorious, raw
guitar." --USA Today
"Jesse Dee delivers authenticity
with every note. The young neo-soul and R&B singer from Boston has put out
an album of self-penned songs that are so well-written, so amazingly arranged
and performed, you'll wonder why this guy doesn't just own the music business."
--San Francisco Chronicle
CBS-TV's
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation featured Anders
Osborne's Black Tar in an episode which aired on October 30. The
song originally appeared on Osborne's 2011 Black Eye
Galaxy CD. Osborne's new album, Peace,
was released last month.
ABC-TV's
Criminal Minds will feature Jesse
Dee's original song Fussin' And Fightin' in an episode set to air
on November 13. The song originally appeared on Dee's 2013 Alligator Records
debut CD, On My Mind / In My Heart.
OFFBEAT MAGAZINE PREMIERES
SENTIMENTAL TIMES FROM NEW ANDERS OSBORNE CD PEACE ON TUESDAY,
SEPTEMBER 3
Award-winning
guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Anders
Osborne is set to release his new CD, Peace, on
Tuesday, October 8, 2013. OffBeat magazine will exclusively premiere
the song Sentimental Times at OffBeat.com
beginning on Tuesday, September 3. Relix.com
premiered the title track on August 30.
"It was a sunny day in New
Orleans, spring of 2011," says Osborne of Sentimental Times. "I picked
up my J45 with old rubbery strings on it. It had been ten years since my mother
passed away. I strummed slowly and gently on my guitar and started to sing about
two events (the other being Hurricane Katrina) that broke my heart. These are my
sentimental times."
With Peace,
Osborne continues the journey started by his previous Alligator
Records releases, American Patchwork and
Black Eye Galaxy, emerging from a whirlwind of
emotional chaos and moving toward a sense of inner peace. Recorded at Dockside
Studios in Louisiana and produced by Osborne and Warren Riker,
Peace looks at the title subject from all angles.
According to Osborne, "Peace is light from darkness.
The songs are written from the outside looking in. They are not making any
judgments. I'm just stating facts. I'm writing from a brighter perspective.
There's less dusk and dark, and much more sunlight. The results are greater than
I expected. The driving tones and sounds are free and natural. This is one of
the coolest records I've ever made."
Between the potency of
his richly detailed songwriting, his intensely emotional, soulful vocals and his
piercing, expert guitar work, New Orleans' Anders Osborne is among the most
original and visionary musicians writing and performing today. Guitar Player
calls him "the poet laureate of Louisiana's fertile roots music scene." New
Orleans' Gambit Weekly recently honored Osborne as the Entertainer Of
The Year. OffBeat named him the Crescent City's Best Guitarist for the
third year in a row, and the Best Songwriter for the second straight year.
Osborne also won Song Of The Year for his composition, Louisiana
Gold.
Since the release of
his 2010 Alligator Records debut, American Patchwork,
his 2012 follow-up, Black Eye Galaxy, and his
critically acclaimed 2013 EP, Three Free Amigos,
Osborne has earned hordes of new fans. He has toured virtually non-stop, either
with his road-tested trio, as a solo artist, or as a guest with his countless
musical admirers, including Toots and The Maytals, Stanton Moore, Derek Trucks,
Warren Haynes, Keb Mo, The Grateful Dead's Phil Lesh and Karl Denson's Tiny
Universe. He's appeared on Galactic's Ya-Ka-May album, and in 2011
produced and played on critically acclaimed albums by Tab Benoit, Johnny Sansone
and Mike Zito.
Osborne will bring his music to major markets this fall,
including stops in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Colorado.
Full tour information can be found here.
MAJOR JAMES
COTTON FEATURE IN LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE
NEW CD
COTTON MOUTH MAN OUT ON MAY 7
Blues harmonica legend James Cotton, whose new CD Cotton Mouth
Man will be in stores on May 7, 2013, is featured on the cover of
the current issue of Living
Bluesmagazine. The 10-page cover story, written by blues scholar David
Whiteis, takes an in-depth look at Cotton's entire career, including the new
CD.
Cotton Mouth Man is a joyous celebration of
Cotton's 69 years as a professional musician (beginning at age nine). Recorded
in Nashville and produced by Grammy-winning producer/ songwriter/ drummer Tom
Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Joe Louis Walker, Susan Tedeschi), the album is a trip
through sounds and scenes from Cotton's long and storied career.
Cotton
co-wrote seven of the tracks with Hambridge (who co-wrote five additional
tracks). The songs were inspired by Cotton's colorful and sometimes perilous
life and his memories of the Mississippi Delta, Sonny Boy Williamson II,
Memphis, Sun Records, Chicago, and Muddy Waters. Throughout the CD, Cotton's
blast-furnace harmonica sound and larger-than-life personality are front and
center.
Helping Cotton tell his stories and showcase his music are guests
Gregg Allman, Joe Bonamassa, Ruthie Foster, Warren Haynes, Delbert McClinton,
and Keb Mo. Other vocals are handled by Darrell Nulisch, who has been singing in
Cotton's road band for many years.
The other members of Cotton's road band -- Jerry Porter, Noel Neal, and Tom
Holland -- are also on board for some songs. Forming the core of the backing
band on the CD are Hambridge (drums), Rob McNelley (guitar), Chuck Leavell
(keyboards) and Glenn Worf (bass). Tommy MacDonald and Colin Linden each add
guitar to one track. Cotton, who after a bout with throat cancer turned the
vocal duties over to others, was inspired by the sessions to return to the
microphone, singing his own Bonnie Blue (the name of the plantation
where he was born), and making Cotton Mouth Man the
most personal, celebratory and just plain fun recording of his seven-decade
career.
ALLIGATOR
ARTISTS APPEAR ON NATIONAL RADIO PROGRAMS
Alligator Records recording artists Marcia Ball, Jesse Dee and Lil'
Ed & The Blues Imperials have all appeared or will appear on syndicated
national radio broadcasts. Ball brought her raucous boogie-woogie blues to
E-Town earlier this month (the segment can be heard in
full by clicking on the link). Jesse Dee brings his original sweet soul music to
World
Cafeon April 17. And Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials return to Elwood's BluesMobile in a program featuring their roof raising
slide guitar blues airing on June 9 and 10.
ANDERS
OSBORNE RECEIVES BIG EASY AWARD FOR
ENTERTAINER
OF THE YEAR
New Orleans' Gambit
Weeklywill honor guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Anders Osborne as the Entertainer Of The Year during its
annual Big Easy Awards ceremony to be held on April 22 at Harrah's New Orleans.
He is also nominated for two Big Easy Awards: Best Male Performer and Best Rock
Band.
Osborne is currently in the studio working on a follow up to his massively
successful 2012 Black Eye Galaxy CD. His most recent
release is Three Free Amigos, a six-song EP recorded
during a series of laid back, living room-like sessions.
EDDY "THE
CHIEF" CLEARWATER FEATURED IN ILLINOIS TOURISM CAMPAIGN
Blues master Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater is currently featured in a
television commercial touting Illinois tourism. The video highlights Chicago's rich blues heritage and features
Clearwater's inviting, trademark smile.
On Sunday, June 9, Clearwater will perform on The Chicago Blues Festival's
main stage, joining James Cotton, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, John
Primer, Billy Branch and others in an all-star revue -- billed as Chicago
Blues: Old School, New Millennium -- that promises to be a highlight of
this year's event.
ALLIGATOR
RECORDS, EDDY "THE CHIEF" CLEARWATER AND CORKY SIEGEL INDUCTED INTO CHICAGO
BLUES HALL OF FAME
On Sunday, April 28, Alligator Records will be inducted into The Chicago Blues Hall
Of Fame as a Legendary Blues Label. The ceremony will be held in Chicago at
Buddy Guy's Legends and hosted by The Michael Packer Blues Band. The event will
be filmed and televised by JBTV/NBC NONSTOP and broadcast on cable and satellite
television nationwide. Alligator artists Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater and Corky
Siegel will be inducted as Master Blues Artists.
