LEGENDARY GUITARIST JOE BONAMASSA ANNOUNCES THE BIGGEST BLUES ROCK PARTY AT SEA

LEGENDARY GUITARIST JOE BONAMASSA ANNOUNCES THE BIGGEST BLUES ROCK PARTY AT SEA LINEUP INCLUDES BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, LOS LOBOS, JJ GREY & MOFRO, ANA POPOVIC, NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS & MANY MORE   KEEPING THE BLUES ALIVE AT SEA IV SETS SAIL FEBRUARY 26 – MARCH 2, 2018, FROM MIAMI TO MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA ON THE NEWLY RENOVATED NCL JADE ATLANTA, GA – Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation, Joe Bonamassa, and Sixthman are proud to present Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea IV, another voyage of the incredible four-day music festival at sea featuring Bonamassa and some of the most celebrated names in Blues. Sailing from Miami, Florida to Montego Bay, Jamaica, 2,100 of the most passionate fans will enjoy performances from some of the biggest names in music, while discovering new favorites among emerging Blues artists on multiple stages throughout the ship. From rare artist collaborations to intimate gatherings with fellow musically inclined cruisers, the festival will have something for everyone to enjoy. “We’ve had a blast this year and we’ve had a blast every other year…There has been some great music this year and we will carry it on to next year,” declared Bonamassa. Joining the 2018 festival are a robust mix of new and returning powerhouse names, such as Black Country Communion (Bonamassa, Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham and Derek Sherinian), Los Lobos, JJ Grey & Mofro, Ana Popovic, North Mississippi Allstars, Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds, The James Hunter Six, Matt Andersen, Kirk Fletcher & Josh Smith, Marcus King Band, Greyhounds, Toronzo Cannon, Larkin Poe, Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear, New Orleans Suspects, The Steepwater Band, Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton, Jack Broadbent, The Bros. Landreth, Juzzie Smith and more to be announced! Music fans interested can sign up for the pre-sale to get the best available cabins first here: https://www.sixthman.net/account/presale/bluesaliveatsea For more details about the biggest Blues-Rock Party at sea, visit here: www.bluesaliveatsea.com Once onboard, fans can expect to enjoy a performance by Joe Bonamassa, a special reunion of Black Country Communion, multiple artist collaboration shows, activities with many Blues Alive at Sea artists, dozens of live performances by living legends and emerging blues talent, and opportunities to jam with fellow cruisers while sailing an idyllic Caribbean course aboard Norwegian Jade. A destination of her own, Norwegian Jade offers guests Norwegian Cruise Line’s signature freedom and flexibility during their vacation. Fresh off a dry dock refurbishment where she received enhancements to every part of the onboard experience, Jade now features two brand new restaurants, two new bars and lounges, updated design and décor in many public spaces, and a refurbishment of all staterooms. Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea’s first three sold-out voyages saw the floating music festival sail to beautiful locations like Key West, the Bahamas, Costa Maya and Cozumel, while entertaining over 5,000 blues aficionados. Performers included many of today’s best blues artists, including John Hiatt, Robben Ford, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Blues Traveler, Beth Hart, Ana Popovic, Vintage Trouble, Marc Broussard, Shemekia Copeland, Joanne Shaw Taylor, and many more. The sold-out festivals raised a combined $181,000 in donations for Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation, which helps to fund scholarships and music programs for students and teachers across the country. Music enthusiasts can pre-register for the sailing now at bluesaliveatsea.com/presale before cabins become available. Double occupancy staterooms on Keeping The Blues Alive at Sea IV begin at $1099 per person, plus taxes and fees. For more information about booking your vacation, visit us online at www.bluesaliveatsea.com or call Sixthman directly at 877-379-9170 between the hours of 10AM EST and 6PM EST. Connect with Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea cruisers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram #BluesAliveAtSea. About Joe Bonamassa: Joe Bonamassa has established himself as one of the world’s greatest guitar players, and proved himself as an incisive and compelling songwriter, a gutsy and soulful vocalist, as well as one of the most popular touring-and-recording artists around, averaging over 100 sold-out shows worldwide each year while amassing a body of work that stands out in the already vast waters of the blues-rock form. Even after 28 years of professionally performing, the two-time Grammy®-nominated bluesman has really just hit his stride. Joe currently has more #1 Billboard Blues Albums than any other artist in history – 17 and counting – and all on his own record label, J&R Adventures. His latest studio solo album, Blues of Desperation, landed at #5 on the Billboard Top Album Sales, his highest charting yet. Joe’s new highly anticipated CD/DVD “Live at Carnegie Hall - An Acoustic Evening” will be in stores June 23rd, 2017. http://jbonamassa.com/ About Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation: Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation fuels the passion for music by funding programs and scholarships for students and teachers who possess the desire, but lack the resources or access to achieve their potential within music education. Through generous donations from Joe Bonamassa, J&R Adventures, and individual donors, KTBA has been able to fund music projects reaching over 43,500 students with over $224,249 donated so far. We accomplish this by making weekly donations to music projects in education and scholarships all over the country. http://keepingthebluesalive.org/ About Sixthman: Since 2001, Sixthman has pioneered themed cruise experiences, creating intimate shared encounters for bands, brands, and their fan communities. We are proud to be celebrating our 16th year and the accomplishment of executing 104 festivals, hosting over 230,000 guests for 940,000 days on vacation at sea with world class artists such as KISS, Kid Rock, John Mayer, Zac Brown Band, Train, Pitbull, Paramore, Florida Georgia Line, Diplo, Joe Bonamassa, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 311, Lyle Lovett, Barenaked Ladies, Sister Hazel and for brand partners such as Turner Classic Movies, VH1, SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country, Walker Stalker Con, truTV and others along with Sixthman curated festivals, The Rock Boat and Cayamo!  Our festivals at sea bring non-stop performances, artist collaborations and a truly immersive vacation experience with fan/band interactions throughout the voyage and in port. Our home ports of call include Miami and Tampa Florida to dream destinations such as the Virgin Islands, Belize, Honduras, Mexico and the Bahamas. For more information, visit sixthman.net and connect with us @SXMLiveLoud.  LIVE LOUD.                   + MORE!     JOIN OUR MAILING LISTS

JJ Grey & Mofro To Appear On American Public Television's "Front & Center"

JJ GREY & MOFRO TO APPEAR ON AMERICAN PUBLIC TELEVISION'S FRONT & CENTER JJ Grey & Mofro, whose latest CD This River was described by Relix as "a classic, tantalizing slab of funky Florida-fried swamp rock, old school R&B and Southern-rock crunch," will appear in performance on the American Public Television music program Front & Center. The show, which was filmed in front of a sold-out crowd at New York's Iridium Club in June 2013, will begin airing on October 5 in the New York metropolitan area at 11:00pm on WLIW21. Airdates and airtimes will vary per market. For airdates in other markets check local listings here. Since the release of This River, Grey has toured the U.S. and Europe, garnering the greatest reviews, the most radio airplay and largest audiences of his career. Grey's first video from the album, the single 99 Shades Of Crazy, has become an instant fan favorite. The Oxford American says Grey is "the swami of swamp rock....Grey is a North Florida sage and purveyor of the funkiest swamp rock the world has ever heard." MOJO says Grey's music is "warm, horn-rich, and soulful. The quality of Grey's songwriting and delivery elevates the material." JJ Grey & Mofro are currently getting ready to kick off the next leg of their tour, with shows across the East coast, the South and Midwest. Full tour dates are below: Oct 10  Lucas Theatre for the Arts - Savannah, GA Oct 11  Neighborhood Theatre - Charlotte, NC Oct 12  Lincoln Theatre - Raleigh, NC Oct 13  The Festy Experience - Roseland, VA Oct 16  The Civic Theatre - New Orleans, LA Oct 17  Yonder Mountain String Band's Harvest Festival - Ozark, AR Oct 18  Granada Theater - Dallas, TX Oct 19  Stubb's Bar-B-Q - Austin, TX Oct 22  Sam's Burger Joint - San Antonio, TX Oct 23  Varsity Theatre - Baton Rouge, LA Oct 24  The Lyric Oxford - Oxford, MS Oct 25  The Vic Theatre - Chicago, IL Oct 26  The Pageant - St. Louis, MO Oct 29  Brewsky's - Hattiesburg, MS Oct 30  Track 29 - Chattanooga, TN Oct 31  Soul Kitchen - Mobile, AL Nov 01  Jannus Live - St. Petersburg, FL Nov 02, Revolution Live - Fort Lauderdale, FL Nov 15  The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA Nov 16  John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort - Reno, NV Dec 27  Music Farm - Charleston, SC Dec 28, House of Blues - Myrtle Beach, SC Dec 29  The Handlebar - Greenville, SC Dec 31  Florida Theatre - Jacksonville, FL  ### www.ALLIGATOR.com

Alligator/Proper Records artist: JJ Grey & Mofro - This River - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, This River (June 24, 2013), by JJ Grey & Mofro and I really like it. Opening with Your Lady, She's Shady, Grey lays down a hip hop style rhythmic attack with ultra cool horn, harp and guitar solos. On Somebody Else, one of my favorite tracks on the release, Grey sounds a lot like Al Green in arrangement and style with it's prancing strut. With reverb on the guitar, Stax style drumming and horns on the bottom, his song is really sweet. 99 Shades of Crazy is a straight up rocker with a blues twist. Grey knows how to use rhythm and the vocal blending and horn support makes this a strong radio candidate. The Ballad Of Larry Webb is an extremely tasty track. Strong melody and vocal execution with only minimal instrumentation for atmosphere, this is another of the best tracks on the release. Florabama is a funky pop like track and actually reminds me a lot of Kiss (Prince). Addition of sax and trumpet work on this track gives it a lot of texture adding texture. Write A Letter is another strong ballad with strong instrumentation. Mofro, made up of Andrew Trube on guitar, Anthony Farrell on keys, Todd Smallie on bass, Anthony Cole on drums and organ, Art Edmaiston on sax and Dennis Marion on trumpet. Harp and Drums is a funky track primarily featuring Grey on harp. A strong contemporary hip hop influenced jazz track allows room for a lot of the players to take their turn at the mic. Last up is the title track, This River, a quiet and strongly country influenced ballad. This is another track that should have strong mass appeal. This is a cool release from an already established band. I believe that it will reinforce it's existing fan base and should generate interest for new listeners as well.

  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”

 

The Jam is almost here! Greeley Blues Jam 2013, June 7 & 8, Greeley CO

The Jam is almost here!  Headliners: John Mayall JJ Grey & Mofro Harper & Midwest Kind Bonerama Carolyn Wonderland Lil’ Brian & The Zydeco Travelers ABOUT THE FESTIVAL  The Greeley Blues Jam is June 7th & 8th 2013 in Greeley, Colorado Indulge in delicious food and beverage, take off your shoes and dance on the 45,000 sq. feet of fresh green sod on the arena floor! Presented by the City of Greeley and the Greeley Chamber of Commerce, the Greeley Blues Jam offers an absolutely stunning line-up, bringing to you several of the world’s most highly regarded blues artists.  Come out and enjoy this talented roster of national and local blues performers, on two big stages with 11 hours of non-stop blues. There will be lots of food vendors on site or pack a picnic lunch, leave it in your car, and you can come and go from the arena and enjoy the park. Ticket holders will be stamped and allowed to re-enter at any time.  Don’t forget your picture I.D. Also visit the intimate “Blues 101 Stage” where we offer kids of all ages the opportunity to learn about this music that is part of our national heritage. See and meet some of the most talented young blues performers in the country! We have a family oriented atmosphere where everyone can expect a wonderful blues experience.  Great food & drink, merchandise vendors, ample free parking, plus camp & RV sites just outside of the arena at Island Grove Park. Not to be missed is an additional 10 hours of Friday festivities in many of the Downtown bars & restaurants, and all FREE!  This is now an integral part of the Greeley Blues Jam and is 100% guaranteed to put a smile on your face and get your feet moving! It all adds up to two absolutely amazing days of non-stopping blues… remember our goal and our motto:  “It Ain’t Nothin But a Party”! The party starts Friday at 5 p.m. downtown and continues well past midnight.  On Saturday, the arena opens at 10:30 am—music starts at 11and plays continuously until 10:30 pm.  Get there early for best seating on the grass!  Hope to see you there! Go to greeleybluesjam.com for complete information and ticket locations

JJ Grey & Mofro's "This River" Set For April 16 Release

JJ GREY & MOFRO'S THIS RIVER SET FOR APRIL 16 RELEASE U.S. TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED Jacksonville-based singer/songwriter JJ Grey will release THIS RIVER on Tuesday, April 16, 2013. This is Grey's seventh album (his fifth for Alligator Records) and his first studio album since 2010's acclaimed Georgia Warhorse. The New York Times says Grey's singing is "impassioned" and the band plays "riff-based Southern rock, cold-blooded swamp funk and sly Memphis soul." THIS RIVER, like his previous releases, was produced by Grey and Dan Prothero, and recorded at Retrophonics Studio in Saint Augustine, Florida, with additional recording done in Grey's home studio, known as "The Egg Room." As proven by his previous albums, Grey is a meticulous storyteller. "Many of the new songs," says Grey, "are about being your own worst enemy, and about normal folks pushing themselves over the edge." Grey's lyrics and slice-of-life scenarios are filled with honest detail, helping to bring his emotionally complex characters to life in songs including Somebody Else, 99 Shades Of Crazy, The Ballad Of Larry Webb and This River. "I see a little bit of myself in these songs," Grey states. "The difference is in the choices people make." His gritty vocals and punchy horn arrangements add even more depth to the lyrical album. Grey's fervent delivery and the expert musicianship of the band pull the listener deep inside each track, making THIS RIVER a deeply moving and engaging musical statement. "I took my time and I'm happy for it," says Grey. For THIS RIVER, Grey brought the whole band in to the studio and cut most of the tracks live. To JJ, the result was a bit more like their live show. "It adds so much more to the dynamic of a recording. It's so different when you get to play off each other rather than overdub each track," says Grey. JJ Grey & Mofro will appear at SxSW in Austin, Texas in March and then head out on a massive cross-country tour. Grey and the band have been road-testing the new songs at sound-checks for a while now, and they're ready to hit the ground running. "This time around there's no learning curve," he says. "We'll be ready from the git-go." Initial tour dates are as follows: Apr-05 Fri - Lake Buena Vista, FL - House of Blues Apr-06 Sat - St. Augustine, FL - Rhythm & Ribs Apr-09 Tue - Kansas City, MO - Knuckleheads Apr-10 Wed - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater Apr-11 Thu - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Apr-12 Fri - Bloomington, IN - Bluebird Apr-13 Sat - Nashville, TN - Exit/In Apr-16 Tue - Pittsburgh, PA - Mr Smalls Theatre Apr-17 Wed - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall Apr-18 Thu - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall Apr-19 Fri - Sewanee, TN - Lake Cheston Apr-20 Sat - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club Apr-24 Wed - Northampton, MA - Pearl Street Apr-25 Thu - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground Apr-26 Fri - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club Apr-27 Sat - New York, NY-  Irving Plaza May-16 Thu - Worpswede, Germany - Worswede Music Hall May-17 Fri - Dortmund, Germany - FZW May-18 Sat - Schoppingen, Germany - Grolsch Blues Festival May-19 Sun - Raalte, Netherlands - Ribs & Blues Pinksteren May-20 Mon - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos-Saal May-24 - May-27 Fri - Mon - George, WA - Sasquatch Music Festival Jun-8 Sat - Greeley, CO - Greeley Blues Jam ### www.ALLIGATOR.com