Alligator Records News Briefs Nov 4, 2013

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 Shot is 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 "More fun than a barrel of funky monkeys. Ball's awesome mélange of keyboard styles sets the tone: call it the Zydeco boogie-woogie blues. Horns chug faster and faster, guitars drop by for a rock ‘n' roll interlude." --NPR 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.

Alligator Records News Briefs, April 16, 2013

 

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 Blues magazine. 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 Cafe on 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 Weekly will 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. ### www.ALLIGATOR.com

Alligator Records News Briefs March 25, 2013

WXRT'S BLUES BREAKERS TO PREMIERE TWO TRACKS FROM HARMONICA LEGEND JAMES COTTON'S COTTON MOUTH MAN On Monday, March 25, Tom Marker, host of Chicago radio station WXRT-FM's Blues Breakers program, will premiere two new songs from Grammy-winning harmonica giant James Cotton's upcoming CD, Cotton Mouth Man. The CD, to be released on Tuesday, May 7,  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 band for many years. 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. JESSE DEE'S NO MATTER WHERE I AM TO BE FEATURED ON FOX-TV'S BONES ON MONDAY, MARCH 25 Boston soul singer/guitarist/songwriter Jesse Dee's original song No Matter Where I Am will be prominently featured on FOX Television's Bones, in an episode airing on Monday, March 25. The song appears on Dee's Alligator Records debut CD On My Mind / In My Heart, which was declared a "masterpiece" by The San Francisco Chronicle. Since the February 26 release of the new CD, Dee has been featured in USA Today, The Boston Globe, No Depression, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Popmatters, and on WBUR-FM, WXPN-FM, NPR Music and many other outlets and publications. He recently performed, with his full band, on New York's WFUV. Watch the video here: http://wfuv.org/audio/archives/words-and-music-studio/jesse-dee-words-and-music-2013 LIL' ED & THE BLUES IMPERIALS' KICK ME TO THE CURB TO BE FEATURED ON CBS-TV'S CRIMINAL MINDS CBS Television's Criminal Minds will feature Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials' Kick Me To The Curb during the episode set to air on Wednesday, March 27. The song, written by Lil' Ed Williams, leader of the Blues Music Award-winning Blues Imperials (now celebrating 26 years together), is from 2012's Jump Start. Living Blues says Jump Start is "high-octane, expressive, fiercely articulated, harrowingly intense and raucous. Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials hit the floor running and accelerate from there." ANDERS OSBORNE TO PERFORM WITH PHIL LESH AND LUTHER DICKINSON AT TERRAPIN CROSSROADS Guitarist/songwriter/singer Anders Osborne, whose new critically lauded EP Three Free Amigos has already become a fan favorite, will perform with Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars) and Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead) at the Spring Rambles at Terrapin Crossroads on April 11, 12 and 13, in San Rafael, California. The trio will join other guests including Graham Lesh and Tony Leone for three jam-packed nights of music. OffBeat calls Osborne "an artist who continues to grow before our eyes," and says Three Free Amigos is a "beautiful songwriter's digest." ### www.ALLIGATOR.com

This email was sent to info@bmansbluesreport.com by Alligator Records

Alligator Records artist: Jesse Dee - On My Mind / In My Heart - New Release Review

I have just received the newest release, On My Mind/In My Heart by Jesse Dee. This is a strong Soul/R&B style recording with 11 fresh tracks all composed by Jesse Dee except for Track 5 by Jesse Dee & Jeremy Gustin, and Track 10 by Jesse Dee & Aaron Clodfelter. The title track, On My Mind/In My Heart opens the recording with a surprisingly strong vocal style topped with horns and and a modern rhythmic swing. No Matter Where I Am is second up and reinforces that this is no one hit recording, being another very strong track. Fussin' And Fightin' has a familiar soul base and definitely has strong roots in earlier soul recordings. I love the contemporary Neo soul movement with D'Angelo and Badu but this is the sound of an earlier day. I Won't Forget About You is an uptempo R&B track propelling this into the serious days of the R&B dominated market. Tell Me (Before It's Too Late) is a cool laid back soul style track giving Dee a chance to demonstrate his vocal skills. The band takes all of the clues from an earlier day keeping with the authenticity of the experience. What's A Boy Like Me To Do is a great track among a great group of tracks. This is simple, straightforward and smooth. Sweet Tooth crosses over between the R&B and rock music with a fast dance track. This is another track that is bound to gather a lot of attention. Boundary Line may be my favorite track on the recording bringing to mind great soul songs of the past. Well written, constructed and performed. If you like heavily vocal oriented soul and R&B tracks, "made like they used to make 'em", it would be hard for me to recommend a better recording.
 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”

Here's an acoustic version of Boundary Line:

JESSE DEE'S ON MY MIND / IN MY HEART MAKES WORLDWIDE DEBUT ON BLURT-ONLINE.COM ON MONDAY, JANUARY 14

 

JESSE DEE'S ON MY MIND / IN MY HEART MAKES WORLDWIDE DEBUT ON BLURT-ONLINE.COM ON MONDAY, JANUARY 14 On My Mind / In My Heart, the title track from the upcoming Alligator Records debut album from Boston's soul singing, songwriting, guitar playing Jesse Dee, will make its worldwide debut on Monday, January 14. The song will stream at Blurt-online.com, the website of the influential music magazine Blurt. The album will be released on Tuesday, February 26. Dee will tour extensively in support of the CD, with a show at New York's Iridium on Friday, March 8 and a hometown CD release party planned for Saturday, March 9 at Boston's Brighton Music Hall. The full tour schedule will be announced shortly. With his warm and honest sound, his instantly memorable melodies and positive, slice-of-life lyrics (evoking the heyday of the Brill Building songwriters), Jesse Dee expertly updates soul music for contemporary audiences. The new album is a sweet soul masterpiece full of good vibes and funky, joyful music. Like Sam Cooke, Dee writes about real life with true emotional poetry. His lyrics are set to toe-tapping melodies with horn charts channeling The Memphis Horns and 1970s-era Van Morrison. "I'm a music fan first," Dee says, "so it's important to me to seek out and create with original ideas. That's why songwriting is so important, and why I mean every word I write and sing." ### www.ALLIGATOR.com