Blind Pig Records artist: Zac Harmon - Right Man Right now - New Release review

I just received the newest release (August 28, 2015) Right Man Right Now, from Zac Harmon and it's squeezing hot. Opening with Raising Hell, a R&B flavored blues track with strong blues guitar riffs from Anson Funderburgh and Lucky Peterson on organ, this is a great opener. Ball and Chain has a slinky feel with two ongoing guitar lines, one clean and one slide, over nice keyboard work, a thumping bass line and smooth vocals compliments of Harmon. This cool funky track has a really nice groove with a lot of small instrumental components that together make up a really cool track. High stepping Hump In Your Back features Bobby Rush on second vocal and harp and an ultra cool guitar line pumped along by Buthel on bass and tight drumming from Cedric Goodman. Harmon lays out a real nice guitar solo of his own on this track punched up by Les Kepics on trumpet and Chuck Phillips on sax. Very cool! Slow and easy, Texas style, Stand Your Ground is a terrific blues track really giving Harmon a chance to show off his best vocal traits. Peterson is back on organ setting up the swat and Harmon plays stinging riff after stinging riff with a nice nod to Albert King. Super! Title track, Right Man Right Now, has a nice bass groove and and ongoing tasty guitar riffs including one repetitive zinger that keeps you on your toes. This is a real slick track featuring Mike Finnigan on keys and Harmon carrying the load vocally. Feet Back On The Ground is one of my favorite tracks on the release with it's soulful vocals and stylized guitar work. With it's solid melody, smooth instrumental backing and flavorful guitar work, this could easily carry the release on it's own merit. Excellent! Long Live The Blues has a certain swagger and slashing Albert like guitar riffs. Cedric Goodman finds the cowbell, a not enough used percussive accent giving the track extra bite. Finely blended harmonies on this track also give it a contemporary soul feel. Back Of The Yards is a really hot track with a poppy bass riff from Buthel and great blues riffs from Harmon. Mike Finnigan is back on organ here and Harmon leading the track on vocal just has a really nice feel. John Lee Hooker's I'm Bad Like Jesse James is up next featuring Chef Deni on harp and a spoken word story by Harmon over an easy Hooker guitar riff. Clocking in at over 7 minutes this track sets up to be a really heavy kicker and as it builds momentum it builds tension. Very nice! Funky, Ain't No Big Deal On You, features Mike Finnigan on keys and Harmon really singing in the groove and hitting the guitar riffs just right. Goodman and Buthel keep the bottom tight and this track cruises. Wrapping the release is Good Thing Found, a R&B styled blues number with a pop roll. This is another track that could easily find cross radio play with it's catchy melody, solid vocals and tight instrumentation. Jimmy Z on sax, Chuck Phillips on sax and Les Kepics on trumpet bring up the horns and Harmon just grooves on guitar....great 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”

 

Bobbie (Mercy) Oliver, The Texas Blues King - Sleeping With The Dogs - New Release review

I just received the newest release, Sleeping With The Dogs, from Bobbie (Mercy) Oliver and its quite interesting! Opening with smoking harmonica track, Juke Joint, Oliver leads the way complimented by David White on bass, Andre on drums and with some hot lead guitar work by Melvin "Melo" Hinchen. Next up is Highway 61 and some fine vocals from Oliver. I really like Oliver's "feel" on harp and White walks it on bass also adding cool organ backing and Andre's drums are tight. Hinchen lays in a nice guitar solo without taking over the show. White really lays out a nice bass lead on I'm Leaving You getting you moving. Oliver maintains a solid balance between vocals and harp. On blues rocker On The Bottom, White really lays down a cool bass line leading to melodic harp soloing by Oliver. Switching gears a bit into more of a country/gospel feel with I Love The Lord, Oliver leads on vocal complimented nicely by White on organ. R&B style takes the focus on One Woman Man, with a taste of Al Green and a touch of Rufus Thomas. Guitar Man Nate rips a spine chilling guitar solo on this track setting it apart even more. Title track, Sleeping With The Dogs has a funky blues feel with a nice groove from White on bass. Oliver has a simple but effective harp style that just sits right with you. I Want To Talk To You has a James Brown chug but a rock beat giving it an unusually cool feel. Simple guitar riffs and compact harp riffs gives this track its groove. Wrapping the release is She's My Baby, a tight little rocker with a blues flavor. Oliver's gravelly vocals, sparing harp riffs and concise guitar riffs make this a perfect ending 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”

 

Arlo Guthrie Celebrates 50th Anniversary of "Alice's Restaurant Massacree" w/ North American Tour!

Arlo Guthrie Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of
The Event That Inspired The Iconic Song
"Alice's Restaurant Massacree"

North American Tour
September 25, 2015 - May 5, 2016

"A great reminder of just how effective a bit of absurdity can be when it comes to combating serious issues." -Rolling Stone

"A quintessential Guthrie composition in the way it turns a true story into an amusing folk tale." -New York Times

"The strength of 'Alice's Restaurant' is its feel of truth -- and how it speaks that truth to power." -Washington Post

"If there's one Turkey Day custom in our city that people actually enjoy, it's the airing of the classic 1967 Arlo Guthrie yarn 'Alice's Restaurant Massacree'." -Philadelphia Weekly

Washington, MA -- Thursday, August 20, 2015 -- Legendary folk music icon Arlo Guthrie continues his epic journey across North America this September 2015 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the event that inspired his seminal song, "Alice's Restaurant Massacree". A musical monologue running more than 18 minutes, "Alice's Restaurant" has become a Thanksgiving holiday anthem to families around the world and it all originates from Guthrie's experience on Thanksgiving in 1965. Kicking off the tour in Nashville, TN (City Winery: Sept. 25 - 27, 2015), Guthrie will perform his most prominent work in its entirety each night on the tour, as well as selections from various full-length studio albums he's released since his debut, Alice's Restaurant (1967).

Guthrie tours in more than 60 markets over the next eight months, and commemorates the actual 50th Anniversary with his annual headlining performance at New York City's Carnegie Hall (November 28, 2015). On the October and November 2015 shows, Arlo's daughter Sarah Lee Guthrie -- a singer-songwriter with a lauded career in her own right -- will open each concert. Please see all confirmed shows listed below and on risingsonrecords.com. 

Folk songs enduring many decades of change only become classics when storylines remain just as relevant today as they were when originally composed. "Alice's Restaurant" is of this ilk; it's now weaved into the fabric of American society. Fans have embraced "Alice's Restaurant" as part of their annual Thanksgiving tradition, but also view it as one of the more pronounced "anti-stupid" rally songs. Every year, Arlo receives handfuls of letters from Vietnam vets and soldiers currently at war expressing their heartfelt connection to the song. Today, times are eerily similar to the mid-60's, with unpopular wars being fought far away from home, and soldiers finding ways to cope. Music is often the best medicine to soothe the soul. However listeners interpret the quintessential tune, we can be rest assured that people of all different walks of life come together singing that famous chorus, "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant...".

"I didn't think I was gonna live long enough to have to learn 'Alice's Restaurant' again," Arlo Guthrie says with a smile. "It was a quirky kinda thing to begin with. Nobody writes an 18-minute monologue expecting fame and fortune. The initial success of the song really took me by surprise more than anyone else. The fact that I have contended with it for five decades either by having to learn it again or by not doing it, has been an interesting balancing act. I'm surely looking forward to it being a centerpiece of my repertoire for the 50th anniversary tour."

"Alice's Restaurant's" hilarious account of actual events that precluded Arlo Guthrie from military service (1966) became a platinum selling record (1967) and full-length motion picture (1969) at the outset of his renowned career. As we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the lengthiest hit single in music history, Arlo once again performs it live. Due to its length, Arlo has only added the complete "Alice's Restaurant Massacree" to his touring menu on the 10-year anniversaries.

For the last five decades, Arlo has carried on the Guthrie family legacy of sharing timeless stories and unforgettable classics to audiences far and wide. "The Alice's Restaurant 50th Anniversary Tour" brings together an ensemble of fine musicians never to grace the stage together at one time. Arlo's deft band includes Terry Hall (drums), Bobby Sweet (guitar, vocals), Darren Todd (bass), and his son, Abe Guthrie (keyboards). Each show is curated with an awe-inspiring light show created specifically for this tour by 44 Designs, Inc., along with previously unseen images from the Guthrie archives. More than 75,000 photos have recently been digitized, and selections will be projected during the evening.

For the dedicated lovers of "Alice's Restaurant", they'll be happy to know the Old Trinity Church is still around. Arlo bought it over 20 years ago and renamed it "The Guthrie Center at the Old Trinity Church". He runs his non-profit foundation from the building, and it's his hope that it'll continue to be of service to the local community.

On "Alice's Restaurant" becoming such a cultural phenomenon, Arlo says, "Well, I've always loved good stories. And I've loved telling tall tales. Why people enjoy it is beyond me. I haven't sung 'Alice' for years and people still keep coming to the gigs. 'Alice' has taken on a life of its own and become attached to Thanksgiving. If I had to guess though, maybe because it's a story about a little guy against a big world."

Don't miss Arlo Guthrie as he tours in a city near you, performing one of America's greatest musical treasures! Below is a list of the announced tour dates, and additional shows will be added. Stay up to date on risingsonrecords.com

Arlo Guthrie Presents "The Alice's Restaurant 50th Anniversary Tour":

Sept. 25 - 27, 2015 -- Nashville, TN -- The City Winery
Sept. 29, 2015 -- Gettysburg, PA -- The Majestic Theater
Oct. 1, 2015 -- Erie, PA -- The Warner Theatre
Oct. 2, 2015 -- Greensburg, PA -- The Palace Theatre
Oct. 3, 2015 -- Lorain, OH -- Lorain Palace Theater
Oct. 6, 2015 -- Rutland, VT -- The Paramount
Oct. 7, 2015 -- Burlington, VT -- Flynn Center
Oct. 9, 2015 -- Boston, MA -- Berklee Performance Center
Oct. 10, 2015 -- Keene, NH -- The Colonial Theatre
Oct. 11, 2015 -- Pittsfield, MA -- The Colonial Theatre
Oct. 14, 2015 -- Middletown, OH -- Dave Finkelman Aud.
Oct. 15, 2015 -- Newark, OH -- The Midland Theatre
Oct. 16, 2015 -- Springfield, OH -- Clark State PAC
Oct. 18, 2015 -- Overland Park, KS -- Johnson County CC
Oct. 21, 2015 -- Madison, WI -- The Union Theatre
Oct. 23, 2015 -- Milwaukee, WI -- The Pabst Theater
Oct. 24, 2015 -- Red Wing, MN -- The Sheldon Theatre
Oct. 25, 2015 -- St. Paul, MN -- The O'Shaunessey Theater
Oct. 29, 2015 -- Eau Claire, WI -- The State Theater
Oct. 30, 2015 -- St. Cloud, MN -- The Paramount
Nov. 3, 2015 -- Iowa City, IA -- Englert Theater
Nov. 4, 2015 -- Des Moines, IA -- Hoyt Sherman Place
Nov. 8, 2015 -- Chicago, IL -- The Harris Theater
Nov. 9, 2015 -- Ann Arbor, MI -- Michigan Theater
Nov. 11, 2015 -- Ithaca, NY -- The State Theatre
Nov. 13, 2015 -- New Bedford, MA -- The Zeiterion
Nov. 14, 2015 -- Tarrytown, NY -- Tarrytown Music Hall
Nov. 15, 2015 -- Patchogue, NY -- The Patchogue Theatre
Nov. 17, 2015 -- Easton, MD -- The Avalon Theatre
Nov. 19, 2015 -- Wilmington, DE -- Grand Opera House
Nov. 20, 2015 -- Princeton, NJ -- The McCarter Theatre
Nov. 21, 2015 -- Glenside, PA -- The Keswick Theatre
Nov. 28, 2015 -- New York, NY -- Carnegie Hall
Nov. 29, 2015 -- Newark, NJ -- NJ Performing Arts Center
Jan. 16, 2016 -- Coral Springs, FL -- Coral Springs Center
Jan. 17, 2016 -- Miami, FL -- South Miami-Dade Co. Arts
Jan. 19, 2016 -- Ft. Myers, FL -- Barbara Mann Hall
Jan. 20, 2016 -- Clearwater, FL -- The Capitol Theatre
Jan. 22, 2016 -- Stuart, FL -- The Lyric Theatre
Jan. 23, 2016 -- Orlando, FL -- The Plaza Live
Jan. 24, 2016 -- Melbourne, FL -- The King Center
Jan. 26, 2016 -- Charleston, SC -- Charleston Music Hall
Jan. 27, 2016 -- Newberry, SC -- Newberry Opera House
Jan. 28, 2016 -- Durham, NC -- The Carolina Theatre
Jan. 30 & 31, 2016 -- Richmond, VA -- Modlin Center
Feb. 3, 2016 -- Bethesda, MD -- Strathmore Hall
Feb. 5 & 6, 2016 -- Alexandria, VA -- The Birchmere
Feb. 8 & 9, 2016 -- Rocky Mount, VA -- Harvester
Feb. 12, 2016 -- Lawrence, KS -- Liberty Hall
Feb. 13, 2016 -- Wichita, KS -- The Orpheum
Feb. 14, 2016 -- Tulsa, OK -- The Brady Theatre
Feb. 16, 2016 -- St. Louis, MO -- Touhill Arts Center
Feb. 18, 2016 -- Fort Worth, TX -- Bass Performance Hall
Feb. 21, 2016 -- Austin, TX -- The Long Center
Feb. 24, 2016 -- Columbia, MO -- The Missouri Theatre
Feb. 25, 2016 -- Louisville, KY -- Kentucky Center
Feb. 27, 2016 -- Biloxi, MS -- IP Casino
April 1, 2016 -- Mesa, AZ -- Mesa Performing Arts Center
April 7, 2016 -- Santa Barbara, CA -- The Lobero Theatre
April 9, 2016 -- Palo Alto, CA -- The Bing Concert Hall
April 10, 2016 -- Chico, CA -- Laxon Auditorium
April 14, 2016 -- Portland, OR -- Revolution Hall
April 15, 2016 -- Olympia, WA -- Washington Center
April 16, 2016 -- Seattle, WA -- The Moore Theatre
April 21, 2016 -- Vancouver, BC, Canada -- Chan Centre
April 23, 2016 -- Spokane, WA -- The Fox Theater
May 5, 2016 -- Washington, MA -- The Guthrie Center

Blue Bella Records artist: Hank Mowery - Excuses Plenty - New release review

I just received the newest release, Excuses Plenty, from Hank Mowery and it's a cool mix of rural country, R&B/soul and blues. Opening with Anna Lee, a country rocker featuring Mowery on harp ad vocal, Troy Amaro on guitar, Chris Corey on piano, Patrick Recob on bass and Theo Ndawillie II on drums. I Don't Want to Know is a nice R&B ballad with strong radio appeal. Jimmie Stagger and Claude Nine add some real nice guitar work to this track but in a melodic contained envelope. Title track, Excuses Plenty, has a country 2 step feel but a euphoric harp wail that really gives the track a special feel. Troy Amaro adds some nice guitar work on this track as well. Country rocker, Walk With Me has a strong pop influence. Mowery's vocals are really super and Mike Morgan adds some hot guitar riffs to Mowery's own lead harp line. Straight up Chicago blues number, One And Only, has a real nice vocal duet with Recob and Morgan is really fluid on guitar backed by Pete Curry on drums and Larry Taylor on bass. Little Bit Of Rhythm has a light touch and a lot of swing with Corey and Amaro playing a really nice instrumental duet. Early 60's style rocker, Cry For Me, has a surf feel but without the tremolo shimmer. Clavoline work by Corey add a , backing vocals by Matt Mason and vocals give it a country twist. Bluesy ballad, Would You Still Love Me On A Rainy Day, features serious vocals by Mowery and some ultra tasty harp work by harp maestro, Dennis Gruenling. This is some serious dramatic harp work and joined by Doug Deming on guitar this is my pick of the release. Hot blues stomper, Telephone Is Ringing, also features Deming and Gruenling with Danny Banks on drums, Andrew Gohman on bass. This is a hot track really stoking the fire before the close. Mowery's vocals on this track are super and the track really hits! Wrapping the release is Skip James' I'm So Glad, an acoustic number with Piedmont style picking by Amaro. Excellent conclusion to a versatile 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”

 

Dennis Herrera Blues Band - Livin' Life Not Worryin' - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Livin' Life Not Worryin' from the Dennis Herrera Blues Band and it's terrific! Opening with All This Fun's for Free, a cool blues rocker featuring Igor Prado. Herrera brings a great band featuring Rich Wenzel who really plays out the piano on this track. Prado throws down some hot rockin riffs on guitar and Herrara's vocals are just right. Denis Depoitre steps on the gas with his harp playing topping off this real nice opener. Can't Get Enough is a stinging rocker with Alan Maggini with great tone on guitar and Wenzel laying down some great organ riffs. Loping, Damn Uncle Sam opens with Depoitre on harp and a cool Lee Campbell drum riff. Herrera has just the right vocal style for this track and Maggini cuts it up pretty nice on guitar. Hank Van Sickle's bass lines are spot on, with Wenzel giving the track a great rhythm. Uptempo blues, Chicago style, Love You Good, has a cool vintage feel with distorted vocals and super harp riffs from Depoitre. Bill Bates steps up on guitar on this one with some cool slide riffs and leaves the track with some precise thrillers. Title track, Livin' Life Not Worryin' features Prado on guitar and he kills it. Depoitre hits the harp just right with great tone. This is a really hot track and one of my favorites on the release. Slim Baby Slim is a rock n roller featuring Lynwood Slim and Jeffrey Paul Ross on guitars and Slim also takes the lead vocal role. Wenzel takes a lead piano solo and the house is rockin! Depoitre grabs tight and blows a great few lines. Excellent! Mean Ole Texas Shuffle features the one and only Anson Funderburgh. Depoitre takes a real nice long harp solo supported nicely by Wenzel, Van Sickle and Campbell. Herrera guides the track nicely on vocal and Funderburghs are stylistic and precise. Very nice! Funky track, Sun Is Shining, has a great waddling pace. This is one of those tracks that just gets your head bobbing. With Dan McCann on bass and Depoitre on harp, this track hits hard. Wenzel's organ work on the track, punctuated by Maggini's guitar work make this a standout track. Lynwood Slim, Maggini and Jeffrey Paul Ross are back on guitar on Talkin' At My Back Door and fat sliding gives this track a trace of Elmore. Slims vocals and Wenzel's piano work dress this track nicely and Depoitre's harp work brings it home. Blues rocker, Something I Read, features a real nice blues rock guitar rhythm and a casual vocal delivery by Herrera. Depoitre sets a nice foundation on harp and Herrera lays out some really nice guitar riffs of his own. Rock n Roller, This Ain't Nothin' New has Funderburgh back and again he hits it square on with his trademark riffing. Wenzel takes a nice keyboard solo of his own, pushed along by Campbell and Van Sickle. Depoitre wraps the track in exchange with Funderburgh making this a solid rocker. Excellent! Wrapping the release is a hot boogie called Hooker Heat. A very characteristic Hooker style track features hot riffs from Depoitre, Maggini and Tommy Castro coaxed along by Herrera. This is an excellent closer for a really hot 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”

 

DEEP BLUES FESTIVAL HEADS BACK TO CLARKSDALE, MS OCT. 15-18 FOR ITS SECOND YEAR!

DEEP BLUES FESTIVAL 2015 KICKS OFF ITS SECOND YEAR IN CLARKSDALE, MS THIS OCTOBER!

FOUR-DAY FEST TO FEATURE GREAT DEEP BLUES ACTS INCLUDING LEFT LANE CRUISER, SCOTT H. BIRAM, DALE BEAVERS, HENRY'S FUNERAL SHOE, ELEGANZA! AND MANY OTHERS! 

ADDITIONAL BANDS TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!

Tickets are on sale to the general public for the Juke Joint Chapel venue at the Shack Up Inn.  $150 for the four day pass ($40 individual days).

Other venues will have their own cover charge or tip jars.

FOR MORE INFO ON THE DEEP BLUES FESTIVAL 2015:

http://deepbluesfest.com

https://www.facebook.com/deepbluesfest

MonkeyJunk Shines on New Stony Plain Records CD, "Moon Turn Red," Set for Release on September 25

MonkeyJunk Shines on New Stony Plain Records CD, Moon Turn Red, Set for Release on September 25

Album Features a Guest Appearance from Legendary Canadian Guitarist David Wilcox

EDMONTON, AB – Stony Plain Records announces a September 25 release date for Moon Turn Red, the new CD from multi-award winning Ottawa-based trio, MonkeyJunk.  Comprised of Steve Marriner (vocals, harmonica, keyboards, baritone guitar), Tony D (lead guitar, background vocals) and Matt Sobb (drums, percussion, background vocals), MonkeyJunk plays an energized mix of swamp blues and funky roots rock ‘n’ roll. Moon Turn Red was produced by the band and Ken Friesen, with additional production on one track by Colin Cripps of Blue Rodeo.

To watch a special EPK about the making of Moon Turn Red:

On their fourth CD for Stony Plain, MonkeyJunk displays their passionate and edgy roots-based music with an unfettered delivery, and Moon Turn Red is certain to further cement the band’s popularity around the globe. “With each record we make, we feel like we’re pushing more boundaries,” says the group’s Steve Marriner. “Moon Turn Red is no different in that regard. I really think some of the songs on this album are some of the best we’ve written. We explored grooves we’ve never hit on before and experimented with some new sounds, while paying particular attention to the melodic passages of the songs,” he adds.

MonkeyJunk truly shines on the new album, with ten scorching tracks varying from straight-up rockers like “Light it Up,” “You,” “Hot Hot Papa,” “Live Another Day,” “Lucky One” and “Travelin’ Light;” the reggae-tinged “Love Attack;” the funky “Show Me Yours;” and soulful, goose bump-inducing love songs, “Learn How to Love” and “Meet Me at Midnight.”

Moon Turn Red also features a guest appearance from legendary Canadian guitarist David Wilcox, who plays guitar and sings on MonkeyJunk’s cover of his classic “Hot Hot Papa.” “It was a real thrill for all of us to work with David Wilcox as he is someone we have been a fan of for many years - one of our musical heroes,” says Matt Sobb. “We listened to his music growing up, have covered his songs in previous bands and still listen to his albums in our van while on tour. He was very generous with his time and talents and it was truly an honor that he was so gracious and genuinely invested in making the track sound great with us.  And it was great to have Colin Cripps onboard to produce that song too - his musical sensibility and keen ears really harnessed the best out of all of us!”

Another coup for the band was having Gordie Johnson (of Big Sugar and Grady fame) lend his talents to the recording. As Marriner states, “He possesses an acute sensibility for melody and groove, a champion of ‘riff-rock’, while his role on our album is more supportive than feature, he brought all sorts of vibe to the session that I believe we effectively captured on tape that day.” Tony D adds, “Gordie and I both come out of the blues. We’ve known each other for over 25 years. It was serendipitous that he happened to be touring in the vicinity of the studio in Almonte, Ontario, and after all these years we finally got a chance to work together!”

Moon Turn Red is not only an outstanding addition to an already impressive body of work and a turning point for MonkeyJunk, it is an example of musical camaraderie and brotherhood; the trio of long-time friends and colleagues just seem to click in a way that is at once natural and otherworldly.  Their passion, conviction and dedication to their music are evident with every lick, every beat and every lyric. MonkeyJunk is a reminder to listeners that musicianship, ability and strong song writing will always triumph.

About MonkeyJunk

The 2008 birth of the Ottawa-based band MonkeyJunk came along just when music fans needed them the most. They brought an accessible and refreshing blend of swamp-rock roots and blues to the table and haven’t looked back. In the relatively short time they’ve been performing and recording together, the members of MonkeyJunk have won a collective 20 Maple Blues Awards, two Canadian Independent Music Awards, a Blues Music Award (USA), and have been nominated twice for a JUNO Award (The Canadian Grammy), taking home the coveted hardware in 2012.  

Straight out of the gate, MonkeyJunk quickly became one of the most popular new bands on the scene, performing at festivals and packed venues across the country, amassing a large audience of devoted fans, affectionately called “MonkeyJunkies.” In fact, they hit the road for a tour before their debut album, Tiger in Your Tank, was even released. They are not a fluke, one-off collective or “ordinary Joes” who decided to start a band. These are three musicians who individually had established careers prior to forming MonkeyJunk. Steve Marriner, the trio’s vocalist, baritone guitarist, harmonica and organ player, was well known as the ‘go-to’ guy as a producer, sideman and session player. He’s also toured the world performing alongside Harry Manx.  Steve is also the consummate musical networker and stage guest, having been invited to join many artists in concert such as Randy Bachman, Colin James and Big Sugar. At the age of 19, lead guitarist Tony D performed for three nights in Buddy Guy’s band. In 1982, he opened for Stevie Ray Vaughan.  These events helped propel him into a long-standing career with his own popular project, The Tony D Band. He has also toured with some of this country’s greatest musicians, including the late Dutch Mason.  Before MonkeyJunk, drummer and percussionist Matt Sobb was a very busy session drummer around Ottawa and has backed up several regional, national and international artists live on stage, touring and in studio over the last 24 years such as Kim Wilson, Jeff Healey, Tom Wilson (Blackie & The Rodeo Kings), The Tony D Band and his brother's band, Marty Sobb and The Mobb, among many others.

For more information, visit www.monkeyjunkband.com and www.stonyplainrecords.com.