Ivan Appelrouth : : Blue and Instrumental!

Ivan Appelrouth's first recording as band leader. Ivan has been playing and recording for almost thirty years. The early 80's found him in the New England area playing with some of the areas finest blues band and learning from his mentor Duke Robillard. He later returned to his home town of Richmond, VA and played with a number of groups, including touring and recording with Jumpin' Johnny Sansone & the Blues Party. The 90's found him recording & touring with Li'l Ronnie & the Grand Dukes and the DC based Big Joe & the Dynaflows. While touring the US, Canada and Europe with Big Joe, Ivan had the pleasure of playing with such luminaries as Earl King, James 'Thunderbird' Davis, Nappy Brown and many others.

Accompanied by an all-star band of former and sometime band-mates, the renown guitarist showcases his collection of original blues, swing & jump instrumentals plus 4 choice "covers". These tracks stand, in part as a musical tribute to the plethora of rocking and swinging blues and R&B greats who have influenced and shaped his playing and musical taste.

What you'll hear are fourteen tunes recorded live in the studio over 2 five-hour sessions. None of the tunes had ever been performed on stage as a complete band. At each session everyone essentially walked in cold with no rehearsal except for what was in Ivan's head. "I got a idea" was his blueprint, and they went to work. What they got down and done speaks volumes for Ivan and the cats he was honored to have join him. This is the way it's supposed to sound, not retro or old school, just the way it was meant to be played. You can feel it, drenched in emotion, spontaneous and impeccable.