"The Reloader's sound is nuanced and textured, with songs that smack of Latin and rock influences as well as straight-ahead, Clapton-inspired blues." NORTH COUNTY TIMES
"Despite his obvious virtuosity, (frontman) Vigil is not a one-man show or grandstander...the Reloaders have a cohesive sound..."Love Comes Knocking" turns up the tempo with some flashy guitar work reminiscent of Stevie Ray Vaughn...the gloves come off in "Survive," where Vigil channels Jimi Hendrix, complete with reverb, wah wah, and other electronic effects. Blues fans should give this album a serious listen." SAN DIEGO TROUBADOUR
"San Diego-based Reuben Vigil and his posse (Jodie Hill on bass and Ric Lee on drums) play "almost right"--almost perfectly... Big Shot Reub is a near-master on lead guitar! He displays his prowess with "So Much Inside Me"...his musical arrangements are as varied and melodic as those in blues can get." BLUES BLAST
Big Shot Reub & The Reloaders Play The Blues Electric @ Coyote Bar/Grill
(2 Big Shows - Saturday, January 7 and Saturday, February 4)
(CARLSBAD) - 619 blues-rock faves Big Shot Reub & The Reloaders plug in the amps for two upcoming all-electric Blues concerts at Coyote Bar & Grill, 300 Carlsbad Village Drive, Carlsbad, Saturday, January 7 and Saturday, February 4, 6-10 p.m. each day. No cover. Info: (760) 729-4695 or www.coyotecarlsbad.com. See below for a complete itinerary of upcoming Big Shot Reub and the Reloaders live events.
Capping off a great 2011, the group's "Roundhouse Blues" was nominated for "CD Of The Year" by Bluesforum. Fronted by guitarist-vocalist Reuben Vigil, BSR&TR have been receiving lots of 'local' love of late, including a stellar review in San Diego Troubadour and a Feature in the North County Times.
ROUNDHOUSE BLUES (Hat and Case Music) has received very positive media response since its late-2010 release. "I plopped this CD into the player and hoped for the best, and low and behold I was pleasantly surprised just how good of an album "Roundhouse Blues" turned out to be," writes BLUES UNDERGROUND. "Talk about some classy blues...this is the stuff you look long and hard for. If you like virtuoso guitar this is one album you need to get!," opines CASHBOX magazine. "On "Roadhouse Blues," Vigil moves flawlessly and tastefully across the frets to produce a very high quality product for any discerning ear to enjoy," asserts BLUESROCKERS. The album was mastered by multi-Grammy-winning Charlie Watts (renowned for his work on Fleetwood Mac's Rumors among others) and engineered and produced by Glen Laughlin (Dickies, Cherry Bluestorms).
Watch a live performance of "So Much Inside Me" by Big Shot Reub and the Reloaders from The Whiskey A Go-Go in Hollywood last summer here:
Big Shot Reub & The Reloaders (Reuben Vigil, lead guitar-vocals); Jodie Hill (bass); Ric Lee (drums) played and performed in various San Diego bands before coming together to record ROUNDHOUSE BLUES, which in Vigil's words, "is a labor of friendship and getting my friends back to work. In this effort all processes have been near seamless. I am a lucky man."
The songs on ROUNDHOUSE BLUES reflect Vigil's diverse influences - B.B. King, Elvis Costello, Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix among them. From opening track "So Much Inside Me" ("a jump-swing tribute to the greats, including Wynone Harris and Louis Jordan," explains Vigil) and melodic "Love's Come Knocking" ("a song designed to comfort a mending heart...speaking what you want and not what you have"); to the Latin-flavored "Viva Bracero" ("a tribute to the unskilled laborers that helped rebuild America after the Great Depression"); and uptempo, toe-tapping "Big Shot Roll" ("a salute to the West Coast swing dancers that are an integral part of the San Diego blues scene"), there is truly something for every Blues lover on ROUNDHOUSE BLUES.
