Bman's Blues Report

I just received the newest release, Back Porch Party , from The Nighthawks and I really like it. Recorded live at Montrose Studio in Richmond Virginia, this release keeps the volume nice and easy but the enthusiasm is high. Opening with Rock This House , Mark Wenner has got the harp cooking and, Wenner, Paul Bell (guitar), Johnny Castle (bass) and Mark Stutso (drums) harmonize nicely on vocals. Bell tosses in his own jazz filled riffs on guitar for a nice topper. Hot start! On W alkin' After Midnight , The Nighthawks get a easy pace, Wenner taking center stage on vocal and harp. Down In The Hole has a Latin rhythm with Bell emphasizing the tempo. The band breaks into a smooth shuffle and Wenner carries a nice harp solo throughout. Ike Turner's Matchbox is up next with a R&B swing. I really like Wenner's harp solo on this track which almost takes off. Bell gets a cool swing going on guitar as well with some dynamic chords. Super! Willie Dixon's Tiger In Your Tan...

The Nighthawks Are Back with a New CD, 444 , on a New Label, EllerSoul Records, Coming June 17 In their Fifth Decade, America’s Seminal American Roots Music Band Remains Vibrant & a Must-See Live Performance Group WASHINGTON, DC – America’s favorite roots music band, The Nighthawks, announce a June 17 release date for their latest album, 444 , on EllerSoul Records, their label debut. Produced by the band and recorded at Montrose Studio in Richmond, Virginia, 444 is jam-packed with 13 tracks of blues, soul, rock ‘n’ roll and roadhouse country music – all given the trademark Nighthawks combination of talent, passion, energy and showmanship that has made the Blues Music Award winners a truly one-of-a-kind live listening experience, conveniently packaged on disc and ready to take home to enjoy. Now in their fifth decade of recording and live performing, the 21 st century Nighthawks are a tight, cohesive unit – the kind that comes only from years a...

THE NIGHTHAWKS JOIN FORCES WITH THE FORTY FOURS ON A SERIES OF SPECIAL EAST COAST TOUR DATES TO CELEBRATE THE BAND’S NEW CD, DAMN GOOD TIME, THEIR DEBUT RELEASE FOR SEVERN RECORDS WASHINGTON, DC – Severn Records artists The Nighthawks, whose label debut CD, Damn Good Time , is generating rave reviews and extensive radio airplay, are joining forces with their good friends and musical compadres, the Forty Fours, for a series of special East Coast shows in September. Damn Good Time is the follow-up to The Nighthawks’ Last Train to Bluesville , which garnered the band its first-ever Blues Music Award from the Blues Foundation as Acoustic Blues Album of the Year in May 2011. The Nighthawks and the Forty Fours were born on opposite coasts 35 years apart but both bands ultimately share the same goals: to breathe new life into the deep roots of American music and perform it with an exciting vitality in today’s world. Both bands take the essential quartet format, h...

The Nighthawks are an American blues and roots music band, based in Washington, D.C. The Nighthawks currently are Mark Wenner (vocals and harmonica), Paul Bell (lead guitar), Johnny Castle (bass guitar), and Mark Stutso (drums). Beginning with dates in February 2010, Stutso replaced longtime drummer Pete Ragusa who announced his departure earlier in the year. Formed in 1972, the Nighthawks underwent several personnel changes before stabilizing as the lineup of Mark Wenner (vocals and harmonica), Jimmy Thackery (lead guitar), Jan Zukowski (bass guitar), and Pete Ragusa (drums). Their 1979 album, Full House, issued on Adelphi Records, had guest appearances from Muddy Waters' sidemen, Pinetop Perkins and Bob Margolin. Keyboard player Greg Wetzel joined the band in 1983, was a full-time member until 1986, and has continued to play at special performances as an "alumni" of the band. The membership of the band remained stable until 1986. At that time, tired of the band's ex...