Provogue artist: Jeff Healey - Heal My Soul - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Heal My Soul, by Jeff Healey and it's pretty cool. These are tracks that were recorded between 1996 and 1998. Opening with Daze Of The Night, Healey takes a solid rock stance with a catchy melody and ripping guitar work. Joe Rockman provides a nice bottom and Dean Glover does an excellent job on drums (love the cow bell). Moodswing continues in the blues rock vein with a heavy feel and slaying guitar riffs. Tom Stephen sits in on drums on this track with a lot of back slap and tension. Healey's guitar phrasing is terrific and his vocals solid as always. Healey shifts gears with pop track, Baby Blue, which has all of the components of an absolute top 40 track. Super melody, vocal blending and easy guitar rhythm with laid back lead work is the ticket here... think Bread or Badfinger. Very nice! I Misunderstood is another track with a nice melody but with tom tom heavy drums by Dean Glover and searing guitar soloing by Healey, this track has some heat in the oven. Please is a stiff rocker with Rockman and Stephen on the bottom and Healey ripping Hendrix like hot distorted riffs over a funky rock beat and a blend of Eddie Money pop. Love In Her Eyes is a safe rocker with nice vocal blending and a hot shot of dueling guitars. Temptation is a real cool track with an almost southern rock swagger and hot guitar riffs. Healey really does rip it on this track with a lot less control than expected. Very nice! Kiss The Ground is a really nice composition and one straight to the radio. Mood changes and excellent blending of vocals and instrumentation make this a top contender for cross radio play. Acoustic track, All The Saints, finds Healey at his vocal best, backed only by electronic keys and acoustic guitar. A simple melody with country and folk influences, this is a strong track. Put The Shoe On The Other Foot kicks out the jam with a bit of funk. Glover and Rockman are joined by Phillip Sayce on rhythm guitar and giving Healey the space to sing and play lead guitar. Nicely strung together guitar solos with a lot of feel by Healey makes this one of the most potent tracks on the release and one that is bound to be a fan favorite. Under A Stone is a straight up rocker with particularly cool drumming by Glover and with Cristie Healey on backing vocals. Healey lets the guitar rip here as well and his riffs are hot. Wrapping the release is It's The Last Time, a solid pop rocker with well fitted guitar riffs and a nice melody. This is a cool release and one that not just die hard Healey fans will enjoy!



  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”

 For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE" 

 

Provogue Records artist: Supersonic Blues Machine - West Of Flushing South Of Frisco - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, West of Flushing South of Frisco, from Supersonic Blues Machine and it's a smokin' cool release. Featuring the leadership of Lance Lopez (guitar and vocal), Kenny Aronoff (drums and percussion) and Fabrizzio Grossi (bass, Hammond and vocals) this band is cooking. Opening with Miracle Man, a southern influenced blues rocker, the band is really off to a great start complimented by Jimmy Z Zavala on harp, Serge Simic on acoustic guitar, Garrett Hollbrock on lap steel and Francis Bentez and Andrea Grossi on backing vocals. Next up is I Ain't Fallin Again, a sophisticated rocker with a cool back beat and a solid drive. Billy F Gibbons leads the way on vocal and guitar on Running Whiskey a straight up rocker with a definite Gibbons flavor. Remedy, features Warren Haynes and his influence is immediately noticed with a warm, laid back feel. Trading lead riffs and vocals with Lopez, Haynes doesn't dominate the track at all and it actually feels a bit like a cool Marshall Tucker influence with new wind in it's sails. Bone Bucket Blues is a great boogie with Paulo Verdone on lead guitar with Lopez on lead vocal and guitar. This track is hot with Jimmy Z's harp work as icing. Let It Be is a cool soul rocker track with some of Lopez's best vocals on the release. I particularly like Grossi's bass work on this track complimented by Hammond work by Sam Lusting and a solid solo from Lopez. Very nice! That's My Way features Chris Duarte on some flaming hot guitar riffs joined by Lopez on lead guitar and vocal and also featuring some tight bass work from Grossi. Ain't No Love (In The Heart of the City) is one of my favorite tracks on the release with particularly strong vocals from Lopez and strong backing vocal support from Francis and Andrea. Excellent! Nightmares and Dreams takes a heavier swagger and rightly so with guitar monster Eric Gales joining. Lopez, Francis and Andrea handle the vocals really nicely and with a rock solid bottom from Aronoff and lively bass by Grossi, this track is propelled by the guitar pyrotechnics of Lopez and Gales. Can't Take It No More has an almost Wishbone Ash feel with twin guitar leads courtesy of Lopez and Walter Trout. Trading lead vocals and Pink Floyd backing vocals by Francis and Andrea, this track is super. This is a really nice stack up with Trout and Lopez. It isn't as much a slug fest as it is a choreographed joust. Very nice! Whiskey Time is a 2 plus extended jam excerpt from Running Whiskey. You like guitars... this is cool! The king of the melodic blues guitar players, Robben Ford shares center stage for ballad, Let's Call It A Day. Lopez is in the left channel and Ford in the right channel, playing melodically along with Lopez's smooth vocals on this top selected radio track. Wrapping the release is Watchagonnado, a funky track with a super groove. Grossi sets a really nice bottom and Francis and Andrea highlight Lopez's super vocals. Phil Parlapiano adds a grat funky Hammond set and Lopez's guitar riffs really make this the best track on the release. Very cool!

 

  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”

 For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE" 
 

Joe Bonamassa to release new album "Blues Of Desperation

Joe Bonamassa: "Blues Of Desperation" | Joe Bonamassa: UK Dates March 2016
Joe Bonamassa: "Live at Radio City Music Hall" | Joe Bonamassa: "Muddy Wolf At Red Rocks"
Joe Bonamassa: "Different Shades of Blue"

---

 

BONAMASSA EVOLVES AS BLUES-ROCK MUSICIAN WITH NEW ALBUM “BLUES OF DESPERATION”

RELEASED WORLDWIDE ON
FRIDAY 25th MARCH 2016

GRAMMY-nominated blues-rock guitar icon Joe Bonamassa announces today that his brand new studio solo album, Blues Of Desperation (Provogue), will be released 25th March 2016.
Like his previous solo disc, 2014’s Top 10 Billboard hit Different Shades of Blue, the new album features all-original material, and it sees the maverick superstar guitarist, singer and songwriter tossing away the rule book as he continues to reinvent and redefine the blues-rock genre like no other artist working today.

Photo Credit: © Rick Gould

“I want people to hear my evolution as a blues-rock musician,” says Bonamassa, “somebody who isn’t resting on accomplishments and who is always pushing forward and thinking about how music can evolve and stay relevant.”
The writing sessions for Blues Of Desperation took Bonamassa back to Nashville, where he’d composed Different Shades of Blue, to work with some of Music City’s top tunesmiths, people like James House, Tom Hambridge, Jeffrey Steele, Jerry Flowers and Gary Nicholson.

“These are some of the best guys in the business,” Bonamassa raves. "Lyrically, you’ll hear the proverbial trains, mountains, valleys and other blues references about heartbreak and loneliness, but there are also some poignant moments about getting away from the stressful, crazy demands of life and losing yourself with your special someone. I think anybody will be able to relate.”
Bonamassa and his long-time producer Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Journey) convened at Nashville’s Grand Victor Sound Studios (formerly known as RCA Studio A), and during an intense, five-day period they recorded 11 galvanizing songs with a crack group of musicians including drummers Anton Fig and Greg Morrow, bassist Michael Rhodes, keyboardist Reese Wynans, horn players Lee Thornburg, Paulie Cerra and Mark Douthit, and background singers Mahalia Barnes, Jade McRae and Juanita Tippins.

Photo Credit: © Marty Moffat

Of his decade-long collaboration with Shirley, Bonamassa says, “I can explain our relationship with one word – ‘trust.’ I completely trust in Kevin and his musical promptings. He pushes my musical ability by challenging me to not just rest on my laurels or settle for ‘good.’ He expects more out of the other musicians as well and will not hold back when he sees us falling back into our usual routine.”
“Which sometimes calls for unorthodox measures”, says Shirley, who admits that his idea of augmenting Bonamassa’s usual recording band with second drummer Morrow was engineered to “ruffle Joe’s feathers.” “I wanted him to work a little harder, like in his early years,” he says, “so I brought in an additional drummer, just to throw the cat amongst the pigeons.” Of the results, Shirley raves, “Recording Blues Of Desperation is one of the most exciting recording projects I've done. What a joyful noise we made!”

Photo Credit: Laurence Harvey

Blues of Desperation is Bonamassa’s most powerfully diverse and boldly realized album yet, with the material ranging from the gutsy, gritty blues call to arms of This Train (Joe’s guitar is set to “rude” throughout) to the elegant yet emotionally shattering ballad What I’ve Known For A Very Long Time to the soul-nourishing, acoustic-based Americana of The Valley Runs Low, on which Bonamassa’s voice rises up majestically to meet Barnes, McRae and Tippins in gospel-like rapture. And then there’s the bleary, tequila-soaked Drive, dripping with the kind of raw, wicked and unsettling sensuality that could make David Lynch go green with envy.
For details of Joe’s upcoming March 2016 UK tour dates click HERE.

Photo Credit:© Rick Gould

JOE BONAMASSA ONLINE

Official Website | Official Facebook | Official Twitter

Official YouTube Channel | Official Instagram | Mascot Label Group

 

Provogue Records artist: Joe Louis Walker - Everybody Wants A Piece - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Everybody Wants A Piece, from Joe Louis Walker and it's explosive. Opening with title track, Everybody Wants A Piece, Walker is rockin'. Backed by Philip Young on keys, Lenny Bradford on bass and Byron Cage on drums these guys are rolling. Walker really cuts loose with voracious guitar riffs making this a kicker of an opener. Harp screaming opening on Do I Love Her sets the pace for this blues oriented rocker. A nice organ solo from Young and a solid bottom make this track tick. Buzz On You is a casual rock n roll track with some Chuck Berry flair. Walker takes his guitar for a cool rock drive with smooth vocal harmonies. Black & Blue is a solid radio track with a super hook, interesting guitar solo and ultimate guitar anthem soloing. Very nice! Funky rocker, Witchcraft has a cool fusion of blues, rock and jazz. With it's cool percussion, tight bass and snappy drumming singed by Walkers searing guitar riffs, this is one of my favorites on the release. Rumbling blues rocker, One Sunny Day pairs Walker's vocals with his lead guitar work for a particularly effective delivery. Rapid fire guitar riffs and soaring soloing tops off this track. The standout track on the release for me is Gospel Blues. Young sets up a real nice bed of gospel style organ work and Walker lays out some really nice razors edge blues riffs. He really shakes it loose on this track, demonstrating why he is known as one of today's top blues players. Excellent! Another of my favorites is classic, Wade In The Water with spiritual overtones but with a funky rock beat. Keeping a strong gospel feel with beautiful vocal harmonies, Walker infuses blues guitar riffs and funk. Very smooth! Man Of Many Words is a really cool track with a feel like it just came out of Muscle Shoals. Funky guitars, riding organ, snappy drums and bumpin bass highlight Walker's best vocal effort on the release. Strong based blues driver, Young Girl Blues has a real nice Texas lope. Walker plays slick and clean on this track showing how nimble his gingers can be on such swaggering track. A real nice keyboard solo centers the track and 50's style vocal harmonies give the track a unique character. Very nice! Wrapping the release is 35 Years, a stone boogie with Walker on slide. Keeping it stripped, Hooker style really propels this track making it an excellent 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”

Provogue Records artist: Walter Trout - Battle Scars - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Battle Scars, from Walter Trout, and if has a definite mellowing and maturation but keeps the fire. Opening with Almost Gone, a blues based rocker with a feel of Led Zep blended with Aerosmith. Rock solid drumming from Michael Leasure and rich vocal harmonies along with harp overtones balance out Trouts flaming hot guitar riffs. Great opener! Omaha opens with romping tom tom work and Trout singing almost in a field of smoke. An onslaught of guitar enters with high dynamic quality and then disappears as quickly as it came. Nice rocker. Throw out some funk and Trout is doing the boogaloo on Tomorrow Seems So Far Away. I really can't describe how it's different but I like Trout's vocals more than earlier seeming more smooth and hearty. A real nice harp solo grounded by Sammy Avila on keys and Johnny Griparic on bass creates a solid mix. Ballad, Please Take Me Home, is so creamy it could be the Eagles. Nicely blended vocals and solid guitar accompaniment enriched by the key work of Avila gives this track extremely solid radio potential. You want to know if Trout lays it out..of course he does but in a more controlled melodic bluesy fashion. Perfect radio track. Butt kicker Playin' Hideaway has all of the flare that you would expect from Billy G track. Trout's vocals are unmistakable and Leasure's drumming is solid. I really like Trout's alternate approach to guitar soloing on this track, fresh, but unmistakably Trout. Haunted By The Night has an interesting guitar interlude on it with cool volume swells. Trout has always used his share of swells but these feel particularly haunting like I've only experienced listening to the great Roy Buchanan. Interesting track. Rocker, Fly Away, features really developed vocal lines with nicely blended harmonies and a definite hook. Trout takes his strat on a spin but as in any great band, it's the drums that make it fly and Leasure is rock solid. Move On is another solid rocker and another track with much more developed melody and vocal lines. I particularly like Trout's guitar soloing on this track taking it on a nice ride without going over the edge. Slipping on the slide and getting a little funky again, Trout leads My Ship Came In. Avila's organ work against Trout's rhythm guitar work sets the stage. Again harp work takes a lead and Trout spills out some haunting guitar swells before kicking it open and letting it all out. Great rocker! One of my favorite tracks on the release, Cold, Cold Ground, is a hot lumbering blues. You want to hear Trout grip it and rip it...here you go! What initially attracted me to Trout wasn't his fast fingering or explosive riffs but his ability to lay down highly emotional guitar phrases and squeeze great tone. This is the track! Excellent! Wrapping the release is cowboy style ballad, Gonna Live Again. Without sounding cliche, it has the renewed sound of a man on a new train. His vocals are distinctively Trout, with his voice sounding more familiar against a style that is almost foreign to my expectancy. I like it! This is a different kind of release from Walter and one that definitely deserves exploration!

   

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”

 

Leslie West Presents Guitar To Paul Allen in NYC, Soundcheck Coming November 20

LESLIE WEST PRESENTS DEAN MISSISSIPPI QUEEN GUITAR

TO LONG-TIME FAN AND MICROSOFT CO-FOUNDER PAUL ALLEN

WEST TO RELEASE SOUNDCHECK ON NOVEMBER 20

Album Features West Joined By Jack Bruce, Brian May, Peter Frampton,

Bonnie Bramlett, Max Middleton And Others

EPK:

New York, NY -- On Thursday evening at BB Kings in New York City, Leslie West welcomed long-time fan and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.  Pictured below are West and Allen, shortly after the guitarist presented one of his signature model guitars to the historical figure.  On November 20, Leslie West will release Soundcheck via Provogue / Mascot Label Group, his latest studio recording which features appearances from Jack Bruce, Brian May, Peter Frampton, Bonnie Bramlett, Max Middleton and others. West will celebrate his 70th birthday on October 22.

www.lesliewestofficial.com

www.facebook.com/lesliewestmountain

Provogue Records artist: Leslie West - Soundcheck - New Release Review

I just received the newest release (November 20, 2015), Soundcheck, from Leslie West, and it has a new flavor and hot riffs from the guitar ace. West's 16th release opens with Left By The Roadside To Die, a classic rocker augmented by David Biglin on synthesizer. West is really looking at multiple textures adding acoustic slide guitar, and powerful electric guitar riffs to his own rugged vocals making this a great opener. Tracy Chapman's Give Me One Reason gets a power rock rewrite with the vocals kept on the lower side and the guitar doing a nice response to his vocal call. Here For The Party is a straight ahead rocker with West leading the charge vocally. His classic distorted guitar tone and driving bottom makes this a great rocker. A real interesting minor key version of traditional ballad, You Are My Sunshine, with only basic keyboard setup and featuring Peter Frampton trading solos with West on slide. Very nice! AC/DC tribute, Empty Promises/Nothin' Sacred features some of West's best vocals and distorted guitar chords over snappy a guitar bottom. A Stern Warning, an instrumental acoustic guitar piece by West on 12 string shows an entirely different side of the man and possibly even with a little eastern influence. Very interesting. Curtis Mayfield's, People Get Ready, features West on guitar playing nice, melodic soloing to his own vocals, somewhat like the Beck/Stewart cover a number of years back but with a different intensity. Rev Jones lays in a real nice bass line giving the track another dimension as well. Don Nix's Goin' Down, another track done by Beck back in the 70's I think, gets a new boot in the butt joined by Brian May on guitar (after the first solo), Max Middleton on piano, Bobbie Whitlock on organ and Bonnie Bramlett on backing vocal. Excellent! Ariela Pizza joins West on lead vocals on Ben E King's classic, Stand By Me. Done as a tribute to King who died in April, West keeps it totally acoustic with a soft but tight arrangement. The Beatles' Eleanor Rigby is cool remake of the classic but on bass alone. A real nice track and well done by Rev Jones. Wrapping the release is Willie Dixon's Spoonful done Cream style. Featuring the incomparable Jack Bruce on vocal and bass, and Joe Franco on drums. West really does an excellent job laying his own riffs on this track that all classic rockers will know like the back of their hands. Excellent 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”

 

Robert Cray - 4 Nights of Forty Years Live - Trailer Is Now Live...

                                                                                                                              

ROBERT CRAY BAND AND PROVOGUE / MASCOT LABEL

GROUP ANNOUNCE AUGUST 28 RELEASE DATE FOR

4 NIGHTS OF FORTY YEARS LIVE

DVD and Blu-ray Accompanying 2-CD Set Features 90 Minutes Of Live Concert Footage

Alongside An In-Depth Interview With Cray And His Band, and Testimonials From Legends

Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Keith Richards, Jimmie Vaughan and Bonnie Raitt

New York, NY --- Open ears and an open mind are the essence of singer, guitarist and songwriter Robert Cray, whose career spans from the roots of the blues to the pinnacles of rock, from the 80s to this moment. He grew up listening to the gospel of the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, Bobby Bland's soul, Jimi Hendrix's rock guitar and the Beatles pop sounds. Those influences and the signature sound Cray has imprinted on modern popular music are brought together in the Robert Cray Band's double CD and video package 4 Nights of 40 Years Live.

The set will be available in a variety of formats -  2 LPs with digital download card, 2 CDs + DVD, Blu-Ray + 2 CDs and digitally. 4 Nights of 40 Years Live will be released August 28 on the Netherlands-based Mascot Label Group.

The first CD is fresh, live recordings from four nights recently recorded at four venues in the LA area. With his current band --longtime bassist, collaborator and friend Richard Cousins, keyboardist Dover Weinberg (who was in Cray's first band) and drummer Les Falconer (O'Jays, Keb 'Mo) – Cray fronts a group that is solid, seasoned and vital. The playing is in the moment, and the sound is singular.

The thirteen cuts are selected from the Cray Band's recording library of 20 releases.  Among them are rock radio favorites “Bad Influence” and “Right Next Door (Because of Me),” the soul searing “Love Gone to Waste,” and “These Things,” a bluesy ballad that features one of Cray's string-bending and mind-blowing guitar solos.  The live CD is the fourth Cray Band release produced by Steve Jordan, who plays drums on several cuts. Also guesting are vocalist Kim Wilson and harmonica player Lee Oskar, tenor saxophonist Trevor Lawrence, trumpeter Steve Madaio and saxophonist Tom Scott.

The bonus CD is a revealing glimpse of Cray's early career and the promise of a future that would reward fans for decades.  Selected from the band's set at the 1982 San Francisco Blues Festival and a 1987 appearance on the Dutch TV Show “Countdown,” the music captures the band's youthful presence and its ability to revive the blues without abandoning it. Included are favorites from the Cray's Band 80s set lists;  “Smoking Gun” and “Too Many Cooks.”

The 94 minute video in 4 Nights of 40 Years Live is a Cray Band convergence. Coming together are a mesmerizing blend of clips from the San Francisco Blues Festival, the Dutch TV show and the four concerts featured on the first CD. Between clips Cray comments on the band's history and his personal philosophy of music.  There is also behind the scenes footage of the band collaborating with producer Jordan. And putting the Cray Band in perspective are interviews with Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Bonnie Raitt, Jimmie Vaughan and Buddy Guy each giving their personal response to the music and the man.

It is extraordinary for musicians to thrive over four decades, and the Robert Cray Band is just that, extraordinary. The group has won five Grammy Awards, put 15 studio albums on the Billboard Charts, sold millions of records and toured the globe, playing clubs, concert halls, festivals and large arenas. Whether opening for John Lee Hooker or Eric Clapton, the band has captured audiences with music that is original, a sound that is distinctively rootsy and a performance style that keeps fans flocking back to see the Robert Cray Band headlining. 4 Nights of 40 Years Live is a testament to the band's past success and proof that the Robert Cray Band is as live as ever.

The track listing of 4 NIGHTS OF FORTY YEARS LIVE features on Disc One: "Shiver," "I'll Always Remember You," "Poor Johnny," "Won't Be Coming Home," "On The Road Down," "Sittin' On Top Of The World," "Wrap It Up," "Love Gone To Waste," "Bad Influence," "These Things," "Right Next Door (Because Of Me)," "The Forecast (Calls For Pain)," and "Time Makes Two."  Disc Two presents "I Guess I Showed Her," "Right Next Door (Because Of Me)," "Smoking Gun," "Still Around," "Too Many Cooks," and "T-Bone Shuffle."  For detail on the DVD track listing visit: http://mascotlabelgroup.com/www.robertcray.com/

Robert Cray begins the North American leg of his global tour on July 30 in Paso Robles, CA at the California Mid-State Fair.  Confirmed appearances include:

7/30     Paso Robles, CA                                 California Mid-State Fair

7/31     Agoura Hills, CA                                The Canyon

8/01     Stateline, NV                                      Harrah's Lake Tahoe

8/02     Mammoth Lakes, CA                         Mammoth Lake Festival of Beers

8/04     Roseburg, OR                                     Music on the Half Shell

8/08     Lebanon, OR                                      Guitar Under The Stars (Cheadle Lake Park)

8/09     Snoqualmie, WA                                 Snoqualmie Casino Ballroom

8/11     Boise, ID                                             Egyptian Theatre

8/13     Breckenridge, CO                               Riverwalk Center

8/15     Boulder, CO                                       Chautauqua Auditorium

8/16     Deadwood, SD                                   Deadwood Mountain Hotel & Casino

8/18     Apple Valley, MN                              Weesner Family Amphitheater @ MN Zoo

9/18     Flint, MI                                              The Whiting

9/19     Glenellyn, IL                                       McAninch Arts Center

9/22     Manhattan, KS                                    McCain Auditorium

9/24     Wichita, KS                                        Orpheum Theater

9/26     Columbia, MO                                    Roots n Blues n BBQ Festival

For More Information:

Steve Karas

SKH Music

skaras@skhmusic.com

www.robertcray.com

http://www.mascotlabelgroup.com/

Art: www.mascot-provogue.com/download

Robert Cray and Provogue / MLG Announce August 28 Release For 4 Nights Of Forty Years Live

ROBERT CRAY AND PROVOGUE / MASCOT LABEL GROUP

ANNOUNCE AUGUST 28 RELEASE DATE FOR

4 NIGHTS OF FORTY YEARS LIVE

DVD and Blu-ray Accompanying 2-CD Set Features 90 Minutes Of Live Concert Footage Alongside

An In-Depth Interview With Cray And His Band, and Testimonials From Legends

Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Keith Richards, Jimmie Vaughan and Bonnie Raitt

New York, NY --- Open ears and an open mind are the essence of singer, guitarist and songwriter Robert Cray, whose career spans from the roots of the blues to the pinnacles of rock, from the 80s to this moment. He grew up listening to the gospel of the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, Bobby Bland's soul, Jimi Hendrix's rock guitar and the Beatles pop sounds. Those influences and the signature sound Cray has imprinted on modern popular music are brought together in the Robert Cray Band's double CD and video package 4 Nights of 40 Years Live.

The set will be available in a variety of formats -  2 LPs with digital download card, 2 CDs + DVD, Blu-Ray + 2 CDs and digitally. 4 Nights of 40 Years Live will be released August 28 on the Netherlands-based Mascot Label Group.

The first CD is fresh, live recordings from four nights recently recorded at four venues in the LA area. With his current band --longtime bassist, collaborator and friend Richard Cousins, keyboardist Dover Weinberg (who was in Cray's first band) and drummer Les Falconer (O'Jays, Keb 'Mo) – Cray fronts a group that is solid, seasoned and vital. The playing is in the moment, and the sound is singular.

The thirteen cuts are selected from the Cray Band's recording library of 20 releases.  Among them are rock radio favorites “Bad Influence” and “Right Next Door (Because of Me),” the soul searing “Love Gone to Waste,” and “These Things,” a bluesy ballad that features one of Cray's string-bending and mind-blowing guitar solos.  The live CD is the fourth Cray Band release produced by Steve Jordan, who plays drums on several cuts. Also guesting are vocalist Kim Wilson and harmonica player Lee Oskar, tenor saxophonist Trevor Lawrence, trumpeter Steve Madaio and saxophonist Tom Scott.

The bonus CD is a revealing glimpse of Cray's early career and the promise of a future that would reward fans for decades.  Selected from the band's set at the 1982 San Francisco Blues Festival and a 1987 appearance on the Dutch TV Show “Countdown,” the music captures the band's youthful presence and its ability to revive the blues without abandoning it. Included are favorites from the Cray's Band 80s set lists;  “Smoking Gun” and “Too Many Cooks.”

The 94 minute video in 4 Nights of 40 Years Live is a Cray Band convergence. Coming together are a mesmerizing blend of clips from the San Francisco Blues Festival, the Dutch TV show and the four concerts featured on the first CD. Between clips Cray comments on the band's history and his personal philosophy of music.  There is also behind the scenes footage of the band collaborating with producer Jordan. And putting the Cray Band in perspective are interviews with Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Bonnie Raitt, Jimmie Vaughan and Buddy Guy each giving their personal response to the music and the man.

It is extraordinary for musicians to thrive over four decades, and the Robert Cray Band is just that, extraordinary. The group has won five Grammy Awards, put 15 studio albums on the Billboard Charts, sold millions of records and toured the globe, playing clubs, concert halls, festivals and large arenas. Whether opening for John Lee Hooker or Eric Clapton, the band has captured audiences with music that is original, a sound that is distinctively rootsy and a performance style that keeps fans flocking back to see the Robert Cray Band headlining. 4 Nights of 40 Years Live is a testament to the band's past success and proof that the Robert Cray Band is as live as ever.

The track listing of 4 NIGHTS OF FORTY YEARS LIVE features on Disc One: "Shiver," "I'll Always Remember You," "Poor Johnny," "Won't Be Coming Home," "On The Road Down," "Sittin' On Top Of The World," "Wrap It Up," "Love Gone To Waste," "Bad Influence," "These Things," "Right Next Door (Because Of Me)," "The Forecast (Calls For Pain)," and "Time Makes Two."  Disc Two presents "I Guess I Showed Her," "Right Next Door (Because Of Me)," "Smoking Gun," "Still Around," "Too Many Cooks," and "T-Bone Shuffle."  For detail on the DVD track listing visit: http://mascotlabelgroup.com/www.robertcray.com/

Robert Cray begins the North American leg of his global tour on July 30 in Paso Robles, CA at the California Mid-State Fair.  Confirmed appearances include:

7/30     Paso Robles, CA                                 California Mid-State Fair

7/31     Agoura Hills, CA                                The Canyon

8/01     Stateline, NV                                      Harrah's Lake Tahoe

8/02     Mammoth Lakes, CA                         Mammoth Lake Festival of Beers

8/04     Roseburg, OR                                     Music on the Half Shell

8/08     Lebanon, OR                                      Guitar Under The Stars (Cheadle Lake Park)

8/09     Snoqualmie, WA                                 Snoqualmie Casino Ballroom

8/11     Boise, ID                                             Egyptian Theatre

8/13     Breckenridge, CO                               Riverwalk Center

8/15     Boulder, CO                                       Chautauqua Auditorium

8/16     Deadwood, SD                                   Deadwood Mountain Hotel & Casino

8/18     Apple Valley, MN                              Weesner Family Amphitheater @ MN Zoo

9/18     Flint, MI                                              The Whiting

9/19     Glenellyn, IL                                       McAninch Arts Center

9/22     Manhattan, KS                                    McCain Auditorium

9/24     Wichita, KS                                        Orpheum Theater

9/26     Columbia, MO                                    Roots n Blues n BBQ Festival

www.robertcray.com

http://www.mascotlabelgroup.com/

Art: www.mascot-provogue.com/download